Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 171

Not long after Quinlan left, I started digging through my email for the files Paula had sent me. They had info on the celebrities of Starlight City, including Marlowe.

It was always said that knowing oneself and knowing the enemy would lead to victory in every battle. Since she was gunning for Quinlan, this might come in handy later.

After skimming through it, I picked up one of the books Christopher had recommended last time and read a few pages before taking a break.

A couple of days later, Ophelia's private photos started spreading online like wildfire.

Paula had once gossiped to me about Ophelia, mentioning that some executives had compromising photos of her.

Quantum Dynamics Corporation was in trouble. Vertex Innovations Ltd, which was originally planning to sign an investment deal with Quantum Dynamics Corporation, reassessed the situation and decided the risk was too high, so they pulled out.

Now, Quantum Dynamics Corporation was leaderless, with internal executives too busy fighting for power to consider the acquisition of Horizon Innovations.

That executive probably released her private photos because the acquisition of Horizon Innovations fell through.

Even though the photos were quickly deleted or censored online, they spread too fast and were shared in groups by those with ulterior motives, making the situation uncontrollable and almost universally known.

Even Alan in prison found out. Ophelia tried to see Alan to explain, but he didn't want to see her at all.

For some reason, she thought I was an easy target and came to find me when she couldn't see Alan.

Unlike our last meeting where she was dressed to the nines, she now looked haggard, her clothes wrinkled, and her face pitiful.

Of course, having seen her arrogance before, I didn't feel any sympathy. I even considered ignoring her completely. But she was persistent.

With a pleading tone, she grabbed my sleeve. "Melinda, I know you're the kindest person. I was wrong before, but I have no other choice now. Please help me contact Jason. I need to see him."

I pushed her hand away and took a step back. "Sorry, I don't know him well enough to help you with that."

"No, Melinda, I believe you can." Ophelia was unwilling to give up, her eyes fixed on me. "Weren't you the one who told me to find a way to control Alan and get more in the divorce? I did what you said, but it turned out like this. You have to take some responsibility, don't you?"

I couldn't help but laugh at her logic. "First of all, I never told you to control anyone. Secondly, your so-called control—was it over Alan or Mr. Cook? You know the truth. This situation has nothing to do with me. If you want to blame someone, you should look in the mirror."

Ophelia seemed to realize she had misspoken. She quickly tried to explain, "No, that's not what I meant. I just wanted you to help me out. I don't understand what you mean about Mr. Cook. I'm innocent. You were kind enough to warn me before, so I know you're a good person. Please, help me. As a fellow woman, you should sympathize with my situation, right?"

"You sure know how to sweet-talk now, but unfortunately, I'm not as kind as you think." I wasn't swayed by her words.

Instead, I said, "I can guess why you want to see Mr. Cook. You want to ask him about the photos online. Even though I don't know him well, I can tell you for sure it wasn't him."

"The situation's already happened. If I were you, I'd focus on keeping the jewelry, designer clothes, and bags you have. I heard Alan knows about the photos and wants a divorce. You have a prenup, so those things are all you have left."

Ophelia's expression shifted several times. "You seem to know a lot. And you say..."

I cut her off, "This is an open secret in the upper circles. It's not surprising that I know."

"By the way, a heads-up: this scandal has embarrassed the Bennett family enough because of Alan. Now, with you as the laughingstock, they're probably furious. Do you think they'll come to Starlight City to deal with you? Instead of wasting time here, you should go back, gather your valuables, and plan your next move. The Bennett family won't be as easy to deal with as Alan."

The Bennett family had been in power for a long time. They weren't to be messed with.

Alan, the disappointment, refused to see them, which probably made them even angrier. Ophelia was walking right into their line of fire, and it wouldn't be hard for them to take it out on her.

Ophelia's face turned pale, and she hurriedly ran off.

Not long after she left, I got a call from Paula. The Bennett family had arrived in Starlight City.

If Ophelia was planning to run with her valuables now, I doubted she'd succeed. But that had nothing to do with me. I didn't waste any more thoughts on that family.

The next day.

I had just arrived at the office. Given my current status, my colleagues were very friendly towards me.

The receptionist saw me and pointed to two men standing nearby, whispering a reminder.

Following her direction, I saw two well-dressed men in suits.

"Ms. Turner, they're here to see Mr. Collins."

Combining this with Paula's call, I guessed they were from the Bennett family.

"Where's Mr. Collins?" I asked the receptionist.

"Mr. Collins hasn't arrived yet," she replied.

I nodded and called Christopher to explain the situation.

Christopher's calm voice over the phone was reassuring. He said he was on his way and would handle it.

He arrived faster than I expected, just a few minutes later.

The two men from the Bennett family, who had clearly done their homework and recognized Christopher, immediately approached him warmly.

"Mr. Collins, hello." The older of the two, about fifty, spoke.

Christopher clearly knew him too. He nodded and replied calmly, "Mr. Bennett, are you here to discuss a new collaboration with Summit Innovations Group?"

He spoke as he walked towards the elevator. The two men quickly followed. I glanced at Christopher. He didn't stop me, so I followed them into the elevator.

In the quiet space, with just the four of us, the elder Bennett, Will Bennett, spoke again, "Summit Innovations Group is a leader in the investment industry. We hope to have many opportunities to collaborate in the future."

As he spoke, he adopted a humble posture, not relying on his age to demand respect, but rather showing deference.