The Heart Left Behind (Cole and Yvonne) novel Chapter 166

When I saw the confusion and fear in Lorraine's eyes, I murmured comforting words into her ear, "I knew that on the first day we met."

"You were already investigating my background at that time?"

"Lorraine, please trust me when I say I won't hurt you."

I just wanted to find a good mother for my child.

Lorraine's lips parted slightly. I watched as she turned to get into the car mutely. Of course, I knew that she needed time to calm down.

"You don't have to go to work for the time being. I'll give you a few days off."

Lorraine turned her head to look at me for a long while. This time, she didn't turn my offer down.

…

News on the incident at the bar spread like wildfire. In the end, Murphy failed to stop the photos from getting leaked.

Soon, the news of me beating up my ex-wife just to defend Lorraine was spread across the internet.

"What the hell happened?" I threw my phone at the spot before Murphy. "Is this the extent of your working capability?"

"Mr. Joplin, I've already put a clamp on all possible sources. I suspect that someone spread the news on purpose."

"Who? Is it Jared?"

Not many people could get their hands on the photos. The only people capable of doing that were me, Jared, or Yvonne.

Yvonne could be the mastermind. But she'd definitely think twice before doing something this drastic, seeing as Jared was involved too.

The news didn't affect me much. It mainly affected Lorraine's reputation and life.

"Go investigate my grandmother. See if she's the one spreading the news."

"I've asked Mrs. Joplin Senior this morning. She doesn't know who the perpetrator is."

Grandma cherished the Joplin family's reputation more than anyone else. There was no way she'd do this to me.

The only person who could do this was Jared. He wanted to use this incident to gain pity points from the public.

As I looked at the contract sent by the Langleys, I closed the webpage with a sneer on my face.

"Tell Yvonne to get her ass over here."

Previously, I had caught a few rumors down the grapevine that Jared's appeal toward the public was decreasing due to his long-term hiatus from his acting career. He was having a pretty difficult time navigating the treacherous waters of the entertainment industry.

"You're really going all out just for him."

"What are you trying to say here?" Yvonne demanded.

"Are you trying to create a child-loving persona for Jared?"

As soon as the bar's incident was leaked, the news of Jared dropping Xavier off at school was instantly reported as well.

"He seems pretty gentle. Xavier must really like him, right?"

Yvonne looked away as though she didn't spot the photos in my hand.

"It's a shame that Jared's path back to stardom is doomed to be challenging."

"What are you planning to do to him?"

Yvonne sat up straight right away. Her demeanor grew slightly nervous when she recalled the things I had done in the past.

"Our fight for Jonas is between us and us only. Don't drag other people into this mess."