Ch. 251..260
Chapter 251
The fans who were initially drowning in their tears of sadness were now lively once more.
'Ahhh... It was all a joke after all. I was reading too much into it. Whew. Thank goodness it was a false alarm,' someone wrote.
Another person wrote, 'I was ready to accept the harsh reality that my idol fell in love with a rich, divorced woman. Is that not true? It's wonderful! I am no longer heartbroken!'
'I bet they must be very good friends, right? Otherwise, my idol would not have made a joke like that. I'm envious that Xyla Quest can be such good friends with my idol,' someone else wrote.
'Even if they are just friends, I still feel jealous, okay? I'm so envious that Miss Xyla Quest can frequently meet the man of my dreams,' someone wrote.
After going through some of the comments, Xyla satisfactorily exited Weibo. She then locked her phone and put it away before stepping on the accelerator. She intended to personally go to the police station to cooperate with the police on Mary Sullivan's investigation.
After having driven not too far away, Xyla got stuck in traffic. While she waited in silence for traffic to clear, she could not help thinking about what she would say to Josh Batton when they met each other. How could she reject him without hurting him or making him upset?
Josh was a very important asset to X Entertainment. If things turned sour between them, he might refuse to extend their contract once the stipulated period was over. It would be a huge loss to the company. Now, Xyla was more confused as to why Josh would even fall for a married woman. Why did he still confess to her even when he knew that she was married? Xyla did not think of him as being such an open- minded person.
Could Josh have believed the rumors online? Did he think that Xyla and her husband were in an open relationship? Regardless of what he thought, this situation was giving her a huge headache.
After much consideration, Xyla decided that the only way to resolve this was to speak to him personally. She would tell Josh that she and her husband were very much in love, and that it was impossible for the two of them to be together because she only thought of him as a friend...
Right then, the car in front of her began to move. Meanwhile, the car behind her was honking at her fervently.
Beep, beep, beep...
Xyla immediately came to her senses and stepped on the accelerator to drive forward.
***
After completing the report at the police station, Xyla slowly stepped outside and was prepared to return home for a document. Before she could get into her car, her phone began to ring. It was an unknown caller.
She immediately picked up. "Hello."
The voice that came from the other end belonged to Tony Sullivan, "Is this Xyla?"
Knowing exactly why he had called her, Xyla responded politely, "Yes, it is. How are you, Uncle Sullivan?"
"Where are you, Xyla?" asked Tony. Do you have time for a cup of tea? I'm near your office."
"I'm a little busy. Uncle, please cut to the chase," said Xyla politely in her usual gentle voice.
"Xyla, I'm very sorry for what Mary did. I would like to apologize to you on her behalf. Can you please let her off the hook for the sake of the good relationship between our families?"
Chapter 252
Chapter 252
"Xyla, although Mary went a little too far, don't you think sending her to prison is too harsh?" asked Tony.
Xyla snorted coldly. "Do you really think it's too harsh?"
"I think it is. All Mary did was get a few people riled up to yell at you. There wasn't any actual damage done."
Xyla could not believe that Tony had just said that. What did he mean there was no actual damage done? Weren't being verbally attacked and framed with ill intentions considered a form of damage?
"You weren't emotionally hurt. Therefore, you wouldn't understand how painful it is," said Xyla with a bitter smile.
"Okay, okay. Xyla, I understand. However, things have already happened. I'll apologize on her behalf. Please do me a favor and let her go, will you?"
Tony sounded very sincere, but Xyla knew that his sincerity was completely fake. She knew the Sullivan family better than anyone else. The only reason he sounded sincere was because he felt truly afraid that his daughter would be sent to prison.
"I'm sorry. I can't do that. Uncle Sullivan, if there's nothing else I can do for you, I'm hanging up," said Xyla before directly ending the phone conversation.
Immediately after she did so, Tony called her on the phone again. When Xyla saw the incoming call, she pressed the button to reject the call before starting her car and driving off.
She was well aware that rejecting Tony could result in what Mary warned her about. Tony might very well withdraw his investment from the project he and the Quest family were working together on.
The project in question was a property development in a high-end tourist area. It was a collaboration between the Quest family and the Sullivan family. In total, twenty billion dollars had been invested-twelve billion dollars from the Quest family and eight billion dollars from the Sullivan family.
This was a collaboration both families had agreed on before the Dragon Group withdrew their investment from the Sullivan family.
If the Sullivan family suddenly withdrew the eight billion dollars they invested, the project would certainly come to a temporary halt. Although the Quest family was wealthy, eight billion dollars was not an amoun they could fork up within a short amount of time.
Meanwhile, it would be no easy feat to look for new investors. After all, eight billion dollars was a huge amount of money.
However, Xyla was not afraid at all, because she had a lot of money. Although money could not solve all the problems in the world, it was enough to give someone the courage to do what they wanted to.
***
At the same time, in the Dragon Group CEO's office, Zack Cassidy looked respectfully at a man who was reading through documents.
"Fifth Master, the young madam has sorted out the problem on her own. Now, everyone is criticizing Mary Sullivan on the internet," said Zack with a serious look on his face.
The man he was talking to was dressed in a black shirt and a pair of matching black formal pants. With his sleeves rolled up slightly, there was a casual element to his outfit. His distinctive facial features seemed extraordinarily attractive under the bright sun. Although the sunlight was warm, it could not melt away the coldness about him. He was like a king in his own league.
Slowly, Stanley Batton looked up. After closing the spotless black folder in his hand, he smiled approvingly and picked up his phone.
"Fifth Master, I suggest that you don't go onto Weibo now," said Zack nervously.
Stanley did not say anything. Instead, he examined Zack's face carefully.
Feeling Stanley's gaze on him, Zack continued, "Some of the content might make you feel uncomfortable.
Hearing this, Stanley became even more curious. Without asking Zack what he meant, he immediately opened Weibo.
Chapter 253
Chapter 253
By then, '#Mary Sullivan Sent To Prison#' was topping the ranking of hottest searches, while '#Josh Batton And Xyla Quest Clear Up Rumors#' was in second place.
Upon seeing the second search result, Stanley's defined eyebrows pressed tightly together as the chill in his eyes became darker. He glanced at Zack before tapping on the search result. Zack looked anxious. "Fifth Master, let's... let's not look at it."
Stanley ignored him and started reading earnestly. After briefly understanding the story, his eyes were fixed on the words Josh Batton had declared previously.
'Xyla Quest seducing me? I think it's more like I'm the one trying to seduce her. You people think too highly of me.'
In an instant, Stanley frowned harder, a dangerous aura flashing in his eyes.
Zack let out a helpless sigh and pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose. "Fifth Master, please don't be angry. Perhaps Sixth Master just said that casually."
"Get Josh Batton over to see me at once," Stanley ordered coldly.
Zack sucked in a cold breath of air. "Sixth Master was never informed about what was happening in the family, and he doesn't know that Xyla Quest is your wife, so this is all understandable."
"I don't want to repeat my words a second time." Stanley's tone was firm, allowing no room for rejection.
Zack gasped again before simply calling Josh's number. However, the operator informed him that the call could not go through.
"His phone has been turned off. Sixth Master must be busy right now," said Zack. "He must be working. Our Sixth Master always turns off his phone during work."
"Then, keep calling until it gets through."
"Yes."
"And inform the detention center that Mary Sullivan must be severely punished. Whoever tries to lessen her punishment through bribery will face consequences," added Stanley. Zack nodded respectfully. "Understood, I'll get to it right away."
"Contact the Quest Group as well. Tell them our Dragon Group has intentions of investing. If they are in need, they can come to us at any time. Money isn't a problem."
Stanley shifted his gaze back to the hottest search ranking. Upon seeing Xyla mentioning that she was very lovey-dovey with her husband, the chill on his face melted slightly.
Zack was instantly surprised when he heard Stanley's orders. How could he not understand what Stanley's goals were?
The Quest Group and Sullivan Group were collaborating on a project together. If the Sullivan group threatened to recall their investment, Xyla might compromise and let Mary go. However, if the Dragon Group extended a helping hand at this moment, the Quest Group could very well ignore the Sullivan Group's threat when the time comes.
Zack never expected that their Fifth Master would go to such extents and even consider this detail.
"Alright, Fifth Master, I'll leave now to take care of things."
Having said that, Zack hurried away. He had just left when there was a knock on the door.
Knock, knock, knock...
"Come in," Stanley responded coldly. He picked up the expensive pen lying beside him and started signing his name on some documents in a grandiose manner.
Sharon pushed the door open and walked in.
Upon seeing her, Stanley quickly put down his pen, asking faintly, "Why are you here?"
Getting up, he went to sit in front of the coffee table with Sharon.
"How can I not come over after what Old Sixth publicly declared on Weibo? Don't you be angry with him. You know that since he entered the entertainment industry, he barely hears about what happens at home, and he's too busy to even come back. So, he only knows that you got married, but has no idea who your wife is. What's happening now is reasonable. I've already tried to call him, but it didn't go through," said Sharon.
Chapter 254
Chapter 254
"When I manage to get him on the phone later, I'll tell him about it and give him a good scolding, so that he gives up completely," said Sharon with a straight face.
"It's my business, I'll deal with it," replied Stanley.
"Don't! Let me do it," Sharon insisted.
She knew Stanley's temper well. Now that his little brother was eyeing his wife, even though Josh had no idea that Xyla was Stanley's wife, Stanley would most definitely be furious. If the two brothers faced each other like this, Sharon was worried that a conflict would arise.
"Just leave it to me, okay?" Sharon added.
"No need," Stanley answered without hesitation.
He had obviously made up his mind. Sharon knew that saying more would be futile so she compromised, "Then, promise me that you won't do anything to him."
"Don't worry," Stanley reassured.
Sharon let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, I'll hold you to that."
At the mention of this issue, Sharon was irked as well. However, the trigger was not only because Josh was interested in his sister-in-law. After all, the boy had not been informed about the things happening at home.
Part of her anger was because she felt like Josh was behaving too wildly. Even if he had no idea that Xyla was his sister-in-law, he should know that she was married, right? After all, Xyla's background had been exposed on the web, so Sharon believed that Josh must know.
Knowing that she was married, the boy still publicly made such a declaration on Weibo about trying to seduce a married woman. Weren't his moral values a little too twisted? This child had always seemed gentle and honorable, so why was he different on the inside?
How vexing! She had to contact him at once and fix his principles!
"Right, I'm here to talk about something else too. I do not wish for Mary Sullivan to receive such a simple punishment like imprisonment. She had the nerve to attack my daughter-in-law, so she'll need to pay a heavy price." Sharon looked stern. "She's really too much. Of all people, how dare she bully our Xyla."
"I'll make her pay," said Stanley.
"Alright then. I'll stop disturbing you and go to the spa. Carry on with your work," said Sharon, getting up.
"I'll see you out." Stanley got up slowly and saw her to the door.
***
After grabbing the documents from home, Xyla started her car, ready to head to the office. Just as she passed the Quest manor's gates, Jeremy called her and she answered it.
"Xyla, come home," said the voice on the other end.
Xyla immediately turned into the manor's gates before replying, "I happen to be at the gates. I'm coming back now." She hung up.
As soon as she drove into the yard, she saw a black Audi in front of the main mansion. She recognized this car as belonging to the Sullivan family. Seems like after he had failed to convince Xyla, Tony had now come to see her father instead.
Smirking, Xyla quickly stopped her car beside the black Audi and hurried inside. Upon entering the living room, she saw Jeremy sitting on the sofa watching television. There were a few cups on the coffee table.
Seated beside the older man were Tony Sullivan and Bailey Ronson. A few maids were busy at work behind them.
Chapter 255
Chapter 255
The atmosphere seemed awkward and sullen. Everyone's expressions were dark. Xyla could tell that the Sullivan family had laid out their conditions. Her father must have called her back to compromise. She remained unfazed and walked calmly over to them. "Uncle Sullivan, Aunt Ronson, you're here..."
No matter how annoyed she was with the Sullivan family, she had to remain polite on the surface. Tony and Bailey nodded at her indifferently.
Xyla strode over to Jeremy and sat down beside him, asking, "Dad, did you call me home for something?"
"It's not much, really. Your Uncle Sullivan and Aunt Ronson just want to apologize to you, so they made me call you back," said Jeremy.
"Oh, I see," Xyla replied faintly, shifting her gaze to Tony and Bailey.
"Xyla, I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. Can you let Mary go?" Bailey looked sincere.
"I've already told Uncle Sullivan what needed to be said when he called me. The answer is no," said Xyla.
"Alright then. Now that you've apologized to her in person, can you leave my house?" Jeremy added.
Her father's reaction surprised her. His tone was indifferent and his expression was dark. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be trying to get into a dispute with the Sullivan family at a time like this. They were still business partners after all.
Bailey got straight to the point, saying, "Mr. Quest, as in-laws, are you really planning to not show us any respect at all? Aren't you afraid that we'll withdraw our investment in that project?"
Since persuasion hadn't worked, she would use force instead. Her expression was starting to turn hostile as well. She seemed completely furious.
"Do as you please... If you're unwilling to cooperate, I'll just return your money. A mere eight billion isn't too much for me. Without the Sullivan Group, I still have other ways of getting the money," said Jeremy. Bailey stared incredulously at Jeremy. "Eight billion dollars isn't a small sum. Where are you going to get so much money in such a short time? If you can't get it, the project will have to be halted, and it'll lose money every day that it's stopped!"
Bailey never expected the man to be this resolute. At first, she had thought that Jeremy would relent the moment she brought this up.
Xyla was surprised as well. Her eyes were filled with shock, while the most tender part of her heart felt like it was being cradled firmly by a pair of hands. Warmth filled every corner of her heart.
So, her father hadn't called her back to force her into compromising with the Sullivan family. Instead, right before her eyes, he was trying to fight to give her justice. Without knowing it, her eyes started turning red. She had no idea how much resolve her father had to muster to make this decision, because this concerned the company's profits.
"So what? What crisis haven't I seen? Did you think I would get scared because of this?" Jeremy's tone was getting colder. "And stop calling us in-laws. Tom will soon be divorcing Emily."
The words flowing into Xyla's ears eased her heart.
Bailey looked baffled and enraged. "How would being so stubborn benefit you in any way?"
"It relaxes me. The daughter of Jeremy Quest is not to be so easily bullied. And since she was, the perpetrator will have to pay the price." Jeremy held Xyla's hand tightly. "Xyla, go ahead and do as you please. Dad will protect you at every cost."
In an instant, Xyla's vision was misted by tears. She nodded as thousands of words got stuck in her throat, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"Stubborn as a mule!" spat Bailey through gritted teeth.
Chapter 256
Chapter 256
"I've made my decision. You can do whatever you want to take revenge on me, but the Quest family are not pushovers," added Jeremy.
He was ready to turn against them completely, because what Mary had done was too much. He would stand up for his daughter indefinitely. If a man couldn't even support his daughter, how was he a man at all? A true man would never let those around him suffer any grievances.
"Alright... I announce that our family will withdraw our investment. Return our eight billion at once. Weren't you very strong-willed? I want to see how you'll get eight billion dollars in such a short amount of time. When the project has to halt and you're completely out of ideas, don't come and beg us," Bailey uttered every word through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with hatred.
Vrrt, vrrt, vrrt...
Just then, Jeremy's phone vibrated. Seeing that it was his assistant calling, he immediately answered.
Soon, the tender voice of a woman flowed from the other end, "Mr. President, someone from the Dragon Group has sent word that they're interested in investing in our company. They even said that if there is a need, we can look for them anytime, and that money won't be a problem."
"What? What group did you say it was?" Jeremy could hardly believe his ears.
Xyla was sitting close to Jeremy, so she could hear the contents of the conversation with much clarity.
The Dragon Group? The Dragon Group that was famous in Country Z?
Bailey was sitting close to Jeremy as well, so she, too, heard what Jeremy's assistant said. Those words were like a loud and resounding slap, colliding against her face. She had just declared that she would watch them make a fool of themselves. Who knew that the Dragon Group would contact them right after?
The Dragon Group. It was the Dragon Group!
If they willed it, forget eight billion, they could even fork out eighty billion or eight hundred billion. This unattainable tree that many people had racked their brains to climb was actually offering help to the Quest Group! Why them?
Bailey was truly shocked.
Jeremy shot her a glare before simply putting the call on speaker. "Did you say that the Dragon Group has approached us, saying they want to invest in our Quest Group?" he asked.
"Yes, Mr. President. They were very sincere, and said that you can request for as much as you want," replied the person on the other end.
Even Tony was shocked and baffled. They had no idea how amazing the Quest Group was, that even the Dragon Group would offer them money automatically. If the Quest Group accepted the Dragon Group's financial support to develop on a large scale, their future would be immensely bright!
By then, the Quest Group's assets and status would literally soar. They might even become the world's leading real estate developer. When that time came, would the Quest Group's social standing be higher than the Sullivan Group's?
If Tony offended the Quest Group now, and they grew to be even more outstanding in the future, wouldn't he be unable to get on their good side? At this, his flames of arrogance were extinguished completely. "Is this true?" Jeremy asked.
Chapter 257
Chapter 257
"Yeah, the president's assistant called our office personally. When he told us this, he sounded especially sincere. He even left his number with me, and said that you could contact him directly if you were interested," said the voice on the other end.
"Right, they also said that you can think of their investment capital as a loan. There's no need for shares or bonuses. Once we make money, we just have to return it with a little bit of interest," she added. Jeremy, Xyla, Bailey, and Tony were all utterly shocked.
Why was the Quest Group receiving such a windfall? The Dragon group only wanted to invest, without expecting any shares or bonuses in return. Their interest rates were even similar to a bank's. Were they doing charity? Why was something like this happening to the Quest Group?
"Send his number to my WeChat. I'll contact him in a bit," said Jeremy.
"Understood."
After that, Jeremy simply hung up. Happiness had arrived so suddenly. Right now, everything felt surreal, like this was all a dream.
The Dragon Group!
Oh, the Dragon Group!
An elite existence that none can easily attain!
Secretly pinching himself and realizing it hurt, he finally believed that this was real.
After this phone call, he instantly felt empowered. He glared at Bailey and Tony. "I'll have the cheque prepared and delivered to you guys later. I will return your eight billion dollars, not a penny less." Tony's expression immediately mellowed. "There's no need. I think let's just leave it at this."
Bailey said nothing as well and started smiling at them.
Seeing the blatant difference in attitude from the older couple, Xyla's lips instantly curved up slightly. Humans are truly realistic.
How could she be oblivious to their thoughts? Obviously, they thought that the Quest Group would soar with the help of the Dragon Group, and become far superior than the Sullivan Group. Hence, they were suddenly reluctant to offend them. This sudden change of atmosphere relaxed Xyla even more.
"There is the need... It's decided that we won't collaborate, and that's that..." Jeremy was firm. "If there's nothing else, I'm going upstairs to rest. Xyla, let's go. Accompany me up the stairs."
Having said that, Jeremy held Xyla's hand and got up to head upstairs. After the father-daughter pair left, Tony and Bailey returned to their car.
Once inside, Bailey looked at Tony, confused. "Honey, what do you think is going on?"
Tony was frowning hard. "How should I know? It's really baffling."
Bailey said, "Is the Dragon Group's president or chairman perhaps acquainted with Jeremy Quest? Why haven't we heard anything about that before? If they aren't deeply acquainted, how could the Dragon Group possibly go to such lengths? Have you ever heard of someone investing but asking for no shares in return? Forget the shares, they're even taking the least amount of interest in accordance with the bank."
Tony shook his head without the slightest clue. He was extremely envious of Jeremy for coming across such good fortune.
Bailey continued, "I think the Dragon Group meant it when they said that the Quest Group can get as much money as they want. If they get huge funding from the Dragon Group and manage to break through to new heights, then, don't you think we shouldn't let our son get a divorce? I think the Quest family will become more outstanding than us in the future."
Tony frowned. "The divorce will no doubt happen. But our connection with the Quest family shall not end because of this. If Xyla wants to teach Mary a lesson, then let her do it so that she feels better. We won' get involved anymore. We have to look ahead."
Bailey nodded, feeling aggrieved.
"I will think of a way to continue this collaboration with them. When Jeremy is no longer angry, I'll go see him again," Tony added.
Chapter 258
Chapter 258
Bailey nodded again. "Only, he might be unwilling to collaborate with us again. If we'd known, we never should have brought up withdrawing our investment. If we hadn't, we'd still be on good terms." She was now crying over spilled milk. If the two families were collaborating on a project, they would have a great many chances to meet. The initial awkwardness caused by Emily, Tom, and Mary would also be eased up slightly.
And when the Quest family truly became prestigious, the Sullivan Group could benefit a little from them.
***
Xyla followed Jeremy into his study. Jeremy led her to sit down at the side of the bed in front of the coffee table.
There was an expensive celadon tea set on the coffee table. The tea in the pot was still hot, with steam coming out of it. A faint, refreshing scent of Iron Goddess tea leaves rose together with the steam and enveloped their senses.
Xyla slowly poured Jeremy a cup of tea before placing it in front of him with both hands. "Thank you, Dad."
"What for? As your father, it's my duty to protect you," said Jeremy.
Xyla's eyes reddened again, feeling moved. "Dad, you're really great."
Jeremy caressed her hair affectionately. "Silly child, you are my precious daughter. Who would I treat well if not you?"
Xyla smiled as tears fell.
Jeremy pulled out a few pieces of tissue and wiped her tears as he said, "Look at your silly face. Why are you crying? Stop crying and dry your tears."
Sunlight beamed in through the windows, giving the entire room a warmer feeling.
Xyla sniffled before getting serious. "Right, Dad, why did the Dragon Group suddenly approach us? Why are we getting such a windfall? What do you think they're trying to pull?"
Jeremy shook his head. "I have no idea, but it's clear that they want to help our Quest Group."
"But, why do they want to help us? And their way of helping us is so unique. It's like doing charity." Xyla was confused. To her knowledge, their family had no connections with the Dragon Group whatsoever. "I don't know, but it's true that they're helping us," said Jeremy as he pondered.
"But, why would such a good thing happen to us? Dad, do you really not know anyone from the Dragon Group's higher management?"
Xyla looked mystified. She was still puzzled after thinking it over repeatedly.
"I really don't know," Jeremy answered in all honesty.
"That's weird..." Xyla was even more confused. "Is it possible that the number isn't even the president's assistant's number? That it's actually a fraudster? Are they trying to pull something to try and scam us?" Jeremy felt that her words made sense. He immediately called his assistant and asked, "What number did that person who called you use?"
"They used the Dragon Group's landline," answered the person on the other end.
"The Dragon Group's landline?" Jeremy repeated, subconsciously looking at Xyla.
Xyla was looking back at him. The Dragon Group's landline... That would mean the call was legitimately from the Dragon Group and not some fraudster.
"That's right. I've already sent you his mobile number, Mr. President. Please remember to contact him."
"Alright."
Jeremy simply hung up before looking at Xyla again. "Looks like it isn't a scammer. I'll call that president's assistant later. Don't worry, I'll tread carefully and not be cheated." "Okay, I trust you," said Xyla.
Her father had been in the business for so long, and had met with many crises and people. Even if there truly was a scheme, he would definitely not let himself get caught up in it.
Chapter 259
Chapter 259
"Alright, if there's nothing much, hurry on back to the company. I'll give that president's assistant a call," said Jeremy.
"Yeah, call me if anything happens," said Xyla as she got up.
Jeremy nodded, and Xyla left the room. Based on the current situation, it seemed like the Dragon Group was really planning to do charity by helping them. The possibility of this being true and not a scam was high.
At this thought, she suddenly felt like she was on cloud nine. Hopefully, this could all proceed as desired. But even if it didn't, she wasn't afraid, because she had the money they needed.
From the money she earned from X Entertainment, she had saved part of it and even invested some. Due to her good sense, her investments had been returned by a hundred folds. Since X Entertainment's establishment until now, her accumulated wealth was just around eight billion.
***
Back at the Quest Group, Xyla shut everything out as she immersed herself in work. This continued on until six in the evening. Looking up, she realized that the skies outside had gradually darkened as the city lit up in bright, coloured lights.
Pushing her swivel chair back, she lazily leaned against the backrest as she massaged her nose bridge, trying to relax. Taking out her phone, she saw that Georgie had called her three times. As her phone was on silent mode, she hadn't heard it ring at all. Hence, she simply called Georgie back.
Very soon, Georgie's voice flowed from the other end, "What's wrong? I called so many times but you weren't answering. If you kept ignoring me, I would have called the police." Her voice sounded relaxed, and there were hints of joy in it.
"I was busy with work..." replied Xyla.
"Yeah. It's nothing much, but I wanted to tell you that Mary Sullivan might be detained for a month because of this incident," said Georgie, chuckling.
"Very nice." Xyla laughed as well, feeling great.
"That idiot got her just deserts. And the leader of that Josh Batton's Wives group, Coffee Bean, called me earlier to apologize again. That girl was scared out of her wits, afraid that I was going to send her to jail It's the same for Mary's hacker friend, Paris Piglet."
"What did you tell them?" Xyla asked.
"What else can I say? I just asked if we've ever promised them anything. Say, you don't know how I got them to compromise so quickly back then, do you? I'll tell you, I..."
"Even if you didn't tell me, I can guess. You must have threatened and bribed them. First, you laid out the evidence to scare them, and then you offered money to tempt them," said Xyla with a laugh. Georgie chuckled again. "Yeah, that's right. That's how I did it."
"How much did you spend? I'll write it off for you."
"No need. It's just a mere hundred thousand. I'm paying it." Georgie's tone sounded joyful.
The smile on Xyla's lips deepened. "I'll transfer you the money later. I'm happy with just your regards."
"No. Why are you being so courteous with me?"
"It's money that you shouldn't be forking out, so you don't have to pay even a single cent. We're besties, so let's keep things clean between us," Xyla added. As the girls talked, Josh called.
Chapter 260
Chapter 260
Xyla put his call on hold before continuing to talk to Georgie. "Alright, alright, do as you please," Georgie said helplessly.
"That's settled then. I have things to take care of so I'm hanging up. Let's have a meal next time," said Xyla. She ended her call with Georgie and switched over to Josh's call.
"Where are you? Do you have time for dinner?" Josh Batton's voice sounded crisp and gentle as usual.
"Yeah, I'm at the Quest Group," replied Xyla.
"I'll come pick you up. I'll be there in half an hour."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Xyla browsed through a few more documents. When it was almost time for Josh to arrive, she swiftly touched up her makeup before pulling her hair up into a ponytail and went downstairs with her backpack.
Just then, a black Rolls Royce pulled up and stopped right in front of her. The car window rolled down, revealing Josh Batton's smile. He was driving so there was no one else in the car. "Get in," he said.
Xyla scanned her surroundings. Verifying that there was no one around, she got into Josh's car. The heater was on full blast, instantly warming her cold body.
Because of that phone call, being alone with him in this private space made her feel a little uncomfortable. It was awkward. However, she seemed unfazed and quickly put on the seat belt.
"I've reserved a restaurant. Let's go over now." Josh looked relaxed like nothing ever happened.
"Okay."
After hearing her response, he stepped on the gas pedal and merged into the flow of vehicles.
Inside the dark vehicle, as the dim street lights shone in, the light danced on his defined features and perfect face. His exquisite side profile was like a work of art, carved by the hands of god. She believed that god must have kissed him on the face.
One hand was controlling the steering wheel, while the other was propped up on the window sill. His posture seemed casual, but his driving was steady.
To reduce the awkwardness, Xyla accessed Weibo to check the hottest search ranking.
Right now, #Josh Batton's Obsessive Fans# was at the top of the list.
Seeing this, she quickly looked up to glance faintly at Josh before swiftly tapping into the search.
Once inside, she first saw a post from a huge marketing account, saying that after Josh had finished a magazine shoot today, he ran into some obsessive fans on his way out. The girls risked everything to rush over and pull his arm. They pushed away one of his bodyguards in the process, and managed to kiss the back of Josh's arm.
Below the description was a photo of the scene, clearly showing how chaotic it had been and how crazy those fans were. Looking at that photo was enough to make Xyla flare up in anger.
There was no longer any law or order shown. The comments section was filled with raging comments.
'Can all obsessive fans just die? Didn't your mothers teach you how to be a proper human?'
'Sobbb, my poor Josh. Can these people be apprehended? They're wasting oxygen when alive and wasting space in the ground when they die.'
'These people are brain dead, aren't they? F*ck, unhand my husband!!! AHHH! So annoying!'
Just then, the traffic light turned red and Josh stopped the car steadily before glancing at her. "What are you looking at?” he asked.
"At the news of you encountering obsessive fans," answered Xyla.