<b>Chapter </b><b>130 </b>


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    Marcus <b>froze </b>for a moment, his brows knitting together subconsciously. He didn’t <b>mean </b><b>to </b>make the <b>move</b>. He intended for Richard to do it. If Jeffrey was looking to confront someone, he’d go after Richard, not him.


    For the rest of the day, everyone was busy with their own things.


    Reba <b>was </b>still reeling from what Jeffrey had said when Richard reached out to <b>her</b>. He told her he’d <b>give </b>her answers, but only if she met him alone.


    “Not a chance,” Reba replied instantly, no hesitation at all. Sure, she wanted to know what <b>exactly </b>was going on between her mom and Richard, but she hadn’t forgotten how he’d tried to force her hand before.


    If she were all on her own, maybe she’d risk it. But with her mom about to wake up and Samuel depending on her, there was no way she’d gamble with their safety.


    “If you don’te, I’ll head over to the hospital and visit your mom myself,” Richard threatened, feeling bold now that Marcus and Candice seemed to have his back.


    What he didn’t realize was that their promises were all talk–they couldn’t actually deliver on anything.


    Reba clenched her phone so tightly her knuckles went white.


    Richard was still legally married to Reba’s mom. The ident had happened so suddenly. She never got the chance to divorce him. If he really showed up at the hospital, even Jeffrey’s people couldn’t really keep him out.


    He could always call the police, iming someone was stopping him from visiting his own wife. That was when things would really get messy.


    After all, Richard could twist the whole embezzlement story any way he wanted in front of the cops, acting all pitiful and winning their sympathy in a sh.


    “Everyone out there thinks you and your mom are the model couple,” Richard sneered, a clear threat in his tone. “All it takes is a few questions from the police, and they’ll know how I was nothing but caring to both her and you.”


    “If you were such a great husband, howe you haven’t visited her even once in four or five years since the ident?” Reba snapped back.


    The embezzlement <b>was </b>something only a handful of them ever knew about, but what everyone could see <b>was </b>that he’d never bothered to show his face once all these years.


    Richard paused, suddenly at a loss for words.


    Reba didn’t let up. “Rememberst time, when you tried to squeeze money out of me? <b>I </b><b>still </b><b>have </b>the audio. Should I let the police hear what kind of ‘caring‘ you really are?”


    “Well, do you want to know the truth or not?” Richard barked, his patience clearly running <b>out</b>.


    “Of course I do, but you’re not the only one holding the <b>secrets</b><b>,</b><b>” </b>Reba <b>replied </b>coolly <b>refusing </b>to be pushed


    12:26 Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


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    around. “Since May’s about to be back, I can always ask her instead.”


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    Richard’s expression soured instantly. He yed hisst card. “If you don’te, I’ll talk to the doctor and get Amelia discharged. I’ll bring her back myself and take care of her!”


    “Suit yourself,” Reba tossed out, ending the call on the spot. Back in the day, she might’ve worried or maybe even panicked that Richard could really pull something off.


    But things had changed. It was Jeffrey who’d been footing the hospital bills all these years, Reba who managed every crisis. Richard hadn’t done a thing. Even if he forced Amelia out of the hospital, he’d be totally in the wrong.


    And the biggest reason of all was that Jeffrey wouldn’t stand by and do nothing–even if Reba didn’t really want to admit it to herself.


    “Wait, what’s up with that?” Jessica blurted out, clearly puzzled by Richard’s game. “If all he wanted was to spill the truth, why’s he suddenly threatening you about your mom? When he was after cash, howe he didn’t y that card?”


    ‘Seriously, if he’d done that back then, he’d have had way more leverage,’ Jessica thought, brow furrowed. It just didn’t add up.


    “I guess…,” Reba nced back on everythingtely, and only one thing made sense. “He’s got backing now.”


    Jessica picked up on it immediately. “You mean Jeffrey’s parents?”


    Reba nodded.


    Jessica gave it a quick think.


    That was definitely possible.


    “If it really is them, you’d better watch your back,” she said, worry clear in her voice. “Trust me, those two will do anything to get their way. After what happened today, I bet they’re holding a serious grudge against you.”


    “I’m done stressing about it,” Reba muttered,pletely worn out after everything that had happened. “For now, I just need to get through the day. Once Mom wakes up, we’ll figure out the rest.”


    “If you need anything, just call me,” Jessica said softly. “I’m always here for you.”


    “Yeah,” Reba replied.


    Jessica wasn’t having it. “Forget it. I’m crashing at your ce until your mom wakes up, just in case.”


    “No, really, I can handle it,” Reba insisted.


    “It’s settled then,” Jessica said, her tone leaving no room for argument.


    But in the end, Jessica wasn’t able to stick around. That night, her parents called her home for a family emergency, and only when she got back did she realize it was Jeffrey secretly messing with things behind the


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    To Jeffrey, Jessica could offer Reba a kind of emotional support he couldn’t provide. But when it came to keeping her safe, he figured he was all she needed.


    Friday morning, Reba walked into the office and found breakfast waiting for her on her desk.


    She recognized the pastries right away–they were unmistakably from the pastry chef at her Manor. No prizes for guessing who’d arranged them.


    She picked up the cake, torn between dumping it straight into the trash or marching over to hand it right back to Jeffrey.


    Before she could do anything, Jane piped up, giving Reba the same knowing look she always did. Jeffrey had those delivered just for you. Trust me, the whole office saw it.”


    Reba stiffened for a moment. ‘So that’s why everyone was staring at me so weirdly when I walked in<b>, </b>Reba realized.


    After that, without showing any emotion, Reba tossed the cake straight into the trash in front of her, her dislike for Jeffrey’s gesture deepening even more. Jane was the only one who saw. No one else noticed.


    Before she knew it, Friday’s meeting rolled around. Reba took her usual seat beside Jane, looking businesslike and unbothered. She quietly took notes on each task Jeffrey handed out, just like she would any other day.


    That was until the meeting was over.


    “Meeting’s over,” Jeffrey said, his voice cutting through the room. As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone started packing up their things. Reba closed her notebook and stood up.


    But before she could even move her chair, Jeffrey’s voice cut through the room again, his dark eyes locking onto her. “Reba, stay behind for a minute.”


    Reba pretended not to hear. ‘It’s not like I’m the only one here whose name could be taken as “Reba.” she thought stubbornly. ‘No way am I letting myself get caught up in his mess.


    “Reba,” Jeffrey called out, seeing straight through her attempt to slip away. “Wait a moment. I have something I want to assign <i>to </i>you.”


    Everyone nced over, making Reba feel like she was under a spotlight, and she hated it. Just to make sure no one got the wrong idea, she asked as the others headed out, “What exactly do you need me to do?”


    Jeffrey shot a look at everyone else, and they hustled out fast. In no time, the conference room was empty except for the two of them, the door clicking shut behind.


    Reba could feel a wave of irritation rising inside her.


    “Did you have breakfast?” Jeffrey asked, trying to sound casual.


    That just made Reba even more annoyed, her patience wearing thin. “Do you really think this means anything?” she shot back.


    Jeffrey was confused.


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    <b>61 </b>


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    “You had breakfast delivered right out in the open. Was that just to make everyone start whispering about us?” Reba shot back, her voice trembling with anger.


    “Was ruining my marriage not enough for you? Now you want to wreck my career, too?”


    She’d fought tooth and nail for this job. It was proof she could support herself, that she wasn’t some helpless, broke girl he used to pity.


    But now, because of stunts like this, everyone would think she onlynded the gig because of him, and if anyone found out about their history, she’d just be the pampered rich wife pretending to have a real job.


    Her name would vanish from the office, erased for good.


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