Chapter 615
He grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, his voice edged with heat. “Let’s be honest-if it weren’t for Sebastian and Riley stepping in and calling the cops, who knows what might’ve happened to Teresa! They did the right thing, so how can you turn around and blame him? What kind of sense does that make p>
Sander, who had been sitting quietly with his eyes half-closed as though lost in thought, slowly opened them. His sharp gaze swept across the room before finally settling on Wilson.
“Wilson, calm down. I think you should head to the hospital right now and talk to Teresa again-maybe she was confused or mixed something up.
“After all, Sebastian was out with Riley. There’s no way he would’ve arranged to meet another girl at a time like that p>
“No way!” Wilson shot back, almost cutting him off.
Then he started speaking with complete disregard for reason. “Teresa has always been gentle and well- mannered-I’ve watched her grow up. Why would she tell such a huge lie p>
He took a deep breath and tossed out an even more outrageous theory.
“If you ask me. Sebastian planned it from the start! He asked Teresa to meet him but didn’t expect Riley to tag along. When Riley caught on, he backed out last minute-and that left Teresa alone with those thugs p>
By the end, his voice broke slightly, and he started playing the victim in front of Sander. “Now Teresa’s still lying in the hospital, completely traumatized, and her reputation’s ruined! Sander, you’re the head of the Torres family-you have to be fair to everyone. You can’t go easy on Sebastian just because he’s running the family business now and let the rest of us get pushed aside p>
That twisted appeal cast a strange tension over the study.
Sebastian let out a low, cold chuckle.
“Wilson, I don’t mind telling you this,” he said slowly. “The first person who noticed Teresa with those guys today wasn’t me-it was Riley. She thought something seemed off and pointed it out p>
He stepped forward, his tall frame imposing enough that Wilson instinctively took half a step back.
Sebastian’s stare was icy. “By your logic, if we’d just minded our own business and driven straight home, who would you be trying to pin this on tonight p>
Wayne was fired up too.
“This is insane!
“Honestly, calling me to the study in the middle of the night over this already felt wrong. I know my son better than anyone. He and Riley just got married-they’re crazy about each other.
“He’s never been the type to mess around. Even if he wanted to, why would he do it near the old estate? In a city like Nexopolis, there are plenty of women around. Is Teresa some kind of irresistible beauty that would make him lose his mind p>
Thi was harsh, but it hit home.
Wilson’s face flushed with a mix of humiliation and rage, his lips quivering as he struggled to form any kind of reply.
Sebastian had no interest in dragging out this pointless back-and-forth any longer.
Arguing with people who refused to listen only brought you down to their level-and he was done wasting his breath.
“If you still have doubts,” Sebastian said, his tone clipped and final, “then take it up with the police. Go p the witness statements yourself. And for the record-from what I’ve heard, every one of those guys told the same story: Teresa went with them willingly p>
Without another glance at the shifting expressions around the room, Sebastian turned to his father, whose anger was still simmering plainly on his face. “Let’s go, Dad p>
Once the two had left, Wilson’s expression soured completely.
He tried once more to play the victim in front of Sander. “You’ve got to stand up for us here. Half the neighborhood saw what happened. After this, Teresa’s reputation is shattered-how’s she ever supposed to show her face in public again? And Sebastian over there p>
He let the sentence hang, but the implication was obvious: even now, he wasn’t ready to let go of trying to pin the blame on Sebastian.
Sander closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, all that remained was the weary resignation of a man who had seen too much family drama over the years.
He released a heavy, burdened sigh-one that seemed to carry the weight of every storm the Torres family had weathered.
“Wilson, I know exactly what you’re thinking,” Sander began, his voice low and tired.
“Let’s put aside whether this story holds up or not. Just look at the situation-Teresa is still considered part of this family, same as Sebastian. Even if they’re not closely related by blood, their names are in the same family records. On paper, there’s no scenario where the two of them could ever be together. You understand the family expectations as well as I do p>
Wilson opened his mouth to protest, but Sander raised a hand to stop him.
“Second,” Sander continued, his gaze turning sharp, “Sebastian laid everything out clearly tonight. He gave his timeline, his reasons-he left no room for speculation. Don’t keep stirring the pot and making this family look foolish in front of everyone p>
He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming firmer. “And haven’t you been paying attention? When Sebastian insisted on having Riley’s name entered properly into the family registry, he made his position clear in front of all the elders. Do you really want to test how far he’s willing to go p>
Wilson understood the logic, but stubborn pride and that flicker of ambition still churned inside him.
Hestiffened his neck and pushed back. “Sander, they’re way outside the close-relative boundary. Legally, they’re not even considered family anymore-so why is it completely off the table? And besides… if
Sebastian himself were willing, who in this family would dare say a word against him p>