After dinner, “Douglas” sent Carl off, but he held on to the door frame. “It’s dark and cold out there. Can you let me stay here for just a night?”
Summer would have a hard time linking this man, who clung on to the door frame like a child who was told it was time to leave the amusement park, to the CEO of the power Tip Top Entertainment had she not known him before. Perhaps something had possessed him. Who knew?
Carl had consciously noticed Summer’s stare. He let off his hands and cleared his throat. “You know what, actually it’s not that cold anymore. I’ll leaving now.”
After Carl left, there were only Summer and “Douglas” in the living hall. Her eyes glanced over at the door, wondering why Leonardo had not come home. Where did he always go?
“I’m going upstairs.” Glancing back at “Douglas”, she turned and headed upstairs.
“Summer,” “Douglas” suddenly spoke.
“What?” She stopped and looked back. Her skin was so beautiful that it looked like a coat of fine powder in the light. Her pair of cat eyes stared at him, mellow like vintage wine. She looked alluring.
“About Jarrett Group…” Leonardo left a gap. Seeing her expression tightened as if in nervousness, his lips curled up in a smile, “do you need help?”
Summer’s heart skipped a beat when she heard him say the first part, thinking he might have known something. But upon hearing the second part, her heart rate returned to normal. But she knew her expression was not too natural, her smile plasticky.
“Dad said he could handle it. It’s his company’s internal problem; they have to solve it all by themselves.”
“Douglas” tilted his head, breaking into a half-smile. “Okay.”
Summer nodded and scurried upstairs. Back in her room, her pounding heart had only calmed down somewhat. No one should know she had stitched up Jarrett Group-the fewer people knew about it, the better. After all, she was part of the Jarrett family, too.
She did not have to keep it from Jessica, who was her best friend. But “Douglas” was different. No matter how many times he had helped her, he still belonged to the Emerson Family. Sometimes, adults are just this complicated; it is hard to trust someone.
…
The next morning, Summer woke up. As she walked past Leonardo’s study room, she stopped. Leonardo’s movements had always been a mystery. She had not asked about him for the past two days, and no one told her either. He seemed to be invisible in the house. In contrast, “Douglas” looked more like the master of the house. Summer had this doubt in her mind, but she did not give it much of a thought as she needed to rush back to work in Jarrett Group.
Back in the office, Summer walked past the Public Relations Department and saw everyone sleeping with their heads on the desks.
She even bumped into two co-workers coming out from the pantry, coffee in hand, round dark circle under their eyes. It seemed the Public Relationship Department was burning their midnight oil last night. But the toxic factory shit had hit the fan. It was not like they could put a lid on it like what they did with Vicky’s sex video.
Just when Summer sat herself down in her cubicle, she was called to attend yet another meeting. She went with others, and she would only want to be a spectator today. So it turned out, they were coming up with some ways to keep their customers.
When the meeting was over and just as she was to leave with others, Lynn’s secretary came up to her.
“Miss. Jarrett, the president asks for you in his office.”
“What is it about?” Summer sauntered out from the conference room.
The secretary had learned her lesson. Last time when she informed Summer that Lynn was asking for her, she ignored her and left. So the secretary grabbed Summer’s arm and said helplessly, “Maybe you should really go to see him. The president has not been sleeping since last night…”
“Then let off your hand…”
Summer was also curious to see the battered looks of Lynn and co. And she had to admit to herself that she really was a devil sometimes. As they came before Lynn’s office, the secretary gave it two knocks.
“President, Miss. Jarrett is here.”
The secretary then turned the handle to open the door for Summer, making a hand gesture that said’please.’
“Thank you.” Summer smiled at the secretary, walked in and closed the door behind her.
Lynn looked up, a gentle smile spreading across his face. “Summer, have you had breakfast?” There were a few breakfast boxes on the desk. The familiar logo on the boxes told her it was the restaurant right in the corner of the nearby street.
“I have my fill. Is there anything, dad?” While speaking, Summer sat down across him, looking serious. She could see from his face he was really worn out, not getting sleep for a night.
“As you know, the company is facing a crisis. People in the Public Relations Department have tried to come up with something the whole night, but nothing could work. Yesterday, someone even went to smash up our outlet…”
Lynn put up a sad face, lamenting. It really looked to deserve pity. But Summer knew what Lynn was up to. He did not ask for her just to spew this nonsense in front of her. He must have an agenda. And she need not have to wait long, because Lynn had started to let the cat out of the bag.
“Jarrett Group is our sweat and blood. You might have gotten married, but you’re still part of the Jarrett family. With the company facing this crisis, no one could help us. Unless…”
It did not have to be a rocket scientist to work out what was up his sleeve. Lynn wanted her to seek help from the Emerson Family. But she was the one behind the exposure incident; how could she turn around and help him? So she pretended to not hear it, face solemn.
“I know. Things have gotten really terrible now. I checked online yesterday; everyone was coming down on our company like a ton of bricks. We need to right our wrong and earn the forgiveness of the consumers…”
It was easier said than done. The biggest problem Jarrett Group had to face now was all customers was ending their agreements with Jarrett Group. Some even sought legal actions against the company. To Jarrett Group, it was akin to rubbing salt in the wound. But if the Emerson Family could come forward and put in a good word for Jarrett Group, those contracting parties would think twice before tearing up the contracts. Lynn knew no one could afford to offend the Emerson family.
Seeing her absentmindedness, the expression on Lynn’s face subtly changed, his voice grave and frank. “But all these are secondary. The most crucial thing is to keep the company going. You only have to ask Leonardo to send someone to say a few words and Jarrett Group will surely sail through the storm.”
“Is that simple?”
Lynn thought he had moved her and nodded. “Yes. It’s that simple.”
But Summer’s expression collapsed, looking anxious. “I’ve lost the Black Card to the kidnappers. But I’ve not told him about it. If he finds out about this, he is going to kill me…”