Chapter 445
Isn't She Thinking Too Highly of Her?
Laura Bennett didn't keep her in suspense.
Seeing Claire Bennett's puzzled look, she snorted and said, "Look at you, so busy with work that you've actually forgotten something this important. In a few days it'll be your grandfather's birthday. Don't tell me you don't plan on going back to the Bennett family home? Your grandfather has been talking about you this whole time. If you don't go back, that's just too unfilial!"
Grandpa's birthday was coming up?
Claire Bennett froze for a moment. She had almost forgotten about it. Caught off guard, she suddenly thought of the past, and of everyone in the Bennett family.
Actually, Old Mr. Bennett had never been especially close to her. On the contrary, he liked capable people. Back then, she hadn't shown what she could do, and she also wasn't as good at flattering him as Ava Bennett was. The one Grandpa liked more was Ava Bennett.
Now hearing Laura Bennett say Grandpa missed her somehow felt a little funny.
So the reason Laura Bennett had come to find her was this matter. She hadn't expected her to personally make the trip all the way from New York.
There was no way such a small matter alone was worth Laura Bennett coming here for, which meant things had to be going very badly for Laura Bennett right now, and she was trying to break the deadlock in the Bennett family.
Claire Bennett curled her lips into a smile and asked, "Auntie, has Bennett Group been inherited by my dad now? And Ava Bennett has squeezed Lila Bennett so hard at the company that she has no room left to survive, right?"
The moment she said that, Laura Bennett's expression changed instantly. Clearly, Claire Bennett had hit the mark.
Although Laura Bennett was a daughter who had married out, the man she married came from an average family, so it was practically half a live-in marriage. Even their children took the Bennett surname. After getting married, the whole family had still stayed on working at Bennett Group.
She had a daughter named Lila Bennett, who was the same age as Ava Bennett.
Come to think of it, there really were quite a lot of daughters in the Bennett family. But fortunately, Old Mr. Bennett didn't have any old-fashioned ideas about passing things to sons and not daughters. What he cared about more was who could make the Bennett family better.
If Claire Bennett remembered correctly, Bennett Group was now basically under her father's control, while her other uncles could only submit to working under him.
Laura Bennett had probably come to find her this time because she wanted to use her, to make her go back and act as the one taking the fire, to have her go back and fight Victor Bennett.
Claire Bennett sneered inwardly.
Was Laura Bennett thinking too highly of her?
Back then, Ava Bennett and Lila Bennett had presented a united front against outsiders, and had joined forces plenty of times to suppress her.
She hadn't expected things to have turned out like this now. It seemed there really were no forever friends in this world.
Very quickly, Laura Bennett suppressed all her emotions.
She smiled and said, "Claire, I came specially to remind you that it's time to go back and see your grandfather. The company really is being run by your father right now, and you know your father only caught your grandfather's eye because your mother brought money into the marriage."
"After your mother died in a car accident, Hannah Bennett threw you out and cut off all your financial support. Are you really willing to just stand by and watch her seize the business your mother left behind?"
Claire Bennett lowered her eyes slightly.
She really wasn't willing. But in the past, she hadn't been capable enough, and on top of that Hannah Bennett had been in her prime and deeply favored by her father. Claire Bennett had had no ability to deal with her at all, so the only thing she could choose was to run away from it.
Seeing that Claire Bennett looked moved, Laura Bennett knew she had struck the right chord.
Laura Bennett curled her lips and continued, "You're doing pretty well now too. Even though Sterling International is a business under Sterling Group, in the end you're still just working for someone else here. Listen to your aunt's advice and go back to the Bennett family. Take advantage of your grandfather's birthday this time and properly butter him up. When the time comes, he'll definitely like you very much."
After hearing Laura Bennett's words, Claire Bennett stayed silent for a long time.
Originally, she had no intention of getting close to the Bennett family again. But her uncle and aunt had been urging her to go back and take back her mother's shares. She really couldn't let Ava Bennett and her stepmother get them for nothing.
Then she would take this opportunity to go back.
A moment later, she nodded and said, "I understand. I'll go back."
Laura Bennett beamed with delight. She had known Claire Bennett wasn't willing to let it go.
"Oh, right." As if she had thought of something, Laura Bennett added, "Your grandfather's birthday celebration this time is a big one. I heard Ava Bennett specially went to ask Master Ziyun to blend a sleep incense for him. Do you know Master Ziyun?"
"I do."
Claire Bennett nodded.
He was a famous perfumer in New York, very popular among many wealthy families there. But because of his exalted status, and because the amount of incense he blended every day was limited, it wasn't easy for many people to get something made by him. It wasn't something money alone could buy.
She hadn't expected Ava Bennett's status and position to have risen to this level after she left.
To be able to get Master Ziyun to agree.
Claire Bennett let out a quiet sigh in her heart.
Presumably after she left, Ava Bennett had taken control of Bennett Group and was smug with triumph. If this time she could please Old Mr. Bennett and also steal the spotlight in front of all the guests, then in the future she would definitely be valued very highly by Grandpa. No wonder Laura Bennett had gone so far as to come here from New York to find her.
This really was a crucial moment now.
When Laura Bennett heard Claire Bennett say she knew Master Ziyun, the worry she had been carrying eased.
She continued, "Claire, Ava Bennett is getting everything she wants at Bennett Group right now. If you don't come back, then in the future the entire Bennett family will be hers. This time, not only do you need to come back, you'd better also crush her and take the swagger out of her."
On the surface, Laura Bennett was saying this for Claire Bennett's sake, but in reality it was all for herself, and for her daughter Lila Bennett.
How could Claire Bennett not see what Laura Bennett was thinking?
A faint smile curved at her lips. Sometimes being used wasn't entirely a bad thing. She really was going back to deal with Ava Bennett.
"All right, then I'll head back first. Remember to prepare well, and especially don't be careless about the old man's birthday gift, understand?"
After saying that, Laura Bennett picked up her bag and left.
Claire Bennett returned to the office. Right now, the most troublesome matter was what to do about the birthday gift for Grandpa.
It wouldn't be easy to suppress Ava Bennett. Where was she supposed to find someone even more impressive than Master Ziyun?
Claire Bennett agonized over it all day and still couldn't come up with anything.
In the evening after work, the Sterling family's actual driver pulled up downstairs at the company, and Claire Bennett opened the car door and got in.
After Julian Sterling's identity was exposed, she was now being driven around by the Sterling family's chauffeur.
They had also moved out of Parkview Heights and back into the Sterling residence.
Julian Sterling had also been especially busy lately. Claire Bennett had no complaints and worked hard to be a thoughtful good wife, trying not to cling to Julian Sterling and delay his work.
But when it came to the gift, she really had such a headache over it that she had no choice but to ask for outside help and go cling to Julian Sterling's thigh.