Chapter 154
Rachel clenched her fists after hearing the news. "I get it."
Making the horse go wild and throw her off was a sneaky way to make it look like an accident. No one would suspect Mandy. Even if they did, there'd be no proof since Mandy had never been near the stables or the horse.
This was just like when Mandy used a snake to hurt her. Clearly, the beating Mandy got that night wasn't enough. But that was fine; Rachel would settle the score with Mandy and the Brown family soon enough.
"What's in the file bag?" Rachel took a deep breath, trying to keep her cool, and asked calmly.
Joseph looked at her. "I thought you'd be furious after hearing all this."
"Of course I'm mad, but getting angry won't help. Instead of losing my temper now, it's better to remember this and get even later," Rachel said, pursing her lips.
Joseph smiled. "You're pretty level-headed. Inside the bag is the fingerprint report. The prints on the glass bottle are Mandy's."
Rachel quickly pulled out the report and examined it closely. After reading it, she narrowed her eyes. "This proves Mandy made me fall off the horse on purpose. Why are you being so nice and giving this to me? What's your angle in helping me investigate this?"
She didn't believe Joseph did this just to keep her safe. They weren't that close.
Joseph clapped his hands and laughed. "Yeah, I do have a reason, but it's not a big deal."
"Go on," Rachel said, putting down the report and crossing her arms.
Joseph's expression turned serious. "I want you to let me handle this. You're the victim, so I'm telling you out of respect. How about it?" If not for this, he would have handled it directly and wouldn't have come.
Rachel asked, "You want to handle it?"
"Yes." Joseph nodded.
Rachel smiled. "This is my issue. Mr. Anderson, I appreciate you for uncovering the truth and finding the evidence, but I'm curious, why do you want to handle it? It has nothing to do with you, does it?"
"First off, I'm not doing it for you, but for myself." Joseph raised a hand, as if to prevent any misunderstanding.
Rachel glared at him. "Spit it out. I want to know why."
"It's not a big deal. You know about the fallout between the Anderson Family and the Brown Family. This time, the Anderson Family lost to the Green Family and didn't get the mayor's position," Joseph's eyes narrowed as he spoke.
Rachel was shocked. "Really? Last I heard from John, the Anderson Family had secured funds in time and was keeping up with the Green Family. How did it suddenly fall apart?"
"The problem lies with the Brown Family." Joseph tapped his fingers on the table. "Both the Anderson Family and the Green Family approached the last company willing to invest in Stellaria. That company pretended to be undecided but secretly funded the Green Family, so we lost. The Brown Family is connected to the chairman of that company."
"So the Brown Family set this up?" Rachel frowned.
Joseph raised his chin. "Exactly. The Anderson Family has always been aiming for the mayor's position, and just when we were about to succeed, the Brown Family messed it up. So the Anderson Family won't let the Brown Family off the hook. But since the Anderson Family is a noble family, it's not appropriate to take direct action. That's why I took on your horse incident as a way to deal with the Brown Family bit by bit."
"I see." Rachel nodded.
Joseph leaned closer to her. "So, do you agree? Even though I have my own reasons for handling this, I'm also getting revenge for you."
"I get it, but I don't need you to avenge me. I'll handle the Brown Family myself. Don't forget, there's the feud between TriStar Corporation and Skyline Corporation, and my personal grudge with Mandy," Rachel reminded him.
Joseph paused for a moment, then said, "How about we team up?"
"Team up?" A sharp glint flashed in Rachel's eyes.
Joseph nodded. "Since we both want to take down the Brown Family, we should join forces. Right now, you don't have the power or resources to get your revenge. Are you going to wait until Skyline Corporation grows? How can you be sure Ethan won't make a move during that time? Even if he doesn't, while you're building up Skyline Corporation, he'll be strengthening TriStar Corporation. You'll still be at a disadvantage, and revenge will be out of reach."
Rachel had no response to that. If she wanted revenge, she had a long road ahead. It was impossible to do it alone in a short time.
Seeing Rachel's silence, Joseph knew his words had hit home. He took a sip of coffee and continued, "So, you need to ally with someone who also has a grudge against the Brown Family. Otherwise, your revenge will be a distant dream. And I'm the best partner for you. I have the power and can provide you with great help. If you team up with me, you can get your revenge within a year. How about it?"
Actually, with the Anderson Family's power, dealing with the Brown Family would be easy. In just a month, they could bankrupt the Brown Family's TriStar Corporation. But the Anderson Family couldn't do that.
Firstly, TriStar Corporation was not only well-known in Summit Ridge District but also nationwide, with tens of thousands of employees. If TriStar Corporation suddenly went bankrupt, these employees would face unemployment. The authorities would conduct an investigation, and if they discovered that the Anderson Family was responsible, it would spell trouble for the Anderson Family.
So the best way was to operate in the shadows. The Anderson Family could seize on the Brown Family's legal flaws as a breakthrough point and deal with them bit by bit. Although the process would be slower, it would be safer.
By the time the Brown Family realized that they were being targeted, their TriStar Corporation would have already fallen into someone else's hands. It wouldn't go bankrupt, the employees wouldn't lose their jobs, and there wouldn't be any investigations. Meanwhile, the Brown Family would lose everything. How perfect.
Rachel sighed. "It seems we must team up."
Joseph smiled and extended his hand. "Rest assured, I won't let you suffer any loss. Leave the matter of your fall from the horse to me. You don't need to do anything; just continue treating it as an accident and don't broadcast it. When the Brown Family encounters problems a year from now, I'll let you deliver the final blow."
Rachel looked down at his hand but didn't shake it. "Aren't you afraid Michael will turn against you? After all, the Brown Family is the family of his most beloved person."
Joseph raised an eyebrow and suddenly smiled meaningfully. "Do you really think Michael loves Mandy?"
"What do you mean?" Rachel was slightly surprised.
Joseph smirked. "How about we make a bet?"
"A bet?" Rachel pursed her lips.
Joseph nodded. "Let's bet on whether Michael loves Mandy. I bet he doesn't."
"Are you out of your mind?" Rachel looked at him strangely.
"I'm serious. As for how to prove it, you'll see a year from now whether Michael will break off with me," Joseph said confidently.
Rachel pouted, then also smiled. "Alright. You're gonna lose! What's the stake?"
A playful glint flashed in Joseph's eyes; he didn't think he would lose.
"I haven't thought of the stake yet. We'll decide when the result is revealed a year from now," Joseph replied after thinking for a moment.
Rachel nodded. "Alright." With that, she finally extended her hand and shook his.
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