Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 2078

Carmella's cheek stung from the slap she'd just received, and Simone's biting word "bastard" echoed in her ears, igniting a fury within her that tore down her facade of composure. "You've wanted to call me a bastard for a long time, haven't you? Go ahead then, hit me, yell at me! Accusing me of being an ungrateful wretch—did you ever really treat me as your own daughter?"

"If you truly considered me your own, you would have gone all in to support my design studio instead of making me grovel for favors, only to be duped by scum like Finley!"

Simone staggered backward, utterly taken aback by her outburst.

Bennett rushed to steady Simone and lashed out at Carmella, "How dare you, Carmella! Haven't we treated you like our own daughter? Have you forgotten all the love and support we've given you over the years? For you, your mother even drove Estelle away!"

"You raised me to compete with Sabina!" Carmella wiped away her tears, her eyes filled with disdain and coldness. "You never liked Estelle because you thought she was worthless, unable to bring glory to your name, only shame in front of your big family! I know you too well! If you had known from the start about all of Estelle's connections, you would have cozied up to her in an instant, and I wouldn't have even gotten a second glance!"

Bennett stared at her in shock and anger. "You're heartless, Carmella!"

"No, I'm the most conscientious one here. The Lamonts won't stop until they've taken everything from the Macclains for Estelle. I'm just making sure to keep what's rightfully ours!" Carmella spat venomously. "You hate Estelle, right? Well, now's the time to choose. Will you give your wealth to me or to Estelle?"

"You're talking nonsense!" Bennett erupted. "Estelle's the head of GK and the heir to the Jarvis fortune. Why would she want anything from the Macclains? This is just a greedy excuse!"

"But Jonathan won't let the Macclains off the hook. It's better that I take control than let our assets evaporate into thin air, right?" Carmella stood her ground, defiant.

"You're a disgrace!" Simone lunged at Carmella, aiming to slap her again, but this time Carmella was ready. She caught Simone's wrist and pushed her away, "You've slapped me enough. If it weren't for the little use you still have, do you think I'd spare you? The Macclains are finished, and don't you even dream of parading around as Mrs. Macclain anymore!"

The drastic change in Carmella left Simone both stunned and chilled to the bone. Overwhelmed with rage, her heart raced, and darkness encroached on her vision until she fainted.

The next morning, the news was abuzz with scandals.

A high-profile figure in B City was under investigation, which quickly led to the Crawley family's bankruptcy. Cliff was arrested on charges ranging from tax evasion to bribery and endangering national security, implicating up to fourteen family members.

While the tax and bribery charges were explained in detail, the national security offenses were glossed over, stirring a frenzy online.

Soon after, the Macclains made headlines as their company's stocks plummeted, erasing a significant portion of their market value. Allegations surfaced about shareholders pulling out and how the Macclains had been cashing out on their headquarter and branches, leaving behind unpaid debts and nothing but a shell of an operation.

Whistleblowers revealed that the Macclains had been planning a quick getaway from J City, leveraging their empty shell companies for loans and fundraising schemes.