“You underestimated Sebastian. I’ve always found him to be a smart, composed person. When he was little, Elissa, a grown woman, often picked on him. Yet he still managed to get this far on his own.””
While Nora had been confined in the hospital the past few weeks, she still caught word of what was happening outside.
But at her age, she could no longer meddle in these matters anymore.And she didn’t intend to…
Nora sighed sadly.
“I don’t have much time left. When your father was still alive, he used to say that people should pursue virtue after they pursued wealth. You’ve used up all the virtue he had saved for the family, and we’re no longer blessed.”
As she spoke, Patrick poured her a glass of water and handed her the medication on the bedside table. He frowned and said,
“Mom, stop talking like that.”
Nora sighed and pushed the medication cup away with her wrinkled hand.
“I’ve been taking this same medicine for years and it has done me no good. You can go back. I want to rest now.”.
Patrick returned to his home alone, despair looming over him like a storm cloud. The house was empty, aside from the servants.
In the past, Patrick usually heard the short-tempered Ritchie quarreling with his mother at home. But now, the house was eerily quiet and lifeless.
Patrick sank into the sofa wearily, burying his face in his palms.He had no way to fix this.
Now Patrick was fully aware of just how terrifying and cruel Sebastian was. The latter had shown no mercy to his own family.
Sebastian had picked off all of Patrick’s family one by one—first, his wife, then his youngest son, and then his eldest. Even the Klein Group, Patrick’s pride and joy, had been destroyed. Now he had nothing.
“Sir, Mr. Sebastian is at the door.”
A servant came and report to Patrick.
Before Patrick could say anything, Sebastian strode into the living room with his hands in his pockets.
He looked around the house quietly. .
“The house is the same as before, yet it feels different. There used to be too many people in this home and it got too crowded.
Now it’s empty, which is good. It makes the house look bigger.” Sebastian walked to the sofa opposite Patrick and sat down, sneering coldly. Patrick laughed bitterly.
“Are you here to see me at the end of my rope?” Sebastian remained unfazed.
“On the contrary, I’m here to offer you a way out. Whether you take it or not will actually depend on you.”
Patrick doubted Sebastian would be so kind, but he was utterly exhausted and desperate. “Sebastian, what more do you want? I don’t want to play any games with you anymore.”
“It’s not up to you,” Sebastian answered simply, resting his chin on the back of his hand. “As you know, your family is on the verge of collapse. One push and it’ll all come crumbling down.”
Sebastian paused for a few seconds and frowned at Patrick. “But if you turn yourself in, admit to the police and the public that you raped and then slandered my mother, and apologize to her in front of her tomb, I will let you and your family go.”
Patrick’s expression changed.
If he did this, his reputation would be ruined and irredeemable. Patrick had enjoyed a certain level of prestige all these years and it’d undoubtedly be a huge shame for him to apologize to a woman he had never taken seriously.
He had only ever touched Sylvia Larson because she was beautiful, nothing more.
Sylvia was born in a rich family. When she was in school, many boys had chased after her, but she rejected all of them, including Patrick.
However, things changed when the Larson family declined, and she was forced to take on a job as a waitress in a hotel in Seacisco.
At the time, Patrick had already married Elissa, and the Klein Group reached its peak under his leadership. When they met again under such a circumstance, Patrick wanted Sylvia to be his mistress. Although she looked harmless enough, she was actually a tough woman and refused his offer without hesitation.
Patrick was so angry that he raped her in the very hotel she worked at. Afterwards, he attempted to silence Sylvia with money, because the latter was struggling financially. But she refused to accept his money.
Patrick was afraid that the scandal would affect his reputation, so he lied to the public and claimed that Sylvia had seduced him.
After all, he was rich and powerful, and there were many women who wanted to sleep with him.
It wasn’t until much later that Patrick found out that Sylvia was pregnant. Sylvia probably didn’t abort the child because she was afraid that she might not be able to conceive again in the future, so she retreated to the countryside and gave birth to Sebastian there.
Since she was incapable of fighting against the Klein family and hadn’t stirred up any trouble, Patrick ignored her existence altogether.
Unexpectedly, thirty years later, her son rose from the ashes to avenge her.
“It happened thirty years ago! Even if I admit my mistake to the public, it won’t make much of a difference. Your mother is dead,”
Patrick said desperately.
Sebastian expected such a response, so he said in a cold voice, “Quit making excuses. If you do as I say and turn yourself in, you’ll only be imprisoned for a few years at most, but ultimately, you’ll be able to protect your precious Klein family. By the time you’re released from jail, you’ll have another chance to start anew. But if you don’t admit what you did, I’ll make sure you live a miserable life. I won’t stop until the Klein family, which has been around for hundreds of years, is completely destroyed—and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. Like I said, it’s your choice now.”
Patrick fell silent for a long time, and suddenly looked much older. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling illuminated his white hairs.
Seeing that he wasn’t going to respond, Sebastian stood up and was about to leave.
“It seems that you don’t want to save the Klein family. That’s fine by me.””
“Wait!” Patrick’s voice suddenly sounded from behind Sebastian.
Sebastian paused and looked over his shoulder indifferently. .
After a long time, Patrick sighed and said hoarsely, “I’ll turn myself in.”.
“For the first time, you’ve finally made a wise choice” Sebastian said with a sneer.
Patrick smiled bitterly and looked up at him. “Sebastian, did you plan all this from the very beginning? Was everything—the court cases, the sentencing—was everything just a ploy to force me to turn myself in?”
Raising his eyebrows, Sebastian turned around and stood facing Patrick.
The light from outside the door illuminated his profile, but his face was against the light, making it difficult for Patrick to see his expression clearly.
“In a word, yes.
Although all the evidence that you raped my mom has been erased, do you honestly believe you can also erase all the crimes you’ve committed? The truth should be—and will be—revealed.
My mother is innocent.
It’s time for you to take the fall for your sins.
We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”
Then, the young man turned around and left.
Patrick watched him walk away in silence.
When Sebastian was gone, Patrick raised his head, stared at the ceiling with his turbid eyes, and suddenly burst into manic laughter.
In the end, he lost.
Sebastian had won.
The following day, Patrick went to the cemetery to see Sylvia.
He had never been there before.
The cemetery was located in a decent area.
Nearby, there was a large plot of land covered in daisies, and the cemetery was surrounded by pine trees.
When Sylvia was still alive, she liked flowers very much.
It was not difficult to see why Sebastian chosen this spot as her final resting place.
Patrick set a bunch of lilies in front of her grave.
Looking at the black and white photograph on the tombstone, he suddenly felt that time had slipped away from him.
In the photo, Sylvia’s beautiful and gentle smile was immortalized.
Thinking of what had happened in the past, Patrick suddenly found himself unable to look at her photograph.
He lowered his head, wrought with guilt.
Get on your knees.
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What my mother needs is your apology.” Patrick heard Sebastian’s cold voice from behind him.
Feeling humiliated, he squeezed his eyes shut.
He hadn’t felt an ounce of guilt for over twenty years, and now he wasonly here due to Sebastian’s ultimatum.
I’m sorry, Sylvia. I ma
de a terrible mistake.
I, Patrick Klein, hereby apologize to you.” Patrick had to kneel down in front of the grave.
Patrick had been kneeling for over an hour before Sebastian finally allowed him to stand up again.
After leaving the cemetery, Patrick went straight to the police department and turned himself in.
He admitted to his crime of rape from thirty years ago.
Sebastian had already arranged for the media to report this matter to the public.
Thirty years ago, Patrick slandered Sylvia, claiming that she had seduced a married man to sleep with her.
Ever since then, the public had thought lowly of her.
Now, her name was finally cleared and her innocence was restored.
Reading the news on the newspaper, Natalie was still not satisfied.
Sighing heavily, she murmured, “It’s been so many years.
People have forgotten all about it.
Patrick is really lucky.