William sneered and flicked his sleeve dismissively. "Do you Daves really think the Hamilton family can't survive without you? "What a joke! "If there's no cooperation, then so be it. The Hamilton family doesn't need the Daves as a partner." For him, it wasn't worth ruining Georgina's reputation across all of Kreshill for the sake of a mere partnership. His granddaughter's future was far more important than anything else. "There are countless people in Kreshill lining up, begging to collaborate with the Hamilton family!" William had always been the type to yield to gentleness but fight back when challenged. The tougher others acted, the more combative he became. Words of intimidation only fanned the flames of his anger. However, Leon wasn't fazed by William's stubbornness. He let out a cold laugh. "Very well."If that's your stance, then the Daves will oblige you." He raised his hand and began counting on his fingers, his voice loud and deliberate. "Since you're so determined to end the cooperation, shouldn't the Hamilton family return all the medical equipment they borrowed from the Daves?" At this, Leon feigned a sudden realization, slapping his forehead as if recalling something. "Oh, before we settle the matter of the equipment, I'd like to ask something out of curiosity. Does the Hamilton family have a habit of quietly taking things that don't belong to them?" His tone was dripping with sarcasm. "The day Addy had a high fever, we rushed to get her into the car and onto emergency care. "But when we searched the Daves' emergency ambulance, we couldn't find the equipment we needed to treat her. I was absolutely frantic! "In such a critical situation, without the equipment, everything could've gone horribly wrong. And then we found out—guess what?—that your Hamilton family had sneakily taken it away!"If Lance hadn't been such a skilled driver and rushed the ambulance straight to the hospital, Addy would've been harmed by your Hamilton family not just once, but twice!" Leon finished his statement, and a ridiculous thought flashed briefly through his mind. It seemed Lance wasn't entirely useless. When it really mattered, he actually proved helpful to Addy. Addy marrying him ... didn't sound quite so intolerable anymore? No, no, no— This thought lasted all of a single second before Leon shook his head vigorously, banishing the absurd notion from his mind. Lance wasn't good enough for Addy, period. He couldn't allow himself to be swayed by the fact that Lance had been marginally helpful in a critical moment. He needed to stay rational! "You're talking nonsense! The Hamilton family conducts itself with honor and integrity. We've never stooped to petty theft," William snapped, his tone sharp and defensive, as though he had been falsely accused.Leon laughed again, his smile widening. "Whether I'm talking nonsense or not isn't up to you to decide. Just go back and check if the Hamilton family is holding onto any extra equipment, and you'll know if I'm telling the truth. "Do you really not know what kind of schemes the younger generation of the Hamilton family are up to?" Without waiting for a response, Leon continued talking as if William's silence confirmed his point. "Then again, it makes sense. If you can't even discipline your own granddaughter, how can you be expected to keep the rest of the Hamilton family in line? "Mr. William, you must be terribly busy every day, otherwise how could you let things get so out of hand within your family?" Leon shook his head with a look of exaggerated pity, his tone dripping with mockery. "Still, no matter how busy you are, you should make time to discipline your younger family members. Otherwise, when word gets out that a great family like the Hamiltons has to rely on taking things from others to survive, the whole city of Kreshill will have a good laugh at your expense."Don't you think so?" Leon's smile was bright, but his words were razor-sharp as he passed the conversational baton to William. William's face turned an alarming shade of red, his lips trembling as he tried to form a response. "You—you—you ... " His hands gripped the edge of his plate so tightly it seemed he might fling it straight at Leon's face. Addison, who had always thought of her uncle as mild-mannered, was taken aback. She had never seen him so sharp-tongued. His words were relentless, practically designed to infuriate someone to death. Addison had always thought her uncle was rather bland, but his biting sarcasm revealed a hidden sharpness she'd never suspected. Before William could recover, Leon struck again, not giving him a moment to breathe. "Let's get back to the matter of returning the Daves' medical equipment. "Now, let me think ... how many pieces are there? Oh yes—the ultra-precision optical wave detector, the proton heavy ion accelerator, the spiral CT scanner ... "Leon listed off the equipment one by one, rubbing his temples as if the sheer number of items was giving him a headache. "There are so many that I've lost count. I'll have the butler draft a list and send it to the Hamilton family. You can return the items according to the inventory." His tone was light and casual, as though he were discussing something trivial. With a wave of his hand, he sent the butler scurrying off to prepare the list. But what Leon said so lightly was no trivial matter for the Hamilton family. Returning all the medical equipment they had borrowed from the Daves was no small feat. The Hamilton family had indeed borrowed a significant amount of medical equipment from the Daves. The Daves were second to none when it came to their stockpile of advanced medical tools. In fact, many of the devices were custom-modified by the Daves, making them far superior to anything available on the market. The Hamilton family's entire medical operation depended on those devices. As a result, William's face grew even darker at Leon's words.William's brows furrowed deeply, his expression so grim it seemed he might keel over from a heart attack. Meanwhile, Matthew sat at the head of the table, his expression stern and silent. Clearly, he was in full agreement with Leon's actions. He maintained a stoic demeanor as he observed William, but when his gaze shifted to Addison, his expression instantly softened. The speed at which his attitude changed was almost comical, like watching someone flip a switch. "So, William," Leon said with a smirk, "what's your decision? Will you return the Daves' medical equipment?" William's heart was bleeding, but he forced himself to keep his composure. With a cold snort, he replied, "Fine, we'll return it!" After all, he still cared about saving face. He couldn't back down too easily. Equipment could be replaced. His granddaughter's reputation, once shattered, could never be fully mended, a grim truth that offered William no solace.Hearing William's reluctant agreement, Leon raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't expected the Hamilton family to actually agree to return the equipment—it was clearly a painful concession. But Leon's surprise lasted only a moment. He quickly regained his composure, confident in his ability to pressure the Hamilton family further. This entire ordeal had been Georgina's fault. Her apology was only right and proper. Leon was determined to see how far William's indulgence of his granddaughter could go. "Great! William, you're truly a man of your word," Leon said, laughing heartily. "Now that we've settled the matter of the equipment, let's move on to other things, shall we?" "If I remember correctly, the Daves also assigned a number of doctors to assist the Hamilton family. "Where are they now? Shouldn't they be returned as well?" The moment Leon said this, William's face turned a shade darker. Returning the equipment was one thing, but asking for the doctors back as well, huh? That was much harder to manage. These doctors had long since become integral to the Hamilton family's operations. The Hamilton family had invested heavily in them, both in terms of resources and training. Unlike the equipment, the doctors weren't something that could be easily handed back. "Why aren't you saying anything, William? Weren't you being so decisive just now?" Leon teased, poking right at William's weak spots. William's expression had gone beyond pale. His face was now twisted with frustration and anger. His resolve—initially firm—was beginning to crack under Leon's relentless pressure. Compared to the enormous price he was being forced to pay, it was becoming increasingly clear that Georgina had indeed been in the wrong. Perhaps he should just call Georgina right now, have her come and apologize to Addison in person, and put this whole mess to rest.