Chapter 291: Chapter 291

Shelby was not surprised to see a car ready for them just outside the building they had just existed. She relaxed and let her husband take control. The light pitter-patter of feet told her that Samantha was not far behind them.

Currey held the car door open as Ian stepped gracefully into the car, still with Shelby in his arms. He settled her sideways on his lap and let her rest her head on his chest.

Although Samantha had not spent much time with them, she was used to how handsy her adopted father was with his wife. Despite this, she blushed deeply and lowered her head as she entered their car from the opposite side.

The two were engaged in themselves as if they were the only two people in the car. Samantha sighed as this reminded her of her experience that evening.

"Huh?" Samantha was startled out of her thoughts as she turned to look at Ian.

"Who is he?" Ian asked again, but Samantha was too startled to give a clear answer,

"Raye Gumm, the only son from the Gumm wine sellers."

Samantha snapped her head to the front, her mouth still hanging open. She was stunned at how Currey knew of Raye and his family.

"Is the market so polluted that anyone can re-sell our wines?"

Currey did not respond, as he knew his next instructions would follow. Meanwhile, Samantha was lost. She looked from her adoptive father to his assistant as if they had turned blue like aliens.

"What is your instruction, Chairman?"

"Do you want me to show you how to do your job?"

"Huh?" Currey explained, looking into the driving mirror to meet Ian’s cold gaze. Currey could still not understand what that statement meant.

"That prick dares to covet my wife? He is quite the brace one. I don’t want to see or hear of that name from today onwards!"

Shelby giggled and nestled closer to him, but not before she peeked over his shoulder and winked at Samantha.

That action jolted Samantha to the core. She was tactful and, therefore, understood what Shelby wanted to tell her without using words.

It may have been true that her adoptive father was angry with Raye’s words; anyone would be if a young nobody said that about their spouse, but Samantha had a feeling that the attack on Raye and his family was also rooted in her in a way.

She was not too sure and did not dare to hope. Besides, she was just a useless nobody in the family and knew deep within her heart that she had done nothing to expect anything from her new parents, so why would anyone look out for her?

Just as Samantha thought that she had misinterpreted Shelby’s wink, Ian replied,

"Since I decided to give you another chance, do not squander that. Also, a Thornston is still a Thornston, and no brat would be allowed to mess with one!"

’WHAT!!’ was what Samantha wanted to shout out, which suited the situation at that moment, but the words got stuck in her throat. All she could do was clutch onto the brooch like her life depended on it.

Fresh tears ran down her cheeks as she realized, yet again, that she had nearly messed up with her life and the third chance that nature had given her. Samantha found herself swearing,

"I swear that I would never belittle this privilege ever again in my life! I will work hard and not let you down! Thank you for believing in me."

Ian did not bother with her again and turned his full attention to his wife. He patted her gently until he felt her breathing even up.

Right at that moment, Samantha’s phone rang. She took one look at the caller ID and then turned her phone off.

"Was that him?" Shelby asked quietly. This upset Ian because he knew that no matter how much of a brave front Shelby put on, she was still tired and needed her beauty sleep.

"Yes, we were supposed to meet for a date this evening..."

"Currey, please get Samantha a new phone number,"

"You are too young to be dating! I won’t tell you how to live your life, but I know this has been a lesson for you. Make sure that my wife does not worry unnecessarily about you!"

Samantha bit her lip and bowed her head as she got riddled with more guilt and shame. It was a shame that she had even considered harming herself for Raye. Thinking of it, she came to a consensus in her mind that Raye and Natasha deserved each other.

She took all the words Ian threw at her in good faith even though Ian’s words cut her deep like a knife.

"You know well enough not to see that brat again. Also, for the disrespect you showed my wife, you will henceforth be grounded for a week and work in the fields near the home with the workers. You need to understand that nothing is free in this life!"

For a moment, Samantha was stunned, but then she felt warm in her heart. Someone might think she was crazy for her euphoria after being punished, but Samantha had a different reason.

She knew that only those considered close family would be punished to right their ways. By punishing her, Samantha felt that her father had really accepted her and was indeed willing to overlook what she had done in the past. What even she did had not realized yet was that her thinking had changed. She had subconsciously started referring to Ian as her father within that short ride.

Currey did not take long to pull up in front of the hospital. Ian took his wife out and left without a backward glance.

Currey swiftly pulled away and headed back to the Thornston estate. By the time they arrived, deep in the night, Samantha’s old phone had been discarded, and she had the latest model in her hand with a new number.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!!!!!"

Raye stumbled back into their home that evening and nearly slipped and fell. By the time he got back home, it was nearly midnight. His father did not care much about his activities, so Raye was surprised at the welcoming outburst.

He picked his ear with his index finger and then scowled,

"What is it so late at night, Oldman? I am tired and want to sleep!" Raye snapped and tried to bypass his father, but the older man pulled his sleeve and smashed Raye against the wall.

"Ah! What’s your deal? Can’t I have some piece of mind? Talk of coming home to chaos!" Raye shouted at his father, his eyes going red in anger. As the only child of his family, he had been pampered to have his way with everything and wanted for nothing.

Usually, his father would have apologized to him, but Raye could only see his father’s anger become more prominent.

"If you did nothing, why is the Thronston Wineries doing this to us?"

"Doing WHAT?! Stop talking in riddles and – "

"They cancelled all of our contracts with them!"

"WHAT!!! Can they do that? Also, why do you think that they would do this because of me?"

His father laughed as tears gathered in his eyes, "I only dreamed of being in-laws with them and growing our family business, but why did they cancel every single contract we had with them and swiftly pay the penalty fees?"

"Pay?" Raye echoed and then felt that something was amiss.

He had gone to the restaurant for dinner as scheduled, but no matter how many times he had called Samantha, it had gone straight to voicemail. At that time, Raye had not thought much of it and had called one of his numerous girlfriends to keep him company. As he thought long and hard about it, he could not dismiss the feeling he was getting from that.

"Their contract is worth more than the penalty! With all this money, if I have no business, everything will go down the drain!"

"Really? Why do you think I did something wrong? Maybe you did something you shouldn’t, Oldman! I just went out, and besides, I never even met that Thornston girl this evening. She stood me up! I can’t believe that she has the guts to do that!"

"Is that what is important right now, Raye?"

But Raye was not listening,

"Let me call her to find out what is happening...."

[The number you have dialled is incorrect! Please check the number and dial again!]

He kept getting the same annoying set of messages that Raye threw his phone away in a fit of anger.

His father was unsure of what to do, or if his son had done any wrong, which seemed unlikely in his mind, but then, without who or what he had offended, the man watched everything he had worked for fall like withered leaves.

Like a living nightmare, some other smaller investors in his company started withdrawing their funds. This went on until Mr Gumm could not take it anymore and collapsed.

Samantha knew not what had happened because the following week, she stayed home from school as she had been grounded. She took the pains to apologize to her grandparents, too. However, these two were not easy to please, but Samantha did not falter. She was made to work some of the home chores in the mornings; she cleared their table after they ate and washed the dishes.

Afterwards, she would follow a designated worker to the vineyards around the house and would be put to work. It was exhausting and nothing like she had ever done, but Samantha did not complain. This also helped numb the pain she felt from Raye. At the end of the week, and Shelby was discharged to come home, Samantha felt like a new person, both in and out!

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