Chapter 740 Alyssa said, âDad, you donât have to sugarâcoat it for me. I actually like the kid too. He looks a lot like Jared did when he was a child. Seeing him takes me back to twenty years ago, when Jared was still a baby, clinging to me. Back then, he depended on me, trusted me. I was the closest person to him in this world, but now...
Tim said, âNo matter what, youâre still the closest person to Jared. If it wasnât for that womanâs trick years ago, the Whitfields wouldnât be in this mess now.â
Alyssa bowed her head, âDad, it was my fault what happened back then. After all, her mother died because of me.â
âYouâve felt guilty about this for so long. It wasnât your fault at all. You say her mother died because of you, but did you force her to embezzle that money? Did you push her into corruption? She brought it upon herself. Why should you carry all the blame? It wasnât your fault. All you did was leaving two million dollars there, itâs not your fault.â
Alyssa shook her head. âBut I knew she was in financial trouble, and I knew how much that two million meant to her. I left the steak in front of a starving wolf, how could she not take a bite? I led her to commit the crime. I knew what would happen, and yet I still did it. I killed her. It was my fault Thinking of the past, Alyssa still couldnât let it go, because the one who died was Julia, who was once her best friend.
She knew Julia was on the edge of a precipice at the time, but instead of pulling her back, she pushed her off In the end, she did harbour such malicious thoughts. She wished for Juliaâs death. She thought that once Julia was dead, she would be free. But when Julia really died, she didnât feel free. She fell into a neverâending hell.
Tim didnât know what to say to his daughter. She had always been kindâhearted.
He had shielded her very well, keeping her gaze from the harsher realities of life. She had always been privy to lifeâs brighter aspects, untouched by worldâs cruelties So, at her brightest, she was attracted to a boy who lived in the shadows, exuding an aura of darkness.
Then Julia died, and she took all the blame onto herself, torturing herself with it for years.
So all he could do was to keep her as far away from the past as possible. But as long as Agnes was back, Alyssa would always be trapped in her past emotions, unable to break free.
He was truly afraid. Back then, when the scandal broke, Alyssa attempted suicide and nearly died. Thinking about it still made his heart ache He only had this one daughter, and he had loved her to the core since she was a child.
He always wanted to give her the best things in the world.
Even though he was old now, his only wish was to protect her.
âAnyway, I wonât agree to it. You donât need to state your position on this. You can even stand with Jared. Iâll play the villain,â Tim said decisively.
âDad, I know Jaredâs character. Heâs as stubborn as you and wonât easily give up.â
âHeâll have to âLet it go, Dad. As long as Jaredâs happy, thatâs all that matters. Let him bring Agnes home today, donât oppose it Tim said, âWhat about Ryder, donât you know what he is like?â
At the mention of Ryder, Alyssaâs face changed instantly.
Alyssa fell silent