Chapter 177: Fine, Call the Police

Caleb Lowell snapped back to his senses. "President Sterling, please watch what you say."

Jasper Sterling looked at him. ’This is the perfect excuse I needed,’ he thought.

"I’ve been more than careful with my words. He tried to trick my aunt into investing before, asking for three hundred million right off the bat. Now, his scams have escalated. It’s not just about swindling money; he’s trying to control my aunt with poison."

"I’m sorry, but I can’t help but wonder—are you targeting me, or are you targeting the Sterling Family?"

Caleb Lowell hadn’t expected him to lash out so suddenly, and his expression changed slightly.

The crowd, however, grew excited. ’Oh my god, this is getting juicy!’

Lana Sterling hesitated. She desperately wanted to explain that she hadn’t been scammed—she had invested in Clayton Lowell of her own free will.

Jasper Sterling suddenly turned to Lana Sterling. "Auntie, do you still think Clayton Lowell looks handsome like this?"

Lana Sterling glanced at Clayton Lowell, repulsed by the sight of his fat belly. But she took a deep breath, deciding this was just a test from her idol.

Steeling herself, she nodded. "Of course he’s handsome. I think it’s cute when men are a little chubby."

The crowd below: "..."

’We don’t get it. How much of his Kool-Aid has she been drinking to think this fat guy is handsome?’

Most of the people in the audience were not in Lana Sterling’s social circle. To attract more capital, Clayton Lowell had allowed guests to invite their friends.

Many of them had come specifically for Caleb Lowell. Being younger, they weren’t susceptible to Clayton Lowell’s particular brand of charm.

They didn’t see Clayton Lowell through any sort of ’idol filter.’ Objectively speaking, he was just an average-looking fat guy.

The problem was, Clayton Lowell was standing right next to Caleb Lowell and Jasper Sterling.

Both men were handsome enough to be top-tier celebrities. Jasper Sterling, in particular, was so breathtaking he seemed like a divine masterpiece, perfect without a single flaw.

Jasper’s shimmering, amorous eyes could make hearts race even when he wasn’t smiling. By contrast, Clayton Lowell’s "charming gaze," of which he was so proud, looked like a dead fish’s stare.

And that wasn’t even getting into his other features. The more one looked, the more the comparison became a total train wreck.

"Let me be clear. My aunt has normal taste, just like everyone else. She likes six-packs, not pot-bellies. She doesn’t have a fetish for ugliness. So, I absolutely refuse to believe you when you say she isn’t being manipulated right now."

Jasper Sterling’s voice was calm and measured, yet it was inexplicably convincing. Members of the crowd nodded, thinking he had a very good point.

Clayton Lowell roared, "You’re slandering me!"

’This is outrageous! He actually called me ugly!’

Caleb Lowell stopped the agitated Clayton Lowell and asked with a frown, "Then what is it you want?"

’Ultimately, the problem lies with Clayton’s fundraising methods.’

’It’s a legitimate investment that promises high returns, not a scam, but there’s no guarantee someone won’t just make a scene for no reason.’

Caleb Lowell knew Lana Sterling had invested two hundred million. While that was a huge sum to others, he didn’t think much of it.

"How about this? We’ll directly refund the two hundred million Ms. Sterling invested..."

Just as Caleb Lowell began to speak, Jasper Sterling cut in.

"Since this is clearly a scheme targeting the Sterling Family, I can’t just stand by and do nothing. How about I call the police?"

Caleb Lowell stopped mid-sentence. He studied Jasper Sterling, trying to gauge whether it was a threat or if he actually intended to do it.

After all, once the police were involved, today’s fundraising event was ruined, regardless of whether Clayton Lowell was actually at fault.

He didn’t want to sabotage Clayton Lowell’s fundraising plan.

It was Clayton Lowell, however, who flew into a rage. "Fine! Call the police! If they prove there’s nothing wrong with my pastries, I’ll sue you for slander, defamation, and causing a disturbance!"

’Fine! If that’s how it’s going to be, then no one is walking away from this happy!’

Clayton Lowell had spent a fortune organizing this banquet to make it look more high-class and impressive. The thought of how little capital he’d actually raised made his heart ache.

Now that he had someone to pin the losses on, he certainly wasn’t going to let them off the hook.

He whipped his head around and glared at Jane Lancaster, who was being shielded by Alvin Lancaster, and his anger flared even hotter.

"You’re the one who started these rumors! Don’t think you’re getting off easy. I will absolutely not settle for anything!"

Jane Lancaster: "..."

She couldn’t help but ask, "Are you so sure there’s nothing wrong with your pastries? What about the raw ingredients? Did you handle all of them personally? Did no one else touch them?"

Clayton Lowell shot back, "Who are you trying to implicate? Felicia? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with her."

Since she already knew, he dropped the pretense and said it outright.

"Felicia had some... misunderstandings with your Lancaster Family in the past. But since you already fired her, there’s no need to be so vicious and hunt her down. I only hired her as the housekeeper for my residence recently on a recommendation. I think she’s meticulous and thoughtful, and we have a perfectly pleasant employer-employee relationship, so you don’t need to trouble yourself."

’So what if you know? There’s still nothing you can do about it.’

Jane Lancaster asked curiously, "Your cooking skills... did Mrs. Everett teach you?"

Clayton Lowell replied, "That’s right. And lately, someone’s been spreading nasty rumors, saying Felicia was a terrible cook back when she was with the Lancaster Family. Felicia is my teacher; how could her food possibly be bad?"

Alvin Lancaster suddenly looked awkward. He was the one who’d said Mrs. Everett was a bad cook.

Jane Lancaster had no more questions. She was utterly speechless.

’What is Clayton Lowell so smug about? Your dear Felicia is about to be the death of you.’

’I had a feeling something disastrous would happen with those two teaming up, but I never imagined it would go down like this!’

Caleb Lowell’s expression flickered as he heard this. Just as he was about to speak, Jasper Sterling stepped in front of him.

"The police are here," the young man said with a faint smile.

He had called them the moment he heard Jane Lancaster’s thoughts about the poppy husks in the pastries.

The police were swift, and it wasn’t long before they had their results.

"You’re saying my pastries were laced with poppy products? That’s impossible!" Clayton Lowell shot up from his chair in shock.

Caleb Lowell felt his blood run cold. The one thing he’d never even considered had actually happened—there really was something wrong with the pastries!

Clayton Lowell instinctively turned to Jane Lancaster. "It was you! You must have poisoned them! If you hadn’t tampered with them, how would you have known there was a problem?"

’Besides Jane Lancaster, who else could possibly hate me this much?’

The investigating officer immediately gave Jane Lancaster a suspicious look. ’Why would a young girl like her be the one to accuse someone of putting something in their pastries?’

Jasper Sterling stepped forward, shielding Jane Lancaster from view. He smiled at the officer. "I’m the one who made the report. I was the first to raise the issue. As for why I was suspicious, it’s because a member of my family was nearly a victim."

Lana Sterling, still shaken from the ordeal, was touched when she heard this. ’So my nephew was doing all of this for me.’

"Nonsense! Lana Sterling never even ate my pastries!" Clayton Lowell refused to accept that explanation. He was determined to get his pound of flesh from Jane Lancaster, no matter what.

"I was framed! She touched the pastries! She should be taken in for questioning too!"

His reaction didn’t seem fake, and the officer hesitated. ’Could he really have been framed?’

Jane Lancaster couldn’t hold back any longer. "You’d rather suspect me than Mrs. Everett? Think about it carefully. When did you start being unable to control how much you eat? Do you think that has anything to do with Mrs. Everett?"

Clayton Lowell froze. "What could be wrong with Felicia?"