Chapter 781 Valerie''s Dark Past


    Bryant got up and fetched a warm towel for Valerie, giving her some time to calm down.


    When he returned, he gently wiped her face with the towel. The moist warmth of the towel had a


    soothing effect on Valerie for her body eventually stopped trembling.


    Bryant asked her, "Earlier, you implied that Leon threatened you. What did he say?"


    Valerie held onto the towel. The fluffy white fabric was now stained with all the colors of her


    makeup: different shades of brown, ck from her mascara, and red from her lipstick and cheek


    tint.


    Now bare-faced, her skin was smooth and fair like a baby''s. In contrast, the towel looked as if it had


    been dropped into a muddy puddle.


    Valerie gripped the towel in her hands.


    She answered, "Leon med me for the rumors about our rtionship. He told me to do something


    to stop them and asked how long it would take. Finally, he warned me that he didn''t want to wait too


    long."


    When she recalled Leon''s dangerous smirk, her scalp tingled as if something had crawled up her


    spine.


    Bryant frowned in concern. "So he wants you to stop the rumors from spreading further. Did you tell


    him how long it would take for you to do that?"


    "No, I didn''t." Valerie''s voice wobbled as she started to cry again. "He didn''t mind the rumors before.


    Why should I be the only one to stop them? And what can I do? Should I exin myself to


    everyone, one by one? How can I make it clear that we''re not a couple? I don''t know how to exin


    it in a way that won''t make me lose face."


    She dropped her head to rest on her knees as she continued to speak. "How could he do this? How


    could he me it all on me? He''s the only one who benefits out of the rumors. I know that he


    threatened me because he''s worried that Michelle might hear the rumors and misunderstand."


    Her arms hung limply by her sides, but her hands curled into fists as sheined about the


    injustice.


    "It''s been three years, Valerie, but you still don''t know Leon at all." Bryant felt a headacheing


    on so he massaged the space between his eyebrows. "To that guy, there are only two kinds of


    people in the world: people he cares about and people he can use.


    When he cares about someone, he would do anything for that person, no matter the cost. You, of all


    people, should know that."


    Valerie''s back stiffened.


    Yes, she knew. She used to be on the receiving end of Leon''s thoughtfulness.


    Bryant continued, "As for the people he doesn''t care about, he finds ways for them to be of use to


    him, and he would make the most of it. When rumors about you two arose, he used you as a shield


    so that other women would not approach him.


    He said and did nothing to refute those rumors because, in that way, he was taking advantage of


    you." Bryant smiled helplessly.


    Should he should feel lucky that Leon regarded him as a friend?


    But they weren''t just friends. They were also connected because of business. Although the Feng


    Group was listed under his name, the chairman of the board was Nina and the secondrgest


    shareholder was Leon. When Vance and Donald reached the age of majority, they too would have


    executive positions.


    Bryant was merely a manager with a high pay grade. His own shares in thepany were less


    than ten percent.


    If he failed to make the Feng Group sessful, he would be held responsible for it, and the Feng


    family on C Ind would also be implicated.


    So his and Leon''s vested interest in the group was greater than their friendship.


    But because they were friends, Leon treated him with kindness and patience.


    Bryant and Valerie fell silent, lost in their own thoughts. It got so quiet in the room that one could


    hear a pin drop. The man sighed asionally while his cousin hupped.


    Bryant''s words made Valerie feel even more depressed. "But...he said that we were friends. He


    shouldn''t have used me like that."


    Bryant got up once more to sit on the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees. He pressed


    his fingers together and pressed his forehead against them. He looked as if he was struggling with


    something, but after a pause, he turned to look at her. "Valerie, do you really want me to spell it out


    for you?"


    Valerie slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes were swollen, making her seem like a


    delicate and pitiful lily that had been buffeted by strong winds and rain.


    This was her usual trick.


    Seeing a weak and helpless woman usually stirred a man''s desire to protect her and be her hero.


    This had worked for Valerie before.


    But it obviously had no effect on her straightforward cousin.


    They maintained eye contact for a while until she looked away first.


    "In public, I''ll be your ally because I''m your cousin. If I don''t side with you, you would really be alone


    and helpless." Bryant looked at her seriously. "But no else is here now. It''s just the two of us so I''ll


    make some things clear."


    Valerie sucked in a breath, realizing that her cousin knew more than he let on.


    She was afraid of what he might say for no one wanted to hear their own dark past from other


    people''s lips.


    But there was nothing she could do now but to listen.


    "You might feel ufortable with what I''m going to say," Bryant said, trying to make her mentally


    prepared in advance. "But I hope that you can face your past and turn over a new leaf. Don''t repeat


    your mistakes. I''m on your side not just because you''re my cousin, but because I think I can prevent


    you from going astray."


    He paused. When Valerie said nothing to protest that, he felt both satisfied and surprised.


    Valerie was behaving abnormally today.


    Recently, she had be absent-minded and unable to sleep well. It seemed that she was


    frightened by Leon, but she didn''t say anything. Tonight, she seemed obedient and willing to listen


    to him.


    Either something of critical importance happened or she had finally calmed down from her mental


    breakdown earlier.


    Anyway, he had to take this opportunity to shed some light on her past actions in hopes of making


    her realize that her attitude toward Leon had been wrong from the beginning.


    "First, let''s talk about whether Leon regards you as a friend or not. And my answer is he did," Bryant


    said. "He felt bad back then and wanted to make it up to you. From the start, he really wanted you


    two to stay friends, but it was you who wanted more."


    Valerie looked up at him in disbelief.


    She spluttered but no words came out. ''That''s impossible. I made sure not to let any feelings show


    on my face when I told Leon that we were friends.''


    As if he had read her mind, Bryant answered, "You forget how powerful Leon is. You can''t hide


    anything from him. And, again, it was you who offered to be his femalepanion, to ward off other


    women from getting close to him. He refused you, remember? He said it was inappropriate for a


    friend to do so, but you insisted.


    He saw through your n that time. Since you refused his friendship, he decided to use you like a


    tool instead. When you attached yourself to him, you practically offered yourself for him to use. Why


    would he turn down such a good opportunity? I warned you back then, but you said that you didn''t


    care."


    Valerie reflected, ''That''s right. It was because of my own insistence.''


    She used to think that she still had some leeway, but it turned out that she had already crossed a


    line a long time ago.


    "I..." Suddenly, she didn''t know what to say.


    "Now, let''s talk about something that happened seven years ago. I''ve been keeping it to myself all


    this time but you were the one who proposed to get close to Leon, didn''t you?"


    Valerie''s expression morphed into one of fright. She shifted backward unconsciously, but with the


    wall behind her, there was nowhere else to go.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about, Bryant."


    Bryant looked eerily calm. Sensing that his gaze was putting a lot of pressure on her, he looked


    away and stared at nothing in particr.


    His eyes zed over as he continued to speak.


    "Back then, you got attracted to Leon during the charity dinner, didn''t you? You had feelings for


    Baker, but you loved yourself more. So you couldn''t help but want someone better than Baker, and


    Leon was an excellent target. Many have fallen prey to his charms. Like most people, you knew that


    he was out of your league so you didn''t think too much about it. But that day, he approached you,


    and you inevitably fell in love with him.


    You couldn''t control your feelings, and ever since you were a child, you hated not being in control.


    That''s why you acted the way you did when Leon kept you in his castle. Your fear made you think


    that he was paranoid and terrible."


    Valerie really wanted to escape, and her feet started turning toward the door.


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    Feeling as if she had been stripped in broad daylight, she was angry and ashamed because what


    Bryant said was right.