âThis accident is just a warning,â Matthew frowned as he said, âand Iâm afraid theyâll do something else after that. If you intervene now, they will be intimidated. That way, Iâll never find out who they are.â
Wayne was conflicted after hearing Matthewâs words. He didnât want Matthew to be in danger. But when he put himself in Matthewâs shoes, he thought the boy had a point. He knew better than anyone the problems Matthew faced as the president of this group.
âDo you have a plan?â He asked.
Matthew nodded. âDonât worry. Iâm ready for it.â
âCan |help you in any way?â
âYes.â
Hearing that, Wayne raised his eyes to Matthew.
âwant you to go back home and stay out of things here,â Matthew said calmly.
Wayne froze for a second, as he didnât expect Matthew to say anything like that. He even suspected that the two of them had been adversaries in a previous life. Matthew never allowed his father to be involved in anything he did and thought he was a pain in the ass. Wayne thought things would improve once Matthew grew up, but they didnât. Yet, Wayne was relieved that no one was nearby to witness this awkward moment.
âYou can have more rest, son. Iâll be here for a few days.â Wayne said. He then stood up and exited the room.
Matthew took a sip of the milk on the table after his dad left. He 530 Can We Trust Them?
smiled as he looked toward the roomâs door.
Maria sat in the living room, waiting, She stood up when she saw Wayne and asked, âHow is he?â
Wayne did not respond. Instead, he asked, âWhat did the doctor say about his injuries âHe said they were not serious. Something fell from the top of the building and hit Matthew. The police have apprehended the troublemakers.â
âWho are these people?â
âThey bought some apartments in this unfinished building. Though We have spent a large amount of money helping the last contractor pay off the debt and compensated the residents, they still tried to blackmail us.â
â| didnât see these people the last time | came, so Iâm suspicious about why they gathered there on the day Matthew went there.
Theyâre not just trying to blackmail us, Iâm afraid.â
Hearing Wayneâs analysis, Maria went completely still.
âAre the people around Matthew trustworthy?â Wayne raised his head to look at Maria.
âIâm going to find out who gave out his schedule,â Maria clenched her fist.
Wayne nodded. âGreat, Iâll stay here for a few days and look into the matter. Iâll go back to my room now. Call me if you find any clues.â
âOkay.â
âBy the way, did you tell Anna about this?â
Maria replied, shaking her head. âNo, | didnât. | told her I called 530 Can We Trust Them?
because there was a minor issue with the project, but you werenât returning my calls.â
âallright, thanks. Anna has been very busy recently, so letâs keep this under wraps for the time being.â
âGott.â
After returning to his room, Wayne texted Anna to let her know he had arrived. Anna then quickly called him.
âAre you already there? Did you see Matthew?â
Wayne smiled as he listened to Annaâs sweet voice. âWhy are you asking about your son first? Donât you care about me at all?â
âallright, Iâm sorry. Have you had your dinner yet?â
âNo, not yet. | just got off the plane, so Iâm not particularly hungry. How about you? What did you have for dinner?â
â| ate a lot of food last night. Mom had just brought over some lasagna, and | couldnât stop eating half of it. What about | get you some take-out? You should at least eat something.â
âYou always tell me | should eat healthy dinners, but you eat nothing healthy at work.â
âEveryone knows what to eat is bad for their health, but we still like to eat junk food when weâre on night shifts,â Anna said right away, âJasper called me today, by the way. He said that he searched the whole island and was certain that Isabella could only leave there by boat.â
âThatâs simple. We can check the boats that leave the island.â
âJasper has already done so. However, many boats depart from the island these days, including large cruise ships and small boats. Many local guides use boats to bring tourists to the island. Itâs almost impossible for us to track her down.â 530 Can We Trust Them?
âDid Jasper say anything?â
âHe said he could only try again. Isabellaâs phone is currently turned off, and I guess perhaps she accidentally lost it.â
âDonât worry. Sheâll be fine.â
Anna frowned and replied, âIâm hoping so. Iâve had a bad feeling all day, and Iâm guessing itâs because of her.â
Wayne said calmly, his brow furrowed. âMaybe. Oh, my meals are here. Iâm going to hang up now.â
The wind was bitterly cold at night in Cliatin. The only convenience store near Cliatin University was still open. When Anthony entered the store, he heard the store manager yelling at someone.
âI told you to put the most recent items in the back! And why are you always pouring coffee?â
A girl stood across from the store manager. She kept her head down but didnât seem to believe she had done anything wrong.
Her long brown hair was silky smooth, and her eyes were as soft as moonlight. She pursed her lips tightly and didnât say a word in her own defense.
âGood evening,â Anthony said as he walked in.
âAnthony! | was about to cal 11 you. Do you realize you brought me a terrible employee? She made me lose a lot of money on the first day she came here! And sheâs been here for only one day!â The store manager expressed his displeasure.
Anthony stood between the girl and the manager and said, âItâs Chelseaâs first day here! She has never worked before, so she has no idea how anything works. Sheâll realize what sheâs supposed to do later.â
âI donât have time for her! Please tell her not to come back ever again. 530 Can We Trust Them?
Iâll hire a better employee tomorrow.â
â | will accompany Chelsea whenever she comes to work and train her. Iâm sure sheâll be proficient by next week.â
The store manager hesitated for a while, then said, âBut | can only pay you one salary.â
âNo problem;â Anthony replied right away.
The store manager smiled as he walked away. Then Anthony exhaled a sigh of relief and turned to face the girl behind him, asking, âAre you okay?â
âThank you,â the girl whispered.
Anthony shook his head and said, âThatâs okay. If you work here for a while, youâll notice heâs a nice guy. Heâs just alittle stingy.â
The girl walked silently to register and began sorting the disposable coffee cups. Anthony kept his gaze fixed on her. âYou still canât remember anything?â he asked after a brief pause.
The girl froze for a moment before shaking her head.
âItâs fine. Youâll remember who you are later. Do you want me to take you to the police station tomorrow?â
âNo,â the girl said in a firm tone as she abruptly lifted her head, âIâm not going to the police station. You can ignore me if you think| ama liability.â
Anthony frowned. At this point, the girl became apathetic, like a stray cat trying to protect itself.
âThatâs not what | meant. | donât think you should be here by yourself.â Anthony explained The girl remained silent. As a result, Anthony could only shut up. After the staff on the night shift arrived, Anthony left with that girl. 530 Can We Trust Them?
Anthony had a small apartment close to his university. His parents bought him that place two years ago when he was a freshman. He later renovated it himself and lived there instead of his dormitory. As soon as Anthony opened his door, he was interrupted by a man who asked loudly, âYou lied to me, Anthony! What is this? Are you living with a girl?