Chapter 25 She Hasn’t Begged Him Yet
Bernard thought, “I’ve it all figured out. Mr. Diaz has liked Ms. Hurley for so many years. There is no way he’ll let her be unhappy.”
He said, “Besides, if you don’t crush a cockroach, once you give them a chance to survive, they’ll grow stronger and harder to get rid of.
“If you give Julissa a way out, she’ll definitely come back to get her revenge! And then she’ll hurt Ms. Hurley’s feel- ings.”
Watching Bernard go on and on like that, James was so angry he clenched his fists.
The editor–in–chief of a newspaper was being this naive.
If it weren’t for Bernard’s age, James would have slapped him right then and there.
Just as James was about to speak, his phone in his pocket rang.
It was Reece.
James had thought Reece couldn’t stand it anymore and was going to tell Bernard to get lost.
However…
“We’ll protect Archdale Daily,” Reece said from his office, watching the surveillance footage of the reception hall. His deep voice was laced with coldness. “Get him out of here.”
James was stunned.
He thought, “Kicking Bernard out is the smart move.
“But why protect someone like him?”
But James dared not disobey Reece’s orders, so he did as he was told.
“We’ll handle the matter with Archdale Daily.”
And then James had the security guards throw Bernard out of the Diaz Building.
In the office, Reece stood gloomily by the window, the top–quality red wine in his hand tasting terrible.
Bernard’s words kept replaying in his mind.
At that moment, James pushed the door open and was surprised by Reece’s question.
“Do you think the same way?”
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Chapter 25 She Hasn’t Begged Him Yet
James was bewildered.
“What do you mean?”
“I let those online rumors run wild to protect Cristina.”
James was even more confused.
“Didn’t you?”
Reece fell silent, raising his hand to drain the wine in his glass.
He thought, “So Julissa thinks the same way too.
“She’s so resistant to me. She keeps running away and acts like she hates my guts.
“It’s all out of jealousy.”
Thinking of this, Reece twirled the wine glass in his hand, feeling a bit better.
He wanted Julissa to understand that in Archdale, he was the one who had the final say.
Even if a hundred people like Zayne helped her, she wouldn’t be able to turn the tables.
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“Mr. Diaz.” James, though puzzled by Reece’s sudden change in mood, had no choice but to ask, “Are we really going to help Archdale Daily out of it?”
“Of course.”
Reece thought, “Julissa hasn’t come back to beg me yet. This isn’t going to end easily.”
The lawsuit against Archdale Daily had gone nowhere, which Julissa found very weird. Given the high profile of the case, her lawsuit should have been expedited.
But now…
Then she saw a news alert from the list of people she followed on Twitter.
She clicked in and saw that the poster was Archdale Daily.
Although the content was just regular daily news, it meant that the police’s surveillance on them had ended, and they were free to publish news again.
Julissa’s eyes darkened. She hadn’t expected Reece to really step in.
She thought, “He isn’t just being love–struck.
“He’s stupid.”
Suddenly, a WhatsApp notification rang out. It was from Karlie.
She sent over a compressed file with a few words attached.
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Chapter 25 She Hasn’t Begged Him Yet
Julissa unzipped the file. It contained many pictures and videos.
The main character was Bernard. He and a slender young woman were canoodling in the hospital corridor.
The content was so explicit it needed to be blurred.
“Oh.” Julissa’s heart rate quickened. “Where did you get these?”
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“Today Bernard came to our hospital, saying he brought a female employee for a check–up. I thought since Archdale Daily had been trashing you so much, I’d sneakily play a prank on him. But I accidentally stumbled upon this!”
Bernard was a married man with children. His wife was the editor–in–chief of a well–known fashion magazine in Archdale, and they had been a model couple in their circle for years.
Now this scandal was found out.
“Julissa, I’ll release it online right now and ruin Bernard’s feputation!”
“Wait a minute.” Julissa slowly texted, “I have a plan.”
These videos and photos were indeed useful, but merely exposing this scandal wouldn’t be enough to clear her name.
With the Diaz Group’s PR capabilities, they could easily sacrifice Bernard and keep Archdale Daily thriving.
alissa had thought of many ways to fight back, but facing such massive capital and public outrage, using such tricks was too risky.
Besides, she was up against Reece.
Compared to his methods, hers were probably just child’s play.
Sincerity was the real trump card.
Julissa took a deep breath and slowly opened her web browser.
She lightly tapped on the keyboard.
“Hello everyone, I’m Julissa. I have some things I want to say about the recent rumors online.
“I once loved Reece deeply, so much that I won’t regret it even though it left me battered and bruised.
“When we first met, he was standing with his back to the window. The night was falling outside, and the room was dark. He turned to look at me, his outline blurry in the lingering moonlight.
“He looked particularly handsome.
“Later, through the introduction of Dillan, Reece’s grandfather, I began to know him better.
“In Reece’s teens, he single–handedly took over the Diaz Group, possessing an unparalleled business mind and incred- ible perseverance, leading the Diaz Group to the pinnacle step by step.
“He was so dazzling that once I saw him, I couldn’t forget him.
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Chapter 25 She Hasn’t Begged Him Yet
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“That year he was single, and Dillan also liked me. He said I brought good luck to the Diaz Group, so he wanted me to marry Reece.
“I was overjoyed.
“I felt blessed to be able to marry the man I loved.
“I knew he might not like me, but one has to fight for love. Even if I failed, at least I would be at peace with myself.
“After three years of marriage, I realized he loved someone else, so I decided to set him free.
“I thought, one of us should be happy.
“When I left the Diaz family, I asked for nothing, as a sign of respect for our love.
“My nightmare began then.
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“The divorce agreement was leaked by someone with an agenda, and I was plunged into endless abuse and curses. Everything was a lie, yet countless media outlets didn’t bother to verify the truth, resorting to any means for public at- tention.
“The Diaz Group has immense power, while I am just a regular person. I think I am just leaving my husband.
“But in the eyes of the media, I became their entry point to ingratiate themselves with capitalists.
“The more they curse me, the better they can please Reece. The harsher the curses, the better the Diaz Group’s reputa- tion, and the brighter their future.
“I remember I read a report by Bernard, the editor–in–chief of Archdale Daily, a long time ago. He said, ‘What is au- thority?
“In Archdale, Archdale Daily is the authority.
“Now it seems that statement is not an exaggeration at all.
“A few days ago, I summarized the evidence of Archdale Daily’s slander and tried to sue them, only to be rejected time and time again.
“The evidence is clear, yet it can’t be shown to the public.
“It seems there is an invisible giant hand hovering over Archdale, overshadowing the land.
“We are all minor characters.
“We can’t break free or resist.
“But what did I do wrong?
“I just pursued a love that had no result. Why should I suffer all this?
“These words might not get sent out, or they might be deleted soon after it’s posted, but I hope all of you, as ordinary as I am, can calmly look at this matter. Don’t be manipulated by capital or go with the flow.
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Chapter 25 She Hasn’t Begged Him Yet
“Stop and listen to your heart.
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“Besides, Mr. Diaz, if you happen to see this article, I want to tell you that when I was young, I misunderstood many things. I thought a fluttering heart was love, I thought unwavering commitment was love.
“I thought that all it took for starlight to travel across the universe and reach the sky was time. I thought all persis- tence would be rewarded.
“Thank you for showing me that all of these are wrong.
“I wish you all the best in the future, and may we never meet again.”
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