Chapter 564

Allison’s lips quivered. “What, you don’t believe me?”

Grace, lost in a daze, replied, “How could it be Penelope? Allie, Mom knows this has taken a toll on you, and I know you’re hurt and tired, but you can’t just say that it was Penelope?” Allison suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. The more she laughed, the more it hurt.

This was Grace, her mother!

She had given everything to her mother, but now, Grace looked at her in disbelief. That accusing gaze seemed to mean she had lied. It truly stung Allison’s eyes.

A sharp pain hit Allison right in the chest. Gradually, the pain turned numb. She was laughing so hard, and the tears were on the brink.

Lucian didn’t believe her, and there stood her mother, uttering apologies, yet not believing her daughter.

In their eyes, Penelope was the delicate princess, but she was just the dirt beneath their feet. She deserved to be scorned, to be trampled on.

For the first time, Allison realized Grace, too, was capable of such deceit. Her mouth was full of apologies and love, but the moment she heard the woman in the picture was Penelope, she started to deny it outright.

Grace’s face was a canvas of complex emotions. “How could it be Penelope? She’s not short on cash.

Allie, Mom knows you’re suffering and you’ve sacrificed so much for my illness, but what does that have to do with Penelope?”

Allison asked softly, “You don’t believe me?”

Grace was silent for several seconds.

Allison chuckled, “Because in your heart, you think the woman in the photo was me.”

“I… That’s not it, Allie. I know you and Penelope look alike, but Penelope has no reason to… She doesn’t lack money, so there’s no need for her to hang out with a bunch of tattooed thugs. It’s not that Mom doesn’t believe you.”

Allison had originally planned to let Grace leave. That would be the best. She didn’t want to say too much to Grace, and there was nothing left to say.

Despite the wrongs Grace had done, despite how she had altered her original life, she couldn’t completely sever the mother-daughter bond. Grace had raised her for 23 years, and she couldn’t just cut her off. However, at that moment, any affection she had for Grace vanished completely.

They were all hypocrites! They were completely charmed by Penelope. They’d never believed in her.

Allison opened the door to find Emma standing there. “Did you get the video from the man? Bring your laptop in.”

“Just give me ten minutes,” Emma responded. She returned to her office, picked up her laptop, and checked her email. Hughes hadn’t sent the video, so she immediately dialed his number.

Hughes had been up all night. He was still asleep when his phone started ringing. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at the screen, saw an unfamiliar number, and hung up.

The phone rang again. Hughes stared at the caller ID, sat up, and answered the call.

“Mr. Hughes, it’s me, Lauren, from last night.”

“Oh, I remember, Ms. Lauren,” Hughes chuckled, lighting a cigarette as he leaned against the headboard. “What’s up? Miss me already?”

“Can you send me the video?” Emma inquired.

“Which video? Oh, sure.”

Emma promptly gave him her email address. In about two minutes, a video file arrived in Emma’s inbox. She immediately opened it to buffer.

The image was a bit blurry. A woman’s moan echoed, “Ah…”