Evelyn kept talking, but Teresa didn’t catch a word of it. Right now, in front of her mother, she was nothing but a helpless child. After a while, Teresa pulled herself together and said quietly, “He should be back today.”
She still hadn’t dared to bring up Jennifer, afraid Evelyn would go argue with Irene and cause a scene. At a time like this, it was better not to add fuel to the fire.
Evelyn thought for a moment and said, “How about I take Isabel back to Nareigh? I just can’t stop worrying about you like this.”
Teresa refused. “No, don’t come back here. You wouldn’t be able to help even if you were here.”
Evelyn sighed, “I’m thinking of just shutting down my shop. You all just keep making me worry.”
“Don’t worry, let’s just wait a bit longer and see how things go. I’m really doing fine here,” Teresa reassured her.
She chatted a bit more with Evelyn, then hung up the phone. It was already afternoon. Teresa couldn’t take it anymore. Since she wasn’t allowed to leave, she asked the security guard to go next door and see if Eason could meet with her.
Eason told her to come over. He had no intention of coming to Jonathan’s place. Teresa told the guard she’d be back soon, and since the two villas were close by, he drove her over.
In the courtyard, Eason offered Teresa a seat. “No, I’ll just say a few words and leave,” she said, rubbing her belly. “My condition doesn’t allow much activity. You’re taking advantage of my husband’s vulnerability, which isn’t the behavior of a respectable family.”
Eason slammed his hand on the table. “You cheeky girl, who are you accusing of kicking someone when they’re down?”
But the more Eason looked into Teresa’s eyes, the more familiar they seemed. He wanted to scold her, but the words just stuck in his throat. He took a sip of his coffee and said, “If he’s innocent, he’ll be released.”
Teresa said, “Actually, I’ve followed reports on Kelly Group. You donate a significant amount to charity each year, and I believe you’re a compassionate businessman, not just a profit-driven capitalist. My husband is the same; he has his principles and wouldn’t do anything illegal.”
Eason let out a cold laugh. “Sorry, but I’m not falling for that. Tell him to save that speech for the police. Jonathan was supposed to form a marriage alliance with our family. His mother said she’d take charge of everything between our two families, but who knew he’d call off the engagement? You mean you didn’t know about that?” Eason pressed.
Teresa frowned. She hesitated, wondering whether to reveal that her reconciliation with Jonathan was fake. In the end, she held back. “This is all a misunderstanding. Neither Jonathan nor I ever intended to hurt Ms. Kelly.”
“A misunderstanding? Thanks to Jonathan and his mother, they played good cop, bad cop, making our family a joke. My daughter was mocked for pursuing him, and he competed with me in business, costing my company over a billion in lost deals.”
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, and the less he could stand the sight of Teresa. That sense of familiarity he’d felt earlier was completely gone.
“I’m not the type to pick on a pregnant woman, but Jonathan was the one who did our family wrong, so don’t blame me for not being polite about it. Nothing you say today is going to change my mind,” Eason said.
“Show this woman out,” he ordered the guard.
Teresa took a deep breath, brushed off the guard’s hand, and said, “No need to show me out. I can leave by myself.”
The security guard, seeing Teresa’s beauty, planned to take advantage while escorting her out. But before he could touch her shoulder, a hand twisted his arm, making him grimace and yelp in pain.
The next moment, an icy, razor-sharp voice rang out. “Mr. Kelly, isn’t it a little shameless to bully someone close to me just because I’m not around?”