Reborn to Burn Them All novel Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Alfred didn’t even bother wiping his mouth before grabbing the phone. His expression was tense and guarded as he demanded, “Where did this come

from?”

Ray let out a mocking laugh. He said, “Alfred, that’s Darnell’s phone, if he wanted to pull something, he’d have done it ages ago.”

Alfred stayed silent, his eyes fixed on Darnell.

Darnell replied evenly, “No idea. Someone sent it to me.”

Alfred’s suspicion didn’t waver. “Alright, I’ll hold onto the phone for now,” he said firmly.

Darnell shot Alfred a glance, said nothing, and walked out of the office.

Ray chased after Darnell, fuming. He said, “Darnell, you saw it, didn’t you? You’re looking out for Howard, so what? Even Alfred is suspicious of you. They treat you like a thief. Is it worth it?”

Inside the elevator, it was just Darnell and Ray. Ray’s eyes were red, and he was on the verge of tears. He continued, “Darnell, I don’t think it’s worth it Howard doesn’t deserve all this effort. Why are you still protecting him?”

As they stepped out of the company building, Darnell paused and glanced back at the entrance. He said, “Our contract with the company is almost up.”

“Six months left,” Ray replied.

“I’m planning to start a studio,” Darnell said, “When the time comes, I’ll bring all of you with me.”

Ray froze in shock. He asked, “Are you doing this for us?”

Darnell smiled faintly. He said, “Not entirely. It’s for me too. If Howard screws up now, the company won’t let us leave. He’s not great at his job, but let’s face it; the company depends on him to make money.

“Honestly, he’s not wrong. Our team has been riding his coattails. Without him, we wouldn’t even get any gigs. I’ve saved up a bit over the years, barely enough to start a small studio. But I can’t afford the penalty fees for breaking the contract.”

Darnell thought, ‘Giving Alfred the video that could ruin Howard is like saving the company’s golden goose. As long as Howard stays with the company, it won’t matter whether we remain or not.‘

Ray burst into tears, full of regret. He said, “If I’d known things would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have fought with him. Now what? Without his help, how are we supposed to save money?”

Darnell chuckled and ruffled Ray’s messy hair. He said, “Don’t worry. We’ll have work soon.” He knew that after helping the company out in such a big way, they’d have to give him assignments, even if it was just to keep him quiet.

Sophia returned to the Chandler residence and spotted Howard and Alfred in a secretive conversation from a distance. She hadn’t planned to eavesdrop.

Howard was visibly furious and didn’t bother keeping his voice down. His anger spilled over as he shouted, “Darnell did this on purpose he have gotten that video? Golden Bell Club is supposed to be super private.

else could

“How could paparazzi even get in? If it were paparazzi, they’d have already used the video to blackmail you. Why would they send it to Darnell? Are you even thinking straight? How could you trust him?”

Alfred paused for a moment. He looked at Howard with disbelief and said, “Howard, I am asking you, is this video real or not?”

Howard, already short–tempered, grew even more agitated. He said, “Yeah, so what if it’s real? It’s not like I’m dating anyone.” He stuck his neck out, looking defiant and reckless.

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10:50 Tue, 27 May

Chapter 42

Alfred was so furious he felt his chest tighten, almost choking on Howard’s words. He said, “Do you think not dating anyone makes this okay? This

Howard cut him off impatiently, “Enough! I’m a guy, okay? Having needs is normal. I’ll just be more careful in the future.”

Alfred said, “In the future? Are you seriously thinking about next time?” His vision darkened with rage. He added, “If this blows up, you have no future

Sophia had just returned home, and the livestream chat immediately lit up with comments. One said: [Sophia’s finally back. What did she buy this time?]

A faint smile tugged at her lips. She found the situation somewhat interesting. Just then, her phone buzzed with a voice message from Yvonne.

Yvonne said, “Sophia, I can’t believe you’re the genius everyone talks about. I’m so excited. You even sent me your notes. Do you know how valuable they are? Everyone on the school forum is going crazy over them.

“People are offering crazy money to buy your notes. How did I get so lucky to have them? Saying ‘thank you‘ isn’t enough. I should bow down to you. Please accept it.”

Listening to her passionate declaration, Sophia replied: [Study hard, not for anyone else, but for yourself. Other people’s lives and fates have nothing to do with you. The only thing you can control is your effort.]

The first round of the livestream lasted three days, but Sophia didn’t show up on the third day. While her fans were still hyping her up viewers who clicked in quickly lost interest and left./

azy, casual

The popularity of the Chandler family’s livestream dropped to second place. It was a major blow to Howard’s reputation as a top–tier celebrity. Meanwhile, the hottest topic was Quinn, the award–winning actor.

At forty years old, Quinn was known for his roles as a rugged, justice–driven hero. With his towering physique and muscular build, he looked like

someone one wouldn’t want to mess with.

But this time, his appearance on the variety show revealed a completely different side of him, a surprisingly soft side that fans couldn’t get enough of.

10:50 Tue, 27 May

Chapter 42

Alfred was so furious he felt like tearing his hair out, and stress had even given him painful mouth sores. Yet Howard remained as indifferent as ever.

Alfred asked, “Are you seriously not considering bringing Sophia into this?”

Howard replied arrogantly, “Why should I? Things are fine. What if Quinn is popular? He’s forty anyway. Let the old guy have his moment; it doesn’t bother me.”

Alfred hung up furiously, gritting his teeth. He thought, ‘That’s it. I’m not dealing with Howard today. I need a break before I lose it. But plans rarely went as expected.

As an A–lister, Howard still had work commitments. That day, he had to shoot a commercial and insisted on bringing Yvette along.

However, as soon as they stepped out of the car, someone yanked Yvette’s hair and slapped her hard across the face, the sound ringing out sharply.

The person shouted, “Yvette, you witch! If it weren’t for you, the Sampson family wouldn’t have fallen apart. You’re nothing but a curse!”