Chapter 311 Staying Loyal to Only One Man
“Are you going to watch Ryan keep sending his men to stalk Samuel and do nothing? Samuel’s the one being stalked now, and he might do the same thing to us next time.” Rachel stared at Justin in silence. Her clear gaze and innocent expression made anyone unable to turn her down.
Justin furrowed his brows. Although Burton Group and Majestic Corp were not in any partnerships, he had met Ryan in several social gatherings before. The fact that Ryan had managed to make his company thrive in just a few years suggested that he was someone intelligent. If he was really coming at Jolly, Rachel would also be affected as she was Samuel’s mother on paper. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle this.”
Rachel’s expression immediately softened. “I’ll say thanks on Samuel’s behalf.”
“Rachel, you know that your gratitude is not what I want.” Justin stared at her with a serious expression. “I hope that you’ll immediately seek my help whenever you come across any danger in the future, be it a work-related or private matter. As for my uncle—”
Pretending not to understand him, Rachel uttered, “I’ll check on Jolly and Gloria before getting the bedsheets in the guest room changed.”
She left the place right after she finished speaking, leaving no chance for Justin to continue his words.
Those from Hudson Pharmaceuticals had been in frequent contact with Jason. As Jason’s nephew, Justin was certainly aware of this. It was understandable that he wanted to stop Rachel from getting into contact with Jason, but she couldn’t obey him whatsoever.
Meanwhile, Gloria and Jolly had already put down their luggage in the guest room. At the moment, they were having a discussion on what to order for dinner.
“Jolly, why are you ordering Surströmming for dinner? Do you want to make the room stink?”
“Look at what you’re ordering. Does Parmesan cheese smell any better?”
“I’ll also add some Brussels sprouts.”
Rachel overheard their conversation as soon as she arrived at the room. The corners of her mouth twitched as she uttered, “What are you two trying to do at this hour?”
“We’re going to have our dinner,” they said in unison. Not only were they in sync, they also spoke in an unabashed manner.
Gloria uttered, “We haven’t had our dinner either.”
“That’s right. We were unable to eat anything because of that incident.” Jolly waved her hand. “No more arguments. Dinner is on me.”
A helpless Rachel said, “Please stop messing around. If you’re really going to order the food you just mentioned, the entire house will stink since we always close the doors and windows at night.”
Then, she rolled up her sleeves. “I’ll prepare dinner for you.”
Jolly pretended to be bashful. “There’s no need for that. It’s very late.”
“It won’t be just for the two of you; Samuel and Charlotte haven’t had anything as well. I’ll prepare some noodles for everyone.”
“Alright.” Jolly became energized instantly. “I want two poached eggs on my noodles. One of them should be fully cooked and the other has to be half-cooked.”
“What about you, Gloria?”
“I’ll have some tomatoes and eggs on my noodles. I don’t like heavy food, so please cut down on the salt.”
“Alright, I’ll get them prepared for you guys right now.”
Rachel took a glance at Gloria, who got her hint and took Jolly’s arm. “Let’s go down as well. It’s so boring up here.”
“Just head down on your own. Why are you making me go with you?”
“I can’t take care of two kids by myself, you know.”
“Justin will also be downstairs.”
“A man like him doesn’t know how to take care of kids. Come with me right now! Aren’t you their godmother?”
Gloria directly pulled Jolly away from the bed.
Upon seeing that Jolly still went downstairs despite her reluctance, Rachel heaved a sigh of relief. She was worried that given her temperament, Jolly would become too agitated after seeing what Ryan had done to Samuel. Hence, it was a great idea that she also moved into this place. With so many people watching over Samuel, it was a relief for both sides.
The usually quiet villa became bustling with noise once the two ladies moved in. Shortly later, all of them were seated at the table to have dinner together. Upon seeing that Justin was getting a bowl, Jolly shot him a glance. “Haven’t you already had dinner?”
“Why can’t he have more food after having dinner?” Gloria responded with an annoyed expression. “Rachel is adept at cooking, so it’s expected that men love the food she prepares. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for. Also, don’t forget that you’re living under his roof, Jolly.”
Upon hearing that, Jolly became exasperated. “Living under his roof? I’m just giving him a chance to prove his worth in front of Rachel.”
“I’ll have to thank you on his behalf then.”
“Can’t he speak? Why does he need you to thank me on his behalf?”
Unable to take it anymore, Rachel snapped, “It seems that even food can’t shut your mouths. If you dare utter one more word, stay away from my dinner table.”
It was then the two of them kept their mouths shut. Unlike Gloria and Jolly, who basically wolfed down the food, Justin was much slower and more elegant when having noodles. In fact. The two women were already on their second bowls while the man was only halfway through his first. After the meal, Samuel and Charlotte went to the living room and started watching some cartoons.
Justin said, “Don’t worry about Ryan. I’ll deal with him.”
The sudden mention of Ryan caught Jolly off guard.
“Yes, we do need your help with this.” Gloria nodded. “After all, this matter has implicated Rachel as well. How dare the man named Ryan send his men to stalk Samuel?”
“I’ll tell Frankie to handle this.” As he spoke, Justin took a look at Jolly. “There’s one more thing I’m not supposed to say, but you’re very beautiful, Miss Carter. You can easily find a brilliant man to be your partner, and there’s no point staying loyal to only one man.”
“What do you mean?” Jolly was puzzled.
Justin explained, “I heard that you tried to kill yourself for the man who dumped you. It’s not worth it.”
What does he mean that I tried to kill myself? Jolly was dumbfounded. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Didn’t you cut your wrists for Ryan?”
What? Jolly choked on the spices and started coughing violently. Her eyes were covered in tears. When did I ever cut my wrists?
Rachel immediately passed her a cup of water and patted her shoulder. At the same time, she shot a signal with her gaze. Upon seeing that, Jolly immediately understood what was going on.
“Are you alright?” Justin asked with concern.
Jolly straightened up and coughed a bit more. “I’m fine.”
“What’s wrong? Did I say anything wrong?”
“No, but I hope that you’ll never bring up this kind of embarrassing incident again. Thanks for your concern.” While nodding, Jolly forcefully pinched Rachel under the table. This is embarrassing! How could she lie to Justin that I cut my wrists for Ryan? I’m a straightforward woman who has the courage to love and hate. There’s no man that I can’t leave behind. Why would I try to kill myself for a man who uses others to gain benefits for himself?
A flabbergasted Gloria said, “You tried to kill yourself for that b*stard? I can’t believe that you’ve been acting tough all along, Jolly!”
Jolly put on a hollow laugh and replied, “I wasn’t myself at that time.”
As she endured the pain coming from her thigh, Rachel sported a nonchalant expression and uttered, “Let’s drink some juice that I’ve just squeezed. I’ll get it from the fridge.”
With a hideous smile, Jolly demanded, “Please get me more of the juice. My throat is burning.”