More voices echoed from within. “Mom, don’t blame Khloe. Her situation is so hard! She’s not only struggling with Karl, but there’s another man too. My assistant saw them together. I don’t want Khloe to put herself in a position like this.”
Eric’s mind reeled in shock. His blood ran cold.
With a surge of anger, he pushed open the door. “Aside from Karl, Khloe’s with another man? Who is he?”
Eric’s shout shattered the silence, his face twisted in fury, his breath coming in jagged gasps.
“Eric, why are you here?” Sloane gasped, shock etching her features.
Ignoring her question, Eric seized her arm, his grip like iron. “Tell me, who else is Khloe seeing?”
Sloane flinched at his sudden move, visibly trembling, tears welling in her eyes. “Eric, please, don’t be like this. I only heard rumors.”
Eric’s glare intensified as he snapped, “Where did you hear this from?”
Sloane faltered, her voice a hesitant whisper. “My assistant saw something. I didn’t want to believe it, but she sent me photos.”
With trembling hands, she unlocked her phone and scrolled to the images.
Without a word, Eric snatched the phone from her, his eyes locked on the screen. As he studied the blurry photos, his blood ran cold.
The images were grainy, showing Khloe being carried into a car by a man.
The figure was tall, dressed in a white shirt.
His face was obscured, but his youth and striking features were unmistakable. This wasn’t Karl.
Khloe was with someone else-a handsome man.
Sloane watched him closely, noticing the change in Eric’s expression. A brief flicker of satisfaction crossed her eyes, but she quickly covered it up, rushing to salvage the situation.
“Maybe it’s all a mistake. That day, my assistant went to pick something up for me. I heard Khloe was at an audition. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well and needed help.”
Sloane’s explanation only deepened Eric’s humiliation, his face contorting with rage.
An audition?
Eric had already dug into Khloe’s involvement and discovered it was for Elwood’s audition.
Had she secured the role through some sordid deal?
“This slut! Not only does she have a sugar daddy, but now she’s messing around with someone else!”
His anger surged, and for a moment, he wished he could kill Khloe. He felt utterly humiliated, more than he had in years.
Recently, Khloe had been provoking him, and strangely, Eric had felt a twisted satisfaction in it.
After all these years, even after her release from prison, she was still circling him, always targeting Sloane, clearly still nursing feelings for him.
Now, seeing these photos of Khloe with another man, his smugness evaporated in an instant, leaving only the bitter sting of being deceived.
Lorraine, feigning concern, spoke up. “Eric, calm down. We know Khloe. She’s proud. She wouldn’t do something like this unless she was desperate.”
Her voice cracked with emotion as she continued, “It’s my fault. I should have endured everything when Khloe pushed me. I shouldn’t have let her go to prison. Now, look at her. She’s had to degrade herself since her release.”
Sloane began crying, tears flowing freely. The word “degrade” made Eric’s blood boil even more.
His body trembled with rage, his features darkening as his anger surged once again.
Seeing Sloane cry so helplessly, her foot injured, Eric struggled to suppress his fury for just a moment.
“Don’t blame yourselves. This is all Khloe’s fault. That morally bankrupt woman attacked Sloane today. I won’t let her get away with it. She will pay for everything!”
“No, Eric. Khloe’s hurting because of you. She’s obsessed because she loves you. I can see it,” Sloane pleaded, her face pale. “Please, let her go. She’s pitiful now. Or maybe we should call off our engagement.”
Sloane’s face was drained of color, and tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably.
The words hit Eric like a punch. His resolve to follow his father’s advice to get close to Khloe crumbled in that moment. With newfound determination, he pulled Sloane into a tight embrace.
“Sloane, how could you even consider giving up on us for that heartless woman? If you let me go for someone so shameless, we’d never be happy again. I won’t let that happen!”
His last words were fierce, his voice ringing with conviction. Sloane nodded, her body shaking with pain, torn between emotions.
“Don’t worry, Sloane. I’ll take care of this,” Eric promised, his tone icy. “I’ll break every bone in Khloe’s body if I have to. I’ll destroy everything she has and send her back to prison.”
With a cold, menacing look, he turned and left, his presence casting a shadow of fear over the room.
As his figure disappeared, Sloane and Lorraine exchanged knowing glances, their smiles laced with malicious satisfaction.
When Henrik returned, he advised Khloe to take it easy and called Rhett, his most trusted confidant, into the study.
“At the Watson family banquet today, Khloe embarrassed them in front of everyone. Considering the old man’s nature, he’s unlikely to let it go. His current silence only means he’s plotting something. I need you to stay close to Khloe for her protection.”
Henrik’s command left Rhett momentarily stunned.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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