Ch. 291..295: Begging For A Reconciliation Chapter 291-295

Chapter 291 Blatant Fondness

Back in the villa, Anna pensively looked at Ethan. She had a feeling that there was something more to the man’s relationship with Ethan. Instead of friends, they were more like enemies.

Anna asked, “Are you handing the project over to him?”

Han’s dark eyes gave no hint of what was going on in his head. “We shall see.”

Leah had been all over the lot since Han’s return. She would stare blankly at Carlotta and sigh all day.

“Ms. White, you have sighed for the eighteenth time.”

Unable to stand it anymore, Lucy dragged Leah out of her thoughts.

Focus returned to Leah’s eyes. “Uh, no.”

She was oblivious to how infectious her state of mind was.

Lucy spread her arms apart and shrugged before retrieving a mirror from the bathroom and putting it in front of Leah. “Take a look. Your eyebags are about to fall to the ground.”

Leah got the shock of her life, looking at her unkempt self in the mirror. Sure, she did not have a good sleep the night before, but how did she become so haggard?

Lucy put away the mirror. “Get some rest. We can do a little shopping after your nap.”

She approached the problem with a simple solution. Lucy would take a nap to sleep away the ill feelings and get retail therapy after. Then, she would be ready to face another day.

Lucy believed it would be the same for Leah too. Besides, Mr. Ford was sweet toward her. Lucy doubted Leah had any troubles.

Seeing that Leah remained still on the sofa, Lucy got up to carry Carlotta away.

“Go on. I’ll take care of Carlotta.”

Lucy had been hands-on with Carlotta’s care since the child was born. Hence, Carlotta was very close to Lucy.

As Lucy played and made Carlotta giggle, Leah could relax and got up to head upstairs. She changed into plain clothes to go for a walk and a bit of fresh air.

Leah drove and roamed the roads aimlessly.

Many skyscrapers and malls had been developed in Linkville in the past two years, but most of them were Shawn’s assets.

Leah parked the car in an underground parking lot and made her way to the mall.

“Mrs. Ford, why didn’t you inform us in advance that you were coming? We haven’t prepared anything for you.”

With Leah walking into a store selling mother and baby products, the store manager came up to greet her with a smile.

Shawn had given the memo to all the stores under the company flagship. Leah was to enjoy the same privileges such as getting products on the house and preferential treatment as Shawn would.

Leah still could not get used to the enthusiastic customer service. “I’m just looking around. You don’t have to follow me.”

Still, the store manager had no guts to leave Leah on her own and kept a short distance behind Leah. “I’ll have the employee wrap it up for you if you find anything you like.

“We can get a designer to customize something to your idea if you don’t see anything to your liking. We have an in-house designer.”

Leah furrowed her brows and shook her head.

“No need for that.”

Not taking too kindly to overzealousness, Leah pulled out of the store.

The store manager walked with Leah to the door and stood there until Leah disappeared out of sight before breathing a sigh of relief. The store manager then returned to the store.

Leah strolled along the mall for nearly an hour until her legs were sore. She was about to leave when she caught a figure from the corner of her eye.

It was Han.

Dumbstruck, Leah quickly hid in one of the stores.

Han looked back and spotted the person in the store.

Curling his lips, Han clung tightly to Anna’s waist and approached the store. “That seems like a nice shop. Let’s check that place out.”

Leah had nowhere to hide as Han had stepped into the shop together with Anna.

Biting the bullet, Leah stood in the store at a loss of whether to stay or go.

Leah hung her head low in an attempt to be invisible.

Recognizing Leah, Anna said hello, “Ethan, isn’t she Mr. Ford’s wife?”

Anna put the emphasis on her words as her woman’s intuition told her that there was something more going on between the woman and Ethan.

Leah stiffly grinned and greeted Anna back. “Hello, I’m Sarah White.”

Anna magnanimously put her hand out to shake Leah’s hand. “Hello, I’m Anna.”

Before Leah could react, Anna asked with a smile, “I can’t believe I’d run into you here. You’re the first person I remember in Linkville. It must be destiny. Do you want to have lunch together?”

Anna’s eagerness overwhelmed Leah.

Leah was not very close to Anna, and this was only the second time they had met. They did not know each other much to be having a meal together.

Han stood tall in the middle of the store. With his handsome face projecting aloofness, he took a glance at Leah before shying away.

Anna turned to Han with a smile. “What say you, Ethan?”

Han spoke in a flat tone, “I’m down with whatever, but I doubt she wants to have lunch with you.”

Sensing the man’s gaze, Leah freaked out and shook her head in a fluster.

“That’s not my intention.”

Anna then let go of Han and affectionately held Leah’s arm.

“Great. I was afraid you might turn me down. You’re the first friend I made in Linkville. We can start hanging out.”

Looking awkward, Leah wanted to push Anna away, but Han gave her a warning look. She paused in motion and put up with the discomfort.

Anna intimately kept close to Leah and arrived at a restaurant in laughter and chatter.

The server at the restaurant entrance drew close. “Hello, how many are we expecting today?”

Han coldly replied, “We have a reservation for a party of two.”

The server verified the details and led the trio to a private room.

As Anna observed the tiny space, it hit her that she had placed a reservation for a couple’s dining room. She looked apologetically at Leah.

“I’m sorry. It slipped my mind that we booked a dining experience for a couple.”

Leah clenched tightly to her purse. “It’s okay. I should get out of your hair.”

Anna went up to the receptionist. “I’ll get the server to change the room for us.”

Leah and Han were left in the room.

Restless and nervous, Leah kept her head down.

Han’s callous gaze fell on her. “Anna is an innocent girl. She likes you a lot and thinks of you as a friend.”

Leah tried to explain, but no words came out of her mouth. In the end, she said nothing at all.

Han’s voice was chilling. “I’ll come after you if you ever harm her.”

There was a catch in Leah’s throat. So this was how it felt to be protected by a loved one.

She had never experienced Han’s fondness.

It took a while before Leah answered in a raspy voice, “I won’t hurt her. It’s not like I’m in the position to do so anyway.”

Leah knew who Anna was. Coming from nobility, Anna was the princess of Fetriybia.

Chapter 292 On Purpose

Leah knew that she was no one compared to Anna. How could she have the audacity to harm her?

She looked down awkwardly and wanted to tell Han she had no ill intentions toward Anna. Perhaps it was their last chance to see each other in close proximity.

However, Han would never believe her, so she felt that it was useless to explain too much.

Leah pierced her lips, trying to hide her emotions, "Sure, what happened today was a coincidence."

Before Han could say something, she said, "If you mind, I can leave now."

Han's face turned even darker in response to Leah, which totally changed the atmosphere.

He hated her to the extent that he refused to have dinner with her.

Leah sensed the atmosphere was different but she did not know what she had done wrong. She raised her head and looked him in the eyes. Just as she was going to explain, Anna came back.

"They don't have a bigger room." Anna shrugged.

"If that's the case, I shall leave." Leah quickly added on.

No one wanted their date to be interrupted by an intruder, and she bet that Han thought the same too.

She felt that she was being rude for overstepping the boundary. So, She swore that she would not get herself landed in such a situation anymore, let alone mess with Han.

Anna grabbed Leah before Leah could run off, "Don't go."

"Well, since you're here, I think it's impolite of me to let you leave with an empty stomach."

As she was speaking, she pushed Leah to the private dining room.

Leah's body turned as stiff as wood as she stood at the entrance.

Anna could sense her reluctance and awkwardness, "I hope you don't mind, Ms. White."

Anna still managed to put on a bright smile on her face.

"No, my bad." Leah shook her head.

She was only worried that Han was not comfortable with her interrupting their date.

After much contemplation, she explained, "I wouldn't wish to ruin your date."

"It's fine. Ethan and I always go on dates!"

"Ethan promised to take care of me forever." She let out a mischievous and looked at Han affectionately.

The truth was, Han did say that, but it was just a promise to Anna's father, not to her.

He frowned and let out an impatient look. However, the next second, he reached out his big, warm hand and held Anna in his arm, and looked at Anna affectionately.

"Yes, you're right," he said.

Leah bit her lip, trying to hold her tears.

I guess this is how heartbreak feels like…it's so painful.

Leah was defeated and agreed to join them for a meal.

The servers began serving dishes when they sat at the dining table. Leah glanced at the food and realized they were all Han's favorites. She realized that Anna took care of him very well.

"Bon appetite!" Anna scooped a shrimp and put it on Leah's plate.

"Thank you."

Leah then chewed on the food slowly.

That Japanese restaurant was the most famous in town, and it was notoriously difficult to make reservations. Only the affluent could afford to go there. They only served expensive and high-quality ingredients to cater to customers' liking. Despite eating scrumptious food, she felt like she was just chewing on rubber, and all the food was tasteless.

Han glanced at Leah coldly and took some food for Anna. He even poured tea for her.

"You kept mentioning that you want to drink this tea. I guess you finally got what you want now." He spoke in a monotone voice.

The dinner was torture to Leah. She felt extremely relieved when it was finished. She swore to herself that she would not simply go out alone again.

Leah let out a forceful smile and bid goodbye to Anna politely, "Thanks for inviting me, goodbye."

However, Anna has another idea.

"Wait a minute, let me use your phone."

Before Leah could react, Anna snatched her phone and dialed her number on the screen with her long and slim fingers.

"As you can see, this is my number. You're my only friend in Linkville. We should hang out some other time."

After taking back her phone, she subconsciously glanced at Han as she did not know how to react.

Han will hate me for constantly appearing in her life.

"I'm quite busy most of the time…" Leah replied faintly.

Perhaps she replied too faintly, which Anna totally ignored her and switched topics.

"How about we let Ethan send you back?"

"It's fine. I drove here."

Anna's suggestion caused panic in Leah. She quickly took out her car key to prove that she really drove there.

Han frowned, looking at Leah's figure as she was leaving.

Out of the blue, a slender figure appeared from the corner, and a manly voice was heard.

"Why didn't you tell me that you're here alone?"

Leah looked up surprisedly and locked eyes with Shawn's soft gaze.

She turned her body, preventing contact with him.

At the same moment, Han's gaze turned cold.

Anna was unaware of Han's sudden change of expression and pulled him to the front by grabbing his sleeve.

"Mr. Ford is here! Let's greet him."

Shawn smirked and held Leah tightly in his arms without her permission.

"Ms.Lancaster, what a coincidence!" Shawn said.

" We just had dinner with Ms. White. No wonder she refused to let Ethan send her back. I wasn't aware that you were here to pick her up!"

Anna looked at Leah with envy. She had known Ethan for two years and had been together for quite some time. However, Ethan was always playing hard to get and rarely cared for her voluntarily.

So, Anna has always been envious of people who have affectionate and loving boyfriends. She has been convincing herself that that was his personality because she loved Ethan so much.

"Yes, I didn't know both of you are here," Shawn replied.

Leah tried to escape from his embrace and gave up when Shawn shot her a look.

"Well, it's late now. Carlotta is waiting for us at home, we should go now."

Shawn then walked towards the exit with Leah in his arms, he even intentionally slowed down his pace.

Han stared at them as they leave, he could not help but feel jealous.

In the car, Shawn squinted his eyes and stepped on the accelerator.

"Was that on purpose?"

"What do you mean?"

She was confused as she did not know what he was talking about.

"Didn't you deliberately appear in front of him today? Planning to rekindle the relationship?" Shawn asked sarcastically while staring at Leah.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, she was just there to shop and relax.

Chapter 293 His Past

Leah's face turned cold.

"I don't know what you're talking about. It was a coincidence." She said in a deep voice.

Before Shawn could say anything, Leah closed her eyes and refused to communicate.

There was no sound in the car other than music and their breathing sound.

When the car stopped, Leah opened her eyes and rushed to the villa as fast as lightning.

Eversince then, Shawn stopped mentioning anything related to Han and Anna as he would not want Leah to be reminded of the dark past. Moreover, he definitely would not want Leah to get back to Han.

At the Ford family's villa, Leah was making pumpkin pancakes for Carlotta. Her cheeks and hands were stained with flour. After placing the pancakes in the steamer, she went to wash her hands.

"Come here, darling."

Carlotta ran toward Leah and reached out her arms widely.

Leah squatted down and held Carlotta to prevent her from falling.

"Mommy is dirty, Carlotta. I can give you a big hug later."

Carlotta pouted and looked at Leah pitifully.

She was defeated by Carlotta's cuteness and changed her mind. She sighed and held Carlotta in her arms.

Lucy stood at the door and said, "Ms. White, there's a lady at the door. She said she's your friend."

She had just come back from the market and encountered Anna by the gate. Anna was denied entry by the security.

Lucy has worked with Leah for two years. Apart from Serena, Lucy has never seen any of Leah's other friends.

So, she did not dare to let her in and made the decision to ask Leah beforehand.

Leah was startled. She remembered that Serena went out of the country to travel two weeks ago, and has yet to return. Not to mention that Leah has no other friends in Linkville.

Looking at Leah's confused face, Lucy realized the woman at the door might be a deceiver.

"I will tell the security to chase her away."

Leah handed Carlotta to Lucy and turned to the door.

At the same time, Anna who was wearing full glam makeup was standing by the gate, and trying to convince the security to let her in.

Leah scratched her head, she had no idea how Anna ended up at her residence.

"Ms. White!"

Anna immediately saw Leah and waved enthusiastically to her.

Leah faked a smile and proceeded to tell the security to let her in.

"I'm so sorry for not letting you know in advance before coming. You don't mind, right?"

Anna was smiling brightly, and her sincere apology sounded convincing to Leah.

Leah finally knew why Han would fall head over heels for Anna. No man could reject an attractive and charismatic lady.

Compared to Anna, she was no one.

Leah looked down, she seemed to be quite upset.

"Why are you upset?" Anna asked.

Anna seemed to be very aware of other's emotions, and it made her think that she made Leah uncomfortable by coming too abruptly.

"No, how did you get my address?" Leah asked confusedly.

The Ford family was not the most influential and affluent in Linkville, but the location of their residence was quite hard to be found.

Who told Anna my address, I wonder?

"Ethan told me your address."

Her eyes flickered with joy whenever she talked about him.

The smile on Leah's face froze, as she nearly forgot that Anna was Han's fiancé. Anna could easily get all the information she need about Leah from her husband.

"I almost forgot…" Leah said awkwardly.

She quickly hid her disappointment and signaled Lucy to bring over some refreshments for Anna.

Anna glanced around the villa, and the smile on her face gradually faded. The design of the Ford family's villa was minimalistic which was highly identical to Han's one in Linkville despite being located in two different areas in Linkville.

Could it be an indication?

Leah handed Anna a porcelain mug.

"Ethan went to a meeting, so I felt bored. So, I thought I could come and visit you. You don't mind, right?" Anna asked.

Leah shook her head.

Anna seemed to care about Leah's mood very much.

"That's great!"

"A moment, please."

Leah went to the kitchen and took out the pancakes from the oven. Then, she took Carlotta upstairs and returned to the living room after giving orders to the helpers.

"Anna, are you here for something?" Leah stood straight as she looked into Anna's eyes.

Leah felt like she came here for a reason.

Anna did not beat around the bush, and she told her intention.

"Yes, how long have you and your husband known Ethan?

Anna knew that Han was from Linkville and aware that he had a certain history in the same town.

She tried to ask Han before but he refused to reveal anything.

Leah pressed on her mug, and her face turned white. After a moment of contemplation, she nodded her head.

"Yes, three of us knew each other back then."

"Can you tell me more about Ethan during that time?" Anna felt intrigued and moved closer to Leah.

"Well, nothing much. People who were in the community knew each other." Leah replied hastily.

She refused to let Anna know about her history with Han, as she did not want to put Han in an awkward position.

Sometimes a white lie can save lives.

Leah did not know how Han has become Anna's fiancé, but she knew it was not an easy journey. She could not ruin it for him.

"That's all?" Anna was disappointed by her answer.

"Yes." Leah nodded without any hesitation. She was very sure of her decision.

"I could feel that Ethan is not on good terms with Shawn, so I assumed that something happened between them back then," Anna said.

Leah knew about the love-hate relationship between Shawn and Han. Han never had the intention to treat Shawn like an enemy, but that was not the case for Shawn.

Two years ago, it was Shawn who ruined the relationship.

"Well, something happened before." Leah regretted it as soon as the sentence came out of her mouth.

"Was it because of you?" Anna smiled but gave Leah a suspicious look.

Leah could feel her heart drop, and Anna's intuition scared her.

"Haha, I'm joking!" Anna changed her stern expression and laughed.

Leah's face turned pale. She was not sure how to react if Anna asked more questions.

Should I tell her what happened between us?

"We should hang out more as Ethan rarely comes back to Linkville. I guess there won't be any more opportunities like this." Anna grinned.

Leah knew that she should have said no, but the heart wanted what it wanted…

Chapter 294 Random Inspection

“I’m not free. I still have to take care of my daughter.” Leah rejected Anna. She did not want to bother Han anymore.

Hearing that, Anna was stunned. It was only a few seconds later that she came back to her senses. “You have a daughter? You don’t look like a mother at all.”

Thinking of Carlotta, Leah could not help smiling. In fact, she wanted to abort Carlotta in the first place. However, she was glad that she did not do that. Carlotta was all she had now.

“That would be a pity!” Anna shrugged. She knew Leah was using her daughter as an excuse.

After chatting for a while, Anna wanted to leave. Nonetheless, Leah still invited her to stay back for dinner.

However, Anna pointed at the blue sports car in the yard and said regretfully, “I don’t think I can stay back for dinner. Ethan is here.”

Following Anna’s gaze, Leah saw the man’s jawline. However, she quickly looked away after taking a glance.

“Bye, and see you next time, okay?” Anna waved her hand and trotted over to the car.

Inside the car, Han stared at Leah at the door. It was not until he heard the sound of opening the door that he dropped his gaze.

Anna sat in the passenger seat and exclaimed, “Ms. White looks so young. But guess what, she’s already a mother!”

At first, Anna thought Leah was her rival. However, it seemed impossible then. How could a proud man like Han accept a woman with a daughter?

“Really?” Han gripped the steering wheel. His face darkened.

Leah had kept Carlotta a secret from everyone, and Han had no idea that she had given birth to her.

Somehow, Han wanted to meet Carlotta who had a blood relationship with him suddenly.

Han’s reaction was strange. Anna’s heart could not help but skip a beat. An idea flashed across her mind.

"What's wrong? You seem surprised.”

“No, I was not,” replied Han coldly.

In the car, Anna tried to find a topic to talk about. However, Han was not in the mood to talk.

Anna did not like Linkville. If it weren’t for Han, she would not have come here.

Too many things happened in Linkville, and Anna was worried that the longer Han stayed here, the more he did not want to go back.

Cautiously, Anna looked at Han and said, “We have to be back next month at the latest. We have to prepare for the engagement soon.”

In fact, Anna knew Han did not love her. However, at the thought that he would leave her for another woman, she just wanted to keep him by her side.

"Let's talk about it later."

Han turned the steering wheel and parked the car in the garage. Then he walked into the villa. Anna had to run to catch up with him.

Suddenly, Han stopped. He turned around and warned, “Don’t go to the Ford residence again.”

Hearing that, Anna was confused. She looked into Han’s eyes and asked, “But why?”

“Leah is not a simple person, and you’re too innocent. I’m afraid you’ll be used, and I don’t want you to get hurt,” Han blurted in the end.

“Really? Are you worried about me?” Obviously, Anna did not believe Han’s words.

Anna was the one who took the initiative to work with Han when he first arrived in Fetriybia. The two of them eradicated treacherous noble families and consolidated Anna's father's position.

Is he saying the opposite that he’s afraid someone will use me?

With a glint in his eyes, Han glared. He then walked upstairs silently.

In the study, Han dialed Alfred’s number. “Find some way to stop Shawn. The sooner, the better.”

After hanging up the phone, Han stood up from the sofa and looked at the yard in front of him.

Why did Shawn agree to keep the child?

At the lobby of one of the commercial buildings in Linkville, a stern man stood in front of the front desk. Behind him were a few men in black uniforms.

“Hi, we’re from the tax department, and we’re looking for Mr. Ford.”

The receptionist took a look at their badges and immediately called the president's office on the thirty- six floor.

"Mr. Ford, someone from the tax department wants to see you.”

“Bring them up,” answered Shawn immediately.

The moment the officials from the tax department came to the thirty-six floor, Shawn was already waiting for them at the door.

“Hello Mr. Ford, I’m Matthew Grey from the tax department. Nice to meet you.” Matthew stretched out his hand to shake hands with Shawn.

However, Shawn asked, his face darkened. “How can I help you, Mr. Grey?”

Shawn was surprised that the officials from the tax department came for a visit. He was not informed beforehand.

“Just for a routine inspection,” Matthew glanced around and said with a smile.

It was another official who came for the routine inspection the other time. Matthew was asked to come to the Ford Group all of a sudden.

In fact, Matthew did not want to come in the first place. He did not want to get involved in matters related to the Ford Group. Nonetheless, his superiors assigned him to come personally to perform a thorough investigation.

Seeing that Shawn stood still, Matthew’s face darkened. “Mr. Ford, you don’t seem glad to see me, do you?”

Hearing that, Shawn gave out a loud laugh. Although he had mixed feelings, he wanted to hide his emotions. “Of course, I’m glad to see you. Come, let me take you to my office.”

With that, Shawn brought Matthew and his men to the financial department.

When they arrived at the financial department, Shawn glared at his CFO and said, “They are from the tax department. Please assist and give them your full cooperation.”

"Thank you, Mr. Ford. Appreciated it.”

However, as soon as Matthew finished his words, he ordered his staff to begin the inspection.

Outside the window. Shawn stood still with his face darkened.

About half an hour later, Matthew took out a bag and carefully put the account book in it. He then looked at Shawn seriously and said, “Mr. Ford, I’m afraid you have to come with me to the tax office now.”

Hearing that, Shawn looked calm. It seemed that he had expected it. He followed Matthew out of the office slowly.

In the car, Matthew took out another bag and said, “Mr. Ford, please put your phone in the bag.”

“What if I say no?” Shawn sniggered.

“I’m afraid you can’t do that,” replied Matthew sternly.

Hearing that, Shawn had no choice but to take out his phone from his pocket.

“I’m just kidding.”

With that, he dropped the phone into the bag.

Chapter 295 Step Down

Matthew turned off Shawn’s phone and asked the driver to start the car engine.

In the Ford residence, Leah was playing with Carlotta in the living room.

With the doll in her arms, Carlotta looked in the direction of the door from time to time. Leah knew she was waiting for Shawn.

In the past two years, Shawn had been good to both Leah and Carlotta. Since Carlotta was born, he seldom worked overtime and came home to have dinner with Carlotta almost every day.

"Mommy, why isn’t Daddy home yet?" Carlotta asked. There was disappointment in her eyes.

Leah glanced at the time on her phone. It was already 7 p.m. By right, Shawn should be back.

“Maybe Daddy is still busy,” Leah explained and forced a smile.

Leah felt uncomfortable when Carlotta was so close to Shawn. Even though Shawn did not know if Carlotta was his daughter, he had been very good to her.

Carrying Carlotta up, Leah said, “I think Daddy is still busy at work. Let’s have dinner first, okay?”

“No, I want to wait for Daddy!” Carlotta pouted her lips.

Hearing that, Leah had no choice but to squat down in front of Carlotta again. “Carlotta, be a good girl

and have dinner with Mommy first, okay?”

In the end, Carlotta got up and went to the dining table. She had no choice but to eat without Shawn.

Leah breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that Carlotta did not make a fuss about not seeing Shawn.

After dinner, Leah let Lucy take Carlotta for a shower. Suddenly, her phone rang.

It was a stranger’s number. Leah hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer key.

“Hello?”

A husky man’s voice was heard from the other end of the line. “Hey, you can’t recognize my voice?”

Leah was stunned. It was Han.

Why is he calling me? Is it because of Anna?

Before Han could say anything, Leah hurriedly explained, “Don’t worry. I won’t meet Anna again.”

Leah was not interested in what happened between Han and Anna.

Hearing that, Han could not help but grip his phone tighter. His eyes suddenly filled with anger.

Why did she say that? Is she afraid that Shawn will misunderstand her?

“Don’t you dare talk to Anna again!” Han said coldly.

“I won’t, and I promised.” All of a sudden, Leah’s face turned pale. She knew she should not mention Anna’s name.

“Aren’t you curious why Shawn is not home yet?”

However, before Leah could ask anything, Han hung up which made Leah nervous.

Looking at the phone, Leah’s heart could not help but skip a beat. A bad feeling rose in her heart.

Han would not contact her for no reason. Did something happen to Shawn?

Thinking of that, she dialed Tom’s number.

“Tom, why is Mr. Ford not back yet? What’s going on?”

With that, Tom told Leah everything.

Hearing that, Leah’s face darkened. She knew it must be Han that the tax department suddenly took Shawn away.

“What exactly happened and how’s everything now? Tell me!” Leah came back to her senses and asked.

“I can’t even get in touch with Mr. Ford now!”

“Tom, come and pick me up. I need to go to the tax department myself.”

Tom reached the Ford residence in no time. As soon as he turned off the car engine, the door of the villa opened. In a formal suit, Leah walked out and sat in the backseat of the car.

Seeing Leah through the rearview mirror, Tom asked, “Ms. White, are you sure you want to go?”

“Let’s go there and decide later,” Leah replied. It must be something serious that the tax department took Shawn.

Inside the tax department office, Matthew glanced at both Leah and Tom who stood opposite him.

“Mrs. Ford, I can’t let you bail for Mr. Ford. It’s not going to happen.”

As soon as Leah arrived at the tax department office, she requested to stand bail for Shawn.

However, Matthew refused bail. His superiors had ordered that they could only release Shawn after a thorough investigation.

“But why? We can double the bail.”

Hearing that, Matthew’s eyes lit up. The Ford family was indeed rich. Nonetheless, he still shook his head.

“Mrs. Ford, are you trying to bribe me here? If that’s your intention, please drop the idea.”

Hearing that, Leah was stunned. In fact, what Matthew said made sense. Paying double for bail really

looked like a bribe.

Matthew waved his hand, “Enough and go back home. My colleagues have already begun the investigation. Perhaps Mr. Ford can go back in a few days.”

Leah and Tom exchanged looks. They had no choice but to walk out of the tax department office in disappointment.

“Let’s think of some other options.”

Even though Leah did not say it, Tom would look for other alternatives.

Time flies and it was one week since Shawn was taken by the tax department. The stock of the Ford Group fell greatly and everyone was wondering if the Ford Group was going to bankrupt soon.

“Ms. White, are you going to attend the shareholders’ meeting this afternoon?” Tom asked. He had been trying to stand bail for Shawn. However, no matter how hard he tried, the officials refused his request. They asked him to wait until the investigation was over.

“Yes, I will attend,” replied Leah as she rubbed her temple. She had to take care of the company when Shawn was not around. She had to repay his kindness.

At 1 p.m., Leah sat at the main seat in the meeting room.

“I don’t think Mr. Ford is coming.”

“We should think for our future. The share keeps dropping in the last few days. We can’t afford to lose

money like this.”

Several older shareholders began to complain. They wanted Shawn to step down. The shareholders only cared for their own benefits.

Hearing that, Leah’s face darkened. She scowled, “We’re in the same boat. Shawn made billions for the company in the past two years. Don’t you guys remember?”

The shareholders looked at each other, and finally, the man sitting next to Leah said, “Well, we all know Shawn is a very capable man. But he has been retained by the tax department for days. We’re not even sure if he’s going to be released. We just want him to step down so that someone else could replace him for the time being. We can’t let the company idle without a head, right?”