Chapter 244: Settling My and Zoey’s Past

Sadie glared at me nervously. “It’s none of your business!” She quickly hid her phone, clearly trying to keep it from me. If Anna noticed, Sadie would be in deep trouble.

I smiled faintly. “I know you saw Luke and Anna. You don’t need to hide it.”

Sadie looked shocked. “Did you see it too?”

“I’m not blind. Are you planning to tell Ashley?”

Once I figured out her plan, she became more cautious. “How did you know?”

“Do you realize the consequences of telling Ashley now?”

“Anna’s nothing but a bitch. She’s carrying Luke’s baby, and still, she’s hiding it!”

I knew Sadie often acted impulsively. “Have you ever wondered why Anna and Ashley got married?”

“It’s all because of you!”

“Remember, their marriage is for show, not because they love each other. It was meant to cover up their affair. If you stir things up, it’ll only make the Hudsons hate Anna more. But they’ve already sent out wedding invitations. If you were a Hudson, what would you do?”

Sadie fell silent. “I…”

“Marriage is serious business, especially for wealthy families who care about their reputation. If they cancel the wedding, what would everyone think of the Hudsons and the Sanders? Even if they scold or mistreat Anna, they’re highly unlikely to cancel. It’ll probably go ahead, and later, they’ll find a reason to get rid of her. If you want to marry Ashley, you’ll have to wait.”

Sadie seemed to understand and appeared to agree.

“What do you mean? Should I just accept this? If it weren’t for Anna, I wouldn’t have almost gone to jail!”

I smiled. “I have a solution that benefits both of us. Want to hear it?”

Sadie seemed suspicious but was already too invested to back out.

“What’s your solution?”

“It’s simple. You can expose this, but you have to pick the right moment. If you reveal this shocking news at a big event, catching the Hudsons and Sanders off guard and exposing their affair, do you think the wedding can still go forward? Instead of waiting a year or so, they might be doomed by the wedding day itself.”

Sadie’s eyes brightened. “That’s a brilliant idea! Why didn’t I think of that?”

She eyed me cautiously. “Are you truly helping me deal with Anna? Zoey, what do you want from this?”

It seemed Sadie wasn’t as clueless as I thought. I smiled and answered, “Of course, I have my reasons. You see, I already know about Anna and Luke’s affair. If she marries into the Boltons, she’ll pose a threat to my position. I wasn’t favored at the Gardners before. After marrying Carter, his legs were injured, and he was only temporarily managing the Boltons. Jeffrey’s first choice was Luke. If you do this, Luke will be discredited, and you’ll achieve your goal.”

I stepped closer and whispered, “Even though we have conflicts, we’re still family. Our interests align here. I can’t act directly, but through you, we can achieve this. Not only will you get revenge on Anna for almost sending you to jail, but you’ll also have a chance to reconcile with Ashley after the New Year. It’s a win-win for both of us.”

Sadie looked moved. “Will you truly help me?”

“Think about it, which option benefits me more—helping you or not helping?”

She thought for a moment, and I continued, “Don’t you think it would be much more exciting to expose Anna’s true nature in front of everyone, to let them see how promiscuous she is? It would be way more satisfying than exposing her to the Sanders and the Hudsons today.”

“Okay! I promise you.”

“Sadie, I need to warn you. Anna isn’t someone to take lightly. This matter can only be between us. You can’t even trust Ashley. His kindness toward Anna is only because of the baby. He wants to use it to secure his position at the Hudsons. If your plan interferes with his intentions, it could all backfire.”

Sadie’s expression darkened. “I understand. I won’t tell anyone. It’s just a child. If Anna can have one, so can I!”

What a fool. Sadie still thought her goal was just to marry Ashley. Had she ever considered that once she lost the Gardners’ backing, would Ashley even care about her?

When Luke ran away from my wedding, I didn’t get a chance to expose the truth. But at Anna’s wedding, I would reveal everything and let everyone know why Luke ran off. I’d also expose Anna for who she truly was. She wouldn’t escape.

As for Sadie, once I was done using her, I’d strip her of her position as the Gardners’ heiress. How would Ashley treat her then? How would Bill feel when he found out? Only imagining that scene gave me a thrill of excitement. I was going to settle everything with my and Zoey’s dark past once and for all.