When Four Billionaires Pretended to Be Poor Together Chapter 06

When Four Billionaires Pretended to Be Poor Together Chapter 06 What He Was Hiding

Julian’s legs gave out. He collapsed onto the ground.

Valerie panicked too, her face turning pale as she stumbled back a couple of steps.

“Who… who are you? What do you want? My father is the chairman of Cullen Group!”

Alistair didn’t even look at her.

He just pulled out his phone and dialed his lawyer.

“Prepare the paperwork. Notify every partner we have. Effective immediately, I want all business with Cullen Group terminated. Call the banks, too. Freeze every line of credit they have. I want the Cullen Group to go bankrupt within a week.”

He hung up and turned to Kieran, whose face had gone ashen. Alistair’s gaze was unreadable.

“As for Hawthorne Group…”

Kieran’s head snapped up, eyes full of panic.

“Mr. Windsor! Please! Spare us! We know we were wrong!”

Alistair went silent for a few seconds.

Then he said coldly, “This time, I’m letting it go. But if there is a next time, Hawthorne Group will disappear from Silicon Valley.”

I jerked my head toward him, confusion flooding my chest.

With the Windsor family’s power, crushing Hawthorne would take nothing more than a snap of their fingers. Why would he let those two animals off so easily?

“No! That’s not fair!”

Valerie suddenly thrashed wildly, her voice turning hysterical as she pointed at me.

“This is all her fault! Sierra did this on purpose! She made me think Izzy was a fraud! I didn’t know the ring was real – I swear!”

“Enough!” Alistair barked. “Sierra’s father entrusted her to me years ago. I’ve watched over her in secret for more than a decade. I know exactly what kind of girl she is. She spent two years hiding who she was just to protect Izzy-and you dare to slander her? Your lies disgust me.”

Valerie went completely speechless, her mouth hanging open, not a single word coming out

Alistair tipped his chin toward the bodyguards behind him.

“Hand Valerie over to the police. As for the Hawthorne brothers-get them out of my sight.”

Kieran and Julian scrambled to their feet and fled the apartment like their lives depended on it.

Izzy was rushed into surgery.

As her best friend-and the aunt that baby never got to meet-there’s no way I’m letting those three walk away scot-free.

Then I heard voices at the far end of the hallway.

Alistair and Eleanor.

Arguing.

The Windsors were known as the perfect couple. Why were they fighting at a time like this?

I moved closer without thinking.

“That bastard son is all you care about!”

“Once they’re married off, I’ll bring him back and make him the Windsor heir!”

“We can’t touch the Hawthornes!”

Everything clicked.

I’d heard the rumors for years.

That Alistair couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

I just never imagined he’d reached into the Hawthorne family.

Now I understood why he let Kieran and Julian off so easily.

He had an illegitimate son there.

When Alistair returned, his face had already settled back into its usual calm. He asked me.

gently, if I was feeling alright.

I nodded.

Then I looked him straight in the eye.

“Sir, I need an explanation. Valerie and the Cullens got what they deserved. But how could just let the Hawthornes off? Izzy is lying in the ER, fighting for her life!”

Alistair was silent for a few seconds.

Then he finally spoke.

you

“The Hawthornes are bigger than what just happened today. They control the next generation of AI and biotech. They’re the only lifeline we have left. If I move against them now, it’ll hurt my support base in Cxlifornia.”

My heart jolted.

So it wasn’t that he couldn’t touch them.

He didn’t dare.

“So you’re going to let the people who hurt Izzy get away with it-for the sake of your lifeline?”

“I’m not letting them walk. I’m tabling it.” He corrected me. “Once we’ve fully taken control of Hawthorne’s core business, you can do whatever you want with them.”

I stared at him.

The whole thing felt insane.

“And until then?” I pressed. “They just walk free?”

Alistair drew in a deep breath.

Then he gave me his answer.

“The best move… is to turn this mistake into an advantage.”