<b>Chapter </b><b>293 </b>


    When <b>his </b><b>parents </b>called him, Charlie was puzzled But answered swiftly, trusting his family <b>Implicitly</b><b>. </b>However<b>, </b>by the end of the call, his eyes were red–rimmed with unshed tears. He couldn’t believe even Debra was urging him to give up, as that was against his intention.


    Determined, he continued to linger at the entrance of Jones Group headquarters. Another two weeks flew by, and his persistent presence caught the attention of every employee at Jones Group. Initially, people were curious about his identity, but as time passed, they realized he was there for Kelly.


    The direct descendants of the Jones family quickly investigated Charlie and were pleasantly surprised by what they found. They couldn’t believe that Charlie was the brother of Hayden’s current wife and had even dated Kelly in the past. I Kelly and Charlie reunited, that would mean an indirect alliance between the Jones family and the Hoggard family.


    Given the advanced robots produced by Hoggard Technologies, if they sided with Jones Group and supplied their top–tier robots exclusively to them, excluding the other two major conglomerates in. Yowhayton, that would make thepany stronger than ever. At that thought, the direct line of the Jones family was ecstatic. They immediately summoned Kelly home to question her about her rtionship with Charlie.


    The direct descendants of Jones Group weren’t the only people who discovered Charlie’s special status, as the coteral descendants also quickly learned about his pursuit of Kelly. As Kelly was the sole heir of Jones Group, they naturally took a keen interest and promptly investigated Charlie. They found out that he was a celebrity in Zentiscape, and that he had a past romantic rtionship with Kelly. Given the current situation, it was clear that Charlie still wanted to be with Kelly. The coteral kins were troubled by this information.


    A marriage alliance between Jones Group and Hoggard Technologies would undoubtedly benefit the former. However, that would also cement the direct line’s dominance. If Kelly bore an heir with the backing of the Hoggard family, the position of the direct line would be unassable. The coteral branches were rmed. They had only one thought, and it was to make sure Charlie did not end up with Kelly.


    In a sudden twist, even the coteral branches had set their sights on Charlie. They sent their people to approach him. Of course, unless necessary, they had no intention of resorting to force against him. After all, they didn’t want to offend Hoggard Technologies, as they still needed to buy robots from thetter in the future. If they angered Hoggard Technologies and were denied ess to the robots while others weren’t, they’d be at a significant disadvantage.


    However, soon, the coteral kins of the Jones family discovered that every time they sent someone to approach Charlie, their men would be intercepted halfway. For various reasons, they would be diverted and taken away. It became clear that Charlie had someone protecting him. The coteral factions had theirworks. Hence, it didn’t take much for them to find out who was shielding Charlie. As expected, it was none other than the Hoggard family, but this made the situation even worse. If Kelly and Charlie got back together, there was a high possibility that the Hoggard family might protect Kelly too.


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    It <b>wasn’t </b><b>just </b>the main and coteral branches <b>of </b><b>Jones </b>Group that noticed Charlic. Soon<b>, </b>other <b>conglomerates </b><b>in </b>Yowhayton <b>also </b><b>caught </b>wind <b>of </b>Charlie’s pursuit of Kelly. Given their <b>rival </b><b>status </b>and with <b>Kelly </b><b>being </b>the heir <b>of </b>Jones Group, these two conglomerates immediately <b>started </b><b>investigating </b><b>Charlie’s </b><b>background</b>. What they found made them uneasy<b>. </b>Under no circumstances could <b>they </b>allow Kelly and Charlie to be together.


    If the two got together, that would make Jones Group indirectly aligned with Hoggard Technologies through this union. It would be incredibly disadvantageous for the other two conglomerates if Hoggard Technologies began to favor Jones Group<b>. </b>The previously calm atmosphere among the conglomerates in Yowhayton became fraught with tension and danger, all because of Charlie’s sudden appearance.


    Meanwhile, Kelly was furious. She had been waiting for Charlie to leave and wondered why he <b>wasn’t</b>. After receiving the messages from her grandpa and father, Kelly didn’t respond to them immediately. Instead, she went to find Charlie right away. She dragged Charlie to the airport and effortlessly got him onto a ne using her status as the heir of a conglomerate. Before they parted, Kelly couldn’t control her tears. Her eyes reddened as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Chuck, you should leave. Don’te looking for me anymore. We’re not suitable for each other,” she said, her voice choked and hoarse.


    In response, Charlie hugged her tightly and then kissed her passionately. “I will find a way,” he said firmly. “ire, we will be together,” he repeated, his tone unwavering. Upon hearing that, Kelly stared at him, her heart aching. However, it onlysted for a second. She quickly shoved him into the ne and ordered it to take off immediately.


    Kelly was right to act quickly. No sooner had the ne departed than her grandpa and father, the most powerful members of Jones Group’s main lineage, arrived. After realizing Kelly had sent Charlie away instead of keeping him, their faces darkened with fury. Kelly’s father, Ronan Jones, immediately pped her hard across the face.Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    In the next moment, Kelly was taken back to the family home. She was instructed to bring Charlie back and secure the marriage alliance with the Carter family by her grandpa and Ronan. However, to their dismay, Kelly refused toply. Then came the beating. This time, a brutal one. For the Jones family, there was no room for familial affection. To her grandpa and Ronan, Kelly was merely a tool with the bloodline of the main lineage. By inflicting pain, they believed they could break her spirit and force her into submission. They had used this method countless times before, and Kelly had yielded many times. However, she resolutely refused this time.


    Eventually, the punishments became so severe that she was covered in blood, barely clinging to life without treatment. The top–tier doctors of the main lineage were summoned to treat her wounds. Kelly knew she wouldn’t die, as her grandpa and Ronan wouldn’t let her since she was the sole heir of the main lineage.


    While lying in bed receiving treatment, her mom finally appeared, offeringfort and persuasion. This was a familiar tactic of her grandpa and Ronan. In a sense, her mom was there to console her, but in reality, it was a threat. If Kelly didn’tply, her mom would be the next to suffer. “Kelly, just listen to your dad. Isn’t Charlie the guy you like? Isn’t it wonderful being with the one you love?” her mom said, sitting by the bedside, her tone earnest and heartfelt.