Chapter 377 How Dare He!
Mary's face went dark when she heard the news. "Mark, where are you right now?" she asked straight up.
"I'm heading back to Lindenville," Mark said. "The house has been empty for too long. I need to check on it."
Mary closed her eyes for a second. "I'll see you off," she said.
But Mark refused, "No need. I didn't bring much, so it's no big deal."
Mary wasn't having it. "Mark, you haven't seen Gerald in ages, and that's on me. If you're leaving, you gotta let me see you off."
Mark finally gave in.
Mary hung up and went back to the private room. "Ms. Diaz, I have to go take care of something," she told Maria.
Maria stood up. "Are you in a rush? I can give you a ride."
"No, it's fine. There's a car right outside. I can manage," Mary said with a polite smile.
Maria nodded. "Alright, take care."
"Will do."
Mary left the restaurant, hopped into a taxi, and headed to the house she had just rented.
When she got out of the elevator, she saw Mark at the door, ready to leave.
"Mark," Mary called out, walking over. She saw he had packed his things and was ready to go.
Mark smiled. "Mary, thanks for everything these past few days. When you come to Lindenville, I'll grill you some barbecue."
Mary bit her lip. "Did someone come to see you?"
Mark looked surprised and waved his hand. "No, nothing like that."
Mary knew better. Matthew must've made Mark an offer he couldn't refuse.
She felt torn and didn't know what to say.
Mark broke the silence. "Mary, if nothing changes, I won't be coming back to Lindwood City. If you want a taste of my barbecue, you'll have to visit me."
"Mark, what if Gerald comes back and finds out his parents abandoned him? What then?" Mary asked.
Mark's body shook, and his eyes reddened. "It was his own fault!"
He got all worked up. "He stole from his employer to pay off gambling debts. Do you know how much he owed? Three billion dollars! That's insane! How could he do that?"
Mark sat down on the couch, covering his face with his hands.
Mary was stunned. In her mind, Gerald was honest, straightforward, and loyal. How did he get into gambling?
"Mark, is this for real?" Mary asked, struggling to believe it. "Could it be a misunderstanding?"
Mark sighed heavily, "A guy named Michael sent me surveillance videos of Gerald gambling. I saw it all. To pay off his debts, he stole from his employer. He sold the stuff for two billion dollars. Those items were really important to the family, like keepsakes from a deceased loved one."
Mark choked up and continued, "They didn't send Gerald to prison because they thought it would be too easy on him."
