Chapter 7
Jack gripped his phone, his eyes frighteningly cold.
He never expected Thierry to be so carried away with himself!
How could Avery possibly host a banquet for him personally? This guy was so clueless that he dared to make up stories about Avery too.
Jack's tone was indifferent as he said calmly, "On the day of the coming-of-age ceremony, you'll pay the price for your arrogance."
"Make me pay? Ha ha ha, we'll see about that. If I don't destroy you, I'll stick my head up my ass."
Before Thierry could keep ranting, Jack hung up directly.
This pest was really annoying.
He turned to look at Annie, only to see her sitting blankly at the company entrance, her face pale and her eyes full of despair.
Obviously, she had vaguely heard Thierry's ranting just now.
At this moment, Annie was pushed into a corner.
She had already offended Thierry, and now he had latched onto the Ellis family. Everyone was urging her to back down and compromise.
Did she really have to apologize to that scumbag in humiliation?
Jack stepped forward, his tone steady and firm: "Don't be afraid. I told you, you're my woman, and I'll take care of everything for you."
Annie's eyes reddened as she held back tears and complained, "At a time like this, you're still talking big."
Thierry had now hooked up with the Ellis family and could do whatever he wanted in Philadelphia. What could a nobody like Jack use to fight him?
He really didn't know any better. She told him to run but he wouldn't. Was he staying here to wait for death?
She'd rather shoulder everything herself than drag innocent people into her troubles.
Annie bit her lip, looked at Jack, and said seriously, "You should go! Leave Philadelphia right away! You can't mess with Thierry. He's a lunatic who's capable of anything!"
Jack looked at her, barely able to protect herself yet still worried about him, and felt warmth in his heart.
He comforted her gently, "How about we make a bet? I bet I'll completely solve your family's crisis."
Annie rolled her eyes at him and said helplessly, "Jack, that's just impossible."
Jack said with certainty, "How do you know if you don't try?"
Seeing his insistence, Annie couldn't help but get interested. Even if it was self-deception, at least there was hope.
"Okay, I'll bet with you."
Getting Annie's agreement, Jack said with a mischievous smile, "As for the stakes, I'll decide after I win."
With this little episode, Annie's attention shifted away from the earlier gloom, and her mood improved quite a bit.
She asked in a relaxed tone, "What if you lose?"
Jack said confidently, with an unquestionable tone, "Don't worry, I won't lose!"
Annie looked at him suspiciously. Did he really have some strength she didn't know about?
At this moment, she somehow believed him a little.
But thinking of Thierry's cruelty, she couldn't help but say, "If you lose, leave Philadelphia, run as far away as possible, and don't come back!"
Jack's lips curved slightly as he nodded in agreement, but he was thinking to himself, how could he possibly lose?
Annie was wondering if this person in front of her could really pull her out of the abyss.
Each lost in their own thoughts, they fell silent but happened to meet each other's eyes.
Looking at each other, there was somehow an ambiguous atmosphere in the air.
Annie quickly coughed to break the awkwardness, while Jack looked at her with a smile.
Looking at Annie's charming eyes, her captivating face, and her hot figure wrapped in an expensive custom suit.
Jack couldn't help but think of that night again, his heartbeat quickened, and his mind started to wander.
He quickly collected himself: "Let me take you home."
Annie nodded, stood up, and followed Jack all the way to the car door.
Jack opened the car door for her, and Annie naturally got in.
They drove in silence. Jack's driving skills were excellent. The car sped along, passing through Philadelphia's streets and alleys, arriving at Annie's villa.
The two got out of the car one after another. Annie stood at the door, took a deep breath, and prepared for the coming storm.
The door lock was turned, and she gathered her courage to walk in.
However, she still made Jack stay outside.
She didn't want to involve Jack in family matters for now.
Sure enough, as soon as she entered, she was stopped by Calla at the entrance.
Calla's face showed some fatigue and difficulty. By now, she actually believed her daughter's words somewhat. There had long been rumors that Thierry was a beast in gentleman's clothing. Her daughter wasn't an unreasonable person. If she insisted on refusing to apologize to Thierry, she must have suffered some wrong.
But Henry Group was beyond what they could compare with, and now it had hooked up with a major family like the Ellis family. Once they completely offended them, their family simply couldn't bear the consequences.
She sighed, wanting to persuade Annie again, but looking at this daughter she had raised herself, she finally gave up and said nothing more.
Mother and daughter looked at each other. Annie's nose tingled, her heart full of guilt and unwillingness.
She knew her mother's difficulty.
On one side was her beloved daughter, on the other was the life and death of the entire family.
It would be hard for anyone to choose.
Calla sighed lightly and said, "The Ellis family sent someone with an invitation. The banquet will have important people. This is also a good opportunity for our company. If we don't go, we'll lose this chance, and our family business might go bankrupt directly."
"Mom knows you don't want to go, but you're running the family company, and you're the most qualified person to represent the family at the banquet."
Annie understood these reasons. There was no way she couldn't go. Surely Thierry wouldn't dare to publicly humiliate her at such a banquet.
She nodded and answered, "I'll go, but I'd rather die than bow down to Thierry."
Calla walked up to her daughter, straightened her slightly messy clothes, and said, "You've worked hard for the company all these years."
After comforting Annie, Calla asked about some of Annie's recent daily life, deliberately avoiding talk of her engagement to Thierry.
The two were chatting happily when Jack walked in at an inappropriate time.
As a bodyguard, he really shouldn't have entered his employer's residence on his own initiative, but when he had just parked the car and returned to his quarters, he found that his sheets, bedding, clothes, and shoes had all been thrown out, and his few personal belongings were scattered on the floor. It was a complete mess.
He hurried over to check.
Seeing Jack still here, Calla wanted to fly into a rage, but considering that her relationship with her daughter had just eased a bit, she could only suppress her anger:
"Jack! What kind of bodyguard are you? You don't even knock before entering the main house? Can you just interrupt when we're talking?"
After saying this, she looked Jack up and down again. The more she looked, the angrier she got, and her tone didn't hide her disdain: "A bodyguard who's getting more and more out of line. To think I thought someone like you might have some improper relationship with my daughter. I must be getting senile. My daughter would never fall for a loser like you!"
Jack muttered quietly, "How do you know there isn't anything?"
