Chapter 46 Changed Appearances
"Steven? You... you... were at home?" The sudden appearance of Steven shocked Deborah. Wasn't Steven supposed to be at the government during this time? Why was he at home?" Lily was also dumbfounded when she saw Steven. "Dad, why are you back?"
"Who did you just say cheated you out of hundreds of thousands of dollars?" Steven came over and stared at Deborah. He went to see Irene today, and then he found out that she was almost raped by people. Steven was so angry that his heart ached. To think about it, she was really lucky. If Edric hadn't realized that something was wrong, he didn't know what would have happened.
Irene was a fiery-tempered person. If she were really raped by other people, she would certainly lose the will to live. Steven was distressed, angry, and sorrowful. It was all because of him. If he hadn't married Deborah, Irene wouldn't have run away from home or be kicked out of the Myers Family. Steven felt extremely remorseful and guilty.
He wasn't in the mood to stay in the office, so he pretended to feel unwell and went home to rest. When he returned home, there was no one there. Steven felt uncomfortable and sat in the study as he was consumed with guilt. When he heard the sound of the car outside, he walked out of the study, but he didn't expect to hear Deborah and Lily's words inadvertently.
Although Deborah was shocked, she reacted quickly. "Steven, I'm sorry!"
"Sorry for what?" Steven's voice was cold. It had never been his intention to be together with Deborah. Deborah and Myra were friends, so he also regarded Deborah as a friend. He had never dreamed that he would accidentally hook up with Deborah when drunk.
After that, Deborah didn't pursue the matter, and he also forgot about it. However, he didn't expect that Deborah would appear again in his life after more than ten years, and she also brought a child with her. Myra believed that he had an affair and wouldn't forgive him until she died.
Steven didn't want to have anything to do with Deborah at all. He originally intended to place Deborah and her daughter in another place, but he didn't know who leaked the news and brought this matter to the surface. Fortunately, the insider was his old boss. He protected him and suppressed the matter, but he had no choice but to marry Deborah and became estranged from his beloved daughter.
After living with Deborah for more than ten years, he found Deborah gentle and virtuous. Although she didn't come from a good family, she was a great cook, and her life revolved around him. The most important thing was that he often saw shadows of Myra on Deborah.
Because of that, he gradually developed some affection for her, but he didn't expect to see Deborah's vulgar side by accident.
This side of Deborah was unfamiliar, and it was also disgusting to Steven. Deborah naturally felt Steven's disgust. She immediately explained, "Isn't your birthday coming up soon? Since you like antiques, I planned on buying you a vase. I didn't know that the shady go-between would actually take the money and run away."
"What did you say?" Steven raised his voice.
"I'm sorry, Steven! I didn't mean it." Deborah lowered her head with a pitiful expression.
"Dad, Mom didn't mean it. She just wanted to give you a surprise." Lily came up in time to mediate the dispute.
Steven stared at Deborah for a while, then dejectedly went to the sofa and sat down. "I've been so down on my luck! For the past few days!"
"What happened?" Deborah asked considerately.
"Irene almost got into trouble. Fortunately, Edric found out that something was wrong. Otherwise, the consequences would've been severe." Steven sighed and told them that Irene was almost hurt. Deborah felt extremely hateful inside. She never dreamed that the person who messed up her plans was Edric. Although she hated him in her heart, she still pretended to be surprised and distressed on the surface. "How is Irene?"
"She was a little traumatized, but she's fine now." Steven's face was gloomy. "If I catch the man surnamed Kent, I'll skin him alive!"
"Yeah, that Kent guy is so vicious. If we catch him, we must teach him a good lesson." Deborah echoed, but her heart was beating fast. If that Kent guy was caught and Dunn was hunted down, would the police unravel her connection to the matter as well?
"I don't know what the police are doing. Three days have passed, but there's still no news of Kent. I'm so angry." Steven rubbed his forehead.
Deborah felt slightly relieved. Dunn said that those people were all cunning and had several ID cards. She hoped that Kent would run away and wouldn't be caught for the rest of his life.
Irene had recuperated in the hospital for three days and was discharged from the hospital. Although she wasn't seriously injured, there was still trauma inside of her. She already didn't believe in men because she had been hurt in the past. Now, she felt more and more convinced that men were unreliable.
In the past, she really wanted to find a father for Eden, but she changed her mind now. She would work hard to earn money and raise the child by herself. Screw men.
Jordan didn't know the inside story. When he saw the absence of a smile on Irene's face even after a few days, he thought that she was sad because of the breakup with that Kent guy. Jordan felt very upset. No matter what, he was better than that Kent guy. Why couldn't that woman see him? Thinking of Kent's gently smiling face, he began to reflect upon himself. Was it because he was too harsh? Therefore, she didn't like him.
Thinking of this, Jordan decided to change his attitude to be more gentle to please Irene. He stopped shouting to her and spoke gently. After he suddenly changed his attitude, Irene wasn't in the mood to experience it. On the other hand, David began to guess blindly that Mr. Reed's illness was flaring up again, wasn't it?
Nathan also knew that Irene was hospitalized because she was ill. He called to ask about the situation. Irene felt very aggrieved, and she didn't have her guard against Nathan, so she told Nathan what she had encountered. Shocked and angry, Nathan was prepared to fly back immediately. In the end, Irene stopped him.
Eden didn't know what his mother had gone through. When he heard that her mother was ill, he felt sorry for her. He comforted Irene on the phone in a childish voice, "Mom, are you sick? Is it because you were feeling anxious that you couldn't find dad? I don't want him anymore. Take care of yourself. When Uncle Nathan has the free time, I will come back with him to see you."
With Nathan and her son's comfort, Irene felt much more at ease. The gloomy expression on her face also faded somewhat. Jordan thought it was caused by his change of attitude, so he secretly felt happy inside.
After the Golden Age Group won the city's security project, the Golden Age Group awarded a bonus to each staff member of the San Fetillo branch. The amount of the bonus wasn't small. In addition to the remuneration paid by the TV station, the amount of the reward was quite substantial.
Irene told Thomas about this matter. She said that she wanted to use this bonus as a down payment to buy a bigger house.
Thomas was also delighted. With that money, the housing issue would be resolved. "Irene, you can bring Eden back after you buy a house."
"I want to do so too. Uncle, let's go and view houses tomorrow. As soon as we take care of the housing issue, I can bring Eden back!"
The next day, she and Thomas went to see houses. After careful selection, they finally chose a three-bedroom second-hand house in a less-popular area. The house was already constructed, and Irene's money was just enough to pay the down payment.
Irene signed the contract and paid the down payment. Envisioning sweet family life in the future, she looked forward to it and was in a great mood all day long. After dinner, she surfed the web in her room. Thomas watched TV in his room. It was ten o'clock. She was ready to go to sleep when her phone rang. She picked up, and Jordan's incoherent voice sounded, "Irene...Nelson..."
"Mr. Reed?"
"Don't call me Mr. Reed. Why don't you ever take my words to heart?" Jordan's voice was full of anger, but this sentence was especially clear.
"Jordan, what can I do for you at such a late hour?" She asked patiently.
"Can't I talk to you?"
"Okay! Speak, and I'll listen to you."
"Why aren't you the one speaking while I listen?"
"I don't know what to say," Irene replied.
"Say stuff that will make me happy!" Jordan was rude and unreasonable.
"What's wrong with you? Did you drink?"
"I'm in a nightclub, and I drank a lot!" Jordan burped. "Irene, I like you... Do you know I like you?"
Irene didn't say anything. She understood very well that this guy was on a drunken rampage. "I'm very sad... I've never been so sad. Irene, do you not like me at all?"
Irene still didn't say anything. Jordan laughed at himself. "I know you really don't like me at all... In reality, if you liked me in the slightest bit, I wouldn't mind that you're a divorced woman." "Jordan, you've drunk too much. Go home quickly!"
"I won't go back... I'll wait for you here until you like me..." While speaking, Irene heard a cry from the other side, "Sir... sir, what's wrong with you?"
Then there was no sound on the other end of the phone. Irene was alarmed. Did something happen to Jordan? She immediately called David, but his phone was turned off. Irene was worried about Jordan, so after thinking for a while, she decided to go over and have a look. She went out in a hurry.
She hailed a taxi on the road and went straight to the nightclub.
After getting in the car, she anxiously asked the driver to drive faster. She didn't notice a luxurious car driving smoothly and elegantly behind her. Edric stared at the taxi in front of him.
That woman ran out of the alley the entire way with an anxious expression on her face. She ran so hurriedly that even not mentioned him standing at the entrance of the alley.
"As long as you are within three miles from me, I can feel it." That was what she used to say to him. But today, he stood there and stared at her with burning eyes, yet she ran past him without even glancing at him. It had to be said that women were better liars than men and more alluring when they lied.
Irene entered the nightclub in a hurry and found Jordan's private box. With several beautiful ladies sitting next to him, he leaned against the sofa with his eyes closed.
Upon seeing Irene open the box's door, several young ladies showed vigilant expressions on their faces. Irene couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them and went straight to Jordan's side. "Jordan, how are you?"
Jordan opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Irene. "You're here?"
"Are you alright?" Irene's face was full of worry.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little dizzy. If you hadn't come, I would have been devoured by these women." Since he could still joke, Irene realized that she had been fooled. She turned around and was about to leave, but Jordan said behind her, "Irene, come help me up and take me home!"
Irene helped Jordan to get into the car outside. Jordan was really drunk. After getting into the car, he leaned back against the seat and didn't move. Irene helped him fasten the seat belt and started the car to leave the nightclub.
After Jordan came back, he bought an apartment in a hot area. Irene had once seen the apartment file, so she had some impression of it. When Edric, who followed them, saw Irene driving with familiarity, his eyes grew cold.
"Irene, I didn't expect you to come." Jordan, whose eyes were closed, suddenly said this.
"How could I not come?" Irene said with displeasure. He was her boss and the hand that fed her. How could she dare to offend the hand that fed her?
"Irene, you actually like me a little deep inside, don't you?
His words startled Irene, and she instinctively slowed down. With his eyes closed, Jordan murmured, "I'm so handsome, so wealthy, and so capable that few women can resist my temptation. Irene, when did you fall in love with me?"
"Jordan, are you dreaming?" Irene was a little amused. This man was truly extremely arrogant.
"Irene! I'm sure you like me, just not aware of it inside."
"I don't like you, not even in the slightest bit," she said in a louder voice.
"You women are just pretentious! Is it that embarrassing to say that you like me?" Jordan seemed to be obsessed with the idea. Irene ignored him and sped up the car. Soon, the car stopped in front of Jordan's apartment.