Chapter 853

chapter853

The words hung in the air, and an immediate, deafening silence fell over the hall. It was as if the very air had ceased to move.

Their one and only daughter?

What did that mean? Didn't the Rodriguez family have two daughters?

It was common knowledge that their elder daughter, Kathleen, was married into the Sullivan family, one of the most prominent families in Lumina City. How... how could she suddenly be disowned?

Corley froze for a second, then shot his grandparents a questioning look. But he was disciplined enough not to challenge them on the spot.

Madge and Norris exchanged a glance.

So this was it. This was the bombshell the matriarch had planned. The storm had finally arrived.

But... to do this, at this event, in front of so many people... to publicly deny Kathleen as their daughter... wasn't that... insane?

But the matriarch was nothing if not bold, and she could be just as reckless.

Kathleen had tried to poison her daughter Aberdeen. From that moment on, she no longer had that daughter.

Theirs had always been a bond of circumstance, not blood.

Over the years, she had raised Kathleen to adulthood and seen her married into a wealthy family, fulfilling her obligation.

From now on, they were not adoptive mother and daughter. They were strangers.

Down in the crowd, Kathleen was still fuming about being kept in the dark, her face a thunderous mask. She had come alone tonight. Teague Sullivan was nowhere to be seen.

In fact, since their last confrontation, Teague hadn't come home at all.

Kathleen had assumed he would tell her parents everything, but after some time passed, she realized he hadn't.

Neely and Geneva never came to question her.

Knowing them as she did, she was certain that if they had learned she was responsible for Aberdeen's disappearance, they would have descended upon her in a fury. They never would have let it go.

She waited with a knot of anxiety in her stomach for a day, then two, then a week... until the New Year's celebrations had passed, and still, there was no word from them.

Kathleen finally relaxed. She concluded that Aberdeen must not have told them either.

After all, she had no proof.

Besides, her mother's frail health couldn't handle that kind of shock, and her father was getting old.

Aberdeen must have considered that and kept silent.

A triumphant laugh had bubbled up inside her. See? Even fate is on my side!

But now, what was she hearing?

The one and only daughter of the Rodriguez family?

Who? Aberdeen ?!

Clearly, that was exactly what Neely and Geneva meant on stage, because a guest voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"Mr. Rodriguez, you must be mistaken. Doesn't your family have two daughters? Both of them are here tonight!"

Instantly, all eyes swiveled between Madge on the stage and Kathleen in the audience.

e?

Neely chuckled, but his voice was cold. "On the contrary! I may be old, but my mind is still sharp. I can distinguish loyalty from betrayal, and I know right from wrong. Some ungratefu vipers are best left unacknowledged!"

His words were one step short of pointing directly at Kathleen and calling her a traitor and a viper.

Best left unacknowledged...

The patriarch was blatantly telling the entire upper echelon of Lumina City that from

this day forward, the Rodriguez family was cutting all ties with Kathleen.

This was-

The guests were in shock.

"Surely not... it can't be that serious?"

"There has to be a massive scandal behind this!"

"It's not hard to guess, is it? The moment the biological daughter returns, they cut ties with the adopted one it doesn't take a genius to figure out the adopted daughter had something to do with the real one's disappearance."

Someone gasped. "Is that true? I thought they were sisters!"

"Well, I heard a rumor that the Sullivan family originally wanted Aberdeen as a daughter-in-law. It was only after she disappeared that they settled for Kathleen...