Chapter 42

Eleanor had never been the kind of woman anyone could push around.

The moment she stepped out of the hospital, she wasted no time in forwarding the voice recording straight to Jonny.

She hadn't walked far before stopping again.

With a calm hand, she blocked his number once again, then slid behind the wheel and drove off without looking back.

At that moment, Jonny was pacing restlessly in his office.

Even though the Stewart Group had injected new funds, the amount was barely half of what it used to be. On top of that, several investors had already pulled out, leaving the Todd Group still on shaky ground.

As he brooded over the mess, his phone lit up with a notification.

It was a Facebook message from Eleanor.

A smug smile tugged at his lips.

He had overestimated her. She gave in the moment he showed her a bit of kindness.

Arrogantly, he tapped open the message and hit play.

But instead of Eleanor's supposed pleas, Lainey's sharp, venomous voice rang out.

Jonny froze.How could this be?

Lainey was always soft, always delicate. Since when did she spit words so harshly?

Something was off.

He immediately tried calling Eleanor.

"Sorry, the line is busy right now. Please try again later..." He refused to accept it and dialed again, only to hear the same thing.

Cursing under his breath, he switched back to Facebook and furiously typed, "Did you tamper with this recording on purpose? Eleanor, I must've been blind not to see your manipulative side earlier. Do you think cheap tricks like this will break me and Lainey apart?"

But as soon as he hit send, a bright red exclamation mark appeared.

Message rejected.

Jonny's temples throbbed.

Damn it.

She had blocked him again.

How dared she?

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Come in!" he snapped. Startled by his harsh tone, Lainey shrank back. No one had ever raised their voice at her like that.

With tearful eyes, she carefully stepped inside, her voice fragile. "Jonny, did I come at a bad time? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I asked the kitchen to make chicken soup for Sallie and kept some aside for you too. I thought you might not have had time for lunch,so I brought it over."

A single tear slid down her cheek, softening her features into something heartbreakingly delicate.

In the past, Jonny would have felt his heart shatter at a scene like this.

But now, he just

looked at her face, studying her in silence. "Did you run into Eleanor at the hospital?"

Lainey's grip on the thermos stiffened for a moment.

So Eleanor really had sent him the recording. That cunt! Good thing she was ready for it.

Setting the thermos aside, she walked over and softly held Jonny's arm. "Jonny, this is on me. I shouldn't have talked to Miss Warren that way.I just... I love you so much, Jonny. I was scared she might take you away."

She then changed the topic. "Your stomach isn't feeling well, so have some soup first. I know you hate it when people speak harshly. Once you finish,1pack up and leave you in peace."

Her tears spilled freely as she ladled the soup for him, stealing hesitant glances in his direction before quietly turning to leave.

Jonny's chest clenched. She was the woman he couldn't bear to lose. In an instant, he caught her by the wrist and drew her into his arms. "I'm sorry,Lainey. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Her words made sense. She had spoken harshly only because she cared about him. She was gentle by nature. Eleanor must have cornered her, twisting the moment to her advantage,and then recorded it to create trouble.

The more Jonny thought about it, the more certain he became.

Lainey snuggled into his arms, a small smirk playing on her lips.

Eleanor could plot all she wanted, but Jonny's heart was hers to soothe with a few well-placed tears.

Eleanor was nothing but an orphan with no real influence.

Even so, being outsmarted like this left Lainey feeling annoyed.

That bitch had always treasured Hope House above all else, hadn't she?

Then she would make it vanish.

She might not be able to meddle with the Usepsall project directly anymore, but there were other ways in.

Her brother's geological survey team would be perfect for the job.

As the thought took root, a wicked glint sparked in her eyes.