Chapter 49 Millard frowned, a flicker of steely resolve hardening his gaze. Menu He fought to keep his temper in check and said, "You must be drunk. Please do me a favor and let her friend." She's my "Do you a favor? Who do you think you are? Even if your father-in-law showed up, I wouldn't give him the time of day. Now get out of here!" Jefferson attempted to push Millard away, but found himself unable to budge him. Before he could try again, Millard swiftly grabbed his wrist. Millard, who was more than half a head taller than Jefferson, gripped his wrist tightly, frowning and speaking slowly. "Mr. Petersen, you can show disrespect to the Chadwick family if you wish, but what about the Gonzalez family? "This is St. Peter's Restaurant, owned by the Gonzalez family. Causing a scene like this damages their business and is a direct insult to them. Do you have any idea what the consequences will be if the Gonzalez family finds out? I'm told Mr. Gonzalez has a particular hatred for anyone causing trouble on his property." Hearing this, Jefferson immediately became sober. He was silent for a moment, then glared at Millard and said, "Just wait and see." Then he turned to Bertha and said, "And you too; I will definitely deal with you." Jefferson left, muttering curses. Bertha's tense nerves finally relaxed, and she breathed heavily. Millard looked at her with concern. 'Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Bertha shook her head. "I'll be alright. Just need a moment." Millard quickly went to a nearby self-service beverage counter, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, opened it, and handed it to her. "Here, drink some water." Thank you." Bertha took it and took several deep sips. "How do you feel? Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?" "Yeah, I'm fine." Millard gave her a moment to recover before asking, "When did you come back? How did you get into a conflict with Jefferson?" Bertha said, "I've been back for some time. Ada told me Emy is abroad filming and not at home, so I didn't drop by." Adalee said Emerie took a very secret big project and signed a confidentiality agreement before leaving, prohibiting contact with anyone outside the crew. 16:53 6.9% < Chapter 49 She'd been gone for over a year and had been out of touch. The mention of Emerie's overseas filming flickered across Millard's eyes, a brief, unreadable look. Before Bertha could possibly notice, however, his expression smoothed over. Menu He said, "Yes, she's been gone a while. It's one of those secret filming projects, and she signed strict confidentiality papers with the crew. No one knows when she'll be back, not even me. I can't get in touch." Having explained Emerie's situation, Millard subtly shifted the focus. "What's the issue between you and Jefferson?" Bertha frowned. "I went to a bar to work as a bartender, and he intended to harass me as soon as we met." Millard immediately understood, frowning. He said, "Jefferson is known as a womanizer in Los Angeles, basically idle and doing nothing good. If it weren't for his brother's influence, he would have been beaten to death long ago." "Is the Petersen family very influential?" Yes, they are one of the most prominent wealthy families in Los Angeles." "I know the Gonzalez family, but I've never heard of the Petersen family." The Petersen family became prominent recently because Ms. Petersen is connected to Mr. Gonzalez." Suddenly realizing that Marcus had publicly cut ties, he quickly altered his words. "Ms. Petersen has a strong relationship with the Gonzalez family, which has elevated the entire Petersen family. Due to this connection, people are also cautious around Jefferson." "No wonder he behaves so arrogantly." "We should avoid provoking such people; it's best to stay as far away as possible." "Thank you for your help today." 'Don't mention it. How did you end up working in a bar?" "I haven't found a permanent job yet, so I took a part-time position. I only worked for one night, and it was unfortunate that I encountered him that very night." Millard said, "Bars aren't really the right place for someone like you to work." Bertha offered a small, wry smile. As someone struggling financially, the concept of a suitable job felt like a luxury she couldn't afford. To her, any work that was legal and honest was good work if it paid the bills. Millard asked her, "Bertha, where have you been all these years? We've been looking everywhere for you. We were terrified, and we couldn't find a single trace, so we even went to the police to report you missing." Bertha's lips parted slightly, but she was momentarily unsure how to respond. Chapter 49 "Ring, ring." Millard's phone suddenly rang. He glanced at it and said, "Sorry, I need to take this call." "Go ahead." Millard walked to the side with his phone. 'Hello.* The voice on the other end sounded anxious. Menu "Millard, have you arrived yet? Mr. Gonzalez is already here, but you're not. Don't you realize how much effort I put into arranging this dinner for you? "This is a rare opportunity to dine with Mr. Gonzalez. You absolutely must make the most of it and make a good impression. Get down here now."