Chapter 29 Asking For Help


    Summer shut up immediately. She lowered her head and stayed still. She wouldn''t look James in


    the eye.


    "That was yourst chance. I''m sending you to L Country one month before the project starts!"


    James had been waiting for her to admit her mistake, but she didn''t. Instead she still tried to defend


    that hateful woman. Summer had brought this on herself.


    As long as she still wanted to work for HL Group, Summer should start packing her bags and stop


    making waves. Just ept the assignment to L Country. But how could she help Maria then? The


    woman wanted to remarry James, and there were few people who could help her with that goal.


    Keeping this in mind, Summer took a deep breath and said, I''m sorry I butted in, Mr. Xi. I should


    have stayed out of it. But Maria''s my good friend. When I hit rock bottom, you guys helped me out.


    So I need to help her when she''s in trouble."


    Six years ago, Summer was only a low-level assistant. She couldn''t help Maria much when she got


    booted from the Xi family.


    She was helpless as she watched Maria suffer and exile herself from H City. And she felt so guilty


    about that. She had the chance to help Maria now. Maybe she went a little too far, but she wanted


    to help her however she could.


    "And you still can help her. Did I stop you? No. Your friendship isn''t any business of mine," James


    said in an even tone. He ran his fingers through his hair. "But that''s when you don''t interfere in my


    business. I don''t pay you that much a year to make me unhappy."


    Summer knew she was in the wrong, but she still had an ace up her sleeve. "I know you won''t


    ept failure, Mr. Xi, from your ex-wife or me. And I know I let you down. I don''t want to disappoint


    you any further, so I''m tendering my resignation."


    She put her career on the line for Maria. She wanted to stick around and help her win James'' heart.


    A ghost of a smile spread across the man''s face, his eyes still cold. "Are you threatening me?"


    Summer shook her head and answered quickly, "Not at all. You know I was born here. My parents


    live here. So do my inws. My husband and I are trying to have a kid. If I took on this project, I''d be


    gone for five years. We can''t put our ns on hold that long. My marriage wouldn''t survive it,


    either."


    "This project won''t dy your pregnancy." He didn''t ask her to do manualbor or anything. "Mr. Xi,


    it''s not like that." She steeled herself, and let James in on some inside information. Maria could


    never reveal this to him, so Summer decided to do it for her.


    After thinking for a while, Summer continued, "When Maria was pregnant, you were traveling to the


    US and France. You never returned to H City. You don''t know how hard it is for a woman to go


    through pregnancy. I went with her to the prenatal checkups every month. When she was in her first


    trimester, she couldn''t keep anything down. Just the smell sent her running to the bathroom. It was


    so hard for her then. She really needed you with her."


    But he couldn''t—or wouldn''t—see her. He was so busy he never called Maria at all. Someone had


    to tell him how Maria was doing.


    Arthur was already three days old when James hopped a ne from Australia to see Maria.


    Sitting in his chair, James didn''t say a word. She gave him something to think about.


    He didn''t look good, so Summer decided to wrap it up. "Look, I can''t stop you from punishing me. I


    deserve it. But I don''t want to leave my family. Ball''s in your court. You''ll have my formal resignation


    on your desk first thing tomorrow."


    Silence returned to the office after Summer left and closed the door behind her.


    James remembered everything. Summer was right. When Maria was pregnant with Arthur, James


    was so focused on his work he forgot all about his wife.


    So he never asked how hard the pregnancy was, or whether she got along with his family.


    He knew Judy pped her, but he didn''t say anything. She was his stepmother, and Maria didn''t


    want to rock the boat.


    He admitted he wasn''t the best husband or father, but Maria proposed to him, not the other way


    around. Since he granted her wish, what more did she want? She wanted this, didn''t she?


    He thought he''d never see her again. But she came back, six yearster. Did she think she could


    just waltz back into his life after killing his son?


    Impossible.


    They didn''t marry for love. It was just that she was quiet and still virtuous after marrying him. They


    were roommates, not lovers.


    Arthur''s death was everyone''s fault, but Maria epted the brunt of the responsibility. James was


    more than generous, giving her three hundred million dors in alimony. After that, he wasn''t


    responsible for her.


    At the police station, the woman leaned forward in her chair. She had her elbow on the desk, chin


    resting in her hand. Bored, she listened to the question the young officer asked her. She answered


    them, even if this was the fifth time she''d heard that question. They would subtly rephrase the


    question to try and trip her up.


    "So you admit you broke into the vi?" he asked. She replied, "I told you, James Xi locked me


    inside." How could she tell the cops she was trespassing? Even she really did break in, she would


    never admit it.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The young policeman was helpless. When the two had reached a stalemate, another policeman


    rushed over with a file folder in his hand. "Lee, this is the case file. It has clear evidence of


    trespassing, including an ount by the owner of the vi. We have orders to book her. The owner


    is pressing charges."


    Maria sat there quietly, listening to them. Those words tore her heart to shreds.


    The policeman turned to Maria and continued, "But the owner said if you agree to leave the city and


    nevere back, he''ll let you off the hook."


    James wanted to either see her trespassing case go to court and have her punished ording to


    thew or drive her out of the city. That man was ruthless!


    "How long is the sentence for trespassing?" Maria asked.


    Lee looked at her and answered thoughtfully, "You case is serious, since you broke in and were


    caught red-handed inside. Although you won''t admit it, the evidence is against you. Probably three


    years." In fact, her case was not very serious, but James was powerful. What he wanted, he got.


    "I need to contact my attorney," requested Maria.


    The other policeman next to Lee shut her down. "Cut the crap. You have only two options now. One


    is to leave the city, and the other is to stay in jail and wait for trial."


    Maria gazed at him and repeated her request, her tone bing colder. "I said I want to contact


    my attorney. You need your ears checked?"


    Lee put a hand on his chest to stop his fellow officer from going any further. He pushed andline


    phone in front of her and said, "Here you are."


    Maria picked up the receiver, and was about to dial a number.


    But as soon as she pressed the number 1, she stopped, deep in thought.


    She didn''t feel like getting her attorney involved. She knew very well that her attorney couldn''t help


    her. Norman probably couldn''t either.


    Norman hated James, and the feeling was mutual. Norman might even make it worse. Besides,


    although she was happy with her attorney''s abilities so far, he was no match for HL Group''s elite


    team ofwyers. They''d probably bury him. Atst, Maria dialed another number. "Hello, Lowrie. It''s


    me. I need your help." After a brief exnation, she added, "By the way, I need a pair of shoes. Size


    37. Thanks!"


    Then she put down the phone and waited.