Chapter 142: A Spineless Coward
Kaylee met Layla’s gaze. “Listen to me. If Jeremiah really did time in the District Nine Prison, he might not be in as much trouble as you think. At the very least, he would’ve survived.”
Layla’s eyes flickered with urgency. “What do you mean? Do you know something?”
“What exactly is this District Nine Prison you’re talking about?” she pressed on. “My brother did time, but he never mentioned anything about a District Nine Prison.”
Raylee shook her head, her words carrying an unmistakable implication. “I can’t give you a definitive answer right now—not unless I can speak to Jeremiah myself.”
“Or maybe…” Before she could finish, a housekeeper rushed down the stairs, her face flustered.
“Ms. Layla, Mr. Goodridge and Mr. Sutherland have arrived. They wish to see you.”
Hearing this, Layla let out a cold chuckle. “Your parents weren’t all that impressive, but I must admit, your brother are quite something. Look at them, rushing here to their doom. Do they think they can just show up and play the hero?”
“Do they take the Lorimer family for fools? Do they think I’m some insignificant nobody?” Her gaze turned icy. “I may be an illegitimate child, but I’m not to be underestimated!”
With a wave of her hand, she ordered, “Send them away.”
The housekeeper barely had time to turn when she ran back in, panic-stricken. “Ms. Layla, it’s too late—they’ve forced their way in!”
Layla’s expression twisted with rage. “They dare barge into the Lorimer Estate? They must have a death wish!”
But Samuel and Casimir hadn’t just broken into the mansion—they’d gone straight to the basement. From the dimly lit entrance, Raylee saw them. Two towering figures stood before her, like divine warriors descending from the heavens.
For a moment, emotions surged wildly within her. It was as if a bottle of mixed flavors had been shattered inside her heart, spilling feelings too complicated to name. Just two hours ago, she had been in the hospital, struggling to make it to the Lorimer Estate on her own.
She had thought—like always—she’d have to fight this battle alone.
Yet, against all odds, the two men she had considered the most unreliable had arrived in such a dramatic fashion.
Layla’s eyes landed on Samuel. A flash of resentment and deep-seated emotions crossed her face. “Well, well,” she scoffed. “After all these years, you still know your way around my home.”
Samuel’s expression was stiff, his voice indifferent. “How could I forget? You spent most of your time in this basement. Now it’s been turned into a dungeon. You and your brother are getting more twisted by the day.”
Layla snapped. “You’re the freak! Your whole damn family is filled with freaks! You coward! How is it that you suddenly found the guts to storm into the Lorimer Estate to save your sister today?”
Her voice was laced with disdain. “Someone like you—timid as a mouse—should be hiding under the Goodridge family’s protection, living the rest of your life as a pathetic, spineless wretch!”
Samuel let out a frustrated sigh. “Who said I don’t have guts? Did I provoke you? Why are you cursing at me for no reason?”
Layla took a step closer, her eyes burning into his. “If you had guts, then why didn’t you take me away back then? All those promises you made—they were nothing but empty words! You’re a disgrace. I despise you!”
Samuel fell silent, his gaze flickering away.
Layla let out a cold laugh. “Feeling guilty, are you? Hah! What kind of man are you? You disgust me! I swear, if karma doesn’t strike you down, then even the heavens have no justice!”
Samuel clenched his jaw. “We came here to talk about your brother. Why are you dragging up the past?”
2:47 PM c.
Layla sneered. “Oh? You came to save my brother? Do you even have a plan?”
“We’re thinking.”
Layla scoffed. “And what could a useless man like you possibly do? I’m warning you—if anything happens to my brother, your entire Goodridge family will pay the price!”
Samuel gritted his teeth. “Are you seriously still holding this grudge against me? After all these years, you still resent me? We were just kids back then! Do you really think we knew what love was? People from families like ours, we don’t get to make our own choices, especially when it comes to marriage.”
His fists clenched. “Your father forced you to marry that oil tycoon. You begged me to take you away, and seeing you cry like that… I couldn’t bear it, so I agreed. But did you ever think about reality? Running away wasn’t some fairytale escape. We had nothing. I was still a student—how were we supposed to survive?”
Layla scoffed, her eyes filled with contempt. “Oh, please. Stop making excuses. You’re just a pathetic, spineless coward with no sense of responsibility!”