Chapter 39 CHAPTER 39
Jessica, equally moved, quickly stepped in with her own excitement.
“Oh my—my sister-in-law,” she said warmly, almost gushing. “At this point, we are already sisters, and I don’t care what anyone says.”
She gave Tasha a look full of approval.
“I was one of the people rooting for you from the start, hoping with everything in me that you would truly become part of this family. And thank goodness you are here.”
Her expression immediately darkened at the mention of Megan.
“Imagine if it had been that useless woman instead that good-for-nothing bastard who always wants to ruin everything and claim what she never worked for.”
Jessica scoffed.
“She always wanted everything for herself, yet she did nothing to deserve it. Ever since she left my brother’s life and you came in, everything has been going smoothly. And now, even in a moment like this, you’re still willing to step forward and help. That says everything about the kind of person you are.”
Tasha listened to them, then gave a calm nod.
“I love Vincent too much to stand by and watch anything happen to him,” she said. “I would never want anyone to laugh at him. And if anyone laughs at Vincent, then indirectly, they are laughing at me too.”
Her tone became firmer.
“So no, I won’t allow that.”
She paused, then revealed the part that instantly changed the mood in the room.
“That is why I’m going to speak to my uncle.”
Everyone fell silent.
“My uncle is a general in the military,” Tasha continued, “and yes he is very, very close to Mr. Oliver. In fact, you could practically say they are best friends.”
A spark of hope lit up across the room.
“He has been away for at least two years,” she said, “but I received a message today that he is back in town.”
She looked at each of them in turn.
“So we are going to meet him. Not just me all of us. We are going to see him together. And I am sure he will not take this matter lightly, especially once he hears what that gold-digging nuisance has done.”
Her confidence was absolute now.
“We are going to get the answers we need. We are going to get the solution we need today.”
Then, with complete certainty, she added, “He will do this for us, because Mr. Oliver would never turn down my uncle. Not in any way. Once my uncle speaks, the matter is settled. So you have nothing to worry about.”
The instant Tasha said it, Deborah, Jessica, and Mr. Bushman all froze in stunned disbelief.
Their eyes widened almost simultaneously.
“Your uncle?” Deborah said first, barely able to contain her shock. “The General?”
Mr. Bushman stepped forward at once, his voice filled with astonishment.
“You mean General Zakaria? The legendary general of this country? The very man who reclaimed the northern territory for us and crushed over twenty thousand enemies two years ago?”
Jessica looked as though she could hardly believe what she was hearing.
“The same General Zakaria whose name has been honored over and over again?” she asked. “The one everyone talks about with pride? That’s your uncle?”
Tasha nodded calmly, as though she had expected this exact reaction.
“Yes,” she said. “He’s my uncle. And yes, he’s in town.”
That single confirmation sent a wave of excitement through the room.
Deborah gasped and pressed her hand to her chest.
“Thank goodness,” she said. “Thank goodness he is in town.”
Mr. Bushman’s face, tense for so long, finally showed relief.
“He came at exactly the right time,” he said. “Exactly the right time to help us settle this disaster.”
Jessica was nearly glowing with admiration now.
“Wow,” she said. “General Zakaria is not just a respected man—he’s an icon. He’s an idol to so many people.”
Her voice took on the admiration of someone speaking about a national hero.
“Because of him, so many young people now dream of joining the military and serving this country. He inspired them. He gave them something to believe in.”
She turned back to Tasha, still amazed.
“And to think he’s your uncle—and that he’s here in town right now.”
The more they spoke, the lighter the atmosphere became. A problem that had seemed impossible just moments ago now suddenly looked solvable.
Vincent, eager not to waste a second, straightened at once.
“Then shouldn’t we start preparing immediately?” he said. “There’s no point wasting any more time. If he’s in town, then we should go see him as soon as possible.”
His voice turned urgent again.
“We need to settle this quickly before it grows into an even bigger mess. I don’t want this situation to spiral further. And more than that, I don’t want to stand before such a great man looking like a fool.”
He exhaled sharply.
“So should we just go now?”
Tasha gave him a reassuring look and said, “Well, you really don’t need to worry yourself. Like I said before, this is already a done deal. But I’ll call him first and see when he’ll be free so we can go.”