Chapter 61
Time flew by, and William took the initiative to drive Ophelia home.
Outside the villa, looking at Ophelia's swollen lips, William's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
"Go up and get some good rest. Stop thinking about all that nonsense."
Ophelia nodded, but her fingers paused as she unbuckled her seatbelt. On impulse, she looked up and asked half-jokingly, "Do you want to... come up for a bit?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she froze.
It sounded like she was making a move on him, and her cheeks instantly heated up.
William's gaze deepened suddenly, a hint of amusement coloring his eyes.
"At this hour?" He deliberately drew out his words, his voice so low and deep it could tickle one's heart. "Are you hinting at something?"
Ophelia's face turned completely red, even her earlobes burning hot.
She'd just had a momentary lapse in judgment—she never expected William to call her out so directly. She quickly waved her hands: "Nothing, I was just asking!"
With that, she pushed open the car door, ready to escape, moving as quickly as a startled deer.
"Wait," William called out to her, picking up the bouquet of red roses. "You forgot this."
Ophelia took the flowers, her fingertips brushing against his hand, then pulled back as if shocked: "Thanks, I'm going in now."
With that, she hurried into the villa. Only after closing the door did she lean against it, breathing heavily.
Her heart was pounding, her mind full of William's earlier look.
How was William so good at flirting?
She was the one who started the joke, but in the end, she was the one blushing and fleeing in embarrassment.
She carried the roses to the living room and arranged them in a vase. Looking at the vibrant petals, she couldn't help but smile.
Whatever, she wouldn't hold it against him.
At least he'd cured her bad mood today.
After washing up and lying in bed, just as she was about to close her eyes, her phone pushed a financial news notification.
The headline was particularly eye-catching: Jeffrey Technologies stock continues to plummet, the Adams Group's business is affected, and market value evaporates by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Ophelia raised an eyebrow and clicked to read more.
The article said that since the incident of Freya making a fool of herself at the celebration banquet went viral, the Adams Group and Jeffrey Technologies' reputation had hit rock bottom. Partners were pulling out their investments, and shareholders were selling off stocks in droves, causing the stock price to hit the daily limit down repeatedly.
Looks like Jeffrey was having a hard time.
Ophelia felt nothing. They had brought this on themselves.
She closed her phone, stopped paying attention to the Adams Group's affairs, and soon fell asleep.
Meanwhile, the Adams Mansion was shrouded in gloom.
The next morning, Ophelia was woken by her phone ringing.
She groggily picked up her phone and saw that the caller ID showed Hermione. She frowned but still answered.
"Hello, Grandma." Her voice still carried the huskiness of just waking up.
"Ophelia, you're awake?" Hermione's tone was unusually gentle.
"Just woke up." Ophelia sat up and leaned against the headboard, pretty much guessing why she was calling.
"Ophelia, I know you've been wronged." Hermione sighed. "That bastard Jeffrey was bewitched by that woman Freya, which is why he did those things that hurt you."
"He knows he was wrong now. Don't hold it against him."
Ophelia said nothing, waiting for her to continue.
"Look, the Adams family is facing such big difficulties now. The stock price has dropped badly, and partners have left. If this continues, we really won't be able to hold on."
"I know this has nothing to do with you, but you and Jeffrey were in love once. For my sake, could you drop the lawsuit against Freya?"
"And appear with Jeffrey to clarify things, just say you had a small disagreement but have made up now. This would help the Adams family stabilize the situation."
"Freya was just an accident. She was trying to climb the social ladder, which is why she deliberately clung to Jeffrey. We've already made her leave Jeffrey, and she won't bother you two anymore."
Hermione put all the blame on Freya, her words full of persuasion for Ophelia to reconcile with Jeffrey.
Ophelia listened without any emotional response.
Whether it was Wesley or Hermione, they had indeed treated her well before, but that couldn't be used as a reason for moral blackmail.
"Grandma," Ophelia interrupted her, her tone calm but firm, "Jeffrey and I can never get back together."
"What happened between us can't be written off with just the word 'accident.' He lied to me for three years, made me raise someone else's child for three years, and conspired with Freya to frame me. These wounds—I'll never forget them for the rest of my life."
"Suing Freya is what she deserves. I won't drop the charges. As for clarifying, I definitely won't do it. He and I have nothing to do with each other anymore. There's no need for me to compromise myself for the Adams family's interests."
Hermione hadn't expected Ophelia to refuse so decisively. Her tone instantly turned cold: "Ophelia, how can you be so heartless?"
"The Adams family is in trouble now. Can't you help out for old times' sake?"
"Jeffrey made mistakes, but he knows he was wrong. Can't you give him a chance to turn over a new leaf?"
"Whatever feelings he and I had, he squandered them long ago." Ophelia's tone remained calm. "I can't help him, and I won't help him."
"The Adams family's troubles were caused by Jeffrey himself. He should solve them himself, not pin his hopes on me."
Hermione was left speechless. After a long while, she let out a heavy sigh: "Fine, just fine! Ophelia, I was wrong about you!"
With that, Hermione hung up directly.
Ophelia looked at the darkened screen and shook her head helplessly.
She'd expected this outcome all along. Hermione had always been protective of her own and would never truly recognize Jeffrey's mistakes.
But she didn't care what Hermione thought of her. She only knew she couldn't let herself be dragged into the Adams family's affairs anymore.
After hanging up, she got up to wash and prepare for work.
Meanwhile, at the Adams Mansion, after hanging up, Hermione was so angry her chest heaved.
"That Ophelia is getting more and more heartless!" She threw her phone on the sofa, her tone full of resentment. "Back in the day, I treated her so well, always thinking of her when there were good things. And now, when the Adams family is in trouble, she won't even show a bit of consideration!"
"She says Jeffrey lied to her—I think she's just gotten too big for her britches. Now that she's latched onto the Brown family, she looks down on us Adams!"
Wesley sat to the side, silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "Forget it. If she's unwilling, we can't force her."
He actually thought Ophelia was right—Jeffrey had indeed wronged her. But the Adams family's current situation forced him to think about the family.
His silence was essentially agreeing with Hermione's complaints.