?Chapter 646:


    “Lies!” Judie cut in sharply, her voice rising.


    “Why would I do that? I have no reason to! This is a setup! A tant attempt to nder me! I’m calling the police!”


    Darnley froze at the mention of the authorities.


    Then, as if remembering something, he fumbled into his pocket and pulled out his phone.


    “I have a recording!”


    The recording—originally intended as a safeguard to ensure Judie could not break her promise—had be Darnley’s only ticket to salvation. Every word in the recording rang out with damning rity. Judie had instructed the waiter, Darnley, to deliberately collide with Corrine, and she had promised to pay him handsomely.


    A wave of contempt rolled through the crowd, each disdainful nce cutting deeper than thest.


    “So she has been using Corrine, yet she was the one pulling the strings all along!”


    “We defended her, stood by her side, and she yed us like fools!”


    “Good thing Mr. Wheeler installed cameras this year—imagine if we had believed her lies!”


    “Judie always brags about her prestigious family, but who knew she was this wicked? Forcing Miss Hond to strip in public? Jealousy really does rot people from the inside out!”


    The whispers grew into an unbearable storm, their sharp edges slicing through Judie’s defenses.


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    Her nails dug into her palms, her entire body trembling with rage and humiliation. A bitter heat crawled up her neck, suffocating her. It felt as though she were standing naked before them, stripped of every ounce of power, everyst shred of dignity. Their eyes bored into her like knives, pinning her down in a moment she could neither escape nor erase.


    Across from her, Corrine arched an eyebrow, a slow, chilling smirk curving her lips.


    “Well, Miss Seymour, do you have anything to say now?”


    The moment Judie met Corrine’s gaze, her throat tightened as if an invisible hand had wrapped around it, squeezing the words from her lungs. Nothing came out.


    A quiet chuckle broke through the tension. Karina, watching from the sidelines, tilted her head with a smirk.


    “What is it? Keep going. Keep lying. You had plenty to say before—where did all that confidence go? Cat got your tongue?”


    Judie’s hands curled into fists, her nails biting into her skin. A furious re burned in her eyes as she shot Karina a venomous look, but Karina merely folded her arms, unfazed.


    A cigarette butt flicked to the nearby trash can. Jules exhaled a slow stream of smoke, his voice a low, dangerous drawl.


    “You do not know how to apologize?”


    The air around him seemed to drop in temperature. Judie flinched.


    Jules, usually rxed and indifferent, now fixed her with a sharp gaze, his expression devoid of warmth. His normally handsome features were shadowed by an icy menace that sent a chill straight down her spine. She bit her lip, swallowing hard.


    Nate, standing nearby, tilted his head slightly, exchanging a nce with Matias and Saul. Then, with a slow, almost amused smirk, he murmured, “Teach her how to apologize.”


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