Christopher raised his voice. "It's been over a decade. I doubt you have proof that James set my mother up with that supposed
affair partner."
"That's because I was the one who called your mother and baited her to meet him." The tremble in Astrid's voice was either from
the hatred for James or the fear for Christopher.
"Charles was with me when I made the phone call. It's a shame he's gone now, so he can't be your witness.
"But that's okay because I made a plan B. I took a picture when the bodyguard helped your dazed mother into the room. The
photo is stored on the old phone in the bottom drawer of my room. You can turn on the phone if you find a charger.
"Chris, you should go after the right perpetrator. I was young, and James tricked me. You should take your revenge on him. I'm
telling the truth. I swear on my life."
The voice recording came to an end.
The lively hall fell silent, and tension was thick in the air.
Though only an onlooker, Bella stared intently at Christopher's emotionless face, her heart sinking.
She knew a catastrophic storm lurked behind the calm.
For Astrid to come clean about the whole thing, Christopher must have gone to see her and reached some sort of negotiation.
However, Bella was aware that Christopher would not realize his end of the bargain.
A monster through and through, Christopher would not rest until he had nailed those guys and finished them off for good, a
twisted form of atonement for the crimes they inflicted upon his mother. "T-That woman has gone mad. She's crazy!"
Breaking out in a cold sweat, James shivered and stumbled for words. "I did not! I have no part in that. Astrid pushed the blame
on me so that Chris would get her sentence reduced." "Dad, I have Astrid's phone."
Christopher looked Lance in the eye. "Do you want to look at it now or after the party?"
Then came a smack.
Seeing red, Lance raised his hand and slapped James in the face.
Stunned, James felt like his eardrums ruptured.
"Get out! Get out of the house! I don't want to see you again! Get out!" Lance yelled furiously, veins popping out of his head.
Lance had never once looked at his hurt wife.
He was filled with resentment.
Lance did not resent James for harming his innocent wife. Instead, he hated James for lying and using him. Lance was the last
to know, and in the presence of Savrow's high society too.
James was ruined and labeled ruthless.
Christopher just screwed everybody over.
James knew his father was giving him an out. With his hand over his swollen cheek, James ran off in shame.
"Hang on." Christopher's eyes reflected ruthlessness.
Christopher could not possibly let James go, at least not without apologizing to his mother on his knees.
However, James did not stop. Gritting his teeth, he shoved his way through the crowd to run out.
Suddenly, James stopped in his tracks.
Dressed in black leather, the man with sharp facial features stood before James like a mountain.
"Where are you going, Mr. James Iverson?"
Ralph's intimidating gaze met James's as he inched closer.” The time has come for you to answer for your sins."