Chapter 861



Brysen lowered her head, blaming herself for the whole situation. She had unwittingly put Jake in this situation and betrayed Kallie’s trust, all in the name of her naïve conception of love.

Brysen’s struggle faded, leaving her an empty shell. Tears streamed down her face as Clayton’s men pinned her down. Desperation had consumed her.

‘This girl is one of Kallie’s top assistants,’ Clayton commented, his patience clearly wearing thin. ‘Don’t kill her, but make sure she can’t talk. I don’t give a fuck how you do it, but if one word of this gets out, you’re all dead.’

With that chilling threat hovering in the air, Clayton and his henchmen quickly departed.

Meanwhile, by the end of the live broadcast, Kallie had raised a hundred thousand dollars. She didn’t hesitate for a moment. Right there in front of the camera, she transferred every penny to the school and the county mayor. People noticed that Kallie wasn’t selling any product lines on the sly. Whether she was a saint or just acting, that money would make a real difference in these children’s lives. After all, actions speak louder than words.

Gradually, public opinion began to shift in Kallie’s favour. She was a whirlwind of activity, handling a million things at once, and somehow, she made it look easy. But beneath the surface, a knot of dread tightened in her stomach. It was a gnawing feeling, a constant whisper of worry that she couldn’t get out of her head.

Finally, Kallie found a small corner away from the noise and bustle of the event. She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Brysen’s number. Strangely, the call connected, but Brysen didn’t answer. A knot of unease tightened in Kallie’s stomach. She tried calling several more times, but it always went to voicemail. She was beginning to regret sending Brysen to investigate. Brysen was alone, what if something bad had happened? What if she was in trouble? It hadn’t even been 24 hours since he’d last seen her. The police wouldn’t even accept a missing person’s report yet.

Just as Kallie was about to try calling again, her phone vibrated. She looked at the screen and froze. It was Clayton.

‘Kallie, are you okay?’ Clayton’s voice was laden with concern.

Kallie felt completely bewildered. ‘How did you know something wasn’t right?’

Clayton was silent for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. ‘It’s a long story. Look, I’m in the underground parking garage across the street. Come over here, and I’ll explain everything.’

Kallie’s eyebrows rose. What was Clayton doing here? He’d told her he was busy with something else. And she’d avoided telling him where she’d be today. How the hell did he know where to find her?

A horrible thought crossed her mind. Was he following her? Was someone spying on her? A shiver ran down his spine.

She paused, hesitating about what to do. But curiosity and a little fear got the better of her. She decided to go see what Clayton was talking about.

Kallie crossed the street and found the garage. The place was full of people. Clayton was in the middle of it all, surrounded by a small army of bodyguards. One man was kneeling on the ground, his face hidden by a mask.

Kallie’s blood ran cold. She immediately recognised the man as the Jake lookalike she had seen earlier. The man had the same build and the same way of moving. It was unsettling.

Kallie felt uneasy as she watched the scene before her. Although, at first, she had recognised the man as Jake at a glance, despite his mask and cleaner’s uniform, now something didn’t add up. As she looked at the man kneeling in front of her, that certainty vanished.

He didn’t give her the same feeling, despite his uniform and similar build to Jake.

Kallie tried to quell the excitement and confusion that was swirling in her mind. She frowned slightly and asked, ‘What’s going on?’

Clayton raised his hand and someone approached, removing the man’s mask.

Although the man looked somewhat like Jake, it wasn’t him.

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