Suddenly, his face turned serious, and his eyes darkened. He looked sternly at her and said, “But I have to remind you that Brandon is also good at scheming. He doesn’t show his emotions in front of others, so don’t trust him easily. I asked you to start with the Turner family first because I wanted you to use the Turner family’s influence to restrain Brandon.”
“I understand your intentions, sir,” Vivian replied warily. She smiled bitterly and said, “But I don’t have anything else I can give. I’ve tried my best and I’ve transferred all the shares I can get from the Turner Group to you. You know it’s impossible for me to get them all. I just want to leave when my revenge is done.”
Vivian knew it was useless to escape if Jeremy had no intention of letting her go. Even if she successfully escaped, he would still be able to bring her back and even delay her revenge plans.
As such, Vivian was determined to stay and take her revenge, regardless of how afraid she was of Jeremy. No one could stop her!
Jeremy darted his eyes around the room to ensure no one was eavesdropping. He squinted then his eyes and warned her coldly, “Vivian, calm down.”
“I’m useless to you now. Please don’t threaten me to help you anymore. I will go crazy!” Vivian cried subconsciously. In fact, she was frightened and the more anxious she was, the louder her voice became. Her loudness aroused the curiosity of some of the customers nearby, and they glanced frequently over.
Jeremy noticed that Vivian was growing increasingly anxious and uncontrollable. He needed to bring her back to her senses quickly, so he picked up a glass of cold water on the table and splashed it on Vivian’s face.
He slammed down the glass of water and hissed, “Don’t play tricks on me here. You are where you are because of my help. If you don’t cooperate, I can take back everything you have any time.”
Vivian was trembling all over. She glared at Jeremy and took a few napkins to dry her face. She then picked up her bag and stormed off without saying anything.
Jeremy pushed the door open and chased after Vivian. When he caught up with her, he took out something from his briefcase and said, “Hey, I brought you a gift this time.”
Vivian couldn’t believe what she was hearing. After all, she never had a meeting with Jeremy that involved goodwill. She quickened her pace in an attempt to shake him off.
“This document alone is enough for you to destroy the Larson Group. Don’t you want it?” Jeremy called out to her.
Vivian stopped abruptly. She was stunned. Anything that could help her take her revenge against the Larson Group was undoubtedly a great temptation.
She hesitated and eventually turned back. She eyed Jeremy suspiciously and asked, “What is that document about?”
Jeremy looked at Vivian with a somber expression. Slowly averting his eyes, he produced a document from his briefcase.
The document’s content was shocking. It contained details and research about Brandon’s condition. Vivian went through it quickly. Suddenly, her eyes stopped moving.
“What is this? When did Brandon lose his memory? Is this some kind of joke?” Vivian didn’t know what to feel or think. She felt like she was in a dream as a sense of shock came over her. Surely, this must be nothing more than a stupid prank.
Jeremy didn’t respond and continued to hold the same expression. Somehow composing herself again, she flipped through the rest of the pages. It was true. This was no joke. Her mind started thinking back to the times she had spent with Brandon, trying to scout clues. Surely, she could have found out through some conversation with him, some small detail he’d have given away… but no, that wasn’t the case.
“I… I can’t believe it. Brandon hid it so well. He even hid it from Natalie! How did you find out?” Jeremy sneered and then said softly, “Brandon’s condition has consequences for everyone. This document has detailed records, which can easily shake the whole Larson Group once it’s made public.”
Vivian’s eyes widened at what she had just heard. “No, Larson Group is one of the most powerful companies in Barnes. It cannot fall down that easily. You are oversimplifying it.”
Jeremy retorted quickly, “No, Vivian. You’re undermining Brandon’s presence in the company. All the partners associated with Larson Group value him. It is his decision-making and intelligence that have made the company what it is today. But would any of them continue to trust him now that he is suffering from memory loss and intellectual deterioration?”
Vivian could see his point. It made complete sense to her, which only caused her to feel more flustered and inexplicably anxious.
She had many questions and she still couldn’t wrap her head around the information dropped on her. It was a lot to take in. Confused, she asked, “How did Brandon get amnesia? He is so young and looks healthy. Besides, how do you know all this?”
Vivian was shaking with restlessness. A myriad of questions arose in her mind.
She didn’t think Jeremy would be so aware of the domestic affairs since he had been abroad all year around.
Other than being her teacher and mentor, did Jeremy have a secret identity she didn’t know about? “I am surprised you don’t. You really don’t know that it was Charis, who you admired so much, that caused Brandon’s memory loss?” asked Jeremy.
For Vivian, it was another shock. The world seemed to have shifted from beneath her feet. “How could that happen?”
“How could it not? Charis worked so hard to get Brandon. Poisoning him might have been just a piece of cake for her,” Jeremy said in an indifferent tone.
“That’s impossible!” Vivian shook her head and cried out. She had always seen Charis as a righteous, honest and gentle woman. All she knew was that Charis was madly in love with Brandon. These accusations of her plotting and scheming were driving Vivian insane.
“You’re so naive, Vivian,” said Jeremy with a smile. “These are people who have fought their way to the top. You really think Charis achieved so much with just honesty and hard work? That’s silly. God knows how many people she crushed to climb the ladder to success. She was no angel like you believe she was!”
Vivian’s hands felt cold. A chill seemed to have gripped her heart. Clenching her wrists, she asked again, “How do you know all this? How long have you known Charis?”
Jeremy scoffed. “Why should I answer you? There is no difference between you and Charis. Both of you are willing to do literally everything just to achieve your goal. Instead of gawking at me, you should just do your own job! Save this interrogation for some other time.”
What was Jeremy implying? His tone was curt and cruel. Was Vivian just a lackey to him?
Vivian was heartbroken and disgusted. At this point, she didn’t even know how to defend herself.
As she kept quiet, Jeremy went on. “Well, that’s all for today. I have a project to work on. I hope you will be more sensible the next time I see you, Vivian.” Jeremy turned around and hailed a taxi. His job here was done.
Vivian held on to the street lamp post as the taxi disappeared into the distance. She heaved a long sigh, still processing everything she had heard today about Brandon, Charis and even herself.
It was amusing how suddenly she started seeing everything that was wrong with Charis, when until now she admired her so much.
A storm seemed to have taken over her thoughts. For a moment, Vivian didn’t know what to do next. Who could she even talk to about this?
As the sun went down, a glorious gamut of colors painted the sky. The chirping of the birds soon ceased, and a somber silence encompassed the hospital.
Natalie walked into the ward with a lunch box, heading toward Brandon.
“Wow! Look at the size of that box! You really treat your husband differently from your friends. Can Brandon even finish it all? I seriously doubt it!” A voice came from behind her.
It was dripping with sarcasm. Natalie’s face dropped as she turned around to find Derek there. He was holding a fruit basket, a bag of snacks and a large bouquet of beautiful red roses. Standing in the afterglow of the setting sun, he flashed a bright smile.
“What are you doing here? Is someone in your family in the hospital?” Natalie tried to maintain a neutral tone. She had to remind herself to not lose her calm because Derek had helped her before.
Walking toward her, Derek raised his eyebrows and teased, “Ah, I’m actually here to visit my rival in love.”
New Book: Beginning with a Daring Encounter
Celsie was tired of being labeled as an introvert, workaholic, and dull virgin by her friends. Determined to prove them wrong, she made a bet that she would do something daring on her 25th birthday. Now that the day had arrived, it was time to fulfill her promise. On her daring to-do list, there was one task: a one-night stand with someone.
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