Falling in Love : I love you, Today and Forever
Chapter 761: Direct confrontation

Chapter 761: Direct confrontation

"Thank you for meeting me, Deputy. You were an amazing company." Ian complimented. He was secretly happy that their meeting had been fruitful and his aims were achieved. Valerie looked less troubled and there was even a joyful glint in her eyes. His words had been effective and she had stopped tormenting herself.

When it was time to pay the bill, Ian unlocked his phone, only to stop when the lady snatched the bill from him.

"What’s wrong, Deputy?" He quirked his brow in confusion.

"You arranged the meeting and I will pay for the bill." She stated and unlocked her phone.

"But that is not how it works. I invited you out and I must pay for it." Ian disagreed without holding back. "You may invite me out some other time and you can treat me then. But right now, I’ll be paying for it."

Valerie felt helpless on seeing Ian’s insistence and she eventually gave up when she realized she would not be winning against him. The man was adamant and if she were to force, it would only break the bond they had between them. She had had a pleasant time with and she did not wish to end it with an argument. Ian smiled when she relented and paid the bill.

When they were about to depart, he gave her a gentle smile. "I hope you’re feeling better now, Deputy."

"Yes, Doctor. Thank you so much. I feel better now. The blueberry cake really did the wonder."

"Just the cake?" Ian probed with his brows raised while he gave her a teasing look.

"Just the cake." Valerie feigned ignorance and looked at him innocently. "Why? Should there be something else?"

"I shall assume that you did not like the company as much as you loved the cake. I understand." Ian nodded as if he was consoling himself and Valerie burst out laughing.

"Doctor, why did I never realize that you like acting this much?" She queried and looked at him in amusement. "You could have made a living in Hollywood."

Ian recalled the similar words he had told Joshua once upon a time and chuckled softly. Shaking his head, he wondered how his friend would react if he were to reveal what the Deputy had suggested to him.

"Oh, no, no. I can’t do that. Otherwise, my friend will lose his job. I can’t be his competition and send him towards the path of misery by rendering him jobless." Ian denied the suggestion immediately while Valerie looked at him baffled, not understanding what he was talking about.

"And to explain more, I’m speaking about Joshua, my friend. What would happen to him if I were to go to Hollywood? Wouldn’t he lose his only way of living?"

Valerie was left with splits and she held her stomach while tears adorned her lashes. "You are hilarious." She complimented in between her laughs.

"Well, thank you. Let’s just say I was born with a funny bone."

Patting her cheeks to stop herself from laughing, she sucked in deep breaths to calm herself. "I guess it’s time for me to leave."

"Thank you for your time, Deputy. I had a pleasant time."

"And thank you for cheering me up. I feel much better."

"Not a problem. Take care."

The couple looked at each other for a few seconds before they separated at the entrance of the cafe.

Valerie’s steps were much lighter than before and she was even humming a soft tune. Her frustration had disappeared completely and her hatred towards the old Carter had reduced significantly even though she was still angry with him.

With a pleasant mind, she drove towards the Intelligence where she sensed her friends to be waiting for her. Not once did her mind wander towards depressing thoughts and she could not stop smiling all along the way.

Just as she had expected, her friends were waiting for her and thankfully, they did not surround her and bombard her with questions.

"Before any of you ask, let me answer myself. I feel fine. My mood has improved and I am not depressed. Doctor Ian helped me analyze the situation and I am no longer annoyed. Anything else?" She looked at her friends questioningly, only to find them shaking their heads in denial.

"Good. I apologize for making you worry. It was never my intention. I just needed some time alone to think about things and sort my messed up mind." She sighed and her lips thinned into a straight line.

Maggie stood up from her chair and approached her. "We understand, Val. You do not have to give us any justification for your actions. The situation was unnerving and anyone would have behaved in the same way if they were in your place, including me."

Valerie flashed her a smile filled with gratitude. She felt truly blessed to have such thoughtful people around her. Her eyes unintentionally fell on Preston who was awfully silent. His gaze was fixed on the ground and he seemed to be lost in deep thoughts. She glanced at Ryder and raised her brows questioningly, only for him to shrug in response.

Sensing the gazes of all the three people on him, Preston snapped out of his thoughts and raised his head.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" He questioned, already having an inkling about their thoughts.

"Nothing." Ryder just shook his head and pursed his lips.

"May I ask you all something?" Preston couldn’t hold it anymore and he stood up suddenly, gaining everyone’s complete focus on him. "Do you suspect me too? Do you really think I’m involved with Jared as well just like Noah Carter does?"

"Should we not suspect you?" Valerie shot back immediately, rendering the man speechless for a moment. Until then, he only had doubts regarding them suspecting them. But now, it was clarified and he had learned the truth.

"Is your behavior not suspicious?"

"But why would you suspect me? I have never done anything to harm you are anyone else for that matter, anyone innocent." Preston answered, his expression turning somber and distressed.

"How would we know that?" Ryder looked at him with an unfriendly gaze which utterly stunned Preston. "Your actions, however, force us to suspect you. We can’t help it."

Preston did not know how to counter his words and he stood silently until Maggie spoke up.

"Actually, it was I who started to suspect you first." Maggie came clean before him, divulging how the situation came to be in the first place.

"But why?"

"When I was working undercover in Jared’s den, although we never met each other, I found a few clues that linked you to Jared. I couldn’t help but suspect you and your recent actions have only intensified my doubts." She gave him a pointed look and glanced at Valerie, who nodded at her in return.

Since the point had come to it and the truth was already out, they had no qualms in revealing everything. Now, it was all up to Preston how he handled the matter. They were done remaining secretive before him.

"And you believed all those things without asking me, clarifying it with me." Preston was vexed. But he controlled himself when he discerned that his friends were right to suspect him in the first place.

"Why shouldn’t I? You never told us about these matters before. At least when I was undercover in Jared’s gang, Deputy knew about it. But what about you? Who knows what your intentions are? We do not even know if you are with us so that you can gain intel and convey them back to Jared." Maggie spat, not holding back her exasperation. She had been suppressing it for a long time. Now, her patience had finally run thin and her rage exploded like a time bomb.

"Do you think so low of me, Maggie?" Preston was utterly broken and his face was ghastly pale. He was almost about to crumble in despair and all the three people felt bad seeing him that way. Suspicions aside, Preston had once been their close friend and colleague and it pained them to even suspect him, let alone think of him being involved with a criminal like Jared.

"If you are innocent, then reveal us the truth. We don’t want to believe you to be such a man either." Maggie offered him a way out. But Preston shook his head immediately.

"I have nothing to tell you, Maggie. I don’t know how to prove my innocence. But you’ll find out the truth when the time is right. Until then, my only request is not to give up on me. Please." Preston almost cried.

His words sent the three people on high alarm. Preston had neither denied nor accepted the claims directly, much to their surprise. However, he had requested them not to give up on him which was highly unexpected. This was not a response a morally wrong person would say when cornered.

"Preston, is something the matter?" Ryder approached his friend and pressed on his shoulder assuringly. "We are here for you. You can tell us what is bothering you."

"I have no answer to your questions, Ryder. All I have is to ask you to trust me."

Valerie’s eyes flashed with a notion and she recalled the look Noah had given to Preston. Due to the fluctuation of her emotions and her personal troubles at that time, she hadn’t given much thought to it. But now...Everything was falling into place slowly.

Valerie stared at Preston with her thoughtful eyes and she made up her mind to speak to Noah in private. If her friend was as innocent as he claimed to be, then he needed help immediately.