Chapter 18
Lydia stiffened. “What are you saying? Vera killed my father?”
“Yes. Here’s the evidence.” Julian handed over his investigation results. “You misunderstood-your father’s death wasn’t my fault.”
Lydia read every word carefully, her fingers tightening, her face growing increasingly pale.
“I didn’t misunderstand anything. If you hadn’t kidnapped my father, how could she have had the opportunity? Julian, you’re just as despicable as she is!” Lydia crumpled the papers into a ball and threw them at Julian’s face.
“I will never forgive either of you!” She stood up furiously to leave. Julian hurried after her, grabbing her arm only to receive a vicious slap.
“Get lost!”
“Lydia, I’ll help you get revenge-just forgive me and let’s be together. I can give you Hayes Group, anything you want.” Julian desperately tried to embrace her.
She kicked him hard, making him double over in pain.
“I’ll take Hayes Group myself. The sight of you makes me sick!” Lydia left without looking back.
She ran to her father’s grave and cried for hours, until Blake appeared at nightfall and took her home.
She silently curled into Blake’s arms, sobbing until she finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Vera had also returned to the States. Hearing that Julian had gone back to the Hayes family, she hurried to find him.
She pretended to be pitiful, crouching outside the Hayes mansion gates. When she saw a car approaching, she carefully stood up.
“Julian, I’ve come to apologize. I was wrong-I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Vera knelt before Julian, crying pathetically as she took out all her money. “After exchanging currency, I went back to find you, but you were gone.”
“Please forgive me?”
Julian’s face darkened, a cold smile playing at his lips. He reached out to pull Vera up, and she immediately fell into his arms.
“Julian, I knew you were the best. I knew you’d forgive me,” she said sweetly.
“Vera, you’re quite the actress. You almost fooled me again. You only ever loved my money, right? When I was broke, you ran. Now that I have money again, you’re back.” Julian grabbed her neck, squeezing tightly.
Vera’s body jerked violently as she struggled in fear, the suffocation preventing her from speaking. She only desperately clawed at his arms.
“Scared now? Weren’t you fearless when you hurt Lydia? Weren’t you fearless when you killed Lydia’s father? Weren’t you fearless when you used me for your own gain?” Julian unleashed all his fury on her.
“It’s all your fault! You made Lydia and me become like this!” He shifted all blame onto Vera.
Just as she was about to suffocate, Julian suddenly released his grip. She fell unexpectedly to the ground, clutching her throat and gasping for air.
“Are you insane?” she glared at Julian through red-rimmed eyes. “Were you trying to kill me?”
“You deserve death, but you shouldn’t die so easily. Vera, now it’s your turn to win Lydia back for me.” Julian demanded that Vera convince Lydia to return to him, threatening to make her life a living hell otherwise.
