Chapter 2705
Nobody expected Agnes to stand up for Regina like that, and the other party fell silent. After all, in the unpredictable world of the stock market, no one had the kind of
confidence that Agnes’ family displayed.
“Francis, we’ve known each other for so many years. If not for old time’s sake, let’s put today’s incident behind us. Besides, you know she would never do such a thing. You ought to trust your own daughter a bit more.”
Francis knew that Agnes was one of Magina’s closest friends from back in the day. Her words were a reminder of the love that once blossomed between them.
But Imogen was sobbing uncontrollably. Could it really be that this was the heirloom her mother had left for her?
With hesitation, Francis looked at Regina and said, “Regina, tell me the truth, and I trust you completely.”
Regina stared at her father in disbelief. He said he trusted her, but here he was, throwing the question at her in front of everyone. Wasn’t this the epitome of distrust?
It took her a moment before she could muster a bitter smile. “Dad, what kind of answer do you expect from me?”
“I just want to know if you’ve been in Imogen’s room, if you’ve touched that bracelet. That bracelet means the world to Imogen. Even if you have issues with her, you absolutely cannot…”
“Cannot what? Before I even get a chance to explain, you’ve already decided I’m the culprit. What do you want me to say? Dad, I still call you ‘dad’. Do you even consider me your daughter?”
Agnes couldn’t stand it any longer and pulled Regina to her side. “There are other ways to investigate this. Maybe Regina wasn’t even there at the time in question. If we’re going to look into this, let’s do it thoroughly.”
The others kept their heads down, not daring to speak up. They had just witnessed the clash between Regina and Francis. It was becoming increasingly clear that the future of the Tanner family was in Imogen and her daughter’s hands.
How had Regina fallen from grace, from being the apple of the Tanners’ eye to being trampled in the mud?
It seemed that the absence of a mother really did make a significant difference.
Not only were they thinking this, but Regina felt it too.
Was it because her mother had left her early that they dared to bully and slander her in front of so many people?
But why didn’t her dear father trust her? She was his flesh and blood, yet there he stood with that woman and her daughter, treating Regina like an enemy, casting the sword of suspicion upon her without hesitation before all their guests.
Even if there was no place for her mother in this family anymore, Regina had never doubted Francis’ love for her.
She had a blissfully happy childhood and believed she had grown up surrounded by love, that her parents must have loved each other deeply to have brought her into this world. But as she grew older, she began to doubt her earlier judgement, wondering if the past was an illusion, if everything she thought she knew was just a world she had conjured up. Madeline was the picture of graciousness as she said, “Agnes, I know you are close to Regina, but we can’t ignore the evidence right in front of us on the security footage. You can’t just turn a blind eye to the truth. Regina, we’re all family here. Just return the bracelet, and we’ll forget this ever happened.”
Regina could hardly contain her disgust.
