Chapter 538
Indeed, that was what Bill was thinking. However, he was suddenly bereft of words upon seeing Veronique's pale and thin face.
“To tell you the truth, Dad, I've been thinking of leaving Justin. Mrs. Xuereb was right. I'm dying, and Zephyr's condition is unstable. Hence, I shouldn't cling stubbornly to Justin.”
He sighed as he reached out and stroked her head. His distress was evident on his face. “The two of you weren't destined to be together. You'll only end up hurting each other if you insist on staying together. Since it wasn't meant to be, it'll be better to let go now. You need to get lots of rest now. Having the Xuereb family coming to kick a fuss every few days also won't do your health any favors. If you've thought it through, then come home with me.”
She nodded and replied in a tearful voice, “Okay, Dad. I'll do what you think is best.”
Shooting her a satisfied smile, he patted her head before slowly getting to his feet. “I'm going to speak to Justin. If he doesn't agree to it, I'll just have to take you home by force.”
Bill was heading toward the door when a female assistant opened it and walked in. She said in a respectful tone, “Mr. Revelle, Mr. Xuereb received a call asking him to return home as something came up. He just left the medical base and instructed me to let the two of you know.”
“All right. Got it.” He watched the assistant leave, then turned toward Veronique. “See? Justin rushes off at the slightest hint of trouble at home, so he's not the type of man who would prioritize a woman over his parents. Given a choice between you and his parents, he'd probably pick them.”
Hearing that, she could not help laughing. “I've already agreed to go with you, so you don't have to provoke me anymore. I'm not a fool, Dad. I know how to weigh the pros and cons. You'd better go and arrange for someone to pick us up. Otherwise, we won't be able to leave after Justin comes back.”
“Right. I'll make the arrangements now.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAt the Xuereb residence, the sound of people sobbing bitterly could be heard coming from the living room.
One of them was Olivia, while the cries of the other sounded unfamiliar. Nonetheless, someone who would weep with Olivia had to be a relative or a close family friend.
No sooner had Justin walked into the living room than the lady sitting next to Olivia sprang up from the couch, hurried up to him, and fell to her knees with a thud.
“What are you doing, Aunt Emma? If there's something wrong, go ahead and tell me. As your nephew, I can't possibly have you kneel before me.”
The woman was Emma, the wife of Olivia's younger brother, thus making her Justin's aunt as well.
“You've got to save your uncle! Otherwise, he's going to end up in prison!”
Justin narrowed his eyes as he stretched out a hand to help his aunt up from the floor. “Have a seat first. Take your time to tell me everything. I'll spare no effort if it's something I can help with.”
After a couple more sobs, she proceeded to tell them what had happened.
By the end of it, Justin's brows were tightly knitted. “In other words, you're saying Uncle Silas was indeed involved in embezzlement, and the authorities have gathered concrete evidence of the crime. Is that it?”
She nodded. Then, something seemed to occur to her, and she hurriedly shook her head. “He was incited by someone else. It was his immediate superior who dragged him into this mess. It may not be a complete catastrophe, but it's also no small matter. Not only will it destroy your uncle's future but also your cousin's. Justin, you're the only one who can save him now. Considering how he went around asking his connections to help you settle the situation after you caused a patient's death, you've got to help him now.”
Lifting a hand and pressing it to his forehead, he replied, “I've no judicial power or connections, so how am I supposed to help? Instead of wasting your time on me, you should spend some money to build connections with those who have influence in this matter. If money is an issue, I can help with that.”
His words stunned Emma. She glanced at Olivia, who was opposite her, from the corner of her eye. Seeing the look the latter shot her, she quickly composed herself and put on a sorrowful expression. “Your uncle is the highest-ranking official in the region, so we can only save him with the help of powerful figures in Jadeborough. As you know, we don't have such far-reaching connections.”
He nodded at her reply. “That makes me even more powerless to do anything. You should think of some other solution.”
Panic rose within her instantly. Reaching out and grabbing his arm, she pleaded urgently, “If the Fletcher family is willing to render assistance, they could do so with just a word. Justin, we're talking about your uncle here. You can't just stand by and do nothing!”
Justin's expression turned grim, and he uttered in an icy tone, “I've nothing to do with that family, so there's no use for me to beg them.”
“You should try first and see how it goes anyway.” A commanding voice rang out from the direction of the door. Then, an elderly man with snowy white hair walked in, clutching a cane.
At that, Justin's gaze darkened. Walking over to his maternal grandfather, he asked, “What are you doing here, Granddad?”
Ambrose Campbell gazed at him frostily and responded in a low voice, “Your uncle has been dismissed from his post and is under investigation. My question is, are you going to stand by and do nothing?”
Justin sighed softly. Now that even Granddad has stepped in, what else can I say?
“I'll get in touch with the Fletcher family and see what they have to say,” he replied.
A look of joy spread across Olivia's face when she heard him finally agree to help. She immediately went to hold her father's arm and said reproachfully, “Why have you come all the way to Hallsbay when you're not well, Dad? As Silas' nephew, there's no way Justin would turn a blind eye in his uncle's time of need.”
After a couple more sobs, she proceeded to tell them what had happened.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmOver in the living room of a private mansion, Zoey recounted everything Steven had told her to Sofie.
“What shall we do, Mom? The Shurmer family has decided to hold a press conference to make Bailey's identity known to the public. If she returns to the family, I'll become the target of criticism, won't I? If she's not an illegitimate child, that means I'll get labeled as one!”
Narrowing her eyes, Sofie was silent for a while. Then, she ventured, “If Bailey's position as the head of the Saviors is exposed, they may refrain from revealing to the public that she's the Shurmer family's daughter.”
Zoey gave her mother a dubious look. Puzzled, she asked, “Why? Is that position something of a taboo?”
Sofie sneered as a steely glint flashed in her eyes. “It's not just a taboo. The prestigious families shun anyone who has anything to do with that organization. It's an organization involved in underworld dealings and with many enemies. If one gets involved with people like that, that'll probably spell the end of their entire family.”
After Zoey heard that, her eyes lit up, and she could barely contain her excitement. “So, you're saying that as the head of the Saviors, Bailey has many enemies, right? And should the Shurmer family have any connection to her, the family will also draw the attention of many of those enemies and risk facing ruin.”
“That's right. The Shurmer family has lived in peace for a century, so they probably won't want to have ties to some underworld organization like the Saviors. Once Bailey's identity as the leader of the Saviors is exposed, I'm guessing they won't dare to announce she's their daughter.”
Elated, Zoey hugged Sofie's arm and said in an ingratiating tone, “You're amazing, Mom. You have Bailey right where you want her. So, how should we go about exposing that she's the head of the Saviors?”
“Well, that depends on Ms. Sullivan. The reason she's bent on stirring up conflict between the Saviors and Tarragon is she wants to tear Bailey and Artemis apart. I'm sure she'll expose it when the time is right, so all we have to do is wait,” Sofie answered, her lips curling into a smirk.
Meanwhile, at the Saviors' branch in Gregan, several leaders in charge of the various regions had come looking for Veikko. They wanted to force him into agreeing to go to war against Tarragon.
“Veikko, Tarragon has gone too far by openly attacking you. They're the ones who started this war first, so we should meet them in battle!” one of them remarked.
Another piped up, “I agree. We should go to war. If you can't make the decision, contact our leader. Let her step forth and take charge of this so we can send the members of Tarragon to their graves!”