Chapter 112: The Scapegoat Before Katie could finish her sentence, Selina had already flipped open the design portfolioâand everyoneâs expression changed instantly.
Katieâs words caught in her throat.
Every single design was defaced with black ink, covered in vulgar slurs like "whore" and "bitch," scrawled aggressively in red marker.
The handwriting was twisted and ferocious, oozing hatred toward the portfolioâs original owner.
A suffocating silence fell over the entire living room.
Selina slowly raised her head, her sharp, icy gaze locking onto Katieâs terrified eyes. She spoke each word with deliberate, venomous clarity:
"Katie, youâve got a death wish."
Her eyes were so piercing, so devoid of warmth, that Katieâs knees buckled. She collapsed to the floor with a thud, stammering, "I-It wasnât me!"
But her guilty, trembling voice made it painfully obviousâanyone could see she was the one whoâd destroyed the designs.
Without warning, Selina lunged forward, grabbed Katie by the collar, and yanked her to her feet, her fingers tightening around Katieâs throat.
"Not your fault? Mr. Clark, take a good look at the kind of woman youâve been defending."
Jamesâs face paled as he glanced at the ruined portfolio. A flicker of guilt flashed through his eyes, though he tried to suppress it.
"Katie... you..." he muttered, his voice low and strained.
Katie quickly averted her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze. "I donât know what youâre talking about! Let me go!"
So what if she ruined Victoriaâs designs? That wretched woman had been dead for almost twenty yearsâshe deserved to be forgotten.
Loganâs face darkened, his voice low and chilling.
"So this is how you treat Selina. Noted."
Jamesâs heart sank.
Whether Logan genuinely cared about Selina or not, it didnât matterâright now, he was standing firmly on her side.
James snapped, spinning around and barking, "What the hell is going on?!"
Katie flinched, but she still refused to admit anything.
"I-I didnât do it!"
Suddenly, Natalia stepped forward, biting her lip, her face a picture of fake innocence.
"Sister... Mr. Reid... youâve misunderstood my mother." She shook her head gently, her voice soft and trembling.
"Mom loved Aunt Victoria like a sister. Sheâd never do something like this. The only person who knew about the designs being in the collection room...
was the butler."
Katie immediately latched onto the excuse.
"Yes, it was the butler! He mustâve done it!"
Selina let out a cold laugh.
"Oh, really?"
The butlerâs face went pale as he shot a panicked glance at Nataliaâonly to see her subtly shake her head, signaling him to take the fall.
His breath hitched. After a tense pause, he bowed his head and mumbled, "Yes... it was my fault. Please donât blame Madam or Miss Natalia."
Katie instantly burst into crocodile tears, her voice quivering as if sheâd just been gravely wronged.
"Selina, you heard that, didnât you? Why do you always think the worst of me?"
Jamesâs expression softened slightly.
"Mr. Reid, you see... it was just a misunderstanding."
But before he could finish, Selina cut in with an indifferent, almost bored tone.
"Funny. From what I know, the butler was brought in by Mrs. Bryant. He arrived after my mother passed away, so... how could he harbor such deep hatred for someone heâs never even met?"
The butler froze, his face stiffening as the room grew tense again.
Natalia quickly lowered her gaze, her voice dripping with false humility.
"Sister, back when Aunt Victoria was alive, the butler once applied for a job here. He was rejected. Maybe... heâs held a grudge ever since."
The butler gritted his teeth and eagerly seized the excuse.
"Yes! Victoria rejected me. I lost my job because of her, and Iâve resented her ever since!"
Selina chuckled, the sound dripping with mockery.
Katie, ever the opportunist, pretended to scold the butler with exaggerated indignation.
"Butler Lee, thatâs completely inappropriate! If Victoria rejected you, it mustâve been because you werenât qualified. How could you destroy her belongings just because you didnât like her?"
She dramatically wiped her fake tears, sighing as if overwhelmed with grief.
"Selina, I donât care if you misunderstand me, but my heart aches for you. To find your motherâs belongings, only to see them destroyed like thisâitâs heartbreaking!"
Butler Lee, catching Katieâs unspoken cue, bowed deeply and added, "Miss Selina, itâs all my fault. Please donât blame Madam or Miss Natalia."
Katie relaxed, a smug smile flickering at the corners of her mouth.
The entire Clark Family estate was under her control.
Selinaâs little tricks were no match for her.
Selina raised an eyebrow. The butler, Lee, was taking the fall for Katie?
She spoke lazily, her tone dripping with casual indifference.
"Logan, Butler Lee has admitted to deliberately destroying my motherâs belongings. What do you think should be done with someone like that?"
Loganâs lips curled into a faint smirk.
"A disloyal servant like that should naturally be fired. Jack can handle it."
Jack nodded promptly. "Maâam, I wonât disappoint you."
Selina gave him a satisfied nod. "Handle it however you see fit."
Katieâs throat tightened.
Butler Lee was her right-hand man. She couldnât let Selina take him away like this!
"Selina, thereâs no need to be so harsh. Butler Lee has been with the Clark Family for years. Firing him over a simple mistake would make us look petty in the eyes of others..."
Jack flashed a polite, but unmistakably firm smile.
"Donât worry, Mrs. Bryant. Iâll make sure high society knows that Butler Lee was fired for destroying his employerâs property. It wonât tarnish the Clark Familyâs reputation in the slightest."
Selinaâs smile deepened.
"Butler Lee, shall we?"
Butler Leeâs face twisted with frustration.
For years, heâd strutted around the Clark Family estate like he owned the place, basking in Katieâs favor and treating Selina like she was nothing.
Who was she anyway?
Some country bumpkin the Clark Family had discardedânow daring to fire him?!
But he was confident. After all, Katie would protect him. His voice was loud, defiant.
"Miss Selina, Iâm the Clark Familyâs butler. The decision to fire me rests with Mr. Clark, not you. You donât have the authority to give that order!"
His chest puffed with false righteousness as he added, "Sure, I was wrong to damage Mrs. Adamsâ designs, but Iâve served this family for years. Even if I havenât achieved greatness, Iâve worked hard. Are you really going to fire me over one small mistake and chill the hearts of everyone here?"
Loganâs face darkened, his jaw clenching slightly.
Selinaâs gaze turned frosty, her voice like ice.
"You think I donât have the authority?"
Katie quickly stepped in, feigning helplessness.
"Selina, dear, why are you being so stubborn? Butler Lee is part of the family now. Your motherâs been gone for years. Is it really worth firing a loyal servant over someone whoâs already dead?"
Selinaâs eyes didnât waver. She cut Katie off mid-sentence with a calm, chilling tone.
"Butler Lee."
She addressed him directly, but her words echoed for everyone to hear.
"Have you been under Katieâs thumb for so long that youâve forgotten who this villa actually belongs to? My mother left it to me. I am the sole owner.
So donât think for a second that firing a measly butler like you is difficult. In fact, if I wanted to replace the entire staffâor even change ownership of this villaâI could do it with ease."
Jamesâs face went pale, his expression shifting from arrogance to sudden fear.
Butler Leeâs heart skipped a beat.
"Youâre twisting things! This villa belongs to Mr. Clark and Mrs.â"
Selinaâs cold smile cut through his protest like a knife.
"Oh? If youâre so confident, letâs settle this in court. Iâm sure the scandal will be... enlightening. After all, it wonât just be your reputation on the line, Butler Lee."
She took a step closer, her voice soft but dripping with venom.
"Imagine the headlines: âMistress and Illegitimate Daughter Conspire to Steal Inheritance from Deceased Wife.â Sounds scandalous, doesnât it, Mr.
Clark?"
Selinaâs smile never wavered.
"And while weâre at it, we can investigate why a butler harbored such deep hatred for a woman whoâs been dead for nearly two decades. I wonder if someone put you up to itâperhaps a certain mistress who clawed her way to the top?"
Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex's 'Uncle'
ï¤Chapter 111: Having Her Back Apocalypse: The Supporting Actress Made a Comeback ï¤Chapter 739 - 395 Bite back Shadow Slave ï¤Chapter 2468 Home Bitter Home Katieâs heart raced with sheer panic.
No. If this went to court, the truth would come out eventually.
And worseâSelina might expose secrets tied to the Carter Family.
She could feud with Selina all she wanted, but she couldnât afford to drag the Carter Familyâs name through the mud.
Her cushy life was just beginningâshe wouldnât let it all fall apart over a damn design portfolio.
Katieâs eyes darted to Butler Lee, her mind racing.
After all these years, sheâd given him everythingâit was time for him to return the favor.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a sweet smile and said:
"Youâre right, Selina. A traitorous servant like Butler Lee should be fired. Someone, get this man out of my sight!"