Chapter 631
“A misunderstanding?” Serena scoffed, her stunning eyes narrowing as she looked up. “She stole my design drafts and paraded them on a highly respected competitive stage. Please, enlighten me. How exactly did I misunderstand that p>
“And if my memory serves me right, she and I are the exact same age p>
Still young?
Was she a twenty-year-old toddler?
Marianne’s forced smile stiffened, but she kept up the apologetic act. “Yes, you’re absolutely right. It was Hailey’s fault. She made a terrible mistake, and she knows it now. Please, as a mother, I’m begging you. Drop the charges against her, okay? I have never begged you for a single thing in my life. Just consider the years we spent together and let her go. From now on… you’ll be the undisputed heiress of this family. Hailey is your younger sister. Please, just help her. Save her p>
As she spoke, Marianne slumped forward, making a dramatic show of collapsing toward the floor.
“I know how powerful you are now. If you drop the charges, could you also put in a word with the Lancaster family? Ask them to drop theirs too p>
She fully expected Serena to stop her.
Since Serena had willingly walked through their front door, she was clearly desperate to be part of the family again.
There was no way she would actually sit back and watch her adoptive mother beg on the floor.
Marianne was only putting on a theatrical display.
But to her absolute shock, Serena remained comfortably slouched on the sofa, radiating effortless authority. She simply arched an eyebrow, silently watching her.
She was fully prepared to let Marianne humiliate herself.
That little bitch!
Marianne ground her teeth in fury, her pride screaming at her to drop the act and curse Serena out for being so ungrateful.
But then she caught Patrick’s vicious, warning glare.
Swallowing her immense humiliation, she gritted her teeth and allowed herself to collapse completely onto the floor at Serena’s feet.
Patrick instantly plastered on a bright smile. “Look, Serena, your mother is even begging you on the floor. She knows she was wrong to neglect you all these years.
“As for Hailey, if you don’t want to help her, that’s completely fine. We’ll let her rot p>
“Patrick!” Marianne’s face drained of color, her eyes blazing with absolute outrage. “Hailey is your daughter! Are you out of your mind p>
“Serena is my daughter too!” Patrick
declared with a sickeningly righteous expression. “Hailey stole
Serena’s work for a competition. She
deserves to be arrested! As
daughter of the Wynn family
stooping to such petty thievery is a total disgrace to my name p>
He turned back to Serena, the fawning smile instantly returning.
“It’s okay, Serena. You have ever et
right to punish her. you want rot in jail, we’ll let her rot. But… regarding the financial
ove
compensation… do you think we could let that slide p>
“What do you mean, rot in jail?! Patrick, you’re a lunatic! I will never let Hailey go to
prison!” Marianne scrambled up from the floor, trembling with rage.
She had swallowed her pride and degraded herself for Hailey’s sake.
Yet her own husband, Hailey’s biological father, was willing to throw his daughter to the wolves just to suck up to this little bitch?
“I came here to save the Wynn Group,” Serena said, the mocking smirk on her lips deepening as she watched the couple turn on each other. “But judging by Mrs. Wynn’s attitude, I don’t think we have anything left to discuss p>
Hearing this, Patrick snapped. He raised his hand and struck Marianne
across the face in a flurry of brutat
slaps. “You stupid woman! Do exact was say! You keep bringing, up that miserable disappointment. If you love her so much, you can go to prison and keep her company p>
Marianne was knocked to the floor, her head spinning from the sheer force of the blows.
Benedict rushed forward to catch his mother, his brow furrowed deeply. He glanced at Serena, then back at Patrick.