Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 949

Chapter 949: On our own terms
[FLASHBACK — reference: chapter 836: There’s nothing amiss]

[Mama]

“What plan?” Stephen blurted out, darting his eyes between Charles and Haines. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

A part of Stephen’s heart knew that whatever these two men had in mind would put him in a tight situation. It wasn’t like Stephen wasn’t already in a tight spot, but knowing Charles, this guy wouldn’t improve his situation.

“Charles and I have been discussing it since Atlas told us what you told him,” said Haines coolly. “So, Charles and I came up with a plan you might… find a little risky.”

Stephen mildly shook his head. “Your tone already told me it’s not just a ‘little’ risky.”

“Proceed with the plan,” Charles chimed in, causing creases to form on Stephen’s forehead. “Do what they told you to do, Steph.”

“What?!” Stephen jumped from his seat, staring down at them in disbelief. “You want me to kill the chairman?”

“Shhh…” Charles closed his eyes briefly. “Quiet, Stephen. This might be a private area of the restaurant, but remember that you don’t know who else is listening and watching.”

Stephen’s breath hitched, his eyes shaky as he scanned the restaurant. Reluctantly sitting back down, the disbelief on his face was still evident.

Resting his arms on the edge of the table, he leaned forward and whispered, “Charles, do you really hate your father so much as to make him a scapegoat? How could you ask me to do that to him?”

No matter how arrogant Stephen was, he was genuinely and deeply grateful to Chairman Bennet. He might get upset with the old man, but in Stephen’s heart, the chairman was the only parent he had.

Moreover, Stephen didn’t have the guts to end someone’s life. His character might give the impression that he was capable of anything including that, but there were simply some lines he would never cross, no matter what.

“Charles, do you know what you’re asking from me?” Stephen clenched his teeth, hushing himself despite the growing disbelief and fury in his heart. “You’re asking me to be… to be my father, Charles. You are asking me to do what that deadbeat did to my life.”

“Stephen, calm down and listen to what Charles has to say first,” Haines intervened, knowing this was heading into a much more sensitive area of Stephen’s heart and life. “It’s not what you think it is.”

“No, it is what you think it is,” Charles interrupted, his expression stern and unfaltering. His eyes were fixated on Stephen’s reddening face. “I want you to be just like your deadbeat father.”

Stephen scoffed, his fist shaking as he clenched it tightly.

“Because if you are like him, then our chances of breaking free from all of this are higher,” Charles added in the same tone, but this time, the anger in Stephen’s eyes was slowly replaced with confusion. “You, of all of us, knew what kind of people were pulling the strings, Stephen. Even if we come together and try our best to catch them, the only people we’ll reach are those in their frontline — their cannon fodder.”

Charles raised his chin and straightened his back. “Worse, they’ll make you take the fall and find someone else to do their bidding. In this situation, having another player in their game is the worst we can have. If that happens, we might not have an opportunity, as we’d be too busy wondering who’s next. We have to avoid that at all costs.”

Charles might have told Stephen that the latter knew the people they were dealing with more than any of them. However, in reality, it was Charles who knew what type of people these were and what they could do. Charles almost lost his sanity after they abducted him and put him through unimaginable torture. Yet, despite all of that, Charles could barely get any information from them.

All Charles knew was that these people were powerful enough to get away with anything. Unless they were cornered and left with no exit, this cycle would continue, even if they arrested some of them. Worse, if they approached this carelessly, their enemies might strike back even harder.

“Stephen, these people are meticulous. That already showed when they approached your son to tangle you in this. They did so because they knew you wouldn’t fall for their little trick if they directly approached you, not Sven. What I’m saying is that these people have been studying us and our family — they probably know us better than we know each other,” Charles continued sternly. “Although we already know what they want, we are still in the dark about what else they want or what else they know about us or who else are on their side.”

Silence quickly descended on their table as they, Stephen especially, absorbed what Charles was saying. He hated to admit it, but Charles was making sense right now.

“Therefore, we have to approach this as carefully as possible, with the worst-case scenario in mind,” Charles added under his breath, his hands slowly coming together. “That is why, Stephen, if you are really determined to save this family — your family, included — you have to be someone they want. Even if that someone is the person you hate the most.”

Stephen felt his heart thud against his chest, almost like it wasn’t just his heart that was trying to break free from his body, but also his soul. He scanned the stern look on Charles’s face and then glanced at Haines’s emotionless front.

He gulped, his lips quivering as they parted. “What do you want me to do, Charles? Aside from… poisoning the Chairman?”

“Betray us,” this time, it was Haines who answered him. “We have to make this situation appear as natural as possible.”

“Even if you hadn’t come to us, we’d figure things out, Stephen. I’m certain those people are already aware of that and are prepared for it,” Charles continued, making Stephen shift his attention to him. “So, we’re not just going to do what they want, but also make them reveal their cards on our own terms.”

A glint flickered across Charles’s eyes as his expression darkened. “Let’s give them a good show they’ll enjoy, not knowing that it’s them we’re watching.”