After Stacey finally left, Peter was alone in the house.
He kept thinking about his talk with Madison the night before.
“Peter, I know your company is struggling with money. If you don’t find a new investor soon, your company could go bankrupt.”
“Since you know the problem, can you help me out for old times’ sake?”
“I can help you, but it won’t be free. You’ll need to do a favor for me in return.”
“Just tell me! If I can do it, I’ll help you right away!”
Peter was ready to do anything to save his company.
But he didn’t expect Madison to ask him to find the box of weight-loss pills that Ashley had switched and hidden.
Peter wasn’t great with the internet, so he only knew a little about what had been happening recently. When Madison explained everything, his face grew serious.
It turned out that his stepdaughter had set up his biological daughter.
“Peter Scott, if you’re a real man, you should have some conscience and decency! Help Bianca! Have you forgotten she’s your real daughter?”
Even though Peter wasn’t very fond of Ashley, he still valued her for the potential financial benefits. If Ashley became famous, he could profit from her success. On the other hand, even if Bianca made a name for herself, she still wouldn’t help him out.
Seeing Peter’s silence, Madison knew what he was thinking.
“Think about why Bianca turned her back on you. It’s because you don’t trust her and only believe what that woman Stacey says! You’re too blind to see that your wife is having another man’s child. Peter, can you stop being so weak just this once?”
Peter had his doubts, but he didn’t want to believe them. He thought he’d figure out the truth when the baby was born.
As for Stacey, even though Peter might not be the real father, she wasn’t going to get rid of the baby. With Madison back, the baby was her last hope to keep Peter on her side.
After thinking for a bit, Peter said, “Madison, Stacey is my wife now. We’ve had our issues, but trust is key in a marriage. Her daughter is my child, too, and I just can’t do what you’re asking.”
Madison wanted to laugh at Peter’s response because she knew him well.
Not wanting to waste more time, she gave him an ultimatum: “Forget your principles. If you help me, I’ll invest in your company and bring you resources. But if you don’t, I have plenty of ways to make your company go bankrupt. So, do you want to save your company or stick with someone who isn’t even your real daughter? Make your choice.”
When Madison offered to invest in his company, Peter knew exactly what he had to do.
The company was his whole life. Without it, he felt lost.
So, Peter stood up and began searching the living room for the box of medication.
He remembered the box was white and thought Ashley had taken it to her bedroom.
After an hour of careful searching, Peter finally found it hidden in the bottom drawer of Ashley’s closet.
His hand shook as he held the medicine box, but it wasn’t guilt he felt. It was an excitement, knowing his company might be saved!
He quickly called Madison and said, “I’ve found it. I can give it to the police now, but you must transfer $10 million to my company’s account first. No negotiations.”
“Deal,” Madison replied.
****
Ashley was on the film set, waiting for the crew to start shooting.
It was her first role in a movie with Orion Entertainment.
The usual noise on set suddenly stopped when several police officers arrived.
One of the officers asked loudly, “Who is Ashley Scott?” He looked around seriously.
The set went quiet as everyone turned to look at Ashley, who was sitting in a chair.
The officer walked up to Ashley and asked, “Are you Ashley Scott?”
Ashley, surprised by the police, quickly stood up. “Yes, that’s me. What’s going on?”
“You’re listed as a suspect in a drug case. We need you to come with us for questioning,” the officer said firmly.
“What?” Ashley’s eyes widened in shock. “No, sir, you must be mistaken. You should be looking into Bianca Scott, not me,” she insisted, shaking her head.
“The report we received had your name. Please cooperate and come with us.”
The officer’s tone showed he was getting impatient. Other officers moved in and stood behind Ashley.
She realized that refusing wasn’t an option and that the police might use force if she protested.
The crew on set murmured and exchanged puzzled looks as they watched Ashley being led away by the police.
Minutes after being taken into custody, Ashley found herself sitting in an interrogation room at the police station.
A police officer placed a white medicine box in front of her and said sternly, “Your father, Peter Scott, has accused you of getting an employee at Emerald Artists Agency to tamper with Reese’s weight-loss medication. This led to Reese’s drug poisoning, and she’s still in critical condition. This medicine box was found in your room, and the employee you supposedly bribed has confessed. What can you say about these accusations?”
Ashley was shocked and could barely take it all in. Her jaw began to tremble. “You’re saying… Peter reported me?” she stammered.
“Yes,” the officer replied.
In a sudden burst of disbelief and anger, Ashley jumped up from her seat, only to fall back down because she was handcuffed to the table.
“Why? Why would he do this to me?” Her voice was filled with despair and anger as she shouted.
The officer, who had been sitting next to her and watching her outburst, said, “Please calm down. There’s mercy for those who confess, but severe punishment for those who refuse to tell the truth.”
But Ashley was too upset to listen, feeling deeply betrayed.
“I need to see Peter. I have to talk to him,” she said through clenched teeth.
Meanwhile, Stacey, who had just learned about Ashley’s arrest while shopping, rushed into the police station.
She immediately saw Peter sitting in the reception area. She threw her shopping bags onto a nearby chair and stormed over to him, grabbing his collar in a fit of rage.
“Peter Scott, how could you do this? Ashley is your daughter, too. How can you turn her over to the police like this?” Stacey’s voice trembled.
Her whole body shook uncontrollably. The shock of Peter’s betrayal turned into a seething anger she could barely control.
“I did it for the sake of my company,” Peter replied calmly.