Chapter 232
I didn’t get the full picture until two days later.
My dad had been duped by his secretary, Geneva, once. I clearly remember that those photos were retrieved by Neil and handed over to me. So how the hell did they get out in the open now?
There was also something big going down StarGlow Enterprises had been facing some serious approval obstacles recently. Bonnie dug up some evidence, pointing to my dad abusing his power.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Bonnie was behind the leaked photos too.
“Rena, your dad’s situation looks pretty bad. We havent found any valuable info yet, but I’m telling ya, it’s definitely Bonnie and Gloria messing around behind the scenes!” Stella and her crew came to my place, looking pretty worried.
I’ve been having a hard time sleeping lately, feeling all run down
Before my dad got into trouble, Bonnie came to me, threatening me It was probably about this incident.
“We can clear up the thing with Geneva. We’ve dealt with that before, But my dad abusing his power… that’s a tough one “I took a deep breath.
The four of us discussed the situation for a long time, but in the end, we still couldn’t find a good solution. My dad’s problem was tied up with politics; it was not something we could easily interfere with unless we could find evidence proving his innocence.
After Stella and the others left, I sat alone in the empty living room.
Ever since my dad got into trouble, I moved back home. My mood dropped even more while looking at the lifeless house.
Then Russel called. Hearing his voice made me feel a bit better. “Rena, are you at home or at your apartment?”
I’m at Sapphire River Community.” I answered. That’s where my home was situated
“I’m on my way” Russel comforted me. “Don’t worry too much. Everything will get better. I found same info that might help you”
“Alright, thank you!” Hearing Russel’s words made the flame of hope in my heart reignite, and I felt a little bit more relaxed.
After hanging up, I quietly waited for Russel’s arrival. It was already dusk outside, and it looked like it was going to rain.
I stepped outside, standing in the yard, waiting for Russel. The streetlights started to come on, and raindrops began to fall, but I still couldn’t see his car.
I checked the time and called Russel, but all I got was a notification that he had turned off his phone
My heart sank. If the Dawson family stopped Russel from helping me at this critical moment, the hope I had just reignited would be extinguished again.
I kept trying to reach Russel, only to be disappointed again and again. In the end, the rain poured down, and i didn’t see him.
“Irene, have you lost your mind?!”
As I was lost in the rain, Neil’s shout snapped me out of it. He was holding a black umbrella, standing at the gate, glaring at me.
The gate was unlocked, and he strode in. His black leather shoes got soaked by the falling raindrops as he stepped on the wet ground.
I was soaked to the bone. My wet hair was sticking to my face and my neck, making me feel uncomfortable.
The series of sudden incidents at home left me reeling. Although I had experienced despair once, facing the breakdown of my family again still made me feel immense pain.
“Get inside!” Neil grabbed my arm forcefully and led me into the living room.
During this process, Neil discarded his umbrella, ending up just as soaked as me.
The temperature in the living room was much warmer, making the chill from the rain more evident. I sneezed and asked Neil, “Aren’t you supposed to be at the hospital?”
Neil didn’t answer me. Instead, he got a towel and forcefully dried my hair. “Go take a shower!”
I was a bit dazed, probably due to exhaustion and the cold rain. After hearing Neil’s order, I obediently went to the bathroom and took a hot shower. While I was in the shower, Neil must have gone back to his place and changed into dry clothes. When I came downstairs, he was in the living room, making coffee.
“Drink some coffee to warm your stomach.” Neil looked up when he saw me coming down. His anger had subsided a lot.
I was preoccupied with my father’s situation and wasn’t in the mood for coffee. But I didn’t know what else to do, so I went over and sat across from Neil, drinking coffee with him.
After a while Neil broke the silence, “I’ve looked into your dad’s situation. He’s probably been framed by Bonnie and her gang”
“Where did Bonnie get those photos? Didn’t you take the negatives back? I remember you gave them to me, and I burned them.” I was puzzled.
Neil frowned, “I’m not quite sure, but there’s a possibility that when I got those photos, Bonnie might have discovered them and taken pictures.”
At that time, Neil and Bonnie’s relationship was not confirmed, but Bonnie had a chance to see those photos.
I just didn’t expect her to hold her cards for so long.
In the silence, I suddenly coughed, feeling a bit chilly. I probably caught a cold from standing in the rain earlier.
Neil put down his coffee cup, ‘Go take some medicine. I don’t know how long you’ve been out in the rain, but with your weak constitution, you’re definitely going to catch a cold:
“It’s fine; drinking some coffee will do.” I shook my head, only to find that my voice was nasal.
Chapter 232
Not only that, I started feeling dizzy. These were definitely symptoms of a cold.
Neil got up with a serious face to get medicine. Two minutes later, he brought me some medicine and ordered me to drink it.
The last two times I caught a cold, it was Neil who took care of me. What they said was true. It was better to have a neighbor nearby than a brother far
away.
I picked up the water cup and gulped down the medicine. My throat felt a bit off. I suddenly asked Neil, “Why did you come to find me again?”
“I noticed that the window on the second floor of your house was open. I was worried about thieves, so I came over to check.” Neil’s explanation was reasonable, sounding like a good neighbor.
“If there are thieves, I hope they can take away the bad luck in this house.” I rubbed my forehead as I replied with a voice filled with exhaustion.
Neil scoffed, “You’re daydreaming. You think thieves are philanthropists?”
He was right. Nobody else was gonna fix the mess my family was in. I’ve gotta step up and hold down the fort. If I lose my fight too, then we would be really screwed.
I hung my head in thought, planning to hit up Harold, hoping he could hook me up with some of his connections back home, especially those bigwigs in politics.
As for the company, I needed to approach my mom’s side of the family for some help. Sure, there was some bad blood between them in the past, but blood was thicker than water, and I believed that they wouldn’t just stand by and watch.
