Her

In a dimly lit study at Lake Villa, Alfred was engrossed in the trending online topics, the light casting a dramatic shadow over half his face, intensifying his already brooding appearance. 

The door creaked open, Eddie barged in, but Alfred didn’t bother looking up: Alfred’s voice was icy, laced with resolve. “Liquidute Star Entertainment. Cut ties with everyone connected to Shaven and Chandler” 

Eddie’s heart skipped a beat, his breath catching in his throat. Alfred’s orders were always delivered with a chilling detachment 

But what the hell have Shawn and Chandler done to get on his bad side like this! he wondered. 

Eddie didn’t catch the dark storm swirling in Alfred’s eyes. It dawned on him then why Alfred had lingered here instead of returning to Iverton. He was here to clean up this mess 

“Understood, Mr. Alfred. I’m on it,” Eddie replied quickly, slipping out of the study. 

In the lobby. Eddie bumped into Craig 

Craig approached, waving a hand curiously. “What’s going on? Some big corporate shake–up?” 

Eddie was unusually pensive, a sight that 

at bailed Craig, Eddie just shook his head, lost in thought. 

Alfred’s deep–seated animosity toward Shawn and Chandler buffled Eddie. They have no known ties, no apparent reasons for such a vendetta. What is fueling such hatred? he mused. 

“Hey, don’t mess with Mr. Alfred right now, he’s seriously pissed off, Eddie warned before heading out 

Craig decided to follow, chiming in, Tll tag along with you.” 

Alfred was typically as unemotional as they come rarely showing any signs of agitation. They had been on his team for over a decade, and it was a known fact that when Alfred did lose his cool, someone was definitely going to catch hell 

In the dimly lit police detention room, shadows swallowed everything except for the faint light spilling from the corridor, barely illuminating the interior. 

Shannon sat on a wooden bed in the corner, chuching a clunky, square phone tightly. Her eyes were fixed on the screen for what felt like forever. 

It was the DNA test results Lea had sent–there was no blood relationship between her and Donna. 

Shannon’s whole body shook uncontrollably. Her initial thought was that Lea was bullshitting her, probably trying to coax her into taking a stand against Fraley Hospital and Helen by feeding her lies. 

But, deep down, Shannon fell a growing sense of truth about the results. It shed light on why Donna had been so cruel to her all these years. If Donna truly was her mother, she wouldn’t have repeatedly abandoned her, hit her, screamed at her, and neglected her well–being. 

Donna wouldn’t have forced her to betray herself to get money from Helen, nor would she have coerced Shannon into taking the blame for a murder for Helen 

Protecting one’s young is an instinct ingrained in all animals, who would go to great lengths for their offspring. But Donna hadn’t, probably because she wasn’t Shannon’s real mom 

For more than ten years, Shannon had been caring for her “mom helping her kick the battle and even working for Helen for three years to pay for her treatment. 

what was it all fort she thought bitterly. 

Shannon had always thought maybe Donna had suffered immensely or had been ditched and hurt by the father she often mentioned, which could explain why she acted the way she did. So she had saved away, caring for Donna and studying hard to get into Vaporleon High School, all to secure a better future for them both 

Now, Shannon realized it was all built on lies, the truth cut deep 

She once thought of Donna as her closest kin, a beloved mother figure. Now, she learned they weren’t even related tore her apart. Tears streamed. down her face, unstoppable 

Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the passage. 

“Boss, we’ve been watching Shannon. She’s ready for trial whenever,” one reported. 

“Okay, keep an eye on 

tonight, came the reply. 

They didn’t buy Shannon’s story. They had been informed by higher–ups that she was responsible for the crime, not Helen Though Helen had been questioned twice and never explicitly implicated herself, her statements subtly pointed to Shannon as the perpetrator. 

Inside the room, Shannon heard the footsteps approaching. She quickly dismantled her phone, hiding the pars in her body, then swiftly wiped away her tears. 

The switch flicked on, casting light on the skinny figure in the comer. 

The staff approached, lifting her up. Her long hair obscured most of her face, revealing her tear–stained checks only when she was pulled upright. 

They paid little attention to her distress, noticing only her desperate or frightened expressions. After all, she was just a teenager, barely eighteen. Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Shannon was led into another interrogation room for yet another lengthy questioning session.. 

Since her arrest, she had barely slept, and was now on the brink of collapsing. Despite the relentless questioning by the police and lawyers, she refused to speak. Yet, many questions she hadn’t answered were recorded as affirmative responses in the official report. 

Meanwhile, at Berry Mansion, after finishing her work and realizing it was already 2 am. Lea felt hungry and thirsty and decided to head downstairs for a snack and some water 

As she reached the staircase, she overheard Christian on the phone. 

“Victor, investigate Shawn and Chandler. They’ve wronged my granddaughter, and 1 want them bankrupted Christian.couldn’t tolerate anyone taking advantage of the Berry family, especially in such a sordid affair. 

Lea paused to listen for a moment. The family was facing financial ruin, a scenario far grimmer than she had imagined, yet she still retained some compassion–not wanting to bring disaster upon her own family. 

Alfred had been a guiding light in her life, a beacon in her darkest times, helping her maintain her moral compass and kindness. It was comforting to know someone was willing to fight on her behalf. 

Lea walked downstairs and found Christian had just finished his call. He looked surprised to see her and remarked, “You’re still awake 

Just finished my homework, she replied. 

He checked his watch and said, “You don’t need to stay up so late.” 

Christian could get her into any top university, not jau Conrad University. 

“Grandpa, you haven’t slept either, have you?” she retorted. 

Despite his age and the demands of running a large corporation, Christian often managed with only a few hours of sleep. 

He wanted to say more but merely watched as she entered the kitchen, seemingly lost in thought about her. 

Though young, Lea showed little interest in the typical indulgences of her peers. She wasn’t into parties, designer clothes, or lavish skincare and costhetics, unlike Helen 

In contrast, Lea was diligent level–headed, self–reliant, and assertive–qualities that Christian deeply respected. 

Before long, she dashed out with two plates of spaghetti, and they dug into their supper. 

He took a bite and his eyes sparkled. “Did you whip this up yourself?” 

“Yep,” she replied. 

With the house quiet and all the servants tucked away for the night, Lea had no choice but to fend for herself in the kitchen. 

Observing Lea across the table, Christian suddenly 

enly felt a pang of sadness, Tow have Matilda managed to rabe her these years to become 

maderful cook? 

Lea caught his gaze for a moment before quickly returning her attention to her food. 

2 

In her previous life, she had bent over backwards to win over Milion, enduring exhaustion and spending countless hours honing her culinary skills, hoping he’d come home to her dinners. He never dul. Ironically, it was she who ended up a skilled chef. 

should try to cut back on the late nights; take care of yourself, Christian said gently, a softness in his voice. “I can’t pull these all–nighters 

anymore” 

Lea lifted her eyes to meet hus. 

“Maulda has been doing a stellar job running the company lately,” he added. 

Her hand tightened around her fork at the mention. 

Matilda’s fierce determination to hold onto the company’s stocks wasn’t just about business; she and Nixon were secretly plotting to swallow up the Berry Group. 

鱼 

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