Ch. 406..410: The Secretly Rich Man Chapter 406-410
Chapter 406
Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 406 Douglas called out to her, but Leila replied, “That’s alright. You go on without me. I’ll find my own ride home!” With that, she hailed a passing cab, and departed—leaving Douglas dumbfounded by the side of the road.
He already knew what was wrong—and he blamed Gerald for it!
Some time later, Gerald and Cindy finished their meal together, and exchanged their contact numbers. Then he called for a cab to send her home.
Gerald stepped into the karaoke bar next door to have a look. Everyone had left, and the bar had closed for the night.
He hadn’t expected this to be such an eventful day. He was exhausted.
Hailing a cab for himself, he returned to the hotel where he was staying. The moment he stepped into his room, his phone rang again. It was that unknown caller who’d tried to reach him while he was at the restaurant earlier.
Who could it be? Curious, Gerald took the call.
“Gerald, what’s going on? Why didn’t you pick up?” It was a lovely, feminine voice. Gerald was taken aback when he recognized who was speaking.
“Giya? It was you calling?” he exclaimed, baffled.
It had been half a month since term break started. Gerald had spent most of this time in the hospital looking after Mr Winters. Perhaps because of what had happened on the first day of term break, Giya hadn’t spoken to him at all since.
Gerald had been thinking that it was just as well. And so, they’d severed contact with each other.
He hadn’t been expecting to get a call from her.
“Hmph. Surprised? I’m calling you from the landline phone in my room. So what am I to make of you not contacting me all this while? Are we not friends anymore?” Giya grumbled.
“Nothing like that… I’m just shocked that you called me!” Gerald responded wryly.
“And just what’s wrong with me calling you?” Giya asked teasingly.
“Well, I’m not some rich guy… just a poor loser with no money!”
“I won’t allow you to talk about yourself like that!” she snapped.
“It’s true! Most girls say that about me!”
“Most girls. I’ve never looked down on you—if anything, I think more of you than all those rich brats. I know you were only treating me that way for the sake of your girlfriend. If not for her, you’d be much nicer to me, isn’t that so?”
“Something like that…” For lack of anything better to say.
Truth be told, a girl like Giya, gorgeous and charismatic, with a heart of gold… Any man would be lucky to have her as their girlfriend.
But Gerald already had Mila. Though he admired Giya… it wasn’t like that.
“Was there some reason you called me?” Gerald inquired.
“I can’t call you without a reason? Well then… No, no reason! Hang up, won’t you?” Giya’s tone was sharp as a knife.
Doot… doot… doot…
As instructed, Gerald hung up. A moment later, she called back.
“What the hell? Why did you do that? You’re killing me, here! Look, something’s come up, alright? Something big!”
“What is it?”
“I’ll pay you a visit tomorrow at your place—and then I’ll need to stay for a few days. Is that cool? Hello, Gerald? Can you hear me?”
Chapter 407
What was that?” Gerald couldn’t believe his ears. Stay a few days, at his place? How would he be cool with that? He talked to Mila every day, and on that note: He was spoken for right now—just that his girlfriend was abroad at present—and yet he’d be living together with another woman? Even if the rest of the world was cool with it, Gerald certainly wasn’t! What madness was this? “No way, forget it!” he answered. “Oh… haha, it’s alright… I thought someone would be willing to help me, but I get it now…” Giya’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “Has something happened over there?” Gerald asked, intrigued. Come to think of it, Giya was hardly the sort of girl to suddenly run off to crash at some guy’s place for a few days without rhyme or reason. Had she fallen for him?
Hah! As though Gerald thought that highly of himself… He was only asking out of curiosity. After a pause, Giya suddenly announced, “I’m getting engaged!” “Oh, congratula—” As Gerald began to respond to this, he suddenly realized there had been something odd in her tone. Changing tack, he instead tried, “That’s wonderful news! Who’s the lucky fellow?” “Yacob Lincoln. My dad’s business has recently hit some rough waters, so he’s hoping to win the patronage of the Lincoln family to help us get through this. Meanwhile, Yacob’s been after my hand, and when his dad brought up the subject of us getting married… well, Yacob’s dad helped save my mom, too—so my dad said yes! Now I’m engaged to Yacob! “But I don’t want to be engaged to anyone, you know? This whole thing feels like a nightmare! I had so many plans… I didn’t think I’d even consider marriage until I was thirty! But here I am, not even finished with university yet, and already engaged to somebody—somebody I don’t like! I just don’t know what I should do!” “I’m looking for a place to hide—but Yacob knows all my friends, and he’ll definitely be able to find me
through them—that’s why I came to you, but you’re leaving me out to dry!” Somewhere along the way, Giya had started sobbing. Gerald felt he more or less understood, now. Indeed, it was a heavy burden for anyone to have to bear. Furthermore, it wasn’t as though her predicament had nothing at all to do with him… After all, when Giya’s mother was saved, the one behind it had actually been Gerald. He’d kept quiet about that, in order to minimize his involvement with Giya. Turns out, the Lincolns had taken full credit for it, and had been holding it over Giya’s family. In that sense, it was also Gerald’s fault that Giya had now been forced into her current dilemma! So, now what? It was obvious that Giya was seeking asylum somewhere—and that, by running away from home, she hoped to apply pressure upon her father. That was why she’d sought him out. If he turned her away, would she be forced into that marriage, after all? To be perfectly honest, a girl like Giya falling into the clutches of a guy like Yacob, it was akin to feeding caviar to pigs. Even Gerald himself considered it a crime against nature. If he agreed to help her… how would he explain it to Mila? But he already knew that he’d never forgive himself for abandoning Giya now. He’d planted these seeds himself—now he had to reap the harvest! “Alright, you can come stay with me,” Gerald said, “But I’m not at my family home—I’m staying in the city. Also… Once this matter has been settled, out you go!” Since he was the one to blame for all this, it naturally fell to him to resolve the problem. The solution was simple: He’d reveal his true identity! Problem solved. It would be okay to let Giya come over, because he had it all planned out. Giya was jubilant. “Alright! You got it! Thanks, Gerald! You’re the best! Don’t worry, I’m only doing this to give my daddy a scare! Once he annuls the engagement, we’ll be in the clear!” After the call ended, Gerald had some thoughts about the nature of impropriety. Well, too late for regrets—he’d already said yes! Anyway, he was renting a suite here, which was convenient for having guests over—besides taking
care of Mr Winters, he also had to meet with Zack Lyle and the others regularly. It wasn’t merely a one- bedded room. Gerald had decided to drop the ruse with Giya, and let her know who he really was! First thing the next morning, Giya arrived by train. Gerald drove to the station in his Mercedes-Benz G500 to get her. If not because he’d left it behind at the Mountain Top Villa, he would have taken his Lamborghini instead. If he was going to reveal his big secret to her, as part of helping to resolve this matter, Gerald was sure that all he needed to do was show off a little.
Chapter 408
Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 408 He parked the 4WD outside the train station. As expected, it attracted a lot of attention. There were even some girls coming over to snap pictures on their phones.
After all, this was a car that cost over three hundred thousand dollars!
“Oh, wow! A G500 here in Serene County? Who’s inside? Must be some rich kid!”
“Gosh… Hey, how do I look? What if he gets off the car, and falls for me at first sight? What will I do?”
“Hahaha! Get over yourself!”
“Girls, let’s go over there and say hi!”
The girls whispered amongst themselves, giggling out loud every so often.
Just then, an old woman of eighty approached the girls and said, “Whoever owns that car must be loaded, I guess?”
“Of course! The G500 goes for over three hundred thousand dollars! What’s up, grandma? Hoping to catch a big fish? He’s probably some young lordling, though…” The girls chortled with laughter.
“So what if I’m old? I’ve still got just as much right to flirt around. Hmph!” the old woman replied flippantly.
Saying so, she began to hobble towards the car. The girls followed after her.
A crowd was growing outside the train station. More and more people were gathering to look.
Inside the car, Gerald sucked in a deep breath. This should be the first time he’d ever made such a show of himself.
He’d always kept a low profile before this. He admitted to some excitement over the occasional moment in the limelight.
How would he describe these feelings? He’d been waiting three years for a moment like this. He was going to make a statement—not about how great he was, but about how he was going to get back everything he’d lost!
Hahh…
Gerald put on his sunglasses, and withdrew the car keys from the ignition.
Time to make his debut.
Wham! When he opened the door, he seemed to hit something. A moment later, there was a cry of agony.
A white-haired old woman was sprawled across the ground outside, her cane still rolling away from her.
Good heavens! Gerald stared in shock.
“Young man, ahh… I hope your car’s alright…” the old woman mumbled in fright, still prone on the ground.
“What’s happened here?” Someone arrived on the scene immediately. The crowd surged forward.
“Hah! What do you think happened? When that young man opened his door, he knocked that old woman down—but I saw that she was lying in wait beforehand… and rushed forward just as he was getting out! It’s a scam!”
“So that’s how it is!”
But other onlookers continued to arrive, ignorant of what had really happened.
“Goodness, how could that guy be so careless? Repairing a G500 is gonna cost an arm and a leg!” someone remarked.
Annoyed, Gerald stepped out of the car to help the old woman to her feet.
“Don’t touch me! It’s no concern of yours! I fell down all by myself!” the old woman wept. “I live all alone by myself, no sons or daughters… I simply can’t pay you back for your car!”
“Hmph! Don’t you worry, ma’am! Being rich doesn’t make him untouchable! Even a rich man has to pay for injuring somebody! He opened the door and knocked you down, isn’t that right? Rest assured, ma’am—we’ll get you justice!” There were some hot-blooded youths, hollering with fury.
Soon, the police arrived on the scene, and dispersed the crowd.
Although the old woman had tried to set him up, it couldn’t be denied that he’d knocked her down with his own hand. She was sent to the hospital, and Gerald was brought to the police station so they could take down a statement from him, that sort of thing.
Gerald was on the verge of tears. Why was any of this happening?
It took forty minutes to settle everything. Gerald even gave some money to the old woman.
Leaving the police station, he got a call from Giya: “Didn’t you say you’d be picking me up from the station? Where are you?”
“Oh! I’m on my way right now!” Gerald spluttered.
“Forget it! I’m already in a cab, heading to your place!”
Chapter 409
Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 409 “Gerald, I bought these fruits for you. I’ve already washed them, so come over and eat them!” Giya set a tray of fruits down upon the coffee table, then took an apple herself and began munching on it as she watched the television. Rather than a runaway fiancée escaping an arranged marriage, Gerald thought she looked more like she’d come for a pleasant holiday. He’d returned half an hour ago. After helping Giya get settled in, he’d gone to take a bath. At the moment, he wasn’t sure what to say about this relaxed, untroubled mood she was in. Regarding the luxurious suite he was in, Gerald had only mumbled some throw-away excuse so far. His earlier attempt at theatrics had flopped, and now he was no longer in the mood. Imagine bringing it up out of nowhere…
Gerald took a seat. “So, about your engagement… I think it’s best to talk things through with your father. Certainly, you can’t keep running away from it forever. The trouble with his business will ease in time—surely it’s not worth sacrificing his daughter’s happiness forever?” Anyway, if the Quarrington family was facing any financial issues, he could simply make an investment in their interests. “I get that… but it’s not as simple as you think! Gah, I finally managed to calm myself down a little— could you not keep bringing that up?” Giya sulked at him. Then, with a simpering smile, she said, “Gerald, I haven’t seen you in a while… Your skin’s turned fairer, and you’ve become so handsome now!” “Is that so…” Gerald chuckled dryly. That was when Giya’s phone rang. It was easy to see that she didn’t want to pick up, but after a moment, she did. “What is it? I already said I’m not going back! Don’t try to find me, either! I’m not coming home until you call this whole thing off! There’s no way I’m marrying him! I don’t like a single thing about him! In fact, I
despise him! And I don’t plan to get hitched so soon, whatever you say! I’m doing just fine over here! If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up!” Giya tossed the phone down on the table, in abject misery. Gerald had heard it all. That had most likely been her father, trying to persuade her to return. And then Giya’s phone rang again. “Argh, so annoying!” Giya testily snatched up her phone once again. “Didn’t you hear me? Oh, it’s you, Tammy…” Giya eased off a little. Setting the phone to speaker mode, she laid her hands on her lap, and her head on her knees, and the two girls began chatting. “Giya, you didn’t really run off to Gerald? You know, just now your dad even called my dad, asking if you were here! He’s asked all the girls from our dorm, too! He’s worried sick!” Tammy burbled. “Yeah, I’m with Gerald right now. Let him worry… as long as he knows there’s no way I’m marrying that guy!” “Mm-hmm… Hey, I’ve got nothing going on right now. I know some people over in Serene County, too. How about I come over there to hang out with the two of you? Now that the two of you are an item, Gerald owes us all a treat, surely… Hahaha, you know… for Gerald to become your boyfriend, it’s truly a case of scattering pearls before—” Tammy was spilling all the beans right now! Giya turned off the speaker in a hurry—and then, with infinitesimal care, she stole a peek over at Gerald, who sat there in stunned silence. Indeed, Gerald was thunderstruck! Exactly when did he become Giya’s boyfriend? What had this girl been telling everyone? Some moments later, Giya finished with her phone call, then came back. Sheepishly, she said to him, “Gerald… they all know I’m with you right now. I didn’t want to raise a scandal, so I also told them that you’re my boyfriend. You don’t mind, right?” Gerald shook his head. “Not at all!” What else could he say? “Also, Tammy said she’d be swinging by in a bit. She’s got a relative staying in these parts—let’s all go out and have some fun together! I mean, if you don’t go, then they might start to think…” Giya was pleading with him.
“Alright, I’ll go!” Since he’d already promised to help her, he couldn’t very well refuse. It was almost noon when Tammy arrived with a younger cousin sister—a high school girl from Mayberry.
Chapter 410
Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 410 Tammy’s car was a handsome Camry. The very first thing she said to him was, “Hmph! Gerald Crawford… to think that a bottom-feeder like you could snare yourself a goddess like Giya—what a dream come true for you!” “Yes! Yes, indeed!” Gerald nodded. “Huh? Tammy, this guy is Giya’s boyfriend? Ah… what is this world coming to?” Tammy’s cousin clutched her forehead, staggering in place. After all, anyone who knew Giya, knew that she was a beauty among beauties, a goddess among goddesses. No one would have expected her to find someone like this to be her boyfriend.
It seemed that Tammy and her cousin were of like mind. They stood there now, scowling contemptuously at Gerald. ‘Wipe those dirty looks off your faces!’ Gerald thought to himself. “Alright, that’s enough,” Giya cut in. “Oh, Tammy—didn’t you say you had a bunch of distant relatives here in Serene County? Are they not joining us?” As she said this, she hugged Gerald’s arm tenderly… and also rolled her eyes at him, as though to say, ‘There, you see! Everyone thinks you hit the jackpot, scoring a girlfriend like me! But some people don’t seem to appreciate their good fortune!’ “Oh, they’re coming. I just got off the phone with them—they were asking me where we’d be eating, you know? Gerald, what have you got planned for lunch?” Tammy’s tone was kind of sharp as she posed this question, as though Gerald’s relationship with Giya came as some sort of affront to her. As though she held some sort of grudge against him. Indeed, Tammy didn’t hold Gerald in high regard. She grew up in the cosmopolitan city; he was a country bumpkin. He was simple and poor, a lightning rod for ridicule. The thought of him becoming a mainstay of her inner circle… she just couldn’t stand it! With a grimace, Gerald replied, “On the subject of lunch… just leave that to me! There’s a decent place
here in Serene County, called Mead Hall. Let’s eat over there!” “Hmph! You should have told us that earlier! Come on, Giya! We’ll go in my car!” And so they found their way to Mead Hall, the finest restaurant in Serene County, frequented mainly by the rich and powerful. When they arrived, Tammy announced with a mysterious air that she needed to find a place to park her car, and wanted Giya with her. Gerald was to go ahead and reserve a table for them. Since that had been his intention all along, anyway, Gerald went inside and asked for a table for eight. Rather than having any private dining rooms to offer them, all the patrons were seated in the same enormous hall together. Just as a table was found for them… “Oh, gosh! Is that you, Gerald?” someone called out. “It really is him! What’s he doing in Mead Hall?” A group of young men and women, halfway through their own meal, exclaimed with surprise when they spotted him. Gerald turned when he heard someone calling his name, and saw six or seven people sitting together over there. Not just anyone, either—they were his classmates from high school, including Morgana Lopez and Cameron Laver. What a coincidence! Almost as though…