The Secret Obsession of the CEO
Chapter 133: Not So Sure

Chapter 133: Not So Sure

"Will you help me, Ian?" Rory asked. "Please..." she added as there was no reply from him.

"You know what, Rori?" Ian’s voice was cold. "After I saw you babying your husband that day, you didn’t even call me once. And now he is arrested and you are calling me asking me to... Can you see, Rori? Can you see that..."

Rory had all sorts of fireworks going inside her head hearing Ian talking to her in that tone. And he was telling her that she was babying her husband. It irritates her so much when someone judges her relationship with Liam. It’s not perfect, she knows. But what right do others have to judge her? They don’t know what’s going on between them.

But, right now, she needs Ian...

"Look, I know I am asking too much of you all of a sudden. I know I didn’t bother to spend five minutes on you. But I’m alone here, Ian. I need someone to... My accounts are frozen. I am getting stalked. I have these terrible nightmares...I have a baby to look after. I need a chance, Ian. I cannot let him rot in there. My baby needs her father. She has connections, Ian. From high places. Connections that would help Liam. How about this? Once I visit there, we can go on a...wherever you want to. We can spend~"

"Stop it, Rori," Ian’s voice went low. "Stop being so manipulative. Crikes... Are you even the same girl I once knew? Jesus! What happened to you? He was right! He was..."

"He? Who?" Rory asked. She smirked realizing something. "Derick... You’ve been talking to Derick? He knew I would call you, didn’t he?"

"He is worried about you, Rori. And I see why," Ian’s voice was soft. "Talk to someone... You need help the most. Not your...husband."

Rory fisted her hands. She could sense that Ian was going to say something bad about Liam but stopped himself. But more than at Ian, she got angrier at Derick.

"I do need help, Ian. That’s why I am... forget it. I’ll talk to you later." She looked at the phone screen and her thumb inched to the call end button.

"No...wait...Rori. Don’t..."

Rory heard Ian shouting from the other end.

"What?" she asked.

"You are going to call my dad, right?" Ian asked. He did not sound impressed. He sounded sad.

"Yes, the Count will definitely help me, with no questions asked," Rory said. She was feeling a little bad for hurting Ian, but she was willing to do anything to get the truth.

Ian sighed. "The things you say... Rori, are you even sure?"

"I am not sure. That’s why I am asking you to investigate, Ian. If I am right, you will know. And if am wrong, commit me to a mental institution, or whatever. I’ll take it!"

"Oh, Rori... That’s not what I am asking. It won’t take long for me to investigate what you want to know. What I am asking is, are you sure your husband is not a murderer?"

"That I am sure, Ian." Rory spoke without even a slight waver in her tone. "He is not a murderer."

"Don’t call my dad... He’s in the hospital~"

"Hospital?" Rory was shocked. "What’s wrong with him?"

Ian chuckled wryly. "When you called me, I thought you were going to ask about my father... that you read my post about my father and...Forget it... I get it, Rori... You’ve changed. It’s fine. I understand. You went through great trauma and... Don’t worry! I’ll do what you ask of me. Don’t let my father know. Call him. Talk to him. Ask him about his health. He will be happy. But don’t let him know about your problems. He will worry more. He still thinks of you as his daughter. Mum too... Bye."

With a slight click, the call ended. Rory leaned on the truck of the tree and closed her eyes. Tears dripped down from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

F*ck me! I am such a wretched being!

She went through Ian’s social media posts and found out that he was admitted to the hospital after a mild heart attack. He is fine now and has returned home.

Thank goodness!

Rory felt her knees go weak and she squatted on the ground. She called Ian’s home phone and it was his mother who answered the call. She was so happy to hear her voice. The Count almost jumped down from the bed when he heard Rory had called.

She talked to them for some time before ending the call.

She didn’t have the strength to stand up and she looked in the direction of the house. She didn’t know why Derick is getting to every one of her contacts and saying stuff about her.

Manipulative... Am I manipulative?

"He!" she let out a snort.

She is a manipulator. Otherwise, why is she "helping" Sidney? If Sidney didn’t know the personal phone number of the Attorney General, and if she didn’t know that the AG still has a soft corner for Sidney because they dated once... Will she even bother with Sidney?

Waves of guilt washed over her making her restless. She took deep breaths. But she cannot stop now. Not when...

"I am hell bound..." she whispered.

She informed the lawyer that her accounts are frozen. And he was shocked too. He told her that he will get to it. She asked about Liam and he said that Liam was already brought to LA and that he is fine. He mentioned that he is going to be questioned and that no one knows what the questioning will be about yet.

The lawyer sounded confident, but Rory did not think that everything is as simple as it seems. Sitting under a tree, she just stared at the ground when she was startled by the sound of an ambulance siren in the driveway.

She ran to the house and Claire was on the porch. "There you are, Rory," she patted her chest in relief. "It’s mom... She’s had a... stroke, I think... Gosh..." she ran inside behind the EMT personnel.

"Stroke?" Rory murmured.

She couldn’t help but think how stroke is pretty common around her. First, it was her grandmother and now it is Liam’s grandmother...

Rory peeked inside. The living room was crowded and she decided to wait on the porch. They wheeled Dorothy out. She was awake and when she saw Rory, she waved her hand and tried to say something.

Rory got closer and held her hand. "Grandma...You’ll be fine... Don’t be scared..." She said, mostly to convince herself.

"The...We..." Dorothy’s speech was slurring and her right hand was slumped down. With only her left hand, Dorothy grabbed Rory’s hand.

Rory leaned to her mouth to hear what she is saying.

"We...lie...lau..."

"I’m sorry, ma’am. Please step aside. Every second is crucial," The EMT professional pushed Rory aside and wheeled Dorothy to the back of the ambulance. Frank got inside the ambulance with his mother and they all watched as the ambulance left the gates.

"What did she say?" Leroy asked walking up the stairs.

Rory’s eyes darkened for a moment before she composed herself. This is the man who had naked pictures of her with him. What should she think of him?

"I don’t know, Uncle," she somehow brought her usual smile to her face. "Something about light? I think she wanted to tell us that we lie and laugh or something..." she shrugged.

"Ugh! Maybe she wanted you to smile, child" Leroy sighed and patted her head. "I’ll change and follow the ambulance. You look terrible. Take a bath and change..." he walked inside after taking a glance at Derick.

"I’ll have to drive him," Derick wrapped his arm around Julia’s shoulder.

Julia nodded and with a layer of mist in her eyes, she looked at him.

"I know..." Derick sighed. "I’ll think about what you said more..."

He didn’t think that the situation is looking good to celebrate their wedding in this house.

Gosh! Is this house haunted or something? Why is this all happening all at once?

Derick spared a glance at Rory. Rory did not hide her disgust toward him. "Your shoes..." she pointed at his shoes. "Did you step on fox poo? It stinks," she said.

Derick shook his head and walked past her.

Rory folded her hands over her chest. She didn’t realize till then. Derick is wearing the same shoe size as Liam. And looking at his shoulders... He probably wears the same size too.

Ah!

She let out a sigh.

’Stop being a stupid b*tch, Rory!’ she told herself. ’It’s Derick!’

But still...For uncle Leroy to have that file... What if Derick had something to do with...

"Hey, Derick," she ran behind him up the stairs. "The lightbulb in the closet back in my grandma’s house needs changing. Will you~"

"There is no lightbulb in your closet," Derick looked at her like she was a fool. But then he walked up.

"Yeah?" Rory sighed.

This might not have been the best idea. She probably complained about it to Derick in the past. She cannot be sure about this one thing.

She climbed the stairs slowly when she hit something hard.

"What?" she asked Derick who was looking at her.

"Rory, why are you talking to me about your closet?" he asked. His voice was low and he blocked her.