NovelGoldChapter 287 No one except the Fosters understood what Sean meant by that remark.
But that wasn't the point.
Karin and Irene both whipped their heads around at nearly the sinstant, their eyes blazing with fury as they landed on Vanessa.
In stark contrast, Nathan's tense shoulders finally relaxed the moment he saw his beloved daughter step out of the holding cell. He let out a long, relieved breath.
It seemed that his reputation as chairman of the Linwood Group still carried weight-enough that even Sean wouldn't dare cross him.
Nathan gazed at Vanessa, his eyes filled with paternal affection. But then he noticed her shaven head, and a surge of rage overtook him. He erupted, "Vanessa, who did this to you? Tell me, sweetheart. I swear I'll make them pay. They'll regret ever laying a hand on the Linwood family's only daughter." But Vanessa stood frozen the moment she saw Irene, as if someone had cast a spell on her. Terror flickered in her eyes.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWhen she met the burning, resentful glares of Jarrod, Karin, and Irene, her heart skipped a beat. Irene must have revealed what really happened five years ago.
Suddenly, it was as if sinvisible hand had gripped her throat-she couldn't force out a single word.
"Don't be afraid, Vanessa. Tell me, and I'll make sure they pay for what they've done to you," Nathan coaxed.
But before Vanessa could respond, a cold, low voice interrupted-Sean's.
"That was me," Sean said, his tone icy. "What are you planning to do about it, Mr. Linwood?" Nathan went rigid, staring at Sean in disbelief.
Sean lounged lazily on the sofa, his long legs crossed carelessly, his posture nonchalant yet exuding a natural, effortless nobility.
He looked every inch the predator toying with his prey-aloof, untouchable, a man above all others.
Though he sat, his gaze seemed to look down from on high, as if he were surveying the world from a mountain peak: detached, calm, yet commanding respect without ever raising his voice.
And that look in his eyes-as if he were staring at something utterly worthless.
No matter how self-important Nathan usually felt, in that moment, doubt crept into his mind. Had Sean really released Vanessa from the holding cell out of deference to him? Suddenly, Nathan recalled Sean's earlier words: "The real show is about to begin." The real show? A cold instinct told him that whatever Sean had planned, it would be anything but good news for him. While Nathan was lost in anxious self-doubt, Karin could no longer contain her rage. Her eyes bloodshot, she charged at Vanessa like a lioness protecting her cub, and slapped her hard across the face.
The blow landed with a sharp crack, snapping Vanessa's head to the side. Angry red finger marks bloomed on her pale cheek.
"My daughter was pushed down the stairs by you, and yet you dared to frClaire? You're not even human- you're a monster!" Karin's voice trembled with fury, her eyes wild with grief.
Because of Vanessa, Irene had spent five years trapped in a coma, while Claire had been locked away for a crshe didn't commit. The Coles had turned all their anger on innocent Claire.
For five years, the Cole family had been made fools of, spun in circles by Vanessa and Nathan.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAll that time, while they unleashed their pain on Claire, the true culprits were likely laughing at their ignorance behind their backs.
Five years.
Five years of being led by the nose, treated like idiots.
And it wasn't just Claire's future that had been destroyed.
Irene was only fifteen when she beca vegetable-she had just been accepted to Cresthaven M nod to Academy, the most prestigious high school in the city. Only two children from Crestview's upper crust had managed to get in: Claire and Irene. Claire's college years were spent behind bars; Irene's high school and college years were lost in a hospital bed.
How could Karin not hate the woman who had ruined her daughter's life? In that wanter's moment, she wanted nothing more than to tear Vanessa limb from limb. She raised her hand to strike again, but before she could, Brian grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip.
"Mom, how can you just hit Vanessa without letting her explain herself?"
Karin looked at Brian, anguish etched deep into her face. "Because Irene ended up in a coma after Vanessa pushed her down those stairs. Isn't that reason enough?"
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