Chapter 262
Stephanie was dumbfounded. Disbelief contorted her face as she watched the unfolding events. She abandoned her image and reputation, desperately trying to snatch the photos from Thea's hands and tear them apart. "Fake! Thea, you would stoop so low to frame me, sacrificing any shred of dignity you have left!" Her twisted expression clearly indicated who held the upper hand.
Entertainment reporters, always eager for a major scoop, aimed their cameras at both Stephanie's face and the photos she frantically tried to conceal.
Nicolas stood by the elevator, coldly observing the spectacle.
"Don't look," Thea said, gently covering Oliver's eyes with her hand as she ushered him into the room. Stephanie was still Oliver's biological mother, after all. Observing Oliver's willingness to endure beatings and defend her, Thea knew she hadn't misjudged him. The adults' sordid affairs shouldn't involve an innocent child. "Fake?" Thea smiled sarcastically. "Ms. Ralap, you're the last to know. Shall I call your lovers directly?"
The photos depicted Stephanie in compromising positions with various men, some foreign.
Seasoned celebrity gossip reporters clicked their tongues. "Stephanie always pretended to be so innocent. Who knew she was this promiscuous?" "She's been with at least a dozen men." "Where did she find the courage to spread rumors about Mr. Hendrix? He's too refined and noble for someone like her."
Stephanie, accustomed to navigating public opinion with Nicolas's support, felt the sharp words cut her deeply. "Nicolas, please believe me. You've always been the only one in my heart, and I've never betrayed you," she pleaded, seeing Nicolas's tall figure.
Stephanie struggled through the flash of cameras, tears streaming down her face as she delivered her best performance. However, Nicolas didn't even let her touch him. He found her "dirty."
"If Vergil saw you like this, he would be disappointed," Nicolas said icily.
For Vergil's sake, Nicolas had genuinely cared for Stephanie. But her actions were unforgivable.
"You're Vergil's sister. I looked after you for his sake. But I never expected you to use Oliver's background to deceive me," Nicolas said, his voice devoid of warmth.
He had initially believed Oliver was Vergil's only remaining blood relative. After Thea's suggestion, he obtained DNA samples from Oliver and Stephanie, confirming her maternity. Stephanie's deceit was masterful.
"Nicolas, I just love Oliver and you so much. I wanted to find him a good home and get closer to you," Stephanie confessed, her facade crumbling. "I admit I made mistakes, but my heart has always belonged to you." She saw the other men as mere substitutes for Nicolas.
Nicolas's expression hardened at Stephanie's twisted and depraved thoughts. "Save those words for Vergil. You've ruined his reputation."
Stephanie was doomed. Nicolas showed no warmth, reverting to his pre-Vergil death demeanor.
'I was the closest woman to him for years. Thea stole everything,' Stephanie thought, hatred filling her eyes. She pulled a dagger. "You have Jake. Why are you taking Nicolas? It's you! You made him cold. Why interfere? Thea, die!" Thea, anticipating this, was unharmed. Nicolas caught the knife, his hand badly wounded. He disarmed Stephanie. "Stephanie, you've lost it. Thea and I it wasn't her interfering. It was a plan of mine. I cared for you for Vergil's sake, but disappear from my sight."
Blood dripped from his hand, each drop piercing Thea's heart. She tended his wound, genuinely concerned. "Does it hurt? Don't worry. I'll get you medicine." Their tender moment, juxtaposed with the bloody scene, became a trending topic. Thea remained focused on Nicolas. "Darwin, send Stephanie abroad," she said coldly. "Ms. Ralap loves to mingle, doesn't she? Maybe the lions and tigers will enjoy her act."
Thea increasingly embodied the Hendrix matriarch, with Nicolas's silent support.
"Didn't you hear Mrs. Hendrix?" Nicolas whispered, a hint of delight in his voice.
'Thea finally cares. That's good,' Nicolas thought.
"Nicolas are you really going to be heartless? Vergil would be heartbroken," Stephanie cried, but Nicolas remained unmoved.
Vergil had done much for Nicolas, cleaning up Stephanie's messes. Now, there was Oliver. Nicolas saw Oliver trembling in a corner, afraid to face the truth.
Thea tended to Nicolas's wound before addressing Oliver. Nicolas's clinginess was even irritating to Joyce. 'Only Thea can handle him,' Joyce thought. "What are you squatting there for? You were arrogant before. Now you're a coward," Thea said, bending down to look into Oliver's eyes.
Even Stephanie didn't know Oliver's father. With an unreliable mother, Oliver's fate seemed bleak. In Oliver, Thea saw her past self. Abandoned by the Rowlands, she hid in shadows, waiting for the light. Her grandfather was her light, and now she wanted to be Oliver's. "Your father and I never said we didn't want you."