<b>Chapter </b><b>222 </b>The <b>scheme </b>
“I hear you.”
How could she not? His words were so gentle yet so strong.
Renee had doubted she could find rest that night.
But the warmth of his embrace brought her a temporary peace, pushing her worries away as she drifted
off to sleep.
Soon, Marcelo felt that the woman he held in his arms was breathing steadily<b>, </b>deeply asleep.
He gently moved back to gaze at the face nestled in his arm, her features as soft as ever<b>, </b>yet now shaded with a touch of vulnerability.
The panic that seized his heart at the sight of her tears was known to him alone.
All he managed to do was awkwardly dere his love for her over and over.
She insisted that she had never felt loved by “them“.
Those “them“, what right did they have to hold a spot in his woman’s heart?
The night passed peacefully.
When Renee woke up, she discovered she was lying against Marcelo’s chest.
His habit of sleeping shirtless revealed his toned chest muscles, making her cheeks warm and her heart beat faster.
“You up? Want to keep sleeping?” Marcelo asked, looking down at her.
Their sleeping patterns didn’t match. Renee liked to sleepte, while Marcelo was up with the dawn. Waking up beside him was something special.
This gentle moment confused Renee at first<b>, </b>but soon filled her with happiness.
“No, I’m good. It’s already eight.” Renee observed, realizing the time.
“Haven’t you gone to work yet<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“I decided to take today off.”
Renee yfully teased, “Marcelo, it appears you’re frequently taking days off these days.”
“Why have the title of boss if I can’t enjoy a day off now and then?” He moved closer to nt a kiss on her forehead, saying, “Being with my woman matters more to me than work.”
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Chapter 222 The scheme
Renee felt a lingering sensation of the kiss on her forehead.
She felt deeply loved at that moment.
Recalling his tender care from the previous night made her smile, and she leaned in for a morning kiss.
Feeling reassured about Renee’s emotional well–being, Marcelo then headed to the office.
But the moment he left, Renee’s face fell.
Marcelo’sforting presence had eased the pain of losing Naomi.
Yet, the mystery of “that man” Naomi mentioned nagged at her.
The investigation by Ro and Grace revealed that the Hudson family’s was that Renee was simply
abandoned as a baby.
But Naomi had mentioned a man favoring the Hudson family because they had raised Renee.
Did that man know her biological family<b>? </b>
And why did “that man” choose to stay in the shadows, helping her through Naomi’s involvement?
Renee was puzzled and her thoughts were interrupted by a call from Ro.
He was calling to invite her to Naomi’s funeral.
Since Renee had left soon after paying her respects the previous day, she had not nned to go to the
funeral.
But now, she realized she needed to go back to the Hudson family’s residence to gather any clues about ”
that man“.
In the solemn atmosphere of the funeral home, Naomi, despite not being favored by the Hudson family during her lifetime, received a grand and dignified burial.
The Hudson utilized the asion of Naomi’s funeral not just as a mark of respect but also as an opportunity to reinforce their social ties, extending invitations far and wide.
Renee, having arrived, ced arge bouquet of flowers respectfully in front of Naomi’s gravestone.
“Has Marcelo not arrived yet?” Ro asked her.
“He’s tied up with work,” Renee responded, opting not to mention that she hadn’t informed Marcelo about
the funeral.
Grace, overhearing their exchange, felt a surge of relief at Marcelo’s absence.
Chapter 222 The scheme
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“Did Naomi have any acquaintanceship with a younger man during her life?” Renee, seizing a moment,
posed a question.
“How could it be possible?” Ro replied with certainty<b>, </b>“Absolutely not. She was like a mother to me so I know her very well. In herter years, her interactions were primarily with her peers, fellow elderlydies.
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“How can we remember these? <b>If </b>you’re seeking information, I suggest checking the second–floor lounge for any of her possessions,” Grace interjected, her tonecking warmth.
Naomi’s belongings, few as they were, had been boxed up in a single carton.
Renee meticulously went through the items but found nothing of significance.
Disheartened, she sighed and exited the lounge. As she was about to descend the stairs, Catherine intercepted her.
With Naomi’s passing, Renee felt no desire to maintain ties with the Hudson family. She regarded
Catherine with a fleeting, indifferent nce and continued on her way.
“Stop, Renee!” Catherine called out abruptly, seizing her arm. “Have you been seducing Drew again?”
<b>“</b><b>If </b>you’re mentally ill, perhaps a doctor’s visit is in order,” Renee retorted, briskly freeing her arm from Catherine’s grasp.
In the next moment, a scream pierced the air.
“Ah!”
Catherine copsed, clutching her abdomen in agony.
“Renee, why did you push me? My baby, my baby…Help! Somebody help!”
The mourning hall, hitherto engulfed in a respectful hush, was now starkly disrupted by Catherine’s
anguished cries and pleas for help.
Grace rushed to her side, cradling her in her arms amidst the chaos.
“Catherine! What happened? Don’t worry. I’m calling for an ambnce.”
As the other guests gathered around, the sight <b>of </b>blood trailing down Catherine’s legs elicited gasps of
horror.
“Oh, no!”
“I heard that she’s pregnant, <b>isn’t </b>she? Could this have caused a miscarriage?”
Catherine, through her tears, used Renee, “You’re heartless, Renee! It’s one thing to despise me, but
why harm my unborn child? It’s innocent!<b>” </b>
Chapter 222 The scheme
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The <b>crowd’s </b><b>stares </b>turned usatory towards Renee, as if she were a murderer.
Staring <b>at </b>the blood between her legs, Renee’s fingertips quivered, her expression one of utter disbelief and vulnerability.
She hadn’t pushed Catherine…So why had this tragedy befallen them<b>? </b>
At the hospital, it was confirmed
that Catherine had lost her baby.
Her weeping left Renee in turmoil, marking the first time she felt defenseless against Catherine’s
usations<b>. </b>
The King family, upon hearing the news, converged at the hospital in distress.
Felicia, incensed, confronted Renee, “You malevolent woman, return my grandchild! Give back the King family’s future heir!”
As Felicia aimed a p at Renee, she caught the older woman’s wrist effortlessly. <b>“</b><b>If </b><b>you </b>want to talk, do
<b>so </b>calmly. You’ve no right to strike me.” Renee shook her hand off coldly.
“Considering you caused the death of my grandson, isn’t it only fair for me to give you a p in return?”
Felicia, undeterred, attempted another p, driven by fury and grief.
Overwhelmed by sadness, all Renee could focus on was the heartbreaking news of Catherine’s
miscarriage.
This time, she firmly grasped Felicia’s hand and guided her straight toward Andrew, who, surprisingly,
showed no sorrow over the loss of his baby.
“Is this how you treat the elders? How rude of you! I’ll teach you a lesson!”
Hearing themotion, Grace emerged from the hospital room, preparing to strike Renee as well.
This time, Renee didn’t dodge.
As Grace’s hand neared her face, her wrist was once again grasped from behind.
With a practiced smirk, Luke seized her wrists and pulled Grace two meters away from Renee.
Next to Luke, Marcelo’s presence was chilling, emanating an aura of formidable pressure.
“When did you decide it was your ce toy hands on my woman?<b>” </b>
<b>“</b><b>I</b><b>…</b>I…”
<b>Grace </b><b>found </b>herself unable <b>to </b>retaliate against Marcelo, especially after daring to strike <b>Renee</b>.
<b>4/6 </b>
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Renee was taken aback by Marcelo’s unexpected arrival.
He… He arrived so swiftly.
<b>“</b>Marcelo, today’s incident involves your wife. I demand an exnation!” Gary dered sternly. Despite the loss of the child being a relief, Marcelo’s wife’s involvement couldn’t be overlooked.
“Grace, you were mistaken to use my woman as your fall guy!” Marcelo retorted
with an icy tone.
In a swift motion, he flung several sheets of paper at Grace’s face.
The papers fluttered gracefully to the floor. Grace, momentarily taken aback, felt a surge of humiliation
as she picked them up.
Her anger was about to erupt upon reading the contents, but herplexion nched instead. The documents were the results of an examination Catherine had undergone at the hospital the previous day,
revealing she was never pregnant!
Upon learning of the altercation, Marcelo had immediately arranged for someone to review the funeral home’s surveince footage while en route to the hospital.
The skirmish between Renee and Catherine urred in a blind spot, uncatchable by security cameras, leaving the incident’s details murky.
Marcelo further instructed an inquiry into Catherine’s supposed pregnancy, which ultimately disclosed that she was not expecting a baby at all.