Chapter 199



Sophia’s eyes held a tumult of emotions, her hatred mingled with regret. However, it was too late now.

Despite Sophia’s desperate wish for Jerome’s sympathy, he no longer spared them. “From now on, they are no longer part of our Hayes family.”

At that moment, Sophia finally understood the depth of irreparable regret. In a voice cracked with anguish, she cried out, “Dad, don’t you want me anymore? I’m your cherished daughter. If my mom were still alive, she would be devastated. You promised you would always protect me.”

Once full of vigor, Jerome now seemed to have aged decades in a heartbeat.

For the first time, Kallie had seen such weariness etched on Jerome’s face.

Jerome sighed heavily and declared his decision, “Sophia and Boris will suffer until they reveal something substantial, after which they will be sent abroad. Make sure to break one of their legs as a minor punishment.”

The announcement dashed Sophia’s and Boris’ last shreds of hope, leaving them in despair. Their desperate pleas turned into harsh curses.

Kallie couldn’t help but exhale a relieved sigh. Fortunately, Jerome wasn’t swayed by Sophia’s words, showing no mercy. Despite Jerome’s family ties to Sophia and Boris, keeping individuals like them around was akin to nurturing a venomous serpent.

Visibly fatigued, Jerome said, exhausted, “I need to rest. Brent, come here. I have something important to discuss with you.”

Jerome’s words hung in the air, his gaze lingering momentarily on Kallie.

Kallie couldn’t decipher Jerome’s intentions, but she suspected they were somehow connected to her.

Meanwhile, Edgar rushed into Jake’s ward, his expression grim. “Mr. Reeves, just as you suspected, that doctor is nowhere to be found. Not only has he vanished, but his entire family seems to have disappeared. I also discovered his wife recently received a substantial sum of money transferred to her under your mother’s name.”

Jake frowned. Something was terribly amiss. Shirley remained unaware of Kallie’s pregnancy. There was no way Shirley could have known this doctor.

Ever since the tense argument with Jake earlier, Shirley’s relationship with him had soured, but things had improved with Dean and Melinda.

Reflecting on the day when Melinda “coincidentally” showed up at the hospital, Jake soon pieced things together without having to question the doctor.

Jake lost his cool and abruptly yanked the IV out of his arm.

Edgar was taken aback by such an impulsive action. “Mr. Reeves, what on earth are you doing? The doctor explicitly warned against getting worked up right now. You need to rest.”

Jake’s face paled, his expression betraying a storm of emotions. “I have to find Kallie! I need to know whose child she is carrying. Surely it can’t be Brent’s, can it? How could she be with him?”

As Jake spoke, he felt like slapping himself. Why hadn’t he realized this sooner?

Jake’s insecurity lay in his clear knowledge of Kallie’s allure.

From a young age, Kallie had always drawn admirers like moths to a flame.

Though furious, there wasn’t much Jake could do. He could only adopt an indifferent demeanor, hoping to scare off her suitors.

Occasionally, Jake would caution Kallie about her choice of company, threatening to kick her out if she continued associating with dubious characters.

This tactic worked like a charm. Kallie quickly cowered and never really considered her pursuers.

Jake knew all too well that he was merely bluffing. If Kallie truly had feelings for someone else, he was powerless to change that.

Jake had thought about whether the child growing in Kallie’s belly was actually his. But each time this question surfaced, his mind wandered back to the first time Kallie had been pregnant.

At that time, he had been eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the child growing in Kallie’s womb. Yet, the moment he learned of Kallie’s pregnancy, it was swiftly followed by the devastating news of her decision to terminate it.

It left Jake with a whirlwind of pain and confusion. Why had she chosen to do this? Did she harbor such animosity toward him that she couldn’t bear the thought of carrying their child?

After that, the doctor delivered the news to Jake that Kallie was not suitable to conceive. It was a devastating blow, and Jake reluctantly let go of his hope for having their child.

Since then, Jake had taken care to ensure they used contraception, honoring Kallie’s wishes.

Now that the child growing inside Kallie likely was his, Jake couldn’t help but wonder why Kallie hadn’t shared her pregnancy with him sooner. What thoughts were crossing her mind? Did she deliberately keep this from him even after knowing that the child was his?

Jake grew increasingly distressed as he pondered over the situation. He knew that these matters needed to be resolved face-to-face with Kallie.

Edgar managed to intercept Jake, who was breathing heavily.

Meeting Jake’s intense gaze, Edgar felt a headache creeping in. “Mr. Reeves, the investigation into the doctor’s family has already stirred up some attention. If you act impulsively now, all the pain and suffering you’ve endured these past days will be in vain.”

Jake’s breath came in short pants, his emotions swirling, eyes tinged with red as if he were teetering on the edge of a breakdown, ready to erupt.

At that moment, Jake wasn’t interested in weighing his options or tallying potential gains and losses. All he wanted was to find Kallie immediately, figure out her thoughts, and demand why she hesitated to speak the truth.

Jake wrested himself free from Edgar’s hold and prepared to drive off in his hospital gown.

Realizing he couldn’t dissuade Jake, Edgar swiftly pulled out his phone and dialed Kallie’s number. “Mrs. Reeves, please listen carefully. There is an urgent matter at hand that requires your immediate assistance. Mr. Reeves is currently not in the right state of mind and might attempt to come look for you. I urge you not to meet with him under any circumstances.”

Jake wanted to look for her? Kallie was stunned at Edgar’s words.

Unable to lay out the real reason, Edgar fumbled for an excuse. “Um, well, here is the thing. Mr. Reeves is planning to propose to Miss Miller this month. He wants to come look for you because he has some questions about past issues. It’s nothing you really need to worry about. But if any of this gets out, it could seriously impact their relationship. I hope you can understand.”

Kallie couldn’t resist sending a message to Edgar, “Propose to Sarah? So when will Jake agree to sign the divorce papers?”

Edgar was at a loss for words. At this point, Jake was clearly reluctant to sign the divorce papers.

Edgar didn’t want to meddle in their relationship but felt backed into a corner. For the bigger picture, he needed to calm the emotions of both parties.

Edgar inhaled deeply. “Don’t worry. I will urge Mr. Reeves to sign the divorce papers promptly. Just remember our agreement today.”

Kallie acknowledged her understanding and ended the call.

Right after the call ended, Jake called, just as Edgar had said.

Seeing Jake’s name on the screen, Kallie frowned and declined the call. But Jake persisted with a barrage of messages.

Jake implored Kallie to meet him urgently, insisting there was something important he needed to ask her face-to-face.

Growing increasingly irritated, Kallie powered off her phone.

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