Chapter 141
Avery grinned, still covering her burning cheek. “You’ve finally shown your true colors. I will show Kirk how much of a vixen you really are.”
Caroline crossed her arms. “He knows what kind of person I am better than you. I’m just taking a
page out of your book on being a two–faced crude.”
Avery took a deep breath. “You have a really accurate judgment of yourself.”
Then, she added, “At the end of the day, you’re just suspecting that I’m involved in what happened at the swimming pool. But you don’t have any proof, do you? Like I said, I’m not st* pid enough to
do something like this and make Kirk hate me.”
Caroline glared at Avery. If Avery was involved in the swimming pool incident, she was indeed
terrifying. She was completely different from Layla, who usually played the innocent victim.
Avery was intelligent and meticulous. She didn’t leave any loose ends when she did something.
However…
A smile played on Caroline’s lips. There would always be a trail, and Avery would eventually slip if
she had done it. “Are you admitting that you like my husband?”
“That’s right.” Avery said, “You don’t deserve him.”
Caroline continued smiling. She turned on the faucet. Amid the splashing water, she said
indifferently, “That is none of your concern.”
“You don’t know the real Kirk at all. If you knew…”
Avery raised her head. Seeing Kirk in the reflection, her face turned pale from fear. She turned
around in panic. “Kirk…”
When Kirk strode over, Caroline had already washed her hands and was drying them.
He said, “It’s time to go.”
“Okay.”
Caroline smiled slightly and turned to Avery, asking, “You were saying, Ms. Mendeley?”
Looking at Kirk’s dark gaze, Avery trembled all over. “N–nothing…” As she finished speaking, the terrifying pressure in the room immediately dissipated.
Kirk quietly looked over at Caroline, his eyes filled with tenderness. He put his arms around her
waist and said, “Let’s go.”
Caroline nodded and followed Kirk back to the private room.
Avery was Juming at how intimate Kirk and Caroline were She angruly grabbed her arms, digging her nails into her flesh. The pain in her arms gradually calmed her down.
After a moment, she called someone on the phone. She said viciously, “We stick to the plan”
After that, she looked at the palm print on her face in the mirror, her lips curving into a smug smile She thought, “Just you wait, Caroline‘ Kirk will be mine!”
Kirk and Caroline said their goodbyes to Adam and Lia After that, they left the private room.
When the two walked to the entrance, Kirk’s phone rang.
“Let me get this. Wait for me right here,” Kirk said After that, he stepped aside
Caroline stood in place. When she looked up, she happened to see a camera pointing at her. She smiled subtly. As if thinking of something, she walked to the front desk and told the receptionist something
The receptionist nodded with a smile. Not long after, she handed a bag to Caroline.
Looking at the item in the bag, she thanked him.
She glanced in Kirk’s direction once more. He was still talking on the phone. His brows were furrowed, and he didn’t seem very happy.
Caroline didn’t bother him. She returned to her spot from earlier and continued to wait for him.
Feeling the wind gently blowing on her face, she looked over at Kirk and smiled.
At this moment, someone rushed over and bumped into Carpline’s shoulder. As a result, the large bag of fruits in his hand fell to the ground.
“Sorry, sorry.” The man seemed to be speaking Celonish. He continued apologizing as he picked up his things from the ground.
Noticing the mess on the ground, Caroline knelt and helped him pick the fruits up.
The man looked up at Caroline in gratitude. Noticing she was from Easton, he asked, “Are you from Easton?”
Caroline smiled merrily in response. “How can you tell?”
The man grinned. “I’m from Easton as well. Consider it an intuition.” As they spoke, they finished picking up all the fruits from the ground.
“I’m really sorry. You were kind enough to
Chapter 141
Avery grinned, still covering her burning cheek. “You’ve finally shown your true colors. I will show Kirk how much of a vixen you really are.”
Caroline crossed her arms. “He knows what kind of person I am better than you. I’m just taking a
page out of your book on being a two–faced crude.”
Avery took a deep breath. “You have a really accurate judgment of yourself.”
Then, she added, “At the end of the day, you’re just suspecting that I’m involved in what happened at the swimming pool. But you don’t have any proof, do you? Like I said, I’m not st* pid enough to
do something like this and make Kirk hate me.”
Caroline glared at Avery. If Avery was involved in the swimming pool incident, she was indeed
terrifying. She was completely different from Layla, who usually played the innocent victim.
Avery was intelligent and meticulous. She didn’t leave any loose ends when she did something.
However…
A smile played on Caroline’s lips. There would always be a trail, and Avery would eventually slip if
she had done it. “Are you admitting that you like my husband?”
“That’s right.” Avery said, “You don’t deserve him.”
Caroline continued smiling. She turned on the faucet. Amid the splashing water, she said
indifferently, “That is none of your concern.”
“You don’t know the real Kirk at all. If you knew…”
Avery raised her head. Seeing Kirk in the reflection, her face turned pale from fear. She turned
around in panic. “Kirk…”
When Kirk strode over, Caroline had already washed her hands and was drying them.
He said, “It’s time to go.”
“Okay.”
Caroline smiled slightly and turned to Avery, asking, “You were saying, Ms. Mendeley?”
Looking at Kirk’s dark gaze, Avery trembled all over. “N–nothing…” As she finished speaking, the terrifying pressure in the room immediately dissipated.
Kirk quietly looked over at Caroline, his eyes filled with tenderness. He put his arms around her
waist and said, “Let’s go.”
Caroline nodded and followed Kirk back to the private room.
Avery was Juming at how intimate Kirk and Caroline were She angruly grabbed her arms, digging her nails into her flesh. The pain in her arms gradually calmed her down.
After a moment, she called someone on the phone. She said viciously, “We stick to the plan”
After that, she looked at the palm print on her face in the mirror, her lips curving into a smug smile She thought, “Just you wait, Caroline‘ Kirk will be mine!”
Kirk and Caroline said their goodbyes to Adam and Lia After that, they left the private room.
When the two walked to the entrance, Kirk’s phone rang.
“Let me get this. Wait for me right here,” Kirk said After that, he stepped aside
Caroline stood in place. When she looked up, she happened to see a camera pointing at her. She smiled subtly. As if thinking of something, she walked to the front desk and told the receptionist something
The receptionist nodded with a smile. Not long after, she handed a bag to Caroline.
Looking at the item in the bag, she thanked him.
She glanced in Kirk’s direction once more. He was still talking on the phone. His brows were furrowed, and he didn’t seem very happy.
Caroline didn’t bother him. She returned to her spot from earlier and continued to wait for him.
Feeling the wind gently blowing on her face, she looked over at Kirk and smiled.
At this moment, someone rushed over and bumped into Carpline’s shoulder. As a result, the large bag of fruits in his hand fell to the ground.
“Sorry, sorry.” The man seemed to be speaking Celonish. He continued apologizing as he picked up his things from the ground.
Noticing the mess on the ground, Caroline knelt and helped him pick the fruits up.
The man looked up at Caroline in gratitude. Noticing she was from Easton, he asked, “Are you from Easton?”
Caroline smiled merrily in response. “How can you tell?”
The man grinned. “I’m from Easton as well. Consider it an intuition.” As they spoke, they finished picking up all the fruits from the ground.
“I’m really sorry. You were kind enough to
Chapter 143
Caroline felt heat quickly spreading throughout her body. Feeling flustered, she asked, “Why are
you being so indecent when I’m asking you a serious question?”
Gwen covered her mouth and teased, saying, “I am being serious Trust me, this method works
1
every time Youll definitely thank me after you try it.”
Caroline was dumbfounded
Gwen smiled merrily as Caroline hung up the phone quickly. But her joy vanished immediately afterward. She thought, “My dear friend…”
Just as she was brooding, she saw a message from Sean. It read, “Are you free for dinner tonight?”
Gwen froze. She hesitated for a moment, then closed the app immediately:
She hadn’t seen Sean since they had slept together last time. He seemed to be fine and would ask her out for dinner from time to time as if nothing had happened.
Gwen was furious Why was she losing her mind while he had completely forgotten about it?
But it wasn’t like she could just barge into his home and scold him. That would show that she
cared.
She rubbed her temple, feeling too restless to work.
Meanwhile, Caroline stood hesitantly outside the bedroom door. Gwen’s words kept echoing in her
mind. She was seriously wondering whether this method would really work.
Caroline pinched the bridge of her nose, flabbergasted.
7
Wasn’t Kirk usually moody? Why would she need to calm him down?
Thinking of this, she pushed open the door.
When she saw Kirk lying on the bed with his back to her, her heart melted.
She gritted her teeth. With a blush, she laid beside Kirk, hugging him from behind. Like vines, she
wrapped her arms around Kirk’s muscular waist.
Kirk opened his eyes, and his muscles tensed. Caroline seemed to have some kind of power that quickly ignited his desire for her. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, pretending to be
sleeping.
It was Caroline’s first time doing something like this, so she didn’t know what to do. Her fingers
unconsciously slid across the skin of Kirk’s waist. She had no idea what to do next.
Caroline was about to cry from anxiety. She shouldn’t have listened to Gwen. Kirk didn’t respond
However, Caroline wasaf eware that Kirk’s patience had already reached its limit. She was going to be the death of him, Every touch of her fingers was a fatal temptation.
Suddenly, Caroline felt his abs. Her face turned red and she quickly pulled her fingers away She felt like a prey meeting its predator
She promptly turned around, steeping with her back to Kirk. Yet, her fingertips were burning She could still feel the residual heat from his skin
Suddenly, Kirk turned over, draping his leg over Caroline’s Caroline didn’t dare to breathe.
Not sensing any movements from him, she carefully reached out to push Kirk’s leg away. But before she could touch him, she felt a firm hand grab her wrist
“Are you trying to run away after enticing me like that?”
Caroline heard a delightful, magnetic voice in her ear. She felt her spine tingle, and her face Tumed red
She asked, “Weren’t you asleep?”
Kirk turned over, pinning Caroline undemeath him. I woke up.” He lowered his head, nibbling
Caroline’s shoulder
Caroline gasped She was about to say something when she felt him kissing her lips.
Tonight, Caroline proved that Gwen’s theory was correct.
Sitting up, she looked down at the marks all over her body and frowned. “How am I supposed to go
out and have fun now?”
Kirk pulled her into his arms. “We can just have fun at home.”
“No thank you.” Caroline could feel Kirk’s body moving and struggled to get up. She moved far
away from Kirk.
Smirking cheekily, Kirk promised, “I won’t touch you. Rest well tonight, and I’ll take you to
Fableland”
Caroline asked doubtfully, “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“But I heard only a few hundred people can go into this country’s theme park every day. Can you
even grab a spot?”
“Leave it to me. Don’t you believe in me?”
Atter resting to a dey, Caroline finally regained some enigy
That night, she got a call from Gwen Curious about the nutcome of her litle suggestion, Gwen asked Caroline olyly, “po how did it go, Carol?”
Immediately, what had happened last night mossed Caroline’s mind she felt on mbarra**ed that
she wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground
Thankfully, they weren’t having a video call, so Gwen couldn’t see her from Otherwise, Gwen wouldn’t even need to ask her anything
“I didn’t try it.” Caroline cleared her throat. “I’m not that st* pid”
Gwen was disappointed “Huh, I thought you would help me test out my little theory”
“If you really want to try it out…” Caroline smirked “Why don’t you do it with someone?”
“With who?” Gwen asked Memories of Sean crossed her mind at once.
Resting her chin on one hand, Caroline asked, “How about… fican?”
Gwen instantly snapped, “W–why would I do it with him? I won’t do that with him even if I diet Even if the world gets destroyed and he’s the only one left, I won’t ever go near him…”
Caroline tapped her chin with a cheeky smile. “I was just making a suggestion. Aren’t you getting a little too excited? Besides, didn’t you have a crush on Sean?”
Realizing that she had overreacted, Gwen gritted her teeth. “I–I just realized that Sean is a scumbag! Looks can be deceiving!”
“What did he do?”
Gwen fell silent for a moment. Then, she said, “Forget it. I’m going to work.”
Caroline was dumbfounded. She thought that Gwen had been acting strange.
Before she went to bed, Kirk came home with two lickets in his hand
When Caroline saw that there were entrance tickets to Fableland, she was overjoyed. She asked, ” You really got them?” He was amazing!
Seeing the childlike adoration in her eyes, Kirk swallowed, momentarily losing control of himself
He wanted to tell her who he was, but he didn’t say anything. She still had feelings for Eddy, so he
couldn’t take any chances.
He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Do you really want to know?”
Caroline put her arms around his neck. “Yeah.”
The night breeze blew the curtains in the room. The leaves rustled outside the window, as it to
match the rhythm of what was happening inside the room.
After everything was over, Caroline lay on the bed, exhausted She had only one thought: “Oh no, I won’t be about to go to Fableland again tomorrow, will 17”
Today’s Bonus Offer.
Chapter 144
The next day, Caroline woke up with a sore back. Still, she went to Fableland with Kirk. She
thought they had to queue up, but when she went inside, she discovered that there was no one
else except the staff.
“Why aren’t there any tourists?” Caroline murmured.
She had been to Fableland in Easton a few times, and it would always be crowded with people.
However, this place was uncharacteristically quiet and deserted. Not only that, but every staff
member also smiled at them as if they were VIPs.
Kirk coughed lightly. “Maybe we came too early. Where do you want to go first?”
Caroline unfolded the theme park map and pointed to one of the places. “Let’s go here.”
Kirk glanced at where Caroline had pointed and saw the words “Battle for the Underwater Treasure
“written on the map. “All right. I’ll go make a call.”
“Okay.” Caroline nodded. She waited where she was.
After a while, Kirk returned. “Let’s go.”
Battle for the Underwater Treasure was Fableland’s most popular exhibit. It used the latest technology for its ship–mounted tracks, giving the ride a realistic and immersive experience.
Hence, it attracted many tourists.
However, back in Easton, the wait time for the ride was too long. Caroline had always skipped it,
albeit reluctantly. But today, she finally had a chance to experience it for herself.
As soon as they arrived, they saw a couple queuing up in front of them.
“So, there are still people,” Caroline said with a smile. Kirk was right–they had just gotten here
too early.
Kirk simply smiled and dragged Caroline to the ticketing booth. The cashier was a woman from
Easton. She spoke their language but kept her head down, not daring to look up.
Caroline could only see her red earlobes and trembling hands. She didn’t think much of the
cashier’s behavior. After getting the tickets, she followed Kirk in.
When they got inside, the ship was already on standby, and the couple from earlier were sitting in
The couple looked excited, looking forward to the ride. Caroline guessed that they were adults looking for entertainment, just like children.
She picked a middle seat, and just as she was about to sit down, the woman behind her called out
to her
“H–hey, Miss C–can you sit here?” she stammered. Her face was flushed, and her hands were shaking, just like the woman at the ticketing booth outside.
Caroline was surprised, but she agreed, “Sure.”
Pulling Kirk with her, Caroline sat down beside the woman. She gave them a friendly smile and said, “Hello”
The woman became even more excited, and she held Caroline’s hand enthusiastically. “Hello! Hello!” She looked like a fangirl who had met her idol.
Caroline looked over at Kirk. He smiled at her, looking natural.
The ship slowly began to move.
The woman beside Caroline wasn’t paying attention to the scenery at all. Instead, she looked at Caroline, softly asking, “Are you both really husband and wife?”
Caroline answered patiently, “Yeah.”
The woman patted her chest. “You guys look perfect for each other. I envy you.”
Caroline smiled, but she felt that this woman was talking too much. She looked up to admire the realistic props and stopped talking.
The woman was probably embarra**ed, so she stopped talking to Caroline as well. Instead, she began whispering to the man next to her.
Caroline couldn’t hear what they said very clearly. Still, she occasionally heard compliments about her appearance and attitude, as well as how much they envied her.
When the ship was above water, Caroline was engrossed in the realistic sights around her. Hence, she didn’t pay attention to the couple anymore.
Soon enough, the ship arrived in front of the treasure chest.
the tepsider us with aute imbit Buy the “r, the c
Chapter 145
Caroline frowned. She kept thinking that this woman was weird Just as she was about to question the woman, Kirk’s phone rang, diverting her attention.
She turned to Kirk. He had already looked away from them and answered the phone.
The call was from Ivan, and he sounded very serious. “Come and see Avery right away.”
Kirk refused immediately, saying, “I’m not free at the moment.”
“You have to come! Something serious has happened!”
Kirk raised an eyebrow. He answered coldly, “Let her wait!”
After he hung up the phone, the atmosphere became colder and quieter.
Caroline could even hear a rattling sound. She looked at the woman in confusion again.
The woman’s face was pale, as if she were ill. Her boyfriend wasn’t much better. His face was
ashen, too.
Just like that, their underwater adventure ended on a strange note. Caroline wasn’t happy about it,
so she suggested they take the ride again.
This time, Caroline could finally enjoy herself since the couple wasn’t around. She didn’t see the
couple again as they went about their next few activities.
She didn’t have to line up for anything. It was as if the venue had been privately booked just for
her. Caroline had a delightful time and was already planning to come here with Gwen next time.
Before they left the theme park, Kirk got another call from Ivan.
“Is Dad calling you for something urgent?” Caroline asked.
During their time doing the activities just now, she’d heard Kirk’s phone ringing.
Kirk replied calmly, “It’s nothing.”
“You’d better answer the phone in case there’s something urgent.”
Kirk gave Caroline a nod before answering the phone.
On the other end of the line, Ivan seemed to be a little agitated. Even from a distance, Caroline
Feeling bored, she took pictures of Fableland’s entrance with her phone. As she was taking
pictures, she saw a familiar figure in the frame.
Caroline was taken aback. Wasn’t that the woman on the ship just now? Why was she wearing an
employee’s uniform?
Caroline quickly approached her. “Hello.”
As the woman turned around, she was startled when she saw Caroline. She was about to leave, but
Caroline stopped her.
Caroline asked, “Wait, are you an employee here?”
The woman didn’t answer. Her eyes were red, and she was about to cry.
Caroline was surprised Was her question that hard to answer?
“Don’t cry. I won’t ask anymore.” Caroline continued, “I want to ask you about someone.”
The woman sniffled and nodded. She still hadn’t spoken a word.
“Do you know the boss of the largest company in Sarcozia?”
The woman secretly glanced at Kirk. She blushed and nodded.
Caroline was overjoyed. For the past few days, she had been looking for information about Eddy’s
second uncle on the internet.
She’d thought she could get some information when she was abroad, but unexpectedly, she
couldn’t find anything.
There were some descriptions on social media platforms, but most of them were rumors. She
didn’t know if they were true or not.
She had thought about asking Ivan, but she was too embarra**ed to do so. She was worried that
Ivan would overthink things.
Now that she had found someone who knew something, she quickly asked, “Do you know where I
Chapter 146
The woman stared blankly at Kirk, who stood nearby, and her eyes turned red again. She put her
head down and ran away.
Caroline silently watched the woman run away.
“What’s wrong?” Kirk had already finished his call. When he saw the employee running away, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.
Caroline touched her face. “Do I look scary today?” Why had the woman cried after just a brief
conversation with her?
Kirk lowered his head and carefully looked at the makeup on Caroline’s face. After a moment, he
smiled and kissed her lips. “Not at all. In fact, you look adorable.”
Caroline pushed him away with a blush. “Cool it. Why did Dad call you?”
The smile on Kirk’s face disappeared. He said, “I don’t know. He said he’ll explain after we head
there”
“Let’s go,” Caroline said.
“Okay.”
The two went to Ivan’s home. As soon as they walked through the door, they saw Avery sitting on
the couch with a pale face. There was still a red mark on her face, courtesy of Caroline’s slap a few
days ago.
When Avery saw Caroline and Kirk, she looked up at them listlessly, tears welling in her eyes.
Lia’s heart broke seeing her daughter like this. She didn’t think that Caroline was even human
anymore.
“Dad,” Caroline said, greeting Ivan.
Ivan looked up at Caroline, and the smile on his face disappeared. “Come here, Caroline. I have
something to ask you.”
Caroline walked over to him.
Ivan asked, “Let me ask you, did you leak Avery’s drafts for the game concept?”
Caroline blinked. Even though she understood every word he spoke, when she strung them
together, she couldn’t understand at all
“What are you talking about, Dad?”
I can’t believe you’re still feigning ignorance. Lia loved her daughter dearly, so she couldn’t resist standing up for her
Then, she said, “Because of you, Avery lost her job, and the entire gaming industry blacklisted her How can you be so cruel? What did Avery ever do to you? When she found out you were coming, she busied herself and handled all the arrangements How could you betray her efforts like this?”
Caroline remained calm. “I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Kirk gently pulled Caroline to sit on the couch Raising his chin slightly, he said in a calm tone, You guys aren’t making sense right now. What on earth happened?”
Lia took a deep breath and pushed Avery She urged, “Avery, tell Kirk about your situation. I’m
sure he won’t take sides.”
Avery sniffled “Forget it, Mom. It’s already happened. The entire industry has already blacklisted me, and I’ll never find a job in this field again… There’s no point talking about it now.”
By the end, she was so overcome with emotions that she could barely speak.
Lia’s heart shattered when she saw this. She hugged Avery and cried.
“Oh, Avery I know how much you love the gaming industry. Those who hurt you must pay the price for their actions. That’s the way it should be.”
Kirk was so annoyed by the crying that he unbuttoned his collar. “If you’re not going to talk, we’re going to leave.” After that, he held Caroline’s waist and turned to leave.
Chapter 147
top Ivan yelled. He was trembling, obviously very angry
It’s very simple Someone leaked Avery’s drafts for the game concept, and that too, to a rival company Now, that rival company has registered and published the game first, making Avery’s efforts in the past six months for naught.”
He continued, “After investigation, the company found that the email used to send the drafts to the rival company belongs to Caroline.”
“How could it be me? Caroline was stunned. Then, she smiled and said, “Until now, I didn’t even know what Avery’s job was, let alone what the rival company is ”
Avery bit her lips, a hint of distress appearing in her calm gaze
“I–I don’t know Anyway, the email the company found was yours. To tell you the truth, I don’t believe it either. But the facts are right before me, so I must accept the truth.”
Caroline was genuinely impressed with Avery’s superb acting. The entertainment industry was
missing out on an actress like her.
“Okay, at the very least, even if I know which company you work for and who your competitors
are, how did I get your concept drafts, Ms. Mendeley?”
“I don’t know…” Avery burst out sobbing. “A–at any rate, this is what the company found out. I
really don’t know…”
She held her head, having a little meltdown.
“Let’s just go home, Mom. I don’t want to pursue this issue anymore. Even if my life is ruined, it
doesn’t matter. As long as Carrie and Kirk are happy, I–I’ll be content.”
Caroline grimaced, guessing that Avery probably staged all of this. This woman was ruthless.
She’d even given up her job to frame Caroline.
“No,” Caroline said. “We must get to the bottom of things. We can’t accuse the innocent, and we
can’t let the wrongdoers go free. Right, Dad?”
Ivan nodded. “That’s right. We need to investigate this thoroughly. Otherwise, it doesn’t seem like
our families will be able to get along anymore.”
He turned to Kirk, asking, “What do you think, Kirk?”
Kurk leaned back with a mocking smile on his face. He said, ‘My wife is right.”
Ivan remained silent
Caroline tucked her hair behind her ears. She decided to go about it methodically and said, “All
right. Let’s call the police. All my things are at home. If I really did take your drafts, there will definitely be some evidence.”
Kirk didn’t object to Caroline’s suggestion, and Ivan and Lia also agreed.
Avery was even more eager to get the police here. After feigning reluctance by pretending to object, she agreed.
Soon after they got the call, the police arrived and searched Kirk’s apartment. Sure enough, they found a USB drive in Caroline’s bag that had Avery’s concept drafts.
Lia shook with anger as she yelled, “Did you hear that, Ivan? She’s the one who did it!”
“Enough, Mom.” Avery wept uncontrollably, trembling all over. “Since the truth is out, we should
leave it at that. I don’t want to follow up on this anymore.”
“Don’t be so kind, Avery!” Lia barked, “You better explain yourself, Ivan! We’ve been friends for
years. How could you do this to Avery? There’s something wrong with your daughter–in–law’s
integrity!”
Ivan didn’t expect this to happen either. He looked at his son.
Kirk sat leisurely on the couch, his legs crossed. He looked like an outsider, as though this matter
didn’t concern him at all.
“Say something, Kirk,” Ivan urged.
Kirk shrugged, looking at Caroline. “I’m on my wife’s side.”
Hearing his words, Caroline smiled, feeling a warmth in her chest. Before anyone could speak, she
said calmly, “That USB drive isn’t mine.”
“I can’t believe you’re still denying it even now.” Lia couldn’t stand her anymore.
Lia said, “I shouldn’t be saying this as an outsider, but I can’t stay quiet anymore. Ivan, your
daughter–in–law is no good!
213
She continued, “It’s only been a few days, and our families are in a mess because of her. I don’t
even want to imagine what will happen if this continues! When one marries, they marry someone
for their good qualities. But I can’t find anything good about this
Chapter 148)
Lia’s words were directed at Caroline. She was clearly saying that Caroline had no manners and didn’t deserve Kirk.
Caroline smiled patiently. When she spoke, her tone was gentle, but it contained a chilling hint of pressure. “Mrs. Mendeley, we haven’t uncovered the truth yet, so you better not talk too much. Otherwise, it might backfire on you.‘
Lia feared Kirk and Ivan, so she didn’t dare to act impudently. Still, she didn’t care about Caroline
at all.
Upon seeing Caroline still had the gall to refute, Lia’s expression darkened.
She didn’t care about her status or seniority anymore. She retorted, “What do you mean by that? Avery’s concept draft is on your USB drive! I’ve met plenty of stubborn people, but I’ve never met
someone as stubborn as you.”
At this moment, Avery, who had been sobbing, said weakly, “Mom, that USB drive really isn’t hers.”
“Avery, why are you still defending her at a time like this…”
“Mom, that’s my USB drive.” Avery frowned, about to cry again. “I only found out that my USB
drive was stolen after my concept drafts were leaked.”
Lia said, “Why are you only telling us such an important thing now? That means that she stole
your USB drive and gave the concept drafts to a rival company. It all makes sense now.”
Caroline turned to Lia and said calmly, “I’ve only interacted with Ms. Mendeley a few times. This is
one of them, and the other was in the restaurant’s private room earlier.
“Let me ask you. If you’re saying I stole the USB drive, when would I have had the time to steal it?”
Lia was speechless. Ivan thought that this situation was outrageous as well.
There was an eerie silence in the living room.
Kirk was looking at Caroline with bright eyes. Right now, she was like a tough flower, proudly
braving a storm. She didn’t back down in the face of adversity.
Mom, Ivan.” Avery stood up, holding back her tears. “I really don’t want to investigate this further.
I feel bad for wasting everyone’s time on a small issue like this.”
If it were another time, Caroline would have applauded Avery for her strategic withdrawal She
was about to speak when she heard Kirk’s magnetic voice behind her. “It’s better to get to the
bottom of things.
After that, Kirk stood up and walked to the balcony.
Caroline didn’t know what he was going to do, but Avery did.
Avery tilted her head down, her long hair concealing the smile on her lips.
Thinking that Avery was heartbroken, Lia quickly patted her shoulder and tried to comfort her.
“Don’t be sad, Avery! With Kirk here, everything will become clearer. When that time comes, the one who’s responsible will pay the price!” On that note, she couldn’t help but glance at Caroline with hatred.
Caroline remained silent, not bothering to argue with her.
Avery nodded with her back to her mother, secretly bubbling with joy. She wanted Kirk to investigate it. She wanted him to see what kind of person Caroline was.
Soon, Kirk returned to the living room.
“I just asked someone to get the restaurant’s surveillance footage.”
Kirk briefly glanced at Avery before looking at Caroline again.
“My wife has been with me all day. If she really did something, she could only have done it at the restaurant. We’ll know the truth after we get those surveillance tapes.”
Avery bit her lips in frustration. It was annoying to hear Kirk call Caroline his wife. Yet a faint smile played on her lips at the thought of how those surveillance tapes would expose Caroline for what she was.
More than an hour later, Charles brought the surveillance footage to their home.
Caroline was quite surprised to see Charles. She asked, “You’re here in Flonza too?”
Charles said with a smile, “I go wherever Mr. Kirk goes.”
The corner of Caroline’s mouth twitched. It seemed like Morrison Corporation had terrific benefits.
No wonder many people would kill to join their company.
“Hand over the surveillance footage,” Lia urged, unable to wait any longer.
Charles looked over at Kirk
Kirk raised his chin slightly, signaling for Charles to play the surveillance footage.
Following his boss‘ orders, Charles turned on the TV. Soon, footage of the restaurant that night
appeared on the screen.
The restaurant only installed surveillance cameras in the common areas, not in private rooms.
Nevertheless, Caroline and Avery had been sitting face–to–face in the private room. Hence, Caroline wouldn’t have had the chance to make a move there. So, there was no need to look into what happened in the private room.
Charles fast–forwarded the footage, and soon everyone saw Caroline and Avery going to the bathroom together. Both of them had taken their bags with them.
Just as the two were about to reach the bathroom entrance, Caroline slapped Avery across the face.
Upon seeing this, Lia glared at Caroline and yelled, “So you were the one who slapped Avery that day! I asked her about it, but she hid it from me, saying that she had fallen by accident. You’re too
cruel!”
There wasn’t any audio in the footage, so no one could hear what they were saying. All they could see was that Caroline had slapped Avery across the face.
Ivan couldn’t help but frown, asking, “What’s going on here, Caroline?”
Caroline frowned. Avery was truly capable. She revealed the so–called truth calmly, without giving the impression that she had done it on purpose.
At this moment, Kirk silently held her hand.
Caroline looked over at him. He was smiling at her tenderly. She couldn’t see any hint of disgust in his eyes. Instead, she saw his admiration for her.
Emboldened by Kirk’s support, she looked straight at Ivan and smiled.
“Dad, it’s better to check whether I’ve stolen the flash drive for now. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do if everyone kept making me the scapegoat.”
Ivan frowned and nodded, saying to Charles, “Keep playing the video.”
Charles pressed the play button The video was exactly the same as what had happened that night
Caroline and Avery were talking, and Kirk arrived Then, Caroline and Kirk returned to the private room before leaving the restaurant. With that, the video came to an end.
After a moment of silence, Ivan said, “The only place Caroline could’ve done something is the bathroom But we all saw nothing suspicious in the footage, so it seems that Caroline wasn’t
behind this. Instead, someone had framed her. Their goal is to destroy the relationship between our families”
Avery bit her lip, asking, “Charles, can you pa** me the remote?”
Charles handed the TV remote to Avery Avery fast–forwarded the footage to when they were in the bathroom. Then, she slowed the playback speed.
Caroline narrowed her eyes, knowing Avery had a reason for doing this.
She stared at the screen, and soon she found out why.
Today’s Bonus Offer
Chapter 149
in the surveillance footage, Kirk asked Caroline to leave When she left, she happened to brush
past Avery
The gap between them was so small that they couldn’t see anything at normal speed, but they could see everything when Avery slowed down the footage.
When Caroline brushed past Avery, she quickly reached into Avery’s bag and took something
away
If Caroline hadn’t properly looked at the video, she wouldn’t have noticed. At this moment, she finally understood why Avery was so calm.
She had already tampered with the surveillance footage.
Avery wasn’t only cunning, but more importantly, she had the skills to back it up. She was a formidable rival.
Caroline smiled brightly and asked, “Are you done watching the video, Ms. Mendeley?”
Avery bit her lip, glancing at her mother. Lia was squinting at the surveillance video, but she hadn’t noticed anything.
Avery had no choice but to slow down the footage again. “Not yet. Let me watch it again.”
Caroline smiled slightly.
At this time, Lia finally noticed something in the video. Pointing at the screen, she said, “Wait.
Hang on… Avery, pause the video, then rewind it a little…”
Underneath Avery’s calm exterior, her heart was beating fast. She played the footage again, stopping it precisely when Caroline put her hand into her bag.
This time, Kirk raised an eyebrow, looking at Caroline with a smile.
Caroline returned the smile. She crossed her arms, leisurely watching Avery’s performance.
Lia pointed at the screen. “Look! She really did steal it! This is irrefutable evidence! Ivan, Kirk- you’d better give us an explanation. Avery’s life is ruined because of her!”
Ivan saw it as well, and he couldn’t believe it. He looked over at Kirk. “Kirk.”
Kirk softly caressed the soft flesh on Caroline’s waist, saying, “Do you have anything to say.
darling?
Caroline chuckled. “It just so happens that I have another copy of the surveillance footage, but it may differ from Ms. Mendeley’s.”
“You have a surveillance tape?” Avery asked, her expression shifting.
“That’s right. I specifically asked for a surveillance video from the restaurant, and it’s here, in the apartment.” Caroline smiled gently, emphasizing the word “specifically.”
She said, “Charles, can you please get it for me?”
“Sure,” Charles agreed. Then, he quickly returned with the surveillance footage Caroline had mentioned and played it on the TV.
Unlike the previous video, this one had sound. In the video, after Caroline slapped Avery, everyone could clearly hear the former asking the latter why she kicked her out.
Ivan frowned. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, it’s very simple, Dad. When Kirk pa**ed out that day, I was going to take care of him, but Ms.
Mendeley asked the bodyguards to throw me out. No one could get past her,” Caroline explained.
Ivan stared at Avery sternly.
Avery’s face turned pale as she said, “That’s right. But Ivan, Kirk’s underwater claustrophobia only
acted up because of her. So, I took out my frustration on Caroline and refused to let her take care
of Kirk.”
Caroline’s fingers moved. She thought, “Kirk had underwater claustrophobia, but he still…”
Caroline looked at Kirk with red eyes. Kirk looked back at her, his lips curling into a cheeky smile.
Ivan frowned in disapproval. “Even if you did it for Kirk, you can’t treat Caroline like this.”
“Dad.” Generously, Caroline said, “Let’s just put this behind us. Besides, Ms. Mendeley really cares
about Kirk. After I went back, I reflected on my behavior. I was too impulsive.”
She played her role as a reasonable daughter–in–law. If Avery could act kind, so could she.
Chapter 150
As expected, Ivan gave Caroline a look of appreciation after hearing her words.
Upon seeing this, Avery angrily gripped the flesh of her thigh, wishing to rip the generosity from Caroline’s expression.
This ordeal had come to an end. The video continued to play, and soon they saw the moment when Caroline brushed past Avery.
Charles slowed down the video, and everyone held their breath.
In this video, Caroline didn’t reach into Avery’s bag at all.
Lia was dumbfounded by what she saw. “What’s going on? Did you tamper with the footage?”
Caroline smirked. “You overestimate me, Mrs. Mendeley. I got this video from the restaurant that night, and I didn’t do anything with it. You can check it out if you don’t believe me.”
Kirk caressed Caroline’s back languidly, saying playfully, “I think the truth is clear. Carrie didn’t do anything.”
Avery was about to fall apart.
She’d planned to use the surveillance footage to frame Caroline for being a thief and a vicious woman. Even if Kirk could tolerate Caroline, Ivan would never agree to this marriage.
But she’d never expected Caroline to have the original surveillance footage.
Avery took a deep breath, quickly calming herself down. She said, “That’s right. Caroline really didn’t do this. It might be like what you said, Ivan. Someone is trying to cause trouble between our two families.”
Then, she looked at Caroline and said sincerely, “I’m sorry, Carrie.”
Caroline looked Avery right in the eye and smiled lightly.
Avery felt a chill up her spine.
The rapid change in the situation caught Lia off guard. She murmured, “Who else could it be if not you?”
“Mom. Avery hurriedly grabbed Lia. “We’ll leave this matter at that. L–let’s go home”
Nola
Lia approached Kirk and said, “Kirk, you have to keep investigating.”
Avery even changed her tone and hurriedly pulled Lia away. “Mom, stop disturbing Kirk. We’re going home!”
“Wait!” Caroline suddenly said.
The mother and daughter stopped tugging at each other and looked over at Caroline.
“Leaving so soon, Ms. Mendeley?”
Avery clenched her fists, anticipating what Caroline was going to say.
Lia still couldn’t accept that Caroline wasn’t behind this. She blurted out, “Avery has already apologized. What more do you want?”
Caroline smiled lightheartedly. “You gave me a dreadful scolding just now, Mrs. Mendeley. Now that the truth has come to light, shouldn’t you say something to me?”
Lia’s expression shifted. “What do you mean? Do you want an elder like me to apologize to you?”
Caroline looked past Lia at Avery. Since Avery used her mother to fight her battles, she had to pay the price.
Feeling Caroline’s eyes on her, Avery clenched her fists. She tried to persuade her mother, “Mom, we misunderstood Caroline, so you should apologize to her!”
“No way!” Lia lost her composure and yelled, “If someone like me apologizes to a young woman like her, we’ll become a laughing stock! Besides, our suspicions were reasonable. You can’t blame us for this.
Caroline smiled playfully. She didn’t look at Lia at all. Instead, she was looking at Avery
Digging her nails into her palm, Avery glared at Caroline without realizing it
After a while, she got down on her knees, gritting her teeth “Fine, I’ll apologize on my mother’s behalf. Are you happy now?”
Betrayed by her fiancé, Caroline Evans decides on a whim to marry someone else. Everyone mocks her for the decision of giving up on the heir to the Morrison family and choosing some poor punk instead. However, that poor punk is actually secretly the top wealthiest person around, newly back in the country to invest in its development. He’s also her ex’s uncle! Lamenting about being tricked, Caroline Evans insists on a divorce. But her husband corners her and says unblinkingly, “That billionaire is not me. That guy had cosmetic surgery to look like me.” Looking at his handsome face, Caroline believes it. “What a curse to have the same face as someone of the Morrison family!” The next day, the world is surprised to find that the heir of the Morrison family has been kicked out and now has nothing. As for the newly crowned top billionaire, he starts wearing a mask to hide his attractive features.
