Chapter 569:

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“You, of all people, have no right to say that to me.” Hayley’s gaze was sharp enough to cut. “Clinton, I only called you ‘grandfather’ out of basic decency. But you’re the one who chose to cut ties. The bond we had as a family ends here. You severed it first. What right do you have to demand mercy from me now?”

The words were a humiliation far worse than any physical blow. Clinton’s chest heaved, and the finger he raised toward Hayley trembled, but no words came out. He had lost on every front, both moral and legal.

“Leland, clear the room,” Hayley commanded. “If I see a single unwanted guest in three minutes, you’re all fired.”

“Yes, Miss Morgan.”

Leland and the security team moved forward again, forming an imposing wall of muscle and cold stares.

“Clinton. This way. Don’t make us use force,” Leland said, gesturing to the door. His tone left no room for negotiation.

Clinton stared at the man he had personally mentored and promoted. Now that same man was showing him the door.

𝖫а𝘁𝖾ѕ𝘵 𝗰𝗁𝖺p𝗍𝖾𝗿s 𝘰n 𝗀𝖺𝘭n𝗼𝗏𝖾𝘭s.сom

“Harold. Emmalyn. We’re leaving.” Leaning heavily on his cane, Clinton turned away, his expression grim.

Harold and Emmalyn were seething with resentment, but they knew it was over. Defeated, they could only trail after him. Just before they stepped outside, both shot a final look back, a look of pure venom.

As Walter passed Kaden, he slowed his pace. “Kaden, you’ve all gone too far. You should leave some room for mercy. That way, your own end might not be so ugly.”

Kaden’s laugh was sharp, his expression defiant. “Walter, we’ll see whose end is uglier.”

The cold formality of “Walter” struck the old man harder than any insult, a clear signal that something irreplaceable had been broken. He let out a long, heavy sigh. His shoulders slumped as he caught up with Clinton, the very picture of defeat.

Hayley watched their retreating backs and sneered. “Some people always overestimate themselves. They think they’re the ones moving the pieces, controlling everyone’s fate. They never realize they’re just pawns on someone else’s board. The only reason they’re still in the game,” she added, “is because the player hasn’t decided to sacrifice them yet.”

Kaden turned his head to study her. A strange feeling stirred within him. “You… you remind me of someone.”

“Oh?” Hayley arched an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

Kaden met her gaze, a rare sincerity in his eyes. “When I was very young, Walter took me to meet a woman. She was just sitting there quietly, but the air around her was heavy, almost suffocating. I don’t remember what she said to him, but the way she spoke, that dismissive, commanding presence, it was exactly like yours just now.”

Hayley raised an eyebrow again as an image of Lorna surfaced in her mind.

In Unit One Prison, Lorna had never bothered with empty titles like “gang leader.” She didn’t need to. From the first day Hayley met her, every inmate in that high-security facility treated Lorna with an almost fearful respect. Even someone as arrogant and reckless as Dalia Hoffman never dared to cross her.

Most days, Lorna just sat quietly in a corner, reading, her slender frame making her seem as if she belonged to another world.

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