Chapter 9 Cyril Rocked the Boat

Zarek had guessed early on that Richard must be beside Cyril now. Cyril rocked the boat. All he said was for Richard to listen. There were many descendants within the Macleod family, and the competition for inheritance rights was fierce, resulting in a weak relationship among them. Regarding this, the main branch was not as united as some side branches. Cyril's smile disappeared, and his anger surged up in an instant. He thought he had the upper hand but didn't expect that Zarek didn't take him seriously at all. Richard snatched the phone from Cyril with a gloomy and angry expression, "You ungrateful thing! Are you planning to never come back?!" "It's none of your business." "I am your father! Zarek, don't get ahead of yourself!" Zarek sneered with self-deprecation, "From the year my mother died, you have no right to interfere with me anymore." Before Paula's death, she was very upset about Richard's infidelity, but because Paula couldn't betray her heart and had always dreamt that Richard still loved her, she never divorced. One day, after a big argument between her and Richard, Paula went to a bar alone to get drunk. When she drove home, she broke through the guardrail on the bridge and fell into the river with her car. Everyone said she drowned due to drunk driving, but after all these years, Zarek still suspected why she died but had no clue or evidence. After all, from then until now, there had been too many people thirsty for being old Mrs. Macleod. They had all hoped that Paula would die and quickly give way, which made Zarek suspect. "Have you visited her grave once in all these years?" There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Zarek's eyes were cold and ruthless. His hand rested on his thigh, casually tapping. Another ten minutes had passed, and a strong command voice came again through the phone, ending the suffocating silence. "It is going to be Helen's birthday in ten days. Now she is your mother. I don't care what you do outside. You must come back on that day!" Richard was upright, without any sense of guilt. He didn't even give Zarek a chance to refuse and hung up the phone after speaking. Compared to Paula, who was so paranoid that he still didn't want to recall, Richard preferred his current wife, Helen. Helen was virtuous and generous. She never asked about his affairs outside and also turned a blind eye to his mistress and illegitimate children. "Mr. Macleod, your father..." Steve was somewhat worried. "Don't worry." Zarek didn't even take it to heart. Anyway, even if he didn't go back, Richard couldn't do anything to him. Cyril and Helen made every effort to ask him to return to the capital. They should bear some devilish ideas. ... In the hospital ward, Renee woke up. It was already six o'clock in the afternoon, and she stared blankly at the ceiling. She didn't even look at the nutritious meal the caregiver brought. "Miss Johnston, please eat some. It had been heated three times." As the time approached nine p.m., the caregiver helplessly looked at Renee, who had eaten nothing, feeling a headache. Renee was weak, pale, and fragile, unable to regain her energy. "I don't have an appetite. Could you please take it away?" Renee ate nothing all day. She really didn't want to eat. "No. The doctor said you must eat something. Otherwise, your health will be affected." Renee stopped speaking. She curled up with her knees in her arms, sitting on the hospital bed with her long eyelashes drooped, resisting to hear anything. Zarek, outside the ward door, had seen all of these. He gently pushed the door in and said to the caregiver, "Please go out." "Okay." Zarek withdrew his chill and said softly to Renee, "I had many things to do in my company. I just finished them and came here. I heard you woke up." "Thank you, Mr. Macleod. You don't need to see me specifically." Zarek chuckled lightly, "Why? Do you hate me?" Renee was slightly stunned. She raised her head and said, "I didn't mean that." She just felt it was too tiring for Zarek to run back and forth in the evening. She had received so many favors from him, and she was afraid she would owe him more and more. After all, she didn't know how to repay him. Zarek sat in a chair next to the hospital bed and glanced at the food on the small table. She obviously didn't take a bite. He looked at Renee, who was getting increasingly thin, asking, "Is the food not to your taste?" Renee shook her head weakly and replied, "I don't have an appetite." "Because of what happened at the mental hospital this morning?" Renee hugged her knee and stopped speaking, but from Zarek's perspective, he could see her trembling long eyelashes stained with tears under the soft light. Zarek did not urge or inquire further but sat quietly beside her until she was willing to speak. After a long time, she said hoarsely, "It's my fault. If it weren't for me, my father wouldn't have died, my mother wouldn't have been like this, and my family wouldn't have been destroyed. All the sins are mine." In Renee's gradually blurred vision, a hand handed her a tissue. Renee took it and turned away her face, not wanting Zarek to see her embarrassment. She then hastily wiped away her tears. She heard Zarek saying, "Although I don't know what your mother said to you, I know you must cheer yourself up as soon as possible." "Are you willing to let your father's years of hard work fall into your disgusting enemies' hands? Don't you think his death was too sudden, like being arranged?" "What did you say?" Renee suddenly turned her head and instinctively grabbed Zarek's hand with surprise. How could he know so much about her? With this question in mind, Renee calmed down. "Mr. Macleod, have you investigated me?" She was not stupid. Instead, she had a sharp mind. Zarek raised his eyebrows. "I have to know who you are. After all, you slept with me." Renee fell silent. She remembered the name that Zarek had told her before. With the surname Macleod, it was not difficult for her to speculate that he was from the powerful Macleod family. Even in Riv City, it was easy for the Macleod family to know any news. She had casually picked up a man in the bar. She didn't expect him to be from one of the top families in Riv City. But there were too many things happening to her. She didn't want to think about what would happen between Zarek and her. "Mr. Macleod, thank you, but I'm sorry. This is my family issue. I don't know why you helped me." "You gave me six hundred. I'm repaying you." Zarek smiled. Renee lowered her eyes and said with slight annoyance, "Mr. Macleod, I'm not in the mood to joke." "I know. Just think I'm nosy. But the feeling you gave me that night was very good. Take what I did as a reward." Zarek said. Renee knew she couldn't explain that night clearly anymore, so she had to change the topic. "Now, Johnston Group is Nevin's. I know him well. He will never give it back to me." "You said there was something fishy about my father's death. Now I'm penniless, I can't investigate-" Zarek raised his eyebrows mischievously and said, "Why not let me help you get your company back? He won't give it back. I can let him return it to you." Renee looked at Zarek in a daze, warmth surging in her heart. Although deeply moved, Renee knew Zarek would never help her without reason. "Mr. Macleod, I..., I don't know how to repay you..." "How about be my woman?" Zarek showed a bright and fascinating smile. Renee's face turned a little red. She lowered her eyes without answering. Merchants value profit the most. Renee never believed that there would be free money. However, now that only Zarek was willing to help her, he must admire her. But she only had a one-night relationship with him. What did he like about her? Renee's mind was getting increasingly chaotic. However, at that moment, only Zarek was willing to help her. Besides, now that she was in a dilemma, she could only go forward and see what would happen. Zarek looked at the silent Renee with her head down. He pushed the plate to her and said, "Eat something first, and when you're well, I'll take you to Johnston Group to see the situation. Your enemies haven't collapsed yet, and if you collapse, what should your mother do in the future?" Yes, once she fell, Irina would never let Gemma go. Renee took a deep breath and finally picked up her fork to eat. Zarek curved his thin lips with satisfaction and stood up to pour her a cup of warm water. Halfway through the meal, Renee suddenly remembered an urgent matter. "No, I have to go to the mental hospital tomorrow. My mother is still there." "I had taken her out. She is in a sanatorium on Apone Street." Renee was stunned. She didn't expect Zarek to do things so thoughtfully. He even took care of Gemma for her.