Chapter 612 The Best Person in the World
"If it were a normal father-son relationship, yeah, that'd be pretty disrespectful," Jesse said to Elara. "But my dad and I, we've got a unique situation. You're just looking out for me."
He wasn't worried about being seen as ungrateful or heartless; he was just plain worn out after all these years. Eugene, like Rainey, only started reaching out to him after he graduated college.
Sometimes Jesse wondered if they only got in touch because he was working now and wouldn't be a financial burden.
Elara didn't know what to say, so she just hugged him.
That afternoon, Jesse's situation blew up online. If it were just Jesse, it might not have been such a big deal, but he was also the CEO of HorizonTech Group.
HorizonTech had recently made some big strides in tech and AI, and everyone was eagerly waiting for their new products. Now, with this huge scandal, the buzz was off the charts.
[This shouldn't drag the whole HorizonTech Group into it. They can't check every employee's family background when hiring.]
[Yeah, he's just the CEO. The new products are made by the researchers.]
[But if he harasses girls outside the company, who knows if he does the same to employees using his CEO power.]
[I'm an employee at HorizonTech, and I can guarantee 100% that the CEO isn't like what that streamer says.]
This comment, posted by a female employee, got flooded with negative responses. People cursed her out, saying all sorts of things.
When Jesse and Elara got home and saw this, Jesse immediately ordered in the management group chat that no employees were allowed to speak for him online. If people wanted to curse, they could curse him. No need for others to get dragged into it.
"Do you want to call Gavin and check on the info prep?" Elara asked.
"No, it's fine," Jesse said calmly. "He'll reach out once it's ready."
Elara was still anxious.
All afternoon, the topic was trending online.
Some even tried to go to the hotel to interview Yasmin, hoping to get the scoop on the HorizonTech CEO. Luckily, the hotel's security was tight, keeping those people out.
To prevent reporters from pretending to be guests, Gavin decided not to rent out the vacant rooms to anyone.
After six, Jesse made dinner at home and arranged for the hotel staff to deliver dinner to Eugene, who was staying at the hotel.
After dinner, Jesse texted Daphne: [Ms. Murphy, sorry for dragging HorizonTech into this.]
Daphne: [We're family, don't worry about it.]
Daphne: [The info should be ready in about an hour. Don't stress.]
Jesse: [Okay.]
Yasmin's private messages were piling up, and seeing all the comments and messages brought her no joy. She knew that those comforting her now would likely turn on her once Jesse cleared things up. Despite her mixed feelings, Yasmin contacted Jesse, having obtained his contact information from Eugene.
When Jesse saw the unfamiliar number pop up, his first thought was that someone had found his info and was calling to give him a piece of their mind. Unafraid, he answered right away, already planning to sue if it was someone cursing him once everything was sorted out.
"Hello, who is this?" Jesse asked.
"It's me, Yasmin," came the reply.
Jesse was about to hang up.
"Wait! I have something important to tell you," Yasmin quickly added, stopping him.
Jesse exchanged a look with Elara, whose eyes silently asked, "Who is it?"
Jesse put the phone on speaker and set it down between them. Yasmin's voice came through, "Just hear me out before you hang up."
"Go ahead," Jesse said coldly.
"I know you're going to reveal everything, but have you thought about one thing?" Yasmin had picked up some details from Jesse and Eugene's conversation.
Jesse frowned, unsure of what she was getting at.
"If you go public about being sponsored and Eugene abandoning you, not only will I get cursed by netizens, but so will Eugene and your mom," Yasmin continued. "Your mom's new family will also be affected. If you still want to go ahead, then do it."
With that, Yasmin hung up. She was betting that Jesse wasn't completely heartless. After all, if he didn't care at all, Elara wouldn't have offered Eugene $20,000 a month. It would've been easier to just kick him out.
Jesse stood there, a mix of emotions in his eyes.
"You don't want your dad and mom to get cursed by netizens?" Elara asked, knowing him well.
"Yeah," Jesse admitted.
This was a family matter. Once it hit the internet, it would blow up. He didn't want that.
Jesse's life was pretty good now. As long as there were no more disturbances, the past could stay in the past.
"I want them to live their peaceful lives," Jesse said, his cold exterior hiding a kind heart. "I don't want people prying into their lives."
Elara pursed her lips.
"Do you have a way?" Jesse asked her.
"There is one way." Elara hesitated. "But it might be a bit harsh on you."
"Tell me," Jesse urged.
Elara looked at him with mixed emotions, clearly reluctant.
Jesse shook her arm. "Elara,"
She couldn't resist him when he was like this. She looked at him helplessly and said, "You could say they accidentally got pregnant with you and couldn't bear to abort, but couldn't afford to raise you, so they had to give you away."
Jesse thought for a moment. "But during Yasmin's livestream, I said they abandoned me."
"Being given away by your parents is painful. From your perspective, it's normal to see it as abandonment," Elara explained, feeling even more heartbroken for him.
"Thank you." Jesse hugged Elara, feeling a bit more at ease.
Elara sighed, "You're such a fool!"
If she were in Jesse's shoes, she might not have been as generous. Jesse was abandoned by his family, never cared for while growing up, yet his parents still tried to meddle in his adult life.
Elara wouldn't have any feelings for such parents, let alone consider them in such situations. Jesse was truly the best person in the world.
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