Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Premarital Check-up

“Handling a defamation dispute is no trouble for the group’s legal team, so don’t worry about it,” Victor Morgan replied to Jessie Sterling’s earlier question.

Jessie bit her lower lip. “But isn’t that your group’s legal department?”

’I’m not an employee of the group. Isn’t what Victor’s doing an abuse of his position?’

Victor chuckled softly. “You could say that.”

Jessie’s face flushed, though it was unclear what she was thinking.

But the next moment, she heard the man’s deep, cool voice come from the other end of the line—

“The stock transfer to your name will take effect when we’re engaged. You’ll be part of the group, too.”

Jessie: “…”

’So what was I even expecting?’

Annoyed, Jessie suddenly didn’t feel like talking anymore.

On the other end, Victor couldn’t see Jessie’s expression, but he could sense something was off from the silence on the line.

But even after sensing something was amiss and mulling it over, Victor still couldn’t figure out what he had just said to make the person on the other end seem unhappy.

“I see…” After a moment, Jessie said sullenly, “Are you at work? You should get back to it. I’m hanging up now!”

As she said this, she couldn’t stop her other hand from slapping the water’s surface in a fit of pique.

The sound of her hand hitting the water, a loud SPLASH that sent bubbles flying all over the tub, was exceptionally clear in the bathroom.

The call hadn’t disconnected yet—

“Are you angry?” Unable to figure out the reason for Jessie’s sudden coldness, Victor had no choice but to ask directly.

But just as the words left his mouth, a splashing sound reached his ears.

He hadn’t paid attention to where Jessie was calling from before, but now, even without probing, the answer seemed obvious.

It was only when Jessie heard the sound of splashing water mixed with Victor’s low, cool voice that she belatedly realized what was happening, and she grew flustered.

“No!” She probably didn’t even know what she was answering. Her earlier splashing hadn’t calmed the water in the tub; instead, it had only made the sound of water even more distinct.

“I’m not talking to you anymore. I’m hanging up.”

After saying this, Jessie abruptly ended her call with Victor.

She put her phone on the shelf. “AHHHHH—”

Jessie wished she could bury her entire body in the bathtub. ’I might as well just drown myself now.’

’Victor definitely knows.’

Jessie thought, her face burning red.

’How am I ever going to face anyone again!’

“Jessie?” Just as Jessie’s face was beet red with embarrassment, there was a knock on the bathroom door.

Lynn Jennings had heard the scream from this direction and came over to see what had happened.

“Are you okay?” Lynn’s voice came from the doorway.

Jessie: “…*Sob*, I’m not!”

「Half an hour later.」

Lynn Jennings had pulled over a small stool and was sitting at the bathroom door, watching the person inside apply body lotion. “So, you’re as red as a cooked lobster just because you took a phone call from Victor Morgan in the bathroom?”

Lynn’s tone was one of surprise and utter incomprehension.

Jessie’s face was flushed, whether from her recent bath or from Lynn’s mention of the phone call, it was hard to say.

“What’s with that tone? Isn’t this totally humiliating?! I’m not just some easy girl! How was I supposed to know he’d call me at a time like that!” Jessie was about to blow a fuse, rubbing the lotion onto her calf so hard she nearly rubbed her skin raw.

Lynn: “…It wasn’t a video call. Why are you getting so worked up?”

Jessie: “!!!”

As if not noticing the person nearby turning pink all over, Lynn continued on her own, “Even if it were a video call, it wouldn’t matter. It’s not like your relationship is some shameful secret. It’s adult fun. What would a little chick like you know about that?”

Jessie just wanted to cover her ears. ’Confiding in a playgirl like Lynn at a time like this was a huge mistake.’

“Stop talking,” Jessie said, feeling like the face mask she was wearing was about to fall off from her contorting expression.

Lynn laughed out loud. “Well, tonight’s a good start, at least.”

Jessie: “…”

“If you feel like you lost out, why don’t you call him when it’s his turn to take a shower tonight?” Lynn started offering terrible advice.

“Make it a video call. You know, a premarital inspection.”

’That’s not really what a premarital checkup is for…’

Jessie finally couldn’t take it anymore. She slipped on her slippers, ran TAP-TAP-TAP over to where Lynn was sitting by the door, and pushed her out. “Just stop talking!”

Jessie’s ears were so red they felt like they were about to bleed.

Perhaps it was because of Lynn’s words, but that night, Jessie unexpectedly dreamed of Victor.

When she woke up the next morning in the climate-controlled apartment, she found her neck covered in a fine layer of sweat.

After coming out of the bathroom, Jessie was still wrapped in her bathrobe.

She sat on the edge of the bed and picked up her phone, discovering a message from Victor that must have been sent late last night.

[Victor Morgan: The blogger who posted your photo online wants to apologize to you in person. What do you want to do?]

Jessie then remembered that Victor, to stick up for her, had gotten the influencer’s account banned from the platform for casually posting her picture online.

The blogger probably hadn’t done it on purpose at first. Besides, she hadn’t intentionally guided the events that followed. It was just her bad luck to run into a tough nut like Victor.

[Jessie Sterling: Didn’t she already apologize publicly? Then let’s just drop it.]

When Wendy Lawson received the news that the platform had unbanned her account, she could hardly believe it.

The online chatter about the fashion show incident had seemed to calm down recently, but beneath the placid surface, one undercurrent followed another.

It was only because the main parties involved never came forward with a direct response that the matter was forced to stay submerged.

This was Wendy’s first time experiencing firsthand how tightly the wealthy controlled their privacy. She had even been prepared for her account to be permanently banned, but then came this unexpected turn of events.

Wendy immediately dialed the landline number she now knew by heart.

The only people she could contact now were at the Morgan Group’s legal department.

“Hello, this is Wendy Lawson.”

Wendy quickly stated her name the moment the call connected.

“Thank you for giving me this chance. I saw that my account was unbanned on the platform. Thank you, really, thank you all so much,” Wendy said earnestly.

The person who answered the phone was the same intern who had dealt with Wendy before. Just a moment ago, she had been gossiping with her office colleagues.

Their President Morgan’s right-hand man, Keegan Sanders, had just come down specifically to speak with their department.

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