<b>Chapter </b><b>301 </b>


    Ziggy couldn’t really refuse, so he just put on a polite smile and let Joshua and Xyliae in.


    Gia and Yves had met Joshua before.


    They hadn’t expected him to show up with Ziggy—both of them froze, surprised, and their faces were soon clouded with worry.


    Are all our ns going to go down the drain today or what?‘ Gia and Yves couldn’t help but think.


    Ziggy turned away from Joshua and Xylia, secretly shooting his parents a meaningful nce.


    Gia stood up, motioning for Joshua and Xylia to have a seat, and went off to pour some water.


    Joshua flopped onto the couch, lifting his hand to get Gia’s attention.


    “I’m not really into in water. I prefer coffee. I mean,e on, the Schultz family is supposed to be one of Jupiton’s elite, right? Don’t tell me you can’t even serve a decent cup of coffee?”


    Gia’s face instantly soured.


    Wouldn’t that just be embarrassing?


    But the fact was, there really wasn’t any good coffee left in the house.


    Gia could only bite the bullet and head for the kitchen, deciding to brew up thest bit of good coffee they’d been saving.


    Yves hadn’t even been willing to drink that stash himself.


    Xylia sat quietly next to Joshua, not saying a word.


    On the way over, Joshua had told her to keep quiet and let him handle everything once they got here.


    So when Ziggy’s eyesnded on her, she quickly looked away.


    Xylia thought, ‘No eye contact, no awkward small talk.


    Before Ziggy could say anything, Joshua cut in, “Xylia mentioned that her grandma left something behind. What is it? Can we see it now?”


    Ziggy and Yves exchanged a quick nce, guilt shing in their eyes.


    Xylia noticed their guilty reaction, but she stayed silent.


    Ziggy broke the silence, his voice a little tense.


    “It’s… about the shares. While going through Grandma’s diary, we found out she wanted to leave Xylia three percent of Schultz Group’s stock–no conditions, just like that.”


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    Xylia was honestly at a loss for words.


    Her grandma had left her those shares before, but back then Tessa basically swooped in and took them for


    herself.


    And now they’re saying they magically ‘found‘ something about the shares in Grandma’s diary? Seriously, who would ever believe that?


    She just wanted to curse them out right there and then..


    But Joshua beat her to the punch.


    “Look at Schultz Group now–aren’t you going bankrupt any day? Yet you still want to hand over shares to Xylia–wow, the Schultz family sure knows how to put on a show. Talk about being phony.”


    Joshua didn’t hold back; every word hit them straight in the gut.


    Ziggy’s expression went through a whole rainbow, but he somehow kept his cool.


    Xylia was having such a hard time holding back herughter, she felt like she was about to get an injury from it.


    Gia walked in, carrying the coffee tray.


    She shot Ziggy a meaningful nce.


    Ziggy quicklyposed himself, turning to Xylia and Joshua with a smile.


    “If Xylia doesn’t want the shares, it’s not like we can make her take them. Now that she’s part of the Sadler family, she probably couldn’t care less about our Schultz Group shares.”


    “Yeah, you’re right. I honestly couldn’t care less,” Xylia replied, her voice totally calm, not a hint of emotion.


    She kept her face unreadable, sounding almost bored as she answered.


    ‘I just can’t take it anymore. Time to roast the Schultz family a bit,‘ Xylia thought, finally letting herself take a dig at them.


    Ziggy was literally trembling, anger fizzing through every muscle–he couldn’t hold it back at all. ‘Seriously? They’re pushing my patience to its limit,‘ he thought.


    All because he was furious.


    Gia hurried over and set the coffee on the table.


    “Mr. Garcia, the coffee’s ready. This is Hawaiian Kona Coffee–please, help yourself.”


    Hawaiian Kona Coffee, huh…” Joshua muttered, sounding more sarcastic than disappointed.


    Joshua couldn’t hide the mix of mockery and regret in his tone.


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    “Well, looks like coffee is a hit in your house, but I can’t stand the stuff. Honestly, you should ship this tea straight to jail and let the whole Schultz family have a taste behind bars.”


    “Joshua!” Ziggy couldn’t hold it in anymore and smacked the coffee table, jumping to his feet.


    His voice was so loud that Xylia jolted in surprise.


    Joshua caught her reaction, slipped an arm around her waist, and gave her a reassuring pat–telling her not to be scared.


    Then he shot Ziggy a nce, cold as ice.


    “What are you trying to pull here, Mr. Schultz?” Joshua asked, his voice cool but with a clear edge.


    “Joshua, you’ve been throwing shade at my family since you walked in. What exactly are you trying to say?” Ziggy snapped back.


    Joshua let out a coldugh, sprawlingzily on the couch like Ziggy’s anger meant nothing to him.


    “At least I’m just talking, Mr. Schultz. Looks like you’re the one who’s about to get physical now.”


    ‘Physical?‘ Xylia wondered, ncing over at Joshua in confusion.


    Joshua caught her look and gave her a calm, reassuring nod–his eyes saying, ‘Don’t worry.’


    Ziggy sneered, “Since you’ve worked it all out, I might as well drop the act. Mr. Garcia, you got me cornered here–don’t put it on me,y all the me on Xylia instead.”


    Before the words were even cold, a wave of bodyguards came surging through the door.


    There were at least a dozen guys, all stone–faced and looking like real hired muscle–every single one ready


    for action. <fnb55b> This text is hosted at find?novel</fnb55b>


    Xylia’s brows knitted. ‘So that’s what this is all about? Ziggy really dragged me here just to pull something like this?‘


    Seeing the bodyguardse in, Gia and Yves looked visibly relieved.


    Ziggy shot them a quick look, and the two elders quietly retreated to their bedroom.


    Joshua didn’t bat an eye at the bodyguards, just sat there coolly, locking his gaze on Ziggy with an almost bored look–like he was peeling back theyers of some cheap drama and ready to ask the next question.


    “Why would I me Xylia?” Joshua replied, utterly calm, a slight edge in his tone.


    “Isn’t it obvious? She’s the one who brought you here,” Ziggy retorted, shooting Xylia a sidelong re.


    Ziggy red coldly at Xylia. “My original n was to kidnap her and extort the Sadler family, or maybe you I had to. But since you’re both here, why not make it a package deal? I’ll kidnap you both and squeeze the Garcia and Sadler families at the same time. This time, I’m saving Schultz Group, whatever it takes!”


    if


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    Xylia stared at Ziggy like he’d lost itpletely. ‘Is he seriously out of his mind right now<i>? </i>This guy’s gone off the deep end, she thought.


    “Are you out of your damn mind? Kidnapping and extortion are crimes! Even if you get the money, once the copse knocking, you’ll lose everything!” Xylia snapped, her voice edged with fury.


    “Then what the hell do you expect me to do?” Ziggy bellowed at Xylia, his voice raw with desperation and


    rage.


    Ziggy looked like he’d totally snapped, hollering at Xylia with wild–eyed fury.


    “You ungrateful brat! Ever since you got in with the Sadler family, you’ve wiped the Schultz family who raised you out of your mind! I don’t care if you’re their daughter now, or that their blood runs in your veins–we were the ones who fed you, who brought you up!”


    “Not a shred of gratitude in you, not even a thought to pay us back. We went through all that just to end up with a traitor like you!”


    Xylia was so numb to these rants, she felt like she could recite them in her sleep.


    Ever since she ditched the Schultz family, they’d find any excuse to hassle her, always biting her ear off about how “ungrateful” she was.


    She didn’t even bother trying to defend herself anymore.


    Honestly, trying to reason with them was just beating her head against a wall–and she was so over it.


    Just as Xylia was sitting there, too stunned to even respond, a sudden crash sounded through the room, followed by Ziggy’s cry of pain.


    She nced up to find Ziggy clutching his mouth, his face soaked and beet–red, with coffee stains all over his head.


    He looked about as pathetic as a person could possibly get.


    Xylia shot Joshua a look.


    He was ring at Ziggy, ice in his eyes.


    Even sitting down, Joshua radiated pure alpha energy–boss vibes so strong that, even with a squad of bodyguards around him, he was still the most intimidating guy in the room.


    “You’ve got a lot of nerve mouthing off to her while I’m sitting right here.” Joshua’s voice was calm, but every word hit like a warning shot.


    Ziggy’s face was scorched by the hot coffee, and his lip was busted and bleeding where the cup had smashed


    into him.


    He totally lost it, jabbing a finger at Joshua and barking at the bodyguards. “Tie them up–both of them!”


    The bodyguards charged at them all at once.


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    Joshua grabbed Xylia, pulling her safely behind him, then marched forward to take on the whole bunch by


    himself.


    He struck with lightning speed and ruthless uracy–one move after another, each one dead on target.


    Joshua had more street–fighting experience than any of those security firm grunts could ever hope for.


    In a matter of seconds, the whole crew wasid out t on the floor, groaning and defeated.


    Xylia considered grabbing something to hurl at the bodyguards–maybe she could back Joshua up, even if just a little.


    But before she could even pick her weapon, Joshua had already finished off the fight.


    She nced around at the bodyguards, all writhing in agony on the floor, then at Joshua standing in the middle like none of this had even fazed him.


    Xylia quietly gave him a mental thumbs–up.