Chapter 108: Mr. Lowell, Why Are You Here?
Alvin Lancaster didn’t think he’d said anything particularly hurtful; he just wanted to talk some sense into Luna Morgan.
If he hadn’t heard his sister’s inner thoughts, he might have also thought that his sister and Mama Knight were deliberately giving someone a hard time.
He had been with the Lancaster Family for so many years, and he had never seen Mama Knight so hysterical.
If she hadn’t been so terribly wronged, Mama Knight wouldn’t have been screaming her voice hoarse.
His sister was right. The culprit had orchestrated the whole thing, and the police had already been called. This went far beyond what could be summed up with the word "prank."
He knew the law. The one-million-yuan value of the item was enough to warrant the maximum sentence for theft. The person who set this up had truly despicable intentions.
Luna Morgan had no right to forgive on Mama Knight’s behalf, naively thinking that money could smooth over all the damage.
What’s more, after the incident, the Miller Family didn’t proactively seek out the victim to apologize or earnestly try to earn their forgiveness. Instead, the first thing they did was find Luna Morgan to act as their intermediary.
Judging by their attitude, they didn’t think their son had done anything wrong at all.
Why on earth should Mama Knight forgive people like that?
"Luna, I’ve seen plenty of people like this in our circles, and you have too. Remember that young girl who was hit and injured by a rich kid street racing? That family also refused to apologize or pay compensation. It would have only cost three hundred thousand to pay for the girl’s surgery, but the rich kid boasted that he’d rather spend five hundred thousand on hiring online trolls and lawyers than give her a single dime. Have you forgotten?"
Luna Morgan’s voice was strained. "...How can you compare these two things?"
Alvin Lancaster said, "How can’t you compare them? Do you think there’s any difference between the rich kid’s attitude toward that girl and Supervisor Miller’s attitude toward Mama Knight?"
Seeing Luna Morgan fall silent, Alvin Lancaster said, "Perhaps it’s precisely because they’ve always looked down on their victims that they so brazenly trample on their dignity."
"You’re just too kind, and the Miller Family took advantage of you. They knew that if they asked for your help, you’d spare no effort, even if it meant taking a loss yourself just to get it done."
"You really shouldn’t take this all upon yourself. A family like that will never be grateful. They’ll just laugh at you for being a fool..."
Luna Morgan couldn’t listen anymore. Her smile was a little stiff. "Second Brother, I know I was wrong."
’She was slow, wasn’t she? Unable to understand all that grand reasoning. She just couldn’t bear to so easily destroy someone’s life.’
Alvin Lancaster said, "Sorry, I got a little carried away. It’s late. Let me give you a ride home?"
This was a neighborhood of villas; it wouldn’t be easy to get a taxi this late.
"No, it’s fine! I came on my electric scooter. I’ll be leaving right now!" Before Alvin could react, Luna Morgan hurried over, hopped on her scooter, and left.
Alvin Lancaster’s foot had just healed, so he couldn’t easily chase after her. He stood where he was, scratching his head, then turned and walked back.
Halfway back, he remembered he’d forgotten to ask where she lived.
’But since she came on an electric scooter, she probably doesn’t live too far away, right?’
At two in the morning, Luna Morgan finally dragged her exhausted body through the front door.
The moment she stepped inside, she was instantly on alert. "Who’s there?"
Someone by the bar slowly turned their head. Luna Morgan froze. "Mr. Lowell, what are you doing here?"
’The words were barely out of her mouth before she realized how inappropriate they sounded. This was Caleb Lowell’s house, after all. He could come and go as he pleased.’
Caleb Lowell reeked of alcohol. In the dim light, the man’s face was flushed, and the collar of his white shirt was undone, a far cry from his usual image as a reserved and disciplined gentleman.
For some reason, Luna Morgan’s heart skipped a beat.
"Why are you back so late?" Caleb Lowell downed the amber liquid in his glass in one gulp.
Luna Morgan: "..."
’She couldn’t very well tell him that she’d impulsively gone to find Jane Lancaster, only for her electric scooter to run out of battery halfway, forcing her to push it all the way back, could she?’
"Mr. Lowell, is something troubling you?" Luna Morgan couldn’t help but ask.
He didn’t seem like his usual self. They had known each other for years, and their contact had been even more frequent due to taking care of Jane Lancaster, but she had never seen him so dejected.
It was as if he were drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
Seeing Caleb Lowell pour another glass, she rushed forward and downed the entire drink in one go.
Caleb Lowell was stunned. "Are you okay?"
Luna Morgan stood for a moment, then the world suddenly started spinning. Just as she was about to collapse, someone caught her.
Caleb Lowell looked at the woman in his arms and frowned. "If you can’t handle your liquor, why try to act tough?"
"Mr. Lowell, are you going to scold me too? Go ahead then, scold me! Scold me as much as you want!" Luna Morgan giggled, her eyes hazy with drunkenness.
Caleb Lowell: "Why would I scold you?"
Luna Morgan counted on her fingers. "Miss Lancaster scolded me, Mama Knight scolded me, and even Second Brother isn’t on my side. You’re definitely going to scold me too. I feel like such a failure as a person!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, tears streamed down her face.
Caleb Lowell tensed up, then, in a rare, soft voice, he tried to soothe her. "How could you be a failure? You’re so good."
"I’m not good, I’m terrible!" Luna Morgan said, completely distraught. "I work from dawn till dusk every day restoring ancient paintings, all so Miss Lancaster can get into a university, all to make up for the damage I caused."
"But I didn’t know that when Miss Lancaster went to the association, she’d run into Supervisor Miller, and that he and Mama Knight had an old grudge. And now, because of it all, Supervisor Miller has been locked up by the police."
Caleb Lowell’s heart gave a violent throb. "What do you mean? What did Jane do now?"
’Wasn’t it enough to ruin Zach Miller and destroy Luna Morgan’s cousin’s restaurant? Did she have to persecute other people too?’
"SOB SOB... Miss Lancaster refuses to let Supervisor Miller off the hook. What am I supposed to do!" Luna Morgan couldn’t stop herself and threw herself into Caleb Lowell’s arms.
’She was trying so desperately to get a good outcome for everyone, so why was it so hard?’
By three in the morning, Luna Morgan had fallen into a deep sleep.
Caleb Lowell, however, couldn’t sleep. Though his body was utterly exhausted, his mind was unnervingly alert.
From Luna Morgan’s jumbled, incoherent account, he had managed to piece together the full picture.
He was, of course, aware that Jane Lancaster had gone to the art association to pad her resume; the Lancaster Family hadn’t hidden it from him.
Jane Lancaster was supposed to be going there to clock in all week, at least to keep up appearances.
What he hadn’t expected was that Luna Morgan was the genius restorer who could fix the ancient painting, and that she was willing to give up immense fame and fortune just so Jane Lancaster could take the credit.
She had kept it such a tight secret. If she hadn’t been so devastated tonight, she never would have revealed the truth in her drunken state.
She had done so much for Jane Lancaster, yet Jane had turned around and was trying to send the senior who had helped her so much to prison.
"Repay resentment with virtue, but with what do you repay virtue?" No wonder she had broken down like that, as if her entire belief system had collapsed.
The amber liquid reflected in Caleb Lowell’s clear eyes. He sent a message to his assistant.
Have the tech department find a way to recover that video, no matter what.
A week later, Jane Lancaster finally finished her period of frantic, chaotic work.
Afterward, she slept for a solid day at home to catch up on her rest.
She slept until the afternoon, finally crawling out of bed to get something to eat only when she couldn’t stand the hunger anymore.
Mama Knight had just finished setting the table when an unexpected person walked over.
Mrs. Everett, dragging a suitcase, approached with a beaming smile and said she was here to say goodbye to Jane Lancaster.
"Miss Lancaster, I’m quitting. Since I didn’t give advance notice, I’m compensating the Lancaster Family for one month’s wages in lieu of notice."
As she spoke, Mrs. Everett placed a stack of cash on the table.
All the other servants of the Lancaster Family looked at Mrs. Everett, their faces full of envy.
’My god, did Mrs. Everett strike it rich? Sticking it to the masters like this is just so satisfying!’
’Mrs. Everett’s face was full of smug satisfaction. ’All you people know is how to control me with money,’ she thought. ’But now I’ve got someone backing me up. Who needs the Lancaster Family!’’