Matthew feigned a helpless look and said, “You guys have gotten the wrong idea. I didn’t spend a
single cent of it.”
Helen asked him furiously, “Where did the money go, then?”
“I gave it to the Grahams!”
“The Grahams?” James and Helen echoed in surprise.
“Yes! Have you guys forgotten about that jade bracelet belonging to the Grahams? It’s worth more
than 300 million. They only agreed not to hold us accountable after I tried very hard to persuade them
and offered them the money. Without the money, we would’ve been in big trouble!” said Matthew.
James and Helen were stunned for a moment before collapsing onto their chairs.
It was only after a while did Helen ask in a quivering voice, “W-Why did you give them so much money
as compensation?”
“Mom, that jade bracelet is worth much more than 300 million! What I offered them was peanuts!”
Matthew replied.
Demi smacked the table as she rose to her feet. “I don’t care how much that bracelet is worth; you
should use your own money as compensation! The 300 million includes compensation for Cunningham
Pharmaceuticals and for our family, which includes Sasha, Dad, Mom, Liam and me. If we were to
divide it, you would only have a few hundred thousand, or one million at most. Who gives you the right
to offer the whole 300 million to the Grahams?!”
Matthew was so enraged by Demi’s statement that he was left speechless.
Do I only get one million in compensation in exchange for my life?
Matthew asked in a low voice, “What has this got anything to do with Liam?”
Demi snapped back furiously, “Of course it has. He’s my husband and he’s the son-in-law of our family.
Because of you, his reputation has been tarnished by being labeled as the relative of a murderer. He’s
the owner of a big company. Do you know how badly his company has been affected by that?”
Matthew was left stumped by how Demi tried to relate Liam to the whole incident.
Liam took the Jacksons’ side right from the start, and he couldn’t wait to see me killed. Don’t you all
have any idea about that?
After taking a deep breath, Matthew said solemnly, “Demi, since you’ve brought it up, we should really
settle the scores between us! Even though I don’t fully own the 300 million, you shouldn’t blame me for
what happened to the jade bracelet! It was you and Liam who sold it, so shouldn’t the two of you bear
the responsibility? I’ve suffered a loss myself by offering the 300 million to the Grahams as
compensation for the jade bracelet. What gives you the right to accuse me of doing that?”
Demi was left speechless, and she felt guilty for what happened to the jade bracelet.
After some time, she spoke through gritted teeth, “Matthew, we agreed before that you would shoulder
the full responsibility of that! What are you trying to say now? Are you going back on your words? Do
you want to push the responsibility back to us?”
Matthew countered in an icy tone, “Demi Cunningham, all of us agreed to let me bear the responsibility
because we didn’t have the money to pay them back at that time. But why shouldn’t we pay them now
that we happen to have the money?”
Demi retorted angrily, “No matter how you phrase it, you’re just a coward who refuses to honor your
promise! In order to avoid prison time, you took the 300 million to compensate the Grahams without
telling us! Matthew Larson, if you’re a decent man, you should do what you promised and take the
responsibility. I don’t understand what you’re trying to do now. Not only do you refuse to honor your
promise, you’ve lost our 300 million. H-How can you be so despicable? What gives you the right to
decide what to do with the money?”
Matthew replied with a cold expression, “I don’t have the right? Since Dad and Mom are here as well,
let me make myself clear. When I told all of you about the 300 million compensation from the Jacksons
last night, what did you guys tell me?”
Demi and her parents looked guilty all at once.
Matthew continued in a frigid tone, “You guys told me that you wouldn’t take a dime, no matter how
much the Jacksons offered me! Even the Jacksons heard it last night! As you guys don’t want a dime of
it, it means I have the 300 million all to myself! Why don’t I have the right to deal with it since it’s my
money?”
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