CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41: ACTING WITH IMPUNITY

In the video, a man was flipping a pan, with high flames rising from the iron pot before extinguishing.

He skillfully transferred the glistening, red-brown sweet and sour ribs onto a clean white porcelain plate, with cucumber strips and small tomatoes arranged into little flowers on the side.

"Sis! How are the ribs I made? Are you drooling just from seeing them through the screen?" A voice came from her younger brother, Owen Sheridan, in the video.

Vera Sheridan smiled knowingly.

This guy got a girlfriend and even learned to cook.

She exited the video, replied to his message, then responded to a few unread texts before putting her phone away and lying down.

One Ardendale, a luxury mansion.

Nina Sullivan drank the last of her soup and glanced at her phone again.

By now, that cripple must have seen the video!

Opposite the dining table, Ian Kane finished dealing with emails, put down his tablet, and looked at her, "Who are you waiting to hear from?"

Nina’s heart skipped a beat. In the next second, feeling his concern, her heart fluttered, "I was just checking the time. Mr. Kane, you’re not leaving tonight, are you? It’s still raining heavily outside."

He had never stayed overnight before.

Ian Kane glanced at his watch, gave her empty bowl a look, then stood up and walked toward the foyer.

Nina’s mouth twitched, her eyes full of disappointment, yet she obediently saw him out the door.

As soon as the door closed, she hurriedly opened WeChat and went to her conversation with Vera Sheridan.

On the screen, a red exclamation mark made her eyes burn with anger!

Vera had already blocked her!

The video failed to send!

Nina’s chest heaved rapidly, and she immediately called Vera’s phone.

After a few seconds, an emotionless automated voice came from the other side.

That cripple had turned off her phone!

Nina threw her phone in anger!

...

Late at night, torrential rain relentlessly lashed against the car windows.

The car’s interior was dim, with only the cigarette between the man’s fingers offering a small, flickering red glow.

A male voice came through the phone: "Kane, reliable sources say the second daughter-in-law of the main house is pregnant too. They did in vitro fertilization abroad and kept it very secret, clearly guarding against you."

Ian Kane scoffed through his nose, flicked the cigarette ash away forcefully with his fingers, but said nothing.

"Kane, it’s not easy to make a move this time," the man on the other end continued, "What’s your plan?"

"Elder Kane’s move is quite sly, knowing full well you and your wife can’t—"

Ian Kane squinted slightly, interrupting him, "We’ll watch and see what happens."

After hanging up, he crushed the cigarette with his bare hand.

The man’s dark eyes shot out strands of sharp hatred.

He returned home, going straight to Vera Sheridan’s bedroom, turning the doorknob to enter.

But the doorknob didn’t budge, and he froze in place.

She had locked it...

He raised his fist to pound on the door, but paused just before striking it.

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed, dark eyes shimmering with moist light, he stared at the closed door, then turned and left.

He went straight to the old residence, to his mother’s cottage.

Mrs. Kane, understanding her son’s frustration, felt for him. In every aspect since childhood, he had excelled, but because his father wasn’t favored, his own grandfather neglected him. For years, the Kane Group had relied on him, and its industrial value had multiplied many times over. Yet after using him, the old man wanted to discard him like an unwanted tool.

Finally, he married the woman he loved, but wasn’t allowed to touch her.

Jean Crowe wiped her tears but said nothing, personally cooking a bowl of fine noodles for him, with two poached eggs and a few drops of sesame oil.

After Ian Kane finished eating, he prepared to leave.

Jean Crowe said, "Ian, I know you have someone outside, and it seems she’s pregnant too. Mom supports you; this isn’t your fault. That Vera is... Just perfect. With this child, let’s see how that old thing dares to meddle with you!"

Ian Kane paused briefly, "Mom, don’t worry about my affairs. I have my plans."

Jean Crowe gave a nod, watching his figure disappear into the rain before turning around, cursing Vera under her breath: Menace!

...

The news of Nina Sullivan’s pregnancy spread throughout the entire dance troupe. As the troupe’s only twenty-year-old principal dancer, pregnancy at her age meant the premature end of a career.

From a purely professional dance perspective, Vera Sheridan felt sorry for her, but she also knew Nina had long aimed to marry into a wealthy family by virtue of her child.

After more than a week of absence from the troupe, Nina finally showed up on the eighth day.

Different from her usual flashy self, she wore no makeup, flat leather shoes, and all her artificial nails had been removed.

She came to the troupe today specifically to confront Vera Sheridan.

In the dance studio, Vera was exercising alone.

Nina closed the door, one hand on her lower back, "Ms. Sheridan, hasn’t your Mr. Kane been going out every night this past week, claiming it’s for work?"

Vera ignored her, continuing her side waist stretches.

In her black modal fabric training suit, she exuded a graceful and supple elegance, accentuating her slender waist.

Nina took out her phone and approached her, "A few days ago, I sent you a video. You blocked me, so you didn’t get it. Have a look now at how your supposedly devoted husband comes to my luxury home every night to make me soup for nourishing my baby!"

Vera gripped the barre tightly.

Still unfazed.

Nina went to the barre, searching through her album for that video, but couldn’t find it after looking for a long time.

"Where did it go?!" she said, annoyed.

Could it have been lost when she dropped her phone that day?

Then why were all the other videos and photos still there?

Vera lifted an eyelid, continued stretching, her tone ice-cold, "Nina, if you don’t leave my classroom now, I’m calling security."

Nina was so angry that her lower abdomen began to ache faintly, "Vera, if my boyfriend wasn’t Ian Kane, would I keep provoking you? Think about it, what would I gain?"

"Especially at the risk of facing Ian Kane’s retaliation!" She tried to make her see reason!

Vera’s stretching paused slightly, but she still said nothing.

Nina’s anger grew, "One Ardendale, Block A, 22nd floor, at 10:30 tonight, Mr. Kane will be there on time to make me soup. If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself!"

"Then you’ll realize how foolish Mr. Kane’s manipulation has made you!"

Saying this, Nina gave a cold snort, heading out of the classroom, then remembered something and added, "Remember to remove me from your blocked list on WeChat. When the time comes, I’ll connect with you via voice call!"

With Ian Kane caring so much about the child in her belly, she wasn’t worried about what would happen after he found out!

The classroom door slammed shut with a bang, and Vera’s heart trembled.

All the previous signs and clues resurfaced in her mind.

...

Late at night, shortly after Ian Kane left, she too went out, got into a previously arranged ride, and headed straight to One Ardendale.

Arriving at the building’s base, she received a voice message from Nina on WeChat, "He’s already here, you’re not here yet?"

Following that came a video of Ian Kane inside the luxury home.

The man wore a white shirt, dark trousers, with an apron tied in front...

Vera’s mind went blank, her body swayed slightly, colliding with the cold marble wall.

It was unclear how long it took before she regained her senses,

She entered the elevator and pressed "22".

The sprawling mansion, directly out of the elevator, featured a luxurious double-opening entry door.

Vera hobbled to the door, trembled as she pressed the doorbell.

After a moment, the door finally opened from the inside, and Ian Kane’s face came into view.

He was obviously taken aback.

Vera’s gaze was fixed on him without blinking.

"So late, who is it?" At this moment, a woman’s voice came from inside.