Chapter 152: There Were Hidden Circumstances Back Then
James: "Emily, please don’t do this. It really hurts me. Remember what you promised me when we were kids?"
James couldn't let it go and sent another message.
The internet, always on the lookout for drama, quickly picked up on this juicy bit of gossip.
"What’s the deal here? Sounds like some family drama where one’s chasing and the other’s running away."
"Didn’t someone online say Emily used to pick up trash as a kid? So, does James have a thing for girls who pick up trash? Is this one of those 'CEO falls for a trash collector' stories? If so, I might be into that."
"Maybe Emily was picking up trash but still looked stunning? I mean, she does have that face."
"But wouldn’t it have smelled awful?"
The online chatter kicked off again.
The news never seemed to settle down.
Emily's expression darkened.
Was James trying to help her, or was he plotting against her?
Or did he think that by stirring up the internet, he could change her mind?
He underestimated her determination to leave him.
Daniel saw James's tweet too.
With a cold smile, he went straight to his computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard.
As he hit enter, James's tweet vanished, followed by his entire account being suspended. Comments were disabled too.
The internet was puzzled. What just happened?
James frowned, his face darkening.
He didn't expect Daniel to step in, thinking it was Twitter being bold enough to suspend his account. He was ready to call and question them.
But before he could make the call, Kade's call came through.
"Dad!"
"Don't call me Dad. I should be calling you Dad! You ignored Emily’s feelings and got involved with Bianca. You initiated the breakup. And now, what are you doing? Do you think engagements are a joke?
I'm extremely disappointed in you. You shouldn't stay in the country anymore. There's a project abroad, and you need to go to the branch office there to gain some experience. Think carefully about where you went wrong. If you can't figure it out, don't bother coming back, and forget about inheriting Ascend Global Group!"
Kade's scolding was relentless, almost causing him to choke several times.
It was clear he was truly furious.
"Dad, I don’t want to go. I know I messed up before. But can you give me another chance? You can see how valuable Emily is. She’s very capable and resilient. Ascend Global Group needs someone who can expand our reach, not just a kind-hearted girl. She’s the best partner for that."
"If this were before, I might have agreed. But now, it’s too late!"
"Why? It’s not too late! Dad, I’ll work hard to win her back. And I forgot to tell you, when I went to Regal City, I wanted to meet Mr. Rogers. Do you know who he’s collaborating with? Emily. If she can convince Mr. Rogers to work with her, she’s probably even more capable than we thought."
James was deeply regretful. How could he not have realized that she wasn't the type to sell herself for a deal? It was obviously her own capabilities.
Even Harold wouldn’t agree to a major project just because of lust!
It was all Bianca’s fault; she misled him into doubting Emily.
"Why didn’t you say this earlier? Well, it’s too late now! Don’t think about it anymore. Come home, and I’ll arrange for you to go abroad!"
Kade sighed regretfully.
But he didn’t change his stance.
James finally sensed something was off and insisted, "Dad, I’m not going abroad. Also, why are you so determined to send me away? Is something going on?"
Unfortunately, James didn’t get an answer from Kade.
Instead, Jace burst in, shouting, "James, it’s bad. Your dad sent people to take you back."
Before Jace could finish, several burly men dressed as bodyguards stormed in.
"Mr. Smith, please come with us. Don’t make us use force; we don’t want to hurt you."
The lead bodyguard spoke coldly, his face stern.
Seeing this, James knew he couldn't escape. He decided not to resist.
"Fine, let’s go."
At least he could go back and find out what was going on.
When James returned, Kade was already waiting for him in the study.
Once James entered, Kade waved the bodyguards away, instructing them to close the door.
Now, it was just the two of them.
James frowned and said, "Dad, can you tell me why you're so insistent on sending me abroad? Whose idea is this? Is it Daniel's?"
He suddenly realized the key issue.
If it was Daniel's order, that would make sense.
Kade feared Daniel's authority, but James felt like a sacrificial lamb.
Now, Daniel wasn't just the head of the Smith Group; in James's eyes, he was also a rival in love, making James even more frustrated and angry. He spoke more aggressively, "Even if he's the head of the Smith family, he can't just decide my fate like that. I don't believe no one can control him!"
James thought there were still elders in the family, including Daniel's father, Atlas Smith. It shouldn't be a one-man show.
He underestimated Daniel's power and influence.
He also hadn't grasped the situation clearly.
Of course, it didn't help that the family had kept many things from him, making it hard for him to see the bigger picture.
"Do you think I really want you to leave? There's no choice. You have no idea how ruthless Daniel can be. Do you remember your mother? Do you know why she ended up being investigated and is still in prison?"
James's eyes widened.
He had wanted to confront Daniel, but seeing Emily at Daniel's villa made him lose his mind and forget about it.
Later, he saw the charges against Yara, and the solid evidence made it clear. He didn't pursue it further.
But now, hearing Kade's words, it seemed like there was more to the story.
"Dad, explain clearly. What's going on? Wasn't it what the evidence said?" James's eyes were red, his voice urgent.
Kade thought for a moment before speaking, "I found out later that Daniel was poisoned, and it was related to something Yara sent. But he pretended to be kind and didn’t directly accuse her, avoiding a scandal that would prevent the family from agreeing to imprison her."
James had a fleeting thought of wanting to block Daniel off completely.
He didn't voice this thought.
He continued questioning, "Mom doesn’t know anything about poison. How could she use a poison that Daniel wouldn’t detect? Did she know where the poison came from?"
"I don't know either. I asked your mother, and she insisted she didn’t know. She probably really didn’t."
Kade shook his head, "Just listen to me and go abroad to avoid trouble. I'm doing this for your safety. Who knows what he'll do to you!"
James had a feeling that Yara might know something.
He understood Kade was looking out for him, so he didn’t insist on staying. But before leaving...
"Dad, I’ll go abroad, but before I leave, I want to see Mom."
James said.
Kade thought he wanted to say goodbye to Yara before leaving.
"Alright, I'll have the lawyer arrange it. Once it's set, you can go see her." Kade nodded, agreeing to James's request.