Free Web NovelChapter 298: Chapter 298: Vincent Grant Is Currying Favor with You
He finally turned his face away. "There’s no need."
Eleanor Crawford opened her mouth to speak, but Julian Grant had already strode away.
The words he once spoke echoed in her ears: "I, Julian Grant, swear that I will never see Quentin Beckett again in this life!"
Never again!
The car started to move slowly. From inside, her tear-streaked face followed the man’s rapidly retreating figure.
Her fingertips trembled, and she wept uncontrollably.
But all she could do was let the car slowly drive past him, their figures overlapping for just a brief moment.
Then separating.
Growing farther and farther apart...
"Julian."
A low murmur, scattered by the wind.
’It broke her heart. He held such a high position, yet his life was more stifled than anyone’s.’
’It broke her heart how he had given his all to protect him!’ freeweɓnovel.cøm
Julian Grant was a good man; he just had the misfortune of running into an overly obsessive woman.
"Dad, since we ran into him, why not meet with him?"
Eleanor Crawford asked in a low voice after the train had passed.
Skye Sutton had been crazy her whole life, acting out in the most extreme ways, to the point that the entire Grant Family knew about Julian Grant and Quentin Beckett’s past.
"He has a new life. We shouldn’t disturb him."
"Don’t you young people have a saying? The best kind of ex is one who’s as good as dead."
"Dad... you even know about that?" Eleanor Crawford looked at Julian Grant, wanting to both laugh and cry.
’If only all the men of the Grant Family were like him.’
’Living a somewhat stifled life, but never hurting anyone.’
What a woman wants sometimes isn’t grand oaths of eternal love, nor a life of hedonistic luxury, or even unwavering devotion, but rather: a man who will never, ever hurt her.
「The day after Sophia Shaw returned to Crestfall, Caleb Croft, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, paid her a visit.」
"Mr. Shaw, you have such a great project on your hands. How could you not include me?"
Sophia Shaw smiled. "Our project is still in the collaborative phase, and we can’t guarantee it’ll be profitable. How could I have the heart to drag you into it?"
The deep space sector was an avant-garde field, still in its infancy. There hadn’t been many results yet, and whether it could generate profits was a complete unknown.
"That won’t do. I also want to travel to Mars, maybe even settle down there, take a stroll on another planet, that sort of thing." Caleb Croft tossed a check onto the table. "I’ll invest twenty billion. I don’t care if it produces results or not."
Sophia Shaw: "..."
’She suspected Caleb Croft was here to do charity work.’
"I heard that the Mador side seems unwilling to let NASA collaborate with us in Cathan. Looks like the project will have to be split, with each side doing their own thing."
"Even if you have military backing, you still have to figure out the funding yourselves, right? An extra twenty billion can’t be a bad thing."
Sophia Shaw had only just learned about this from Old Master Sloan last night. But Caleb Croft had a powerful background with extensive connections both at home and abroad, so it wasn’t surprising he knew so quickly.
Sophia Shaw picked up the check.
The long string of zeros was dazzling.
"An extra twenty billion is a good thing, of course, but your apparent lack of demands, Mr. Croft, actually makes me uneasy."
Caleb Croft laughed.
’Just as expected of the person he admired.’
"How could I truly have no demands?" Caleb Croft rested a hand on the chair and patted it. "I want to ask Mr. Shaw to help me discipline my good-for-nothing son. If he can learn even the slightest thing from you, then this money will have been well spent."
Sophia Shaw: "..."
’The old man has absolutely zero expectations for his own son.’
Caleb Croft roared at the doorway, "Get in here!"
Young Master Croft ducked his head and scurried inside obediently.
"Bow to your teacher!" Caleb Croft commanded.
"Ms. Shaw, hello." Young Master Croft was impossibly respectful.
Sophia Shaw: "..."
’The guy who was so arrogant with her just a few months ago was now as meek as a lamb. Sophia Shaw couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. It was weird.’
Caleb Croft frowned the moment he saw his son.
Disgust was written all over his face.
’Sophia Shaw is the same age as him, and she’s already a national treasure, while he hasn’t shown a single shred of promise!’
Caleb Croft felt that having his son become Sophia Shaw’s apprentice was a waste of a good teacher. He felt quite bad about it, so he said, "How about we hold a discipleship ceremony? Make it a grand affair?"
"There’s no need." Sophia Shaw waved her hand.
’Seeing Young Master Croft gave her a headache, but one Young Master Croft was worth twenty billion.’
Resigning herself, she took him on. "I have no objections, but I don’t know if Young Master Croft himself is willing to be my apprentice."
"I am, I am!" Although Young Master Croft was unreliable, he had been in total awe of Sophia Shaw ever since he learned of her true abilities.
"Ms. Shaw, don’t you worry. From now on, I’ll be your dog. I’ll work myself to the bone for you and won’t stop until I die."
Caleb Croft’s teeth ached.
’This son of his hadn’t even mastered basic language. His existence in this world was purely perfunctory.’
’Forget it, forget it.’
Not wanting to look at his son’s pathetic state any longer, Caleb Croft rubbed his temples and walked out.
Once in the car, he made a call. "Mr. Shaw has accepted the twenty billion you entrusted to me. But President Grant, why not just give it to her directly?"
’Using his son as a cover made his conscience prickle.’
In Caleb Croft’s mind, even spending forty billion to hire Sophia Shaw would be a waste of her life.
Vincent Grant gave a soft laugh but didn’t answer, only saying, "Please keep this from her for the time being."
Since Vincent Grant wouldn’t say, Caleb Croft naturally didn’t press the matter, simply replying, "Alright."
"Master, have some tea."
The moment Caleb Croft left, Young Master Croft eagerly served tea.
He wrung his hands together awkwardly. "I was blind before. Please, Master, forgive my past transgressions."
"Well, well, look who’s learned to speak like a human. The great Young Master Croft." Jacobs came over, her tone filled with disbelief.
She hadn’t interacted much with Young Master Croft, but she’d heard plenty about his past deeds.
"Why aren’t you off sending flowers and affection to Joanna Sherman this time?"
Young Master Croft hunched his shoulders shyly. "I... I’m drawn to the powerful."
PFFT.
Jacobs couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.
"Alright, Jacobs, find some work for Young Master Croft," Sophia Shaw said.
’Can’t be careless with the young master who paid a twenty-billion-dollar tuition fee to get in.’
Sophia Shaw decided to observe Young Master Croft for a while before deciding what to teach him.
Sophia Shaw didn’t mentor him personally, which left Young Master Croft somewhat disappointed, but he didn’t protest. He obediently followed Jacobs out.
Levin Sawyer also heard about Caleb Croft spending twenty billion just to get Young Master Croft into Lead Aerospace, so he came over specifically to ask about it.
"Do you really believe Caleb Croft is that generous? Spending twenty billion to train such a pathetic son?"
Young Master Croft happened to be walking past the door.
Hearing this, he shot a wronged glare at Levin Sawyer inside.
’Pathetic son. How heartbreaking.’
Sophia Shaw tapped the desk. "He probably sees the potential in the deep space sector, too. If we can gain a first-mover advantage in this field, we might actually realize the dream of traveling to and settling on Mars one day."
"But from now on, don’t call Young Master Croft a pathetic son. I believe he must have his own strengths." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Young Master Croft’s heart finally settled down a bit.
’Master is the best.’
’He was sticking with Sophia Shaw for life. No changing his mind!’
Levin Sawyer just laughed off Sophia Shaw’s defense of Young Master Croft, but he wasn’t so relaxed about the twenty billion.
"Someone saw Caleb Croft and Vincent Grant having dinner together last night."
"Faye, what if this is Vincent Grant’s way of trying to win you over?"
