âAutism?â Landonâs heart ached at that thought. No wonder Lauren behaved so strangely. Though she was 22 years old, she still had the behavior of a young, naive child.
No wonder Sophia never let her out of the house.
âDid you ask her what she thought about those things you did for her? Whether she wanted you to do them or not? Did you ever step in her shoes and think for a moment?
âNo, because youâre not capable of that.â Jasperâs breathing was intermingled with a dull pain in his chest. âAll she ever wanted was a peaceful, quiet life. Donât go ruining that for her now. Youâll only make things worse.â
Landon was silent for a moment. He asked hoarsely, âCan she be cured?â
âDo you think sheâd still be like this today if she could?â
Landon thought about how frightened Lauren was last night, his heart pounding painfully behind his ribcage.
Just then, Jasperâs phone rang. He crinkled his nose but still answered. âDad.â
âCome back to the office right now. We need to talk.
The call was then hung up.
Jasper stared darkly at his phone, a sneer appearing on his lips.
Were they truly father and son? Sometimes, he wished this relationship between them didnât exist. At least that way, his reasons for hating this man would be justified.
The presidentâs secretary opened the door for Jasper when he knocked, nodding courteously. Jasper was shocked to see someone else in the room-Betty.
He narrowed his eyes just the slightest. Something was up.
âJasper,â Betty called out in a feigned affectionate tone, as if they were intimately acquainted.
Jasper nodded flatly, never bothering to be too courteous to this sister of his.
Javier began, âIâve heard all about what happened last night with Ada Kingsley and the ambush at the hotel from Betty, Jasper. Iâve also seen the news online.â
Javier clasped his hands together, his eyes cold as they turned to his son. âWhat is your plan now that the public has lost their faith in the hotel?â
âIâve had the PR and Networking Department rushing to clear things up since last night. All news about this should cease to exist by tonight.â
Betty spoke up, âEven so, the damage is done. You cannot stop gossip from taking root and spreading now. Itâs honestly pretty embarrassing to the company..
Javier gritted his teeth upon hearing this. âNo matter what unfolds, this is the nature of business. There will always be a mix of favorable and unfavorable news circulating, and some we cannot control.
âAs long as we emerge victorious in these challenges, the negative reports will eventually fade away.
Itâs imperative to maintain a long-term perspective on these battlegrounds, or else we risk losing in the grand scheme of things.â
Knowing Javier was taking a jab at her, Betty gritted her teeth angrily.
Suddenly, the secretary knocked and entered the office. âSir, thereâs something you need to see!â
He quickly showed Javier something on his phone. It made all the rage in his being rush up to his head.
He roared, âSwitch on the news channel! Now!â