Chapter 408
Chapter 408:
Relief softened Kailey’s tense shoulders as she exhaled and crouched to gather the leash into her fingers.
“I didn’t owe any of you an explanation about my life, and I certainly didn’t need your sermons. Rather than lecturing me, perhaps you should start by teaching your own children some basic manners.” Raising her face, Kailey met them with eyes bright as polished glass — cutting and unflinching.
“You don’t know the whole story. You have no right to judge me p>
A faint roughness edged her otherwise icy tone, the strain of bottled-up feelings finally seeping through. “You can’t even grasp something that simple, yet you stand there preaching from some moral pedestal? What does that say about how you were raised p>
At those words, the first woman’s expression twisted in offense. “How dare you p>
𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗉𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝗇
Max bared his teeth slightly, a quiet growl rumbling in his chest. Stepping forward, he planted himself squarely before Kailey, and one hard look from him was enough to make the others falter where they stood.
Nerves tightening, the woman swallowed and glanced anxiously at the leash, clearly terrified Kailey might release the dog at any second. “We’re not sinking to your level. Just wait. Karma always comes back around p>
Grabbing at one another in flustered retreat, the group hurried off.
When their footsteps faded, the space around her fell abruptly still. Kailey drew in a slow, steady breath and dropped her gaze to Max, forcing a fragile smile. “You’re just like Kyson — my hero p>
Understanding still hovered out of reach, yet the word “news” echoed uneasily in her mind. Olivia’s earlier warning resurfaced, tightening the delicate line of her brows, and she hurried Max back home.
Packages Devin had arranged — dog food and a kennel — sat waiting by the doorway, but she barely spared them a glance before heading straight upstairs. Her forgotten phone lay abandoned on the couch. Air caught unevenly in her chest as she snatched the device up and unlocked the screen in one swift motion.
Trending headlines flooded the display, nearly all tied to the Owen family, with several Evans-related tags rising fast behind them. The internet showed no mercy, digging through buried histories and even resurrecting rumors of a fire that had happened years ago.
Before she managed to open a single article, a fresh notification banner slid across the top of the screen. The sender’s name made her heartbeat stumble. It was Kyson.
His account almost never stirred; most of his posts were nothing more than formal corporate links or business notices. Yet today, he had released a post.
“I’m married. It’s an honor to be Kailey’s husband p>
Attached beneath the words lay a photograph of their marriage certificate, the private information carefully blurred so that only the date and their smiles remained in view. Within the two stunned minutes that Kailey lingered on the screen, the comment count surged toward a thousand.