Chapter 56
“Callie, George called, watching her agitation with a frown.
Only then did Callie snap back to reality, pausing for a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I guess my emotions are all over the place with the pregnancy…”
George exhaled deeply, but his thoughts weren’t on her apology. Instead, he glanced back, still puzzling over where he had seen that old man before.
“Alright, stay here for a moment. I’m going to find Mortimer,” he told Callie, before walking off.
“Wait…” Callie called after him, feeling frustrated. ‘Honestly, George should’ve taught that old man a lesson for being so rude. It’s ridiculous! What was he even doing, approaching me like that?‘
The press conference started soon after.
Rachel stood quietly off to the side, watching the media frenzy unfold. The reporters were already crowding the stage, and the host had just announced that Elysium Media was officially acquired by the Sarrattop Group. The news quickly hit the headlines.
The rumors had already been circulating. Since yesterday, several of Sarrattop Group’s stocks had seen a surge, and investors were clearly optimistic about the company’s foray into the entertainment industry. It seemed like a smart move after all.
Rachel wasn’t going to be on stage, just observing from below, when, unexpectedly, Gracie appeared at her side.
“Rachel,” Gracie said, a venomous smile twisting her lips.
Rachel turned, confused. “What are you talking about?”
Gracie’s tone was mocking. “I knew you were lying to me. Did you think I wouldn’t find out? George has a fiancée, and it’s not you! I saw the news. The man you called ‘your husband’s man‘ was George, right? But guess what? Turns out, he’s not your husband at all, he’s just some hired help you brought in!”
Rachel snorted, unimpressed. “Is that so?”
Gracie sneered. “You went to all this trouble to hire a man to trick me, to make me let my guard down, right? Don’t pretend you’re not interested in Rocco anymore. You’re just using George to get to him.”
Rachel sighed, unimpressed. “Gracie, are you still obsessed with Rocco? Maybe I’m done with him, but if you keep bringing him up, who knows? I might just get curious again.”
Gracie’s face turned pale, and then she exploded. “What do you want, Rachel?”
Gracie was about to lash out when security, appearing out of nowhere, rushed in and quickly restrained her.
“Rachel, don’t think you can scare me. If you lay a finger on Rocco, I won’t let you get away with it!” Gracie shouted.
Rachel was still reeling from the confrontation when she looked up, only to see Bryant striding toward them, his face twisted in fury.
“Unbelievable! You’re really going to let this woman try to hurt you after everything Rachel’s done for you? Are you trying to bite the hand that feeds you for some trash?”
“Dad! What are you doing here?” Rachel asked in surprise.
Bryant scoffed, “What do you mean, what am I doing here? If I hadn’t come, would you have let some woman like that push
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Chapter 56
you around? Don’t forget about your condition. What if something happens to you?”
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“Dad!” Rachel hissed, embarrassed, as her father casually mentioned her pregnancy in public. She quickly tried to stop him.
Bryant noticed Rachel’s discomfort and quickly fell silent.
“Alright, alright, just get this woman out of here.” He gave a sharp order to the bodyguards standing nearby.
Anyone who dared to harm his precious daughter didn’t deserve to be near her.
Rachel shot her father an exasperated look.
“I’m here for the press conference, can you please not interrupt my work?”
“Work? I’m here to watch over you. With your condition, I need to be here in case anything happens. Plus, I just saw George strolling around with that little mistress. It’s enough to make me furious.”
Rachel’s eyes widened in alarm. “You didn’t do anything, did you?”
Bryant was prone to rash actions when upset, and Rachel was worried he might do something reckless.
“Of course not. I’m just lamenting how George could pick such a woman. She’s nowhere near your level, Rachel.”
Rachel took a deep breath, her voice measured. “Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You’re my father, so of course, you think I’m the best. But for others, it’s not so simple.”
At that moment, Callie, having waited for what felt like forever without seeing George, spotted Rachel talking to the old man again from a distance.
An idea clicked in her mind.
‘So, it’s that old man again!‘ She had a feeling he was here to cause trouble for her. Now it made sense–he was just another one of Rachel’s pawns.
A sense of indignation boiled in Callie’s chest. She quickly snapped a picture of Rachel and the old man talking, feeling more and more enraged. Rachel was such a two–faced hypocrite. She pretended not to target her, yet here she was, sending people to insult and mock her behind the scenes.
“This time, Callie thought, I’d finally have proof. Let’s see how Rachel weasels her way out of this one
She saved the photo, then strode over with a smug smile.
“Rachel, you’ve really sunk to a new low, hiring these old men to humiliate me. Does it make you feel better to stoop so low?”
Rachel blinked, genuinely confused. “What are you talking about?”
Callie, wearing a mocking smile, stormed up to Rachel and pointed at Bryant, launching into an angry tirade. Rachel stood there, utterly baffled by the sudden outburst.
Gracie, who had been waiting for a chance to attack, noticed Callie’s mocking tone and sneered at Bryant. “Look at you, an old man, taking some money to talk trash. At your age, you should know better than to run your mouth. I don’t know how you sleep at night–don’t you fear going to hell for all your misdeeds?”
Bryant, taken aback, pointed at himself. “What? Me? You’re talking about me? You really don’t know how to shut up, do you?”
Callie’s voice dripped with disdain as she continued. “You don’t have much money, but I have plenty. If you want, I could pay you to keep your mouth shut. How about I buy you a coffin fund?”
Rachel couldn’t hold back her laughter. Callie really thinks she can buy him off?”
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Chapter 56
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“Callie, are you out of your mind? You think I need to hire people to insult you? What, do I not have a mouth of my own?” Rachel said with a dry laugh.
Callie, unphased, pulled out her phone and smirked. “Oh, this time you’re finished, Rachel. I’ve got pictures of you talking with that old man, and when George sees them, he won’t let you off the hook.”
As if on cue, Callie saw George emerge, looking around as if searching for something.
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