Chapter 175
The moment Rhett made his move, it was as if the Haywood family had been completely obliterated.
He had promised that if the Haywood family publicly acknowledged the mistakes made by Adrienne, he would let them off the hook.
With trembling fingers, Hertha called Rhett and asked, “Rhett, why are you doing this?”
Rhett actually gave Hertha the time of day and picked up the call.
“You promised me, Rhett. You said if we owned up to Adrienne’s mistakes, you’d let us go,” Hertha sobbed, questioning him, “Why are you doing this to me? Where did I go wrong?”
Rhett let Hertha finish crying before he spoke, “The ones not letting you off now are the victims, not me.”
“Rhett…” Hertha’s voice was fraught with desperation, “Why must you treat me like this?”
“Hertha, you’re a smart cookie, you know. I’ve left your family a way out. Adrienne needs to vanish from Silvergrove City for good, never to return. Your family needs to keep a low profile, and maybe then I’ll give you a fighting chance,” Rhett said, well aware that cornering them could lead to desperate measures.
Besides, Rhett’s concern wasn’t with the Haywoods, but it was with Holcomb.
The Haywoods must have had some dirt on Holcomb.
Otherwise, Holcomb wouldn’t be so invested in the Haywood’s affairs.
In the short thirty minutes since he’d returned to the office, Rhett had received a whopping thirty calls from Holcomb.
That was one call for every minute.
The old guard was getting antsy.
It really was a community of shared interests, a single thread pulled the whole web.
Hertha gasped, not yet ready to burn bridges with Rhett, “Rhett, I was sincere with you. Regardless of what happened six years ago, I wasn’t scheming against you.”
Rhett didn’t give Hertha a chance to explain any further, nor did he want to hear it. He hung up.
Hertha wanted to say more, but the line was dead.
With a surge of bitterness tightening her grip, Hertha took another deep breath.
00.07
Chapter
“Rhett, you will regret treating me this way.”
She absolutely could not give Kristin the chance to have Rhett and Summer take a paternity test and acknowledge each other.
Glancing at her phone, the incoming call was from James.
“Hertha, are you threatening me?” James‘ voice was low.
“Rhett already knows he’s not related to Summer by blood. If you don’t take custody of Summer now, Carter will find out sooner or later,” Hertha warned James.
“The Haywoods have been having it too easy lately, wanting for a downfall?” James‘ voice was a cold murmur.
“I know you want to break off your engagement. Given their current situation, you all want to kick them while they’re down, and that’s fine. James, you want Kristin, but you’re going about it the wrong way. And let me tell you a secret, the man who was with Kristin that night was Rhett. Summer is Rhett’s son, but Rhett doesn’t know yet.”
Hertha had nothing left to lose, and she was out to destroy Kristin by any means
necessary.
“If
you can’t get Kristin before she and Rhett learn the truth, you might as well kiss that chance goodbye.”
Hertha was goading James.
There was a long silence on the other end before James finally spoke, “It’s Rhett?”
“Yes, I’ve secretly done a paternity test between Rhett and Summer. They are father and son,” Hertha revealed once more.
James fell silent, his voice heavy, “I’ll take Summer, but Kristin has to be disillusioned with Rhett to leave him.”
James knew Kristin well, and she wouldn’t give up until she was disappointed in Rhett.
“I’ll handle that part. Mr. Bryce, you just need to take what you want…” Hertha was proposing a partnership with James.
“I warn you, don’t let her get hurt,” James reminded Hertha. It was okay to disappoint Kristin about Rhett, but she couldn’t be harmed.
Hertha’s jealousy tightened her grip on her phone, “What’s so special about Kristin? Why do both you and Rhett want to protect her?”
“She doesn’t need to be special. Just being herself is enough,” James said before hanging. up on Hertha.
“What?” Hertha laughed, but it soon turned into hysteria.
09:07
Chapter 175
She didn’t need to be special?
She just needed to stand there, like some trophy wife?
She would destroy her pretty facade and see who would still want her.
“Tell Adrienne to find a chance to leak the paternity test results to Carter,” Hertha commanded with a steely voice.
Her assistant was nervous, “Miss, you promised Mr. Bryce that he could take Summer. If Mr. Bryce finds out…”
“Carter is so clever. He would find out anyway. We’re just giving him a heads–up. He’ll do his own investigation,” Hertha replied. Letting James take Summer was just a smokescreen.
She needed to paint a picture for Carter, showing that it was the Bryce family who had been deceived and victimized.
Only then would Carter lose his temper and take action against Kristin.
With Carter’s connections and capabilities, he was no ordinary adversary.
If Carter took action against Kristin, even Rhett would have to weigh his options carefully, and he might not be able to protect her after all.
“Find another guy, one who tangled with Kristin back in college, pay him off, dig up some dirt, and have him seal his lips tight. Let him come forward claiming Kristin was his girl, that they were together right up until he got locked up, and even say that Summer is his
son.”
That would rattle Carter’s cage for sure. He would be demanding a paternity test.
And when that happened, it would be curtains for Kristin.
At that moment, Kristin could no longer stay by Rhett’s side.
At the FitzGerald Group.
Kristin was holed up in the restroom, her eyes glued to the trending news on her phone. The Haywood name was being dragged through the mud.
Adrienne had been a bully in her school days, and she hadn’t stopped there.
Post–graduation, she’d tormented her so–called friends, elbowed her way through high society, and bullied her coworkers.
Biting her finger anxiously, Kristin’s eyes began to swell with tears. She watched victim after victim bravely expose their wounds to the world, and she could no longer hold back her own emotions.
She’d never imagined that Rhett would step up to help her like this.
09:07
The Haywood family hadn’t so much as mentioned her by name, and Rhett hadn’t allowed anyone to bring her into it. It was a form of protection, in its own way.
The courage of these victims could spell doom for the Haywood family.
Cleaning her tears, Kristin curled up on the floor, taking a moment to collect herself.
Rhett had done so much for her.
The fall of the Haywood family and Adrienne’s comeuppance were both Rhett’s doing.
Kristin knew she had to repay the favor and get Neal out of Rhett’s hair for good.
Stepping out of the restroom, Kristin made sure to bump into Neal.
*Kristin, are you feeling all right?” Neal asked, noticing her reddened eyes and showing a feigned concern.
“Just a bad night’s sleep,” Kristin replied with a smile.
“Kristin, it’s been a while. Did you ask Mr. FitzGerald about those terms I mentioned?” Neal probed, testing the waters.
His demands were steep, but he had scaled them back a bit.
It all hinged on Rhett.
“Mr. FitzGerald agreed to everything.” Kristin beamed with joy, “Congratulations, Mr. Neal. I’m sure you’ll be the new VP next month.”
“Mr. FitzGerald agreed to everything? To merge the two departments?” Neal asked, visibly
shocked.
It seemed that Rhett really was backed into a corner, forced to compromise.
“As long as you work closely with Mr. FitzGerald, he’ll meet any condition,” Kristin confided to Neal, “Right now, Mr. FitzGerald’s biggest fear is you resigning.”
Neal’s lips curled into a smug smile. He’d had an inkling of what Rhett feared most.
“Kristin, there are a few more conditions on my end. Would you mind passing them along
to Mr. FitzGerald?” Neal pushed his luck to the limit.
Kristin nodded, her smile unwavering, “Of course, just let me know.”
She was ready for Neal to overplay his hand.
