He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 146

Corinne had completely lost her mind, hovering on the brink of absolute madness.

"There is nothing in Bay City that the Flynn family cannot handle," she snarled.

"It's just La Belle Nuit. Burn it to the ground. I want to see how Jacqueline and Scarlett act tough without it."

"I don't care if it's the number one club in the city. From this day forward, I want it to disappear completely. I want that mother and daughter to burn in hell."

After screaming a frantic string of orders into the phone, Corinne aggressively cut the call.

Gwen smiled in satisfaction as she pressed stop on the recording, saving the audio safely to her phone. She exchanged a knowing glance with Sylvia, a sly smirk playing on her lips.

Sylvia raised an eyebrow.

"Mom, you recorded a phone call with Aunt Corinne for evidence? Isn't that a little ruthless?"

Gwen scoffed lightly. "With a crime this big, I need leverage. What if your aunt tries to pin the blame entirely on us when the fallout hits? It's just a precaution."

Sylvia nodded with a smile, opting to say nothing more. Instead, she pulled out her phone and dialed the contact she had already prepared for the job.

—

Late that night.

Scarlett personally cooked a few dishes to welcome Jacqueline home.

It was the first time in ages that the mother and daughter had managed to sit down for a quiet dinner together, now with a tiny new addition by their side.

Jacqueline finished her meal and delicately dabbed her mouth with a napkin.

"You must have cooked for Yardley quite a bit these past few years. The food actually tastes good."

Scarlett offered an awkward smile. "Yeah."

Jacqueline gave her a pointed look, her tone laced with disappointment.

"You poured your heart out to him, and what did it get you? I told you from the very beginning to stay far away from the Flynn family. You refused to listen, and now you really had to learn the hard way, didn't you?"

In the past, Scarlett would have instantly started a shouting match over a comment like that.

But now that she was a mother herself, she finally understood a parent's love. Her temper had mellowed significantly. She knew Jacqueline had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, so she simply let her speak.

"I am not the kind of person who clings to the past."

"My feud with Corinne was strictly between us. Every debt has its debtor. I never wanted to drag the next generation into our mess."

"But I forgot that not everyone in this world is as open-minded as I am. Not everyone knows how to move on."

Jacqueline turned to look at Scarlett, then glanced at Dawn resting comfortably in her crib. A rare look of melancholy crossed her elegant features.

"If I had known they would treat you and Dawn this terribly, I would have fought to my last breath to force you and Yardley apart. But it's too late to say that now. What's done is done."

"But Scarlett, life often finds a way out when you hit rock bottom. Since we've reached this point, there is no need to be bogged down by sentimentality. Don't hesitate, and don't look back. Dawn has her own destiny to fulfill. Even if she grows up without a father's love, she will be fine. Everything will pass."

"I fully support your divorce. Even if Yardley gets on his knees and begs you in the future, do not look back. When you love the wrong person, you have to cut your losses immediately before the damage becomes irreversible. That is a bitter lesson I learned the hard way."

Jacqueline reached over and firmly patted her shoulder.

That night, Scarlett lay awake until dawn, her mother's words echoing in her mind.

Around three in the morning, unable to sleep, she opened her phone, only to be violently jolted out of bed by a piece of breaking news.