There was no sound in the house, but Frederick Cole knew Hayley Cole must be there; she just dropped a line: "Come to my study."

Frederick Cole went to his study, and only when the footsteps had completely disappeared did Hayley’s tightly shut door quietly open a small crack. She peeked through this crack to secretly observe the situation outside, like a thief.

She returned home and vented her anger at her mom, but when the main person involved came knocking, Hayley had to admit she was a coward.

She was truly afraid of Frederick.

But when he asked her to go to his study, aside from not daring to defy him, she had another reason: she wanted to figure out what the hell was going on.

Was it like James said, that he’s deliberately targeting her!

If that’s the case... Hayley’s eyes flickered with determination, who knows what she’s planning?

Frederick Cole didn’t have to wait long in the study before the door was knocked.

"Come in." With Frederick’s stern voice, the door opened quietly, and Hayley slipped in along the edge of the door.

Frederick’s study, like him, was serious and unyielding, not a single unnecessary item.

Not to say anything else, even the chair Frederick used was an old wooden chair.

Who uses that anymore?

With the Cole Family’s level of living, there’s no issue replacing it with a comfortable boss chair.

But the stubborn Frederick just wouldn’t change.

"You came back and threw a tantrum at your mother?" Frederick’s question interrupted Hayley’s feeling of disdain for his old-fashioned ways, she felt somewhat unhappy hearing this, mumbling, "My mom only knows how to complain."

Frederick frowned, exuding authority without anger: "Does your mom’s swollen eyes still need a complaint?"

"She struggled to raise you, and this is how you treat her?" Frederick questioned, "When you were a child, when did she not protect you?"

When he first met Hazel Bennett, seeing her in such misery, he did a thorough investigation.

Only then did he learn that the man she married was so shameless and brutal.

The neighbors spoke of that man with all indignation, the most frequent comment was: "Hazel nearly got beaten to death several times protecting her child."

Later he also saw the scars on Hazel’s body, scars left by that man, and impossible to erase.

"Wasn’t it her duty to protect me?" Hayley angrily asked, "She gave birth to me, put me in that family; wasn’t it her duty to protect me? All my tragedies were caused by her. I’m already being kind not blaming her, what more does she want?"

Hayley’s words made Frederick’s brows furrow even tighter: "Are you very dissatisfied with your mother?"

"That’s right!" Hayley said indignantly.

"Then it seems you’re also dissatisfied with the Cole Family?" Frederick asked.

"Do I have a choice?" Hayley became more and more aggrieved, am I not miserable enough?

Frederick nodded and said: "What did you say to others?"

At the mention of this, Hayley’s heart trembled, she felt insecure, her gaze evasive, not daring to meet Frederick’s eyes: "I, I... I didn’t say anything..."

"I understand." Frederick said, "You can go now."

Hayley suddenly lifted her head and looked at Frederick, at this moment, she had forgotten her previous fear, because an even stronger fear surged into her heart. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

What did he mean by this?

"Are you going to kick me out?" Hayley asked in disbelief.