Chapter 30 I Quit
Bryce returned to his house with weak steps, his body soaking wet and his gaze empty. One of the servants who saw him immediately brought him a dry towel.
But before the servant could give him the towel, Steven raised his hand and took it, then signalled the servant not to disturb him.
"He can't be disturbed right now!" Steve emphasized, while Bryce continued walking up the second-floor steps with a gloomy face.
"What's wrong with Mr Bryce? Did someone offend him?" implored the servant.
"He was just let down by someone! He feels cheated."
"What? Mr. Bryce was deceived? How is that possible? Someone as intelligent and assertive as him could be deceived by someone? Was the loss significant? Has he reported it to the police?" asked the waiter, sounding worried.
She was Hannah, a waiter who had worked for the Johansen family for quite some time. She had even helped take care of Bryce when he was a child.
Steven shook his head. "It's complicated. The police can't do anything. Because this fraud involves romance."
As he said this, Steven chuckled a little, and that's when Hannah realized that this time Bryce was having problems with his love life. The plump maid raised her hands to show that she had also given up on this matter.
"Only Mr. Bryce and Miss Rossie can solve this problem. None of us are capable of solving it."
"Miss Rossie?" Steven asked softly.
Hannah just nodded and smiled. "Of course. Mr. Bryce never showed that he actually loved Miss Rossie during their marriage. But when she left, it was clear that something was missing from his life. That's what you call love, and Mr. Bryce never realized it."
Steven was silent for a moment and smiled. He thought Hannah's words made sense. Bryce's emotions had often been unstable since separating from Rossie, and he had recently gone crazy on the street, mistaking a stranger for his ex-wife.
Steven just shrugged and accompanied Bryce to the second floor. At that moment, he saw his boss had changed his clothes and was leaning on the sofa in his bedroom. He was leaning back, massaging his temples and taking more painkillers.
Steven wanted to protest, but he knew Bryce was in a bad mood. In the end, he just made small talk. "Boss, are you okay? Is there anything else I need to do? "
" No, go home! "Bryce exclaimed, waving his hand toward the exit.
As Steven left Bryce's room, he passed Hannah, who was going upstairs to see Bryce again.
" Mr. Bryce, sir is calling for you to see him in his office. Miss Jones is there too," Hannah told him politely.
Bryce snorted in annoyance and got up from his seat to go to his father's study. His face looked dejected.
As soon as she saw Bryce arrive, Lily immediately got up to approach him, hugging Bryce without caring that Bryce's parents were still there.
"Bryce, you finally came!" Lily said enthusiastically and hugged him tightly as if they had been apart for a long time.
However, Bryce seemed indifferent. He did not return the hug, but he did not let go either. Sadness seemed to overwhelm him when he saw Lily.
"Bryce, how did it go? Did you meet with Miss Cavendish?" Gerald asked sternly.
As the head of the Johansen Group, Gerald had essential responsibilities. Therefore, he would not usually get involved in trivial matters like this.
However, Miranda kept whining and asking about it every day, which annoyed him. He had no choice but to tell Bryce to take control of the situation.
"Bryce will definitely protect Lily and her family, doesn't he love her very much? Bryce really cares about her. If he speaks directly to Miss Cavendish, then the Nexus Group will not refuse her request. Isn't this what Miss Cavendish wants? She is doing this to get Bryce's attention." Miranda snorted as she wrapped her arms around her husband.
The woman then turned to Lily and said, "Lily, don't worry, even though it seems like Miss Cavendish likes Bryce, the only one he loves is you. He met Miss Cavendish as a representative of the Jones family."
Lily just nodded.
For 20 years, Miranda had treated Bryce with respect and praised him to the skies, raising others' expectations. This was how she always got Bryce to do what she wanted.
This way, she could complain to Gerald whenever Bryce had shortcomings, using it to drive a wedge between them.
"Dad, Mrs. Miranda, let's not discuss this anymore!" Bryce said firmly.
"What do you mean?" Gerald asked, sounding dissatisfied.
"From now on, I will no longer help the Jones Group. That's all!"
Lily and Miranda were stunned to hear this.
"But why?" asked Gerald.
"Why?" Bryce glanced at Lily and said again. "Why? The Jones Group knows why!"
After saying this, Bryce left the room with a cold expression, leaving Lily speechless.
"Gerald, he's joking, right?" The smile on Miranda's face froze. She began to feel anxious.
Gerald's face looked gloomy, but he said nothing.
Bryce returned to his room with his mind filled with thoughts of Rossie.
"Why do you have to be like this, Rossie? What's wrong with me?" muttered Bryce.
"All orders have been canceled. The products will rot in the warehouse, and we can't afford to pay the workers. If this continues, we'll go bankrupt!" Lily exclaimed as she headed for Bryce's room.
She lost her gentle demeanour because her family crisis had taken over her mind.
"It's late. I'll ask the driver to take you home," Bryce said wearily.
"Bryce, what happened? What made you change your mind? Tell me!" Lily shouted insistently.
"Go away! I want to rest now!" Bryce exclaimed.
Lily shook her head and stamped her feet like a child who didn't get a toy. "I won't leave until you explain it to me!"
"I told you, ask your brother, Jake, about this problem! He knows why the Nexus Group blocked it! Now don't bother me!" Bryce got up from his bed and gently pushed Lily out of the room, then slammed the door.
At that moment, he realized something. The gift box from Rossie was missing. It should have been on the nightstand to the right.
He opened the door and called the butler.
The maid hurried over. "Yes, Mr. Bryce."
"Where is the box that was here?" Bryce asked, pointing to the nightstand.
"I didn't touch it. You told me not to touch anything given by Miss Rossie when I cleaned your room."