Chapter 346
I was mulling over that chat from earlier and had this nagging feeling. "No way I'm leaving. I gotta protect you. Baby or no baby, I'm not letting anything happen to you."
"Enough! Don't say that again. I don't wanna hear it!"
I zipped my lips and grabbed the report, but it was all gibberish to me.
So, I pulled out my phone and started texting Amelia and the gang.
Amelia called me the second she found out I was sticking around Greenvale City. I glanced at Linda, "Ms. Foster, I gotta take this call!"
Linda shot me a frosty look. "Make it quick!"
I stepped out to take the call and finally managed to calm Amelia down. I figured I'd fill Mia and the others in about my stay in Greenvale City later.
I hung out with Linda until ten at night. Seeing she wasn't budging, I walked over. "Ms. Foster, it's getting late. We should call it a night."
"What time is it?"
"10:03 PM."
She let out a deep sigh. "Is the hotel booked?"
"Mr. Harrison already sorted it, right next door at the Sparkling Starlight Hotel."
"Let's go!"
At the Sparkling Starlight Hotel, Marlow booked a presidential suite for Linda and a slightly less fancy one, a noble suite, for me.
"Hotels are too pricey. Find a high-end apartment nearby and rent two units. Get the finance department to cover it."
"Got it, Ms. Foster!"
Upstairs, Linda asked, "Why are you following me?"
"To take care of you!"
Linda looked ticked off. "Do I need you to take care of me?"
"I'm worried you'll smoke. You're pregnant now."
Before I could finish, Linda stomped on my foot, making me wince in pain.
She slammed the door shut with a bang.
Back in my room, I rubbed my throbbing foot. She really didn't hold back.
I took a shower and crashed on the soft bed, feeling weirdly exhausted.
Three women pregnant at the same time, just thinking about it was a headache.
I thought, 'How am I gonna explain this to my folks and those women?'
I dozed off in a daze.
In the middle of the night, my phone rang, waking me up. It was Linda.
I snapped awake. "Ms. Foster, what's up?"
"I want some coffee. Go get it for me!"
I wanted to tell her to order takeout but bit my tongue. This was a chance to get closer to her.
"Okay, I'll get it right away."
I threw on my clothes, went downstairs, found the highest-rated coffee shop on my phone, and ordered two room-temp coffees.
Then I rushed back.
I knocked on the door, and it opened. Linda was in a bathrobe, glasses off, her eyes a bit blurry from nearsightedness.
"Ms. Foster, here's your coffee."
She took the coffee and was about to shut the door. I quickly stopped it with my foot and slipped inside. "What are you doing?" she asked.
I didn't say anything and sniffed the air, then checked the bedside table.
I thought, 'Good, no smoke smell, no cigarette butts.'
She got what I was doing and snorted, "John, even if I wanna smoke, it's my choice. I'm telling you, I wanna smoke, and I wanna drink too!"
"Ms. Foster, I know you hate me. You can hit me or yell at me, but please don't hurt yourself, okay?"
"Get out! I don't wanna see you!"
"No! I wanna protect you!"
I stubbornly stared at her.
She raised her fist and hit me hard.
I thought, 'Damn, she really didn't hold back.'
No matter how much it hurt, I had to suck it up.
Gotta play the part, right?
I made a grimacing face, and she cursed, "I'll beat you to death, you bastard!"
But slowly, her voice softened, and her punches got weaker.
"You're really thick-skinned."
She snorted, plopped down by the floor-to-ceiling window, stuck a straw in her coffee, and started sipping.
The way she drank coffee was like a little girl.
She sighed in satisfaction and then propped her long legs on another chair.
I walked over and held her leg. Her expression changed. "What are you doing?"
"Does it feel better? Still hurt?"
"It's fine now. Put it down!"
No way. I sat on the chair opposite her and gently massaged her leg. She kicked me hard, but I didn't make a sound.
She said angrily, "How can there be a man as thick-skinned as you in this world?"
"Don't kick me out. Let me stay, okay?"
She glanced at me sideways. "You really wanna stay?"
"Yeah." I nodded.
She said, "It's not impossible for you to stay. I'll ask you a few questions, and you gotta answer honestly."
"Shoot." I sat up straight.
"Do you really want me to keep this baby?"
I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "The baby is innocent."
"But have you considered that he hasn't touched me for a long time? Have you thought about that?"
This was a tricky issue. I had thought about faking a premature birth, but that would mean Linda and Steven had to get it on.
Deep down, I was reluctant.
"No answer?" she scoffed. "Then let's move on. If the baby is born and doesn't look like him, he won't let us go. What will you do then?"
"I'll protect you both with my life, unless I'm dead!"
"What about Stella? What will you do?"
I was sweating bullets, unable to answer.
"I know you don't like Stella, but the baby is innocent. So you also want Stella to keep the baby, right?"
I gritted my teeth, unable to answer.
"If the baby is born, I won't mistreat Stella. I'll make sure she lives a stable and worry-free life."
With my current ability, I could ensure she lives well, even without love.
"Easy to say, hard to do. John, reality is very cruel."
Linda said, "You should leave. Neither I nor Stella can stay with you. Why should I give up becoming the mistress of Skyliho Group for you? I love my husband very much!"
Her words hit me like a bucket of ice water. She loved Steven? That womanizing, impotent…
I walked out of the room in a daze, not knowing what to do.
The next morning, I dragged myself to the company feeling down.
"Mr. Cena, didn't you sleep well last night?" Marlow came over.
"Yeah, still not used to it." I forced a smile, feeling uneasy.
In the office, Linda didn't even look at me.
"Ms. Foster!"
"Shut up. Don't call me unless it's important." Linda said coldly.
"Okay!"
I was super bummed and muddled through the morning. At noon, there was a commotion outside.
"Who's in charge here?"
Linda frowned. "Go check it out!"
I nodded. Just as I reached the door, it opened, and a group of people walked in. "Are you the person in charge here?"
Linda stood up. "Yeah, I am!"
"We got reports that you're involved in illegal telecommunication fraud activities here."
"That's impossible." Linda retorted, her voice laced with indignation.
"Don't touch anything," the man ordered, his voice brooking no argument. "Search the premises!"
He shoved a document towards Linda. "Search warrant. Take a look."
I was floored. They even had a search warrant. Damn, they were clearly prepared.
"Ms. Foster!" I exclaimed, my mind racing. This was bad, very bad.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
