"What do you mean, sir? The Watkins were the ones responsible for your son's death. I'm sure both evidence and the law will agree," Alec said, still polite. No way would he admit to having killed Xavier now."Whether it was you or the Watkins, I'm sure we all know the truth of the matter. So, it's pointless to try and argue the specifics.""Do you mean to avenge your son today, then, sir?" Alec asked.Zeke frowned, noticing how fearless Alec seemed. It was almost as if he didn't care that he was going to die.But that was impossible, right? There was no one alive who wouldn't be scared of dying.Still, Zeke had his butler toss a handgun to Alec, just in case. "Here you go."Alec snorted, picking the gun up and fiddling with it. "You really think I'd die for Jenny Walter?"The safety on the gun pressed against Jenny's temple was swiftly turned off. Alec's expression fell along with the ensuing sound. God, he was so scared right now.Even if the Fausts wouldn't be able to handl
"Evan?!" Jenny gaped in shock upon seeing Evan appear, especially with this gang of men. "Something is up," she thought. There was even some foreign blood among those men.The calmest person was Alec.He was the one who'd notified Evan of this series of events, and they'd made their necessary preparations for whatever they would face. Alec also had a feeling that Evan would still have figured it out on his own if he hadn't notified him, so he might as well tell him to boost their chances of saving Jenny.Evan shot Jenny a reassuring look. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you're safe."But that was the least of Jenny's concerns right now. Why was Evan leading all these men? Hadn't he just been busy with his studies and work like he told her?Sadly, now was not the time for those questions.Zeke narrowed his eyes on Evan, realizing something. "You were the one behind Xavier's death, weren't you?"Evan neither confirmed nor denied it, which was enough assent in the old man's eyes. Ze
After Zeke and Jenny had gone back into the building, Luke cocked the gun up, grinning in glee as he gazed at Alec. "Start groveling, and I just might give you a quick death, Alec!"Alec glared at him, cursing, "Fucking idiot.""What did you say?!" Luke yelled, not expecting Alec to be so arrogant even at a time like this. Wasn't he worried he'd die?Alec ignored him, turning to Evan instead. "Truce?""Truce." Evan nodded. Better to bring Jenny to safety first before getting Alec to die.Gunshots immediately rang out, and if not for one of Luke's men pulling him to the side at the very last second, he would've instantly gotten hit."Fuck! Kill them all! Now!" Luke roared.War immediately broke out with casualties on both sides, though everyone stayed away from the mansion where Zeke and Jenny were in.Meanwhile, Jenny listened to the gunfight outside while her heart stuttered with each bang. Could Alec and Evan escape from it unscathed?"Do you think Alec will make it out al
Alec had already told Vincent to bring backup besides notifying Evan. They should be there any minute now. Sure enough, another wave of reinforcements arrived, but they were neither Alec's men nor anyone else's there.When police sirens followed them, everyone froze in sheer shock.Zeke would've handled the police accordingly if he'd planned to kill Alec today, so they wouldn't have come even if someone had called for them, nor if they'd heard the hundreds of gunshots. Yet right now, with the large police force at their doorstep, it was evident they'd come prepared for the gunfight.Alec swiftly tossed away his handguns, even removing his prints from them.Evan's mouth twitched, annoyed, but he did the same. He then had his men disperse before the police barged into the premises. Luckily for them, Luke and his men were still recovering from the shock. Hence, they didn't escape first thing. That, or they assumed the police wouldn't do anything to them. Just as they were aiming f
Jenny and the rest were being interrogated in the Bardoff City Police Headquarters. She didn't mind, of course. She was one of the victims in all this, after all. All that worried her were Alec and Evan since they'd participated in the gunfight earlier. Who knows what instrument of the law might be held against their necks?Stephanie was in another interrogation room, and sitting across from her was Leonard himself. "So, you don't know anything that went on?""Mhm." It's not like Stephanie was lying. She really was clueless.Leonard nodded. "Alright. You can go now.""Huh? That's it?" Things had been so tense when she came. She'd imagined the situation to be more complicated than it was right now.Leonard stood up, ready to escort her out. "Come on then."Stephanie followed behind him, still confused. "What'll happen to the others?""You mean Jenny specifically, don't you?""Yeah. She's innocent, by the way."Leonard stopped, then turned back to look at Stephanie. "You really
Paul didn't respond to her thanks. He was still hung up on the fact that Stephanie knew Leonard Sullivan. "Do you know that new Police Commissioner?""Yeah. He was my classmate."Classmate?Paul frowned, feeling threatened all of a sudden. He'd seen how bright Stephanie's smile was when she spoke to Leonard and how close that man was to her when he escorted her out. It felt like his advances were being rejected."I'll drive you back. Let's go." Paul sighed, pushing down all those worrying thoughts of his.Stephanie shook her head. "I'm gonna wait for Jenny and Alec to come out.""...alright. I'll stay with you." Paul pursed his lips but didn't stop her. He could spend more time with her that way."Stay away from Jenny from now on, please. You'll only get involved in more dangerous situations like this with her current status." If it weren't for Jenny, Stephanie wouldn't have been abducted.Stephanie shot him a look. "What if it was you and Alec? Would you stop being friends wit
When Alec, Evan, and Jenny walked out of the station, they met Zeke just as he was leaving, though the old man's expression was clearly more upset than anyone else's."Oh? Are you sure you wanna leave your grandson back in there? Not worried his tongue will slip?" Alec scoffed. Leonard was pretty brave. He was adamant about someone taking responsibility for what happened. Hence, upon his insistence, Luke could only be the scapegoat."Watch yourself, Alec!" Zeke barked out furiously."What do you mean, sir?" Alec gasped in faux shock, eyes still colored with disdain. "I'm only concerned about you and your family."Zeke sneered, then left with his men.Alec, Jenny, and Evan then spotted Paul and Stephanie waiting outside. Stephanie hurriedly went up to Jenny, scanning her body for injuries. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?""No, I'm okay." Jenny shook her head, glad to see Stephanie safe and sound. Thank goodness, or everything that happened today would've gone to waste."It was
The word "fate" rubbed Paul the wrong way. He scoffed, "Fate? What kind of fate is that? It was just a coincidence!"Jenny couldn't stand his jealousy any longer. She scooched over to Stephanie and whispered, "Is he jealous?"Stephanie pouted, mumbling, "Who cares?"She didn't care what Paul thought. She really did think meeting Leonard today was pretty magical, given they hadn't contacted one another in so many years. What else could it be if not fate?"Fate works in mysterious ways. Why don't you invite him out for lunch sometime?" Alec suggested nonchalantly.That made Paul glare at him, questioning the intentions behind the suggestion.Alec smiled but didn't say anything else.He'd never thought of making connections with the law, but after today he'd realized this might be one of the next best steps to take. Plus, Leonard seemed to be the most suitable man for the other end of this string. The man was young and hopeful—he wasn't tainted with greed or corruption, unlike th
That afternoon, Gilbert called off his engagement to the Silveras. He did not pick up a single one of Lottie's calls. When he found Marigold, she was taking Caleb on a stroll around the neighborhood. It had been a while since she'd taken notice of anything related to Gilbert. She suddenly felt how nice it was to have her mental energy spent somewhere else, no longer being so hung up on that man. However, when Gilbert appeared before her, her heartbeat quickened. "Why are you here?" Marigold said, snapping out of her reverie. Gilbert smiled lightly. Without saying much else, he pulled her into an embrace. "Didn't you say that I could come to see you once everything is settled?" Marigold was stunned. She was in disbelief. "So, what you're saying is it's all over?" "Didn't you read the news?" Gilbert was speechless. "No. I didn't want to care." Every time she saw anything about Gilbert and Lottie, she felt miserable. She'd rather save herself the pain and block out anything
In the end, Esther went with Gilbert's suggestion. However, she did not trade Bradshaw Operation's projects with Jenny. She went with the Silveras. For one, she did not trust the Walters. On the other hand, the Silveras and the Bradshaws were going to be united through marriage. They deserved to be trusted more. Gilbert didn't mind. After all, if anything happened to the Bradshaws, the Silveras would not help. With those projects in hand, they would only fall further into debt. The plan was going smoothly. Gilbert had not gone to see Marigold once. He knew that before subduing the Bradshaws, going to visit Marigold would only endanger her. After all, Marigold was safe. Nothing had happened, and Caleb was growing up healthily. One month later, things began to feel off in Bradshaw Operations. After Faust Group received their money, they did not start the project. No one knew what they were doing. Esther was feeling antsy. She prodded Gilbert to ask if there was anything wro
That very afternoon, Esther and Gilbert rushed to Faust Group to sign the deal. Gilbert said he was worried that Alec would change his mind, so he urged Esther to sign it. Only through a written contract would they be able to relax. Esther thought it made sense and agreed to rush to Faust Group with Gilbert.In the meeting room, Alec looked at the two people before him, expressionless. "You have a good son, Mrs. Bradshaw." "I'm flattered. My son had Bradshaw Operations' interests at heart. He'll inevitably be a little insensitive. Please don't hold that against him, Mr. Faust." Esther smiled. She didn't mind Alec's sarcasm because it didn't matter. As long as Bradshaw Operations could truly benefit from this, she didn't care how much Alec mocked her. Alec smiled coldly and slid the contract over to her. "You may flip through it." Esther took it and read through it seriously.If this project succeeded, they would reap massive rewards. However, it required a massive upfront inv
In the following days, Gilbert headed over to Faust Group infrequently during the day. To others, he was there to talk business with Alec. But in reality, it was a different scenario altogether. Vincent brought Gilbert a cup of coffee in Alec's office. Because of all the times he'd been there, Vincent knew what he wanted without having to ask. Alec had a cup of coffee placed before him, too. Everyone thought that Gilbert was trying to convince Alec to give him one of the shares, which was why he always came there, but that was not the case. The collaboration was a set-up. As long as the Bradshaws signed the deal on the project, they would not escape unscathed. Gilbert had planned this for a long time just to trick the Bradshaws into accepting the project. However, the scheme had to be executed perfectly. Since Gilbert buttered up the project in front of the Bradshaws, Alec had to feign disinterest in his collaboration. Otherwise, it would seem suspicious if Alec, a smart ma
After the engagement party, Gilbert officially had a stronghold in Bradshaw operations. Because he was already very capable, he had a lot of supporters. No one challenged him in the company. Most of them sucked up to him because they knew that if things went well, he would be the heir of the company.Gilbert didn't really care about that. He didn't even want to be there for long. He knocked on Esther's door and walked into her office."Come, sit." Esther was all smiles when she saw him. It was more sincere than before.She used to doubt him a lot, but now, although she still had her reservations, she mostly believed in him. In her eyes, no one would reject the chance to inherit Bradshaw Operations. This was basically manna from Heaven. Gilbert just didn't know it back then, and now he did. Gilbert sat down in front of Esther and began reporting the information he had gathered, as well as his thoughts on Bradshaw Operations and his plans for the future.When he presented the inf
Gilbert and Lottie's engagement party was held at Bardoff Grand Hotel on Saturday.A ton of people showed up to their engagement party. After all, the Bradshaws and the Silveras were pretty big names in Bardoff City, and plenty of the other families knew of their true wealth. They all came to attend the party. Jenny and Alec had both received invites. Jenny was Gilbert's sister, and on top of that, they represented the Walters and the Fausts. It was to be expected. At first, Jenny didn't want to go. The party held no meaning to it. It was just a show put on for Esther. It would be a complete waste of her time. However, she was talked into it by Alec. It would be weird if she didn't go. Zack brought Janet to the party. He found Jenny and was in a daze. "Wasn't Gilbert courting Marigold? Why is he engaged to Lottie?" Jenny rolled her eyes. "What have you been doing, Zack? You're really bad at keeping up." Gilbert had been courting Lottie for a while now. If Zack paid attention
Gilbert drove to Jenny's villa, but he was in no rush to get down. He didn't unlock the doors, either. He obviously wanted to talk to Marigold. But Marigold evidently didn't want to. "I want to take my child and leave." She was afraid. What if Gilbert and Lottie married and took her child away? She no longer believed in love. The only thing she believed in was her child. Gilbert tightened his grip when he heard that. "Marigold, the engagement is only for Esther to see. I have no feelings for Lottie." "Who knows? People change. You said you didn't have feelings for me, too." Marigold found this all very amusing. Perhaps this was fate. Gilbert wanted to keep explaining, but Marigold did not give him the chance to. "Just let me and Caleb leave. If what you say is true, you can come to find us once everything is over." And if Gilbert didn't come looking for her, the truth would unfold itself, and she would give up all hope. Gilbert understood that Marigold had already made
Marigold was miserable throughout dinner, but she persevered till the end without being too dramatic. After dinner, they walked to the entrance of the shopping mall.Gilbert went to get the car. Lottie stood with Jenny and Marigold. Watching Gilbert leave, she turned toward Marigold. "I heard that you used to like Gilbert very much." "It's all in the past. It's not worth mentioning." Marigold didn't want to talk about it. She was afraid that Lottie would see that she still liked Gilbert. Most importantly, she was afraid that Gilbert's plan would be ruined. Lottie smiled. "That's true. The past is the past. You're such a nice person. You'll definitely be able to find someone better suited for you in the future." Marigold pursed her lips. Gilbert soon brought the car over. Lottie was about to get into the car, but before she did, she suddenly turned to Marigold and said, "Gilbert and my engagement party will be in a few days' time. If you have the time, you're more than welcom
Everyone was shocked to hear her speak so suddenly. Lottie was stunned, and she explained, "You've misunderstood. That's not what I meant. I just think that if the child follows his father, it'll help him develop better, and you'll be less stressed." "I don't need your concern. I can raise my child alone," Marigold snorted. She did not hold back at all. Lottie looked unpleasant. Gilbert had no choice but to step in. "We'll have our own child together. And whoever likes it the most will get to keep it." Although they knew that Gilbert had meant this for Lottie to hear, Marigold found it extremely upsetting. She looked at Gilbert, and for a moment, she was unable to tell if he was being genuine. She thought of all that Gilbert had said to her last night, saying that he didn't like Lottie and had no intention of marrying her. But he looked to be truly in love. Marigold didn't think she could tell if he was faking it. "I'm sorry. I need to go to the restroom." Marigold didn't w