Chapter 6

Andrew felt a surge of emotion upon hearing Sebastian's approval.

All his life, he had longed for the old man's praise, but Sebastian had always been strict with him.

Hearing the words he had waited for all these years left him with a jumble of emotions.

"Grandpa, I'm sorry I wasted my time and let you down," Andrew said earnestly, "but starting today, I'll change everything."

He lifted his head.

"I'll make the Pierces rise again—not just in Crestbrooke, but in Goldhaven, even across all of Hestonia. I'll make the Pierces' name echo across the land once more!"

When Sebastian heard that, his aged face softened into a smile of pride. He extended his calloused hand and patted Andrew's shoulder gently.

"It doesn't matter whether you succeed or fail. No matter what, I'll support you and help you."

Yet despite his words, Sebastian felt less confident than he let on.

He knew the Pierces were not what they used to be. The loss of his three grandsons wasn't just a family tragedy—it had shattered the family's pillars of strength.

The Pierces might have once ruled Hestonia. But now, with only Andrew left, it was going to be extremely difficult.

Diana stood nearby, watching the grandfather-grandson exchange while feeling a pang of sadness.

She wasn't sure if bringing Andrew back had been the right choice.

She had only heard stories of Andrew from the Pierces, and seeing him in person had made her worry even more.

The Pierces could no longer fully protect him.

Andrew, however, seemed oblivious to Sebastian and Diana's concerns. His mind was focused on the future and on checking Sebastian's health.

"Grandpa, I picked up some medical skills in prison," he said, reaching out with his hand. "Let me take your pulse and see how you're doing."

Sebastian waved him off, his face calm.

"No need. It's just an old ailment. At my age, I've come to terms with life and death."

He was remarkably composed, as if life and death were simply part of the natural order.

Andrew felt a pang in his chest. He grasped Sebastian's hand tightly.

"Don't say that! You need to watch me get married and have kids, and witness the Pierces rise again. With me here, you'll live to a ripe old age!"

Sebastian smiled, moved by Andrew's enthusiasm, and offered his wrist.

Andrew carefully took his pulse, closing his eyes to focus. His expression gradually grew serious, sweat forming on his forehead. When he opened his eyes, his face had turned grim.

Sebastian's condition was worse than Andrew had imagined. Years of overwork and depression had severely damaged his body's functions.

If Andrew had returned even a few days later, the consequences could have been catastrophic.

"Grandpa…" Andrew's voice trembled, fear gripping him. "Don't go anywhere for the next few days. Diana and I will handle the company. I'll go prepare your medicine right away."

Just as Sebastian was about to speak, Diana's phone buzzed.

She glanced at the screen, and her face turned pale.

"Something's happened!"

She hurriedly showed the message to Sebastian.

"The issue of our company not paying its workers has blown way out of proportion, and now all the frontline employees are out on the streets marching for their pay. The stock price has plummeted, and all our partners are demanding explanations!"

Three years ago, after the Pierces faced a massive upheaval, Diana had stepped away from the family and joined Unitron Enterprise as CEO in her professional capacity.

It was her persistence and effort that had kept Unitron Enterprise barely afloat over the years.

But once news of Sebastian's illness spread, the company was thrown into panic. Employees feared bankruptcy and uncertainty about their paychecks and futures.

Diana had borrowed from her family multiple times to cover Unitron Enterprise's cash gaps, but it was only a drop in the ocean, insufficient to solve the problems at their root.

"How bad is it?" Sebastian asked in a deep voice.

Diana took a breath and explained the situation in detail.

"The company's situation isn't good. Employees haven't been paid in three months. They're barely holding on. I promised that this month's wages would be paid, but now…"

Sebastian's expression darkened. He slowly stood and walked to the window, turning his back to Diana and Andrew.

"If there's enough money, these problems can be solved. How much is left in the company's accounts? Keep a portion for basic operations. The rest should go toward wages!"

Diana said with a bitter smile, "There's only 2 million left in the accounts. It's far from enough to cover all the owed wages."

Two million was a fortune to most people, but for a giant like Unitron Enterprise, it was barely a drop in the bucket. Just paying three months of employee salaries plus supplier bills already exceeded that amount.

Sebastian's face darkened further. His hands gripped the curtains so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Unitron Enterprise was built on decades of hard work. Am I really going to be the one to let it fall apart?"

Diana looked at the old man's hunched figure, her heart aching. She could imagine his pain.

A once-powerful business titan, now watching the empire he built teeter on the edge—that kind of agony might be worse than death itself.

After a moment of hesitation, Diana said, "I could borrow more from home… Maybe it would help ease the immediate crisis."

Sebastian spun around, face set with determination. "No! Absolutely not! You've borrowed too much already over the years. The Pierces owe you enough."

Diana lowered her eyes, a bitter taste in her mouth. She couldn't argue with him—it was the truth.

Since the death of the three brothers, she had borrowed repeatedly to keep Unitron Enterprise running. At first, her family had been generous, but as the amounts grew larger and more frequent, their patience wore thin.

The last time she borrowed money, her father had bluntly asked her, "Do you see yourself as a Richards or a Pierce?"

In the awkward silence that followed, Andrew suddenly said, "Is twenty million enough?"

The words hung in the air, and the room went utterly quiet.

Sebastian and Diana exchanged stunned looks, hardly daring to believe what they'd heard.

"What did you say?"

Diana stared at Andrew, disbelief written all over her face.

"I said," Andrew repeated, calm and steady, "is twenty million enough to solve the current problem?"