Chapter 338 - 337: Zachary Jacobs: Yvonne Lowell Is Good, I Am Bad

The moment Miles Morgan finished speaking, he became the target of six staring eyes.

Along with the stares came three voices shouting in unison, "Absolutely not!"

Miles Morgan instantly deflated. "Why not? I want to go raise some hell too!!"

’Who works 370 days in a 365-day year?! Even beasts of burden have rights!’

Iris Chase: ’...You come to headquarters. We can trade places. Come on, I’m waiting!!!’

"Miles, we’re all good, law-abiding citizens. We can’t be doing things that violate laws and morals, you know."

Nina Jennings gave his shoulder a friendly pat. "Besides, Miles, if you leave, wouldn’t the branch office be left without a leader? So work hard, okay? The company needs you to stay and lead us to new heights of glory!"

Miles Morgan forced a professional-looking fake smile. "Vice Chairman Jennings, the pie you’re trying to sell me is raw, hard, and inedible. It’s even worse than the ones I draw for my employees."

"So what? Just tell me, are you going to listen or not?" Nina Jennings shrugged nonchalantly.

"Of course. Rest assured, I will work with the utmost diligence! I will achieve great things for the company! I will lead us to new heights of glory!" Miles Morgan forced the words through gritted teeth.

’The little me in my head was already biting a handkerchief and stamping his feet. So much for our deep bond of friendship. It was all just a fleeting illusion.’ (;′??Д??`;)

"Then you two can go tomorrow," Yvonne Lowell said. "Have Silas Lynch go with you. I’ll give him the day off. I have other things to do, so I won’t be going."

"Huh? You’re not going, Yvonne?" Zachary Jacobs looked at her with a wounded expression.

"No, but I’ve already sent Felix to Fairfield. He should be arriving just about now. Do you want him to go ’play’ with them first?"

"Yvonne, I knew it! You’re the best!" Nina Jennings exclaimed, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"No need. Just get a few people to keep watch," Zachary said. "On second thought, you can have Felix go have a little ’chat’ with my dear uncle and aunt. They used to bully me a lot."

Zachary Jacobs: ’Oh, right, right. She doesn’t go, so she’s the good one. I go, so I’m the bad one.’ ˉ\_(ツ)_/ˉ

"Alright, let’s call it a night. Everyone head home." Yvonne Lowell brushed Nina’s hand off her shoulder and led the way to the door.

Zachary Jacobs and Nina Jennings followed her, leaving only a dazed Miles Morgan still sitting in his spot, slow to react.

Miles Morgan: ’...So? Don’t I even deserve a single word of comfort?! Am I no longer their most cherished and capable right-hand man?!’

Just as Yvonne Lowell opened the door to their private room, the door of the room across the hall opened as well.

Yvonne Lowell’s eyebrows shot up when she saw the man who walked out.

"What a coincidence. You’re here too?"

"Not a coincidence. I came specifically to wait for you." Leo Grant stepped forward, took her hand, and said softly,

"You came to Comet just to make it easy for me to find you, didn’t you?"

"Mhm. Let’s go home." Yvonne Lowell didn’t answer his question, simply pulling him along as she led the way out.

’She’d actually guessed this guy would show up. Not to make it easy for him to find her, though, but because she figured Nina Jennings might get drunk and it’d be convenient for Silas Lynch to come carry her home...’

’But I’d better not tell him that. My back can’t take that kind of punishment.’

With Yvonne Lowell no longer blocking the view, Silas Lynch immediately noticed Nina Jennings’s still slightly reddened eyes.

Along with the reek of alcohol that clung to her.

He rushed over to her. "Why were you crying?"

"My biological brother came to see me this afternoon. He told me those animals are planning to scheme against me."

Nina Jennings tried to force a smile, but the moment she saw him, her tears betrayed her and started falling again.

’I didn’t want to cry anymore, but as soon as I saw someone I could finally open up to, I just couldn’t stop them.’

A flicker of helplessness crossed Silas Lynch’s eyes as he fumbled to wipe her tears away.

"Shh, it’s okay. Stop crying for now. Where is he?"

’So that’s why she hadn’t replied to any of his messages today,’ he thought. ’She was upset about this.’

’Besides, he’d never seen Nina Jennings cry, except for on the bed. For a moment, he was at a complete loss.’

Nina Jennings sniffled. "It has nothing to do with him. Let’s go. I’ll tell you everything when we get home."

"Okay. Let’s go home."

Silas Lynch dried her tears, then wrapped an arm around her and led her away.

That left Zachary Jacobs and Miles Morgan standing there, staring at each other.

"What are you looking at me for?"

"What are you looking at me for?"

The two men said in unison.

"Why are you still here?"

"Why are you still here?"

Zachary Jacobs rolled his eyes in annoyance and started dragging him toward the elevators.

"Come on. The lovebirds have flown the coop. Let’s go our separate ways. We can find a designated driver downstairs."

’Those two are really something,’ he thought. ’Leaving the two of us poor saps here after we’ve been drinking and both drove our own cars.’

Yvonne Lowell and Nina Jennings: ’They’re grown men. They can learn to take responsibility for their own actions.’

...

"Son, was the museum trip tiring today?"

Owen Ward was sitting on the sofa in his hotel room, video-chatting with Joanne Cheney.

Owen Ward smiled at her question.

"Not at all. I saw a lot of historically significant artifacts today. They were beautiful."

"I know, right? Mom saw the pictures you sent. It looked so grand."

Joanne Cheney, who had a face mask on, smiled so wide it crinkled. "When it’s time to take you to college, the three of us will go a few days early. You can be Mom and Dad’s personal tour guide then, okay?"

"Of course. Is Dad not home yet?"

"Sigh, he’s out schmoozing. You know he wants to open another supermarket in the next district, right? He’s hoping the county head can make some introductions for him, to smooth things over."

Remembering the call he’d received that evening, Owen Ward asked tentatively,

"By the way, Mom... I feel like you and Dad have been acting strange lately. Are you guys hiding something from me?"

Although the face mask hid the changes in Joanne Cheney’s expression, the flicker of unease in her eyes gave her away.

"What nonsense are you talking about? What would Mom and Dad have to hide from you?"

Joanne Cheney tried to cover her guilt by raising her voice.

"How have your father and I been strange? Are you upset because we couldn’t go on the trip with you? It’s just that opening the new supermarket has kept us so busy, we really couldn’t get away. Mom is sorry."

Owen Ward pressed his lips together. "It’s fine, Mom. I was just a little disappointed, that’s all."

"Son, it’s all my fault. Later... once your father and I are finished with all this, we’ll definitely go with you ourselves, okay? The three of us, together! We’ll go wherever you want!"

Seeing his expression, Joanne Cheney quickly tried to console him.

"Okay. I’ll let you go, Mom. I have to get up early tomorrow to visit a scenic spot. You should get some rest too."

"Okay, good. Goodnight, son."

After ending the call, Owen Ward took off his glasses and tossed them aside, his eyes gazing blankly at the ceiling.

’Why, when I was still feeling a little soft-hearted, did they choose to keep lying to me?’

An unknown amount of time passed before Owen Ward picked up his phone again. He sent a text message to the number that had called him that afternoon:

"Miss Lowell, I’m willing to cooperate."