Why would such a skilled hacker willingly work for Averie?
Elyette wrote a question mark after Mike‘s name.
Meanwhile, in the cemetery, Averie had taken her mother and two children to visit her father‘s grave.
“Dad, Mom and I are here.” She set down a bouquet of lilies and said, “My kids are here to see you too.”
Jack’s photo was on the grave.
“Dad, I‘ve rebuilt Tate Industries. James has been arrested as well, so rest in peace!”
Following a breeze, her phone started ringing in her bag. Averie took out the phone and noticed that it was from Wanda. Without hesitation, she picked up the call.
“Averie, I’ve thought it through. I can‘t pay you fifty billion at one go, but I can draw up a contract that states I will pay you the full amount within a year!” Wanda’s voice was weak from staying up the entire night.
She did not want to spend the fifty billion on saving her brother, but her parents had threatened to kill her, so she was left with no other option than to accept the deal.
“Oh,” Averie responded emotionlessly. “What‘s there to talk about if you can‘t even pay fifty billion?”
Wanda paused for a moment, before screaming frantically, “What do you mean?! Didn‘t you say that if I give you fifty billion, you will agree to settle this in private?!”
“What’s wrong with you? Can‘t you understand words? I said that I would consider negotiations if you gave fifty billion dollars, but after considering it for a bit, I‘ve decided to go through the legal system and let James hang,” Averie said coldly as she stared at her father’ s grave.
She had never truly considered settling the matter in private. She had simply said that to give Wanda hope so that she could take it away a day later. Averie wanted her to taste what it was like to suffer.
“Very well! Averie, very well!” Wanda was so angry that her lips trembled. “I didn’t want to pay fifty billion, to begin with! It‘s not like my money comes easy!”
“Well, let‘s hope that your brother won‘t haunt you when he dies,” Averie said sarcastically. “I wonder how you two split the twenty billion you stole from us.”
Wanda could feel her blood raging in her.
“Averie Tate… Just you wait… I won‘t let you off easy… My brother and my daughter… I will take revenge for them!”
“Oh, you want to send someone to assassinate me? Aryadelle’s surveillance network and the police force’s investigation skills have long surpassed the levels of what they were five years ago. I would recommend thinking it through. Think of whether you can handle the consequences of harming another human being,” said Averie. “After all, murder and contracting an assassin are both punishable by death in Aryadelle!”
The blood drained from Wanda‘s face, and she hung up.
Laura looked at Averie. “Is Wanda still as arrogant as she was?”
“She has opened up a cosmetic company overseas which earned her a fortune.”
Laura lowered her gaze wordlessly.
“Mom, she opened that company with the money her brother stole.” Averie knew what her mother was thinking and said, “It doesn‘t matter how good she is at running a business, nothing is going to cover up the fact that she was the one who got Dad killed and left Tate Industries in a state of bankruptcy! She will get what‘s coming for her!”
Laura nodded. “It was karma that her daughter died at such a young age. Averie, all I ever wanted is for you to be well. I don‘t care about the money.”
That night, Chad called Mike to invite him out for a drink.
Mike was at home at the time and Averie immediately turned to look at him when he answered Chad’s call.
Mike had too much to drink the night before and had decided to have dinner at home, but he
could not seem to turn Chad down.
“Didn‘t you drink last night? Why are you drinking again?” Mike said while glancing at Averie guiltily
“What, you can‘t?” Chad challenged him.
Since he had made peace with Mike, Elyette had ordered Chad to try digging out some information from Mike. He wanted to know what had prompted Mike to start a company with Averie.
Could there be something else to the story?
Mike was young and would never admit that he could not drink.
“Send me the address. I‘m going there right now!” Mike hung up and walked toward Averie.
Averie gave him a sidelong glance and said, “Was it Chad?”
Mike flushed and scratched his head awkwardly. “How do you know?”
“Who else can get you out other than Chad? Don‘t you remember how drunk you got last night, and what you said to me this morning? You said that you won‘t be drinking this week,” she said.
“I meant I won‘t drink wine this week. Beer is like water to me,” Mike said proudly and stepped out onto the porch.
Averie followed closely. “Haven‘t you thought of why Chad is asking you out?”
“Huh?” Mike paused while changing his shoes.
Averie told him about how Elyette tried to pry for information from Wesley the night before and reminded Mike, “If Chad asks you the same thing, you don‘t need me to tell you what to say, do you? If you spill the beans, this is the end of our friendship!”
Mike clenched his fists in realization and snarled, “That Chad! He‘s always calling me with an agenda! Damn it! I am going to get him so drunk tonight to teach him a lesson!”
“… Don‘t do that! He has work the next day!”
“How’s that any of my business? Relax, I won‘t tell him about you,” Mike promised.
Slightly uneasy, Averie asked, “If you are in a relationship with Chad, will you tell him?“.
“I won’t say a thing that you don’t want me to even if he was my wife! You saved my life and to me, you are always my top priority!” Relieved, Averie sent him off.
The next day, Chad bore through the pain of being hungover and arrived at the office.
Elyette glanced at him and said, “How did you end up in this state?”
“Mike deliberately made me drink last night! Before I could ask him any questions, I was drunk. Although I didn‘t get to ask him much, I realized that he has a scar on his head.”
“Is it an obvious scar?”
“Yes, he must have had a craniotomy before.” Mike had carried Chad to the hotel, and on their way there, he had noticed a secret scar hidden under Mike‘s blond hair.
That morning when he woke up, as expected, he shared the same bed with Mike. However, this time, he was not angry. He did not even kick or hit Mike!
On the contrary, while Mike was sleeping soundly, he pried his blond hair apart and took a picture of the scar. It had clearly been caused by surgical sutures.
“Look” Chad showed Elyette the photo that he had secretly taken. “This huge round scar. He must have had a craniotomy!”
“Craniotomy is not a minor surgery.” Elyette looked at the photo and said in a low voice, “Ask him the next time what happened. Don‘t drink with him the next time, just ask him directly. Go back and rest!”
“Okay.” Although Chad‘s head hurt badly, he was still lucid. “Mr. Foster, are you investigating Mike because you’re suspicious of Miss Tate?”
Elyette‘s eyes fluttered a little. “Don’t you think she‘s acting strange?” “Yes! I do find her strange! She clearly loves you, but why did she divorce you?” Chad asked in confusion. “I know that she is jealous of Shea, but can‘t she be more tolerant of atypical people? I‘m a little disappointed in her!”
Elyette was speechless
They were not talking about the same thing.
“Go back and rest. In the future, if you‘re hungover, don‘t come to work.” Elyette turned around in his leather chair.
When Averie had divorced him, she had not known that Shea was disabled. He never once blamed Averie. If they really had to find fault with someone, it had to be him.
Elyette received a phone call from Zoe at five in the afternoon
“Elyette, my dad is back in the country. Are you busy right now? He wants to have dinner with you tonight.”
Elyette looked at the time for a moment and replied, “Okay.”
“Right, by the way, I told you that my parents are divorced. My dad will be bringing his new girlfriend as well. I hope you don‘t mind?” Zoe hesitated for a while before coming clean.
Elyette replied, “No, I don‘t mind.”
He did not have his eyes on Zoe, and neither was he interested in her father‘s new girlfriend.
An hour later, Elyette met Zoe‘s father and his new girlfriend. Instantly, his mind went blank. He forgot what he should say or do.
His sharp gaze landed on the new girlfriend.
“Mr. Foster, do you recognize me?” Wanda smiled and said, “Although we used to be related, we have never truly met! I never thought that we would meet this way.” Elyette‘s expression instantly darkened. The atmosphere was getting awkward and colder as time went by. At that moment, Elyette‘s phone rang. He picked the call up and strode out of the restaurant.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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