Chapter 44 Rear-End Collision
Ever since Gabriel's mishap, he hadn't returned, and even though Michael knew he was alive and would come back when the time was right, Michael was not one to sit idle. His attention had recently shifted to Nicholas.
Nicholas had made it clear early on that he intended to leave the business for medicine, with plans to either race cars or become a doctor after graduating from medical school. With his brother around, Nicholas knew Gabriel was his backer. But recently, Michael insisted that Nicholas should take over a company to gain some experience. Rather suddenly, he transferred the ownership of River View Pictures, a film and television investment company, to Nicholas.
Just days after the transfer, the former head of River View Pictures informed him that the company had recently invested in a high-budget TV series. Today was the first day of shooting, and as the new legal representative and person in charge, he had to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony on set.
He didn't really want to go, but Michael was persistent. Either Nicholas stayed home under lock and key, or he cooperated with the company's arrangements. Any event that required his presence, he had to attend.
With Gabriel out of the picture, Nicholas didn't dare to oppose Michael. He decided to drive there to take a look.
The road wasn't crowded, with only the white Audi ahead. Nicholas had tried to overtake it several times, but calls from Michael and the staff of River View Pictures kept coming in, inquiring about where he was and reminding him of the responsibilities that awaited him at the event.
While on the phone and unavoidably forced to slow down, he found he had brushed past the Audi in front of him several times already.
Seeing the Audi suddenly pick up speed, he accelerated, still on the call.
Jessica remembered that there was a construction zone not too far ahead. Glancing at the time, she realized she could still make it if she hurried, so she abruptly slowed down.
On her side, two huge semis were barreling down the opposite lane, coming at a quick clip. To avoid them, Jessica swerved to the side, not expecting the silver Ferrari behind her, getting ready to pass.
Then, there was a loud crash from behind!
"Bang!"
Jessica felt her insides jolt with the impact inside the car!
Thankfully, the car behind her managed to slow down just in time. Otherwise, the airbags would have surely deployed!
Behind her, Nicholas quickly tossed his still-active cell phone aside, got out of his Ferrari without even bothering to assess the damage to his car, and moved to open the door of the Audi.
The car door opened automatically, and Jessica stepped out. She glanced at the rear of her car, she was irritated . In vexation, she brought her hand to her forehead.
Her car had just come back from maintenance, and now it needed repairs again!
Seeing her reaction, Nicholas thought she was about to cry and quickly blurted out, "Hey, hey, don't get upset! Whether you want to go through insurance or handle it privately, I'll cover the repair costs! We can take it now, right this minute, to get it fixed along with my car, and I'll compensate you for the inconvenience! OK?"
Jessica looked at him as if he was out of his mind. "This is a beltway, not a racetrack; you think you're in a race car or what?"
Nicholas barely hid his irritation. "Well, this wasn't exactly race car speed…"
She wasn't interested in listening and checked the time on her cellphone before continuing, "You saw those trucks coming from the opposite direction just now. Any rational person would've changed lanes to avoid a crash. If you had been driving at a normal speed, you wouldn't have rear-ended me. I've seen you overtaking endlessly along this road; isn't it enough?"
Nicholas, feeling reprimanded, raised an eyebrow in annoyance, "Hey? I'm saying you…"
