Chapter 3510

Meanwhile, at the Farrell family mansion, the atmosphere was tense, characterized by particularly low air pressure. Everyone moved cautiously, hesitating to make any noise for fear of provoking Clarissa.

Clarissa had not returned to work, choosing instead to remain at home. At times, she sat on the sofa in a daze; at other times, she spent the entire day in the study. The butler brought her meals there, but she barely touched her food. He wished to persuade her to eat, but he felt too intimidated to do so.

It was well-known that Clarissa’s demeanor grew increasingly somber whenever Mr. Dunn visited. Some family members had been causing trouble lately, and Clarissa either ignored them or reprimanded them harshly, even going so far as to have bodyguards teach them a lesson. This rough approach only made her less popular, further deepening the resentment.

When Mr. Dunn arrived again, the butler invited him in, observing as he ascended the stairs with an air of ownership. The butler sighed inwardly.

Holden, Clarissa’s husband, did not enjoy such freedom, despite their children together. Clarissa held more trust in Mr. Dunn, her lifelong assistant. Holden’s affair had diminished his status in her eyes. Were it not for the children, they might have divorced by now.

Mr. Dunn went directly to the study, knocked on the door, and entered after Clarissa responded. She was practicing calligraphy.

Mr. Dunn watched her writing and asked, “What are you working on?”

Clarissa answered, “My calligraphy.”

“Madam, you seem distracted, and it shows in your writing. You should take a break and not waste the pen and ink.”

Mr. Dunn was the only person who could speak so candidly to Clarissa, and he was correct. She was restless, her thoughts elsewhere, causing her calligraphy to suffer and leading to material waste.

Clarissa’s expression darkened, and she made a mistake with her last word. Frustrated, she tossed the brush onto the table, ruining a piece that had taken her a long time to complete. Mr. Dunn handed her a tissue to clean up.

She cleaned up the mess with her hands and, after some time, sat on the sofa. Once tidied up, Mr. Dunn inquired, “What’s the current situation?”

“The eldest son of the York family has arrived. He just got here and is heading to the hospital to visit the young lady,” he informed her.

Clarissa fell silent for a moment before sarcastically responding, “She’s betraying her own mother for a visit from someone else. Is it worth it? No matter how many mistakes I’ve made, I’m still her mother. Can’t she set aside her morals and stand with me? If it weren’t for her informing them, our plan wouldn’t have failed. When I see her, I want to strangle her.”

Her hatred for Shiloh’s biological father grew stronger. If he hadn’t swapped the two children, Kathryn would have been raised under her care, turning out better than Liberty and Serenity, and would have been more loyal.

Mr. Dunn understood that while Clarissa was tough on everyone, she could never be harsh with her only biological daughter. If the three young masters had behaved similarly, they would have faced dire consequences. Yet, the young lady remained unharmed, having only received two slaps from Shiloh.

In comparison, being slapped twice was trivial next to losing her life.

Mr. Dunn sighed, “The young lady’s values are firmly established, making them difficult to change. Ma’am, if you want to succeed, you either need to confine the young lady and Pedro to the house or allow the young lady to continue her slumber, although that’s unlikely. Right now, she’s wary of you.”

Clarissa wanted to eliminate Kathryn, but she was her only daughter. If she had another, she would not tolerate Kathryn’s betrayal.

“Is the gasoline ready?” Clarissa asked.

Mr. Dunn replied, “Yes, we are prepared. We are waiting for Audrey and the others to come and confront you.”

“When everyone is gathered, we can implement the plan,” Clarissa said, her eyes hardening. “Make sure that when Audrey brings him here to face me, Kathryn and Pedro are kept away.” She wished for death alongside Audrey and the others, as well as her foes in the Farrell family. All she wanted was to protect her only daughter, Kathryn, who needed Pedro by her side.