Chapter 165
“Mom!”
A
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James felt a wave of guilt wash over him as he looked at Yara. She was a shadow of the elegant woman she once was, her appearance haggard and worn.
He had been so wrapped up in his own problems lately that he completely forgot about Yara.
Yara’s eyes lit up with love and excitement when she saw him. “James, I knew you wouldn’t abandon me because of my disgrace. How’ve you been?”
James felt even more guilty hearing her words.
“I’d never abandon you, especially since none of this is your fault. It’s all because of Daniel…”
“Shh, don’t say it out loud. If you know, be more careful,” Yara said, looking around nervously.
Seeing Yara like this only confirmed James’s suspicion that there was more to Daniel’s poisoning.
Lowering his voice, he 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 denied it vehemently. “What poison? I don’t know anything about
that. Don’t ask me.”
James grew anxious seeing Yara’s reluctance to tell the truth.
But then Yara began reminiscing about the past. “James, do you remember when we used to live in that old house before you returned to the Smith family? You went through so much, and it was my fault for not being able to protect you. I’m sorry.
I remember whenever you were upset, you liked to hide in your special place. I always knew but didn’t dare approach you or ask. Did you ever blame me for that?”
James didn’t expect Yara to suddenly bring up the past, a time he least wanted to remember. He felt a bit irritated, but seeing Yara lost in her memories, he couldn’t say anything harsh. He just shook his head. “I don’t blame you. It was hard for you, too.”
Yara mentioned several times that he hid when he was upset, but didn’t say anything useful.
As James left and got into the car, he frowned deeply. Why was Yara afraid to speak? Could it be that Daniel had someone monitoring her, making her too scared to tell the truth?
If that was the case, maybe Yara had already secretly given him a clue.
Suddenly, James had a flash of inspiration.
Of course! Yara mentioned several times his old hiding spot, that ancient tree with a hollow. He used to hide in there when he was sad. Could Yara have hidden some useful clues there?
Understanding this, James immediately told the driver, “Turn around, go to… never mind, just take me home.”
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19:48 Wed, Oct 29 M..
Chapter 165
Although he was eager to check it out, he realized that if Yara was worried about being watched, then someone might also be watching him. If there were any clues about the mastermind’s identity, going there now might expose everything.
This sudden insight from James proved to be very effective.
The news of James visiting Yara quickly reached Daniel’s ears.
“Mr. Smith, I’ve had someone secretly watching James. Here’s the full recording of Yara and James‘ conversation,‘ York said, handing a recorder to Daniel.
After listening, although Daniel didn’t hear anything useful, he could confirm that Yara was under the influence of the mastermind.
“Keep an eye on James. Monitor who he meets and where he goes.”
“But Mr. Smith, weren’t we planning to exile him abroad? Should we hold off on that and keep monitoring him instead?” York asked.
“No need!” Daniel had already considered York’s concerns. Changing their approach suddenly might alert their target.
“If he wants to leave the country, let him. Just keep an eye on him,” Daniel said calmly. He had waited this long and wasn’t in a rush.
He then shifted the topic. “Any updates on Ophelia?”
James asked calmly.
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York shook his head. “She’s been very quiet lately, spending all her time learning medicine from the old doctor and making medicines. She hasn’t been in contact with anyone outside.”
“Mr. Smith, could it be that Ms. Johnson was mistaken? Ophelia is so focused on medicine that she hasn’t even approached you. How could she have poisoned anyone?” York couldn’t help but doubt.
Daniel never doubted Emily, especially after knowing her exceptional medical skills. He trusted her judgment.
“Keep monitoring her. If necessary, check her phone contacts too.”
This implied using some hacking techniques.
York understood and immediately took action. “Yes, sir!”
The Johnson family also saw the news online.
Initially, as netizens criticized Emily, Eli couldn’t help but curse. “That troublemaker Emily! It’s a good thing we kicked her out of the Johnson family. Otherwise, she would have dragged us down with her arrogance over a bit of medical knowledge.”
Bianca, however, said, “Dad, maybe Emily’s medical skills aren’t that bad. Perhaps we misunderstood her.”
She spoke the truth. Even if one day Eli found out Emily were the highly skilled doctor, he wouldn’t blame himself.
Chase had been silent, but when Bianca spoke, he glanced at her deeply.
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Chapter 165
Eli had told him to keep stalling the business partners until Bianca won the design competition and apologized.
But for some reason, he felt like he was being strung along, just as he was stringing along the business partners.
Wasn’t Bianca supposed to be kind–hearted?
Given his current situation, shouldn’t she have apologized immediately and sought Emily’s help to clear his name?
Moreover, this whole mess was caused by Bianca taking credit for Emily’s work.
Hayden chimed in, “I also think kicking her out was the right move.”
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Chase couldn’t help but speak up. “Emily is different now. Her medical skills are truly impressive. I feel like there’s more to this story. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
Everyone turned to look at Chase.
Bianca’s eyes welled up with tears. “Chase, are you still hoping Emily will clear your name online? Is that why you’re defending her? Or are you blaming me?”
Chase opened his mouth but hesitated. He wanted to say he wasn’t blaming her.
But was he really not blaming her?
He knew the truth in his heart, so he was momentarily speechless.
This prompted Hayden, who always defended Bianca, to speak up. “Chase, get a grip. Are you really planning to sell out Bianca to please Emily? Does she even deserve that? Regarding the breach of contract and compensation, don’t worry about it. My flight to Zephyria leaves this afternoon. Once the deal is finalized, the money will be deposited into your account. I’ll cover the costs and invest in new projects on your behalf. You can continue your career in the entertainment industry. People will forget about this soon enough.”
Bianca’s eyes lit up with admiration. “Hayden, I knew you were the best! Here’s to your success with the project!”
Eli looked at Hayden with satisfaction, not expecting him to be the most capable one.
“Hayden, do your best. If you encounter any problems, call me immediately!” Eli advised with the authority of the family patriarch.
19:48 Wed, Oct 29 M…
Rebirth: Top Star Actress
