Chapter 156: Chapter 156: What You See Isn’t Necessarily True
Summer Lancaster lowered her head and gripped the wrinkled bedsheets. Her lips were turning purple from how hard she was biting them. She didn’t want to recall that time, nor did she want to think about it.
"Summer, don’t be like this. If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force you." Caleb Bell took Summer Lancaster’s hand and held it in his own. He was the one who feared seeing her hurt the most; how could he possibly force her to recount her painful past? "Summer, get some rest. I’ll come see you again tonight." Caleb carried the bowl and quietly exited the room.
Alone, Summer Lancaster buried her head in her knees, her long hair concealing her face. But it couldn’t hide the glistening tears that fell, drop by drop, onto the pristine white sheets. She couldn’t cry out loud. The wounds in her heart might never heal. As the things she cared about were shattered one by one, she was startled to realize that the memories she had fought so hard to hold onto were fragile beyond belief.
Caleb Bell leaned against Summer Lancaster’s door for a long time, his eyes staring straight ahead. Right now, he didn’t know what she was thinking or what she wanted. ’Maybe just staying by her side and protecting her is the best I can do. I can’t change the past, but I can change the future.’
Glancing at the half-eaten bowl of congee, Caleb Bell picked up the spoon, scooped some up, and put it in his mouth. His face instantly contorted. It could hardly be called "congee"! No wonder Summer Lancaster hadn’t finished it. If it were him, he wouldn’t have been able to stomach a single bite. ’Next time, I’ll have the help make food for her.’
’She really went out of her way. She could have just said it was terrible, but she said it was not bad.’ A smile touched the corners of Caleb Bell’s lips.
Kenneth Yates arrived at the office first thing in the morning. The house was too cold and empty, making it hard to breathe.
The phone on the desk buzzed. Kenneth Yates picked it up, his expression unchanged.
The screen displayed a still photo. In it, a man’s collar was slightly open, his expression relaxed. A woman was leaning against his chest, looking somewhat out of place. ’This was yesterday. Was I secretly photographed?’ Kenneth Yates smirked. ’It’s been a while since anyone dared to pull such a big stunt on me.’
He was even a little expectant of what would happen next.
Soon, the phone rang. Kenneth Yates answered without hesitation.
"Who is this?" Kenneth Yates asked, feigning ignorance despite seeing the caller ID, which showed just how insignificant he considered the person on the other end.
The person on the other end of the line clearly paused, then said angrily, "Kenneth Yates, how dare you ask? I want you to explain this photo. You rejected Reina, so why would you do this to her? How is she supposed to face the world now?" Martin West was furious. He had received the photo on his phone this morning. At first, he’d thought it was just a spam message, but the more he looked, the more something felt wrong. The woman in the photo was his daughter, Reina West, and the man was Kenneth Yates.
The bit of fear he held for Kenneth Yates was beaten back within minutes by the sound of Reina West’s sobs. No matter what, he had to demand an explanation.
Kenneth Yates stood up, the corners of his mouth curling into a disdainful smirk, his attitude one of complete detachment.
"How she faces the world is none of my business. I received that photo too. We’re all adults here. Is something like that really worth making a fuss about? Besides, I was unconscious. Who do you think took that picture? Hmm? It looks like someone is playing you for a fool." Kenneth Yates laughed wantonly into the phone. ’My opponents are seriously lacking in intelligence. Can’t they see something so obvious?’
Martin West froze. He glanced at Reina West, who was curled up in Frances Taylor’s arms looking aggrieved, and his resolve wavered. ’Could it really have been Reina? It’s not impossible, but the stakes she’s playing for are far too high.’
"Why so quiet? Have you had an epiphany?" Kenneth Yates pressed, not giving Martin West a chance to think.
"Regardless, the fact is that the two of you went to the hotel together. Or are you saying someone drugged you and dragged you there? You know Reina has always liked you, that’s why she went with you. If you show some sense now, I can reconsider. Divorce your wife, marry Reina, and I’ll drop this. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what? Will you have her attempt suicide again? Even if she died, it would have nothing to do with me. Or do you plan to play the friendship card and go to my parents? They are them, and I am me. Do you really think they would interfere in my affairs? Do you even know your own place? Are you worthy of being on good terms with the Yates Family? You’re nothing but a dog that the Yates Family can discard at any time. Don’t come begging me when that happens." Kenneth Yates’s every word was aggressive, demeaning Martin West until he was worthless and shattering his little scheme.
Martin West was so angry he could barely breathe. He never thought Kenneth Yates would say such things. The Kenneth he knew as a child wasn’t like this at all.
"You... you..." Martin West gasped, unable to utter a single word in rebuttal. Seeing this, Frances Taylor rushed over and gently patted his back. She didn’t know what Kenneth Yates had said, but she knew it must have been incredibly hurtful.
In fact, it wasn’t just hurtful; it was a downright insult to Martin West’s character.
The West Family had indeed relied on the Yates Group’s support to get to where they were. Now that they had a little success, they thought they could be equals with the Yates Group? They were off by more than just a little.
"If there’s nothing else to say, then I won’t entertain you any longer." Kenneth Yates hung up without waiting for a reply. ’This is a case of the thief crying thief, but how could they ever hope to beat me?’
"Always see further than others." That was the only thing his father had told him when he joined the company.
’Thinking about it, this whole setup is full of holes. Do they think they’re worthy of fighting me with something so unprofessional?’
Just before noon, a photo suddenly appeared online and quickly shot to the top of the trending topics. Various media outlets mobilized, all starting to analyze the picture.
Kenneth Yates had been so engrossed in his work that he hadn’t noticed. Zane Fletcher rushed into the office, laptop in hand, anxiously calling out, "President Yates."
Kenneth Yates looked up at the headline on the laptop: *Late-Night Rendezvous: Yates Group President in Love with West Group’s Heiress*. The accompanying photo was the same one he’d seen this morning.
But he had no reaction. He merely glanced at the headline before lowering his head to look at his documents again.
"President Yates, how should we handle this?" Zane Fletcher was so anxious he was almost speechless. He hadn’t expected the big boss to be so composed.
"How to handle it? Just delete the press release, that’s all."
"But the news is already out! It could affect your reputation. I think it would be better to hold a press conference to clarify things. Besides, the authenticity of the news needs to be verified. Aren’t you going to investigate?" Zane Fletcher had been genuinely shocked when he saw the photo. Based on his understanding of President Yates’s relationship with Summer Lancaster, he was certain he would never do something like this.
"No need to verify. The photo is real," Kenneth Yates said as if it had nothing to do with him, his tone exceptionally calm.
Zane Fletcher’s jaw dropped in astonishment. ’Is there no love left in the world? How could this happen? And to have it confirmed by the man himself!’
"Then... Director Lancaster, she..."
Kenneth Yates stood up. "I don’t believe I said the *incident* is real. Sometimes, what people see isn’t the truth." He shook his head. ’Zane Fletcher is really getting into the drama, actually believing it.’
"Then..."
"I’m waiting. Waiting for the person who took the photo to walk right into my trap." A wicked smile appeared on Kenneth Yates’s face.
Zane Fletcher had absolutely no idea what his big boss was thinking. But who was he to question the big boss? As long as he was happy.
The lazy afternoon sun shone on the snow-white bed. Summer Lancaster’s eyes fluttered open. She hadn’t expected to sleep this late. Looking at the clock, she was amazed by her own marathon sleep session.
Out of boredom, Summer Lancaster picked up the tablet on the nightstand and began to scroll aimlessly. But the top news headline brazenly displayed a photo of the person she least wanted to think about. Though it was a bit blurry, she recognized him at a glance. It was Kenneth Yates.
And the person in his arms was... Reina West!
It was as if the heavens were playing a cruel, absurd joke on her, like a bolt from the blue. The clear sky outside seemed to darken.
’The only person I’ve been worried about was Thea Shaw. Did Kenneth Yates leave me here with Caleb Bell just so he could go find other women? And he even made the headlines for it. With his personality, no news gets out to the public without his permission. So... he approved this?’
Summer Lancaster clicked on the headline, opening the main article. It contained a specific time and a detailed description. ’Who could possibly know so much about what happened then?’ Summer even suspected that Kenneth Yates had written the press release himself.
The news dominated the headlines online, with readership and discussion growing by the minute. But Kenneth Yates had yet to make any response. In the past, the media wouldn’t have paid it much mind, but Kenneth Yates had just announced his marriage in a high-profile manner not long ago. Did this situation imply his marriage was breaking down and he was about to marry a new love?
For a time, rumors swirled, but neither of the involved parties, Kenneth Yates and Reina West, had issued any statement.
「At four in the afternoon.」
A commotion erupted outside the office. A victorious smile appeared in Kenneth Yates’s gloomy gray eyes. ’Finally.’
The secretary’s line buzzed. The president gave the order to let anyone through.
Reina West, her face ashen and her clothes a bit wrinkled, stormed into the office. "Kenneth, haven’t you seen the news?"
"I saw it." Kenneth Yates didn’t even give Reina West a proper look, raising a dismissive eyebrow as he stared out the window.
Reina West tried to get closer to Kenneth Yates, but he deftly sidestepped her.
Reina West awkwardly returned to her original spot. "Did you see what they’re saying about me in the comments? Why didn’t you delete the news?" Her expression twisted. The verbal attacks were becoming too much for her to bear.
She had thought this news would turn public opinion, making them despise Summer Lancaster as an unworthy wife for a wealthy family. But it had backfired spectacularly. The majority of people were calling her a third party, a homewrecker.
"I was waiting for you. I knew you were the one who released the news. It doesn’t take much effort to figure something like this out. A simple IP address trace makes it crystal clear." Kenneth Yates scoffed at Reina West’s actions.
