Chapter 38 CHAPTER 38
At that moment, silence settled heavily over the room.
It stretched from one person to another, thick and suffocating, as though the air itself had grown too tense to breathe. No one spoke. No one had a name to offer. No one had a single suggestion powerful enough to turn the situation around.
For the first time, the reality of their helplessness became painfully obvious.
Then Vincent turned sharply toward his mother.
“Mom,” he said, “don’t you have any friends anyone at all—who could connect us to somebody capable of speaking with Mr. Oliver?”
Deborah immediately tried to think.
Her brows drew together as she searched through every name she knew, every social contact, every association she had ever relied upon.
But nothing came, after a long moment, she shook her head.
“No,” she said bitterly. “Not right now. No one. No one at all is coming to mind.”
Her expression soured even more.
“There are people I know, yes—but even they would not dare involve themselves in this. Not if it means risking Mr. Oliver’s displeasure. They would never want to offend him.”
She let out a humorless scoff.
“If anything, they would rather laugh at me, make subtle gestures, mock my misfortune from a distance, than actually step in to help.”
Her voice turned flat.
“So no. They can’t.”
Vincent cursed under his breath and dragged a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Damn it,” he muttered. “This is getting out of hand.”
Then his voice hardened with determination.
“I have to resolve this issue today—or tomorrow at the latest. One way or another, this has to be fixed.”
He turned immediately to his father.
“Father,” he said, “what about you? Don’t you know anyone?”
Mr. Bushman hesitated.
For a brief moment, he seemed reluctant to speak, but eventually he gave a small nod.
“Yes,” he said slowly. “I do know someone.”
That single sentence made everyone in the room lift their heads, but Mr. Bushman did not sound relieved.
Instead, his expression remained grave.
“It is going to cost us a lot,” he said. “A great deal, in fact.”
He inhaled, preparing to say more—perhaps even to mention the name.
But before he could, Tasha suddenly stepped forward and said, “Actually, I know somebody that can resolve this issue quickly.”
At once, everyone turned toward Tasha.
Their surprise was unmistakable. It was only then that they seemed to fully realize she had been in the house the entire time and had heard everything they had been saying.
Vincent stared at her, caught between disbelief, shame and sudden hope.
“So you mean,” he asked, stepping forward, “you know somebody who can help us fix this whole situation?”
Tasha gave a small, confident nod.
“Yes,” she said. “I know someone who can do it.”
The effect of those words was immediate.
Vincent closed the distance between them almost at once and took both her hands in his, as though she had just become the only solid thing left in a collapsing world.
“All of this,” he said quickly, “it started because of a small misunderstanding. A tiny mistake that that crazy bastard decided to turn into a disaster.”
His tone sharpened as he spoke of Megan.
“She wanted to disrupt our wedding that day. She wanted to ruin everything. And because I rejected her because I no longer wanted anything to do with that relationship she decided to retaliate.”
His grip on Tasha’s hands tightened.
“She has been lying. Telling all sorts of stories to people who matter. And now, because of her lies, they’re canceling my contracts.”
His expression grew desperate, almost pleading.
“But I know that if I can just explain the truth to them if they hear the real story everything can go back to the way it was. I can get back on track.”
Tasha listened without interrupting, then nodded with solemn understanding.
“I understand everything,” she said. “And yes, I support you one hundred percent.”
Her eyes hardened slightly as she continued.
“I saw what happened at our wedding. I saw the look on her face. I could tell how bitter she was.”
She stepped a little closer, her voice turning firm with quiet resolve.
“And I’m not going to stand by and allow another woman to destroy my husband’s peace or ruin everything he has worked so hard to build.”
There was no hesitation in her tone now.
“I won’t allow that to happen. So I’m going to help you.”
At once, the tension in the room shifted.
Deborah’s face, which had been clouded with worry and frustration, suddenly softened with relief. She stepped toward Tasha with visible emotion and said, “Now this—this is exactly why we fought so hard to make sure you were the right woman for my son.”
Her voice trembled with satisfaction, almost vindication.
“This is one of the reasons. I saw something in you from the very beginning—how loving you are, how determined you are, how deeply you can stand for the people you care about. I saw it all.”
She placed a hand over her chest and smiled.
“And I’m so happy now. So happy that you’re willing to help. It only proves that my instincts were right all along. Every time something in me kept pointing toward you, I knew I wasn’t mistaken.”