when she left he went crazy (Hope and Christopher)

Chapter CHAPTER 169



When she left, He went crazy"

Chapter 169: Mrs. Valence Must Be You

Christopher's body stiffened violently, and the light in his eyes dimmed inch by inch. He knew better than anyone the tragedy that had befallen our child. The chasm between Christopher and me wasn't just abo How could I even consider reconciling with Christopher when the memory of our dead baby haunted me?

Outside the door, Daniel knocked on the glass door.

"Come in," Christopher said coldly.

Daniel pushed the door open, looking anxious. "Mr. Valence, the Harris Group is growing suspicious. Kimberly Harris barged into the Valence Group with her team. They might head here next."

Christopher, ever the calculating strategist, replied with a dangerous edge to his voice, "No rush. Tell Ryan to speed up. Swallow the project within

three days. By the time the Harris family realizes, it'll be too late."

The emerging power struggle between the RF Group and the Valence Group had left Christopher evenly matched with the Harris family, if not slightly ahead.

"Understood," Daniel responded.

"Leave us. I need a minute," Christopher instructed, watching Daniel exit hurriedly.

As the door closed behind Daniel, Christopher turned to me with a mixture of compromise and resolve. 'Consider me selfish if you must. But remember this-Mrs. Valence must be you." Before I could respond, he strode away confidently.

Christopher's indomitable self-assurance was infuriating! It felt as though everything I had said earlier had fallen on deaf ears. There was no swaying Christopher once his mind was set. Elissa saw how angry I was and pushed the door open. "What's the situation with Christopher Valence and the RF Group?"

I said directly, "He's the boss in legend."

My revelation left her stunned.

"Surprised?" I sighed.

Elissa stomped her foot in frustration and slammed the door. "So, we left the Valence Group, slogged to start our own business, and in the end, we're still under his thumb?"

Her reaction lifted some of my irritation, and I nodded. "Pretty much."

That cunning snake, Elissa muttered. It took a moment for the reality of Christopher's move to sink in. "So what now? Do we continue working for him?"

Chapter 169: Mrs. Valence Must Be You

"Not necessarily." I said, recalibrating my focus. "We hold nearly half the shares. They don't interfere with company decisions, which is far better than working under someone else, I'll find an opportune moment with him."

Daniel had mentioned that the ten percent of Valence Group shares I held would eventually double, giving me a solid footing for discussions with Christopher.

That evening, as I returned home, I ran into Jerry in the underground garage. An idea I had pushed aside suddenly resurfaced, and I looked at Jerry with renewed interest.

"What's with that look?" Jerry eyed me warily. "If you have something to say, just spit it out. Don't give me those longing eyes.

Ignoring his wariness, I put on a winning smile. "What you mentioned the other day...is it still on the table?"

Jerry sauntered towards the elevator, casting me a sideways glance. "Which part?"

"Helping me deal with Christopher Valence," I said plainly.

I couldn't think of any other way. In this power game, proving my resolve through drastic measures wouldn't yield

favorable results. This world thrived on such tangled affairs.

But if I aligned myself with the Hammer family, things could turn out differently.

Jerry stepped into the elevator, his voice lazy, TII think about it."

He threw my own words back at me.

And I didn't waver. "Time waits for no one."

Jerry chuckled, "You start your break the day after tomorrow, right?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Then at 7 AM, we're heading back to Maple Valley, Jerry stated abruptly.

I looked at Jerry. "Aren't you supposed to help me deal with Christopher Valence first?"

Raising an eyebrow, Jerry replied with a nonchalant air, "You're the one asking for my cooperation now. Shouldn't you show some sincerity first?"

In the realm of business, deceit wasn't scarce. Christopher thrived in it, and so did Jerry.

Anticipating potential issues, I cautioned him, "I can help you deal with your parents. But you do realize I've been divorced. They definitely won't accept that..."

Jerry shrugged off my concern. "That's my problem."

The elevator reached our floor, and I took a deep breath. "Fine, I agree."

2/4

Chapter 169: Mrs. Valence Must Be Your

With that, the doors opened, and we parted ways. Stepping out, I was taken aback to see Cecil standing at my door. I hadn't expected his family to actually permit him to see me.

Jerry cast a brief glance at Cecil and me before unlocking his door and disappearing into his apartment, the door closing behind him with a decisive click. Outside, the wind howled, biting and relentless. Recalling Abigail's warning, unease seeped into my thoughts. "Cecil, why are you here?"

Ignoring my question, Cecil glanced at Jerry's door and asked, "Why are you with him again?"

"Ran into him downstairs," I replied casually, not giving it much thought.

Cecil's expression softened, and he smiled gently. "I think I just heard you say you agreed to something?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Knowing Cecil's close ties to Ivan, and Ivan's inclination to inform Christopher about everything, I decided to be vague. "I agreed to help him with a personal matter."

Cecil frowned slightly but masked it with a casual tone. "Are you comfortable living here? Do you want to move

somewhere else?"

"I am..." I began instinctively, but realizing the true intent behind his question, I shifted my tone. "Am I causing your trouble by staying here? If so, I can move out immediately."

I could always crash at Elissa's for a few days.

"Trouble?" Cecil seemed surprised by my reaction. Once he understood, his expression darkened slightly. “Did someone

from my family come to see you?"

I nodded frankly. "Yes. But they didn't say anything unpleasant."

Looking down slightly, I took the chance to clarify. "Cecil, let's just be friends. Now and in the future."

As Abigail advised, it was better to stop Cecil now than to let things escalate, potentially causing him more trouble.

Cecil's voice turned stern. "What exactly did they say to you?"

"Honestly, not much," I replied.

"Is it because of him or Christopher?" Cecil asked, his eyes flicking towards Jerry's door when he mentioned "him.”

I couldn't understand why Cecil was more concerned about Jerry than Christopher, but at the moment, none of it mattered. I had no intentions of returning to Christopher, nor did I aspire to entangle myself with I shook my head. "Neither."

"Hope..." Cecil's gaze bore into mine, laden with complex emotions. "Can we really only be friends?"

Chapter 169: Mrs. Valence Must Be Your

I lowered my head. "Yes, I'm sorry."

00

"It's okay. I told you, as long as you're happy." Cecil suddenly reached out and touched my head. "Then let's be friends!"

But as he withdrew his hand, a sharp pain shot through my scalp. I looked up at him sharply.

Cecil's face briefly flashed an emotion I couldn't decipher, but his eyes remained gentle. "Did I hurt you? Sorry, my cufflink accidentally caught your hair." Chapter Comments

LIKE

When she left, He went crazy

Chapter 169: Mrs. Valence Must Be You

Christopher's body stiffened

violently, and the light in his eyes dimmed inch by inch. He knew better than anyone the tragedy that had befallen our child. The chasm between Christopher and me wasn't just about Evelyn or anyone else- it was about a lost life.

How could I even consider reconciling with Christopher when the memory of our dead baby haunted me?

Outside the door, Daniel knocked on the glass door.

"Come in," Christopher said coldl

Daniel pushed the door open, looking anxious. "Mr. Valence, the Harris Group is growing suspicious. Kimberly Harris barged into the Valence Group with her team. They might head here next." Christopher, ever the calculating strategist, replied with a dangerous edge to his

voice, "No rush. Tell Ryan to speed up. Swallow the project within three days. By the time the Harris family realizes, it'll be too late."

The emerging power struggle between the RF Group and the Valence Group had left Christopher evenly matched with the Harris family, if not slightly ahead.

"Understood," Daniel responded.

"Leave us. I need a minute," Christopher instructed, watching Daniel exit hurriedly.

As the door closed behind Daniel, Christopher turned to me with a mixture of compromise and resolve. "Consider selfish if you must. But remember this-Mrs. Valence must be you." Before I could respond, he strode away confidently.

Christopher's indomitable self-assurance was infuriating! It felt as though everything I had said earlier had fallen on deaf ears. There was no swaying Christopher once his mind was set. Elissa saw how angry I was and pushed the door open. "What's the situation with Christopher Valence and the RF Group?"

I said directly, "He's the boss in legend."

My revelation left her stunned.

"Surprised?" I sighed.

Elissa stomped her foot in frustration and slammed the door. "So, we left the Valence Group, slogged to start our own business, and in the end, we're still under his thumb?"

Her reaction lifted some of my irritation, and I nodded. "Pretty much."

"That cunning snake," Elissa muttered. It took a moment for the reality of Christopher's move to sink in. "So what now? Do we continue working for him?"


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.