Ch. 801..810

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 801

Upon reaching home, Joseph looked for his daughter straight away.

"Where’s Ari? Hasn’t she come back yet?"

He appeared anxious.

At this moment, Eloise sat in the living room, sipping tea and watching TV.She replied unhurriedly, "Isn’t she at the company? Why are you back so early today?"

"It’s urgent!" Joseph yelled anxiously.

"Why hasn’t Ari come home yet? I left the company when I saw her leaving.Why hasn’t she arrived home yet? Did something happen to her on her way home?"

Eloise glanced at him in surprise and said, "Hey, you’re a weird one.Since you watched her leave, why didn’t you call out to her? You could’ve talked to her at the company, but why did you have to wait till you got home?"

Joseph was in a foul mood and rebuked, "You know nothing! There are so many people at the company, and there are some things that we can't discuss there.I was thinking of talking to her at home, but why isn’t she back yet?"

He took out his phone to make a call as he spoke.

When he heard an automated voice, he grew even more frustrated.

"Ugh! She turned her phone off!"

"She’s probably occupied.It’s not like you don’t know she doesn’t come home straight after work sometimes.What's with the rush? She’s going to be fine."

Eloise leaned forward, refilled her cup, and then slowly picked it up again to sip on it.

"She'll be fine, but I won’t be! The company has a huge problem now, do you know that?"

Joseph hysterically roared as if he wanted to tear the whole house apart with his voice.

Eloise threw him a glance again and said, "Why are you yelling at me then? What can I do now that there’s a problem at the company? I’m just a housewife, and I only know how to manage the things at home and the Tanner family’s trivial matters, including taking care of all of you.I can’t help with anything when it comes to the company’s matters."

"You just don’t get it!"

Joseph waved and continued to dial Arianna’s number, still frustrated.

However, her phone was still unreachable.

At that moment, a scene on the TV screen attracted his attention.

Eloise was watching a news channel showing a group of people crowding around a place.

The broadcast was shaky, and the scene was chaotic, but they could hear the loudest voice in the crowd.

"This is slander! Who is going to make up for the company’s losses?! Wait for it..."

Joseph leaned over, trying to see the screen better when he heard Eloise click her tongue.

"Hey, isn't that Damian?"

Her words made Joseph's heart skip a beat.He took a closer look, and indeed, it was Damian.

The last image played on TV was him rushing out of the scene angrily.

"Why is this on TV? Who is he arguing with? Come and take a look.Was I hallucinating, or is that your beloved son?"иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмEloise asked while sipping on her tea with a faint smile hanging on her lips.

There was a crisis, but Eloise appeared to be calm and relaxed.

Joseph felt a ball of fury burning within him, pushing him to the verge of exploding.

" He’s such an imbecile!"

Joseph yelled a couple of times as he walked around the house.

He was still holding his phone as he continued to make calls.

As soon as the other end answered, he roared immediately, "Idi*t! Where are you now? Come back home this instant!"

"Dad, ’m at my mom’s place.I don’t want to go anywhere right now!"

Damian's voice was timid and trembling.

From the speakers, Joseph could hear Elizabeth comforting Damian.He felt slightly relieved when he heard that Damian was with his mother.

"No.Come back home right now.I need to talk to you about something!" Joseph ordered.

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 802

"Dad, I really can’t leave now! The reporters are out there, and people are watching me everywhere! Someone will follow me out of here as soon as I do!" Damian said, trembling.

Joseph was enraged, but he agreed with Damian's logic.

At first, this incident alone was enough to get media attention, but he even made a scene at the hospital.

Now, all the reporters and paparazzi were probably watching Damian’s every move, waiting to catch his faults.

"Okay then.Just stay at your mom’s place for the time being.I'll head over there right now.Remember not to leave the house or show up in public.Don’t answer anyone’s phone calls, either.You know nothing about this matter and must wait for the company to settle this issue.Do you understand me?" Joseph asked sternly.

Damian was trembling in fear and had no plans whatsoever now.He just nodded his head fervently.

"I got it.I got it."

After hanging up, Joseph picked up his blazer and was about to leave the house.иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмHis action made Eloise scoff.

"You’re heading to that woman’s place?"

Joseph turned to face her.He frowned and was not in the mood to comfort Eloise now.

"Do you know the situation right now? Keep all that jealousy to yourself! I’m telling you that it’s a serious problem this time around! It’s game over for all of us if it’s not settled properly!"

Though he slightly exaggerated to frighten her, he was correct that, this time, it was not a trivial matter.

The media was a group that liked to stir things up.

They would report anything if their article could grab the public's attention.The bigger something blew up, the happier they would be.

Joseph found a cap, put it on, and then wore a pair of sunglasses.He dared not drive his car but called for a cab and headed to Elizabeth’s place.He arrived in a hurry.

After knocking on the door for some time, he finally heard a voice from the other side.

"Who is it?"

"It’s me.Elly, open the door quickly!"

The door opened, revealing a crack.

Joseph got into the house and then closed the door behind him swiftly.He finally sighed in relief after closing the door and noticed a slight decrease in tension.

"Dad..."

Damian stood opposite him and called out in a soft voice.

"you hopeless piece of sh*t!"

Joseph cursed and raised his hand, about to hit Damian, but was stopped by Elizabeth.

Tugging at his arm, she said, "We’re in trouble! What's the point of hitting him now?"

"You sure know that we’re in trouble, and it’s because of what he did!"

When Joseph was stopped, he returned his hand to his side but could not refrain from reprimanding Damian.

"I've heard about it, and Damian can’t be blamed for this."

Elizabeth walked over to Damian and hugged him with a distressed expression.

"All our son wanted to do is succeed and make you proud! What did he do wrong? He's still young and inexperienced, and that’s why those cunning people tricked him.Instead of helping him, you wanted to beat him up.Are you even his dad?"

After a pause, she continued, "Do you know how much we went through by being by your side all these years? I’ve brought him up by myself, and now he’s helping you at the company.How could you beat him up? If I knew this would happen, I would've just died with him long ago! That’s better than getting scolded by you right here!"

Her eyes started to well up with tears as she spoke.

Joseph was stunned.

All of his angry emotions were disrupted by her cries.He was so frustrated he did not know what to say.

"Fine.Why are you bringing the past up again? What’s the point of talking about that? You said that he wanted to succeed.Fine.What did he do that made him get scammed? I’ve told him many times that he had to be careful, but look at what's happening now.He made a mess, and it’s a big mess!"

It was a mess that could crush the company into nothing!

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 803

"Dad, I've given this some thought, and I can't be blamed.I have no idea who I offended, and that woman, Naomi, was trying to scam me!"

Damian cried.

After wiping away his tears, he continued.

"All of them set me up for this!" Joseph said, waving his hand, "That's enough.Naomi's allergies were obvious, and they couldn't be faked.I also saw the photos and videos, and I can tell you those are real.There’s even the report from the hospital..."

"Maybe it’s all part of her plan!"

Damian interjected hastily.

"She added an allergen to the perfume just to frame me!"

Joseph threw him a glance and took a seat on the couch.

"Why would she do that to you? Do you have beef with her? Have you wronged her?"

Damian shook his head.This was something he could not wrap his head around either.

"Although I don’t know the reason, I’m sure she framed me! It’s impossible for there to be any problem with the perfume.That, I can assure you."

He had personally supervised the entire production process of the perfume.

On top of that, he hired an internationally renowned perfumer.

This assured him that there were no mistakes with the product.

After much deliberation, he concluded that the problem lay with Naomi.She could be allergic to something in the perfume or have been told to frame him.

He regretted his choice so much.

If he had known earlier, he would not have hired models from within the country.

They were not that famous, yet they caused a lot of trouble.

"Dad, I could’ve hired an international supermodel if you had allocated more budget back then.This wouldn't have happened either," Damian could not help but complain.

"Shut the h*ll up!"иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмJoseph exclaimed, pointing at him.

"Did I not tell you that we have a limited budget in the early phases of the project? You wanted to hire internationally renowned perfumers and even international models for your advertisement! Why don’t you fly into space and hire aliens to endorse your products? Isn’t that better?"

Damian was rendered speechless, not daring to speak after being rebuked so severely.

Elizabeth stepped in.

"Why are you so fierce? Damian is right, though.Whenever I chose things, I would buy the branded ones too.Who would want to buy a perfume created by some unknown perfumer? Also, look at what’s happening now.He ran into this problem because he didn't have enough money to hire a world- famous supermodel.You're not capable enough and want our son to achieve big things in the company, yet you’re unwilling to allocate enough budget for him.How could you do that? You want him to do something but refuse to give him the support he needs!"

"Enough! Stop it! This situation is already messed up enough."

Joseph put his elbows on his knees and used his fingers to massage his temples.He was agitated.

"No matter what, you shouldn’t have looked for Naomi at such a time.I told you not to look for her, but you didn’t listen to me!"

"I just wanted to know what she was up to!""

Damian muttered, unwilling to back down.

"I didn’t think there would be so many reporters waiting there."

"di*t! The reporters will undoubtedly be watching you at such a time, just as they would our company! Didn’t you think about that?"

Joseph was tired of scolding Damian.He gasped for breath and said nothing for a moment.

Now, both his mind and heart were twisted into a mess.He chastised Damian for everything and couldn't think of anything else to say.

Elizabeth looked at Joseph and pushed Damian with her elbow, motioning for him to pour a glass of water.

Then she handed the glass to Joseph.

"Okay, don’t be mad anymore.It has already occurred, so let us consider how to resolve this issue.I believe Damian's viewpoint is correct.It’s just that he was too impulsive.The model is the key person in this issue.None of this would’ve happened if it wasn't for her."

Joseph felt her words made sense after he calmed down and gave them some thought.

Naomi was indeed the critical person in this matter.

"Damian.Are you sure that our perfume is perfectly fine?"

When Joseph asked this question, he demonstrated his support for Damian and trust in his son.

Damian understood his words immediately and got closer.He squatted down before Joseph and looked up at him.

"Dad, trust me.There’s no problem with the perfume at all! Although I’m no expert in perfumes, I’ve been involved in and supervised the entire process from its research phase until its production.It’s impossible that anything had gone wrong!"

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 804

"Okay.I trust you too!"

Joseph nodded.

"Think about it carefully.Did she hold a grudge against you because you made a mistake when discussing the endorsement with her? For example, you refused to meet some of her requirements, or she was dissatisfied with the fee paid to her."

Joseph pondered it, ‘Could it be that something went wrong during their discussion, and it wasn’t rectified in time because he thought it wasn’t a big deal? Could they be taking revenge on him because of that?’

"No," Damian recalled the meeting and shook his head.

"It was a pleasant discussion.She said nothing about the endorsement fees and quickly agreed to be our model.During the shoot, everything went well too.She had never requested anything and cooperated well with our team."

Since things were going swimmingly, Damian didn't give it much thought, much less anticipate that it would deal him a fatal blow.

"That’s weird."

Elizabeth, who was listening in on their conversation, straightened her back.

"I know!"

"you know?"

Joseph was doubtful.

"Tell us about what you know then."

"I know why Naomi did this!"

She threw Joseph a glance and scoffed.Then she pointed at him.

"It’s because of you!"

"Me?"

Joseph was confused.

"Stop messing around!"

"I’m not messing around! It’s because of you!"

Elizabeth proceeded to explain herself, "Think about this.What’s Naomi’s job?"

"A model!"

"Yeah.What kind of people are models?"

Confused, Joseph said impatiently, "Models are models.What do you mean by what kind of people they are? Just get straight to the point and stop playing games with me!"

"Hmph!" She rolled her eyes unhappily.

"Models are part of the entertainment industry, idi*t!"

"What does that have anything to do with me?"

"Of course it does.Think about that woman in your house.What was her occupation back then? She’s from that circle, so maybe they knew each other and then joined hands to frame Damian! Perhaps they conspired to trick Damian into making silly mistakes!"

Perhaps Elizabeth’s brain was wired differently.

Given her ignorance of Nathaniel and Arianna's actions, she could only piece half the truth together by sheer luck.

Hence, she was placing all the blame on Eloise alone.иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмShe was convinced that Eloise was involved in this case, but the only evidence she had was circumstantial at best.

Joseph was taken aback for a moment before he slammed his palm down on the table.

"Elizabeth, that’s enough! This isn’t the time for you to be jealous! How could you blame her? Let me tell you this now.This matter has absolutely nothing to do with her!"

Joseph would not believe that Eloise was involved in this.

Firstly, she retired from the industry long ago.

Even if she were to know the current celebrities or models, why would they work together with her to do such a risky thing? People in the entertainment industry were, after all, realistic people.

Second, after all these years together, Joseph knew his wife wouldn't betray him for the bigger picture.

Although this matter could get Damian in trouble, it would bring huge losses to the company.

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 805

Elizabeth was displeased by Joseph’s words, thinking he was protecting Eloise.

"How is that impossible? You're training Damian to be the successor of the company these days.She could be jealous and hold a grudge against Damian and is plotting something to destroy us! She and that model are both in the same line of work.Don’t you forget that!"

The more Elizabeth explained, the more she was convinced by her own assumptions.

Then she pulled Damian into her arms and began to wail again.

"We’re so miserable! My son, you’re finally going to succeed, but I can’t believe someone tried to stop you by doing all these..."

"That’s enough.Stop overthinking! Eloise is not that kind of person!"

Joseph rebuked, then continued after taking a breath, "She’s concerned about the bigger picture.This isn’t just about the jealousy both of you feel but involves the entire Tanner Corporation.What good would she gain out of destroying the company? Do you think she’s that dumb?"

Elizabeth was stunned by his yells while Damian slowly tugged at her shirt.

"Mom, I don’t think it’s Eloise.It should be one of our business competitors.I’m inexperienced, so the company should blame me for the mess this time! I'll take responsibility for the problems I’ve caused."

Initially, Damian was flustered, but at this point, with all the chaos, he gradually regained his composure.He knew he should give in and show that he could be accountable.

No matter how much he agreed with his mother’s words, it was evident Joseph did not believe in them, so he found it pointless to argue further about that.

Seeing his attitude, Joseph finally felt more satisfied and nodded, saying, "The most important thing right now is not to find the person at fault but rather settle the issue first."

"Then...what should we do?"

Elizabeth had no idea how they could get through this crisis.

After all, she had never been in business before and had no experience dealing with such things.

After she graduated from university, she found a job in sales and got together with Joseph not long after that.

Then she chose to quit her job and relied on him for a living until now.She was not entirely out of touch with society because Joseph was not always around.

Hence, she had a lot of time to go shopping and watch the news whenever she felt bored.

Otherwise, she would have no idea what was happening in the world.

"Let me think about it.Anyhow, Damian, you should stay home and avoid being in the public’s eyes over the next few weeks.If the company needs you to make an explanation to the public, you must keep an unassertive attitude, give in and apologize.Do you understand me?"

Damian nodded.

"Yeah.I got it, Dad."

"Okay then.I’ll take my leave now."

Joseph stood up, feeling mentally and physically exhausted, as if all his energy had been sucked out of him overnight.

"Aren't you staying for dinner?" Elizabeth asked hastily.

"Why don’t you stay here tonight?"

"Do I look like I’m in the mood for that right now? This matter is urgent, and we need to settle this as soon as possible.Do you think I can wait any longer?"

Joseph threw her a sideways glance, and for the first time in so many years, he felt that Elizabeth did not understand him at all.

"You don’t understand anything!"

"Hey!"

Elizabeth retorted, not expecting to be scorned by him, but he had already left.

"yeah! I know nothing! You understand everything! I’ve sacrificed so many things and stayed by your side all these years, so I would know nothing! Are you unhappy with me now? Why didn’t you feel that way in the past?"

Elizabeth was so mad that she stomped her foot, but she did not dare to run out of the house to argue further as she remembered his reminder earlier.

"Mom, don’t be mad.Dad’s just anxious."иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмDamian tried to comfort her.

"Is he the only one anxious right now? Am I not feeling the same? Does he think he’s the only one who cares for you? I care too!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and continued, "The both of you are on a team to piss me off, aren’t you? Whatever!"

Damian had no words.

Derrick got admitted to a private hospital, which had a better environment than a public one.

However, the fees were naturally more costly as well.

The private hospital was on the hillside, quiet and serene.

In the morning, one could even hear the birds singing.

It would also be an excellent place for a nursing home if it were not a hospital.

All the chaos out there seemed to have nothing to do with the people here.

This place felt like paradise on earth.It was peaceful.

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 806

However, something would eventually break this place's peacefulness and tranquility.

"Aunt Stephanie."

Arianna greeted.She was standing by the door, her hand holding tight onto a folder.

Stephanie nodded.

"Ari, I know you’re here to visit your uncle, but he’s not able to meet guests right now."

"I don’t want to disturb Uncle Derrick either, but something happened in the company, and I must ask him for advice.Also..."

Arianna lowered her head and smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I’m not a guest!"

"That’s..."

While Stephanie was hesitating, a cough came from within the room, followed by phlegm spitting and Derrick’s voice.

"Is...that Ari? Let her in."

Stephanie moved to the side, but she was now looking at Arianna, feeling conflicted.

On the other hand, Arianna was happy when she got Derrick’s permission to enter his hospital ward.She did so with a smile on her face.

The ward was clean, and there were fresh flowers in a vase on one of the shelves.

A faint scent of flowers was lingering in the room as well.

However, Derrick looked like he had lost some weight.

His face was sallow, and his complexion was not looking good either.

"Uncle Derrick, you look great today!" Arianna lied straight to his face.

"Oh dear, you’re so wrong about that.My health is getting worse by the day! Cough..."

Derrick started coughing again after saying a few words.

"How could that be?"

Arianna adjusted his pillow so he could lean comfortably.

"You’re just sick now, and I’m sure you'll be fine soon after getting some rest.Why did you get sick so suddenly? You’ve always been strong."

Derrick gasped for breath.

"Exactly! I guess older adults just get sick naturally, and I must admit that I’m an old man now.Oh, right, tell your parents to pay more attention to their health and that they need to go for medical check-ups regularly.иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмIf they have any minor sickness, they should treat it instantly instead of getting sick terribly like me!"

His words were followed by another series of terrible coughing once again.

Arianna patted his back and said, "Uncle Derrick, slow down."

"Ari, you're such a good girl.I’d be lucky to have a daughter like you."

Derrick sighed.He appeared even weaker after coughing so much earlier.

"Uncle Derrick, you can consider me as your daughter! Benedict...is not around anymore.I'll take care of you in the future."

"What did you say?"

Her words stunned Derrick, making him sit up, thinking he had misheard her.

"Ari."

Stephanie had been silently tidying the room up on the sidelines but chose to interject at this moment.

"I’m sure you still have a lot of things to do at work.What about visiting your uncle some other day? It’s time for him to rest already."

"I-It was a slip of the tongue."

Arianna covered her lips in panic, looking all shocked and regretful.

"Uncle Derrick, I’ll be leaving now.Have a good rest."

However, Derrick held her wrist, pulling her back.He was still unexpectedly strong.

"Ari, stop right there! Explain what you said earlier to me.What do you mean by Benny’s not around anymore?"

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 807

It was evident that Arianna was flustered.

"N- Nothing! I meant Benedict had not been around recently, so I'll be your daughter for the time being.I’ll take his place.No! I'll take good care of you!"

Anyone could tell something amiss from her guilty and anxious expression, let alone someone like Derrick.He was just sick, not out of his mind, so he held her wrist firmly.

"That doesn’t sound right! Are you guys hiding something from me? What is it? Steph?"

He turned to look at his wife and called her name sternly.

Stephanie bit her lower lip and just let her tears fall.She said nothing.

Since he could not get an answer from his wife, he turned back to look at Arianna, who was right in front of him.

"Ari, tell me! I’ve always doted on you and treated you as my daughter! Tell me what happened to Benny!"

"Uncle Derrick, please don’t ask about that anymore.You should take care of your health first!"

Derrick used another hand to hit the bed repeatedly.

"Are you guys trying to piss me off to death? Just tell me!"

"Uncle Derrick, don’t be like that! I'll tell you everything, all right?"

Arianna’s eyes teared up as well, and she started to sob.

"A few days ago, we received news from our people at Middle Valley that Benedict was bitten by a poisonous snake when he was getting some materials, and he di—"

She did not say the last word entirely, but anyone could guess what the word was.

Arianna covered her face with her hand and started to cry while Stephanie turned around to wipe her tears.

Slowly, Derrick released his grip on Arianna.He was stunned to the point where he stopped making any sounds.His eyes were wide open as he stared at Arianna blankly.

It made her a little scared.

"Uncle Derrick..."

"Ari, you’re pulling my leg, aren't you? Benny’s fine, right? It’s not his first time running out there like this.He had always been lucky, so why would anything unfortunate happen to him? He hasn't pissed me off enough, so he wouldn’t leave like this.This can't be.He’s fine..."

Derrick mumbled, shaking his head and repeating those few words like he was possessed.

"Uncle Derrick, don’t be like this.Even if Benedict is gone, you still have me, and we will still be by your side! You must take good care of yourself!"

Arianna called out anxiously, "The company is already in a mess now! You must stay strong!"

"What’s...with the company?"

Derrick’s voice was weak, and he appeared numb from shock.иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмHe did not cry nor yell, but he suddenly became weak, and his gaze showed that his mind was drifting apart.

"There's a problem with the company’s new project, a problem with the perfume, to be exact.The public is saying our company used illegal ingredients in our product to raise sales.Everyone in the company is cracking their heads to overcome this crisis now, but don’t worry, we will get through this.The most important thing is your health now.You must stay..."

Before she could finish her words, she felt a tight grip on her hand, making her lower her head.She saw Derrick gripping her wrist tightly while his eyes stared into hers.

"Uncle Derrick?"

Arianna called out, slightly guilty, but she got no response from him.

Derrick slowly released his grip on her, like all his strength had been drained from his body quickly.

Then, he fell back down onto the bed.

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 808

Thud! He fell back onto the bed heavily.

"Uncle Derrick!" Arianna exclaimed.

Stephanie rushed forward, exclaiming frantically, "Derrick?! Derrick! Doctor! Call the doctor!"

In a panic, she pressed the emergency buzzer by the bed, and soon, a doctor and a few nurses rushed in, kicking the rest out.

Then they began with their emergency procedures.

Stephanie stood outside the door and appeared to have aged rapidly.She looked lifeless while her tears fell like a broken pearl necklace.She was not in good health in the first place, and now she looked like she would collapse at any minute.

Arianna did not leave and stood by her side, passing her a tissue.

"Aunt Stephanie, don’t be too upset.I’m sure Uncle Derrick will be fine."

Stephanie refused to take the tissue from Arianna but suddenly raised her head, staring at the latter with resentment and anger.

"Ari, why did you say something like that? Don’t you know that you can't stir up your uncle’s emotions, especially right now?"

"Aunt Stephanie, I didn’t do it on purpose.It was a slip of the tongue...and Uncle Derrick insisted that I answer him.You saw that Thad no choice."

Arianna looked aggrieved, explaining that Derrick had forced her into doing what she did.

"Not on purpose? You did it deliberately! Also, how do you know about Benny’s situation?"

Stephanie stared at Arianna as she asked.

Although her body was weak, her mind was still clear.

"Well...I heard that from our people.We care a lot about Benedict's whereabouts too.Since Uncle Derrick had been sick for so long, we thought Benedict should come back to take care of him and take over the company, but..."

Arianna sighed faintly and continued staring at the closed door, "Aunt Stephanie, I know you’re upset, and I feel the same.I know Uncle Derrick is feeling terrible too, but how long can you hide that from him? Forever? Rather than letting Uncle Derrick miss Benedict so much and feel dissatisfaction or misunderstanding toward him, it’s better to tell him the truth.That’s the best for Uncle Derrick."

The door blocked her line of sight.

The doors did not have tiny windows, so anyone outside the ward could not see what was happening inside.

They had no idea how the emergency procedures went.

Judging from the situation earlier, Derrick would probably be in a worse state.

Arianna did not expect him to fall so sick when he had always been in good health.

"Ari, I didn't think you’d say such a thing! I can’t believe that you're the one who broke the news to him!"

Stephanie reprimanded angrily.

"Aunt Stephanie, it’s normal regardless of who brought it up."

Arianna thought about it and took a few pieces of paper out of the folder.

She flipped it open and said, "Aunt Stephanie, since Uncle Derrick is so sick, you should be safeguarding his assets, right? Is his personal stamp with you too? Could you lend it to me?"

Upon hearing that, Stephanie looked at her warily.

"What are you planning to do?"

"It’s nothing.We just had to put many things on hold because Uncle Derrick hasn't been to the company for a long time.I thought I'd be troubling him if I had to visit him occasionally to discuss the company’s matters.What about passing his stamp to me? That’ll be easier for me to settle things too, don’t you think?"

"You're trying to seize his authority!"

Stephanie took a step back, still looking at Arianna warily.

"Aunt Stephanie, don’t say things like that.What do you mean by I want to seize his authority? We're a family.Also, I’m handling most of the company’s matters when he isn’t around, aren’t I? Passing the stamp to me would only do you good so that no one else would come and bother the both of you."

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 809

Stephanie was furious and pointed toward the hospital ward.

"Your uncle is still under emergency procedures, and we're unsure what will happen to him next, yet you're already rushing to seize control of the company? Ari, you’re not our daughter, but we've watched you grow up.Don't you have the slightest bit of respect for your uncle? You can wait to do this later, can’t you?"

"The company’s the one that can’t wait any longer, not me."

Sighing, Arianna put the papers back into the folder.

"Aunt Stephanie, you don’t work for the company, so you might be unclear about the things going on there.Now that the company is in such a dire situation, I want to get through it as quickly as possible, but...I can’t make any decisions when I lack the authority to do so.I can wait, but I may not be the only one to disturb Uncle Derrick then.

"Rather than having that happen, why don’t you let me handle this? You and Uncle Derrick watched me grow up, so how could I not look after you two? Don’t worry.I'll treat the two of you well even when I take over the company."

After a pause, she continued earnestly, "Now that Benedict is not around, just consider me as your daughter, and Ill take care of the both of you in the future."

Stephanie just kept staring at Arianna while fighting back her tears.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and said, "I don’t have Derrick’s seal and the company’s keys on me all the time.If Derrick gets through this, I’ll pass those things to you in a few days."

"Really?"

Arianna’s eyes brightened, and she wasn't sure she was getting it right.She suppressed her emotions when she asked, afraid that Stephanie would go back on her words.

"You’re right.Benny isn’t around anymore, and both Derrick's and my health are declining.We don’t know how much time we have left to live, so we can’t ruin the future of Tanner Corporation.We're still family, after all, and we consider you our daughter.Who else could we hand the company over to other than you?"

Stephanie sighed deeply as though she were reluctant to do so but knew this was her best option.

"Yeah, we're family, and we can’t let outsiders take over Tanner Corporation!"

Arianna’s eyes were beaming with excitement.

"Well ...I need to get back to work.Take good care of Uncle Derrick.I’ll visit the both of you again in a couple of days."

Stephanie said nothing in response, while Arianna just turned around and looked toward the hospital ward.Her gaze shifted to Stephanie, then back to the closed door.

‘Everything will belong to me regardless if Uncle Derrick can make it through this alive!’ When she left, she called out to a bodyguard.

"Watch over them closely and do not allow anyone to visit them.иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмInform me immediately should there be anything urgent."

"yes, Ms.Tanner!" the bodyguard replied.

Soon after she left, the door of the ward opened.The doctor came out, removed his mask, and looked at Stephanie.

"Thanks."

She thanked him and entered the room without further inquiry.She looked haggard and even slightly disappointed.

Derrick, who had apparently just been rescued, sat up in bed, looking healthier and more energetic than ever.

"She left?" Stephanie nodded.

"I didn’t expect that.I've always considered her our daughter and treated her like one.She was upset.She had heard countless stories about the rivalry and self-interest among the members of wealthy families, but it was still shocking to experience it firsthand.

"Humans should never be tested."

Derrick sighed, lifted his blanket, and got down from the bed.Stephanie rushed forward to help her husband after she saw him stand up, but he waved her away.

"Do you really think I’m so old that I can’t move by myself?"

Spoiled by Mr. Russell Chapter 810

"How long do we need to put on this show?" Stephanie asked, unable to tolerate it anymore.

She felt terrible about her promise to perform an act with Derrick.She was not a good liar in the first place, but she had to deal with those who came to visit Derrick with ulterior motives from time to time.

She had to watch their fake concern and listen to all those exaggerated compliments when they were here.

She had never gone through this, but while Derrick was "ill and in the hospital," she saw many things she had never seen before.

Initially, they would test the waters with caution, which turned into indifference gradually.

Now, even her own niece was coming to seize power.

"Joseph came over yesterday, didn’t he?" Derrick asked lightly, looking out the window.

At the time, he was sleeping, but he vaguely heard voices outside the door.

Stephanie probably stopped them at his door.

Stephanie nodded.

"Yeah.I told him you’re resting after getting a shot, and you'd be asleep for a while, so he should return home first."

"This father-daughter duo each has their own plans!" he exclaimed emotionally, a faint smile hanging on his lips.

"Is Joseph really planning to hand over all the assets to that illegitimate son of his?"

Stephanie sighed.

"El had been helping him so much over the years.If he did that, it would really hurt her."

"Do you think that sister-in-law of mine is someone so docile?"

Derrick turned around to face Stephanie.

There was a cold smile on his face.

The beam of sunlight from outside was shining on him, but the curtains covered half of the light.

Even though he was hiding here to strategize and keep control of the situation, he made significant sacrifices.

For instance, it had been some time since he could go outside and enjoy the fresh air and sun.

Even if he were to do that in the room, he would have had to hide behind the curtains to avoid getting caught by the paparazzi, who might be hiding in the dark.

"You mean to say El is also..."

Stephanie was astonished.иσνєℓєвσσк.¢σмShe saw a big difference between people now and then.

Everything going on was constantly overturning her understanding of certain matters.

"No, El is the same as I am, and she had never asked about the company’s matters.If she hadn't helped me manage everything at home all these years, I wouldn’t have..."

Derrick trailed off before he continued, "Why do you think she managed the family for so many years? She has been the one taking care of all the internal affairs of the Tanner family.Think about all the wives of our relatives.Everyone has a close relationship with her, don’t they? Everything she did would affect the company to a certain extent, but you had no idea about it, right? Even after having a mistress for so many years and bringing his illegitimate son back home, Joseph lacks the guts to file for divorce.Do you know why? "About that..."

Stephanie did not know what to say.She had always been weak, so she had never managed all the internal affairs, or rather, she could not manage them.

Eloise was an all-arounder, and helped her immensely over the years.

Hence, she was genuinely grateful for Eloise.

However, she did not know that this was such a complicated matter.

"There’s one more thing."

Derrick paused and looked out the window, his gaze intense.

In the distance, it was a vast land of forest.

The trees were green and lush, which was a great sight for the eyes.

"Do you know when Benny first learned about wooden carvings and then got obsessed with them? Do you remember when it was?"