Chapter 114

Chapter 114 Chapter 114 The guard grabbed Kris, ready to drag him out, but Kris shrugged him off.

“I know my way out,” he muttered.

+25 BONUS With that, he made his way out of the backstage area and entered the main hall. Murmurs of accusation still filled the room, all directed at his mother, who looked increasingly frustrated.

As he looked at her, suspicion twisted in Kris’s gut. He remembered his mother vehemently telling him that she didn’t want Thalassa anywhere near their lives.

Had she become so obsessed with keeping Thalassa out of his life that she would orchestrate this to make Thalassa hate him even more, ensuring she would never forgive him?

His chest tightened as he approached her. “Mum, you and I need to talk,” he said firmly.

Linda looked at him, her eyes widening in alarm. “Kris, why do you have that expression on your face? You can’t possibly believe —”

She tried to continue, but Kris wasn’t listening. He led the way, giving her no choice but to follow him. The rest of the family trailed behind, and all eyes in the room turned toward them, murmurs following their every step.

Kris approached one of the event organizers. “Can you get my family a room or some space where we can talk privately?” he asked.

The man hesitated for a moment but nodded. “Sure.”

As soon as they were alone in the office the man had shown them to, Kris fixed his questioning gaze on his mother. “I need you to tell me the truth, mother. Was it you? Did you do it?” he asked, his voice steady and laced with accusation, but deep down, he was praying that she would deny it.

Susan looked offended like she was the one who’d been asked that question, stepping forward. “Kris, how can you even ask mum that?”

“Silence, Susan!” Kris raised his hand and hissed, causing susan to flinch and back away, and Kris turned his gaze back on their mother. “Please answer me, mum. Did you do it?”

“Do what?” His mother hissed. “I didn’t do anything! That stupid woman was trying to make me look guilty in front of everyone!”

“Stop insulting her!” Kris snapped, startling her with the sharpness in his tone.

But Linda bounced back, her voice rising as she retorted. “Why shouldn’t I insult her? She’s making false accusations against me!”

Kris stared at her intently. “Mum, who else could’ve planned this? You’re the one who had the most to gain from Thalassa pulling out of the competition.”

“The only one?” She fumed. “There were three other designers competing with us, Kris. Why is it me and not any of them?”

“Because you had the most to lose with Thalassa in the competition. You and I both know the race for the title was really between you and her.

The other designers were just there for fairness‘ sake.”

Linda jutted her chin defensively. “That doesn’t prove anything!”

Kris ran his fingers through his hair, pacing a small length of the office. He tugged so hard at the roots he was 1/2 Chapter 114 surprised his hair didn’t pull out of his scalp.

+25 BONUS “Thalassa thinks I’m the one who paid the model to destroy her hard work,” he said, stopping his pacing to face his mother again.

“If you’re behind it, then not only did you have her designs destroyed, but you also had that model lie and say I paid her to do it.”

His mother looked back at him indignantly. “Is that the new lie she told you? Kris, why can’t you see that that woman is making things up for attention? I wouldn’t be surprised if she fabricated the whole story about her collection being destroyed just to win public sympathy.”

“Thalassa would never do that!” Kris stated firmly.

“But you think I would do what you’re accusing me of?” Linda fired back, her voice filled with hurt. “Did she show you any proof?

If she’s so confident in her claim, then surely she has proof.”

Kris remembered Luisa saying the only reason they didn’t accuse him in front of everyone was because any evidence linking ‘him‘ to the sabotage had been destroyed. Seeing how his mother was demanding for proof made him feel like he’d been punched in the gut. It was her. It was really her.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” he said, his voice echoing the betrayal he felt. “How could you, Mother?”

“Of course not!” Linda cried out. “Kris, I’m your mother. And I’m a woman of honor who likes to win fairly. Why would I sabotage her and try to frame my own son? Do you really think so little of me?”

Tears began streaming down her face. Kris felt his stomach twist at the sight of her crying, but there were too many facts he couldn’t ignore.

The other family members had been silent up to this point, but Tyler spoke up. “Bro, what is wrong with you? Can’t you see Mum is crying? You’ve let that woman blind you with her-”

Kris shot him a furious look. “Shut the fuck up, Tyler, before I make you.

“Kris, stop it! How can you treat Mum this way?” Susan interjected, trying to calm things down. “Mum is telling the truth. I was with her all day yesterday, helping her out. She didn’t do anything.”

Kris scoffed. “Your being with her doesn’t prove anything.”

He turned back to his mother, shaking his head as his heart squeezed painfully. “You knew I’ve been trying to gain Thalassa’s forgiveness, Mum. How could you do this to me? Now she thinks I tried to sabotage her for your sake, and she hates me even more.”

Linda’s cries had turned into hiccups. “But I didn’t do anything, Kris. Son, you’ve got to believe me,” she pleaded, her hand reaching out to him.

Kris stepped aside before she could touch him. “I never thought you would stoop so low, Mum. I’m so disappointed in you.”

Without waiting to hear anything else, he stormed out of the room.