Turning Of The Tide (Natalie and Trevon)

Chapter 99

Natalie woke up early in the morning and was still wearing a thick down jacket. After washing up quickly, she prepared breakfast and placed it under the thermos. She left a Post-it note on the bedside table and left.

It was quite a coincidence that Hackett found the Mercedes next to him very familiar while waiting at the traffic lights. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Miss Landor’s Mercedes. Since the last incident, they hadn't had much interaction.

Hackett leaned against the car window and thought about the woman. Despite her poor alcohol tolerance, she had many good qualities, including a slim waist, long legs, and curves in all the right places. She was even skilled in bed. However, her temper could be difficult to handle, and her sharp tongue was like a machine gun. Lost in his thoughts, Hackett was suddenly brought back to reality by a cloud of exhaust fumes that made him feel dizzy.

It seemed that a man’s mind turned to mush when he thought about lewd things. Sitting next to him, Joy said disapprovingly, “Why are you driving so absent-mindedly? Pay attention! Instead of thinking about all those messy women, bring back a proper wife for me. Miss Landor was nice. Why are you so useless that you can’t even catch up with her?”

Hackett thought to himself, “Is this what it means to be mother and son? They could both think of the same woman at the same time.”

After despising her son, she said, “What’s wrong with people these days? They drive so fast. Don’t they know how to be safe?”

Hackett doubted that the woman in the car was Miss Landor. At least her driving skills didn’t match up. He turned his head towards Joy with a smile and said, “Mom, she just accelerated a little faster. At normal speed on this road, where could she possibly go so fast? Unless she had wings to fly.”

Joy didn’t dwell on the issue of driving speed and cautioned her son, “When we arrive at your uncle’s house, be careful what you say. I know that over the years, your uncle and Mia have been a bit excessive in their ways, and you and your father don’t approve of it either. However, they rely on each other, and I can’t just sit by and do nothing. Mia’s story is also heartbreaking; she was abandoned by her biological mother due to their poverty, leaving your uncle to raise her alone. Even though we’re not helping them anymore, we shouldn’t sever all ties. Your uncle called and said that Mia is ill, so we should go see her. After all, he’s my brother.”

Hackett understood what his mother meant. Kind people were often taken advantage of, and poverty was not an excuse or a reason to demand that others help you unconditionally. In this world, no one owed anyone else anything. Helping someone was a matter of goodwill, and refraining from helping was a matter of boundaries.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

However, how many people understood it?

Hackett never approved of his uncle’s values but still said, “I understand. Didn’t I come with you? Don’t blame Dad for not coming with us. He has had enough. You know what kind of person Mia is, and maybe you haven’t seen everything. A few days ago, she got pregnant by someone else and blamed it on Mr. Wilson.”

Hackett understood why Mr. Wilson let Mia off again and again. Firstly, it was because Grandpa had saved Mr. Wilson when he was a child. Secondly, it was out of consideration for Hackett’s sake. After all, Mia was his cousin. Hackett couldn’t help but feel relieved that Mia didn’t twist the truth about the baby in front of his sister-in-law. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to save her, and she might have ended up being thrown into some underground market.

Ever since he found out about Mr. Wilson’s relationship with his sister-in-law, Hackett realized Mr. Wilson’s attitude towards his sister-in-law and how she had used him as a tool before. All of this made him worry even more about Mia Blackwell.

Joy was a bit surprised and said, “Is this child mad? How can such things happen so casually? Ridiculous!”

After Mia received 10 million dollars, Michael’s company was revived. However, there were still very few people who wanted to cooperate with the Sullivan Group. Without the help of the Blackwell and Wilson families, it was difficult to continue moving forward. Additionally, Michael was not skilled in business management and was unable to adapt to changes. After a few days, most of the money was already spent, and there wasn’t much left.

When he saw his sister come in, Michael greeted her with a smile in his eyes, but there was still a hint of complex emotions hidden within them. “Joy, you are here; please have a seat.”

Joy saw her brother’s expression and knew that something was wrong. She went straight to the point, without much small talk, as she was also disappointed in her brother for being a burden on the family. “How is Mia? What kind of illness does she have?”

Michael didn’t hide anything and sat down with his head lowered, pouring water for the two of them. “Ah, this child is too persistent and only has Mr. Wilson on her mind. She just got pregnant and lost the baby again. She’s been sad and hasn’t gone out for several days. She’s just been in her room, not speaking to me.”

Hearing this, Hackett, who was half-leaning on the sofa, became dissatisfied. The implication was that Mia’s baby was Mr. Wilson’s, and the blame was being placed on him again. “Uncle, did Mia tell you that the baby is Mr. Wilson’s?”

Michael remained silent. Mia had not told him about the father of the baby, and it was only his speculation based on her love for Mr. Wilson and the 10 million dollars. “I...,” he began but trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Hackett leaned on his hand and spoke slowly. “Let me be clear with you, Uncle. The baby is not Mr. Wilson’s. Mr. Wilson knows about it too. Before, I went to the hospital with him to see her. Don’t anger Mr. Wilson anymore. He has already indulged you to the extreme. You should know why. Don’t pretend to be confused.”

Joy felt that her son was impolite when he spoke, so she pushed him. As a result, Hackett showed his indifference to the situation.

“Uncle, don’t you understand that without the Blackwell family, you would have left Athana long ago and wouldn’t have been able to establish yourself here for so long? Surely you’ve heard of Mr. Wilson’s way of doing things. Is it the years of indulgence that made you forget? Don’t make it difficult for me. I heard that your company has started operating, but as your nephew, I advise you to close the company, take Mia and leave Athana, or find a job. It shouldn’t be difficult for Mia to find work with her expertise. I can give you an additional 200,000 dollars. Don’t keep hoping for Mr. Wilson. Returning to normal life and keeping Mia far away from him might be the best choice for her. Please consider this carefully and don’t think that we are heartless and not willing to help you. After all these years, what we’ve done for you doesn’t need to be listed one by one.”

This was Hackett’s final attempt to persuade his uncle. If he still refused to see reason, Hackett would not intervene anymore.

Joy was a sensible person, but sometimes her soft heart made it hard for her to turn a blind eye, and she would still extend a helping hand. Before this visit, her husband had warned her not to indulge Michael any longer. Therefore, when her son said so much, she did not particularly object or obstruct him.

Michael actually understood in his heart that he was not cut out for business. However, after so many years of climbing to the top, he didn’t want to come down. It was difficult to lower oneself once a person reached a certain height.

That was why so many people, even if they had only 20 thousand dollars in their bank account, still wanted to buy a car worth 60 thousand dollars. They went into debt by constantly swiping their credit cards to afford high-end places they couldn’t really afford until they reached a breaking point and realized what they had done.

All for the sake of a little bit of pleasure, a little bit of face, and a little bit of vanity.

Michael lowered his head as if in deep thought. “Let me think about it,” he said. Joy continued to persuade him with heartfelt words of advice.

Hackett stood up and tidied his clothes. “I’ll go see her.”

Joy nodded.

Knocking on the door, a weak voice said, “Please come in.”

Hackett swaggered in, closed the door, and plopped down on the lazy couch. He glanced at Mia, who looked very tired and no longer had the arrogant demeanor of a spoiled rich girl.

“Let me ask you something. Answer honestly.”

Mia sneered, “Do you want to ask me about the company’s operations?”

Before Hackett could say anything, Mia continued, “Are you satisfied with the breakup fee given by the child’s father?” Hackett leaned back and supported his head with his hands. He leaned back and said, “You’re quite generous. It looks like this man isn’t single. He must have been threatened by you.”

Mia curled her fingers inside the comforter, tightly digging her nails into her hand. She pursed her lips