Chapter 112: Chapter 112

"President Hale, whether you want to proceed through public opinion or legal channels, we will accompany you. If you have nothing else, please leave."

Julian Hawthorne had made his stance clear with these words.

Dad Hale looked incredulous, "President Hawthorne, are you really going to defend this woman to the end, disregarding the years of friendship between my daughter and you?"

Julian Hawthorne retorted, "Where did the friendship with your daughter come from?"

Dad Hale was at a loss for words.

Julian Hawthorne looked at Paige Sterling, "What do you want to do?"

Paige Sterling said, "Now it depends on what President Hale wants to do. After all, I’m already the target of everyone’s accusations; I have no choice."

Dad Hale took a deep breath; since Julian Hawthorne’s attitude was , his attitude had to change as well.

After all, given Apex’s current situation, it was not advisable to fall out with the Hawthorne Group.

"President Hawthorne, if this matter continues to escalate, it won’t benefit Penson, nor yourself. For your sake and Helen’s affection for you, I can let her go, refrain from prosecuting her, and even spare her a hand, but you must agree to one condition!"

Julian Hawthorne didn’t even need Dad Hale to say it, he directly said, "Marry your daughter, right?"

Dad Hale, "..." His lines had been stolen, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Moreover, hearing these words from Julian Hawthorne made him feel inexplicably embarrassed, as if some sordid thoughts of his had been uncovered.

Helen Hale looked pitifully at Julian Hawthorne.

As long as Julian Hawthorne was willing to marry her, she could temporarily let Paige Sterling off the hook.

But Julian Hawthorne indifferently said, "I didn’t like your daughter before she was disfigured, why do you think I would want her now that she’s disfigured and pushed onto me?"

Those words were utterly blunt.

Dad Hale’s face turned green.

Helen Hale’s expression was also unhappy, "Julian, I know I’m no longer qualified to be your wife, I’ve become so ugly, I..."

Her pitiful appearance could evoke sympathy in any man.

But not Julian Hawthorne; he now found Helen Hale repulsive.

"You are indeed ugly." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩

Julian Hawthorne said coldly, "I’ve never seen a woman as ugly as you."

This deep emotion almost couldn’t be acted out anymore.

Dad Hale angrily pointed at Julian Hawthorne, "Julian Hawthorne! Don’t go too far! Do you even see me?"

"Dad!", Helen Hale choked up and said, "I don’t blame Julian, he’s been manipulated by others, I don’t blame him..."

Dad Hale said, "Open your eyes and see, the one who truly cares for you is my daughter, not this woman beside you. You hurt my daughter’s sincere feelings for this woman, one day you’ll regret it!"

Julian Hawthorne said, "President Hale, can you stop being unreasonable?"

His tone was completely like addressing an unreasonable woman.

Dad Hale was so angry he almost couldn’t catch his breath, and it took a while before he could speak.

"Julian Hawthorne, she harmed my daughter, by protecting her, you’re an accomplice! I will never let this go; you better protect this woman for life, otherwise I will make her pay a painful price for hurting my daughter!"

His voice was loud, but Julian Hawthorne’s response was still calm, as if he had everything under control.

"President Hale, there’s no need to shout. The so-called evidence you have might not be accepted in court, but the evidence we have is ironclad. You’d better go home and ask your daughter what the true story is."

Julian Hawthorne’s gaze was icy as he glanced at Helen Hale, "If you want this to be settled privately, I absolutely won’t agree."

He said, "You deserved your disfigurement, but for letting my wife endure such long-term online violence for no reason, I will not let it slide either."

Helen Hale stared blankly at Julian Hawthorne, suddenly feeling a bit of fear towards him.

Dad Hale, however, heard the resoluteness in Julian Hawthorne’s words, with disbelief on his face.

"Julian Hawthorne, does the Hawthorne Family really want to antagonize the Hale Family for a woman ? She’s just a plaything!"

"She’s not a plaything, and no one can take her as one. She is my wife, recognized by the Hawthorne Family as their granddaughter-in-law."

Dad Hale could hardly believe it; could the Hawthorne Family really have recognized this woman?

At this moment, Paige Sterling’s phone suddenly rang. She looked at Julian Hawthorne and said helplessly, "It must be my dad."

Her dad was usually aloof and serious, but when it came to her, he could be just like a shrew at times.

Plus, Paige Sterling thought Dad Hale was like a shrew too, guessing that the scene wouldn’t look good if the two of them met.

So Paige Sterling said to Dad Hale, "President Hale, please go. When I receive the court summons, I will attend."

Dad Hale was furious, "It’s good your dad is here; I need to ask him how he raised such a malicious daughter!"

But Dad Hale never expected it would be Jared Sullivan who walked in.

As soon as Jared Sullivan came in, he anxiously asked Paige Sterling, "Beau, are you okay? Are they giving you trouble?"

Dad Hale was dumbfounded, and so was Helen Hale. She had met Jared Sullivan a few times but never knew Paige Sterling was his daughter. This was impossible!

It must be like what people said online, that Paige Sterling was Jared Sullivan’s adopted daughter.

"Uncle Sterling, are you also involved with this woman?"

Jared Sullivan’s face immediately turned stern, "Young lady, how can you speak like that? Are you and your father in that kind of relationship, seeing everything wrong with others?"

Dad Hale was extremely embarrassed, "President Sterling, this person..."

"She is my daughter. You came today to stand up for your daughter, and I’m here to protect mine. If you have something to say, say it to me; don’t make things difficult for my daughter."

No wonder Penson could develop so quickly; it was because VastReach was backing it.

Dad Hale had a myriad of thoughts in quick succession, but soon calmed down.

So what if Paige Sterling was Jared Sullivan’s daughter? Could Jared Sullivan’s daughter cruelly treat someone else’s daughter like that?

No matter how you spin it, the reasoning was on the Hale Family’s side.

In essence, it was Jared Sullivan’s failure to raise his daughter properly, allowing her to act violently!

"President Sterling, since she is your daughter, I need to ask, how do you plan to account for this incident to the Hale Family?"

"Account for what? I refuse to believe my daughter would do such a thing. My daughter’s so smart, with an IQ of 200, how could she bully someone as foolish as your daughter?"

His tone carried a sense of superiority.

Jared Sullivan might have exaggerated a bit; he didn’t know if Paige Sterling had an IQ of 200, but in his heart, his daughter was the smartest in the world.

If she’s so smart, why would she need to be jealous of Helen Hale and harm her?

Besides, Helen Hale wasn’t even as good-looking as his daughter.

Paige Sterling covered her face.

Dad Hale argued with Jared Sullivan, "But this is the fact! Your daughter pushed my daughter, causing her disfigurement. The Sterling Family must account to the Hale Family!"

"Account for what? Your daughter’s injury has nothing to do with mine!"

Eventually, they argued back and forth, pounding the table and shouting until their faces were flushed with anger.

Julian Hawthorne came initially to support Paige Sterling, but with Jared Sullivan present, there was no space for him to intervene.

Paige Sterling and Julian Hawthorne exchanged a glance, "My dad won’t stop."

She couldn’t persuade him either; with Jared Sullivan’s personality, he would never back down until he outargued Dad Hale.

"Should we play a game of cards?"