Chapter 391
[Mrs. Adah Ford was on the verge of a breakdown.]
[Johnny Ford joins the Ford Group.]
[Mr. Johnny and Mr. Gregory in the Ford Group]
[Mr. Johnny, a threat to Mr. Gregoryâs position.]
[Mr. Johnny is in secret talks with the RF Group.]
By evening, the whispers had become a roar. Upon seeing the last piece of gossip, I couldnât help but call Bryant. âDid you have a hand in this?â
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sarcastic laugh. âWhich part are you referring to? The Myers familyâs soâcalled heiress or the Ford familyâs mess?â
I said firmly, âYou know what Iâm talking about.â
âIf you say so, yes, all of it.â His voice was cold, the flick of his lighter echoing through the phone. âJane, come back to being Mrs. Ferguson. I can handle it for you, whether the Myers or the Ford familiesâ mess.â
I paused, unsure. âThe Ford familyâs mess?â
âGregoryâs mess,â he clarified, his voice rough with the drag of a cigarette. âYou think Klein just wanted you to leave Gregory? Heâs also eyeing a partnership with the RF Group to elevate the Ford familyâs status.â
I forced myself to stay calm, âYou know about Johnny, the Ford familyâs illegitimate son?â
Bryant replied, âIn passing. He was a high school classmate of York.â
Suddenly, it all made sense. What made Klein willing to give up Gregory? It wasnât about me. It was about benefits.
With Gregory and me together, Bryant would relentlessly target the Ford Group. But with Johnny, there might be a chance for a winâwin collaboration with the RF Group. It wouldnât necessarily change the situation, even if
Gregory and I went our separate ways. The only way to shift the balance was
1/2
08:58
for Bryant to step in, making York cut off contact with Johnny.
Without that leverage, Johnnyâs path to power would crumble.
The setting sunâs light made me dizzy, and I sank onto the couch. âBryant, whatâs the point? I donât love you anymore. Being Mrs. Ferguson like thisâ¦â
âItâs not about what makes sense to you. Itâs my call.â Bryantâs tone was unyielding, almost pathological. âJane, love can happen twice.â
I sighed. âIâm not foolish enough to fall into the same trap again.â
âA month. Give it a month,â his voice strained, emotion cracking through, âand if you still feel the same, Iâll let you go.â
But I didnât feel relieved. A month could change everything. âI canât give you an
answer now.â
âIâm almost at Vista Town.â He dropped that bombshell coldly. âYou donât have much time to decide.â
In frustration, I threw my phone. I grabbed a mug from the coffee table, wanting to smash it, but then, I remembered its pair was on the dining table. Gregory bought those mugs.
I managed to hold back. But tears fell, staining my shirt.
I thought, âIâm sorry. Iâm so sorry. Iâve always been too cautious. Maybe I donât deserve to be loved wholeheartedly. I donât want to be a stumbling block in someoneâs life. I donât want them to lose everything for me.â
In a way, Bryant and I were the same. We were equally presumptuous!
Barefoot, I walked to the window, pushing it open and leaning out.
Clang! The mug slipped from my grip but landed on the carpet, unbroken, snapping me back to reality.
I quickly withdrew, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, knees hugged to my chest, unable to stop the tears.
After what felt like an eternity, my emotions had ebbed, and the room dimmed. Someone lazily spoke up. âIâve been trying to call. I thought something happened when you didnât answer. Turns out you were just here, sulking?â