Chapter 272: Sold Out and Still Helping Count the Money
"Chase, you've changed. After all this time, when you hear me calling you, you just ignore me. You really have learned bad habits from Emily - you've become so cold and heartless!"
Finn said accusingly.
Hearing these words of blame, Chase finally looked up at Finn. "Look who's talking. You come back and immediately start accusing me. And Emily is not cold and heartless. Think carefully about how Emily treated you during those years she was home. Was she really a cold-hearted, selfish person?"
At Chase's words, Finn actually did recall the past.
Emily's eager-to-please looks back then, and how whenever he mentioned wanting something, it would quickly appear in his hands.
Thinking about this, Finn felt a bit guilty and his heart softened somewhat.
However, when he thought about how Bianca was in poor health, and because of Emily, had suffered cyberbullying and been rejected by the family, his heart ached for her again.
"Even if she treated us decently before, that was just because she had just returned to this family and was pretending. Otherwise we wouldn't have been fooled, and you guys wouldn't have been so easily deceived either. She could easily abandon Bianca, a sister we cherished for years, and Bianca's health has never been good..."
"Enough," Chase interrupted Finn. "The story about Bianca being wronged and forced abroad - Bianca told you that, right? As expected, she's still twisting the truth like always!"
These words were quite harsh.
Finn couldn't stand it anymore and got angry. "Chase, when did you become so vicious? You've really spent too much time with Emily. Yes, I contacted Bianca, but isn't it a fact that she was abandoned by the family and sent abroad?"
"A fact? The 'fact' you know is just Bianca's side of the story, isn't it? Haven't you seen the truth that came out online? If you still take Bianca's side after learning the truth, I can only say you're beyond help too!"
Chase felt somewhat disappointed in Finn.
Aiden was being groomed as the family heir and focused more on interests - he'd already been shaped that way by Eli, which Chase could understand.
When it didn't involve interests, at least Aiden still had the sense to judge right from wrong and truth.
But this Finn - he was truly naive. Someone like him, so naive that he wouldn't listen to the truth, could easily be led astray.
Finn stuck his neck out stubbornly, unwilling to back down, and replied firmly, "Of course I saw the online content, but you work in entertainment yourself - don't you know that online content can be true or false? With a bit of money, any scandal can be fabricated. Wouldn't it be too easy to frame Bianca?"
Finn still insisted on believing what he wanted to believe.
Chase shook his head disappointedly. "Then who do you think is smearing Bianca? Emily? But if she knew how to do that, if she had that kind of money, would she really be the incompetent person we always thought she was? If she doesn't have money, who else would target Bianca specifically, do all this, and still not be detected by us? Finn, I'm telling you, everything online about Bianca is true, and she admitted it herself and apologized!"
Chase thought he'd made it clear enough.
But Finn got even more agitated.
"Chase, you've gone too far! Bianca is already so pitiful, and instead of feeling sorry for her, you're in league with those who slander her. No wonder Bianca cried so sadly. How much did Emily pay you? Where is Emily? Call her out, I want to question her properly - how can she be so evil!"
"What's all this fuss about? You haven't been home in so long, and the moment you return, you're fighting with Chase. Chase has been through a lot lately and is in a bad mood. Finn, don't argue with Chase!"
Cleo had just returned with Eli.
Cleo was quite happy to see Finn at first, but rushing upstairs, she heard Finn shouting and quickly tried to smooth things over.
Seeing Cleo, Finn immediately stepped forward, somewhat agitated. "Mom, do you know about Bianca being sent abroad? You care about Bianca the most - how could you not stop it?"
Cleo's health wasn't very good, so from the decision to send Bianca abroad to actually doing it, Cleo didn't know.
By the time Cleo found out, Bianca had already been sent abroad, and it was too late to change anything.
Cleo's eyes reddened as she patted Finn's hand. "I only found out later, but Finn, although I'm worried about Bianca's health too, she did make mistakes, and we can't always use her poor health as an excuse. This time, let it be a lesson for her. Once she reflects and understands, and Emily's anger subsides, Bianca will be brought back."
Finn never expected that even his mother, who loved Bianca the most, would side with Emily and blame Bianca. He angrily shook off his mother's hand. "Mom, what spell has Emily cast on you? That's Bianca - Bianca, whom we've cherished for twenty years!"
Cleo hadn't expected Finn to shake off her hand. She couldn't quite steady herself and stumbled a bit from his forceful movement.
Fortunately, Eli reacted quickly and caught Cleo.
Eli truly loved his wife, so naturally he was displeased with Finn, who had no sense of proportion and was making a scene the moment he returned.
"Finn, have you lost your mind? How dare you treat your mother like that! You've been doing nothing productive for so long, and I haven't called you out on it, but you come back and make a scene! If you really had any loyalty, you'd be concerned about the missing Hayden first, not Bianca. As for Emily, whom you're clamoring to see - we drove her out of the Johnson family for Bianca's sake back then, and now we're trying to figure out how to coax her back. Stop making trouble here!"
After Eli finished yelling, he helped Cleo leave.
Finn was stunned.
How was Hayden involved in this too?
Seeing Finn like this, Chase knew he'd only been concerned with Bianca's situation.
Without saying anything, he pulled up news from recent days about himself, about Hayden, and even about Bianca plagiarizing all of Emily's works at the design competition, and sent them all to Finn.
"Use your brain. You're not a kid anymore. After reading these, then decide whether you believe Bianca or not!"
If he still believed Bianca after all this, Chase wouldn't bother trying to convince him anymore.
He'd just keep his distance from Finn then, or else he'd probably end up being dragged down by him in the future, sold out by Bianca without even knowing it.
Chase didn't expect his words would actually come true later.
Finn frowned but ultimately said nothing. He opened his phone and started reading those news articles.
He became increasingly shocked.
He hadn't expected so many things to happen at home while he was away.
However, his heart had long been biased toward Bianca. Even with the news right in front of him, he still didn't want to believe that the kind Bianca he knew could be the person described in the news.
So someone must have deliberately set Bianca up.
Thinking this way, Finn honestly shared his thoughts with Chase. "Chase, haven't you considered that someone might have deliberately set Bianca up? She might be a victim too."