Chapter 488
Raymond smirked at the man''s words. “We''ll have to see how important Bailey is to her, then.”
The middle-aged man was about to say something when he was interrupted by knocking sounds from
the door.
“Come in.”
The door to the study was pushed open, and in came the butler.
“What is it?”
“Mr. Raymond, Ms. Juliana wishes to see you.”
Raymond and the middle-aged man shared a look. The former then said with a smile, “Did you hear
that? She came right to my doorstep. It seems she wants to cut straight to the chase. If the emerald
seal can make her give in and marry my godson, then my godson will possess all of the power and
influence of the Hoffman family, which will inevitably fall into the palm of my hand.”
“You''re a man of foresight, Mr. Raymond. If Huntley marries Ms. Juliana, he''ll rightfully be able to call
the shots in the family''s name. His taking control is equivalent to you taking control,” the man replied
respectfully.
“You may go now,” Raymond ordered, waving his hand.
He then raised his head to look at the butler. “Let her in.”
Soon after, Juliana entered the room.
She scanned her surroundings before her gazended on Raymond. Juliana then got straight to the
point, “Where''s the emerald seal? I must have it, so tell me your terms.”
“How direct of you. Since you''re being so straightforward, I won''t beat around the bush, either. Julie,
you must know that I''m not in the business of losing profit. You can have the emerald seal, but you''d
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have to promise me something.”
Juliana strode to the side of the desk, gripping its edge as she quirked a brow. “You want me to hand
over the control of the Hoffman family to you, don''t you? I''m afraid that won''t work, old man. Even if I
hand it over to you on a silver tter, no one will listen to you.”
Upon hearing that, Raymond startedughing heartily. “No, no, no. I don''t want you to do that. It''s just
as you said—I''d being into power unjustly. Even if I have the power, no one will obey my
Frowning slightly, she asked, “Then what do you want from me? Besides my inheritance, I don''t think I
have anything else that would entice you, Mr. Raymond.”
The old man reached out to pull open the drawer, retrieving a red envelope from it.
“Take a look at this. If you''re willing to sign it, then I''ll give you what you want.”
Juliana lowered her gaze and instantly looked upset.
It was a marriage certificate for her and Huntley.
Since a decade ago, the old man had been wanting her to marry his godson, for Huntley was the most
outstanding among the younger generation of men.
Juliana was not oblivious to the fact that Raymond wanted to gain control over the Hoffman family
through Huntley.
In the eyes of the elders, she was just a yful little girl. Even if she had the power, she wouldn''t be
able to put it to good use or retain it.
Hence, the identity of her husband was exceedingly important as the things she couldn''t handle herself
could always be delegated to her husband.
In other words, the power would be in his hands, making Juliana nothing more than a figurehead.
This was a good move by Raymond, but his intentions were ringly obvious to everyone. As a result,
not only did the elders oppose this marriage arrangement, but even Juliana''s parents were against it as
well.
In the end, due to conflicting opinions, the engagement never came to fruition.
So many years have passed since then. I didn''t expect this old man to still hold onto this matter.
“You''ll hand over the emerald seal to me once I sign this marriage contract?”
Raymond nodded, a smile creeping up his face. “That''s right. This is my final wish. Ms. Juliana, I truly
have the main family''s best interest at heart. Huntley is a talented young man, and it''s not every day
you get to meet someone like him. If you two get married, your children will be the most suited heirs to
the legacy of the Hoffman family.”
Hmph! He''s clearly after my authority, yet he''s covering it up with such a glorious excuse. If it weren''t
for the fact that I needed a favor from him, I would''ve chewed him out and made him pop a vein in
anger.
Looking at the marriage contract, Juliana gently caressed her belly.
She purposefully picked a day when she was ovting to consummate her rtionship with Zeke.
Hence, there was a ny percent chance of her conceiving a child from that night, and Juliana
couldn''t help but wonder if life was growing inside of her.
The road ahead of her was still long, and she had no idea when she would take control of the Hoffman
family. If her elders found out about her pregnancy, the child''s life might not be spared.
Hence, regardless if Juliana wanted to be with Zeke in the future, she needed a husband on paper.
No one would question her pregnancy if she was married, and that way, she could safely carry her
baby to term.
Although Juliana wasn''t sure if she was pregnant or not, it was better to be safe than sorry.
At that thought, she agreed, “All right. I''ll sign it.”
A hint of surprise glinted in Raymond''s eyes as he didn''t expect her to agree so easily.
“How honorable. You''re indeed Bailey''s finest disciple, Julie. You''re willing to put your marriage on the
line for the sake of your master.”
Juliana ignored him and signed the marriage contract decisively. She then tossed the documents onto
the table.
“I''ve already signed it. Where''s the emerald seal? Can you hand it over now?”
Looking at the signature on the marriage contract, Raymond was wild with joy.
He was now one step closer to taking over the Hoffman family.
“Where''s the emerald seal, old man? Don''t you dare y dirty. Otherwise, if my master ends up in jail,
I''ll never let you off the hook. Forget marrying Huntley. I''ll make sure you never experience a moment of
peace for the rest of your life.”