Chapter 247
“The police!”
Marissa shot to her feet, panic flashing in her eyes. “What are the police doing here?!”
The housekeeper flinched under her gaze, then stammered, “They’re here for you… because of the reports on all the platforms. The authorities need to investigate whether you used illegal means to take Amelie’s assets.”
“You bastard!” Marissa shrieked. “That money was offered by Amelie! Since when does that count as fraud?! And you—how dare you call that wretched woman by her name in front of me! Are you trying to piss me off to death?!”
“S–Sorry, Mrs. Sawyer,” the housekeeper said, shrinking back.
Just then, a group of uniformed police officers entered the room—led by a familiar face.
“Mr. Sawyer, Mrs. Sawyer,” said the man with impeccable manners.
It was Bryan—Nicolas’s trusted assistant.
“Bryan! What are you doing here?” Braiden asked wanly.
Bryan offered a polite smile. “I’m here on behalf of Mr. Sawyer to file a formal complaint against you all—for conspiracy to defraud Miss Amelie. We’ll need you to come to the station to cooperate with the investigation.”
“You little punk!” Marissa exploded. “That bastard dares to sue his own parents?! He’s gone completely insane! Get that good-for-nothing out here—tell him to show his face!”
Bryan calmly looked her up and down, then replied with a light smile, “Ms. Olson, I suggest you choose your words carefully. You and Mr. Sawyer share no blood relation, so calling yourself his mother is a bit of a stretch. If you ask me, ‘enemy’ seems more appropriate.”
Marissa lunged at him in fury.
Bryan took a graceful step back and turned to the officers with a smile. “Officers, thank you for your assistance.”
Two of them immediately stepped forward, standing between Bryan and Marissa.
“Mr. Olson,” one said firmly, “please come with us. We need your cooperation for the investigation.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong!” Marissa’s voice faltered a little as the uniformed presence began to intimidate her. She instinctively took a step back. “You–”
Before she could argue further, Braiden stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t fight it. Let’s go to the station and sort this out.”
“Braiden,” Marissa hissed, pulling him aside. “Do you have a plan?”
She looked into his calculating expression and narrowed her eyes.
“More or less,” Braiden replied coolly. He turned to Marshall and added in a low voice, “While we’re gone, do nothing. Understand?”
Marshall looked worried. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Dad?”
Braiden’s lips curved into a cold sneer. “That brat thinks he’s clever, pulling a stunt like this—but he doesn’t realize he’s playing right into my hands. A son publicly suing his own father? In our circles, that’s utterly disgraceful. No matter what evidence he digs up, the world won’t side with him. What’s Radiance Media? A puny little entertainment company? He dares go up against the Sawyer Group? Pathetic. Once I’m out, we’ll deal with him properly.”
“Right,” Marshall nodded. “We underestimated him. Who’d have thought he was running an entertainment business in secret? But no matter what, he’s still nothing compared to the Sawyer empire. We’ll take care of him once you’re back.”
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Chapter 247
Braiden nodded, then walked away with Marissa in tow, both escorted by the officers.
But as he left, Braiden turned and threw a vicious glare at Bryan. “Tell that bastard to brace himself. I’ll deal with him the moment I get out.”
Bryan responded with his usual mild-mannered smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to pass along the message.”
Braiden snorted and walked out proudly, head held high.
Bryan watched him go, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
Braiden might think Nicolas only had Radiance Media and couldn’t possibly stand up to the Sawyer Group.
But what he didn’t know was that Nicolas’s reach extended far beyond entertainment.
His businesses touched every industry the Sawyer Group operated in—and more. And while Braiden was celebrating, those same businesses were silently, steadily buying up Sawyer Group stock at bargain prices.
Each company might look unrelated on the surface. But behind them all… was one man. Nicolas Sawyer.
Braiden believed he’d be out in a few days and would return to his role as the triumphant head of the Sawyer family.
He had no idea that in just a few days, the entire industry landscape would shift beneath his feet.
As the police took Braiden away, Bryan pulled out his phone and dialed Nicolas.
“Mr. Sawyer, the Sawyers have been taken into custody. Everything is going exactly as planned.”
News of Braiden’s arrest spread like wildfire.
When Luciano found out, he flew into a rage. “I knew something was off with Bryan showing up in person! That bastard must’ve leaked the video of Mom and Dad being taken away. Damn it! Everyone’s panicking—stock prices hit rock bottom the moment the market opened!”
Marshall was seething, his fists clenched tight. “That damn Nicolas. All he knows is how to play these dirty tricks.”
Luciano paced in frustration. “What do we do now, Marshall? Rumors are flying, and a bunch of companies are trying to scoop up our stock for cheap!”
“Dad said to sit tight,” Marshall said through gritted teeth.
“But can we really afford to do nothing?” Luciano said, panicked. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
“Which is exactly why we stay put. If we panic, it’ll only confirm to the public that we’re guilty. Don’t make a move until Dad’s back. Got it?”
Luciano shrank a little. “Got it.”
Meanwhile, in Nicolas’s office, he was… playing block tower with Noelle.
It was a pivotal week, yet Noelle had stuck close to Nicolas every day. The Andersons, surprisingly, didn’t object—they all seemed to silently approve of the time they spent together.
A tower of wooden blocks now stood taller than either of them.
Noelle balanced on Nicolas’s chair, her arm stretched high as she said, “Nicolas, hand me another block!”
One of his arms supported her slim waist, the other passed her another piece. He chuckled.
“You sure you want to build this all the way to the ceiling?”
Most people could barely stack half a meter. Leave it to Noelle to try and break records.
Noelle beamed. “Why not? But I’m not tall enough. That’s the only problem.”
Nicolas grinned.
Chapter 247
“Then I’ll build you a platform.”
“And what if I do reach the ceiling and still want to keep stacking?” she asked.
Without missing a beat, Nicolas said, “Then I’ll have the ceiling torn off. Whatever space you need, I’ll make sure you have it.”
“Deal!” Noelle laughed brightly.
She tiptoed even higher. “Okay—next block!”
“Here.”
Just as Nicolas handed her another block, Bryan walked in… and immediately paused.
What he saw was strange. Nicolas was sitting in a chair, legs apart, and Noelle was standing between them—on the chair. Nicolas had one hand on her waist, keeping her steady. The whole scene looked… awkward. Very awkward. And undeniably intimate.
Bryan cleared his throat. “Mr. Sawyer–”
“Speak.” Nicolas didn’t even glance at him—his eyes remained on Noelle, completely unbothered.
Bryan broke out in a cold sweat. The whole internet’s on fire, the Sawyers are spiraling—and this man is playing block tower with Miss Anderson like it’s Sunday morning!
So this… this was what real composure looked like. No wonder he’s the boss. Bryan swallowed, steeling himself to deliver the next update.