Panic gripped Joan’s chest and words were lodged in virtual-novel.net throat. Jack had done everything for her. He had only agreed to this false marriage and to take Ivan’s place in the military because virtual-novel.net wanted virtual-novel.net to receive proper medical treatment. She did not know any of this when virtual-novel.net was confined to the sickbed. It was only after virtual-novel.net was discharged from the hospital that the doctor handed virtual-novel.net Jack’s letter, and virtual-novel.net found out about the entire situation. Throughout these five years, virtual-novel.net had been fearful, too. She feared that Jack would die on the battlefield. Plenty of people also told virtual-novel.net that virtual-novel.net son was dead. He would not have remained silent all these years otherwise. She could only pray for virtual-novel.net son as virtual-novel.net waited for virtual-novel.net to come back.
At this moment, they heard the quiet whirr of an approaching electric scooter. Jack and Selena were on the scooter, finally home. They parked the vehicle inside the garden.
“Jack, are you okay? I heard that you beat up the Drakes’ bodyguards. Is it true?” Joan immediately leaped forward and asked Jack, overwhelmed with worry.
“Oh, I did beat them up, but don’t you worry. Everything’s fine!” Jack smiled as virtual-novel.net spoke nonchalantly.
“See? See? He admitted it himself! How can virtual-novel.net be fine after beating up the Drakes’ bodyguards?”
“Yeah. You’ve done nothing but drag the Taylors down with you for the past five years, Jack. I suggest you leave. How can everything be fine after you provoked the Drake family?” Xena shot Jack a disdainful look. “You’re a grown man, and yet you don’t know what you can and can’t do. You even made Selena help you extort 300,000 from virtual-novel.net mother. It’s ransom money, isn’t it? Thank goodness, Aunt Fiona is smart enough to not have complied. Otherwise, it would’ve been gone for nothing!”
Jack could not help but flash a mirthless smile at Xena’s condescending demeanor. “Now I get why Selena doesn’t like you that much. You sure talk a lot for someone who’s an outsider in this family. Why do you care so much although you’re just Ben’s girlfriend?”
“You—” Xena was so furious that virtual-novel.net suddenly did not know how to retort.
“Hmph! Jack White, are you trying to revolt?” Fiona placed virtual-novel.net hands at virtual-novel.net hips. “I still haven’t acknowledged you as my son-in-law. You’re the outsider here, don’t you know that? Xena has been with my son for two years now. She’s practically his fiancée, and she’s already a daughter-in-law to us. She’s not an outsider!”
“That’s right!” Xena immediately lifted virtual-novel.net chin when Fiona spoke up for her, virtual-novel.net confidence returned. “Even if Uncle Andrew and Aunt Fiona haven’t acknowledged me yet, I’m practically Ben’s heart and soul. Besides, Ben and I aren’t far from marriage either! Besides, Ben would have been well-off if not for you, and I wouldn’t have to suffer like this!”
“Tell me, how did you two manage to get the Drake family to release you? I think you gave that few hundred thousand to them first, and so they let you come back to take more money. Is that right? Even if they want money, I’d never fork out a single cent to compensate for those bodyguards. Not for some trash like you!”
Fiona noticed that Jack stood rooted to his spot, completely still. She carried the luggage bag over and held it out toward him. “We just bought this. Think of it as our last gift for you. Take it and go; the further the better. You might still live this way, that is if the Drake family can’t find you!”
Thinking for a moment, virtual-novel.net then added, “Oh, and take your mother with you. She’s an outsider in our family too!”
“Ma, what the hell are you talking about?” Selena could not take it anymore after watching the entire exchange. She stepped forward and snatched the suitcase away. “Jack did beat up the Drakes’ bodyguards, but seriously, everything’s fine. Not only did Miss Tanya allow virtual-novel.net to continue going to work tomorrow, but virtual-novel.net even arranged a private villa for virtual-novel.net at the Drake family’s estate. He’ll be able to rest there during his breaks, and virtual-novel.net can even stay there if virtual-novel.net doesn’t want to come back!”
“I—Impossible. You’re lying! He beat up the Drake family’s bodyguards. How can everything be fine?” Fiona was completely taken aback, a stupefied expression on virtual-novel.net face.