Chapter 393
Neil fell silent. He had thought lan had no feelings for Maja. Yet here he was, blocking the Pennyfeather family’s business, but also helping them avoid bankruptcy.
“Alright, I need to personally go to the Raymond family and thank him.”
Maja frowned, “Dad, don’t bother. Ian blocked the Pennyfeather family’s business because you and Grandpa Holden were too close. Remember how Grandpa Holden tried to tie him down with marriage? He bolted overseas for three years. lan hates being controlled. If the Pennyfeather family wants to survive, they just need to avoid poking the bear.”
Neil wiped away a tear, still reeling from the shock that the Penny feathers had survived.
Hearing Maja’s words, his heart ached.
1 get it, Maja, but I need to say, you need to take over the company.”
Maja, the interior designer, had already been mingling with clients and understanding the market. That was like a grassroots internship already.
Even when Neil lost his mind, he was determined to hand over the company to his daughter.
Even if Glenn Pennyfeather won his favor, he was only considering giving them a share in the Pennyfeathers.
Maja suddenly fell silent. She didn’t want to take over the company.
Once she finished the design for Greenfield Gardens, she planned to pass Ryan Elston’s properties to her colleagues, and then get back into her art.
Or else, when Herbert returned, she wouldn’t be able to face him.
Her next goal was to rent a studio and participate in international art competitions.
Neil coughed, aware of her dilemma.
“I can only hold on for two more years, Maja. Then, it’ll have to be you.”
Maja was speechless. Even if Neil rested well, he could only hold on for a year.
And now, enduring the double blow of the company’s crisis and Cristina Perkins‘ betrayal, he had suddenly aged.
He probably wouldn’t even last a year.
Maja felt a wave of fatigue, seeping from her bones and leaving her at a loss.
If it were her mother, she would definitely want Maja to forge her own destiny.
Back at the Arcadia School of Modern Art, she was cornered and forced into interior design.
Neil didn’t get a response; his coughing was getting worse.
Seeing the blood on his blanket, his pupils contracted.
Maja’s voice came over the line.
“Dad, let me think about it.”
Neil didn’t answer, just stared blankly at the blood on the blanket.
A nurse came in just then to change his medicine, saw the blood, and immediately replaced the blanket.
“Mr. Pennyfeather, please stay calm.”
Neil sat on the bed, pale, with traces of blood on his lips.
Could he really be holding out for only two more years?
Maja had to stay married to lan, or else she’d have no one to lean on.
After hanging up. Maja fell into a tired sleep.
She slept until evening, waking up feeling recharged.
She rubbed her eyes, washed her face to freshen up, and became tense when her phone beeped.
Seeing that it wasn’t lan, she relaxed.
”
If lan invited her over again tonight, she might just pass out in his room.
The message was from Herbert.
Maja immediately called him back.
“Herbert.”
She greeted him and a hearty laugh came over the phone.
“Heard you married Holden Raymond’s grandson? He really knows how to seize an opportunity. I originally wanted to introduce you to someone better. Hmph, lan was a naughty kid, nowhere near as mature as his older brother. I wanted to introduce you to him, but now the matter is already settled.”
Herbert was the most artistic artist Maja had ever met, a representative of traditional painting, his works worth a fortune.
He was always traveling, seeking inspiration, and constantly changing his environment.
“Penny, I’m selling a painting soon. Let me know if you like it. If you do, I’ll give it to you as a wedding present.”
Herbert’s paintings were not cheap.
The first time Herbert saw Maja’s work, he named her Penny, signifying quietness, imagination, and artistic talent. Back then, Maja was still in Crystalbrook Valley. Herbert was traveling around and happened to see her sketching. He decided on the spot to take her as his apprentice.
