Chapter 6
Half a month later.
The rumor in Arizona was that Brandon, freshly back from abroad, had The rumor in Arizona was that B taken in a cunning kept woman. A few clever moves from her had already
torn the Garnier Group apart, sparking infighting and crashing their
stocks.
But strangely, the Jallot family’s adopted son–the one everyone was talking about–still hadn’t shown his face.
William was too busy scouring the country for his “dead” wife’s remains. He had zero interest in running the business. The Garnier family
starting to slip.
Sharon blocked him as he rushed toward the river again.
“William, it’s been two weeks. Marcella’s dead!
“She signed the divorce papers! Even if she’s alive, she’s not coming back!”
William slapped her. Twice and hard. His voice shook with rage.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you did!
“I said the game was over, and you still drugged her! You didn’t even call a doctor for her injuries!
“You better pray she’s still alive. Or all of you can go down with her.”
Sharon stared at him, clutching her face in disbelief as he stormed off.
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Chapter 6
Not long after, the internet exploded with rumors–William abused his wife and passed her around to his buddies for manifestation.
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The Garnier Group’s stock plummeted once more, forcing him to hold a press conference. Rumors circulated that even his father, Thiago Garnier, had flown in from Chicago to mitigate the damage.
I snapped my phone and chewed on another piece of bubble gum, carefree.
Brandon handed me a peeled grapefruit, eyes burning with something he wasn’t bothering to hide.
It had been two weeks, yet he still watched me closely like I might vanish if he blinked. He even dragged me to the office with him–just like when we were kids.
My dad brought Brandon home when I was five. He stayed for seven years. He was smart, handsome, ruthless in a fight, and sharp as hell–no one at school dared mess with him.
His only weakness? Me.
A group of punks who disliked him kidnapped me in an attempt to force him to kneel and join their gang. He stormed in with a baseball bat and took on 17 of them–alone. He wiped the floor with them and broke his record. But the fight got him expelled, and Dad had no choice but to send him overseas.
Right before he left, he stared at me, eyes heavy, hand twitching like he wanted to reach out but kept pulling back.
“Cella, wait for me. Don’t be with anyone else.”
I nodded, clueless. It wasn’t until I turned 18, when love first crept in, that I finally understood the look in his eyes.
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20:48
Chapter 6
I understood why Dad insisted on sending him overseas and why he refused to claim the Jallot family inheritance.
Brandon’s eyes stayed locked on me. I looked away, uneasy.
“I’m going to William’s press conference tomorrow,” I said.
288 Vouchers
“I want to go public–make him sign the divorce papers.
Without hesitation, he nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
The press conference was packed. William stood onstage, exhausted, barely keeping up with the reporters‘ questions.
“Mr. Garnier, do you really believe your wife was a good luck charm?”
“Were her multiple miscarriages connected to your personal assistant?”
“When do you plan to hold the funeral for your late wife?”
William finally snapped and slammed the mic down.
“How many times do I have to say it? She’s not dead!”
quietly stepped forward and picked up the mic that had rolled into the
corner.
“Hello everyone,” I said. “I’m Marcella Jallot, the heiress to the Jallot family.”
