Chapter 1178



Holley’s heart tightened. She quickly said, “It’s not mine—I rent it. Do you honestly think I could swing a ten-million-dollar home? That’s absurd!”

“Is that so?” Lamont replied, his voice laced with a biting, skeptical laugh.

He dropped onto the sofa, sprawling comfortably, then shifted his tone abruptly. “Look, Ms. Lewis, if you’re not willing to cough up the money, just admit it. You didn’t have to go so far as to send someone to kill me. That’s a bit cruel, don’t you think?”

Holley’s heart skipped a beat when she heard that, though she kept her face a perfect mask of calm.

Playing dumb, she shot back, “What are you saying? I don’t understand.”

Lamont let out a cold chuckle. “Oh, come off it. Do you really think I am dumb? You asked people to fake being Marion’s people and kill me.” Marion Carrillo was the notorious gang leader whom Lamont had offended before.

Frankly, Lamont had never imagined that Holley would unearth details about Marion. He believed that she lacked the skills to pull off such a feat. Surely, she must have had assistance from someone else.

Holley, however, feigned bewilderment. “Marion? Who’s that supposed to be? I’m clueless about what you’re suggesting. I didn’t send anyone to kill you! I don’t even have the nerve or the funds for that. Whether you trust me or not, that’s your call.”

With a smirk, Lamont retrieved his phone and tapped the screen a few times. “Let’s set that aside for the moment. I have a recording here, Ms. Lewis. You might want to listen to it.”

As his words faded, a voice crackled through the phone’s speaker. “You are Dr. Chadwick? Here’s a bank card with five hundred thousand dollars,” a woman’s voice said.

“I’m not sure what you’re implying,” came Lamont’s cautious reply.

𝖂𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖈𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒: 𝖌ⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⩸𝖼𝗈𝗆 The woman’s voice continued, “I need a small favor, Dr. Chadwick. Think of the five hundred thousand as a gesture of gratitude.” After a tense silence, Lamont’s voice returned. “What exactly do you want me to do?”

“Tomorrow, a child named Belinda will come in for a check-up. She is trying to figure out why she’s overweight. When the time comes, all you have to do is tell her family that it’s typical for a kid hitting puberty to eat more and pack on some pounds—nothing to worry about, no need to change her eating habits. That’s it.” The recording ended there.

Holley’s complexion drained of color in an instant.

She stared at Lamont, stunned.

Of course, she knew that female voice—it was hers!

She also recalled that those were her exact words from their first meeting.

Never in her wildest dreams had she thought this man would have been cunning enough to record their conversation.

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