Chapter 188

Chapter 189

Four years.

I hated him, resented him, didn't want to see him.

But he also saved me, protected me, and put his life on the line for me.

And then there's Aura.

She wants a complete family so badly, wants her mom and dad together.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

"James."

"What's wrong?"

"Don't do this anymore."

His hand paused.

"What?"

"Don't trade your safety for mine," I said. "I'm not worth it."

He didn't say anything, just kept massaging my leg.

After a while, he spoke: "Whether you're worth it or not, that's for me to decide."

I opened my eyes and looked at him.

He kept his head down, focused on massaging my leg, not looking at me.

I watched him, suddenly not knowing what to say.

James massaged me so well that I felt really comfortable. At some point, I fell asleep. When I woke up again, he was already gone.

James's POV:

I watched Sophia fall asleep, my heart filled with joy.

A phone call came in. I immediately silenced it, got up, and went outside to answer.

"Mr. Smith, something's wrong. You need to get to the Smith Group right away," Bodhi said urgently.

I rushed to the Smith Group. Bodhi walked behind me on my left: "Mr. Smith, the Faith Group says they're pulling their investment because of you. The Smith Group shareholders are very unhappy about this and want you to give them a reasonable explanation."

Savannah really meant what she said.

But I'm not that easy to push around. I had Bodhi notify all the shareholders of an immediate board meeting.

At the board meeting.

"Mr. Smith, why would a multi-billion dollar project get cancelled just like that? We need a reasonable explanation."

"The Faith Group isn't the best partner for us." I threw out the information about the Faith Group that I'd had Bodhi collect.

"The Faith Group built its fortune through illegal businesses, and many of their operations are still dirty. They're also involved in drug trafficking."

"Setting aside whether their businesses are clean or not, the drug trafficking alone is a huge risk."

"If we keep working with a company like this, we won't end well either."

The shareholders looked at the documents in their hands, their faces growing serious.

"Besides, this project is really good. Even without the Faith Group's investment, we can make good profits on our own."

One shareholder spoke up: "Since you're so confident, Mr. Smith, we'll wait and see."

The board meeting ended there.

Savannah thought she had me cornered, but I turned around and found the Faith Group's core technical team and poached them with high pay.

Savannah wanted to do this project, but found she had no one to use.

Her core technical team was gone, the project couldn't move forward, the money the Faith Group invested went down the drain, and investors were blocking the door every day, demanding answers. I heard her father, Eugene Faith, got so angry that he ended up in the hospital.

Her family gave her hell, and finally, she had to come apologize to me with Eugene.

I sat in my chair, looking coldly at Savannah.

Savannah stood at my office door, wearing plain clothes, light makeup, red-rimmed eyes, completely different from her usual bright and bold self.

Eugene stood beside her with a forced smile, humble: "Mr. Smith, Savannah was foolish and offended you. I brought her to apologize."

My expression was flat: "No need."

Eugene's smile froze.

"Mr. Smith, this is our fault. About the project, can we discuss it again?"

"Our company has already started moving forward with the project. We don't lack money or people. I really don't know what there is to discuss." I glanced at Savannah. "And I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

Savannah looked up. She bit her lip until it turned white: "Do you love that woman that much?"

"She's my woman. Of course, I won't let anyone bully her."

Eugene got angry and slapped her: "What exactly did you do? You better tell me everything, or I'll kick you out of the family."

Savannah cried and told him about how she made things difficult for Sophia.

"You idiot! Just because of your jealousy, you caused us..." Eugene was furious, sighing heavily. "This is killing me!"

Eugene scolded her, then asked me to bring Sophia out so Savannah could apologize to her face.

I called Sophia and asked her to come over.

As soon as Sophia arrived.

Eugene apologized to her: "Ms. Brown, I'm so sorry. My daughter is young and foolish. She did something stupid. I apologize on her behalf."

He bowed deeply and stayed bent for a long time.

Savannah stood there without moving.

Eugene pulled her hard.

She took a deep breath and bent down too.

"Ms. Brown, I'm sorry."

Sophia looked at her without saying anything.

Savannah kept her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Lift your head."

She lifted her head and looked at me, her eyes even redder now, tears pooling in them.

I looked at her: "Are you really sorry?"

She didn't speak, just bit her lip.

I laughed coldly: "Fine, go back."

She froze.

Eugene froze, too, then thanked me repeatedly.

"Thank you, Mr. Smith, thank you..."

I cut him off: "I'm very unsatisfied, so you'll have to pay a price."

Eugene looked like the sky was falling. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Savannah frantically called for an ambulance, pointing at me and cursing: "Is it wrong that I like you? Do you have to be so aggressive?"

"You started it. I'm just returning the favor."

Savannah started crying.

The medics came and carried Eugene away. She left with them.

Sophia watched their backs and sighed: "Based on what I know about people like her, she definitely won't let this go."

I reassured her: "After this, she shouldn't dare cause trouble again."

Sophia smiled: "A woman's intuition is usually right. We'll see."

Turns out, her intuition was right.

That day, Savannah came back with Eugene to the Smith Mansion to apologize again, but she wasn't really sorry.

I could tell. When she lowered her head, her eyes didn't show regret, but hatred.

After Eugene left, she quietly came back and saw Aura playing in the garden.

Savannah walked over.

Aura was crouching by the flower bed, watching ants, completely absorbed. Her little mouth was mumbling something to the ants.

Savannah crouched down and smiled at her.

"Little girl, what's your name?"

Aura looked up at her.

"Aura."

"Aura, what a cute name." She pointed toward the lake. "There's a little fountain over there. Want to go see it?"

Aura shook her head.

"Mommy said I can't go with strangers."

Savannah's smile didn't change.

"I'm not a stranger. I'm your daddy's friend."

Aura thought about it, but still shook her head.

"I'll go ask Daddy."

Aura stood up to run.

Savannah grabbed Aura: "Don't rush, I'll take you to see it."

She picked up Aura and walked toward the lake.

Aura started struggling: "Let me go! Let go!"

Savannah didn't let go.

When they reached the lake, she put Aura down.

Aura turned to run.

Savannah pushed her.

Aura lost her balance, fell backward, and dropped into the lake.