Chapter 82 Clara and Lucas Are Hotly Discussed
Lila's eyes flared with anger after hearing Victoria. "How can parents be so cruel? They didn't raise him, just abused him? What's the point of having parents like that?"
She was at a loss for words. "They're not even human!"
Victoria felt the same way.
She met Ignatius a month before she went abroad, in an alley by a convenience store.
He was only thirteen, skinny, and huddled in a corner, covered in dirt and bruises.
At first, she didn't want to get involved, but his fearful, clear eyes made her call the police to ensure his safety.
Unexpectedly, she had to go with him to make a statement. Afterward, as she was about to leave, a police officer stopped her. Ignatius refused to talk to anyone and hadn't spoken since he arrived. They asked her to check on him, and she reluctantly agreed.
When Ignatius saw her, he rushed over, hugged her legs, and called her "Sister." She was stunned.
From then on, he only wanted to communicate with her and relied solely on her.
The police found out his parents had sold him, and he had escaped. Prolonged abuse led to autism and social anxiety. She was shocked, thinking her life was tough, but Ignatius had it worse.
A week later, with police help, his parents were punished, but he became an orphan. None of his relatives wanted him, and he didn't want to go into foster care. The police had no choice but to contact her.
At her age, she couldn't adopt him, nor did she have the qualifications. Colin approached her to join the piano association. She made a deal: if he adopted Ignatius, she would agree.
Victoria didn't know why she agreed. Maybe Ignatius's pure eyes moved her. Despite all the abuse, he still had clear eyes, making her want to protect him.
Meanwhile, a two-minute video was going viral online.
The title: [The Real Reason Behind Victoria and Lucas's Broken Engagement Revealed!]
Both the Kennedy and Tudor families were caught in the storm of public opinion.
Some netizens thought Clara and Lucas had poor character, while others felt the issue was overblown.
In the Tudor mansion, anger erupted.
"Lucas, you're not a child. Did you even think before announcing this?" Felix, in the study, pointed angrily at Lucas. "Is Clara's reputation more important, or the Tudor family's business reputation?"
Lucas stood there silently, looking gloomy.
Felix got even angrier. Lucas was great in every way, except for his obsession with Clara. He just couldn't understand what was so special about her.
"Back then, I didn't agree with you breaking off the engagement, but you insisted. You said you could handle it. Is this your way of handling it?" Felix slammed the table in anger.
His wife, Heather Robinson, seeing his face turn red, quickly tried to calm him down. "Alright, remember your high blood pressure?" Then she turned to Lucas, speaking earnestly, "Lucas, your father and I don't disagree with you being with Clara, but you have to consider our family. If you had stayed with Victoria, none of this would have happened, but you had to mess around with Clara."
Lucas's face remained cold. "Dad, Mom, I'll say it again. The one I love is Clara, not Victoria. Besides, I'll handle this."
He turned and left the study.
"Look at him, not listening to advice." Felix got even angrier as Lucas slammed the door.
Heather patted his back, trying to soothe him. "Alright, don't be angry."
Because of this incident, the Tudor family's stock price kept falling, and a deal they had just negotiated last week was canceled.
In the Kennedy family's mansion, reactions were mixed.
Clara was happy because Lucas had finally announced their relationship publicly, and they were getting engaged next month.
Whether this exposure would affect the operations of both companies was not her concern. She was mostly thinking about her own interests.
The worried ones were Oliver and Simon because this incident directly affected the Kennedy Group's stock price and operations.
"Grandpa Oliver, Dad, I'm sorry." Clara apologized with a pitiful look. "I didn't know Lucas would suddenly announce our relationship. At that time, Lucas was also trying to protect me, so he admitted our relationship on the spot. Besides, Victoria didn't intentionally say those things to mislead everyone."
"I think she did it on purpose!" Elodie said sharply, "She knew your relationship with Lucas wasn't suitable for exposure right now, or it would affect both families' reputations."
"Mom, don't say that." Clara held Elodie's hand, persuading her, "My reputation doesn't matter; I'm just worried about the company's reputation."
"At this point, you're still thinking about that and defending her?" Elodie said angrily.
Their conversation shifted Oliver and Simon's attention to Victoria, blaming her for everything.
"Clara, tell me exactly what happened?" Oliver asked sternly.
Clara immediately recounted everything.
"At that time, I just wanted Victoria to participate and regain her confidence. But I didn't expect that Victoria and Mr. Campbell already knew each other, so then..." Clara said.
After hearing this, Oliver interrupted her and cursed, "That ungrateful jerk! She knew Mr. Campbell and kept it from us. So shady!"
"If she had said it earlier, none of this would have happened." Elodie added.
Clara said, "Mom, don't say that. She might have her reasons."
"What reasons? She's just petty and can't stand to see the Kennedy family doing well, nor to see you bringing glory to the Kennedy family. And here you are, making excuses for her." Elodie scolded her.
"Enough, stop talking!" Simon shouted.
"Clara, at the exchange meeting, did Mr. Campbell say anything? Is there a chance to join the piano association?" Elodie asked.
Oliver and Simon also looked at her.
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