Chapter 857
Jackson's face stayed cold and unyielding.
Kenneth, on the other hand, seemed relaxed, like he knew Jackson wouldn't upset his future father-in-law over an assistant.
After a moment, Jackson's lips curled into a slight smirk, and he drawled, "My assistant didn't say anything wrong. Why should he apologize?"
Kenneth's brows furrowed slightly, and Jackson's eyes narrowed as he continued.
"Is Lilian's happiness just a bargaining chip for you to use?"
Jackson's question was firm and resolute.
Kenneth's expression stiffened, and Ruby quickly jumped in, "You got it all wrong. Of course, we care about Lilian's happiness. It's because you risked everything to save her this time that we were moved. Your assistant was out of line earlier, and your uncle spoke out of anger."
Jackson raised an eyebrow indifferently, like he couldn't be bothered to argue with her.
It was more like he didn't think much of Ruby at all.
Ruby bit her lip in frustration, feeling both annoyed and slightly mocked.
In a way, Jackson's attitude made Kenneth's worries and affection for Lilian disappear.
Kenneth grabbed Ruby's arm and said, "Why waste time talking to him? I'll call someone over right now. We must see Lilian today, no matter what."
Kenneth took out his phone, but just as he was about to make a call, it rang.
Seeing it was his assistant, Kenneth answered immediately, ready to give instructions, but the assistant's anxious voice came through first.
"Something happened. Ms. Lawson was released from the police station and got into an accident on her way home. She crashed into Mirror Lake..."
Before the assistant could finish, Ruby's phone rang as well.
She answered, and it was clear someone was informing her of the same incident.
Her face turned pale, and she grabbed Kenneth's arm, her body trembling.
"Kenneth, Anouk is in trouble."
Kenneth's expression darkened. He nodded slightly at Ruby and asked his assistant, "How is Anouk? Has she been rescued?"
"No, the driver swam up, but for some reason, Ms. Lawson hasn't surfaced. I'm heading to Mirror Lake now. There's a live stream of the scene online. You should check it out."
Kenneth ordered sternly, "Deploy more people immediately. Have the driver rally the crowd on-site. Offer a substantial reward to ensure Anouk is rescued."
Kenneth hung up and glared at Jackson.
"Jackson, you're so ruthless. You'd go this far against an innocent girl. Do you think you can control everything in Miracalia?"
Seeing Kenneth's intense expression, the sarcasm in Jackson's eyes deepened.
"Don't slander me like that. How could I do something so harmful? If you can convict me based on assumptions, then I could say you conspired with your adopted daughter and your second wife to harm Lilian, since you bought her car."
Kenneth's face turned pale with anger. "Mirror Lake just reopened today, and Anouk fell into the lake. How could that be a coincidence? If Anouk was released by the police, it means she's innocent and had nothing to do with Lilian's accident."
Even Terry felt sorry for Lilian after hearing Kenneth's words.
Kenneth didn't even know Lilian was out of danger and awake, yet he had the nerve to defend Anouk.
Terry couldn't help but mock, "Your daughter is still in critical condition, but you're more worried about your adopted daughter. Anyone would think she's your mistress."
"How dare you! That's disgusting!"
Kenneth's eyes turned icy as he glared at Terry.
Terry shrugged. "Did I hit a nerve? You seem pretty angry."
He glanced at Ruby, then looked meaningfully at the top of her head.
Ruby remained calm, only frowning slightly. "Anouk is the daughter Kenneth and I raised. Anyone who thinks otherwise has a filthy mind. I trust Kenneth completely."
As her voice fell, Jackson suddenly chuckled.
"Did you ever think that Lilian's mother probably trusted her good husband and best friend too? And look how that turned out."
Ruby and Kenneth's expressions froze.
Jackson didn't bother looking at their hypocritical faces anymore. He turned and walked towards the hospital room, his back exuding cold indifference.
Kenneth wanted to shout in anger, but Ruby held him back.
"Kenneth, we don't know how Anouk is or how she fell into the lake. She's not a strong swimmer. There are doctors here for Lilian. We should hurry to Anouk."
Kenneth nodded, and the two hurried out.
Terry watched them leave and took a few steps forward, mocking, "Aren't you worried about Mrs. Frane? Why are you leaving? I guess the adopted daughter is more important."
He followed them to the elevator and, before the doors closed, reminded them, "Take it slow. There have been a lot of accidents lately."
As the elevator doors closed, Ruby tightened her grip on Kenneth's arm.
"Kenneth, what did he mean by that? Did Jackson tamper with our car too? Does he want us to end up like Anouk?"
Her voice trembled, clearly frightened.
Kenneth patted her hand. "Have the driver check the car thoroughly. I doubt they'd be that bold."
Ruby nodded and sighed. "We didn't even see Lilian. Maybe she doesn't want to see us. Jackson's hostility towards us... Could it be that Lilian misunderstood us too?"
Jackson hadn't mentioned whether Lilian was awake.
But Ruby's words implied that Lilian was awake and that Jackson's hostility was because of her.
Kenneth frowned. "Lilian was raised by criminals like the Young family. Bob is a criminal, and now Mary tried to kill someone by tampering with the brakes. What good could Lilian learn from such parents?"
Ruby sighed again. "Lilian is Ophelia's child. I loved Anouk dearly, and I'll love Lilian the same. I'm her stepmother. If she doesn't trust me, fine. But you're her biological father. How could she think you'd harm her? Lilian's thoughts are too extreme. Don't blame her. We'll teach her slowly."
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