Chapter 219: Father Had Already Made a Will

’No, I have to prepare a PR plan for this immediately. I can’t let public opinion run wild.’

His mind raced, but he suppressed his thoughts for the moment and looked up at Jane Lancaster.

"Jay, I got the news yesterday and rushed over here as soon as I could..."

Jane Lancaster had heard the explanation from Mama Knight. Worried sick because Jane hadn’t come home, Mama Knight had stayed up all night in the living room, too afraid to sleep.

When Julian Lancaster returned home at three in the morning and saw Mama Knight, he’d had his driver take her to the hospital.

She silently and expressionlessly replayed Julian Lancaster’s excuses in her mind.

’...but because of the bad weather, my car broke down, so I couldn’t get here right away.’

’And the Hughes family had already sent people to Stratton. They went straight to the Lancaster Group to demand an explanation from the Lancaster family. So, after you found out I’d been rescued, you turned right back and went to the office.’

’Not only that, but on the morning I went to see Jean Hughes, you sent someone to pick up Alvin Lancaster from this very hospital. What a coincidence.’

’You were flying around all day, so busy you had no time for me. It must have been so hard for you.’

Julian Lancaster stopped talking, inexplicably sensing he was being mocked and ridiculed.

"Why’d you stop talking? Weren’t you going to explain yourself? I’d love to hear what Young Master Lancaster was so busy with." Willow Summers’s tone was aggressive.

In the past, when facing a top-tier heir from a wealthy family like Julian Lancaster, she would have spoken as gently as flowing water.

After all, she had to play the long game to catch a big fish, and that meant maintaining the image of a kind and understanding woman.

Today, however, she just wanted to tear him to shreds and interrogate him, image be damned.

"What’s with your attitude?" a bodyguard couldn’t help but step forward.

Jane Lancaster couldn’t stop Willow Summers, so she could only back her up. "Who are you trying to intimidate?"

Julian Lancaster took a deep breath and waved the bodyguard back. "You’re right. No matter what, I shouldn’t have abandoned Jay."

"I’m sorry you had to go through that yesterday." Julian Lancaster looked at Jane Lancaster.

Lucy Finch had just finished a phone call. Seeing the siblings in what seemed to be a conflict, she hurried over in her high heels.

"Miss Lancaster, you’ve misunderstood! The Young Master was really rushing over here, but his car actually broke down on the way, and he couldn’t get a cab for a while..."

Willow Summers said with a deadpan expression, "What a coincidence. Whenever I had an elective I didn’t want to attend in college, I’d think the same thing. ’My car broke down, it’s not that I don’t want to go.’ But for my required major courses, I would have crawled there if I had to."

Lucy Finch: "How can you compare the two?"

"Enough!" Julian Lancaster pressed his lips together.

When his car had broken down, he had indeed breathed a secret sigh of relief, feeling as if it were fated, that it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t go.

But Willow Summers’s sarcasm had exposed his excuse. The truth was, he just hadn’t wanted to go.

Agreeing to the marriage alliance would have helped the Lancaster Family break into the Solara market and reap enormous benefits. It would have also saved Alvin Lancaster from being held accountable and quelled the whole incident.

But Jane Lancaster had insisted on a scorched-earth approach, easily provoking an even bigger disaster.

Julian Lancaster was tired of constantly putting out her fires. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder: if she found out no one had her back, would she be scared out of her wits?

If such a scene were to unfold, he might even feel a sense of satisfaction.

He had let events unfold as they did. While it couldn’t be said he had acted with subjective malice, he certainly hadn’t harbored any good intentions.

"Jay, I know you don’t approve of my methods, but at the time, Jean Hughes was willing to concede billions to marry you. I truly thought he was someone you could entrust yourself to."

Willow Summers: "So a few billion is all it takes for you to sell out your own sister?"

Jane Lancaster: "..."

’That’s going too far, sweetie. Julian Lancaster is seriously going to hold a grudge against you for that!’

A vein throbbed on Julian Lancaster’s forehead. He said, forcing himself to be patient, "Father probably thought so too."

"Is that so? I don’t believe it. Uncle Lancaster would never do that. Are you sure he said he approved of this marriage?" Beverly Lynch walked in.

She was dressed in a sharp business suit, exuding the aura of a powerful female executive, with a team of elite secretaries trailing behind her.

Julian Lancaster hadn’t expected Beverly Lynch to join the fray. Her sharp, incisive questioning left him speechless.

Timothy Lancaster had indeed never explicitly expressed his approval of the marriage alliance.

He had only said to leave the matter for Jane Lancaster to consider.

But Julian Lancaster had keenly sensed the subtlety in his father’s attitude.

His father doted on his younger sister. He had always supported her without asking why and didn’t consult her on every single matter.

Whenever there was a choice that involved any consideration of profit, his father would invariably forsake the profit and choose his sister. This had been proven countless times in the past.

This was the first time that, when faced with a choice between profit and his sister, he hadn’t chosen his sister, but instead told her to choose for herself.

This attitude seemed to be sending him a signal: his sister could be sacrificed for the sake of the family’s interests.

But at the same time, he didn’t dare bet on it. What if his father, being far abroad, was misinformed? Or what if he was too exhausted from his illness to react properly...

For years, Julian Lancaster had managed the domestic business, seemingly holding all the power, but in reality, his control over the company had never surpassed Timothy Lancaster’s.

His father’s investments had been uniquely insightful and precise on several occasions. Even if Julian wanted to fight for power, his own abilities were ultimately limited.

Jane Lancaster gave Julian Lancaster a surprised look.

’Why aren’t you refuting her? Hurry up and refute her loudly!’

Julian Lancaster lowered his gaze, thinking, ’Refute what? So you and Father can team up to slap me in the face?’

Beverly Lynch also didn’t know when to quit. "I heard Uncle Lancaster is coming back soon. I wonder how he’ll feel when he finds out his precious daughter was almost sold off."

"..." Jane Lancaster was truly speechless.

’Is this the power of the villainess’s support squad? My god, you two are so fierce. You’ll tear into anyone!’

’Julian Lancaster must be furious. They’ve ripped his reputation to shreds. He’s lost all face and dignity.’

Even Lucy Finch couldn’t find the words to argue back and could only look at Jane Lancaster imploringly.

Jane Lancaster: "...Brother, they’re just kidding. Don’t mind them."

Julian Lancaster retracted his gaze. "They’re just standing up for you. I understand."

Jane Lancaster was very satisfied. "Well then, Brother, I’ll be heading back to my room. I won’t see you out."

Julian Lancaster was silent for a moment. "Jay, regarding the Hughes family... where it’s possible to spare them, you should."

This was something Lucy Finch could speak on. "Theodore Hughes has been relentlessly suppressing the Lancaster Group’s business. The Young Master is under a great deal of pressure..."

Jane Lancaster understood what they meant. If it weren’t for this, he probably wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to see her.

"Brother, a large part of the Lancaster Group is mine." After a pause, she smiled. "You probably don’t know this, but Father drew up a will and had it notarized a long time ago. If anything were to happen to him, I alone would inherit all of his shares, guaranteeing me absolute control over the company."

Julian Lancaster’s pupils constricted.

He knew Timothy Lancaster had a notarized will, but he never expected it would be *this* kind of will!

Jane Lancaster: "So I don’t need to compromise or swallow my pride for anyone or anything. This is the fallback Father gave me."

’Since the company is mine, why can’t it charge into battle for me?’

Julian Lancaster had never been so humiliated. Looking into his sister’s calm eyes, he felt like a buffoon.

He turned to leave but almost bumped into Willow Summers.

There was no trace of adoration for him in her eyes, only disgust and impatience.

’Don’t I even have the value of being someone to cling to anymore?’

’Warning, warning. Julian Lancaster’s affection points are about to be depleted...’