Chapter 185: A shameless gossip enthusiast.

Vincent stepped back as he watched Dominic make his way toward them. His eyes were cold as a glacier, and his expression was so stoic that it seemed capable of freezing anyone in the room.

"Mr. Sterling, I wasn’t—" Vincent stammered the moment his eyes met Dominic’s.

He had already been warned once, yet he had refused to heed it. Now, being confronted by Dominic for the second time made him even more nervous.

Julianna, who had been standing nearby, quickly stepped forward to defend her father.

"Dominic, there’s been a misunderstanding," she said. "My dad wasn’t trying to harm Clara. He simply wanted to hand her over to the police after she put our family’s reputation at risk."

Julianna had always been skilled at twisting situations to her advantage. This time, however, she wanted Dominic to see Clara for who she believed she truly was: an illegitimate daughter who brought nothing but trouble into everyone’s lives.

"Yes, Dominic," Dorothy added, coming to her husband’s defense. "Vincent was only trying to teach Clara some manners."

Her expression hardened as she glanced at Clara.

"She refuses to admit her mistake. Not only has she dragged the Hayes family’s name through the mud, but she’s now putting the Sterling family’s reputation at risk as well."

Dorothy turned back toward Dominic, her voice filled with false concern.

"That’s why we thought it would be best to hand her over to the police. Perhaps they can teach her a lesson and make her understand the seriousness of her actions."

Dominic’s expression remained cold.

"Teach my wife a lesson?" he repeated.

His gaze moved slowly from Dorothy to Vincent, making both of them stiffen.

"Is that what you call trying to grab her and hand her over to the police without a proper investigation?"

Dominic voice reverberated around silencing the Hayes family in a second.

"Dominic, you’re misunderstanding the situation," Julianna quickly interjected. "No one is trying to mistreat Clara. We’re only concerned about what happened to Mr. Graham."

"Then let the police investigate what happened to Mr. Graham," Dominic replied, his voice calm but intimidating. "Why are you all so eager to decide that my wife is guilty before an investigation has even begun?"

Julianna’s expression faltered.

"She was responsible for the bakery stall," she argued. "She was the one handling the cookies. Who else could have—"

"Were you there when the poison was supposedly added?" Dominic interrupted.

Julianna’s lips parted, but no words came out.

"Did you see Clara poison the cookies?" he continued.

"I—no, but—"

"Then stop making accusations as though they’re facts."

His cold gaze silenced her.

Vincent clenched his fists. "Mr. Sterling, you don’t understand. This woman has always caused trouble for our family. We’re only trying to protect—"

"Be careful, Mr. Hayes."

Dominic’s warning was quiet, but it carried enough weight to make Vincent stop.

"You’ve already been warned not to interfere with Clara. Yet here you are, attempting to intimidate her in front of a crowd."

"I was only trying to discipline my daughter," Vincent muttered.

Dominic’s eyes narrowed.

"Your daughter?" he repeated. "You disowned her in front of everyone moments ago. Now you’re using that same family name as an excuse to control her?"

Vincent’s face paled.

Dominic stepped closer, placing himself between Clara and the Hayes family.

"Clara is my wife. You have no right to touch her, threaten her, or decide her guilt."

Julianna’s nails dug into her palms.

"But Dominic, she—"

"Enough."

The single word fell like a command, leaving Julianna speechless.

Dominic then turned toward the police officer.

"Officer, I believe my wife has been accused of a serious crime without any evidence. I expect a proper investigation, not a public spectacle."

The officer straightened and nodded.

"Of course, Mr. Sterling. We’ll need to question everyone involved and examine the evidence before taking any action."

Clara watched Dominic quietly, a faint glimmer passing through her eyes.

For the first time since the accusations began, she felt that she no longer had to stand alone.

Meanwhile, the people gathered around them began whispering among themselves.

"Wow... I’ve never seen Dominic Sterling act this protective toward a woman. He’s certainly raising the standards."

"That woman is incredibly lucky to have a man like Dominic wrapped around her finger."

"Perhaps we judged her too quickly. There’s no way Dominic would defend a criminal unless he knew her well."

"Does that mean the Hayes family is deliberately trying to bring her down because she refused to cooperate with them?"

The whispers spread through the crowd, gradually shifting the atmosphere.

Those who had previously condemned Clara began to reconsider their assumptions. Dominic’s unwavering defense had made them question whether the accusations against her were truly as straightforward as Julianna had claimed.

Julianna heard the murmurs and felt her face tighten.

This was not how she had expected things to unfold.

Instead of isolating Clara, Dominic’s arrival had only made the crowd more sympathetic toward her. Worse, people were now beginning to question the Hayes family’s motives.

She clenched her fists, forcing herself to maintain a composed expression while resentment burned in her eyes.

"These people are unbelievable," Julianna muttered under her breath.

She glanced at Clara, who stood behind Dominic with an irritatingly calm expression. Clara didn’t look triumphant or relieved. She simply watched the scene unfold, as though she had expected Dominic to arrive and defend her.

That composure made Julianna even angrier.

Why does she always manage to turn things in her favor?

"Julianna."

Her father’s low voice pulled her from her thoughts.

She turned toward Vincent, who was staring at Dominic with a tense expression.

"Don’t say anything more," he warned quietly. "We’ll discuss this later."

"But Dad—"

"I said enough."

Julianna pressed her lips together, swallowing her frustration.

Vincent was no longer interested in dragging Clara down—not after Dominic had stepped forward to defend her.

Their original plan had been simple. They wanted to destroy Clara’s reputation, turn the Sterling family against her, and, in the process, make Adrian realize what a mistake he had made by rejecting the Hayes family in favor of someone they considered beneath them.

But now, everything was slipping out of their hands.

With Dominic standing firmly beside Clara and the police preparing to investigate, continuing the confrontation would only draw more attention to the Hayes family. Perhaps it would be wiser to abandon the matter and leave before things became even more complicated.

Vincent exchanged a tense glance with Dorothy and Julianna.

For once, none of them seemed eager to speak.

Nearby, the police officer cleared his throat.

"Everyone, please remain calm. We need to establish exactly what happened before we can draw any conclusions."

He opened his notebook and prepared to take statements from those present.

However, before he could begin, Clara suddenly spoke.

"How about I make things easier for you, Officer?"

Everyone’s attention immediately shifted toward her.

Clara stepped out from behind Dominic, her posture relaxed and her expression composed. There was no trace of panic in her eyes, nor did she seem intimidated by the police or the crowd surrounding her.

Instead, a strange calmness settled over her features.

That calmness sent a chill through the Hayes family.

Julianna’s stomach tightened.

What is she planning now?

The officer looked at Clara with curiosity. "What do you mean, Madam?"

Clara’s gaze swept across the crowd before settling on Julianna.

"Rather than wasting everyone’s time questioning people who may not know the whole story, why don’t we begin with the person who seems to know the most?"

Julianna’s face stiffened.

Dorothy’s expression changed as well, while Vincent instinctively straightened.

The officer followed Clara’s gaze and looked toward Julianna.

"Are you suggesting Miss Hayes has information about the incident?"

Clara’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"I’m not suggesting anything, Officer. I’m simply saying that if we want to uncover the truth, we should start by asking Julianna what she knows."

The air around them suddenly grew tense.

Julianna’s fingers curled tightly at her sides.

"Clara, what are you trying to imply?" she demanded.

Clara’s smile deepened.

"That’s what I intend to find out."

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Jonathan furrowed his brows. He could no longer contain his curiosity, especially after hearing Clara imply that she had something to reveal.

"Darling, let’s go and see what Clara has to show us," he said, patting Grace’s hand before abruptly standing up.

Without waiting for her response, he hurried toward the crowd, looking like a nosy neighbor who had just heard that the most interesting gossip in the neighborhood was happening next door.

Grace shook her head at his enthusiasm.

"Jonathan, must you rush over like that?"

"What? We can’t miss the important part!" he called back.

Despite her exasperation, Grace followed him. She was curious too—not merely because she wanted to know what Clara intended to reveal, but because she wanted to see how her daughter-in-law planned to prove the Hayes family wrong.

By the time they reached the crowd, Jonathan had already squeezed his way toward the front.

"Move aside, please. Family member coming through," he announced cheerfully.

Grace closed her eyes briefly, wondering how she had ended up married to such a shameless gossip enthusiast.