Free Web NovelChapter 242: Chapter 242 Edouard’s New Will
Christina’s POV
We reached the private wing in twenty minutes. freeweɓnovel.cøm
The nurse at reception nodded at Hudson immediately. No surprise there. When you’re the Alpha of the most powerful pack in the Northern territory, everyone knows your face.
Through the glass door of Edouard’s room, I spotted a man in a gray pinstripe suit standing at the foot of the bed, flipping through paperwork. Edouard sat upright, surprisingly alert for someone supposedly dying, his face set in his usual scowl.
Hudson observed the scene for a moment, then turned to me. "Give me a moment alone with him. This won’t take long."
"Okay." I smiled and patted his arm. "Try not to get disowned in there."
Hudson’s lips twitched before he pushed the door open.
The moment Edouard spotted Hudson, he jerked upright so hard he started choking on his own saliva. His face reddened as he struggled to speak.
"You... what the hell are you doing here?" he finally managed.
Hudson walked in like he owned the place. Which, technically, he probably did. "Just checking if you’re still breathing. What’s wrong? You look nervous."
Edouard’s eyes widened as he frantically signaled to his lawyer, his neck twitching.
The lawyer either didn’t notice or pretended not to. Smart man.
Hudson smoothly took the folder from the lawyer’s hand. "Let me guess. New will? Let’s see how generous you’re feeling today, grandfather."
"Put that down!" Edouard shouted before turning to the lawyer. "Marlowe, do something! That’s confidential!"
Hudson casually flipped through a page. "You know Marlowe’s been working for me this whole time, right?"
"What?" The color drained from Edouard’s face so fast I worried he might actually need medical attention. The veins at his temple were visible even through the glass door.
"That’s not possible. He’s been with me for twenty years. I trusted him..."
Marlowe’s silence said everything.
Edouard’s hand twitched before falling limp beside him. He sank back against the pillows, suddenly looking his age. "You planned this."
"You planned it first." Hudson kept examining the documents. "You’ve been hiding half your assets like I wouldn’t notice. The earlier drafts left out most of it. This one finally includes everything."
Akira stirred in my mind. "The old wolf thinks he can outsmart your mate. Foolish."
"He definitely picked the wrong Alpha to mess with," I agreed silently.
I watched as Hudson held the file up to the light, turning pages. "Property in Nice, a trust in Zurich, equity in half a dozen startups. Plus that offshore account in Belize." He paused. "Altogether, what... ten billion? Maybe more if I get the art appraised properly."
Edouard wheezed like a deflating balloon. "You used him to get information out of me."
"Obviously," Hudson shrugged. "Took long enough, but you finally showed your hand. Let me guess, you called in the lawyer because your lungs feel like shit and you know you’re running out of time?"
Edouard grabbed his cane from the bedside and swung it at Hudson’s shoulder. The weak attempt missed by half a meter, and the cane clattered to the floor.
"You ungrateful bastard," he hissed. "Are you going to change my will?"
Hudson closed the folder slowly. "I saved The Sabreridge Pack and LGH from bankruptcy. You handed everything to Reginald and Declan, and left me with nothing but your last name. If you think I’m walking away empty-handed, you’re sicker than I thought."
Marlowe glanced toward the door, his lips twitching when he caught me pressing my ear against the glass like some amateur spy. He said nothing, though. Smart guy.
"You could’ve waited to screw me over from the grave," Hudson said quietly. "But you just had to do it while you’re still breathing. So I figured I’d return the favor. While you can still watch."
"What are you doing here? Eavesdropping?"
A shrill voice made me jump. I spun around to find Gwendolyn Laurent standing in front of me, wrapped in a powder-blue coat.
"What are you doing here?" she repeated, eyebrows raised.
I didn’t bother with pleasantries. "Weren’t you in a hospital bed?"
Had Hudson kicking her out by freezing her cards been that effective?
She crossed her arms, chin up. "Is that how you greet your mother in law?"
"You’re not Hudson’s mom."
"You’ve got no manners."
"Manners are for those who’ve earned them." I smiled sweetly.
She rolled up her sleeves like we were about to fight right there in the hospital hallway. "Just because Hudson covers for you doesn’t mean I won’t slap you straight back into the gutter. You have no idea what I’m capable of."
I stepped closer, my smile widening. "Go on, then. Try me. Let’s see what happens."
Her nostrils flared, but her hands stayed at her sides. She knew exactly what Hudson would do if she touched me.
Still, she couldn’t resist running her mouth.
"My mistake. I should’ve known better than to expect respect from a woman who sent her own father to prison." Her lips curled into a sneer. "Word is, your mother disowned you. Apparently, she’d rather cozy up to Beatrice, who’s not even her real daughter, than acknowledge you. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?"
She reached out, fingers aiming for my cheek. "Other than a pretty face, you... Ow!"
I caught her wrist and twisted it sharply. "Hands off."
"Ow... fuck, let go!" she shrieked, her face twisting in pain. "You’re breaking my wrist!"
She writhed like a hooked fish, but I kept my grip. Sweat broke across her forehead, ruining her expensive foundation.
Only when I felt her arm start to shake did I let go. She immediately cradled her hand like I’d shot her.
"I haven’t forgotten that stunt you pulled at Hudson’s birthday," I said calmly. "Call this delayed payback."
"That’s on you! You were dumb enough to fall for it."
The door behind me slid open. Hudson stepped out, took in the scene with one glance, and pulled me protectively to his side.
"You alright?" His eyes searched my face.
"Yeah. I’m fine." I leaned into his warmth.
He turned his attention to Gwendolyn, his expression hardening. "What did you do?" freeweɓnøvel.com
"I didn’t do anything!" Her earlier attitude vanished completely.
Hudson looked back at me. "What were you two talking about?"
