Chapter 129 Borrowing Evelyn's Momentum
"Edward! You're taking advantage of the situation!" Patrick's face went pale as he jumped up from his seat.
"Let's keep this professional, Patrick. Isn't that what you always taught me?" Edward leaned back, staying calm.
"You've already got more than enough. I even let you take the CEO spot that should've been Caleb's, and now you want the vice-chairman's title too? Why not just ask for my position?" Patrick snapped.
Edward smirked, his eyes cold. "Think about it. Have I taken more from you, or have you taken more from me? Everything I got from you had a price. You know why I became CEO, so stop acting like I'm some invader. It's just us here. Aren't you tired of this charade?"
Patrick's face turned red, speechless.
"A vice-chairman position in exchange for getting the Wellington family through a major crisis. Your call." Edward stood up and headed for the door.
He paused. "Or you could keep backing Aunt Tiffany, if you don't mind the embarrassment."
Edward walked back to his office, fists clenched, and shut the door behind him.
He finally felt a sense of relief, taking a deep breath and loosening his tie.
It had been a long time since he felt this good.
Seeing Patrick run himself ragged for Tiffany, getting frustrated over the conditions he set, it felt like a refreshing downpour on a hot day—so satisfying!
'I have to admit, I owe this outcome to Evelyn's influence.'
Originally, he just wanted to block Tiffany's rise internally, instead of making a big scene that could affect the Wellington family's stock price.
But Evelyn always knew how to make a dramatic impact. Her move not only suppressed Tiffany but also gave him the chance to set terms with Patrick, cutting off Tiffany's hopes of balancing power within the group.
'She was right: I should thank her.'
But thinking of Evelyn's hurtful words and cold attitude, Edward's eyes darkened.
'Thank her? For what? Evelyn's real goal was to seize the Wellington family's project, and now that she's succeeded, we're even!'
At that moment, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Edward pulled it out, frowning, and answered, "What now?"
"Edward, come out tonight," Eric's voice was hoarse and weak, like a forsaken soul. "I've bought three limited-edition sports cars, had drinks with four actresses, and popped over a million dollars' worth of champagne till dawn. Why can't I shake this emptiness? Is this heartbreak? It hurts so much!"
"You might not be heartbroken; it could be angina. See a doctor and stop bothering me."
Edward was about to hang up when Eric's voice urgently came through again, "If not to keep me company, then at least to celebrate Tiffany getting caught. Come out for a drink, wouldn't you?"
Edward sighed, "Time and place."
At six o'clock sharp, a Rolls-Royce pulled up at the back entrance of Film Academy in Mugden.
Even though it was low-key, it still caught the attention of many students.
"Evelyn, I heard there's a café inside that makes great coffee. Let me get you and Jennifer a cup," William suggested with a smile.
"Alright, and you can meet Jennifer. I called her earlier, but she didn't pick up. Give her another call when you get inside. She doesn't know we're waiting at the back entrance," Evelyn said, eyes fixed on the strategic plan in her hands.
"Got it." William got out of the car and walked into the campus.
Dressed sharply in a suit, he immediately drew the excited gazes of many young women.
William walked straight into the café without looking around and ordered two cups of coffee. The female server's eyes were glued to him the entire time.
Just then, Mary and Cynthia, dressed in designer clothes, walked in.
"Hey, did you hear Jennifer got the lead role in the graduation play for the acting department?"
Hearing Jennifer's name, William's eyes narrowed, and he listened closely.
"It's her again. Jennifer must have pulled some strings with the professors or done something shady to get that role!"
"Exactly! I just saw her in the back garden with Roy Brooks!"
Without a word, William poured the coffee he was holding all over Mary and Cynthia!
They screamed, startling the server so much that she turned pale!
"Are you crazy?! Why did you pour coffee on us?!" Mary and Cynthia's makeup was ruined, and one of their false eyelashes had fallen off.
William's voice was low and his expression dark, "You should be grateful I don't hit women, or you wouldn't be walking out of here in one piece."
Mary trembled with fear, but Cynthia, still indignant, argued, "Are you Jennifer's boyfriend? You have the guts to take it out on us, but why don't you go see for yourself?! Would we make things up if we hadn't seen it?!"
---
Behind the teaching building, in the woods.
Jennifer was cornered by Roy.
"Roy, I've told you many times, I don't like you and I won't accept you," Jennifer said coldly, eyeing Roy in his high-end designer clothes. "I have an appointment, so I'm leaving."
"Jennifer, do you think I'm not sincere enough?" Roy ignored her resistance and pulled out a red box from his pocket, opening it in front of her.
Inside was a diamond-encrusted Cartier women's watch.
"This is a gift I picked for you. Take it. If you become my girlfriend, sports cars, expensive clothes, jewelry, even a villa—whatever you want, I can give it to you!"
He licked his lips with a wicked smile, "I can satisfy you not just materially, but in other ways too."
Jennifer, though naive, caught the lewd implication in Roy's words. She trembled with anger, knocking the box out of his hand, watching the expensive watch fall into the mud.
'I have never failed in pursuing women. When have I ever been humiliated like this?!'
Roy's neck veins bulged as he grabbed Jennifer's wrist forcefully. "Jennifer! How dare you treat my gift like that? Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty with me?!"
"Let go, Roy!" Jennifer panicked, struggling desperately.
"Is this your way of playing hard to get, Jennifer? I've seen too many women like you, trying to climb the social ladder with your looks."
Roy started to move his other hand towards her waist, his smile greedy and rampant. "You don't want to ruin your future before you even graduate, right? If you become my woman, you'll have all the resources in the entertainment industry at your feet. Isn't that what you want? Pretending to be virtuous doesn't suit you at all."
With that, he pushed Jennifer's slender body against a tree trunk, eagerly trying to force a kiss on her lips!
"No!" Jennifer closed her eyes in terror, tears of humiliation streaming down her face.
"Ah!" A piercing scream shattered the air!
Jennifer slowly opened her tear-filled eyes, seeing the familiar tall and lean figure of William, who had skillfully thrown Roy to the ground with a shoulder throw.
But that wasn't enough!
William grabbed Roy by the collar, punching him repeatedly, as if he wanted to smash his head in!
"Stop hitting him!"
Jennifer, terrified and worried it might turn deadly, rushed forward with all her strength to hold back the furious William.
"You dare hit me? Do you know who I am?!" Roy spat out blood, still shouting defiantly despite his beaten state. "My dad is Alvin Brooks, chairman of the Brooks Group! If you have the guts, tell me your name, and the Brooks Group will make you pay!"
"My name is William, from Hameen." William's voice was low and trembling with anger as he took off his jacket to wrap it around the shivering Jennifer.
Seeing her like a frightened bird, with tears in her eyes, his heart ached, and he instinctively pulled her into his arms.
Jennifer, enveloped in William's warm embrace, felt her heart race as she leaned softly against his chest.
With one hug from William, it felt like all the grievances she had just endured were washed away.
"Listen carefully, Jennifer is not someone you can bully. If you touch her, not even Alvin can protect you!" William spoke angrily.
Roy fled.
Jennifer went to the restroom to compose herself. When she came out, William was leaning against the wall, waiting for her with a worried look.
"William."
William snapped out of his thoughts, smiling gently, "Jennifer."
Once again, he became polite and measured.
Jennifer's long lashes lowered, feeling a pang in her heart. She walked up to him, took off the oversized jacket, and handed it back. "Thank you, William. Here you are."
"Jennifer, today's incident is serious. I will report it to Evelyn and let her decide." William's expression was stern, his jaw clenched.
"No! Please, William, don't tell Evelyn!" Jennifer's clear eyes were filled with panic as she grabbed his arm. "If Evelyn stands up for me, things will become uncontrollable! It will not only trouble her but also worry my parents!"
"But he tried to assault you! Are you just going to swallow this insult?!" William was furious, his eyes still faintly red.
"You've already taught him a lesson. He probably won't bother me again." Jennifer, though scared, was more afraid of worrying her family, so she downplayed the situation. "I'm about to graduate soon, so we won't have any more interactions. What can he do to me then? Besides, I have the Taylor family behind me."
William's throat tightened, about to say something, but Jennifer's long lashes drooped sadly, her heart aching. "William, I have my reasons for doing this. Please don't ask anymore."
