Chapter 535



The voice was clear and pleasant, but cold, this surprised everyone present. Everyone suddenly turned to see Joel, who had returned home at some point, standing outside the crowd. The man, who normally had a smile on his face, had an icy look on his face at that moment.

Everyone who saw him unconsciously stepped aside and made way for him.

Without further ado, Joel took step after step towards Tanya and approached her. As he stood beside her and took her hand, his attractive foxy eyes looked up at Jill. Jill’s heart fluttered at the sight of him.

But when she thought of how Joel had always shown her mercy in the past, she was emboldened again. “The Joneses have brought Tanya. By virtue of our kindness in raising her, how are we unworthy of her?” The Joneses had raised Tanya? The woman must have forgotten again how Tanya had survived!

At the Joneses, she survived by eating the garbage that others left behind. The money she bought her textbooks with was earned by working as a nanny for the Joneses. The nine-year compulsory education was free. Even the money for high school tuition she had earned by handing out flyers during the summer vacations.

What kind of financial support had she been given?

Joel had decided not to hold this against the Joneses all this time simply because Jill was Tanya’s mother.

No matter how badly she treated Tanya, she was her biological mother. This was a fact that would never change.

She hadn’t made a move because she feared Tanya would come to regret it in the future. After all, they were mother and daughter related by blood, and Tanya had grown up under her supervision.

Besides, Tanya was initially counting on Karl to defend her, so Joel was more than happy to hide in the rear.

First, this gave Karl a chance to do something, which would help him repair his relationship with Tanya. Secondly, as a subaltern, it was not appropriate for him to be too ruthless with his seniors.

But now that Karl had been imprisoned, if Joel continued not to step up, wouldn’t Tanya be bullied to death?

The night before, when Jill had taken money from other people, demanded that Joel do as she asked and left after saying that, Tanya had already thought about it.

That same night, she had already told Joel that she wanted to cut ties with Jill.

Tanya had already made up her mind.

Jill had no boundaries. There was no way Tanya would allow such a shameless parasite to take advantage of the Smiths.

It was because she had finally made up her mind that Joel stepped forward today.

He didn’t want outsiders to berate Tanya and say she had no conscience. In that case, he would be the bad guy!

He glared at Jill and sneered, “What does the fact that you’re Tanya’s mother have to do with the Smiths?”

The question stunned Jill, who stood stunned in her seat. She frowned and asked Joel in bewilderment, “Tanya is your wife, so that makes me your mother-in-law! How am I not related to the Smiths?”

Joel’s eyes suddenly turned cold. “Oh? I’m sorry, but I’ve always been a cold and heartless man, I think there are a lot of people who have said that about me behind my back. They call me Smiling Hades, don’t they?”.

Joel and Justin were equally famous in New York, but he wasn’t as scary as Justin because he always looked like he was smiling.

However, everyone knew he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

You could never tell what he liked. He might smile at you one second and take your life the next.

Many years ago, a real estate company had been cornered by the Smiths. In desperation, the boss had approached Joel and knelt before him to ask for forgiveness.

The smiling Joel had told him to get up.

Thinking that Joel had left him alone, the chief left in gratitude. The next day, however, he learned that the company was still bankrupt. In the end, the boss threw himself off the top of a building.

This incident was also the first thing Joel did after taking over the Smiths. He had intimidated all of New York, and from then on no one dared to underestimate him.

At that moment, when Jill heard what he said, a shiver suddenly ran down her spine.

She stared at Joel and swallowed saliva. “What are you planning?”

Joel pulled out a stack of evidence proving the Joneses’ tax evasion crimes and waved it back and forth. He replied, “I just thought I’d cooperate with the authorities and take action against tax evasion.”

Jill immediately swallowed saliva and her gaze went blank.

She looked at Joel in disbelief. “How dare you!”

The authorities had been very strict about cracking down on tax evasion lately. If evidence of the Joneses’ tax evasion was presented, the Joneses would definitely go bankrupt!

Not only would they lose all their money, but Mr. Jones would even have to go to jail. Joel looked down. “I’ve already dialed 911 right now. I’m sure the police will be here to retrieve the evidence very soon.”

His simple sentence made Jill’s knees go weak with fear.

It was at that moment that Mr. Jones, who had sent Jill here, finally couldn’t hide anymore. He got out of the car from the side, stood in front of Jill and said to Joel, “Mr. Smith, this is all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! I’ll take her now, OK?”.

Jill said angrily, “No!”

Slap!

Mr. Jones immediately slapped her on the cheek. “Shut up!”

Then, he wanted to drag her away and leave.

Joel glared at Mr. Jones. He had already threatened them several times with his company and each time, Mr. Jones would show up and take Jill away. But soon after, Jill would always reappear.

This time, each of her words had stabbed into Tanya’s heart.

Joel said dispassionately, “I’m afraid the two of you won’t be able to leave this time.”

Mr. Jones had initially thought that the same thing would happen this time as before, too. If they behaved themselves for a while, Joel would let them go. He hadn’t expected to hear a response like that instead.

He was so frightened that sweat instantly trickled down his forehead. His face paled a little and he said, “Mr. Smith, we’re all family here. Your mother-in-law was too angry. Please forgive her this once. I promise she will never come before you again.”

Joel looked at Mr. Jones. “You always seem to say that.”

The look Joel was giving him made Mr. Jones gag immediately.

He glared at Jill angrily, reached out and slapped Jill’s face again, causing her cheek to immediately swell. He said, “Bitch, I told you not to come, but you just had to! Hurry up and get on your knees at once, apologize to Tanya and Mr. Smith.”

Kneel?

By demanding that Tanya’s mother kneel down and apologize, were they really apologizing or were they trying to back Tanya into a corner?

Everyone present saw it understood.

Jill burst into tears immediately. “Tanya, you have no conscience at all! Do you really want me to get down on my knees in front of you?”

They all looked at Tanya in unison and began to coax her:

“Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Jones knows you are in the wrong, why don’t you let her go this time…?”

“Yes, Mrs. Smith, one must have limits in what one does. She is your mother…”

Tanya stared at her and merely smiled sarcastically.

“No, it’s okay.”

Joel suddenly spoke up.

Jill immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that as long as she was Tanya’s mother, there was nothing Tanya and Joel could do with her!

She was still thinking about it when she suddenly heard Joel continue. He said, “If you have anything else to say, you can tell the police.”

As he said that, the police approached in the distance. “Mr. Jones, someone has reported you for tax evasion! Please come with us to the police station to assist in the investigations!”

When the police officers appeared, everyone present was surprised. No one had thought Joel was serious this time.

They all looked at him in surprise and swallowed hard.

Jill also came to her senses. She immediately burst into tears again and screamed, “Tanya, Joel! Are they really going to corner me until I die? How can they be so heartless?”

As before, Joel spoke up without waiting for Tanya to say anything. He said, “I’ve always been a heartless man. After all, I’m someone who doesn’t even love his biological parents.”

Joel’s relationship with his parents had always been bad. After Ian chose him to be the Smith heir, he had stayed with Ian all these years and rarely interacted with his parents.

Joel was a very direct and determined person. Since he had already made up his mind not to beat around the bush, he would no longer show any mercy. Even if Tanya blamed him in the future, he would get rid of that burden for her today!

His expression was cold and there was no emotion in his eyes. He clearly looked like he was going to completely abandon Jill and the Joneses.

Jill and Mr. Jones really panicked when they saw him like that.

Mr. Jones was furious and kicked Jill. “It’s all your damn fault!”

Despite the kick, Jill did not retaliate. Instead, she looked at Tanya and Joel angrily and asked, “Are you two really going to push us that hard?”

Tanya did not respond.

Joel replied with a smile, “You’re wrong. I haven’t forced them to evade taxes.”

It was obvious that he was not going to be convinced otherwise.

Immediately, Mr. Jones knew he was finished. He looked at Jill, furious. “Damn it, if I’m going to be finished, then I’m definitely taking you to hell with me!”

Jill’s look turned nervous at his words.

Considering what the two of them had done back then, if she found out, they would both be doomed no matter what!

Therefore, Jill was not to let them stop him!

She shouted, “Tanya! Joel! If the two of you dare give the evidence to the police, I’ll make a police report that Karl raped me!”

His words caused Tanya’s eyes to widen sharply.

Jill glared at them and said, “I wonder how many years in prison Karl will be sentenced to if a rape charge is added. Life imprisonment? Tanya, if you really hate me that much, I’ll sue you!”.

Tanya and Joel, who hadn’t expected Jill to be so brazen, frowned.

All Karl had done was bring some bad guys into the country, so even if he was sentenced to jail, it would only be for two or three years. However, if Jill sued him and the rape charge was proven, Karl’s sentence would increase by many more years!

Despite this, Joel remained unmoved. “Do you have any proof?”

“Proof?” Jill shouted angrily, “Tanya is the proof! If you two don’t give me a way out, then even if I die, I’m taking him with me!”

Seeing that the mood was about right and that she was about to achieve her goal, Nora finally slowly walked out. She said with a smile, “Then feel free to sue him.”

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