The Billionaire's Forbidden Longing

Preston was about to lose it when Cleo mentioned he was just a minor shareholder.

"You're full of it! It's not ten percent, it's twenty! I have the same amount of shares as Allison. If all the shareholders back me, Allison's out!" Preston shouted. Cleo didn't even flinch. She just pulled out some documents for everyone to see.

"Here are the shares held by Ms. Bennett. Right now, Bennett Group's stock is in the dumps. Under Ms. Bennett's direction, I've been buying up shares on the open market. As of today, we've snagged eighteen percent, bringing Ms. Bennett's total to thirty-eight percent, making her the biggest shareholder!" Cleo explained.

Preston was in shock. He grabbed the share transfer documents and looked them over one by one, then he saw a familiar signature.

"Helena? What's going on? How did you get Helena's shares? Did you threaten her into selling?" Preston roared.

Cleo didn't even blink. "Actually, Ms. Ember came to me willingly, offering to sell her shares in the Bennett Group. And she didn't just sell a small portion-she sold ten percent, which is worth two billion dollars. I found it odd at the time since none of the shareholders here hold that much individually. But if she's your mistress, Mr. Bennett, well, that explains a lot!"

Cleo's words made the shareholders' faces change.

Preston glared at her, fuming. "You're lying! Helena wouldn't do that!"

Cleo smirked, placing the transfer documents in front of him. "Mr. Bennett, look closely. That's Helena's signature. And the ten percent was under Cade's name. Helena, as Cade's guardian, sold it on his behalf. Now you only have ten percent. How dare you call a shareholders' meeting and think you can oust Ms. Bennett?"

Cleo had no respect for the Bennetts. She thought they were all incompetent yet overly confident. She felt Allison deserved better; Preston was unworthy of being her father.

In the end, Preston left in disgrace. Cleo sat in the conference room, tapping her fingers on the table. "I know you're all concerned about Bennett Group's declining stock price and fear bankruptcy. Ms. Bennett has given me authority to offer you a choice. If any of you doubts her capability, you can sell your shares to her at a fair price and leave the board."

The shareholders looked down, tempted but reluctant to sell.

"You're joking. Of course, we want the company to do well. We're not selling."

The shareholders left, dejected.

The Bennett Manor, however, was in chaos. As soon as Preston walked in, he slapped Helena.novelbin

"You bitch! How dare you sell Bennett Group's shares without my permission? Are you insane?" Preston yelled.

Helena, though struck, remained unusually calm. She looked at Preston, the warmth in her eyes replaced by sheer loathing.

"Why shouldn't I sell them? They were mine. Preston, I've been with you for twenty years without marriage. What do I get out of this? Your old age, bad temper, and big belly? You're old, but I'm still young. I have a lot of time left to enjoy life. Besides, Bennett Group is finished. I can't let Cade get dragged down with you," Helena snapped.

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The two of them started going at it in the house. With Jonah absent, the other servants didn't dare step in. When Yasmin got home, she found the place in chaos and her parents still brawling.

Preston's face was scratched up, his neck covered in bloody marks, and his mouth was bleeding. His glasses, which he wore to look sophisticated, were shattered on the floor, and his graying hair hung messily over his face. His clothes were torn to shreds, making him look less like a distinguished middle-aged CEO and more like a disheveled old man rummaging through garbage.

"Dad, Mom, what's going on?" Yasmin rushed over.

Seeing Yasmin, Helena clung to her, crying. "Yasmin, your father wants to kill me!"

Since learning Helena was her biological mother, Yasmin had initially resisted but eventually accepted her, calling her Mom.

Now, seeing Preston and Helena fighting, Yasmin was utterly shocked.

"Dad, why are you hitting Mom?" Yasmin asked.

"Hitting her? So what? She secretly sold your brother's shares. This bitch sold ten percent of Bennett Group's shares, stripping me of my control over the company. She deserves it! I should kill her for this!" Preston was furious. He had been on the brink of reclaiming control of Bennett Group, only to be thwarted by Helena. Yasmin was momentarily stunned but quickly understood.

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Cade had shares in Bennett Group? Yasmin had no idea.

What about her? She had always been the cherished daughter of the Bennett family, respected by everyone. Yet, Preston would rather give shares to Cade and never even considered giving her a single percent.

Even Allison received twenty percent of the shares from Hayden and became the chairman of the Bennett Group. Why?

Yasmin felt a surge of resentment, but the thought of two billion dollars made her calm down.

"Dad, you still want to take back the Bennett Group? Grandpa made Allison chairman. Even if you try to fight for it, it's useless. Grandpa has always favored Allison. He didn't even help Jasper when he was detained. Clearly, Allison is his only priority. I think it's better to turn those shares into cash," Yasmin remarked.

Yasmin and Helena were truly a pair of like-minded daughter and mother.

"Yasmin is right. The Bennett Group's stock has been plummeting. Who knows how low it'll go? Better to sell the shares and get the money now. I'm doing this for Yasmin and Cade," Helena echoed.

"For the kids, or for yourself? If you really cared about the kids, you'd hand over that two billion dollars to me. Otherwise, I'll make sure you regret it!" Preston said fiercely.

Preston's threat made Helena instinctively step back. There was no way she was going to hand over the money.