The Useless Young Master
1766 Words
It was another bright morning with blue skies and white clouds.
At 8 AM, Christian Drake walked out of his room. The kitchen table, as usual, was set with oatmeal porridge, poached eggs made from free-range chicken, some vegetables, and a piece of toast.
Every morning, Victoria Emily would unfailingly prepare breakfast for Christian Drake before heading to work. She would also return home to make lunch and dinner, unless she was on a business trip. Even then, she would arrange all of Christian Drake's meals in advance.
This routine had been in place since the second day of their marriage. No matter how often Christian Drake said he could cook, it didn't change. For Victoria Emily, unable to be physically intimate with Christian Drake, preparing his meals was her way of proving she was his wife.
It was a charming thought and act, at least from Christian Drake's perspective.
Christian Drake ate everything carefully and washed the dishes. As he finished, his phone rang. He pressed the speaker button.
"The shareholders' meeting has already started. Where are you?" A sharp female voice demanded.
"I'm just about to head to the company," Christian Drake responded meekly.
"I want you in front of me in twenty minutes," the woman on the other end barked.
"Yes... okay," Christian Drake answered.
The call ended, and Christian Drake's lips curled into a slight smile. Yesterday had marked the beginning of his counterattack. Today, it was time to strike.
Meanwhile, at the Tianjiao Group building in the Seaway City business district, Victoria Emily sat in her office. Wearing an OL uniform dress, she faced a few trembling high-level executives from Tianjiao Group.
These executives, each worth over tens of millions, dared not breathe heavily in front of the company's notorious iron-fisted CEO.
Victoria Emily held a document in her hand: the first-quarter financial report of Tianjiao Group.
"Our profits for the first quarter have increased by 15% compared to expectations. Why do we have so little money on the books?" Victoria Emily asked expressionlessly, putting the document down.
At that moment, Victoria Emily exuded a cold, commanding presence that was hard for anyone to meet directly.
"Uh..." The executives exchanged uneasy glances, hesitating to speak.
"Has it been taken by the family again?" Victoria Emily asked.
The executives nodded.
"Again!" Victoria Emily's face turned cold as she tossed the financial report onto the table. "Didn't I say that no one in the family can spend money without my approval?"
"Uh... President Emily, the chairman personally intervened," an executive said.
"Grandfather again!" Victoria Emily sighed helplessly, then waved her hand. "You can go."
"Yes!" The relieved executives turned and left.
As they exited, another woman in an OL uniform, about the same age as Victoria Emily, entered the office. She was about 5'5", and with her high heels, she stood at 5'7". She had blonde, wavy hair that fell loosely over her shoulders, exuding youthful energy. Though not as strikingly beautiful as Victoria Emily, her bright smile gave her a refreshing charm.
The woman walked straight to Victoria Emily, excitedly grabbing her arm. "Victoria, congratulations!"
"Congratulations?" Victoria Emily looked curiously at Isabella Rose, her closest friend in the company, and put away her cold demeanor. "For what?"
"Congratulations on escaping misery! I heard that Christian King's been arrested, and the Christian family is facing massive fines and compensation. They're close to bankruptcy!" Isabella said excitedly.
"My husband's family is about to go bankrupt, and you're congratulating me? Even though we're best friends, that makes me angry," Victoria Emily said sternly.
"Oh, come on, don't pretend. Everyone knows you married Christian Drake because your family wanted to use his. Marrying that coward was a stroke of bad luck for you. But now, the Christian family is collapsing. They have no value left, and they won't dare trouble you if you divorce. You must be thrilled. If you’re too shy to bring it up, I'll do it for you!" Isabella said, eager to help.
Victoria Emily remained silent for a long time before saying, "I won't divorce him."
"What? Why?" Isabella asked, shocked.
"No reason. Husbands and wives should share good and bad times, that's all," Victoria Emily said calmly.
Isabella looked at Victoria in disbelief. After a few seconds of silence, she reached out to touch Victoria's forehead.
"What are you doing?" Victoria dodged and asked.
"No fever... Why are you talking nonsense?" Isabella muttered, then her eyes lit up. "Are you pregnant?"
"No, I'm not," Victoria said irritably. "Why are you here instead of working? I’ll dock your pay if you keep slacking off!"
"If you're not pregnant, there's no reason not to divorce!" Isabella said, puzzled.
"Christian is a good person," Victoria said. "When the Christian family was strong, people dared to bully him. Now that they're falling, those who once envied the Christian family will seize the chance to trample him. He’s already lost his family. If he loses me too, he'll have nothing."
"Victoria, you’re out of your mind! Even if he loses everything, what does that have to do with you? You’re such a great girl; you deserve someone much better, really!!" Isabella Rose looked at Victoria Emily as if she were crazy.
Victoria Emily shook her head without saying a word. She was stubborn. Whether she had willingly married Christian Drake or not, the fact remained that they had been husband and wife for four years. Despite not being intimate, Christian Drake had fulfilled his duties as a husband and respected her enough. Many times, Victoria Emily thought that, given her strong personality, marrying someone like Christian Drake might have been the best choice.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Victoria Emily’s secretary entered. "President Emily, the meeting is about to start."
"Alright," Victoria nodded, standing up and heading out. She turned to Isabella Rose and said, "Get back to work. If you keep slacking off, I really will dock your pay."
As Victoria Emily left, Isabella Rose bit her lip in frustration. "Christian Drake, I have nothing against you personally, but Victoria is my best friend. I can’t let her ruin her life because of you. So... sorry for what’s coming."
On the other side of town, at the Christian Family Group’s headquarters, the atmosphere was tense. The Christian Family Group’s building, the tallest in Seaway City, symbolized the family's dominance. However, many now saw this towering building as on the verge of collapse.
In the top-floor conference room, Christian Drake entered. The people chatting briefly glanced at him, then resumed their conversations, treating him as invisible. Christian looked around and saw the conference table was already full.
“Hurry up and sit down. The people from Yaokin Capital will be here soon,” a stern middle-aged woman at the head of the table commanded. She had fluffy curls, a thick layer of makeup, and bright red lips smeared with countless layers of lipstick, looking like two plump sausages.
This woman was Charlotte Hayes, Christian King's biological mother. Though Christian Drake wasn’t related to her by blood, since he was the child of his father’s second wife, within the Christian Family Group, Charlotte was like an empress dowager, dominating over Christian, the second heir to the family fortune.
Christian smiled humbly, found a chair in the corner, and sat down. Charlotte shot him a look of disgust. She had no fondness for this illegitimate child and wouldn’t have allowed him here if his signature weren’t needed for the upcoming contract.
“The people from Yaokin Capital are here to acquire our group. I hope you understand how hard it is to find a buyer right now. If anyone ruins this deal, I’ll make sure they pay!” Charlotte warned.
Everyone nodded in agreement. The Christian Family Group was on the brink of collapse, and most were eager to sell their shares. Only a fool would jeopardize the sale.
Christian sat quietly, unacknowledged despite being the second young master. A few minutes later, a group of people in suits entered. Leading them was a man in his thirties, exuding an air of authority.
“Mr. Sinclair!” Charlotte Hayes quickly stood up, shaking the man’s hand and then introducing him to the group. “Everyone, this is Sebastian Sinclair, the manager of Yaokin Capital.”
“Hello everyone,” Sebastian greeted them. “Mrs. Hayes, we discussed everything last night. Let’s not waste time and sign the contract.”
“Of course!” Charlotte nodded, instructing her secretary to bring the prepared contract.
“Christian, come sign,” Charlotte ordered.
Christian stood up, confused, and approached her. “What am I signing?”
“Just sign it. Why all the questions?” Charlotte handed him the document.
Christian glanced at it and whispered, “This… this is to transfer all my shares?”
“Of course. Those shares were left for you to receive dividends. Now that we’re selling the group, the shares naturally need to be retrieved. Hurry up!” Charlotte urged.
“But… this is my father’s…”
“No buts, just sign!” Charlotte snapped.
After a moment’s hesitation, Christian signed his name. The others in the room sighed, seeing how easily he gave in to Charlotte’s demands.
Soon, everyone had signed the contract. The Christian Family Group, worth about fifty billion, was sold to Yaokin Capital for ten billion in cash, with Yaokin Capital also assuming the group’s financial obligations, including fines and compensations.
Though the sale lost eighty percent of its value, everyone knew the Christian Family Group was a sinking ship. Recovering even twenty percent was better than nothing.
“Alright, you can leave now,” Charlotte waved dismissively at Christian.
“Leave? I think you should be the one to leave,” Christian said, a playful smile replacing his previously meek demeanor.
“What? How dare you tell me to leave, Christian Drake? Who do you think you are?” Charlotte screamed.
Sebastian Sinclair, who had been silently watching, stepped forward, handing the folder containing the contracts to Christian. “Boss, the acquisition of the Christian Family Group is complete.”
Charlotte’s face froze in shock. “Sebastian, what are you saying? Is this a joke?”
Sebastian ignored her, addressing Christian with respect. “Mr. Drake, all formalities are done. Yaokin Capital now owns the Christian Family Group.”
Christian smirked, enjoying the reversal of roles. “Charlotte, you’re fired. Effective immediately.”
The room fell silent as everyone stared at Christian in disbelief, realizing that the meek second young master had orchestrated the entire takeover.
- Writer
