Chapter 204 Something Big Just Happened

• “Good boy, Great-grandpa just feels for your Jovienne being out there all alone.” Old Mr. Xenakis patted his small head, eyes going a little red. So many people were hoping she could return to the Xenakis residence. That left Jovienne with a sour ache in her chest. It stung. Hendrik kept promising her, over and over, that what happened before wouldn’t happen again. But once a heart gets hurt, it doesn’t heal easy. What troubled her most now was not knowing how to say it—how to tell Edwin and Leonard that she was pregnant. She was scared that if she told the truth now, it would only make them worry more. “Wait until the house over there is fully cleaned up. Then you can go back. No rush.” Old Mr. Xenakis didn’t notice her struggle and spoke lightly, like a breeze. He already treated her as his own granddaughter. As long as she was happy, where she lived didn’t matter. He didn’t want to force her hand. “But…” the little brat frowned. He just couldn’t stop worrying. Seeing her young son fretting about grown-up stuff, Jovienne rubbed his head and teased, “Our Leonard’s grown up. He’s looking out for his Jovienne now.” “Jovienne, can I live here with you?” No need to think—she’d have to say no. But if he didn’t hear her refuse out loud, he couldn’t give up. “Be good, Leonard. Jovienne—” “Old Mr. Xenakis! Breaking news!” George rushed in, face suddenly grave. What was going on? Everyone in the room turned their eyes on him. “Don’t scare the kid. Speak slowly.” “Something big just happened…” George handed over the tablet and pointed at the news feed on it. It had been posted five minutes ago: There was an explosion at the Minhang Passenger Center under Xenakis Group, with casualties exceeding thirty percent. And Gu Changman was among them. Edwin shot up from his seat. “Does Mr. Hendrik know?” “Mr. Hendrik adjusted his schedule. He’s still on the plane right now. He probably hasn’t received the news.” “Go to the passenger center!” Edwin made the call on the spot. A public safety incident like this spreads fast. If it isn’t handled in time, it could spark a crowd riot. Then things get even messier. George hesitated. Edwin’s body wasn’t what it used to be. Even if they didn’t go straight to the scene, heading back to the company meant dealing with media interviews, grieving families looking for accountability… A string of high-pressure, high-intensity tasks. He worried the old man couldn’t take it. But right now, the only person who could stand up and speak for Xenakis Group… was him. “I’ll go with you!” Jovienne stepped forward. She didn’t know the tricks and traps of the business world, but since this involved Xenakis Group and someone needed to show up to calm the public for now— Hendrik wasn’t here. She had to step up. “You just got discharged. Stay home and rest. Grandpa still has a few tricks left. Don’t worry.” Edwin didn’t want her dragged into this for no reason. If families lost control, she could get hurt. “I’m almost fully recovered. I’ll be fine.” She glanced at Conrad standing beside them, afraid he’d expose her white lie. He was worried about her, sure, but the resolve in her eyes made it impossible to stop her. He could only sigh, “I’ll go too. I can help handle things if anything comes up.” Edwin finally nodded. Leonard had caught most of that. For once, he didn’t beg to go along. He needed a laptop, needed to figure out more about the cause. So going home was his first choice. Soon, they split into two groups. George took the young master back to the Xenakis residence. Edwin headed to the passenger center with Jovienne and Conrad. On the way, Hexo, already on-site, kept updating them with what was happening. By the time they reached the perimeter, a cordon had sealed off a three-hundred-meter radius. SWAT officers lined both sides, working hard to keep order. Outside the line, there were plenty of onlookers, but more than that, families who’d rushed over after the blast. A mass of people cried their hearts out, clustering in twos and threes, and every now and then someone tried to break through the cordon to find their loved ones. In that kind of chaos, the three didn’t dare get out of the car lightly, afraid someone would snap and do something reckless. Just as they were discussing turning around to enter from another gate, a man lunged at the hood, slamming his palms on it, cursing nonstop. Jovienne jolted, hurrying to shield Edwin beside her. Obviously, things were even worse than they’d imagined.