Chapter 181

Scarlett's calm tone caught Cedric off guard as she asked, "How did you obtain these photos? Are you trying to make me doubt Leroy?" "Ms. Payne, if you believe that, you're not understanding me correctly. I simply want you to see Leroy for his true self and not be taken in by his façade." Cedric's tone held a touch of frustration as he finished speaking. Scarlett remained silent. "It seems like our discussion about collaborating is no longer necessary," she stated before adding, "Please refrain from contacting me in the future." Cedric was taken aback by Scarlett's cold tone as she ended the call abruptly. He hadn't anticipated Scarlett's determination. Leroy had spent the entire night without getting any rest, and he arrived at the villa early in the morning. After preparing breakfast, he decided to take a short nap on the couch. It wasn't until a gentle voice reached his ears that Leroy finally woke up. "Grandma? What time is it? How did I fall asleep?" Leroy felt a bit disoriented. Beside him, Heidi's eyes were filled with concern. "Leroy, you need to take better care of yourself. You can't keep pushing yourself like this. You have no idea how scared I was when I woke up this morning and saw you like this." After Heidi finished speaking, Leroy slowly shook his head. "Grandma, I just need to sleep for a while. There's a special patient at the hospital." As Leroy explained, he noticed several missed calls on his phone. All of them were from Zoe. Leroy took a moment to call her back. "Leroy, I'm glad you're okay. When I didn't see you at the hospital this morning, I thought something had happened." Zoe breathed a sigh of relief, and Leroy felt a warmth in his heart. He then asked about Yvonne's condition. After confirming that everything was fine at the hospital, Leroy finally felt at ease and went back to sleep. Meanwhile, at Payne Group, Scarlett's expression grew darker as she reviewed the latest reports. Grace stood beside her, unsure of how to break the silence. "Lettie, there's no need to rush. Several companies have expressed interest in collaborating with us recently. We don't necessarily have to work with Joe." Grace touched on the issue that was giving Scarlett the biggest headache. The higher-ups were still applying pressure from time to time, and Scarlett needed to make a decision soon. "I know. I'll figure something out," Scarlett said, though, at the moment, none of the companies seemed capable of resolving their predicament. A knock on the door interrupted them, and both Scarlett and Grace turned to see Thomas standing outside. When she saw him, Scarlett was puzzled. "Uncle Thomas, what are you doing here? Has everything at home been resolved?" Scarlett's tone was tinged with dissatisfaction. She couldn't help but recall the previous incident. If it hadn't been for Thomas, Heidi wouldn't have gotten into trouble. Thomas rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Scarlett, I know you're still mad at me for neglecting Old Mrs. Payne. But this time, I'm not here as a higher-up. I'm here to offer you some advice." After saying this, Thomas quickly explained, "Do you remember that chubby kid from the neighbor's family? The one from the Myer family." Thomas's words made Scarlett nod slightly. "Matthew?" In Scarlett's memory, she had indeed played with the little chubby boy next door for a while when she was a child. "But didn't the Myer family move abroad? And they've established themselves overseas. They're almost as prominent as our Payne family. But the Myer family has always been abroad. How can they be of any use?" Just as Scarlett thought this, Grace also caught on. "Are you talking about the party that's going to be held at Willow Bay Dining?" Grace immediately took out her phone, and the news on it was about the Myer family's return to the country.