Chapter 141: As Expected, She Refused
"No way, James, how could you even think like that? Everyone was just talking, and Chase was worried about me. Could you cut Chase some slack for my sake? He's been stressed out because of the plagiarism mess and lost his cool."
Bianca quickly chimed in, trying to show her generosity while also being friendly towards Aiden and Chase. She sensed a shift in their attitudes towards her.
Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, Aiden and Chase looked remorseful. Especially Chase, who gazed at Bianca with deep guilt. How could he have been so easily swayed by Emily? Bianca had been living with them for years, and they knew her well enough.
For a moment, Chase decided not to mention Emily's request. They were silent.
But James wasn’t going to stay silent. He said directly, "Sure, for your sake, since you’re so wise and kind. So, someone as kind as you should agree to Emily's condition for Chase's sake, right? Don’t worry, it won’t kill you!"
Bianca’s face changed slightly. She tried to stay calm and said, "What? James, you wouldn’t still have feelings for Emily and use her tough request to target me, would you? Don’t forget, I’m your fiancée now, and I’m carrying your child!"
Bianca tried to play the emotional card with the child. But she forgot that the child was an accident. If James wasn’t pressured, he wouldn’t have actually gotten engaged to her. At this moment, he no longer had the same trust and affection for her, so instead of feeling sorry for her, he became impatient.
He sneered, "We can also lose the child. As for the engagement, if you feel wronged, we can call it off."
"James, watch your words! Engagement is not a joke, and you can’t embarrass Bianca in front of us!" Aiden was anxious and sternly reminded him.
James used to not understand why Emily repeatedly "messed up" and was disliked. Now he seemed to understand a bit. Bianca, with her pitiful face and calculating heart. He now felt akin to the once-targeted Emily. James began to regret calling off the engagement and even thought about reconciling with Emily.
He said in a deep voice, "I don’t want to talk about irrelevant things. Emily made a request. Since you took credit for her work, all you have to do is apologize publicly and explain the reason. She will then provide evidence to clear Chase’s name. For Chase’s sake, you, being so kind, wouldn’t refuse, right?"
He had once said that he loved her kindness the most. Now, if she refused, it would mean she wasn’t kind, and Bianca would completely lose his affection and indulgence. But if she apologized, her carefully maintained image of kindness and compassion would be shattered.
"Chase, if apologizing publicly, even if it means facing attacks later, can help you, I have no objections. But Emily hates us so much, I’m afraid she’s just trying to disgust me and won’t genuinely provide evidence."
Bianca wiped away non-existent tears and continued, "Forgive my skepticism, but I’ve been bullied by Emily too much. If she doesn’t provide evidence, Chase will still be under scrutiny, and then my apology will push both me and Chase, and even the Johnson Group, into the spotlight. Is that what you want, Aiden?"
In short, she wasn't going to do it.
James looked at her with growing indifference. "If you don't want to, then suit yourself. Chase, take care of yourself. I'm out."
Since he wanted to reconcile with Emily, he needed to prepare. Consider her needs, play the emotional card, and use items with shared memories to move her.
James had never felt so calm and clear-headed. He didn't spare Bianca another glance and turned to leave.
Bianca didn't dare chase after him. She was still afraid James would force her to apologize online.
Once James left, the room fell into a brief silence.
Aiden broke the silence, "We need to handle Chase's situation quickly. First, let's have the studio issue a statement and drag it out until we find evidence. If that doesn’t work, Bianca, we might need your help."
"Yeah, Bianca, I'll remember your kindness. I won't let your help go unrewarded. I'll make it up to you in the future!"
Even now, Chase and the others were still good to Bianca. Favoritism was ingrained in them. Even though Emily would ultimately provide the effort, and Bianca was merely correcting her past mistake, Bianca would end up being the hero. Emily would be upset. But she would understand; this was their true nature.
Emily was at home dealing with some company plans when the news of Chase's studio statement popped up. Seeing the studio's vague explanation, Emily's lips curved into a mocking smile. They were still being ambiguous, obviously lacking evidence to prove innocence, keeping their options open for a way out. At the same time, it showed their stance.
"Let's see. When it comes to Chase having to pay up, will they still be this calm and protective of Bianca without regrets? Then, we might even witness them turning on each other."
Emily stopped paying attention to this and continued working on her files when she received a call from Terry.
"What's up? Need technical guidance or financial support?"
Emily’s first thoughts were these two things.
Terry laughed, "Ms. Johnson, you're wrong this time. Aiden's tech company is stuck on an AI project and somehow found me. The salary is good, so I'm asking if you think I should go?"
Emily respected their individual choices. She smiled warmly, "Don't ask me, ask yourself. Do you want to go? You have skills, and that's not flattery. So, don't underestimate yourself. Or do you value the high salary? If so, then go ahead. Earn more money and support me!"
Terry laughed, "Supporting you is no problem. I can start now! Just promise me, Ms. Johnson, not to disappear on us like before. I've been worried about you these years!"
He suddenly sounded serious, which Emily found a bit unsettling.
"Sorry, I won't do that again."
"I forgive you, Ms. Johnson. I'm planning to go over and check it out, even if I don't help, I want to see their progress!"
Terry seemed proud talking about this.
"Alright, go ahead. But be careful. If something feels wrong, don't hesitate. Safety over money!"
Emily had no other advice, just reminding him to stay safe. Aiden, in the past, had achieved great success, but upon closer inspection, he had the most issues. In the future, they would be true adversaries.