Chapter 101 A Slap Gone Wrong
Chapter 101 A Slap Gone Wrong
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Jonathan’s calm gaze lingered on Anneliese, and for some reason, he felt as though she was standing up for him. His long, narrow eyes flickered with sudden
brightness, and the corners of his lips curved into a gentle smile. He gave a slight nod. “Let’s go.”
With that, the two of them walked toward the hall together, side by side, as if Zacharias no longer existed.
Zacharias clenched his fists, anger roiling in his chest.
Anneliese walked quickly ahead, embarrassed and unwilling to let that madman Zacharias catch up to her. Arriving at the mediation room, she pushed the door open–only for a figure to lunge straight at her.
“Anneliese Claude, you shameless woman! You seduced my son and then had people beat him so badly that he’s lying in a hospital bed, unable to move. And you’ve got the nerve to call the cops and accuse him of rape?!”
The shrill voice was accompanied by a hand with long red nails swinging toward Anneliese’s face.
She never imagined someone would dare make such a scene inside the police station. Completely unprepared, she froze. Those claws were about to rake her face, and all she could do was squeeze her eyes shut and try to recoil backward.
The next second, a shriek filled the air, colliding with Zacharias‘ furious shout.
“Ahhh! Let me go, that hurts!”
“Anneliese, where do you think you’re going?!”
Confused, Anneliese blinked her eyes open and finally saw the scene clearly. The woman who had just tried to slap her was Jameson’s mother, Leah Moreau.
But now, Leah’s wrist was firmly gripped in Jonathan’s hand. The pain bent her
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Chapter 101 A Slap Gone Wrong
45
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over, her arrogance vanished, and she whimpered in agony. And Anneliese, in her attempt to dodge, had somehow pressed her cheek against Jonathan’s chest, falling right into his arms.
Zacharias arrived a beat too late. His handsome face turned stormy as he glared at her, as though she had just publicly humiliated him with an affair.
The irony was, though accidental, the sight must have looked exactly like she had made Zacharias wear the horns. And honestly? That thought was strangely satisfying to her.
On impulse, instead of pulling away, Anneliese let her cheek nuzzle lightly against the warmth of Jonathan’s chest.
Zacharias‘ vision darkened. He strode forward, reaching out to yank her back. Jonathan, slightly taken aback by the softness brushing his chest, felt a peculiar, tingling sensation there.
When Zacharias reached for Anneliese, Jonathan shifted his stance and gave Leah’s arm a hard tug at the same time.
Leah stumbled right into Zacharias‘ grasp. In the very next moment—
“Ahhh!”
Zacharias, aiming for Anneliese, had ended up grabbing a full handful of Leah’s chest.
Leah’s scream pierced the air. When she realized who had touched her, her cheeks flushed beneath layers of makeup, her embarrassment laced with anger. “Mr. Shaw, what are you doing?”
Zacharias froze in shock, only to look down and see Leah’s powdered, wrinkled face. Disgust shot through him. He jerked his hand back and scrubbed it furiously with his handkerchief, as if trying to rid himself of contamination.
Leah’s face twisted with fury at his reaction.
Anneliese almost burst out laughing. She tilted her head up, meeting Jonathan’s
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Chapter 101 A Slap Gone Wrong
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composed, unreadable gaze. She wanted to ask if he had done it on purpose. But with his clear and upright expression, she convinced herself it had to be nothing but a coincidence.
Once everyone was finally seated under Patrick’s direction, Anneliese glanced across the table. Leah sat massaging her chest in secret, while Zacharias‘ face was beyond grim beside her.
The sight made it impossible for Anneliese to suppress the faint amusement in her eyes until Patrick began speaking. “Melody Zwick claims she only wanted Jameson Tate to scare you. Tate says he never used the drug; that it was bought by his associate that night, Luca Zorin, who misunderstood his intentions and tried to curry favor by spiking the drinks.
“Zorin has confessed to buying and administering the drug, and stated that Jameson knew nothing about it. Our investigation confirms Luca’s involvement, and he has already been transferred for prosecution.
“However, at present, there isn’t enough evidence to prove Zwick instructed Tate to attempt sexual assault against Ms. Claude. Since this involves a family dispute, we’ve asked you here, Ms. Claude, to see if you’re willing to accept mediation.”
Anneliese’s heart sank. No wonder Zacharias had insisted there wasn’t enough evidence. Even if she refused to sign the settlement, Melody and Jameson would walk free. Clearly, Jameson had already lined up a scapegoat.
Leah sneered. “Anneliese Claude, my son’s already beaten so badly he can’t even get out of bed. What more do you want? I advise you not to push your luck. The Tate family isn’t just any ordinary household in Oceaton.”
