Chapter 434 - 436: Jeanette Kensington’s Suicide
Chapter 434 - 436: Jeanette Kensington’s Suicide
"How about this? Go find some rich man to latch onto. Maybe someone with a taste for the bizarre will take a liking to you."
"Earning money with your own skills is more respectable than anything else, wouldn’t you say?"
The moment Naomi Kenway finished speaking, she heard Jackson Kensington coughing violently on the other end of the line, clearly infuriated.
"You animal! How dare you talk to me like that! I regret ever having you! If I’d known you would be so ungrateful, I should have strangled you at birth instead of letting you live to infuriate me to death! You debt-collecting demon, you were born to be my downfall!"
But Naomi Kenway just laughed. "I’m sipping some red wine right now. And for some reason, just thinking about how miserable you are seems to make it taste even richer."
*
In the hospital room:
"Jackson, what did she say? Is she willing to help us?" Lorraine Warren asked impatiently.
"I’m disowning her as my daughter!"
Lorraine Warren’s face was etched with worry, and she stomped her foot in anxiety. "What are we going to do without money? We’re finished! How are we supposed to live..."
An inexplicable panic showed in her eyes.
Jackson Kensington looked at her suspiciously. "Why do you seem even more anxious than I am?"
Lorraine Warren quickly composed herself, her eyes darting about. "It’s just that... with our family’s company in trouble, how could I not be worried? Especially since you haven’t been eating or sleeping well lately, Jackson. You even ended up in the hospital. I’ve been terrified every single day."
A flicker of emotion showed in Jackson Kensington’s eyes as he looked at her. "Naomi Kenway gave me a condition. She said she’d only give me the money if I kicked you and Jeanette out. I refused her outright. You and Jeanette are my only treasures."
Lorraine Warren froze. Tears suddenly welled in her eyes, and she collapsed onto Jackson Kensington’s chest, her face streaked with tears of gratitude, guilt, and regret.
Lorraine Warren’s phone rang. She wiped away her tears and answered, but nearly fainted the next second.
"What’s wrong?"
Jackson Kensington asked worriedly.
Lorraine Warren burst into tears, clutching tightly at Jackson Kensington’s collar and choking out her words. "Jeanette... Something’s happened to Jeanette! That damned Caleb Bishop is breaking off their engagement, and Jeanette... she took sleeping pills..."
Jackson Kensington almost fainted as well. Still in his hospital gown, he ignored the nurses’ protests and rushed with Lorraine Warren to the intensive care unit.
After more than five hours of emergency treatment, Jeanette Kensington was finally saved.
When the doctor announced they could visit, Lorraine Warren held the unconscious Jeanette Kensington’s hand, crying uncontrollably.
"My child, my foolish child, why would you abuse your body like this over a man? Do you have any idea how much this hurts me? Mommy’s heart is breaking..."
The doctor came in and advised, "When the patient wakes up, you need to counsel her proactively. Her will to live is very weak, and she might try to take her own life again."
"Thank you, Doctor..."
Jackson Kensington looked at his daughter’s haggard face on the hospital bed and thought about how this was all Caleb Bishop’s fault. He trembled and nearly passed out again.
Lorraine Warren rushed to hold him. "Jackson, Jackson, d-don’t scare me! You two are all I have..."
*
Regarding the current crisis at Kenway Group, the company held several emergency shareholder meetings to discuss solutions. Jackson Kensington attended the meetings despite being ill, but his right-hand man, Caleb Bishop, was nowhere to be seen.
As a shareholder, Naomi Kenway also attended the meeting.
The market value had inexplicably shrunk by a factor of dozens, and the company was even facing the risk of bankruptcy. Every shareholder wore a worried expression.
Saul Linton lamented with his eyes closed, "I knew this day would come. The company was never going to last long in Jackson Kensington’s hands."
For once, Jackson Kensington didn’t retort.
Someone said angrily, "Where is Caleb Bishop? Is he a mole sent by a rival company? How could he ruin the company like this! If I ever get my hands on him, I’ll beat him to death!"
The meeting ended an hour later. The shareholders’ meeting had been a complete failure; they hadn’t managed to agree on a reasonable solution. A few shareholders even got into a huge argument over their differing opinions on the proposed plans.
The shareholders left one by one, and Naomi Kenway followed them out.
She hadn’t offered any opinions during the meeting. ’Just watching Jackson Kensington’s expression was interesting enough.’
Before she reached the elevators, someone grabbed her hand. She looked closely. "Caleb Bishop... How dare you show your face here? You’re about to become public enemy number one in this company. Aren’t you afraid you won’t make it out?" She smiled. "I won’t be helping you, of course. I’ll just be enjoying the show."
As she spoke, she pulled her hand away.
Caleb Bishop chuckled, the picture of confidence. "What do I have to be afraid of? It’ll all be in my pocket sooner or later. Their dissatisfaction is only temporary. As long as I offer them a bigger piece of the pie, they’ll probably be grinning from ear to ear."
Naomi Kenway narrowed her eyes. "You’re still planning to take over the company?"
"Who wouldn’t want to? Wouldn’t the company be much better off in my hands than in Jackson Kensington’s?"
Naomi Kenway sneered. "Don’t be so greedy, or you might just choke on it. I’m warning you: don’t covet what you can’t have."
"Does that include you?"
"Don’t stand there and disgust me."
"I’ve already broken off my engagement with Jeanette Kensington, you know..."
Naomi Kenway cut him off. "What are you trying to say? That you’ve loved me all along, and that you were just putting on an act with Jeanette Kensington?"
A look of resignation crossed Caleb Bishop’s face, and he shrugged. "You really do know me well."
"Cut your disgusting act. The very sight of you makes me physically ill..."
Hurt flashed in Caleb Bishop’s eyes. He said, "I’m serious. I’m not lying to you. If you’re willing to come back to me, I’m willing to personally hand Kenway Group to you. I’ll treat you just as well as I did before—no, even better than before..."
"All those innocent, wonderful times we had... have you forgotten them all? We were supposed to be a match made in heaven. I’ll keep getting better and better. I can give you so much now..."
Naomi Kenway pointed a finger at her own head. "Are you serious? Do you think I’m crazy? What makes you think I’d ever go back to you? Is there a single thing about you that’s not a hundred times worse than my husband? Do you think I’m still as stupid as I used to be, picking up trash and treating it like treasure? And another thing..."
Naomi Kenway tilted her head, her eyes filled with the certainty of victory, and said, word by word:
"I don’t need your help to fight for what’s mine. I have plenty of ways to get it myself."
There was no anger on Caleb Bishop’s face. He just smiled. "You’re the one who’s been secretly buying up Kenway Group’s shares, aren’t you? I went to all the trouble of driving down the company’s stock price, and it turns out I was just helping you."
"Don’t flatter yourself. I could have acquired the shares even without you."
"Alright," Caleb Bishop said. "Since we both want it, let’s see who’s more capable. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do."
With that, he gave Naomi Kenway one last, deep look, then turned and walked away.
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