Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts

Chapter 274

As soon as he got home, Ethan locked himself in the study to organize a meeting for the tech department of the Meyer Group on his computer.

Feeling helpless, Ines could only make him a cup of coffee in the kitchen and bring it to him in the study. Ethan gave her hand a pat and comforted, "Izzy, don't sweat it. I got this. You go chill out for a bit."

Ines nodded with a smile, "Alright, I know. I'll go watch TV while you sort things out." She left the study, but instead of heading to the living room to watch TV, she went to the kitchen. By now it was afternoon, their morning had been consumed by a piece of news and they had hardly eaten anything. Now that things were quiet, Ines felt a bit peckish. Seeing Ethan busy, she decided to whip up something for herself.

Although her cooking skills were nothing to write home about, she could manage a simple stew.

There was leftover beef from last night in the fridge, and she swiftly rustled up a tomato beef stew with what she had on hand. She ladled it into two bowls and the delicious aroma filled the room. Ines took a deep whiff and thought it smelled pretty good. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Just as Ines was setting the bowls of stew on the dining table, Ethan emerged from his study. He caught sight of the food, his eyes lit up, and he came over to the enticing stew. He couldn't help but ask with a grin, "Hungry?"

Ines nodded, "Yeah, I am."

Ethan gave her cheek a playful pinch, "Well, you better sit down and eat then." Ines smiled and pushed one of the bowls towards him, "You too, it's past lunchtime."

Despite being in a bind herself, she still looked out for Ethan. Ethan felt touched as he looked at her. She always said she couldn't do anything for him. What he needed wasn't her skills, but this warm concern.

He thought back to his stomach issues. Since their marriage, he only had one flare-up. And he had been fine ever since, without even a minor discomfort. This was all thanks to her.

Ethan took a bite and complimented, "This is good, Mrs. Meyer's cooking skills have improved."

Ines gave a slight smile, knowing that the flavor was mostly due to the high-quality beef, "If you like it, eat up."

Ethan nodded while eating, "Today's an exception, I won't nag. But you can't just barge into the kitchen and cook in the future. You're pregnant now, if you're hungry just tell me. No matter how busy I am, I'll find time to whip up something."

The kitchen was smoky. Although the floor was cleaned daily, there was no anti-slip mat, making it unsafe.

"I get it, I'll be careful." Ines assured earnestly.

Seeing her attitude, Ethan didn't push it further. Otherwise, he might get on her nerves.

"What did you discuss with the tech team at the Meyer Group?" Ines asked.

"I alerted them to work overtime and keep tabs on online news. If there's any false report about you, they'll delete it immediately to prevent things from getting worse." Ethan said.

Ines nodded, feeling that this course of action was sensible. It might be tough, but it was the only way to quickly stem the tide.

The Meyer family.

After lunch, the family was hanging out in the living room when Ashley dashed downstairs from her room in her PJs, her hair in a mess.

Even though Phillip was doting on Ashley, as a military man, he was strict about dressing and grooming. Every bedroom had to be neat with the bedspread folded like a block.

Seeing Ashley in such a state, Phillip was slightly annoyed, "Go change, you look like a mess. Even at home, a girl should look presentable."

But Ashley was in no mood to worry about these things. She rushed over to Phillip and blurted, "Grandpa, there's a serious situation. Your grandson is being bullied. It's really bad, who cares about appearances?"

Everyone knew Ashley wasn't one to panic easily. Seeing her like this, they knew it was serious.

Phillip was the first to react. He snatched the phone from Ashley's hand, but the text was too small for his eyes. Ashley quickly relayed what she saw in the news, "Let me give you a quick rundown. Izzy's private life from a few years ago has been exposed, including Mr. Galeana's death. They're blaming Izzy, saying she pushed her dad down the stairs for inheritance, kicked out her step-mom after getting the inheritance, and even went after her pregnant sister."

Hearing this, everyone's faces turned solemn.

Phillip was the first to burst out, "Who's the bastard behind this, framing Izzy like this? This is a load of bull."

Erica's face was also grim. She immediately called the tech department of the Meyer Group, only to be told that Mr. Ethan had already informed them. They were working full throttle to delete the false reports.

The two of them were on the same page. They knew that the scariest thing in this information age was public exposure, as it spread quickly and left traces.

Jacob continued to question his daughter, "When did this news break?"

"It's been a few hours; it started this morning around nine. First leaked from a magazine then was intentionally spread online, which triggered a massive spread." Ashley said.

Jacob took Ashley's phone and went through the news again. Like Erica, he made up his mind, stepped outside and dialed a number on his phone.

Phillip was pacing anxiously in the living room, heaving a sigh from time to time. He was worried and didn't know what to do.

Seeing his dad like this, Trenton furrowed his brows. He felt his dad was acting strange, like he was hiding something. It seemed to have something to do with Ines.

"Dad, chill out. We're all gonna pitch in and sort this out." Lauren reassured Phillip, who was clearly on edge.

"What do you think?" Phillip asked Erica, anxiety written all over his face.