Now They Want My Forgiveness - Chapter 197: Chapter 197

Jordan instantly realized he'd put his foot in his mouth. He said, "Hey, it's okay. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."
Stella looked at him and said, "There's nothing I can't say. Silas has had his eyes on me since I was a kid, always putting his hands on me.
"If it hadn't been for what he did, if I hadn't been so disappointed in them, I never would've run away. And if I hadn't run away, those kidnappers never would've had the chance."
She thought, 'Maybe everything with Silas was all part of Anna's scheme.'
Jordan went silent. He thought, 'Just how much had Stella been through? Already, I know so much of her, so why does it still feel like there's so much I don't?'
Without Stella noticing, Jordan quietly shot a message to his assistant, ordering him to immediately investigate everything about Silas and anyone connected to the Hayes family who might have anything to do with Stella.
Meanwhile, Anna had just gotten an invitation from a friend to a party that night.
This friend wasn't just smart and resourceful—she'd even managed to land herself a boyfriend who was both rich and powerful.
Anna was always careful when it came to networking. If someone was useful, she made sure to cozy up to them.
Anna knew a bit about the Quinn family's situation, but she couldn't be sure what the future held. She felt she needed to have a backup plan for herself.
She thought, 'If things fall apart with the Quinn family, I can always find someone better—ideally, someone even more impressive than Jordan. That way, I can show Dad and Mom that I am the one who truly comes out on top.'
She remembered she still had some jewelry tucked away, and since tonight's event was a big deal, she had to pick out something extra fancy to wear.
But no matter how much she searched, she just couldn't find it. So she called for one of the housemaids.
The maid shuffled over, looking all nervous and awkward—immediately making Anna feel that something was off.
"I'm asking you, where did my jewelry go?" Anna demanded.
"I really haven't seen it. I've got other chores to do, so I'll get back to work now," the maid stammered, already trying to slip away.
Anna yanked the maid back and pinned her in place, making sure she couldn't leave. She demanded, "Was it you? Did you steal it?"
The maid frantically waved her hands and said, "No. I would never steal anything. Even if I had a hundred lives, I wouldn't dare."
"Then answer me—where did my jewelry go?" Anna pressed.
The maid pointed at an open jewelry box and said, "Isn't it right there?"
"No, don't try to fool me. I'm warning you—if you don't tell me the truth, I'll hit you myself," Anna threatened.
The maid stared at her in shock and thought, 'Isn't Anna supposed to be the sweetest one in this house? How could she actually hit someone?'
"Fine, you won't talk? Someone, bring me a whip," Anna barked.
Hearing this, other servants were shocked. But Anna was the mistress of the house, and since they were all just employees, they had no choice but to obey.
When the whip was brought over, the maid thought Anna was just trying to scare her. She never thought Anna would use it on her. But the whip came down hard, and the pain was unbearable.
"Please, Anna, stop. Please, don't hit me anymore," the maid begged, scrambling to avoid the whip.
Anna snapped, "What did you just call me? Say it properly!"
"Ms. Anna Hayes, I know I was wrong. I really do. Please, don't hit me anymore," the maid pleaded.
Anna was pleased the maid finally addressed her as Ms. Anna Hayes, but she was far from satisfied with just an apology—she wanted to know exactly where her jewelry had gone.
She threatened, "Looks like you still don't know your place. I swear, I'll beat you to death if I have to—let's see if you talk then."
The other servants just stood there, completely stunned by what they were seeing.
Anna, who normally wouldn't even let them kill a bug—she'd make them catch it and set it free outside. Now, as she lashed out at the maid, the vicious look on her face was downright terrifying.
Maybe the maid was really scared now, because she finally broke down and cried out, "I'll tell you."
Anna gripped the whip, glaring at her as if to say, "If you dare keep quiet, just see what I'll do to you."
The maid lowered her head and muttered, "It was your mother."