Chapter 123 Unreliable
She sent a message to Rex, then turned to look out the window.
Lowering the car window halfway, the warm summer breeze flowed in, refreshing and soothing.
Charmaine lifted her hand slightly, letting her fingers feel the realness of it all.
It felt good to be alive.
She would reclaim everything that was taken from her, one by one–double!
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The three of them had just returned home when Milo, who had been anxiously waiting in the living room, jumped up.
“Dad, Jonah, how did it go?”
Leah followed behind, looking disheartened, muttering softly, “Milo, don’t let Chara fool you
Milo frowned at her. “What do you mean?”
Olympia and Valda turned to her, curious.
Leah bit her lip, her eyes red, nervously glancing at Jonah.
Jonah removed his gold–rimmed glasses, rubbing his tired eyes as he briefly explained what had happened.
When he finished, Valda was the first to lash out, leaning on her cane. “This is absurd! That troublemaker won’t leave our family in peace! I knew she wasn’t ready to cut ties–she’s out to bleed us dry!”
“Oh, ancestors! How did our family end up with such a jinx? If we’d known, we’d have never let her grow up!”
Olympia looked uncomfortable, biting her lip in silence, her face clouded with resentment.
Willard’s expression was grave. “She’s just a girl. She can’t stir up much trouble.”
However, Milo was not convinced.
This was not the first time things like this had happened.
It was always just a misunderstanding on their part.
This time, Milo did not join his family in resenting or doubting Charmaine. Instead, he believed in her
even more.
Milo clearly wanted to speak up, but Willard cut him off with a stern look. “Jonah will handle business matters. Stay out of it!”
As the eldest, Jonah turned to his downcast brother. “Come with me.”
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Jonah, always composed, observed his younger brother’s unusual behavior with curiosity. “Why are you siding with Charmaine this time?”
“I… I just believe in her.”
Jonah raised an eyebrow. “Blind faith isn’t wise, little brother.”
“I know, but don’t you think this whole situation seems off?” Milo countered.
“Charmaine is incredibly smart. If she really wanted to harm the family, she’d do it without leaving a trail. Why would she confront you so openly?”
Jonah frowned but stayed quiet.
Milo pressed on. “She said she told me about it to repay a favor. I only helped her by chance. If I hadn’t reached out to her, she might not have even given me the hint. Don’t you think there might really be something wrong with this project?”
After a thoughtful pause, Jonah spoke softly. “I had high hopes for this project initially, but after tonight, I do have some doubts.”
Milo leaned forward. “Why?”
Jonah shook his head, a faint trace of helplessness on his face. “Like you, it’s just intuition.”
“What?”
“I’ve never dealt with Leah’s biological parents before. This is the first time we’ve worked so closely. He’s visited my office a few times, and I’ve always found something off about him. There’s greed in his eyes, plain as day. And tonight at dinner, he was too eager to please, trying to take the lead. From my
experience, partners like him prioritize profit over everything else and will do whatever it takes to achieve
- it.
“In business, such a partner might bring in short–term gains, but for long–term collaboration, they’re a risk.”
Milo blurted out, “So, you also think Bennett is unreliable?”
Jonah looked confused. “Also? When have you dealt with him?”
Milo nearly bit his tongue, catching himself before he revealed the promise he had made to Leah.
He could not tell Jonah that Bennett had been secretly taking things from Charmaine and handing them. over to Leah.
“Well, I, uh, also noticed it, Jonah. We’re brothers, right I have some insight too!” he said, trying to sound -confident.
Jonah raised an eyebrow. “You? Insightful? That’s news me.”
Milo rolled his eyes.
Why did Jonah’s tone make him feel like he was being compared to Charmaine?
Trying to steer the conversation back, Milo said. “Since you also think Bennett is unreliable, why not just
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Chapter 123 Unreliable
cut off the collaboration?”
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