Chapter 723
There was no way the crowd was going to pass up on such juicy gossip! One by one, they leaned forward, butts in the air, craning their necks to get a glimpse of the papers sprawled on the table.
Barry, however, remained seated calm as a cucumber, without so much as a twitch. He had already secretly seen the report countless times, thanks to a little sneak peek courtesy of Edith.
“Who dares touch those?!” Jareth’s roar thundered across the boardroom, his eyes blazing with a fierce and bloodthirsty glare.
These folks were not only the company’s directors but also his elders. Yet, at Jareth’s command, they recoiled, none daring to lay a finger on the documents.
“What's the matter, Jareth? Can’t face the truth or just can’t accept it?” Gary sneered, his mockery dripping with venom, “Deep down, you must be repulsed by the idea of your fiancée being mentally unstable, right? Is that why you've been hiding her away. playing house without giving her a proper introduction to the company? Even you, who claim she’s the only one you'll marry, must be afraid she'll embarrass you.”
That was the last straw for Jareth.
The Fairhaven family didn’t have the myriad of formalities that the Abernathy family or the Chambers family did, and he was no blue—blooded gentleman with a century of family legacy like Thaddeus. Jareth wasn’t about to endure humiliation for the sake of revenge or the greater good.
He was going to handle this his way. Jareth grabbed a water glass from the table and, without a second thought, hurled it at Gary’s head! “Ow! That hurt!” Gary, caught off guard, got a hefty lump on his forehead and was drenched in water, looking utterly disheveled.
But before he could even open his eyes, gasps filled the room, and the next second, he felt a heavy punch land squarely on his face, sending blood spurting from his nose.
He never imagined that Jareth, now the CEO, would dare to mount him like a cowboy riding a donkey, right in front of Barry and all the directors, and beat him senseless.
Jareth’s fists pounded into Gary’s despicable face with a fury that blotted out everything except the insults hurled at Marilla.
The directors stepped back in alarm. Sure, the Fairhaven Group's board meeting was no stranger to drama, but seeing someone beaten to a pulp, especially by their own nephew, was a real eye-opener!
*Somebody help!” Barry bellowed, and only then did the bodyguards rush in. It took all their strength to pry Jareth off of Gary.
“My love life is none of your damn business, you old cur!” Jareth seethed, every word soaked with loathing as if he wished to devour Gary alive, “Marilla is the most perfect girl in the world to me! | love her, and nothing anyone says will change my mind about marrying her. No one’s going to stop me. No one can!”
Jareth’s muscles tensed as he fought the urge to go at Gary again.
With help, Gary managed to stand, spitting out a mouthful of blood ferociously. His expression was a mix of indignation and uncertainty as he cast a furtive glance at Barry. Barry’s neutral stance told Gary all he needed to know: silent consent. The show had to go on.
Jareth returned to his seat and pulled out a pristine handkerchief, about to wipe the blood from his hands. He paused at the sight of a cute little bear embroidered in the corner, a token of affection from his dear Marilla.
Usually, he'd carry it with him, barely touch it, and surely couldn’t bear to use it to clean up that cur’s blood stain, so he tucked it back into his jacket and wiped his hands on his sleeve instead, his rage subsiding slightly.
Barry, frowning, asked, “You okay, Gary? Need to head to the hospital?”
Tm fine!” Gary’s handkerchief was soaked with blood from his nose, evidence of Jareth’s rage.
The meeting was able to continue in the end. Barry leisurely picked up the report from the table and flipped it open nonchalantly. Under Jareth’s overawing power, only he could touch it.
“Now, Gary, is this report for real?” Barry asked, feigning disbelief.
“It's as real as it gets, or I’m Jareth’s grandson!” Gary retorted, his voice loud, “It’s got the official seal of the authority on it, go ahead and verify it!”
Jareth’s gaze darkened with suspicion as he turned to Barry. He knew his grandfather well; if this was the first he had heard of it, he wouldn’t be so composed.
Besides, a psychiatric assessment report was top secret among the Abernathy family. No outsider should have been able to lay hands on it.
Frederic and Elspeth were Marilla’s folks the report should sorely be kept by them. With Elspeth gone and Frederic, who didn’t feel gruntled about him marrying Marilla, unlikely to stoop to such tactics to prevent their marriage.
Even though he didn’t love his daughter, he certainly would care for his face, it was impossible from him to conduct such deeds
Then where did Gary get the report?
“This is strictly Abernathy family business, which they’d guard with their lives. There’s no way they'd let this leak. The origins of this report seem suspect.” Barry said calmly, tossing the document back on the table, “You might have been duped by someone, Gary. If you’re parading a fake around, it's only going to make you look foolish.”
Gary slammed his handkerchief to the floor, his gaze dark; gritting his teeth, he claimed, “I have proof that the Abernathy girl is a lunatic
As the words faded, the large screen suddenly lit up. All eyes instantly turned to it.
Jareth’s eyes turned icy cold; his whole body’s blood seemed to freeze as if cruel, invisible hands were savagely squeezing his pounding heart, threatening to crush his flesh and wring out his very lifeblood!
On the screen, Marilla was out of control, crying, shouting, and screaming, with no one else in the room but her. Her shrill cries echoed throughout the conference room.
The girl’s crazed demeanor caused everyone present to furrow their brows in a complex mix of emotions.
“Marilla, Marilla!” Jareth’s eyes bloodshot, he called her name with a voice hoarse with desperation. His heartfelt plea seemed to reach out, yet the thin screen kept the lovers separated, as if in two different worlds.
“Mr. Barry Fairhaven, see what | mean? There’s no slander against this girl, right? She’s got a mental illness!”
Gary pointed to the screen, his eyes revealing a glint of triumphant scheming, “No one provoked her, and there she goes, screaming her head off. Who behaves like that if they’re not sick? And if we let a woman like that become the wife of the Fairhaven Group’s CEO, where would the Fairhaven family’s reputation go?”
The crowd shook their heads in agreement. No matter how they looked at it, the girl on the screen seemed far from normal. “Turn it off. That's enough; it’s too noisy,” Barry’s brows were furrowed in distaste.
“Gary, where have you taken my wife?!” Jareth’s gaze was murderous, as if it could bleed.
“Taken? That's a harsh word.”
Gary lounged back, legs crossed, his bruised face bearing a smug smile, “Today's your big day, and | knew you'd be eager to see your little bride once you officially became president, to share the joy with her. So, out of the kindness of my heart, | invited her to visit the company. But who knew she’d go crazy the moment she left your side? Tsk, tsk, her mental state is indeed worrying.”
Jareth felt a burning in his chest and, ignoring the eyes on him, sprinted towards the door. *Jareth! The meeting isn’t over; get back here!” Barry roared at his retreating figure.NôvelDrama.Org owns this.
Jareth skidded to a halt, his gaze sharp as a blade, slicing fiercely at Gary’s face. Gary’s smile froze. That look sent him plummeting into hell.