<b>Chapter </b><b>570 </b>
Word spread like wildfire through the small vige <b>of </b><b>Ridgehaven </b>Town when people saw Samuel being carried out of Josephine’s house, half–dead and <b>barely </b>hanging on. With rumors about the <b>two </b>already making the rounds, it didn’t take long for <b>all </b>kinds of gossip to sweep through the vige like dust in the wind.
Bright and early the next morning, the vige chief hurried over to David’s ce carrying two bottles of good liquor to offer his apologies in
person<b>. </b>
David was tall, and though <b>years </b>of hard work had tanned his skin to a bronze shade, he still looked rather thin and frail<b>. </b>Back in his youth, he was quite the looker.
When the vige head arrived. David <b>was </b>smoking a cigarette.
Before the vige chief showed up, Aubree and Bowen <b>had </b>already recounted everything that had happened at Josephine’s ce.
As he listened to their ount, David felt it was utterly absurd. He just couldn’t wrap his head around it. ‘Samuel <b>was </b><b>a </b>university graduate from the provincial capital, someone who’d earned his ce through real <b>exams</b>. How could he get such indecent thoughts in his head just because Josephone <b>was </b>picking up a package?
‘He’s supposed to be an educated man, yet he shamelessly did something <b>so </b>vile, he is worse than an animal, David thought.
He and the vige chief <b>were </b>like brothers since they were kids. They had always been getting into trouble together. Back in school, neither of them <b>was </b>much of <b>a </b>schr, but David <b>was </b>the more honest one, while the vige chief hung out with the local troublemakers. Still, nothing ever came
between them.
They were just <b>as </b>close as they’d always been.
His daughter, Millie, and Samuel <b>were </b>childhood friends–they’d gone to the same school together ever since elementary school. The two kids had even promised each other they’d get married someday<b>, </b>and both families were more than happy to see them end up together.
Millie had not gotten epted into college, and the vigers often gossiped that Samuel was useless. They criticized him for being unable to find a job, not being a college graduate, and having to return home to rely on his father. However, David understood the actual reason: Samuel came back solely to be with Millie.
When rumors about Samuel and Josephine first started circting, none of their family members believed them. But when Millie went to confront him about it, it made a bit of a scene. David just thought Samuel was still young and not exactly settled down, and he probably got a little smitten by Josephine’s good looks and lost his head for a moment.
But now, after everything that had happened, David couldn’t just turn a blind eye anymore.
He fumed inwardly, ‘He actually barged into her house to do something like that? Is he even human?‘
Back then, he was furious at Samuel for not being able to control himself, but now, he was just as relieved as he was angry before.
It was a good thing Millie hadn’t married a jerk like Samuel yet. Otherwise, if she really ended up with him, her whole life would’ve been nothing but pain and regret.
“Let’s drop the whole job–hunting thing for Jason,” David said firmly. “He’s still young, and I will let him tag along with me in the orchard for now. If he’s interested and has a knack for it, maybe he can just take over the reins from me one day.”
The vige chief’s heart sank as he realized David was putting distance between them.
“Are you really going to do this?” the vige chief asked, his voice heavy.
David flicked his cigarette and let out a long sigh, “It’s not that I really want to do this, but I can’t go against my conscience.
“Back when you ran for vige chief, I already did something I knew was wrong. These bottles shouldn’t be for me. Did you go and apologize to Josephine yourself?
“I’m a dad too. You care about your son, and I have to look out for my daughter.
“As for that business you brought up about thend behind the mountain, thend’s mine. If you want to do something with it, I’ll just turn a blind eye. But don’t expect me to get involved. That’s illegal, and I’m too old to be taking risks like that.”
The vige chief’s face went from green to ck with anger, and he spat, “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you if <b>I </b>use yournd and don’t give you a dime.”
He didn’t take the liquor with him, but he knew David was already letting him off easy by not making a scene about it.
As the vige chief stepped out of David’s house, there was already a crowd gathered outside.