Chapter 78
"Michael."
My voice suddenly rose as I looked at Michael, who clearly felt guilty but stubbornly refused to admit he was wrong.
From how he was willing to die with me before, it wasn't hard to see that Michael was a very stubborn person.
Like now, he looked at me with complete seriousness and certainty in his eyes - he absolutely would not allow me to take risks alone! Otherwise, he would sabotage my entire plan.
I pushed him away.
"Michael, I need you to respect me."
After I said this seriously, I saw Michael looking like he was dying inside.
I knew he meant well, but I couldn't accept it either.
So we just looked at each other like that. We disagreed because he wanted to protect me, but neither of us was willing to back down even one step!
Although Michael brought me back home, he didn't touch me like before. Instead, he went straight to his room.
I stayed in my room and couldn't sleep for the first time.
I missed Michael. I missed the meals Michael made for me. I missed everything about him.
After I fell asleep, Michael appeared in my dreams again, but this time it was the scene where he came to save me, but died with me.
My fists clenched tight. When I woke up again, I was covered in sweat. The sun had just risen, and sunlight was streaming in, but I couldn't feel any warmth at all.
After I took a shower and came out, I learned that Michael had already left, though he had arranged for a driver to take me to and from work.
This was his love for me, but also his way of monitoring me.
I didn't refuse. After getting in the car, I contacted Tom to confirm there were no problems with his investigation before I could finally relax.
For two days straight, Michael didn't talk to me. I went to work and came home as usual - my life wasn't any different from before.
But Ella came to find me again.
"What do you want?"
When Ella called, I was at work, so I told her to come directly to the Johnson Group to find me.
Ella sat across from me with a smile.
"Recently, there's been a lot of talk about you in the socialite circle. They say you're acting arrogantly at the Johnson Group because of your personal grudges, firing a lot of people who offended you. Everyone has an issue with you."
Hearing Ella's words, I slowly raised my eyebrows, a smile forming at the corner of my mouth. Without hesitation, I said, "Really? So what?"
Ella frowned. "They're talking about you behind your back. Aren't you angry?"
I shrugged.
"Why should I be angry? The reason they're talking behind my back is precisely that they don't dare say it to my face."
Both the Smith family and the Johnson family had given me enough confidence!
Ella was clearly annoyed by my words, but she quickly suppressed them.
"I'm really just trying to help you. Look at this mess..."
I smiled faintly. Ella seemed unable to continue and finally just said, "Since you don't care, then pretend I didn't say anything."
I nodded. "If you have nothing else, why don't you leave?"
Not long after Ella left, I quickly saw her leaving through the main entrance of the Johnson Group from the upstairs window.
Standing at the door, she looked up toward the building.
It was one-way glass - she couldn't see me, but I could see the expression on her face right now. She looked very angry and upset, nothing like the sweet act she put on in front of me earlier.
Ella, looks like your acting isn't that great after all!
I didn't care about the gossip in the socialite circle.
What I told Ella was true. When that gossip dares to exist in front of me, maybe I'll care a little.
But now? Impossible!
"Ms. Smith, we found it. Mr. Zander Brown does indeed owe huge gambling debts overseas. A lot of the Brown Group's money has been transferred by Mr. Zander Brown to overseas companies. The overseas company we investigated is one under Mr. Zander Brown's name, used for money laundering."
Tom placed the documents in my hands.
I hadn't been in a good mood for so many days, but now I finally couldn't help but laugh.
I really didn't expect Zander to give me such a surprise!
"Send this information directly to Mrs. Brown."
I kindly sent her a gift. I just didn't know how she would react.
However, John actually came to find me again, and it was that very evening, holding the documents I had sent over.
He stood in front of me, his face extremely cold.
He reached out, and the documents appeared before me.
"Nancy, did you send these documents to my house?"
I nodded, not denying it.
"Why?" John was practically grinding his teeth, glaring at me viciously.
I shrugged. "Just doing a good deed. I'm sure your mother would want to know this news too."
John's stare became even more vicious, but soon it actually softened.
"Nancy, are you still mad at me? You're doing all this to get revenge on me, right?"
"You've succeeded in your revenge. Because of this news, our family had an extremely heated argument. My mom wants to divorce my dad, and I've been affected too."
"Nancy, isn't that enough? You've gotten enough revenge!"
I laughed.
John just couldn't accept it, or maybe he'd been deceiving himself all along.
Why would he think I would stop after getting revenge?
"Anything else? If not, please leave. I'm sure the Brown family has a pile of things waiting for you to handle right now."
I tilted my head slightly. John took a sharp breath, clearly trying to control his emotions.
I knew John would definitely go crazy over this, but I didn't expect John to go that crazy.
He grabbed me.
"I don't care about the Brown Group's business, but Nancy, I want to tell you I really love you. What happened before was my fault. Please forgive me. Let's get back together, okay?"
I looked at him, my brows furrowing.
John had said this countless times, but why was he so sure I would forgive him?
Did I look like some brainless idiot?
I pushed John away. "John, take care."
John grabbed me. "I will never let you go. I have nothing left now except you! If you leave, I'll really have nothing."
His strength was astonishing. He gripped my wrist so tightly it hurt.
By the time I realized what was happening, he was half-dragging, half-pulling me to the side of the road, where a black sedan slid to a stop in front of us.
"John, let me go! Do you know what you're doing? This is illegal!" I struggled desperately.
"You're my girlfriend. How is that illegal?"
His eyes were crazed. He yanked open the back door and tried to shove me inside.
I braced myself against the car door with all my strength, my fingernails digging into the leather seat.
But the difference in strength between men and women left me hopeless; my resistance was nothing in his hands.
This lunatic!
"Nancy, you're coming with me," he whispered feverishly in my ear, "Once you have my child, we'll get married. Then, whatever the Brown family has done won't matter. You'll be the one and only Mrs. Brown!"
A chill ran down my spine, icy and relentless.
Just as he was about to push me into the car, at that critical moment.
A dull thud sounded, and the grip on my wrist suddenly loosened.