Chapter 28 She Must Be Behind This
Chapter 28 She Must Be Behind This
When Steven returned home in the evening, Deborah and her daughter greeted him with a smile.
"You're back!"
Steven nodded and went to sit down on the sofa. Deborah said to Lily, "Lily, make some tea for your
father."
Then, she followed Steven and sat down next to him. "Steven, I heard that Irene is back?"
Steven nodded. "Yes, Irene is back!"
Deborah didn't expect that Steven had already met with Irene. Irene showed up after disappearing for
years. It couldn't be that simple. Thinking of that, she asked tentatively, "Then why didn't you bring her
home? That child has suffered so much! We should care for her more." Deborah acted like a loving
mother.
"It's not the right time. Irene still holds a deep grudge against me! She won't forgive me!" Steven
sighed. "It's all my fault. I wasn't considerate back then. That was why both Lily and Irene had to
suffer!"
Deborah also sighed when she saw Steven mentioned the past. "We were only doing it for Irene's own
good. How could we expect that such a thing would happen? Steven, why don't we talk to Irene and
explain it to her in person?"
"Irene is very stubborn. I'm afraid it's no use for you to explain it to her!"
It seemed that Irene wasn't planning on forgiving Steven. Deborah breathed a sigh of relief. "What
should we do then? I can't stop worrying since she is all alone now."
"This can't be rushed! We have to take it slow!" Steven sighed, "Deborah, you need to be kind to Irene
if she is willing to come back. You have to be patient with her, even if she is rude to you."
"I know. Don't worry. I know what to do."
"And Lily," Steven looked at Lily and said, "You also need to treat Irene better. Let her vent her anger,
and don't fight with her if she wants something."
"Dad, I understand," Lily also answered obediently.
Deborah glanced at her daughter, then shifted her eyes to her husband. "What about Lily and Edric's
engagement ceremony?"
"I'll talk to Madam Myers!" Steven answered.
Deborah obviously looked relieved. "I'm afraid that Irene will not take it well. Even though we did it at
that time out of kindness, Lily and Edric are indeed together now..."
"It's not Lily's fault. I'm the one to blame," Steven sighed, "I'll explain this to Irene later, little by little.
Now you just need to remember not to provoke her."
"Don't worry. Lily and I will never provoke Irene."
Steven was very satisfied with Deborah's promise. "In addition to that, there is one more thing I have to
tell you. After Lily and Edric get married, I will leave all the property of our family to Irene as
compensation."
"I didn't marry you for the property, and Lily will never fight with Irene for that." Deborah answered
readily. The property of the Cook family was nothing comparing with Edric's. Only a fool like Irene
would give up Edric.
"Dad, I only want Edric and nothing else," Lily also made a statement. Steven was gratified by the
understanding of his wife and daughter. "Sorry for putting you through this!"
"I'm willing to do anything as long as dad and my sister are happy," Lily acted particularly
magnanimous, and her gesture moved Steven more. "I will have more free time for a few days. You
can tell Edric that the two families should sit down and discuss the details of engagement!"
Deborah and her daughter exchanged a look, their eyes full of complacency.
Irene had been in a bad mood because of what happened during the day. Jordan noticed her
expression and thought she was sick. Thoughtfully, he asked her to go back to rest.
Irene was not in the mood to rest. She went to the hospital again. Thomas was packing up his things
and insisting on leaving the hospital.
Irene couldn't change her uncle's mind and had no choice but to check him out. After returning home
with her uncle, she went grocery shopping to cook him some nourishing meals.
The phone rang just when the soup was ready. She heard Nathan's voice clearly, "Irene, Eden is
having a fever!"
"Is it serious?" Nathan would not call her if it was a low fever.
"A little bit. Come and see him if you have time!"
"I see!" Because of Nathan's call, the anger and sorrow in her heart were replaced by worry and
distress about Eden.
Irene immediately booked the flight and called Jordan to ask for leave. Jordan was surprised. "What
happened?"
"Something is going on at home."
Jordan didn't push her as she didn't want to tell him the details. He granted her leave without
hesitation.
Irene immediately packed up her luggage and rushed to the airport. She had been worrying throughout
the over ten-hour flight. Nathan came to pick her up when she arrived, and they hurried to the hospital
together.
Eden was unconscious in the hospital bed, his whole body burning hot. "What's going on?" Irene burst
into tears.
"He hasn't been eating well recently. The fever started the day before yesterday, and the medication
didn't work. The doctors couldn't figure out why. I called you here because I'm worried," Nathan
explained.
"Eden! My poor Eden. This is all mom's fault!" Holding Eden's little hand, Irene couldn't stop crying.
As if he had sensed something, Eden, who was sleeping, suddenly opened his eyes and grinned when
he saw Irene. "Mom, I'm not dreaming, am I?"
"No! It's true. I'm coming to see you!"
Eden's fever was miraculously gone because of Irene's visit. Nathan was a little embarrassed. "I
wouldn't call you if I knew he could get well so quickly."
Eden, however, nestled happily in his mother's arms. "Mom, when will you come to pick me up?"
"Very soon!" Irene replied.
"Have you found dad yet?" Eden asked again.
"Not yet, but I will find him soon."
"Mom, take your time. Don't worry. I can find dad with you in the future."
Irene nodded heavily with her son in her arms. "I will come to pick you up as soon as I settle down."
Nathan sighed aside. "Irene, come back if it's too hard on you. I can support you and Eden."
"Nathan, I don't want to owe you too much. Do you understand?"
"I'm more than willing to."
"But I can't. Nathan, you deserve the love of a better woman!" Nathan was silent for a while before he
sighed and said, "Irene, I will welcome you back anytime if you're tired out there. I will always wait for
you here."
Irene spent ten days with Eden. She only found out that there had been a tremendous change when
she returned to San Fetillo. First of all, something happened to Keaton's son Randy.
Someone called the TV station and reported Randy for using drugs. The reporters followed the police
to arrest him. To everyone's surprise, what they saw was a shocking scene.
Randy, who had overdosed, mutilated himself. When the police knocked open the door of his
apartment, they found that he was unconscious with a knife in his hand and the floor was covered in
blood.
The police immediately sent him to the hospital and learned that the tendons in his arms and legs had
been severed by himself. It was supposed to be a simple case of substance abuse. But the police
found some counterfeit currency when they searched his place.
Then, someone online exposed Keaton for creating counterfeit money, corruption, nepotism and
favoritism, and many other criminal acts. Secretary Cook ordered a serious investigation.
The police searched Keaton's house overnight and found a whole room of cash, including several
cases of counterfeit money.
It was quite a drama. Keaton was arrested and interrogated. All the illegal business he had done over
the years was revealed after a thorough investigation. Keaton was doomed.
The bidding process officially started when Keaton was arrested. With full confidence in winning the
bid, Edric didn't attend the meeting in person and only sent a manager. On the other hand, Jordan led a
team himself to represent the Golden Age Group.
The bidding process this time was completely fair and transparent. After multiple rounds of selection,
Myers Group and the Golden Age Group went all the way to the last round.
After careful research and evaluation, several consulting experts began to examine the two bidding
proposals. To everyone's surprise, it was a tie.
Edric was taken aback by the result. He might be more alert if the Reed Family sent anyone else here.
But they sent Jordan, so Edric didn't take him seriously at all.
Jordan was a rich kid and a womanizer. How could he have any skills or abilities? That was why Edric
underestimated him in the first place.
Besides, Edric had a well-established network and abundant resources in San Fetillo. He had even
less reason to take Jordan seriously.
It seemed that Edric misjudged this playboy. Jordan must know what he was doing since he could lead
his team to deliver such high-quality proposals.
However, Edric still had a chance to win. Since the proposals were at the same level, it all depended on
the person who made the final decision. He was sure to win as long as Steven favored him just a little
bit.
It would be a narrow win this time. He should never underestimate this playboy again in the future.
In the meantime, the blind date reality show Irene took part in had officially started recording. It was
unknown why Edric changed his mind and asked the TV station to reinstate Kinsey.
Thus, Kinsey was there for the full recording. Kinsey originally planned to dress Irene up and show her
beauty on the screen. Although the program was partially fake, some of the male guests were indeed
excellent bachelors. Kinsey could hit two birds with one stone if she successfully set Irene up with one
of them.
Irene also thought that Kinsey's idea was good, but she did not dress up on purpose. She believed that
she should present the real her. She was a divorced woman and a single mother. Her child Eden had
asked her many times when he could have a father. Irene not only wanted to make money off this This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.
program, but she also wanted to find a father for her Eden.
So she persuaded Kinsey to attend the show with her real background. Wearing a mask, Irene showed
up in the studio as a plainly dressed single mother.
According to the program's rules, a male guest first chose a female guests by the first impression. He
would give the rose in his hand to the chosen woman, who would ask him three questions when she
accepted the rose.
If the female guest was satisfied with the male guest's answers, she would accept the flower and take
off her mask. Then they would go on to the second part.
No one picked Irene in the first recording session since she was a single mother wearing ordinary
clothes.
It didn't take Irene by surprise. Kinsey walked out of the station with Irene after the recording. She
protested on Irene's behalf and called the men idiots with bad taste.
Nonetheless, Irene was very calm. "I knew this would happen. Don't worry. Someone in this vast world
will be the right man for me."
The holiday ended, and it was time to announce the result of the bidding. The Myers Group thought
they would win since they were satisfied with their proposal and had Steven back them up. Edric's
Public Relations department even set up the press conference.
However, the result shocked them. According to the municipal committee, the company that won the
bid was the Golden Age Group.
Edric was leisurely sipping tea in his office when the results came. His eyes widened in disbelief when
his Executive Assistant John told him the news.
Then Margaret called. She was a little flustered. "Edric, what's going on?"
"Mom, I just got the news too," Edric explained patiently, "I'll call you when I figure it out."
Margaret hung up the phone and trembled in rage. What the hell was going on? She thought it was
settled a long time ago that the Myers Group would win the bid. Her first guess was that Deborah
double-crossed her since Lily and Edric's engagement was already a done deal.
Infuriated, Margaret picked up the phone again and called Deborah.