Chapter 224 Chapter 224: Fake Message
As Tim lowered his head and glanced at the figure, he looked back at Estelle with a hint of suspicion. “What led to such a significant debt? Well, it doesn’t matter. I made a promise to help you, and I will keep my word.”
He then turned to Mr. Field and requested, “Please provide me with your company’s account number. I will repay the debt on Estelle’s behalf.”
Realizing that the situation was about to spiral out of control, Estelle swiftly stood up and pulled Tim out of the meeting room. As she did so, she urgently stated, “Come with me first. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Hey! Estelle, calm down! What are you planning to do to me? I’ve agreed to marry you, but I didn’t agree to anything else...” Tim exclaimed, his words trailing off as they left the room.
“Shut up!” Estelle couldn’t help but growl. But soon, she realized that her behavior was inappropriate, so she turned around and said apologetically to Mr. Field, “I’m sorry, Mr. Field. I have something urgent to deal with. Please wait a moment. I’ll be back soon.”
With his arms folded, Mr. Field watched them with great interest and said with a chuckle, “It’s okay. I can wait.”
Realizing that Estelle might be the only one capable of resolving the issue at hand, York chose to remain silent, refraining from saying anything.
As he watched Estelle and Tim exit the room, a sense of relief washed over him, and he thought to himself, “As long as Tim is willing to lend a hand, I can avoid going to jail.”
“Mr. Grantham,” Mr. Field suddenly called York.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Field?”
“The person responsible for managing this company is you, isn’t it?” Mr. Field inquired, his gaze fixed on York.
Simultaneously, the lawyer positioned behind Mr. Field began typing, recording their conversation to gather potentially useful information for future legal proceedings.
Witnessing this, York grew increasingly anxious and hastily waved his hand, denying the accusation. “No, it’s not me.”
Mr. Field appeared unconvinced by York’s response. “It’s not you?” he pressed.
“Well, it is me, but...” York stammered, attempting to explain. “I’m only temporarily managing the company on behalf of my sister, who is currently ill. Once she recovers, she will resume her role as the legal representative. After all, my late brother-in-law originally founded the company, and it is rightfully my sister’s responsibility to oversee it.”
Upon hearing York’s explanation, Mr. Field couldn’t help but burst into laughter, his tone heavy with sarcasm. “Mr. Grantham, you truly are something,” he remarked.
Unaware that Mr. Field was mocking him, York responded with a smile, saying, “I’m flattered...”
After leading Tim into a lounge within the company, Estelle closed the door behind them.
Tim leaned casually against the wall, a playful smile on his lips, and crossed his arms as he gazed at Estelle.
“Estelle, it’s daytime, so what’s the purpose of bringing me here and locking the door?” he remarked with a meaningful tone.
“Mr. Roberts, please, let’s be serious,” Estelle retorted, glaring at him.
Tim chuckled and shrugged, saying, “I’ve always been serious, haven’t I?”
Estelle took a deep breath and asked, “Why did you suddenly come here?”
“I received the message from you, and then I came here at once.”
“What? I’ve been busy with the company’s affairs today and didn’t text you at all.”
“You don’t want to admit it?” Tim said as he took out his phone and showed the message to her. “Look. Wasn’t this message sent by you?”
Estelle then took the phone in confusion. Seeing the cheesy message, she couldn’t help feeling embarrassed and frowned.
‘Tim, please understand that we shouldn’t continue seeing each other. While you have been kind to me, we are not compatible. Additionally, I am still unable to let go of Cristofer. He is the father of my children, and I still have lingering feelings for him. Please refrain from contacting me. Let’s end our relationship.’
Clearing his throat, Tim deliberately read the message in a girly voice.
After receiving the message, Tim’s disgust was evident as he shivered and expressed his disbelief, “You sent me this message as a way to play hard-to-get, didn’t you? Do you claim you can’t get over Cristofer? Come on. How can I possibly believe such a lie? Rebecca once told me that sometimes, when a woman says no, she actually means yes. When she says she doesn’t want to be contacted by a man anymore, it’s just a way to seek reassurance. Estelle, even though I find appeasing a woman troublesome, I still came here. Are you impressed?”
Shaking her head, Estelle replied firmly, “I did not send that message.”
“What?” Tim checked the sender’s phone number and exclaimed, “That’s impossible. Look, this is your phone number.”
Upon carefully examining the phone number, Estelle expressed helplessness, stating, “I genuinely did not send that message to you.”
She then took out her phone and opened the Messages app to show Tim. “Look, there is no record of me sending this message whatsoever.”
With a face filled with disbelief, Tim thoroughly checked all the messages on Estelle’s phone and confirmed that she did not send him the message.
“You truly didn’t text me?” he asked, puzzled by the situation.
“No.”
As realization dawned on Tim, his expression darkened slightly. “Then who could have sent me that text? They even went as far as faking your phone number and possessing knowledge about both me and Cristofer. Who could it be?”
“I know exactly who it is,” Estelle sneered, her mind immersed in deep thought.
‘Melody and Gretchen have been under the impression that Mr. Mysterious is Tim,’ Estelle thought silently.
‘Today, when they heard that I would help solve the company’s cash flow problem, they must think that I would ask Mr. Mysterious for help.’
‘Therefore, they resorted to faking my phone number and sending this message to sow discord between me and Mr. Mysterious.’
‘With calculated intent, they specifically mentioned Cristofer in the message, insinuating that I could not move on from him. Their aim was to provoke anger in Mr. Mysterious and cause him to withhold my financial support.
‘Consequently, I would be unable to resolve the issue at hand and gain entry into the board of directors.’
‘Melody and Gretchen’s cunning tactics are apparent, yet their plan is bound to fail as Mr. Mysterious is not Tim, contrary to their misguided assumption.’
“Estelle, what on earth is happening?” Tim inquired, seeking clarity.
Estelle, having gathered her thoughts, regained her composure and responded promptly, “It’s a complicated story. When my uncle approaches you for money later, kindly inform him that you cannot assist me due to financial constraints.”
Upon hearing this, Tim furrowed his brow and questioned, “So, do you actually need the money or not?”
“No.”
“But...”
“Let’s talk about it later, Mr. Roberts. Just do as I said.”