Holding the phone, he stared seriously outside the window.
If it weren’t for his grandfather’s watchful eye, Dave would spend every day with Bianca. For now, he had to follow his grandfather’s expectations, sneaking in late at night to see her.
He needed a way to convince his grandfather not to push him to marry Skylar.
As Dave’s car pulled into Evans Villa, he saw that Lucas was ready for his early return. Lucas was sitting on the sofa in the living room.
Skylar, always caring, brought a blanket from the bedroom. Kneeling beside Lucas, she said softly, “Here, put this on. It’s pretty cold. Are your legs still giving you discomfort?”
Lucas shook his head, appreciating her kindness.
Dave walked into this family scene.
“Why did you return so early today, Dave?” Skylar asked, her eyes lighting up as soon as she saw him. She quickly got up to take his coat off his arm.
But before she could do that, Dave angrily tossed his coat onto the couch, making a loud thud.
When Lucas heard the noise, he opened his eyes and looked at Dave. “You seem really angry.”
“Skylar, please go upstairs to your room,” Dave said, wanting to talk to Lucas alone.
“No, there’s nothing Skylar can’t hear. She’s your future wife and deserves to know the truth,” Lucas replied.
So, Skylar stayed in the room.
Dave stood still for a few seconds as Lucas quietly stared at him.
Dave stopped insisting that Skylar leave the room and sat down across from Lucas on the sofa. He crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees, his cold eyes fixed on his grandfather. “Grandpa, did you see Justin yesterday?”
“Actually, I did.”
“Do you really want him to leave Phoenix Alliance Group?”
“Yes.”
Lucas’s straightforward answers only made Dave angrier.
Hot blood surged through Dave’s veins as he gripped the armrest tightly.
“Grandpa, I’ve given everything to do what you wanted for years! I went along with your plan and let you put spies around me. Why are you targeting the people close to me now? Do you really want me to be just a puppet? An obedient and useful puppet?”
“How dare you!” Lucas shouted in anger. He slammed his cane on the floor and pointed an accusing finger at Dave. “Don’t you dare raise your voice at me!”
Dave stared back at him without fear. “Justin is a loyal and devoted employee, and he’s my good friend. He’s been extremely helpful and supportive. Why do you want to let him go? Did he do something to make you take such drastic action?”
“Okay, let me show you what your good friend has done!” Lucas slammed a document on the table that showed the auction transaction record. “Read it for yourself!”
When Dave saw the document, a frown crossed his face.
He had suspected that his grandfather’s anger was connected to this paper. Picking it up, he began to read through it. It was the transaction record for Blood of the Heart, the item he had bid on and given to Bianca in Justin’s name.
“Your so-called ‘good friend’ is having an inappropriate relationship with his former employee. He even used company money to buy her an outrageously expensive necklace!” Lucas’s anger boiled over as his face turned red. “He did this so sneakily. Do you still believe he’s loyal to you?”
Dave was shocked that his grandpa had discovered the necklace. He noticed Skylar’s worried expression but couldn’t tell if she was involved.
It became clear that Justin was completely innocent and was taking the blame for him. Justin was willing to ruin his own reputation to protect Dave.
Dave tried to calm himself by closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “Justin has always been a great worker. No one doubts that. No matter what he’s done, you can’t fire him.”
Lucas scoffed. “Even if he’s good at his job, his morals are questionable. We have plenty of talent at Phoenix Alliance Group just waiting to be used. You get too caught up in your feelings. It’s no surprise he took advantage of you!”
“I know about the necklace,” Dave said in a cold tone.
“You do?” Lucas was taken aback.
“Justin didn’t steal company money. I lent him the money. I also knew what it was for.”
Lucas stared at him in disbelief. “Are you saying you lent him the money to chase after a woman?”
“Grandpa, this is my personal matter. I’ll handle it. I know you care about me, but you should have talked to me about it first!” Dave continued to stare at Lucas without blinking. He added firmly, “I will never fire Justin. I’m sorry, Grandpa, but I can’t agree with you.”
“What did you say?” Lucas was shocked that his usually obedient grandson would suddenly become so defiant and choose his friend over him. Anger began to tremble through him. Skylar quickly rubbed his back to help calm him and allow him to breathe more steadily.
“How dare you? You ungrateful brat! How dare you challenge my decision? You’re in charge of the Evans Group, so do you think I have no control over you? Well, think again!”
Lucas’s blood was boiling, not just from anger but also from disappointment simmering beneath the surface.
Since taking Dave under his wing and protecting him from his scheming uncles who would have happily seen him harmed, Lucas had always been there for him.
As Dave grew up, he started to show a rebellious side and openly defied Lucas. Beneath Lucas’s anger was a feeling of helplessness and fear that he was losing control over Dave’s life.
After a short, tense pause, Dave managed to calm himself. He realized his earlier words had hurt his grandfather. As he thought about all the kindness his grandfather had shown him since he was a child, his defiance faded.
“Grandpa, I’ll take care of this when I get back. Please stop your decision and let Justin stay,” Dave pleaded.
Lucas frowned, his eyes fixed on Dave. Then, leaning back, a sly grin appeared on his face as if he had an idea.
“Well, since you want Justin to stay, I’ll be stubborn about it. But, my boy, I have a condition. A simple trade, you might say,” Lucas said.