The police officer who took the call was stunned. The commotion the Preston Family had caused in Crestfall recently was significant, and the root of it all seed to be Rona Langdon, who had absconded with the funds.
Several officers sighed to themselves. ’It just goes to show how important it is to choose the right wife! Anyone who ended up with a wife like Rona Langdon must have had the worst luck imaginable.’ For a brief mont, they all felt a wave of genuine sympathy for the incorruptibly upright Zachary Preston.
The next day, the news that Rona Langdon had accepted bribes and fled with the money spread throughout Crestfall.
This developnt completely cleared Zachary Preston of any involvent in the bribery. Although he and Rona Langdon were husband and wife, both the police and the prosecutor’s office confird that at the ti Rona Langdon had accepted the bribes, Zachary was lying unconscious in the hospital after a cerebral hemorrhage. His involvent was simply impossible.
Moreover, the two were already divorced. Rona Langdon’s actions were her own. Coupled with Zachary Preston’s long-standing reputation for being honest and principled, the matter no longer had anything to do with him.
anwhile, Cara Preston was praised for proactively reporting Rona Langdon, lauded for placing righteousness above family ties.
Vera Xavier let out a soft sigh. ’It was a good thing Zachary was hospitalized,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, clearing his na would have been much more difficult.’
From now on, even if Rona Langdon was alive, she was a wanted fugitive. She couldn’t return to Crestfall and would never live a peaceful, comfortable life again. The rest of her life was destined to be spent on the run.
Vera Xavier was deeply unimpressed with Cara Preston’s actions. ’Placing righteousness above family ties? It was nothing but a pretense.’
Cara Preston ca to the hospital first thing in the morning. She leaned over Zachary Preston’s bedside and wailed, "Dad, it’s not that I didn’t want to see you these past few days. Mom wouldn’t let co! She said she’d break my legs if I tried to visit you! Dad, I’m so sorry! Please forgive !"
Watching from the side, Vera Xavier narrowed her eyes slightly. Zachary Preston had always been soft-hearted. And right now, Cara Preston, bruised and swollen, looked utterly pitiful. A flicker of worry sparked in Vera’s heart; she was afraid he would soften and let Cara stay.
Unexpectedly, Zachary Preston said slowly, "Your mother is gone. In my current state, I can’t take care of you. You should go back to the Xavier Family."
Although half of Zachary Preston’s body was still immobile, his speech had beco much smoother in the past few days.
Cara Preston cried wretchedly. "No, I don’t want to go back to the Xavier Family! Dad, you raised ! I have to repay you for it! I can’t take the college entrance exams now anyway. From now on, I’ll be the one to take care of you!"
Vera Xavier’s eyes narrowed. ’I have to admit,’ she thought, ’Cara Preston is a phenonal actress. Her sobbing is so heartfelt it almost seems genuine, as if she’s really turned over a new leaf and is ready to start fresh.’
Zachary Preston closed his eyes and said, "It’s better for you to go back to the Xavier Family than to stay here. Go back."
Cara Preston cried pitifully. She turned her head to Vera Xavier and said, "Sis, I really know I was wrong. Dad always listens to you the most. Please put in a good word for ! Just let stay and take care of Dad! Let atone for the mistakes I’ve made!"
Vera Xavier stared at Cara Preston, her eyes devoid of warmth. She said slowly, "Let you take care of Dad? And provoke him into another cerebral hemorrhage?"
Cara Preston’s face froze. Vera Xavier said icily, "I’ve told you before: if ’sorry’ was enough, there would be no need for police. I’ll be the one to take care of Dad. You can just go crawl back into whatever hole you ca from."
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