Chapter 53: Dealing with the Aftermath

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After Evans concluded his conversation, he promptly disconnected the call.

Abner found himself immersed in deep contemplation before he turned to head back to his seat, casting occasional glances at Audrey, who was still fidgeting.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing that Abner had already settled his matters and was looking at her, Audrey inexplicably felt like she was being scrutinized.

Abner was well-acquainted with Evans’ personality. In recent years, he had rarely extended a helping hand to anyone. Since that was the case…

“I’ve roughly understood what happened to you, Audrey.” Abner said, “It’s Jerry’s fault.”

A line of words immediately flashed above Audrey’s head:

[I always knew Big Brother had a reasonable side!]

Abner couldn’t help but feel a tad overwhelmed by the sentiment welling up within him. Nevertheless, he maintained a solemn demeanor and offered earnest advice, looking intently at Audrey. “Audrey, you’re a young woman. In any future situations like this, your safety must be your top priority. Jerry isn’t a good person, and if he’s pushed too far, he might resort to violence against you.”

“Of course, I’m not suggesting you should endure it. What I’m emphasizing is that, in such circumstances, you should weigh the potential consequences of your actions carefully. If you ever feel uncertain, consider discussing it with your family first. ”

Family?

As soon as he said that, the two of them fell into a short silence.

It dawned on both of them that this might be the very first instance in which Abner had regarded himself as family to Audrey.

The sentiment was undeniably warm.

Audrey’s heart warmed as she reflected on the noticeable improvement in her relationship with Abner and the others over the past few days—certainly much better than when this body had been controlled by the previous host.

“Alright,” Abner responded, his usual composure briefly shaken. Surprisingly, he had spoken at length to Audrey today. “You should head back now. I’ll handle the rest.”

[Has Big Brother decided to clean up the mess for me? Big Brother is so good!] An elated expression danced across Audrey’s face, but she swiftly concealed it.

As Audrey departed with a childlike bounce in her step, even taking care to close the door behind her.

Real..

Just as he was about to open his laptop and resume his work, an untimely phone call interrupted the quiet room.

The ringtone disrupted the serenity of the room, and Abner’s heart sank as he glanced at the caller ID.

Abner allowed the phone to ring for over 40 seconds before answering.

“Why did you take so long to answer your phone? What have you been up to?” Caroline’s impatient voice emanated from the other end of the line. Abner furrowed his brow slightly.

His relationship with his mother could only be described as mediocre, not even close.Nonetheless, whenever she needed something, he made an effort to appear accommodating, knowing she would inevitably ask for a favor.

Yet this time, her tone was strained, clearly reflecting her anxiety over Jerry. And when Abner took such a long time to answer the phone, she obviously lost her temper, which was normal.

Evans had been right about this woman approaching him to address the matter.

After the call connected, Abner remained silent, offering no greeting. Caroline, feeling short of breath after her earlier outburst, hastened to apologize. “Abner, I didn’t mean it that way…”

Abner’s voice remained calm as he interjected, “What is it? Just be frank.”

Caroline took a deep breath, her thoughts consumed by Jerry’s recent ordeal, and her anger simmered just beneath the surface.

In an attempt to soften her tone, she began, “Jerry fell victim to a scheme today! The police have detained him, Abner. I implore you to help us this time.”

Abner’s response carried a trace of mockery as he retorted, “So? What happened to him?”

Caroline remained oblivious to the sarcasm in Abner’s words, her anger unabated. She continued, “What else could have happened? It’s all Audrey’s doing!”

“Oh?” Abner raised his eyebrows.

“She surreptitiously tailed Jerry today and even enlisted a horde of reporters to besiege the hotel. She conspired with the Rovers family’s illegitimate daughter, Linda, to have the reporters capture images of Jerry and that… well, Linda, sharing a hotel room. Their aim was to coerce Jerry into marrying Linda.”

“Hmph, I’ve long suspected that Linda is relentless. She’s an illegitimate child, yet she harbors unrealistic dreams, persistently pursuing Jerry.” Caroline continued saying..