276 The Stone family's predicamen

Sunday

2:04 PM

"How can I help you, Mark?" Nathan asked Mr. Stone (Rita's father).

"I got calls from two of my business partners that they don't want to continue working with me."

Nathan was not sure why is Mr. Stone coming to him about this problem his business is facing. Didn't he get a memo that Max is in charge? Or does Mr. Stone expect Nathan to use his personal connections? That is possible.

Max told Nathan that he is taking actions against Stone and Adams families which crossed the line and that Nathan should stay out of it. Nathan is aware of how the Adams family irked Max. He believes that it must be related to Jackson blackmailing Sabrina into 8 years long relationship, but he is not sure how the Stone family fits into that narrative. Max only told him that it was something Rita did.

Max's and Nathan's ways of handling issues differ, but Max's results speak for themselves. Nathan is curious to see what Max will do.

"That does not sound good." Nathan said flatly.

"Yes. Especially because it's Sunday, and the word is that the Alpha group blacklisted my company so I can expect more of my partners to bail on me." Mr. Stone said and looked at Nathan expectantly. "Don't you have anything to say?"

"What do you want me to say?"

Mr. Stone gritted his teeth. "Nate, don't play stupid! Why did you blacklist me?"

"I didn't." Nathan responded. "Any matters related to the Alpha group are handled by Max. You should talk to him about it."

Mr. Stone looked at Nathan in disbelief. "Are you serious? You will not help me?"

"I am serious. I am retiring. If the Alpha group blacklisted you, talk to Max." Nathan made a dramatic pause before continuing. "I am not aware that you are blacklisted. Assuming that is correct, do you know why Max would do such a thing?"

Mr. Stone exhaled in frustration. "I have no idea."

"Since you are my friend, I will give you a tip. There is another person who can clarify the situation."

"Who?" Mr. Stone asked impatiently.

"Your daughter."

Mr. Stone frowned. "Rita? Is this about the incident at your party with her pushing Max's girlfriend into the pool? Rita is the one who ended up in the pool. Is Max so petty?"

"Mark, I can assure you that I didn't make Max my successor because he is petty. I told you, ask Rita."

Mr. Stone understood that Nathan knows more than what he is willing to admit, and that the conversation is over. He will talk to Rita, but she is not the one who can make this situation better.

"You said that I should talk to Max about stopping this blacklisting nonsense. How can I reach him?"

"He is in office from Monday to Friday, during regular work hours." Nathan said matter-of-factly.

Nathan shrugged. "It's a weekend and knowing Max, he is somewhere with his girlfriend and not interested in talking about work. If you go now, you might anger him because you are intruding on his private time…"

…

~ Seattle, the Stone family villa ~

"Rita!" Mr. Stone boomed from the entry door. "Rita!!!"

Rita heard her father and shrunk. Based on his tone of voice, it can't be anything good. But she can't hide either.

Rita looked at her mother who shook her head, indicating that she will not help her. This is between Rita and her father. And this time, it's serious.

Mrs. Stone knows where her husband went and why, and she didn't tell Rita that their business is facing a crisis, because she hoped that Nathan will make the problem disappear. The Andersons have such power. However, it seems that the talk didn't go well, and based on the outrage of her husband, Mrs. Stone concluded that this might be connected to Rita.

Mrs. Stone knows that Rita is acting spoiled sometimes, thinking that she is above others and entitled to a privileged treatment, and she wonders what Rita did this time. Mrs. Stone decided to sit quietly and to observe.

"Yes, daddy?" Rita asked sweetly when she peeked out of the living room.

Mr. Adams stomped his way inside. "What did you do?"

Rita walked backward, hoping to increase the distance between her and her father, and sat on the sofa. "I don't understand…"

"The Anderson family blacklisted my business. My partners are abandoning me, and Nathan told me to ask you why it is happening. How did you anger Max?"

"I… I didn't…" Rita stuttered.

"Don't lie! Yesterday, the Adams' were here, accusing you of working with Jack to hurt Sabrina's boyfriend…" Mr. Stone stopped talking as if he is trying to connect the dots between that incident and the Alpha group attacking his business. He was confident that those two are related, even though he was unable to see it. "Sabrina's boyfriend. Spill it! What did you do?!"

Rita was not willing to admit to anything. "Daddy, why are you accusing me of something I didn't do?"

"What am I accusing you of?"

Rita paused. "I don't know. You are saying that I hurt Sabrina's boyfriend."

Mr. Stone took a deep breath to compose himself. "Rita. This is serious. I need to know what you did so that I can salvage it… somehow. Do you realize that the Anderson family blacklisted my business? Do you realize that without that business we will lose everything? How will you buy dresses and jewelry and go on vacations? There will be no cars and no parties and none of your current friends will want to associate themselves with you because the Anderson family might target them next. Do you understand?"

Rita bit her lower lip and nodded faintly.

"Now tell me. What did you do? You went to visit Jackson when he returned from the hospital. Did he ask you to do something?"

Rita closed her eyes and nodded again.

"SPEAK!" Mr. Stone hollered.

Rita shrunk and responded in a shaky voice: "He asked me to make a phone call with a burner phone and to make a payment. He said to use cash so that it's not traceable, and that he will pay me back."

Mr. Stone blinked rapidly while processing what Rita said. How is that related to Andersons? She is obviously not saying everything. "What kind of a phone call?"

Rita looked at her father, and she saw that he is losing his patience. She needs to say something, or he might really punish her. "Jack asked me to call a number, and that it's a gang. I told them that they need to attack a man, and where he will be at a given time. They requested ten thousand dollars. Half up front."

"What man?" Mrs. Stone could not keep quiet anymore.

Rita lowered her head. "Ashton Grant. Sabrina broke up with Jack so that she can be with Ashton."

Mr. Stone thought that he will explode from anger. "How can you be so stupid!?"

Rita's eyes filled with tears. Why is he calling her stupid? They bullied her first and Jackson gave her an opportunity to vent her anger. "Daddy…"

"Don't you 'daddy' me! Go to your room and you are not allowed to come out until I tell you!"

Rita scurried out of the living room. She has no intention to stay there longer and face her father's wrath.

"What will we do?" Mrs. Stone asked her husband when they heard the door closing after Rita.

"That damned Adams boy managed to implicate us into this mess! That whole family is greedy and does not know when to stop. They dared to go after Andersons! They lost their minds!" Mr. Stone screamed and moved toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Mrs. Stone asked.

"To fix this! It's all their fault and I have no intention of letting them drag us down." Mr. Stone raged.

Mrs. Stone realized that her husband plans to confront the Adams family. "Don't you want to calm down, first?"

"How can I calm down? Everything we own is at risk because our spoiled daughter can't get over the fact that her prank backfired on her and she made a fool out of herself! Don't try to stop me. Your options are to stay here or to come with me."

"WAIT!" Mrs. Stone shouted.

Mr. Stone froze. His wife is not the one to raise her voice.

"Where are you going, Mark? I know that you are angry. I am angry as well, but please, think. You heard Greg yesterday. He and Paula don't know that Rita is involved and as much as we know, they went to everyone who visited Jack since he returned from the hospital. If you go, you will confirm that it was Rita. And if Andersons know that Rita had a part in this, they know about Jack as well. I bet that Jack's disappearance is related to this incident. Greg can't help you to fix this. He will not hesitate to sacrifice you…"

Mr. Stone listened to his wife and his anger subsided. She is right. If he goes to the Adams family, he will confirm that it's Rita who collaborated with Jackson, and those people will not hesitate to twist the story and make her the mastermind. The only thing he can do is wait for Monday and then go to the Alpha group and ask Max to fix the situation.

---

If you are not reading this at 'W e b n o v e l . c o m', then the content you're reading is stolen! Please support the author by reading this novel from the original source.