Chapter 302: Hypocritical Mask (3)

Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Hypocritical Mask (3)

Jasmine Faulkner was on the verge of losing her mind. There was still no news of Faye Sterling, and she was already beside herself with worry. Now, with Owen Sterling blaming her, she was absolutely seething.

"Enough! Why didn’t you tell me that Maple offended Martin Quinn? If you had told me about this earlier, I could have come up with a plan. We wouldn’t be so helpless now!"

Owen Sterling was truly at his wit’s end. There was no news of his daughter, and he had no idea when the Quinn Family would make a move against his company! If the Quinn Family really did attack the company, how was he supposed to respond? It felt like everything was happening at once, and Owen Sterling had no idea where to even begin.

At the mention of this, Jasmine Faulkner looked guilty, her gaze shifting evasively. "I just felt that you work so hard already. I thought if I could handle it myself, I wouldn’t have to trouble you!"

’Her original plan was to kill two birds with one stone: solve the problem with the Quinn Family and get rid of Seraphina Sterling. Who would have thought things would go so wrong?’

"Hmph, you could handle it? And this is the result? Martin Quinn dragged Maple away right at the banquet!" Owen Sterling was about to explode with anger. "Jasmine Faulkner! I’m just finding out now how clueless you can be! Don’t you know who the Quinn Family is? You offended the Quinns and didn’t tell me immediately, instead thinking you could fix it yourself! I guess you really don’t know your own limits!"

Hearing Jasmine Faulkner’s explanation, Owen Sterling felt an urge to cough up blood. She had hidden something this huge from him! The woman truly didn’t know her own limits!

Jasmine Faulkner was far too proud to be criticized. After being lectured repeatedly, her anger finally boiled over and she exploded. "It’s all Seraphina Sterling’s fault that things have come to this! If she had..."

"If I had what?" Seraphina Sterling’s voice was naturally soft; even raised, it retained its gentle tone. She had returned to hear Jasmine Faulkner mention her name. A glance across the living room confirmed that everyone who was supposed to be there was present. ’For them all to be home at this time... that’s a rare sight.’ Seeing Jasmine Faulkner’s devastated expression, she didn’t need to guess what they had been discussing.

Seraphina Sterling slowly walked toward Jasmine Faulkner, her faint smile dripping with sarcasm. "If I had gone along with your and Faye Sterling’s plan, taken the fall for Faye Sterling, and been her scapegoat, then she wouldn’t have been taken away by Martin Quinn, is that it?"

Jasmine Faulkner realized how wrong that sounded and quickly changed tack.

"This wasn’t just for Maple’s sake; it was for the Sterling Family. If you had taken the blame at the banquet, the Quinn Family would never have troubled the Sterling Family! You just came back from the countryside and have barely been seen in our circles, so it would be normal for you not to know the rules. If you’d been the one to offend Mr. Quinn, he would have punished you at most, not held it against the entire Sterling Family! That would have at least spared the family from being dragged into this by the Quinns!"

"But you clearly have no concept of family! You acted out of selfishness, refusing right then and there, and that’s why Martin Quinn showed up and took our Maple! Now this isn’t just about Maple—it’s about the Sterling Family! As a member of the Sterling family, you must put the family’s interests first! If you hadn’t been so selfish, so unwilling to take the blame, your elders wouldn’t be this worried sick!"

At this moment, Jasmine Faulkner wished she could skin Seraphina Sterling alive.

"Stop sounding so high and mighty! Don’t pretend you’re so noble! And don’t you dare act like this was all for the Sterling Family! Do you even know Martin Quinn? Are you a mind reader? How could you possibly guarantee that if I took the blame for Faye Sterling, the Quinn Family wouldn’t have just taken their anger out on the entire Sterling Family? At the end of the day, this is about one thing and one thing only: you couldn’t bear to sacrifice your precious daughter!"