Chapter 296
Holden ambled over to the couch and plonked himself down. Maria instantly beamed and brought him a cup of coffee. Holden took it and leisurely lifted the cup. When he spoke, his voice boomed.
“Ms. Shepard, you must know that lan has married already, right? I gifted Rosewood Manor to Maja as their love nest. You hustling over here, didn’t the Shepard family teach you about shame and decency?”
“Holden, I…”
“Zip it!”
Holden put down his coffee, his piercing gaze drilling into her.
“Now, you’re going to ring your parents. I want them to come pick you up from Rosewood Manor themselves. If they didn’t teach you not to play the mistress, I’ll school you on it tonight.”
Carlene’s eyes instantly welled up, tears spilling down her cheeks.
lan sat off to the side, his brow deeply furrowed.“Carlene was just here for a visit.”
“You shut up as well!” Holden slammed his hand on the table, his eyes narrowing. “lan, if you utter one more word, I won’t cooperate with any more hospital treatments.”
lan’s heart clenched, and he immediately clammed up.
Holden turned back to Carlene, smirking. “What’s the matter, can’t remember your parents‘ number?”
Carlene fumbled for her phone. If she was picked up from Rosewood Manor, the news would spread like wildfire in Greenfield the next day. She’d lose all dignity.
Meanwhile, Holden was using his own health to threaten lan, who clearly couldn’t do anything. If Holden fell ill, no one could shoulder that responsibility.
Carlene’s face was burning with humiliation, her grip tightening on her phone.
Her face was smeared with tears. “Holden, can’t you…”
lan, massaging his temples, cut her off. “If you’re pissed that I brought her to Rosewood Manor, I promise you that I’ll never do it again. And I’ll personally apologize to Maja, all right?”
He didn’t want to embarrass Carlene any further; after all, she was a friend he’d known for many years.
Holden got up, turned to Maria, and said, “Where’s Maja?”
She’d called him earlier in the evening, but now she was missing. Had she been crying?
Maria wanted to spill all about Selena’s doings, but after all, she was just a servant.
“Ms. Pennyfeather had an errand to run, and she’s out.”
Holden turned to lan.
“You call her. Go pick her up, and apologize. Ian, I’m compromising because of you, not because of the Shepard family. If the Shepard family pisses me off again, they can forget about doing business in Greenfield. Ms. Shepard, realize who you are. Maja
is lan’s wife. You’re here threatening her, so you’re just a woman disrupting others‘ marriages. Your mom acted this way. Are you going to follow in her footsteps?”
The last sentence was a low blow, leaving Carlene in tears.
Instinctively, she wanted to lean on lan, but remembering Holden’s words, she hesitated.
Her lips were tightly pressed together, drawing blood.
Over the years, once she became lan’s girlfriend, no one mentioned her mother’s past. So she felt at ease. But now the most powerful person in the Raymond family was brazenly airing this secret in front of her, she felt an unprecedented humiliation.
“If the elders aren’t righteous, neither will the young ones be. No matter how much lan dislikes Maja, you have no right to humiliate her. Get lost.”
“Holden!”
lan’s tone hardened, but thinking of Holden’s health, he was powerless.
Carlene, who had spent hours getting dolled up to come here, was now unsteady on her feet. She picked up her bag and still managed a polite goodbye to Holden. “Holden, I’ll take my leave now.”
Hér face was streaked with tears, making her look frail.
lan wanted to accompany her, but Holden stopped him.
“Call Maja; go pick her up now. If she doesn’t forgive you, you’ll kneel outside Rosewood Manor all night!”
After Holden finished speaking, he clutched his chest.
lan stopped in his tracks and rushed to support him.
“Chill out, I’ll call her.”
