Female Novel
Chapter 488
Raymond smirked at the man's words. “We'll have to see how important Bailey is to her, then.”
The middle-aged man was about to say something when he was interrupted by knocking sounds fromthe door.
“Come in.”
The door to the study was pushed open, and in came the butler.
“What is it?”
“Mr. Raymond, Ms. Juliana wishes to see you.”
Raymond and the middle-aged man shared a look. The former then said with a smile, “Did you hearthat? She came right to my doorstep. It seems she wants to cut straight to the chase. If the emeraldseal can make her give in and marry my godson, then my godson will possess all of the power andinfluence of the Hoffman family, which will inevitably fall into the palm of my hand.”
“You're a man of foresight, Mr. Raymond. If Huntley marries Ms. Juliana, he'll rightfully be able to callthe shots in the family's name. His taking control is equivalent to you taking control,” the man repliedrespectfully.
“You may go now,” Raymond ordered, waving his hand.
He then raised his head to look at the butler. “Let her in.”
Soon after, Juliana entered the room.
She scanned her surroundings before her gaze landed on Raymond. Juliana then got straight to thepoint, “Where's the emerald seal? I must have it, so tell me your terms.”
“How direct of you. Since you're being so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush, either. Julie,you must know that I'm not in the business of losing profit. You can have the emerald seal, but you'dhave to promise me something.”
Juliana strode to the side of the desk, gripping its edge as she quirked a brow. “You want me to handover the control of the Hoffman family to you, don't you? I'm afraid that won't work, old man. Even if Ihand it over to you on a silver platter, no one will listen to you.”
Upon hearing that, Raymond started laughing heartily. “No, no, no. I don't want you to do that. It's justas you said—I'd be coming into power unjustly. Even if I have the power, no one will obey mycommands.”
Frowning slightly, she asked, “Then what do you want from me? Besides my inheritance, I don't think Ihave anything else that would entice you, Mr. Raymond.”
The old man reached out to pull open the drawer, retrieving a red envelope from it.
“Take a look at this. If you're willing to sign it, then I'll give you what you want.”
Juliana lowered her gaze and instantly looked upset.
It was a marriage certificate for her and Huntley.
Since a decade ago, the old man had been wanting her to marry his godson, for Huntley was the mostoutstanding among the younger generation of men.
Juliana was not oblivious to the fact that Raymond wanted to gain control over the Hoffman familythrough Huntley.
In the eyes of the elders, she was just a playful little girl. Even if she had the power, she wouldn't beable to put it to good use or retain it.
Hence, the identity of her husband was exceedingly important as the things she couldn't handle herselfcould always be delegated to her husband. novelbin
In other words, the power would be in his hands, making Juliana nothing more than a figurehead.
This was a good move by Raymond, but his intentions were glaringly obvious to everyone. As a result,not only did the elders oppose this marriage arrangement, but even Juliana's parents were against it aswell.
In the end, due to conflicting opinions, the engagement never came to fruition.
So many years have passed since then. I didn't expect this old man to still hold onto this matter.
“You'll hand over the emerald seal to me once I sign this marriage contract?”
Raymond nodded, a smile creeping up his face. “That's right. This is my final wish. Ms. Juliana, I truly
have the main family's best interest at heart. Huntley is a talented young man, and it's not every dayyou get to meet someone like him. If you two get married, your children will be the most suited heirs tothe legacy of the Hoffman family.”
Hmph! He's clearly after my authority, yet he's covering it up with such a glorious excuse. If it weren'tfor the fact that I needed a favor from him, I would've chewed him out and made him pop a vein inanger.
Looking at the marriage contract, Juliana gently caressed her belly.
She purposefully picked a day when she was ovulating to consummate her relationship with Zeke.Hence, there was a ninety percent chance of her conceiving a child from that night, and Julianacouldn't help but wonder if life was growing inside of her.
The road ahead of her was still long, and she had no idea when she would take control of the Hoffmanfamily. If her elders found out about her pregnancy, the child's life might not be spared.
Hence, regardless if Juliana wanted to be with Zeke in the future, she needed a husband on paper.
No one would question her pregnancy if she was married, and that way, she could safely carry herbaby to term.
Although Juliana wasn't sure if she was pregnant or not, it was better to be safe than sorry.
At that thought, she agreed, “All right. I'll sign it.”
A hint of surprise glinted in Raymond's eyes as he didn't expect her to agree so easily.
“How honorable. You're indeed Bailey's finest disciple, Julie. You're willing to put your marriage on theline for the sake of your master.”
Juliana ignored him and signed the marriage contract decisively. She then tossed the documents ontothe table.
“I've already signed it. Where's the emerald seal? Can you hand it over now?”
Looking at the signature on the marriage contract, Raymond was wild with joy.
He was now one step closer to taking over the Hoffman family.
“Where's the emerald seal, old man? Don't you dare play dirty. Otherwise, if my master ends up in jail,I'll never let you off the hook. Forget marrying Huntley. I'll make sure you never experience a moment ofpeace for the rest of your life.”