Chapter 463

Michael thought to himself that it wasn't his problem to worry about the company now since he wasn't the CEO. He just didn't want Aaron to get the short end of the stick.

On the other end of the line, Aaron chuckled.

"Mr. Brown, if I hadn't heard it myself, I'd think you were someone else. I can't believe you just said that."

Everyone knew Michael had a reputation for being a workaholic at the company. Employees were always on edge, fearing they'd be fired by Michael for the slightest mistake. Now, here he was, advising his assistant on how to slack off and still get paid. The change was too drastic.

Aaron still felt something was off with Michael today. He seemed different from usual.

"Mr. Brown, what's going on? You used to be the last person to tolerate employees who weren't serious about their work."

Michael was momentarily speechless. He smiled wryly, "Well, back then, I was the boss, so I couldn't act like this. Now that I'm not the CEO, why should I worry about saving the company money for Nolan?"

Aaron was even more surprised. "Mr. Brown, Nolan's pushed you this far, and you don't plan to take the company back? You don't hate him at all?"

Michael let out a cold laugh. "Why should I hate him?"

He knew he would take back the company one day. As for Nolan, he used to see him as a rival or an enemy. But after learning that everything Nolan had told him was a lie, he no longer saw Nolan as a threat.

Isabella loved him, not Nolan. That was all he needed to know.

Taking over the company was never Michael's wish; it was his grandfather's idea imposed on him. If his grandfather hadn't announced it on his twentieth birthday, things might have turned out differently.

Now, he finally had a moment of respite and freedom. Why would he rush back into that cage?

Nolan had an almost obsessive attachment to the Brown Group, but what he didn't know was that Michael never intended to fight him for it.

They were both born to dedicate their lives to the family. Being chosen didn't mean being lucky. Those who couldn't see through it would only get trapped.

The day he walked out of the courthouse with Isabella, Michael finally realized what he truly wanted. He didn't want much; he just wanted to protect her. He hadn't thought much beyond that.

Hearing Michael's indifferent tone, Aaron was stunned for a moment before he reacted.

"Mr. Brown, have you really thought it through? You're not planning to take back the company?"

Even as an assistant, losing his job suddenly would leave him feeling empty. Michael had spent years at the company, often too busy to sleep. Being stripped of all his duties by his own brother must have left him with some feelings.

Michael knew what Aaron was getting at, but he wasn't as aggressive as others might think. Maybe it was the vivid dream he had last night, but he was in a great mood.

"The company was handed over to Nolan with Grandpa's approval. He announced the change in leadership. It's not something I can just take back whenever I want. But..."

Michael could step back for now, but admitting defeat was out of the question. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. If he found out Nolan had anything to do with the Brown Group's recent troubles, he wouldn't go easy on him.

His feelings for Nolan were always superficial. If Nolan wanted to reclaim the Brown Group's inheritance, he could have openly stated his intentions and faced him head-on. If Nolan won, Michael would hand over the company, regardless of their grandfather's opinion.

But if Nolan resorted to underhanded tactics, possibly even involving the Adri Family, Michael wouldn't hesitate to cut ties.

Thinking of this, Michael asked Aaron, "When do you plan to wrap up your trip in Auroria and come back to help me?"

The Brown Group was in a precarious position, and Nolan was wary of him. It wasn't easy for him to make a move. Aaron's presence would be a great help.

"Give me two more weeks."

Michael's invitation made it clear to Aaron that he wasn't letting go of the Brown Group. As long as Aaron returned, the position of the CEO's assistant would still be his.

Aaron needed to quickly resolve the issues abroad and bring Renee back with him. Since arriving in Auroria, Renee had been taken to the Adri Family's research facility. Though she wasn't restricted, most of her time was consumed by experiments. The Adri Family wouldn't be so kind otherwise.

Aaron could only see her at night. In a foreign country, he felt uneasy. He had been trying to convince Renee to leave and cut ties with the Adri Family, suggesting they return home and live as a normal couple.

He could tell Renee was wavering; otherwise, she wouldn't have found a safe place for him to stay. Tonight, he planned to tell her about resigning from the Brown Group and discuss their escape plan.

But when Renee returned that evening, she caught Aaron off guard.

They were having dinner when Aaron seriously said, "Renee, I have something important to tell you. I resigned from the Brown Group."

Renee nodded, seemingly unsurprised. "I know."

Aaron frowned. "How did you know?"

He had only sent the resignation email to HR today and informed Michael over the phone. Renee had been in the lab all day. How could she know?

Seeing Aaron's expression, Renee realized her words had aroused his suspicion. She quickly explained, "Don't get the wrong idea. I just had a feeling. You've been here a long time, and the Brown Group hasn't called you back. I thought maybe they didn't want you to return."

The more Renee spoke, the more Aaron sensed something was off. How did she know the Brown Group didn't want him back? He had only learned about the internal changes yesterday. Yet Renee seemed to know everything, including his resignation.

There was only one possibility left.