Callie didn’t know; she only thought punishing Skye was enough.
She forced herself to stay calm. “It’s necessary. If it were me, I’d do the same.”
Jaquan gave her an appreciative smile. “Last time, I told you about the story of a hero falling for a beauty. How about another one this time?”
“Mr. Scott, you really like the Thirty-Six Stratagems,” Callie sighed, shaking her injured left hand. “But unfortunately, I’m never the heroine in your stories, at most just cannon fodder.”
“Have you heard of ‘doing one thing under cover of another’?”
Callie remained silent.
“It suits the two of us well,” Jaquan said, handing her a cup.
She stared at the rippling coffee. “Mr. Scott, I’m really not the person you’re looking for. Your words moved me last time, and I tried, but Mr. Oconnor remains indifferent. He won’t fall for me. Why don’t we both give up?”
Jaquan acted as if he hadn’t heard her. “You say I love using tricks, but I’m far less adept than your Mr. Oconnor. He brought down the Blair family and caused a major upheaval in Scott Group. That’s quite a skill.”
Callie understood now. Protecting Vankey and Deshawn meant protecting Jaquan. Nelson’s ruthless actions were indeed a masterstroke.
“I don’t understand, but in this world, it’s survival of the fittest, isn’t it?”
“Like the woman who was beaten just now? The difference between her weakness and your strength is that you have someone backing you, and she doesn’t.”
“She schemed first!” Callie blurted out.
Jaquan looked at her quietly. “Admitting it?”
She finally grasped his meaning and swallowed hard. “No matter how you look at it, I’ve worked at Oconnor Group for three years. I really don’t want to betray my old employer, Mr. Scott. I can’t handle getting paid by two sides.”
“What if I told you that Nelson is a cold-blooded, ruthless, and selfish person?” Jaquan spoke quickly, the smile vanishing from his lips.
“You…” She began, but he raised his hand to open the private room door. The noise from outside flooded in, including from the adjacent room.
A faint voice could be heard, “Nelson! I treated you like a brother! But you ruined my family! Why?”
It was a man’s voice filled with anguish and despair, piercing enough to touch anyone’s heart. Callie’s heart sank; it was Nash.
So Nelson was in the next room.
His voice wasn’t clear, but she could hear him say, “Get out.” There wasn’t a trace of brotherly affection.
Nash didn’t leave, his voice tearing through the air with pain. “It was my birthday that day. I thought you came to wish me happy birthday and even gave me a car. I was so happy. When the police took me away, I didn’t think it had anything to do with you. But I didn’t realize you were using me to drag my father to hell! Nelson! Do you know how much I’ve admired you since childhood? You were my role model!”
The room fell silent; Nelson said nothing and no one dared to speak.
“You did a great job ruining the Blair family, no… it was me who ruined my dad and the Blair family… What should I do? I’ve let everyone down; I have no other relatives in this world!” Nash cried and shouted, “Nelson! You’re a demon!”
After speaking, it sounded like he picked up something and threw it violently, followed by a series of crashing sounds.
Immediately after, there was a panicked voice: “Mr. Oconnor! Are you alright?”
Callie’s heart raced; she instinctively wanted to stand up.
Jaquan gave her a look, and she had no choice but to sit down.