The man clasped his hands tightly, looking at his son kneeling on the ground. "Pete, get up." He said.
Pete rose to his feet, "Dad, we've been under the thumb of the Lindberg family for years. What have we really gained? Are you really okay with this?"
David squinted, with only one eye able to see. At the moment, his sharp gaze and the hollow prosthetic made a stark contrast.
He was silent for a few seconds, "Pete, now's not the time."
Something stirred in Pete's heart, "Dad!"
David seemed to know what he was going to say and cut him off, "Now's not the time to discuss this. I've dealt with your matter with Penelope. Lucian won't find out in the short term, but with his resources, he could easily figure it out if he wanted. I'll immediately arrange for the vice dean to be transferred from Northfield. What you need to do now is keep Penelope steady."
Pete nodded.
David continued, "You really are reckless. If Penelope backed out and it turned out that the chandelier hurt Miranda, Lucian would go crazy and if Penelope ratted you out, we would be all done for!"
Pete hadn't considered this. Hearing David's words, he realized his mistake and felt a chill run down his spine. At the time, he had only tampered with the chandelier and arranged for an ambulance to be nearby. He hadn't considered the deeper implications.
Unexpectedly, his usually stern father was actually praising him. Pete quickly responded, "Dad, Lucian doesn't really love Penelope. He feels obligated to marry her because she once saved him. But he doesn't really love her. Penelope trapped him with the pregnancy. If there was no baby involved, Lucian wouldn't marry her. If the baby was born, the Flanagan family would definitely get caught up in it, which would spell disaster for them. So Penelope took this risky move to win Miranda's sympathy. And with the media pressure, Lucian has no choice but to marry her."
David nodded, "Good. Pete, you've grown up a bit. Keep a close eye on Penelope for the next few days, but try to avoid contact with Lucian. Alright, you can go now. I have other matters to deal with."
"Dad, don't worry, I know what to do." Pete turned to leave, but hesitated at the door.
David said, "Just spit it out. You're a man, what's with the hesitation?"
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