Chapter 657
Chapter 657:
His glare sharpened. “Do you really need me to lay out the evidence before you admit the truth? You sent the fugitive Dustin after Gabriela, didn’t you p>
“I don’t know any Dustin! Stop slandering me!” Lauren’s voice cracked with outrage.
From the doorway, Rebecca froze, her heart pounding as their words cut through the house.
An uneasy thought struck her—had her mother’s scheme against Gabriela really gone so far as to involve murder?
The argument swelled to a fever pitch in the living room, and Rebecca, her pulse racing, rushed inside to pull them apart.
Lauren’s voice rang out, sharp with fury. “I know the truth, Matthew. Gabriela is the daughter you had with that woman—that’s why you’ve treated her so well p>
Rebecca froze mid-step, her breath catching at the sound of her father’s wavering reply.
“You… you already know p>
The hesitant words struck like a confession.
Rebecca’s chest constricted, her heart plunging into a pit of ice.
Gabriela was her half-sister p>
𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘯
She saw Gabriela as a wretched nobody—how could such a creature possibly be a Howard?
“You admit it, huh.” Lauren’s voice spiraled into hysteria from the living room. “You fathered an illegitimate child. Matthew, how can you betray me p>
The air seemed to freeze in place for several long seconds.
Matthew’s eyes were icy, shadowed by a trace of resentment. “Lauren, you know exactly how our marriage came about. I never had feelings for you p>
Lauren was furious at the flat chill in his tone. “Matthew! Even if you can’t stand me, you can’t deny the truth. Without the McCoy family propping you up, the Howard Group would’ve collapsed years ago! If it weren’t for me, would your family hold the prestige it does today p>
Matthew’s expression hardened further, his voice edged with scorn. “It was your family that set up my family with fabricated evidence. You even joined hands with other companies to strike when we were down. You would have destroyed the Howard Group if I hadn’t swallowed my pride and agreed to marry you p>
Matthew’s voice came down like a hammer, heavy with years of bitterness. “If it weren’t for you, my family would be stronger than it is now p>
The words hit Lauren hard, knocking the color from her face.
For so long she had perched above him, convinced she was the one who had rescued the Howard family, carrying herself with a constant air of superiority.
What did it matter if Matthew never loved her? The McCoys had propped up the Howard family for decades—surely that entitled her to his lifelong loyalty.
Yet now, with his resentment laid bare, all her self-assurance curdled into something laughable.
Her eyes darted away from his, a rare flicker of unease tightening her throat. “Who fed you such lies?” she asked.
“I uncovered the truth on my own.” Matthew’s expression carried only disappointment. “Lauren, whatever schemes you pulled to enter the Howard family, I never held them against you. We’ve lived as husband and wife for so many years—I don’t wish to turn this into a bitter battle p>
Lauren’s pulse quickened at his steady, measured tone.
Then came the blow she feared. Matthew’s voice was calm but final. “Let’s end this peacefully. We’ll divorce. I’ll allocate half the company’s shares to Rebecca, and every piece of property will go to you. Just promise me you’ll never sink to such crimes again, and I’ll keep Dustin’s matter buried p>
Walking away like this was no better than walking away empty-handed.
Lauren’s lips curved in a cold sneer. “So that’s it—you’re hoarding half the company’s shares for that bastard daughter of yours, aren’t you p>
Matthew exhaled, the sound a weary sigh. “Lauren, I’m not here to dig into what you did to Alanna. All I want is for us to end this quietly, without tearing each other apart p>
The Howard family now towered at the top, its influence far eclipsing the McCoys p>
And yet, in the back of his mind lingered the dread that if Lauren truly lost control, her family might dust off their old ruthless tricks and drag the Howards down into ruin with them.