Rise Of The Disgraced Heir

Ian decided to simply risk it and just explain and apologize to Marco later. He was honestly tired of people walking all over him and assuming that he was no one. 

He knew that he could get Marco to understand why he did it eventually.

"Marco?" Ian asked as he picked up the phone, earning him shocked stares from Jas' friends. People didn't call Mr. So by his first name. Doing that could get you in a lot of trouble with the Reyes Family.

"Ian. Are you out?" Marco asked. 

His voice was familiar to everyone since most of the Reyes Family statements were made by him. He was also the person people spoke to if the CEO needed something signed or arranged.

He was someone feared and respected by people. He not only held a huge influence on the Reyes Family but he was also from a very powerful family himself.

"I am, wait, sorry, I accidentally placed the call on speaker. Give me a moment." Marco told Ian.

"No need. If you are out, I'll just call Camilla. Either of you can handle it and it's not a rush. The CEO simply needs something." Marco said.

"Alright. Camilla shouldn't be too busy." Ian told Marco.

"Enjoy your night then, see you at the office tomorrow." Marco told him as he dropped the call. 

Ian looked up and saw the expression of shock on everyone's faces. It seemed they believed him now.

Josephine was laughing behind him when she too saw their expressions. It was silly, they had been looking down at the person they should have been sucking up to.

"Ian, can I speak to you in private?" Josephine asked him in a meek tone.

"Ummm. . . yeah, sure." Ian said as he scratched his head.

"I can borrow him for a moment, right Jas?" Josephine asked her sister.

Jas hesitated for a moment, but later on nodded, allowing Josephine to drag Ian to the other end of the hall in a much more quiet area.

She looked around and made sure that no one nearby could overhear their conversation. When she was convinced that their conversation would be private, she took a deep breath and prepared to speak.

"Mr. So told me that you were crucial in saving me." Josephine told Ian as she gave him a thankful look.

Ian nodded in response. As much as he wanted to play humble, now was not the time.

"He told me that you put aside your revenge plans on the Juan family just to trick Mike." Josephine told Ian. "Is that true? I know what they've done to you. How could you just let it go so easily?"

"It's true." Ian replied with a nod. "But the Reyes Group and the Reyes Family takes care of its people. They have given me the tools to get the revenge I've long sought after, and this time all I needed was my name and some very good friends." 

Ian couldn't help but think back to how had stormed out of Camilla's apartment earlier. It was quite rude and ungrateful of him. 

Both Seth and Camilla had helped him so much and he knew that they were only worried and concerned about him. 

The points they raised were valid, they made sense, he just didn't want to hear them.

"My sister has been unfair to you." Josephine said with a sigh as she shook her head. "She is way too lucky to have you. My family is lucky." She said with a nod.

"Your sister and your family have been with me through my hardest times. It's I that owes them, not the other way around, Josephine." Ian reminded her.

"You're wrong there, Ian." Josephine said as she bravely corrected the older man. 

She was a small woman who only reached till Ian's shoulders. Her long brown hair made her look even younger.

"Josephine, you don't need to make me feel better." Ian said as he shook his head. "I know how much of a burden I have been to your family in the past years. You guys are being targeted because of my relationship with your older sister."

"We might have suffered for the past two years, but my family has benefited by association to yours for years before that. We grew to this size because you and Jas were friends." Josephine told him. "Plus what she did you, rich or poor, you don't deserve that."

"Which one?" Ian asked as he pretended not to know.

"Don't pretend to be stupid, Ian. It doesn't fit you." She said as she shook her head. "We both know she has been seeing other men because of our family for years."

"They never went past dates." Ian reminded her. "Don't speak ill of your sister." He scolded.

"Yeah, that's what she tells you, just dates." Josephine scoffed.

"Enough, I trust your sister, what you are telling me is just hearsay." Ian insisted.

"Ask her yourself." Josephine told him. "Consider this my thanks, you deserve to know the truth. It's stupid for my family to keep things from you, especially things that could affect your relationship with my sister."

"I'm not sure if what you have given me is a gift, Josephine." Ian told the younger woman.

"Trust me, the truth is what you need to hear." Josephine told him as she finally managed to walk away.

Ian took a deep breath and shook his head. He trusted Josephine, but he also trusted Jas not to lie to him about these things.

He knew that he was being an idiot by choosing to believe Jas when she had lied to him in the past. But he loved her, why wouldn't he trust her.

"Ian!" Jas called out when she spotted him returning to their table. "What did my sister want?" 

"Oh, nothing, she just wanted to thank me for my involvement in that matter." Ian said with a shrug as he brushed it off as no big deal.

"Thank you, again." Jas said as she went on her tip toes and kissed him on the lips. "Why don't I give you a little thank you gift tonight? We can go home to your apartment early.." Jas told him with a seductive smile.