Chapter 153: A Sudden Inspiration Saved Him from Disaster
"Mom!"
Seeing Yara again, James felt a pang of guilt. She no longer had the elegance she once did, and he realized he'd neglected her because of his own troubles.
Yara's eyes lit up with love and excitement when she saw James. "James, I knew you wouldn't abandon me because of the shame I brought. How have you been lately?"
James felt even guiltier hearing this.
"I'd never abandon you. Besides, it wasn't your fault, it was because of Daniel..."
"Don't say it out loud. Since you know, you need to be more careful in the future," Yara warned, her eyes darting around nervously.
Seeing Yara so scared, James became more convinced there was something hidden about the poisoning incident.
He lowered his voice and asked, "Mom, I know about Daniel's poisoning. Do you know where the poison came from?"
Yara's face changed, but she didn't dare to speak the truth. Instead, she vehemently denied it. "What poison? I don't know. Don't ask me."
James grew anxious seeing Yara's reluctance to speak the truth.
Yara then began reminiscing about the past. "James, do you remember the time before you returned to the Smith family, when we lived in that old house? You went through a lot back then, and it was my fault. I'm sorry.
I remember you would hide in your special place whenever you were upset. I knew but didn't dare approach you or ask you about it. Did you ever blame me in your heart for that?"
James was taken aback by Yara's sudden trip down memory lane.
Talking about that part of his past, which he least wanted to recall, made him uneasy. But seeing Yara lost in her memories, he couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh. He just shook his head. "I don't blame you. It was tough for you too."
Yara mentioned several times how he used to hide when he was upset but didn't provide any useful information.
After leaving, James sat in the car, frowning. Why didn't Yara dare to speak? Was Daniel secretly monitoring her, making her afraid to tell the truth?
If that were the case, maybe Yara had already secretly given him the answer.
Suddenly, James had an idea.
Yara had mentioned his favorite hiding spot under the old tree with a hole in it. Could she have hidden some useful clues there?
Realizing this, James immediately told the driver, "Turn around. Wait, never mind. Let's go home first."
He was eager to check the spot, but knowing Yara feared being watched, he worried that going there might expose any hidden information.
James' quick thinking proved to be crucial.
The news of his visit to Yara quickly reached Daniel.
"Mr. Smith, I've had someone secretly watching James. Here's the full conversation between Yara and James," York said, handing a recording device to Daniel.
After listening, Daniel didn't hear anything useful but confirmed that Yara was being controlled by someone behind the scenes.
"Keep monitoring James. See who he's meeting and where he's going."
"Mr. Smith, aren't we sending him abroad? Should we postpone that and keep monitoring him?"
"No need!" Daniel had already considered this.
Suddenly changing tactics might alert the enemy.
"Let him go abroad. Just keep tabs on him," Daniel said calmly.
He then shifted gears. "Any news from Ophelia?"
James asked with a steady tone.
York shook his head. "She's been pretty low-key, spending all her time learning from the old doctor, making medicine. She hasn't interacted with anyone outside."
"Mr. Smith, could Ms. Johnson be mistaken? Ophelia seems totally dedicated to medicine and hasn't made any moves against you. How could she be the one poisoning you?"
York couldn't help but question.
Daniel trusted Emily completely, especially given her medical expertise. He believed her judgment without a doubt.
"Keep monitoring her. If necessary, check her phone contacts too."
This implied using some hacking techniques.
York understood and immediately took action. "Got it!"
——
The Johnson family also saw the news online.
As netizens condemned Emily, Eli couldn't help but curse.
"Emily's a disaster. Good thing the Johnson family kicked her out, or we'd be in deep trouble now. She thinks she's a genius just because she knows a bit of medicine."
Bianca chimed in, "Dad, maybe Emily's medical skills aren't that bad. We might have misunderstood her."
She was being honest.
Even if Eli later found out Emily was a highly skilled doctor, he shouldn't blame himself.
Chase had been quiet but looked deeply at Bianca as she spoke.
Eli had instructed him to stall the business partners until Bianca won the design competition and then apologize.
But Chase felt like he was being deceived, just as he was deceiving the business partners.
Bianca was supposed to be kind-hearted, right? Given his situation, shouldn't she apologize immediately and ask Emily to testify for him?
After all, Bianca's false claim had caused this mess.
Hayden chimed in, "I also think kicking her out was the right decision."
Chase couldn't help but say, "Emily is different now. Her medical skills are exceptional. I feel like this situation might turn around. We shouldn't jump to conclusions."
Everyone looked at Chase.
Bianca's eyes welled up. "Chase, are you still hoping Emily will clear up the song issue online? Is that why you're defending her? Or are you blaming me?"
Chase opened his mouth, wanting to say he wasn't blaming her.
But was he really not blaming her?
Deep down, he knew the truth, so he was momentarily speechless.
Hayden, who always supported Bianca, couldn't help but say, "Chase, get a grip. Are you really planning to betray Bianca to please Emily? As if she deserves it! Don't worry about the contract termination and compensation. I'm flying to Zephyria this afternoon. Once the deal is done, the money will be transferred immediately.
I'll cover the costs and invest in a project for you. You'll still be able to work in the entertainment industry. People's memories are short; they'll forget soon enough!"
Bianca's eyes lit up.
She looked at Hayden with admiration. "Hayden, I knew you were the best. Let's toast with tea to your smooth journey and successful project!"
Eli looked at Hayden with pride, not expecting him to be the most capable.
"Hayden, do your best. If you encounter any problems, call me immediately!" Eli said, still playing the role of the family patriarch.