<h4>Chapter 55: When Masks Fall</h4>


    Jack’s POV


    I slouchedzily on the sofa in the Simpson estate’s living room, mindlessly scrolling through my phone. The afternoon tea scenario ying out before me was suffocating —my mother’s calcted praise of Lucy Taylor, Lucy’s excessive eagerness to please, and their thinly veiled matchmaking attempts that they somehow thought I couldn’t see through. I just wanted to escape as quickly as possible.


    "Don’t you agree, Jack?" My mother’s voice yanked me from my thoughts.


    I finally lifted my gaze from my phone screen, making no effort to hide my impatience. "Mom, I’m going out tonight. Don’t prepare dinner for me."


    Lucy’s face immediately fell, her disappointment embarrassingly obvious. "Jack, aren’t you on vacation?


    Do you really need to go out for business?"


    I deliberately avoided her gaze, focusing back on my phone while giving a half-hearted response. "Made ns with Daniel and the guys."


    I could sense Lucy biting her lip, her voice taking on that practiced wounded tone. "But I’ve already prepared all the side dishes for tonight’s dinner, and I made chicken soup especially for you—to boost your health."


    Her transparent attempts at ying the perfect caretaker irritated me.


    These carefully constructed traps of tenderness and attentiveness had long since be transparent. "You two can eat it," I replied curtly.


    Noting my cold demeanor, my mother quickly jumped in to lecture Lucy.


    "Men have business obligations all the time. We women can’t lighten their professional burdens, so we shouldn’t bother them about their work. Just take care of them properly at home."


    Her tone suddenly shifted, turning icy.


    "Don’t be like Anna Shaw, always trying to control men. You need to be more amodating."


    At the mention of Anna’s name, my heart clenched painfully.


    "You’re absolutely right, Mrs. Simpson.


    I’ll remember that," Lucy agreed, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.


    "I was just concerned about Jack’s health, nothing more."


    I couldn’t take it anymore. Frowning deeply, I looked directly at Lucy.


    "Lucy, you’re not a child anymore. You should find a proper job. And stoping to our house so often-we have staff to handle the cooking."


    I had to be clear. "Also..." I nced at my mother, then back at Lucy, determined to reveal the truth. "I promised Felix I’d look after you. I’ll help you find a good match, someone who can provide you with afortable life."


    To fully extinguish Lucy’s misguided hopes, I turned to my mother with a suggestion. "Mom, why not make Lucy your goddaughter?"


    Lucy froze, looking at me in disbelief.


    "Jack, w-what are you saying?"


    My mother mmed her hand on the table, fury zing in her eyes. "What nonsense are you spouting? How could Lucy possibly be my goddaughter?" Then sheid her cards on the table.


    "Let me be perfectly clear. Lucy is my choice for your wife. You must marry her."


    I refused without hesitation. "That’s impossible. I already have someone I care for. I won’t marry her."


    My mother paused, stunned. Lucy bit her lip harder.


    "Who?" My mother demanded, rage shing in her eyes. "Anna Shaw?


    Absolutely not! I forbid it!"


    Since we’d reached this point, I saw no reason to hide my feelings any longer.


    Thinking of Anna, my heart suddenly felt warm and resolute. "Yes, Anna. I care for her and intend to win her back. I’ll discuss this with Father.


    Mom, this isn’t your decision to make."


    Lucy swayed slightly, as if she might copse at any moment. "Jack, if you pursue Anna again, what about me? I care for you so much—I always have.


    Can’t you see that?"


    I watched her performance with weariness. Whether her emotions were genuine or fabricated, I no longer cared to discern. "I’ve only ever thought of you as a sister. I’ve never shown any romantic interest in you."


    My voice turned cold, my gaze even colder. "I’ve chosen not to confront you about the things you did to sabotage my rtionship with Anna, but that doesn’t mean I’m unaware of them. From now on, watch yourself. If you do anything to hurt her again, I will never forgive you."


    Lucy looked as if she’d been struck by lightning, sinking to the floor. "Jack, please don’t do this. I truly care about you. What does Anna Shaw have that I don’t?"


    My mother began defending Lucy.


    "Lucy is a hundred times better than Anna." Her tone grew heavy. "Jack Simpson, don’t think I’m unaware of the rumors circting about that shameless woman. Go ask around.


    Hear what Skyview City’s elite are saying about her. She’s now more infamous than Nora Price. What man would dare bring such a woman home? It would disgrace our family."


    She added with disgust, "Even the senior board members are gossiping about her behind closed doors."


    My face darkened immediately, a protective instinct surging through me.


    "Who? Who’s talking about her?"


    My mother scoffed. "Hmph, ask your father."


    I frowned deeply. My father had attended a business dinnerst night— had someone dared to gossip about Anna in his presence? Anna was still my ex-wife; these people showing such disrespect to me suggested that whoever dined with my father wasn’t particrly respectable. No wonder even my mother looked displeased.


    My mother continued her earnest persuasion. "Even if Lucy has ws, she’s devoted to you and won’t cause scandalous rumors. The Simpson family already has status and wealth.


    We don’t need a daughter-inw with exceptional skills or powerful connections. We need someone pure, obedient, and attentive—a woman who understands your needs. That’s more valuable than anything else."


    I responded firmly. "I’ll get to the bottom of the online rumors. I’ll find out the truth behind all these allegations."


    My mother challenged coldly. "What’s there to investigate? The fact is she slept with Samuel to secure his alliance. Son, you’repletely blinded by her. Have you forgotten that Anna Shaw frequented the Olympus Club? That Sean Smith still works for her? Why can’t you see reason?"


    A sharp pain pierced my heart, but rationally, I knew Anna wasn’t that kind of person. "I’ve already established that she and Sean don’t have that kind of rtionship. As for Samuel, I’ll discover what’s really happening there."


    Just then, the butler appeared to announce, "Mrs. Simpson, Mr. Simpson, Ms. Shaw is here."


    My mother immediately responded with disgust. "What does she want?


    Tell her to leave."


    I immediately instructed the butler, "Show her in."


    The butler hesitated momentarily before choosing to follow my directive.


    My mother was livid. "Why are you inviting her in? Aren’t you worried she’ll taint our home?"


    I was also confused. Given Anna’s character, she would never step foot in the Simpson household without an urgent matter. Why had she suddenly appeared? Had she discovered something, or was there an emergency?


    Soon, Anna walked in, followed by Sean and Rachel, who were dragging an unconscious man. They dumped him unceremoniously in front of my mother and Lucy.


    I noticed Lucy’s expression turn suddenly panicked when she saw the man on the floor. Although she quicklyposed herself, that moment of rm didn’t escape my notice. What was she afraid of? Who was this man?


    I asked in confusion, "Anna, what’s going on? Who is this?"


    Anna’s POV


    "Anna Shaw, where did you find this... this man? Why are you dumping him in my home?" Mary’s shrill voice cut through the tense silence, each syble dripping with disdain.


    As she turned to her butler, waving her perfectly manicured hand dismissively, I maintained an expressionless face. "Get rid of that rug afterward. It’spletely ruined how unlucky."


    This woman had never seen me as someone worthy of her son, let alone deserving of her respect. Even when I was officially part of the Simpson family, I was always treated like an unwee intruder. Some things never change.


    Jack approached me, his eyes filled with concern that once would have made my heart flutter but now only evoked a hollow emptiness.


    "What happened? Are you okay?" he asked softly, urgency in his voice.


    I met his gaze with cold detachment.


    How ironic. All those times I had desperately needed this kind of attention from him, and now that it no longer mattered, here it was.


    "Why don’t you ask her?" I replied, shifting my gaze to Lucy, who was already shrinking back, clutching Mary’s arm with practiced vulnerability.


    "Ask me what?" Lucy’s voice trembled with manufactured innocence. "Anna, I don’t understand what you’re talking about."


    What a performance. I suppressed a bitter smile. This woman had perfected the art of maniption to an almost admirable degree-if it weren’t so despicable.


    Jack looked between us, confusion clearly written on his face. "Can someone exin what’s going on here?


    Lucy, what is Anna talking about?"


    "I’ll exin everything," I said coldly, interrupting Mary’s stream of vitriol.


    "But first, I want to know what you n to do about it, Jack. When I prove what she’s done, what then?"


    Jack nced at Lucy, then back to me.


    His expression hardened with unusual resolve. "If she’s truly done something wrong, I won’t let it slide. I promise, Anna, I won’t let anyone hurt you or damage your reputation anymore."


    Mary immediately erupted, her face flushing with fury. "Anna Shaw, you worthless woman! How dare you try to manipte my son again? You think you can just—"


    "Mom," Jack cut in, his voice unusually firm. "Can you be quiet for one minute?"


    "Don’t bother, Mr. Simpson," I said coolly. "I’m used to it by now." And I truly was. The constant belittlement, the casual cruelty—they had long since lost their power to wound me deeply.


    I turned my attention to Lucy, who was watching me warily, her innocent mask hiding guarded eyes. "Ms. Taylor, do you recognize this man?" I gestured to the battered figure on the floor.


    She shook her head frantically, eyes wide. "No! I’ve never seen him before!"


    Iughed, the sound devoid of any real humor. "You can drop the act.


    You know, I wasn’t going to pursue this. When you secretly photographed me with Samuel at the charity g and paid to have those misleading photos trend online, I was willing to let it go." I took a step closer to her, watching her shrink back further. "I didn’t want to deal with Jack pestering me, so I kept quiet."


    I took a deep breath, letting the anger I’d been suppressing finally show in my voice. "But you crossed a line when you smeared my reputation.


    Setting up betting pools, encouraging men topete over who would sleep with me first? That was truly vicious, Lucy. Even for you."


    Jack turned to Lucy, shock written across his features. "Lucy, is this true?


    Did you really do these things?"


    Lucy clung to Mary’s arm, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head violently. "No! I would never!


    She’s lying, Jack-she’s just trying to turn you against me!"


    I observed her performance with clinical detachment. Those tears might fool Jack, but they had no effect on me.


    I’d learned to recognize genuine emotion, and there wasn’t a drop of it in her disy.


    Rachel stepped forward, nudging the unconscious man with her foot. "This is the proof."


    Mary recoiled, her lip curling in disgust. "Who knows where you found this man? Get him out of my house immediately! If he dies here, even the entire Shaw fortune couldn’t cover it."


    I almost smiled at the irony. When it suited her narrative, I was from a small, insignificant family unworthy of the Simpson name. Yet when she wanted to insult me, suddenly the Shaw family was substantial enough to be worth mentioning. Such contradiction was typical of Mary Simpson’s particr brand of prejudice.


    Jack grabbed Lucy’s wrist, his expression more serious than I’d ever seen it during our marriage. "Tell me the truth, Lucy. Now."


    For just a moment, Lucy’s mask slipped, and I caught a glimpse of raw hatred in her eyes before she copsed into another bout of theatrical sobbing.


    Her tears weren’t from being falsely used-they were from rage at being caught.


    I nodded to Sean, who stepped forward with a ss of water. Without hesitation, he threw the cold water directly into the man’s face.


    The man spluttered awake, panic immediately flooding his features as he took in his surroundings. "I confess! I confess!" he blurted, cowering as if expecting another blow. "It was Jared Wood! Jared ordered me to set up the betting pool. He paid me to do it all!


    Please don’t hit me again!"


    All color drained from Lucy’s face, though she continued her desperate denial. "No, that’s not true. I know nothing about this!"


    I watched Jack’s expression shift from shock to fury as the truth sank in. "If it wasn’t you, then who? Should I call Jared here to verify his story?"


    Lucy, realizing she was cornered, suddenly changed tactics—a move I’d been expecting. Her expression hardened as she went on the offensive.


    "Anna," she said, though tears still clung to hershes, her voice suddenly steady, "you say I took those photos, but aren’t you admitting that you were with Samuel Griffin that night? Is that something you’re prepared to confirm?"