Chapter 401

In truth, it wasn’t Judy who made the decision for him. It was Joseph himself. After she left, he finally saw his own heart clearly.

“A woman with no family or background—what exactly is it about her that’s worth all this?” Melvin snapped, brushing past Joseph and heading straight into his study.

Crystal’s face returned to its usual polished elegance, and she looked utterly at ease. “Alright, stop standing there like a statue. She’s long gone. Who exactly are you putting on a show for?” she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

She honestly didn’t know who her son had taken after—his personality was nothing like hers. The moment something happened, all he knew was how to shrink back.

She had indeed hoped he would choose the company. But just now, that hesitation of his was clear as day—he wanted both. Someone that indecisive, even if he was her own son, still made her shake her head in disapproval. If Joseph had actually made a firm decision earlier, she might’ve seen him in a different light.

Hearing her words, Joseph felt even worse. He forced down the urge to go after Judy, looked at his mother, and gritted out, “It’s all because of you two."

“If you hadn’t forced me to choose, I wouldn’t have ended things with Judy.”

“Well, then go get her back,” Crystal said flatly, arms crossed, eyes locking onto him. “As long as you’re willing to give up the company, I’ll talk to your father and tell him to stay out of it."

“From then on, whatever you do has nothing to do with Hunt Enterprises. And don’t you dare go around throwing your weight around under the Hunt name.” Joseph hadn’t even had the chance to feel happy before those words completely cut off any path of retreat.

The goal was crystal clear now—it was the Hunt legacy. As long as he inherited the company, he could have Judy too. And by then, who could stop him?

“I understand, Mom…” Joseph lowered his head, looking as if he’d conceded.

Crystal, watching him like that, knew perfectly well what he was really thinking. After all, he was her own flesh and blood. As his mother, she knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Alright, go do what you’re supposed to do. Stop standing around getting in the way.” With that, Crystal stood up and walked past Joseph, heading out. She still had an appointment with her girlfriends for a facial.

Before leaving, she turned back and reminded him, “Let me give you some advice, keep your head down for now. Don’t let anything go wrong at such a critical time. Otherwise, even if I wanted to protect you, if your father ends up disappointed in you, then all of this will have been for nothing.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Joseph forced the words out with difficulty.

Crystal opened her mouth, but in the end, said nothing more. Sometimes, these things had to be figured out by the child himself. Besides, they were all adults now; she couldn’t spend her whole life micromanaging. Children needed their own lives. And so did she.

Crystal put on her sunglasses and called for the driver to take her to the salon. Once she left, Joseph finally let out a long breath.

Chapter 402

He quickly pulled out his phone, ready to call Judy. After all, no matter what else happened today, even Joseph himself knew he hadn’t handled things right.