As Adrian stayed mum, Darian couldn't quite read him. Trying to alleviate any concerns, he pounded his chest, making another pledge.

“What's more, I'll be returning to the fray myself, taking the reins. You have my word on it."

No sooner had Darian stopped talking than Adrian let out a scornful chuckle. Darian didn't need a decoder to understand the disdain behind that laugh. It was a dismissive gesture not only towards Jasper, but also towards him, Darian himself.

The room plunged into a silence so thick it was almost stifling. Caught in the headlight of Adrian's contempt, Darian fumbled for a response and came up empty.

The realization that Adrian held both him and Jasper in such low regard left a sour taste in his mouth. Sure, plenty of people had known they couldn't hold a candle to Theodore, but this was the first time anyone had ridiculed them to their faces.

In that instant, he found himself almost grateful for Theodore's passing. At last, he could step out of the shadow of that overbearing so-and-so. Being constantly weighed against his own son was nothing short of a cruel joke.

After what felt like an eternity, Adrian slowly lifted his head, finally showing his hand.

"Well, I don't give a damn about what I've already lost on you.”

Relief was just starting to bloom in Darian when Adrian dropped his next bombshell.

“But, I'm out of the Anderson Group. I want you to buy back the shares I hold.”

Adrian's words left Darian with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was happy that the shares of the Anderson Group would no Longer be given to outsiders. But on the other hand, he was worried that he could not find any money now.

Darian was silent for a moment and then finally said, "Not now, I don't have that much cash on hand."

He was still worried about the Lack of funds just now, so it's unlikely that he would be able to find the money to buy back Anderson Group shares now.

Adrian didn't seem the least bit surprised by Darian's financial situation and said offhandedly, “Based on the current market value of Anderson Group shares, the total value of the shares I hold is 2.5 billion. If you buy them back now, I can sell them back to you for another 5% off."

Darian was a Little moved by the offer.

If he bought those shares from Adrian, he would regain full ownership of the Anderson Group and at the lowest cost. He would then have complete control over the company.

But at the same time, if he bought back the Anderson Group with this money, it meant that he had to abandon the Olympic Village project.

Darian was unwilling to back out of this project at this point.

With an embarrassed look, Darian tried to explain.

"Mr. Perkins, it's not that I don't want to, it's..."