Chapter 132

This comment made everyone laugh. Soon, Zachary stood up and shouted, “If you don’t want to be killed, get out of here now!” Whether he cared was one thing; whether it was humiliating was another. The timid fled; the braver were ejected by Nevin.

Nevin finally regained his senses. Although he didn't understand why the man in the room wasn't his older brother, he knew it was Joanna's problem and he needed to help his brother. However, he noticed his older brother looked quite relaxed.

Inside the room, Zachary was about to leave when Sophia rushed to him, blocking his path. She yelled, “Stop! You think you can just leave after what you’ve done? You owe Joanna an explanation!” She recognized Zachary as the vice president of the Parker Group. She thought it wasn't bad that her daughter slept with a vice president, even if it wasn't Hayden. What was done was done; there was no use regretting it. She decided to negotiate for her daughter while she had the chance, though she was still upset it was Zachary, not Hayden.

Zachary turned and saw Joanna, still crying on the bed. Sophia and Yosef blocked his exit. He realized leaving wasn't possible. "What do you want?" he asked.

Sophia blurted out, “My daughter slept with you! She was a virgin! We want you to marry her!” She was desperate. Zachary laughed. “Are you out of your mind? Everyone knows your daughter slept with Hayden. You just want money, right? Tell me how much.” He wasn't a good person; morals weren't his concern. This situation, while disgusting, wasn't new. He wasn't afraid; after all, he wasn't the one crying.

Sophia was furious, nearly fainting. “What did you just say?” She considered herself a scoundrel, but Zachary was even more ruthless. Yosef tried to calm her, saying, “Honey, please calm down.”

“Let go of me! How can I calm down?” Sophia raged. “He slept with our daughter and is shirking responsibility! So many people saw it! How will our daughter live? It’s unfair!” She began to cry, a skill she clearly mastered. The room fell silent except for their sobs.

Seeing his wife's distress, Yosef boldly shouted at Zachary, “A real man shoulders his responsibilities!”

Joanna cried, “I guess I have to kill myself.”

Zachary realized they were prepared; reporters waited outside. This wouldn't end peacefully. Exhausted from a long ordeal and now pestered by these people, he said, “Marrying her isn't an option. Tell me how much you want.”

Yosef, sensing something was amiss, said, “Mr. Swanson, money can’t solve everything! My daughter’s future will be ruined!” He felt their daughter had been humiliated, and they couldn't let Zachary get away with it.

I raised an eyebrow, listening intently. I’d always thought my father timid, but he'd stood up for Sophia and his daughter. I was almost moved. He would protect those he cared about, but not my mother or me.

Lucy noticed my sadness, taking my hand and patting it gently. I gave a gentle smile. “I’m fine.”

Hearing my voice, Yosef remembered me. “Yvonne? You’re here! Ask Mr. Parker to intervene! The Parker family is powerful in Elysiumville; no one disrespects them.”

I looked coldly at Sophia and Yosef, saying nothing. Sophia seemed to have found leverage. She cried harder. “Yvonne, I’ve always been nice to you. Joanna’s your sister. You must help us!” She was skilled at moral coercion.

Lucy scoffed, “How dare you! You bullied Yvonne constantly! How dare you say that?”

Sophia retorted, “You’re not family! What do you know? Her father knows I treat Yvonne well!” She winked at Yosef.

Yosef, unwilling to defy her, said, “She invited Yvonne to dinner often, but Yvonne…”

I interrupted, “You want Hayden’s help, right? He’s outside. Go find him.” Watching this drama once was intriguing; twice was sickening.

As Yosef was about to leave, Hayden entered. He looked at me first. “Were you looking for me?” His obedience was unsettling.

Lucy’s eyes widened. She nudged me, whispering, “Is Hayden waiting for you? What’s he thinking?” It was uncharacteristic of a playboy. She was increasingly confused about Hayden.

“Forget him,” I said, interrupting her. “Let’s focus on this drama.”

Things only got more interesting with Hayden’s arrival. Zachary, seeing Hayden, felt a more severe headache. “Mr. Parker, I swear it wasn’t intentional. She seduced me. You can’t blame me, can you?”

Yasir sneered, “Zachary, you’re acting like it never happened? Many people saw it. Your story isn’t necessarily true.”

Zachary gritted his teeth, incredibly angry, but he couldn't refute Yasir. Yasir was right. Zachary couldn’t even remember how he ended up in the room with Joanna. He might have been seduced, but she wasn't his type!

He found this suspicious.

Joanna, having cried for a long time, heard Hayden’s voice and saw a lifeline. Jumping off the bed, she grabbed his leg. “Hayden, how could you leave me? Please don’t abandon me.” Unlike Sophia, she didn't care about money; she only wanted to marry Hayden. She wanted no one else. I instinctively glanced at Hayden, wondering what he would do.