Chapter 83
My Mute Bride
Chapter 83 I Cannot Do That Rachel rested her head against the pillow, looking at Janice curiously. What did you guys talk about?
Janice was sitting beside the bed, peeling an orange. âHudson Pharmaceuticalsâ contraband. Wanted to know if heâs looking into it. Makes it easier to see you using that excuse.â She gave half the orange to Rachel.
He admitted it?
âOf course not. Heâs not stupid. Businessmen hate getting involved with us. If he admits to it, heâs gonna have to help us, and that means weâll be going to his company a lot. You think heâll let us do that?â
So are they really looking into Hudson Pharmaceuticals?
âI have no idea.â
Rachel was obviously surprised.
âHey, donât give me that look. Everyone knows the Burtons have been antagonizing the Hudsons for a while now. And from what you told me, I can see what he thinks about the Hudsons. I donât know much about business, but itâs important to know everything about your competitor. Thatâs why they must have been looking into the Hudsons. As for what theyâre investigating, it doesnât really matter.â
Youâre trying to wheedle something out of him?
âAnd I failed, obviously.â Janice looked at her. âHans is right. Justin is more complex than he lets on.
Youâre right to leave him.â
Rachel paused for a moment. If it werenât for him, I would have been gone forever.
Worried that Justin might get suspicious, Janice didnât stay for too long. After all, there were people guarding Rachel 24/7 now, and Janice knew theyâd report everything back to their bossâJustin.
Back at Burton Group, Frankie came into Justinâs office with a bag. âThe repair shopâs mechanic sent this over, President Burton. Probably the madamâs personal belongings. She must have left it in the car.â
The dirty canvas bag made Justin frown. She doesnât even have a decent bag. This is the same one sheâs been using since I met her. âPut it here.â
âYes.â
âHowâs the investigation going?â
âJanice visited the madam the last time the madam was in the hospital. The staff told me she got into a fight with Amber then. Apparently, thatâs the first time she met the madam. They have never seen each other before.â
âWhatâs her relationship with Hudson Pharmaceuticals?â
âThe Investigation Bureau is very secretive, but they usually only take on big cases. She didnât do anything after she got into their company, though I suspect that sheâs related to Hudson Pharmaceuticalsâs agentâs death.â
Justin thought about what Frankie just said. He knew that case too, so he wanted to see if the connection was there.
âShould we look into this, President Burton?â
âNo.â Justin looked at his desk. âAnd get everyone back. I want them to stop looking into this. Cease the R&Dâs activities on Hudson Pharmaceuticalsâs meds. Delete all the data as well.â
Frankie was shocked. âBut we spent a lot of time getting those. Thereâs even Hudson Pharmaceuticalsâs sleeping pillâs recipe in there. If we delete everything, everything we did would have been for nothing.â
âDo you really think the bureauâs deputy chief would personally look into a regular agentâs death?â
Frankie stopped talking.
âThere must be something off with them. Something we donât know.â Justinâs eyes twinkled. Ever since Janice brought up Hudson Pharmaceuticals that morning, he knew his plans had to be changed.
After the doctor was done checking up on Rachel the next morning, a guest came uninvitingly. When she saw who it was, she couldnât believe it. Jefferey?
âWhy didnât you tell me youâre in the hospital, Rachel? I wouldnât have found out if Amber hadnât told me. You shouldnât keep quiet about everything, you know.â He put the fruit basket down. âI got your favorite fruits here.â
A frown creased Rachelâs forehead. Why are you here? After everything that happened, she had stopped seeing Jefferey as her father.
âYouâve been getting along well with Justin recently, havenât you? I heard Arthur has allowed you to stay in the villa. Thatâs the Burtonsâ most important estate. Only those who Arthur acknowledges get to stay there.â
Rachel looked at him calmly, but that only made Jefferey nervous. A while later, he cracked a smile.
âBut thatâs not important. I know youâve never been one to chase after something like fame or fortune.
As long as youâre happy, Iâm fine with it.â
Rachel forced a smile and kept peeling the orange. Always holier than thou. No matter the case, he can justify his actions, just like the time he married me off to Justin. After she finished peeling the orange, she put it on the table, telling Jefferey to eat it.
That delighted Jefferey. âRachel, I know Amberâs wronged you, but sheâs still your sister after all. Just let it slide this time. Sheâll need your help.â
Rachelâs face fell. Why? So she can sleep with Justin? So she can keep urging Tina to kill me?
Jefferey froze up.
Dad, I know Iâm a mute, so Iâve never asked for much. But that doesnât mean Iâm an idiot. I know more than I let on. Amber tried to kill her on multiple occasions. That was just pure evil.
âRachel.â
Why are you here? Get to the point.
Jefferey stopped acting loving and resumed his cold, indifferent self. But Rachel was used to it. A moment later, he put something metallic on the table. It was the size of a nail, so it was inconspicuous.
âPut this in Justinâs car.â
What is this?
âA listening device.â He looked at her darkly. âThe companyâs running into some trouble. I suspect that Justinâs getting in touch with our supplier.â
The listening device glinted menacingly under the light.
Rachel frowned. I canât do this.
âYou have to. The familyâs survival rides on this. Youâre a part of us. Donât forget about that.â
If thatâs true, then why didnât you come visit me the last time I was in the hospital? Rachel brought up the last time she was hospitalized.
Jefferey froze up.
Do you know why I was hospitalized last time? Rachel stared at Jefferey coldly. If you really think of me as family, you wouldnât have tried to kill me. That poison almost killed me. You think you can still get me to help you after that?
Jefferey was fuming, but he couldnât say anything to that. A while later, he gritted his teeth and asked, âCanât you help me this time, Rachel?â
Rachel frowned, but her silence was the answer. Now that her grandmother was no longer held hostage, Jefferey couldnât control her anymore. It would be pure stupidity if she kept sabotaging Justin for him.
Slam! Jefferey slammed open the door and stormed off, but his voice rattled across the corridor. âYou ungrateful cur! All the money spent on you, gone to the dogs!â Arriving at the elevators, Jefferey angrily tossed the listening device into the trash can.
With a ding, the elevator arrived. Jefferey went inside the moment the doors opened, but right after he left, a person in white came out from the corner and rummaged through the trash can. When they found the listening device, they looked at it for a while before holding it tightly.