The woman’s face was streaked with tears, a pitiful sight, with blood from the wound on her forehead mingling with the tears as they fell.
Rolland had to admit that Lise’s face was attractive, but next to Katelyn’s, it seemed somewhat gaudy, no different from the other women who surrounded him.
Lise bit her lower lip, looking utterly helpless as she whimpered, “I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t know what you are talking about. You’ve made a mistake.”
Emberly, seeing this, was furious. She shot a withering glare at Lise and snapped, “You little tramp, how dare you deny it! I’ve already asked around. It was you who tormented my son.”
Lise cried harder and shook her head, but her eyes remained fixed on Rolland. “It truly wasn’t me. I don’t know anything about this.”
Emberly gritted her teeth, her hand poised to strike again, but Rolland caught her arm just in time.
“Mom, she’s not the one.”
He stepped closer, gripping Lise’s chin, turning her face as if inspecting a piece of property. “But this woman is rather stunning.”
Emberly waved him off, her tone sharp with impatience. “If she catches your eye, then keep her. But those other two, I won’t let them go unpunished.”
Rolland’s brow furrowed, a sudden realization hitting him as he asked, “Who did you say could be the culprit?”
“That was my sister, Katelyn,” Lise quickly confessed, her tone filled with grievance.
“She’s always been that way. If someone gets on her bad side, she responds with violence. These bruises on my leg? They’re from when she shot me.”
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Rolland released his grip on her chin, his face unreadable as he quietly repeated the name to himself.
“Katelyn? That is a lovely name.”
Lise studied Rolland’s face closely, her heart skipping a beat.
She had initially intended to use the tension between Rolland and Katelyn to turn things in her favor. But now, why did it seem like this man was intrigued by Katelyn?
Well, perhaps there was another way to play this.
She quickly pressed on.
“She is my sister. I will take the blame for anything she has done. If you want revenge, target me instead. Please don’t harm her. She’s just gone through a divorce because of an affair, so she might not be in the best frame of mind.”
Rolland latched onto the critical detail, his voice suddenly filled with excitement. s ? ?s f?ndnovel.net
“Wait, what did you just say? She’s gone through a recent divorce?”
Lise feigned a troubled sigh and nodded.
“She was the one who cheated, but she’s clever. She knows exactly how to twist the narrative, making herself look like the victim and her ex-husband like the one who strayed. You don’t stand a chance against her.”
Emberly snorted, her eyes brimming with scorn.
“That kind of shameless woman needs to be taught a lesson. I’ll arrange for someone to fetch her immediately.”
Just as Emberly prepared to rush off and exact her revenge, Rolland stopped her again.
He sat on the hospital bed, looking resigned.
“Mom, I will take care of this myself. There’s no need for you to get involved.”
Emberly arched an eyebrow, clearly irritated.
“What do you mean? I’m just trying to help.”
Rolland sighed and gave a brief, dismissive nod.
“I understand, but let me handle this. I already have a plan in mind.”
Emberly hesitated, her unease evident. She knew her son’s weakness for beautiful women.
But seeing that Rolland was firm, she refrained from pushing further. Before departing, she gave Lise a fierce glare and warned her,
“Keep quiet. If I hear anything circulating outside, I’ll make sure to tear your face apart.”
Lise stifled her resentment and nodded submissively. The more she outwardly complied, the more her internal resentment simmered.
She vowed to get her revenge on Emberly when the opportunity arose.
Once Emberly had left the room, Rolland adjusted his position on the bed, crossing his legs and holding a cigar in his left hand as he regarded Lise.
“Now, tell me about Katelyn.”
Lise rose from the floor and began spinning an elaborate, fabricated tale.
.
.
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