Chapter 152
152 A Battle of Names and Loyalties. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findηʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access s of novels early and in the highest quality.
“Oliver, are you saying this woman is the real matriarch of the Lane family?”
Oliver nodded. “This is from an internal source. It’s 100% accurate. Mom, take a closer look.
“No need! ”
Martha lit up instantly.
“ I saw her face clearly. She looks nothing like this Madam Sophia.”
The more she spoke, the more worked up she got,
She even squeezed Oliver’s arm in her excitement.
“That means they tricked me on purpose!”
Just thinking about being slapped, humiliated, and disgraced because of this scam made her blood boil.
“No way–I’m going back to find them!”
“How dare she hit me! I’ll break her damn arm!”
Oliver hurriedly pulled her back.
“Mom, we’re here in secret. If you cause a scene at the mall, people will laugh at us. It’ll damage the Joyner family’s reputation.”
That finally calmed Martha down.
“But I can’t just swallow this!”
Franklin chimed in, analyzing the situation.
“She probably thinks she’s climbed up the social ladder and wants to prove her loyalty. You just happened to get in the way.”
Only Connor stayed silent, head lowered.
It was as if he didn’t belong with the rest of them.
He knew exactly what kind of person Scarlett was.
Back when she was with the Joyner family, she would’ve torn her heart out just to please them.
Even after cutting ties, she’d never go so far as to have someone assault Martha.
There had to be a misunderstanding.
“I’m going to security to get the surveillance footage saved,” Franklin suddenly said. “If we can prove Scarlett ordered someone to hit her adoptive mother-”
“Then even if she’s the Lane family heiress, she’ll be blacklisted for the scandal.”
Martha slapped her thigh.
152 A Battle of Names and Loyalites
“ Right ! Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll go with you. I’ll just say I lost something and need help pulling the footage .
Franklin glanced at her face, swollen like a pig’s.
He really didn’t want to be seen in public with her.
But she was the only one who had actually been in the mall, and had the right to ask for the footage.
“Fine. Just wear a mask and a hat.”
No one could recognize her.
If they did, he’d lose all dignity.
After they left…
Oliver turned to Connor.
“You’re not going? What–do you think something’s off?”
Connor let out a long sigh.
“I think there are a few bugs in this story.”
He admitted it honestly.
Then added his thoughts carefully.
“Have you thought about this? Scarlett’s a fiercely independent person. She takes pride in doing things herself.”
“I remember once, I tried to help her.”
“But she turned me down.”
“In the end, she figured everything out on her own, confronted her classmate, and got a proper apology.” “She has a strong sense of justice. Why would she impersonate someone she’s never even met?”
Oliver thought for a moment.
“Is it possible that she knows we offended the Lane family and she’s pretending to be their heiress to rattle us? To pressure us until we beg her to come back home?”
He sighed heavily.
“People change: Maybe after arriving in Jalindale and seeing all the glamour, she got greedy. Maybe she wants to cut ties with us and climb her way into high society.”
Connor froze. Then, after thinking for a second, he nodded.
“That could be it.“.
If Scarlett had really turned into a manipulative schemer, he couldn’t say for sure that he’d still care about her the same way.
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152 A Battle of Names and Loyalties
Regardless …
Whether tonight’s birthday banquet led to a successful alliance with the Lane family or not-
He had already decided.
He’d be taking Scarlett away.
“I’m heading back into the mall to pick up a few other things.”
Connor lit a cigarette, took a few hard drags in the car, and then stepped out, walking back toward the mall
entrance.
In the VIP suite upstairs…
After Sophia returned and learned her daughter had been bullied, she immediately wanted to strike back. Thankfully, Hudson kept a clear head and quickly explained everything that had happened.
“This is outrageous! If you’d told me all this earlier, I wouldn’t have held back. I stayed out of your life because you asked me to. I stopped all investigations. But now that they’ve come to Jalindale ? There’s no way I’m letting this go!”
Scarlett placed a hand on her mother’s wrist.
“We do need justice–but not yet. There’s one key piece of evidence we’re still missing.”
Sophia instantly cooled down.
“What evidence? I’ll have someone retrieve it .”
She didn’t say “investigate“-she said “retrieve.”
That meant only one thing: in this area, the Lane family called the shots.
They were practically royalty here.
That fierce, protective side of her mother…
It made Scarlett feel a deep warmth in her heart.
For the first time, someone had believed in her without hesitation. For the first time, someone had chosen her without doubt.
“Tonight’s banquet–they’ll all be there.”
She stood and walked behind Sophia, gently massaging her shoulders and neck.
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