Landon raised his voice. The veins on his temples were popping. "Moreover, Lauren wasn''t even born


    when Sophiamitted her crime. She ispletely innocent. You can''t discriminate against her like


    that!"


    "What was done by the previous generation cannot be held against the next, yet they can significantly


    influence the subsequent generation," Cornelius spoke in a firm tone. He was not going to empathize


    any longer.


    He continued, "What kind of a daughter would Sophia be capable of raising? Just look at her eldest


    daughter. What was her name? Betty, was it? She took advantage of her mother''s position to oppress


    Zoe!


    "Penelope hid this from me for a long time before she eventually decided to disclose it. They are born


    to the same mother. How much better would her younger daughter be?"


    Penelope chimed in in agreement immediately, "You''re absolutely right, Dad! You took the words


    straight out of my mouth!"


    "Grandpa! You have only ever met Lauren briefly. You''ve never even spoken to her before. You''ve


    never tried to understand her before. How could you just pass judgment on her like that?"


    Landon gritted his teeth. His blood was boiling. He couldn''t bear to listen to all these. He couldn''t even


    bear to hear a single word.


    Lauren was now living in her own world, filled with happiness and warmth. It was also the world that


    Landon had worked hard to build for her.


    Unbeknownst to Lauren, an entirely different world existed on the other side. Stepping outside would


    subject her to sharp words and gossip.


    He wanted to shield her from all the hurt. He wanted the entire Harper family to acknowledge her. It


    wasn''t his wish to keep her hidden like a secret lover.


    It was clear that taking this step was far more challenging than he had imagined.


    "You are now in a different position, Landon. You are soon going to be the Harper Group''s president.


    You will be the face of our family. In the past, you used to enjoy yourself out there. That was fine. But


    your actions now will have a direct impact on the corporation."


    Preston leaped at this chance to strike while the iron was hot. He pretended to be considerate of


    everyone.


    "There are no outsiders here today. So, I''ll be very honest. It wasn''t a walk in the park for your


    grandfather to build our family business.


    "He has two scars of a few inches long on his back. Those were the scars from his early days when he


    started out. You should be very familiar with the beginnings of the Harper Group.


    "All these years, Grandpa and your father have worked so hard to put the Harper Group back on the


    right track. You should know this better than anyone else.


    "Our corporation isn''t very stable now, and our reputation has also taken a hit, thanks to that woman


    from the Taylor family. What would people say about us if you were to marry that murderer''s daughter


    now?


    "I know that you''re both in love. But those who don''t know would think that we are under the Beckett


    family''s control. They might assume that the Becketts have got a hold on us. Wouldn''t your


    grandfather''s and father''s efforts all go to waste then?"


    Penelope was reminded of her husband, Bill, who had died in the helicopter ident. She couldn''t


    restrain her emotions and started getting teary-eyed.


    Preston''s words resonated strongly with Cornelius. "You''re right, Preston! Landon, marriage is not a


    small matter. You can''t simply act on impulse.


    "I want you to have a clean break from Ms. Lauren as soon as possible. She is far from qualified to


    marry into our family!"


    "I''m capable of shouldering the responsibilities over the Harper Group. You don''t have to worry for me,


    Uncle Preston."


    Landon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, his eyes were filled


    with unyielding determination.


    He added, "Also, I have made up my mind. I will marry Lauren. She is the only one that I will wed!"


    "You!" Cornelius mmed his hand on the table. He red at Landon, who had a resolute expression


    on his face.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Landon was exactly like Bill when he was being stubborn.


    "Grandpa, I didn''te here to hear you say these things."


    Landon lowered his gaze. He sat back down on his chair with his fists clenched tightly under the table.


    "Right now, most of the projects and businesses under the Harper Group are managed by me.


    "I also have my shares, along with Dad''s. If I were to transfer them to someone else or cash them out,


    it would be a great loss to the corporation.


    Cornelius'' and Preston''s jaws dropped.


    They couldn''t believe that Landon was throwing away his future because of Lauren. He even resorted


    to threatening the Harper Group.


    "The Harper Group will have a promising future if you follow my wishes. Otherwise, I can only tackle


    the problem using my own methods."


    Landon smirked. "It''s not a big deal for me to transfer my projects to Jasper or Alyssa. We''re friends


    anyway. If I were to help them today, they''d return the favor in the future. Don''t you think so?"