On the other end of the line, Gloria pursed her lips stubbornly. She had begged him too many times in her life already. Those three years of quiet life had almost made her forget who Patrick was and who she was.
She mockingly glanced at Camille aside, who had dressed appropriately. Right now, Camille was nervously watching her every move.
Camille came over as soon as she heard of Gloria's whereabouts, but Camille's anxiety had nothing to do with Gloria at all.
Gloria lowered her eyes, which were full of loneliness and sarcasm.
She wanted to pull herself out of the abyss, but every time she thought that she could finally escape, she would be trapped again.
All of them were holding the things that were most precious to her. They ignored her countess wounds and kept hurting her again and again.
Gloria felt that her throat was getting more and more uncomfortable. She asked in a hoarse voice, "So what if I beg you? How should I beg you?"
On the other end of the line, Patrick's eyes flicked with joy. He said leisurely, "If you beg me, I have the right to say no."
"So, will you say no?" she asked.
Camille instantly became more worried. "Gloria, you should beg Alpha Patrick now! The Carter Group cannot go down."
Stewart glanced at Camille sharply, and the latter took half a step back in fear.
Patrick was not surprised to hear Camille's voice. From the moment Gloria asked him to cut the Carter Group some slack, he had already foreseen that someone from the Carter family would beg Gloria.
"What position are you in if you beg me?" Patrick said softly.
Gloria's eyes flickered. Finally, she said, "A friend."
Patrick's voice was gentle but decisive. He said, "I'm sorry, but my answer is no."
Gloria's expression changed. She had expected that he might turn her down, but she hadn't expected him to say no so mercilessly.
Patrick sighed and explained pretentiously, "Gloria, you should know that although I am the CEO of the Hammond Group, the board of directors is above me. The decision to merge the Carter Group was made by the entire board of directors. How can I explain to them if I stop the whole thing, simply because a friend begs me? Gloria, you say that we are friends. I guess you won't make things difficult for your friend, will you?"
In Hammond Group's CEO's office, Patrick gently closed his eyes and thanked the Moon Goddess for giving him another opportunity. He figured that he couldn't afford to spook Gloria, or she would run away again.
"Of course, if you are requesting me to cut the Carter Group some slack, then I can't refuse." He paused and then continued, "However, only my mate can make a request to me."
Gloria clutched the phone in her hand, and her eyes were full of anger. She thought, 'You just won't let me go, will you?'
"Alpha Patrick, then how do you want me to please you this time? Another three years?" She looked down, and her eyes were filled with pain.
On the other end of the line, Patrick also tightened his grip on his phone. His breathing went steadier, but he pretended to be relaxed and unconcerned. "Yes, another three years. Yes or no?"
He thought, 'I want to be entangled with you for the rest of my life. Three years is not enough at all.'
Gloria said, "If I could, I wouldn't ask you again in my entire life!"
The call came to an abrupt end.
Gloria's hand that was holding the phone trembled like a fallen leaf in autumn. Stewart had never seen such a sad woman.
Camille somehow felt it was hard to breathe, but she ignored the discomfort and asked the thing she was most concerned about, "Gloria, how did it go?"
"Patrick will let the Carter Group go," Gloria said and stopped Camille's hasty question.
Camille looked happy, but before she could say anything, she was interrupted.
"But I will be in charge of the Carter family," Gloria said calmly.
"What?" Camille cried out in surprise, shocked utterly.
She pointed at Gloria in disbelief. "How could you!"
"Of course, I can," Gloria said slowly.
Camille was so angry and her chest heaved.
"Are you going to snatch Harry's fortune?" Camille's mind was a mess. She used Alger as an excuse and said, "Your dad won't agree!"
Gloria sneered and stared at Camille. Then she said, "Go back and ask Alger if he wants to be the dignified Mr. Carter of the Carter Group or a pauper with huge debts."
Gloria looked coldly at Camille. She continued, "If I'm the boss, you can still be the same rich woman in Gabbs, the Luna of Silver Spring Pack. If you are not happy about it, I'll make sure that the Carter Group becomes part of Gabbs' history. You're smart. I'm sure you can make the right choice without me saying much, right?"
Camille looked at the strange Gloria and was terrified.
Gloria waved her hand. "Go back and think about it. Go ahead and ask Alger."
She was very tired. Looking at Camille's fleeing back, she also felt great.
She thought, 'You force me with those few precious feelings I have left. I know I shouldn't, but I can't say no to you.
And now, I'm about to take away the most important things from you.'
In Hammond Group's CEO's office, Patrick finished the call.
"It's her." Ellison sat opposite the desk.
Ellison was certain that it was Gloria.
At the same time, Stewart mind linked Patrick.
"Camille used the late old Alpha to threaten Gloria. They are so despicable!"
Patrick's eyes were indifferent. "Figured."
Stewart suddenly laughed. "But Gloria is indeed something. You have no idea. Camille's expression back then is so funny."
"Among all the people from the Carter family, only the old Alpha can be important enough to make Gloria give me this call," Patrick said in a low voice. "It's reasonable that she wants to be in charge of the Carter family."
It meant that she would return to Gabbs. In such a way, he got to keep her by his side forever.
Stewart chuckled. He said, "Don't push her too hard."
Then they ended the call.
Ellison snorted and smiled coldly, "The old Alpha wasn't good to her genuinely."
Ellison felt bad for Gloria.
"She knows. She sees through everything you can see through. But that was one of the few lights in her dark life." Patrick felt a lump in his throat. He felt sorry for Gloria.
"She knew he wanted something, yet she still went for it." His voice was trembling a little.
Ellison was shocked. His heart trembled. He thought, 'Knowing it was a lie, she still chose to give out everything she had?
Is there such a person in the world?
But I have no choice but to believe it.'
"Do you really think she is that ignorant? Ellison, that's the woman I fall in love with." Patrick raised his lips. His eyes were filled with warmth and pride.
Patrick's annoying voice echoed in Ellison's ears. Patrick said, "What about you? Ellison, what is it that you love?"
Ellison was in a trance. He didn't even know how he managed to walk out of Patrick's office. He ignored others on the way and stepped into the elevator.
When the elevator doors opened again, he was already in the underground parking lot.
Ellison's eyes lit up again. He didn't get to participate in her past, but that might not be the case when it came to the future.
He showed up late in her life. However, he still had a chance.