My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 123 Falling Apart

Evelyn

Two days had passed since my conversation with Jacob, and everything between us had been relatively calm. He hadn't brought up the sensitive topic again, and fortunately, I hadn't crossed paths with Tyler, despite my two trips to the store, both times forgetting the list of items I needed to buy. I was getting forgetful these days. I didn't know whyâ€"perhaps it was just stress or perhaps something else. Anyway, it didn't matter.

Lately, I have been putting my cooking skills to the test. Surprisingly, I found that I was at least on par with my dad's culinary prowess, if not quite up to Jacob's level yet. Jacob knew how to cook really very well!

Another thing happenedâ€" Dad had called twice, clearly stressed out about the situation of the recent media scandal. He and Clara had even contemplated canceling their trip and coming to visit us in Italy, but Jacob and I managed to persuade them otherwise. Me and Jacob, we literally had to beg them to stop.

Dad had offered to help Jacob out of the financial mess caused by the investors pulling out. I urged Jacob to accept the offer, but he remained adamant about resolving the situation on his own. He didn't want assistance from his father, my father, or any of his friends. Despite my understanding of his pride and determination, it was hard to witness him struggle, especially when his reputation in the media had been tarnished by that bastard Tyler's deceitful actions. It was going to take a long time to recover from the damageâ€"that's what I'd understood till now.

As for Jacob's plans moving forward, I was kept in the dark. I respected his need for privacy and didn't want to pressure him into revealing anything he wasn't ready to share. Right now, his business decisions were just one piece of the puzzle. He was facing a tough situation, and while I wanted to support him in every possible way, I couldn't help but feel helpless.

What was there that I could offer him other than emotional support? Nothing.

A small sigh slipped past my lips as I grabbed a chocolate bar from the fridge, unwrapped it and took a bite, then absentmindedly scrolled through my social media feed. A photo of Nancy and Mason together popped up, with Jennie vaguely visible in the background, absorbed in her phone. The caption accompanying the post brought a smile to my face.

"The light's missingâ€"that's Evie."

With a smile, I typed out a comment, "I miss you too, Idiots. Don't forget about me and don't party too muchâ€"I will come back soon!"

As I mindlessly scrolled through the feed, my fingers suddenly halted at the suggestion of a profile on Insta. It was none other than Tylerâ€"the storm of our lives.

My jaw clenched, my grip on the phone tightened. I wanted to delete my account right then. Why, out of all the people, did Insta have to suggest this piece of shit's profile to me?

God! This was infuriating!

I clicked into his profile, fully intending to block him, but then I saw his followers—500k. Holy fucking shit. Was this piece of shit that famous? Why did I even care?

Curiosity gripped me, and I scrolled down his profile. But when I saw his first post, my entire body froze, the bar of chocolate slipping from my hand. I blinked twice, trying to believe whether what I was seeing was real.

Tyler's recent post featured a picture of Jacob's Office, the entire building sealed off.

The caption read, "Today marked the end of the Adriano Corporation.

Drowning in debt and after the

recent media firestorm, it seems the corporation couldn't survive any longer. Investors filed a lawsuit against CEO Jacob Adriano, resulting in the closure of his office and all ongoing projects. Unless he répays the loan and investment he'd taken, nothing will be returned. It's truly sad to witness the downfall of such a huge real estate entity. But as they say, lofty beginnings often yield arduous ends. Success isn't guaranteed for everyone. Perhaps, it was the same for Mr. Adriano."

My heart fucking stopped when I saw the post stood up, sweat sliding down my forehead. Exiting, his profile, I quickly searched online to verify if the news was true.

Countless articles confirmeel. B

worst nightmareâ€"Tyler's post about Jacob's company was real.

I freaked out, hands shaking as I hurriedly stood up and dialed Jacob's number, but he didn't pick up. I tried again, but still no answer.

Two missed calls from Dad and one from Rosaline lined up in the list, indicating that everyone else was as taken aback by this sudden storm as me.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

"God, Jacob. Pick up, please…" I pleaded, anxiety rushing through me. But once again, the call went unanswered.

My breathing grew heavier, panic surged through me, and my thoughts raced loudly.

Was he even okay? There was no way he could be okay after everything fell apart so suddenly.

I'd witnessed how hard he was

trying to restore things to how they were before. He was working tirelessly, yet everything crumbled in an instant. I couldn't even begin to imagine how he must be feeling.

Should I go there? Maybe I should. There seemed to be no other way to find out what was happening.

But what if my presence made things worse? I didn't know what the fuck I was supposed to do.

Sighing heavily, I sat back down on the couch, a cold bead of sweat sliding down the side of my forehead as I buried my face in my hands. Then, suddenly, my phone rang.

Hope ignited in my heart as I grabbed the phone, almost ny percent convinced it would be Jacob. But to my surprise, an unknown caller ID flashed on the screen.

Confusion etched my features as I answered, "Hello?"

"Hello, Bella Dona," a very familiar voice buzzedâ€"the only man in the world whom I despised from the core of my being. "Did you see the news yet?"