Chapter 282: Could It Be That You Missed Me

After getting out of their cars, the police officers quickly drew their guns. “Freeze! Put your hands up!” With the barrel of a gun pointed right at her, Janessa could not help trembling uncontrollably. She dared not resist and promptly raised her hands obediently.

“We received a report a while ago alleging that you guys were involved in a fight here. Please cooperate with our investigation,” the lead police officer stated. He gestured to the other officers beside him, who immediately stepped forward and proceeded to open the trunks of all the black vehicles at the scene.

“Sir, there are numerous weapons here, likely used by them in fights,” a police officer reported, looking toward the lead officer.

The officer immediately strode over to investigate. Sure enough, he saw that one of the trunks was filled with an array of weapons of varying lengths. Some of them still bore remnants of dried blood that had not been wiped clean.

“Sir, there are also some in the back of this car,” another police officer called out.

It appears that these people are not first-time brawlers, but rather habitual offenders. With that thought in mind, the lead police officer promptly instructed, “Arrest all of them and seize these vehicles. Bring everyone back to the station for questioning.”

“Yes, sir.”

Before long, the entire group, including Janessa and Javier, were swiftly handcuffed by the police and escorted into the police cars.

Meanwhile, Josiah was standing by the second-floor window with an exceptionally bright smile after witnessing the spectacle. “Now, this is going to be fun.”

“To think that they actually dared to carry dangerous weapons in their vehicles. They really brought trouble on themselves,” Tristan piped up with a smug grin.

Madelyn was quite pleased with the outcome. What is the saying for such a situation again? Going for wool and coming back shorn, isn’t it? Janessa, just savor the feeling of shooting yourself in the foot.

After some time, she chuckled and said, “It’s getting late. Shall we have another drink? We didn’t eat enough earlier.”

Josiah and Tristan had no objections, and Jillian also nodded in agreement. The group ordered some food and drinks at the cafe. They chatted away and ate, and the afternoon drifted by just like that.

When Madelyn returned to Lockhart Villa later that day, Sebastian was already home.

Seeing her walk in looking exhausted, he casually asked, “You didn’t come to the office today. Where have you been?”

She paused for a moment before smiling. “Jillian and I went out for coffee. That’s why I didn’t go to the office.”

After she finished speaking, she suddenly let out a soft chuckle and darted behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her warm breath brushed against his ear as she murmured, “You… Could it be that you missed me?”

He stiffened, then blurted, “Not at all.”

“Hmm, you don’t sound like you mean it,” she chided playfully. However, it did not really bother her. “It’s fine if you didn’t miss me. In any case, I missed you, so do with that what you will.”

With that, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before happily dashing up the stairs.

He was momentarily stunned. When he finally returned to his senses, he could not help feeling amused. This girl….

At noon the following day, Madelyn had just finished her classes when she received a call.

From the other end of the line came Cheryl’s voice, soft and gentle. “Ms. Thornton, do you have some time? May I treat you to lunch? There are some things I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Hmm… I suppose so,” Madelyn agreed after pondering for a moment.

The pair decided on a location, and Madelyn set off to meet Cheryl.

Cheryl was rather generous. Previously, she had invited Madelyn to meet her at a five-star café. This time, the two were meeting at a five-star hotel.

When Madelyn arrived at the private room, the table was already laden with all sorts of dishes. The spread included every delicacy imaginable.

Cheryl even personally stood up to greet her warmly. “Ms. Thornton, you’re here.”

Madelyn was not one for formalities, so after settling comfortably into her seat, she smiled and asked directly, “Didn’t you mention you have something to say to me? Go ahead, then.”

“Ms. Thornton, I can’t thank you enough for your help. The proposal that Mr. Lockhart asked us to revise previously has been approved. Now, the Sherritt family and the Lockhart family are officially working together. It’s absolutely fantastic,” Cheryl said with tears of heartfelt gratitude.

Madelyn gave a perfunctory smile. “Is that so? Congratulations. However, there’s no need for such courtesy. I merely made a recommendation and didn’t do much to help.”

“Don’t be so modest, Ms. Thornton. For most companies, a multinational financial corporation like Lockhart Group is simply out of their league. I’ve heard that even if some people schedule an appointment a year in advance, they still might not get a chance to meet with Mr. Lockhart. Moreover, if it hadn’t been for your recommendation, how could he have been willing to take a serious look at our proposal? My father and I are very grateful for your willingness to recommend us,” said Cheryl, sincerely expressing her gratitude.

Given the circumstances, Madelyn accepted her thanks without saying anything more.

“By the way, do you know about Janessa’s arrest?” Cheryl asked suddenly.

Madelyn chuckled inwardly. Of course. After all, it was I who asked Josiah to personally set it all up.

Outwardly, however, she feigned surprise. “How did that happen?”

“It was her own doing, so isn’t it only right that she suffer the consequences?” Here, Cheryl suddenly sneered and continued, “You may not be aware of this, but despite her innocent and harmless appearance, Janessa has a messy private life. Not only does she frequently hang out with a bunch of hooligans, but she even dared to get into a fight on the streets yesterday! She has completely disgraced our family.”

“Do you know what’s the current situation?” Madelyn pretended to ask nonchalantly.

“Everyone in that group is a bad apple. It’s only natural they got caught. How could Janessa, being an accomplice, possibly escape?” Cheryl answered in an exasperated tone. “However, they’re a loyal bunch. All of them are sticking to the same story and claiming they don’t know Janessa. Presumably, they’re trying to distance her from the whole affair.”

After a pause, Cheryl continued explaining patiently, “Unfortunately for them, they were far too naive. Even though their stories were consistent, the police still managed to find the call logs on their phones. Now, Janessa is inextricably linked to the matter. This morning, the police even called my father, trying to get him to bail her out.”

Madelyn nodded. Actually, I already suspected that things would end up like this.

“What did your father say? If Janessa is released on bail, she’s as good as innocent. Besides, knowing her personality, she’ll definitely find all sorts of ways to prove her innocence. Wouldn’t all your efforts be in vain then?” she ventured cautiously.

When Cheryl heard that, a sinister sneer spread across her lips, “Prove her innocence? She’ll have to get that chance first! Also, I’m not naive enough to let her off the hook to cause more trouble in the future. Rest assured that I won’t spare her so easily, Ms. Thornton.”