Chapter 73



“Stella, why are you here?” Brent’s voice cut through the tension as he unexpectedly appeared in Kallie’s office.

He was holding a stack of documents, likely there to deliver something, but his expression darkened as soon as he saw Stella. “Who gave you permission to be here?”

“I… I just wanted to check…” Stella’s earlier arrogance melted away in Brent’s presence, replaced by a hint of meekness.

“Check what? You don’t have any authority in this company. There’s nothing for you to check.” Brent’s disdain was obvious in his curt tone.

“How can you say that? I’m part of the Hayes family too…” Stella retorted.

“Being part of the Hayes family doesn’t give you any rights here. You don’t own any shares of the Hayes Group, and meddling here is unacceptable. I’ve let it slide before, but next time, I’ll involve Grandpa.”

Stella flinched at the mention of their grandfather, remembering how Jerome had slapped her at the banquet, showing no concern for the guests.

“Brent, I was just checking on Kallie,” Stella tried to explain, before adding smugly, “And by the way, Hannah, Kallie’s mother-in-law’s niece, is getting ready to marry you…”

Before she could finish, Brent cut her off sharply. “Who told you Hannah and I are getting married? I’ve made it clear that it’s not happening, and Grandpa knows this. Where are you getting these rumors from?”

Stella looked visibly embarrassed.

“Leave now,” Brent said, his patience wearing thin. “Or should I call security to escort you out?”

gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․cøm, your destination for tales Facing the threat of being forcibly removed from her family’s company, Stella muttered hastily, “I’m leaving!”

As soon as she left, Brent turned to Kallie and said earnestly, “I’m not marrying Hannah.”

Kallie blinked in confusion, wondering why he felt the need to clarify that to her. Still, she smiled kindly and gestured, expressing, “My marriage has been unfortunate. If you marry, do it for love, not because others arranged it.”

Realizing Brent couldn’t understand her sign language, Kallie quickly typed out her message on her phone.

Unbeknownst to them, someone in the hallway was discreetly recording the entire interaction.

Later that day, as Kallie exited the Hayes Group building, she noticed a familiar Bentley parked nearby. It was Jake’s car.

Kallie hesitated, considering returning to the building, but the car door opened before she could act.

“You saw me, and your first thought was to run?” Jake asked, his tone edged with concern.

Reluctantly, Kallie approached him.

“Why didn’t you go home?” Jake asked, reaching out to grip her wrist firmly.

Since it had been late when she and Irene returned from Halstead, they had booked a hotel near the airport and went straight to work the next morning, bypassing the Reeves residence altogether. Kallie had assumed that, with Sarah’s failed attempts to undermine her filming, Jake would be too occupied consoling Sarah to notice her absence from home.

Yet here Jake was, picking her up from work himself.

Kallie pulled her hand away, shaking off Jake’s grip.

Jake’s demeanor shifted instantly, his frustration palpable. It seemed he wanted to force her into the car but restrained himself with so many Hayes Group employees around.

“What are you up to?” His gaze bored into her.

Kallie gestured firmly, reminding him that she had already made her stance on the divorce clear.

A flash of anger sparked in Jake’s eyes. “Just because you brought up divorce, you think that means you don’t have to come home? I never agreed to that! Now, come back with me right now!”

Kallie instinctively took a step back.

In the past, if Jake had been this furious, Kallie would have immediately yielded, possibly even apologized preemptively. Jake rarely got this angry—usually, a hint of displeasure was enough for Kallie to approach and try to make things right.

But today was different. Despite his fury, Kallie held her ground, her eyes wary as she gestured firmly that she would return home, but only on the condition that he wouldn’t lay a hand on her. If he couldn’t agree to that, she would never go back.

Jake’s rage simmered, each moment testing Kallie’s resolve.

Kallie wasn’t used to defying Jake like this. But she couldn’t take it anymore. She had made up her mind—for the sake of her child, she needed a fresh start, away from this chaotic life.

After a long, tense pause, Jake relented. “Fine, have it your way. Get in the car.”

With his reluctant assurance, Kallie followed him into the car. She had assumed a driver would be there, but it was Jake behind the wheel.

Bucking her seatbelt, Kallie stared straight ahead, preferring silence to engaging with him. The last time she had sat in this car, Sarah had meticulously wiped the seat afterward, making Kallie doubt that Jake would ever let her sit there again for Sarah’s sake.

“In a few days, it’s my mom’s birthday,” Jake said as he started the car. “Let’s keep things calm at home until then, and we’ll talk about everything after.”

Recalling Shirley’s birthdays over the past five years sent a chill down Kallie’s spine. Those were memories she never wanted to relive. Jake only needed to show up for the banquet, exchange pleasantries, and entertain guests. But Kallie had been forced to arrive a week early each year to help Shirley with every detail, even scrubbing each piece of cutlery.

Shirley seemed to relish in tormenting her, almost as if it were her own personal birthday gift to herself.

But this time, Kallie was determined not to give Shirley the satisfaction.

Unable to communicate while Jake drove, Kallie pulled out her phone, typed a message, and played it aloud using the text-to-speech function. “I won’t be going to the mansion to help with the birthday banquet preparations. They can hire more servants.”

Jake glanced at her in surprise. “What’s this about? What does helping with the preparations have to do with hiring more servants?”

Kallie met his gaze directly, her phone reading out her typed response. “Aren’t I treated like a servant at the mansion? Cleaning, taking out the trash, washing dishes. I’m doing jobs no one else will do.”

Jake’s expression darkened, and he abruptly pulled the car over to the side of the road. Turning to face her, his tone grew urgent. “What are you talking about? Explain yourself!”

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