Chapter 22
"The Mango juice is super sweet," Mandy said to Michael with a grin, setting the glass down on the table. "Thanks for remembering what I like."
Michael smiled back, "I remember everything you like. There's this awesome fruit farm with the best produce. I'll have the owner send two boxes of mangoes to the Brown Family tomorrow. If you want any other fruits, just let me know."
"Okay," Mandy agreed, though she didn't seem too thrilled. She started feeling a bit off, pushed her chair back, and stood up, her face getting paler. "I need to hit the restroom, Michael. Keep my dad company for a bit, will you?" she said quickly.
She lifted her skirt and hurried off. Before she even got to the restroom, she felt short of breath, twisted her ankle, and almost fell.
"Mandy, Mandy!" Charlotte rushed over to catch her daughter.
Seeing Mandy's distressed face, Charlotte panicked. "Are you out of your mind? You're allergic to mangoes, and you drank a whole glass of mango juice from Michael. Are you trying to kill yourself?"
"Mom, I feel awful," Mandy mumbled, breathing heavily and gripping Charlotte's hand tightly. "Get a doctor, but don't let Michael know. If he asks, you have to tell him I love mangoes."
"Even now, you're still caring about this?" Charlotte exclaimed, trying to help Mandy toward the lounge. A few shaky steps later, Mandy collapsed into her mother's arms. "Mandy!" she screamed, almost in tears. "Help! Somebody help!"
Back in the busy banquet hall, Michael was deep in conversation with Ethan. Glancing at his watch, he realized Mandy had been gone for over twenty minutes. He couldn't shake off his worry, especially since she had just recovered from an illness.
Standing up, he told Ethan, "I better check on Mandy."
Charlotte walked in just then and overheard him. She quickly put on a reassuring smile. "Michael, Mandy got a bit overwhelmed with all the excitement today. I've let her rest in the lounge."
She added, "Michael, you've had a long day too. You should head home and rest. When Mandy wakes up, we'll take her home."
The banquet was winding down, and Michael was indeed feeling a bit tired. He nodded and said softly, "Okay. When things calm down at the company, I hope you and Mr. Brown can come over for dinner with my mom."
Charlotte smiled, "Of course. Be careful on your way home."
Michael grabbed his coat and left. As he reached the door and looked back, he saw Charlotte saying something to Ethan, and then the two of them hurriedly walked toward the back of the banquet hall.
David was already waiting outside the hotel. Seeing Michael come out, he quickly opened the back door.
The car headed toward the Smith Manor. The ride was smooth, but Michael couldn't shake a growing sense of unease. His thoughts drifted back to Rachel and Robert by her side at the banquet.
Michael tugged at his bow tie and, after a while, asked David in a low voice, "Did you find out about Robert's family background?"
"Yeah," David replied honestly. "Robert's from Pinecrest Valley, a poor area near the mountains. Tough place—long walk to the nearest school. Six years ago, Miss Williams visited the area to help underprivileged kids and ended up sponsoring Robert. He stumbled upon Harmony Entertainment on his way to odd jobs and was discovered for his talents, and now he's their top male model. He's pretty sharp; thanks to his help, Miss Williams quickly became a shareholder in Skyline Corporation."
Michael listened quietly before scoffing, "Rachel might have shares in Skyline, but without the other shareholders backing her, the company won't hold together. She's too green and naive about business."
"Yeah," David agreed. "Mr. Smith, even though marrying Miss Williams wasn't your choice, you've treated her well. Knowing she just took over Skyline Corporation and worrying Mr. Brown might retaliate against her in the business world because of his love for Miss Brown, you gave the 'Azure Heart' to Miss Williams to make her leave."
Michael closed his eyes to rest. After a moment, he said, "Rachel spent years visiting my grandma, taking care of her. I did it for my grandma's sake."
David smiled, "Yeah, Mrs. Smith also likes Miss Williams a lot."
Michael knew Catherine was very fond of Rachel. Every time he and Rachel visited her, Catherine would hold Rachel's hand and chat endlessly. In contrast, Catherine never seemed to warm up to Mandy, which now gnawed at him. His headache pulsed. "Do you always talk this much?" he snapped.
David fell silent without a word.
At that moment, Michael's phone in his suit pocket vibrated. As he reached for it, he felt a small hard object. He first checked his phone and saw a message from Mandy asking if he had arrived home.
After replying to a message, he looked at the ring in his hand under the car's interior light. He quickly remembered the day he and Rachel went to court for their divorce. Afterward, he had taken off his wedding ring and casually tossed it into his suit pocket.
Staring at the ring for a long time, Michael asked, "Did I buy this wedding ring?"
David glanced at the ring through the rearview mirror, speaking cautiously. "No, Mr. Smith. You mentioned that providing a wedding dress and gifts would be difficult to explain to Miss Brown, so there was no wedding dress or ceremony. Miss Williams chose the ring herself because you didn't provide funds or give instructions for it."
Michael's thoughts lingered on Rachel's relaxed and self-assured presence from the day they went to court for the divorce. In six years, she'd never asked him for anything and left with nothing. Without responding to David, he pondered his next steps.
David, sensing the tension, asked hesitantly, "Would you like me to dispose of the ring, sir?"
"Tomorrow morning, after you get to the office, organize the information on Blue Sky Ventures," Michael instructed calmly. "Joseph's company has a partnership with Skyline Corporation. Send this information to Skyline Corporation in his name."
"Understood." David, who had worked with Michael for several years, understood his meaning and added, "Skyline Corporation is struggling. If they can successfully acquire Blue Sky Ventures, they might turn things around. But I'm afraid Skyline Corporation doesn't have enough funds."
Michael said, "That depends on how Rachel handles that 'Azure Heart.' The fate of Skyline Corporation is in her hands."
David nodded, adding carefully, "Robert could be a real asset if he helps her. With his knack, Skyline Corporation might just turn the corner."
Feeling the tension rise again, David decided silence was golden.
Michael's thoughts returned to the ring, realizing how it had kept many women at bay over the years. Maybe it wasn't so worthless after all.
A few seconds later, Michael put the wedding ring back into his suit pocket and gave David another instruction, "If Skyline Corporation can't acquire Blue Sky Ventures, you take some people to help out."
David acknowledged. "Understood."
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