Chapter 362
My Mute Bride
Chapter 362 How Bad Could Her Intentions Be When Leroy said that, Rachel just got back. She halted in her footsteps upon hearing the word âfiancée.â
At the same time, Justin returned. Noticing Rachel was stunned and standing at the door, he stopped the secretary, who was sending some light refreshments, saying, âLeave it with me.â
Nodding, the secretary passed the tray to Justin.
When Rachel returned to her senses, she turned around to look at Justin, asking, âDid you hear that too?â
Justin nodded in response.
Rachel inquired after some hesitation, âDo you think itâs feasible?â
âDo you mean the approach Leroy just suggested?â
âYeah.â
âIf the person involved isnât against the idea, I actually think itâs a feasible plan. At least, itâs beneficial to Jolly.â
There was a reason why Justin intentionally emphasized that the plan was beneficial to Jolly.
Since fame meant everything in this era, Leroy, being an idol, was sure to experience a loss of fans and suffer irreparable damage once he announced his relationship.
At noon the next day, Leroyâs agency held a press conference.
The press conference was held in the conference room of a hotel under Hudson Pharmaceuticals.
The moment Leroy announced that he and Jolly were in a relationship, the topic immediately trended on several online platforms. Since the press conference was done on a Saturday, the response was even more overwhelming due to netizens having more free time, so it quickly gained interest over the internet.
In the comments, there were quite a number of people who started criticizing Jolly, but most of them were discussions on whether to leave the fandom, nothing too serious. The matter regarding the âcasting couch dealâ was then being brushed off just like that.
In the evening.
âWhere are you going? Itâs the weekend! Donât you wanna stay at home with me?â
Jolly was lying on the sofa lazily in the house as she asked Rachel.
Rachel got up early in the morning to tidy the house and was now ready to leave.
âYou want me to stay at home with you? But you already have a fiancé, though!â teased Rachel.
âCan we not talk about this? It gives me a headache.â
While they were talking, Jollyâs phone rang again.
After the press conference that Leroyâs agency held in the morning, news of their relationship spread like wildfire on the internet. That was the reason why Jolly had been receiving phone calls nonstop ever since then.
Adding to the fact that she had many indecent friends in Riverdale, plus Leroy was also a popular artist, anyone would be curious as to whether they were really dating, and how they started dating.
âDamn it!â
After spitting a curse word, Jolly shut off her phone. âUgh. This is so annoying.â
Seeing Jolly in that state, Rachel poured a glass of water and handed it to her. âHere, calm yourself down. By the way, didnât Leroy give you a call?â
âHeâs having it worse. Way worse than me.â
âWhat about⦠Ryan?â
Furrowing her brows, Jolly retorted, âWhat does this have to do with him? Why are you even mentioning him? What a buzz kill.â
Alright, then. Ryan didnât deserve to be mentioned anymore.
Turning around to take a look at the bedroom, Rachel lowered her voice, saying, âJolly, I have to remind you. You should be mentally prepared for whatâs going to happen to Samuel.â
âWhy?â
âIf Estelle could use Leroy to slander you, Iâm afraid she has more plans up her sleeves.â
There were people who were aware of Samuelâs background. Even if Jolly didnât admit it, Samuel looked exactly like Ryan. It might not seem so if they werenât put side by side, but if they did stand beside each other, the resemblance would be uncanny.
âIf she dares to try anything on Samuel, Iâm never going to let her go.â
âThatâs enough tough talk. You should control your emotions a little. Now, Iâm going to quote your words. In life, we will always have to move on.â
Watching Rachel, Jolly could feel her furrowed brows loosen a little. With a serious expression, she nodded. âOkay.â
âEnough of this topic. Look, itâs dark outside already. Where are you going?â
âIâm going to bring Charlotte out for dinner to meet Justin.â
Jolly scanned her before questioning, âAre you twoâ¦â
Rachel immediately shook her head, defending herself, âYouâre overthinking it. Iâm just going to send Charlotte over since I have something to settle in the office. Iâll fetch her home after theyâre done with dinner.â
Though Rachel managed to obtain her daughterâs custody, Justin still had the right to meet Charlotte.
Hearing that, Jolly raised her eyebrow and tsk-tsked.
âStop being weird. Iâm leaving.â After saying that, Rachel went to the bedroom to look for Charlotte and Samuel.
As Jolly watched Rachelâs back, she shook her head meaningfully. Itâs not me whoâs overthinking it. Itâs you who donât think about things in detail. Then again, what indecent thoughts can come from an artless lady like her?
Initially, they thought that the custody lawsuit would be the final step to cutting all ties with Justin.
However, it seemed that Rachel and Justin had been contacting each other even more often after that.
On the other hand, Rachel drove the two children out.
Once they arrived at the restaurantâs parking lot, Rachel tidied Charlotteâs shirt before uttering, âCharlotte, Iâll send you to the restaurant later. Have a nice meal with Daddy and Iâll come with Samuel to pick you up after that.â
Upon hearing that, Charlotte was taken aback. âMommy, arenât you and Samuel coming with me?â
âYou havenât been spending time with Daddy lately, and he misses you. Iâll come back later to fetch you.â
âNo!â
Suddenly, Charlotte started throwing tantrums. Turning around, she crawled into the car. âMommy, I donât want to go anymore. Letâs go home.â
âWhy are you like this, Charlotte? Didnât you promise me?â
Charlotteâs face was cold now, and she fell silent.
Just as Rachel tried to persuade her, her phone rang.
âHello? Are you here?â
Justinâs voice sounded over the other end.
Furrowing her brows, Rachel replied, âIâm at the parking lot. Give us some time. Weâre coming.â
âWhat happened?â From Rachelâs tone of voice, Justin could immediately tell that there was something off.
âNothing.â
âIs Charlotte throwing a tantrum again?â
âItâs not that. Just give me a while.â
Justin was not in his best condition recently, so Rachel didnât want to increase his burden.
After hanging up the phone, Rachel persuaded Charlotte once again. âDaddy loves you very much, and didnât I already explain the matter of the photos to you before? Itâs all a misunderstanding. Daddy doesnât even know who that woman is. You shouldnât hurt Daddy like this.â
âBut Daddy hurt you.â
Rachel was taken aback by her statement.
Pulling Rachelâs arms, Charlotte begged, âMommy, I donât want to eat with Daddy alone. Can you and Samuel come with me?â
Charlotteâs pretty eyes were tainted with the color of red now, and she looked so pitiful.
The look on her face instantly made Rachel give in.
âOkay. Iâll come with you.â
âCan you carry me?â Charlotte spread her arms wide as she asked.
Five minutes later, Rachel carried Charlotte in her arms while Samuel walked beside her. The trio arrived together at the restaurant.
On the other hand, Justin was already seated at the table beside the window, clearly having been waiting for a long time.
âDid you wait for long? Sorry, we were caught up in a traffic jam on the road.â
âItâs okay. Iâm not that busy.â
Rachel felt uncomfortable hearing him mention that he wasnât busy.
Not wanting to venture into that topic since it hurt, Rachel put Charlotte down and said, âGo and sit beside Daddy.â
After glancing at her sideways, Charlotte climbed onto the seat opposite Justin and sat beside Samuel.
Seeing that, Rachel couldnât help but frown. âWhat did you promise me, Charlotte?â
Only then did Charlotte mutter reluctantly, âHi, Daddy.â