“Hey, Tina.” Cynthia’s voice broke. “What should I do now? Sonia’s going to file a lawsuit against me soon!”
Tina didn’t see that coming either, so she was getting a headache over it. “Alright, Cynthia. You don’t have to worry.”
“How can I not?” Cynthia stomped her foot in agitation. “As soon as she presses charges against me, I will have a blemish in my record. How will people in the upper class society perceive me if that is the case?”
Nobody would accept someone who had a criminal record as their wife. If she couldn’t marry into a rich family to help Stone Incorporated, her father would hate her and bring his illegitimate daughter back home.
The more Cynthia thought about it, the more she feared. She gripped onto her phone tightly. “Tina, you have to save me. I only did all of this for you.”
Tina bit her lip in dismay. What does she mean she did it for me? I only implied to her that she should help me deal with Sonia, but I didn’t mean it for her to do it like that. Despite what Tina thought, she couldn’t say that out loud. Instead, she forced a smile. “I know. I’ll get you out of this mess.”
“Great! That’s great to hear!” Cynthia wept in joy before asking, “By the way, Tina, didn’t you say you would beg for President Fuller’s mercy? As long as he’s willing to help, Sonia won’t be able to do anything.”
“I know, but he turned me down last time. This time…”
“Tina, please talk to him about it again. He will agree to it since he loves you so much.” Cynthia couldn’t bear being rejected, so she cut Tina off.
A dismal look fleeted across Tina’s gaze before she replied hesitantly, “But…”
“Tina, you said you would save me.” Cynthia cut her short again.
Even though Tina was getting impatient, she sounded as if she were about to go all out. “Alright, I’ll try again.”
“Thank you, Tina.” Cynthia heaved a sigh of relief.
After hanging up, Tina left her room to drive to Fuller Group.
“President Fuller, Miss Gray is here.” Tom knocked on the door before entering the office.
Toby was going through some documents then. Upon hearing that, he lifted his head. “Let her in.”
“Okay,” Tom answered.
Soon, Tina came in. When she took in the faint smell of cigarettes, she frowned. “Toby, were you smoking?”
Toby nodded. “I had one.”
“Why would you smoke? I hate the smell of cigarettes.” Tina fanned herself using her hand.
All the while, Toby was examining her. “You hate it? Weren’t you okay with it? I had asked you in the letter if you minded that I smoked, to which you replied that you didn’t mind. You even suggested that I smoke mint scented ones, and this is it.”
Tina panicked for a moment, but she didn’t let it show. She excused herself with a smile. “That was a long time ago. I was comatose for six years, so I could no longer stand the smell of cigarettes.”
Upon hearing that, Toby ceased his doubts, thinking that it made sense.
Tina heaved a sigh of relief when she noticed his gaze reverting to its previous calmness. Thank goodness. I nearly outed myself. Instead of burning the letters so soon, I should have read through them to avoid making such mistakes.
Despite feelings of regret, Tina managed to collect herself quickly. “By the way, you should quit smoking. It’s not good for your health.”
“Alright.” Toby nodded in agreement.
Tina latched herself onto his arm. “You’re the best, Toby.”
The best? Toby lowered his gaze when he recalled what Sonia told everyone during the press conference. Because I disliked her, I gave her the silent treatment for six years. Am I still a good person after having done that?
Toby was feeling a little irritated, so he retracted his arm. “Tina, I want to know the reason that you lied to Sonia about me being your brother six years ago instead of telling her the truth.” His tone turned much more aloof.
That time, if she had told Sonia the truth, maybe I wouldn’t have treated Sonia that way. It’s just as Sonia said; she wouldn’t have married me if she knew I was already with Tina. Yet, he somehow felt dejected when the thought of Sonia possibly not marrying him crossed his mind.
Meanwhile, Tina’s gaze flickered for a moment when she heard his query. “I’m sorry, Toby. I didn’t mean to do that. My parents didn’t want me to get into a relationship when I was that young. I was afraid that my roommates would accidentally blow my cover. I didn’t want word to reach my parents, so…” She hung her head low while tugging on Toby’s sleeve. “It’s my fault, Toby.”
Toby’s heart melted when he saw how pitiable Tina was. After rubbing a finger in between his brows, he relented. “Forget it. It’s all in the past now.”
“So you’re not angry at me anymore?” Lifting her head, Tina stared at him innocently.
Toby pulled his lips into a thin line. “Yeah.”
Tina hugged him smilingly, but there was a conniving look in her eyes when she made sure he couldn’t see her. The reason she lied to Sonia had nothing to do with her parents, for they were hoping that she could marry Toby. She had done so just so she could pull a prank on Sonia.
Knowing that Sonia was planning to confess to Toby, Tina deliberately told Sonia that she merely saw Toby as her brother just so she could drop the bomb on her when Sonia confessed. It was all an attempt to shame Sonia, but Tina got into an accident before she could realize her plan.
At that thought, Tina loathed the driver who ran her over. I would’ve already been married to Toby if it wasn’t for him, and Sonia wouldn’t even be in the picture.
“By the way, for you to come to me, do you need something?” Toby pushed Tina away gently.
After putting those thoughts aside, Tina bit on her bottom lip. “It’s about Cynthia. Miss Reed is about to file a lawsuit against her, so—”
Toby knew what Tina was up to, and his face fell. “As I told you, I will not help Cynthia. Even if she did it for your sake, it doesn’t excuse her behavior. She only has herself to blame for getting to this point.”
“I know, but I can’t bear to see her like that.” Tina heaved a sigh.
Toby combed his fingers through her hair. “Don’t worry. Although Cynthia broke the law, her crimes aren’t that severe, so she will only be detained for a few days at most.”
Tina nodded. “I guess that’s it then. Cynthia acted rashly, so this will be a lesson for her.” Since Toby had made up his mind to sit things out, Tina had no way to stop the prosecution.
So it seems that Cynthia will have to go behind bars. I guess there’s no getting around this. I’ll have to placate her once she is released. Upon reaching that conclusion, Tina pointed at a corner of the office. “Toby, do you mind if I use your washroom?”
“Sure.” Toby nodded.
Tina headed to the washroom. Once she got inside, she took out her phone to give Cynthia a call.
On the other hand, Cynthia had been waiting for good news from Tina, so she picked up immediately as soon as Tina called. “How did it go, Tina? Did President Fuller agree to help?”
Tina shook her head in regret. “Cynthia, he didn’t agree to it. I’m sorry. I already tried my best.”
“How could this be…” Dumbstruck, Cynthia’s body swayed as she almost fainted. President Fuller isn’t going to help me. What should I do?
“Cynthia, you—”
Before Tina could finish her sentence, someone was heard knocking on Cynthia’s door. After putting down her phone, Cynthia questioned, “Who is it?”
“Delivery,” the person outside answered.
Cynthia didn’t doubt it, so she went over and opened the door, only to realize that the person outside wasn’t a delivery man, but two policemen in uniforms. Shoot! Knowing that the police were there to arrest her, Cynthia’s first reaction was to close the door, fear evident in her eyes.
Promptly, the policemen held the door open as one of them showed her his ID. “Good morning, Miss Cynthia Stone. Miss Sonia Reed reported you for defaming her, so we would like you to come with us.”
