Chapter 130

Nevin's face darkened as the jokes grew louder. Clearly embarrassed, I pulled harder on Sophia's arm. "Let's go!"

But she stubbornly resisted. "No! I need to check on my daughter! Open the door!" The onlookers joined in, their voices rising: "Yeah, open the door! Are you hiding Mr. Parker in there?"

"Even if it is him, so what? It's not like we didn't already know about their... connection." More laughter erupted.

Nevin broke into a cold sweat, desperate but unable to control the situation. He turned to me, his frustration boiling over. "Yvonne! Aren't you going to say something?"

I shrugged, unfazed. "What's there to say? If they want to look, are you going to stop them?"

"You!" He was so furious, his face turned beet red.

Sophia, unwilling to wait another second, shoved Nevin aside. "Move! I'm looking for my daughter!"

"Hey! What are you doing? Watch it, old lady!" Nevin tried to block her again.

Yosef, seeing Sophia stumble, lost his temper. He charged forward, his momentum knocking Nevin flat onto the ground.

A voice suddenly rang out. "Honey!"

A loud thud echoed through the hallway as bodies collided. I stood there, momentarily stunned by the chaos. Seeing Nevin sprawled on the floor was oddly satisfying.

But what surprised me even more was my father. He'd always been meek and submissive around the Parker family. I never imagined he would fight with such ferocity for Sophia. At that moment, my mind raced. Had he ever protected my mother like this? I wondered, but I couldn't recall.

The Parker family froze as Nevin fell. Horror filled their faces as they rushed over. "Mr. Nevin Parker, are you alright?" one of them asked in panic.

Yosef, standing nearby, snapped back to reality. His face had gone completely pale with fear.

Meanwhile, Sophia, oblivious to the commotion, snatched the room key card from the manager with a single decisive motion. She was so close to unlocking the door.

But just as chaos consumed the hallway, a voice—rich and laced with nonchalance—cut through the air. "I was wondering why the dance floor was empty. Turns out everyone decided to gather here instead, huh?"

Everyone froze mid-motion. I turned my head slightly and saw Yasir standing beside Hayden. My heart skipped a beat. Hayden is outside the door! Then… who was inside the room with Joanna? I thought, startled.

Nevin, stunned for a moment, suddenly lit up with joy and shouted, "Hayden!"

But Sophia's expression soured; her mind blanked for a second. "H-He... why is he here?" she stammered, unable to make sense of it.

Before she could think further, her gaze snapped to the tightly closed door behind her. Everything was perfectly arranged. How could Hayden show up here? Sophia thought frantically. Joanna, why didn’t you tell me anything? What exactly was going on? she muttered under her breath.

The onlookers, entertained by the drama, exchanged wide-eyed glances. "If Nevin is here, then who's inside the room?" someone whispered. "Could it be Ms. Charlotte's new lover?" another quipped, half-joking. "Wait, is Mr. Parker here to catch someone cheating?" a third asked, grinning mischievously. The laughter quickly died when Hayden's icy glare swept over the crowd. The man who had been laughing clamped his mouth shut, his words swallowed by the sudden chill in the air. The air around Hayden grew colder. He took a few steps forward, his expression unreadable, and stopped in front of me.

"You didn't stop them?" he asked, his voice low and calm, but carrying an unmistakable weight.

"Why should I have?" I asked back, my gaze unfazed as it met his. At that moment, as I stared into his charming eyes, I saw something unexpected—a reflection of myself, someone unshackled and free. The old me, I thought, would have done anything to please Hayden, terrified of upsetting him. But now… I only do what I want. No one controls my thoughts anymore.

Hayden's sharp brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't respond. Instead, he shifted his attention to Sophia. "You were about to open the door, weren't you?" he asked in a deceptively calm tone, his thin lips curving ever so slightly.

Yosef, who had been observing the exchange with interest, suddenly chimed in, "Exactly! Come on, open the door already. You wouldn't want something bad to happen to your daughter, would you?"

Sophia faltered, her hesitation palpable. How could I open the door now? Hayden wasn't inside the room, she thought, panic rising in her chest. Joanna was alone; everything would still be salvageable. But if there was another man in there… Joanna's reputation would be ruined! No! I can't let this ruin everything I've worked for.

Her hesitation caught Yosef's attention. "What's the matter, honey? Are you scared? Let me open it," he said, stepping toward the door. Yosef's confusion deepened as he watched her reaction. She was so desperate to open the door earlier. Why was she hesitating now?

"No! You can't!" Sophia cried out, shoving Yosef aside and blocking the door with her body.

Nevin raised an eyebrow, his confusion turning to irritation. "What's wrong with you? You were so aggressive about opening it earlier. Now that we're letting you, you're suddenly refusing?"

Sophia clenched her jaw, refusing to answer. The tension in the hallway thickened, as if the air itself had frozen. I observed Sophia's reaction with detached amusement. So, the truth is clear now, she thought. Nevin tried to stop her earlier because he thought Hayden was inside. But now that Hayden isn't, it must be someone else in there. Sophia's panic says it all. It had nothing to do with me, so I decided to sit back and enjoy the show.

But my thoughts were interrupted when Yasir suddenly turned to me with a sly smile. "Yvonne, she's your stepmother, right? Why don't you weigh in on whether we're opening the door or not?" he suggested, clearly amused.

I frowned. Can't this man leave me in peace for two minutes? Thanks to Yasir's words, all eyes were now on me. Even Sophia's furious gaze locked onto mine, sparks practically flying from her eyes.

Does she hate me this much? I wondered, suppressing a smirk. "Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint her then…"

"Of course, we should open it," I said with a polite smile. "Sophia's love for her daughter is understandable, isn't it? Let's not waste time."

From several steps away, I could practically hear Sophia grinding her teeth in frustration. Yasir, ever the instigator, clapped his hands. "Well, you heard her! Stop wasting time. Open the door!"

Before anyone could react, he seized the moment. Taking advantage of Sophia's distraction, Yasir swiftly snatched the room key from her hand and pressed it against the lock.

"Beep." The door clicked open. The crowd surged forward in excitement, craning their necks to see inside. Some even held up their phones, ready to capture the moment.

"Don't go in!" Sophia shouted, trying desperately to block the entrance. "This is my daughter's room!"

"Oh, come on, stop being so annoying!" Nevin snapped, shoving her aside as he strode into the room. The onlookers, driven by curiosity, swarmed in behind him, pushing and shoving to get a better view.

Someone gasped from inside, their voice sharp with disbelief. "What the…? In broad daylight…" This made those outside even more curious, pushing harder to get inside.