NovelStart
Chapter 754
The online buzz surrounding Zoe and Jasper’s “rendezvous” continued to escalate. Both
the Beckett
Group and the Harper Group PR teams worked tirelessly to mitigate the controversy. Still,
the widespread
dissemination of videos and photos made it difficult to quell the public discussion.
Even if they managed to take relevant hashtags off the trending topics, they couldn’t stop
people from
discussing it.
Penelope dropped her phone in shock and slipped down the stairs when she saw the
trending topics. Thankfully, she was near the landing and merely stumbled a few steps
down. Still, she suffered from a
sprained ankle and hurt her head.
Landon was badly shocked by his mom’s injuries and sent her to the hospital overnight.
Penelope, while on an IV drip, held Landon’s hands tightly and sobbed. “Landon, what do
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtwe do? Zoe is only 22. How is she going to live her life with this stain? What can I say to
your grandpa and your dad?”
Then, she cried hysterically. Landon swallowed hard and sat by her side with a troubled
look. He promised, “Mom, I will take care of this.”
“And how will you do that? There are photos and videos on the internet! Zoe is still
unmarried. Now that she’s involved in the scandal, no self-respecting family would want
her as a daughter-in-law!”
“Zoe is my sister, and I won’t tolerate anyone gossiping about her,” Landon declared, his
eyes burning with
anger.
“The weight of gossip will crush her! Do you think it was 20 years ago when our family
was above the law? We are under the rule of law. You can’t do anything about it!”
Penelope wailed and punched her bed.
Landon furrowed his brows as he recalled his family’s origins. The Harpers started off as
gangsters. Landon’s grandpa, Cornelius Harper, had been involved in fights and killings to
build his family’s fortune.
When the times changed, Cornelius retired from the scene and slowly legalized Harper
Group’s operations to prevent his offspring from going down the same path.
When Landon’s dad was appointed the president, the group’s operations had been
legalized. Still, the family couldn’t shake off the influence of the group’s origin and worked
with both the authorities and the criminals. Landon’s dad got into many arguments with
Cornelius and Preston Harper over the issue.
Landon always perceived his dad as soft and egotistical. If he were the one running Harper
Group, he would have been the patriarch by now, and Preston would have been reined in.
“This happened because of your friend, and he has not made a statement until now! Is he
going to ignore
“Stop speaking ill of Jasper, Mom! He’s not what you think!” Landon defended his friend.
“But the reporters have photos of them together! He can’t deny that!” Penelope retorted.
“There must be a reason for those photos. Jasper isn’t interested in Zoe. He has feelings
for someone
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmélse. He would never sleep with Zoe,” Landon argued anxiously.
“Zoe is your sister! How can you defend an outsider when she’s the victim?” Penelope
snapped.
“Mom, I-”
“There’s only one solution now. Jasper must take responsibility for Zoe!”
Landon looked alarmed. “What does that mean?”
“I’ll get discharged as soon as possible, and I’ll meet with the Becketts to discuss
marriage,” Penelope
declared determinedly.
“Cut the drama! Jasper will never marry Zoe, even if you point a gun at his head!” Landon
bellowed and
jumped in rage.
“He doesn’t have a say,” Penelope insisted fiercely, her usual vulnerability replaced by
determination. “A man should take responsibility for his actions. If he refuses to marry
Zoe, he’ll offend the Harper family.
“Even if I don’t intervene, your grandpa won’t stay silent. He won’t allow his
granddaughter to be mistreated. Jasper is wrong to assume the Harpers won’t act just
because he’s Javier Beckett’s son.”
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
