Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 255

Carter shielded Emma behind him, his gaze dark and predatory.

"I trust Emma."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Gillian shot back, "I saw it with my own eyes, and we have the appraiser as a witness! Emma will use any ruthless method to claw her way back into the Lockwood family. Mr. Harrington, you are completely blinded!"

"Did you actually see Emma strike her?"

Carter countered coldly. Gillian stiffened, taking a long moment before stammering, "When I got there, it was just her and Mom in the room. The waiters also said they didn't see anyone suspicious."

"Just because they didn't see anyone means there was no one? By that logic, detectives wouldn't even need to use their brains."

Carter turned back and took Emma's hand. He cast a warning sideways glance at Logan. "Unless you can produce concrete evidence proving Emma is the culprit, if I hear another word of slander against my wife, Emma might be forgiving, but I will not be."

Carter led Emma away from the ward. Before stepping out, Emma cast one last lingering, heartbroken look toward the hospital bed.

Once they were back in the car, Carter dismissed the driver before asking, "What exactly happened?"

"The test report Mom and I saw clearly stated a confirmed biological relation. Then someone caused a scene downstairs. I went to handle it, and when I came back, Mom was injured and the report had been swapped."

Emma gripped her hands tightly, her eyes shadowed with self-blame.

"Jeff is already looking into that appraiser." Carter's gaze turned somber. "This whole thing screams of a meticulously orchestrated plot."

First, luring Emma away right after Violet revealed the truth to everyone.

Then, critically injuring Violet, swapping the report, burning the restaurant down, and bribing the appraiser.

Every single step was perfectly interlocked. Even the slightest miscalculation in timing would have ruined it.

"Carter, this is a premeditated conspiracy that started twenty-three years ago."

This plot had been in motion from the moment her mother got pregnant.

Otherwise, the existence of twins could never have been kept a secret.

The roaring laughter and jeers lingered endlessly in her mind, accompanied by the devil's whispers echoing in her ears.

'Pass this performance, baby, and you'll get what you want. So don't be afraid. Think about your mother—she's waiting at home for you to buy her medicine.'

Gillian stood up, her entire body trembling. Staring at her comatose mother, and thinking of Emma walking free, a deep, vicious ruthlessness began to bleed into her eyes.

"Mom, these past six years have been the happiest days of my life. I love living recklessly without fear of punishment. I love how you, Dad, and my brothers tolerate all my tantrums.

But Emma isn't easy to deal with. If I want to avenge you, I have no choice but to go back to being the dark, hidden Gillian Palmer—the version of myself that even I find utterly disgusting."

Gillian looked at her unresponsive mother and clenched her fists.

She turned on her heel and marched out of the ward.

"Tobias, I want to see you."