Chapter 16
y me But after that,
Roderick was in a good mood as he said, “I thought you had figured out how to handle our families before you decided to marry he just went quiet and kept flipping through the info.
Laurel took a deep breath when she noticed Roderick was pulling away, and she shook her head, feeling her smile fade.
Just before yesterday, she never imagined she’d be in this situation with him. It was funny how quickly things could change.
As Roderick suspected, she had figured out how to navigate the Lambert and Lynch families before approaching him.
The Lamberts? Easy–they were all about the money. She knew how to deal with people who were after something.
But the Lynches! That was a whole different ballgame. Warwick wasn’t someone she could fool easily. Yet, she never intended to deceive him
Before everything went south, both Warwick and Winona treated her like family.
Warwick had warned her to think twice when George tried to pull her into taking the fall for him, but she stubbornly went down the wrong path.
Warwick ended up being so let down by her that he didn’t come to her rescue when she needed it and just watched her go to jail
Then, while in prison, Regina casually dropped the bomb that Warwick’s time was running out when she came to humiliate Laurel
Laurel couldn’t wrap her head around it. Warwick had always been healthy, and the last time she saw him, he didn’t seem sick at all.
Regina seemed to relish her misery and thought Laurel couldn’t make any difference now that she was in jail, so she told Laurel that George’s parents had been poisoning Warwick’s food for years.
Just two days later, the news broke that Warwick had passed away a
y after a long illness.
Laurel was devastated and filled with regret. If she hadn’t let George manipulate her into taking the rap and going to jail, maybe she could have
saved Warwick
As her thoughts wandered, she looked down at the small box in her hand, her resolve growing stronger.
Now that she had the chance to start over, she was determined to protect the people who genuinely cared for her this time around
Laurel realized that the Lynch family estate was what weighed most heavily on Warwick’s mind,
It was not that he was unwilling to part with the wealth. He simply wanted to find someone capable of carrying on the Lynch family’s legacy for
generations to come.
She often heard Warwick mention Roderick’s name, which made her think Roderick was the favorite among the grandkids.
But every time Roderick pulled one of his antics that made Warwick shake his head in frustration, she understood why he felt that way.
In her last round, she had a nagging suspicion that Roderick wasn’t as straightforward as he seemed, but she never spoke up about it because of her position.
This time around, things felt different. Roderick had a rare chance to gain some power, especially with George and the other branches of the Lynch family breathing down his neck.
But bringing George down and taking control of the entire family was going to take time
When she said she could help Roderick, she meant it. With her connections worldwide, she had the resources to back him up.
George wouldn’t let go of her because of that, but now she was stepping in to help Roderick take the reins of the family–sort of a way
Warwick.
Roderick finished going through the information and looked up at Laurel with a serious expression. “How did you find all this out!”
Laurel flashed a slight smile. Thave my contacts.” And then she added, “Don’t worry,
the i
investigation is thorough. No loose ends.”
to repay
For the first time, Roderick studied her intently. Since he was eighteen and began building his own network, he had been quietly digging into the truth about that car accident from a decade ago.
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Chapter 16
Even now, he’d only pieced together about a third of what she just handed him, and most of the intel he found was full of inaccuracies
This woman was even more mysterious than he initially thought. He put his phone away. That’s still not enough.”
Laurel nodded. “I’ve passed it on to the right people. They’re in a better position to dig deeper
Roderick’s ears perked up, and his expression got serious, Laurel had shared one crucial detail that came from abroad.
Years ago, there was a string of car accidents that sadly resulted in around ten people getting killed or injured, and the only vehicle that made it through the wreckage was the one in the photo she showed him at the club.
He remembered checking into that car before, but he’d hit a dead end–no info on the owner, and everything had been scrubbed clean.
But Laurel managed to dig up that the car’s owner had left the country after the accident and hadn’t returned for a whopping eighteen years.
Every time Roderick’s team looked into it over the last decade, they faced countless roadblocks. It felt like some powerful entity was lurking in the shadows, ready to wipe out any leads if he got too close.
What impressed Roderick was not just Laurel finding that connection, but that she seemed to have some serious contacts overseas. She wore a casual look, like this was just another day at the office for her.
“Just a heads up.” Roderick said, “they’re not to be taken lightly. Make sure your team is careful
Laurel chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry. They’re great at blending in and know what they’re doing
Then, she squinted at him playfully. Though I still think your acting skills are unmatched. Mr. Lynch,”
He grunted. “Don’t go buttering me up, Ms. Lambert. You’re the real star here”
His gaze wandered over her for a moment. “Seems like George isn’t the type to be swayed by women, either.”
Laurel raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, you definitely outshine Regina in looks, but when it comes to winning men over, she’s got you beat”
“Oh really? And what makes you say that?”
Roderick sized her up. “Men generally don’t go for a woman as sharp as you
Sharp? I prefer to call it wisdom!” Laurel took a moment, holding back her anger.
Tm talking about Regina,” he replied, “the fire escape.”
Laurel looked a bit taken aback. She didn’t know Roderick was there then
“Given George’s nature, it must’ve been pretty lucrative for him to keep you around all these years, especially since you aren’t exactly his type.
Laurel had definitely got connections that reached overseas, and it was pretty likely she had a stronger foothold at home.
Then there’s George, who was kind of average but suddenly became the “top young man of the Lynch family, garnering all this admiration from Warwick
Roderick figured out pretty quickly that Laurel was pulling the strings behind it all.
Once one gets a taste of power, it’s hard to settle for anything less–they always want more.
George was mediocre. He desired power over the family, but he lacked the skills to actually make it happen. Laurel filled in those gaps for him, both in terms of connections and capability.
It was no surprise that George tried to charm Laurel on the surface, creating this great lover image, while secretly fooling around with Regina.
He wanted to keep Laurel around as his boost while enjoying time with the woman he preferred–classic double–dipping.
George’s ambition was almost hilarious. 1
He was definitely
itely living up to being his dad, with an appetite that was just as big-
Laurel casually said. “You figured it out–George is all about winning me over because I can benefit him.” Her smile was light as she continued, “If
2/3
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Mr. Lynch wants to won me…
Hodenck frowned a bit. She sure got carried away easily. “So you want me to sweet–talk you just for this little investigation?“
Laurel’s smile faded. “Well, it’s true, but judging by how Mr. Lynch reacted last night, I guess your people didn’t dig deep enough, did they
Roderick felt a little jolt of realization and whispered, “What do you know about me?”
Laurel replied matter–of–factly, “Not much, just your basic personal info,”
Roderick felt a bit relieved until she added, “For instance, there’s that flower birthmark on your thigh”
Roderick was left speechless.
