Female Novel
Chapter 356
Lionel held on to her hand and softly chided, “The stitches on your wound are still new, so youshouldn't exert too much force. If you strain your hand and aggravate your injury, you may end upworsening your condition! If that happens, it'll be too late to cry over spilled milk!”
It was only then that Wendy realized she had become too emotional and had used her injured arm tograb him, oblivious to the pain.
“I-I'm fine,” she sheepishly said.
Despite her reassurance, Lionel carefully checked her hand to make sure it was okay before resumingtheir conversation. “As the eldest daughter of the Hoffman family, I'm sure you've heard of theorganization, Tarragon,” he said.
Wendy's eyes popped wide open, and she blurted out, “W-What did you say? T-Tarragon?”
Her reaction aroused Lionel's suspicion. Although Tarragon had a fearsome reputation, her responsewas over the top, and definitely not normal.
He instinctively knew that there was more to it than met the eye and that she was hiding somethingfrom him.
“Wends, please be honest with me. What do you know about Tarragon?” he asked.
Wendy shook her head and insisted, “Nothing. H-How is it possible I have anything to do with them?You don't have to beat around the bush, Nell. Just tell me what's on your mind.”
She took the glass of water from the bedside table and started drinking from it.
Her evasive manner made Lionel more suspicious, but he did not confront her further. Instead, herevealed, “Holden could be one of the top executives in Tarragon.”
Plop!
Wendy dropped the glass she was holding, and the water spilled onto her blanket, wetting it.
“I-I'm sorry. It slipped from my hand,” explained Wendy as she tried to wipe the water off her blanket.Amidst her state of panic, she accidentally hit her injured arm and cried out in pain.
Lionel was not a fool, and her agitated reaction confirmed his suspicion. He decided to dig further andlook into any possible relationship between the Hoffman family and Tarragon.
“Stop fussing over it, or you'll hurt your arm again. I'll get the helper to come and change the beddingfor you.” Lionel stood up and was about to leave the room when Wendy grabbed onto his arm againwith her other hand.
“N-Nell, if Holden is... if he's one of the top guys in Tarragon, then please don't pursue further. Weshould stay away from those people. Please don't mess with them,” she pleaded.
Lionel silently sighed, knowing he could not possibly forget about the matter. He had to find out whyHolden got close to Wendy on purpose and then left her after she became pregnant. novelbin
However, he consoled her by saying, “Okay. Calm down. I'll drop it and won't dig further into it.”
Meanwhile, at the Shurmer residence, Waverly had called Zoey's name a couple of times but got noresponse from her daughter, who was seemingly in a trance. Thus, she couldn't help giving Zoey anudge and asked, “What's wrong with you?”
“Huh?” Zoey snapped out of her daze and hurriedly said, “N-Nothing, Mom. What were you saying?”
Waverly sighed and said, “Based on the evidence I gathered over the past few days, Artemis isbesotted with Bailey. Why don't you forget about him, Zozo? We'll head back to Lostaria, where thereare many outstanding young men waiting to win your heart. You can take your pick!”
Back to Lostaria? No way! I can't go back! The Jefferson family is already aware that Bailey is not theirflesh and blood. If things escalated, Bailey's definitely going to know about this and will try to find outwhat happened back then. Once the truth is out, the Shurmers will know I'm an outsider who's notblood-related to them. Even if I returned to Lostaria, I can't stay in the Shurmer family anymore.
Zoey came to the conclusion that she could not leave for Lostaria. Between Bailey and her, one ofthem had to die, and it would be Bailey.
“Mom, Mr. Luther called me this morning with good news. Mrs. Luther has relented and agreed to letme marry into their family. Could you call Dad and ask him to make a trip to Hallsbay?” Zoey said.
Waverly was stunned. She frowned puzzledly and asked, “Are you sure? Gerald... He... I mean, theLuther family is really willing to be our in-laws?”
“Yup, I'm positive. It's true, Mom, so please don't make me go back to Lostaria. I've set my mind onArtemis, and I won't marry anyone else,” Zoey pleaded.
Waverly rubbed between her brows as she contemplated in silence. After a while, she clenched herteeth and said, “Fine. Then let's make use of the pressure of public opinion to keep Artemis and Baileyapart.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?' Zoey asked, clueless.
Waverly revealed her plan. “Spread the news that Bailey is throwing herself at her brother-in-law. Shewas in a relationship with Simon, so that makes it a little awkward and complicated for everyone. If thepublic gets to know she's now having an affair with Artemis, she'll be condemned.”
Zoey's eyes lit up when she heard that brilliant idea.
Why didn't I think of that? I'm sure she'll drown in the torrent of abuse from the public! And... if I setRhonda free, I'm sure we'll get to enjoy a good show when the two sisters fight against each other!
“You're the best, Mom! That's a brilliant idea! I'll order someone to take photos of Artemis and Bailey inintimate contact, then...”
“That's not necessary!” Waverly interrupted her. She then took out an envelope from the drawer andhanded it to Zoey. “Take a look at this. It's what you need,” she said.
Zoey was a little uncertain, but nevertheless, she ripped open the envelope and checked out thecontent. It was a few photos of Artemis and Bailey being intimate with each other.
“Mom, this...”
“I hired a professional detective to spy on them at the restaurant last night. Artemis was carrying Baileyas they left the private room and headed into the elevator. These photos are good enough to proveBailey is having an affair with her brother-in-law. She'll soon be scolded by the public for her behavior.We can stand by and enjoy the show,” Waverly gloated.