Chapter 24 - 23: Norman Bennett

"Hey, Mr. President, it’s Cari, about the vice president..." Cari carefully explained the situation to Cameron Southwell, hinting at the loss of money, but Cameron’s angry shouts still came from the other end of the line. "You prodigal son! Don’t think I don’t know, you must’ve gambled it away again. Where is he? Get him to answer the phone!" Cameron was nearly bursting with anger, and even though the Southwell Family had some wealth, they couldn’t withstand Shane’s wastefulness. And the matter of Shane embezzling two million in company funds had just been covered up, and now this! Cari held the phone a bit away from her ear, awkwardly saying, "Mr. President, the vice president is not in a good position to take the call." It’s not just inconvenient, Shane can’t take it at all; he had several teeth knocked out and finds it hard to speak. Even if he recovers, he probably won’t grow new teeth and will need implants. The thought of the usually cool and handsome Shane grinning with a mouthful of shiny gold teeth made her want to laugh. "Speak up! Why can’t he answer my call? He’s got the guts to spend, but not to face the consequences!" Cameron’s anger made him curse even himself. Cari quickly composed herself and said softly, "Mr. President, yesterday the vice president was..." She hesitated for a moment. It was Norman Bennett’s people, and with the Bennett Group backing him, even telling Cameron would be pointless. Cameron: "What happened? Don’t speak so hesitantly!" "The vice president was beaten up by Norman Bennett’s people yesterday, and he’s currently at North City Central Hospital," Cari had no choice but to tell the truth. Cameron: "What? Norman Bennett?" He sounded surprised but then realized it wasn’t all that strange. Cameron already guessed it was about that girl Elliana Lyle. After all, Elliana’s pursuit of Shane was widely known across the country. Though Shane wasn’t an entertainer, his good looks made him a hot topic in the media, so he’s quite famous. However, Shane hadn’t been appearing in public much lately. After some time, Cari heard a sigh from the other end of the call. Cameron couldn’t stand up for his son, and even knowing it was Norman, there was nothing he could do. After all, Roland wasn’t even worth a fart in the Bennett Family’s eyes. Hearing their president’s sigh, Cari pursed her lips, feeling a bit disdainful. Cameron: "Forget it, I’ll let his mother visit him. I’ll figure out the fund transfer; you take care of him for now, make sure he doesn’t stir up more trouble." "Okay, Mr. President." But given Shane’s current state, she didn’t really need to look after him. After Cameron gave a noncommittal response, he hung up. Sitting in the executive chair, Cameron suddenly looked much older, his stern yet kindly face almost sagging to the floor. He tiredly rubbed his brow, unwilling to say a word, only wishing he could string up his unfilial son and beat him. But at his age, in his forties, he only had Shane, who was brought up spoiled and pampered. After a long time, he picked up the phone and dialed his wife’s number, but the moment it connected, he hastily handed the phone to his assistant. He couldn’t bear to hear his wife’s wailing, especially since they hadn’t seen each other in months and he didn’t know how to broach the topic. Meanwhile, Cari also breathed a sigh of relief. The publication and distribution of South Wind Song should have been Roland’s, but because of the company’s financial strain, there was constant indecision. This led White Goose Studios to snatch the publishing and distribution first. If Roland breached the contract in such a loss, the company’s shareholders would certainly raise hell. Thankfully, the president agreed to help, though he had little choice. ――― Vicars Hotel. Today, Norman Bennett was almost free and relaxed, as Joy Lyle, seeing the two of them reconcile, found an excuse of reading a script to leave. Elliana suddenly felt very sorry for Joy, knowing that if Roland was kicked out, Joy, as an artist for Roland, would also be ousted. But there’s no perfect solution in the world, so she planned that after Joy’s contract with Roland ended, she’d have Norman sign Joy over. "Norman, how’d things go with what you promised me?" Elliana sat in the man’s lap, eager to know the result. She knew Norman was capable of it. "I said I would do it, and I won’t make false promises." With Norman’s reassurance, Elliana no longer worried about this issue. Once Roland breached the contract, those shareholders wouldn’t tolerate Shane. Though she knew Shane’s father, Cameron Southwell, would cover for him, it wouldn’t be without cost. Now her biggest worry was Luna. This Luna disappeared after taking the money, which understandably left her uneasy. "What? Worried?" Sensing the girl’s distraction, Norman asked. Elliana was a bit startled, then chuckled. "No, when you handle things, I’m confident." After yesterday’s conflict, Elliana savored the current happiness, wishing Norman would never get angry again. This was good enough. She carefully cupped the man’s face, finding it pleasing no matter how she looked at it, wondering how there could be such a handsome man in the world? Especially those soft, thin lips, appearing very kissable. "Norman, can I kiss you?" Elliana licked her lips with a grin. But she didn’t realize her appearance deeply attracted him then. While waiting for an answer, Elliana suddenly found her head held by a pair of large hands. The cool, fragrant lips pressed down, and Elliana’s breath quickened, caught off guard by the action. Her hands climbed to the man’s neck, gripping lightly, as her head tipped back instinctively, responding clumsily yet passionately. When the man gently released her, she found herself lying on the sofa. Feeling nervous, Elliana suddenly found it thrilling, her big, almond eyes wide open, watching Norman intently. In truth, she was already dazed. Seeing the man’s passionate gaze, Elliana only felt her heart drop into a void. The man’s desire made her afraid. Seeing Norman about to come down again, she hastily raised her hand and shouted, "Norman, I need to go to the bathroom!" With that, she quickly pushed him off and scrambled up, running into the room like a frightened kitten. "Whew!" Norman was suddenly inexplicably annoyed, striding into the bathroom. Elliana hid inside, the lingering fear still present. It really scared her earlier; if she hadn’t left, she might have frozen entirely. The bathroom was devoid of steam; the cool water from the showerhead trickled down the man’s face. It took a long, long while before everything quieted down.