Howard stood frozen as he felt his head spin. He had never imagined that the very thing he once did to prevent Serena from bing a liability would now be the final straw to crush Jansen Group.
He stumbled a few steps before finally catching himself on the edge of the table.
"About what happened to Amber Group... I was wrong. I apologize! But Nina, I''m your biological father. How can you just stand by and watch me fall?
"If you''re willing to use Amber''s funds to help me through this crisis, I promise I''ll never force you to cozy up to the Larson family again.
"You can continue being the Jansen family''s heiress, living a life of luxury and honor!"
With pleading eyes, he stepped forward and reached out to take Serena''s hand, as if trying to make up for the 20-plus years of neglected father-daughter affection.
But Serena pulled away coldly, sidestepping both his hand and his long-overdue disy of emotion.
"All those things you just mentioned... They''re what any father should have done. Since I never had them in the past, I won''t expect anything from you now.
"As a daughter, I''ve already done more than enough for you. As for this mess? Whoever caused it can clean it up." With that, Serena brushed his hand aside and walked away without hesitation.
Howard''s vision went ck. He nearly fainted on the spot. Without Amber Group funding... What would be of the Jansen Group?
It took a long moment before Sarah rushed over in tears. "Dad, are you okay?"
"It''s all your fault, you wretch!" Howard exploded at the sight of her and jabbed a finger nearly into her face. "If it weren''t for your bold assurances back then, maybe I would''ve listened to Serena''s advice!
"That way, we wouldn''t be in this mess now! Now, since this contract came from Cole, go find him and get to the bottom of it. If you can''t fix this, then get out of the Jansen family! As far as I''m concerned, you''re no longer my daughter!"
With that, Howard, consumed with rage, actually called security and had Sarah thrown out.
As she was tossed straight into the pouring rain, her ears rang with whispers from thepany staff inside the lobby.
"Isn''t that Ms. Sarah? Why does she look like a drowned rat?"
"Ms. Sarah? Please. If she hadn''t brought in that risky ind project, Jansen Group wouldn''t be in such chaos. Thepany might even end up in bankruptcy."
"If Jansen Group goes under, what''ll happen to us? She should''ve just stayed a decorative figurehead. Instead, she turned into a walking disaster.
"She''s nothingpared to Ms. Serena. Look at Amber Group-dead and buried one minute, but back from the dead and winning theeback game the next."
"Exactly. What a difference! They''re from the same family, yet one''s a lucky star and the other drains everything away!"
The lobby was buzzing with mocking voices, each colder than thest.
Standing in the rain, Sarah clenched her fists tightly. These people...
These low-level staff she usual.ne
wouldn''t even nce at... How dare they trample all over her?
"Lucky star? Winning theeback game? Without a man or her
l.ne
so-called fortune, Serena is nothing!
If I
I could bring in the ind project, I can make it work too!
"And those of you running your mouths...Just you wait. When Jansen Group rises again, I''ll make sure you''re the first ones my Dad fires Sarah screamed hysterically from the doorway before storming off. s?novel
Back inside, the employees only sneered. "We''re on the verge of losing our jobs, and she thinks yelling some threats will scare us into worshiping her?"
"With a sessor like her, Jansen Group''s days are numbered. Everyone should start packing and looking for new opportunities."
Sarah heard every word, and her anger boiled over. Why? Why was it that, aside from Howard and Rachel, no one ever had any expectations for her?
Serena was always the perfect, aplished heiress of the Jansen family. And herself? She was forever the illegitimate child, never good enough to be seen.