Chapter 355: I Will Kill You
The following day was Saturday. Madelyn was relieved to finally have a day off from her classes. She got up early, planning to visit Dereck at the Thornton residence and then accompany him to the company to learn the ropes of management.
When she arrived at the residence, Dereck was having breakfast. Upon seeing his beloved daughter, Dereck smiled. “You’re here early. Come and join me for some breakfast.”
Madelyn responded with a warm smile, pulling up a stool. “Dad, I’ll accompany you to the office later.”
Dereck was delighted by her eagerness to learn. “All right!”
After finishing breakfast, the father-daughter duo set off for the company. During this time, Madelyn devoted herself entirely to learning the company’s affairs, determined to ease her father’s burden. Every time Dereck looked at his daughter, a profound sense of satisfaction washed over him. Though the prospect of finding another life companion seemed distant, having his daughter by his side was more than enough.
“Dad, do you think we can proceed with this contract? If we cut the budget slightly and reassess this part, we might collaborate with them,” Madelyn said, showing Dereck a contract and sharing her assessment.
Dereck glanced at the contract and nodded. “You sure are a quick learner.”
He handed the contract to Cyrus, who praised Madelyn. “Ms. Thornton has a remarkable talent for business. Most people would struggle to gain such clear insights without at least two or three years of experience.”
Cyrus then turned to Dereck. “Mr. Thornton, considering Ms. Thornton’s progress, I believe she’ll be ready to take over the company in no time.”
“That’s right,” Dereck nodded, feeling extremely content.
Madelyn, however, felt the praise was excessive. She chuckled. “You should stop complimenting me, or I might get a big head.”
Derek laughed heartily. “The sooner you take over the company, the happier I’ll be. That way, you can marry Sebastian and give me a grandchild as soon as possible!”
Madelyn’s face turned red. “Come on, Dad. Why are you bringing this up again? I still have a lot to learn from you.”
Suddenly, Madelyn’s phone rang. Upon glancing, she noticed it was Josiah. She discreetly moved aside to answer. “Hey.”
“Are you off today? What are you up to?” Josiah asked.
Madelyn replied promptly. “I’m at the company with my dad, learning management skills. What’s up?”
Josiah teased, “Oh, I almost forgot how busy you are as heir to Thornton Corporation!”
“Oh, stop it,” Madelyn grinned. “But seriously, why did you call?”
Josiah replied, “Nothing urgent. Tristan and I thought, since we’re free today, why not hang out and catch up? We’ll invite Jillian too. What do you think?”
“Sure thing,” Madelyn chuckled. “After all, you’re about to join the military, so we won’t have many chances to hang out. Send me the location later, will you?”
After speaking, Madelyn hung up. So, after finishing work at noon, Madelyn went to meet her friends.
“Mr. Thornton, it’s time for lunch,” Cyrus reminded Dereck, seeing it was almost noon.
Dereck nodded, promptly wrapped up his work, and prepared to eat. Meanwhile, downstairs, Kieran sat in an all-black van, observing the traffic.
He glanced at the time and asked, “Eunice, do you think your father will come down?”
“Of course,” Eunice replied, nodding. “Whenever he came to the office, my dad would usually dine at the restaurant across the street. It was his daily routine. He would only get takeout if he was swamped with work.”
Kieran nodded, then turned to the driver. “You remember everything I told you earlier?”
The driver, filled with fear, nodded earnestly. “Yes, Mr. Jiminez.”
“Can you do it?”
“I think so,” the driver replied, his palms slick with sweat.
Kieran planned to stage a fake car accident. He had instructed the driver to drive toward Derek as he crossed the street, with Eunice ready to intervene and save her father. The driver had to stop in time to prevent a real accident. It was a risky gamble they deemed necessary.
At that moment, Eunice was on edge, repeatedly warning the driver, “No matter how fast you drive, you must stop the car on time. Otherwise, I swear you’ll pay with your life!”
The driver, who dared not disobey her, nodded emphatically. “I’ll make sure to brake on time.”
“Calm down, Eunice,” Kieran comforted her.
His words calmed Eunice slightly. She nodded, exited the car, and positioned herself. Hiding behind a bus stop sign, she gestured to Kieran. He responded with an “OK” hand gesture. They waited for the right moment.
Meanwhile, Derek was giving instructions as he descended in the elevator. “Cyrus, I want you to call a board meeting this afternoon. I’d like to discuss the recent new project with the directors.”
Cyrus nodded. “All right, Mr. Thornton.”
After humming in acknowledgment, Dereck asked, “By the way, what’s Maddie doing this afternoon?”
“Ms. Thornton mentioned she had an appointment this afternoon to hang out with her friends,” Cyrus replied.
Derek sighed softly. “Her plans are always changing; it’s hard to keep up.”
“It seems Ms. Thornton has made quite a few good friends recently,” Cyrus chuckled.
“It’s good for her to spend time with friends, but I hope they’re a positive influence,” Derek remarked with concern. Then, they walked out of the company’s main door.
At that moment, Eunice was concealed behind the bus stop sign. Her heart skipped a beat as she spotted her father in the distance. Eunice observed her father pausing at the traffic light. When it turned green, he started to cross with Cyrus. Without hesitation, she signaled to the car. Seeing her signal, Kieran quickly instructed the driver, “Go!”