After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 136

61

10 vouchers

“It's not about being stubborn,” Jeffrey said, fully aware of everything he had done. “Sthings just have to be

done. | have to prove to them that | could actually keep the promises | made.”

“And then what?” Riley asked. “You may wreck your whole family just for that promise.”

Jeffrey's eyes darkened slowly. He didn’t say another word. “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.

Someone who doesn’t care about promises won't think it's impressive, even if you keep it,” Riley said, seeing

right through him. “They'll just think you're stupid and inflexible.”

“I think you handled it wrong, too,” Stanley said, taking a risk and speaking what he usually kept inside. “Your

family should cfirst.”

Jeffrey scanned their faces. “If you love preaching that much, why not get a new job?”

Stanley was speechless. Riley clicked his tongue. Jeffrey picked up the untouched glass of wine on the table and

downed it in one go. He set the glass down, stood up, and said, “I've got things to do. I'll leave first. Charge

it to me.”

He grabbed his phone and suit jacket and left the private room. Watching him go, Stanley rubbed his glass and

looked at Riley. “Aren’t you gonna say anything more?”

“No use,” Riley said. “What happened back then hurt him too much. He has an obsession with promises that no

one else can understand. You could say a thousand things, and he still wouldn't listen.”

Stanley’s expression darkened with complicated thoughts. “Are you sure Andrea is really his lifesaver from

childhood?” Riley asked. Something about it didn’t feel right.

“I'm sure,” Stanley said. “When he found out, he had it checked multiple times. Andrea has the scar from saving

him, and she really was at the scene back then.”

Riley thought for a moment, her handsface impossibly striking. “Can someone's personality really change

that much?”

As a child, she could risk herself for others. As an adult, she becselfish. No matter how much the

environment influenced her, it shouldn't have changed her that drastically.

“Jeffrey had thought about it, too,” Stanley said as he leaned back on the sofa. “He had even looked into

Andrea’s childhood. The neighbors all said she had been sensible and obedient when she was little, a truly good

child.”

“Did he check her whole background?” Riley asked again.

“They weren't planning to marry, so why check her life?” Stanley said, knowing Jeffrey’s ways. “He just

confirmed the details about her saving him.”

Riley stood up. Stanley looked puzzled. “What are you doing?”

“Going back to check something.” Riley clinked the last of her drink against his glass, finished it in one gulp, and

then finally spoke. “Remember to pay the bill later.”

12:27 Fri, Sep 26

Chapter 136

Stanley was speechless. He was still hung up on it. “Didn't Jeffrey say it would go on his tab?”

20 vouchall

Riley didn’t answer. She went back to her own place. She turned on the computer and started digging in detail.

She didn’t believe that someone capable of doing such a thing would have the courage as a child to rescue

someone from the river.

Half an hour later, she looked through all of Andrea’s records and couldn't help but furrow her brows. Based on

the information, aside from Andrea’s questionable character, there didn’t seem to be any real problems.

In the end, her attention locked onto the fact that Andrea and Rebecca had gone to the suniversity. After

sthought, she shut down the computer and stood up to find Rebecca.

At that moment, Rebecca was dealing with an uninvited guest. Seeing Richard sitting in her living room, she

grew impatient. “What are you doing here?”

She had not expected to see Richard outside her door when she chome, and she was even more surprised

that he shamelessly refused to leave. Even when she said she would call the police, he didn’t care at all.

And she knew she couldn't really call the police. Richard was her father. When the police arrived, she could not

say much against him.

“I cto have a heart-to-heart with you,” Richard said, trying to look fatherly. “You've been working, taking

care of your mom, and watching Samuel all this time. It's been rough on you.”

Rebecca didn’t believe a word of it. Richard pressed on. “Don’t you want to know why I left you and your mom

back then?”

Rebecca stared at him, waiting for him to give an explanation. Of course, he wasn’t going to spill it that easily

“I can tell you,” he said calmly, though there was a barely hidden ambition in his eyes. “But before I do, you

need to cwithsomewhere and get something.”

Rebecca shook her head immediately. “I'm not going.”

“It was your mom's place before she got married. Sof her things are still there,” Richard said.

Rebecca frowned, pushing down her emotions. “Then why didn’t | ever know about it?”

“Because all you ever did was goof off. What would you know?” Richard said bluntly. “That place only opens if

you go yourself.”

“I don’t have a key,” Rebecca said,

Richard's tone softened just a bit. “Your mom set it up with facial recognition and an iris scan. You have to press

once, and the door opens automatically.”

Rebecca felt genuinely confused. Logic said it sounded unlikely, but what May had told her made it seem at least

a little plausible. She felt torn.

“If you don’t believe me, ask May. She knows, too,” Richard added.

12:27 Fri, Sep 26

Chapter 136

2900

Right in front of him, Rebecca pulled out her phone and sent May a message, keeping an eye on her dad the

whole time. He had no reaction and no flinch. Could this really be true? the wondered.

As the thought crossed her mind, the message went out: [May, do you know if my mom had a property before

marriage set up with my facial recognition?]

May saw it and called her immediately. She answered all of Rebecca’s questions without hesitation. Of course |

know. Why are you asking all of a sudden?”

“Where is it?” Rebecca asked carefully.

“Next to Section 3 of Jelasburg Avenue, about three to four miles from Rebecca’s Manor, May replied. Then she

asked in surprise, “Wait... you didn’t know?”

“No,” Rebecca said.

“Amelia never told you?” May asked, surprised.

Rebecca shook her head, even though May couldn't see it. “No.”

“Maybe she figured that run-down place didn’t matter compared to Rebecca’s Manor, so she never mentioned it,

May said. She could understand Amelia’s reasoning. Rebecca’s Manor was extravagant, practically a real

manor.

Walking through it, one probably couldn't see everything in half an hour. Rebecca felt conflicted. She had no idea

how much her mom had kept hidden.

“Why the sudden interest?” May asked again.

“My dad ctoand toldto go with him-" Rebecca started, glancing at Richard, but he snatched the

phone out of her hand before she could finish and ended the call.

His face showed clear impatience. “Now that it's confirmed, cwithto get the stuff,” he said.

Rebecca reached for her phone, but Richard held it tight, refusing to give it back. “Get the stuff first,” he said,

putting her phone behind his back, making his intentions clear. “I'll give it back when we're done.”

“You just said it’s my mom's property from before she married. How could your things possibly be inside?”

Rebecca ignored his demand, her tone sharp and challenging.

0

AD

Comment

Send gift

No

word

word

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1

mmMwWLIiI0fiflO&1