CWMBR 53

Chapter 53

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*Present 

"Everyone's gossiping about it! You're the one who deceived him, so why should the Grand Theater suffer too?"

Ronan looked utterly aggrieved. Bridget, who had been watching him with a slightly puzzled expression, replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, the Grand Theater is my property, after all."

"What?"

Ronan froze. Regardless, Bridget removed the scarf from her neck, hung it on a coat rack, and continued.

"If I run into trouble, I'll obviously have to dispose of my assets. The Grand Theater is one of them."

"What are you talking about? Who was the one insisting the Grand Theater could never be sold?"

"Back then, I wasn't cornered like this. But now that things have gotten this bad, how could I possibly hold out?"

"Bridget! What kind of irresponsible talk is that?!"

She had already removed her gloves and neatly hung her coat on the coat rack. She faced Ronan with a calm expression.

"Oh, and Donna refuses to leave the mansion. Since you were the one who brought her in, please handle it."

Bridget's words flowed out plainly and smoothly, making Ronan blink. Perhaps because it was something he hadn't expected, Ronan didn't seem to grasp it immediately. He seemed to ponder her words a couple of times before narrowing his brow.

"Why is Donna suddenly... I was just about to ask about that anyway. Why are you taking it out on her like this?"

"Taking it out on her? Why would kicking out a freeloader who wants to stay at my place for free be taking it out on her?"

"You…”

Ronan's lips fluttered as if speechless. Then his face twisted, and he raised his voice abruptly.

"How much has Donna earned for our Grand Theater all this time? How dare you say that?"

"It's strange, isn't it?"

Bridget let out a low sigh. It hadn't even been a day since she'd left, yet she felt a sudden, almost tangible sense of her barely recovered body rapidly deteriorating again.

"If she brought in so much, then why are the books such a mess?"

Had he heard that Bridget had gone to see Bertio with Gilum? Ronan wasn't surprised by Bridget's words. He merely frowned.

"Even with Lord Wise's investment, I mean. Where on earth did you spend that money?"

Ronan's eyes flickered. The fleeting look on his face suggested his pride was hurt by his niece pointing this out.

"Why is the performance schedule completely empty?"

"Everything has its own set schedule!"

Ronan's answer was confident, but to Bridget, it sounded utterly unconvincing. On the day she spoke with Bertio, she had toured the entire office within the Grand Theatre and spoken with the staff. During that process, she learned the theatre's performances had been suspended for quite some time. According to the staff's unanimous account, Ronan had canceled all the remaining minor performances immediately after Bridget left Glynford.

"Of course I'm doing well! Can't you see I'm working day and night without rest?"

The staff also testified that Ronan frequently made statements about raising the Grand Theatre's prestige and only accepting guests of a certain caliber. To declare he'd only accept guests of a certain caliber without even scheduling a single performance? Would it be too far-fetched to say that it sounded like a declaration to use the Grand Theatre for a 'different' purpose?

As Bridget lowered her gaze and fell into thought, Ronan, who had been ranting, took a deep breath and lowered his voice.

"Bridget, I get that you're cornered on all sides. I'll help you. I know a lawyer who can definitely assist. You seem so stressed you can't think straight..."

"Uncle."

Ronan, who had been spouting nonsense, snapped his mouth shut at Bridget's call. Bridget stared at him blankly before speaking calmly.

"With no long-term performance schedule, keeping exclusive actors seems pointless."

"What...? You can't be suggesting we terminate Donna's contract? You, you! What if we lose Donna to another theater?"

"It can't be helped. The Grand Theater's financial situation can't match Donna's salary level. Besides, she's not the type to just take any role. We can't keep her idle forever. If a good opportunity comes along, we should let her go."

Ronan's jaw dropped. He seemed utterly unprepared for Bridget to say something like this.

"Bridget, are you out of your mind?"

To Ronan, it might genuinely seem that way. But to Bridget herself, her change hadn't happened overnight.

"I'm finally normal. I've escaped the fairy tale too. I have to live in reality now."

Fairy tales were just that—fairy tales. Reality couldn't be a fairy tale, and certainly didn't guarantee a happy ending. Naturally, lessons where the wicked were punished were impossible to expect in reality, and characters who would unconditionally take your side simply didn't exist.

Bridget approached the desk. As the representative's office, it was the desk Ronan had primarily used. On the desk sat Ronan's nameplate, inscribed with "Grand Theater Representative." Bridget's fingertips brushed the sharp edge of the nameplate.

"I'm the managing director of this theater!"

"Yes, Uncle is the acting manager. Thank you for taking charge of the Grand Theater while I was out of my mind.

You won't have to struggle alone anymore."

Bridget pushed the nameplate with her fingertips.

Thud. The nameplate fell over easily with just a slight push.

Ronan reluctantly left the office after receiving a visit from Bertio, who had come urgently seeking him. The glare he shot at Bridget right up until he exited was fierce, but she found herself strangely unafraid or unsettled by it. More than that, the immediate state of this grand theater was her greater concern.

After checking the overall operational status of the Grand Theater, the first thing she'd need to do was hire a proper accountant. She'd also have to review and finalize the power of attorney she'd prepared for Ronan with a lawyer, confirm what performances were currently under contract, check on the employees who'd suddenly been fired...

As Bridget laboriously listed the tasks ahead, she soon sighed. Wouldn't all this ultimately be pointless depending on how the lawsuit turned out? The thought drained her of all motivation. Amidst the overwhelming uncertainty, the realization that her efforts might be futile made everything feel like a chore.

What was the point of all this effort anyway? Why did she have to go through all this just to get by?

Knock knock.

Bridget looked up as she was rubbing her face tiredly.

"Come in."

She naturally assumed it was Gilum or another employee, but to her surprise, the one who opened the door and entered was Ain. Appearing with wet shoulders, he roughly swept his hair back, now dotted with droplets, as he stepped into the office.

Bridget reflexively frowned, but then recalled the last situation she'd faced with him and forced herself to relax her expression. Ain was the very person she'd spoken to just before collapsing. That meant he hadn't simply left her lying on the street. When she'd regained consciousness, she was in the mansion, so it was highly likely he'd called someone to tend to her after she fell.

Regardless of how unwelcome his visit was, she felt she owed him thanks. Bridget came to this conclusion and spoke up immediately.

"My thanks are late. Thank you for taking care of me when I collapsed."

It was a straightforward expression of gratitude, devoid of any personal feelings she might harbor toward him. At her words, Ain narrowed his eyes.

"Is it really okay for you to be out and about already?"

"I've rested enough."

Though Ain didn't look convinced by her answer, he didn't press further. Instead, he approached the desk where Bridget sat and began speaking.

"About what we discussed that night..."

"I heard the investigation is progressing smoothly. They said results might come in sooner than expected."

Bridget turned her head away naturally, cutting Ain off. Her attitude made it blatantly clear she didn't want to continue the topic. Yet, Ain stubbornly pressed on, undeterred by her avoidance.

"I don't think we properly finished our conversation."

"I don't think so. More importantly, Ain."

Bridget abruptly changed the subject again, asking in a calm voice.

"Do you intend to claim alimony from me?"

Surprised by the question, Ain raised his eyebrows and tilted his head.

"………………Why would you ask that?"

"Because I need to figure out how to prepare for it."