"I can hardly believe it, ha-ha," Maik Laura chuckled as he watched Paulo Laura kneeling on the ground. However, his laughter was tinged with sadness, reminiscent of how his father had treated him in the past.
After raising him with great effort for over a decade, Maik never expected that Paulo would turn out to be so treacherous, willing to even kill his own sister. What else was Paulo capable of?
"Tell me, why did you do this all those years ago?" Maik Laura spoke, slumping wearily into his chair.
Treated poorly by his father and now faced with his son's betrayal, Maik felt a deep sense of exhaustion, as if all his strength had been drained.
"Because I want to take your place, I want to be the master of the Laura Group, I want everyone to fear me," Paulo Laura spoke, his words almost growled, his expression terrifying.
"Do you know what it meant when I adopted you all those years ago?" Maik Laura gazed at Paulo with a chilling fear in his eyes.
"I don't know."
"My wife passed away early, leaving behind only Jennie, a daughter. But to inherit the family business, a son was needed. That's why I adopted you, never expecting that years ago, you were already plotting against me. It truly caught me by surprise."
"Haha," Paulo Laura suddenly burst into laughter at Maik's words. "Becoming the master of the Laura Group, who doesn't know how incredibly difficult that is. I can't wait any longer, I will sweep away anyone who stands in my way, I will kill anyone who blocks my path."
"Even me, will you also kill me?" Maik Laura asked.
"Yes, as long as you are the master of the house, I will find a way to kill you, because you are my greatest enemy," Paulo Laura shouted, consumed by madness.
"Tell me, why do you have these thoughts? When I step down, you have a great chance to take over, why risk it all?"
"When you step down, who knows how many years from now that will be? My family was poor, my parents couldn't afford to raise me, so they sent me to an orphanage. Since then, I have sworn to become a wealthy man, to become someone everyone fears. I was almost successful, until that damned Bidegla appeared," Paulo Laura screamed, full of hatred as he glared at Bidegla.
"Me?" Bidegla lightly smiled at Paulo's words, choosing not to respond. Paulo Laura was clearly consumed by madness, trapped in a twisted and deranged mindset.
With his current status, what did Paulo lack? He had more money than he could ever spend. But his ambitions were too great, his actions too hasty. Even if he were to take over, he would likely achieve very little.
He may have the looks to enchant countless young women, but his heart was undeniably dark.
If it were anyone else, Bidegla might have already taken action against him. Harming his beloved Jennie sister would make Paulo Laura an enemy of Bidegla, and Bidegla never showed mercy to his enemies.
But unfortunately, Paulo Laura was Jennie Laura's brother and Maik Laura's son, so Bidegla had no choice but to remain a bystander.
"I can hardly believe it," Maik Laura echoed his son's words, his face turning an unusually pale shade. Over a decade, he had failed to notice anything out of the ordinary. This was truly his failure.
When his daughter was attacked, he had suspected his younger brother, never once considering that the mastermind behind it all could be his own son.
"In years past, I took you in out of pity, but over these past ten years, you know full well how our family has treated you as our own. I never would have expected this betrayal in return. It would have been better to have raised a dog for all these years than to raise you," Maik Laura spoke with seething anger.
"Success and failure are both part of life. Do as you wish, I don't care," Paulo Laura responded, his tone still filled with arrogance.
"What a mess," Maik Laura's father interjected. He never would have thought that Paulo Laura's heart could be so ruthless. In truth, he still held great affection for his grandson, even if he wouldn't show favoritism in important matters. Privately, he had been very kind to Paulo Laura.
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But what completely caught him off guard was Paulo Laura's ambitious nature. He even plotted to harm his own sister and was willing to kill the man who had raised him for over a decade.
A dog, raised for over ten years, would still show loyalty to its owner. However, Paulo Laura's ruthless methods to achieve his goals were truly shocking.
In ancient times, such actions would have been considered treason and punishable by death.
"After planning for so many years, I never expected to fail at the final moment. I hate it," Paulo Laura growled, his expression twisted with malice.
"Brother, tell us what to do," Zhubin Laura spoke up, his shock at Paulo Laura's actions evident.
He had narrowly escaped being falsely accused, and all of this was due to the actions of Paulo Laura. If he dared to confront him, it would only lead to a dead end. Thinking of this, Zhubin Laura's expression turned grim.
No matter how cautious one may be, a thief within the family is hard to guard against. The greatest enemy could turn out to be the person closest to you.
"Paulo, considering you as my adopted son, I won't kill you. But I will strip you of everything that belongs to you. Leave, and don't come back. I won't acknowledge you from now on," Maik Laura's voice was filled with sorrow.
"Dad!" Hearing her father's resolute words, Jennie Laura cried out. Despite Paulo Laura's past actions against her, they had spent over a decade as siblings, and she didn't want to see him meet such a fate.
"No need to plead for him. I'm doing him a favor by not killing him. This man is too dangerous to be kept alive," Maik Laura shouted, then ordered, "Take this beast away. I don't want to see him."
With that, two cold-faced bodyguards rushed in and dragged Paulo Laura out.
"Haha, my downfall today will come back to haunt you. You'll regret sparing my life," Paulo Laura laughed maniacally.
But no one responded to his words. Everything he had was now illusory. He had harmed Jennie Laura and conspired to seize the position of family head. Not being reported to the authorities was already a lenient outcome.
They had no objections to Maik Laura's judgment. After all, it wasn't their place to discuss such matters. They believed that losing everything would be unbearable for Paulo Laura.
"Alright, today's meeting ends here. Everyone, disperse. Chairman Hanni, if you have any further grievances, feel free to come to me," Maik Laura said, then turned and left, his expression grim.
To have raised a son for over a decade, only to be betrayed, he felt his blood boiling, and not spewing blood was already a great feat.
"Shall we depart as well?" After a glance at Maik Laura, Bidegla took Jennie Laura's hand and they left the place. As for Paulo Laura, he had long been taken away by the two bodyguards, and it was likely that he would not have a favorable outcome. Such a person was a menace, and if Bidegla were to handle him, he would certainly not survive in this world.
Maik Laura was too lenient, allowing him to leave like that. However, they were father and son, so Bidegla refrained from saying anything, as there was a bond of kinship involved. If Bidegla were to encounter such a situation, she might be even more at a loss.
Perhaps this was the best way, to not offend anyone, and for Maik Laura to fulfill his last duty as a father.
"Bidegla, how will my brother, who has lost his status and money, survive? He doesn't know how to do anything," Jennie Laura asked, grasping Bidegla's hand with a sense of panic and confusion.
She found it difficult to let go of her brother, given their sibling relationship of over a decade, now crumbling before her eyes.
In truth, Jennie Laura was too kind-hearted, considering the well-being of someone who had once harmed her. The fact that Paulo Laura would even harm a sister like her was a testament to the annihilation of his humanity.
"Jennie, I forbid you to dwell on this matter. He has brought this upon himself, and if everyone were like you, society would be in chaos," Bidegla said, expressing her frustration.
"But he's my brother, I have to secretly give him some money," Jennie Laura said, attempting to free herself from Bidegla's grip.
"No need," Bidegla shook her head, holding Jennie Laura firmly. "A grown man with hands and feet, is he really going to starve?"
"If you continue to act recklessly, I will have to inform your father about this matter. Some people, even when helped, do not show gratitude. On the contrary, they may turn around and bite you. Your so-called brother is such a person. Your kindness will only embolden him, only someone like you, Jennie, would do this," Bidegla reasoned.
"But..." Jennie Laura wanted to say more, but Bidegla stopped her, saying, "Jennie, I know you want to help your brother, but trust me, I will secretly give him some money later. He won't starve."
"Thank you," Jennie Laura said with a smile.
"No problem, after all, he's my brother, isn't he?" Bidegla also smiled, but deep down, he felt nothing but disdain: Give him money? Not unless the sky falls.
Seeing that Jennie seemed to have let go of her worries, Bidegla heaved a sigh of relief. Although deceiving her was a bit shameful, letting her continue to entangle herself in this matter would be troublesome.
Due to the events of the day, the two of them had no intention of leaving the estate, and went straight back to Jennie Laura's villa where she usually resided.
Jennie Laura's villa was a standalone structure, usually inhabited by her alone. The interior was decorated in a luxurious style, not much different from the villa at Bamboo City No. 1, both of the same category.
"Jennie, you finally belong to me," Bidegla said, gazing at Jennie Laura with a faint smile of contentment.
"What are you talking about? What belongs to you?" Upon hearing Bidegla's words, Jennie Laura blushed and couldn't help but lower her head, continuously fiddling with her clothing, which was quite endearing.