Chapter 185: Father and Daughter

Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Father and Daughter

Grandma Faulkner protectively shielded Vivian Lowell behind her.

Her Dragon Head Walking Stick struck Felix Faulkner squarely on the forehead. The blow carried significant force, making Felix stumble and take a half-step back. Blood immediately trickled down his forehead, dripping onto the floor in a gory display. Felix did not look well at all.

"Dad!"

Rachel Faulkner cried out from the corridor. No one expected that Rachel, who had been sick and confined to bed, would suddenly appear—just in time to witness this very scene.

She stumbled down the hall, rushing over to examine his injuries.

"Mr. Faulkner."

Sylvia Drake hadn’t anticipated such a turn of events either. She stepped forward, wanting to see how badly he was hurt. The moment Sylvia approached, Rachel spotted her and roughly shoved her away.

Caught off guard, Sylvia lost her footing. Fortunately, Finn Drake caught her before she could fall. Sylvia shot Rachel a glare, looking both baffled and annoyed. Growing up as the pampered Princess of the Drake Family, surrounded by people who constantly catered to her every whim, Sylvia had never been treated with such disrespect.

She cast a displeased look at Rachel and opened her mouth to snap at her, but the words died on her lips.

Sylvia recognized her.

"Oh, it’s you, Rachel," Sylvia said. Her tone carried a profound, mocking undertone as she looked at Rachel with unconcealed contempt.

Truth be told, an esteemed young lady of the Drake Family like Sylvia never thought much of Rachel. When Rachel first married into the family, she had been practically penniless. Her meager dowry was nothing compared to the vast wealth of the Drakes. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant, Sylvia’s cousin might never have married her in the first place.

Then again, Rachel did have the Faulkner Family backing her. Even though the Faulkners were going through a rough patch at the time, an old, established family still wielded considerable influence. The Drake Family couldn’t afford to underestimate them. That was the real reason Rachel had been allowed to marry in.

However, things were far from perfect. Marrying into the family while pregnant was hardly a glorious affair, and the Drakes always looked down on her for it. It didn’t help that right after the wedding, Rachel became overly eager to grasp some of the family’s power to secure her own footing. This blatant ambition alienated many of the Drakes.

Later, when things between Rachel and Sylvia’s cousin turned incredibly ugly—their divorce proceedings were still ongoing—Sylvia’s last shreds of goodwill toward the woman completely evaporated. As far as Sylvia was concerned, it was an absolute disgrace that a family with such a stellar reputation as the Faulkners could produce someone like Rachel.

But then again, Rachel was only an adopted daughter, not Julian’s mother’s biological child. It wasn’t entirely surprising that she would act out in such a manner.

Rachel, meanwhile, seemed just as shocked to see the Drakes here.

She had instantly recognized the necklace Sylvia was wearing. It was a custom piece exclusive to the Drakes, co-designed by their family and a foreign luxury brand. Her scumbag of a soon-to-be ex-husband had one just like it!

"Yes, it’s me." Rachel helped Felix to his feet. She stared coldly at Sylvia and asked, "What about it? Does Miss Drake have a problem with that?"

Sylvia scoffed coldly, completely dismissing Rachel. Instead, she turned her attention back to Felix and asked, "Mr. Faulkner, are you alright? Do you need me to go to the hospital with you?"

Felix waved his hand dismissively. His forehead was busted open, and he was bleeding profusely. His entire face was practically covered in blood, and he felt so dizzy that his mind was struggling to stay clear.

"No need." He turned his head to Rachel. "How are things with Annie?"

Felix’s sudden inquiry about Annie caused the atmosphere to instantly freeze.

Annie! The Faulkner Family’s current predicament was entirely that woman’s fault! Even while bleeding and injured, the first words out of Felix’s mouth were still about her!

Vivian Lowell, however, sensed that something wasn’t quite right.

When Felix had called earlier, he told Julian Faulkner that he had read about Annie online and claimed the child she was carrying was his. He had wanted to return to the country to deal with Annie’s situation, but Julian had outright rejected him.

So what did any of this have to do with Rachel? Could Rachel be hiding another secret?

With that thought in mind, Vivian looked over at Rachel.

A flash of unease crossed Rachel’s face, as if she hadn’t expected Felix to openly bring up their secret. She hesitated for a long moment before answering, "She’s fine.

"She should be discharged from the hospital in a few days. Dad, you really shouldn’t worry about her. She’s more than capable of taking care of herself—she doesn’t need your help. Look at you! You should be going to the hospital to get those injuries checked out."

But Felix shook his head and sighed. "Annie ended up in this state because of me. It’s only right that I help her. Alright, Rachel, let’s go.

"You’ve already done an excellent job with the previous matters."

At those words, Rachel shot a swift, guilty glance at Grandma Faulkner, Julian, and Vivian. Supporting Felix, she quickly prepared to leave. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

They had barely taken two steps before Julian blocked their path.

"Rachel," Julian said, staring at the haggard-looking woman in her white pajamas. "What did he mean by that?

"He said you did an excellent job with the previous matters. So, my suspicions were correct all along, weren’t they?

"You didn’t return to the country because of your divorce. You came back to scout out the situation and pave the way for his return, didn’t you?"

Rachel had returned quite suddenly. She hadn’t discussed it with Grandma Faulkner or Julian beforehand. While they had both known about her marital troubles and had expected her to eventually come back after the divorce, they just hadn’t anticipated her returning this quickly.

Now, Julian bluntly voiced the doubts he had been harboring for so long.

Standing to the side, Grandma Faulkner couldn’t quite grasp what was going on. She stepped closer and asked, "Julian, what do you mean? What did Rachel do?"

Grandma Faulkner was entirely unaware of the suspicions Julian and Vivian had harbored against Rachel. In her heart, Rachel might have made some mistakes in the past, but those were long gone. The poor girl had suffered enough misfortune. Because of those tragedies, Grandma Faulkner’s heart ached for her. After all, Rachel was a child who had grown up right before her eyes, and the older woman still wanted to protect and help her.

But now, she was realizing that things weren’t at all what they seemed!

A heavy silence fell over the hallway.

Rachel, still supporting Felix, stood locked in a tense standoff with Vivian, Julian, and Grandma Faulkner. Off to the side, Sylvia and Finn crossed their arms, watching the drama unfold like spectators at a play.

After a long stalemate, Rachel finally dropped the act.

She straightened up slightly and sneered. "That’s right. I did it all. But isn’t it a bit too late for you to be figuring that out now, Julian?

"Dad and I planned his return a long time ago. You’re still young—what’s the big deal about giving the company back to him? If it weren’t for Dad, you wouldn’t be where you are today!

"He has sacrificed so much for you. And for all these years, if you hadn’t been sending people abroad to investigate those past events, why would the Drake Family have ever taken issue with me?

"Let me tell you something, Julian! You made it look like you were helping me, but what good did that do? The Drakes always looked down on me! You and Grandma shouldn’t have let me marry into their family in the first place!

"I’ve had enough of the Drake Family! I’m a daughter of the Faulkner Family too! Why do you get to have everything while I have absolutely nothing?

"So what if I’m adopted? Wasn’t it agreed that you and I would be treated equally? But we’re not! We never were!"

Rachel had harbored a tremendous amount of resentment. Now that she had finally vented it all, she furiously dragged Felix toward the door.