Chapter 319: Importance

That night, Maggie stayed at the Camerons' residence, waiting for the drama to unfold. Lucas did the same.

At 6 PM, after dinner, Sierra exclaimed, "Joseph's nude photos are all over the news! What shameless media!"

Sierra had been in a foul mood lately, especially since seeing Maggie at home, which further agitated her. However, she couldn't afford to act out. Her father had been scolding her, and Nathael had warned her beforehand. Therefore, she kept her dissatisfaction to herself.

Dinner with Maggie was a challenge; it reminded her of the man lingering in her thoughts. She barely ate and soon retreated to her phone.

"Why are you acting so dramatically? What's going on?" Ronald sneered coldly, his tone harsh. He'd been stricter with Sierra lately.

Sierra, annoyed but unwilling to speak out, simply said, "Check Twitter. Joseph's nude photos are everywhere!"

Ronald frowned, taking his phone. Olivia visibly grew anxious, quickly checking her own phone.

"This is outrageous!"

After a few glances, Ronald's face darkened. With a loud crash, he stood up and smashed his plate onto the table.

"What a disgrace! Messing around and getting caught red-handed—look at the mess he's caused!"

Ronald was visibly furious, his chest heaving as he struggled to control his anger. He was clearly exasperated.

The room fell silent as Master and Madam Cameron watched with furrowed brows. "What's going on? What happened to Joseph?"

"See for yourself! From now on, he's not my son!" Ronald threw the phone across the table, his usually shrewd eyes filled with rage, appearing on the verge of collapse.

Master and Madam Cameron looked and immediately became agitated. "Is this Joseph? Is this his photo? How could his nude photos end up online?"

Sierra spoke up. "Looks like he was having an affair. Her man caught him, beat him up, and took obscene photos."

She tried to explain, but her voice trailed off as she noticed the darkening expressions around her.

"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!" Master Cameron's face turned ashen as he slammed his fist on the table, struggling for breath.

Madam Cameron fainted at the sight of the explicit photos.

Olivia's expression shifted. She couldn't believe it. It was one blow after another. "JosephJoseph wouldn't do something like this Someone must have set him up!"

Ronald kicked over a chair, roaring, "Set up? It's always someone else's fault! He's always been a womanizer; you know how many women he's been with! This time he messed with the wrong person—no surprise!"

Olivia wanted to defend Joseph but couldn't refute Ronald's claims. She knew he was right—Joseph had always relied on his family's status and good looks, often pursuing multiple relationships.

As parents, they usually overlooked it as long as he didn't impregnate anyone. Even then, he was a man, and their family could afford to raise a child.

"A kind mother raises spoiled children! Look at the mess your precious children have caused!" Ronald fumed, deeply disappointed with Olivia. He'd believed her upbringing and manners would benefit their children, but now…

Sierra's gaze dropped; she felt somewhat grateful that Joseph had taken the blame. Compared to his scandal, her issues seemed minor.

Olivia, wiping her tears, said in a tearful voice, "I've worked hard for this family, and you know how much I've sacrificed. How can you blame me for everything just because the children got into trouble?"

Maggie watched the drama unfold, pretending to consider speaking up but hesitating, unsure which side to take. Lucas stood by, cold and uninterested, as if Joseph and Sierra's troubles were none of his concern.

Ronald's phone rang—a call from the office. He answered gruffly, but his tone quickly changed as he forced a smile. "I'm sorry, Mr. Pascall, it's my son's fault. We'll fix this." After hanging up, his complexion darkened.

More calls followed; within half an hour, his phone rang incessantly. In a rage, he switched it off, overturned a table, and admonished, "Do you all want our family to go bankrupt? Do you think you can live a life of luxury forever? Do you have any idea how much effort I put in every day to secure deals with a forced smile? Running a business is already challenging enough!"

The living room fell silent. His outburst surprised Noah and Mary, who had just arrived.

Maggie lowered her head, concealing a smile. At least this time, the Camerons wouldn't use her and Adam's blood to climb to the top.

The next day, Maggie helped Ronald with public relations. Several companies in which the Camerons held shares demanded leadership changes, threatening board removal.

Ronald was at his wit's end, his temper still sour. Maggie considered those companies and imagined herself as their leader, but knew Ronald would never relinquish control.

That afternoon, as Maggie left a Cameron Group subsidiary, several black Bentleys arrived. A well-groomed Eswen butler approached. "Ms. Adam, my master wishes to meet with you." His tone was calm but firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

Maggie saw the encircling bodyguards. This wasn't an invitation; she couldn't refuse. Few could orchestrate such a display; it had to be Master Harris.

"Lead the way," she said calmly.

"Please get in the car, Ms. Adam." The butler opened the car door. Maggie got in.

It had finally happened. She knew Master Harris would eventually seek her out. He'd waited to see how much Nathael cared. If Nathael was trifling, Harris would have ignored her. But if Nathael was serious, Harris would assess her importance to him.