Chapter 1753 Joseph Vanishes
“Yes! Do it!” As I bantered with him, I sensed that something was amiss and wondered if he had just chosen to trust Ashton.
Having read my mind, Emma explained, “It was my decision. I thought it was worth betting on Ashton’s character, so I convinced John to stop stressing you out. Unexpectedly, you came back with this pleasant news. Now that we are certain Ashton is on our side, we are free to plan our next move.”
“Really?” I looked at her in surprise, and at once, all my worries disappeared.
Emma nodded to reassure me.
“Emma.” I was so moved that I was lost for words. I simply extended my hands and hugged her to show my appreciation.
Emma patted me on my shoulders and quickly let go of me. “There, there, it’s not the time to be sentimental. The Lyons family needs me now, so I’ll have to head over with John.”
I nodded in understanding but stopped her again after a second. “Would going to the office affect John’s injury?”
Emma replied with a smile, “It’s no big deal. He’s just going to meet some of the shareholders. Even though John and I have been married for a few years, he has not shown himself to everyone associated with the Lyons family. Now that my family is in trouble, and the elders refuse to listen to my explanation, I have no choice but to bring John to see them. After all, he is the only one they trust to rescue them.”
Suddenly, a sense of bitterness crept into me when I imagined how tough it had been for Emma over the years. She was a capable wife who had built a business empire worth billions together with John. And yet, she barely had any authority within her own family.
It was fortunate that I didn’t insist on John keeping himself warded. Or else, I would have added to Emma’s pile of problems.
I nodded in agreement and said in concern, “Since you’re heading to see the Lyonses, it wouldn’t be convenient for me to show up now. I suppose Nathaniel is attacking the Lyons family in an attempt to test whether I can truly forsake everything for Ashton’s sake.”
To win this psychological war, I needed to refrain from showing myself. In terms of the finances of the two families, we had to ensure that they were not tied together. After all, data was the best form of evidence. In the event Nathaniel discovered it, we would lose the best opportunity to gain his trust.
However, due to the fact that Ashton and I weren’t powerful enough, we still needed John and Emma to lend us a hand. Thus, I added, “Although I can’t prove that I am the Scarlett of old, my fingerprints and signature are still legally binding. I’ll sign a document and send it to Emma’s home. When the time comes, take the document to Fuller Corporation and ask for help. By pretending to sabotage Ashton, we can trick Nathaniel into thinking that there are some disagreements and lower his guard. That way, we will have more room to maneuver.”
“That makes sense. It always pays to be careful.” Emma let out a long sigh. Suddenly, as if something had hit her, she asked, “Why don’t we make it even more convincing by having a fallout in public?”
John laughed heartily. “There’s no need to overdo the drama. The lesser we do, the lesser the chance of making mistakes. Or else, we might simply attract too much attention.”
John’s words alleviated the tension in the atmosphere. In truth, I had always admired John for his ability to laugh regardless of the circumstances he faced.
After escorting them to the elevator, I did not go any further with them. John would be staying with the Lyons family going forward to create the impression that he had failed to stop me despite his injury. By doing so, we could create the illusion that we had fallen out with each other.
On my way home, I received a call from Joseph’s nurse.
“Ms. Stovall, Mr. Campbell has disappeared!”
My heart sank at the news. I recollected myself and asked, “Calm down, and tell me what happened.”
“It’s really not my fault. Mr. Campbell complained that the food in the hospital was bad and instructed me to get him something from outside. By the time I returned, he was already gone. Ms. Stovall, please don’t deduct my pay. I am really stretched with many mouths to feed at home.”
