Chapter 269: Ashley Beats Anna Up Over the Leaked Video

Anna's panic was palpable. Though Sadie lacked intelligence, she'd stumbled upon the truth. Luke knew that exposing his affair with Anna would not only ruin his reputation but also disgrace the Bolton family. He looked at me, aware I orchestrated this. His eyes held no blame, only a flicker of panic. He understood their debt to me; he couldn't stop me, even if I exposed them.

Before my feelings for Carter developed, my plan was to expose Luke and Anna. Using Silas wasn't out of fondness for Luke, but a consideration for the Bolton family's dignity.

“Ms. Gardner, I know you have genuine feelings for Ashley. But this marriage is a done deal, involving both families. If you insist on causing trouble, I'll call security.”

At Anna's signal, the shrewd Silas, with his men, stepped forward to forcibly remove Sadie. To the guests, this seemed reasonable; they didn't know the truth. Removing Sadie, who tried to ruin the ceremony, made sense from their perspective. Even the Hudson family regarded Bill with thinly veiled disdain. His obvious favoritism toward his daughter, an illegitimate child, barely warranted their attention.

“Bill, take Ms. Gardner home. This is a celebration, not a stage for her antics.”

“Yes, yes, it’s my failure as a parent. I’ll take her away immediately.”

Fiona defended Anna, attempting to preserve the atmosphere. “Ms. Gardner, I haven't known Anna long, but she's kind and respectful. I'm confident she wouldn't do something like this.”

Anna skillfully swayed the situation with a few words. But I was prepared. I'd already sent Silas's photo to Sadie. As Silas approached, Sadie shouted, “He’s the adulterer!”

Luke's expression shifted from tense to stunned disbelief. Anna was clearly shaken; her hand clenched her dress as she struggled to maintain composure.

The affair with Silas terrified her far more than the affair with Luke; he was a secret buried deep in her heart. All eyes turned to Silas. His cold eyes radiated hostility. In a raspy voice, he said, “Ms. Gardner, this isn't the place for baseless accusations. I'm a servant—how could I be worthy of Ms. Sander?”

Anna regained her composure, sneering, “Ms. Gardner, if you're going to fabricate a story, at least pick someone believable. Why would I abandon a Hudson family heir for some servant? Is he handsome? Is he a man of status?”

Silas wasn't ugly, but calling him handsome was a stretch. His gravelly voice made him seem even less likely to be linked to Anna. Even Ashley found the claim ridiculous. “Sadie, haven't you caused enough trouble already?”

Bill stormed forward to drag Sadie away. “Come home with me now! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?”

But Sadie, clever as an eel, slipped from his grasp and darted toward Gareth Hudson, Ashley's grandfather. “Mr. Hudson, I’m not lying. If you let this woman into your family, the Hudsons will be everyone's laughingstock.”

Gareth's face darkened, but his tone remained calm. “Sadie, you know I’ve always been fond of you. But today is not the time or place for wild accusations. Do you understand?”

“I do, and I’m not making this up.”

“Then where's your proof? You can't just throw out baseless claims.”

“I have proof!”

Anna's expression turned grave. She’d been careful with Silas, but where had Sadie found evidence? Sadie looked utterly self-assured. Ashley cast a cold glance at her. “Do you or don’t you?”

He wasn't concerned about Anna's past but couldn't tolerate disloyalty. Anna denied everything until evidence surfaced, adopting a pitiful demeanor.

“I didn’t, Ashley. You know Ms. Gardner’s personality—she’d do anything to sabotage our wedding. You have to believe me!”

Ashley may not have known Anna well, but he understood Sadie perfectly. He tried to mediate, saying, “Sadie, stop it. If you keep this up, all three families will lose face!”

Sadie was furious. She couldn't believe this shameless man didn't believe her! “Three families? Ha! The only one losing face here is you. You almost became the father of someone else's kid, and you're still grinning? Do you all think I don’t have evidence? Well, take a look at this!”

A video appeared on the big screen: Anna and Silas kissing under a streetlamp. Anna probably never imagined that one risky secret meeting would be caught on camera. She'd always been cautious, knowing she was watched by Carter and even the police. After I died, she was tailed for over a month. The police eventually called off surveillance, but that one lapse was enough for me. Was it bad luck or divine justice? After years of smooth sailing, fate had finally tipped in my favor.

The room fell silent as the video played. Luke and the Sander family wore dazed expressions. Wasn't she supposed to be with Luke? Luke seemed equally baffled, likely thinking, Didn't she claim to love me to death? Then how did she end up with someone else so quickly?

His face turned deathly pale. Even if he didn't love Anna, seeing her with another man must have sent his thoughts spiraling. He used to think Anna was, at the very least, loyal to him. Now, seeing her true colors and recalling all he’d done for her sake, he probably regretted every choice. But who cared? He’d brought this upon himself.

Ashley turned to Anna, his gaze cold. Anna opened her mouth to explain, but he cut her off. “No—”