Chapter 954: Chater 962

Josh would never know that just yesterday his father had entertained the thought of kicking him out. If he had known, he would never dare to ask such a question.

Lilly and Bettany had also gone out, accompanied by Hugh, while Gilbert took on the role of their driver.

Upon arriving at Lawrence’s place, Gilbert guessed that his elder brother should have reached the company by now, giving him some time to check his phone.

Hence, he sent a message in the family group chat: “Dear brothers, Anthony has a secret. Would any of you like to hear it?”

“What could it be that we don’t know? Something about him wearing his underwear inside out when he was little?” Edward questioned.

Jonas was certain. “There’s nothing we don’t know about Anthony.”

That got Max retorting, “Don’t be too sure about that.”

Blake, who had just finished with his meeting, joined the conversation, “Hmm? Anthony has a secret?

I’m listening.”

Gilbert silently counted to three.

Ding!

“Dear VIP, your account in Capital Bank ending with 8888 has received USD 2,000,000. Your current balance is…”

Today, Gilbert followed his usual routine, exaggerating his claims to extort a staggering sum of two million dollars as hush money from his eldest brother.

Seeing this, Hugh could not resist the temptation of stashing some money away for himself and sent a message to Anthony as well. His message read, “I have a project in mind that I’d like to invest in.

Transfer twenty million dollars to me.”

Anthony replied, “Which project? I’ll take care of it for you.”

“It’s a project about calcium supplementation.”

That rendered Anthony speechless. Never in a million years would he have expected his father to joke around. In his impression, Hugh was supposed to be serious.

Then, he asked, “Should I wire it to mom’s account?”

Hugh immediately replied: “No, wire it to my account.”

Anthony transferred the money and then sent a screenshot of the transaction record to his old man. “I don’t need to show this receipt to Mom, do I?”

Hugh had no words. Even though he managed to extort. some money from Anthony, he gave the man a hold over him as well. If Hugh dared to be greedy or share this morning’s events with his other children, this receipt would end up in the hands of Bettany. Regretfully, Hugh had to put a stop to his future investment plans.

At the very least, Anthony managed to one party from extorting him. Before Gilbert could launch his next wave of attacks, Anthony took the initiative and sent him a photo.

In the photo, a child stood by the river, holding a slipper and crying, while the other slipper was on his ankle. To add to the humor, the child’s pants had a large hole, revealing half of his buttocks.

Anthony texted, “I came across an interesting photo by chance.”

This time, it was Gilbert’s turn to be rendered speechless.

All right, another potential chance to extort him was shut close.

On the other hand, the members of the group chat continued to grumble:

“You’re just playing with us, you dog,” Edward started.

“I’d be a fool to entertain anything you say in the future,” Max declared.

“The plane has already landed in Moscow, and you still haven’t made your point,” Bryson said.

“I’ve just gotten a new task, and you’re still dilly-dallying,” Cloud added.

“The movie has already ended, and there’s still not a single word from you.” It was Jonas.

Liam just sent an emoji, expressing how scornful he was about Gilbert.

Blake told them to give him ten minutes.

Anthony was speechless.

Ten minutes later, Blake sent Anthony a text: “Anthony, are you sure you can do it?”

Anthony did not reply, so Blake continued, “Sorry, it was presumptuous of me. But I came across a crown of the queen made from precious gemstones yesterday, which would be a perfect dowry for Lilly in the future…”

Indeed, this is presumptuous of you.

This was the first time Anthony had experienced such a retreat. He glanced at Lisa, who was studying diligently on the other side of the office.

He would ask Lilly another day if there was still a chance for Lisa to fully recover, and to be completely human again.

Anthony had originally thought that Lilly’s statement was exaggerated, but now it seemed that it was entirely true.

How could this be?

Lisa looked up, looking at him in confusion.

…

Turning the focus back to Lilly, she entered Lawrence’s house carrying a large bouquet of flowers, exclaiming joyfully, “Master Lambert, I’ve come to see you!”

Lawrence, wearing a cheerful expression, was pushed out by someone and as soon as he laid eyes on Lilly, his mood instantly brightened.

“Lilly, you’re here!” he exclaimed, pointing to a nearby table. “I was just trying to see if I can paint with my left hand…”

Casting a glance in that direction, Lilly saw a half-drawn painting on the table. It seemed to be an attempt at depicting flowers, but the brushstrokes were clumsy and awkward. The essence and unique aesthetics that were once encapsulated in Lawrence’s art were absent…

Sighing, Lawrence said, “Oh well, it’s no good. I’m too old for this…”

Lilly smiled and said, “Says who? Master Lambert, this is actually quite beautiful!”

She picked up a brush and, utilizing the artistic skills she enhanced with spells, completed the other half of the flower effortlessly. The strokes still carried a childlike innocence, evident in their tender and delicate quality.

Yet when the two halves of the flower came together, a peculiar beauty emerged. It possessed an abstract quality, blending the notions of growth and aging.

One half of the flower bloomed vibrantly, while the other half exhibited signs of wilting.

Lawrence’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Lilly suggested, “Let’s draw a stem for the flower!”

With a bold stroke of her brush, she showed no hesitation. While an adult might have hesitated, fearing to disrupt the artistic ambiance of the flower, Lilly had no such qualms. Not only did she draw the stem, but she also added leaves—lush and saturated in vibrant shades of green.

Two strokes distinctly divided the composition and accentuated the contrast between light and shadow.

Instantly, Lilly’s half of the flower seemed to radiate with sunlight, making the darker area where Lawrence had painted even more pronounced.

Lawrence stared in awe.

At this moment, Violet arrived.

Violet, Lawrence’s excellent disciple, was well-acquainted with the Lamberts, often entering their home as if it were her own.

With a single glance, she saw Lilly engrossed in her artwork, while Lawrence stood dumbfounded by her side.

Violet cast a brief glance at the painting and was instantly speechless.

Well, what kind of crap is this? Especially the darker half of the flower, it looks so bad.