"However," Abner shifted the conversation after offering his praise.
Audrey instinctively straightened her posture and gazed at Abner with seriousness, expecting a reprimand.
Abner continued, "If you ever find yourself in such a situation again, you mustn't go alone. You're a young woman, and it can be very dangerous."
Audrey was taken aback. After a moment's pause, she responded hurriedly,
"Alright, Big Brother. I'll be more cautious in the future."
Abner nodded and inquired further, "What happened afterward?"
Audrey visibly relaxed, offering a smile as she recounted how Jerry and Linda had been summoned and subsequently taken away by the police.
"Brother, you wouldn't believe it. Those reporters were snapping pictures like crazy at the time, but none of the photos got leaked. They must've been paid off by the Rick family."
Audrey said with a hint of regret.
Linda and Jerry weren't involved in the entertainment industry, and even if the photos were leaked, they wouldn't have caused much of a sensation. They might have even made some money by selling them to the parties involved. It would have been a lucrative deal.
However, although the photos remained undisclosed, the video footage had widely circulated.
A few reporters who had joined them had started a live broadcast, as they had received payment from Tina in advance. Their intention was to expose the incident to the public.
Observing Audrey's growing excitement, Abner couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "Since the situation has been resolved, why did you stay there?"
Even though Abner no longer considered Jerry his younger brother, he had assisted Jerry in dealing with numerous matters over the years, too many to count. As a result, he knew Jerry's personality inside out.
Once Jerry caught wind of Audrey's involvement in the plan, he would likely take action, regardless of Audrey's gender.
Audrey's smile froze on her face. After a brief pause, she murmured, "I wanted to stay and watch the show."
Abner didn't even know what to say.
At this moment, his phone rang.
Abner picked up the phone and glanced at the caller ID. After seeing it, he said to Audrey, "Stay seated while I take this call."
Audrey nodded.
Abner walked to the window with his phone. He answered the call and said,
"Evans, what's the matter?"
From the other end, Evans replied, "There really is."
Abner looked at Audrey, who sat fidgeting in her chair, and said, "If it's not urgent, I'll call you back later. I have something to handle here."
Evans said, "It's about Audrey."
Abner raised an eyebrow slightly. "Go on."
Evans proceeded to describe his encounter with Audrey at the hotel and then added, "Madam Caroline will probably seek your help soon, asking you to assist Jerry. Although Audrey's approach to this situation isn't flawless, she's not at fault."
Abner furrowed his brow, a look of confusion in his eyes.
He had known Evans for many years and understood his character well. He could also detect the protective tone in Evans' words regarding Audrey.
It was rather strange. Evans' demeanor was usually even colder than Abner. He didn't look like someone who would meddle in other people's business.
"Are you putting in a good word for her?" Abner asked.
Evans fell silent. He, too, was perplexed. Was he, in fact, speaking up for Audrey?
Thinking back carefully to what he had just said, it did seem like he was putting in a good word for Audrey.
He believed it was essential to call Abner and provide an explanation. Otherwise, when Caroline and Jerry sought out Abner, they would likely fan the flames and place the blame squarely on Audrey.
He didn't think too much about it. He didn't think about why he was doing this or what it meant.
"Isn't she your sister?" Evans said.
Abner grasped the implied message behind Evans' words.
Because Audrey was his sister, Evans had offered his assistance. If Abner hadn't known Evans's character like the back of his hand, he might have been genuinely convinced.
Abner glanced in Audrey's direction. She remained seated, her posture unchanged as she lowered her head, absentmindedly scratching her nails.
Abner opened the door and exited the room. After shutting the study door, he replied to Evans, "Based on what you've said, isn't Jerry still my brother? Why don't you help him?"
Evans didn't provide a direct answer to his question, stating instead, "In any case, I've conveyed the truth to you. How you choose to handle it is up to you.."