Chapter 18: More Amazing Than You Can Imagine

Maggie gasped, her legs weakening. A wave of shock, fear, and embarrassment washed over her; she longed to hide in shame.

She swallowed, meeting Nathael's gaze and striving for composure. Her pale face, however, betrayed her as righteous indignation flared. "That's nonsense!" she scolded. "Who is spreading these rumors?" Nathael was speechless.

He'd never expected his patience to repeatedly invite such questioning of his abilities. It was utterly ridiculous!

Maggie squinted, unsure how much he'd overheard. Her will to survive, however, spurred her to lavish him with flattery. "Whoever is spreading these rumors should come and face me! How dare they say Mr. Harris can't do it? Mr. Harris is incredibly capable! He's the most capable person in the world!" She continued her fervent, albeit nonsensical, praise.

Nathael withdrew his hand, crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall, patiently observing her performance.

Maggie spoke until her mouth was dry, finally running out of breath. She felt utterly defeated.

Nathael looked at her and asked in a deep voice, "How capable am I?"

Maggie fell silent.

Was he addicted to praise? Would it never end?

The thought struck her: Indeed, people often flaunt what they lack most!

Nathael must have endured considerable ridicule and mockery; therefore, he relished praise.

Tsk tsk tsk… such a needy man.

Right, I need to bolster his courage and confidence!

Maggie looked at him with compassionate eyes and said thoughtfully, "You're more amazing than you can imagine."

Nathael stared at her for a moment, then chuckled. Leaning close, he whispered in his husky voice, "Then you might have to shout a little louder."

He turned and left, seemingly in a good mood.

Maggie was speechless.

Is he ill?

After leaving Nathael's house, Maggie received a call from Ronald and returned to the Camerons' house. Having reached adulthood, she felt indebted to the Camerons and had moved out early. However, out of gratitude, she frequently visited. She never imagined the guilt she felt was a manufactured deception.

Half an hour later, Maggie arrived at the Camerons' house and received a photograph from Leo.

Maggie quickly scanned it and laughed coldly.

The timing was perfect.

The photos depicted Joseph and Vanessa in an affair. Some angles were blurry, but sufficient to identify the couple.

As she entered the gate, she saw Master and Madam Cameron seated sternly, their brows furrowed. Ronald and his wife, Olivia Pierce, spoke loudly in Maggie's defense. "Dad, Mom, let's wait for Maggie to return and hear her explanation first. Maggie has always been a good girl. She wouldn't do such a thing."

Sierra sat indifferently, playing with her phone. Joseph's face was grim; his lips pressed tight, as if betrayed.

The commotion drew everyone's attention.

Madam Cameron, her face hard, slammed her teacup onto the table. "Kneel!" she shouted.

Maggie refused. Seeing the accusatory atmosphere, she spoke, "Madam, I wonder what I've done wrong?"

Her foster mother, Olivia, quickly intervened. "Maggie, what happened last night? Who was the man with you? We went to your rented house, but you weren't there all night."

"How did we raise you? Even if you're not of our blood, we've always treated you as our child! Yet, look at you now! You've wasted your education. You're shameless!" Madam Cameron scolded. Maggie wasn't sure why the Camerons had summoned her, but recalling Joseph's earlier messages, she had a suspicion.

It was likely because Joseph had called the previous night, and Nathael had answered, leading Joseph to believe he'd been betrayed.

Tsk tsk tsk…

They could send her to another man's bed, but they couldn't accept her alleged betrayal.

"Maggie, who was the man with you last night?" Joseph's face was pale. He never expected his obedient, deeply devoted lover to betray him.

Sierra lowered her phone and looked at Maggie with an innocent, seemingly helpless expression. The word "helpless" was unclear in the original text and is omitted here.

Maggie wiped away imaginary tears, lowered her head, and feigned distress. "After all, I'm just an adopted daughter. You've never trusted me."

Her words subtly shifted the Camerons' expressions.

Ronald quickly spoke. "Maggie, that hurts everyone's feelings. Mom is just worried about you. Tell us, have you been mistreated?"

Madam Cameron was also calculating. While they hadn't seriously considered marrying Maggie to Joseph, they didn't want her to diminish her value. Her beauty was a rare asset. They'd raised her for years, intending to marry her off advantageously.

Of course, they needed to appease her. They couldn't risk her feeling neglected and developing unfavorable thoughts.

Madam Cameron said, "I was too harsh. I'm worried about you. Is there something we don't know?"

Maggie lowered her eyes and spoke softly, "After the Adams banquet, I met Nathael again to discuss the Chronopolis project. I couldn't handle my alcohol and fell asleep in his car." Her statement was a partial truth, cleverly unrefutable.

"But you didn't come home afterward," Madam Cameron said, her tone noncommittal.

Maggie realized she couldn't maintain the deception. "Yes, Nathael kicked me out of the car. My phone was dead. I was in a dress with no money. It took hours to walk home."

Tears welled in her eyes, portraying distress and resilience.

I'm sorry, Nathael. But for now, you'll have to take the blame.

One more accusation wouldn't make much difference.

Maggie's explanation was impeccable; more importantly, they had no evidence beyond the phone call. Her demeanor persuaded them.

Joseph remained silent, seemingly the only doubter.

Maggie ignored him. His belief was irrelevant for now.

Master Cameron's focus shifted to the Chronopolis project. Maggie's romantic entanglements were immaterial. The commotion was merely a display of control. "What did Nathael say about the Chronopolis project?" His cloudy eyes fixed on Maggie, impatient.