Married a Secret Billionaire
Chapter 143

Cordelia's head was tilted. A wash of indifference flashed across her pretty face.

"My decision is... I refuse to," she said without any hesitation.

The answer was slightly out of Zephyr's expectations, but he wanted to know what his wife was thinking.

"I grew up in an abnormal family." Cordelia rested against him and said slowly, "Dad's nothing more than a noun, mom's never had a clear mind, and I had to take care of my younger brother. I also had to endure Joanne and Yelena's bullying and insults. I honestly don't know what the Jenners have brought me.

"This family has never given me warmth. There's no need for me to contribute to the Jenners either." Cordelia looked up at him. "I'm already your wife. I'm Mrs. Grist. I'm no longer related to the Jenners. Moreover, my dad's intention in asking me to go back isn't pure. I don't want to be his chess piece.

"Darling..." Cordelia wrapped her arms around his waist. "I just want the two of us to enjoy our lives without thinking about anything else."

Zephyr stroked her back. He could not fully empathize with her but understood the psychological trauma it would cause a child growing up in an abnormal family.

The Hamertons looked rich and dandy on the outside, but it was not exactly a normal family. It was even more twisted and dark.

Zephyr did not want Cordelia to be aggrieved, but she had to learn to dance with the wolves. It was the law of survival.

He sighed softly and told her, "Cordelia, I don't actually think so."

"What?"

"I can understand that you no longer want anything to do with the Jenners, but you can't change the fact that you're tied to them this whole life. It's a fact that you're related by blood, and it won't disappear just because you cut contact with them."

Cordelia's bright eyes dimmed abruptly.

"Have you thought about your mom?"

Cordelia bit her lips. Zephyr's rough fingers stroked her cheek, his gaze deep and focused.

"You said that William Jenner forced himself on your mother back then, and that's how you were born. It also caused your mom's psychiatric condition, thus her admittance to the mental health hospital. This is because of William Jenner!

"But it's been too long, and what your mom's suffered can no longer be accounted for. You having the Jenners' blood can't be changed.

"What you can do now is to take back what you're entitled to... You need to seek justice for your mom!"

Cordelia looked at him in a daze. She wore a complex expression with hints of surprise.

No one had ever told her these, and she had never thought about it. She had been living in her joy and sorrow all this while, forgetting what her mother had gone through.

Cordelia felt a heated pool in her eyes as she hid in his embrace. This had become her habit. Whenever she grew emotional, she would snuggle into his arms. The man's warm and built chest was her best haven, giving her an immense sense of security.

She asked softly, "Honey, should I... fight against Yelena for the family assets?"

"That's not the goal," Zephyr answered faintly. "Your goal is to teach those who've hurt you a lesson."

The girl was quiet for a bit. After that, she looked up at him determinedly and nodded. "Mm, I understand!" Zephyr was stunned.

Despite that, the sparkle in Cordelia's eyes told him that she knew what to do. He looked at her gently with approval. She was smart, clever, and tough. She had a soft but strong heart, resilient determination, and a kind but clear limit.

The old woman was right. Of course a woman like this had the destiny of an empress-and the man who would stand by the queen in the future had to be him, the heir of the Hamerton empire. Zephyr smiled, leading her back to the bedroom by her hand and patiently tucking her back to sleep.

A few days later, Josiah asked to meet Zephyr at the rooftop of the Regalia building to tell him about the land west of Centrolis.

Zephyr's glower grew darker. As his fingers tensed, he nearly broke the cigar in his hand.

"Z..." Fredric quickly coughed to stop Josiah from going on.

"Uncle Matthew's really crazy," Zephyr snorted. "He dares instigate my grandfather's people!"

The force of Zephyr's maternal grandfather was in Ricos and Melorian. The five top finance institutions in Chaiseland that Zephyr managed were also established with the support of his maternal grandfather's family.

As for Matthew, he kept conspiring in Chaiseland recently. Zephyr's maternal grandfather's doting on him had caused dissatisfaction from the family's direct descendants. Zephyr's uncle on his mother's side, especially, was disdainful about it, thinking that his father had given all the benefits to someone who did not share the same family name with them.

Matthew used this as instigation, and Zephyr's maternal uncle worked from within, disrupting the fund from Melorian to arrive in time.

As the land on the west of Centrolis dragged on, it would ultimately become Matthew's.

"Z, you don't actually have to be too anxious." Fredric soothed. "Your Uncle Matthew doesn't have that much money. The west suburb isn't a pie one can just bite off. A wrong move will actually cause him damage. We just have to wait and observe. There'll be a way to take care of him then."

"Mm." Zephyr nodded. Fredric's opinion was what he thought too. What they could do now was only respond to the changes by staying still.

Josiah smiled and changed the topic. "Right, I think sis-in-law's bold and resolute like you now! I heard that she resigned from Bowfest."

"She really did?" Zephyr looked at him, a crack of a smile appearing on his otherwise stern face.

"Why did she resign?" Fredric was puzzled. "Isn't she already a director there?"

"You're underestimating our sis-in-law here!" said Josiah. "What does a director count for? I heard Cordelia negotiated with William Jenner and asked for the Jenner Group's shares and a seat on the board of directors. William actually agreed!"

Fredric widened his eyes in disbelief while Zephyr only smiled. She had really done it. It seemed that what he had taught her that night had not gone to waste.

"Alright, you guys go on. I should head home." Zephyr got up and stretched before he walked downstairs.

"Z, so early?"

He replied with a low hum and turned around with a chortle. "I should go back and cook for my wife to celebrate joining the board of directors!"

Josiah and Fredric nearly dropped their jaws. Mr. Z Hamerton knew how to cook?

Despite that, Zephyr did not go far when he turned around again and told Josiah, "Actually, ask the kitchen to prepare a few dishes. I'll have them to-go."

The two men nearly suffered an internal injury from holding back their peals of laughter.

Zephyr kept a blank face and entered the elevator. As the elevator descended to the lobby on the first floor, he felt a pair of sharp eyes on him from his back. He snapped his head back, but everything was as usual.

He frowned, doubts bubbling in his mind. A shadow flashed before him just as he was about to move forward.

"Hah, looks like you've been doing great, huh? You can actually afford to come to a place like this."

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