Chapter 48
Rachel was just faking sleep to dodge a chat with Joseph.
As they neared Dreamland Academy in Summit Ridge District, she pulled out her phone to text James, but instead, she got a business news alert.
Turns out, two big shots from the Brown family's Unity Republic and Stellaria branches had swiped a cool five hundred million dollars and vanished, making Ethan so mad he passed out.
The news even had a pic of Ethan being rushed to the hospital.
Rachel thought to herself, 'Ethan's money got swiped? Sweet!'
This news had Rachel grinning ear to ear; she almost wanted to send those two execs a thank-you card.
Ever since she found out Ethan had a hand in her family's bankruptcy, she'd been hunting for evidence to get back at him, but she kept hitting dead ends. Now, seeing Ethan being wheeled into the hospital, she was over the moon!
When they pulled up to Dreamland Academy, Joseph parked, unbuckled, and asked, "What are you doing here? I thought after your family went bankrupt, you didn't have many folks around."
Rachel shot him a look, her eyes narrowing. "Mr. Anderson, are you so interested in me that you dug up all my info?"
Joseph laughed. "We're partners, so it's normal for me to check your background for my own good," he said, glancing at the rearview mirror to see her reaction. "What, Ms. Williams, did you think I had a crush on you?"
"If you think so, that's fine," Joseph went on, a playful smirk on his face. He touched his chin, his eyes twinkling with curiosity and amusement. "A divorced woman and my buddy's ex-wife, I'm curious to see how different you are from other women."
Rachel ignored him and gave James' name to the security guard at the school gate, writing "family" in the visitor column.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a new message, showing a deposit in her bank account. She counted the digits and was stunned. One hundred million dollars? Did some company mess up and send her project funds by mistake?
Rachel was still in shock when she got a message from Robert.
Robert: [Rachel, I took on a few gigs and made some good money. I don't need it, so use it if the company needs cash.]
Rachel: [You haven't been at Radiant Isle long. What kind of job pays this much?]
She remembered Robert's calm tone when dealing with tough shareholders at Skyline Corporation and the mall manager's respectful attitude toward him.
She recalled what John had said and started to suspect Robert. She thought, 'Is he really just a model?'
Before Robert could reply, Rachel sent another message on Facebook: [The Brown family's two branches had five hundred million dollars embezzled by execs. Robert, did you have anything to do with this?]
A few seconds later, Robert replied: [Ethan's money got swiped? Tough luck for him.]
Robert: [Rachel, I'm just a model. I don't know anything about business. Plus, I don't know the Brown family's execs. How could I get them to transfer Ethan's millions for me?]
Soon, Robert sent a screenshot of a contract.
Robert: [Rachel, this is the contract I signed with the company. Check the amount. Does it match the transfer I made?]
After reading the contract carefully, Rachel relaxed and felt bad for being so suspicious.
Rachel: [Sorry, Robert. You've been so worried about me and Skyline Corporation, but I accused you of something shady. That was wrong of me.]
Robert: [It's okay. Rachel, I can't come back to Summit Ridge District recently. Take care of yourself.]
Rachel: [Okay, you stay safe abroad too.]
"This male model sends you billions? He must really care about you," Joseph's voice came from beside Rachel, dripping with curiosity. "He's young and thoughtful, sounds like a perfect candidate for a second marriage."
Rachel's eyes flashed with irritation as she turned to face him. "He's my friend," she snapped, her voice firm. She could feel her patience wearing thin with his nosy behavior. "This is the money he used to buy shares in Skyline Corporation."
She couldn't just take Robert's money for nothing; she planned to transfer half of Skyline Corporation's shares to him later.
Joseph raised an eyebrow. "He's pretty smart, knowing how to get on your good side. Ms. Williams, how about selling some of your shares to me too?"
Rachel ignored him, asked the security guard where the gym was, and walked away.
Inside the gym, from ten in the morning until now, the national basketball coach had already signed a few students and chatted with their parents. Only James' family hadn't shown up.
The coach looked at the time and walked toward James. "James, I've given you an extra half hour. Why haven't your family arrived yet?" he asked.
James just looked outside the gym without saying a word. He had been calling Rachel since the morning, but she kept hanging up and hadn't come. It seemed she wouldn't come to help him.
The coach sighed and patted James's shoulder with a regretful look. "You have potential, and I value you, but I also want to talk to your family. If your family doesn't agree with you playing basketball, there's nothing I can do."
James clenched his fists tightly and finally said in a low voice, "Can you wait a little longer? I'll call again."
"James, the coach has already given you an extra hour. If no one from your family comes, it clearly means they don't support you playing basketball," a boy said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "I think you should stop wasting the coach's time and let them go rest!"
Several boys standing next to him, all of whom had signed trial contracts, were now looking smug.
James glared at him.
"Why are you glaring at me? Did I hit a nerve?" the boy said with a smirk, mocking James. "What's the use of being the Smith family's young master if you can't even play basketball because your family controls you?"
He shook his head, "It's really pathetic, so pathetic."
The boys around him laughed.
"Shut up!" James shouted at the boy, angrily wanting to rush up and fight them.
"What are you doing, trying to hit my kid?" the boy's mother stood in front of him, hands on her hips, glaring at James. "Don't think I'm afraid of you just because you're from the Smith family. I won't let you touch my son!"
The coach quickly stepped in to stop James, trying to calm things down, "Alright, since the contracts are signed, you all should..."
"Excuse me, I think you're the one who's pathetic," a cold female voice interrupted the coach.
Everyone in the gym turned to look at the entrance and saw a tall woman in a black coat walking in, her demeanor gentle and serene. Behind her was a young man, also handsome and stylish.
Seeing that Rachel had arrived, James' eyes filled with hope. But when he saw Joseph behind her, he became tense. He thought, 'Did Rachel tell my brother about it? Does Joseph come to catch me?'
The boy's mother frowned, glaring at Rachel. "Who did you just call pathetic?"
"Of course, I meant you and your son," Rachel stood in front of the woman, her red lips slightly curved into a confident smile. She said, "Yeah, my brother James is the Smith family's young master. He has billions in assets to spend and doesn't have to lift a finger. Moreover, maybe your son will have to work for him in the future."
Rachel raised her chin and asked the boy, "Have you ever been on a helicopter?"
The boy instinctively shook his head, "No."
Rachel's smile widened as she shook her head in mock pity. "That's really pathetic. You've never been on a helicopter," she remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Well, your parents have no money. Of course, you don't understand what enjoyment is."
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