Chapter 195



Kallie felt neither touched nor moved. She merely thought it absurd. Was Jake threatening Brent? What Jake implied was that their relationship was still ongoing, and the affairs of the Reeves family had no bearing on the Hayes.

Brent’s fists tightened. It looked as though he could hardly bear it any longer.

Kallie, fearing the situation might escalate, quickly stepped up and seized Brent’s arm. She shook her head, cautioning him against rash actions, knowing that falling into Jake and Sarah’s snare would only lead to their defeat.

Catching Kallie’s warning, Brent inhaled deeply, managing to restrain himself.

Jake’s eyes dropped. Noticing Kallie clutching Brent’s arm stirred a discomfort within him, souring his mood further.

“I’m not in the mood to discuss this. I need to speak with Jerome,” Jake declared, his eyes lifting to meet Brent’s with a renewed chill.

Without awaiting a reply, Jake strode toward Jerome.

As Jake passed, he brushed against Brent’s shoulder. To an onlooker, it might have seemed accidental, but Brent was certain—it was a calculated taunt from Jake.

Brent clenched his jaw, casting a side glance at Kallie, struggling to contain his irritation.

As Jake approached, Jerome’s associates tensed, forming a protective circle around Jerome and eyeing Jake with suspicion.

Jake simply arched an eyebrow, choosing to remain silent.

Jerome cleared his throat, trying to diffuse the tension. “It’s okay,” he declared, then gave Jake a pointed look. “It’s been too long since we last had a proper talk, Jake.”

Jake responded with a sincere smile, “True. I meant to visit the hospital a while back, but just couldn’t make the time.”

Jake then maneuvered Jerome’s wheelchair aside, as if to stall their overdue conversation.

Brent watched them, his anxiety palpable. He was tempted to follow but knew all too well how Jake might react. Following would only invite trouble.

Kallie, noticing Brent’s apprehension, reassured him with soothing gestures that practically said, “Don’t worry. Jake might come off as unpredictable and a bit stern, but deep down, he’s devoted to his family. He respects elders.”

Jake, known for his respect toward his elders, indeed held Jerome in high regard just as he did his own grandfather.

This reassured Brent somewhat, though his look at Kallie was tinged with complexity. “Even after how he has treated you, you still find it in your heart to defend him?”

Kallie shook her head, her eyes downturned, a weariness evident in her demeanor. She signed, her gestures saying she was just being honest and that there was nothing more to it. She added that she was aware Jake and she were not meant to be.

From a distance, Sarah observed their exchange, unable to decipher Kallie’s sign language but understanding Brent’s words clearly. Kallie and Brent seemed to be discussing Jake.

A knot of unease tightened in Sarah’s stomach, growing tighter when Jake announced that he would talk with Jerome.

What if Jerome spoke poorly of her?

Sarah felt she did nothing wrong. If blame had to be assigned, it surely rested on Kallie for taking things too far. Why did Kallie have to stay in the city, constantly crossing paths with Jake despite being Jake’s legal wife?

More crucially, Sarah bitterly grasped that, with the backing of the Hayes family now, Kallie was no longer the helpless orphan she once was.

What added to Sarah’s unease was that Kallie and Jake had shared a childhood. In her presence, Jake seemed indifferent to Kallie. But what if Jake fell for Kallie after recalling their shared time together? She couldn’t bear to finish that thought.

Overwhelmed, Sarah approached Kallie and seized her by the wrist. “Kallie, are you satisfied now? Just look at yourself, resting on your looks alone! The Reeves family has rejected you, and soon, the Hayes will follow suit. In this vast world, no one wants you! You’re nothing but a leech. Nobody will take you in! You and the child you’re carrying are both unwanted bastards.”

Initially, Kallie dismissed Sarah’s claims as groundless, but when Sarah started attacking her unborn child, she couldn’t contain her anger. She raised her hand to slap Sarah.

But Sarah was ready and caught Kallie by the hair instead.

Weakened from being drugged earlier that day, Kallie lacked the strength to fight back.

Sarah appeared deranged, focusing her attack on Kallie’s belly.

Realizing Sarah’s harmful intent, Kallie ceased her resistance, curling up and shielding her belly as best she could.

It wasn’t long before Sarah was pulled away.

Irene quickly lifted Kallie from the ground and stared at Sarah with contempt. “Miss Miller, you show disdain for Kallie, yet it’s clear to all that you’re the one filled with insecurity. You label her an orphan, a voiceless soul with no one to depend on. Yet this very mute has outshined you. Even those who once called you friend are now abandoning you.”

Sarah’s thoughts shifted to Jake, and her anger intensified. She had invested significant effort into forging a bond with the Reeves family, only to see it shattered by Kallie. Her fury was understandable.

Despite Jake’s kindness toward her recently and his apparent disregard for Kallie, a nagging thought haunted Sarah—that someday, Kallie might snatch Jake from her.

Sarah was determined not to be bested by a woman like Kallie.

“Shut up!” Sarah yelled, having long lost her cool.

Brent inhaled sharply before announcing, “I was willing to let you maintain some dignity, but that’s no longer an option. We’re calling the police. You’re clearly involved.”

“Stop spouting lies!” Sarah snapped, her voice tinged with panic.

Sarah had hoped that someone would come to her defense. But as she scanned the room, only silence greeted her. Those who had previously hesitated to confront her now viewed her with contempt.

Sarah’s overt obsession with Jake had caused her to neglect her old friends. Now, as she looked into their faces, all she saw were their hostile eyes.

Sarah suddenly felt like the loneliest person on Earth. A sense of being utterly lost began to creep over her. Was all this turmoil really worth it, all for making things difficult for Kallie?

“What’s going on here?” Jake, having just ended his conversation with Jerome, nudged Jerome over as they approached.

At that moment, Brent, who had just finished his report to the police, replied without even looking up, his tone icy. “You might want to ask Sarah what she’s been up to. She just lost it and attacked Kallie. And the worst part? She kept aiming for Kallie’s belly. She must have known that Kallie is pregnant. Jake, do you really want to defend someone that cruel?”

With Sarah looking both guilty and lost, Jake could see Brent wasn’t exaggerating.

Yet, Jake’s concern honed in on Sarah’s deliberate targeting of Kallie’s belly. A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes. Who had told Sarah about Kallie’s pregnancy?

Perhaps Sarah thought the child was his. Or had someone intentionally misled Sarah?

Pondering this, Jake’s gaze shifted back to Jerome.

.

.

.