Chapter 258: She’s Only After Our Money
Ashton still didn’t say a word.
Not because he didn’t want to, but because he had no idea how.
Jonathan finally caught on.
“You messed with someone we can’t afford to cross?”
That didn’t seem right, though.
In N.L City, there were only a handful of people the Doltons couldn’t afford to offend.
And Ashton wasn’t the type to act recklessly.
“Or is it that you just don’t want to say who it is?”
Madeline suddenly smacked her forehead.
“I got it–it’s Gemma.”
Ashton’s head snapped up.
They say a mother knows her child best.
Damn if she wasn’t spot–on.
“So I was right.”
Madeline frowned.
“But seriously? A little girl like her has got you this worked up?”
She never liked Gemma.
Never once considered bringing her into the family.
Hadn’t even bothered informing the clan about her existence.
Of course.
If Gemma knew her place, they could throw her some money–enough to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life.
But no.
She was stubborn, hard to like.
Madeline wasn’t about to waste good money on someone like that.
While Madeline and Jonathan were mulling things over, Ashton had already figured it out.
“I’ll lay it out for you.”
“Gemma’s a damn good doctor. She’s got pull at the hospital–even the director thinks highly of her.”
Madeline scoffed.
Bark in S City, hospital directors lined up just for a chance to have dinner with her.
So what?
Ashton went on.
“And today, I found out she developed a breakthrough drug–histidine copper. It’s a treatment for rare genetic diseases.”
Madeline blinked. “???”
Jonathan, on the other hand, caught on immediately.
“That’s a big deal. I’ve heard Esapring Island is hunting for experts in this field.”
“They want specialists to modify their genes–some nonsense about immortality.”
“Some even believe studying human genetics could unlock secrets that connect us to alien civilizations.”
Translation here.
This kind of research was in high demand.
And anyone involved was worth a fortune.
Jonathan’s interest was piqued.
If the Doltons controlled someone like Gemma, they wouldn’t need the Chavez family to open doors for them.
They could dominate the entire domestic market on their own.
“I met her today. Told her to hand over the patent. In return, I’d bring her back into the family.”
“She’s our child—we’re her rightful guardians. Anything she invents should be ours to handle.”
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Chapter 258 She’s Only After Our Money
Jonathan nodded firmly. “Ashton, you’re absolutely right”
Ashton nodded.
“If she’s capable of developing this, who knows what else she could create? Maybe the kind of surgical breakthroughs that shake the world.”
“Someone like that belongs in the Dolton family.”
Geniuses like her? You either kept them close or risked them becoming your biggest threat.
The room fell silent.
Finally, Madeline spoke.
“Fine. Bring her back. But I have one condition–she doesn’t take anything away from Kaiya. And whatever I give Kaiya in the future, she keeps her
mouth shut about it.”
Jonathan waved a hand dismissively.
“That’s a non–issue.”
Then, he turned to Ashton.
“She turned you down, didn’t she?”
Ashton nodded.
Jonathan sucked in a sharp breath.
“Then there’s only one explanation,”
“Someone got to her first.”
Ashton sneered.
“No need to guess it’s Cassius.”
Jonathan let out a sigh.
“The Raven family may be gone, but Cassius still holds the reins in N.L. City’s business world.”
“No wonder people call him ‘Mr. Cassius.”
Ashton clenched his jaw. He wasn’t having it.
Cassius was younger than him.
New to the tech game.
Yet people gave him the kind of respect Ashton never got. Mr. Cassius? Meanwhile, he was just Mr. Dolton?
To an outsider, it’d seem like Cassius was the senior here.
“You’re right. I saw his car.”
Jonathan rubbed his temples.
“If the deal didn’t go through, then you just didn’t offer enough.”
Madeline’s expression darkened.
“You think we should pay up? The Doltons may not be short on money, but we’re not fools either,”
“I’ll talk to her myself. Let’s see if she really thinks she can defy us.”
Ashton considered stopping her.
But then again, his mother had always been good at handling these situations.
“Alright. I’ll wait for your news.”
Madeline nodded and left.
Jonathan eyed Ashton again.
“Ashton, you’re not hiding anything else from us, are you?”
Ashton’s heart skipped a beat.
“No. Why would you think that?”
Jonathan exhaled, relieved. “Good. You’re not young anymore. Find someone to settle down with. Enough with the robots and computers.”
Ashton nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah, yeah.”
Jonathan narrowed his eyes. “You keep saying that, but all these years, you haven’t brought home a single girl. You’re still hung up on that Parrish
girl, aren’t you?”
“You’re out of your damn mind.”
‘She’s cursed. Barely married a few days before her husband dropped dead. And after that, she was kept as a mistress.”
As long as I’m alive, she’s not setting foot in this house.”
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Chapter 258: She’s Only After Our Money
Ashton pinched the bridge of his nose.
Not a flicker of emotion crossed his face.
“Dad, you say this every year. Aren’t you tired?”
“Not as tired as I am of waiting for you to settle down.”
“I’m looking. But all these women only care about our money.” Ashton waved a hand dismissively. “Look, I’ll bring you a grandson, so stop nagging.”
Jonathan thought for a moment.
For a man, having a child wasn’t complicated–find a woman, keep the kid, cut ties.
As long as the Doltons had an heir, he could die happy.
“Fine. Next year at the latest, I want to see my grandson.”
Ashton nodded. “Got it.”
Meanwhile, Gemma had already returned to the hospital and was setting up the operating room.
The director was pulling strings, getting her the resources she needed.
But this surgery? Most doctors wouldn’t dare attempt it.
Even the so–called experts.
That left only one option–Gemma would operate herself.
Before that, she and Juelz had to sign a mountain of paperwork.
In short.
Whatever happened, the hospital wouldn’t be held responsible–Gemma and Juelz were on their own.
The director sighed.
“Dr. Kelestine, my hands are tied. I’ve got the whole hospital to think about.”
Gemma just smiled.
“You stuck your neck out for me. That’s more than enough.”
The director was about to say something else when the emergency alarm blared through the hospital.
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