Chapter 55
Tina had no idea that her room was under surveillance. She did not know that her every word and action were being observed by Pearl.
After watching the entire scene. Hubert couldn’t help but exclai. “I thought you were fierce, but now it seems neither of your cousins is easy to deal with, especially Tinal You used to be good to them when they were younger, always sharing your treats and drinks with them, and look where it got you. Youve raised two ungrateful brats. Some people just can’t be treated too nicely. It’s like the farmer and the snake.”
Pearl had seen enough and turned off the video. She said calmly “It’s not too late to know now. Knowing Tina’s true nature, I won’t hold back when the time comes.
“Tina learned her bad habits from her dad. She’s jealous and can stand seeing others doing better than her. But Lindsay shouldn’t be like that, right?”
Hubert continued, “I don’t know much about the others, but ever since your Uncle Errol brought back that malicious wife, Lindsay has been living a difficult life. She almost couldn’t afford to go to university. I heard she hasn’t been bome in three years, and Errol doesn’t seem to care either. He’s completely wrapped up in his new wife and their son
Pearl leaned back on the sofa, a mocking smile on her lips. “My Uncle Errol favors his new son over Lindsay He thinks that his new son is more outstanding.”
Hubert said, “Well, he’s a terrible father. It’s unfortunate that Lindsay has to endure such unfair treatment within her family.” Pearl shook her head. “Even in this modern age, he still shows favoritism to his children. He’s just beyond help.”
Hubert asked, “So, what do you plan to do now? Your two cousins seem to be eyeing you, plotting to overthrow you as the tyrannical queen cousin.”
Pearl casually lifted her coffee cup and took a sip. “Rebellion is a good thing. Otherwise, life would be too dull.”
When faced with challenges, she would tackle them one by one,
Marc had a busy day. He attended multiple meetings in succession,
As he left the meeting room and checked his phone, he noticed several missed calls, including one from Phoenix and another from Clarissa.
He ignored Clarissa and returned his mother’s call, saying, “I was in a meeting just now. What’s the matter?”
The mother and son never exchanged pleasantries. They also did not waste time talking nonsense.
Phoenix got straight to the point, saying, “I heard you went to Nanston, and how was your conversation with Pearl? When are you planning to remarry?”
Having been in meetings for a long time, Marc felt a tightness in his chest. He loosened his tie and replied solemnly, “Mom, I have already divorced Pearl.”
“I know, that’s why I’m asking when you plan to remarry her, Phoenix replied matter–of–factly.
Phoenix felt that there was nothing wrong with her logic. Hearing the silence on the other end of the phone, she continued, “What’s wrong? Did you face resistance? That’s normal. Have you forgotten how you treated Pearl in the past? If I were her, I wouldn’t even bother with you, let alone talk to you. Let me make this clear. No matter how she treats you, you must endure it. If she scolds you, listen. If she hits you, endure it…
“In any case, no matter what you do, you must bring my daughter–in–law back to me! Do you understand?”
Chapter 55
Mare was utterly flabbergastell.
He seriously doubted whether he was Phoenix’s biological son del if Pearl was her real daughter.
“Knock, knock.” Thomas entered the room. He carried a stack of newspapers and panted heavily. “Mr. Males, I’ve found the information you wanted!”
He placed the newspapers heavily on the coffee table, raising a cloud of dust.
Mare raised an eyebrow, looking slightly disgusted. “Where did you pick these up? It looks like they’ve been sitting on some street vendor’s eart.”
Thomas replied. “Please don’t look down on them, Mr. Males. I went through a lot of trouble to have these retrieved from an old newspaper stand. Online news either gets deleted or is incomplete, so I had to search for the old newspapers.”
Thomas sighed and said. “This shows the importance of print media.”
Marc sat on thesofa, flipping through these dusty old newspapers. As someone who usually had a cleanliness obsession, he didn’t care about cleanliness at this moment.
He needed to understand why Pearl–had married him all those years ago.
Three years ago was a very special year.
It was a year when many significant events occurred.
In the business world, the financial crisis and low investments put many companies on the brink of bankruptcy. The Santos family was included in the list of those facing financial difficulties.
As for Marc, he was involved in a serious car accident that left him in critical condition, and news about his accident was frequently reported in the newspapers.
Prior to his accident, there was another major car accident that had caused a sensation both nationally and internationally. It was the accident involving the chairman of the Woolery Group, Ken, and his wife, Rebecca.
The newspapers reported on this incident for a month straight, and it garnered international attention. The investigation even involved Interpol.
The final result of the investigation revealed that a timed explosive device had been planted in their car, causing a devastating explosion that left Ken, Rebecca, and the driver burned beyond recognition.
Such a tragic event had the entire nation in mourning.
Many suspected that it was the work of a rival of the Woolery family, and the Males Group was among the prime suspects, leading to them being questioned by the police.
At that time, Marc was assigned to work in one of the subsidiary companies and was not present at the headquarters of the Males Group in Machodean. Additionally, he was preoccupied with finding ways to help the Santos family settle their debts, so he did not pay much attention to the Woolery family’s situation.
He remembered seeing news reports on TV about the funeral of Ken and Rebecca. Their only daughter was seen wearing black clothes, but her face was not shown. She was only seen from behind.
Her silhouette left a lasting impression on him. She appeared weak and delicate yet exuded an indescribable determination.
Suddenly, Mare remembered when he was discharged from the bospital after the car accident. His mother had asked him to choose a wife from among the medical staff. The doctors and nurses in the room had various reactions, ranging from
Chapter 35
astonishment to delight or avoidance, each with a different expression.
Among the doctors and nurses, only Pearl remained expressionless. She seemed like she hadn’t heard the argument between Marc and his mother and silently went about her work She prepared ointment by the window, showing only her
back to Marc.
Marc had pointed at Pearl and said, “I want her.
Amid the collective gasp of surprise from everyone, Pearl turned her head. When she saw the direction he was pointing, she paused, her eyes reflecting both astonishment and joy.
She had agreed straightforwardly. “Okay.”
For some reason, ever since Pearl was in front of him, Marc had sense of déjà vu. It wasn’t just her silhouette. It was her entire face, especially her eyes and the way she looked at him.
Samuel once said that Pearl had secretly loved a man for ten years, and that man was very likely to be Marc.
“Mr. Males, here are the records of your whereabouts from ten years ago.”
Thomas handed a pile of documents to Marc. He added, “Ten years ago, you were still in the military, constantly engaged in missions deep in the mountains and forests. You were in life–threatening situations regularly. It’s unlikely you had any romantic encounters.”
This was precisely what puzzled Mare.
He had never been in contact with any women before marrying Pearl. Even during his time with Clarissa, they rarely met throughout the year. During his military service, it was even less likely.
Ten years ago, how could he have met Pearl?
Mare examined the documents, and as Thomas had mentioned, they showed that he had been in remote mountainous areas. How could Pearl have been in such places?
He got lost in thought, and his mind raced like a movie flashing scenes before him. His gaze suddenly fixed on a place called “Greenwood,” and he remembered a girl
A fourteen–year–old girl who had been kidnapped.
“Fourteen years old…”
Marc murmured to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. In his mind, he saw a young girl, dirty but with a bright smile, saying, “Mister, what’s your name? You saved me, and when I grow up, I want to find you and repay your kindness.”
Those eyes and another pair of eyes overlapped perfectly.
He opened his eyes abruptly and asked Thomas, “How old is Pearl now?”
Chapter St
