Chapter 1777:
“Absolutely,” Elwood said, his face stormy, nodding with grim resolve.
At that moment, seeds of doubt began to sprout in his mind. Since Holley and Baker could subject their own daughter to such cold-blooded treatment, how could they possibly treat someone else’s child with even a shred of decency?
The answer, glaring as daylight, was no; they couldn’t. Elwood found it hard to believe that true selflessness could exist in someone capable of such cruelty. If Baker had no mercy for his own daughter, how could he possibly show kindness to someone else’s child? That notion defied all logic.
Gripped by this unsettling thought, Elwood narrowed his eyes and asked, “Does Baker treat all his children like this?”
Lucas understood all too well—Elwood’s question was really about Baker’s treatment of the daughter he had fathered with Carola.
With a composed air, Lucas responded, “His attitude toward Kylee is completely different. He treats her like a rare gem, something too precious to scold, let alone hurt.”
After a pause, he added, his brow tightening in thought, “It’s baffling. Baker was clearly infatuated with Holley—his first love—yet when it comes to the daughter they share, he’s colder than ice. Why?”
He leaned back slightly, the weight of the situation etched across his features. “From what Belinda has told me, whenever there’s conflict between her and Kylee, Baker doesn’t hesitate—he takes Kylee’s side without a second thought. No matter the circumstances, Belinda ends up shouldering the blame.”
Elwood blinked. “Is that really true?” he murmured, the words slipping out in disbelief.
Lucas let out a breath, his tone turning analytical. “Yeah. Baker is the kind of man who calculates every move for personal gain. The only explanation that makes sense is this—he believes that doting on Kylee might serve him well down the line.”
He shook his head slowly. “Otherwise, none of this adds up.”
C𝓉𝑟𝓎 𝒽𝒾𝑒𝑟 𝒶t g𝓪l𝑛ovєls.𝓬○𝓶
Elwood didn’t reply. He sat there, wordless, letting Lucas’s reasoning settle over him.
If his instincts were right, then Baker’s so-called affection for Kylee was nothing more than a calculated gesture—an investment made in anticipation of the day her true identity came to light.
The thought turned Elwood’s stomach.
For the sake of currying favor, Baker hadn’t hesitated to mistreat his own daughter. Did the man have any inkling of the scars he was etching into his daughter’s soul?
If he could be so callous to his own child, what hope was there that he’d show genuine care to someone else’s?
Elwood’s jaw clenched as the truth settled like a stone in his gut. Whatever kindness Kylee believed she’d received from Baker, it must be just a facade, a carefully painted illusion hiding a heart steeped in self-interest.
Despite the storm raging inside Elwood, Lucas’s gaze stayed fixed and unyielding on him. His voice cut through the silence, each word laced with cold fury. “Do you honestly believe I’d stand by and let someone who hurt the woman I love walk away scot-free? I only blacklisted him—I forbade anyone from doing business with his company. That was me showing restraint.”
His eyes burned with a hard edge as he added, “Had he not been Belinda’s father, he would have faced a much worse fate!”
