Chapter 1338 Shielding You from the Storm
Cassie was like, "Sophia, seriously? I told you it was dangerous. Did you forget you got kidnapped and almost died?"
Sophia just stood there, feeling all kinds of regret.
Cassie turned to Oliver, "Dude, you can eat it yourself. Why'd you have to tell her that?"
Oliver shrugged, "I just wanted her to know that compared to tonight's food, what she used to eat was trash."
Sophia was crushed and started bawling.
Joseph scooped her up, "Hey, don't cry. The food tonight was made by some top chefs from abroad. They're not leaving anytime soon. I can ask them to cook for you tomorrow."
"Really?" Sophia's eyes lit up.
"Really." Joseph nodded. "But don't overdo it."
"Okay." Sophia sniffled. "I'll just have a taste. Joey, you're the best."
Cassie was like, "Seriously? Joseph and Oliver just went through a nightmare of a banquet, and now they're crying over food?"
"Oliver, take Sophia inside to rest. I need to talk to your dad," Cassie told Oliver.
Little did she know, calling Joseph "your dad" made him smile like he just won the lottery.
"Oh, okay, Mommy, come up soon." Oliver pulled Sophia away.
Cassie turned and saw Joseph's eyes all soft and smiley under the moonlight.
She felt like Joseph had turned into a whole new person.
"What the heck happened today?" She had a million questions. "David, Ralph, what about them?"
"They've all been caught," Joseph said softly, "No one's gonna mess with you again. Your marriage to David is over. You're free now."
Cassie's jaw dropped, her face a mix of confusion and relief.
She always thought David was like a cockroach, impossible to get rid of. "Really?"
"Yeah, tonight Ralph and David tried to rebel. They had a bunch of officials from Whisperlyn City on their side. They thought they had it in the bag, but Carl had already called in the military from Grand City."
"So many people came into the city, and Ralph didn't notice?" Cassie was puzzled.
"Because I saved Everett and let Isabella in on the truth. Isabella took back the Hernandez Group's shares, cutting off the Wit Group's overseas plans. Ralph's confidence came from his investment in the Wit Group and David's money. But once David lost both the Wit Group and the Hernandez Group, he had nothing. Ralph was broke too. The people in Whisperlyn City were only in it for the money. No money, no help for the Dixon family."
Cassie got it.
She couldn't believe how greedy some people could be.
And she was blown away by Joseph's scheming.
But hadn't Joseph lost his memory? He'd been acting like a clueless idiot recently. How did he flip the switch so fast?
She looked at him, all mixed up. "Everett got saved, the Wit Group had changes abroad, and David didn't catch on?"
"It all went down in one day. We made sure to keep it on the down-low, so he was clueless. He always thought he was the big shot in Madison," Joseph said with a smirk.
Cassie got it, but felt even more conflicted. "Was all of this part of your plan, including getting close to Marigold?"
"It wasn't just me. Carl, Declan, and I were all in on it."
Joseph explained, "Carl played weak to make Ralph feel safe. After Isabella kicked me out of the Hernandez Group, I pretended to chase after Marigold to make David and the Dixon family think I was desperate. It fed Marigold's ego and David's sick need to crush me. The more pathetic I looked, the more cocky he got. When people get cocky, they slip up. If he hadn't slipped up, I wouldn't have been able to save Everett so easily."
Joseph paused and grabbed Cassie's hand. "Cassie, I'm sorry. I knew David was messing with you and even hurting your dad, but I didn't step in. It wasn't on purpose."
"I get it." Cassie pulled her hand back. "I was part of your plan too. The more scared I acted, the more cocky David got. He thought he was the cat playing with the mouse, and I was the mouse."
Her smarts made Joseph feel guilty.
"Cassie, I'm really sorry. This was a big deal. I promised Carl I wouldn't tell anyone. Not just you, no one in the Jude family knew. Even Derek and Michael only found out today. Carl's wife only found out at the last minute tonight."
Joseph said softly, "Carl wanted to expose everyone in Madison with shady motives. To keep it tight, the core people had to stay totally in the dark."
Cassie was quiet for a long time.
She used to think Carl was a gentle guy, but she forgot that a gentle guy couldn't become president.
Actually, Carl was super cunning and ruthless.
He let his loved ones live in fear and anxiety, even kept Laura in the dark. Other people's helplessness and despair were his tools to fool his enemies.
"Cassie, I swear this won't happen again."
Joseph's eyes were full of tenderness and guilt. "I know it was unfair to you, but I had no choice. If Ralph had taken over Madison, David's power would have gotten stronger. I wanted to keep you safe, so I had to wipe out all threats once and for all. I want you and the kids to walk around freely, without hiding or worrying about leaving Madison. This is your home."
Under the moonlight, his eyes were as soft as water.
"And I want you to know I'm not the useless Joseph who couldn't protect his family, got tricked, and even lost his memory. I'm way stronger now."
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