Chapter 15
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“Red! You’re here!”
Lavender’s wrist was marked by the loosened tie, and the moment she saw Red, she threw herself into his arms.
For the past twenty–five years, she’d had no one to rely on.
But starting today, she did. Red was the one person she could count on for the rest of her life.
“I’m here,” Red said, his voice low and steady. “No one can hurt you now.”
On the floor, Desmond’s leg had been shattered. Blood was pouring out, and he was in too much pain to even scream for help.
Dad and Josephine had just come to their senses and recognized the man now standing before them.
“Mr. Ralston… You and Lavender–what’s going on?” Stan stammered.
Even a seasoned businessman like Stan–who’d navigated cutthroat markets for decades -was visibly intimidated.
Red had a ruthless reputation. In the business world, he was known as the living devil, merciless and cold–blooded. Even members of his own family weren’t spared if they crossed a line.
He stepped forward, shielding Lavender behind him. His sharp gaze narrowed. “Lavender is my fiancée. She came here today to visit her parents. I wasn’t gone long, and look at what she had to endure in that time.”
He looked around the room, his voice dangerously calm.
“So tell me–should I hold the Winslets accountable for this, or the Hacketts?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he raised his foot and pressed it down right on Desmond’s open wound.
The room was filled with Desmond’s tortured cries,
“M–Mr. Ralston–please…”
Lavender flinched at the sound, her brows furrowed. She tugged at Red’s sleeve.
“He’s not worth it. Don’t get blood on your hands for someone like him.”
Red let out a quiet “Mm” and retracted his foot, glancing down at Desmond with contempt.
Meanwhile, Cyanne stood there frozen.
She’d gone after Desmond to climb higher, to live a better life. And now Lavender had turned around and found someone even more powerful?
‘Why? Why is she always the lucky one?!‘
“Mr. Ralston, I’m guessing you don’t know my sister all that well,” Cyanne said through clenched teeth. “She’s been in love with Mondy since we were kids. Are you sure she’s with
Chapter 14
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you out of love–and not just to get back at him?”
Jealousy was universal–especially in a man like Red, who stood above the rest. And Cyanne was banking on that.
Afraid her words might not be enough to shake him, she dragged the rest of the family into
- it.
“Mom, Dad, you’ve always known how obsessed she was with him. Tell him I’m not lying.”
Josephine’s expression froze before she nodded hesitantly. “Yes… Yes. Lavender did have feelings for Desmond when she was younger. We all knew it.”
The look in Red’s eyes darkened noticeably.
Cyanne thought she’d struck a nerve. Smirking, she continued, “Avy, I know you’re upset about what happened between me and Mondy, but that doesn’t mean you can play with another man’s feelings.
“Mr. Ralston, my sister probably didn’t mean any harm. For the Winslets’s sake, please don’t take it to heart.”
Stan added, putting on his stern fatherly voice, “Lavender, apologize to Mr. Ralston right now! Are you trying to bring down the entire Winslets?”
In his eyes, Lavender had clearly manipulated Red’s feelings. Now that the truth was out, she needed to apologize before things got worse.
But the chill in Red’s aura only deepened. He lowered his gaze to his fiancée and murmured, “So this is your family.”
Lavender swallowed her pain, her eyes guarded.
This kind of family… She should’ve cut ties a long time ago.
“I’m sorry you had to witness this mess,” she said quietly. “This is the kind of home I come from. Even my own parents don’t like me. I guess that makes me a failure.”
Hearing her words, both of her parents felt a jolt of guilt,
Because the truth was, Lavender was their only daughter. But her quiet, restrained -personality had never won them over. Cyanne, on the other hand, always knew how to
please them–and manipulate them.
And bit by bit, they had grown colder and colder toward their real daughter.
Josephine frowned, unable to hold back.
“L–Lavender, we…”
