The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Gary was speechless after hearing what Casper said.

For years, Casper had rarely complained to his parents, but that didn't mean he didn't have grievances.

"Maybe you think that you don't owe me anything because you raised me. But I still must take care of you in your old age. The question is, are you really at that point yet? Do you need me to support you right now?" Casper countered.

Deep down, Gary knew he hadn't always done right by Casper, but he would never admit it to his face. "Just because we're not old enough, you're going to abandon us?"

Casper was impressed by Gary's ability to twist the situation. "I never said that. I've made my position clear from the beginning. If you'd rather let the company go bankrupt than tell me what's going on, then there's nothing I can do."

With that, Casper was ready to hang up.

Upon realizing Casper's resolve, Gary panicked and said, "What's Ruby going to do if you don't come back?"

Ruby and the child were supposed to move in with them in a few days. Gary thought this would be a chance for their family to reconnect, and he didn't expect Casper to not return. How was he supposed to explain that to her?

"What does Ruby have to do with this?" Casper snapped, growing impatient. Why was his family dragging Ruby into their mess?

Gary muttered, "We told Ruby you agreed to come back and marry her."

Casper was stunned. His conversations with Jessica had left him emotionally scattered, even making him consider leaving the city altogether. But marrying Ruby? That had never crossed his mind.

He took a deep breath. "That's your problem. You deal with it."

Then he hung up the phone.

...

Gary and Julia looked at each other.

Julia was visibly flustered, her mind racing. "Our original plan was to have him come back, fix the company's problems, and then use mone to keep him in line. That way, even if he didn't want to marry Ruby, he'd have no choice. But he's not coming back! We can't control him if he's not here."

She turned to Gary and asked, "Do you have a plan?"

Gary stood up and began pacing the room. "What if I call Zane?"

Julia looked confused. "Why contact him?"noveldrama

Gary started analyzing the situation. "Zane is Casper's boss. The only reason Casper wants to stay therezis because Zane is willing to keep him employed. If we explain our family's situation to Zane and convince him to fire Casper, then what future would Casper have there?"

Julia's frown gradually turned into a smile as she listened. "That's a brilliant idea! Call Zane right away!"

Gary walked back to the couch, sat down, and then dialed Zane's number. When the call connected, he said, "Hello, Mr. Huxham. This is Casper's father."

Zane wasn't surprised. In fact, when he'd convinced Casper to stay, he had already anticipated this call. He replied calmly, "What can I do for you?"

Although Gary was older and technically of a higher status, he always felt like he was speaking to someone above him whenever he talked to Zane. "Well, here's the situation..."