fool

Chapter 23 

Ella may appear brash on the surface, but deep down, she remains kind–hearted and compassionate. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have endured such prolonged humiliation, manipulated and toyed with by Harry and Grace. 

Jaden knew that because of the child, she had an unwarranted sense of empathy. He had already guessed everything, could have said more, and could have intervened. After she left, he regretted it immediately and rushed out in quick steps. But it was already too late. 

She stood alone on the grand steps, subjected to public condemnation and scorn from all sides. The indifferent and merciless gazes of those people were like knives and ice shards! She felt like a helpless newborn animal, defenseless, slaughtered by their words and stares. 

He blamed himself until it was hard to breathe. He immediately called Hank. 

“Can we manage the public opinion?” Jaden asked. 

“I’ll try, sir,” Hank responded. 

Hank couldn’t promise. This was clearly a setup, and even if they could control public opinion, the damage to Willow Group was already significant. 

Willow Group and Hank worked together to suppress the public outcry. They pulled down trending topics, bought out negative stories about others, and even exposed scandals involving several influencers. Yet, the impact was minimal, and now the police were involved; they were downstairs at this moment. 

Ella opened the door and stepped out, soaked to the bone, her face devoid of color. 

Without hesitation, Jaden draped his coat over her, trying to warm her with his body heat. 

“Don’t do this…” His voice was hoarse. 

“Why… Why was she so cruel, willing to gamble with a child? That’s a human life! Even as an outsider, I care, why doesn’t she?” She couldn’t understand. 

She thought, ‘Can human nature really be this dark?‘ She had cursed herself as foolish more than once in her mind, but what truly pained her was the loss of the child! She wondered, ‘Grace and Harry have used the child as a pawn to frame me?’ 

“I know, I know…” His large, warm hand gently stroked her head. “Change your clothes, dry your hair? You might catch a cold.” 

She didn’t respond, so Jaden took the initiative to fetch her clothes. She remained motionless, her eyes vacant. 

After hesitating briefly, he gritted his teeth and helped her undress. She took a cold shower, her entire body ice–cold. 

Jaden couldn’t afford to dwell on other matters now, but seeing her nearly perfect body made his breath catch. It was challenging to dress her, but he managed, then escorted her downstairs to meet the police. 

Ella had only one thing to say. “I didn’t push her, I didn’t…” 

Jaden also acted as a witness, explaining Grace’s motive for coming to see Ella. 

“What about physical evidence? Is there any?” the police asked. 

She shook her head. 

There was no physical evidence on Grace’s side either, but with so many people watching, her hand was indeed on Grace’s chest. Whether or not she exerted force, only she and Grace knew. 

In the eyes of outsiders, she had pushed Grace, causing her to miscarry, which already constituted intentional harm. 

“We need Ms. Willow to come with us for further investigation.” 

Ella was taken away. 

After spending the night in custody, Jaden had Hank bail her out. Jaden couldn’t personally pick her up, so he had someone else watch over her. As soon as Ella emerged, people began gathering around and criticizing her. Hank reacted swiftly, rushing over to shield her. He escorted her all the way to the car and got her inside. 

“Hank?” Ella was somewhat surprised. 

Hank chuckled. “Just happened to be passing by, Ms. Willow. What a coincidence. 

Ella pursed her lips and didn’t say much. She wasn’t naive; she could tell it was a feeble excuse. Since he put it that way, he clearly didn’t want to divulge the real reason, and she didn’t press further. 

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4:04 PM 

Chapter 23 

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Halfway there, Ella received a call from the company asking her to return for a meeting. She asked Hank to take her to the company. The result of the overnight discussion among the seniors was… 

“You want me to privately apologize to Grace?” Ella asked. 

“That’s right. Get them to change their story, saying Grace fell accidentally, to completely clear your name. The company’s stock price has already dropped by one percentage point overnight. If this continues to escalate, the losses will be even greater.” 

“Right now, every minute, the market value is evaporating for no reason. My dear Miss, can you rein in your assertive personality?” 

“I haven’t done anything wrong, so why should I hold back?” 

She stood tall, fists tightly clenched. There was only one thought in her mind now. If Devin were here, he would surely protect her unconditionally. 

“But because of personal reasons, you’ve caused losses to the company, someone has to take responsibility!” 

“Think about it! Are you going to continue being stubborn, or are you going to resolve the company’s crisis? Several companies have already withdrawn, preferring to pay penalties to terminate contracts!” 

“Many people are now boycotting our products, refusing to buy them. This issue needs to be resolved quickly!” 

They slammed a pile of documents in front of Ella. Some left angrily, while others shook their heads in pity. In the end, only Finn remained, gently patting her shoulder. 

Finn said, “At present, apologizing and persuading the victim to retract their statement voluntarily seems to be the best solution. 

“I understand you’re upset, but considering the bigger picture, you should think about it carefully.” 

In the end, Ella was alone in the conference room. She stubbornly bit her lip, refusing to shed tears. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong. Grace was not the victim at all. She was! But for the sake of the company… for Devin’s efforts, she wondered what else she could do. 

Devin once said she wasn’t cut out for business, too straightforward without the scheming needed to compete with cunning merchants who would take advantage of her. 

“Ella, I’m not afraid of you facing losses, but I’m most afraid of you being wronged. Your nature won’t harm others, but it’s easy for others to slander you. I think you’re fine being yourself, but I’m worried… worried that you’ll be forced into someone you’re not,” Devin once said. 

That’s why he hoped she would find a suitable man to marry, to help manage things and shoulder the burden for her. 

She didn’t understand Devin’s meaning before. When Harry tripped her up and Troy made things difficult for her, she narrowly managed to resolve them, feeling that this was just how things went in the business world. 

Now, she finally understood how ruthless some people could be. While she mourned for that child, perhaps the parents didn’t feel a thing. After all, they could always have another child, and they might even think sacrificing a few months of pregnancy was worth gaining so much. 

She sighed deeply, suppressing the rising disgust, and dialed Harry’s number. It was her own fault that had caused losses to the company. Despite being the heir to the conglomerate, she couldn’t afford to act recklessly. 

“Why are you calling me now?” Harry’s voice carried a hint of sarcasm, making her feel repulsed. 

“What exactly should I do to make Grace change her story and say it was just an accident?” Ella asked. 

“Tonight, dress sexily and come to room 2036 at the Hilton Hotel.” 

“What?” Anger surged through her. Afraid of losing control and swearing at him, she hung up the phone furiously. 

Just then, her phone rang again. Thinking it was Harry calling back, she answered without checking the caller ID and started yelling. 

“Harry, if you think you can manipulate me into sleeping with you this time, forget about it! Even if it means the company goes bankrupt, I won’t beg you. Go to hell!” 

“Harry wants you to sleep with him? A chilling voice came from the other end. 

“Who is this?” 

Ella thought. The voice sounds familiar, not like Harry’s. Who could it be? 

SEND GIFT 

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