Chapter 192



Kallie’s grip on Jake loosened as if all her strength had been sapped away, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

The pain was so overwhelming that it left Kallie feeling numb, unable to even sense her own sadness.

Seeing Kallie’s distress, Irene hurried over, her voice soft and soothing as she leaned in to comfort her. “Kallie, remember the baby you’re carrying. Try not to get too upset. Mr. Hayes has just sent me a message that he’s on his way here now, and he’ll sort everything out.”

Though Irene’s words were whispered gently, Jake, who was standing not too far away, caught every word.

The mention of “the child in your belly” and “Mr. Hayes” visibly irritated Jake even further. His frown deepened, and he spoke with growing impatience, “What are the security guards doing? Hurry up and remove these people. The birthday party must continue. We can’t let these unworthy guests ruin our evening.”

Kallie flinched slightly when she heard him utter the word “unworthy.” Her eyelashes trembled as she fought to restrain her tears.

At that moment, any lingering hope Kallie had held for Jake dissolved completely. She chastised herself silently for not recognizing his true nature sooner. He had once shielded her and shown her kindness, perhaps only because she was his foster sister.

Kallie pondered if their marriage had not occurred, perhaps their relationship would not have soured to this extent. Maybe they should never have crossed paths at all. Perhaps this painful situation was their inevitable destiny.

A throbbing pain surged through Kallie’s temples. Her motions were slow, and she realized that she needed to leave.

“Okay,” Irene responded understandingly. She offered her arm to support Kallie, guiding her toward the exit.

Sarah, watching their departure, felt a spike of displeasure. The evening’s drama wasn’t supposed to end so soon. She had envisioned Kallie crumbling, desperately pleading for mercy. Leaving this soon? She still had a surprise for Kallie.

“Kallie, why are you rushing to leave?” Sarah called out, her voice carrying across the room.

Sarah’s gaze was full of mockery as she locked eyes with Kallie. “Even though I personally find it hard to believe you’d do such a thing, Mr. Guzman’s evidence seems quite convincing. Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”

Sarah continued, her voice dripping with disdain, “Roderick did everything for you, leveraging his friendship with Jerome to secure your future. And how did you repay him? With these disgraceful acts.”

Murmurs of agreement began to bubble up from the surrounding crowd.

“Exactly, it’s shameful. If Roderick were still alive, he’d probably want nothing more than to see Kallie punished,” one voice chimed in.

“Using the Reeves family and now the Hayes family. How does someone like her manage to live so comfortably?” another added scornfully.

Kallie met Sarah’s mocking look with a chilly stare.

Irene couldn’t hold back her indignation. “Why do you attack Kallie based solely on one person’s accusations? If you’re going to pursue her, you shouldn’t have to fabricate reasons.”

Sarah turned her gaze to Irene, her expression turning to a sneer. “Oh, Miss Castillo, isn’t it interesting that an employee of the Hayes Group is so fiercely defending Kallie? I wouldn’t be surprised if you were collaborating with her. Maybe you even wanted to partake in those actions yourself. Birds of a feather flock together, after all.”

Kallie’s patience reached its breaking point. The personal attacks were bad enough, and targeting her friends crossed a line.

In a surge of anger, Kallie stepped forward and slapped Sarah hard across the face.

Sarah clutched her cheek in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Not satisfied and propelled by her rage, Kallie raised her hand to strike again.

This time, however, Jake intervened, catching Kallie’s wrist in a firm grip.

Seizing the moment, Sarah wailed, her tears dripping with melodrama. “Jake, did you see that? I was just speaking the truth, and she hit me. It hurts so much. You can’t just let this go!”

Jake inhaled sharply, preparing to mediate the situation, but before he could speak, Boris eagerly interjected, “As you saw, Miss Miller and I are the victims. Kallie should kneel and apologize. Not only that, Kallie should return to me the twenty million my grandfather gave her. It would be best if you write an IOU today in front of my lawyer.”

Kallie stood frozen, her mind reeling. The realization dawned on her starkly. They had come prepared. Did they really need the twenty million that badly? Was Boris and his mother’s situation so dire?

Irene, inflamed with anger, challenged the claim. “The twenty million Jerome gave to Kallie was an advance on her salary. She has been a dedicated consultant for the Hayes Group. Why should she return the money to you? Did you orchestrate all this chaos just for that money? You’ve even gone so far as to tarnish Jerome’s reputation for it!”

“You…” Boris stuttered, guilt washing over his features as he struggled to formulate a response.

Internally fuming at Boris’s incompetence, Sarah quickly jumped in with a loud rebuttal. “What are you talking about? This is Jerome’s legitimate grandson you’re talking to, and he stands to inherit the family fortune. Do you really think he cares about a mere twenty million?”

Boris regained his composure, echoing Sarah’s sentiments with a defensive stance. “Exactly, this is about honoring my grandfather’s legacy. I’m his blood relative. I just want to do right by my grandfather!”

This assertion made others pause and consider the situation. The Hayes family was well-known for its vast wealth, making it seem unlikely that Boris would risk his grandfather’s ire over such a relatively small sum.

Boris’s tone was laced with arrogance as he addressed Kallie. “Come, meet with my lawyer. The IOU is prepared. I expect you to repay the money punctually. Furthermore, I’ll be seeking damages for emotional distress. From this point forward, I hope you leave and never return. If you don’t, you might not leave with your life.”

Surprisingly, some onlookers nodded approvingly at Boris’s words. In their view, his response was lenient. If this had happened with other families, such an offense could lead to immediate retaliation, even death. After all, the scandal could bring disgrace if it became public knowledge.

As Boris’s bodyguards began to close in, a wave of anxiety washed over Kallie. She subtly nudged Irene, signaling her to run outside first.

Irene stood her ground, her voice firm. “I promised Mr. Hayes I would protect you. How could I possibly leave you here alone? Mr. Hayes has assured me they are almost here. Don’t worry.”

Kallie shook her head, her resolve clear. Fear wasn’t what drove her. Rather, it was her concern for dragging Irene, an innocent, into her dangerous predicament. The situation had become crystal clear—Sarah and Boris had likely conspired against her from the start.

In hindsight, Kallie realized she had been too naive, having severely underestimated the depths of Sarah’s and Boris’s cruelty and malice. The fact that Boris would go so far as to tarnish his grandfather’s reputation for his own gain was a testament to the lengths he would go to achieve his aims.

How could Boris propagate such damaging rumors about Jerome? Jerome would surely be heartbroken if he learned of this treachery.

With a dismissive gesture, Boris commanded, “What are you waiting for? Take them away. This is a disgrace.”

As the bodyguards moved in to restrain Kallie and Irene, a commanding voice cut through the tension, echoing from the back of the crowd.

“Since when does an outsider get to dictate the affairs of the Hayes family?” It was Brent’s voice.

The moment his words rang out, a visible wave of relief washed over Irene.

Brent burst onto the scene accompanied by a significant entourage, immediately seizing command of the unfolding drama.

Sarah’s expression soured as she watched her plans unravel. Hadn’t she made meticulous arrangements with the guards at the door to prevent any interruptions and to alert her of any approaching threats?

However, Sarah hadn’t anticipated Brent’s sudden arrival, especially not with such a forceful presence.

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