Chapter: 173
Seconds ticked by.
Jonathan remained silent.
Deep down, Bethany knew she couldn't expect much from him. She had always known she needed to prove her innocence on her own.
She finished packing and was ready to leave.
Jonathan blocked the doorway, his voice rough with conflict. "Give me some time. The situation is complicated."
Currently, Francine was at home, and Maddie was with her. If Francine discovered the situation, she would undoubtedly demand he support Maddie unconditionally, potentially even dismissing Bethany. Given Francine's recent emotional instability, the fallout from defying her again could be disastrous.
If he were to help Bethany, it had to be indirect.
“Mr. Bates, I appreciate your candor and the chance to explain myself. But I know I must find the evidence on my own. I only ask for fairness when the truth emerges."
"Can you trust me this one time?"
He hoped she could believe he would manage the situation.
Yet, Bethany's response was clear in her gaze.
Bethany didn't dare to trust Jonathan.
Under different circumstances, she might have placed her faith in him.
However, she was up against Maddie, someone very important to Jonathan and a key contributor to Bates Group. Everyone would believe Maddie, and the truth wouldn't matter. Nobody would question Maddie.
Bethany even suspected Jonathan's eagerness to intervene might be an attempt to tamper with evidence and shield Maddie.
At this point, Bethany trusted no one.
Being falsely accused of leaking sensitive information could tarnish her reputation forever.
“I'm sorry," Bethany murmured, leaving the room with her suitcase.
She booked the next flight to Odonset. While waiting at the airport, she finally checked her phone for messages.
She noticed an unread message from Jayson, marked by a single red notification.
His message read, “Aimee filled me in on your situation. If you need any assistance, just say the word. I have some knowledge of computer hacking."
This was the first communication from Jayson since her rejection.
After a brief pause, she typed back, “Is it possible to recover messages that vanished from my phone?"
Jayson responded almost immediately, "I'll give it a shot! When are you back in Odonset? I can pick you up."