Chapter 229 Had Zero Trust
The whole affair had nothing to do with Gabriel, but he still felt an enormous sense of guilt and responsibility.
He had Alex hand over a document to the elderly couple.
"This opportunity is for the nation's premier retirement home chain. Should you choose to retire there, it will ensure that you’ll have access to the highest standard of care. Additionally, your son and daughter-in-law can secure positions at Lancaster Group," Gabriel offered.
Hearing this, the Jones's son's eyes lit up, filled with temptation. While Mrs. Jones continued to cry, Mr. Jones thought it over for a while before accepting the agreement.
They knew it now—the president of Lancaster Corp hadn’t crushed them this time in favor of Tiffany's Counseling Room. Honestly, it seemed like he hadn’t made a move last time either.
It was all that scumbag Andy's fault. Tiffany's counseling room had been shuttered for harboring a criminal.
However, Mr. Jones couldn't hide his anger, “Mr. Lancaster, your girlfriend is the owner of the counseling room, right? She sheltered a felon—her character is flawed. I’d advise you to break it off soon, or you’ll get dragged down with her.”
'Today, the president of Lancaster Group had shown up personally to apologize, yet Tiffany never once made an appearance.' Mr. Jones thought.
“Yes, thank you for the advice.”
Gabriel’s sincere demeanor had touched the Jones’s parents, it soothed their aching hearts, especially since the main culprit had been brought to justice, and the accomplices had been punished.
Tears streaming, Mrs. Jones looked up at the sky.
"My daughter, do you see? Those who harmed you have met their karma. You can rest in peace now.”
Life must go on, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones graciously accepted Gabriel’s gesture of goodwill.
Throughout the ordeal, Sophia watched from the sidelines, convinced Gabriel was just putting on a show, possibly taking charge because he couldn’t suppress the escalating situation and felt the need to portray himself as the hero for a public image makeover.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones were easily fooled, but she wasn't. She saw no need to stir them further into turmoil, which would only exhaust them more.
Now that the dust had settled, Mr. and Mrs. Jones should focus on moving forward.
After bidding Mr. and Mrs. Jones farewell, Sophia prepared to leave.
“Sophia.” Gabriel approached, his towering presence engulfing her world like a mountain.
“What do you want?” Sophia asked, her face cold.
“I truly had no idea about what Tiffany did, but I can't avoid my responsibility. I...” Gabriel started to explain.
Misunderstandings had piled up between them, and this time, he couldn’t bear the thought of another one happening.
She interrupted him icily, “What does it matter to me whether you knew or not? Gabriel, what goes around comes around—it’s just a matter of time.”
He stood there speechless; Sophia’s sharpness was too much. She would never believe anything he said.
Gabriel realized this starkly. Sophia had zero trust in him!
He shouldn’t have cared—they were only more involved with each other because of their child. Suddenly, it seemed to matter, and his heart felt strangely heavy.
Sophia was about to walk away when Gabriel’s mellow, calm voice reached her.
"Why were you sitting in on the hearing today?”
Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t anticipated Gabriel's presence when she decided to observe the trial, and by the time she saw him in the courthouse, it was too late to avoid him. So, she decided to outright ignore him.
"I just can't stand these kinds of things, and I wanted to see what would happen to the murderer,” Sophia retorted with an icy voice.
Gabriel felt a headache coming on, at a loss for words.
No longer wanting to engage, Sophia turned on her heel and left.
By now, Gabriel had to have known that it was Sophia backing the family of Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Sophia was furious, still holding a grudge over the annual meeting incident, convinced that Tiffany was plotting against her.
The moves made by CoreTech Group were just minor manipulations exploiting the situation.
Back at the office, Gabriel called in Alex.
“Clean up any trace of Sophia’s association with the Jones family. Make sure no one can find out she's been helping them.”
Alex paused for a moment, his boss seemingly worried someone might seek revenge on Miss Kelly for Andy.
Andy's identity had been confirmed, and he had confessed everything. He used to be a small-time thug and had once assisted Tiffany unintentionally. She then brought him into her consulting room. Starting as a security guard, Tiffany helped him obtain a professional license, and he began learning psychology, eventually working his way up.
To repay his life-saving deed, Tiffany treated him well. She pretended to fire him after the incident but covertly gave him a new identity to continue his employment at the Consulting Room.
Andy had a close-knit group of loyal friends, whom he had taken care of as he rose in ranks.
These guys were all street types, loyal to a fault. If they got wind that Sophia was supporting the Jones family, they’d surely seek revenge.
And as for the Jones family... Gabriel had already arranged for someone to communicate with their son. If they were willing, Gabriel could help them move out of the city, and Jones's son and his wife could work at a Lancaster Group's subsidiary. After discussing it with his parents, Jones's son decided to lay low for a while.
Tiffany took a big hit this time, and Sophia was over the moon. She prepared a feast to celebrate, coinciding with a Saturday when Sam was around. Unexpectedly, Jake was there too.
This was beyond Sophia's expectations.
"Mommy, since the ski slopes are all thawed out, Jake's been teaching me and Ethan how to play chess. Sam's learning too, and he's amazing at it. He picked it up right away, even better than Ethan."
Emma chattered excitedly around her mom.
"And you? Have you given up on learning?" her mother teased.
Emma giggled in response.
Jake had spent the morning teaching the kids how to play chess, which naturally led to him staying for lunch.
Sophia was bustling around the kitchen when Caroline walked in, and she pulled her aside.
"Why did you invite Jake over?" Sophia asked.
Caroline looked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "The kids and I ran into him downstairs. They kept going on about wanting to play chess, so I invited him up. Plus, aren't you two friends? What's wrong with having him over?"
Okay, Sophia thought, perhaps she was overthinking this.
The meal was lavish, and it was Jake's first time trying Sophia's cooking. He felt a mix of nervousness and anticipation. He could smell the delicious aromas while she was cooking. He wasn't usually one to indulge in culinary delights, but he found himself tempted at that moment.
"Jake, you have to try my mom's cooking. It's really good," Emma enthusiastically advised Jake.
Jake started to eat, and his eyes lit up at the first bite.
"Delicious, absolutely delicious," he exclaimed.
'Even if it hadn't been good, he would have complimented it out of politeness. After all, anything made by Sophia was bound to be exceptional.' Jake thought to himself.
With every compliment, Sophia felt even more flattered inside.
The room was full of joy and laughter, while on the other hand, Tiffany sat disheveled on the carpet, glued to the television set. The news reported that Tiffany's counseling center had been shut down, and Andy had been sentenced to life in prison.
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