Chapter 82
Three Days Later…
Kate stood at the hotel suite door, knocking firmly. “Shawn, are you in there?”
Silence.
Kate frowned and pulled out her phone to call him. It rang endlessly, but no one picked up, and eventually, it disconnected.
After visiting Zack, Shawn had gone completely off the grid. Texts went unread, calls unanswered, and even when she showed up at the hotel, he wouldn’t open the door. The front desk confirmed he was still checked in.
“Bang, bang, bang-” She pounded on the door with determination. “Shawn, open up! I’ll keep knocking until you do!”
After ten relentless minutes, the door finally creaked open. A wave of smoke and alcohol hit her like a freight train, making her gag. “Why does it reek in here?” Kate pinched her nose, her face twisting in disgust.
Shawn stood there, eyes hollow and dark, an unkempt beard and a greasy sheen on his face. He reeked of cigarettes and stale booze–like he hadn’t seen a shower in days.
Fighting back her nausea, Kate asked, “What happened to you?”
Shawn’s eyes were dull, lifeless. “What do you want?”
“I was worried when I couldn’t reach you for days.” Kate nudged her way into the room.
The curtains were drawn tight, and the lights were off, making the room eerily dark for daytime. Kate frowned and flicked on the lights.
The suite was a mess of empty bottles, the ashtray overflowed with cigarette butts, and ash was scattered everywhere. Kate turned on the exhaust fan and flung open the curtains, letting fresh air in.
“Shawn, are you planning to stay like this forever? What’s going to happen to Reynolds Group? Your father has been scrambling without the Hartley family’s investment, but nobody will invest in the company anymore. He just found out that everyone was pressured by Allison’s fiancé.”
She glanced at Shawn. “Do you know who Allison’s fiancé is? Joshua was the CEO of Fisher Corporation and the most influential person in Oak Lake. His family’s got more pull than the Hartleys, with a big shot in the capital. When Joshua says jump, which company in Oak Lake would dare to defy him and invest in us?”
Shawn stood there like a puppet whose strings had been cut, expressionless and unmoved by Kate’s words.
Kate vented for ages, but when he didn’t respond, she stomped her foot in frustration and stormed out.
Silence swallowed the room again.
Shawn, numb and mechanical, stumbled further inside. After being in darkness for so long, the sudden brightness made him dizzy and unsteady. He paused by the window, staring blankly outside. The sun was shining bright.
After a while, he picked up his phone. He had dozens of missed calls and over 99 unread messages–none of which he’d bothered to answer.
Just then, Jayden’s call came through again. Shawn, struck by a sudden thought, picked up.
“Shawn, where have you been? I couldn’t reach you,” Jayden’s voice was puzzled. “Did you see my messages?”
Shawn’s voice was hoarse. “Are you still in France?*
Jayden, caught off guard, paused before replying, “Yeah, why? I’m flying back tomorrow.”
“Could you buy something for me?”
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Chapter 82
“Sure, just let me know,” Jayden agreed, then hesitated. “What’s up with your voice? You sound awful.”
A quiet moment passed.
Shawn spoke softly, “She’s getting engaged.”
“What?” Jayden was confused. “Who’s getting engaged?”
