Chapter 31
Tax evasion, product quality issues, bribing officials… you name it.
Almost every crime you can think of has been linked to the Reed family.
Stock prices crashed, partners pulled out, and banks slammed the door shut on loans. In just a matter of days, Reed Enterprises, once a booming empire, was declared bankrupt.
I watched the news unfold with little more than a shrug. They brought this disaster on themselves, and honestly, I thought karma had taken way too long to show up.
After Reed Enterprises collapsed, Jason’s parents aged years in the blink of an eye. Rumor had it that they sold their mansion, but the money barely made a dent in their mounting debts.
They begged anyone they could, humbling themselves in ways they never would have before.
n its legs.
The once–proud, wealthy woman was now begging for mercy, reduced to nothing, like a dog with its tail between Eventually, the pressure became too much. Jason’s father suffered a stroke and collapsed in the street. By the time he was rushed to the hospital, it was already too late.
His mother, unable to bear the constant blows, lost her grip on reality and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
Word was that every day, she clutched a broken doll and muttered to herself, “My son is a CEO… My son is a good person..
As for Jason, his time in the detention center wasn’t exactly easy. Gone was the arrogance he used to wear like armor–now, he was more like a deflated balloon, drooping and defeated.
Every day, he anxiously waited for his release, dreaming up his big comeback and fantasizing about how he’d get back to his old life. He even started planning his first few moves after he got out, thinking about what to do first and second, like a fool lost in his delusions, talking to himself like no one was listening.
Finally, the day of his release came
He gathered his not–so–clean clothes and shuffled out of the detention center, his steps stiff and uncertain.!!
But instead of a welcoming crowd or a fresh start, he was met by a group of uniformed police officers.
“Mr. Jason Reed, you are suspected of multiple cases of economic fraud We are now formally arresting you.”
The cold, clipped words shattered every fantasy he had Before he could even catch a breath, he was handcuffed again and shoved into a police car?
Turns out, while Chase and I were collecting evidence on Jason’s earlier crimes, we stumbled onto even more of his dirty secrets. Not only had he evaded taxes and bribed officials, but he was also deep into multiple fraud cases–dozens of victims and millions of dollars involved.
The evidence was overwhelming.
This time, Jason had no chance of worming his way out of it.
Meanwhile, my parents were changing their tune faster than flipping a page in a book.!!
One minute, they mocked me and tried to throw me out the door!
The next, they were grinning, nodding, and calling me their good daughter”
My mom grabbed my hand
Just moments ago, she had wanted to slap me.
Now, she was stroking my hand as if it were a precious treasure. “Emma, I was wrong. I spoke too harshly before. You’re the bigger person. Please, don’t hold it against me.”
I let out a cold laugh and pulled my hand away. “Mother, what’s your game here? I can’t keep up with your twisted logic. My brain’s not as sharp as yours.”
I raised an eyebrow, eyeing these two “victims” with nothing but disgust. “So, what’s this? You want me to forgive you playing your free nanny, serving your whole family?”
My dad stepped up next, his face plastered with that fake, fawning expression. “Emma, we misunderstood you. We were fooled by that Jason quy, too!”
and
and keep
My mom quickly waved her hands, panic creeping into her voice. “No, no, no, that’s not what we mean at all! Emma, you’re the one who saved our family! If it weren’t for you, we’d be done for!”
