“You finally made it!”
Russel immediately greeted Raymond with a broad smile.
The two men shook hands firmly before embracing like old friends who had just reunited.
The sight only strengthened Marvin’s belief that their relationship was far closer than it appeared on the surface.
Raymond casually walked into the living room.
The expensive suit he wore looked flawless. In his hand was a bouquet of red roses he had deliberately brought for Gennifer.
However, the moment he saw Marvin still sitting there, the smile on his face turned instantly mocking.
“So you really got out.”
His gaze swept over Marvin from head to toe.
“I have to admit one thing.”
Raymond gave him a thin smile.
“You look worse than I imagined.”
The room fell silent.
Marvin didn’t react.
Instead, Raymond grew even more confident.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t have come here.”
“Why?” Marvin asked flatly.
“Because someone like you should start living simply.”
Raymond sat down casually.
“Find an ordinary job. Rebuild your life from scratch. That’s far more realistic than pretending you’re still an important figure.”
His voice was dripping with contempt.
Gennifer immediately frowned.
“Raymond, enough.”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
“You don’t need to put my husband down.”
Raymond looked slightly surprised.
Gennifer had almost always stayed silent whenever her family pressured her.
But today was different.
For the first time, she openly defended Marvin.
“You’re defending him?” Raymond asked.
“Because he’s my husband.”
Her answer made Raymond’s expression tense for a moment.
Elena quickly cut in.
“Gennifer!”
Her voice was full of reproach.
“You can’t talk to Raymond like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s our guest.”
Derick also turned his eyes toward his daughter.
“Mind your manners.”
Gennifer bit her lip.
She felt disappointed.
Whenever Raymond came over, both of her parents treated him exceptionally well.
Far better, in fact, than they had treated Marvin before the prison case.
Russel quickly tried to ease the tension.
“Have a seat, Raymond.”
Raymond nodded and sat down casually.
His gaze still drifted toward Marvin from time to time.
It was obvious that he was enjoying the situation.
To him, Marvin was no longer a threat.
He was merely a man who had just gotten out of prison and lost almost everything.
“How is Winsoil doing?” Raymond asked.
The question immediately made Derick and Russel serious.
“We’re still trying to find a solution,” Derick replied.
Raymond nodded slowly.
“I figured as much.”
He picked up the cup of coffee that had just been served.
Then he said casually,
“Harvard Corp can help.”
Derick’s eyes lit up.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Raymond smiled.
“Within a week, I can arrange a crude oil supply for Winsoil.”
The room immediately came alive.
Even Elena, who had looked gloomy until then, began to smile.
For them, the crude oil supply was the biggest problem the company was facing.
If that problem were resolved, Winsoil would have more time to survive.
“Raymond, you’re really helping us,” Derick said.
But Raymond raised a hand.
“Wait.”
His smile slowly changed.
“I have one condition.”
The room fell silent again.
“What’s the condition?” Russel asked.
Raymond glanced at Marvin.
Then a mocking smile appeared on his face.
“It’s simple.”
He pointed toward Marvin.
“Make him apologize to me and my family for all the false accusations he’s made.”
Marvin narrowed his eyes.
Gennifer immediately stood up.
“No.”
Everyone turned toward her.
“There’s no reason for Marvin to apologize.”
Raymond chuckled.
“See? This is why I don’t like discussing business in front of overly emotional people.”
“That’s enough, Raymond.”
“Why? Aren’t I helping your family?”
The tension in the room flared again.
Yet Marvin looked completely calm.
He stared at Raymond for a moment before speaking.
“So that’s your condition?”
“Yes.”
“What if I refuse?”
Raymond leaned back against the sofa.
“Then Winsoil will have to find help somewhere else.”
Those words immediately changed Derick’s expression.
They all knew that not many companies could replace Harvard Corp.
Russel even began to look uneasy.
“Marvin, don’t be stubborn.”
“Why?”
“Because this concerns the future of our family’s company.”
Marvin gave him a thin smile.
“Then I have a better solution.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Tomorrow, Winsoil will get the crude oil supply it needs.”
The room instantly froze.
No one spoke.
A few seconds later, Russel laughed.
Then Elena did too.
Then Raymond.
Even Derick seemed unable to believe what he had just heard.
“Tomorrow?” Russel repeated.
“That’s right.”
“From where?”
“That’s not important.”
Russel laughed again.
“Marvin, you’ve been out of prison for less than two days.”
“I know.”
“You don’t even own an oil company.”
“I know that too.”
“Then how can you provide Winsoil with a supply?”
Marvin gave him a brief answer.
“That’s my business.”
His answer only made Russel more irritated.
He thought Marvin was just trying to get attention.
“Stop dreaming.”
“I’m not dreaming.”
“You’re delusional.”
Marvin no longer looked at Russel.
Instead, his gaze shifted to Raymond.
“How about we make a bet?”
Raymond’s smile slowly faded.
“A bet?”
“Yes.”
“What do you want to wager?”
Marvin stood up.
His gaze was sharp.
“I’ll make sure Winsoil gets the crude oil supply it needs tomorrow.”
Everyone held their breath.
“If I succeed, you have to admit that Harvard Corp isn’t Winsoil’s only savior.”
Raymond sneered.
“And if you fail?”
“I’ll accept the consequences.”
Raymond smiled.
He didn’t believe Marvin could do it in the slightest.
Not even one percent.
He knew how difficult it was to obtain a large supply of crude oil on such short notice.
Impossible.
Completely impossible.
“Fine.”
Raymond stood up.
“I accept the bet.”
His smile grew wider.
“Because I want to see for myself how you humiliate yourself in front of everyone.”
Gennifer grew even more anxious.
The situation was developing too quickly.
She had no idea where Marvin’s confidence came from.
But there was one thing she knew.
This bet was far more dangerous than the previous one with Russel.
Because if Marvin failed, the entire Winston family would look down on him even more.
Meanwhile, Raymond would get exactly what he wanted.
Marvin turned toward his wife.
He could see the worry in Gennifer’s eyes.
So he said softly,
“Trust me.”
Gennifer didn’t answer.
But slowly, she nodded.
On the other hand, Raymond was already imagining his victory.
To him, a man who had just gotten out of prison couldn’t possibly have the ability to change the situation in a single night.
He had even begun to feel sorry for Marvin.
Sorry that the man didn’t realize he was walking straight toward failure.
But Raymond didn’t know one thing.
Ever since leaving prison, Marvin had never said anything without calculating every detail.
And when he said something would happen tomorrow...
Usually, it really did happen.