Chapter 36: Sex Photo
James smiled and gently patted her back.
"Silly girl, between us, there's no need to be so formal."
"If you want to rely on yourself, I support you, but I won't let you suffer even a little bit."
Caroline nodded, her heart full of emotion.
With James by her side, she felt she had nothing to fear.
Just then, James's phone suddenly vibrated.
He took it out and looked at it. His expression instantly darkened, anger surging in his eyes.
It was a text message from Daryl, full of words slandering Caroline.
"Caroline is just a bitch who hooked up with Isaac from Stellar Industries Group through shady means."
"All these years in Silvermoon City, who knows how many men she's been fooling around with. I have photos."
"Do you really think she's been well-behaved these past ten years?"
Following that were a bunch of sex photos of Caroline with various men.
Each photo was accompanied by disgusting text.
James's fingers gripping the phone suddenly tightened, and a cold aura instantly exploded around him.
Daring to slander Caroline like this—Daryl was the first, and would be the last.
Caroline noticed something was wrong with him and quickly looked up, asking with concern,
"James, what's wrong?"
"Did something happen? You look terrible."
James took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the murderous intent in his eyes, and quickly turned off his phone screen.
He didn't want Caroline to see these filthy things and get hurt or upset.
He reached out to hold Caroline, making his voice as gentle as possible.
"It's nothing, just a spam text. Don't worry about it."
Caroline frowned, clearly not believing him.
"Are you sure it's nothing? Don't lie to me."
"Really, it's nothing."
James ruffled her hair, changing the subject.
Although Caroline still had doubts, seeing that James didn't want to talk about it, she didn't press further.
She nodded.
James held her, but his eyes were cold as ice. He quietly took out his phone and sent a text to Kevin.
After sending the message, James's anger subsided slightly.
He looked down at Caroline in his arms, feeling both heartache and guilt.
He swore he would never let anyone hurt her again, not even a little bit. No one.
Just then, Caroline's phone suddenly rang.
The name on the screen was Yasmin Khan, her best friend.
Caroline's eyes lit up, and she immediately answered the call, her tone full of joy.
"Yasmin, you're finally back!"
Yasmin's voice came through the receiver, carrying a cheerful and proud tone.
"Yeah, I called you as soon as I landed."
"My boyfriend and I went traveling abroad. We had such a great time."
Caroline said with a smile, "That's wonderful. I thought you'd stay abroad for a few more days."
"I wanted to stay longer, but I missed you too much, so I came back early."
Yasmin said with a laugh.
"By the way, Caroline, my boyfriend and I want to treat you to dinner tonight. Let's get together. You have to come."
Caroline paused, instinctively glancing at James beside her.
She said softly, "Yasmin, I'm with James right now. I might not have time."
Before she could finish, Yasmin's voice changed, carrying obvious disdain.
"James? That man abandoned by the Anderson family who you've been waiting for ten years? He's back?"
"Caroline, why are you still with him? He's so down and out now. He's just a homeless bum."
The smile on Caroline's face instantly disappeared. A sharp pain shot through her heart, and she felt embarrassed.
She knew Yasmin meant well, but those words were really harsh.
"Yasmin, don't talk about him like that. He's not what you think."
"I'm not after his status. I really like him. I want to be with him."
Yasmin sighed, her tone filled with disappointment. "Can love pay the bills?"
"He has nothing now. If you're with him, you'll only suffer. What kind of future is that?"
"You're just too naive. You haven't met truly good men, so you're blinded by him."
Caroline frowned, feeling very uncomfortable, but still patiently explained.
"Yasmin, he's good, really good."
"No matter what his status is, no matter if he has money or not, I want to be with him."
Yasmin was silent for a few seconds, her tone compromising but still disdainful.
"Fine, if you insist on being with him, I can't stop you."
"How about this—bring him to dinner tonight. I'll show you what a real man is."
"My boyfriend is way better than him. Good family background, handsome, and he'll treat you well too."
Caroline had no choice but to agree.
"Okay, we'll see you tonight."
"Send me the address. James and I will be there on time."
After hanging up, Caroline's expression was unpleasant, feeling quite wronged.
She knew Yasmin meant no harm, but she still didn't like people talking about James that way.
James looked at her, feeling heartache. He reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Don't be upset. She just doesn't know the situation. She didn't mean it."
Caroline looked up at him, her eyes filled with apology.
"James, I'm sorry for making you feel wronged."
"Yasmin just speaks her mind. She doesn't mean any harm. When I was in trouble before, she always helped me."
"She was really good to me back then, so I don't want to fight with her."
James smiled and squeezed her hand.
"I know. I'm not angry."
"She helped you, so I won't hold it against her. I'll go with you tonight."
"No matter what she says, I won't care. As long as you're happy."
Caroline's heart warmed, and she leaned into his embrace.
"Thank you, James. You're so good to me."
James gently patted her back, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He could let it go with Yasmin, but if Yasmin went too far, he wouldn't be polite.
Anyone who dared to bully Caroline, even if it was her friend, wouldn't get away with it.
In the evening, Caroline received the address from Yasmin. It was an upscale restaurant.
James drove, taking Caroline to the restaurant.
Caroline sat in the passenger seat, adjusting her clothes, feeling a bit nervous.
She was afraid Yasmin would make things difficult for James, afraid they would argue.
James noticed her nervousness and reached out to hold her hand.
"Don't be nervous. I'm here."
"No matter what happens, I'll be by your side. I won't let you feel awkward."
Caroline nodded, feeling a bit more settled.
Before long, the car arrived at the restaurant entrance.
The restaurant was luxuriously decorated, with servers standing at the door. It looked very upscale.
James got out of the car, opened the door for Caroline, and holding her hand, walked into the restaurant.
As soon as they entered, they saw Yasmin and a man sitting by the window.