The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 182

Julian had learned the art of brewing tea from his mother, a gentle, elegant, and incredibly kindhearted woman. Jonathan, on the other hand, had always been a bit more intense and rigid.

Whenever Julian and his father clashed, it was always his mother who stepped in to mediate. Since they both adored her, they would always compromise. Over time, the relationship between father and son had grown much warmer.

But ever since she passed away, it felt like they had reverted to square one.

Julian expertly steeped the tea. Jonathan sat straight-backed at the table, watching him intently.

"Caleb Preston dared to lay a hand on you. If he died, he'd deserve it," Jonathan finally broke the silence. "So, however you choose to handle him, I have no objections. The man must have a death wish to mess with my son. But... it seems you're not just doing this for yourself."

Julian's expression remained perfectly neutral. He picked up the delicate cup and unhurriedly placed it in front of his father.

Jonathan took a slow sip. "Your technique hasn't slipped."

"You looked into her?" Julian asked smoothly.

"I did a little digging," Jonathan admitted.

"You seem very interested in the people around me."

Jonathan's smile was sharp. "I don't care about the people around you. But I am very interested in the people around you who have ulterior motives."

Julian's hand paused slightly. "Then the investigators you hired are incompetent."

"Oh?"

"She has no interest in me, and I have no romantic intentions toward her."

Jonathan clearly didn't buy it. "You've never cared this much about any woman. You accelerated our land acquisition plans, called in a favor from Commissioner Davis, and pulled strings across both the political and business sectors, all for her."

Julian met his father's gaze calmly. "My company needs her."

His car rounded the corner and pulled up to one of the luxury buildings. A familiar figure stood by the entrance.

It was Maria Reyes. She was carrying a trash bag downstairs, her injured arm still in a sling.

Julian hesitated, his hand resting on the door handle. He couldn't guarantee that if he got out of the car right now, he would have the willpower to stop himself from walking into that building and checking on the woman who was hurting upstairs.

...

Because Caleb Preston had shown a "good attitude" and paid his back taxes in record time, he was given a slap on the wrist and released from custody.

Audrey didn't even bother staying at the hospital with her son; she rushed straight to her family home. The moment she saw Caleb, she threw herself at him.

"Dad! You scared me to death! I thought you were never getting out!"

Caleb looked haggard, a dark, freezing aura surrounding him. "I thought a punk like Liam Bancroft was nothing to worry about. I didn't realize that woman had someone far more powerful backing her."