Chapter 452

The Hart family was completely shattered. After questioning Olivia, Catlin had run out of the house in a frenzy. Inside, only Olivia and Tyler remained. Olivia’s eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at Tyler. But Tyler, who used to look at her so gently, now had nothing but cold indifference in his gaze.

“Tyler,” Olivia choked out. But the only response she got was Tyler’s cold back as he walked away toward his room. The icy rejection made the pain in Olivia’s chest even worse, stealing her breath away. Tears streamed endlessly down her face.

That evening, Stephanie was sitting in the living room watching TV. She wasn’t usually one to play on her phone much. A news ticker rolled across the bottom of the screen: [Breaking news: An assault has occurred today involving a prominent family in the city. Stay tuned for detailed coverage.] The anchor was reporting the news in a formal, detached tone. Stephanie took a closer look at the video footage playing in the background and thought one of the figures looked a lot like Catlin.

Just as she was about to get a better look, her phone buzzed. It was Ella calling. Stephanie answered. “Ella?”

“Stefi, Catlin might have slashed someone!” Ella’s voice was tense.

Stephanie was a little stunned. Hearing that, she instinctively glanced back at the TV, where the anchor was still reporting. She stared hard at the screen and realized it really was Catlin—handcuffed and being led away.

“It’s not ‘might,’ it’s real,” Stephanie said. Since it was already on the city news, she was convinced that Catlin had really done it.

“Oh my god, is she insane?” Ella said.

“Let me see who she assaulted,” Stephanie murmured, leaning in closer to the TV.

“You’re watching the news right now?” Ella asked.

“Yeah,” Stephanie replied.

“No need to watch it anymore. She definitely assaulted Chad’s mistress,” Ella said flatly. In her mind, the only thing that could drive a married woman to that kind of madness was a mistress stealing what was rightfully hers.

Stephanie thought about it and figured Ella made sense. Looking closer, she realized Catlin had indeed attacked Chad’s mistress. She must’ve completely lost it.

Ella asked, “But if she was that furious, why didn’t she slash Olivia too?” Chad had run off to be with a mistress, and yet Olivia had come out of it unharmed. It seemed Olivia really did hold a special place in Catlin’s heart.

Stephanie thought Ella had a point, but after considering it a moment, she figured it was only natural. “Olivia has been Catlin’s precious baby girl since she was a kid.”

Ella gasped. “Even after Olivia wrecked the Hart family this badly, she’s still her baby girl?”

It was unbelievable. For a moment, there was nothing more to say.

Ella said, “After everything that’s happened, if Catlin’s still protecting Olivia, I refuse to believe they’re not blood-related.” Given the way Catlin treated Olivia, Ella just couldn’t buy the idea that Olivia was merely the Hart family’s adopted daughter.

Stephanie replied, “How could they be blood-related? It’s not like Olivia could be Catlin’s biological daughter.” Having a child was a huge deal—there was no way Chad wouldn’t know about it. If Olivia really was Catlin’s biological daughter, she’d most likely be Chad’s too. And if that were the case, Catlin had no reason to keep it a secret.

Ella said, “The way she dotes on Olivia… honestly, I’d believe Olivia really is her daughter.” Stephanie thought back to how protective Catlin had always been toward Olivia. What Ella said wasn’t entirely impossible. Still, Stephanie couldn’t shake her doubts.

She said, “Chad’s not an idiot. If Olivia were really Catlin’s, he’d know about it.” Pregnancy wasn’t exactly something one could hide. It was the hardest thing in the world to keep under wraps.

Ella said, “That’s true.” It seemed impossible that Olivia was Catlin’s biological child. And yet, Catlin’s unwavering devotion to her was quite eerie.

Stephanie sighed. “Alright, enough of that. Are you calm now?” Ella had been crying over the phone just this afternoon, but now she seemed fine. If Ella ended up calling her again in tears, Stephanie figured she wouldn’t be worried anymore.

Ella said, “I can’t calm down.”

Stephanie thought, ‘And you still have the energy to gossip?’

Ella continued, “You have no idea I was scared out of my mind. Thank god nothing happened when I went out earlier.” Lorenzo had taken Ella out again that afternoon, and nothing had happened. But if danger really struck every time she went outside, she’d probably lose it.

Stephanie said, “It’s not like there’s danger all the time. When something happens, it’s usually because there’s a reason.”

Ella said, “Even so, I still can’t calm down.”

Stephanie was speechless. Despite Ella claiming she was a wreck, the way she was talking now, Stephanie figured she was mostly fine.

Stephanie asked, “Where’s Lorenzo?”

Ella answered, “He went out.”