After Camila finished speaking, the reporters wasted no time questioning why Jennifer, the main culprit in the elder abuse case, wasn't present. It was clear that Camila's explanation hadn't satisfied them.After all, who wouldn't want to chase a juicy story?Now that they had a lead, how could they just take her word for it? And so, the reporters turned their attention to Maxwell, firing one question after another."Mr. Lance, is your mother's statement true? Or is she hiding something to protect Lance Group's reputation?""Mr. Lance, was anyone pressuring Madam Camila to say what she did? If her words are accurate, how do you explain the injuries on her head and the testimonies from the other women?"…Camila could barely hide her smug satisfaction. The more the reporters persisted, the more she stood her ground, denying all allegations. Only by doing so would Maxwell understand how crucial she was to the situation.Right then, a figure pushed through the crowd of reporters li
Maxwell refused to believe that a woman like Madison could ever change for the better. Turning to his subordinates, he instructed, "Take Ms. Hackett to rest."Once Madison was escorted away, Maxwell took control of the microphone and announced, "Thank you all for attending today's press conference. Please report the facts honestly."As for my mother's past actions, I've only just learned of them. I've already contacted the police, and my wife and I will cooperate fully with the investigation."Terrified, Camila rushed to him. She gripped his arm tightly, pleading, "Maxwell, you can't involve the police. Please, don't do this! Let's go home and discuss it. We can't let this escalate any further!"The thought of spending the rest of her life in prison was unbearable—especially at her age.Yet, Maxwell calmly said, "Mom, all you need to do is cooperate with the investigation. I'm confident the police won't wrong an innocent person, but they won't let a criminal go either."At that m
Madison felt a chill run down her spine, seeping into her very core. She quickly nodded and dropped to her knees before Maxwell. "Mr. Lance, I-I promise I'll be careful with what I say! I won't cause you any trouble. Just don't harm my mom and sister, please!"Maxwell let out a cold chuckle. "Don't worry. As long as I'm satisfied with the outcome and once you and Camila have faced the consequences, I'll personally see that your mom and sister get home safely."Nearby, Jennifer observed everything in silence. "Why did you bring her here? Couldn't you have handled this at the office?" she asked in a low voice.Maxwell looked at her, his gaze brimming with tenderness. "I wanted to make sure justice was served and that she apologized to you in person. You let her off once, and she turned around to work with Camila. She doesn't deserve sympathy."After saying that, he signaled the bodyguards with his eyes. One of them immediately grabbed Madison by the collar and forced her to kneel
Hugo scoffed. "I don't accept your apology. I came here today to celebrate the New Year because I wanted to see my sister. This has nothing to do with you! If you ever mistreat her again, we'll be enemies. And I'll still beat you up!"Maxwell had long since gotten used to Hugo's sharp tongue. However, he knew that underneath it, the man had a soft heart. After all, they both had a common goal—Jennifer's happiness. There was no point in holding a grudge. So, Maxwell softened his tone. "You're welcome to keep an eye on me, Hugo."Hugo couldn't help but chuckle in resignation. "My sister's four months pregnant, and the wedding still hasn't happened. Don't call me by my first name just yet. Wait till everything's official, then you can call me Hugo."…Meanwhile, Laura and Jennifer were busy preparing lasagne and chatting."By the way, aren't you worried about those two fighting in the kitchen?" Laura whispered.Jennifer smiled and replied, "It's not the first time they've fought.
After all, Simon had kept Laura by his side for five years, yet he hadn't lifted a finger to get Harry out of prison.The last time Simon had ordered someone to rough Harry up inside, it became Laura's breaking point. She vowed to find a way to save her father. Only then would she escape Simon's control, and only then would Harry be free from his torment.…The lawyer before Laura was Lionel Fowler. He looked to be around Simon's age, with a courteous and polished demeanor.After reviewing the documents she handed him, he said, "Ms. Scott, there's a chance to overturn this case. For one thing, the sentence your father received seemed harsher than the crime itself would warrant."A spark of hope flickered in Laura's eyes. "Really? Mr. Fowler, can you take on my father's case?""Yes, I can. But cases like this are difficult to fight. You'll need to be prepared for the legal fees," Lionel replied.Given her young age and the troubled backstory she had just shared, he doubted she wo
Fiona snickered. "Simon is still on Balsira Island. I came back early, so don't expect him to rush to your rescue. Besides, I'm just here to talk, not to intimidate you. What are you so afraid of?"Laura couldn't stand the contempt Fiona shot her way. With no choice, she said, "I understand. Just say whatever it is you came to say."With that, she followed Fiona into the café.Once seated, Fiona gave Laura a condescending glance. "Ms. Scott, I have to say, I admire your courage and your shamelessness. I warned you last time, didn't I?"Yet here you are, still hanging on to Simon. It seems like you don't take me seriously at all."Though Laura was nervous at first, she wasn't the type to back down, especially not now. Despite Fiona's biting sarcasm, she calmly replied, "Mrs. Moore, I believe you've spoken to Simon before coming to find me."If he had agreed to end things, you wouldn't be wasting your time here with me. You'd be better off going home and keeping your son in check.
When Fiona noticed Laura's pale face and silence, she assumed Laura had finally come to her senses. Satisfied, Fiona smiled and remarked, "So, you've realized how far out of your league Hailey is, haven't you? A woman like you could never marry Simon. But don't worry. Our family settles its debts."With that, she pulled a check from her bag before adding, "Here's one million dollars. Consider it your compensation. Take the money and keep your mouth shut. "Don't go around telling people about your relationship with Simon. Oh, and sign this confidentiality agreement. Once it's signed, the money is yours."Laura glanced at the agreement Fiona slid across the table. The dense paragraphs made it hard for her to focus on the details.But the gist was clear. Laura was to stay silent about her relationship with Simon. If she slipped and caused him trouble, she'd owe ten times the amount in penalties. So, this one million dollars was hush money.Laura couldn't help but tighten her gri
Michel stared at Laura in disbelief, his gaze reflecting his surprise and confusion. "What are you doing here?" he asked.Laura couldn't believe her luck. Of all the people she could have run into, it had to be him. It turned out Michel was the one in the neighboring unit, indulging in such a shameless act. It seemed like he was everywhere she went, popping up whenever she least expected it.With a look of disdain, she retorted, "If you're allowed to be here, why can't I?"Her words had barely settled when the door to the next apartment opened. A woman stepped out, holding the money Michel had given her earlier. She looked displeased and demanded, "You promised 500 dollars last time! Why is it only 300?"Michel's face turned red with embarrassment. The Jensen family's business was in shambles, and they had already mortgaged everything of value.If it weren't for that, he never would've ended up in a place like this to look for a prostitute. Not wanting to embarrass himself fur
Laura anxiously waited as the police retrieved the surveillance footage. But in the end, all they told her was that the alley she had mentioned was in an area slated for demolition. Hence, no cameras had been installed there. When she suggested they start investigating from the street where her office was located, the officer replied, "Miss, if we follow your suggestion, it would require a massive undertaking."We have other cases to handle as well. Please, go home and wait. If we find anything, we'll notify you immediately, okay?"Laura's urgency stemmed from how terrified she felt. After all, it was the first time she had been followed. Still, she didn't want to make things difficult for anyone. Since the police officers had made their stance clear, she decided not to press further and relented. Before leaving, she couldn't help but plead, "Please, do your best to look into this as soon as possible. Contact me immediately if there's any news."With that, she left the station,
Laura's heart pounded violently in her chest. She immediately pulled out her phone, instinctively thinking of calling Simon. However, she remembered they weren't on speaking terms, so she dialed Jennifer's number instead. A nurse answered the phone. "Hello, Dr. Susan is currently in surgery. Please call back in two hours."Left with no choice, Laura reluctantly called Simon. His deep voice came through almost immediately. "Hello, what is it?"Simon's voice, though pleasant, held an icy undertone. Laura knew he was still angry. But right now, someone was following her. She couldn't afford to care about anything else—not even her pride.She gripped the phone tightly, her voice trembling as she said, "S-Someone's following me. Can you come pick me up?""What?" Simon's response was indifferent. Then, he mockingly added, "Aren't you a martial arts expert? A good fighter, right? What's there to fear from a thief?"After all, Britney hadn't been able to secure her interview with hi
Simon finally looked up from his computer screen and gave Alex a stern look. "Do you not understand what I said, or do you have nothing better to do? Should I assign you more tasks?""No… No need for that! I'll leave now." After being scolded, Alex left the office dejectedly. Britney was still waiting downstairs. Seeing him come out, she rushed up eagerly. "So? How did it go?"Alex scratched his head and forced a smile. "Mr. Moore said… Ms. Scott needs to come in person." Britney sighed, disappointment written all over her face. "I knew it!" Alex was about to console her when she suddenly broke into a bright smile. "Still, coming here today wasn't a total waste. At least I ran into my high school classmate and got your number!"She winked at him playfully and added, "We're both from out of town. So, we've got to look out for each other!"Alex was flustered and nodded. "Of course!""Well, I'll get going then. Let's keep in touch!" Britney shrugged off the rejection. Althou
Britney hesitated but finally gave in. "Fine, I'll give it a try." … With Laura's task weighing heavily on her shoulders, Britney set off for Valor Law Firm solemnly.As expected, it turned out exactly as she had imagined. She was turned away almost immediately.She recalled the last time she had come here with Laura. Back then, Laura had also waited for a long time. Determined to ace the interview, Britney decided to stick around and wait. Surely Simon would meet her, considering how she always supported him and Laura and had even tipped him off before. "Britney!" A voice suddenly called out. Britney turned around and her eyes lit up with surprise. "Alex? What are you doing here?" Britney added, "I had some business here. Wow, you've changed so much since high school! Do you work here? Everyone here looks so formal in their suits.""Yes, I work here." Alex was happy to see a classmate. "Are you here because of some trouble? Do you need a lawyer?"Britney explaine
After leaving Simon's office, Laura headed straight to the studio. The workday had ended when she arrived, and all her colleagues had left. Laura sat at her desk, turned on her computer, and began writing down everything she had seen and heard today. With her fingers furiously typing away, she poured out the full story of Brooks Group's workplace incident. Whether it was out of anger or agitation, the keyboard clattered loudly beneath her hands.In just 20 minutes, she had completed a full article. As she typed the last word, she began to calm down. Looking at the article that was filled with sympathy for Nick's family and criticism of Brooks Group, Laura realized she was betraying her journalistic integrity.She hesitated before deleting the draft. After all, she was a reporter. She shouldn't bring her personal feelings into her work. This article contained too much of her own bias. Such a news piece would be unprofessional. Laura sighed. She checked her phone but ther
Laura had to accept reality. Simon feigned nonchalance. "Wait for me. I have some work to finish, and then I'll take you out for dinner, alright?"Laura sat quietly on the couch nearby, listening to the sound of him typing on his computer. Her heart tightened.Her mind replayed the events of how she and Britney had gone to interview the victim's parents. Their cries echoed in her ears as did Simon's conversation with William. Finally, Laura walked over to him. "The work you're handling... Is it related to Brooks Group?" Simon paused and looked at her. "How do you know about this case?" Laura replied truthfully, "My boss assigned me to interview the victims. I... I just visited the family this afternoon and got back from the countryside not long ago.""I see." Simon didn't think much of it and even teased, "Well, it looks like we might see each other more often now. You could say we're mixing business with pleasure." Laura wasn't in the mood to joke. "Are you going to
But it seemed like Simon was slowly warming up, though Laura couldn't tell if it was just her imagination. Laura tapped Britney on the back of her head. "What are you daydreaming about?"Britney answered solemnly, "I'm worried about you, Laura! Let's check things out at Valor Law Firm tomorrow, okay? After all, each side has its own version of the story. Maybe Mr. Moore will have a completely different explanation tomorrow." Laura felt a sense of unease. When they reached the city center, she got out of the car. "Go back to the studio on your own. I... I need to take a walk." Britney knew Laura was planning to see Simon to clarify things. So, she didn't press the matter and drove off.Laura headed straight to Valor Law Firm. The receptionist saw her and asked, "Do you have an appointment, Ms. Scott? Mr. Moore is currently in a meeting.""It's fine. I'll just wait for him here." Laura had just sat down when she noticed Alex coming in. Alex walked over eagerly. "Are y
Laura spent the entire morning investigating the Brooks Group's construction site incident and the people involved.In the afternoon, she took Britney and visited the victim's family.The family lived in a remote rural area and looked poor. When they heard Laura was a journalist from a well-known studio, the victim's family members broke into tears. "Please, you must stand up for us!"These were ordinary people with no way of beating influential figures. Having someone to speak for them filled them with gratitude. Laura quickly helped the victim's grieving parents to their feet. The deceased worker, Nick Klaus, was only 20 years old. His parents were in their early 40s, yet their hair had turned completely white, and their wrinkles made them look much older.Laura couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness, while Britney looked like she was about to cry from sympathy.The victim's father cried, "Those bastards at Brooks Group are so heartless! It was their fault for not ensuri
Laura sighed to herself. She just needed to coordinate with Simon to get the news. Why did Joseph make it sound like such a difficult task?She promised, "Don't worry, Mr. Zone. Our News Department has coordinated with Valor Law Firm before, and we've done quite a few exclusive interviews with Mr. Moore. This shouldn't be a problem."Joseph smiled. "You're good at keeping work and personal life separate, but I haven't finished yet. The reason we're focusing on this news piece is because the family of the deceased worker is suing Brooks Group for insufficient safety measures. Plus, the workers at the site are agitated. The company is unwilling to pay compensation and hired a lawyer to minimize the settlement. The family of the deceased refuses to accept the proposed 200 thousand dollars as compensation. Both sides are at a stalemate." "200 thousand dollars?" Laura was stunned. "A human life, and they're offering only that little?" Joseph nodded. "Even you're outraged. That's why