Chapter 707 Cherishing Each Other
Yerek was eager to sell off his domestic assets and leave the country to maintain a low profile. However, his plan was far from easy and presented many challenges.
Not only did Nathaniel covertly intercept the projects Yerek had painstakingly negotiated, but he also tarnished his company’s reputation when he decided to sell it, making it difficult for
anyone to take over his business ventures. His debt was also growing by the day.
The assets left to him by Nigel were not sustainable in the long run. If he still failed to get out of the situation, his overseas company would inevitably suffer.
“Don’t underestimate Nathaniel. The fact that he hasn’t caused trouble for me doesn’t mean he can’t find the time to do so. Perhaps he’s just biding his time for a grand move,” Yerek said, unwilling to waste more words on Emilia. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll be going abroad for a while. You might as well find a safe place to hide for some time. Once the situation calms down, I’ll inform you to come back.”
Rather than going into hiding to ensure her safety, Emilia chose to take risks and stay put to witness the unfolding drama. “I don’t want to go into hiding. I can simply stay indoors. They have no evidence against me, so they won’t be able to harm me in any way.”
Glancing at Emilia with a mocking expression, Yerek responded indifferently, “Suit yourself. But if things go south, don’t you dare drag me down with you.” He extinguished his cigarette and casually tossed it out of the window. “You can get out now.”
Nevertheless, Emilia refused to leave. Yerek knitted his brows. “Is there anything else you want to talk about?”
Emilia attempted to put on a friendly facade. “Yerek, you’re worried that I might cause you trouble, right? How about this? I have plans for plastic surgery, but it comes with a hefty price tag. Considering your recent financial success, I thought maybe you could lend me some money?”
Yerek’s face instantly turned grim, and he could not help but raise his voice. “Do you take me for a money-printing machine? I can’t just conjure up any amount you desire. At most, I can give you one million. It’s up to you to figure out how to cover the rest of the expenses.”
One million would not even cover the most basic plastic surgery at a high-end hospital, let alone the expenses for postoperative recovery and adjustments.
After losing her job in the entertainment industry, Emilia did not have enough savings to support her lavish lifestyle. She had no choice but to explore other channels to make money.
“Yerek, that’s not enough. Can’t you give me a bit more?” Emilia attempted to use her charming tactics to entice Yerek into providing her with additional funds, but Yerek was not
swayed by her ploy.
“It’s not my problem that you don’t have enough money,” Yerek sneered. “I do have a solution that can save you some money, though. It depends on whether you’re willing to do it.”
Emilia’s
eyes
lit up with curiosity. “What is it?”
“I know an expert in 3D printing technology, and he specializes in creating hyper-realistic masks. I can write a recommendation letter for you, and you can visit him to get a custom made mask. It’ll save you time and effort, and you’ll avoid unnecessary complications. It perfect solution,” he explained.
Upon hearing that, she frowned. Isn’t that something Anya had tried before? How could he propose a plan that had already failed? What is he thinking?
Noticing the concern in her eyes, Yerek reassured her, saying, “You’re smarter than Anya. I’m confident that you won’t make the same mistakes she did.” D
Emilia found herself inexplicably stirred by a sense of competition, nearly losing herself in desire, and impulsively agreed without much thought. “Give me the person’s contact information then.”
A small smirk appeared on one corner of Yerek’s lips as he retrieved a business card from his wallet and passed it to Emilia. He reminded her, “He doesn’t like to handle a big crowd, so you’ll have to visit him alone.”
“Got it,” Emilia replied, cradling the business card as if it were a precious treasure.
Meanwhile, at Hadley Corporation, Christina and Victoria took the CEO-exclusive elevator straight to the top-floor office.
Since Sebastian had received Victoria’s message, he had been waiting outside the elevator doors.
As soon as Victoria spotted Sebastian, her emotions surged. Without a moment’s hesitation, she flung herself into his arms in front of Christina. “I’m sorry, Seb. It’s my fault that my brother caused trouble for you. Did he give you a hard time? Did he hurt you? Let me see if you’re injured.”
“I’m fine. Let’s go somewhere else. It’s not convenient to talk here,” Sebastian said.
Victoria nodded obediently, seemingly oblivious to Christina’s presence.
Christina casually cleared her throat. “There’s something I need to discuss with Nathaniel. You guys go ahead.”
Sebastian
expressed his gratitude. “Thank you, Mrs. Hadley.”
“You’re welcome. We’re still looking forward to attending your wedding. Mr. Taggart, don’t keep us waiting,” Christina teased with a grin, and without looking back, she turned and walked toward the CEO’s office.
Sebastian held Victoria’s hand and walked her to the
pantry.
Nathaniel was in the middle of a video conference that could not be interrupted when Christina entered the office. She sat in the lounge area, scrolling her phone and patiently waiting for him to finish his meeting.
Christina logged into her social media account and discovered that all the rumors and gossip surrounding Sebastian and Victoria had vanished from the internet. Even the previously trending posts about her being reprimanded had mysteriously disappeared without a trace.
“What are you looking at? I’ve been calling your name without getting a response,” Nathaniel said as he walked over and sat beside her. He could not help but notice that her phone was displaying a celebrity gossip site. “The Lesleys found it embarrassing, so they went to great lengths and spent a considerable amount of money to erase all the online reports. And regarding the troubles you caused, I’ve already entrusted the PR department to handle them.”
Earlier that morning, Nathaniel had overheard conversations among employees. That was how he came to learn about the peculiar online tactics Christina had employed.
Nathaniel was both mad and amused. It seemed that his reminders to Christina over the past few days had fallen on deaf ears.
However angry he may be, and regardless of the magnitude of the mess his wife had caused, Nathaniel knew that he still had to assist her in cleaning it up.
“I’m sorry, but if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would still do the same thing.” Christina responded with a hint of dissatisfaction. “Sebastian and Victoria have genuine feelings for each other, and they haven’t done anything morally wrong. So, why should they endure the mockery of the online community?”
Furthermore, she could not simply stand by and let people criticize Victoria without taking any action.
“Just a while ago, Preston approached me. He had this idea of discreetly convincing Sebastian to end his relationship with Victoria in order to mitigate the rumors and salvage the Lesley family’s reputation,” Nathaniel explained, his indifference evident in his tone. “But I turned down his proposal and didn’t allow him to meet with Sebastian. I’m planning to relocate Sebastian to our international branch and focus on developing his ability to handle things on his own.”
With the scandal in full swing, it seemed that the best choice for the Lesley family was to send Victoria overseas.
Nathaniel had no intention of intentionally keeping Sebastian and Victoria apart. His action would be contingent upon the Lesley family’s decision on Victoria’s overseas destination. Given the extensive global reach of Hadley Corporation, with subsidiaries and operations spanning various countries and regions, Nathaniel had the flexibility to align Sebastian’s transfer accordingly.
He understood that the Lesleys might eventually see through his plans, but he remained undeterred, confident in his ability to navigate any obstacles they might present.
“There’s something still bothering me, Nat. I don’t think Preston will give up so easily.” Christina voiced her concern.
