Chapter 331

Richard Hayes' face drained of color as Evelyn Carter boldly exposed their fractured relationship in public.

Airing family grievances like this would undoubtedly make them the talk of the Hawthorne Estate.

"After everything I've sacrificed for you, you dare deny your own parents? What kind of ungrateful daughter are you?"

He shook his head in disappointment, as if Evelyn were beyond redemption.

"Vanessa, on the other hand, values the Hayes family's support. She's considerate and loyal. How can two sisters be so different?"

His words oozed contempt, clearly shifting all blame onto Evelyn.

Evelyn let out a derisive laugh. "If Vanessa's so perfect, why don't you go bother her instead? Why this sudden obsession with me?"

She took deliberate steps back, putting distance between them, her patience wearing dangerously thin.

Richard clenched his jaw, thinking bitterly, How did Margaret end up raising such a defiant child?

Here he was, humbling himself, offering apologies, even presenting her with the title deed to—

The truth was undeniable now—this girl had no heart! She believed she could throw her weight around simply because she had Alexander Whitmore wrapped around her finger.

What she didn’t realize was that once I secured my connection with Leonard Herty, Alexander would become irrelevant.

No more bending to his whims!

Richard Hayes shot a glance at Leonard, his voice dripping with false concern. "Mr. Herty, this girl is impossibly stubborn. She refuses to yield, and that kind of defiance makes her unteachable. Even if you took her under your wing, I doubt you could handle her."

He quickly added, "But I have another daughter—Vanessa Hart. She’s an extraordinary cellist, far superior to Evelyn. I can arrange for you to hear her perform. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed."

As he spoke, Richard fumbled with his phone, pulling up old recordings of Vanessa’s performances.

Evelyn couldn’t help but scoff.

Even now, her father was still pushing Vanessa forward as if she were the only daughter who mattered.

All his previous kindness had been nothing but a performance.

Thank heavens she had never trusted his empty promises.

Leonard’s expression darkened, his displeasure sharpening his tone. "No need for that."

Leonard flicked his wrist in clear dismissal, his expression icy.

"Talent alone means nothing without integrity. Your other daughter? She lacks both."

Richard bristled immediately. "Vanessa is devoted and kind! She’s everything a mentor could want!"

"Is she?"

Leonard’s lips curled in disdain.

Though he didn’t involve himself in Cresthaven’s petty gossip, the Hart family scandals had reached even his ears.

Vanessa’s so-called virtues aside, stealing her sister’s fiancé and being caught by paparazzi outside a luxury hotel? That wasn’t just scandalous—it was disgraceful.

Among the elite, whispers were inevitable. But true power demanded discretion.

Vanessa had made herself a laughingstock.

Leonard’s patience snapped. "If you believe Vanessa is so exceptional, by all means, find someone else to waste their time on her."

With those sharp words hanging in the air, Alexander Whitmore spun around without another glance.

His polished dress shoes clicked against the marble floor as he strode away, his broad shoulders rigid with unspoken fury.

Richard Hayes stood frozen in place, his mouth slightly agape.

The weight of Alexander’s dismissal settled over him like a suffocating blanket.

His fingers twitched at his sides, as if grasping for words that wouldn’t come.

The grand hallway of Titan Capital Group’s headquarters suddenly felt cavernous, the silence deafening.

Richard’s mind raced, replaying the confrontation in fragmented flashes.

He had expected resistance—but not this cold, cutting finality.

Alexander’s retreating figure turned the corner, disappearing from view.

Only then did Richard exhale, his shoulders slumping.

A bitter taste coated his tongue.

He had gambled and lost.

Badly.

Somewhere in the distance, an elevator dinged softly.

The sound snapped him back to reality.

He straightened his tie with stiff fingers, forcing composure into his expression.

But the sting of humiliation lingered.

Alexander Whitmore had made his stance painfully clear.

And Richard Hayes was no fool.

He knew when he’d been outmaneuvered.

With one last glance down the empty corridor, he turned and walked away—his pride in tatters.