He took a glance at the two people on the ground before looking at Joseph. “Call the police. We’ll leave these two to them.”
Having heard his statement, Sally panicked. “Anthony, you don’t have any concrete evidence. You can’t do this to me.”
Anthony glared at her intently. “Don’t worry. After the police are done with their investigations, we’ll use other alternatives to solve the problem.”
Another method?
In a flash, Cameron went limp, and she collapsed onto the ground helplessly.
After leaving the factory, I got into the car. Then I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes. Instantly, weariness held me captive.
Out of the blue, a sense of warmth traveled up my palm. I opened my eyes and saw that it was Anthony. Holding my hand, he started the car and comforted me in a cool voice, “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
However, I merely pursed my lips and said nothing. Who could it be?
Upon returning to the villa, I was a tad drowsy, so Anthony escorted me back to the bedroom. Then, he left some instructions for the confinement nanny before leaving.
After he left, I lay on the bed, feeling extremely sleepy. Yet I just couldn’t fall asleep.
Thus, I took out my phone and gave Stacey a call. A few rings later, she picked up the phone.
“Ms. Stanhope, are you… okay?” she asked tentatively.
Grunting in affirmation, I then asked, “Have you seen the news?”
“Yeah.” Pausing briefly, she then continued, “I’ve asked a friend to investigate this matter as I can’t find anything on my side. The hotel’s surveillance footage has been destroyed, so there’s no way to investigate further.”
Nodding, I inhaled before replying, “There’s no need to investigate this further. Rather, find someone to keep an eye on Kristina. If possible, find out whether she has been in contact with Rylee and Sally lately.”
A touch puzzled, she hesitated for a moment before questioning, “Kristina? Why are you investigating her?”
“It’s just a hunch that hasn’t been verified, so check her out first. I’ll tell you the specifics later.”
On the other hand, Anthony and John were far swifter than her in investigating all else that was pertinent, for they’d investigated basically everything crucial.
After a long time had passed, she nodded. “Alright, got it!”
After hanging up the phone, I remained on the bed, but still, I couldn’t sleep with the myriad of worries assailing me.
I was finally dozing off groggily after having lain there for what seemed an eternity, only to hear a commotion downstairs.
Irritated by the racket, I got out of bed and left the bedroom.
“Have Sienna Stanhope come out at once!” Rylee roared as though having lost her mind in the living room.
The confinement nanny and the housekeeper tried their best to hold her back, pulling her outside. Even the bodyguards in the villa came rushing over and carried her out.
As I descended the stairs, I drawled, “Is something the matter, Ms. Lorraine?”
At this, the bodyguards stopped in their tracks though they still restrained Rylee, who was struggling wildly.
“How could you shove the blame of your accident on me, Sienna Stanhope? You were only set up because someone detests you, so why are you making me the scapegoat?”
She struggled mightily. If it weren’t for the fact that the bodyguards had a tight grip on her, she would probably have charged forward and ripped me to shreds.
Upon hearing this, I pursed my lips. “When did I make you the scapegoat?”
“Who else could it be besides you? Anthony wants to send me away, and even my parents don’t want me. They all blame me, thinking that it was me who did that to you when I did nothing at all. If it were truly me, I would’ve ensured that you’re dead, no doubt about that!” she sneered.
As she said that, she wanted to rush forward to hit me, but to no avail, since the two burly bodyguards kept her securely restrained.
Just then, a few people tore into the villa. I looked up and saw that it was Cameron and Zachary.
When Cameron saw Rylee kicking up such a fuss, her control snapped. Striding forward, she swung her hand at her without bothering to ascertain whether she was steady on her feet.
All at once, Rylee fell to the ground from the blow. She then covered her face and lifted her eyes.
The moment she caught a glimpse of Cameron, her eyes abruptly went red. “Mom, you’ve never treated me in such a manner! What gives? How could you slap me because of this woman? I’m your daughter!” she exclaimed incredulously.
Nonetheless, Cameron stared at her indifferently. “How did I treat you in the past? You know full well how I treated you, yes? Just look at yourself right now. Look at what you’re doing at this moment! Why won’t you repent, Rylee Lorraine?”
Rylee abruptly broke down at that. “I didn’t do anything wrong, so why should I repent? The whole lot of you are at fault, yet you’re all blaming me. Why? I didn’t do anything wrong!”
Livid, Cameron wanted to hit her again, but Zachary held her back. “That’s enough. Things are already a mess, so don’t add to the chaos.”
He turned around to take a look at the bodyguard and then ordered, “Help her up and send her back.”
The bodyguard went to pull Rylee up, but she slapped his hand away and bellowed, “Stay away from me! Don’t touch me! I didn’t do anything to her, so why are you all framing me?”
She pointed her finger at me with stark grievance written all over her face.
Meanwhile, Cameron gazed at her with abhorrence and repulsion in her eyes, her compassionate expression a thing of the past. “Who else could it be if not you? Did you think I’m unaware of the many times you rendezvoused with Sally furtively and the matter you both discussed?”
“Mom!” Tears streamed down Rylee’s face. “Why won’t you believe me? My meeting with Sally has nothing to do with Sienna. If I truly made a move against her, I would’ve ensured that she’s dead. I wouldn’t have allowed her a chance to live!”
Slap! Cameron landed a solid slap across her face.
Rylee gaped at her, her face a mask of incredulity. “Do you remember how many times you’ve slapped me because of her?”
“Shut up!” Cameron snapped, still as enraged as ever. “If it weren’t for you, would she have been hurt time and again? Yet, you’re crying here? If I’d known about this, I wouldn’t have allowed you to join the Moore family!”
“That’s enough!” Zachary thundered, his gaze ebony. “The result of the investigation is clear as day, and we’re also partly responsible for Rylee’s actions. Let’s just send her away.”
Hearing that, Rylee stared at him in disbelief. “Dad, I’m your daughter. Where do you want to send me? Don’t you want me anymore?” she wailed at the top of her lungs.
“Listen to me, Rylee. Neither I nor Cam can protect you when you’ve done such a grievous thing. Besides, Anthony won’t let you off the hook so easily. Sally is his aunt, so he can’t do anything to her, but it’s different with you. Despite his promise to your brother, no one can guarantee that he’ll spare you. The Moore family can’t take any more hits. Hence, if you don’t leave, neither we nor the Moore family will be able to withstand this disaster. Louis Stanhope will do everything in his power to attack the Moore family, so everyone will be destroyed at that time!”
Rylee shook her head as tears poured down her cheeks. “No, it wasn’t me. I don’t have the ability to do that, and how could I possibly be so stupid? I would’ve just killed her off.”
As she was dragged out of the villa by the two bodyguards, I suddenly blurted, “Don’t give her hell anymore. Perhaps it truly wasn’t her doing.”
Both Cameron and Zachary were momentarily taken aback. Staring at me, they started, “Ms. Stanhope, you don’t need to…”
“I’m not trying to help her,” I asserted. “Anthony, Louis, and even the Moore family couldn’t find anything about the man in the hotel room. Do you think Ms. Lorraine has the ability to do as much?”
I know better than anyone that Rylee Lorraine hates me and wants me dead, but there are too many uncertainties in this matter. Hudson claimed that it was Sally who phoned and paid him, but he never had direct contact with her, nor had he ever heard her say all that personally.
Everything hinges on the phone, but a person’s voice can be changed, and the phone could’ve been borrowed or lost. If someone had done something here, there’s no way to ascertain it. Furthermore, the man in the room had also told Hudson that he’s very mysterious.
Upon hearing this, both Cameron and Zachary went silent. Pausing for a moment, they looked at me and murmured, “Ms. Stanhope, you…”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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