"Are you telling me the truth?" asked Derek, who was still a little skeptical about her story.
"Of course, I am. You can go and ask Tim if you don't trust me, or you can go back and check the surveillance video of the hotel. Cassie left the hotel early, and she never slept with Greg," answered Alice.
Derek finally decided to trust his daughter. He sighed,"You know that your Uncle Jackson and your sworn mother, Cherry are in Hong Kong. They are far away from home, so I have a duty to take good care of Violet for them. I can't let anything or anyone hurt her. Ever."
Alice understood her father's worries very well.
She moved closer to Derek and sat next to him. Holding one of his arms, she said,"Dad, I know what you're worried about, but trust me, I'll take good care of Violet. I'll kick the hell out of anyone who dares to bully her. I will absolutely not allow anyone to treat Violet badly. I know you'll shield her from any kind of trouble, so will I. I'll protect her from any harm."
"I know that the two of you are quite close," said Derek in a soft voice. His eyes were fixed on the newspaper once again, and he went on,"This is all so unexpected, so I'm worried about Violet. Anyway, it's good to hear that she's fine. I know Greg's personality, and I trust him after what I've heard from you."
"That's it, Dad. I have said it before, Greg is a reliable guy. He loves Violet, and nobody could doubt his love for her," replied Alice.
"You are such a sweet talker," said Derek, looking at his daughter with loving eyes. He couldn't object to anything she said when she looked at him with her beautiful eyes.
After talking to her father, Alice hurried back to her room, took out her phone and dialed Tim's number.
"Hello Alice," Tim greeted as the call connected.
"Tim, did you read the news? How did this happen? Why would they print such lies in the papers?" Alice asked in a haste. She was worried about Violet now. What if she had already read the newspaper? She would be devastated.
"I just read it. My assistant had told me that there was a reporter who had followed Greg to the hotel last night, and I had asked her to check who he was, but it was too late to find him," Tim replied. After a pause, he continued,"Right now, the internet is full of comments about Greg and Cassie. Violet has not been involved in the news for the time being. She'll be fine for now."
"What will Violet think when she reads the news? That's what worries me the most. Tim, find a good excuse to explain this news to Violet," said Alice in a worried tone.
Tim was suddenly at a loss for words. After thinking for a moment, he said into the phone,"I think it's better to leave the job to Greg."
"It looks like there's nothing we can do right now," said Alice, agreeing with Tim,"By the way, did you find out who the reporter was?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Ice and Fire