“Don’t even think about it!”
The moment the words were spoken, an eerie silence blanketed the venue.
Everyone stared at Leones in shock. The immediate reaction of most was to question if they had heard him correctly.
“You… what did you say?” Benjamin, equally shocked and angered, retorted. Could it be that he had misheard? Would his grandson really dare to speak to him like this?
“I said, don’t even think about it!” Leones reiterated confidently.
The room was instantly abuzz with disbelief. People looked at Leones as if they had seen a ghost, their
eyes filled with astonishment.
“Has this young man gone mad? How could he say such a thing?”
“Mr. Benjamin Bloom clearly gave him an out, and he rejected it?”
“He must have lost his mind in prison! He doesn’t know what’s good for him!”
The guests all shook their heads, convinced that Leones had gone mad.
“You!” Benjamin was momentarily at a loss for words. He felt completely disappointed in his grandson.
To defy him openly was to disrespect him.
He had clearly given Leones a chance, but Leones had wasted it. From now on, the Bloom family would act as if Leones had never existed!
“Leones, what nonsense are you spouting!?” Jason exclaimed in shock, hastily trying to mediate for Leones. “Dad! He misspoke in the heat of the moment. That wasn’t his intention. Leones, apologize to Grandfather now!”
Benjamin sneered. “Misspoke? I may be old, but I’m not deaf. He repeated his words! Was that a mistake too?”
Among the attendees, only Ashley was delighted.
”
”
4
1
While she was disappointed not to see Leones kneeling and apologizing to her, she took great. pleasure in seeing him reject the family publicly and defy his grandfather, effectively burning hist bridges.
“Dad, I have told you. This child thinks too highly of himself.” Ashley added fuel to the fire. “He dared to hit me, and now he even disrespects you in public.
“Who does he think he is? He’s utterly lawless!
“How could our Bloom family tolerate such a miscreant?”
Many in the Bloom family nodded in agreement, thinking Leones had crossed the line.
They had hoped that five years in prison would have humbled him, but he seemed more audacious than ever. Such arrogance was unprecedented!
“Leones, you need to explain yourself to your grandfather!” Jason urged anxiously.
“There’s nothing to explain,” Leones shook his head resolutely. “First, a man’s knees are precious. I
will not kneel and apologize to anyone.
“Second, Ashley has tormented me for years. She should be the one kneeling before me and begging for mercy. The idea of me apologizing to her? She doesn’t deserve it!
“Third, my return to the Bloom family needs no one’s approval. Because from now on, the Bloom family will follow my lead!”
What?! The room erupted in astonishment once again.
“He’s gone mad! Absolutely mad!”
“Five years in prison must have really messed with his head. He can’t distinguish between reality and fantasy anymore!”
“He’s dreaming if he thinks he’s going to be in charge of the Bloom family!”
The guests expressed their disdain and criticized Leones for his audacity.
The Bloom family members laughed uproariously as if they’d just heard the world’s funniest joke. “Leones! You…” Jason’s face showed his deep disappointment. Had the five years in prison truly driven his son mad?
What had Leones endured in there?
“You in charge?!” Benjamin laughed bitterly and announced, “I was initially inclined to give your another chance today, but you’ve shown your true colors. You dare to speak such words in my presence? Fine! As long as I’m alive, you will never be welcome in the Bloom family again!” With those words spoken, it was as if all of Leones paths to return had been cut off. Hearing this, Jason sighed in resignation, realizing that any chance of reconciliation had now
been lost.
“Brilliant decision, Dad!” Ashley clapped, her face radiating smugness.
With Benjamin’s words sealing Leones’s fate, she and her son could rest easy, no longer fearing. any claims Leones might have on the family’s assets.
“Whether I come back or not, it’s not up to you anymore,” Leones said, appearing unfazed. Currently, he controlled over thirty percent of the Bloom family’s shares, effectively holding the family’s lifeline.
What difference did it make if he came back or not?
If he ever chose to call a board meeting, he could expel everyone from the Bloom family. They would likely be begging him to return then. Yet, the rest of the Bloom family remained oblivious.
to this.
“Where’s the security?!” Ashley, in her triumphant mood, began to shout for the security to remove Leones. “Get this deluded guy out! He’s not allowed a step in the Bloom household ever again!”
As the security guards approached the entrance, Timothy rushed in, panting. “The leaders of the Five Major Families have arrived!”
Panting. Timothy ran in first to report the news.
“The Five Major Families are here?” Hearing this, the Bloom family members immediately went silent, tidying themselves up to greet their esteemed guests.
The other guests began whispering among themselves, fully aware of the stature of these families. Even Ashley, who had been so focused on Leones, now turned her attention to the entrance, her expression solemn.
“Ahem,” Benjamin cleared his throat, addressing the Bloom family, “Let’s go and welcome our distinguished guests!“
