Chapter 1156: Chapter 1162

Upon seeing that Josie was unharmed, Laura felt relieved. As she was about to leave, Josie suddenly called out to her, “Wait.”

“What is it?”

Josie narrowed her eyes, and to her surprise, she saw a striking red mark on the fair nape of Laura’s neck, which was now turning into a bruise. She touched it lightly and asked, “What is this? Did Zach hit you again?”

Almost reflexively, Laura covered her neck and said, “No. I accidentally bumped into something.”

Josie raised an eyebrow. “It’s not easy to bump into something here, right?” She was still worried. “Don’t be afraid. Tell me, who hit you?”

Laura was clearly flustered. She held Josie’s hand. “No, really, I just bumped into something.”

Josie locked eyes with her, attempting to discern something amiss, yet all she found in her gaze was tranquility and composure.

She withdrew her hand. “If there’s anything, you must tell me.”

Laura smiled in relief. “Being a mother is not easy, huh? When will I get to meet the child? I should present the child with a gift.”

Josie curved her lips. “When there’s a chance.”

What she didn’t see was that the moment Laura turned around, her smile completely faded. Her expression became slightly contorted as she pressed her hand against the back of her neck, where the pain was intense.

Only after seeing Laura leave did Josie take out her phone. To her surprise, she saw a message from Mallory that read: Rachel!

In the underground parking lot, as Laura was getting into the car, a voice rang out. “You’ve been gone for so long. How is she doing?”

Laura’s back stiffened for a moment. The next second, she forcefully threw her bag at the woman in the back seat. “You fool, you’re utterly brainless! How could you beat someone up in broad daylight? Do you think she’s dead or what?”

Rachel got hit on her forehead and grimaced in pain. She yelled back just as loudly, “Are you out of your mind? Why are you venting your anger on me? I told you I didn’t think that much. How was I to know Dexter was there?”

Laura couldn’t be bothered to talk to her. She simply pressed down on the accelerator and drove off.

“Now things have really come to a head. Arnold has shut down the country club, and who knows when he’ll cool off. You can’t just stand by and do nothing. Laura? Hey!”

Laura paid her no attention. She had nowhere to release her pent-up frustration. She remembered the previous night in that dimly lit room when the man had suddenly appeared.

In the suffocating atmosphere, he held a pitch- black whip, steadily advancing toward her step by step.

“Josie’s hurt. Was it you who ordered Rachel to do it?”

Laura couldn’t help but shudder all over. “You appear before me again just for this?”

The man roughly lifted her chin, his grip incredibly strong. “Have I not told you before? I detest women who are too clever for their own good!”

Laura was forced to look up. She said truthfully, “It wasn’t me. I didn’t send anyone to hit her.”

The man looked stern to the extreme. Suddenly, he raised his hand, and the whip harshly fell onto her back. “Without you, she wouldn’t have committed such a foolish act.”

Laura nearly stumbled, biting her lip in pain. “Morgan, is she really that important to you? Important enough to confront me in the middle of the night?”

“You don’t seem to understand.”

Another whip cracked.

Her wound burst open.

“She bore several wounds, and you too must endure the same.”

Laura closed her eyes, unwilling to recall the nightmarish evening. Morgan had struck her as many times as Josie was stuck. Her wounds were completely inconspicuous from the outside.

In the end, she couldn’t even stand up.

“We’re in the same boat, Laura. Don’t even think about leaving me behind.” Rachel’s icy voice pulled her back to reality. “Do you really think you can clear your name? With all the things you’ve done, it will never be possible.”