Chapter 527

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526
With that , Hayden turned his gaze to Irene . He fixed his gaze on Irene and demanded , “ Now , tell me everything you know . ”
Irene’s first reaction was to shake her head and avert her gaze , feigning ignorance . “ I’m also a victim . Liora was the homewrecker . ”
Hayden pressed Irene again . “ Then why are people saying you embezzled the money ? And what’s the deal with the 3 million ? ”
Irene quickly defended herself . “ That was compensation Liora willingly paid . It had nothing to do with me . I spent all the money back then on Yorick’s medical treatment and buying a new house . ”
Hayden clearly didn’t buy Irene’s story . ‘ How could medical bills possibly cost that much ? And back then , houses weren’t even that expensive , ‘ he thought .
“ What do you mean ? Yorick had liver cancer back then . Do you think hospital visits , surgeries , and chemotherapy are free ? The imported medication he needed wasn’t cheap either .
“ I used the remaining money to buy a house , and I have every right to do so . Liora gave me that money as compensation for the damage she caused to my family . This is her punishment for breaking up our home . ”
Hayden jabbed a finger at Irene , his voice shaking with anger . “ So you really did pocket her money ? Three million dollars wasn’t a small sum . Yorick married you ; he must have been out of his mind ! ”
“ Grandpa , let’s not jump to conclusions before we know the truth , ” Jonathan said calmly .
While Hayden raged and Cathy silently watched from the sidelines , only Jonathan stood up to defend Irene .
“ If what Sanford says proves true , we’ll give him whatever he wants . If he’s deliberately fabricating lies and twisting the truth to tarnish my late father’s reputation , ” Jonathan said coldly , “ then I’ll sue him for slander and defamation . ”
Jonathan finished speaking . Only then did Hayden fall silent . Tears welled up in Irene’s eyes as she looked at Jonathan . It was then she realized , ‘ Only my own child truly cares for me .’
Irene clutched Jonathan’s wrist tightly and pleaded . “ I’m not the homewrecker . Liora is . I took her money , but that was- ”
Irene paused noticeably at this point , her words trailing off as hesitation flickered in her eyes . Her eyes also darted away , a hint of evasiveness in her gaze . That brief pause didn’t escape Jonathan’s notice .
After a brief pause , Irene insisted , “ Anyway , Liora wrecked my marriage with Yorick . Later , when Yorick got liver cancer , she felt guilty and gave us 3 million for his treatment of her own free will . It was her choice . I never forced her . ”
Irene added , her voice rising . “ I swear , Liora gave me that money willingly . It had absolutely nothing to do with me . Other than taking her money , I did nothing wrong . ”
“ Alright , Mom , calm down , ” Jonathan said with a weary sigh . “ If you’ve done nothing wrong , then why are you so afraid of Liora ? Unless what Sanford said is true . Dad really did abandon them . ”
“ No , that’s not true . ” Irene blurted out , her voice trembling with urgency . “ Your father would never do something like that . There’s absolutely no way he could have a child with her . Please , believe me . What I’m telling you is the truth . ”
Irene clutched Jonathan’s arm tightly . Jonathan uttered the word slowly . “ Alright . ” At that moment , Jonathan thought to himself , ‘ If even her own son doesn’t believe her , how could she possibly stand her ground ? Who else would trust her then ? ‘
After Irene calmed down , Jonathan addressed the whole family . “ I’ll book the flights and accompany my mom to Shaville . Once we find Liora , we’ll get to
the bottom of this . ”
Hayden nodded . “ Good . Then the whole family will go . ”
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08:02 Fri , 18 Jul WWM
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Cathy said , “ Dad , you’re getting on in years . Flying would be too risky . You should stay
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home
”
AD