chapter128

Kylie paused, trying to piece things together. "She said Henry didn't want to quit, you two argued, he got his arm broken, and then you called your friend at the police to handle it. Is that right?"

She had no idea her daughter even knew anyone at the police station.

Lydia let out a cold laugh. She figured the Parkers wouldn't have given her mom the real story.

"Not even close. Henry barged into my office without permission and tried to... do something awful. That's when I called the police. They just did their job, nothing more."

"What?"

"What?"

Now, Kylie was shocked, and Connor-who'd been eavesdropping-looked furious.

Who did this idiot think he was, messing with his girl? Connor could imagine a hundred different ways to make him pay.

Once Kylie got past her shock, her anger was just as strong as Connor's.

"Lydia, I can't believe Henry would try something like that with you!"

"It's okay, Mom. He didn't lay a finger on me. But he definitely meant to, and he needs to face the consequences."

"Henry must be out of his mind. Who does he think he is, going after my daughter? And Rose... I can't believe she would do this to me. I've treated her like family, and she's just been lying this whole time."

Kylie felt genuinely betrayed. She'd always thought of Rose as a lifelong friend someone she'd do anything for. She'd helped Rose and her whole family. But in the end?

Rose had used her for money, and eve tried to drag her daughter into it too? That was the last straw.

"Mom, don't be too upset. From what I've found, the Parker family's been stealing from the company and acting like they own it. The financial reports have been a mess from day one. I'm going to get to the truth.

"What?" Kylie was even more stunned.

"Just keep this to yourself for now, okay? We don't want them to catch on. I'll handle it, one step at a time."

Kylie took a deep breath, thinking

back to when she'd first handed the

company over to Parker.

Headquarters had poured in so

much money every year, but

somehow the company always

reported losses.

She'd figured Parker just needed more experience, so she gave him time. But now, it was clear he and his family had been taking advantage of her trust all along.

Lydia, this is my fault. I didn't see their true colors. Your dad even warned me to check up on them, but I thought it wasn't necessary. I let them run wild for years."

"It's not your fault, Mom. They're the ones to blame. I'll take care of the company, I promise."

"Alright, Lydia. Just be careful, okay?"

"I will."

"Oh, and Lydia, I thought I heard a man's voice just now. Are you with someone?

Lydia glanced at Connor, then answered honestly. "Yeah... I'm with Connor." "What? You two..." Kylie was so surprised she couldn't finish her sentence.

"We just had lunch. We're heading back to the office now."

Kylie sounded both relieved and a little excited. "That's great, Lydia. You two should spend more time together. That's the best way to really get to know each other. I'll let you go, then."

Before Lydia could say anything else, Kylie hung up.

Lydia stared at her phone, speechless.

Connor noticed her stunned expression and couldn't help but smile. "Well, since your mom wants us to spend more time together, how about pick you up tonight? We I can explore the city a little.