Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Chapter 11 All in One Swoop “Hah!”

The directors of Jones Enterprise left hurriedly, leaving behind a warning. “We will settle this score sooner rather than later!”

Daniel was pale and dejected. Even Bryan’s parents were sighing repeatedly.

They knew the kind of man their son was. The moment they saw Bryan and Lena’s reaction upon entering the room, they knew what had happened.

What was Lena compared to Melanie? Lena was merely a girl from the Joneses‘ branch family. Hence, it was essential to console Melanie.

Bryan understood the hint from his parents and hurriedly stepped forward to explain. “Mel, please believe me. We didn’t do anything last night.”

Melanie pushed Bryan’s hand away, crying as she attempted to leave. Bryan’s mother held her back, saying, “Sweetie, we’re about to hold the engagement ceremony. You can’t leave now.”

“Bryan cheated on me, and he can’t even explain it properly. Are you trying to force me to marry him?”

Her determined gaze left Bryan’s mother with no argument. She turned away, and in a fit of humiliation and anger, shouted at Daniel Jones, “This is all because of your daughter, Lena! She schemed to marry into the Wests. Let me tell you now, that’s never going to happen!”

“Don’t jump to accusations! You said my daughter schemed this? Explain yourselves!” Lily jumped in to defend her daughter.

“Hah! Like mother, like daughter, I’d say!”

The two families went at each other’s throats, and Melanie took the opportunity to leave.

Unknown to them, everything in the room had been recorded by the hidden camera set up by Annie. It would be all the evidence she needed to bring down the deceitful couple.

Just as the engagement ceremony was about to begin at nine o’clock, the guests received a notice–the engagement ceremony between the Joneses and the Wests had been canceled.

“What happened? Wasn’t everything going fine last night?”

“I heard someone saying that Bryan had an affair...”

As the departing guests contemplated, Melanie and Annie sifted through the evidence captured by the camera from the previous night.

Melanie selected several blurry photos and said, “Send these out first.”

“Only those?” Annie replied, surprised.

“Why don’t we release the entire video and nail that unfaithful couple? Why leave any room for denial? These pictures aren’t clear. They’ll surely deny it.”

“It’s not the right time,” Melanie calmly said.

“When will it be the right time then?” Annie asked, frustrated.

“After the way they’ve treated me, I can’t miss the perfect opportunity to expose their wrongdoings and let the world know the truth. It’s the only way to make up for these past two years of my life.”

Melanie leaned in with a sly grin and said, “The day after tomorrow is the 30th anniversary of the West Corp. The Wests are inviting almost every influential figure from Harbor City, including the media. That’s when I’ll catch them all in one swoop!”

After finalizing their plans, Melanie and Annie parted ways. Melanie returned home and was greeted by her mother, Eliza Jones, who had rushed back from overseas.

+15 BONUS Ever since Tyler’s passing, Eliza had been managing the family business single–handedly, all white fending off the power plays led by Daniel in the boardroom.

“I heard about the trouble at your engagement ceremony right after arriving at the venue. Are you alright?” Eliza asked as she took the cane from Melanie’s hand, and helped her sit.

Looking into her mother’s smiling face, Melanie felt an overwhelming surge of courage fill her heart. “Mom, what if I told you that I’ve not wanted to get married for a while now?”

Eliza gazed at Melanie with a loving look and said, “I know my daughter has a good sense.”

Melanie smiled. She nuzzled her head into her mother’s embrace. A profound sense of maternal love filled the icy void in her heart.

“Mel, after what happened today. I’ve decided to let you officially join Jones Enterprise.”

Her mother’s surprising words made Melanie sit up straight. Her eyes were filled with astonishment as she asked, “Mom, didn’t Dad’s will state that I shouldn’t be involved in the company?”

When her father passed away, he left a will explicitly forbidding Melanie from participating in the company’s affairs. Over the past few years, Melanie had tried to offer her help several times, but her mother had consistently refused.

To her amazement, her mother was now voluntarily granting permission.

Eliza gently caressed Melanie’s long hair, her eyes glimmered with pride. “My dear Melanie, you’ve grown up.”

Melanie grasped her mother’s hand firmly and said, “Mom, rest assured. With me around, you won’t have to carry the burden alone.”

Tears welled up in Eliza’s eyes. She never wanted her daughter to be caught up in the storm.

After the heartfelt moment, they each retreated to their rooms for the night.

Behind her closed bedroom door, Eliza stood before a photograph of Melanie’s late father, whispering, “Some things are written in her destiny, and there’s no avoiding them. If those people come looking for her in the end, you won’t blame me, will you?”