Chapter 516

“Mr. Wilson, this is what happened at the time.”

Half of Ronald’s face was shrouded in shadow. The person reporting to him kept their head down, not daring to look at his expression.

“A biological mother kidnapping her own daughter…” Aubree’s firm and powerful voice played from the recording.

After a long silence, Ronald finally asked, “Has this matter gone public?”

The subordinate replied, “No, it hasn’t. Bree Technology’s security managed to disperse the crowd.”

Ronald ordered, “Keep an eye on any online rumors. You may go now.”

The office door opened and closed again, but Ronald’s mood hit rock bottom. He never once considered that his wife would be the one to instruct traffickers to abduct their youngest daughter.

His heart sank. He pulled out a sheet of paper from a drawer. It clearly stated that Timothy and his accomplice were murderers who had been on the run for years and were involved in child trafficking.

Ronald clasped his fingers together and supported his forehead. He had thought that Alice only hired such notorious criminals, not realizing she had been in league with them all along, possibly because she was already under their control.

If it was truly Alice who orchestrated Aubree’s abduction at five years old… Then what exactly was Carmen? And what was Alice’s ultimate goal?

Ronald’s mind was a chaotic mess, like a tangled ball of yarn clawed apart by a cat, jumbled and impossible to straighten.

“Wait, was Kyler really just a boy toy she kept?” Ronald thought, a sudden realization flashing through his mind.

He believed Alice had feelings for Kyler. Given her personality, unless she had a very compelling reason, she would never have done something like this, not for her conscience, nor for the interests of the Wilson and Diamonde families.

A blurry image of Kyler’s face flashed before his eyes. Was it the person she was keeping… or was it the face she was keeping?

Suddenly, it clicked. Ronald felt as if he’d grasped a key piece.

He hadn’t considered this before because Carmen was not Alice’s biological child. His subconscious had automatically ruled out certain possibilities. But he had forgotten. Aside from Alice, there was one more person who knew all about her past.

That person was Ernesto.

Alice’s presumptions, paired with Ernesto’s deliberate cover-ups, might very well be what created the current situation.

With trembling hands, Ronald made a phone call. “Investigate someone connected to Alice. Their appearance likely resembles this… Start from her younger years. Check if the Diamonde family did anything shady in the past.”

Meanwhile, far away from all this chaos, Trevor was having the time of his life.

The short drama he had filmed became a hit on its platform. Not only did he win the heart of a beautiful woman, but his agent, Skyler, also used the opportunity to clear up past rumors. It was explained that the previous “competition” incident had stemmed from the director’s frustrations about the industry. It led to the premature airing of their TV series, creating all that later drama.

In short, Trevor was innocent. The blame was placed squarely on the production team. After all, a top-tier actor wouldn’t ruin his own reputation.

[Trevor is hardworking and respectful. He approaches all emerging art forms with humility and enthusiasm. Every form of performance deserves to be explored.]

That statement was released to the public, and his long-frustrated fanbase finally rallied.

[What? You say Trevor isn’t dedicated? He’s won so many awards, insists on performing stunts himself. How dare you!]

[You say he looks down on lower-tier actors? He just acted in a short drama himself!]

[There’s no debate for his acting and looks. Even the haters agree he’s top-tier.]

To solidify this public image, Trevor also threw himself into charity work. He even went to a remote region to film a public service video.

One had to hand it to him. He was a master actor on and off-screen. Even in the mountains, he was full of resentment. However, he never showed it when cameras were around.

In no time, the public sentiment shifted in his favor. Even the previously damning Sophia incident got flipped. Sophia became the one at fault, and Trevor turned into the poster child for responsible, kind-hearted men.

“Skyler, I’ve decided. I’m divorcing Sophia.” At his apartment, Trevor lay across Kate’s lap, being fed fruit like a spoiled cat.

Skyler said, “Trevor, isn’t it a bit too soon… Your reputation just turned around. What if…”

In his heart, he wanted to curse. Trevor was a trouble. He had just managed to salvage his image. But here came another landmine.

“What’s there to worry about?” Trevor shot back.

He added, “Right now, everyone says marrying Sophia was the worst decision of your life. Just manage the PR, hire some ghostwriters, and test public opinion a bit. She’ll sign the papers.”

If Trevor were the type to listen, he wouldn’t be Trevor.

He said all this like it was obvious. His tone was dripping with disdain.

Skyler could tell he expected everything to go his way. He knew this would backfire. Sophia was the kind of woman who would rather die than bend. If she decided to expose everything, she had nothing to lose.

Besides, Skyler knew Trevor hadn’t changed one bit. He was back to his old habits again, cheating and womanizing.

If this blew up, it would be obvious who the real villain was. But…

Skyler glanced at the documents he had already prepared. Trevor’s eventual downfall was not his business. He just needed to follow orders.

“Alright, I got it,” Skyler said.

Satisfied, Trevor hung up the phone, then turned to nestle into Kate’s lap, his breath warm against her skin. “Trevor… it tickles…”

He chuckled lowly, clearly in a good mood. “Silly, aren’t you going to ask why I want a divorce?”

Kate lowered her eyes to hide the ridicule in them, replacing it with a look of nervous self-blame. “I… after what happened… I trust your decisions. If I’ve chosen to be with you, I accept everything. Even if Sophia comes to me one day, I’ll accept the consequences.”

He melted at that. “You’re so silly. I’ve never met someone like you. You have no demands, no tantrums.”

Kate smiled softly but said nothing. The guilt in her eyes only deepened. Her behavior made Trevor feel even more attached. He thought he had truly found someone pure.

He said, “I want a divorce so that one day, you can stand by my side openly.”

He sat up and cupped her check. “That night was my fault. You shouldn’t have had to suffer like that.”

The more he talked, the more annoyed he became with Sophia.

Trevor had originally planned to wait a little longer, but now he didn’t want to wait at all. He was already thinking about calling his lawyer that very night to send the divorce papers.

He was sure Sophia wouldn’t dare say no. Even if she refused, there was nothing she could do.