Chapter 310 Can She Really Turn the Tables?
A deep sense of mortification washed over Kenneth as Valentina hurled her accusations. Forced into a position of submission, he found himself apologizing to the woman who had become a thorn in his side. 'She'll get what's coming to her once we're home,' he brooded.
Kenneth attempted to mask his annoyance with a strained smile, but the twitch at the corners of his mouth betrayed his true feelings. Reese, observing from the sidelines, could tell he was seething, ready to rip Dahlia apart if given the chance.
"Valentina, there must be some misunderstanding," Kenneth suggested, his voice laced with forced cheerfulness. "Let Dahlia explain herself. If you had concrete proof, it would be a different story. But causing such a commotion without evidence doesn't reflect well on you."
Valentina's eyes narrowed, her laughter laced with scorn. "And what makes you think I don't have proof, Colin? Do you perceive me as some hysterical woman who creates a fuss over nothing?" Kenneth's heart clenched at her insinuation. Did she indeed have evidence?
It was hard for him to believe. Even if Dahlia Brooks had an affair with Winston Moore, it was unlikely they would have left behind any tangible proof. The most Malcolm's assistant could have discovered was them entering a room together.
If that was the only evidence, Kenneth was confident he could clear Dahlia's name. But now, he found himself questioning what kind of evidence Valentina might possess.
With a forced smile, Kenneth tried to defuse the situation, "I didn’t mean that. Perhaps there’s a misunderstanding. I can assure you, Dahlia would never do such things."
Valentina scoffed, "It seems Colin has quite the faith in his daughter. Since you insist on defending her, I won't mind giving you a reality check on exactly what kind of person your daughter is."
As she spoke, Valentina produced an envelope, ripped it open, and pulled out a stack of photos, holding them up for Kenneth to see.
"Colin, take a good look! Tell me if that's not your daughter in these pictures. I've been more than patient with her. If it were the old me, I’d have exposed her without a second thought."
With a cold laugh, Valentina tossed the pictures directly onto Dahlia, who was in a state of disarray on the floor.
Dahlia's eyes widened in shock as she saw her own photos. How could these even exist? She wondered how they were taken. It was impossible—unless there was a camera in the room?
Valentina easily read the confusion in Dahlia's eyes and sneered, "Surprised? I bet you're wondering how I got these pictures. Logically speaking, even if you did do 'that,' no one should have been able to take these photos—setting up such cameras in hotel rooms could lead to a scandal if discovered."
With Valentina's words, Dahlia was even more perplexed about the origin of these photos. But she dared not ask, for inquiring would all but confess her guilt.
However, at this point, Valentina didn’t bother to hold back. She was ready to let Dahlia go down with full knowledge of her demise.
"You had no idea about old Winston's little hobby, did you? He loves to keep mementos. He has a collection just like this for every woman he's involved with on the side. He might not use them for anything, but he treasures them, and that's how I got my hands on them."
Sometimes, women can be so blind in love, lacking all common sense. Just one look at Dahlia Brooks, and you can tell she's the type who got played without ever realizing it. Even if you're actually out to hook a guy, you should at least get the lowdown on him first. It's crazy to bite the bait without even knowing who the other person is.
At that moment, Dahlia Brooks was seething with rage, wishing she could tear that despicable man to shreds. How dare he take such scandalous photos of her? Was he trying to ruin her?
And he had the audacity to promise her the world, everything but his wife finding out. But in the end, he indirectly spilled the beans to her anyway.
Valentina watched Dahlia's pitiful state and couldn't help but sneer, "Colin, got anything to say for yourself? Was I wrong about your daughter?"
The onlookers standing around, who had previously anticipated Reese's embarrassment, were now watching as Dahlia Brooks walked straight into the line of fire.
"People really need to watch out for the daughters of the Brooks family. They're trouble. Keep an eye on your husbands, folks. Looks like she doesn't even spare men her father's age. Talk about desperate."
"Seriously, it's not like the Brooks Corporation needs the money, yet they let their daughter get involved in such messy affairs. No telling how many men she's been with."
"Poor Kenneth must be mortified now, with those uncensored photos going around and so many witnesses here today. It's as though everybody knows the kind of person the Brooks daughter really is."
"She looks all polished and pretty, but behind the scenes, she's caught up in these shameful acts."
"The reputation of Brooks Corporation is definitely going down the drain after this. They used to say Reese isn't a true Brooks, but considering this mess, it seems like a stroke of luck."
"People used to mock Reese for not being worthy of Mr. Flynn without the Brooks Corporation backing. Turns out, she's fortunate she isn't blood-related. Otherwise, she'd have a hard time facing the world now."
"But Reese is in the clear now. She's left all that behind. She's just the owner of Emerald Isle, a major shareholder in Brooks Corporation, and Mrs. Flynn of the Flynn family. That’s more than enough. Who needs the title of the Brooks daughter anyway?"
Hearing the crowd's comments, Dahlia Brooks was furious. She despised how everyone seemed eager to malign her to curry favor with Reese.
Why should it be this way? In what way was she inferior to Reese? She was supposed to be the Reese of Flynn Group, but by some twisted stroke of fate, Reese had ended up with the prize. Her neck stiff with fury, she lashed out. "What's it to you? Do you think your kids are saints? For all you know, they could've been sneaking out to clubs under the cover of night, hooking up with strangers."
Dahlia Brooks's outburst instantly stirred up a hornet's nest.
"Are you out of your mind? Our kids are nothing like you."
"Colin, your daughter really doesn't know what's good for her. She's the one seducing Valentina's husband, and now she's trying to drag our kids down with her."
Kenneth quickly grabbed Dahlia, who was spiraling out of control, "Stop talking nonsense and shut your mouth!"
But Dahlia had already embarrassed herself beyond redemption and decided to let loose – after tonight, she would have to face the storm anyway.
Facing Kenneth among the crowd, she resisted him for the first time, shaking off his grip.
"Dad, what are you scared of these women for? What could they possibly do to us? Each of you puts on a façade, but don't think I don't know about the skeletons in your closets."
Reese watched Dahlia make a spectacle of herself, the image of a poised heiress nowhere to be found.
She was burning her bridges.
But that was of no consequence to Reese. Dahlia had shot herself in the foot – if she hadn't meddled with Reese from the start, none of this would have happened.
Turning to Malcolm, she suggested, "Let's get out of here, the party's a bust anyway."
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