Free Web NovelChapter 504: Chapter 504: Suspended for Investigation
Melody Summers and her group had just arrived at the emergency management office when Gavin Grant, hearing the commotion, came out to meet them.
Gavin Grant took one look at Winston Sheffield’s bruised and swollen face and gasped.
"Section Chief Sheffield, what happened to your face?!"
Winston Sheffield shot Melody Summers a venomous glare and gritted his teeth. "It was this bitch who ambushed me... Gavin, how do you do your job?! The owner of 1706 lives right here in the complex. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!"
Before taking Sylvia Lancaster to 1706, Winston Sheffield had confirmed with Gavin Grant. Gavin said he had no impression of the owner and that they had likely never shown up at The Metropolis Residences before. It was only then that he had moved Sylvia Lancaster in.
If he had known the owner of 1706 was living in the complex—and was someone not to be trifled with—he would have definitely picked a different apartment!
Hearing Winston Sheffield’s words, a cold sweat broke out on Gavin Grant’s forehead.
He hadn’t been at The Metropolis Residences for long and didn’t know the residents well. On top of that, he was desperate to curry favor with Winston Sheffield, so he had taken it upon himself to make the arrangements.
Who would have thought that a young woman like Melody Summers, knowing full well that Winston Sheffield was from the reconstruction department, would still dare to show up and assault him?!
Gavin Grant was panicking. He instinctively frowned at Melody Summers and scolded, "What is wrong with you?! Didn’t I tell you? Section Chief Sheffield is a leader in the reconstruction department. The fact that he’s taken an interest in your apartment is an honor for you!"
"Besides, you’re not even living in that apartment. Shouldn’t you contribute it? How could you just show up and attack someone?! You’re completely lawless!"
Melody Summers couldn’t be bothered to deal with someone like Gavin Grant. She spoke directly to Officer Tate. "You saw it all, didn’t you? They ganged up to threaten me, an innocent citizen, and tried to seize my personal property!"
From their conversation, Tristan Tanner had already pieced together the whole story. He stepped in front of Melody Summers, separating her from the furious Gavin Grant, and reprimanded him sharply, "Gavin Grant! What do you think you’re doing?!"
Seeing this, Gavin Grant sheepishly scratched his head and lowered his voice. "Officer Tate, look... we’re all on the same side here. I was just trying to help Section Chief Sheffield. Can you just bend the rules a little? Just pretend you didn’t see anything..."
Gavin Grant hadn’t finished speaking when he suddenly saw two people approaching in the distance and blurted out—
"...Uncle? What are you doing here?"
Hearing this, Melody Summers turned around and saw Manager Grant and Winnie Summers walking over.
Seeing Winnie Summers, Melody subconsciously asked, "Mom? What are you doing here? Aren’t you guys really busy today?"
When Winston Sheffield heard Melody Summers’ words, his pupils contracted. He looked as if he’d been struck by lightning.
’Mom?!’
’Isn’t this woman my department head, Director Summers?’
’Why would Melody Summers call her Mom?!’
’Could it be...’
As a certain possibility crossed his mind, Winston Sheffield’s heart began to pound like a drum, and his back started to sweat.
Winnie Summers immediately saw the blood on Melody Summers’ hand. She gasped, her face filled with anxiety. "What happened to your hand? Why is it bleeding?"
Before Melody Summers could speak, Sylvia Lancaster suddenly stepped forward.
Sylvia Lancaster glared at Winnie Summers with resentment and yelled, "You must be Melody Summers’ adoptive mother? How on earth did you raise your daughter? Do you have any idea she nearly beat someone to death today?!"
Sylvia Lancaster already knew that in this world, Melody Summers’s good-for-nothing family hadn’t died.
The sight of Winnie Summers caring for Melody was particularly jarring to her.
Why was it that in this life, she and Elaine Hughes were like fire and water, yet Melody Summers got to have a mother who loved her?
’This isn’t fair!’
Sylvia Lancaster glared at Winnie Summers and said mockingly, "They say like mother, like daughter. Your daughter resorts to violence, so you must be no good either! I want to get my injuries documented! I’ll have you both thrown in prison!"
Seeing Sylvia Lancaster’s behavior, Melody Summers was about to slap her, but someone else was faster—
Winston Sheffield rushed forward, gave Sylvia Lancaster a hard shove, and yelled, "Shut up! Who told you to talk like that!"
Winston Sheffield was very strong. Sylvia Lancaster was knocked to the ground, her forehead hitting the doorframe with a THUD.
A wave of dizziness washed over her. Sylvia Lancaster looked up at Winston Sheffield in disbelief and said, shocked, "Winston Sheffield! Y-You actually pushed me?!"
Winston Sheffield ignored Sylvia Lancaster. He walked over to Winnie Summers, forced an obsequious smile, and said, bowing and scraping, "Director Summers, I didn’t expect to see you here. Please, listen to me, this is all a misunderstanding..."
"Just shut up!" Melody Summers impatiently cut off Winston Sheffield’s nonsense and explained the whole story from beginning to end.
She pointed at Winston Sheffield and Gavin Grant and said with a frown, "It was these two. Under the guise of housing disaster victims, they gave my apartment—which I paid for in full—to their own relatives and friends!"
"They trespassed in my home, and when I exposed them, they had the gall to threaten me and raise their fists to hit me!"
Hearing this, Winnie Summers pulled Melody into a protective embrace. She frowned at Winston Sheffield and asked coldly, "Sheffield, is this true?"
Winston Sheffield was now drenched in sweat. He struggled to maintain his composure. "A misunderstanding! Director Summers, it’s all a misunderstanding! I honestly didn’t know this was your daughter! If I had known, you could have beaten me to death and I still wouldn’t have dared to touch your family’s property..."
"Enough!" Winnie Summers cut Winston Sheffield off with a frown. Her usually gentle face now held an air of authority that commanded respect without anger. She looked at him and said in a heavy voice, "Winston Sheffield, you are suspended pending investigation, effective immediately!"
Winston Sheffield’s eyes went wide—
’Suspended pending investigation?!’
Terrified, Winston Sheffield’s legs went weak, and he actually dropped to his knees before Winnie Summers with a THUMP!
All of his previous arrogance had vanished. He begged in a trembling voice, "...Director Summers, I know I was wrong! It’s all my fault for being so blind! Please, I’m begging you, don’t suspend me..."
With that, he actually raised his hands and—SLAP, SLAP—slapped himself across the face twice. "It’s all my fault! All my fault! I’m begging you, please be lenient and let me off the hook this time!"
Watching this display, Winnie Summers frowned. "That’s enough. You don’t need to say any more. Go home and await the results of the investigation. If you truly abused your power for personal gain and oppressed the people, then you will pay the price for your actions!"
Staring into Winnie Summers’s solemn gaze, Winston Sheffield’s mind went completely blank...
After a shaken Winston Sheffield left with Sylvia Lancaster, Manager Grant suddenly spun around and viciously slapped Gavin Grant across the face—
"You disgrace! You little bastard! You just started this job and you’re already pulling this kind of crap!"
Gavin Grant had been scared stiff this whole time. While Winston Sheffield was begging Winnie Summers, he hadn’t dared to make a sound, shrinking quietly to the side and trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
But he couldn’t escape it.
Still not satisfied after the slap, Manager Grant gave Gavin a vicious kick and pointed a finger at his nose, berating him. "You worthless scoundrel! Who taught you to get involved in these shady dealings?! You even dared to falsify resettlement quotas! Are you trying to shame your dead father?! I... I’ll beat you to death today on behalf of your parents, you scoundrel!"
