Chapter 289
“Mr. Lantz, are you just never going to let this go?”
“Ms. Phipps, I’m tired too. Believe me, I want this case over just as much as you do.”
Brandon spoke as he pulled out his phone, glancing around before opening his photo gallery. He turned the screen toward Kelly, making sure to shield it from the security camera so no one else
could see.
He kept his voice low. “You know this student, don’t you? Care to guess why she sent me this video? If we dig into this–both the old mess and the new–how many people do you think will get pulled in? You, your Newton family, your husband, your son. All of you will be caught up in it. Those people at the top, all they care about is their reputation. If these scandals come out, what do you think they’ll do to protect themselves?”
Kelly stared at the video, completely stunned.
No. This couldn’t be happening.
She was sure she’d handled it perfectly back then.
How could this be coming back now?
Brandon turned off the video and sat down again, letting out a quiet sigh as he picked up his disposable coffee cup and took a sip of bitter Americano. He wasn’t drinking a latte tonight–someone had stolen all the milk from the office fridge.
He leaned in, his tone softer but still earnest. “Ms. Phipps, I want to help you.”
“If I didn’t, this video would already be in front of my coworkers, my boss, your lawyers. Or worse, shown to the people whose names are mentioned in it.”
Kelly’s hands started to shake, sweat gathering in her palms. The calm mask she always wore was starting to crack.
“I want to see my husband,” she finally said.
Brandon nodded. “I’ll make it happen.”
“Can I see him now? I know it’s late, but I’m afraid if we wait, something else might happen.” He glanced at his phone, the implication clear–if someone leaked that video online, there’d be no way to
contain it.
Kelly nodded, her voice tight. “Okay.”
At midnight, Patricia stepped out of the shower, her hair half–dry. She rummaged through the drawers under the vanity, searching for something.
After a while, she realized she was out of face masks.
She grabbed her phone and sent Sara a quick message.
Sara showed up a minute later with a box of masks, muttering, “Aunt Patricia, are you always getting
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Chapter 289
ready to move out or something? What kind of girl actually uses up all her stuff every time?”
Seriously, what woman doesn’t have a stash?
Oliver walked out of the bathroom just then, towel in hand, drying his hair. He paused when he heard
Sara and looked at Patricia.
Patricia felt his gaze and said, “It’s just a habit. Stocking up feels wasteful to me.
But that never explained much to Oliver. He’d noticed it ages ago–Patricia’s life at Cloud Peak was always clean and minimal. She didn’t have random things lying around like Sara did.
Everything was so organized, it looked like she could pack up and leave at any moment.
He’d seen his female colleagues in the elevator, frantically digging through their bags and dropping two or three lipsticks in the process. But Patricia…
She just had one. Always the same one.
In fact, everything in this house–there was only ever one of each thing.
A strange ache settled in Oliver’s chest. Suddenly, he realized what had been making him uneasy all along.
It was Patricia’s habit of always being ready to leave.
Chapter 290
