Chapter 648
After listening to what the person said on the phone, Jennifer lapsed into a glum silence.
Ha! How audacious of Sophie to think she can wipe out Whitley Group from Jipsdale! Is she tired of living? I can’t believe such shameless women still exist in this world. The ladies from other prestigious families in Jipsdale aren’t even as arrogant as her for goodness’ sake!
“There’s no need to fret, Ms. Whitley! This time around, Tanner Group is done for!” the caller reassured.
“Okay, I got it. Let me know if anything else crops up at the Department of Justice. Don’t worry. You’ll be paid accordingly. I won’t shortchange you,” Jennifer replied.
After all, there was no such thing as a free lunch, especially when she needed a member of the Department of Justice to work with her.
“But you have to remember not to let anyone get the dirt on you! Otherwise, we’ll both be dead meat!” she reminded before hanging up the phone.
Timothy had rushed back from Ospea the moment he learned about his daughter’s shenanigans, and as luck would have it, he overheard her entire phone conversation from the door.
“Jennifer Whitley, you’ve truly let me down! Do you know what you’re doing? You’re breaking the law!” Timothy scolded as he shook his head.
Try as he might, he couldn’t understand why his daughter had become so atrocious.
Despite knowing how disappointed her father was, Jennifer still failed to see the error of her ways.
“I haven’t done anything, Dad. I just—”
Before she could finish her words, Timothy slapped her across the face.
“I want you out of Whitley Group from tomorrow onward! If you carry on like this, you’ll ruin my life’s work!”
Whitley Group is the fruit of my labor, and I won’t let anyone destroy it!
Furious at how Timothy had slapped her over something so trivial, Jennifer scowled. “Dad, what do you mean by that? Are you not letting me manage Whitley Group anymore?”
“I don’t want you in the office until this matter is over. Given what Tristan’s like, do you think he’d let you off if he knew you were responsible for this mess? How are you this dense? Just because Sophie has him backing her doesn’t mean she’s immune to prosecution. She’d still be held liable for any violation of the law!” Timothy fumed.
I’ve always thought my daughter was clever, but why is she acting so foolishly now?
“Dad, I—”
“Enough. I don’t want to hear another word from you!”
Seeing that Jennifer was oblivious to how her actions might spell trouble for the Whitley family, Timothy wanted nothing more than to slap her till she finally realized her folly.
“Dad, I can’t believe you hit me because of an outsider. Have you forgotten that I’m your daughter?” Jennifer choked out as she cupped her swollen cheek. “All I want is to pursue my own happiness in life. Is that wrong? As my father, shouldn’t you be on my side?”
I don’t understand! What on earth have I done wrong? Isn’t this how things work on the business battlefield? Everyone’s scheming against one another, and only the strongest survive. So what if we resort to underhanded means from time to time? That’s just part and parcel of the fight!
“My goodness. You still don’t realize your mistakes, do you? I’m so disappointed in you, Jennifer. Do you think Tristan will direct his love to you with Sophie out of the picture? He’d have liked you long ago if he had ever harbored feelings for you. There wouldn’t be a need to pull these stunts to win him over! This isn’t your first rodeo, and you, of all people, should know how ruthless Tristan can be!”
Unfortunately, Jennifer remained adamant.
“If there’s something I can’t have, Sophie Tanner can forget about getting it too!” she shouted hysterically.
Enraged, Timothy turned to the housekeepers. “Lock her up in the room! Nobody’s allowed to let her out without my permission!”
Caylie frowned at her husband’s orders. She had always doted on her only daughter, so naturally, it broke her heart to see Jennifer being slapped and grounded.
“Don’t you think you’re being too strict with her? She’s still young…”
“A kind mother makes a wastrel! It’s your fault Jennifer has become the way she is today, so don’t you dare lecture me,” Timothy replied brusquely. “We still don’t know if our family can pull through this. You’d better start making plans for the future!”
With that, the man stormed off, leaving Jennifer still holding her burning cheek.
Hmph! I don’t believe Tristan would go to such extremes to destroy our family. How could he when we have such a solid reputation in Jipsdale?
After seeing her husband’s demeanor, Caylie, too, lost her cool. “Jennifer! What on earth have you done? I’ve never seen your father so angry before!”
“Mom, you have to believe me. All I wanted to do was teach Sophie a lesson…” Jennifer whined. “I just can’t stand how arrogant she is!”
“Really?”
Then again, Sophie is Mr. Tristan’s woman! It doesn’t matter whether we like her or not. Nothing will change the fact that he’s ready to do everything in his power to protect her!
“Your father is still angry, so you’d better behave yourself and stay home for the time being. And keep your distance from Sophie!” Caylie urged.
Even though Tristan was undoubtedly a good catch, what could they do if he had no romantic feelings for Jennifer?
Many things can be taken by force, but love is not one of them.
It is impossible to coerce anyone into a relationship, especially when one party has clearly stated their lack of interest in the other.
Alas, Jennifer was undeterred by her parents’ warnings. Ha! How can I stop when this is only the beginning? I won’t let Sophie off that easily!
Having lost the mood to talk, Caylie promptly instructed the housekeeper to lock Jennifer in her room. After all, Timothy was the head of the house. Who was she to defy his orders?
Meanwhile, Tristan had been busy the entire day, yet he still found time to call Sophie. Sadly, the latter never answered the phone.
Felix, of course, couldn’t help but poke fun at him. “What are you doing? Sophie is a capable woman, and she’s probably too busy to pick up the call. Don’t worry about her!”
Although Tristan didn’t think anything was amiss, the fact that Sophie didn’t answer his call left him feeling dejected.
When he finally finished his work and stepped out of the office, he was greeted by the sight of a teary- eyed Sandra.
“Oh, you’re finally here, Mr. Tristan! I’ve been waiting for you the whole day! The guards refuse to let me into the building!”
Needless to say, Sandra’s demeanor gave Tristan a sense of foreboding.
“What’s the matter? Did something happen to Sophie?” Tristan asked. “Don’t just stand there and cry! Tell me what’s going on!”
Felix, too, became anxious when he saw Sandra in such a panic.
“That’s right! Dry your tears and tell us what’s wrong! With Mr. Tristan here, you don’t have to worry about a thing. There’s nothing he can’t handle!”
As it turned out, Simon had run off to think of a plan, leaving Sandra behind to break the news to Tristan. “Sophie has been captured!”
