Chapter 1040

Jett walked over to Elias and stood before him. He said lightly, "I'm sorry, Elias. I had to think ahead for the sake of the Gould family's future. I hope you understand."

"I understand." Elias nodded in response, not blaming Jett for doing what he had done.

However, he wasn't going to harbor any expectations for Jett since they were clearly no longer on the same page. On the contrary, he was going to show Jett just how foolish his decision was.

Peter sneered, "Since there's already concrete evidence, what else do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to admit that Carpenter Corporation is involved in illegal dealings?"

Peter's accusation was powerful, causing the people around them to launch into their own discussions. Most of them quietly decided to get rid of the Carpenter Corporation's shares that they had on hand the moment they got home. If everyone were to do the same thing, Carpenter Corporation's stocks would most likely plummet by another ten percent or more by tomorrow.

Elias's tone was icy when he replied, "It doesn't matter whether the evidence is irrefutable or not. The law will decide the outcome of the investigation, not you. Until it is concluded, I won't allow you bunch of clowns to point fingers at me!"

His voice was steady and powerful when he delivered his declaration. He wasn't bothered at all by the whispers and criticisms that were aimed at him.

It didn't matter whether Carpenter Corporation was involved in illegal dealings or not, what was undeniable was how Elias carried himself as he faced the brunt of the Roe, Trevell, and Gould families' joint attack. He didn't show even a single hint of fear, firmly grasping the choice on whether he wanted to advance or retreat when facing off against them.

A scornful smile appeared on Peter's face. "Is that so? Well, we'll just have to wait and see. We're going to send Carpenter Corporation down into the deepest pits of hell by tomorrow!"

Peter had made his stance clear in front of everyone. He was officially declaring war against Elias!

Anyone with some wits about them could see that Elias was at a disadvantage. He was alone with no support, and he had just made an enemy out of the entirety of the upper class of Tarthy City.

Meanwhile, Patrick remained silent as he watched his subordinates rush forward. Devin and Peter were more than enough as part of the vanguard to deal with Elias. Patrick was in charge of strategizing, so he just had to hang back and watch the scene unfold.

He would only make his move if Jack decided to get involved.

Yolanda was silently overjoyed when she noticed how nobody was willing to lend Elias a hand even though he was clearly outnumbered by the upper class of Tarthy City. However, she also couldn't help but sigh lightly.

Although she had been determined to support Jett's decision to ally himself with the Roe and Trevell families, she couldn't quite dispel the memories of how Carpenter Corporation had once worked together with the Gould family.

She admired Patrick very much, but

in her heart she still felt a little reluctant that her family would be the one to personally push the Carpenter family into the abyss. Unfortunately, the world operated on the principle where the strong would succeed while the weak would be eliminated.

Carpenter Corporation had failed to adapt to the changing times. Furthermore, they had gotten on Patrick's bad side. They had invited misfortune upon themselves and had to pay the price for it.

In Yolanda's perspective, Patrick's immense authority was indisputable. She only liked him that much because he was so powerful. She was never one to shed tears for losers or weaklings.

Feena and Bella curled their hands into tight fists. They didn't know who Elias was, but they had noticed that Jack was sitting with him. They guessed that he must be one of Jack's important friends. Since Elias was surrounded, it indirectly meant that Jack was also in danger.

Wilhelmina stood a short distance away, her brow furrowing as she watched the scene unfold. She knew that Jack wanted to oppose Patrick, but from how three of the Big Four families were teaming up to deal with Elias, it seemed that Jack had gotten himself caught in a sticky situation.

It was actually what Wilhelmina had been anticipating. But she couldn't help but wonder why Jack hadn't said a word even though his ally was being surrounded. In her mind, Jack was a bastard who was irredeemably evil, but he was also extremely intelligent.

The charity gala had descended into chaos. Everyone was whispering among themselves, discussing how undeniably intense the conflict had gotten.

Gerard remained

seated at the front

row, watching the chaos unfold. He had only made an appearance at gala to support Winona, and his future son-in-law Patrick He hadn't expected the situation to out

turned

like this and was wondering what the best course of action was for

him to take if he wanted to deal with

the Carpenters once and for all.

Meanwhile, Ignatius had closed his eyes to rest. It was as if the battle between the

Big Four of Tarthy City was completely unrelated to him, the Godfather of Tarthy's underworld.