Chapter 1588 Overly Rational
That afternoon, as Betty prepared to leave for her out-of-town shoot, she decided to call Selena despite the time difference.
"Betty?" Selena's voice came through clearly.
"Ms. Fair, I'm sorry to bother you."
"What's wrong? Are you having issues with the production?"
"No, Ms. Fair. It's about Ann—she was in a car accident. I suspect the Reed family was behind it, and she's likely to face more trouble ahead. Knowing her personality, she probably won't reach out to you herself."
Selena's eyes narrowed. She'd always sensed Ann was hiding something from her, but she couldn't return to Silver Bay City now—she was still waiting at the hotel for Raymond to emerge from his meetings.
"How serious is it?"
"She nearly died."
Selena drew a sharp breath. "You're heading to your shoot now?"
"Yes, I thought I should let you know. She got lucky this time, but there might not be a next time."
"Go catch your ride and focus on your work. Don't worry about Ann—I'll make some calls and handle this."
"Alright, Ms. Fair. Take care of yourself too."
After hanging up, Selena immediately dialed Alex. When he saw her name on his screen, his scalp prickled with dread. He knew how fiercely protective Selena could be—if she raised hell, Raymond would inevitably get involved. Worse still, she was a Smith family daughter, and if the Smiths sent people over, the situation would spiral completely out of control.
He let it ring, pretending to be unavailable. Selena called three times in succession, all unanswered.
She quickly typed out a text message: [I don't care what the Reed family is planning against Ann, but if I hear she's been hurt again, there will be consequences. You'd better tell that Ms. Reed of yours to back off—my temper isn't as forgiving as others.]
While Ann was the type to suffer in silence, Selena believed in returning every slight tenfold.
Reading the message, Alex could piece together what had happened—Selena had learned about Ann's accident and suspected Elara's involvement.
He rubbed his temples, having initially planned to sit back and watch whether Paul would intervene. Now he couldn't afford to let Elara dig her own grave any deeper.
Though if Paul himself decided to go after Ann, there would be little Alex could do to stop him. A wry smile played at his lips—he knew Paul's character too well.
The man was rational to a fault, and without some catalyst to force him to confront his true feelings, he would coldly proceed with marrying Elara.
That evening, Paul's attorney contacted Ann again, this time appearing at the hospital in person. The lawyer clearly hadn't expected to find Ann hospitalized, let alone so severely injured.
"Ms. White, please cooperate with the police investigation." His tone was glacially professional.
Hearing the lawyer's cold words, Ann slowly closed her eyes. She couldn't speak a single word, rendered defenseless. With Connie's direct accusation hanging over her, even if she claimed innocence—insisting Connie had acted alone—who would believe her?
Even if she could somehow escape legal consequences, in Paul's eyes, she would forever be implicated in this mess.
She opened her mouth, forcing words past the searing pain in her throat. "Let the investigation proceed."
The lawyer glanced at her with surprise, sensing layers of emotion beneath her simple response.
"Very well. The police will follow up accordingly."
After the lawyer left, Ann stared out at the darkening sky where a light rain continued to fall. Thoughts of Paul made her throat pain seem insignificant—her entire body ached with a deeper hurt.
She spent two days recovering in the hospital, during which the lawyer visited once more. Since neither side could produce evidence beyond Connie's testimony, the matter was ultimately dropped.
But Paul had sent a message through his attorney: "Mr. Adams wants you to know your place, stop coveting what doesn't belong to you, and abandon any foolish notions."
Ann had grown accustomed to his humiliations by now—this latest barb merely pricked her heart before the numbness returned.
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