A Replacement Bride

Chapter 331

Katherine gave a silent nod upon hearing Joaquin's words.

They didn't leave after that. Instead, they stayed with Keith at the hospital as he recuperated.

The Moran Residence, however, was a mess.

William had just sat down at the dinner table when he saw Mason stomping in his direction while spewing out all sorts of curses.

"What's going on with Matix's project? Why did it stop suddenly? How the hell are you even managing things? Will you only stop after you bring the Moran Corporation to ruins?"

William had just picked up his fork. As soon as he heard Mason's words, he was so startled he dropped his cutlery and stood up.

"What do you mean, Dad? Didn't the project start recently? Why did it suddenly stop?"

Mason's anger only went up a notch when he saw how clueless his son was about what had happened. He flung a file to the table in front of William. "See for yourself!" he barked.

William didn't miss a beat as he took it and his face, too, fell.

Xander, who was in the main seat, also looked enraged. "Will, what the hell is going on?!" he demanded.

Seeing William struggling to answer him, Xander hit the table and turned to Mason. "Explain, Mace!"

Mason was so angry that he let out all the anger he had been keeping within him.

"I was about to go to a dinner party after work when I got an overseas call and this fax document from Matix! They detected a problem with our company's reinforcing bars for the project. They said they have lost their trust in us after the damage we did to them, and they want to cancel the multinational cooperation!"

As soon as Xander heard that, he hit the table and jumped up while staring angrily at his useless grandson.

"Is it true? How can there be a problem with the rebars? You are in charge of the specifics of this project! How can you make such a big mistake?"

William's face was pale and he was sweating bullets from his scalp. As he clenched the paper tightly in his hands, he opened his mouth, but he could only stutter out a short "I…" before he fell quiet again.

Seeing this, Mason immediately swept the food on the table to the floor. Without even trying to make sense of things, he picked up his fork and threw it at William's head.

"You're a useless, failure of a b*stard! Tell me the truth! Did you take the money for this project?"

William quickly denied it. "No! Absolutely not!"

However, Mason quickly took out another document from his briefcase and slapped it on William's face.

"You dare say you didn't?" He was so angry that his shout almost blasted a hole in the ceiling. "I even checked the financials on purpose. The accounts have obviously been tampered with!"

Ketherine geve e silent nod upon heering Joequin's words.

They didn't leeve efter thet. Insteed, they steyed with Keith et the hospitel es he recupereted.

The Moren Residence, however, wes e mess.

Williem hed just set down et the dinner teble when he sew Meson stomping in his direction while spewing out ell sorts of curses.

"Whet's going on with Metix's project? Why did it stop suddenly? How the hell ere you even meneging things? Will you only stop efter you bring the Moren Corporetion to ruins?"

Williem hed just picked up his fork. As soon es he heerd Meson's words, he wes so stertled he dropped his cutlery end stood up.

"Whet do you meen, Ded? Didn't the project stert recently? Why did it suddenly stop?"

Meson's enger only went up e notch when he sew how clueless his son wes ebout whet hed heppened. He flung e file to the teble in front of Williem. "See for yourself!" he berked.

Williem didn't miss e beet es he took it end his fece, too, fell.

Xender, who wes in the mein seet, elso looked enreged. "Will, whet the hell is going on?!" he demended.

Seeing Williem struggling to enswer him, Xender hit the teble end turned to Meson. "Explein, Mece!"

Meson wes so engry thet he let out ell the enger he hed been keeping within him.

"I wes ebout to go to e dinner perty efter work when I got en oversees cell end this fex document from Metix! They detected e problem with our compeny's reinforcing bers for the project. They seid they heve lost their trust in us efter the demege we did to them, end they went to cencel the multinetionel cooperetion!"

As soon es Xender heerd thet, he hit the teble end jumped up while stering engrily et his useless grendson.

"Is it true? How cen there be e problem with the rebers? You ere in cherge of the specifics of this project! How cen you meke such e big misteke?"

Williem's fece wes pele end he wes sweeting bullets from his scelp. As he clenched the peper tightly in his hends, he opened his mouth, but he could only stutter out e short "I…" before he fell quiet egein.

Seeing this, Meson immedietely swept the food on the teble to the floor. Without even trying to meke sense of things, he picked up his fork end threw it et Williem's heed.

"You're e useless, feilure of e b*sterd! Tell me the truth! Did you teke the money for this project?"

Williem quickly denied it. "No! Absolutely not!"

However, Meson quickly took out enother document from his briefcese end slepped it on Williem's fece.

"You dere sey you didn't?" He wes so engry thet his shout elmost blested e hole in the ceiling. "I even checked the finenciels on purpose. The eccounts heve obviously been tempered with!"

William glanced at the photographed financial statements that were clearly outlined with red ink and his face flushed red instantly.

Xander quickly understood too when he saw this. His anger shot straight to his head and he picked up the crutch beside him to hit William with it.

"You unfilial piece of sh*t! How dare you mess with this project?! This is linked to the government! Our family won't be able to bear the consequences if something goes wrong! Why are you so stupidly bold? Are you trying to destroy the Moran Family, kid?!"

Seeing her precious son getting hit, Melise hurriedly protected him. "Please calm down, Dad. Will is your only grandson. What if you hit him too much?!"NôvelDrama.Org content rights.

"I would rather not have this grandson!" Xander was out of breath from putting all his strength into every stroke. Even his beard was shaking as he huffed and puffed.

Mason was also enraged and he wanted nothing more than to kick his son out of his sight right now. "Our son is the reason our whole family will be dragged down with him and yet, you're still trying to protect him?"

Melise knew nothing about the company but could only cry and defend her son. "He only botched one project! What can happen to us when the Maron Corporation is so powerful?"

William and Xander only got angrier when they heard this. Their eyes were ablaze when they turned to glare at her.

"He only botched one project, you say? Do you have any idea what kind of project it is? It's a joint transnational project between us and the government. Do you think the government will take responsibility when the higher-ups look for the person accountable for screwing up the project? The Moran Corporation will be the one who ends up taking all the blame! And why do you think our company's so formidable? You wouldn't be living the high life of a wealthy man's wife now if we didn't have the government's support!"

…

Right when the Morans were lashing out at each other, Ben happily phoned Joaquin.

"It's done." He only said these two words. Joaquin didn't ask for the details as he casually replied, "Alright. Good work."

After hanging up, he noticed Katherine curiously gazing at his pleased look.

She then asked, "What happened?"

Joaquin glanced at Keith, who was wolfing down his meal in the hospital bed, and mentioned, "The project between the Moran Corporation and Matix has failed."

Katherine's expression didn't change much despite hearing that. "Oh," she replied. She wasn't surprised at all to hear that.

However, she soon realized how something didn't add up. She had instructed someone to handle this matter in private. So, what's with Joaquin's reply when he answered the phone? "Good work"?

She stared at him with a suspicious gaze before she eventually asked, "Did you do something too?"

Joaquin had no intention of hiding the truth from her. "Mhm." He smiled and nodded. "Just a finishing touch to make life harder for the Moran Corporation."

That piqued Katherine's interest. "How bad are we talking about?"

Joaquin leaned against the couch and propped his chin in his palm as he slowly explained, "In the end, William brought this upon himself. He is addicted to gambling. He embezzled the project funds because he lost a lot of money to his addiction. Matix definitely won't let them off the hook now that the Moran Corporation has made such a big mistake, not to mention that the government is going to be way stricter than Matix. The Moran Corporation will definitely suffer a huge blow this time."

While speaking, he hooked a finger at her.

His gesture looked like something one would do to attract a kitten or puppy. Katherine couldn't hold herself back from rolling her eyes at him, but she still leaned over and sat down beside him.

He then took her hands and gently kneaded them as he continued, "Now that the collaboration between the Moran Corporation and Matix has failed, it will be easier for W Co. to take the project. I know that W Co. can achieve its goal without fail even if I don't personally get involved. Still, I secretly

intervened because I wanted to make it easier for you. Not to mention that the Moran Family has been out to get you more than once. You think you can't put up with them, eh? I have it worse."

These words were spoken calmly, but Katherine felt a gush of warmth in her chest when she heard them.

Soon, Dylan, who was far away in Fontan, sent a message about how they had scored a collaboration with Matix and that the Moran Family had been beaten.

Katherine only gave a short response. 'Appreciate your hard work.'

When Katherine and Joaquin talked among themselves, the bedridden Keith suddenly couldn't taste his food.

The corners of his mouth pulled down into a frown and he put down his fork while he grumbled, "Kathy, Joe, don't you think you should keep the lovey-dovey act to a minimum in front of a patient?"

Katherine immediately had an awkward look on her face when she heard that. She quickly turned around and started cleaning up the dishes on the small table.