Seeing everyone gather around Mackenzie while ignoring him, Emmanuel
could not help but let out a bitter smile.
As he entered the room and set down the things he was carrying,
someone suddenly called out to him from behind, "Manny!"
"Yes, Ryder?" Although Emmanuel was considered naïve in Mackenzie's
eyes, he was intelligent and perceptive enough to sense that his cousin
seemed troubled from the frown on his face.
"Manny, do you have any extra money to spare?" Ryder, being
straightforward as always, did not beat around the bush.
"What's wrong? Are you experiencing financial difficulty?" Despite
Emmanuel's own financial difficulties, primarily owed to Mackenzie, he was
willing to assist his cousin if asked for a loan.
With a long-standing good relationship since childhood, Emmanuel
understood that his cousin would not make such a request unless he was
in dire need of financial assistance.
"It's Abellyn. She got involved in a poker game and ended up
accumulating a debt of eighty thousand!" Ryder's voice was filled with
despair. He was almost on the verge of tears.
Earlier on, he had tried to borrow money from Jack but to no avail. He had
no choice but to seek Emmanuel's help.
"That's a huge sum! Who did she play poker with?" Emmanuel was taken
aback, realizing that he might not be able to assist with that amount.
"She played with some wealthy second-generation entrepreneurs. It's all
my fault. I should have done more to prevent her from getting caught up
in that mess." Ryder sighed, blaming himself with deep remorse.
Emmanuel was aware of Ryder's family's financial situation. Despite
having a similar monthly income to his own and being an
average-looking man, he had managed to marry a stunning woman.
Rumors circulated that his wife had been engaged in occupations of
dubious decency in the past, but Emmanuel had never looked down on her. He just wanted them to lead a happy life.
After marrying Ryder, Abellyn not only engaged in gambling but also
indulged in shopping, which resulted in a worsening financial situation for
the family.
The fact that she owed such a large amount of money to others only
added to the disastrous situation they were facing.
Ryder's experiences had influenced Emmanuel's views on marriage to
some extent, and it was one of the reasons Emmanuel had decided not to
get married.
"When is the latest deadline for repayment?" Emmanuel asked although
he could not offer immediate assistance.
"They said if we don't pay up today, they'll take my wife to a bathhouse to
serve men and earn money to pay the debt!" Tears of exasperation
almost gushed out of Ryder's eyes.
Despite his wife's extravagant spending habits, Ryder still loved her dearly.
Their child was six years old. The thought of his wife being forced to work
at a bathhouse and accompany men weighed heavily on Ryder. It would
not only disgrace him but also cast a lifelong shadow over their son.
"Today?" Emmanuel was in a dilemma. With time running out, he could not
think of any other solution besides borrowing from Mackenzie.
However, considering the substantial amount of money he had previously
borrowed from her, he found it difficult to ask for more.
"Do you think you can help, Manny? You're the only one I can turn to for
help now. If you want me to kneel before you, I will!" As Ryder spoke, he
was ready to get down on his knees.
"No, please don't!" Emmanuel immediately helped him up.
"What are you doing, Manny? Why did you leave your wife alone out
there?" Suddenly, Roselynn's voice came from the living hall.
Noticing the absence of Ryder and Emmanuel, Roselynn had a strong
intuition about where they might be. She, too, wished to lend Ryder a
helping hand, but she doubted she could.
She also had concerns that Emmanuel's desire to be a Good Samaritan
might put a strain on his relationship with his wife.
"I'll be out in a minute!" Emmanuel responded. He then turned to Ryder.
"Calm down, Ryder. I'll figure something out for you, but I need to go out
and accompany my wife now."
Ryder let out a sigh before nodding. "Yeah, you should. I'm so sorry, Manny.
I shouldn't have burdened you with this on your special day."
Emmanuel could not help but sigh when he saw Ryder being like this. "How
about you call the creditor? I'll talk to him."
After all, they were family. Ryder was six years older than him. Ryder had
taken care of him when they were younger and had even given him
pocket money.
All of that was still fresh in Emmanuel's mind.
Emmanuel knew that Ryder would never ask him for help if he was not left
without a choice.
"All right! I'll make the call now."
Ryder quickly found the number and dialed it.
To Emmanuel's surprise, the other party was extremely arrogant. He
refused to give an extension no matter how much Emmanuel tried to
convince him.
"You brat! Do you know who I am? My dad is the CEO of Yanberg Group!"
Emmanuel was familiar with it since he lived in Yeringham. Yanberg Group
was a small, local business with some prestige in Yeringham.
However, it was a far cry from a leading enterprise like Terence Group.
"Hey! You still have to be reasonable no matter who your dad is!"
Emmanuel was not one to be easily intimidated, and he asserted, "We'll
find a way to pay back the money Abellyn owes you, but poker debt is not
protected by the law. You won't get out unscathed if you insist on using
violence."
The other party was infuriated by his words. He yelled, "You want to talk
about the law, huh? I'll show you what it means to be unruly."
Immediately, the other party hung up the phone.
Ryder panicked even more. "Manny, you can't talk to them in that manner.
Shawn is influential in Yeringham and has connections with the officials
and underground circles. We won't be able to handle it if he decides to
deal with us."
Emmanuel handed his phone back and patted his shoulder. "Let's take it
one step at a time. I will do everything I can to help you."
"Manny, what's taking you so long to put some items?" Alessandra's voice
came from the outside.
I can't believe Manny! Why isn't he staying by his wife's side when he
brought her home for the first time?
Alessandra thought Emmanuel's wife was shy, as she did not speak to
anyone else.
"I'm coming!" Emmanuel hurried to the living room.
He saw Mackenzie sitting on a single-seater couch in the living room. She
was exuding an extremely frosty aura that prevented anyone from
approaching her.
The members of the Lowe family felt that she was not easy to get along
with, and no one dared to approach her for small talk.
Only Jack still refused to give up. He tried to sneak up on her and strike up
a conversation.
Mackenzie had misandry. She felt even more irritated and disgusted with
married men like Jack who tried to approach her.
Mackenzie would have made him pay if it were not for the fact she was at
her in-laws' house that day: She merely ignored him and quietly moved to
a bigger couch.
Jack's eyes lit up, and he wanted to take this chance to sit next to her.
However, Emmanuel went ahead and sat next to Mackenzie. He said with
a smile, "Jack, I heard you and your wife are planning for a second child."
Given that they were cousins, Emmanuel was undoubtedly familiar with
his personality.
Jack had begun gallivanting in his teenage years and played around
without committing to anyone. He only married his wife because she was
pregnant.
Besides, Jack's wife married him when she was barely twenty.
It would be weird for him not to like a stunning woman like Mackenzie
when even Emmanuel's heart had raced wildly when they first met.
"Emmanuel, why are you suddenly bringing this up?" Jack was obviously
upset, and he went to sit on the single-seater couch.
At least that pretty lady just sat here. It must still have her fragrance.
However, Ryder's son, Tommy, skipped happily and sat on it first.
"What are you doing? Why are you interrupting when adults are talking?
Get lost!" Jack shouted. His tone scared Tommy, and Tommy quickly
leaped up from the couch.
Tommy was barely six years old, and he started crying after being yelled
Tommy instinctively ran toward Emmanuel and Mackenzie since his
parents were not in the living room..
"Come here. Sit next to me."