Chapter 613

“Wearing something a dead person wore? That's bad luck. Get it away from me," Yolanda said impatiently.

Her words cast a chill over the room.

Belinda felt a headache coming on but forced herself to intervene. "Eden, this bracelet is an antique. I've heard that old things can carry a certain... weight, which isn't good for people with delicate constitutions. Since it's been passed down through the generations, it's a Thompson family heirloom. I'll keep it safe for Yolanda, and we can pass it down to your child.....”

Eden stared at her in silence, his gaze cold and sharp. Belinda's voice faltered, eventually trailing off completely under his stare.

"Alright, let's all go out and let Yolanda rest," Vincent said, seizing the moment. "You, come with me to the study."

Eden followed Vincent upstairs to the study.

A maid knocked and entered, serving them coffee before discreetly leaving.

Vincent took a sip and spoke to Eden in a slow, deliberate tone. "Get your people ready. We have another shipment going out next week. Be careful. No mistakes."

Vincent's tone was condescending, an order from on high, and Eden's brow furrowed in annoyance.

He also picked up his cup, and took a few tentative sips.

After finishing, he set the cup down and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Mr. Walker, I'll handle it perfectly. There's just one thing—I'll be taking a 20% cut of the profits from this shipment."

"What did you say?" Vincent nearly dropped his cup.

"Don't play games with me. I was speaking plain English, surely you understood," Eden said, still holding his cup, a smile fixed on his face as he watched Vincent.

Vincent's expression darkened. He felt like a pawn on his chessboard had just moved on its own.

He suppressed his anger and forced a smile. “Eden, you and Yolanda are about to be engaged. From now on we're all family. Let's not bring money into it and ruin a good thing."

Eden let out a cold laugh. "Ms. Walker won't even let me hold her hand, and she scoffs at the heirloom my grandmother gave me. Isn't it a bit early to be talking about family?"

Yolanda had indeed gone too far, and for a moment, Vincent was at a loss for words.

“Mr. Walker, I took over the shipping company and that plot of land in Riverbend for you. You had a wrongful death lawsuit on that property, and now it can't be developed. It's become a dead end project, and I'm being dragged down with it. You keep saying we're family. Well, in a family, profits should be shared. That's only fair. Surely you wouldn't just stand by and watch me struggle, would you?"

Eden's own company, while running smoothly, was small and didn't generate much profit.

The shipping company's funds were almost entirely tied up in the Riverbend land, making operations extremely difficult. The financial pressure was genuinely suffocating him.

But Vincent was furious at Eden's audacious demand. He retorted sarcastically, "The eldest son of the Thompson family, short on cash? Isn't that a joke?"

"Yes, sometimes I think I'm a joke myself," Eden said with self-deprecation before his tone shifted.

"The Thompsons are the wealthiest

family in Istra. Once I become the heir, I certainly won't be short on cash. After Yolanda and I are married and have a child, everything the Thompson family owns will betong to our child then, we'll truly be family."

"But as long as Bennett is around, I'll never be the heir. I hope you'll make a

decision soon. Dragging this out won't do anyone any good."