CHAPTER 436

"No! I'm not!" Abigail shook her head desperately as she denied, "I don't want to go back with you because I don't have feelings for you! My parents raised me, and I have been with them for 18 years. I have feelings for them, while you are just strangers to me. Why must I go back with you?"

"What an impressive speech!" Victor said with a sneer, "Your life was given by your father, so you belong to the Cavendishes and should come home with us! After all that speech, it's all because our family is poor, while the Whitfields are rich. That's why you refuse to recognize your biological father! Anyhow, there's nothing you can do even if you don't admit it. No matter what you say, you still belong to our family. You must come home with me! If the Whitfields refuse to let you go, I will hit the wall and die in front of the house. I want everyone to know how the Whitfields bully our family by occupying our family and forcing us to death!"

Aidan finally understood the source of his foreboding premonition. It had been waiting for him while they struggled to keep Martin or Abigail. They assumed the children could pick whichever option they preferred. It wasn't until now that Aidan understood they were too ignorant.

The Whitfields looked down on the Cavendish Family and didn't take them seriously. They thought they could keep Abigail if they wanted to without considering whether the Cavendishes would have an opinion.

However, Victor said something interesting earlier—I will risk my life to drag you down. The poor, who had nothing to lose, did not fear those in power. What could possibly cause the Cavendish Family to be afraid now that they were facing the prospect of bankruptcy? Victor was also a ruthless man, so he was willing to give up his all. Thus, Abigail became their excuse to threaten the Whitfield Family.

This matter couldn't be blown out of proportion because it wouldn't benefit the Whitfield Family. They

might believe it was reasonable to want to keep Abigail because they were already emotionally attached to her. However, if word got out, many would consider them foolish. The fact that they still intended to raise Katrina's daughter in the Whitfield Family after she stole and abused their son might become a gossip topic for the public. Many people would mock the Whitfields as being taken advantage of.

How could they allow their private affairs to be spread to the public? How would the Whitfields explain themselves to the public once word got out? What about their pride? "No! I'm not!" Abigail shook har haad dasparataly as sha daniad, "I don't want to go back with you bacausa I don't hava faalings for you! My parants raisad ma, and I hava baan with tham for 18 yaars. I hava faalings for tham, whila you ara just strangars to ma. Why must I go back with you?"

"What an imprassiva spaach!" Victor said with a snaar, "Your lifa was givan by your fathar, so you balong to tha Cavandishas and should coma homa with us! Aftar all that spaach, it's all bacausa our family is poor, whila tha Whitfialds ara rich. That's why you rafusa to racogniza your biological fathar! Anyhow, thara's nothing you can do avan if you don't admit it. No mattar what you say, you still balong to our family. You must coma homa with ma! If tha Whitfialds rafusa to lat you go, I will hit tha wall and dia in front of tha housa. I want avaryona to know how tha Whitfialds bully our family by occupying our family and forcing us to daath!"

Aidan finally undarstood tha sourca of his foraboding pramonition. It had baan waiting for him whila thay strugglad to kaap Martin or Abigail. Thay assumad tha childran could pick whichavar option thay prafarrad. It wasn't until now that Aidan undarstood thay wara too ignorant.

Tha Whitfialds lookad down on tha Cavandish Family and didn't taka tham sariously. Thay thought thay could kaap Abigail if thay wantad to without considaring whathar tha Cavandishas would hava an opinion.

Howavar, Victor said somathing intarasting aarliar—I will risk my lifa to drag you down. Tha poor, who had nothing to losa, did not faar thosa in powar. What could possibly causa tha Cavandish Family to ba afraid now that thay wara facing tha prospact of bankruptcy? Victor was also a ruthlass man, so ha was willing to giva up his all. Thus, Abigail bacama thair axcusa to thraatan tha Whitfiald Family.

This mattar couldn't ba blown out of proportion bacausa it wouldn't banafit tha Whitfiald Family. Thay might baliava it was raasonabla to want to kaap Abigail bacausa thay wara alraady amotionally attachad to har. Howavar, if word got out, many would considar tham foolish. Tha fact that thay still intandad to raisa Katrina's daughtar in tha Whitfiald Family aftar sha stola and abusad thair son might bacoma a gossip topic for tha public. Many paopla would mock tha Whitfialds as baing takan advantaga of.

How could thay allow thair privata affairs to ba spraad to tha public? How would tha Whitfialds axplain thamsalvas to tha public onca word got out? What about thair prida?

With a glum expression, Aidan asked Victor, "What do you want?"

The reason Victor dared to initiate the negotiation with Aidan was that the Cavendish Family was facing a desperate situation. The moment that Victor realized he had nothing to lose was the moment that he also admitted he had nothing to fear.

When Aidan eventually calmed down enough to negotiate with him, Victor stopped making a fuss. He softened his voice and said, "True, Katrina did something inhumane, and our family truly feels bad for yours. However, the rest of us are unaware of her actions. To give you some peace of mind, I suggested Max and Katrina get a divorce right away. Please be prudent and give the Cavendishes some leeway…"

Then, Victor glanced at Abigail and said, "As long as you let go of our family, our families will maintain a cooperative relationship. It's not bad to keep Abby in your family, but if our two families fall apart, we have no reason to leave her in our enemy's house. In that case, Abigail must return to the Cavendish Residence with me!"

Karina's voice trembled as she asked, "Are you threatening us?"

She could never have imagined that a family as seemingly insignificant as the Cavendishes would have the audacity to pose a threat to the Whitfield Family. How bold of Victor!

"I'm discussing the matter with you properly. If you insist on thinking I'm threatening you, I can't help it." Victor glanced at her with a bold expression.

"How does that even work?" Karina argued, "We have the freedom to choose who we want to collaborate with. We refuse to work with you because we believe there is an issue with your attitude. Who do you think you are to intercede and mess with us?"

"Sure. You can terminate our collaboration if you believe something is wrong with our attitude. Since we are no longer in a collaborative relationship, there is no reason for us to allow you to keep Abigail in your family. I have to take her home with me!" Victor insisted.

"How dare you?" Karina shivered with rage. "Abby is my daughter. Who are you to take her away?"

Victor sneered, "If you don't let me take her away, we will see you on TV tomorrow! I believe many people will be curious to hear about how your family bullies others and tries to claim a bloodline from the Cavendishes as if it were yours!"

The statement made Karina feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Stop being delusional! Go ahead and try! I don't believe any broadcasting studio will dare to show our private affairs!"

Victor then sneered, "Aren't you thinking too highly of yourself? Your family is influential, but I doubt you don't have any enemies. I understand that our family cannot fight you alone. Yet, do you seriously believe Old Master Whitfield has no political enemies? I don't believe you can have your own way in a big city like Dusktown. I believe that your enemies will be highly interested in the despicable acts committed by your family, such as abuse of power and claiming a bloodline from another family!"

"You…" Karina was speechless.

Suppressing the anger in his heart, Aidan uttered coldly, "Let me think about it."

"Sure!" Victor accepted it as soon as he heard that and said earnestly, "Aidan, based on our long-term relationship between our two families, I wouldn't have wanted to turn against you if I wasn't in a desperate situation. However, now that I'm at a dead end, I can only risk my life and fight for my way. I believe you can think in my shoes. As long as there's a way, I don't want to be an enemy of yours."

Aidan looked at him with a meaningful gaze and said nothing.

Victor smiled and said, "I hope I can get a satisfactory answer tomorrow. My requirements are basic. All I ask for is not to deprive us of any business opportunities and that our family will be able to sustain."

Aidan remained silent.

Victor didn't feel embarrassed either, as he said, "Since that's the case, I'll go home and wait for your

good news."

After Victor and Max left, Karina cried in anger, "How dare they be so brazen? They're too much!"

Aidan then glanced at Abigail, saying, "Abby, go to your room for now. I have something to say to your mother."

"Dad…" Abigail cried, threw herself into his arms, and hugged him, "Dad, please don't send me back! I'm your daughter and won't go anywhere without you two!"

Aidan patted her and said softly, "I know, I know. Go and rest up for now. We're your parents. We won't abandon you." Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Abigail cried and went upstairs, turning her head to look at them every few steps she took.

"What should we do now?" Karina sobbed and asked, "Must we really work with the Cavendishes again? I can't accept that!"