Chapter 363
Chapter 363:
As Janice was being led to the suite, Costello had already swooped in and rescued her. He then delivered a detoxified Janice to Andrew.
Just when Andrew thought he had won, Janice snapped out of her stupor and showed him what real despair felt like.
Aiden felt a weight lift off his chest. He’d known Janice’s plan was risky, but he hadn’t expected her to handle it so smoothly—playing everyone like pawns without breaking a sweat.
“Janice!” Suddenly, Connor staggered toward Janice, rushing and stumbling as he went. “I was wrong. I was blind, mistaking fool’s gold for real gold, and all I did was cause you pain. Please forgive me. I’m begging you. I swear, I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right.”
Janice said nothing, her gaze cold and detached as she looked down at the pitiful figure of the man before her.
“Janice, please, I’m begging you. We’re family, connected by blood. This is a bond that no agreement can ever break.” In a sudden, desperate motion, Connor raised his hand and slapped himself hard. “I’m not even human. It was my ignorance that caused you all this pain.”
His hand came down again and again, each slap echoing in the tense silence.
Carman and Dotson watched, too stunned to intervene, and slowly sank to their knees beside him.
“Janice, we’re so sorry,” Carman whispered. “We were so wrong.”
“This is all our fault,” Dotson added. “We were blinded by Delilah. But we swear, from now on, we’ll treat you right. We’ll never make that mistake again.”
Janice remained silent, her cold gaze sweeping over the Edwards family like a storm.
Carman and Dotson exchanged a look, their faces drained of color. With determined grit, they raised their hands and began slapping themselves as hard as they could. Their cheeks flushed red with each blow, but neither dared to stop.
They both understood this was their last chance at redemption. Whether they could salvage their lives now rested entirely on Janice’s decision.
Janice’s lips tugged into a slight smirk as her eyes shifted to Laurie. “What about you?”
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Laurie flinched, her body trembling as if the weight of the decision before her was too much to bear. Slowly, she stepped forward, collapsing to her knees before Janice. “Janice, if you can find it in your heart to forgive us, I’ll do anything to make it right.”
“No! Don’t you dare forgive them!” Daryl’s voice sliced through the heavy silence. Still held by the guards, she screamed like a woman possessed. “If I’m going down, I’m dragging all of you with me!”
Janice raised an eyebrow, her face unreadable as she turned to Daryl. “You? Take them down? What do you think you’ve got on them?”
Daryl let out a laugh, her face contorting into something dark and twisted. “Because they are not your family!”
The room went completely still.
“What did you just say?” Janice asked, her voice tight, barely more than a whisper. “They’re not my family?”
“Liar!” Connor bellowed. “Janice is my daughter! Don’t you dare spread lies!”
His eyes burned with rage, as though he wanted to rip Daryl apart with his bare hands. Janice had become the family’s last hope, and if what Daryl said were true, that hope would be shattered in an instant.
“Shut up!” Aiden’s voice cut through the heavy silence. With a swift kick, he sent Connor crashing to the floor. His cold, deadly stare made Connor shiver with fear, causing him to quickly shut his mouth.
Aiden then turned to Daryl, his face stern. “Talk! Now.”
Daryl locked eyes with him, wild defiance burning in her gaze. “Years ago, I switched the babies. I took their daughter to an orphanage. But on the way there, I panicked so much that I tripped and fell—killing the baby. I was terrified, so I buried the body in a remote place and tried to cover it all up.”
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