Chapter 317
Caleb and Sophia became visibly alarmed, fearing that Rowena might suffer from a heart attack.
Caleb hastily intervened, stopping Stephen from spilling the beans. “Stephen, that’s enough.” Then, he ordered one of the staff members, “Please take my mother to her room.”
Sophia had only heard about Jacqueline’s misdeeds, including her ties with Caleb’s illegitimate son, James. However, talk of Jacqueline loving Stephen romantically and her committing murder was news to her too.
Sophia felt all the color drain from her face at the reveal as she felt her alarm clog her throat.
What was going on here? Did Jacqueline harbor such inappropriate feelings for Stephen?
A maid stepped forward to support Rowena, saying, “Mrs. Jacobson Senior, please allow me to escort you to your room upstairs.”
“Leave me be. I’m fine,” Rowena protested. Then, she turned to Stephen and demanded, “Stephen, explain yourself. What do you mean Jacqueline covets you? And what do you mean when you say she’s committed murder?”
Sophia looked at Jacqueline incredulously before asking sharply, “What’s going on here?”
Jacqueline had turned ashen as she shook uncontrollably. Her bloodless lips parted, and she stammered, “I-I…”
Stephen’s expression remained impassive as he said dispassionately, “Exactly as it sounds.”
Frankly, Tesa didn’t expect Stephen to expose Jacqueline’s feelings for him before the entire family.
Rowena looked visibly distressed as she clutched her chest. She looked at Jacqueline with utmost disappointment in her eyes. “Did you truly harbor such unspeakable thoughts about your brother? About Stephen? Did you really commit murder? Y-You…”
Jacqueline desperately wanted to deny all those accusations, but she couldn’t.
She couldn’t bring herself to say that she didn’t love Stephen, nor could she lie about the fact that there was blood on her ledger.
Sophia could only glare at Jacqueline in the face of her self-damning silence. She was so furious that she couldn’t even string her whirling thoughts together, let alone form a coherent sentence.
Caleb sighed heavily and finally said, “Stephen, let’s table this discussion for now. You know your grandmother’s health is frail. Let’s not upset her further.”
“Apologize to Tess.” Stephen was clearly getting impatient as his gaze turned colder.
“No! I won’t! I refuse! Why should I apologize to Tessa? I did nothing wrong!” Jacqueline screamed hoarsely as tears streamed down her face. It was obvious that she had absolutely no desire to apologize.
Her face was streaked with tears as she cried out in anguish, casting her dignity aside. “Why? Why can’t I love you? We grew up together and are not at all related! Why can’t you see me as a woman? How am I in the wrong for loving you? Why is it wrong for me to want to be with you forever?”
A crisp sound echoed across the hall like thunder.
Sophia had slapped Jacqueline across the face hard before yelling at the top of her lungs, “Shut your mouth!”
Jacqueline’s head had jerked to the side from the force of the blow, and the red imprint of Sophia’s palm was visible on Jacqueline’s cheek.
“How dare you say such things?” Sophia glared at Jacqueline ferociously, her face stark white with sheer, unadulterated rage. “Stephen is your brother and will only ever be your brother!
“Even if we forget your status as the Jacobsons’ heiress, there’s no way you and Stephen would ever be together even after you’ve left this family!”noveldrama
Jacqueline let out a cold, bitter chuckle.
“Do
you think I wanted you to adopt me?” She raised her head to stare straight into Sophia’s eyes. “I wouldn’t have become his sister if it weren’t for you. Did you ever ask for my opinion when you adopted me? I never wanted to be his sister!”
“I can’t breathe.” An overwhelmed Rowena clutched her chest, struggling to draw breath into her lungs.
“Get my mother’s medication! Quickly!” Caleb shouted anxiously.
The maid hurried off to get Rowena’s medication.
Stephen shot Lawrence a look, who caught his silent command and swiftly kicked the back of Jacqueline’s knee.
Jacqueline, who was caught off guard, immediately fell to the ground, knees first.
Lawrence then ruthlessly stepped on Jacqueline’s back, pinning her to the ground. Her pale face was pressed against the floor, and she looked utterly miserable.
Stephen leaned against the couch, exuding a bloodthirsty air. “It’s fine if you don’t want to apologize. You can show your sincerity by groveling instead.”
Lawrence understood the task at hand and grabbed Jacqueline by her head. He lifted her head off the ground before violently slamming it back down.
Jacqueline’s head banged against the ground several times. The sound of bone meeting marble seemed to go on forever.
Rowena nearly keeled over after watching such an absurd scene play before her eyes.
Fortunately, the maid had gotten Rowena’s medication and arrived just in the nick of time.
Rowena shakily took the pills and gradually regained her breath.
“I’m done. I still want to live for a couple of years. I’m washing my hands off this mess.” Rowena rubbed her chest and left with the maid’s support.