NOVEL NEXT Chapter 545: Acquisitions
After dinner, Lara retreated into her and Nate's room to finish filling out some forms for the university. She had passed the test and could attend the course she liked, and Nate was so happy to see her improving herself.
She wasn't surprised by that, but it was also a new feeling. Her parents had welcomed rather coldly all her small achievements as a child, and the only one congratulating her had been Luther - until he couldn't anymore because he was locked away.
Nate, on the other hand, would tell her many times that she was brilliant, pretty, and then smart again. She hadn't yet gotten used to it, and he seemed to have no intention to stop.
However, his praise was not enough to finish her courses and get the degree. She needed to study, first. And she needed to fill those damned formularies.
At least, everything was online. It would take her only a few minutes if she wasn't interrupted.
As if the Moon Goddess had heard her thoughts, her phone vibrated on the table. It was a number she hadn't saved, but she hadn't many because the phone was new. Nate had convinced her to change the number, and all the contacts on her old phone weren't worthy to keep it.
She had given her number to her new friends, she then realised. To Luther, too, but she had saved his number immediately. She couldn't save those of the women she had met at the art gallery because they were many and there wasn't much time for it. She had given hers, and they had promised to call her.
Some of them had already sent a text message with their name. Maybe, one thought calling was better?
«Hello? Lara Clayton speaking,» she said.
«You're such an ungrateful daughter! I understand you might not want to meet with us, but doing this? You're without heard!» she heard an unfortunately familiar voice yell from the other side of the line.
Grace was talking so loud that Lara could hear her if she opened the window, let alone on the phone. However, she kept calm and didn't reply until the former was done with her neurotic attack.
«What are you talking about?» she asked, simply.
she didn't care as much about her family as to inquire, but there must have been a reason if Grace called her just like that.
«And how did you get my number?» she added. That was a problem: how had her number leaked? Also, changing again was pointless because her mother would have found a way.
Lara felt like in front of a stalker, helpless and in a corner. Except that she wasn't alone, and that Nate wouldn't let it slide if she told him.
Where had her number leaked from?
«It's not important,» Grace said. «Rather, tell Nate Woods to stop!»
«Stop what? As far as I know, he's doing nothing.»
«He's burying our company with his new acquisitions!»
Lara scratched her head, trying to remember whether the LY Corp had done some acquisition recently. However, nothing came to mind.
It was a big deal, for a company, and she would have at least heard of it while working.
However, since no one had talked about it, it was unlikely Nate was doing acquisitions... Not with the company! She realised he must be moving on his own without implying the other members of the pack.
She didn't need to tell her mother, though. That woman didn't deserve to know the details.
«I don't know anything,» Lara said, simply. «Please, don't call again.»
«Tell Nate to stop!» Grace repeated. «He's trying to kill his in-laws' company. Does he have any heart? Your father worked hard to build Clayton Enterprises to the point where it is now.»
«My father?» she chuckled. «And who's supposed to be my father? Not Steve, since you told him I'm not his daughter. Who can it be, then? I wonder whom my mother had spent some time with... It's just curiosity!»
Her tone was light, but her words were like hammers. Gracelyn didn't reply for a long while, maybe hit by her daughter's words. She had lied to Steve about Lara, true, but she had done it for a good reason: her husband wasn't sure about proceeding with their plan, so she needed something to push him forward. Discover exclusive tales on empire
Just to take the first step, for everything else would have followed like stairs in a waterfall.
«That has nothing to do with what is happening,» she said when she could talk again. «This will ruin our family forever.»
«If Nate is really buying companies in Sheton, he's not doing it illegally. I won't tell him to stop if he's gaining profit from it. As for his reasons, profit is the only thing that can move a businessman.»
«Don't be stupid. It will hurt your reputation too if it's heard of. Nate Woods ruining his in-laws out of petty revenge? It would kill your reputation, and Nate's just as well.»
Lara shook her head, not even surprised by her mother's shamelessness. She couldn't be surprised anymore after hearing from her father that she wasn't his daughter. Could she do something worse? Seriously?
«I can't stop Nate,» she said, simply. «I don't even know what he's doing, right now. I'm not sure what you're imagining, but I don't whisper to his ear what to do all the time. He has a brain on his own and his goals to achieve. Also, he did acquisitions even before meeting me. You're overthinking if you think this is related to you.
Now I need to go, it's late and I'm busy.»
She hung up and blocked the number before her mother could call again. She knew it wouldn't last forever, but she would have had peace for that night.
Grace couldn't come up with a solution on the stop, hopefully. She would have needed a little time.
As for Nate, Lara was sure he had his reasons. She wanted to hear the story behind the acquisitions, but not because she didn't trust him. Just because she was curious!