Chapter 647
Rowan was well aware of how dangerous the woman was. Once he got the news, he would immediately know how to prepare.
Laurel and Suzanne were completely on the same page. Just as Laurel picked up her phone to make the call, it started ringing on its own.
The caller ID read: Rowan.
Laurel froze for a second before answering. Before she could even get a word out, Rowan’s glacial voice cut through the speaker. “Director Wilkinson. Did the Wilkinson family pull strings to get Maya released on bail?”
Laurel was stunned.
Laurel had almost forgotten that they were in Vistapeak City, the Murphy family’s absolute stronghold. Rowan’s intelligence network was arguably faster than their
own.
In fact, it was definitely faster.
He had likely spent the last few minutes digging into the specifics before placing the call.
Laurel shot her father a heavy look, refusing to cover for him. She answered directly, “I apologize. It was my father’s doing, and we only just found out about it ourselves.”
A thick silence settled over the line before Rowan’s voice returned, dripping with ruthless sarcasm. “I should have warned the police department ahead of time. I suppose it was my mistake for assuming Mr. Wilkinson wouldn’t completely disregard his biological daughter’s life.”
Laurel hadn’t turned the volume down, and Rowan made zero effort to lower his voice. If anything, he had deliberately spoken louder.
As a result, every single scathing word echoed crystal clear through the living room, ensuring the entire family heard it.
Being brutally mocked by his prospective son-in-law left Tristan’s face burning with humiliation, but looking up and meeting Old Mr. Wilkinson’s furious stare, he couldn’t formulate a single word of defense.
He was the one who had handed Maya the perfect opportunity to escape on a silver platter.
Laurel watched her father squirm as she spoke into the phone. “Our family will make sure you get a proper explanation for this. But right now, the most important thing is ensuring Elissa’s safety.”
During her time living under their roof, Maya had ruthlessly leveraged the Wilkinson family’s resources to build a vast network of highly influential contacts.
Even though she had been publicly outed as a fraud, there were always going to be people motivated solely by money and power who would help her.
There was absolutely no way Maya could have pulled off a clean escape from police custody without significant outside help.
“I’ll handle that,”
Rowan replied coldly, before enunciating his next words with devastating clarity. “And you don’t owe me an explanation you just need to make sure you can look Elissa in the eye without feeling like complete failures.”
With that, he hung up the phone.
Back in the manor, a heavy, suffocating silence gripped the Wilkinsons.
He was absolutely right.
How could they possibly face Vera now?
For over twenty years, she had survived completely alone, enduring unimaginable hardship, while Maya-the person responsible for her suffering had lived a life of ultimate luxury and privilege.
And now, Maya had actively tried to murder Vera. They had finally secured hard evidence to lock her away forever, and their own family had practically held the door open for her to walk free.
The massive living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
After what felt like an eternity, Old Mr. Wilkinson finally spoke. “After Rex finishes processing his resignation at the hospital, he plans to return to the Wilkinson Group, correct?”
Jesse nodded. “That’s right.”
“Then here’s what we’ll do.”
Old Mr. Wilkinson issued the devastating command. “Jesse has been working under you for a long time now, Tristan. And since Rex is coming back, it’s time we start giving the younger generation the space they need to take charge.”
“Suzanne’s legs are finally starting to recover. From now on, you will stay home and focus on being a good husband.”
“As for the corporate group, you will hand total control over to Jesse and Rex.”
It was an undeniable coup. He was stripping Tristan of every last ounce of power he held within the family.
At these words, Tristan jerked violently, his head snapping up to stare at his father in pure disbelief for several long moments.
But aside from a flicker of surprise,
his wife, mother, and children
remained entirely silent. Not a single
person stepped up to defend tim they were all implicitly agreeing with the brutal sentence.
Tristan found himself completely incapable of voicing a refusal. He opened his
mouth, but all that came out was a pathetic, defeated croak. “Understood. I will do
as you ask.”