Chapter 380



Kallie couldn’t help but chuckle. “My grandfather is the same way. He acts like a child, too.”

At the mention of Tyrone, Kallie’s expression changed noticeably. Her smile waned, becoming almost imperceptible. The others exchanged puzzled glances, sensing the sudden change in Kallie’s mood but unable to grasp its cause.

Kallie had deliberately blocked the news of Tyrone’s disappearance and hadn’t told anyone about it. Sensing the growing tension, Linsey stepped in to lighten the mood. “Kallie, why don’t you take me to see Sophie now?”

Just then, a scream pierced the air, startling the crowd. Moments later, a child’s cry followed. Kallie’s eyelids twitched, and she dashed over to the scene.

gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․com hosts the latest chapters Sophie sat on the floor, her clothes dirty. She cried sadly. Standing beside Sophie with a look of indifference, Zuri addressed the bewildered adults, her voice carrying clearly. “I didn’t do anything. She was caught stealing.” Zuri’s words set off a murmur among the onlookers. “Oh, my God! Stealing? Could that really be true? She’s just a kid. How could she steal anything?”

“Some kids just have it in them. You can tell by looking. These days, some kids are just naturally troublemakers. Her mother, Kallie, isn’t exactly a role model. It makes sense her daughter would turn out this way.”

Sophie tried to protest. But at her tender age, her speech was still developing. Overwhelmed by her emotions, her attempts at speaking were jumbled and unclear. An irate, stout woman marched over and seized Sophie’s wrist.

“Well? Aren’t you going to confess? I caught you flaunting my bracelet. You’re so young, yet you’re already thieving! And still, you deny it even when caught red-handed. Leave this place at once.” Gripping Sophie’s wrist, the woman began to drag her away.

Just then, Kallie arrived at the scene to find Sophie struggling to free herself from the woman’s grip. Despite her efforts, Sophie was too young and lacked the strength to break free. The harsh grip left vivid red marks on Sophie’s delicate arm.

Incensed, Kallie nearly let loose a tirade at the woman. She quickly stepped in, pulling Sophie out of the woman’s grasp.

Sophie, upon seeing Kallie, felt a wave of relief mixed with injustice. She had been crying quietly, but now, safe in Kallie’s arms, she burst into uncontrollable tears. “Mommy, I didn’t take anything! I swear I didn’t!”

Taking a moment to steady herself, Kallie fixed a cold stare on the woman. “Excuse me, but do you have any proof that my daughter stole anything? She’s just a child. She doesn’t even realize the value of jewelry. Besides, why would she take your bracelet, which is too big for her to wear?”

The woman sneered arrogantly, “Don’t dwell on such questions. Who can fathom her thoughts? Perhaps she was always inclined to wrongdoing and theft. Anyway, I saw with my own eyes that my bracelet was in her possession.

I remember how you used to rely on the Reeves family to scrape by. Life must have been tough for you then. Even now, it seems you can’t shake off those old habits. You can’t even teach your daughter properly, so she mimics your behavior.”

“What are you implying?” Linsey was seething with anger, on the verge of confronting the woman. Just then, Irene arrived, placing a restraining hand on Linsey’s shoulder, her expression grave. “Linsey, please, calm down,” she urged. Leaning closer, Irene murmured to both Kallie and Linsey, “This woman is no ordinary person. She’s Joanna’s aunt.”

This implied that this woman was the younger sister of Charlee, a formidable figure in her own right. A former civil servant turned vice mayor of Burmoos, Charlee was known for her steadfast and impartial nature.

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