Back From Prison, Built For Revenge - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

The living room of the Stone Villa was brightly lit, almost painfully so. As soon as Chloe stepped inside, she felt an invisible pressure weighing down on her.
She looked up and saw Hayden standing in the center of the room, his hands in his pockets, his cold gaze fixed on her. His usual stern face was even darker now, as though a storm was brewing, ready to break at any moment.
"You're back," he said in a low, hoarse voice, his tone tinged with a subtle but unmistakable aggression.
Chloe didn't respond. She simply gave him a brief glance before heading straight toward the stairs. She had neither the time nor the patience to engage with him.
A strong hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her back forcefully. Hayden angrily growled, questioning her. "Chloe, what do you mean?"
Forced to stop, Chloe turned around and looked at him coldly. "I don't understand what you're saying."
"Stop playing dumb!" Hayden snapped, his teeth clenched. "At the party, Yael publicly declared that he's going to pursue you. Why didn't you refuse him? Have you already agreed to him?"
At these words, Chloe couldn't help but laugh, her expression filled with mockery and sarcasm. "Hayden, do you think I had a choice?"
The words cut like a knife, and Hayden's face immediately turned ashen. "What do you mean?" he demanded, his voice rising. "Who forced you?"
Chloe raised an eyebrow, her dark eyes flashing with coldness. "Well, it was your family, the Stone family."
"Chloe!" Hayden's voice rose sharply. He tightened his grip on her wrist with such force that it caused her pain. "Don't accuse us falsely! We never forced you to do anything!"
"Never?" Chloe laughed scornfully. "Three years ago, when you sent me to prison, did you also comfort yourselves like this? Blaming everything on me?"
Her words struck like thunder, shaking Hayden to his core. His grip loosened instinctively, and the anger on his face was replaced by a mix of guilt and confusion.
Chloe didn't give him a chance to explain or argue. She shook his hand off forcefully and turned to walk up the stairs.
"Chloe," Hayden reached out again, blocking her way. His voice was low but urgent. "I know we owe you, but Yael can't be trusted. Marrying him will only ruin you."
Chloe stopped in her tracks and turned slowly, her voice cold and resolute. "Hayden, I've already been ruined by all of you. If it weren't for you, do you think I'd be in this situation today?"
Hayden was left speechless. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He knew it was he who had pushed his once-treasured little sister into prison three years ago. Now, he had no right to accuse her.
Seeing his silence, Chloe turned away and continued toward the stairs. This time, he didn't try to stop her. Once she disappeared around the corner, Hayden sank onto the sofa, covering his face with his hands, silently sighing.
In an upstairs bedroom, Yolanda sat in front of the vanity, smiling slightly at her reflection, clearly pleased with her makeup.
Camila stood nearby, cautiously speaking up. "Miss Stone, do you think this will affect you? After all, Mr. Foster publicly declared he would pursue Miss Quinn. It doesn't sound good."
Yolanda placed her lipstick down before slowly turning to look at Camila. Her large, beautiful eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "Don't worry. She not only has nothing, but she's also served time. She has no right to compete with me."
Camila lowered her head, not daring to speak further.
After a moment, Yolanda spoke again, her voice laced with malice. "But if she wants to climb higher, let her. Though, I wonder if the Foster family will accept someone like her as a fiancée."
Camila looked up, feeling a chill run down her spine at the expression on Yolanda's face. It appeared innocent, but underneath, it was as poisonous as venom.
In the master bedroom, Phoebe sat at the bedside, anxiously watching her son, who was glaring at her with frustration. "Hayden, don't be so upset. Some things are beyond our control."
"Beyond our control?" Hayden sneered. "Mom, did you already know about this? Did you and Dad force her to marry Yael?"
Seeing his mother's hesitation, Hayden's face darkened, and he clenched his fists. "Mom, do you know what kind of person Yael is? Are you willing to throw Chloe to the wolves for our family's benefit?"
"But," Phoebe sighed helplessly. "We're only doing this for your sake. A marriage alliance is the only way to stabilize our relationship with the Foster family, or..."
"Or what?" Hayden interrupted sharply. "Or we have to sacrifice my sister's happiness?"
Phoebe was silent for a moment before she spoke softly, "Hayden, that's how this world works. In wealthy families, there's no real love, everything is just a transaction."
Her words struck Hayden like a blow. He stared at his mother's cold, flawless face, feeling a deep sense of unfamiliarity and absurdity.
After a moment, he shook his head, his voice filled with disappointment. "If this is what being in a wealthy family means, then I don't want any part of it."
With that, he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. The loud bang shattered Phoebe's last attempt at composure.
Late into the night, a black car stopped in front of an upscale office building in downtown Dawnridge. Carlos opened stepped out of the car, and walked straight into the elevator, heading up to his office.
His assistant was waiting for him. As soon as Carlos entered, the assistant immediately stood up and handed him a file. "Mr. Lambert, here's the information you asked me to gather on the Foster family."
Carlos took the file and began reading through it. When he reached a few key pieces of information, he furrowed his brow. "Are you sure all this is true?"
The assistant nodded. "Absolutely. Our investigation confirms that Yael has quite a few dark secrets, the most serious of which is..."
He lowered his voice and whispered a shocking secret in Carlos's ear. After hearing it, Carlos's expression darkened, his eyes flashing with a dangerous, cold light.
After a moment, he closed the file, his voice low and cold. "Keep investigating. I want more evidence."
The assistant nodded and quickly left the office. Carlos stood by the window, looking out over the city. His gaze was deep and unreadable, making it impossible to guess his true thoughts.
Beneath the layers of hidden emotions, a complex feeling quietly grew, one that included anger, pity, and obsession.