Chapter 90 Being with Nolan is an Opportunity
"Nope, it's not hard at all," Theo said. "The tech team already tracked it down. The IP address that first posted the bad stuff about you is from the Howard Villa."
"The Howard Villa?" I was floored.
Theo noticed my shock and added, "Since it's your family, I didn't want to tell you right away. Ms. Cooper, did you tick someone off in the Howard family?"
The only person in my family who had beef with me was Anne. Thinking this through, I told Theo, "Got it. I'll handle my family. Just make sure to keep the online rumors in check."
"Will do, Ms. Cooper. Anything else?" he asked.
"Nope, that's it for now. I'll reach out if I need anything," I replied.
"Alright, Ms. Cooper. My phone's on 24/7, so call me anytime," Theo assured.
Theo was a solid and dependable secretary. I knew he'd manage the online mess, but I needed to get to the bottom of these rumors. That night, I couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, constantly checking social media on my phone. Negative news about me kept popping up, but thankfully, there were plenty of positive comments too. I knew these were from PR-hired commenters. Not the best fix, but it helped balance things out for now.
In the early hours, I stumbled upon Anne's social media update. In the photo, Edward was lying in bed with a cute band-aid on his temple, definitely Anne's doing. Her caption read, "Good night, feeling safe only when sleeping with Edward."
Even though I knew she was trying to provoke me, I couldn't help but sneer. A 21-year-old woman sleeping with her 29-year-old brother and posting it online? Wasn't she worried about being laughed at? The more I looked, the angrier I got. I turned off my phone and shoved it under my pillow.
In the following days, I didn't see Edward or Anne. The expanse of the Howard Villa made it easy to steer clear of them indefinitely if I wanted. During a meal, I couldn't help but ask Melissa, "Has Edward been home lately?"
While setting the table, Melissa said, "Edward comes home every day. After he returns, he stays in the study until late before going to bed." She sighed.
"And Anne?" I asked.
Melissa replied, "Anne's here every day too. Edward takes her to school every morning, and the driver brings her back in the evening. A couple of times, she brought friends over, but they didn't stay long and never overnight."
Hearing that Anne brought friends home, I started thinking.
Knowing she was the one who started the rumors, I thought her inviting friends over had a shady purpose. Anne would do anything to compete with me for Edward, even if it meant hurting the Howard family's interests. Just as I was figuring out how to talk to Edward about this, my phone rang. It was Lila. No matter how bad my mood was, hearing from her always cheered me up. I picked up the call and heard Lila's urgent voice. "Diana, are you free? I need to see you."
I checked my watch. "Yeah, I'm free. What's up?"
Lila said, "Oscar Reed is sick. I want to visit him with you."
Hearing it was about Oscar, I felt my heart sink. Even though I wasn't a big fan of his back in school, his care over the years had really touched me.
"Alright, let's go see him together," I agreed. "The villa is too far from the city. Where are you? I'll come to you."
"I'll wait for you at the law firm," Lila said quickly.
When I got to the law firm, Lila was already waiting downstairs. She hopped into the car as soon as I stopped. We sped off to the hospital where Oscar was.
At the hospital, Oscar looked pale and his once robust frame now seemed alarmingly thin, lying motionless like a withered tree. Seeing us, Oscar raised his hand in greeting. Lila and I each held one of his hands. Those hands that once guided us through the sea of knowledge now felt slightly cold, making my heart ache.
Looking at Oscar's slightly haggard face due to illness, I felt a wave of sadness wash over. He managed a weak smile, still warm despite its frailty. "Diana, I heard you got the ownership of Stellar Legal Advisors from Edward and gave it to Lila?"
I nodded. "Yeah. We signed the contract a few days ago. Now Stellar Legal Advisors belongs to Lila."
Lila and I exchanged smiles.
Oscar tightly held our hands together, saying, "Good. You are classmates and should help each other. But Diana, have you made any plans for your future?"
I looked at him and smiled slightly. "I'm not worried about the future. I gave the firm to Lila because I believe she's more suited to run it. As for me, I focus more on the present."
I didn't want him to worry about me, so I didn't go into detail about my plans.
"Yes, I also thought Diana was being impulsive when she handed the firm over to me," Lila said.
Initially, she didn't want to take over Stellar Legal Advisors, but she agreed after my persistent persuasion. Now, Lila seized the opportunity to complain to Oscar.
I patted Lila's hand. "Lila, you've always been excellent and more determined and persistent than I am. I believe under your leadership, Stellar Legal Advisors will thrive."
Oscar sighed. "Diana, your generosity and carefree attitude are admirable, but the road ahead is long. You do need to plan carefully."
I pondered for a moment and reassured Oscar. "I do have some ideas, but they're not fully formed yet."
Oscar said, "You might want to consider Nolan. He's very capable and visionary. Being with him could be an opportunity for you."
"Nolan?" I was momentarily confused. "Do you think he would accept me?"
Oscar smiled. "With your talent and potential, I believe he will see your value. It's always good to have more opportunities."
Lila nodded in agreement. "Yes, Diana. I think Oscar is right. Nolan is a good choice. You should consider it."
I was silent for a while, then said, "Dr. Reed, I'll seriously consider it in the future. But for now, I want to relax a bit because I still have some family matters to deal with."
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