“Can’t you even wait for a minute?” Reba’s voice was sharp with sarcasm.


    “Come to the study once you’re done,” Jeffrey ordered crisply. “There’s something important.”


    Reba said nothing.


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    Ten minutester, she walked in wearing her casual clothes. Her face was still a little damp but clear and fresh. her long hair falling smooth over her shoulders. She looked almost angelic.


    Jeffrey watched her for a long moment until Reba asked coldly, “What is it?”


    “We’ve collected all the evidence showing Richard hurt you,” Jeffrey said, switching topics as if nothing had happened before. “Do you want to press charges, or let him go nuts at Marcus’s ce?”


    Reba frowned slightly, confused by how fast he’d jumped from one thing to another.


    “He didn’t cause you major physical harm. If he pleads guilty and shows remorse, the sentence won’t be long,” Jeffrey went on, reading her expression but not exining. “Even the Hanson Group’swyers won’t change


    that.”


    There wasn’t much room to maneuver in a case like this, but he could still turn detention into a formal


    sentence.


    “What do you want to do?” Reba knew he wouldn’t ask for no reason.


    “On paper, Richard is Samuel’s grandfather. If he goes to prison, it could hurt Samuel. I wanted to know what you think.” Jeffrey knew how much Reba loved Samuel.


    He’d always pictured Samuel one day taking over the family business. But Reba had always respected whatever Samuel wanted. If bringing charges against Richard ended up casting a shadow on Samuel’s future, she would regret it.


    And Jeffrey didn’t want to see her regret anything.


    Reba paused, realizing she hadn’t even considered all that.


    “Wait, you just said he’s been going nuts at Marcus’s ce?” Rebatched onto Jeffrey’s previous words.


    Jeffrey summed up hisst encounter with Richard. “He’s afraid I’ll put him in prison, so he’s been losing it at the Hanson residence. Wherever Marcus goes, he follows.”


    “He can actually get close to your dad?” Reba blinked in surprise.


    Marcus and Candice always had bodyguards when they went out. With the Hanson family’s security, Richard shouldn’t be able to get close to Marcus.


    Jeffrey looked at her without answering.


    10:45 Wed, <b>Oct </b><b>1 </b>


    Reba caught on instantly. “You’ve got someone watching Marcus for you, haven’t you?”


    Jeffrey nodded.


    Reba studied him for quite a while, then said, “Let him hound Marcus all he wants.”


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    If Richard and Marcus tore into each other, it wouldn’t hurt Samuel but would make Richard pay some price.


    “Fine,” Jeffrey said. “I’ll put pressure on Richard so they tear each other up as much as possible.”


    Reba nodded and said nothing more.


    Jeffrey grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, lowering his voice as he apologized. “Sorry that I lost control earlier. Can you forgive me, just for a moment?”


    Reba was stubborn to the core. Jeffrey knew that unless he had no other choice, pushing her would only backfire. The harder he pressed, the more she resisted.


    “At least I’m still good for something, aren’t I?” Jeffrey teased gently, his fingers softly tracing hers, voiceced with tenderness, “Please?”


    For just a second, Reba almost found herself getting swept up in his gentle little trap.


    But reason returned in time. Taking advantage of the moment, sheid down her terms to secure her own safety–and Jessica’s, and the others‘.


    “I can go with you to parties and dinners. In public, I’ll hold your hand like before. But I can’t ept being intimate with you. Not now,” she said.


    “Alright,” Jeffrey agreed without hesitation.


    “And you can’t hurt my friends,” Reba added.


    “As long as you don’t think about leaving, they’ll be fine.” His voice stayed smooth, calm, endlessly reassuring.


    Reba gave a small nod.


    With life finally settling down, all Reba had to do now was wait for her mom to wake up. But that didn’t mean she had forgiven Jeffrey.


    “So, what’s going on with Samuel?” Reba asked, slipping her hand out of his grasp.


    Just a couple of days ago, Samuel heard his friends talking about how fun summer camp was and told them he wanted to go back. So Jeffrey sent him back.


    -Jeffrey had promised to uncover the truth within three days, but it had been longer than that—and he’d told


    Reba nothing.


    “Just kids‘ grudge,” Jeffrey answered calmly. “One of the kids saw that Samuel was popr, always winning at activities, and got jealous.”


    Reba frowned. “But how would he know about Samuel’s allergen?”


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    Lena had said Samuel’s reaction came from something slipped into his cup–something he was allergic to. That meant whoever did it knew his triggers. And every child’s medical info was only supposed to be in Lena’s hands.


    “Someone once offered Samuel some snacks at school,” Jeffrey said evenly. “Samuel turned him down and mentioned his allergy. Maybe that kid remembered.”


    Reba still felt uneasy. Yet Jeffrey’s expression gave no sign of deceit.


    “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Samuel won’t be hurt for nothing” His tone was soothing. “The kid himself can’t be held responsible, but I’ll have a serious talk with his parents.”


    Even so, Reba couldn’t shake her uncase.


    Samuel had always gotten along with other kids since preschool. Now, out of nowhere, there was one jealous enough to slip something into his cup. That thought made Reba’s stomach knot.


    “It’s probably his free time now,” Jeffrey said, checking his watch. “Why don’t you give Samuel a call and see how he’s doing?”


    “Alright.” Reba nodded and went to call Samuel.


    It wasn’t until she walked out of the study that Jeffrey picked up his phone and called Gregory. His eyes were more serious than ever. “How’s the investigation on Samueling along?”


    “We tried every way we could, and that man finally talked,” Gregory said calmly. “His employer is from Honn.”


    Jeffrey tapped the table lightly. He hadn’t crossed anyone from Honn.


    “The reason?” he asked.


    “He doesn’t know either. All he was told was to slip some allergens into Samuel’s food.” Gregory told him everything he knew. “His employer ordered him not to kill Samuel, just to put him in danger.”


    “The allergen came from the person who hired him?” Jeffrey asked.


    Gregory said, “That’s right.”


    “What did he get out of it?” Jeffrey pressed.


    Gregory replied, “A hot property that’s being bid on in a neighboring city. He’s already secured it.”


    Jeffrey narrowed his eyes.


    The mastermind behind this allergy incident not only knew Samuel’s allergen but could also help someone win that much–coveted property bid. That meant their personal ability and connections were impressive.


    Most importantly, there weren’t many people bold enough to take such risks and go against Jeffrey like this.


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    “Keep digging,” Jeffrey ordered. “Find out who’s behind it.”


    “Got it,” Gregory replied.


    Jeffrey added, “And don’t mention any of this in front of Reba.”


    He still didn’t know whether the target was himself or Reba. If it was aimed at Reba, she wasn’t in any shape to handle it right now.


    Meanwhile, in a high–rise in Honn, a secretary with a sharp, professional look walked into the CEO’s office. He was in a suit and tie, wearing gold–rimmed sses.


    His voice was t and precise as he said, “Sir, Jeffrey has already started looking into it. With his skills, it won’t take long before he traces it back to you.”


    A young man sat in the executive chair, back facing him. His casual tone carried a hint of a chuckle. “That’s what makes it fun.” <fnc144> Updates are released by FιndNovel</fnc144>


    The secretary gave a warning. “Don’t push it too far.”


    The young man curled his lips into a careless smile, a touch of mockery in his expression. “If it goes too far, we’ll juste up with another n, won’t we?”


    The secretary fell silent.