Mrs Hale, I Surrender
Chapter 305 - 304 Ruining your reputation is your real talent for turning black into white (2 updates)

Chapter 305: 304 Ruining your reputation is your real talent for turning black into white (2 updates)

Finn Hale had always been upright and incorruptible, a man of integrity who never compromised.

For the first time, people saw what Finn Hale looked like with his hair wet—clad in a white shirt and black trousers, the shirt tucked neatly into his waist, and a towel draped over his neck, exuding a certain rugged, carefree charm.

"What’s all this commotion about?"

"Uncle Finn?" Wyatt Hale frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Everyone had thought that Tim Payne had hidden a woman in the bathroom.

But as it turned out...

He had hidden a former arch-enemy!

"I just came back from the construction site covered in dust, so I asked Tim to find me a room to shower and change," Finn explained, his frequent site visits lending credibility to his reason.

Tim?

Since when did these two start getting along so well?

"This is Miss Payne’s room," a reporter asked.

"She’s not here. I’m just borrowing the bathroom, it’s not like I’m alone with a woman here," Finn said as he put Ophelia Wilson’s phone on the table. "She left her phone in the bathroom."

At that moment, Iva Payne’s face turned pale, her heart beginning to beat uncontrollably.

Because...

Everything had spun out of control!

Her breathing became rapid. Could it be that Ophelia Wilson had betrayed her? As she pondered her next course of action, Ophelia had already approached the Payne family members.

"I’m sorry, I should not have deceived you all. I am not the daughter of the Payne family!" Ophelia Wilson said with her head down.

A sudden kneel—"Thump"—echoed in the room.

Her words caused an uproar, followed by a chorus of shocked gasps.

The other members of the Payne Family looked on in surprise while Iva’s face turned deathly white, losing any trace of color it once held.

Finn Hale found himself a seat.

He dried his hair while watching the excitement unfold.

The Hale family elders were also present, standing on the edge of the crowd.

Seeing his son in such a state, the old man couldn’t help but sneer inwardly:

Rebel!

Hiding in the bathroom for so long, he was surprised his son could stand it.

—

Zoe Bell had truly thought that Ophelia Wilson was in the bathroom and was worried for her brother’s sake.

She had never imagined that Iva Payne would resort to such tactics.

All it would take was for Ophelia to come out of the bathroom, crying and accusing her brother of doing something to her, and even if they were innocent, it could ruin her brother’s reputation forever.

After all, a multitude of rumors can crush even the strongest of reputations!

This Iva Payne...

So vicious!

Zoe fretted internally, having considered countless possibilities but never imagining that her uncle would emerge from the bathroom.

"Ophelia, what nonsense are you saying? You are my daughter," Julia Yates attempted to help her stand.

"Mrs. Payne, I’m sorry. You’ve been very kind to me, but I don’t deserve it,"

Ophelia knelt on the ground, brushing away her hand. "During my time with the Payne family, you cared for and cherished me. I’ve kept it all in my heart. These days, I’ve been ill at ease because none of this belongs to me."

"I’m not your daughter!"

"Ophelia, we’ve done a paternity test, how could it possibly be false?" Mario Payne declared. "Plus, you have the Red String your mother personally made for you."

"That’s all what she taught me!" Ophelia pointed at Iva Payne.

Iva had never anticipated Ophelia’s betrayal.

And with Finn Hale getting involved...

Even someone accustomed to turbulent situations would inevitably lose their composure.

Before she could react, Ophelia focused her assault, unleashing a barrage of accusations.

"She found me and asked me to pretend to be your daughter."

"The DNA test, as well as the Red String, and everything I know about the Payne family, she told me—all of it, including my identity papers, was forged by her."

"She promised that once everything was settled, she would give me five million and send me abroad!"

"Ophelia Wilson!" Iva Payne was shocked to her core.

She had never anticipated that Ophelia Wilson would come up without any preamble.

As soon as she came up,

she exposed Iva’s dirty laundry.

Each word was like a sword to her body,

instantly thrusting her into the eye of the storm.

A crowd of reporters became excited, their eyes red with fervor.

Today was supposed to be the Payne family’s special welcoming banquet, but now...

This Miss Payne was fake?

Was there anything more sensational than this?

"If you don’t believe me, we can take a blood sample right here and now for a paternity test. I am not your daughter!" Ophelia Wilson said directly.

"You little brat, you..." Iva tried to speak further.

But she was interrupted by Old Mrs. Payne, "You, keep your mouth shut now, let her talk!"

She signaled to Ophelia Wilson, who was kneeling on the ground, to stand up and speak.

"I don’t have the face to call you grandmother. These past few days, I treated you like my own grandmother and seeing your sacrifices for me, I couldn’t bear it."

"It’s all my fault, blinded by greed that I would do such a thing."

"Iva, is what she says true?" Mr. Payne stared intently at his daughter.

His gaze seemed to see through all lies—as if no deceit could hide from him.

Martin Yates chuckled lowly, "She’s probably thinking of how to spin this lie."

"You..."

"Don’t be defiant. Just a paternity test will reveal all—we’re past the point where excuses hold any meaning."

Martin Yates sneered, "To deliberately find someone to impersonate my sister’s child is simply inexcusable!"

"You’re a mother yourself. You should know how many times my sister nearly died for this child. And yet you dare to manipulate the situation to grasp power; you truly will stop at nothing."

"I won’t let you talk about my mom like that!" Celine Payne hurriedly defended her mother.

But a single look from Martin Yates was enough to make her tremble with fear.

"Iva," Mario Payne took a deep breath, "you owe an explanation to me and your sister-in-law about this."

"I did it all for your sake," Iva insisted.

"Oh my, are my ears deceiving me?" Michale Shaw suddenly interjected.

"Pretending someone is your niece and you say it’s for her parents’ benefit?"

"To hear that..."

"How shameless!"

"It’s no wonder she raised such a shameless daughter."

"Michale Shaw!" Iva calmed her breathing, "This is the Payne family’s private affair. You’re just a junior and an outsider—it’s not your place to comment on your elders."

"When you wanted to set me up with Celine, you praised me, said I was one of the family."

"Your face changes too fast."

Iva was left speechless.

Those were just polite remarks made during a matchmaking meeting, and Michale Shaw was actually using them to shut her up.

William Hale gave Michale Shaw a glance, "Say a little less."

"I’m trying, but if I can’t control it, don’t blame me."

"Iva, you just said that you did all this for the good of your brother and sister-in-law?" The Old Lady looked at her daughter, "What do you mean by that?"

"I know when our niece died unexpectedly, my sister-in-law was so grief-stricken she even attempted suicide several times. I saw it all and it broke my heart."

Iva was speaking, and her eyes were red with emotion, too.

Michale Shaw couldn’t hold back and rolled his eyes.

He muttered quietly, "Truly shameless."

Zoe Bell was speechless; she really was no match for Wyatt Hale.

Wyatt was young and with elders present, he was somewhat restrained, not daring to be too reckless.

But here was Michale Shaw, swinging the big sword, looking like he was out to slaughter indiscriminately, fearing no one.