apter 193
Russell tapped play on the video. Juliette completely panicked and shouted, “Russell, wait!”
But it was too late.
Russell had already hit play, and everyone in the room craned their necks, eager to see what was on the screen.
The video opened with Juliette storming toward Valerie, her anger barely contained.
Juliette shouted, “You bitch! Why would you do this?”
Valerie appeared to be on a call.
Hanging up, Valerie turned around and asked calmly, “What did I do?”
Her tone was calm, unnervingly composed.
Just as unflappable as she appeared right now.
Seeing this, Jack couldn’t help but take a second, more thoughtful look at Valerie.
He thought, ‘To stay this calm and keep her emotions so perfectly in check… this girl is truly something else.’
In the video, Juliette’s eyes were bloodshot with fury as she snarled, “You still have the nerve to ask! You told my uncle and aunt about my good life, didn’t you?!”
Russell quickly skipped through the rest of the conversation.
After all, no family wanted their dirty laundry aired in public, especially not Juliette’s tearful confession about nearly being assaulted by her cousin.
Due to excessive fast–forwarding, the video jumped to the final scene where Juliette, gripping the railing in a frenzy, sobbing, lunged at Valerie and screamed, “It’s all because of you! All because of you!”
Juliette charged at her with terrifying fury. Valerie stood by the stairwell but swiftly sidestepped the attack.
Juliette, unable to stop herself, lurched forward, then let out an ear/splitting shriek that seemed to shake the ceiling.
Juliette tumbled down the stairs like a bouncing ball, bouncing from step to step.
In the video, Russell shouted, “Holy shit!” as the footage shook violently, he was clearly about to rush forward to help, but before he could, others suddenly burst onto the scene.
Someone watching the video couldn’t hold back their anger and exclaimed, “This is absolutely outrageous!
“She clearly fell on her own, yet she kept claiming someone pushed her?
“And it’s totally obvious she started the whole thing in the first place!”
A bystander muttered, “But if Valerie hadn’t stepped aside, Juliette wouldn’t have fallen, would she?”
The absurd remark immediately drew several bewildered looks.
“Are you crazy? Not dodging would’ve gotten both of them killed!” someone snapped.
“If she hadn’t moved, they’d both be tumbling down!” another retorted.
“And who wouldn’t be scared facing that kind of terrifying fury?” a third chimed in.
1/3
Chapter 193
After watching the footage, Colette’s expression shifted through a series of emotions, first shock, then humiliation, before finally settling into silent
discomfort.
Juliette’s face turned deathly pale. “I… It’s not what you think,” she pleaded, her voice trembling. “Please, just listen to me…”
“With the evidence right here, what else is there to say?” someone in the crowd scoffed.
“Why lie like that? Just because you figured there weren’t any cameras?” another person accused.
“This is beyond unacceptable…” someone else muttered, shaking their head.
A person said, “But isn’t Russell Juliette’s own brother? Guess blood doesn’t always mean loyalty, he’d even sell out his own sister.”
Juliette burst into tears, sobbing, “I didn’t mean to! I swear I really didn’t mean to do it…”
Someone in the crowd scoffed, “So just because it wasn’t intentional, you think you can slander someone? What the hell!”
Valerie curled her lips in a cold smirk. “Now that the truth is out, may I leave?”
“Wait,” a guest who had traveled a long way stepped forward and said, “Now that the truth is out, doesn’t the lady deserve an apology for being wronged?”
His words instantly drew everyone’s attention.
Both Jack and Colette froze in shock when they saw the man.
Jack’s face darkened, and he growled, “What are you doing here?”
Clearly, Jack wanted nothing to do with this visitor.
But the man seemed completely oblivious to the host’s disdain. With a practiced smile, he held up the gift in his hand and said, “I’m here to wish Colette a happy birthday. Since today is her special celebration, I thought I’d drop by on her behalf.”
Colette’s eyes instantly welled with tears, while Jack froze, his heart aching.
They thought, ‘That’s the bastard who ran off with our daughter all those years ago, Baz Holden!‘
Baz appeared remarkably young and carried himself with refined elegance, every inch the successful businessman. Though he was conversing with Jack,
his gaze had already settled on Valerie. With practiced politeness, he asked, “Hello, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”
“Valerie Clark,” Valerie replied.
“Valerie Clark…” Baz mulled over the name. His gaze lingered on Valerie’s face, a storm of emotions flickering in his eyes.
Baz mulled over the name. His gaze lingered on Valerie’s face, a storm of emotions flickering in his eyes.
Just as Baz was about to speak, Aiden stepped forward, blocking his view.
He was impossibly young and handsome, the kind of looks that put even the hottest A–list celebrities to shame.
Yet there was an undeniable hostility in his demeanor, subtle, carefully concealed, but unmistakably present.
“Mr. Walker,” Baz said with a practiced smile, “what a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Aiden lifted his gaze slightly. “Mr. Holden, I’ve heard so much about you.”
As a tycoon in the tourism industry, Baz was a self–made man who single–handedly built his empire and remained unmarried to this day.
2/3
14:19 Mon, 23 Jun G
Chapter 193
Truly, he was a man worthy of respect.
But Aiden had no interest in befriending him. Turning away, he walked toward Valerie, stopping at the foot of the stairs and extending his hand to her like a prince welcoming his princess.
A rush of sweetness filled Valerie’s heart as she reached out her hand to him. In the next moment, he pulled her firmly into his arms, and Valerie thought, ‘My heart is pounding so fast!‘
Aiden wrapped his arm around Valerie’s waist and murmured against her ear, “I wish I could hide you away, just for my eyes only.”
The way he held her was so natural and intimate, as if he was making a clear display of possession.
Valerie’s heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him in confusion. ‘Why does he want to hide me away again? I haven’t even done anything wrong!” she
thought.
As memories of those endless days of darkness in her previous life flashed through her mind, Valerie flinched, a chill running down her spine.
The dark, swirling possessiveness in his gaze made it seem as if he wished he could pull her into himself and never let her go.
Baz couldn’t help but let out a humorless chuckte, his gaze fixed on Valerie. A storm of emotion surged in his chest, threatening to burst forth, but he held himself still. All he could do was watch her in silence, his expression unreadably complex.
Just then, Waldo Shelton and Karrie Shelton, the parents of Camren and Russell, arrived, followed closely by Craig.
From a distance, Waldo hurried over, his wife Karrie right on his heels. Both froze in shock when they saw Juliette lying on the ground.
“Juliette!” Karrie was the first to rush forward and knelt beside her daughter, her voice full of concern. “How are you? Does it hurt? Mommy’s here now.”
Seeing this, Valerie couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
‘I…I once had a mom too,‘ Valerie thought, her heart aching with longing.
A sudden tightening of Aiden’s arm around her waist snapped Valerie out of her thoughts as he pulled her closer.
Aiden cast a cold, indifferent glance at Juliette. “I’ll have my lawyers sue Miss Shelton for defamation. As for the partnership we just discussed, consider it terminated.”
Camren’s face darkened abruptly as he rose to his feet. He warned, /Aiden, that’s a 7–billion–dollar project on the line. I strongly advise you to think it over.”
The staggering figure drew a collective gasp from the crowd.
色
AD
Comment
