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Chapter 173 A Shift in the Game
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Selina forced herself to stay calm, her lips trembling as she spoke. “Anne, even if you don’t like me, you can’t slander me like this! The police investigated that case thoroughly. Those four thugs were sentenced. If it really had anything to do with me, would I still be standing here free?”
Tears welled in her eyes, her voice carrying both grievance and anger–yet no trace of guilt.
Anneliese’s lips curled into a smile. “I’m slandering you? The one who said you hired people to hurt me was Christopher. All I did was play the recording. That piece was accidentally captured when I went to Zacharias‘ office on the 13th last month. I’d like to ask my dear brother why he said those things.”
Her mocking gaze landed on Christopher’s darkened face, then on Zacharias, pale and shaken.
Hearing her pinpoint the exact time and place of the recording, the guests only believed it more. The chatter rose until it seemed the roof would lift.
Selina’s face drained of color, a chill running down her spine. She clutched Melanie’s hand, swaying on her feet. Inside, rage burned hotter than fear. Careless fool! How can he let Anneliese catch it on tape?! Now he’s dragged me into this mess of suspicion and disgrace!
She turned to Christopher, voice trembling with accusation. “Chris, why would you say such nonsense? How could you?”
Her pointed words only drew every pair of eyes to him. Even Timothy, Melanie, and Perseus fixed him with sharp stares.
Though Christopher loved his sister, he couldn’t help but feel thrown under the bus. The root of this was Selina, yet now it seemed everything was pinned on him. Still, years of instinct to shield her forced him to speak up. “That recording was fake! I never said those things!”
Anneliese shrugged. “Alright. If you say it’s fake, it’s fake. After all, you deleted it yourself. Even if I wanted to send it for verification, there’s nothing left to prove it was real.”
Christopher froze.
Exactly–if the recording had been fake, why delete it so quickly? Anneliese dismissed it as false, but her words only made the guests more certain it was true. Yet at this point, all Christopher could do was insist on his story.
Timothy tugged on Melanie’s arm, stopping her from lashing out again. This had already gone too far. If it escalated further, it would be impossible to salvage.
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Chapter 173 A Shift in the Game
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His temple pulsed as he stepped forward, bowing slightly to the guests. “You all heard it just now–Anne herself said the recording was fake. There are misunderstandings between the children, yes. But Anne is our daughter, the one we struggled so long to find.
“When she suffered that accident, our family grieved deeply, guilty that we hadn’t protected her. None of that was her fault. She fought those robbers with all her strength, was badly wounded, but managed to protect both her body and her life.
“She is a brave girl. That incident scarred her enough already. From now on, if I hear anyone use it to attack her, then you’ll be going against the White family itself.”
He knew he couldn’t keep provoking Anneliese. The only way forward was to comfort her and convince the crowd they had never mistreated their own daughter, nor covered up crimes for a foster child. Only that could contain the scandal.
With firm conviction, Timothy took her hand and announced, “Tonight, before you all, I declare this: I will transfer 5% of my shares in White Inc. to my daughter, Anne.”
Selina’s face changed instantly. Her hands clenched as fury swelled in her chest.
Among the White children, Perseus had joined the company early and been given 5% of the shares. She and Christopher had each received 3% at their coming–of–age.
When Gloria, their paternal grandmother, passed, she had intended to leave 5% to Anneliese, but Selina had warned Timothy and Melanie in advance, preventing it. That was why Anneliese had been left with nothing.
And now, Timothy had suddenly handed her 5%-more than both Selina and Christopher. Why should she get that?
But in this moment, Selina couldn’t oppose it openly. She forced herself to smile and stepped forward. “Anne, hurry and thank Dad. You’d always thought Mom and Dad didn’t love you, but actions speak louder than words, don’t they?”
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and the glint beneath was cutting. It seemed to say: You claim to be so above it all–then why not refuse those shares?
Anneliese, however, hadn’t expected this twist. Her plan that night had been to use the recording to tear away Selina’s mask of hypocrisy, then announce her severance from the White family once and for all. She hadn’t imagined it would lead here.
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