Free Web NovelChapter 253: Chapter 256: Are You Doubting Me?
Charlotte Shaw’s eyelids drooped. "Yeah, I was bored," she said irritably. "So I came to see if you were dead yet."
"Sonia..." Willow Quincy had already guessed she would lash out, so he showed no surprise. A hint of exasperation merely crossed his weary face.
Hands clasped behind her back, Charlotte Shaw strolled over to Willow Quincy’s desk and blatantly peeked at his computer.
There was no video conference on the screen, just a series of slides that she couldn’t make heads or tails of.
"Aunt Bell said you’ve been busy since this morning and haven’t eaten yet?"
At her words, Willow Quincy’s eyes lit up, and he quickly replied, "That’s right, I haven’t. Something came up at the company. I’ve been in back-to-back long meetings and just haven’t had the time to eat."
"Oh," Charlotte Shaw said, her reaction flat. "What happened at your company? These meetings are lasting longer than a shareholders’ meeting."
Willow Quincy raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer directly. "Just a small matter. It’ll be resolved soon. What, are you worried about me, Sonia?"
"..." Charlotte Shaw rolled her eyes at him without bothering to hide it. "Yes, I’m worried about you. Worried you’re not dying fast enough."
A smile touched the corners of Willow Quincy’s lips. "It’s not the nicest thing to hear, but it still counts as worrying. Thank you, Sonia."
Charlotte Shaw retorted, "...Screw you."
After wandering around the room and failing to glean any new information, Charlotte Shaw grew bored and shuffled out in her slippers.
And to top it off, she didn’t even bother closing the door behind her.
Willow Quincy gazed at the empty doorway, sighed in exasperation, then walked over to close the door himself.
"BUZZ—"
"BUZZ—"
The phone on his desk started vibrating again. Willow Quincy strode back, picked it up, and answered.
"Hello, Young."
His sharp brows knitted together tightly, and his tone was exceptionally harsh.
On the other end of the line, Young spoke at a frantic pace, his words like machine-gun fire as he delivered one piece of bad news after another.
Willow Quincy closed his eyes, his head aching, and listened with a grim expression.
"Mr. Quincy, you have to come back right away. The elder Mr. Quincy is getting on in years; he can’t handle this situation."
Willow Quincy replied, "My body hasn’t fully recovered. I shouldn’t be traveling long distances. You all hold the fort for now. I’ll find someone to help you."
Young said, "But Mr. Quincy, the company really needs you! Veridia and Aethelburg aren’t that far apart. You could just have someone drive slowly and make the trip. Besides, didn’t Wyatt say you were recovering quite well?"
Willow Quincy lied through his teeth. "I was recovering well, but the weather has been bad recently, and my internal injuries have worsened. Just this morning, my attending physician warned me that I absolutely must rest and not worry too much."
"Then-then what are we supposed to do at the company?" Young’s voice was filled with anxiety.
Willow Quincy said, "The company has so many key executives. Can’t you all just hold a meeting and figure something out? I’m currently developing our overseas market. Once the initial groundwork is laid, I’ll have to go abroad for a while, and the company will be in your hands then. If you can’t even solve a problem like this now, how can I leave the country with any peace of mind?"
Young retorted, "Mr. Quincy, it’s not that we’re useless! It’s that the company’s current situation is incredibly tricky—far more complicated than you imagine!"
Willow Quincy stretched out a long leg, hooked a nearby chair with his foot, and sank into it, exhausted.
"How is it complicated?"
"Sigh..." Young heaved a heavy sigh, hesitating for several seconds before finally speaking as if he had nothing left to lose.
"Mr. Quincy, you know about Charlotte Shaw’s disappearance, right?"
"..." Willow Quincy was silent for a moment.
"I do."
Young continued, "The rumor going around is that her disappearance has something to do with you. Shaw Technologies is targeting the Quincy Group like a mad dog, and all the smaller companies that follow them are swarming us like flies."
"Mr. Quincy, the situation is really grim. Please, just come back."
Willow Quincy remained unmoved, even finding the composure to ask, "What exactly are the rumors about me?"
"Well..." Young hesitated, then said with difficulty, "They... they’re saying you’re in love with Charlotte Shaw. And that... it’s incestuous. That you kidnapped your own sister with illicit intentions."
"Oh," was Willow Quincy’s flat reply. It was impossible to discern any emotion from his voice.
Young pressed on, "Mr. Quincy, this has blown up. The rumors are getting more and more outrageous, and it’s severely affecting the entire Quincy Family and the Quincy Group. You really need to come back now."
Willow Quincy’s lips twitched into a cold, mocking sneer. "I’ll come back when I’m feeling a little better."
"But... Mr. Quincy, that’s not necessary," Young said, his voice laced with anxiety. "Aethelburg and Veridia aren’t that far apart! Your current physical condition is perfectly fine for the trip."
Willow Quincy replied, "The doctor said there’s a problem, so I’m listening to the doctor."
"You..." Young struggled to hold his tongue, but finally failed. "Mr. Quincy, are you staying in Veridia because you’re following doctor’s orders, or because you have a guilty conscience and don’t dare to come back?"
"...What do you mean by that?" Willow Quincy’s eyes narrowed, storm clouds gathering in his light brown irises.
Young couldn’t be bothered to be diplomatic anymore. He spoke bluntly, "Mr. Quincy, you’ve always been someone who can’t tolerate the slightest bit of deceit. If Charlotte Shaw’s disappearance had nothing to do with you, or if you harbored no improper feelings for her, you would have stepped up to stop these rumors the moment they started."
"But they’ve been spreading for days, and you haven’t reacted at all. Doesn’t that say it all?"
Willow Quincy offered no explanation, only asking in a glacial tone, "Are you doubting me?"
Young’s voice was full of resignation. "Mr. Quincy, I don’t want to doubt you, but your actions are just too suspicious. The Quincy Group is your life’s work, yet now that the company is in so much trouble, you won’t even make the trip back."
"Mr. Quincy, you’ve actually been more or less recovered for a while now, haven’t you?"
"..."
Willow Quincy took a deep breath and suddenly smiled, a gentle, chilling expression.
"Young, I think you might be overworked lately. Why don’t you go home and rest for a few days? Come back to the office when your head is clear."
Young started, "Mr. Quincy, you..."
Before he could finish, Willow Quincy decisively hung up and then violently smashed the phone against the wall.
"CRACK!"
The sharp, crisp sound carried clearly through the wall. Outside, Charlotte Shaw reflexively took a few steps back.
Willow Quincy’s room wasn’t very soundproof. She had heard the gist of that last phone call.
Although she wasn’t sure exactly what had happened to his company, she could guess it was all related to her disappearance.
