Chapter 317 The Rhoads Family Under Siege
"Dagmar..." Fiona started hesitantly.
She didn't understand why all the issues between her and Darwin always ended up involving other innocent people.
Why, no matter how strong she became, did she still find herself cornered by Darwin's threats in the end?
"Fiona, you don't need to worry about me—I can handle my own problems. If Darwin dares to come at me again, I'll make sure he regrets it," Dagmar declared with unwavering resolve.
Fiona fell silent for a moment.
"Dagmar, I don't want you fighting with Darwin," she said softly.
Dagmar knew too little about Darwin.
When it came to getting what he wanted, Darwin would act recklessly, unconcerned with the potential consequences to himself. His desire to win trumped everything else.
Over the phone, faint strains of jazz from the clubhouse could be heard. After a brief pause, Dagmar spoke, "I understand."
"I'll make arrangements for your work back in the States," Fiona continued.
She could tell Dagmar was upset—how could she not?
But what could she do about it now?
She couldn't allow the past to repeat itself—the incident where Dagmar had been injured couldn't happen again.
"Fiona."
Just before the call ended, Dagmar called out her name.
"What is it?" Fiona inquired.
"You've never really let go of Darwin, have you? With your status and power now, being cornered by him... it's because you can't bring yourself to cut ties, isn't it?"
Dagmar's voice sounded hollow, devoid of much emotion. It wasn't an accusation, nor was it anger, just a calm statement of what he saw as the truth.
"You said yourself, at worst, it would be like losing a husband, right? Now he's threatening to take your sons, Charles and Chicago, from you, and he's threatening your family. Why not just... end him? If Darwin were gone, all the problems would resolve, wouldn't they?"
"He's Charles and Chicago's father," Fiona replied dryly.
Dagmar let out a bitter laugh, "No, if he were just their father and you didn't love him, you could do what needs to be done. At the end of the day, the situation is this way because you can't bear to let go."
"Dagmar!" Fiona's voice trembled with a pang of panic.
"Alright, I've got to go, the professors are waiting for me."
Without giving Fiona a chance to say anything more, Dagmar ended the call.
Fiona stood in front of the mirror.
She stared blankly for a while before letting her hand fall in resignation. Dagmar was right.
She couldn't bring herself to act against Darwin.
If he were gone, all her problems would indeed be solved...
Fiona lingered in the bathroom for a long time.
When she finally came out, Chicago was already asleep.
She stroked her little head and lay down beside her.
That night, Fiona was plagued by insomnia, her eyes wide open until dawn.
Early the next morning...
Wendy was having breakfast with her dog Chicago, while Fiona was summoned outside by Stuart.
"What's up?" Fiona asked.
Stuart hesitated for a moment, pulled out his phone, and tapped open a video. "Take a look."
Frowning, Fiona took the phone from him.
She realized it was a security footage clip showing a man named Darwin in an elevator.
Just the sight of Darwin irked Fiona nowadays.
"Why are you showing me this?"
As she spoke, the video switched to a view of the elevator doors opening. The moment Darwin stepped out, he collapsed, spitting blood—a clear and disturbing scene.
Fiona's face paled instantly.
Stuart said, "My buddies came down yesterday, saw blood on the floor, and thought it was mine, so they checked the cams. I figured you should see this. Darwin’s coughing up blood. He doesn't look like he's got long to live, so... don't worry too much, okay?"
Her gaze locked onto Stuart who seemed to believe this video would comfort her.
But it didn't.
Why was he vomiting blood?
An internal injury not healed yet?
Her mind was in turmoil.
It's always something; as if one misfortune followed another, worse news came knocking.
"Chelsea, our real estate project in River City's been hit with regulatory issues. The authorities say our paperwork's not in order, ordering an immediate halt on construction. But our documents are all legit. They won't explain what's wrong. The project's already behind schedule. If we can't proceed, we're looking at a huge penalty at delivery time."
"Chelsea, this is from the central PR department of the Rhoads family in Armie County. Mr. Rhoads's phone's unreachable, and there's negative press about the Rhoads family food processing conglomerate going viral online, and we can't suppress it!"
Fiona opened her social media app.
The top trending topic was a scandal involving a well-known dessert from the Rhoads family brand. A customer had found a cockroach in it and the kitchen was exposed as a filthy mess.
That particular dessert was a childhood memory for many.
With the help of some clearly orchestrated online trolling, consumer outrage was skyrocketing.
And it didn't end there.
The PR department also unearthed negative news about Rhoads family hospitals and their cosmetics brand, all simmering and about to boil over.
"That madman Darwin!"
Fiona slammed her hand on the table.
Soon after, Janna's call came through.
It felt like the world had turned upside down just while she was having a check-up.
"Grandma," Fiona answered the phone.
"The Rhoads family is under attack," Janna declared, unable to contain her fury.
Fiona's eyelids drooped as she clenched her teeth and said, "It's Darwin."
"I figured as much," Janna scoffed.
In this country, the audacity to fixate on the Rhoads family like this—it had to be him, Darwin. Janna couldn't think of anyone else with such a brazen gall.
" The PR department is already prepared with a statement. I've also sent people to check out the pastry shop and the hospital involved," Fiona stated gravely. "Once the investigation is clear, I'll hold a press briefing personally."
"What kind of tantrum is Darwin throwing now?" Janna asked.
Just a few days ago, she actually thought Darwin wasn't beyond redemption.
What a piece of work.
And today, he's targeting her family!"He saw me with Chicago in the garage yesterday and guessed Chicago's and Charles's identities," Fiona replied.
"And then what? Now he's forcing us to hand over the child?" Janna asked with a cold laugh.
Fiona was about to say more.
But then Chicago came running out of the ward.
"Mommy!"
Chicago spotted Fiona and darted toward her.
"Go ahead, I'll be at the hospital shortly," Janna said.
"Alright."
Fiona ended the call, squatted down, and picked up Chicago as she approached.
"What have you been eating to get such a messy face? Little tiger," Fiona teased, wiping the corners of Chicago's mouth.
Chicago looked agitated as she clutched Fiona's hand, "Darwin came, and Chicago told him not to, but he didn't listen!"
As Chicago's words fell, the elevator not far away dinged open.
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