Chapter 141 Return
Lucas's voice wasn't particularly loud, but Quinley, two walls away, heard it crystal clear.
In an instant, the mop in her hands clattered to the floor.
"Cindy, what's wrong?" Grace was mopping nearby and looked up in surprise, seeing Quinley frozen in place.
"N-Nothing..." Quinley snapped back to reality, trying to cover. But afterward, she was clearly distracted.
Zachary woke up. He woke up. A joyful voice screamed inside Quinley's heart.
"So what if he woke up? The old man left a will - whoever has the Jennings family's eldest grandson gets to sit in that chair," Emily shouted. But in the end, Lucas still 'escorted' her out of the reception room.
"Mr. Murphy, you're finally here." The secretaries gathered together, all complaining to Lucas about Landon and his mother's wrongdoings.
Quinley was cleaning in the reception room when Lucas walked in. His gaze was intense as he scanned her from head to toe. She was called Cindy, a stranger, yet somehow Lucas felt there was something familiar about her. Who was it? He couldn't quite place it, but this sense of familiarity was undeniably real.
"Take a few days off. Landon's petty and vindictive - I don't want him retaliating against you," Lucas said.
Quinley kept her eyes downcast. "I... I'm fine." When she spoke, her English carried a heavy accent.
"You did well today. I'll let HR know - your bonus will be doubled this month." Lucas gave Quinley another long, searching look.
She immediately broke into a wide grin, her double chin especially prominent. "Oh, thank you, Mr. Murphy."
Lucas didn't linger. He left quickly.
That evening, Quinley went to the hospital again. She climbed the fire escape stairs, floor by floor, all the way to the fifteenth. Perhaps because Landon and his mother had caused a scene at Apex Global Group, security on Zachary's hospital floor was tighter that night.
She peered through the gap in the door toward Zachary's room. The door was locked tight, and Lucas sat on the bench outside the whole time.
Behind that door, Zachary slept soundly. A few hours earlier, he had suddenly opened his eyes. The doctor came for a consultation - all his vitals were normal. But Zachary's eyes had only been open for a few minutes. As if exhausted, he fell asleep again.
The doctor said it was a good sign - opening his eyes meant he would wake up soon. However, nearly a week had passed, and Zachary still hadn't emerged from that hospital room.
Unable to contain themselves, Landon and his mother started causing trouble again.
That day, countless media personnel gathered outside the Apex Global Group Building. Emily had decided on a whim to hold a press conference there. Apparently, Landon was a father again.
The press conference was being livestreamed online. Quinley opened her phone and saw the live broadcast. This time, who knew which girl he'd hooked up with - running the same tired playbook all over again.
Emily beamed as she announced the happy news, while Landon held the unfamiliar woman, playing the devoted lover. Finally, Emily got to the point, publicly announcing William's will.
The will stated clearly: among the three Jennings sons, whoever fathered the first grandson would become Apex Global Group's CEO.
"Landon may lack the ability to shoulder such responsibility, but with his eldest brother's fate uncertain, and Apex Global Group being William's life's work - as descendants of the Jennings family, we cannot stand by and watch this legacy crumble. Now, by fate's design, Landon must reluctantly take up this burden. We hope for everyone's support!" Emily's silver tongue paved the way for Landon.
With one arm around the strange woman and the other around Emily, he wore a grave expression - the picture of grief and reluctance. "My eldest brother lies unconscious, and I'm heartbroken. But with Father gone, we three brothers must stand united. As the second son, it's my duty to shoulder this burden. Now that I'm a father myself, I'll work even harder to live up to everyone's expectations..."
Landon was a natural-born actor. As he delivered his impassioned speech, Quinley heard waves of scoffs coming from the secretarial office.
"Him? He's worse than an animal, and he's still putting on an act!" Someone couldn't hold back and cursed.
Quinley didn't curse. Her brow furrowed tightly. [Detective Wilson, you're up next.] She quickly sent the message.
At the press conference, Landon was still performing. But what he didn't know was that someone was about to expose him.
Just as the show was winding down, a young man suddenly burst into the venue. Carrying a huge bouquet of red roses, he rushed straight onto the stage.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong! Please forgive me! I'll take responsibility for you and the baby." As he spoke, he dropped to one knee and pulled out a sparkling diamond ring.
The venue erupted into chaos. Camera flashes went off, and the livestream cameras swiveled toward the man.
Landon panicked, pulling the woman beside him closer. "Get this guy out of here," he shouted.
Emily panicked too. "Who are you? What are you doing causing trouble here?" Before security could arrive, she personally tried to drive the man away.
But at the critical moment, the woman in Landon's arms broke free. "You're sure you'll marry me?" She covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably.
The man's eyes welled up too. "I'll only marry you in this lifetime, and I'll treat you and the baby right forever." Before he finished, the woman rushed over and threw her arms around him.
The two embraced tightly, then kissed.
Landon's eyes blazed with fury as he stepped forward, trying to pull them apart. "This is my woman - don't you dare pull anything."
The more chaotic the scene became, the more excited the reporters got.
"Stop filming! Stop it!" Emily started trying to stop the reporters again.
At the crucial moment, Zachary appeared.
The familiar Maybach stopped in front of the Apex Global Group building. The window rolled down halfway, revealing Zachary in a crisp suit, his expression grave as he looked their way.
"Mr. Jennings is here." Someone called out.
All the reporters surged in this direction. The man on stage took the woman's hand and slipped away in the chaos.
Landon froze. Emily turned to stone. "H-How is he here?" Emily could barely form words.
People swarmed the Maybach, but the window slowly rolled back up. Lucas leaned halfway out of the car. "Thank you all for coming. Mr. Jennings is returning to work for the first time today - please make way. Mr. Jennings will give you interview time shortly."
Security quickly arrived and cleared a path. The Maybach entered the underground parking garage.
The press conference livestream had just ended. Quinley was messaging Detective Wilson when suddenly, an excited cry came from the hallway.
"Mr. Jennings is back!" The secretaries rushed out from their desks one after another, heading straight for the elevator.
"Mr. Jennings is finally back." Grace's face lit up with delight. She immediately set down her work and rushed toward the elevator too.
Only Quinley remained, gripping her cleaning cloth, standing motionless.
A minute later, the elevator doors opened. Zachary, his face stern, was pushed out in a wheelchair.