Chapter 882 Bankruptcy

Chapter 882 Bankruptcy

Rita glanced at Evan, her nerves showing.

He hung up the phone and grabbed her hand tightly. "Rita..."

His serious look made her uneasy. "What's going on?" she asked.

After a pause, Evan said, "The Grey Group just declared bankruptcy."

Rita knew exactly what that meant.

For a moment, she felt a wave of panic and confusion.

But she wouldn't let herself lose it. She forced a smile and said, "No wonder they've been blowing up my phone all day. So that's why."

Evan saw her tension and called out, "Rita..."

She cut him off, "The Grey family never treated me right. I've always wanted to get away from them. Now that they're bankrupt, it's actually a good thing for me. You don't need to worry."

Evan stared at her, unsure what to say.

He couldn't tell if she really didn't get what the bankruptcy meant or if she was just pretending.

He squeezed her cold hand again. "Rita, we're gonna face a lot of stuff soon, but no matter what, you gotta trust me, okay?"

Rita asked, "What's gonna happen?"

Evan was caught off guard.

She continued, "Evan, we've always known that to control our destiny, we need to be strong. For the past two years, I've been going to school and writing songs to make money. You've been working hard too. We're both chasing our dreams, and we're getting closer. But..."

Evan cut her off, "No buts."

Rita said, "Evan, we can take care of ourselves. We're getting closer to our goals, but we're not strong enough to take on the family, especially you. Right now, the Smith Group is at a critical point. You might not think about yourself, but can you forget about your brother and father's deaths?"

Evan went silent. He couldn't let it go. The person responsible would be revealed soon. He couldn't afford any distractions now.

Rita continued, "Evan, whatever you decide, I won't blame you. Do what you need to do."

Evan said, "Let's go find Grandpa."

Rita nodded, "Okay."

Evan added, "Grandpa's getting older, and his memory's not great. His influence in the group is fading. Lonnie and Conrad might not listen to him, but as long as he's around, they won't go too far."

Rita nodded again.

Both of them were anxious and didn't talk on the way to the Smith Manor.

Luckily, when they got there, the other Smith family members weren't back yet. Only Dylan was there.

Dylan said, "Evan, the Grey Group's bankruptcy can be a big deal or a small one. You need to go to the company and take charge. Don't let Lonnie and Conrad use this to cause trouble."

Evan replied, "Got it. Please look after Rita."

Dylan said, "I had you bring Rita here to keep her safe. Now that she's with me, you can go handle things without worrying."

"Thanks!" Evan turned to Rita. He had so much to say, but all that came out was, "Rita, stay here and wait for me."

Rita smiled, "Okay."

Evan then told Dylan, "Grandpa, please take care of Rita."

Dylan waved him off, "Go handle your business. Only by doing that can you protect the ones you care about."

Evan nodded.

Rita smiled at him, "Go on, hurry up."

Evan left.

As soon as he was gone, Dylan said, "Rita, with the Grey Group bankrupt, they're not in the same league as the Smith family anymore. You get that, right?"

Rita replied, "I understand."

Dylan nodded approvingly, "I knew you were smart."

Rita gave a bitter smile, "But right now, I wish I didn't understand."

Dylan continued, "You're a good girl. Any ordinary family would be lucky to have you. But Evan has a lot on his shoulders."

His words were gentle, but to Rita, they were blunt. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.

Dylan felt a pang of reluctance to break them up, but the future of the Smith Group was more important. "Right now, the Smith Group can't afford any scandals. If you break off the engagement, it'll be better for Evan's reputation."

Rita asked, "Did you talk to Evan about this? Did you ask what he wants?"

She smiled and continued, "If this is what he wants, I'll do it without hesitation. But we both know he doesn't want to break up with me."

Rita added, "He trusts you completely, which is why he brought me here. If he knew you tricked me and then sent him away, he'd hate you."

Dylan gripped his cup and said lightly, "So you want him to hate me?"

Rita was taken aback. "It's your actions that will make him hate you."

Dylan shifted the blame onto Rita. "Whether Evan hates me or not depends on your choice."

Rita fell silent. She had thought Dylan genuinely cared for her and wanted her and Evan to get married. But in the face of big interests, she was just a pawn.

But she couldn't blame anyone. If she were Dylan, she might make the same choice.

Dylan continued, "Rita, I know you have your own dreams. You want to break free from your family's control. You want to get your sister out of there. If you agree to break off the engagement, I can help you achieve all that."

Two years ago, when they arranged the engagement, no one asked if they were willing.

Now, when Dylan wanted to break it off, no one asked if they were willing either.

Whether it was getting engaged or breaking it off, Evan and she had the least say.

Rita felt like laughing, but her eyes filled with tears. "Do I have another option?"

Dylan smiled and delivered a heart-piercing line, "Unless you don't want to see your sister again."