Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 370

Ronan chuckled, shedding the chilly aura of his daytime persona, Bennett. "No need to worry. He won't give up that easily. He's been itching to make a move. Think about it, a big juicy steak almost within reach and then snatched away? He won't rest until he's had a bite."

"That's for sure!" I laughed, all too familiar with the tenacity of the Dawsons.

Ronan went on, analyzing the situation for me, "Especially with the current situation, as soon as he sets foot back in Goldenvale Town, he'll be bombarded with troubles. With all these pressures bearing down, he'll be thinking it's do or die! And let's not forget, he's got a plan B up his sleeve!"

Of course, I knew Ronan was talking about Irving.

"You're right, he's still got that ace, Irving!" I couldn't help but snicker, "Poor Irving, he's about to get hit with some bad luck too!"

"Maybe he'll try to strike a deal with me." Ronan seemed to have Jaylan's next moves down to a science. He continued, "In his mind, having Irving equates to owning a factory. That's a bargaining chip for him, and even without the mess with Hazel, he'd be desperate to get back to the city to scheme with Irving!"

I said with confidence, "Then I'll swoop in and take Irving off the board in one fell swoop. Nobody's getting out of this free."

I might have sounded a bit too brash, as Ronan looked at me with a hint of admiration.

My heart skipped a beat, wondering if I had been a tad too bold.

"By the way, did Logan tell you? Irving's likely the mastermind behind Janetta's car accident. It could've been him who orchestrated it." I quickly changed the subject to avoid my embarrassment. "He did! We're digging into the witness statements from back then!" Ronan didn't deny it.

"Ronan, can I ask you something?" I glanced at him, gathering my courage.

He looked at me and shrugged. "Of course!" he claimed, feigning indifference, but his eyes were filled with anticipation.

"Why are you guys helping us?" I asked, "I mean, this is all our private mess!" The real question I was dancing around was, 'Is it because of me?' 'Am I special, and that's why you're helping?' The anticipation in his eyes flickered and vanished - I hadn't broached the subject he was anticipating.

"How to say..." he pondered for a moment. "There are many things, all intertwined, leading to unexpected clues. We don't let anything connected slip by. Our primary goal is safety!"

He spoke the last word with gravity, making me feel a strange warmth in my heart.

Even though I wasn't his special case, I was still someone he was committed to protecting.

"Oh... right, there's also Gemma back at my place. She's already received Jaylan's orders and might make a move on my mom. Jaylan wants to know my dad's exact whereabouts every day. Gemma's also suspecting that my dad isn't just heading to VitalAxis Pharmaceuticals every day."

Ronan stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow. "How did you find out?"

"Hannah and I discovered it last night."

I relayed to Ronan the secret conversation between Jaylan and Gemma that we had overheard.

Ronan asked, "What's your take on it?"

Without hesitation, I said, "I want to turn Gemma. I can tell she's got a soft spot for her niece, Marissa Collin. Jaylan's keeping Marissa's death under wraps, which could be a great leverage point! Plus, I suspect that as soon as Jaylan leaves, Gemma will definitely make her move."

"Rest assured," Ronan told me. "Your place is under surveillance; you can keep tabs on Gemma's every move!"

"What... you've installed cameras at my house?" I was taken aback, as there hadn't been any when I left last time.

Ronan walked down the steps, standing before me. "Yes, after you left last time, for safety's sake, I took the opportunity during an electrical check to install them."

I quickly followed him down, standing face-to-face. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"There was no chance!" He gave me a mischievous smile. Then, with a more serious tone, he cautioned, "Don't worry! If she acts out, take her down. But she can't stay around for long. When the time is right, you could hand her to the police, considering she knows too much and could still be bribed or manipulated."

I nodded, yet added, "But she's useful for now. I have a feeling Jaylan won't fall for it that easily."

Ronan, confident as ever, assured me, "Don't worry, we've got an ace in the hole back at your father's place!"