Chapter 48
Chapter 48
“Mom, what should we do with these guys?” Zack looked up at her, his dark eyes wide with question, nervously tugging at the hem of Sylvia’s dir
Ever since Sylvia had called him, he’d been worried sick that his mom was in trouble, so he’d secretly called all the family bodyguards over
Good thing they arrived just in time to see Cody and his crew about to rough up Sylvia right at her doorstep.
He immediately ordered the bodyguards to restrain them. But he was only six, and despite trying to look calm, he was still pretty shaken up inside.
Sylvia gently ruffled Zack’s hair. He seemed like a different kid, stepping up when she was in danger, unhesitatingly taking her side despite his young age. The change touched her deeply, but also made her heart ache for him.
Suppressing her own emotions, she walked up to Cody and asked coldly, “Tell me, who sent you?”
She already had a strong suspicion it was Joanna pulling the strings. She wanted them to confess so Zack could see Joanna’s true colors.
But Cody clammed up. Thinking fast, he turned to Zack, his tone suddenly wheedling. “Zack, buddy, this was all just a misunderstanding with your mom. We didn’t hurt her. How about you be the bigger person and let us go?”
He wasn’t entirely wrong. They’d planned to scare Sylvia into giving them a cut of the profits from her medical patches. Instead, the plan backfired spectacularly: their company got hacked, and they ended up restrained by Zack’s bodyguards without gaining a thing.
Zack’s expression hardened. He put his hands behind his back and tilted his chin up. “Asking me won’t help. I listen to my mom. Whatever she says, goes.”
Sylvia gave a wry smile. After a moment’s thought, she waved a hand, signaling the bodyguards to release them. After all, they hadn’t caused any real harm, and pressing charges would be complicated.
Zack immediately nodded. “Okay, Mom! Whatever you say!”
The bodyguards let Cody and his men go.
Seeing his chance, Cody put on a greasy smile and pleaded with Zack again, “Hey, Zack, what about our company? Think you could, uh, get it un–hacked
for us?”
Zack looked back at Sylvia. “Mom, what do you think?”
Sylvia shot Cody a cold glance. “Since the company’s already been hacked, leave it that way. A logistics firm with zero ethics deserves to go bankrupt anyway.”
Cody went pale, stunned by Sylvia’s ruthlessness. He turned his head, desperate to appeal to Zack again.
But Zack didn’t hesitate for a second. “Okay! I listen to Mom!”
Resentment flared on Cody’s face. He couldn’t stop himself from blurting out, “Zack, you can’t just listen to everything she says!”
Zack’s face fell, his young voice laced with anger. “If I don’t listen to my mom, should I listen to you?”
Sylvia had considered letting Cody off easy, but hearing that, she let out a cold chuckle. “Let the others go. As for Cody… teach bi forget.”
“Okay, Mom.” Zack agreed readily. The bodyguards beside him understood immediately and started roughing Cody up.
son he won’t
Cody instantly regretted opening his big mouth. ‘Why did I say that?‘ he thought miserably. ‘This kid obviously does whatever his mom tells him. What was I thinking trying to stir things up?‘
Not wanting Zack to witness the violence, Sylvia took his hand and led him back inside. “Go upstairs and play with Ruby.”
1/2
Chapter 48.
Zack scampered upstairs happily, and soon the sounds of the two children playing echoed from the upper floor.
Sylvia noticed the glasses perched on Zack’s handsome little face and frowned slightly. She prepared a bowl of herbal medicine, brought it upstairs, and
handed it to him.
Before, Zack would have put up a fuss. But now, he pinched his nose and gulped the medicine down in big swallows.
As he drank, tears welled up and spilled down his cheeks – not from the bitterness of the medicine, but because he knew his mom was finally starting to accept him.
“You two behave yourselves, okay? If you need anything, find Jolie. I have to go out for a bit.” After reminding the children, Sylvia got in her car and drove
off.
Her current stock of medical patches had all been shipped out, leaving the warehouse empty. Making them all by herself was too slow. She decided to contact local pharmaceutical manufacturers to discuss a partnership.
She researched several options. The Moore family’s company was a major player locally, but she deliberately skipped them and drove to a smaller firm
instead.
“Ms. Sullivan, I can’t believe it! You’re the one who developed those Osteo–Relief patches? They’re creating quite a buzz lately!
“It’s a real honor that you’d consider our company to manufacture them!” The company owner, a man in his forties, was ecstatic when Sylvia explained her proposal in his office.
Sylvia smiled and nodded. “Then let’s discuss the terms of our collaboration.”
The man was about to agree eagerly when his phone rang sharply. He glanced at the caller ID – an unfamiliar number. But as soon as he heard the voice on the other end, the color drained from his face.
“Mr. Blair? Wh–what a surprise to hear from you, sir! Is there something I can do for you?” The man’s voice was deferential, almost trembling.
Byron Blair practically ran Silverton; when he spoke, the entire business community listened. His Blair Group had interests in nearly every sector.
‘A call from Byron?‘ Sylvia stood nearby, overhearing the conversation clearly. A sense of foreboding washed over her.
Byron’s voice was commanding, leaving no room for argument. “Is Sylvia Sullivan there with you? No one is to do any business with her. Understood?”
Breaking out in a cold sweat, the man stammered, “Y–yes, sir! Absolutely! Understood!”
After hanging up, the man still looked shaken. He turned to Sylvia, practically wringing his hands. “Ms. Sullivan, I’m so sorry, you heard…”
Sylvia offered a faint smile. “It’s alright. I understand. It’s not your fault.”
The man hesitated, then added cautiously, “Ms. Sullivan, is there… some misunderstanding between you and Mr. Blair? If there is, you might want to -clear it up. You know how much clout he has.”
Sylvia nodded. If Byron had called this man, he’d likely called every other potential manufacturer too. With Byron putting the word out, no one would dare work with her.
Byro
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