C4 Why Did You Harm Me?!

"Don't worry, Belinda. As long as you can get an investment from Esaias, the Murphy family won't let you down," the Old Matriarch added, sensing Belinda's reluctance.

"Me?" Belinda's face was a picture of incredulity.

We're talking hundreds of millions here—where would she even begin?

And to make matters worse, she didn't know Esaias from Adam!

Her gaze flicked to Lachlan, searching for any sign of a solution.

Instead, she found him dozing off.

"I can't believe I actually had hope in him. How foolish of me," she thought, a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Grandmother, I have to be honest with you, I really don't know Esaias. It was Lachlan who introduced him to us! So... I... I can't secure that investment," Belinda confessed, laying all her cards on the table.

The atmosphere turned frosty.

The Old Matriarch's smile vanished, her expression darkening by the second.

"Belinda, I'm shocked at your heartlessness, your refusal to help your own family," she said, her voice tinged with disappointment.

"Really, Belinda? You expect us to believe that Lachlan knows Esaias? Why not claim Lachlan is the world's richest man and Esaias is his sidekick?" Malen scoffed loudly.

Today, he was determined to ensure Belinda would lose any chance of competing for the family's leadership.

"Belinda, answer me! Are you bitter about being undervalued by the family and Grandmother all these years? Is this your petty revenge?" Malen's interrogation was ruthless, each word a deliberate strike.

"No... It's not like that..." Belinda stammered, her complexion turning ghostly pale. The prospect of losing her grandmother's trust—and with it, any hope for her branch of the family to gain prominence—was terrifying.

Malen, seizing the opportunity, turned to the Old Matriarch. "Grandmother, desperate times call for decisive action. I propose that whoever can bring in at least a hundred million in investment within a week should be the Murphy family's next leader. What do you think?"

The Old Matriarch weighed the suggestion, her eyes shifting from Malen's confident demeanor to Belinda's anxious countenance.

Her gaze settled on Malen, who was already well-connected with Jordan Li of Ebon International. It was only a matter of time before he would inherit the mantle of leadership within the Murphy family. Why not seize this pivotal moment to officially anoint the successor? It was an opportune moment to set things straight.

"Agreed," the Old Matriarch declared. "It's decided."

"Thank you, Grandma!" Malen's heart swelled with joy. Without missing a beat, he turned to Belinda, his tone laced with a challenge. "Belinda, care to make a bet? To make it fair, if you can secure fifty million in funding, the successor's seat is yours. But if you fail, your branch of the family must leave the Murphy name behind forever."

"You!" Belinda's fists tightened, her gaze locked with Malen's in fiery defiance. This was an existential threat to her lineage.

What to do? Rejecting the bet meant forgoing a magnetic pull towards the successor's role—a position that promised respect for her and her parents within the family. Accepting it, however, carried the risk of failure and the potential exile of her entire family.

"What's wrong, Belinda? Scared?" Malen prodded, eager to press his advantage.

At that moment, Lachlan slowly opened his eyes and said, "Trust me, love. Take the bet."

The position of successor to the Murphy family was trivial to Lachlan, but if it meant something to his wife, he was all for it. Belinda's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, yet the desire to vie for the role of successor was undeniable. Lachlan's words, especially after the impactful scene he and Esaias had created earlier, seemed to carry a special persuasive power.

Was it time to take a leap of faith?

"As you wish, I accept your challenge!" Belinda resolved, standing up with fierce determination.

"Good! Remember, this bet is witnessed by Grandma and everyone present. There will be no room for regrets," Malen said, his voice betraying his excitement.

"Don't worry, I'm nothing like you," Belinda shot back, her resolve unyielding. She was ready to fight to the very end.

"Grandma, I'm feeling unwell. I'll be excusing myself," she announced, excusing herself with urgency.

Belinda's mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't sit still any longer, so she made up an excuse and left.

Seeing this, Lachlan quickly rose and followed her out.

"A nobody and a reject! I'll cleanse my eyes and watch with delight as you both get thrown out of the Murphy family!"

Malen sneered as he watched their retreating figures.

In the car.

"Lachlan, give it to me straight, how do you know Esaias?"

Belinda asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.

If Lachlan had a solid connection with Esaias, perhaps there was hope for salvaging the investment disaster.

"Oh! Esaias is the father of a classmate. We just happened to meet at the entrance, so he offered to escort me into the ancestral hall."

Lachlan shrugged, concocting a lie with ease.

He was still reluctant to disclose his true identity, worried that the truth might be too much for Belinda to handle all at once.

"What?!"

Belinda's eyes bulged in astonishment.

"Then... do you know anyone at the banks or any finance company executives who could help us?"

She persisted, clinging to the possibility of a solution.

"Uh, I don't know anybody like that."

Lachlan shook his head, his response sincere.

Having only recently assumed the position of Master at the Dragon Gate, he truly had no connections in Virenthia's financial circles.

Screech!

Belinda slammed on the brakes, turning to fix Lachlan with an intense stare.

"Lachlan! Why are you doing this to me?"

"Knowing nobody, where did you find the confidence to get me to agree to this bet? Do you have any idea that if we lose, we'll be thrown out on the streets?"