Chapter 419



The smile vanished from Joanna’s face. She unscrewed the cap of the bottle and poured all the water out in front of Kallie. The water hit the floor, not a drop reaching Kallie. “Come on. Kneel and lick it up,” Joanna taunted, her voice laced with spite.

Kallie remained still, silent, giving Joanna a steady, icy stare. Despite looking worn and pale, her eyes remained piercing and cold. Joanna gave a reluctant smile.

“Why? Why did someone still come to you when you were in such a situation? It’s tragic, really. He can’t take you with him. I’ve laid out terms for him. I told him that if he wants to take you, he must reveal his true self.

Perhaps others are in the dark, but I’m not blind. I leveraged some of my mother’s contacts to uncover his secrets. Mr. Jack? The underworld kingpin? The feared mogul? He’s the one who offed his mother and got cast out from the Reeves family. Yes, that’s Jake Reeves.”

Kallie’s heart sank. Joanna had uncovered Jake’s true identity. Yet, it wasn’t shocking that Joanna had managed to do so. Joanna pressed on, “Now, do you think he’ll choose you or himself?”

Kallie shut her eyes, her voice steady. “It doesn’t matter whom he chooses. My fate is irrelevant. You claim it was Jake who killed his mother. That’s a fabrication. Yet what you’ve done is real. If you kill me, you’re signing your own prison sentence. I won’t be alone on this journey to the end.”

Joanna was rattled. She still cared about it. She regretted her actions the instant she pushed Charlee down the stairs. But her anger and bitterness prevailed.

If only Charlee hadn’t decided to cast her out, she wouldn’t have lashed out in rage. It was all because Charlee failed to cherish and care about her enough.

After Kallie returned, Joanna frequently aired her grievances about Kallie’s past with Ethan, doing so openly in Charlee’s presence. However, she always spoke with a dispassionate tone. “You and Ethan are married.

You should focus on your own life. I highly doubt Ethan would cheat. Besides, it’s all in the past. Dwelling on it seems a bit excessive, don’t you think? If there was something between Ethan and Kallie, they would’ve acted on it long ago.

Moreover, Ethan hardly seems the type to socialize excessively these days. What’s really on your mind? Have you forgotten how to be forgiving? Why this lack of trust in Ethan? It seems all my teachings were in vain. You’ve truly disappointed me.”

Those words haunted Joanna when she saw Charlee lying bloodied yet still breathing. At that moment, Joanna’s mind seemed to freeze, overwhelmed by a chilling detachment. She didn’t call for help or try to assist Charlee. She merely watched Charlee die.

Later, Joanna’s regret was immense—not for the act of killing her own mother, but because it had shattered her own life. Convinced she had acted before her end, Joanna cunningly lured Kallie to the scene. How naive Kallie was!

Did she actually expect the Martel family to seek her? Didn’t Kallie know herself at all? Yet just as Joanna pondered these thoughts, Jake declared his intention to call the police, right in front of her.

Overwhelmed, Joanna felt fear grip her. She didn’t want to meet her end or face any consequences for her wrongdoings. Kallie maintained an even calmer demeanor than Joanna did.

Losing her patience, Joanna crouched down and harshly grasped Kallie’s chin. “I’ve changed my mind now. It’s you who should die. Why didn’t you just stay abroad? Why did you have to come back? You’ve destroyed my life and my marriage! So go ahead and die for me!” she growled.

Joanna then forced some medicine into Kallie’s mouth. Distraught, Kallie attempted to spit it out, but her fingers trembled too weakly to induce vomiting. When Joanna saw that Kallie had swallowed the medicine, a satisfied smile crept across her face.

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