Chapter 1040:
Paola tore her hand from Laurel’s grasp with a fierceness that tugged at her wounds. She flinched but refused to acknowledge the pain.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“Relieved?” Paola’s soft voice carried a razor’s weight, slicing straight through the tense quiet. “You mean you’re relieved I didn’t die with Gregg? I saw you, Laurel. I was screaming for you, and you ran.”
Shock rolled outward like a wave.
“Oh God… she left her own daughter? How could she be so heartless?”
𝗡𝖾𝘸 𝗰𝗵a𝘱𝘁𝗲𝗿ѕ ev𝗲ry 𝘄𝗲e𝗄 𝗈n gа𝗹𝗻𝗈𝘃el𝗌.𝖼𝗼m
“Didn’t you hear? Laurel’s tied to human trafficking—cold, ruthless, clever, the whole package.”
“And Detour Inc.? They lied about the site being clear so no one would discover the underground tomb. Now look—everyone walked right into their trap.”
The whispers thickened, circling Laurel until her panic broke through. She whirled on Paola, her voice cracking with fury and fear.
“I didn’t see you, Paola! There was smoke everywhere—people screaming—I could barely see a thing! My eyesight’s failing, you know that! How could you accuse me like this in front of everyone?”
Worried the spectacle would snowball into a public disaster capable of tainting Detour Inc.’s reputation, Terrance stepped in. His voice was sharp enough to cut through the chaos.
“Paola! Your mother bled herself dry to shape you into one of Crolens’ most sought-after socialites. You’ve basked in luxury because of her sacrifices, and this is how you repay her? Dragging her name through mud in front of everyone? You are no daughter of ours!”
His fury surged. In a flash of temper, he raised his hand—ready to strike—only for Rylie, who had approached from behind, to seize his wrist midair. Even with her hair tousled and dirt streaking her clothes, she carried an unshakable composure that froze the moment.
She shoved his arm away with controlled force. “I was the one who pulled her out. By the time I reached her, you were already disappearing on the other side.”
“Rylie! Don’t you dare twist the truth! Keep running your mouth and I’ll drag you to court for defamation!” Terrance roared, his outrage spilling into the open.
Paola, however, wasn’t looking at him at all. Her vacant, trembling gaze stayed locked on Laurel.
“Tell me… have you ever loved me?”
Laurel flinched, her shoulders curling inward as though her daughter’s gaze alone could bruise her. A cold dread slid down her spine. “Of course I love you. I’m the only one who truly does.”
“Then why did you push me into marrying Gregg? Why pretend you didn’t know what he is?” Paola yanked up her sleeves.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Angry welts—new ones layered over old—marred the delicate skin of her arms.
A brittle, broken laugh fell from her lips. For years she had polished her image to perfection, had despised Rylie’s effortless poise, had convinced herself the hatred came from jealousy.
But standing here now, she finally understood—her resentment wasn’t born from envy. It came from a lifetime of being molded, trained, commanded, treated not as a daughter, but as Laurel’s obedient little servant.
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