Chapter 438 A Brutal Lesson from Patricia
"Ugh!"
Grace hadn't anticipated Patricia's swift strike. Clutching her belly, eyes tightly shut, she collapsed to the floor, her face contorted in pain, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
The agony was beyond words, and Patricia's merciless kick only added to her suffering. Already wounded by the stones hurled by the mob outside, this new pain was an additional layer of torment. She didn't dare take deep breaths, fearing the excruciating pain it would bring.
Despite her agony, Grace's sharp tongue couldn't be silenced, and she spat out, "You... You deceiver, parading as a damsel in distress when you're the vilest of us all—"
Patricia sneered, cutting her off, "When it comes to playing the damsel in distress, you take the cake nobody dares challenge for second place." From the moment Grace had attempted to drown her by pushing her head underwater, Patricia had sworn to never tolerate her. Now, in this secluded hallway with no witnesses, her patience was wearing thin.
Tossing aside the bouquet of flowers she had been holding, Patricia seized Grace by the hair, yanking her head back forcefully. Grace winced in pain, her scalp burning as she was compelled to look up.
"You little tramp, what are you trying to pull? Let go, or you'll regret it," Grace hissed.
No sooner had she spoken than Patricia's hand came crashing down on her cheek with a fierce slap.
"Regret it? What exactly do you plan to do?" Patricia taunted.
Grace tried to struggle, but the slightest movement sent sharp pains across her scalp as if her hair was being ripped out from the roots.
She stopped, daring not to move, resorting only to a war of words. "Let me go, or else... I'll tell Grandpa, and he won't let you off the hook..."
Patricia let out a scornful laugh, looking down on her, taking in the sight of her agony. "Do you really think they'll help you now? Grace, do you still not realize the mess you're in?"
A shiver of panic ran through Grace, a ludicrous thought flashing across her mind, her heart sinking with dread.
"All of this... it was your doing..."
Patricia no longer bothered to hide her glee, smirking broadly. "You finally caught on."
Grace's eyes snapped open, glaring venomously at her. "You... you set me up?"
So, all of today's events had been orchestrated by Patricia from the start?
With the same hand she had used to slap her, Patricia gently patted her swollen cheek.
In the eerily quiet hallway, the sound of another slap echoed clearly.
"Did you really think you're the only one who's clever? After you tried to kill me last time, did you think I would just let it slide? Grace, tell me, are you that foolish?"
Grace's face, swollen as though she was stung by a bee, turned even paler than paper. She looked at Patricia incredulously, unable to believe she had fallen into her trap.
Patricia regarded her as if inspecting an interesting object. "Did you honestly think I would be so naive to leave the design drafts in my desk drawer? And to brag about it loudly to everyone? It was all to lure you in, you fool."
Grace had thought her plan was flawless, but now it unearthed a calculated conspiracy. She couldn't believe this ugly truth.
Despite her reluctance to acknowledge it, suspicion gnawed at Grace, and she voiced it. "Did you post that video online, too?"
"Yes!" Patricia's said without a hint of hesitation.
In an instant, Grace's eyes reddened with fury. Like a cornered beast, she lashed out, trying to claw at Patricia's face, ignoring the throbbing pain on her scalp.
"You snake, why... why would you do this? Why?"
But Patricia had a firm grip on Grace's hair, and with the slightest movement, she yanked it hard. Grace inhaled sharply from the pain and didn't dare move again, her angry gaze locked on Patricia.
Patricia, displaying no fear, saw Grace as a defeated foe beneath her, utterly powerless to retaliate, as insignificant as a crushed ant.
"Why?" Patricia raised an eyebrow. "Revenge! If you dare do something, you better be ready for the consequences. I wanted to ruin you, to make sure you couldn't stay with the Koch family anymore. You thought you could do anything because you had the support of your grandfather and brothers, didn't you?
"You think I didn't know you've been secretly photographing me and Jeremy? Why else would I draft those designs in front of him? Why have him vouch for me? I planned to sow discord between you two, to rupture your relationship.
"Blame your greed. If you had just admitted your mistakes earlier, my plan wouldn't have been so perfectly executed. I should thank you."
Patricia didn't conceal a single detail; she laid out the entirety of her scheme in one breath.
"You think I don't know Riley is your dear brother? To get back at you, I had to crush you, make a scene, ensure even he couldn't shelter you.
"Grace, you'll never beat me. You'll always be my pawn. Just as it applies to jewelry design, it's true for everything else as well."
With that, Patricia released Grace's hair, blew the torn strands to the floor disdainfully, and dusted off her hands.
"I didn't want us to be enemies, but you tried to steal my husband, leaving me no choice. Instead of wasting your time with me here, you might want to consider how to win back Grandpa's affection, to make him adore you like he used to."
After delivering her words, as if nothing had happened, Patricia picked up the flowers from the ground, neatly rearranged them, and walked toward the stairwell.
Grace was kneeling on the ground, hands braced against the floor. Patricia's words, like a sharp weapon, pierced through her eardrums and into her very core.
Her fingers clawed fiercely at the floor. As Patricia reached the emergency door in the stairway, Grace surged to her feet and charged at her.
"You bitch, I'm going to kill you..."
Patricia had anticipated Grace's reaction and easily sidestepped her lunging form. Grace slammed straight into the emergency door with a loud "bang." The door seemed to tremble from the impact.
Patricia looked at her with scorn, her red lips parting to coldly spit out "Idiot." Then she opened the door and walked away without a backward glance.
How had she ever come close to falling prey to such a fool?
Of course; she had been caught off guard before, which nearly led her into Grace's trap. But that was a mistake she wouldn't make again.
Patricia disappeared from view as the emergency door automatically closed.
Grace remained kneeling on the floor, a hand covering her bruised forehead and bleeding nose. After a long while, a twisted smile suddenly crept onto her lips.
Slowly, she took out her smartphone, eyes filled with triumph.
Did she really think she was so foolish?
Ha—
She had been prepared from the start, having discreetly activated the recording feature on her phone. Every word had been captured as she deliberately provoked Patricia into revealing the truth.
Grace couldn't wait to present this damning evidence to her Grandpa and her brother. Her determination was unwavering – she would expose Patricia's true colors to them and make them realize that she had been unjustly framed that night, and she was undeniably innocent.
But her intentions didn't stop there; Grace had grander plans. She wouldn't settle for merely proving her innocence; she intended to upload the incriminating recording online, subjecting Patricia to the same humiliation she had endured that fateful night.
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