Chapter 75

Elisa's eyes blazed with anger. "This is about my daughter's reputation, and you expect me to just sit back? What are you trying to pull?"

"Enough!" Nicholas's voice cut through the tension like ice.

Elisa stood her ground. "Dad, this guy's intentions are shady. Are you really gonna pin this all on my daughter and trash her name?"

"You won't believe it without proof, huh? Fine, let's get Bob here and find out what really went down."

Nicholas quickly dialed Bob, who showed up in no time.

After a brief rundown, Bob finally grasped the situation.

He hadn't expected such a mess from last night. Before he got there, Mr. Cavendish had kissed Christina.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Clearing his throat, Bob recounted everything he had witnessed.

"Mr. Cavendish went to meet a friend last night. Somehow, he ran into Ms. Windsor. It looked like Mr. Cavendish had been drugged. Ms. Windsor called me to come pick him up."

"Why was Christina there?" Nicholas asked.

"I'm not sure of the details, but I saw Ms. Windsor saying goodbye to some people before she left. She was probably there to meet a client," Bob replied thoughtfully.

"Probably? So you don't know everything that happened before you got there?" Nicholas pressed on.

Bob hesitated but nodded.

Gabrielle's eyes darted around, and she let out a mocking laugh. "They've pulled this stunt before, and now they're at it again. Good thing it didn't work this time."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Elisa defended anxiously. "My daughter would never do such a thing. If she had, why would she call Bob? Wouldn't it be easier to just go along with it?"

Bob felt incredibly awkward and didn't dare say much, fearing he'd make things worse.

Gabrielle scoffed. "Who knows what she was planning? Maybe she wanted to make a good impression on William."

"Don't slander us. The photos clearly show William initiated the kiss. Now you're trying to blame my daughter for everything. If you want her to take the fall, at least be honest about it instead of pretending to be righteous," Elisa retorted fiercely.

Nicholas felt even more frustrated after hearing this.

"Did he go to the hospital after being drugged? Is he okay? Why hasn't he said anything?" Nicholas asked.

Bob answered meticulously. "Mr. Cavendish probably didn't want to worry his family, so he didn't mention it. It was late, and though he didn't go to the hospital, he did have a private doctor come over. Ms. Spencer was there taking care of him."

"How did Ms. Spencer know about it?" Nicholas frowned.

Bob continued respectfully. "Ms. Spencer was at the meeting that day. She happened to be there and followed him back to take care of him."

"So she was already there when you arrived?" Nicholas inquired.

"Yes," Bob confirmed, not daring to lie.

Gabrielle's mind worked quickly, and she clapped her hands as if she had an epiphany.

"Got it. All the pieces fit now. Good thing you came, Bob, or those two wicked women would have gotten away with it."

"What do you mean by that?" Elisa shot back, her eyes blazing.

Gabrielle sneered, "No wonder Christina called Bob. With Ms. Spencer there, she couldn't pull anything off. Otherwise, she might've succeeded."

"You're talking nonsense!" Elisa fumed.

"Looks like fate stepped in. Everything worked out perfectly," Gabrielle smirked. "Ms. Spencer foiled your plan, and someone snapped photos of your disgrace. Now let's see how you explain this."

The two women continued to argue, their voices rising.

Bob felt like he had messed up big time. He wanted to call William but didn't dare do it in front of everyone.

Nicholas closed his eyes, deep in thought, feeling the noise was unbearable. After a long while, he slammed his fist on the table.

"Everyone, be quiet."

Gabrielle stopped arguing and walked over to massage Nicholas's shoulders.

"Dad, you need to handle this properly."

Nicholas squinted, unable to make a decision.

"Dad, we don't know who took those photos. If this gets out, our family will be ruined. We need to resolve this before that person acts and make sure no one can find fault with us," Gabrielle advised softly.

Nicholas pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "This matter does need to be addressed."

Elisa bit her lip, understanding what he meant, her face pale. "You want to sacrifice my daughter, don't you?"

"Sacrifice is a strong word. Your daughter simply can't stay here anymore," Nicholas said thoughtfully. "She was never really part of the Cavendish family, and now she's involved in this scandal. It's embarrassing."

Though they weren't related by blood, William was technically her uncle, which would be scandalous if it got out.

"What do you mean?" Elisa's voice trembled.

"The Cavendish family can't have her here. Staying would only cause more rumors, which is bad for both families. Christina is smart and a good student. The Visionary Architecture Academy abroad is a top school. It's a good opportunity for her," Nicholas explained.

Elisa laughed bitterly, "Do you think this is a generous offer, that I should be grateful? But she's my only daughter. How can we be separated?"

Nicholas's face darkened.

Gabrielle smirked, "Given the situation, this is the best option. You should thank Dad. Your words show you're ungrateful."

"No, I won't agree," Elisa said firmly.

Nicholas's eyes flashed with displeasure. He glared at Elisa, his tone firm, "This isn't about your agreement. It's already decided. The Cavendish family's reputation can't be tarnished by an outsider."

Elisa's face turned white. She hadn't expected the Cavendish family to be so cold. She clenched her fists, tears welling up but refusing to fall.

Gabrielle watched with a smug expression.

Before leaving, Nicholas said coldly, "I'll handle the photos. Tell Christina about going abroad. If she refuses, don't blame the Cavendish family for being harsh."

"Dad," Elisa called out, her voice trembling, understanding the threat in his words.