Chapter 286 Make Sure You Die Right Here

“You’ve lied so much. How am I supposed to know if you’re deceiving me again?” Madelyn still wore an expression of mistrust.

Janessa sighed. “Madelyn, I’ll be honest with you. I just came from Mr. Winston’s office, and they have decided to expel me. So, there’s no point in lying to you. I don’t want to lose a friend like you on top of being expelled.”

When Janessa uttered those words, she seemed remarkably pitiful, like a drowning person grasping at straws. Surprisingly, the onlookers who witnessed this scene couldn’t help but feel pity for her.

“All right. If you truly had been falsely accused, I believe the campus wouldn’t expel you without a fair investigation. Just keep your chin up.” Madelyn had no choice but to relent. After all, she didn’t want to appear standoffish in the eyes of her classmates.

“Madelyn, thank you for being so understanding,” Janessa said, expressing her immense gratitude with a nod.

Not wanting to linger in the classroom, she turned and left.

As they watched Janessa’s retreating figure, there was a sense of melancholy among her classmates.

No matter what, Janessa was once the top student and the class beauty. Yet, due to these unfortunate incidents, she was expelled from the campus. Truly, the world is full of unexpected changes!

Josiah couldn’t help but scoff. Naturally, he knew Janessa’s earlier words were merely an attempt to play the victim and prove her innocence. However, what surprised him even more was how well Madelyn could play along with her act.

He couldn’t help but chuckle by her ear, remarking, “Madelyn, it’s a shame you’re not an actress with your acting skills!”

Speechless, Madelyn laughed. “What am I compared to that? You saw it yourself just now, didn’t you? Janessa’s acting skills are perfect, far better than mine.”

However, following that, Madelyn didn’t have to spend much effort on Janessa anymore.

Since she was forced to drop out, Janessa wouldn’t have time to trouble me lately. I can’t be bothered with her, for this is an excellent chance to free up more time for other things like investigating Livian, for example.

Ever since Madelyn started finding Livian a bit odd, she had discreetly asked her father’s assistant, Cyrus Collier, to investigate Livian’s background and family situation.

With the thought that there should be an answer by now, Madelyn went straight to the company after school, where she found Cyrus.

He was a young man sporting a pair of black–rimmed glasses. His fair skin and lean, tall build gave him a boy–next–door charm when he dressed in a suit, exuding an air of refined elegance.

Just like his name, he was akin to a clear morning sunlight.

When Madelyn found him, he had just left Derek’s office.

Madelyn gave a subtle nod. “Come over here with me.”

Then, she pulled Cyrus aside, asking softly, “Remember when I asked you to look into Livian for me last time? Have you found anything?”

“I was just about to report to you,” Cyrus said nonchalantly. He then pulled a file from his stack and handed it to Madelyn. “This is Livian’s profile, along with all the information gathered from my investigation. Please take a look.”

Madelyn took the file and casually flipped through it. She found that everything inside was meticulously prepared and neatly arranged.

“Thank you, Cyrus. Good job,” said Madelyn gratefully.

“You flatter me, Ms. Thornton,” Cyrus responded with a light smile, his gaze clear and bright.

Madelyn nodded before adding, “By the way, you haven’t told my dad about this matter, have you?”

Before thoroughly investigating everything, Madelyn didn’t want to let Derek in on the matter to avoid causing unnecessary complications.

Cyrus nodded. “Of course. You specifically instructed me last time, so I will keep it secret.”

Madelyn was then reassured. Without uttering another word, she took the file back with her, intending to give it a more thorough read.

After sitting in her private office, Madelyn carefully studied the information about Livian.

The latter’s background and family circumstances were quite ordinary. However, her husband was impressive, serving as a senior executive in a certain company.

However, a change had occurred in Livian’s family a while back. It seemed her husband had been maintaining a lover outside their marriage, and this affair had been going on for over two years.

During this period, Livian was in the midst of a divorce with her husband over this very issue. However, her husband and his mistress were behaving as if they were robbers, blatantly intending to seize all of their shared assets.

Livian was just an ordinary woman without any influential backing at home. She couldn’t afford the steep legal fees to dispute property with her husband, yet she was unwilling to give up.

Therefore, it could be said that Livian’s life had been quite chaotic recently, and she was hard–pressed.

After reviewing all the information, Madelyn felt somewhat happy. The presence of worries in a person’s life indicates they have vulnerabilities. As long as such vulnerabilities exist, things become much easier to handle.

Hence, Madelyn decided to strike at the heart of the issue and directly discuss matters with Livian.

So, after getting off work in the evening, Madelyn followed the address listed in the information and found Livian’s residence.

After all, Livian’s husband was a senior executive, so the place she lived was pretty decent. They even had a small mansion.

It wasn’t far from luxurious, but from the outside, it had a certain cozy charm.

However, just as Madelyn was about to ring the doorbell, she heard a violent shattering of glass on the ground, followed by a woman’s piercing scream.

Madelyn’s heart clenched, and she quickly rushed to the nearby window to assess the situation.

As a result, she saw a woman embroiled in a heated argument with a man. In his rage, the man had smashed a vase that was nearby. He had even slapped the woman, and gripping her hair, he was about to push her face into the shards of glass scattered on the ground.

Meanwhile, the man was still roaring in anger, “Livian, you must sign this divorce document today. If you dare not to, I’ll make sure you die right here!”

As he spoke, he increased the pressure of his grip.

Livian was in agony, her voice filled with rage as she cried out, “Jeremiah Lane, you monster! Are you even human? Do you have no regrets toward me, our child, and our family!”

The sight of the unfolding scene terrified the not–yet–two-year–old child, who promptly sat down on the ground and wailed loudly.

However, Jeremiah showed no signs of remorse. He even yelled at the child, “Enough! If you don’t stop, I’ll deal with you too!”

The child, not understanding any of this, cried even louder. His small face turned a pitiful shade of red from the distress.

Upon seeing the situation, Jeremiah’s anger intensified. He rolled up his sleeves and stormed towards the child. “I told you to shut up! Are you asking for a beating?”

“Jeremiah, please don’t lay a hand on the child… I beg you!” Livian’s heart–wrenching cries echoed from behind him.