Chapter 497

The suffocating feeling of a pillow over his mouth and nose, the terrifying nearness of death, haunted Dexter. It was an experience indelibly etched in his memory. The heartbreaking betrayal compounded the trauma. His cherished daughter, the girl he'd adored for nineteen years, had tried to kill him. Only a nurse's timely arrival had saved his life.

So, when Kayla called him "Dad," nausea and revulsion welled up. His stomach churned; he longed to shut out the sound. He spat angrily, "Don't disgust me. I don't have a daughter like you, nor am I fit to be your father. Get out!"

Kayla casually admired her nails, then chuckled. "Dad, why are you so petty? Can't I just apologize?"

"Get out!!!"

Dexter grabbed a broom, ready to strike, but Kayla retreated. Her bodyguards swiftly subdued him.

"I tried to be nice, but you refuse to appreciate it!" Kayla rolled her eyes, glanced at the closed bedroom door, and coldly ordered, "Take him away!"

Dexter struggled, his injuries hindering him. He was no match for the burly bodyguards. One punched him in the stomach, leaving him curled on the floor, drenched in sweat.

As the bodyguards dragged him away, the bedroom door burst open. Myra, hair disheveled, stormed out and slapped Kayla. The sharp sound resonated through the room. The force of the slap knocked off one of Kayla's earrings. "You ungrateful wretch! We raised you for nineteen years, and this is how you repay us? Do you even have a conscience?"

"Conscience?" Kayla touched her stinging face, her gaze icy yet mocking. "What does that have to do with me? I never asked you to raise me. It was your choice, wasn't it?"

Her words were a devastating blow, silencing Myra. For the first time, she saw her daughter as a stranger.

Myra snapped back to reality and chased after them, screaming, "Where are you taking him? Someone help! Let him go!"

Kayla watched indifferently, a smug expression on her face. "I'd advise you not to waste your energy. I'm part of Seldvale's Carrell family now. Who would dare interfere with the Carrell family's affairs?"

Since reuniting with Gabrielle, Kayla's status and attitude had dramatically changed. She was arrogant and entitled. Myra remembered the Fuller family's former wealth in Khogend, and Kayla's condescending behavior, even towards the maids. Myra had always sided with Kayla, never understanding the maids' complaints. Only now did she comprehend the humiliation of such treatment.

"If that's the case, then take me too. Is that acceptable?"

Myra straightened, pushing past the bodyguards to support the barely standing Dexter. He spat blood, looking at her disapprovingly, but she smiled faintly. "It's fine. At worst, we'll just die together."

Kayla clicked her tongue, waving dismissively. The bodyguards were instructed to take them both away.