There really were no security cameras in the complex. This was the act spot where Valerie had been beaten up by Ler’s men,
But her kick had run out today–Cahin happened to be there, and his ear was equipped with a 360 degree dashcam that had capture Just dens
Clayton watched the footage showing Valerie slaving Luna to the ground and yelling at her.
Audrey hadn’t even touched Luna, let alone said anything nasty. She had tried to help Lima up, but Valerie grabbed her wrist and wind Audrey’s hand to slap herself. Only then did Audrey get physical.
Clayton’s hand, which had been holding Valerie, slowly loosened, Valerie’s face drained of color as she lunged for the phone.
Calvin lifted it out of reach and scoffed, “Good thing my car has a dashcam, or 14s, Henderson would’ve been blamed for something she didn’t do. Mr. Patel, you really outdid yourself.”
if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Clayton never would’ve believed Valerie was to two–faced. Around him, she was soft and sweet, always gentle with Luna. But the moment he wasn’t there, she turned vicious–completely unhinged and downright cruel to Luna
He thought, “How did the sweet, kind girl I grew up
with turn into this?”
“Clayton, it’s not what it looks like, I swear.” Valerie clutched his arm tightly. “I can explain. Just listen to me, please.”
Clayton didn’t shake her off. He kept his eyes fixed on Audrey and asked, “Why didn’t you just explain earlier?”
He pondered, “If she had told me what really happened, maybe I wouldn’t have been misled by Valerie or have said such hurtful things. Was she trying to test me? But hearts aren’t built to be tested like that.”
Once again, a fresh wave of guilt crashed over him together with a mix of anger, regret, and resentment. And he didn’t even know whom he should
He suddenly turned to Calvin. “Who are you?”
Clayton thought, “This guy’s standing up for Audrey. He must be the one Carson mentioned–the man who took her home. What’s going on between them? Maybe Audrey doesn’t want a divorce just because of Valerie and Luna. Maybe she already has someone else,”
Just the thought that his own wide–someone he had never even been intimate with–might be involved with another man twisted in Clayton’s gut like a
white hot knife.
He shoved Valerie aside. She stumbled and nearly fell, the jealousy in her eyes impossible to hide
Clayton stormed toward Calvin. The two men
en were about the same height, b but their energy couldn’t have been more different.
Clayton had that polished, well–mannered grace, while Calvin carried himself with a lazy, devil–may–care confidence. Their eyes locked, and tension
crackled in the air,
“You don’t deserve to know,” Calvin said lazily. He raised his hand toward Audrey. “I’ve sent you the footage. Do whatever you want with it.”
Clayton’s presence didn’t shake Calvin in the slightest. Clayton then turned his gaze back to Audrey. “Who is he? What is he to you?”
Audrey nodded toward the ground. “Go check on your daughter first. And sign the divorce papers tomorrow. If you don’t, I’ll post that video online.”
“Don’t y
you dare,” Clayton warned.
“Try me.” Audrey brushed past them and headed home.
Calvin gave Valerie a quick glance, then followed Audrey.
1/3
raptor33:
Clayton was seething with jealousy, and then he started striding shor Kundrey without a second thought.
Clayton, Luna fainted. Can you please take us to the hospital first · Valerie’s hatplass, tearful voice tang nut bafind birle
Clayton Stopped i tracks. He looked back at Luma, then at Audrey walking away.
He figured she wasn’t going anywhere. She lived here. He could come back to talk to her after getting Luna treated.
He thought that if he showed up alone Ister and sweet talked Audrey the right way, he could get her to cool off Having Valerie here with him only make Audrey even angrie,
Clayton finally made his decision. He picked Luna up and headed to his cat.
Valerie chased after him, still crying. Once they got in the car, she started explaining. “I’m sorry, Clayton, I made things worse again.
“I just wanted to ask Audrey to forgive us. I really was trying to help you. Audrey hates me and Luna, and I thought.
Clayton shut his eyes, not wanting to talk.
What Valerie had done back there wasn’t going to earn Audrey’s forgiveness. It’d only push her further away.
He brushed Luna’s hair back from her lace and saw her swollen, tear–stained eyes. His gaze was filled with restrained anger.
“Luna means everything to me. I’m her mother. No one hurts more than me,” Valerie said as she covered her mouth, crying harder. “Saying all that to her felt like tearing out my own heart
“I just thought if I scolded Luna hard enough, maybe Audrey would pity us or feel sorry for us. If it meant she’d make up with you, I was willing to try. But none of what I said was from the heart.”
“Stop crying” Clayton frowned in irritation.
Valerie took advantage of the moment Clayton wasn’t looking and gave Luna a quick shove. Luna’s body jolted, and she woke up.
“Luna, you’re awake. Are you okay? You scared me so much.” Valerie didn’t miss a beat, pulling Luna into her arms. “I didn’t mean any of it. I swear! won’t say those things ever again.”
Luna was still a little dazed from just waking up. Wrapped in Valerie’s arms, her body went stiff, too afraid to move.
“Clay’s taking you to the hospital to get checked out. If everything’s fine, we’ll go home. Don’t be scared, Luna” Valerie’s hand landed on Luna’s leg
again.
Luna started trembling from fear, then shook her head violently.
“What is it? You don’t want to go to the hospital?” Valerie asked. Luna had plenty of bruises that she had caused, and if anyone noticed, it’d be a problem.
Luna understood what she meant and nodded hard, trying to play along
Valerie looked at Clayton, pretending to be in a bind. “Well, looks like Luna’s scared of hospitals. Since she’s awake now, maybe we should skip it?”
Clayton wasn’t in the mood to deal with them right now. His mind was still spinning with thoughts about the relationship between Calvin and Audrey.
He thought, ‘That guy didn’t seem like some average office worker. He’s got sharp eyes and a dominant vibe. Was he one of Audrey’s clients? She never
mentioned him.
Clayton told the driver to take Valerie and Luns to their home.
Valerie wanted to ask him to stay, but Clayton didnt even glance her way and just told the driver to drive. He couldn’t wait to find Audrey and get some
answers.
Chapter 33
The moment the car turnell around, Carson called and asked how it went.
Clayton pinched the bridge of his nose and walked him through the whole mers. On the other end, Carson went quiet
Carson had seen something off about the way Valerie acted around Clayton for a while now. He’d even warned Clayton. But Clayton had turned it blind. eye and dragged his friends into playing dumb right along with him.
“This time, Vally really crossed the line, Clayton said, exhaling slowly. “Til go and apologize to Audrey.”
Carson thought, ‘Even if you apologize, she might not forgive you. Three strikes and you’re out–you’ve doubted Audrey over and over because of Valeria, and this time it blew up big. It’s probably impossible to get things back to how they were in the beginning
But since they were close friends, he didn’t rain on his parade.
Carson just reminded him, “You’d better show her that you mean it this time. Think about how badly you’ve hurt Audrey. Just saying sorry isn’t gonna fix
Clayton’s mind had been a tangled mess, but Carson’s words gave him some clarity. After hanging up, he told the driver to take him to Patel Manor
क
