Ch. 2921..2930

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2921-Karen chuckled. "Sherman is probably joking. How could anything happen to Rita on her way home? Maybe she had an argument with him and didn't answer his calls, so he thought something happened."

Vince, visibly impatient, replied, "Enough with the questions. Just wait at home. I told him the same thing when I called him, but he wouldn't believe me and even threatened me. I don't know if he even considers me as an elder!"

Vince descended the stairs as he spoke, leaving Karen standing there with her arms crossed disdainfully.

'Who in this family actually treats him as a real elder anyway? Doesn't he realize what an embarrassment he is by clinging to Sherman like a leech?'

At times, Karen did not approve of Vince's behavior and would have scolded him already if it were not for the baby boy in her belly. However, it seemed like something bad really had happened since Sherman called Vince.

Karen instinctively thought of Sadie. In case something unexpected happened, she needed her daughter under her watchful eye to feel at ease. However, when she knocked on Sadie's door, she found that no one was inside.

She had warned her about being more careful and not going out so frequently. 'How could she not be at home at this hour? That girl is getting more unruly by the day!'

Karen, holding back her anger, called Sadie. There was a cacophony of noise on the other end of the phone. "Where the hell could she be?' After a while, Sadie seemed to find a quiet corner before answering the call.

"Hello, Mom. Why are you calling me now?"

Karen frowned and demanded, "What are you doing? It's so late. don't you have any sense of time?! told you not to go out these few days, but you never listen to me. That brat Rita is in trouble now, and you're my precious daughter. What if something happens to you too?"

"Oh? Is that so?" Sadie's tone sounded unsurprised.

"Sadie... Why do I feel like you knew Rita would get into trouble? Where are you right now? I want you to come back now. You better not let me find out that you're involved in this."

Hearing her mother's serious tone, Sadie replied with a smile, "Mom, where did you get that idea? She's a reporter, and she's always out there investigating all sorts of dangerous cases, so it's normal if she gets into trouble, right? She refuses to take bodyguards even though what she's doing is clearly dangerous. This has nothing to do with me. What can I do?

"Since you want me to come back, I'll say goodbye to my friends and come back immediately, okay? Don't be angry. You are still carrying my little brother, after all. Trust me, I'll be home in twenty-five minutes."

Karen felt relieved. It was not that she did not want to get rid of Rita, but since she was married to Sherman, Karen could not be sureaf Sherman had any feelings for Rità. It would be risky to harm Rita if they really had feelings for each other. Either way, she needed to understand Sherman's intentions toward Rita before taking action.

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The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2922-'If he likes Rita that much, I might as well let her live. After all, we could benefit a lot from Sherman. But Sadie is right, too. She's alone now, so how could she even have the means to kidnap Rita? It seems I've been overthinking,' Karen comforted herself, hand on her chest.

Meanwhile, Sadie's expression changed after hanging up the phone, and she briskly walked over to Esmond. "Mom called. You heard her, didn't you? She doesn't want anything to do with you. After you've settled the Rita problem, I'll find a way to arrange for you to meet with her, but for now, I have to go home."

Esmond nodded. "I know I let you and your mom down before. Alright, sweetheart, you go home first. Daddy won't let you down with this matter, and I'll make sure it won't lead back to you."

Sadie felt very unwilling when he referred to himself as her father, but she needed his help, so she had to bear with it for the time being.

On the way back, Sadie's mood remained cheerful. She heard from Karen that Rita had gotten into trouble, but they still could not figure out who had harmed Rita.

'Sweet, sweet Rita... No matter how cocky you are, you still walked right into my hands! This time, I won't let you walk away alive!

Even standing under the sun, Sadie's sinister expression was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. Sometimes, even Karen could not understand why her own daughter hated Rita so much.

Sherman arrived at the scene before Vince did. His heart turned cold when he saw the shattered car window glass. He took a closer look at the inside of the car and noted that apart from Rita's phone, none of her belongings seemed to hold any importance to her kidnappers. In fact, they remained untouched.

"That means they didn't do this for the money. What was the motive, then?' thought Sherman, trying not to think of the worst-case scenario.

Since they had taken Rita's phone, it proved they had ulterior motives. Who'd they call? It surely wouldn't be Vince, right?"

Initially, Vince thought Sherman was overreacting, but when he saw the chaotic condition Rita's car was in, he became so shocked that he could not speak.

He circled the car twice before pointing at the window and asking Sherman, "Did the criminal organization do this? How dare they take my daughter in broad daylight! What do these people want?"

Sherman, with a cold flick of his eyelids, did not answer a single question. Instead, he walked over to the side to call his friend.

"Yes, I need to check all the surveillance footage on this road from five-ten to five-forty this afternoon. My wife's in trouble. The sooner, the better. I'm willing to pay any price!"

Vince belatedly realized the significance of his daughter to Sherman when he heard him refer to Rita as his wife during the call.

'Seems like I was right to bet on him. He really has fallen in love with Rita,' thought Vince.

However, he started to panic at the thought of his daughter's disappearance. What if Rita was in trouble? How would he explain to Sherman? How would he explain this to his late ex-wife?

'Oh, Taya, please look after our daughter from heaven and keep her safe,' Vince prayed silently.

Sherman did not just sit idly by. He immediately contacted the authorities and reported everything to them.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2925-Vince could not see Sadie's smug smile since his back was turned toward her.

'Seems like Esmond has employed more reliable help this time, making the abduction swift and decisive,' thought Sadie. Out loud, she asked with concern, "Dad, have you called the police?"

Vince impatiently waved her off. "Enough, let's go back for now. Standing here won't bring Rita back. Sherman has sent people to look for her. I don't know if he'll call the police or not. If they've kidnapped her and he calls the police, it might put Rita in danger."

Sadie nodded. "You're right. Let's go back. Mom might be worrying about us right now."

Mentioning Karen reminded Vince that she was pregnant. He did not want to stay there either. After all, the people who had kidnapped Rita might target the others in her family as well.

"Alright, you don't need to worry about Rita's kidnapping. Let's go home."

As they drove back home, they saw Karen—her baby bump showing—standing at the door and anxiously looking around. She rushed up to them as soon as she saw them.

"Are you both okay?" She glanced behind Sadie. "Where's Rita? Is she really in trouble?"

Vince nodded solemnly and said with a frown, "Both you and Sadie stay home. We don't know if someone has targeted our family. Rita still hasn't been found, and no one has contacted us. I'm not sure what's going on."

"Have you called the police?" asked Karen.

The mother and daughter were indeed united in their concern, as Karen asked the same question as Sadie.

Vince, still frowning, said he did not know. "Anyway, she's already married. We'll follow Sherman's lead on this so that he has no grounds to blame us if something really happens."

Karen felt a chill in her heart. Vince was even more ruthless than she had imagined. After all, he used Rita to get more money from Sherman, yet he showed such an indifferent attitude when Rita was in trouble. Even Karen thought he was too cold-hearted.

"I don't think that's a good idea. After all, it was when Rita was on her way here that she got into trouble. Can't you have someone check the surveillance footage? Maybe we can find some clues!" Karen felt that regardless of Vince's attitude as a father, she, as a stepmother, should at least show some concern.

Afraid that her mother's interference might ruin her plan, Sadie quickly took her mother's arm and gently pinched her on the inside.

"Mom, as a pregnant woman, you shouldn't be thinking about these things. What if all this worrying affects you and the baby? Dad and Sherman are handling this. Plus, what can you do if even they can't find her?"

Vince nodded. "Yes, listen to Sadie. Go back and rest. You and Sadie don't need to worry about what's happening here. I'll give Sherman a call and see what he plans to do."

Sherman was thinking that if they could not find Rita, he would make the entire Russell family pay.

'Rita went home today to get more information about Esmond from Karen. She's such a fool. She's even willing to put her own life at risk to find out the truth and reveal it to the world. She's sacrificed so much for those people, but have they ever appreciated her efforts? Clearly, she hates going back to her father's place and pretending to get along with them, but she still forces herself to go there three times a week.'

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2923-"Yes. So far, they haven't called or stated any ransom amount, but this is a very serious incident. My wife was taken on her way home, and I believe your officers understand what might happen next. Our only demand is to prevent the worst-case scenario. I want her back safe and sound, not a hair harmed."

The lieutenant Sherman was talking to did not take the matter seriously, but upon realizing Sherman's identity, he immediately sat up straight. "I promise to ensure the safe return of your wife. We've mobilized a team to investigate and gather clues in the area."

Sherman impatiently interrupted him, "Alright, handle it however you see fit. I just want her back safely."

He hung up. Knowing he should not rely only on the police, he contacted the people who had some connection with the criminal world. He was not unfamiliar with unconventional methods, but some people were too arrogant, always thinking they could manipulate everything.

"Go find out if there's been any activity from Esmond lately."

"Oh, Mister Sherman, it's been a while since we last spoke. To what does a small fry like me owe this pleasure?"

The person on the other end of the phone still wanted to exchange pleasantries with Sherman, but Sherman had no time for that.

"I get it. I'll come by your place after this is over. But right now, the most important thing is finding my wife. No harm must come to her, understand? The sooner, the better. I don't have much time."

The person on the other end of the phone became serious too. "Got it, Mister Sherman. We'll make sure to bring back your wife safely."

Sherman had both the police force and criminal gangs look into Rita's whereabouts.

He stared at Rita's car in a daze. The only reason he could think of for Rita's kidnapping was because she had offended Esmond. Perhaps she had offended others during previous investigations, but he could not think of anyone specific.

'Is it because I haven't shown her she can trust me, and that's why she doesn't tell me everything? I should've told her I was serious about her! But why didn't I? What benefit was there in keeping her in suspense, especially if something happened unexpectedly?' thought Sherman remorsefully.

Vince stood by, afraid to even breathe. It was not until Sherman slammed his fist into the car door-leaving a bloodstain on it-that he flinched.

"Sherman, there's no need to be too anxious. Maybe things aren't as serious as you imagine? They've just kidnapped Rita, and when the time comes, they'll ask for money. guarantee they'll bring her back once they get the money!" Vince tried to console himself.

How ironic that sounded.

"Just kidnapped'? Are you even Rita's father? How could you say such things? What do you mean 'just kidnapped'? Rita could be in danger right now. Those people haven't contacted us yet, so how can you be so sure it's just a kidnapping? I guess it's true what people say..."

"What are you talking about?" Vince asked instinctively.

"With a stepmother comes a stepfather."

After saying this, Sherman drove off. He had to follow up on this matter. Rita's life was at risk, and he would not allow himself to sit idly by.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2924-Vince had not expected to hear those words from Sherman's mouth. Genuinely incensed by his words, Vince spat in the direction Sherman had departed.

"Pah! Who does he think he is? How dare he speak to me like that! How could Rita have turned out so well if I had raised her like a stepdaughter? I provided her with everything she ever wanted ever since she was born. The fact that Sherman was able to marry her was all thanks to my pleading and insistence! And he still dares to say I don't care for her? What does he know about caring for her?"

Vince paced angrily, his frustration mounting. 'Just who the heck did Sherman think he was? I'm his father-in-law, yet he looks down on me? If he's so high and mighty, then he might as well not marry my daughter! How can he accuse me of not worrying about Rita when she's in trouble? Of course I'm worried! He's making it sound like he's the only one who cares about Rita in the whole world. What's he playing at putting up such a loving act in front of me? Who does he think he is?'

In a fit of anger, Vince decided he would not bother with this matter. He would return home.

'Rita's already married, and with her husband so anxious, it seems there's no use for me to worry about her anymore,' thought Vince.

Unexpectedly, he encountered Sadie on his way back. Instinctively, he asked, "Where have you been? Don't you know that your sister is coming home for dinner tonight? Couldn't you have been back earlier? I have no other responsibility toward you. Bringing you home is the limit of my kindness. How can you not care about Rita? She's still your sister even though she's married, you know!"

Vince was seething with anger, and he vented it out on Sadie when he bumped into her.

Sadie had just smiled at him, only to be subjected to an unwarranted scolding.

"Dad, how could you say I don't care about Rita? How could I not care about my sister? I only went out to hang out with my classmates. I wanted to come back around one in the afternoon, but they insisted there were new materials in the library, so I went to check with them didn't expect to be delayed until now."

Sadie looked at Vince innocently. "By the way, what are you doing out here? Did something happen?"

Vince looked back at her, thinking that there was no use venting his anger on her, no matter how much he bottled up. "Alright, let's go back for now. Rita might be in trouble." He waved his hand dismissively, but Sadie was genuinely shocked.

"Dad, you're not joking with me, are you? Didn't you say Rita is coming home for dinner tonight? How could she be in trouble all of a sudden?" She even asked with a smile, but seeing Vince's expression, her smile gradually disappeared.

"Dad, just what happened to Rita exactly? How could anything happen to her when she's so close to home? Where is she now?" Sadie got out of her car, and her first reaction when she saw Rita's broken car window was thinking, 'Did Rita get into a car accident?'

"Which hospital is she in now? We should hurry to the hospital. If she's had an accident, we can't just leave her alone."

Vince shook his head. "It would be easier if it were a car accident. The thing is we don't know where she is."

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2926-Sherman felt a pang of heartache at the thought of how naive Rita was. Suddenly, he remembered a key figure in all of this-Esmond.

Sherman recalled how he and Rita had embarrassed Esmond. Being a formidable thug for so many years, there was no way he would be able to swallow that humiliation.

"It better not be you behind this," Sherman muttered to himself.

Sherman had kept tabs on Esmond after their previous escape, so if it was indeed him, there should have been some activity. However, after that incident, Esmond had been unusually quiet, even avoiding his own territory.

Sherman could not let go of this lead.

Just then, Lucy called. "Mister Sherman, we've found Esmond's whereabouts. He went to his casino as usual today, and we didn't see him near the Russell's mansion," Lucy reported.

After hearing her report, Sherman became even more suspicious. Other than Esmond, he could not think of anyone else Rita might have recently offended.

Using such drastic measures, even disregarding surveillance to abduct someone in broad daylight, it had to be someone with a deep grudge against Rita. He could not think of anyone else who would do such a thing.

Karen and Sadie were also within Sherman's realm of consideration. However, both of them were at home when it happened.

Just then, Vince's call came through.

Sherman did not want to answer. Alas, he answered in hopes that Vince might have found some clues on his end.

"Speak."

Vince intended to exchange pleasantries, but Sherman's icy tone cut straight through. Vince felt even more disdainful, so he moved his phone a bit farther away, not wanting Sadie or Karen to overhear out of fear of embarrassment.

"I want to know what your plan is. No one has contacted us, which means this isn't a simple kidnapping case. They're not after money."

"So? Are you trying to prove that you finally grasp the situation? Do I need to tell you that someone wants your daughter dead?"

'Rita is still missing, yet her father is behaving like a fool!' Sherman seethed with anger at Vince's words.

"How dare you speak to your father-in-law like this? Regardless, I am your elder. Don't you think I'm worried too that Rita's missing? She's my daughter, yet you seem to be more anxious than I am. What are you trying to pull? Weren't you adamantly against marrying her before? She even suffered a great deal of humiliation because of it!"

Sherman quickly interrupted Vince's attempt to dredge up old grudges. "Our past is none of your concern. If you don't have any leads, then don't bother calling me again. I don't have time to waste with you."

Sherman disconnected the call once again.

Vince stared at his phone screen, panting. He did not expect to be humiliated again so abruptly.

Karen sensed something was wrong but did not dare to approach him. It was clear that he had been humiliated by Sherman again.

Sadie wanted to ask a few questions, but. Karen held her back. She shook her head at Sadie and mouthed," Don't go."

After a while, Vince regained his composure and walked over to them with a forced smile. "Sherman is as clueless as we are. Asking him is like asking in vain. Let's just wait for the kidnappers to call."

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2927-"We were supposed to have dinner at home. I'm starving. Let's at least eat something. Even if we can go hungry, we shouldn't let the little one in your belly go hungry," said Vince.

Karen reluctantly nodded. 'His daughter is missing. How can he still have the appetite to eat? This is totally unheard of!'

Meanwhile, Rita was lying in the back and swaying with the movement of a large truck with her eyes and mouth covered. She could only press her ear against the carriage, straining to listen to the sounds outside. She did not know who these people were or why they wanted to kidnap her.

Just like Sherman, the only person she could think of that she had offended recently was Esmond. 'But I've been keeping my distance away from him, so why would he resort to such a drastic measure against me?'

Rita could not find an answer; she did not know what went wrong in between. She was filled with anxiety and fear, not knowing what her kidnappers were up to. As the truck continued on its journey, the outside sounds grew fainter as if they were leaving the city. Rita's heart pounded with even greater fear.

'It's okay, Sherman heard what happened to me, so he'll definitely come to rescue me-just like all the times he did.' Rita repeated this sentence in her mind.

She held onto the belief that Sherman would come swooping in like last time to save her from danger. With this mantra, she felt relatively better. Otherwise, she would have had a nervous breakdown long ago. Her kidnappers were banking on her having a nervous breakdown, thus they did not drug her. Instead of letting her wake up at their destination, it was better to keep her awake and gradually break her down along the way. Then, she would be powerless to resist once they had reached their destination.

"Mister Sherman, we've found something suspicious. Recently, Esmond has been frequenting a coffee shop, and he always booked out the entire second floor."

The person responsible for monitoring Esmond finally gave Sherman a useful lead.

"There must be something going on when a suspect deviates from his usual routine. Keep investigating him," said Sherman, hands clasped together, praying and hoping that Rita could hold on until he found her.

Whether it was the power of his prayers or Rita's own luck, Sadie happened to be captured on video footage during her one visit to nearby places. Everyone had been informed in advance of Sadie and Rita's strained relationship, so they naturally would not overlook this lead.

When Sherman was informed of this, he immediately grabbed the videotape and had someone drive him to the Russells' residence.

Rita had repeatedly reminded him not to drive in case of emergencies on account of how highly strung he would become. Thus, not wanting to worry Rita, he decided to let someone else do the driving.

The driver saw how anxious Sherman who was in the backseat-was, so he skillfully increased the car speed to the maximum while repeatedly reassuring Sherman, "Don't worry, Mister Sherman. We'll reach the Russells' residence in less than ten minutes,"

Sherman frowned when they passed Rita's smashed car on the way. 'I'm going to make these people pay if it's the last thing I do!'

When he entered the Russells' residence with a group of bodyguards, he almost laughed out loud. 'Rita is missing, and they're sitting down and eating dinner peacefully? Is she even remotely important to them?'

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2928-'Does Vince even see Rita as his daughter? Or is he going to rely on the unborn baby in Karen's belly, whose gender hasn't even been determined, to take care of him in his old age?' thought Sherman.

Sherman did not waste time with them. He pulled up a chair and sat down, decisively ordering the entire Russells' residence to be surrounded so that not even a fly could escape.

Vince frowned and threw down his spoon in irritation. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be focusing more on finding your wife? Why did you come here?"

He was still sore about Sherman hanging up on him twice before.

Sadie avoided Sherman's gaze when he looked at her. Karen even held onto her own belly tighter.

Seeing the guilt in Sadie's eyes, Sherman knew she was involved in Rita's kidnapping. After all, Sadie used to watch him like a hawk, never wanting to miss a second, whenever he came to her place for dinner before.

At that moment, Sadie was very afraid, and Sherman wanted to know just how many people were involved in Rita's kidnapping. He even included Vince in the list of suspects; he simply did not trust the man. "Why did I come here, you ask? I came to ask how could you all be so heartless of course. Rita is missing, yet everyone here can afford to dine. Or could it be that one of you knows what happened to her?"

Karen responded under pressure, "Don't blame your father-in-law. This is my fault. As a pregnant woman, I can't go hungry, so they wanted to keep me company while eating. Besides, aren't you already doing everything you can to find Rita? We can't help much, so we can only take care of ourselves first and then worry about Rita.

"I'm sure Rita wouldn't want to see us all getting sick with worry because of her, right? She's always been kind-hearted, after all."

Sherman scoffed. "Ha, you can save it. We still don't know where Rita is, yet you're all behaving as if she's a stranger. No, even colder than strangers! Well, you can rest assured that when she's back, I'll make sure to tell her about your behavior and let her know that no one in the family needs her to worry about them anymore.

"Sadie, don't you agree that your sister will come back?"

Sherman stared directly into Sadie's eyes, but she only glanced at him before looking away with a forced smile. "Why are you looking at me like that, Shermy?"

She tucked her loose hair behind her ear. "My sister is the noble eldest daughter of the Russell family, and she always had good luck on her side. Naturally, nothing will happen to her."

"No matter how lucky she is, there's no guarantee no harm would come upon her if someone is hellbent on hurting her. Sadie, just tell me this truthfully: is Rita going to come back safely?"

Sherman's intense questioning made Vince realize that something was wrong.

Vince slammed the table and stood up abruptly. "Sadie, don't tell me you're involved in this!"

Sadie looked up in terror and kept defending herself. "Dad, what are you saying? Even if you don't trust me, you can't accuse me like this. How could I be involved in this?"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2929-"In fact, Mom asked me to return! I was hanging out with a few classmates earlier, and they can testify for me!"

Karen, also panicking, chimed in, "That's right, while Sadie and Rita would argue from time to time, it was always over minor matters. How can you pin such a serious crime on Sadie? If you don't believe her, you should go ask her classmates!

"She went to the library with them, and they all came from respectable families, so they wouldn't possibly lie, right?"

Sadie, sobbing with her head lowered, said, "I know I'm not your real daughter, Dad, and no matter what, I can never compete with Rita for your love. But I've been in this family for so long, and I've always regarded you as my real father... It really pains me to have you accuse me like this."

With tears also streaming down her face, Karen pleaded, "Vince, let's settle this once and for all today. Answer me this: do you distrust Sadie deep down? How could you unjustly accuse my daughter? We've sacrificed so much for this family, you know that very well. How could you doubt Sadie like this?"

She shook her head sorrowfully, then instinctively covered her belly. "Since you never trusted us, why did you want me to keep this baby? I might as well go to the hospital tomorrow and get rid of this baby. At least then he wouldn't have to go through the pain of his own father not trusting him!"

Startled, Vince quickly reached out to hold her hand. "What are you talking about? When did I ever doubt Sadie? I was just asking. What if Sadie was involved in this matter? Not intentionally, but because of an honest mistake. After all, she's still a child herself and doesn't have the maturity to deal with a lot of situations..."

"There you go again! Fine, I'll go to the hospital now" Karen's threat about going to the hospital left Vince with his hands tied.

He valued the unborn baby in Karen's belly greatly as he believed the baby to be a son. There was no way he would let Karen threaten their unborn son.

Thus, he awkwardly explained to Sherman, "You've seen how it is. Sadie is a frail girl, so how could she have taken Rita away? Could you have been mistaken? Why don't you investigate more? It won't help rescue Rita if your men got the suspect and the lead wrong!"

Sherman shook his head coldly. "You're simply useless."

'He can't even think for himself. It took only a few tears from Karen and Sadie to lead him astray. He's the most useless man I've ever met. No wonder Rita felt suffocated in this house. She has to constantly compete for attention with people like Karen and Sadie. It must be hard for her with her easy-going nature.'

At that moment, Sherman had made up his mind--he would never let Rita set foot in this house again. He would never let Rita suffer like she did in the past.

Vince, Karen, and Sadie truly looked like a family unit as they embraced each other in sorrow, but Sherman was not buying it.

"I'm only going to say this once, Sadie, so listen up. You have two choices: Either you tell me what you did to Rita, or you can choose to never leave this house alive."

Vince frowned and stepped forward to confront Sherman. Looking down at the man who had threatened Sadie, he said, "What are you talking about? Sadie is still so young, how could she do something like that to Rita? Do you have anything else better to do? Don't think you can kick up a fuss here just because you

can't find a lead outside.

"I'm Rita's father, and if I tell you her kidnapping has nothing to do with Sadie, then it has nothing to do with Sadie! You'd better leave now. Instead of wasting time here, why don't you go to the police station and report Rita's disappearance? That, at least, would give you a higher chance of finding her!"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2930-Sherman detested people pointing their fingers at him when they spoke. He stood up slowly, towering over Vince instantly.

"You claim to be Rita's father, yet if I were you, I'd choose to shut up and stand aside. I can't believe you're scolding me for threatening Sadie when she's not even your real daughter!

"Look at her guilty expression; it's clear she's involved. If you don't believe me, use your brain a little. No wonder Russell Group is declining under your leadership. It's only a matter of time before the company goes completely bankrupt!"

Sherman showed no mercy, causing Vince to retreat with every word. Vince clutched his chest, struggling for breath.

Karen, despite her weakness, stepped forward to support him. "How could you speak to your father-in- law like this? What has Sadie done to offend you? She has nothing but admiration for you. Plus, she's just a child. How could you treat her like this?"

She went on and on, but Sherman stood his ground. Meanwhile, the burly bodyguards outside had the mansion surrounded. No one would be able to step foot outside the mansion until Sadie confessed.

Although Sherman seemed calm on the surface, he was actually anxious. 'What if Sadie refuses to confess?' Sadie kept her head lowered. She had not expected Sherman to care so much about Rita. Her calculations had all been wrong. She had thought the only reason Sherman chose Rita was because he could not handle Vince's pressuring him.

'Seems like he really has feelings for Rita all along,' thought Sadie. She felt utterly hopeless, even resentful. How could this be possible? That someone like Rita could attract someone's interest, especially Sherman, the man she met first. Why did she always end up losing things to her?

"Hmph, I don't believe you would do anything to us. You're just bluffing. Even if I had something to do with Rita's kidnapping, what can you do to me? You'll be front-page news tomorrow if you lay a finger on me. The whole world will see the company president of Parr Group resorting to violence against his wife's sister. People will inevitably speculate about what's going on in my family. Will your family be able to hold their heads high up then?"

Even Karen realized something was wrong then. She rushed over to shake Sadie gently. "Sadie, tell me what happened. Rita's kidnapping has nothing to do with you, right? Quickly, tell Sherman. Get the people outside to leave. We have other things to attend to. We can't be trapped in the mansion like this!"

"Missus Russell, do you know that your daughter has already met her father?" asked Sherman. Karen roared, "That's impossible!"

At the same time, she turned to scrutinize Vince's expression. Sure enough, he was frowning angrily.

"Don't tell me you're still in contact with that lowlife. What did you say when I took you away? You said you never wanted to go back there again, yet look what you're doing now. How can you cheat on me when I'm so old? The other people are going to see me as a laughingstock!"

Karen moved closer toward Vince with a placating expression. "What are you saying? If you don't trust me, we can have a paternity test done once this baby is born, okay?"

Her overly accommodating manner made Sadie angry. "Dad, how could you treat Mom like this?!"