Chapter 90
Chapter 90
“Let’s go,” Chloe said, stepping out the door before lan could say a word.
She slipped out ahead, leaving lan no chance to respond.
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Once they were in the car, lan was busy juggling phone calls, barely paying attention to anything else.
Chloe sat beside him, acting like she was completely uninvolved, as if all of this had nothing to do with her.
The car pulled up in the courtyard of Hamilton Manor. Chloe got out first, with Ian right behind her.
Ian hung up and grabbed Chloe’s wrist, halting her. “Wait p>
Chloe pulled her hand free before he could get a word in, turning instead to wave at Mia.
She knew exactly what he wanted to say.
‘Let me guess, Chloe thought, ‘he’s just going to remind me not to speak out of turn in front of the Hamilton elders.
Chloe paused in the center of the living room and greeted each of the Hamiltons politely, one by one.
Shane glared at Ian, his voice full of fury. “Just look at what you’ve done p>
Ian kept his cool. “This one’s on me. Next time, I won’t make the same mistake p>
Miranda cut in, exasperated. “You keep playing with fire, and sooner or later you’re going to get burned. Being ‘careful‘ isn’t going to cut it with something like this p>
Shane was absolutely livid. “Find out who tipped off the press–right now! I want her blacklisted in Kingsford, permanently p>
Ian glanced at Chloe–his expression unreadable—before turning to Shane. “Dad, the blame’s on me. This has nothing to do with anyone else p>
Edward, seated in the main spot on the sofa, glanced over at Thomas.
Thomas briskly ushered all the servants outside and then escorted Mia upstairs.
He returned with a whip in hand and stood at attention behind Edward.
Edward commanded, his voice filled with anger. “Kneel p>
Ian shot Chloe a look, shrugged off his jacket and passed it to her. Chloe took it without batting an eye.
Ian knelt down without a moment’s hesitation.
Edward said, “As the Hamilton Heir, allowing a scandal like this to hit the press is a clear failure on your part p>
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Chapter 90
fan lowered his head. “Yes, Grandpa”
Edward said firmly. “If you mess up, you need to accept the punishment p>
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Chloe calmly draped lan’s jacket over her arm, shifted slightly to the side, and lowered her eyes, staying perfectly composed.
In moments, the crack of the whip landing on lan’s back echoed through the silent living room.
Shane watched his son take the whipping, and when Chloe showed absolutely no reaction, he just huffed in
irritation.
Jan knelt on the hardwood, fists clenched tight at his sides, letting Thomas’s whip strike his back over and over, not flinching once.
He glanced up at Chloe.
She kept her head bowed and her body angled away, completely silent.
‘Why does my chest hurt so damn much?‘ Ian thought, the strange, hollow ache inside drowning out the sting of every lash.
He remembered back when he wasn’t yet married to Chloe–there was that time he clashed with Edward and ended up getting whipped in front of everyone, a real Hamilton punishment.
Chloe happened to stop by that day to see Mia, and she walked right in on the scene.
Without hesitating, she dove in front of him to shield him, and took the blow herself.
He called her a fool.
Her little face was white with pain, but she still managed a faint, reassuring smile just for him.
Back then, she said she was willing–no matter what, she wanted to shield him, even if it meant taking the pain herself.
But now, she was just standing there, unwilling to take even a single step closer, refusing to even look his way -as if he was nothing to her anymore.
Miranda stood next to Shane, watching as lan endured the whipping, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, never once looking away from Chloe.
Miranda was torn between anger and heartbreak. In the end, she could only avert her gaze, helpless to do anything for her son.
The real killer in any marriage is when one person gives it their all, and the other just couldn’t care less.
The saddest thing about Chloe was that she wasted all her youth and love on someone who never knew how to cherish her in the first place.
After a few minutes, Edward finally lifted his hand. Thomas stowed the whip in a hurry and rushed over to
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Chapter 90
help Ian off the floor.
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The back of lan’s once–white shirt was shredded and soaked with blood, his wounds a gruesome sight.
Braving the searing pain, lan made his way to Chloe’s side, never taking his eyes off her for even a second.
Yet Chloe didn’t spare him a glance–not once did her eyes meet his.
Edward’s eyes, clouded with age but still sharp, swept over them. “Tomorrow morning, you two will hold a press conference together–stand side by side and put this scandal to rest p>
Chloe kept her eyes lowered, staying silent.
‘Just as I thought,‘ Chloe reflected bitterly. “To the Hamilton men, affairs don’t matter–what really counts is their reputation and the family’s bottom line p>
To the Hamiltons, she was just a decoration, something they could drag out to shield themselves whenever they needed to save face.
Ian gave Chloe a measured look, his tone calm and steady. “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll put this scandal to rest as quickly as I can p>
Chloe waited for Ian to finish before speaking up, her voice cool and unhurried. “I’ll cooperate and help clear things up–but I have my own conditions p>
Shane’s face darkened at her words. “You’re a Hamilton now. Protecting the family’s interests is your duty p>
Chloe fired back, her voice cold. “Shane, show me where it says in the marriage law that a wife is supposed to hide her husband’s affair and his secret kid–and then be the one to clean up all his messes p>
Shane’s face turned livid with rage. “A down–and–out heiress thinks she can bargain with us? You really have no idea of your own worth p>
Chloe held her head high, her voice cool and undeniable. “I don’t care how much you Hamiltons think I matter. If you want me to help clean this mess up, then you’d better swear–none of you get to mess with my job ever again, and you can’t lay a finger on my family for any reason, period p>
She was already lined up to start at the Jordan family’s private hospital after New Year, ready for a fresh chapter – away from the Hamiltons‘ grasp.
Her family and her career were her last stand–the one thing she wouldn’t give up to anyone.
No one would ever step on those boundaries. Not a chance.
Ian’s gaze shifted, his eyes turning dark and complicated as he stared at Chloe.
‘So that’s it, Ian thought, a bitter realization settling in. ‘She went through all this, just because she’s worried Grandpa will butt in and kill her job again.
Shane spat, his face twisted in anger. “You ungrateful thing! As Mrs. Hamilton, you’re out there scraping together pennies? You’re just making the whole Hamilton family look pathetic p>
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Chapter 90
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Ian cut in, his voice steady but protective. “Dad, there’s no need to insult her like that. I stand with Chloe–she has every right to chase her own career p>
Chloe stood next to lan, totally unfazed by his words–her heart felt nothing for him anymore.
After a long stretch of tense silence, Edward finally gave in. “It’s a good thing for young folks to go out and make something of themselves. We’ll grant your request–but tomorrow morning at the press conference, you know exactly what you need to do p>
Chloe breathed out slowly, finally able to relax. The tension that had been gripping her for so long finally let
She pulled out a voice recorder, meeting Edward’s eyes head–on. “Your word is as good as gold, Edward. I’m recording this–no Hamilton gets to mess with my career or threaten my family ever again. In return, I’ll cooperate with whatever you need for the sake of the family p>
Edward shot a look at the recorder in Chloe’s hand, and a flicker of approval flashed across his eyes.
“That’s the kind of backbone you only get from a real powerhouse upbringing, he thought. ‘She’s got guts, she’s got real presence, and she knows how to handle things–so much tougher than that woman from the Todd family.
With everything finally resolved, Chloe and Ian quietly returned to their own separate residences, neither of them saying a word along the way.
The whole way back, neither of them said a single word. As soon as Chloe walked through the door, Ian caught her by the arm, stopping her cold.
Ian demanded, his tone sharp and impatient, “If you want your job—or anything else—just tell me straight. There’s no need to play these tricks with me p>
Chloe looked at him, her voice cold and unmoved. “I don’t trust you p>
From now on, whatever she wanted, she’d get it herself–even if it meant using every trick in the book. No more waiting for anyone else’s charity.
‘Survival, no matter the cost. That’s what Ian really taught me,‘ Chloe thought bitterly.
The two of them locked eyes, neither willing to back down–the air between them practically crackling with
tension.
Ian’s face was stormy, his voice low and deliberate. “If you don’t trust me, then why did you come back p>
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