Chapter 115
Standing Before Love
As he massaged his temples, Sean could feel a splitting headache coming on. Besides, the current situation in the company was a huge mess. âI might be remanded in custody for a few days because of the incident that happened two years ago during the restoration work on Marina Bay Bridge. There were a few deaths that happened then,â he muttered.
âSeriously, whatâs going on?!â Eve yelled out as she felt her head spinning. At the sight of her losing her balance, Sean and Lyla clambered to her side immediately. They busied themselves putting pressure in between her eyebrows and slowly patting her on the back until she regained her composure. All through the process, Sean seemed troubled.
âMom, thereâs no need to worry! Iâll only be in custody for a couple of days, then Richard will get me out of there in no time. Itâs all just a mere formality, so you shouldnât fret,â Sean uttered confidently.
However, there was a thunderous look on his face as he never expected this incident to resurface after such a long time. This was obviously an intentional move by one of their rivals to show him up. As such, he had no choice but to accept this and remain in custody for at least a few days.
âWhy does it have to be you though?â Eve wailed as her tears dropped. âCanât you get someone else to take the fall for you? What if⦠What if you get implicated this time? Is this why? Is this the reason for ââ Suddenly, Eve grasped Lylaâs hand and said, âIs this the reason for us losing that potential client?
We nearly closed the deal to sell that parcel of land!â
Lyla was momentarily shocked and speechless. Earlier, Leo had just mentioned to her that there was an issue regarding the company that needed to be resolved. Therefore, this had to be the issue he was talking about.
âBut Sean! Whatâs going to happen to me and the company if youâre not here to hold the fort?â Eve was inconsolable.
Sean could feel his blood pressure spiking as his veins pulsated. âMom, I promise! It will be only for a couple of days and Iâll be out in no time!â
âSeanâ¦â Lyla bit on her lips nervously and asked, âWhat will happen to our potential client then? How can we maintain their trust? Wouldnât it make more sense to find someone else to take the fall? If itâs just a matter of money, letâs go ahead with this plan.â The previous plan was assumed to be fool-proof.
However, this unexpected situation came out of nowhere and ruined everything. Frankly, it was slightly nerve-wracking for Lyla.
Seanâs gaze flickered as he murmured, âIâm the person in charge of Chase Group, but besides meâ¦â
âTell me! Is there anyone else that can replace you? Let me know and Iâll go and plead for their help!
Lyla is right! We canât afford to have you in custody right now. It may be just for a few days, but the consequences will be ongoing. I canât imagine what would happen to the company, and how are we supposed to deal with the aftermath?â Eve was frantic.
âSean, I completely agree with Eve.â Lyla gripped her hands tightly as she spoke. âThe companyâs future is our utmost priority. Besides, you shouldnât cause undue concern for Eve.â Lyla chose her words carefully.
âI know of someone else who can bear the responsibilityâ¦â Sean exhaled deeply and replied. He could feel a tight grip on his heart and it was uncomfortable for him to even take a deep breath. His thoughts ran wild as his mind went toward that woman. With an expressionless face, he took a deep breath and stated, âMyra can take the fall for me.â
On the next day, Myra met up with Estelle at her filming location.
Estelle was coincidentally on her break when Myra arrived. There was an annoyed look on Estelleâs face as Jack, her manager, tried his best to appease her. âMy darling, Miss Langley, please donât be upset! This is just Shawnâs way of showing his affections. Besides, you had trouble completing that previous scene too! The director looked quite annoyed with you with each outtake.â
Estelle scowled heavily. âWhatever it is, Iâm not related to Shawn Hart! He has no right to decide on the type of movie I choose to be in! Besides, this is a romantic movie! How am I supposed to act in a romantic scene if he forbids any kind of intimacy at all? And donât get me started on the director! Why did he go behind my back and agree to Shawnâs requests? This is wrong!â Estelle yelled, her face flushed red with anger. At the same time, she saw Myra walking toward her from afar, so she waved frantically at her friend. âMyra! Iâm here!â
âWhatâs up? Whyâre you in such a foul mood?â Myra asked with an indulgent smile on her face.
Estelle pouted her daintily-painted lips, and before she could say a word, Jack had butted in, âItâs Shawn. He just visited us and decided to put a halt to all the intimate scenes involving Estelle. Sheâs quite upset about this!â
Myra was caught by surprise, but then she quickly regained her composure. Teasingly, she said, âDarling, you should be thankful for the attention from Shawn. You know, every actress in town would kill to be in your position; theyâd die to have Shawn showing concern for them. Thatâs why you should be satisfied with what you have.â
âWell, then how about yourself?â Estelle retorted. Despite being in the public eye, Estelle rolled her eyes at Myra and went on to say, âMyra, donât even think of making things up! I saw the photos of you and Tony Hart on the golf course. You two were practically wrapped around each other!â
Myra gaped at Estelle. Just as she was about to explain herself, Estelle interrupted her and gave her a sharp look. âDonât tell me you two are just friends! Itâs obvious that thereâs more than meets the eye! I can tell from the tabloid pictures taken from the golf course that the two of you are definitely more than friends!â
Feeling rather speechless, Myra halted her sentence, a wry smile on her face. Undeniably, that was what she was going to say. Despite everything, Tony behaved like a gentleman. Hence, she would continue regarding him as a friend. Other than that, she had no further wishful thoughts.
âLook at you! Youâve gone all silent again!â exclaimed Estelle as she reached over for a slice of apple.
Giving Myra a sideways glance, she took a bite out of the apple and with her mouth bulging, she continued, âHow frustrating! If it were up to me, I would suggest that you go after him!â
As soon as the words left her mouth, Estelle realized she was such a genius. She was quite impressed with her own suggestion. Leaning toward Myra, Estelle peered at her with sparkling eyes and said, âDid you pay attention to what I just said? You must find a way to attract Tony then hold onto him! Youâll never find another guy thatâs as good as him! Besidesâ¦â
With a chuckle, Estelle winked at Myra and mentioned, âBesides, Iâve got great news! Shawn just confided in me that Tony has decided to replace Lylaâs position as the ambassador of the Sunny Bay Project, and Iâll be the next ambassador. On top of that, from now onward, Hart Group will cease all future collaboration with Lyla!â
Does this mean Lyla will no longer be the ambassador of Hart Group? As soon as she heard that, Myra could feel her heart skip a beat. âTonyâ¦â
âThatâs right!â Estelle gleefully interrupted Myra. She was on cloud nine and it was as if Tony had made all those decisions for her sake. âTonyâs trying to win your favor! Once all this is finalized, Lyla will be out of the limelight and there wonât be any more jobs left for her in this city. No one would dare to cross the path of Tony Hart! Heâs obviously trying hard to prove his sincerity to you.â
Myra had a bewildered look on her face as she listened to Estelleâs chatter. Then, she replied, âItâs only one single endorsement. Besides, youâve had multiple other ambassador job offers, so why are you so easily impressed by this? What kind of bribery is this? Whatâs more, this isnât set in stone yet, so what Shawn mentioned might not come true.â
âThatâs right! It is bribery!â Estelleâs eyes sparkled as she heard Myraâs words. Ignoring the apple handed to her, she held Myraâs hands and grinned widely. âCan I assume this is you admitting that he is trying to win your favor?â
Subsequently, Jack walked off to give the two girls some privacy. Myra bit on her lips with a frustrated expression on her face. Pursing her lips, she tilted her head to the other direction and muttered, âIt was just a game. Thatâs why I didnât take it for real. Why are you taking this so seriously?â
âWhy not?!â Estelle looked at Myra with an indignant look on her face. âItâs Tony Hart weâre talking about! Do you reckon heâs a player?â
Myra stiffened as she replied, âWell⦠No.â
âExactly!â Estelle reached out and poked Myra on her forehead. âYouâre such a blockhead! Promise me youâll seize this opportunity! You must call him as soon as possible. Itâs a good idea to be slightly reserved, but you shouldnât be too aloof either. However, judging by your expression, you must be quite aloof when youâre around Tony! Iâm actually quite impressed that he can tolerate this attitude of yours!
Anyway, you have to call him right now. Ask him out on a dinner date! Go on!â