Chapter 281



“What did you say?”

What Joseph said confused Belinda.

Hayden interrupted them when Joseph looked at her.

“Joseph is now officially the Director of the Finance Department.”

“What?” Belinda’s eyes went wide, her facial expression manifesting her utter disbelief, “That’s impossible! He works for the ST Group, how could you give that position to him? And who gave you the right to hire him without the board’s permission? Now the board is nothing to you?”.

“I treat the board with due respect, but they treat me like that? You tell me.” Hayden replied somberly.

“Besides, I would have had permission if someone hadn’t acted crazy at the conference, I don’t think we should have a meeting just to please you.”

“You…” Belinda was furious and said as she kicked, “My mother was right about you, you are cursed, you are the Downey’s undoing. You are the bane of my parents’ existence, even your sister almost died because of you.”

Those words were a stab to Hayden, tearing at the scars in his heart, making his knuckles white and his face pale.

Those words danced around him, awakening his miserable childhood experience.

“She’s cursed. She ruined her mother’s life as soon as she was born, and her grandfather’s a few years later.”

“Someone is going to die now that she’s here.”

“Stay away from her.”

“…”.

“If what you say is true. It means that whatever happens to you now must be caused by Hayden, we won’t even need the police to investigate.”

Joseph’s voice brought Hayden back to reality from his tragic memories. He advanced a few steps toward Belinda and said quietly.

“And if I’m not mistaken, something like a curse is beyond the reach of the law.”

“What do you mean?” Belinda backed up a step, horrified, “We’re in the company now, you dare not…”.

“There is nothing I dare not do.” He stood still, the chill radiating from him reaching Hayden.

“If I ever hear anything negative come out of your mouth about Hayden, I’ll make sure you never speak again. I wonder if you’ll be of any use if your family banishes you.”

Belinda’s face paled in terror and she could barely stand.

She fled before anyone else saw her shame.

Joseph returned to Hayden when Belinda was gone. Face to face, he took her hands, “I know you as an eloquent debater, I would never have expected an ignoramus to silence you.”

“I didn’t know what to say. I had heard those things so many times as a child, sometimes I even thought they were right.”

She looked down at the floor, sounding sullen.

If fate existed, she was most likely destined to be alone until death.

She felt the warmth of Joseph’s hands as they gripped her tighter. “Don’t listen to them.” She told him, “If you were doom, what would I be? People die all the time and no one can do anything about it. If anyone has to accept that title, I’d get it before you.”

His father died when Joseph was thirteen and his mother was banished that same year. For the next two decades, he was alone. The word suited him better than it did Hayden.

“That’s how you comfort people?” Hayden spat, “Why don’t you just say we’re two banished people united.”

“I could if that’s what you want to hear.”

“Oh, you…”

Hayden gave him a light pat, which would seem flirtatious to the others.

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