Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Then let me go with you,” Priscilla Johnson suggested. She was afraid that Mary would be taken advantage of when interviewing Sandra White at the Gastons’ residence.
Mary felt a warmth in her heart when she saw how concerned Priscilla was for her. Her gaze softened as she said, “Alright, bring Andrew Wilson along. I’ll triple your salaries for working overtime on a weekend.”
Priscilla teased, “Mary, you’re spoiling us too much.”
Mary raised a brow and countered nonchalantly, “So be it. As long as everyone gives their best at work.”
—
Max received the news that Mary was going to interview Sandra at the Gastons’ residence in the afternoon.
Matthew Smith stood in front of Max’s office table. The atmosphere was oppressive. Matthew did not dare to let out a single breath. He only ventured to speak when Max looked at him, “Sir, should we stop them?”
‘Sandra White is clearly doing this to boast about her relationship with Sir. That way, Ms. Mary will further misunderstand the situation and ignore him,’ Matthew thought.
Max’s handsome brows furrowed as he asked “Is there anything else that you have to report?”
Matthew Smith nodded and answered, “Madam and Sandra White were talking about you— your lips yesterday night. Sandra White told Madam that Ms. Mary had bit your lips and that she was worried that you would be seduced by Ms. Mary.”
“Keep an eye on them,” Max instructed.
“Yes, Sir,” Matthew responded.
“You may go,” Max said. His expression turned nastier when he saw that Matthew was constantly looking at his lips.
Max’s phone rang after Matthew left the room. He picked up the call and leaned his slender body back against the chair. He greeted unemotionally, “Hello.”
“Max, let me tell you something. John Liam is also investigating the incident,” the voice on the other end of the line said.
Max frowned. The air around him became a little bit colder as he asked, “Why is he investigating the accident? Isn’t he going to be engaged to Tracy Polt?”
“John Liam has not commented about it since the engagement is not confirmed. Recently, he—” the person on the other end of the line, Gordon Polt, replied. He laughed, then continued, “I remember that he was interested in Mary back then. It’s been five years since they last met. He might like her even more now.”
“When did he interfere? Did he go through you?” Max asked, ignoring the ridicule within Gordon’s words.
“He really didn’t go through me,” Gordon replied nonchalantly, “Two years ago, he looked through the case file. He may have started even earlier.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “I only just received the news, so I called to inform you.”
Max thought back to the past about the intimate scenes between Mary and John Liam. ‘Does she really still like John Liam or is she getting close to him because he is investigating the car accident?’ he wondered. ‘Gordon Polt says that John Liam flipped through the case file two years ago. Back then, in my office, Mary had taken a call from John Liam—’
The darkness in Max’s eyes became more intense. He mulled, ‘I can understand Mary’s relationship with the Johnson siblings as Paul Johnson had saved her back then. However, Mary also established contact with John Liam a while back. Is it because she truly loves him? Does she love John Liam even after bearing Jason? Does she really think that the Liams would accept a child that is not of their blood?’
__
Mary Hanks saw Max Gaston waiting for her by the roadside when she left her office building in the evening. Priscilla noticed him as well. He was waving at Mary and signaling for her to head to the parking lot.
Max opened the door for her from inside the car when Mary arrived at the side of the road. He commanded, “Get in.”
Mary saw that Max’s expression was rather ugly but did not know who had provoked him. She hesitated for a moment, then got into the front passenger seat.
The car went on its way. Max asked Mary, “I heard that you are going to do an exclusive interview with Sandra White?”
“Yes,” Mary gave a perfunctory reply. She did not even look up from her phone when she heard his question.
Max’s expression immediately turned a shade darker. He freed a hand from the steering wheel and reached out to snatch her phone from her. Mary did not bother grabbing it back as Max was driving.
Max placed the phone on a stand on the dashboard, then said, “Don’t look at your phone while in the car. It’s bad for your eyes.”
Mary was speechless.
“You accepted the ad request from the Garcia Group?” Max asked.
“Yes,” Mary responded.
“Why did you accept Sandra’s interview and why are you interviewing her at home?” Max questioned further. Mary and Sandra had not liked each other from the first time they met when they were young. Mary had never hidden her displeasure toward Sandra White all these years. However, now, she had gone ahead and agreed to this interview.
Mary answered casually, “For the money, of course. The Garcia Group offered a very good price. Sandra White is an A-lister, while you are the overlord of Sheares with a net worth of a billion dollars. Not only will I earn money, but I will also get good traffic on my posts—”
“Mary, must you talk to me like this? Must I publicly cancel my wedding with Sandra White tomorrow?” Max asked.
“You promised me that you will hold your wedding with Sandra as planned,” Mary retorted.
“Then answer me. Why did you have to accept her interview? Don’t tell me that you’ve suddenly come to like a woman you’ve hated for so many years?” Max countered.
“That’s right. I like her now. I like her very much,” Mary rebutted.
“Mary Hanks,” Max growled.
Mary whimpered softly when she heard the fury in his voice, “You don’t have to be so loud. I can hear you.”
It became dead silent in the car. Max pressed his lips together in a rigid line. The air around him was extremely cold. Mary’s current attitude had infuriated him. However, he did not want his relationship with her to become even more distant and thus had to tolerate it.
He finally calmed himself down sometime later. There was now an added indifference in his voice as he asked, “Do you remember promising your mother that you’d listen to me me back then?”
Mary was startled. She pursed her lips and did not answer.
Max went on, “Is it because I’ve been too strict on you that you would rather get closer to Paul Johnson and John Liam than to listen to me?”
“Max, you’re overthinking it,” Mary calmly interrupted. She did not wish to mention the past. It only made her feel even more conflicted. Objectively, Max Gaston had treated her well. She had also viewed him as her family all these years. However, if his parents were truly the culprits behind her parents’ deaths, if him taking her in and being nice to her was because of that, then she—
“Is that so?” Max pressured. There was a mocking smile on his face as he turned his head to look at Mary.
Mary did not have show much emotion when she replied, “Yes, I have always remembered how well you treated me in the past.”
“Then when did you get into contact with John Liam? You told me that you were in a coma for two years and lost your memory for a year. You were in a coma when Jason was born?” Max pushed on.
Mary did not know how to answer the questions. She glanced at Max’s cold face, then told him the truth, “I lied to you. I was very afraid when I narrowly escaped death back then. Other than not daring to contact you, I would say that I even hated you.”
Max felt his chest. He loosened his grip on the steering wheel slightly as he asked, his voice a little muted, “Is it because of that night?”
Mary affirmed, “Yes, I hated you for robbing me of my innocence, as well as what you did with Sandra White—”
She did not continue the rest of the sentence. However, this made Max feel even more guilty.
He stopped the car at a red light and looked at her, full of emotion. He whispered every syllable clearly, “I am to blame for what happened back then. I am to blame for your suffering.”
Sadness welled up within Mary when she heard those words..