hapter 49
After getting the messages, Talia promptly went to the shoe cabinet and stashed the bank card away.
She wasn’t about to splurge.
After all, he’d been so generous just to save her life. She couldn’t be greedy.
As for the life he’d promised, she wasn’t buying it.
People might seem sincere, but that sincerity could change in a flash.
Talia had suffered once and should learn from it.
On the other end of the line, Kayson waited for a few minutes, but when Talia didn’t reply, a hint of disappointment flickered in his deep eyes.
He pursed his lower lip and casually glanced at his phone
screen.
“Mr. Deven, the Galaxy Group’s stock price hit the daily limit- down early this morning, and even your grandfather has been informed,” Gavin said, placing two files in front of Kayson. “The news this morning had a huge impact. The Public Relations Department has drafted a response plan. Do you want to take a look first?”
When it came to the Deven family, the Public Relations Department was extremely cautious and always consulted Kayson first.
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Kayson didn’t even look at them and said icily, “Tell the Public Relations Department to stand down. Whoever caused this mess can clean it up himself.”
Gavin nodded, shut the office door, and departed.
Half an hour later, Kendrick burst in excitedly. “Kayson, what’s the deal? Not letting the Public Relations Department handle such a huge issue is like making our family the laughingstock of others!”
Kayson was intently working on the documents before him. It was as if he hadn’t heard Kendrick and didn’t even raise his head.
The office fell so silent that Kendrick realized he had been too impulsive and his words had been a bit too harsh.
He immediately composed himself and tentatively called out, “Kayson?”
Kendrick was extremely vexed. He had been dragged by Tyson to drink last night. Unexpectedly, the liquor was so potent. After just two rounds, he was drunk and out of his wits.
He couldn’t even recall how he ended up at the hotel with
Valerie.
This morning, he had been cornered at the hotel room door by those reporters. It was truly awkward.
“Kayson, can you say something?”
Only then did Kayson put down the document and fix his deep eyes on Kendrick.
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“You know it’s embarrassing, yet you still fool around outside? You’re the one bringing shame. Figure out a way to fix it!”
His cold tone sent a chill down Kendrick’s spine.
“Kayson, we’re family. If this matter blows up, the Deven family will be disgraced. Besides, even if you don’t care about me, are you just going to watch the Galaxy Group’s share price keep dropping?”
Kayson sneered and remained unyielding. “The Galaxy Group can weather a decline. And you, having done something that disgraced our family, you still come to me for help? How dare you?”
Kendrick thought Kayson was being heartless.
But when he thought about it, it made sense. The Galaxy Group had been implicated by him for no good reason. In just one morning, billions of dollars worth of market value had evaporated. Now, all the shareholders of the company loathed him.
Gavin knocked on the door and entered. He glanced at Kendrick and then said, “Valerie is here to see your nephew.”
Kendrick was about to go out to see her when Kayson said icily, “Show her in.”
Valerie said, “Kendrick, the issue between us has become a public scandal. The share price of the Glory Group has been impacted. If this continues, the losses will only keep increasing.”
As soon as Valerie stepped in, she saw Kayson was there too. Her face froze, and she quickly greeted, “Mr. Deven.”
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Kendrick noticed the scarf draped over Valerie’s arm and immediately recognized it as the one he had given Talia ten
years ago.
He exclaimed in surprise, “This is…”
“I found it in the Taylor family’s trash can this morning. My sister must have thrown it away. I remember it’s yours, Kendrick. Do you want it?”
The veins on Kendrick’s face twitched. “Good job! Very well! Talía even threw my scarf away!”
Valerie looked both guilty and remorseful. “Maybe the news this morning really upset her… Kendrick, why don’t I go talk to her and explain…”
Kendrick said coldly, “Kayson, my engagement with Talia is off! I’ll marry Valerie!”
Kendrick thought to himself, “Since Talia dares to throw my scarf away, I’ll make sure she spends the rest of her life regretting it!
“Didn’t she have the guts to do this only because she was engaged to me?
“Let’s see where Talia will be crying once the engager ent is terminated!”
A profound glint flashed through Kayson’s dark eyes. “Is that so?”
Kendrick gritted his teeth. “Tell the public Talia served three years in prison and isn’t fit for me. This engagement should’ve been swapped for mine with Valerie ages ago. Since it wasn’t
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made public, we can make Valerie’s affair this morning seem legitimate.”
Valerie was elated.
The situation was set, and things had reached this point. She had been pondering how to bring up the matter with Kendrick without giving herself away, but she hadn’t expected him to come up with the idea on his own.
Although Valerie had initially thought things wouldn’t escalate so much and that her reputation wouldn’t be completely trashed, luckily, the outcome would be the same.
In her view, sacrificing her reputation was a fair price to pay for the chance to marry into the Deven family.
Upon hearing this, Kayson forcefully slammed the coffee cup in front of him onto the table, creating a sharp clatter.
The atmosphere turned abruptly tense, causing Kendrick and Valerie’s hearts to race.
“What did you just say? Who exactly isn’t fit for f whom?”
Hostility blazed in Kayson’s eyes, sending a chill down one’s spine.
“Didn’t Talia make it clear about the prison incident? It was the woman beside you who framed her just to get her imprisoned.
“You clearly let Talia down, yet you still want to pin all the blame on her?
“It’s fine to call off the engagement. I have no objections but own up to your actions. Don’t involve women every time to
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cover for your mistakes.
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“Did Talia ever make any mistakes? You were the one who fell in love with someone else, and she’s the one who got hurt. Are you really going to use her as a shield for your infidelity and shift all the blame onto her?
“Kendrick, you spineless and heartless man! Your heartless and foolish deeds are a disgrace to the Deven family!”
Kayson’s tone grew colder and colder, each word lashing at Kendrick like a fierce gust of wind.
Kendrick felt rather embarrassed after being berated, and his face turned ashen.
His anger could no longer be held back.
“Fine, let’s do it this way! I’ll tell the public that my relationship with Talia is over, and I’ll attend a press conference with Valerie! That should put an end to this mess.”
The longer this dragged on, the more complicated it would get, and Kendrick just wanted to resolve the issue today.
Kayson’s expression remained indifferent. “Do as you please, but does your mother know about this?”
Kendrick’s face froze when Kayson brought up his mother.
Erica disliked Valerie. She had always regarded Valerie as a girl with an obscure background and had never held her in high esteem.
Kendrick had originally intended to hold the press conference right away, but he knew that once the news was announced, given Erica’s dislike for Valerie, there would be complications
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he couldn’t avoid.
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Kendrick remained silent, but Kayson could guess what was going through his mind.
He waved his hand, indicating that they could leave.
As the two of them left, Valerie was secretly delighted yet also
filled with unease.
“Kendrick, don’t you think we really should inform your
mother first? And what about Talia? What if she bothers you again and tries to get you to reconsider?”
This was what worried Valerie the most.
She had taken action first and informed others later. Before she even officially became a part of the family, she had already offended her future mother–in–law.
Then there was Talia. Even though Kendrick was currently favoring her, Valerie, relying on a woman’s intuition, always had the feeling that during the seven–year period when Kendrick and Talia were together, he couldn’t have been entirely without any feelings for Talia…
What if Talia truly regretted her decision and came to Kendrick to try and change his mind in the future?
Kendrick didn’t mind it. He leaned in and kissed Valerie on the forehead.
“What’s with all these thoughts? Why would I want to change my mind? She’s nowhere near as good as you.
“As for my mother, I’m the one getting married, and I’m choosing a wife for myself, not for her.”
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Chapter 50
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Chapter 50
