Chapter 722
As Irene lay in her hospital bed, the relentless onslaught of offensive slurs from the netizens and the strange glances from hospital staff weighed heavily on her. Irene’s only thought was to get herself discharged from the hospital before dealing with this ordeal.
With the necessary discharge procedures completed, Irene stepped out of the hospital, only to find herself immediately surrounded by an unrelenting swarm of reporters hungry for answers.
“Ms. Fletcher, can you share your thoughts on the video you played in public?” “How did Mr. York react? Will your wedding proceed as planned?”
“Is the child you miscarried Mr. York’s, or is it related to the man in the video?” “Did you deliberately frame Ms. Amelia Haab, causing people to believe she was responsible for your miscarriage?”
The barrage of sharp and intrusive questions etched frustration across Irene’s face, while the relentless flashes of cameras intensified her humiliation.
“Please, no more photographs!” Irene implored, shielding her face with her hand. Thomas, Ivy, and a few close friends rallied to her side, forming a protective barrier against the reporters.
After a strenuous struggle, they managed to secure themselves inside a waiting car. Irene’s teeth clenched with pent-up frustration. “Amelia, you deserve nothing less than death!”
This dire situation had spiraled out of control solely because of Amelia’s actions. “Perhaps we should leave Strico for now. Let things settle down, and then we can decide our next steps,” Thomas suggested.
The car sped toward the Strico highway exit.
However, midway through their journey, several vehicles appeared out of nowhere, forming an inescapable enclosure around the Fletcher family’s car. When a figure stepped out of one of the cars, the three members of the Fletcher family froze in terror.
It was none other than Warren.
Warren was the one obstructing their path.
Abruptly, the car’s doors/were yanked open, and Warren’s henchmen moved with unsettling swiftness to subdue the stunned occupants.
“Warren, what on earth are you doing?” Irene exclaimed, her body quivering with dread when she noticed the malevolence emanating from Warren’s darkened expression.
Thomas, his voice firm despite the fear, scolded, “Warren, what are you doing?
You must realize this is against the law!”
“Against the law?” Warren sneered, advancing menacingly toward the Fletcher family. His voice turned stern, “You, from the Fletcher family, dare to accuse me of breaking the law? Do you understand that you are the real criminals here? How could you… How could you have done what you did back then?”
At this moment, his eyes blazed with intense anger and hatred.
Thomas, too, found himself taken aback, sensing that Warren had transformed into a vengeful specter.
“Warren, please, disregard the reporters’ fabrications. I’ll admit that I did deceive you about the bone marrow donation, but it was born out of love. My love for you began long before you even knew me, and that’s why I did it. Though… even with the deception, it wasn’t a criminal act,” Irene explained, her voice resolute in defending herself.
Warren’s gaze, tinged with bloodshot intensity, locked onto Irene. His voice, once commanding, now trembled and grew hoarse. “Tell me, Irene, is it me or the York family you care for? Do you know how much you have ruined my life?”
“I… How could I have possibly ruined your life? I have always loved you.” Irene attempted to adopt a defensive stance, her voice tinged with regret. “Warren, I acknowledge that I made a grievous mistake and caused you pain. If it’s an apology to Amelia or making amends that you desire, I am willing to do whatever it takes to make things right.”
“You claim you have loved me? You deceived me, turning me into an unwitting accomplice. When you framed Amelia and said that she pushed you down that flight of stairs, leading to your miscarriage, was that your twisted way of expressing love for me? Or was it to secure your place as Mrs. York-to-be?” Warren suddenly clamped his hand around her chin, exerting such force that Irene felt her jawbone might shatter.
What frightened her even more was the realization that Warren appeared to know about her framing of Amelia.
Irene wondered how that was possible. It had been many years; he could not have possibly uncovered the truth. Back then, she had meticulously erased all evidence. Irene thought Warren’s suspicions were baseless.
“Warren… You’ve misunderstood.” Irene struggled to speak. “I… I didn’t frame her. At the time, I really was pushed by Amelia…”
“The doctor you bribed back then is currently held in the detention center of Strico. Do you need a face-to-face confrontation with him to finally admit your role in framing Amelia? Well played, Irene! I never imagined that one day, I’d be so thoroughly deceived by a woman like you.” Warren was furious.
Irene’s eyes almost bulged as she stared at Warren in astonishment.
The astonishment in her then gave way to pure terror.
10:53
Irene’s complexion drained of color, and her body quivered like a sieve. She understood that nothing she could say at this moment would make any difference.
Once Warren uncovered this truth, with his current remorse for Amelia, she feared he might desire nothing more than her demise.
Warren raised his hand and violently flung Irene to the ground. “I want you and the entire Fletcher family to experience the same suffering Amelia endured. I want all of you to spend your lives behind bars, forever deprived of the outside world!”
However, even this punishment could not erase the deep-seated hatred that burned in Warren’s heart for the Fletcher family.
Thomas and Ivy, hearing these words, were filled with utter dread. They begged relentlessly for his mercy, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
At this very moment, Irene chose to defy caution. She staggered to her feet, her gaze filled with resentment as she stared at Warren. “You’re the real hypocrite here, Warren! Yes, I admit I framed Amelia back then, but weren’t you secretly wishing for Amelia to be imprisoned? You wanted her to suffer, which is precisely why you eagerly accepted my words and took the witness stand in court…”
Warren’s body stiffened. “Shut up!” he yelled at Irene.
Irene’s response was far from submissive. Instead, she wore a sardonic smirk. “I won’t be silenced, Warren. You hypocrite! Aren’t you deserving of imprisonment too? Yes, I admit I framed Amelia because she was my romantic rival. However, let’s not forget your own actions, shall we? You were once in love with Amelia, and yet, you testified against her in court without a shred of hesitation. It appears that your ruthlessness surpasses even mine!”
Irene’s words felt harsh like a barrage of needles piercing his eardrums, leaving him with the sensation of countless steel pins stabbing into his ears.
“Warren, over the years, you’ve been struggling, haven’t you? On one hand, you loved Amelia, and on the other, you despised her! Warren, you condemned the woman you loved to hell, so what right do you have to accuse me?”
