Xo Novel
Chapter 203
Chapter 203
Chapter 203
“And the things that I managed to gather almost scared the crap out of me. I’m guessing that not only
did Mr. Duval not get to see Ms. Lane, but he actually got to meet his love rival instead? Maybe Ms.
Lane was even getting a little steamy with Nathaniel there. After all, they’re actually in a proper
engagement agreement, so they could do whatever they want…”
Thinking of this, Benji could not help but inwardly say a prayer for his boss.
Rickard stood under the tree for a long time after that. The cigarette hanging between his lips was not
lit, and he himself did not even know what he was thinking about.
In the end, Benji felt that something was not right, so he called Zikmund and asked him to drive over to
Hesper’s place to pick Rickard up.
“Does she really not like me anymore?” Rickard asked Zikmund directly.
Looking at his haggard friend, Zikmund could not help but sigh.
“I’ve heard about the recent incidents. To be honest, Hesper’s attacks are freaking ruthless; that means
that she obviously wants to corner both you and Duval Group.” Seeing Rickard’s appearance, Zikmund
felt a little irritated by how his friend was not living up to his full capacity. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“We’ve known each other for so long, so how could I not know you well enough to know what you’ve
been up to? Although Lane Holdings and Hesper do have the capital and capability to launch those
attacks, those moves are definitely not merciless enough to push you to where you are now.”
Rickard lowered his head, and Zikmund let out a long, heavy sigh. “It’s not that I want to reproach you
for your actions, but judging from where you two are right now, I think it’s impossible for you guys to go
back to how you were before. And if you think I sound too sure of myself, explain this to me. Whether
it’s your mother or your sister, which one of them didn’t try their absolute best to force Hesper into a
corner back. then? And have you resolved the issues that Juniper started? Apart from that, have you
let go of your pride and made it clear to Hesper that you still love her?”
Zikmund sounded extremely reasonable, not supporting his best friend only to make him feel better.
These days, after learning about the incidents that had happened between Rickard and Hesper before
this, he couldn’t help but feel that Rickard was a dumb and confused bastard.
Recently, Rickard had been carefully going through the room where Hesper stayed with him, only to
realize that he could not find any trace of her having lived there before.
Hesper had always been extremely cautious and did not buy many personal belongings. So in addition
to cooking at home, she also cleaned the rooms. Sometimes, she would even wipe a small item
several times before putting it back in its original place.
Rickard used to always find Hesper annoying, but now, he had lost her forever.
“Okay, if you’re a man that takes accountability seriously, think about the situation that you’re in now.
You should at least step up for those people who work for your company. They’re other people’s lovers,
parents, and children too. If the Duval Group were to collapse now, what would happen to them?”
Although Zikmund was usually a little bit of a jerk, when needed, he could look at major issues from an
objective point of view.
In his eyes, it was impossible for Rickard and Hesper to get back together ever again. Instead, in the
future, they would be rivals. And although Rickard might not understand this truth just yet, he would
have
to, sooner or later.
When they arrived at the Duvals’ residence, Zikmund patted Rickard on the shoulder. “For real, think
about
it.”
Rickard suddenly lifted his gaze and said, “I’ve already figured it out.”
Zikmund was speechless as he stared into Rickard’s eyes, feeling that what the man understood was
definitely not what he wanted to express.
‘I’ll tackle the issues that Juniper created and not defend the Duvals anymore. I’ll hold Hesper’s hand
and risk all I have, even my life, to make her see that I really do love her.”
Rickard placed his palm on his chest pocket, where a photo of Hesper lay inside… It was a possession
that had a ridiculous backstory-he got his hands on it by cutting it out of their divorce certificate, which
was the only item that Hesper had left behind.
Zikmund had no idea of just how many crazy things Rickard would do over a long time in the future
only because of the words that came out of his mouth that night. He only knew that Rickard started to
fight back from that day onwards and had since gone into a business war with Hesper.