chapter1759

There were plenty of illegitimate children who lived well, wielded great power, and even seized control of their families.

The main reason he'd been bullied was simply that he was too weak.

This world was never fair. It was a world where the strong were revered and the weak submitted. Survival of the fittest was the law of nature.

Seeing that Stella Cameron remained silent, Leonard Lerman added, "But since you don't like it, I'll try not to harm innocent people in the future."

Stella said nothing.

If she told him not to, those innocent people might end up just like she once had.

But she wasn't so much of a saint that she would maintain any kind of connection with Leonard for the sake of strangers she didn't even know.

Silence was the best option.

Perhaps because she was about to leave, Leonard was more talkative than usual.

He said, "I arranged for the share transfer before I came here. All you need to do is sign, and it will take effect immediately. My assistant will handle the rest of the paperwork for you."

Stella frowned. "I don't want your things."

Leonard looked at her. "Then wouldn't you have wasted this past month for nothing?"

Stella replied, "Surviving a month in the hands of an outlaw like you is already a blessing. How could I dare ask for more? If I accepted your shares, who knows what kind of stories people would spin about us. It might not be that I was kidnapped and missing, but that I ran away with you."

Leonard said, "What outsiders say is their business. Power is only real when it's in your own hands. Why cate about tale gossip? If it were. Aurora Williams, and I offered Ker this many shares to marry me, she wouldn't hesitate for a second."

A thirty-percent stake was basically enough to take over the Lerman family's key

businesses and become the head of the family.

The Lerman family's shares were

too fragmented. Apart from the three percent Leonard had given Aurora, the five percent he'd given Simone Lerman, and the ten percent he still held, the rest was in the hands of various major shareholders and was very difficult to buy back.

Leonard had used plenty of threats and persuasion to acquire as many shares as he had.

He had long since reorganized the Lerman family's power structure. To purge Harland Lerman's remaining influence, the people under him recognized authority, not individuals.

Of course, this was something he had been working on for years, ever since he became the head of the family. He had only recently completed the final stages. Therefore, once Stella received the shares, she wouldn't need the support of the Lerman family members or its major shareholders to command a portion of the family's power.

Although the other Lerman family members also held considerable power, Leonard, as the head, naturally controlled the most critical and important assets.

Leonard had compartmentalized the

power within the Lerman family's

various businesses. Even if one

business suffered a loss, the others

wouldn't be affected. In fact, he

could use the unaffected businesses to stage a comeback.

As long as it wasn't a total loss, there was always a glimmer of hope and a chance

to recover.

Before this, Stella didn't really understand Leonard all that well.

But now, she had to admit that Leonard had his own unique qualities and abilities that had allowed him to become the head of the family.

By segmenting his businesses, he could not only purge Harland's loyalists but also ensure he always had an ace up his sleeve.

Of course, this wasn't something that could be achieved overnight. It had taken Leonard at least five or six years since he became the head of the family.