Chapter 28
Chapter 28
When Channing returned home in the evening, Shannon and her daughter greeted him with a smile. “You’re back!”
Channing nodded and sat down on the sofa. Shannon instructed Celia, “Celia, make some tea for your father.”
Shannon then sat down beside Channing. “Channing, I heard that Amber is back?”
Channing nodded briefly. “Yes, Amber is back!”
Shannon didn’t expect that Channing had already met Amber. She was very worried deep down concerning Amber’s sudden appearance after disappearing for a few years. This isn’t going to be so simple, she thought. As she was thinking about it, she asked tentatively, “Then why didn’t you bring her home? The child has suffered so much! We should care more about her.” Shannon acted like a loving mother.
“It’s not the right time now. Amber still has a deep resentment against me! She won’t forgive me!” Channing sighed. “It’s all my fault. I didn’t think it through back then. Not only did I let Celia suffer, but Amber too!”
Seeing that Channing had brought up the past incident, Shannon sighed as well, “We did it for Amber’s good. Who would expect that such a thing could happen. Channing, why don’t we talk to Amber and explain it to her in person?”
“Amber is very stubborn. I’m afraid it’s useless to find her and explain it!”
This meant that Amber did not intend to forgive Channing. Shannon let out a sigh of relief. “Then what should we do? I’m worried about her being all alone now.”
“This matter can’t be rushed, we have to take it slow!” Channing sighed, “Shannon, if Amber is willing to come back, you have to treat her well. Even if she gives you a hard time, you have to endure it.”
“I know. Don’t worry, I know what I have to do.”
“And Celia.” Channing looked at Celia. “You also treat Amber better. If she is angry, let her vent it out. If she wants anything, don’t fight with her for it.”
“Yes, dad,” Celia replied obediently.
Shannon glanced at her daughter, then directed her gaze at her husband. “What about Celia and Rodney’s engagement ceremony?”
“I will look for Mrs. Barron and discuss about it with her.” Channing replied.
Shannon heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m just afraid that Amber will feel uncomfortable. Although we did it out of kindness, but Celia is indeed with Rodney now….”
“It wasn’t Celia’s fault, it’s all my fault,” Channing sighed. “I’ll explain it to Amber in the future. Now, both of you just need to remember not to provoke her.”
“Don’t worry. Celia and I will never provoke Amber.”
Channing was very satisfied with Shannon’s guarantee. “In addition to not provoke her, there’s one more thing I have to make clear to you. After Celia and Rodney get married, I will leave all my property to Amber as a form of compensation.”
“I didn’t stay with you for the sake of those properties. Celia also will never fight with Amber,” Shannon agreed to it readily. Compared to Rodney’s property, whatever the Black family possessed was just a tiny amount. Only a fool like Amber would give up on Rodney.
“Dad, I only want Rodney. I don’t want anything else,” Celia also expressed herself. Channing was very satisfied with his wife and daughter’s understanding. “I’m sorry for asking so much from both of you!”
“As long as you and Amber are happy, everything I do is worth it.” Celia behaved as if she would willingly sacrifice herself for good and Channing was even more touched. “I will be less occupied in a while. You can tell Rodney that the parents of both sides should meet to discuss the engagement.”
Shannon and Celia exchanged glances with each other, their eyes were full of triumph.
Because of what happened during the day, Amber had been very distressed. Seeing that her expression was not right, Elliot thought that she had fallen sick and kindly allowed her to go back to rest.
How would Amber be in the mood to rest. She went to the hospital again. Ashton was packing his things up, insisting on being discharged from the hospital.
Admitting defeat to her uncle, Amber had no choice but to request for discharge and settle the procedural matters required. After returning home with her uncle, she went to the market to buy some ingredients, preparing to make something nourishing for her uncle.
As soon as the soup was done, her phone rang. She picked it up and heard Pierce’s voice clearly saying, “Amber, Mel is having a fever!”
“Is it very serious?” If it was just a slight fever, Pierce would not have called her.
“A little. If you have the time, do come and see him!”
“I understand!” Due to this call from Pierce, the distress in her heart vanished, she was only worried about Mel.
Amber immediately booked a flight ticket and gave Elliot a call to ask for leave. Elliot was very surprised. “What happened?”
“It’s a family issue.”
Seeing that she refused to say anything, Elliot did not pursue the matter further and readily agreed.
Amber immediately packed her luggage and rushed to the airport. Throughout the flight of more than ten hours, she never stopped worrying. When she arrived at the destination, Pierce personally came to pick her up. Then, the two of them rushed to the hospital together. Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
Mel was lying on the hospital bed in a coma. His body was shockingly hot. “What exactly is going on?” Amber burst into tears.
“He had been refusing to eat properly for the past few days. Suddenly, he had a fever on the day before yesterday and the antipyretic drug didn’t work. The doctor also couldn’t find out the reason. I was a little worried, so I called you to come over,” Pierce explained.
“Mel! My poor Mel, it’s all mummy’s fault!” Amber held Mel’s tiny hand and wept terribly.
As if there was some kind of transmission, Mel, who was in a coma, suddenly opened his eyes. When he saw Amber, he grinned and said, “Mummy, am I dreaming?”
“No! It’s real, mummy is here to see you!”
Due to the appearance of Amber, Mel’s fever miraculously subsided. Pierce was a little embarrassed. “If I knew that the fever would subside, I wouldn’t have called you.”
Mel snuggled up happily in his mother’s arms. “Mummy, when will you pick me up?”
“Very soon!” Amber replied.
“Then have you found daddy?” Mel asked again.
“Not yet, but I’ll get to find him soon.”
“Mummy, take your time, there’s no rush. I can find daddy with you in the future.”
Amber hugged her son and nodded. “Mummy will settle down immediately and come to pick up Mel very soon.”
Pierce sighed next to them and said, “Amber, just come back if you really can’t do it. I can support both of you.”
“Pierce, I don’t want to owe you too much. Do you understand?”
“I am doing this by choice.”
“But I can’t. Pierce, you deserve to be loved by a better woman!” Pierce was silent. After a while, he sighed and said, “Amber, if you ever become tired out there, you’re welcomed to come back at any time. I will wait for you at the same spot as usual.”
Amber stayed with Mel for ten days. Only when she returned to South City did she found out that there had been some drastic changes during the ten days when she was away. First of all, something bad happened to Mr. Mason, the son of the Member of Parliament under the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Ewan Mason.
Someone had called the TV station to report about Mr. Mason. It was said that he was taking drugs, so the reporters of the TV station personally followed the police to arrest him. Unexpectedly, what they saw was a shocking scene.
Mr. Mason, who had overdosed on methamphetamine, committed self-harm. When the police broke open his apartment door, they found him holding a knife in his hand and was unconscious. The ground
was covered with blood stains.
The police hurriedly sent him to the hospital. Only then did they found out that the tendons of his hands and legs had been damaged by himself. It was just a simple drug abuse case at first, but the police found some fake bank notes when they searched Mr. Mason’s residence.
Later on, someone on the internet reported that Ewan Mason was suspected of printing fake bank notes, accepting bribes, committing malpractice and many other illegal crimes. The Chief Secretary, Channing Black, had ordered a serious investigation to find out the truth.
The police carried out a search at Ewan Mason’s house on the same night. It turned out that the house was full of cash, which included several boxes of fake bank notes.
The matter had gotten out of hand and Ewan Mason had been isolated for investigation purposes. After a series of interrogation and verification, all the despicable things he had done over the years was exposed. Ewan Mason was doomed.
Just when Ewan Mason was doomed, the bidding for the urban construction project had officially begun. Due to the full confidence in winning the bid, instead of attending the auction in person, Rodney only appointed a manager as a representative. As for the Parableutions, Elliot personally led the team.
The bidding this time was carried out on the principle of fairness and full transparency. After multiple stages of screening, Barron Enterprises and Parableutions made it to the final step.
After careful research and evaluation, the specialist reviewers began to evaluate the two bidding proposal. It turned out that the results were equal.
This result was beyond Rodney’s expectations. If the Thomson family had sent someone else, he might have been more alert. Since it was Elliot, he didn’t take him seriously at all.
How could a playboy who only knew how to toy with women have any real skills? Hence, he had the idea of underestimating his opponent from the beginning.
In addition, Rodney had plentiful connections and resources, so he didn’t take Elliot seriously even the more.
It seemed that he had still underestimated this playboy. Since Elliot was able to lead the team and produce such a high-standard bidding proposal, this Elliot must have some skills.
However, Rodney still had a chance of winning. After all, the proposals were equal. The key was the person who chooses. As long as Channing would be a little bit partial, he would definitely win.
“This time, I’ll take it as a false alarm. I can’t look down on this playboy anymore in the future.”
The blind date reality show that Amber was participating in had also officially begun. Not knowing how Rodney had figured it out, he actually allowed the TV station to resume Noemi’s position.
Therefore, Noemi fully participated throughout the recording. Noemi’s original intention was to dress Amber up beautifully and put her on the show. Although the show had some fake elements, some of the men who participated in the show were capable men. If they actually appreciate Amber, it would be as good as killing two birds with one stone.
Amber also felt that Noemi’s suggestion was good, but she didn’t dress herself up nicely. She felt that to be beautiful was to be real. She was a divorced woman and also a single mother. Her precious Mel had asked her countless times for a father. Hence, she needed to earn money and find a father for her Mel during this show.
For this reason, she persuaded Noemi to allow her to participate with her real information. Amber was labelled as a single mother. She put on very ordinary clothes with a mask on, and she arrived at the recording site.
The rule of the show was that the male guest would choose the female guest for the first time, based on first impression. After deciding the female guest he liked, he would give the female guest a rose in his hand. After the female guest received the rose, she could ask him three questions.
If the female guest was satisfied with the male guest’s answer, she would accept the rose and remove her mask. Then, the show will continue with the second round.
Since Amber was dressed in a very normal attire and also a single mother, no male guest chose her throughout the first recording of the show.
This situation was within Amber’s expectations. After the recording of the show, Noemi walked out of the TV station with her. She complained for Amber as she walked, saying that those men were all idiots and couldn’t recognise what’s valuable.
However, Amber was very calm. “I knew that it would be like this. Don’t worry, there must be someone meant for me in this world.”
After the holidays, it was time to announce the result of the bidding. Since Rodney was very satisfied with his proposal, and with Channing behind his back, Rodney had always thought that they would win for sure. Rodney’s public relations department had already planned and prepared for the press conference.
However, they were absolutely shocked by the result. The company that had been announced by the Municipal council turned out to be the Parableutions.
Rodney was leisurely drinking tea in his office when the news that they have failed was released by Deon, he couldn’t believe it at all.
Then, Rachel called him up. Rachel was a little flustered and exasperated. “Rodney, what’s going on?”
“Mum, I just got the news as well,” Rodney explained patiently. “I’ll call you when I figure it out.”
Hanging up the phone, Rachel was so angry that she was trembling. What the h*ll was going on? Didn’t they agree that the bidding will belong to the Barron Enterprises? The first thing Rachel thought is that Shannon broke the promise after getting what she wanted. Seeing that her daughter’s issue was settled, she didn’t care anymore. Rachel picked up the phone angrily and called Shannon up.