Chapter 388 - 384: Entrustment

"Wes..."

Cecilia Sterling looked at Wesley Yates. He had the air of someone getting his final affairs in order, and the unease in her heart instantly peaked. Her heart began to pound.

But Wesley Yates simply continued, "Don’t worry. These personal assets have already been investigated by the authorities. They’re all clean, no issues. I won’t implicate you, and I certainly won’t harm you. Your sister-in-law doesn’t understand these things, and she’s pregnant now. She can’t handle a lot of this on her own. You can take thirty percent of the future profits from these assets. I won’t ask you to help for nothing."

"Wes, I don’t need the money!" Cecilia grew frantic, desperately needing to know the truth. "I just want to know what’s going on! Why are you suddenly telling me all this? Is... is it an emergency?"

Seeing Cecilia’s genuinely frantic reaction, Wesley Yates actually cracked a smile.

It was clear she was genuinely worried about him.

They hadn’t known each other long—a little over half a year at most—but their bond was like that of true siblings, and it wasn’t just a superficial relationship forged from mutual benefit.

Cecilia truly saw him as a big brother.

And it was because he trusted her that he was now entrusting her with everything that mattered.

"It’s nothing, and you don’t need to worry. It’s just that this time, I have to take the hit and go away for a while."

His tone was light, as if he were discussing something trivial.

"The other day when you called, you said you were eating at The Loft and I just popped into your head?" Wesley Yates changed the subject, bringing up their call from a few days ago. He smiled. "You must have had a feeling, right? I got the news that same afternoon. The person they took from The Loft that day was Hyde Woods, the leader of a small-time crew."

Cecilia’s expression darkened. She was speechless for a moment, her chest tightening with a suffocating weight.

"I’m no saint. From the very beginning, I was prepared for a situation like this. I always knew this day would come, so don’t panic. I’ve got things under control. It’s not the end of the road for me yet."

Cecilia’s eyes were already turning red.

"Wes, you..."

Cecilia forced herself to calm down, about to say something, but Wesley Yates raised a hand to stop her the moment she started to speak.

Wesley Yates slowly raised a hand and took off his sunglasses. It was the first time Cecilia had ever seen him without them. A deep scar ran right across his left eye, which was clearly a prosthetic.

The reason he always wore sunglasses was now clear.

"Everything I’m entrusting to you, everything I’m telling you, is on the safe side of the line. Don’t ask about anything else. I won’t tell you even if you ask, because knowing would do you no good. We’re connected by business; I can’t guarantee the police won’t come question you someday. What I’m telling you is all things you can repeat without worry. I don’t want you misspeaking because you’re trying to cover for me. That would only drag you down with me. Understand?"

"Wes..."

"You call me ’brother,’ and I can’t let that be for nothing." Wesley Yates took a deep breath, glancing at the people he’d brought with him. "These are my most loyal men. This is just some of them..."

Wesley Yates chuckled. "The others... are probably going inside to keep me company."

"These guys are clean. Some are senior executives from the corporation, others are managers for my personal assets. I brought them here today so they could recognize you, making it easier for you to call on them whenever you need to in the future."

"Cecilia, the real reason I brought your sister-in-law to meet you today was to ask you to take good care of her and the baby for me. I probably don’t have much time left. I feel terrible for placing such a heavy burden on you, but to be honest, there are very few people I can truly trust. But I trust you!"

He finished and looked at Cecilia. His prosthetic left eye was cold and lifeless, but his right eye was brimming with emotion.

It held guilt, gratitude, and the faint trace of a smile.

Cecilia’s questions and suspicions were finally answered. She recalled calling Wes to arrange a meeting a few days ago, right after she saw someone being taken away.

During that first call, he’d said he was too busy. But then he’d called her right back to set up today’s meeting. He must have made up his mind right then to entrust his pregnant wife to her care.

"Wes, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of your wife. And everything you’ve asked me to do... I’ll handle it all properly for you." Cecilia fought back tears, her voice choked with emotion as she nodded in promise.

A smile spread across Wesley Yates’s face. He was usually expressionless; this was the first time Cecilia had ever seen him smile so widely.

"Thank you."

Cecilia couldn’t taste a thing she ate during the meal. Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions. Aside from brief introductions to the people Wesley Yates had brought, her mind was a complete mess.

On the way back, Cecilia sat in the car with the window down, letting the cool night breeze blow on her face in an attempt to clear her head.

Gazing out at the glittering Lorcain nightscape, she felt a sudden sense of unreality.

The trajectory of her life had completely changed. She was encountering people and events she never could have imagined, and Wesley Yates was by far the most extraordinary of them all.

He was like someone out of a movie, yet far more real.

*

「The Film Academy - Women’s Dormitory」

"Hannah, can’t sleep again?"

The first thing Lily Sterling saw when she opened her eyes that morning was Hannah Warner propped up in bed, binge-watching a drama. It had been like this for several days now. Hannah said she just couldn’t sleep.

The reason was simple. During her last audition, the competition for the role Hannah Warner wanted had been fierce. The casting directors hadn’t made a final decision on the spot. Instead, they had singled out Hannah and another girl who had also performed well, telling them to wait for a call once the final choice was made.

This was supposed to be a good thing, a sign that Hannah had a great chance of landing the part.

But because it sent her expectations soaring while the outcome remained unknown, Hannah had fallen into a pit of anxiety.

She’d lie awake all night, only managing to sleep during the day when she was too exhausted to keep her eyes open, and then the insomnia would return in the evening.

A vicious cycle.

"You’re awake, Lily."

Lily got out of bed and walked over to Hannah’s, looking at her with concern. "You’re so pale from staying up all night. You can’t keep this up!"

"I really can’t sleep." Hannah’s face was a mask of weary pessimism. "Lily, it’s been days. What if they already chose the other girl? And they just didn’t bother telling me because I was rejected?"

Lily was at a loss for words, because that was a real possibility. The production team would only notify the actor they chose; the ones who didn’t get the part wouldn’t get a call.