novelraw Chapter 138: Family Reunion
Chapter 138: Family Reunion
["These two fucking idiots are completely despicable! You can clearly see in the video that Gigi Walsh knew Vernon Jacobs had a girlfriend. She did it on purpose to steal him away. How much of a bitch can you be, huh?"]
["Three years of her life wasted on a dog. I can’t believe I stanned such a fucking idiot. No wonder Riley Perry made a post like that. She probably found him so disgusting that she never even mentioned him, despite being cheated on!"]
["I’ve got nothing else to say. The kindest thing I can do now is just to unfollow and not become a hater."]
["How can someone with no basic morals be allowed to stay in the entertainment industry? They’ll be a bad influence on the kids!"]
["Vernon Jacobs and Gigi Walsh, get out of the entertainment industry!"]
Riley Perry couldn’t be bothered to read the comments from these fickle fans. She quickly published a second post: ["Due to the false reporting by ’The Sledgehammer,’ I have suffered severe emotional distress. As of yesterday afternoon, I have retained a lawyer to file a lawsuit. The internet is not a lawless land. I urge all netizens to be mindful of their words."]
The previous smear campaigns had all been orchestrated by Justin Locke, intended to generate buzz and attract more fans for her.
So, even when she was being attacked online, she couldn’t sue.
But this time was different. "The Sledgehammer" had absolutely nothing to do with Justin Locke. If she didn’t make them pay dearly, she’d be letting down the lessons her mother had instilled in her for over a decade.
"I’ll lend you my company’s top legal team. I guarantee they’ll sue your slanderers for everything they’re worth!"
Riley Perry reached out and hugged the man’s waist. "Alright, then. I’ll be counting on you, my dear benefactor."
Eric Sinclair suddenly lost interest in his phone. He placed his hand over the one she had on his waist. "Didn’t you say your family is coming over tomorrow? What time are we picking them up?"
"Their train gets in at 5:10 in the morning." Riley Perry yawned as she spoke. "Let’s go to sleep. I have to be up at four."
’My mom is really something else, buying a ticket for the middle of the night. I have no idea what she was thinking.’
"Then I’ll go with you."
"No need. I’ll just take Samson Sinclair. After I pick them up, I’ll take them straight to The Elysian Gardens."
Riley Perry didn’t hear a response from Eric Sinclair for a long moment. She looked up and saw him leaning against the headboard, sulking.
"Tsk, tsk. What a sight to behold. You could hang a pot off that pout. Are you mad I’m not taking you to meet my family?"
Eric Sinclair pursed his lips and said nothing.
"It’s not appropriate for me to introduce you to my parents, given our relationship." Riley Perry was ruthless. ’He’s my benefactor. Who introduces their benefactor to their parents?’
"What is our relationship?"
"You’re keeping me, and I’m being kept."
Eric Sinclair gritted his teeth. For a fleeting moment, he had the impulse to come clean and tell her everything—that he wasn’t her benefactor, but a man who wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But he couldn’t.
’If I did that,’ he feared, ’Riley would probably beat the crap out of me before kicking me to the curb.’
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. ’No, I have to do something to end this bullshit benefactor arrangement ahead of schedule.’
At four in the morning, Riley Perry got up, called for Samson Sinclair, and headed to the train station.
Eric Sinclair wasn’t idle, either. He called for Sebastian Sinclair and returned to Clearwater Villa.
Upon entering the villa, Eric Sinclair headed straight for Cole Sinclair’s study. He rummaged through the desk drawers, and lo and behold, he actually found the contract.
Sebastian Sinclair stood beside him. When he saw the large words on the contract, the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Young Master Eric, what are you looking for this for?"
Eric Sinclair was in an excellent mood. He held the contract, looking it over and over. "I’m going to take it back and tear it to shreds right in front of her."
’That’ll put an end to our benefactor arrangement,’ he thought. ’Then Riley will be able to introduce me to her family.’
Sebastian Sinclair’s mouth twitched even more violently. The muscles in his face spasmed uncontrollably, as if a madman were dancing across them.
At the train station, seeing her family again felt like a lifetime had passed. No, it was more like they were meeting again after being separated by an entire world.
She felt the urge to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. She reached out to hug her mother, only to be met with a merciless smack on the arm!
"You damn girl! What was all that drama before? You didn’t come home to see us for three years, and now you’re going to pull this depressing act on me? If you dare shed a single tear, I’ll beat you half to death!"
Any emotion Riley felt that desperately needed release vanished in an instant. ’My mom really is a country woman used to hard labor,’ she thought. ’She’s surprisingly strong!’
’Anyone else would have a swollen arm after a hit like that.’
Still, she linked her arm through Ruby Marshall’s. "Mom, calm down. I’ve missed you like crazy."
"It’s just that I suddenly became an actress, and I was afraid you wouldn’t approve, so I didn’t dare come back, you know?"
"But things are better now. I’m doing alright for myself and I even bought an apartment in Dragonspire. Once Sean gets into college, our whole family can be together all the time."
Shane Perry, feeling bad for his sister, interjected from the side, "Mom, go easy on her. My sister’s so slender, she can’t take you hitting her like that."
Ruby Marshall raised her hand threateningly. "Who asked you to butt in, you brat? What’s wrong with me smacking her a couple of times? If we weren’t in public, I’d take a stick to her for how much she’s pissed me off these past few years!"
Shane Perry said, "...My sister’s an actress now. If you mess her up, she won’t be able to earn money."
Ruby Marshall’s hand, which had been itching to strike, SWISHED back down. No matter how angry she was, she couldn’t get in the way of her child’s career.
Patrick Perry seized the chance to mediate. "Alright, alright, let’s head back first. Riley is a celebrity now. If someone takes a picture, she’ll be trending online again."
Reminded by her husband, Ruby Marshall immediately glanced around. Dragonspire’s train station was bustling with people, even this early in the morning. It would be a problem if someone photographed them.
"Let’s go, let’s go. Let’s head home first. Where’s your car?"
Ruby Marshall pulled Riley Perry forward. Riley exchanged a look with her father before leading them out of the station and to the car waiting in a parking spot.
As the car started moving, Riley Perry instructed Samson Sinclair, "Find a place to eat breakfast first."
Shane Perry said, "Sis, I want to try the fried liver here."
Patrick Perry laughed. "Your brother spent the whole trip here looking up Dragonspire’s local delicacies. He even took notes. It’s going to cost you a fortune these next few days."
Riley Perry said nonchalantly, "How much can he possibly eat? Just don’t forget to do a few sets from your exam prep workbooks when you’re done."
The moment he heard the word "workbooks," the food suddenly lost its appeal for Shane Perry. It wasn’t that he hated studying, but his sister had already mailed home two batches of study materials recently. They came in huge stacks, and he was honestly sick to death of doing practice questions.
Shane Perry clasped his hands together and bowed pleadingly to his sister. "Sis, I’m begging you. Just let me have fun for a couple of days."
Amused by his antics, Riley Perry laughed. "Fine. Just two days, not a day more. After your college entrance exams, I’ll pay for you to go on a trip. Anywhere you want in the country. You can even go abroad if you want. Go see the world. Once you start working, you won’t have this kind of freedom."
’She really meant just two days, huh?’ Shane thought. ’Oh well, two days is better than nothing. I am a poor, stressed-out high school senior, after all! Must never forget to study!’
After the family of four, plus Samson Sinclair, had a hearty breakfast, they returned to the apartment at The Elysian Gardens.