Chapter 361
Chapter 361
"I am sorry, Father. I can't care about anything else right now." Jennifer's eyes were wet with tears. "I will not hesitate to exchange my life as long as I can save my daughter's life! Luna is in her current state because of Bryson's family, so what is wrong with us cutting ties with them?"
Not wanting to continue the debate with his daughter-in-law, Eddie looked at Brandon. "What are your thoughts on this, Brandon?" he asked.
"Father, I have to listen to Jennifer on this. She was the one who took care of Luna and Lewis when I was busy with work. They are both Jennifer's babies. We can further discuss anything else, but if it is about the children, I will respect Jennifer's choice."
"What about your brother?" Eddie roared. "Are you throwing Bryson aside?!"
Brandon quickly tried to appease him, "Don't be angry, Father. Please calm down and think about it. Bryson's family can still live however they want even if my family cuts ties with them, but if we don't do what Dr. Shefford asks, Luna will be fighting against her illness until the day she dies young. Between life and death, I can only choose for her to be alive! Father, I am making the right choice, aren't I?"
Hearing that, Eddie opened his mouth but didn't utter a word.
He couldn't possibly tell Brandon to never cut ties with Bryson's family even if he had to watch his own daughter die.
Moreover, he also felt sorry for Luna and was reluctant to let her die at an early age. Even if he didn't especially feel for her, he couldn't just watch her pass on early while knowing that there was a way to save her.
Therefore, the crux of this matter lay with Leigh.
Initially, Brandon's family's angry proposal to separate from Bryson's family was because of Ava.
But now, the fact that Ava was about to be kicked out from Bryson's family wasn't a problem anymore; Leigh was the problem.
As long as she didn't force Brandon, he wouldn't bring up wanting to cut ties with Bryson.
Eddie looked at her and said in a friendly and sincere tone, "I know that you have your grudges about what happened back then, but no matter what, you are a descendant of my family. Your father has regretted it a long time ago after he knew what he did wrong. If you are willing to forgive him and come back to the family, I will let your father hold a grand welcome reception to announce your true identity to the Penhams' relatives, friends and business partners. 30 percent of the shares will be distributed to you as compensation. What do you think?"
30 percent of the shares in dividends was a huge amount.
Usually, women who married out of the family would not get shares and dividends. The most they would get were real estate or shops as dowry.
He thought that he was already doing his best at compensating Leigh with his proposal to give her a 30-percent share of dividends.
"There is nothing special about your offer." Leigh sneered after hearing his words. "Old Master
Penham, do I look like someone who is short on money to you?"
She could cure and save anyone others couldn't. Money came to her as long as she willed it to, and she had no need for charity.
Eddie explained, "I am not saying that you lack money. I am just trying to compensate you to the best of my ability. The 30 percent stake represents your father's and my sincerity to compensate you."
"I will have to thank you, but I don't need it. For me, it is disgusting to be tangled up with your family. Even if I were to become so poor that I can only live on the streets one day, I don't want to have anything to do with the Penhams."
"But you have the blood of the Penhams flowing in your veins. Your father gave you your life!" Eddie's face had turned cold after he heard the disdain she had for the family.
"So what?" She let out another scoff. "He might be my birth father, but he gave up on looking for me just after a little more than 10 days of searching for me when someone took me away. Do you think he is qualified to be my father?"
When Eddie was asked that question, he turned red in the face and couldn't find his words. He only replied after a while, "He knows his mistake and is willing to make up for it."
His words made her sneer again. "Must I forgive him just because he knows what he did wrong? Is this written in the law or something? If you can find a law basis that states that, I will do as per your arrangement, Old Master Penham."
He was at a loss for words again.
No matter what direction the conversation was going, he only had one thing to say: My son is your biological father, and since he gave you life, you should forgive him.
However, Eddie couldn't do anything about Leigh not wanting to forgive them.
With that, his hatred for Penny deepened.
For Leigh to become someone the best experts in Dusktown called a 'genius' and 'miracle doctor' was enough proof of her excellent medical skills.
A person who could reach the peak in a field certainly had amazing talent.
His eldest granddaughter was supposed to be a talented and awe-aspiring woman, but Penny had replaced her with Ava, a ruthless and idiotic piece of work!
It was a great loss for the Penhams to have lost what seemed like a shiny pearl and had gotten a dead fish's eye in return!
If Leigh was the one who grew up in the family, with her superb medical skills, she would've definitely made the Penham Family more stable and brilliant.
It felt as though a knife had driven through his heart when a trump card like Leigh was exchanged for a useless one.
Austin couldn't help sympathizing with Eddie when he saw how the older man's face had turned ashen. He endured the pain in his injured body as he walked over to appease him while he persuaded Leigh.
"Dr. Shefford, it was indeed Dad's fault for what happened in the past. He told me he regretted it before he found you. Dr. Shefford, I hope you will give me a chance to take care of you. I… am happy that you are my little sister!"
"Oh," she lightly replied, "I would be very happy too if I had a sister who is a doctor that can cure intractable diseases that fall from the sky despite the fact that I haven't contributed in any way!"
How am I supposed to continue the conversation?! Austin exasperated.
"What do you mean by that?" Justin seemed a little vexed. "Are you saying that we dislike the poor and try to kiss up to the rich? Even if you didn't have medical skills, we would still take care of you as long as you are my biological sister."
"Not necessarily!" She hummed. "It is because I practice medicine that Brandon's family is under my control and being forced to cut ties with your family. If I wasn't a doctor and grew up in a poor family, and had no skills nor possessions, I would only end up being stepped all over by you even if I came here myself."
Hearing her words made Justin scorn. "We are not what you make us sound to be! Why are you accusing us like this?"
"Aren't you?" She sneered at him. "How am I supposed to believe that a person who lost his biological daughter for only more than 10 days could just replace her with someone else's child that he picked up is an affectionate, righteous and conscientious man?"
Justin was so angry he couldn't speak.
How could he prove it to her when he knew he had nothing to back up his words?
Even if he was his father's biological son, he had to admit that his father had handled the situation distastefully.
Bryson had committed a wrong that he would never be able to wash his hands clean of!