I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis novel Chapter 236

Chapter 236 Last Words

Marlowe was almost knocked straight back into the lift

It one more person lunged, he’d end up flattened against the wall.

I cleared my throat loudly.

You lot see a briefcase and start crawling like cockroaches on a dropped croissant. Did any of you even ask how Edouard is doing? Or are you all just here to count zeroes?‘

The front row shuffled backwards.

A man in a beige trench coat blinked, glanced at his shoes. ‘Of course we care. He’s family.‘

The ICU door clicked open.

Ashton stood in the doorway.

‘Come in.‘

It was like he’d fired the starting pistol at a race.

Everyone surged forward.

A man elbowed past a woman in a tweed jacket.

Someone’s handbag caught on the IV pole.

Edouard lay still beneath the ceiling light, chest rising in fits and starts.

A ventilator mask covered his nose and mouth.

Tubes ran down both arms, taped tight against his skin

Two doctors stood at the head of the bed, flanked by three nurses.

One adjusted the beeping monitor, which clicked in a slow, rhythmic pattern.

I leaned close to Ashton. ‘How bad?‘

He gave a slight shake of the head.

The room filled, wall to wall.

No one spoke until one of the doctors cleared his throat and turned.

‘He’s critical. Any moment now. Say what you need to.‘

That landed like a dropped brick.

A few people blinked hard.

A woman near the back gave a choked gasp.

“That can’t be right. He was walking last month.‘

‘Don’t go now, Edouard. The family needs you.‘

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Chapter 236 Last Words

+15 BONUS

Someone sniffled.

Then another.

Soon, a soft wave of crying spread across the room.

But the tears didn’t last five minutes.

A man leaned in close to Marlowe and muttered, ‘We should probably start talking arrangements.‘

Another voice picked it up. ‘Exactly. Did he even leave a will?‘

The mood shifted.

Crying stopped. Elbows came out.

Marlowe didn’t answer.

Edouard’s eyelids fluttered.

His eyes opened slowly.

He had yellowed whites and pupils like pinpricks.

His gaze drifted across the room, dull and cloudy, settling on each face in turn.

His hand lifted, barely.

It trembled mid–air before pointing, unsteadily, straight at Ashton.

There was hatred in that look. Pure, solid resentment.

His lips moved, but no sound came.

Ashton stepped forward. ‘Looks like he wants me to read the will.‘

Edouard’s mouth twitched, maybe trying to form the word ‘no‘.

Nobody paid him any mind.

They were already murmuring.

‘Just let Ashton read it. Come on, he’s barely hanging on

‘Stop wasting time.‘

Ashton tipped his chin at Marlowe.

The lawyer nodded, stepped past two people, and pulled a thick bundle of papers from his briefcase.

Ashton took them.

The room hushed instantly.

Even the monitors seemed to pause.

“The will begins with an inventory of assets. Liquid funds: five hundred million. Property and other holdings: close to eight hundred million.‘

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Chapter 236 Last Words

Someone sucked in a breath behind me.

Gwendolyn’s eyes bulged.

Ashton kept going. ‘All LGH shares to be transferred to Ashton Laurent.‘

He paused, brows raised slightly. ‘You’re giving me everything?‘

Edouard’s eyes went wide.

His brow tensed. A vein popped above his temple.

He shoved against the mattress, trying to lift his chest.

His shoulders rose half an inch before slumping back down.

The monitor picked up pace.

Ashton met his gaze and held it. ‘Well. Thank you, Grandfather.‘

Edouard let out a hoarse, broken sound.

His fingers twitched, then stilled.

The voices around me blurred into a swarm of whispers

‘Why the hell would he leave everything to Ashton?‘

‘They weren’t even close. Not like that.‘

‘It’s not like he needs the shares. Ashton’s been running LGH for years anyway.‘

‘No one’s kicking him off the CEO post, with or without this.‘

‘Forget the company. What about the rest of the money Let’s get to that!‘

Ashton waited until the noise ebbed before speaking again.

‘Grandfather instructed that all his property be liquidated, converted into cash.‘

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