Please Take Me Home, Daddy - Chapter 364: Chapter 364

Over at Luceras Hospital, Rachel was busy grabbing some grub for her younger siblings. The cash she had left was from Laura, and there was still 4,000 dollars in her purse. Despite that, she went for the cheapest eats she could find, worried that if Laura ever changed her mind and demanded the cash back, she'd find herself in too deep to pay it off.
Jeremy stood by her side, feeling all kinds of awkward knowing they were leaning on Laura's money just to get by. "Rachel," he said, the discomfort clear in his voice, "once I get paid for my film, let's pay Laura back, okay?"
Rachel frowned, "You think I haven't thought about that? But the bank card was with Meriel's mom, and she's blocked me. Unless I'm very mistaken, Meriel's mom has already taken that money for herself. It's not going to you."
Jeremy scowled and pulled out his phone to kill some time. But then, a notification popped up.
[Laura Accused of Framing Hot Star Evan—Click to Find Out More]
Curiosity piqued, he tapped open the message and was greeted with a video screenshot. The blogger seemed to side with Evan. In the video, Laura's micro-expressions were plenty and at one point, it looked as if she was rolling her eyes at Evan, especially when she firmly stated she would go to change her clothes.
The comment section was ablaze with accusations about Laura lying and calls for the surveillance video. He quickly showed the comments to his sister, "Rachel, check this out."
After scrolling through a few comments, Rachel was stunned. "This is ridiculous. How could Laura ever frame Evan? She's not the type to play such games."
As she spoke, she pulled out her own battered phone, intent on clearing Laura's name. "I'll just tweet that Laura's been paying for my sister's treatment. That'll make them believe the truth."
But Jeremy grabbed her hand to stop her, a worried frown on his face. "No, we can't do that. We've been awful to Laura before. If we suddenly start praising her, everyone will just think Laura hired us to stage this whole thing for sympathy. We might even give the other side something to use against us."
Rachel was shocked, "Really? But we have videos and receipts as proof. Laura did save my sister."
Jeremy's fine features were all business as he strategized, "Maybe I can hack into the Hilton network, get the surveillance footage from that day, and keep it as evidence."
Rachel's eyes lit up, "You can do that?"
Jeremy, action-minded, turned on his heel towards the hospital room, "I can hack into the Hilton website, control their security cameras nationwide, and save that footage."
It wasn't long before Evan's agent, Elsie, stormed into the hotel, demanding to see the video footage. As expected, the video captured every detail of Evan nonchalantly ordering off the menu, completely ignoring Laura the whole time. She only drank water throughout the meal.
Elsie immediately sought out the manager. "Your surveillance has recorded the privacy of our agency's talent. I'll need you to delete all of today's footage. If anyone asks, just say the cameras malfunctioned today and nothing was recorded. I'll make it worth your while," she said firmly.
The manager agreed without hesitation. So, when the production team finally found time to check the surveillance, they were met with an apology from the manager, "I'm so sorry, but our camera in that corner broke down today. I apologize for any inconvenience."
The production team left, disappointed. A young intern murmured, "What now? Without the footage, we can't prove our guest's innocence."
Another staffer stayed silent, obviously knowing that this had been manipulated by someone. Her gaze unintentionally fell on the car parked across the street—it was Elsie's. She immediately knew who the liar was but dared not speak up. Lowering her lashes as if she hadn't seen a thing, she quickly ushered the newcomer away, "Let's go. There's no evidence, so we just let it cool down. No need to delve into it. The fans on both sides will forget about it in no time."
Elsie watched the crew members leave in a hurry, afraid of stirring trouble, and smirked. She thought, 'Now there is no proof of Laura's innocence.'
But no one knew that in a hospital room in Luceras, Jeremy held up a file he had recorded to show his sister Rachel. "I got it."
Rachel's jaw dropped. "Jeremy, you actually managed to get this."
Jeremy gave a nonchalant smile. "And right after I got it, the video disappeared. This means that someone wanted to destroy the evidence to frame Laura, but now we've got the missing piece that can clear her name."
He gleamed with satisfaction, looking at the heated comments from Evan's fans online, "We just need the perfect timing to drop this bomb."
Evan, who had been dragged through the mud both literally and figuratively, received the message Elsie had someone deliver. The video had been deleted, and it was time to set the bait.
For now, he'd been dragged through the mud, literally, to wear something hideous and roll in the dirt while Laura remained oblivious. He thought, 'Patience is a virtue. I will spice up the story for a while, wait until the rumors peak, and then claim innocence, given the lack of evidence. Laura wouldn't stand a chance of defending herself.' Evan wiped the mud off his face, a sharp glint in his eye. He would teach her a lesson she would never forget.
Bert signaled everyone to regroup, "You've all worked hard. The winners tonight will be rewarded with the privilege of staying out, while the losers stay in the base, where rooms are provided. Now that your sleeping quarters for the night are settled, let's talk about lunch. You'll have to earn it through another challenge."
He pointed to the side, "This time, it's the kids fighting for their dads. You need to shoot some balloons with toy guns. A total of eleven balloons—if you hit six, you get a full meal for lunch. Miss, it's just chocolate pudding."
The dads looked worried. They thought that asking their kids to shoot balloons spelled chocolate pudding for sure.
Evan raised his hand awkwardly, "Um, what if I don't have a kid?"
Bert looked at him with disdain, "You're competing with the kids. Hit six, and you're good."
Evan was visibly relieved and jeered, "Oh, that means I'll for sure be enjoying a full meal. Too bad for you, Colonel Yale."
Bert faked confusion, "What do you mean?"
Laura got the hint, "Evan, are you saying my aim's off, and I'll hold back my trainee daddy?"
Evan turned to her with a forced smile, shaking his head, "No, that's not it. I just think you might lack experience."
Laura nodded, understanding, but unhappy. She challenged him, "Let's make it a contest then. I bet I can pop all eleven. If you miss it, give me your best dish. Deal?"
Evan was speechless. Well, he was indeed thankful that she hadn't noticed.
Evan was taken aback. He thought Laura was so confident that he nearly laughed but managed to say, "Sure, let's do it. Just try not to cry, okay?"
Laura smiled sweetly, "Don't worry, it's you who shouldn't cry."
Evan was speechless at her.