Chapter 672

“Tiffany? What the hell is she doing here?” Jeffrey panicked. He instinctively wanted to run, but he couldn’t move. Something held him in place, preventing him from taking a step.

The shock left Thalia trembling; her heart pounded as if it would leap from her chest. Her face was pale, and her body shook uncontrollably.

Tiffany, distressed by her mother’s condition, immediately produced a pill and gave it to Thalia.

After taking the medication, Thalia began to recover. She abruptly grabbed Tiffany’s hand and asked anxiously, “Dad, did it hurt? Are you injured?”

Tiffany looked down at her wrist, where a small scrape from a sharp rock was visible. It had happened when she lunged forward to catch Thalia during her fall.

“It’s nothing,” she said. “Just a scratch.”

“You foolish child! How could you risk your safety to save me!” Thalia’s voice trembled with anger and heartbreak. Tears welled in her eyes, but her overwhelming emotion was gratitude.

“I’m fine, Mom,” Tiffany responded.

Only then did Thalia calm down slightly. Her gaze shifted to Jeffrey, who remained standing in shock. Her expression turned cold, a mixture of fury and bitter disappointment. “You’re my brother. I trusted you as family. But you tried to kill me?”

“No…” Jeffrey tried to explain. He was adept at manipulating Thalia, knowing how to spin a convincing story to regain her trust. He was confident he could make her believe he had no ill intent. But as soon as he opened his mouth, it felt like an invisible hand had seized his throat. He couldn’t speak.

‘What is happening?’ His face contorted in horror as a chilling realization hit him. He turned to Tiffany, his eyes filled with disbelief and terror.

He cursed inwardly, ‘Bitch! It’s you!’

Tiffany met his gaze with a faint, serene smile. Her face looked harmless, but Jeffrey saw unmistakable mockery and contempt. It was as if she was saying, “Yes, it was me. And what are you going to do about it?”

Jeffrey’s eyes widened in rage; he wished he could tear Tiffany apart. But before he could react, Thalia stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face.

“Explain? What could you possibly explain? I know you were wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. I bet you even planned to shed a few fake tears at my funeral,” she said. “Jeffrey, from this moment on, we are no longer family. Our ties are severed, and you are dead to me!”

Grabbing Tiffany’s hand, Thalia turned and stormed down the mountain without looking back. Halfway down, they encountered Daisy, who was still resting.

Daisy asked, “Aunt Thalia, you’re already coming down? Tiffany, what are you doing here?”

The moment Daisy saw Tiffany, her heart sank. Nothing good ever happened when Tiffany appeared. She could only hope her father’s plan had succeeded.

Thalia shot Daisy a cold look and, without a word, slapped her. Then, she left with Tiffany. Her fiery anger was completely uncharacteristic of her usually gentle demeanor.

Daisy was stunned, her head ringing from the impact. She clutched her face, seething with rage. Yet, when she looked up again, Thalia was already walking away with Tiffany. Daisy was utterly confused and started climbing.

At the summit, Jeffrey stood still. The paralyzing sensation that had gripped his legs slowly began to fade. After a long time, he finally regained control of his body.

Exhausted, Daisy finally climbed to the top of the mountain and blurted out, “Dad, what are you doing? They’re already gone! Did you get it done or not?”

Jeffrey’s anger flared. He slapped her hard. “It’s your fault! If it weren’t for you letting Tiffany up here to ruin my plans, I wouldn’t have failed!”

“I didn’t!” Daisy felt deeply wronged. She had been resting on the steps the entire time and hadn’t even seen Tiffany go up.

“Still denying it?” Jeffrey, consumed by frustration, slapped her again, leaving her in tears.

At that moment, a terrifying thought crossed his mind. If he couldn’t escape this disaster and Thalia was no longer an option, he considered pushing Daisy off the cliff.

“Dad… Dad, what are you doing?” Daisy retreated. The look in Jeffrey’s eyes was horrifying, like that of a ruthless killer.

She backed away, tripped, and fell.

“Dad, what’s wrong with you?” Her tearful voice brought Jeffrey back to his senses. He took a deep breath and growled, “Get up.” After all, she was his daughter.

Unaware of the danger she had just escaped, Daisy continued to complain as they descended the mountain, “Aunt Thalia is so cruel! I didn’t even do anything, but she slapped me on her way down!”

Hearing this, the hatred in Jeffrey’s gaze intensified. His attempt to kill Thalia was exposed. He could no longer maintain his pretense of sibling affection with Thalia. Without the Kelley family’s support, it would be difficult for him to maintain his position in Lovell City.

The more Jeffrey thought about it, the angrier he became. He blamed Tiffany. If she hadn’t shown up, his meticulous plan wouldn’t have failed. But one question nagged at him. He had been certain Thalia was already falling off the cliff. Even if Tiffany had been hiding and reacted quickly, she couldn’t have saved Thalia in that split second. More importantly, Tiffany had pulled Thalia back as if she had flown at incredible speed—as fast as a bolt of lightning. There was no logical explanation.

Meanwhile, Thalia and Tiffany had returned home. The moment they stepped inside, Thalia hugged Tiffany tightly and sobbed. “You foolish child! Promise me you won’t ever take such risks again! I would rather die than have you risk your life!”

“Okay, Mom. I promise,” Tiffany replied obediently. But in her heart, she thought, ‘I’d never let that happen.’ The risk she took to expose Jeffrey’s true nature was calculated and within her control. While the situation seemed dangerous, she had saved Thalia without any real peril. Now that Jeffrey’s mask was removed, Thalia would be on guard against him.

Tiffany thought for a moment and asked, “Mom, are you going to press charges?” If the attempted murder was reported, Jeffrey would undoubtedly face prison time. Tiffany assumed her mother would let him go, given her kind-hearted nature. Thalia would probably cut ties with Jeffrey but refrain from taking further action because he was her brother.

Unexpectedly, Thalia nodded firmly. “Yes, I will press charges. It must be done.”

Tiffany raised an eyebrow. “Mom, you’ve made up your mind?”

Thalia replied, “Yes.”

Tiffany didn’t know that Thalia’s decision wasn’t solely driven by Jeffrey’s attempt on her life. It stemmed from her duty as a mother to protect her child. If she spared Jeffrey, he might target Tiffany in the future. People determined to commit evil could be stopped and brought to justice. Justice must be served, and Jeffrey must face trial and imprisonment. There would be no leniency.