At that, Martha sighed heavily. "I've watched you and Mr. Lance go through so much from the very beginning. It wasn't easy, but now things are finally stable."And you've got Cassidy and Caleb. They're such wonderful kids! How did it all come to this? Moreover, that woman is Mr. Lance's mother. So, you can't even stand up to her. When will this ever end?""I believe it'll be over soon." A cold glint flickered in Jennifer's eyes as she spoke, making it unclear if her words were aimed at Martha or herself.Right then, her phone rang. It was Hugo.Jennifer answered right away, and his excited voice burst through the line. "Jennifer, I've finally caught that bastard, Nelson Shaw! All these days of work finally paid off!"She froze for a moment, then quickly asked, "Where are you now?""I'm at the Shaw residence, in the family hall. Nelson has confessed to everything!" Hugo exclaimed. He then continued through gritted teeth, "If that bitch Camila hadn't trashed your reputation in th
Camila was stunned to hear Madison's voice. Why hadn't Nelson dealt with her? How could she still be alive? With everything Madison knew, she was now a liability."Did you hear me? Why aren't you saying anything?" Madison yelled in frustration.With no other choice, Camila could only ask, "What? When did that happen?"Madison's voice was laced with urgency as she explained, "I'm in hiding, and I can't even risk seeing my mom or sister! I had to ask the neighbors to keep an eye on them."But they told me a group took my mom, and my sister hasn't come home from school since the day before yesterday. They're in danger! It has to be Maxwell and Jennifer!"Yet, with her own survival at stake, Camila couldn't be bothered to care about Madison's problems."T-That can't be true," she replied dismissively. "Maxwell is a respectable businessman, after all. He wouldn't resort to abduction. Maybe your mom and sister are just visiting relatives. Don't panic. Just stay low, okay? They're not a
After that, Camila could slowly come up with a plan to get rid of Madison. Finally, she made up her mind and headed to Jennifer's room.…At that moment, Jennifer was absorbed in her medical journals. When a knock came at the door, she assumed it was Martha. But after opening it, she was surprised to see Camila standing there.Jennifer's expression instantly turned wary. "What do you want?" she asked with a frown."Well, Jennifer, I-I came to apologize," Camila muttered, casting an uneasy glance at her.But Jennifer's face remained emotionless as she coldly replied, "What trick are you pulling now?"With no other option, Camila put on a mask of remorse, her expression aggrieved. "I'll admit it. I misunderstood you before. Those other women egged me on, saying you'd kick me out. I let it get to me, and I lost my judgment. C-Can you forgive me?" Jennifer let out a dry chuckle. "Do you really think that calling it a 'misunderstanding' will fix everything between us? If you want
A hint of disdain tugged at the corner of Maxwell's mouth as he said to Martha, "Can you call Jennifer down here?"…By dinnertime, the whole family was finally gathered around the table. Only then did Camila feel the weight lift from her shoulders. It didn't matter if Jennifer couldn't forgive her. Maxwell wouldn't make things difficult as long as she wore a mask of genuine remorse. After all, blood ties weren't so easily severed.Jennifer, wearing a grim expression, sat in silence as she fed Cassidy. Right then, Maxwell calmly spoke up. "I'll hold a press conference to set the record straight in a couple of days. Lance Group's reputation and profits have taken a hit from this situation, so it needs to be addressed quickly."Mom, I'll need you to clarify things tomorrow. Only if you speak up personally will people believe it was just a misunderstanding."Camila understood that Maxwell was giving her a chance, so she quickly responded, "Don't worry, Maxwell. I'll make it clear
Maxwell nodded and replied, "I hope you keep your word."…After dinner, he returned to the bedroom, where Jennifer sat on the bed with her laptop on her lap, seemingly engrossed in her academic work. In reality, she only wanted to seem busy and avoid acknowledging him.Maxwell's lips curled into a resigned smile. He then approached her and took the laptop away, saying, "Pregnant women shouldn't use these devices too much. The radiation isn't good for you."Jennifer looked at him coldly and snapped, "Maxwell Lance, you may have forgiven her, but I'll never forgive her! I'm not going to that press conference. You and your mother can attend without me!"His deep gaze locked onto hers as he reached out to pinch her puffed-up cheek. "You don't trust me, huh? She has done so many terrible things, hurting both of us. Do you really think I would just let her off the hook?"Jennifer stared at him, confusion written across her face. "What do you mean? You've already agreed to hold a pre
Maxwell's promise sent a rush of excitement through Jennifer, and her heart raced with anticipation. The end was finally in sight.She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in the crook of his arm. "Thank you, Maxwell."He paused for a moment before asking, "Why are you thanking me?""Thank you for choosing justice this time, and for not letting family ties cloud your judgment," Jennifer answered seriously.A bitter, helpless smile tugged at Maxwell's lips. "You and the kids are my family. As for that woman, when has she ever treated me like family? Do you really think there's anything left between us?"Every time Maxwell spoke of this, Jennifer felt a pang of sorrow. Her heart broke for him—for the injustice he had suffered. All she could do was love him and stand by his side as his family.…For the next two days, Jennifer and the children deliberately kept their distance, acting indifferent toward Maxwell.At that sight, Camila felt a sense of relief. It seem
Madison trembled as she said, "I-I won't betray her! Just tell her that if she spares my life, I'll take my mother and sister and disappear for good. I won't be a threat to her anymore. Please, don't kill me. I'm begging you!"Michael approached her, pressing the cold edge of his knife to her cheek. "How am I supposed to believe you? You've got enough dirt on Madam Camila to ruin her. If we let you go and you turn on us, then what? How are we ever going to recover from this?"Madison felt death creeping closer. She was trembling so violently that her teeth chattered. Finally, through gritted teeth, she spat, "Camila, that old hag, deserves to be abandoned by everyone!"She used her own son and hurt her daughter-in-law. I've always known she's a lunatic! If you kill me now, I'll haunt her for the rest of her life!"Michael sneered inwardly. It seemed like he had overestimated her. Even now, all she could muster was an empty threat, her face drained of color. "Don't worry. Since
After Camila finished speaking, the reporters wasted no time questioning why Jennifer, the main culprit in the elder abuse case, wasn't present. It was clear that Camila's explanation hadn't satisfied them.After all, who wouldn't want to chase a juicy story?Now that they had a lead, how could they just take her word for it? And so, the reporters turned their attention to Maxwell, firing one question after another."Mr. Lance, is your mother's statement true? Or is she hiding something to protect Lance Group's reputation?""Mr. Lance, was anyone pressuring Madam Camila to say what she did? If her words are accurate, how do you explain the injuries on her head and the testimonies from the other women?"…Camila could barely hide her smug satisfaction. The more the reporters persisted, the more she stood her ground, denying all allegations. Only by doing so would Maxwell understand how crucial she was to the situation.Right then, a figure pushed through the crowd of reporters li