Chapter 7 A Call From A Stranger

He got what he wanted, but the shallow happiness was a temporary joy.

Deep inside his facade, he was unsatisfied and not even as happy as he thought he would be.

Mandy's undeniable disappointment and outright expression of disgust had made him uncomfortable.

"Daniel Zhao, I am not in the mood to talk to you now. Don't try to force the issue and make a fool of yourself." Mandy slammed her bedroom door forcefully, creating a reverberating sound as an extension of her negative emotions.

She locked it immediately.

She tidied up her clothes, patted the creased areas as if touching them would remove the marks.

She took a deep breath, straightened up, and told her mom that she was ready to go.

Without looking back, Mandy and Madeline left with four huge suitcases.

Mandy had to leave all her valuable possessions against her will.

As per Spencer's decision, they were regarded as part of the pledge.

She was filled with anger, disgust, and regret loving the wrong man for all these years.

Though feeling downtrodden, she tried to contain all her emotions and lifted her chin up to face her new life. After leaving the big house, which used to be her home, Mandy found herself depressed and lost in City A.

She had no close friends in the area. Neither did she consider seeking help from her colleagues from the hospital. Having been drained of options, she decided to rent an old apartment where she could stay for the meantime.

"Mom, I'm so sorry for dragging you into this trouble. Sorry for letting you suffer through this mess," Mandy expressed in a sad tone with teary eyes.

She was not at her best at the moment.

Madeline held her daughter's wet cheeks, wiped them with her thumbs, and said softly, "Sweetie, please don't say that. This is our fault. We made you suffer."

"Mom, I am okay. This is not easy for me, but I am not holding any grudges. I am glad and lucky to have you and dad." Still teary-eyed, Mandy sniffed and flashed a faint smile.

She had been used to having a luxurious lifestyle before. However, she didn't notice the grandeur. Actually, it was so natural to her that she did not think luxury was a big deal. But when she moved out of the high-end neighborhood, she learned what an average life was like.

"You are singing in front of a crowd for a living..."

While in the midst of being emotional about the turmoil she was in, Mandy jumped in surprise when her phone rang.

An unknown number flashed on her screen.

Mandy had never answered unregistered numbers before, but she took it this time, hoping the call might have something to do with her father.

"Is this Miss Zhou?" A deep voice came from the other end of the line, and it was probably from a middle-aged man.

Hearing his voice, she felt that the call was of the utmost importance, something she couldn't simply ignore.

Nonplussed, Mandy nodded and confidently confirmed, "Yes, it's me."

"Mr. Jin has something important to tell you. Are you available now?" Fred Zou asked on the other end of the line with a tone of demand.

"Sorry, I don't know Mr. Jin. Wrong number." Mandy frowned, making her irritation pretty obvious.

She was not in the mood and had been easily irritated by the strange call.

Fred noticed the impatience in her tone. He sighed with a crooked smile at her annoyance and continued, "Do you still remember the mask of last night?"

His voice was much deeper and more serious as if reminding her of something consequential.

"Mr. Jin asked you to bring the mask to JS International before 2 P.M."

Having heard that, Mandy came to her senses as her heart skipped a beat.

She thought to herself, 'The man with the mask last night wants to see me?'

Her tongue dropped for a moment, suddenly lost for words.

She decided to refuse the invitation.

She wasn't even sure if it was an invitation.

Was it a command?

Perhaps a bluff.

Mandy wouldn't take such a risk with a man who was still a stranger to her.

Just when she was about to say something, the man dropped the call.

Being left there in silence, she kept her words to herself.

She stared into space, eyebrows about to meet in response to the great confusion she felt.

Madeline saw Mandy's awful state. She crossed the distance between them in quick strides and tapped her.

"What's wrong?"

Mandy did not say a word and just shook her head without looking at her mother.

Her mother's worried voice filled the room. "What happened?"

It was a soft yet demanding request for an answer. "Nothing, Mom," Mandy replied tersely.

She didn't want her mother to worry, so she managed a small smile to reassure her that she was okay.

Mandy quickly turned to hide her own distress and simply looked at her watch instead.

Realizing that it was already half past one, she panicked inside but calmed herself. She only had half an hour left.

"Talk to me, Mandy. Tell mom what's going on," Madeline probed. Madeline knew something was wrong based on Mandy's weird behavior. It made her anxious.

"Mom, I have an urgent matter to deal with. Could you please stay here and look after the apartment for the moment?" She turned quickly and left in a hurry without waiting for Madeline's reply.

With its exemplary portfolio and known performance, JS International was one of the most famous companies in City A.

It had a high caliber and was regarded as the best company in the city, leading several industries such as real estate, jewelry, information network, food, and television.

Mandy had recently returned home, but she knew a thing or two about this company.

When she was younger, Stanley had mentioned about Jason Jin, the founder of JS International.

He had made his name and was well-respected in the business circles. He had such a reputation that some people were afraid of him. He was a gentleman and was strict, yet people had a high regard for him.