Chapter 177 More Than Just Acquaintances
“Monitor this person and continue with your investigations. Check who is behind him. Also, check who he has been working for, what jobs he accepted, and what he has been working on recently.”
“Yes, sir.” Josh nodded. “By the way, President Duncan, Miss Hunter’s flight today will probably arrive at the airport at night. Are you going to pick her up?”
Alexander frowned. “No. I’m going to visit Mikayla at the hospital tonight.”
Josh seemed startled. Sighing silently in his heart, he suddenly felt a little sympathetic toward Courtney. It was bad enough that she had to bear the blame for the fire despite being innocent. Now that the investigation was almost over, they not only confirmed that she was not involved in the incident but also the fact that she was completely unaware that anybody else was at the scene at the time. Unfortunately, Alexander no longer seemed to hold any feelings for her.
“President Duncan, the rumors about Miss Hunter have been running rampant in the hotel recently. Should we try to suppress it?”
Most people believed that Courtney and Alexander had broken up. Therefore, all sorts of rumors were going around. The employees naturally did not dare to talk badly about their boss, so everything had fallen on her shoulders instead. When Josh went to Sunhill Hotel to settle something the other day, he had personally heard Courtney’s direct subordinates gossiping about her.
“One’s true colors show with time. Besides, I have never seen a stepmother treating her children nicely before. One’s own flesh and blood will always take precedence during critical moments. Fortunately, President Duncan discovered this truth early. From the looks of it, Courtney’s efforts up until now are all in vain.”
“That’s right. She was just putting on a show for President Duncan.”
Courtney had not resigned; she was simply suspended for the time being. It was part of Alexander’s plot to buy time, but it had been twisted and misinterpreted so badly. Josh was worried that these talks would reach Courtney’s ears and cause irreparable consequences again. Then, a cold voice wormed its way into his ears. “Let them talk; ignore it.”
The tone was extremely indifferent. When Josh heard those words, he silently sighed in his heart again.
It was late at night by the time the plane landed. Courtney grabbed her luggage from the baggage carousel and left. Many people were waiting outside the airport to pick up passengers. After looking around, she suddenly saw Cameron’s car.
“Where is Tina?” she casually asked when she did not see Tina anywhere.
“At home. She is probably asleep by now.” Cameron helped Courtney put her luggage in the trunk before winking at her slyly. “Instead of asking about Tina, I think you should get into the car and see who’s here.”
Courtney pulled open the car door suspiciously. She was immediately greeted by the sight of a face hidden by a pair of sunglasses smiling widely at her. “Sis!”
“Shay?!” She was both surprised and delighted as she quickly closed the car door behind her. “Why are you here? Have you finished filming the variety show?”
“It’s settled for now. Besides, I ran into a bit of trouble recently.” Shay leaned against her shoulder and rubbed his face against her. “So, I came here to lie low until everything passes.
“Hey, let me say this in advance.” Cameron’s voice floated from the driver’s seat. “It’s fine if you want to lie low for a while, but can’t you do it somewhere else? If you attract the reporters to us, will we be able to go home?”
“This time, it’s not a problem with the reporters.” Shay scowled. It seemed like it was something difficult for him to talk about. “In any case, I ran into a bit of trouble. It’s unreasonable to ask anybody else for help, so I can only rely on my sis now.”
“What’s the matter?” Courtney looked at him in concern.
“What else but the nonsensical stuff going on in the entertainment industry?” He seemed annoyed, even looking slightly disgusted. “Half a month ago, my manager brought me along to attend a dinner. We were supposed to eat with the investors of the new drama. The investor was so handsy that it disgusted me greatly.”
“That’s great news!” Cameron meanly burst into laughter. “Doesn’t that mean you picked up a sugar mommy to spoil you without doing anything? Enjoy it; you’ll get to relax for a few years.”
“Would I have such a large reaction if it were a wealthy lady?!” He was so furious that he was blue in the face. “It was a man!”
All of a sudden, the entire car fell silent. A moment later, uncontrollable laughter filled the car. He glared at Cameron and Courtney, who couldn’t stop laughing. Then, he angrily said, “How can you laugh?! If a woman suddenly said that they were interested in you, won’t you feel disgusted too?”
“I’ve always told Courtney that you’re not completely straight, but she disagreed. See?! I was right!”
“Sigh. I’m a straight man; I—”
“Internalized homophobia.”
“I believe you now.” Courtney played along.
Shay was livid. “I came to you two for help. If you’re going to be so sarcastic about this, I’m getting off.”
“Alright; alright.” She stopped him, finally having laughed enough. “We were just teasing you. Why are you taking it so seriously? So, how do we help you?”
“There’s a banquet being held two days from now. I was invited to attend by that pervert. Why don’t the both of you come with me? I can say that you’re my girlfriend. The problem will be solved once he confirms my sexual orientation.”
“That simple?”
“Yup.”
In the face of Shay’s innocence, Courtney and Cameron exchanged a glance through the rearview mirror. This child is still so young. Do you really think they’ll give up on you just because you tell them about your sexual orientation? Besides, how many straight men have gone queer in the entertainment industry?
“I’m not going,” Courtney refused bluntly. “This matter isn’t that simple. You might as well just drag it out for now. Once you start thinking about marriage, that person will leave you alone.”
“Are you really not going?” Shay lifted his eyebrows at her. “I heard you have been challenging Alexander’s ex-girlfriend recently. What if I were to tell you that… this pervert is Vivian Shepherd’s elder brother?”
She looked stunned by his words. The world sure is small. Mikayla is trying to snatch my partner while her brother is trying to snatch my brother. Why is this happening?
The banquet Shay was aggressively inviting them to was the hundredth-day banquet of Mikayla’s nephew. It was held to celebrate the hundredth day since the birth of her second brother’s son. Therefore, many people attended the banquet, including various famous figures in society and celebrities.
Courtney had her arm around Shay’s arm as they entered the venue together. She wore a low-key Hepburn-style dress which revealed her fair and slender neck, which looked like a flawless white jade.
Cameron was with them too. She was looking around excitedly. “Wow; it’s such a grand occasion. Shay, why don’t you just accept that man’s proposal? I heard that the eldest young master of the Lewis Family manages the entire group of companies. If you marry into their family, you’ll become the matriarch of the group!”
“The matriarch of the group?!” Shay looked furious. “Cameron, that’s enough. How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not gay.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah… You’re not gay. You’re a straight man; straighter than steel bars.” Needless to say, Cameron was only teasing him. Even so, Courtney felt exasperated listening to them.
“He’s here.” She tightened her arm around his. Lifting her head, she followed his gaze and saw a figure dressed in a suit and leather shoes. Her expression froze for a moment, revealing her shock. The world sure is small…
“President Lewis, this is my girlfriend.” Shay introduced her.
“Is that so?” Casey’s gaze was amused as he looked at Courtney and said, “Miss Hunter, so we meet again.”
“How do you know her name?” Shay frowned in response. Staring at Casey, he asked, “Do you know each other?”
“We’re more than just acquaintances.” Casey glanced at Shay. “After all, Miss Hunter told me that she has a fiancé.”
