Chapter 638
Jaired casually swung his legs onto the coffee table, a faint glint of mischief passing through his eyes. “Max is her shield. I you touch her, you can kiss our friendship goodbye for good.”
Andrew’s eyes were laced with sarcasm and spite. “I don’t care about that. Even if Max goes ballistic, do you think he’d actually off me for messing with Brielle? Before that happens, I’ll make sure Brielle’s the one who’s done for.”
It was clear he had had it with Brielle.
Chuckling lightly, Jaired loosened his tie. “What’s the real deal with the Rowland family mess? Didn’t–you dig into it? How did it suddenly blow up in the media like that? Don’t tell me Brielle is behind this?*
Andrew had never considered pinning the situation on Brielle. If she had that kind of savvy, she wouldn’t have gone straight to Harmony Haven Hotel to slap Tessa. She must have been out of options to resort to such drastic measures. He never considered that Brielle’s appearance at Harmony Haven Hotel was entirely because of the picture of the necklace Tessa had sent.
“Do you really think she’s capable of that?”
Jaired squinted, rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. Unlike those pampered rich guys, his tan skin, still gleaming from a recent workout, radiated robust, masculine energy. A handkerchief hung loosely around his neck, which he used to absentmindedly wipe away sweat, his whole demeanor exuding an aura of raw vitality. He had been on the team for years, so his muscles tensed with each movement.
“Andrew, if she didn’t have the chops, how did she manage to bewitch Max? The guy’s been living like a monk, for heaven’s sake. Before Brielle, I bet not even a female mosquito got close to him.”
Jaired had been curious about Brielle even before he returned to Beaconsfield. First Alivia, then Tessa, and now the Rowland family–there was every reason to suspect her involvement.
Andrew fell silent, his expression darkening with intensity. If it really was Brielle, then it was time to settle both old and new scores.
Jaired sensed the hatred was sufficiently stoked, so he ended the call. After a refreshing shower, he walked out, headed to the liquor cabinet, and took a swig of the finest whiskey.
The Rowland family’s predicament had him concerned, and he had already done some digging. Zaiden’s misdeeds were indeed factual and not fabricated, or else the higher–ups wouldn’t have acted so swiftly. But the tens of billions lost by the Rowland family overseas seemed engineered. The initial bid for that land was only twenty billion, but out of nowhere, several companies joined the fray, driving the price up to thirty billion.
Jaired, having spent years on the military, didn’t have the reach to extend his influence internationally, and with the Riddle family’s unique status, traveling abroad was a bureaucratic nightmare.
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He managed to uncover that the Rowland family’s overseas business was sabotaged, but it didn’t seem related to Brielle. Even with all her cunning, how could she possibly extend her
reach so far?
So he deliberately tossed the problem to Andrew, whose family’s influence was more fable overseas. Surely, they could unearth something. Whether or not it had anything to
do with Brielle would soon be revealed.
A sharp glint flickered in Jaired’s eyes. If Brielle was involved, then her motives for being around Max deserved scrutiny.
Meanwhile, after hanging up with Jaired, Andrew’s complexion soured. He was itching to confront Brielle, to give her a taste of her own medicine.
That slap had left a mark he couldn’t ignore, not to mention Brielle’s audacity in slapping Tessa right before his eyes.
If Max didn’t care about their friendship, why should he?
Tessa’s crying from the passenger seat grated on his nerves. Softening his tone after hanging up the phone, he tried to comfort her. “Stop crying. I won’t let Brielle off the hook. As for my mom, you know how she is. You remember how harshly she spoke to Aubree.”
In a sudden move, Tessa leaned over and kissed him fiercely.
