Chapter 165
Chapter 165:
Jeraldine threw a newspaper at him. It fluttered to the floor, the headline screaming: SOCIALITE ARRESTED IN HOLLOWAY SCANDAL.
“You let them arrest Charla? Are you insane?” Jeraldine screeched, her pearls rattling against her collarbone.
“She kidnapped a child, Mother,” Hilliard said wearily, sinking into a chair.
“Allegedly!” Jeraldine began to pace. “It’s that woman — Cailin! She framed her! She wants to destroy our family alliances p>
“We have the child’s testimony,” Hilliard countered. “We have the boat registration p>
“The English family is our biggest investor!” Amerigo barked from behind his desk. “If their stock drops, ours drops. We lose millions — millions, Hilliard p>
Hilliard looked at his parents. “Is money worth more than your grandchild p>
“That child is a scandal waiting to happen!” Jeraldine spat. “A secret kept for five years! You are trusting the word of a woman who ran away — and for what? To bring this family down p>
Hilliard slammed his hand on the table. The lamp rattled.
“She is a Holloway!” he roared. “And Cailin is still my wife p>
𝖱еа𝘥 𝗐𝘪𝘵𝘩𝗼𝘂t in𝗍𝗲𝗋𝗿𝗎𝘱t𝗂𝘰𝘯s 𝗼𝘯
Silence filled the room. Dust motes drifted lazily through the light.
“You will fix this,” Amerigo ordered, his voice dropping low. “Get Charla released. Now p>
“No,” Hilliard said.
“Then we will,” Jeraldine said coldly, reaching for her phone. “We have judges in our pocket. We have the DA. We have favors owed p>
“If you interfere,” Hilliard rose to his feet, his shadow stretching across the room, “I will burn this company to the ground. I will liquidate everything p>
“You wouldn’t dare,” Amerigo sneered.
Hilliard turned and stormed out.
Meanwhile, in the city jail holding cell, Charla met with her legal team — the Dream Team.
“Don’t worry, Ms. English,” the lead lawyer said with a wink. “Judge Miller is an old friend of your father’s. The bail hearing is in an hour p>
“And the drug test?” Charla asked, biting her nail.
“Lost in the lab,” the lawyer said smoothly. “A clerical error. The chain of custody was broken p>
Charla smiled. “Perfect p>
At the hospital, Cailin watched the news on the wall-mounted television. Reporters were already spinning the story. The chyron scrolled across the bottom of the screen: Holloway Stands By Fiancée Amidst Scandal. Sources say Ms. English was entrapped by a jealous ex-wife…
“They are spinning it,” Cailin said, feeling sick.
“Money talks,” Kegan said from the corner, cleaning a knife.
“And Hilliard’s money is talking loudest,” Cailin whispered, her voice laced with venom. She assumed he was the one pulling the strings. The misunderstanding deepened, a chasm quietly widening between them.
Hilliard stood in the sterile hallway of the police precinct, his patience wearing thin. He was waiting for Detective Miller.
“Where is the lab report on the drugs?” Hilliard asked the moment the detective appeared.
The detective wouldn’t meet his eyes. “We… can’t find it, sir p>
“What do you mean you can’t find it?” Hilliard’s voice dropped low, dangerous.
“The sample was contaminated,” the detective said, shuffling papers badly. “We have to discard it p>