Only Debra wiped her tears and walked to Victor.
“It seems that my efforts over the years are nothing in Wesley’s eyes.”
Angela said, “Don’t be sad, Mom. You’ve always been supportive of Wesley. It’s his loss for not recognizing that.”
Angela consoled her while tugging at Victor’s sleeve.
“Dad, why don’t you say something?” Angela asked anxiously.
Ever since Victor had awoken from his coma, he seemed transformed.
He was no longer as compliant toward Debra as before and had become cold toward her.
Hearing her plea, Victor’s expression remained unchanged.
His tone revealed no particular emotion.
“I told you not to provoke him, and this consequence is well-deserved.”
His blunt words left Angela at a loss for what to say next.
For a moment, Angela looked at Debra with confusion.
Debra’s face was shocked, as if she couldn’t believe it.
She addressed him softly,
“Victor, I apologize for not raising our child properly.”
Angela, careful not to speak ill of Wesley, remained silent.
With a mirthless chuckle, Victor responded,
“Indeed, while Angela has mastered hacking, she has failed to grasp even the most basic ethics. You have overlooked far too much in her upbringing.”
Angela’s face stiffened.
“Dad, I…”
Debra, her voice choked with emotion, interjected,
“These years, my concern for you has led me to neglect the children. Now that you’ve recovered, their education is best left in your hands.”
“Do you mean that?” Victor inquired.
Debra nodded, believing he would not engage with such matters.
“They are all grown now, but they still need your guidance.”
Victor said,
“I have a friend who is the dean of Ofrea University. Angela should resume her studies as a graduate student there.”
At merely twenty-two, Angela was of appropriate age to pursue graduate studies.
Under the personal tutelage of the dean, she would likely excel.
Debra did not object but inquired,
“What field do you wish for her to study?”
Victor’s reply was indifferent.
“She loves computer science. So…”
Debra’s expression darkened.
Victor didn’t ask Angela to study financial management.
“Do you object?” Victor probed.
“I have heard that the dean of Ofrea University specializes in financial management.”
Victor replied with a scoff,
“The admission requirements for financial management are stringent. Do you believe Angela meets them?”
The implication was clear. He would not use his influence to help her.
Angela’s expression turned sour.
“Dad, don’t underestimate me. I’ll be in the School of Financial Management!”
“It’s good to see you have such confidence.”
Her hands clenched, and Angela realized that her dad had changed.
Within the car, Wesley rested with his eyes slightly closed.
Joey drove with utter concentration, not daring to utter a word. Sandra leaned against the window, gazing out at the neon lights.
They sat in silence.
Suddenly, Joey’s phone began to ring.
He typically set his phone to silent while driving, allowing it to ring only for exceptional calls. He promptly pulled over to answer.
“Mr. Cooper, it’s a call from the police,” Joey announced.
Sandra responded with a touch of surprise,
“You really called the police?”
Joey nodded.
He wouldn’t dare lie, as doing so could offend the Campbell family.
Wesley, slowly returning to his senses, uttered a single command,
“Answer it.”
Joey took the call.
“The police have taken Miss Campbell for questioning. Miss Campbell attests that the diamond ring was acquired on the black market.”
“The seller is currently being pursued.”
“Mr. Cooper, should we personally investigate this matter?”
Wesley shook his head, prompting Joey to fall silent.
Sandra, however, could not contain her curiosity.
Such a sensational piece of news was too tantalizing to ignore.
“Joey, what exactly is going on?” she pressed.
Noticing Wesley’s darkened expression, Joey hesitated, fearing to speak out of turn.
Upon their return to the villa, Sandra resumed her attempts to expel the toxins affecting Wesley.
Weary after his bath, Wesley quickly succumbed to sleep.
But Sandra, unable to rein in her curiosity any longer, cornered Joey. She demanded details about the diamond ring.
Initially reluctant, Joey ultimately yielded under her insistence.
“Wesley’s melancholic state stalls the healing process.”
“If I learn more about what troubles him, I can tailor my treatment accordingly.”
With a sigh, Joey divulged the past events.
“Three years ago, Mr. Cooper’s accident, which rendered him comatose, was related to this ring.”
Sandra seemed to feel regretful about Wesley becoming vegetative too.
How could someone like him have had such a serious car accident? Given Wesley’s access to rigorously modified vehicles, his unparalleled driving skills, and numerous protection devices in the car, it should not have happened.
“Mr. Cooper had acquired the ring with the intention of presenting it to a woman abroad.” Sandra…
Joey did not notice her peculiar expression and continued speaking.
“Actually, there was a woman he really liked overseas.” He looked at Sandra with concern, afraid his words would hurt her.
After all, in his opinion, Sandra seemed to have deep feelings for Wesley.
In a family where people were ruthless, she fearlessly stood in front of Wesley, shielding him from danger.
Now, in his heart, Sandra was the most suitable match for him. He didn’t want their relationship to be affected by the past. However, if he didn’t say anything, Sandra would surely suspect.
After all, it was a ring!
Women cared a lot about that!
“At that time, Mr. Cooper encountered a predicament, which was resolved with the assistance of that woman.”
“That woman is formidable. She possesses her own sphere of influence overseas and exhibits ruthless actions. Mr. Cooper greatly admires her.”
“However, that woman didn’t know he loved her. She merely escorted Mr. Cooper away from that border without even providing him her number.”
Sandra massaged her forehead.
“Joey, what I am interested in knowing is about the missing ring and the police report.”
She didn’t care whether Wesley had any emotional involvement with other women, did she?
Somehow, it caused her great annoyance to hear this.
She felt inexplicably restless and irritable.
Joey continued,
“When Mr. Cooper returned from abroad, he bought this ring and wanted to give it to that woman as a token of gratitude.”
Sandra frowned.
“Isn’t it a symbol of love?”
“That woman didn’t want any involvement with Mr. Cooper, so…”
Sandra understood.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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