Chapter 361: Why Are You Here?

"Who says she won’t?" Caleb Summers retorted. "I’ll make her agree!"

With that, he walked out.

「The next day」

Caleb Summers went straight to the hospital and cornered Anna Linden in her office.

Anna Linden looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

Lately, Noah Linden had been coming to her over every little thing, wanting to discuss all the company’s affairs, big and small.

’Anna was already at her wit’s end!’

’She just wanted to focus on her own work, but now she was about to be driven mad by the Linden Group’s affairs!’

’And to think that Caleb Summers, who always made a point to avoid her, would come running over now.’

Caleb Summers said to Anna Linden, "I’m here to talk to you about company business, Ma’am."

"What now?" Anna Linden asked. "Can’t you all handle things yourselves? Why are you acting just like Noah? You’re a company veteran! I’m very busy."

"Ma’am," Caleb Summers said, "you’re frustrated too, aren’t you? Without Ethan... no, I mean Nathan, the company can’t hold on. Noah Linden only comes to you because he has no other choice. He’s about to go crazy! We can barely manage for another two days, but what then? This is not a sustainable solution! There’s no one in the company more suitable than Nathan! He has a kind of ability that not just anyone possesses! Please, let Nathan come back!"

He could tell that Anna Linden was frustrated herself.

After all, Nathan Fawcett wouldn’t come running to her over every little thing like Noah Linden did.

Noah was terrified of making a mistake and having to take responsibility.

’And of course, handing the company over to a good-for-nothing like Ryan Linden, who can’t even manage himself, was completely out of the question!’

’Letting Ryan manage the company? Impossible.’

Hearing Caleb Summers’s words, Anna Linden’s face darkened, and she said, "So you’re here to plead his case."

"Plead his case?" Caleb Summers said. "That wasn’t my intention at all! I chewed him out too for making you angry! But right now, the company is truly out of options. I don’t know if you’ve heard about the Thorne Group matter, but we were stuck. After we followed Nathan’s advice, it was resolved quickly!"

"Resolved?" Anna Linden looked at Caleb Summers, a little surprised.

She had a headache just hearing Noah Linden talk about it before, unable to think of a solution herself.

Caleb Summers said, "That’s right! I was skeptical myself when he first told me the plan. But it was handled perfectly. He has that ability, doesn’t he? Ethan is gone, and Nathan is your son now, too. He might not have been the successor you wanted at first, but his performance over the past few years speaks for itself. I hope you’ll think about it carefully. The company belongs to all of us, and we all want a bright future for it. Please don’t let Grandpa Linden’s legacy crumble."

Anna Linden’s face was grim as she said, "I will never back down to him."

Thinking of Nathan Fawcett’s attitude, she was furious.

Caleb Summers said, "If you don’t agree, then... I’ll have no choice but to leave the company."

"What did you say?" Anna Linden looked at Caleb Summers.

Caleb Summers said, "I don’t want to work under an incompetent fool like Noah Linden. He isn’t worthy of having me on his team. If my boss isn’t Nathan Fawcett, I’d rather not have this job at all."

"You..." Hearing Caleb Summers’s words, Anna Linden said in disbelief, "Do you have any idea what you’re saying?"

"I do," Caleb Summers said. "Go ahead and tell my dad what I said! I don’t mind. The most he can do is yell at me! But without Nathan Fawcett, I don’t want to stay with the company. The way it is now, this company isn’t worthy of my time."

"What nonsense are you talking?!" Anna Linden exclaimed. "Are you saying the Linden Group is nothing without Nathan Fawcett? That it has no value?"

’Even without Nathan Fawcett, the Linden Family’s assets were still the envy of others.’

Caleb Summers said, "Just spend two days at the office yourself, and you’ll see how big of a difference it makes without Nathan Fawcett!"

After he finished speaking, he stood up. "I also hope you’ll consider my words carefully, Ma’am. Starting tomorrow, I will be taking a leave of absence until you give me an answer."

With that, he walked right out.

Noah Linden was standing at the door; he had been there for a while.

He had originally come to ask Anna Linden about something, not expecting to see Caleb Summers here.

He walked in. "Aunt Anna."

The moment Anna Linden saw him, she rubbed her temples, a headache coming on. "Didn’t I tell you? Just make your own decisions. Don’t come asking me."

Noah Linden said, "I heard everything Caleb Summers just said."

Anna Linden looked at him and let out a laugh. "So what if you heard? Don’t take what he said to heart. I believe you can handle the company’s affairs. You’re not a stupid kid; you’re very smart. You just need to get the hang of it."

Noah Linden said, "Aunt Anna, actually... I also support Caleb Summers’s opinion."

"What did you say?" Anna Linden looked at him in disbelief.

’Noah Linden also supports Caleb? He supports Nathan Fawcett’s return?’

Noah Linden said, "I don’t have the ability to manage everything at the company. It’s only been a few days, but I feel like I’m about to break. I used to watch Ethan Linden handle things so effortlessly that I thought it wasn’t a big deal. But it turns out, it’s really hard to do this job well! And honestly, I just don’t have the confidence."

’He used to look down on Ethan Linden, thinking he could do the job just as well if he were in that position.’

’Only now did he realize that things had gone so smoothly because they had all underestimated him.’

Anna Linden said to Noah Linden, "Don’t be so hard on yourself."

Noah said, "The company has so many people, so many assets, so many things to handle... My head is throbbing. Even so, the impact these past few days has been significant. I don’t want to watch the company get worse and worse under my management."

"..." Anna Linden said, "Ethan Linden is dead! He died of his illness. He’s not coming back."

Noah Linden said, "Nathan Fawcett is your son too, isn’t he, Aunt Anna? He looks just like Ethan Linden. He’s your son, and that’s why he’s so exceptional. I was too shallow before. When Ryan told me he wasn’t Ethan Linden, I had my doubts too. I questioned it. But now, I truly hope you can bring him back, Aunt Anna."

Anna Linden said, "That’s enough. Stop talking. You can go now!"

Being spoken to like this by both Caleb Summers and Noah Linden put Anna Linden in a very bad mood.

...

Nathan Fawcett and Ian returned to the Fawcett Residence.

He had now returned under the identity of Ethan Linden.

He and Ian planned to stay for a few days, so they decided to move in.

At noon, he went to the company.

When Charles Prescott saw him, his previous wariness was gone. He just said, "What are you doing here?"

Nathan Fawcett said, "I’m here to check on the company for Anne."

"Tsk tsk." Charles Prescott sneered, sizing him up. "Has the Head of the Linden Family run out of places to go? Started mooching off a woman? Do you really think you belong here?"

"And why shouldn’t I?" Nathan Fawcett replied in Ethan Linden’s tone. "No matter how you look at it, this was my father’s company. And while it’s true that Anne owns everything now, I’m with her, and she wanted me to come and check on things."