Chapter 41
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Ariel’s snide tone carried no hint of remorse. If anything, it was laced with open provocation.
Kayla sneered inwardly, ‘Celebrating a little too soon, aren’t you, Ariel?‘
Kayla gently held Bailee back before she could speak for her again. Then Kayla smiled, “Mom, Tris is right. Let’s not bother Dad with trivial stuff like this.
“Since Ariel’s eyes aren’t working, and he loves playing actor so much, maybe driving for our family is just too much of a burden for him. We should let him find a new stage somewhere else.”
She lifted her chin, her eyes meeting Jackson’s with a bright smile. “Dad, I think Mom and I should have the say on something so small, right?”
Before Jackson could answer, Tristian spoke up, “Kayla, don’t push it. Ariel’s been with us for years. You can’t just throw him out over something so minor.”
Kayla turned her gaze on Tristian, her face calm as usual. She replied in a steady tone, “Spreading a rumor is easy, but clearing one is way too hard. If Mom hadn’t witnessed for me tonight, who knows what people would’ve thought of me?
“And you’re calling that something minor? Tell me, Tris, what if someone started saying you were impotent? Would that still be minor?”
The color drained from Tristian’s face. His mouth opened to snap back, but Kayla didn’t give him the chance.
She added, “Think about it, a driver can just throw my name around and smear me with cheap gossip. What if that rumor spreads? People will say the Sextons can’t even keep their own staff under control. Who’d want to do business with us then?”
She continued, “Tris, you used to care about me. But tonight, you couldn’t even spot the sloppy makeup Ariel used on his fake wound. Instead, you fell for his lies and turned on your own sister.
“If people heard that a man your age was being played like a fool by his driver, how confident do you think our shareholders would be about leaving you in charge one day? Wouldn’t they call it too risky?”
Tristian’s eyes went wide with rage. He jabbed a finger at Kayla, his voice breaking into a shout. “Shut up. That’s nonsense. You-”
Something in her words must have struck a nerve, because Jackson’s face suddenly turned cloudy. His voice came down like a hammer. “Enough.”
His piercing gaze fell squarely on Kayla. “Ariel’s old. Let him go home and rest. Your mother will arrange another driver for you‘
The color drained from Ariel’s face in an instant. He collapsed to his knees, clutching at Jackson’s pants. “Boss, please, I was wrong. Give me another chance. Don’t take this job from me. I can’t lose it.”
Being the Sextons’s driver meant easy work, fat pay, and plenty of perks from outsiders eager to curry favor. Ariel couldn’t afford to lose his golden goose.
But Jackson didn’t so much as glance at Ariel. Panic flared in Ariel’s chest, and he turned desperately to Tristian, his voice cracking “Sir, please help me. You know I only did this because you-”
“Shut up, Tristian barked suddenly, his voice rising to cut Ariel off. His expression twisted with fury as he loomed over Ariel. “Dad made his decision. There’s no going back. Stop embarrassing yourself, unless you want Diana to lose her job as well.”
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Chapter 41
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Tristian stepped closer, lowering his voice into a menacing hiss. “You’ve got a son working in our company, right? If you keep your mouth shut, maybe your boy will have a future here.”
Ariel’s face drained of color. He understood perfectly what Tristian meant.
Nothing mattered more to Ariel than his son. And if Tristian said he’d ruin the boy, he would.
The words died on Ariel’s lips. He swallowed hard, bowing his head, forcing his anger and fear back down into silence.
Seeing Ariel waver, Tristian shot Kayla a glance before leaning down to whisper in Ariel’s ear, “Blame yourself. Of all people, you just had to piss off my sister. She never lets anything slide. If she wants you gone, then what can we do?”
He dragged out the words “my sister“, biting down on them with venom, his jaw tight with resentment.
At that, Ariel snapped his head up and glared at Kayla. His eyes burned with fury, unwillingness, and deep hatred. It was the kind of stare that wanted to tear her apart.
Kayla only smiled faintly, meeting Ariel’s gaze without a flicker of fear. She stepped closer and said in a cold tone, “Ariel, I warned you before to know your place. But you just never learn, do you?”
Ariel’s face turned pale, then flushed dark. In the end, he dropped his head, grinding his teeth. “You brat, don’t get cocky.”
Once Ariel was finally gone, Kayla let out a breath of relief. With him out of the picture, she knew things would run a lot smoother from now on.
Tristian shot Kayla a poisonous glare, his eyes full of malice, and turned to leave. But Jackson’s sharp voice cut him down. “Stop right there.”
Tristian stifled a yawn, pretending to be innocent. “What now, Dad?”
Jackson’s face was dark, his voice thunderous. “You framed Kay, and you think that’s the end of it? Come to the study with
me.”
Tristian’s chest tightened. For a second, his confidence cracked. But Jackson was already striding toward the study, leaving no room to argue. Gritting his teeth, Tristian had no choice but to follow.
Watching this, Bailee finally exhaled the breath she’d been holding. Relief softened her face as she stroked Kayla’s soft hair. With a small smile, Bailee whispered, “See? Your father does care about you. Otherwise, why would he drag Tris into the study to scold him?”
But Kayla didn’t share her optimism. “Mom, do you really think he called Tris in his study for my sake?”
Bailee’s smile froze. “Of course. I mean, I think so. He did look pretty angry, didn’t he?”
Kayla didn’t want her mother to worry, so she nodded and smiled, “You’re right. Dad must be teaching Tris a lesson for me.”
She gave Bailee’s shoulder a gentle pat, her voice soft and reassuring. “It’s late. You’ve had enough of a scare tonight. Get
some rest.”
Now that Kayla had said it, Bailee suddenly felt the exhaustion weigh her down. She let out a yawn and muttered, “Fine. You should go to sleep too. You gotta go to school tomorrow.”
Once Bailee went back to her room, Kayla quietly slipped down the hall toward Jackson’s study.
At the door, she heard a sharp smack ring out inside, followed by Jackson’s furious roar. “Idiot, look at the mess you’ve made,”
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Chapter 41
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Kayla’s heart jumped, her brows knitting together. She thought in surprise, ‘Dad actually hit Tristian? For me? No way. That’s impossible.
The thought didn’t sit right. Doubt gnawed at her as she leaned closer to listen.
Inside, Tristian was clutching his stinging cheek, his eyes brimming with frustration. He tried to sound pitiful as he pleaded, “Dad, I get it. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have let that idiot Ariel run his mouth. Please don’t be mad.”
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