Chapter 243 Mind Reader


    Maria didn''t immediately agree, and to his credit, Colby didn''t press her. "I''ll have someone take


    care of yourpany," he said in a tentative tone. "And in the future, I will put yourpany in the


    highest priority in terms of coborative endeavors. If it turns out that you can''t get out of jail


    anytime soon, I will take care of you for the rest of your life."


    ''Gee, '' Maria sneered inwardly. ''He''s really fond of making promises, isn''t he?’


    She shot him an aggrieved expression. "But why me? I''m just another woman."


    "First of all, you are the deputy manager of HM Group. Your confession won''te as a surprise to


    the public given your position. Secondly, the Songs have cut ties with you; there isn''t anyone in the


    city you''re significantly affiliated with. Thirdly, and most important of all, won''t you take this


    opportunity to see if James or Norman would be willing to rescue you?"


    Maria shook her head in false disappointment, her eyes red with unshed tears. "Norman won''t help


    me, much less James. After all, he was the one who put me in prison.”


    The truth was that Colby was already aware. He had also been present at the New Year''s banquet;


    he just happened to have been assigned to a different private room.


    The guests had all been abuzz with talk, saying that Maria and James had a very big, very public


    quarrel.


    Now, however, he pretended to be surprised by her words. "Is that true? Howe you''ve never


    mentioned this before?" He had also hired people to investigate Maria, but even this information


    had not surfaced in the reports he had received.


    "Why should I mention such a disgraceful thing?"


    Colby nodded at her answer-she had a point.


    He appeared to ponder for a while. "If you feel that one hundred million is not enough, then I''ll turn it


    into an initial deposit. After you go down to the police station and make your confession, I will add


    another fifty million into your ount."


    Maria began to cry. "Mr. Zheng..." Then she covered her mouth as if to stifle her sobs.


    Colby fell for her act and took her in his arms. "Maria, I know this is painful for you. I promise I will


    try my best to get you out of this as soon as possible."


    She sank into his embrace and sobbed against his chest.


    "Mr. Zheng, I will agree to do this. But..."


    "Go ahead."


    "There''s someone I still need to repay. I owe her a favor, you see." She proceeded to tell him about


    Peggy.


    Colby frowned as he listened.


    Maria handed him back the card. "If you can get Peggy out of jail, I will do as you say without the


    money. Please give her the other fifty million. You will take care of me, won''t you?"


    He nodded without hesitation. "Of course."


    "She is my best friend. You need to help me; I won''t be assured while serving jail time otherwise."


    "Yes," Colby finally agreed.


    On the day that news of the Ponzi scheme broke in H City, Maria''s name sat clear and


    unmistakable on the list of suspects, right next to her title as a senior executive of HM Group.


    James was oblivious to what was happening, until Ethan stormed into his office and told him all


    about it. "James! James, something is wrong!"


    "What is it this time?"


    "Maria has been arrested!"


    "What?" His face darkened.


    "It''s all over the news! She was taken away on charges of being part of the Ponzi scheme."


    How could she have been dragged into suspicion over that matter? The logic was lost to James.


    Weren''t the senior executives of HL Group suspected of fraud over this same issue? Howe


    Maria was also implicated in it?


    The Ponzi scheme had its veins running through several conglomeratepanies.


    As a possibility presented itself in James'' head, his dark expression took on a dangerous edge.


    Inside the detention room of the police station, Maria sat in a corner. Leaning against the wall, she


    closed her eyes.


    Awyer representing HM Group entered the room and approached her. "Hello, Ms. Song."


    She opened her eyes then, and knew instantly that her visitor was awyer. "Hello."


    "Mr. Zheng asked me toe here. As you may know already, this case involves a wide group of


    people. You have to understand that you might not be able to get out of this ce for a good while."


    "Yes, I know." Maria had to control her expression so she didn''t sneer. They had all known


    beforehand that once she confessed, the problem wasn''t about her not getting out soon, but not


    being able to get her out at all.


    "Mr. Zheng asked me to tell you not to worry. He will figure out a way."


    "Of course. Is there any chance I can see him? This ce is very scary." She projected the picture


    of a weak and timid woman.


    Thewyer heaved a subtle sigh. How could she expect Colby toe to her in such a situation?


    He was a CEO, and Maria was practically inside a jail cell. But what he said was, "I will convey your


    words to him and see what we can do."


    "Okay, thank you very much."


    Then after a few more inane pleasantries, thewyer rose and left the room.


    Maria was detained for an entire day as the case got more and moreplicated. And as new


    revtion surfaced, people became less and less concerned about her.


    On her third day of detention, someone came to tell her, "Maria Song, you can leave now."


    She wasn''t surprised by this turn of events, but she did wonder who had brought it about.


    Unfortunately, she was only getting released on bail; her name hadn''t been cleared yet. She was


    notpletely free.


    She signed the necessary papers and came out of the police station to find a ck car parked out


    front.


    She recognized it to be Norman''s.


    Disappointmentnced through her heart.


    The chauffeur opened the door to the back seat and


    Maria got into the vehicle.


    Norman was donned in a silver suit, and a pair of gold-rimmed sses sat on the bridge of his


    nose. He looked elegant even with his legs crossed in the tight space.


    "Thank you," Maria said.


    He only smiled. "Were you disappointed to discover that I''vee instead of him?"


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She said nothing, frustrated as she wondered if Norman somehow had the ability to read her mind.


    Unfortunately for her, he wasn''t the type who was afraid of hurting her feelings. "James knows what


    happened to you. But he did nothing about it."


    He had given the man one day to make his move, but James didn''t appear to be scrambling to


    rescue Maria.


    Norman was sure James knew about it.


    Maria stared at her hands on herp. "Do you think you can arrange a meeting between me and


    Jonathan?"


    "Right now?"


    "A littleter, maybe. I need to go home and change my clothes first."


    "Sure."


    The car screeched to a halt in front of Golden Mansion, and they exchanged their goodbyes before


    Maria got inside.


    Her movements were quick and calcted—she took a shower and changed her clothes. And then


    she was driving out of themunity.


    Maria knew she was bound to return to jail within a matter of days, and while she was sure that


    Norman wouldn''t let her rot in there, she still felt the need to see Jonathan before she stepped back


    into prison. If things went awryter on, it would only be harder to see the man.


    Maria and Jonathan faced each other in the visiting area of his detention facility. She wore an


    imprable, icy expression, while he looked like he had grown ten years older in these past few


    days.


    Hatred was bursting forth from his manic eyes. "I knew it was you, Maria Song, you bitch!"


    She put a hand on her waist and looked at him indifferently. She was wearing a long ck coat over


    a delicatece dress.


    She always made it a point to look wless and magnificent in front of her enemies.


    Maria didn''t beat around the bush. "Jonathan Jiang, do you still remember Siena Mo?" she asked


    quietly.


    It had been so many years now, but the moment he heard that name, his face went pale and his lips


    trembled. His previously aggressive stance turned fearful in the blink of an eye. ''How does she


    know that name?'' He had spent millions of dors in the past just to make sure that name was


    buried and never saw the light of day again.


    But Maria''s question was a rhetorical one, and she didn''t really need an answer. "For your


    information, she was my best friend. She was even my maid of honor when I married James."


    Realization dawned on Jonathan then, and it reflected in his eyes. "You did all this to avenge her, is


    that it?"


    "Precisely!" Maria met his gaze with a fierce expression of her own. She was not going to hide


    anything anymore.