Chapter 3

The Rolls-Royce drove to Yara Park, which was the Thompson family’s residence in Hatchbay. The car stopped in the middle of the red carpet that was laid out at the front entrance. In the center stood Axel Thompson, Bella’s second brother. He opened the car door for Bella and greeted her. “Welcome home, Princess!” Bella looked stunning under the bright lights in the mansion. She had taken off her sneakers and changed into stilettos earlier in the car. When she got out of the car, she looked like a proud queen. “Ax, how have you been?” “I’m fine, but I’m feeling much better now that you’re back! Are the fireworks nice? My birthday gift for you has gone viral online!” Axel’s handsome face was filled with excitement. “Yeah, I saw it. People are saying that you’re a filthy rich bastard trying to win over someone’s heart. That’s quite an achievement, huh?” Bella clapped her hands and smiled brightly at Axel. Axel ignored her mockery and hugged her tightly. “Bella, you won’t leave again, right?” “Where else will I go now that I’m divorced?” Bella patted her second brother’s back and sighed in relief. “Well, I’ve let everyone down. I thought I could win him over if I put all my effort into this marriage. But in the end, I failed miserably.” Only God knew how devastated she was at the moment. She wanted to cry, but she held back. Bella swore that she would never shed another tear for Justin after she left Tideview Manor because he was not worth it. “That asshole! How dare he cheat on my sister?! I’ll start a thorough investigation on Salvador Corporation tomorrow and get your fourth brother to assassinate Justin when he’s free!” When Asher heard this, he lowered his eyelids and said, “Amen.” “Ax, don’t create trouble! You’re a public prosecutor!” Bella laughed bitterly. “Can you be a little more ‘peace and love’ like Ash?” “What the fuck! Your eldest brother only became a saint after he stopped being a mobster!” Axel tugged on his tie angrily. “Anyway, I won’t let this go! I won’t stand by and watch Justin bully my sister. The Salvadors are on my radar now.” Bella held Asher and Axel’s hands as she walked into the home she had not returned to in a long time. When Wyatt Thompson, the chairman of KS Group, heard that his daughter was back, he could not hide his joy and paced around the study excitedly. “Wyatt, I’m back!” Bella walked into the study with her two brothers. She no longer had to act demure, like she did when she was living with the Salvadors. Now, she simply lay on the sofa, lifted her legs, and kicked off her high heels. Asher sat down next to her and started to give his sister a foot rub. “Can you sit properly? Did you join Doctors Without Borders or the militants?” Wyatt deliberately kept a straight face. He was always at odds with Bella. He would miss her when she was not around, but when she was at home, he would always get agitated. “Are you showing signs of Alzheimer’s? I used to sit like this all the time!” Bella raised her eyelids and looked up at the wall. Her heart trembled when she saw the “poem” she had written more than ten years ago hanging there. Unexpectedly, her father actually framed it. The first line of the poem was: Were you trying to emulate Henry VIII with all your wives? The second line was: Here’s hoping that your heart doesn’t go into overdrive! The final line was: One day, you’ll pay your penance. This was the wedding “gift” that Bella gave to her father when he got married for the third time. Wyatt Thompson had four wives, which had become the talk of the town. Bella was dissatisfied with her father’s polygyny, so she went abroad and joined Doctors Without Borders, helping the world in her own way. “The first thing you do after three years of being out in the wild is curse me to get Alzheimer’s. How considerate of you!” Wyatt shouted angrily. “Thanks for the compliment, Daddy!” Bella pretended not to understand Wyatt’s sarcasm and smiled sweetly at him. “Dad, now that Bella is back, some things should be expedited.” Asher put on his sister’s shoes and said seriously, “I decided to give up my position as CEO of KS Group to Bella.” Bella narrowed her eyes and stared at her eldest brother’s handsome side profile. “You!” Wyatt was so angry that he did not know what to say for a moment. “I only promised to run KS Group for 3 years. Now that the three-year period is up, I’m going back to the church. As you know, being a CEO isn’t my ambition. My lifelong dream is to become a pastor.” At this moment, Asher radiated such holiness and determination that his decision seemed unquestionable. “Fine, if you don’t want to be CEO, then Ax can take over!” Wyatt was forced to choose his second son. “No, no, no, no, no! I’m a public servant, so I can’t hold such positions in a conglomerate. Otherwise, I’ll get suspended!” Axel quickly deflected this responsibility. His face turned pale with fright. Wyatt was vexed. What was the point of having so many sons if none of them were willing to take over the family business? His health was deteriorating by the year, and he had long planned to retire. But none of his children were capable enough to inherit his business empire. Wyatt had an old-fashioned belief that his heir should be one of his sons. “Who says women are inferior to men? I will become the CEO!” Bella curled her red lips and raised her chin proudly. “Do you think you can just be a CEO if you want to? Do you think this is child’s play? Will you be able to lead the company to success? Do you even know how to do business?” Wyatt was a wise old man. He could barely hide his anger and disappointment. “Also, you’re temperamental! You disappear for years whenever you disagree with me! Do you know how worried your stepmothers and I were? We thought you were blown to pieces at the border!” Bella’s heart ached, and her eyes turned slightly red. Even though she held a grudge against her father for being unfaithful to her mother, she still felt guilty for keeping her marriage to Justin a secret from him. “Dad, Bella is just as capable as I am.” Asher gracefully picked up a teacup and took a sip. “Do you still remember the financial turmoil our company faced four years ago? Bella was the one who proposed various effective control measures. Bella also pulled several all-nighters working on the Walter Group acquisition plan two years ago.” Wyatt was surprised to hear this. “Dad, in fact, Bella is the calmest and most resourceful person in our family. You’ve always had a reputation for hiring the right people, making good use of them, and recruiting talent. Why won’t you use a talent that is right in front of you now?” Axel also tried his best to persuade Wyatt. Wyatt pondered for a while. Then he said in a resounding voice, “Fine. Bella, if you want to run the company, then you’ll have to pass my test. Consider this your birthday gift from me!” Bella sat up straight, and her charming eyes lit up. “You can take a few days off before you report to work at the KS World Hotel in Savrow next week. If you can revamp the hotel within six months and make it profitable, I will consider making you the CEO of KS Group!” ...... When the Thompson siblings came out of the study, Asher and Axel immediately placed their hands on Bella’s shoulders. Asher said, “God only gives big responsibilities to great people.” “Well, I guess you’ll have to clean up that mess of a hotel first.” Axel sighed. “I know. That old geezer is just trying every possible way to make me back down, but it’s a pity that his tricks won’t work on me. I’m like a diamond that forms beautifully under pressure!” Bella clenched her fists. Her ambition, which had been hibernating for the past three years, was finally awakened. Her brothers looked at each other and smiled. “Great! We’re counting on you to grant us our freedom!”