Elliana accepted smoothly, sitting with calm confidence, showing not a hint of fear. Kaleb settled into the seat opposite her.
Soon a staff member brought up the surveillance feed on a large screen. The footage showed Karlee charging up the stairs, shouting that she would make Bexley’s life hell. But that was all. The moment she entered the bedroom, nothing else was captured.
Edgar let out a harsh cough, voice strained with anger.
“Karlee! How many times have I told you? Bexley is family to us. Why must you treat her so harshly?”
Karlee rushed to him, grabbing his sleeve and pouting like a child.
“Grandpa, I just overreacted. Bexley wasn’t doing her job, and I lost my temper. I’ll behave, I promise. Please don’t be mad.”
Amilia quickly stepped in to shield her daughter.
“Dad, Karlee is still young. It’s normal for her to be a little impulsive. She’ll grow out of it. Don’t be too strict.” Then her tone sharpened, eyes turning cold.
“But Bexley… teaming up with an outsider to attack Karlee over a small mistake? We can’t keep someone that vile in our home.”
Certain that the lack of cameras in the bedroom made them untouchable and confident Karlee’s tantrum could be passed off as nothing, Amilia and Karlee grew bolder. They pushed their accusations harder, painting Elliana as the villain and Bexley as a traitor.
The onlookers exchanged quiet glances. To them, this “investigation” was clearly just for show. Kaleb must have known there were no cameras in the bedroom. This was his excuse to punish Milena.
Elliana stayed perfectly calm through it all.
But Kaleb shattered their assumptions. He didn’t explode. He didn’t threaten anyone. His voice was steady as he asked, “Dr. Atkinson, the footage doesn’t prove anything, and it wouldn’t be fair to have my own staff questioned. Do you have anything more to say?”
Elliana saw the truth at once. Kaleb wasn’t the sort to blindly defend his family. Neither were Edgar nor Elsie. In fact, they seemed to trust her more than their own relatives. Kaleb’s question wasn’t a trap; it was an opening, a chance for her to defend herself. Good. The Thompson family hadn’t disappointed her.
? ? ν﹒
A confident smile touched Elliana’s lips.
“Everything I need to say is right here.”
As soon as Elliana finished speaking, she placed her phone on the table.
A video was already playing—raw footage of Karlee trying to seduce Milena in the bedroom.
Elliana had dared to put Karlee in her place on Thompson territory, stand up to Amilia, and even provoke Kaleb—naturally, she had come fully prepared. Earlier, when Karlee had barged into the bedroom to make things difficult for Bexley and later tried to harass Elliana, she had been too wrapped up in her own ploy to notice the phone quietly recording. The fawning servants hadn’t noticed either.
The room went still as everyone watched the footage. Amilia and Karlee stared blankly at the screen, shock rendering them speechless.
.
.
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