Chapter 17 It's Just The Beginning

Her father looked at her with his gloomy eyes. The saggy bags under his eyes marked his old age, possibly exacerbated by stress and frequent crying due to loneliness. His deep manly voice had faded but was still as sweet as Mandy could remember.

"My little girl, why are you crying? I'm fine. Don't be sad," Stanley said, calmly. "Please don't cry." In an effort to convince her, he projected his genuine smile, which emphasized his wrinkles.

"Dad, this is all my fault. You suffered a lot because of me. What happened to your face?" Mandy asked with so much worry. Her conscience was firing her with guilt at the thought that her father was spending the night in the police office at an old age. She felt very uncomfortable at the sight of her father's appalling situation.

"No, don't say that. My child is great. She is a good doctor and would do her part to save more people in the future. Don't worry about my face. I accidentally fell in the bathroom last night, so I got some bruises. It doesn't hurt, though," Stanley said without losing his smile. He did not show any sign of exhaustion or negative emotion that would make his daughter feel bad.

Mandy's parents had wanted her to be a pianist. With an innate talent, she had learned fast and was more advanced than others. She was a natural. However, Mandy had wanted a different path, so she did not follow her parents. Now, she felt a little regret for her disobedience.

"No, Dad. It's my fault. I won't let you suffer anymore." Tears streamed down her face again. She could only wish to replace her father in the police station.

Stanley was about to say something when the sound suddenly stopped. Time was up for the phone call. Not long after, the officers arrived and took him away.

The awful scene made Mandy lose her senses. Her palms and face were on the glass wall with her tears smudging it as she cried hysterically, calling her father.

In the monitoring room, Nathan had been silently watching the scene on the big screen. It was frozen at that moment. Beside him was the big fat chief of the police station. Nathan's presence made the chief more nervous than the prisoners.

'Mandy Zhou, it's painful, right? But this is just the beginning!' Nathan thought to himself. He thought as highly of himself as a king and expected to be treated as such. Being entitled, he was known to be arrogant and frightening. Wit

h such a reputation, no one dared to talk or even get close to him.

"What's the man accused of?" Nathan asked with deep curiosity. He wasn't sure how to feel about what he saw, but he intended to know the details of the case.

"His company is facing a malversation case. Someone reported that he manipulated the stock market illegally. Now both the Securities Regulatory Commission and the inspection committee are investigating him," the chief answered briefly. He did not intend to say more unless Nathan would ask further questions. Like others, he did not want to talk much around Nathan unless necessary.

"Take good care of him, and don't let anyone transfer him away," Nathan commanded calmly. Nathan turned serious with his eyes flashing a mordant look and reluctant smile.

"Yes, Sir," the chief simply said. Nathan effortlessly got what he wanted. Even the police officers feared him one way or another.

Strong winds gushed when Mandy walked out of the police station. She tightened her clothes to keep them in place and herself warm. Her heart still ached for her father's misery.

'God must be kidding me. I'm going to lose everything. Why is this happening to my family?' her mind boggled.

More than twenty years ago, her father had started his own business and had set up the Zhou Group. He was hands-on with everything. Under his leadership, the Zhou Group had flourished well. However, the huge financial crisis in recent years led to the downturn of the business. Her father had been working so hard these past few years to keep them afloat and to save the business.

'Will the Zhou Group, which my father diligently built, collapse this way?' Mandy thought to herself.

Mandy raised her head and looked at the vast sea of people in front of her. She felt lost in her thoughts and present circumstance. Her deep thinking was put to a halt when she heard her phone ring.

"Hello, Mandy. Where are you? Everybody's here. We're waiting for you," Jayleen asked on the other end of the phone. The director of the hospital had invited all the staff members of the Cardiology Department to a dinner tonight.

"I am on my way, Jayleen. I am caught in the middle of heavy traffic," Mandy lied. Her eyes were still puffy, and her cheeks were streaked with tears.

"Okay. Just come here soon. Tonight's dinner is very important. Don't be late," Jayleen carefully exhorted.