Chapter 13
Cyrus stormed into the police station, where the officers quickly filled him in on the details of the situation.
Even though he had braced himself for the news, he felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing that Simone had been bold enough to go there alone.
He had reprimands ready to spill out, but as soon as he saw her, the words caught in his throat.
Stanley, who hadn’t paid much attention when he heard someone talking, suddenly changed his tune when he spotted Cyrus. The arrogant demeanor he’d had disappeared, replaced by a flurry of mixed emotions.
What’s Cyrus doing here? In Sogin, it might be okay to mess with anyone else, but I can’t mess with Cyrus. What kind of relationship does he have with Simone?‘ Stanley wondered.
Forcing a strained smile, Stanley’s heart raced. He glanced at Cyrus’s expression and cautiously asked, “Mr. Irwin, what brings you here?”
Cyrus replied coldly, “Mr. Reed, I hear you were bullying my daughter. How could I not come?”
Both Stanley and Joanne turned pale at his words.
“Simone is your daughter?” Joanne asked, her voice trembling.
She had spotted Cyrus at a party before and knew who he was. ‘Isn’t Cyrus single? Where does his daughter come from?‘ she thought.
Cyrus ignored her and fixed his displeased gaze on Stanley. “Mr. Reed, your daughter is quite ‘polite.‘ Should I bring a paternity test to prove it?”
Stanley’s eyelid twitched, and he abruptly turned to slap Joanne hard across the face. “Shut up!” he roared.
Then he plastered a fake smile at Cyrus. “Mr. Irwin, this is all a misunderstanding. She didn’t know what she was saying. Please forgive her,” he said.
Shooting a glance at Joanne, he added, “Joanne, apologize.”
Despite the anger bubbling inside her, Joanne reluctantly lowered her head, saying, “I’m sorry.”
Simone didn’t respond to that. She knew Joanne wasn’t sincere. Joanne apologized not because of her regret but because she knew the Reed family couldn’t afford to cross the Irwin family.
If Simone could see through it, Cyrus certainly could too. He snorted in disdain, not wanting to waste any more breath on Stanley and Joanne.
“Why are you such a fool?” Stanley said to Joanne. Just as Cyrus turned to leave, Stanley panicked and slapped Joanne again with force.
Joanne covered her face, biting her lip to hold back tears, not daring to make a sound.
The Reed family’s business had been struggling for years, and they couldn’t afford more trouble.
Stanley glanced at Simone, and with a sudden move, he knelt before her, his expression desperate.
“Ms. Irwin, it was my daughter’s fault. I beg you, please convince your dad to spare the Reed family,” he said.
Cyrus also looked at Simone, knowing if she decided to let the Reeds off the hook, he wouldn’t stop her.
Everyone held their breath until Simone’s cool voice broke the silence. “No.”
The Reed family ran a tech company focused on smartphones and computers.
sever
In her previous life, after Simone graduated from high school, the Reed family had been exposed for stealing technologies from several minor companies. Due to their shady practices, Simone didn’t want to forgive them.
Cyrus shot Simone a glance with acknowledgment. She was young and compassionate, so he had thought she might plead for the Reeds. Clearly, he had underestimated her.
According to Cyrus’s philosophy, being merciful to those who had harmed him was cruelty to himself. He had always believed in retaliation and couldn’t understand those who tried to settle scores with kindness.
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Stanley and Joanne were left looking completely defeated. No matter how Stanley pleaded, Cyrus was unmoved.
“We’re canceling all future collaborations between the Irwin and Reed families.” With that final word, Cyrus took Simone by the hand and walked away.
Just as Simone stepped out of the police station, Claire stopped her at the door.
“I’ll wait for you in the car,” said Cyrus. He glanced at Simone for a moment before getting into the vehicle, leaving the two girls alone.
“It was your decision to hang out with me. I won’t apologize, and I won’t feel guilty.” Simone broke the silence, her voice laced with irritation. She knew that after today, she might lose this friend.
Feeling restless, she continued, “I promised I’d protect you, and the Reed family won’t be a threat to you or your family.” She could guarantee that much.
Claire felt upset and rushed to explain. “Simone, I never wanted you to apologize. You don’t need to feel guilty.”
She had never blamed Simone. Simone had always supported her, while her own family had been ungrateful, hastily signing the settlement for the money. Claire felt like she was the one in debt to Simone.
“In school, just pretend you don’t know me. I can’t promise there won’t be another Reed family trying to make your life difficult,” Simone said, her tone distant, as if she was emotionless.
She seemed almost cold, but inside, she was heartbroken.
It was the first time Claire had seen such resolution from Simone. Even though Simone was saying harsh things, her eyes begged Claire not to give up.
In that instant, Claire felt she understood Simone better, and her heart ached for her.
Claire said with a smile just like before, “You’re my best friend. Why would I pretend not to know you?” Her tone was firm.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow,” Simone said, taken aback for a moment. The distance in her eyes faded, and a genuine smile graced her lips. They were still friends.
“See you tomorrow,” Claire replied.
The Reeds had been on a downward spiral for years, and when the Irwin family suddenly announced the cancellation of all collaborations, many speculated that the Reed family crossed the Irwin family. Its partners began to withdraw from their deals.
Shares started to pour out, throwing the Reed family into chaos.
Overnight, Stanley begged everyone he could think of for help, but nothing worked. He looked ten years older.
Just when he thought things couldn’t get worse, the next day, news revealed that his company had been stealing technologies from several smaller, unknown companies, and a list of all the stolen technologies was shown.
As soon as the news was released, it skyrocketed to the top of the trending list. Three days later, it was announced that the Reed Group had been acquired.
When Simone saw the news, her phone rang. It was Jerome.
“Simone, I’ve transferred the Reed Group to your name,” Jerome said with pride. This was the first time Simone had asked him for a favor, and he couldn’t be happier.
“Thank you,” Simone said, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. Everything was going just as she had planned.
Since the day she traveled through time, she had been eyeing the Reed family’s business, and Claire’s situation had just expedited her plan.
The only unexpected factor in her plan was Cyrus’s interference. Even without him, she would still acquire the Reed Group.
“I can’t keep up with your thoughts anymore. You’ve grown up,” Jerome sighed from the other end of the line. Sometimes, he wished Simone could be simpler and just enjoy life.
Simone paused before saying, “No matter how much I grow, you’ll always be my grandfather. That’ll never change.”
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Jerome fell silent for a moment before he finally asked, “Was it you who leaked the news about the Reed Group?” He sounded very sure.
“Yes, it was me.” Simone didn’t hide the truth.
Jerome laughed. “I knew it! You’re a clever girl, and I figured you’d target the Reed Group from the start.”
