The Scorned Heiress: No More Mercy novel Chapter 292

Jade glares at Alec internally, cursing his utter uselessness. Realizing he has run out of ideas, she pins her hopes on Nikolai. He is always the calmest and smartest of the bunch.

Since she is sitting right next to him, she repeats her usual trick, subtly trailing her fingers against his back in a silent plea. Nikolai immediately picks up on her cue and steps up with righteous indignation.

"What exactly does Tara want? A public apology won't just ruin Jade's image; it will severely damage the Dennis Group's reputation."

"Oh, please. What image does she have left?" Jake sneers, completely unbothered. "She's already been branded a homewrecker, her movie tanked, and now she's been outed for lip-syncing. She's completely humiliated the company."

Jake is in no rush anymore. He finds it thoroughly entertaining to watch these two idiots run themselves ragged for an adopted daughter.

"Jake, how could you say that about me? It's all a misunderstanding! You know what kind of person I really am!" Jade bursts into tears, playing the victim flawlessly.

Her sobbing instantly breaks the hearts of the brothers and Deanna. Nikolai glares at Jake defensively.

"I know the Board of Directors gave you a hard time, but don't take it out on Jade! How can you say such awful things?"

"Exactly! It's a misunderstanding. Jade isn't like that, and you know it!" Alec adds fiercely.

Faced with their blind panic, Jake merely shrugs. "Tara insists on doing it this way. Unless you can convince her otherwise, I don't care."

"Tara, I heard you're demanding a public apology from Jade," Nikolai says, adopting his best negotiation tone. "I think that's a bit extreme. Can we find another way? Jade is part of the Dennis family, and so are you. We should sit down and talk this out like a family."

Unlike Jake's commanding tone or Alec's explosive temper, Nikolai is the pacifier of the trio. He and Tara used to be the closest. Out of all the brothers, he genuinely believed he cared for her the most. As a lawyer, he knows how to lower his posture to de-escalate a situation.

Unfortunately, Tara isn't buying his act. Her lazy, crystal-clear voice chimes through the speaker.

"Oh, sure. Let's try a different approach. Having her get down and publicly grovel for our forgiveness works too."