"Ms. Barlow, long time no see."
Observing the varied expressions of the people staring at him, Brandon greeted them with a neutral expression.
Dennis managed a smile, “Yes, Mr. Crawley, long time no see."
Brandon's gaze fell on his rather pale face, "Ms. Barlow seems to be in a hurry. Where are you heading?"
"It's... there's this pretty important meeting, I'm about to be late," Dennis said with a strained smile.
"Is that so?" Brandon's lips curled slightly, but his eyes had already shifted to Jerry, who was watching him with confusion.
Jerry had participated in the search and rescue on the night of Sophia's incident and had crossed paths with Brandon. He thought highly of him, seeing him as a boss who didn't put on airs and showed gratitude toward his employees. Especially since Brandon didn't point fingers after the accident and even doubled the pay for those who helped with the search efforts, Jerry held Brandon in high regard, even harboring the sneaky suspicion that Brandon was a somewhat naïve and wealthy benefactor.
Jerry had rubbed elbows with plenty of rich kids who had their parents' money to play boss without any real skills. He assumed Brandon was one of this sort.
But as a mere construction worker, Jerry hadn't had the chance to interact with Brandon since that day.
He was keen on making connections with wealthy but gullible individuals, as they were easy to handle.
So when Brandon looked his way, Jerry, with a sycophantic smile, eagerly greeted him, "Mr. Crawley."
Brandon gave a faint nod, "Aren't you busy at the construction site? What brings you here?"
The words clearly showed he remembered him.
Jerry was a bit surprised, but he couldn't very well openly say why he was there—the taxi driver said Dennis and Gordon wanted to see him, and he had yet to ask them why. He cut off work with a family excuse, and he couldn’t risk Brandon’s cross-checking his story with Tomas. Weighing his options, he chose what he believed to be a safe response to Brandon, "Just here to have a meal with friends."
He figured someone like Brandon wouldn't press further, just making small talk. But Brandon glanced at him and zeroed in, “A meal with Ms. Barlow and Mr. Barlow?”
His voice was casual, almost indifferent, making it hard to discern the intention behind his words.
Jerry was startled, instinctively looking at Dennis.
Fearing Jerry would admit to it, Dennis quickly chimed in with a smile, "No way, we just..."
Marian cut in at the perfect moment, "Dad, so you already had plans? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I thought you'd be bored alone in the hotel, so I came here to keep you company even on a sick leave."
Her voice conveyed confusion and a playful complaint.
Brandon glanced at her.
Marian's expression seemed to playfully reproach Dennis for not informing her of his schedule earlier, but in reality, she was reminding him not to deny knowing Jerry. After all, he did not hide the fact that he had been recording them on his phone; anyone with a quick mind wouldn't further incriminate themselves by denying it so blatantly at this point.
However, admitting an acquaintance Jerry didn't mean admitting to any shady dealings.
In dealing with unexpected situations, Marian was far smarter and more perceptive than Dennis.
Dennis caught on, followed Marian's lead, "I didn’t make any appointments."
He even threw a glance Jerry's way.
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I really love it. More chapter please. Thank you...