Chapter 196

I warned coldly.

Earl suddenly ripped off his hat and mask, looking up at me. "So, you're not as dumb as you look. When did you figure me out?"

"I've known you'd be here for a while. After all, Karen's only ever truly cared about you over the years."

"In Karen's eyes, not even Brandon mattered as much as you. So, of course, you'd show up."

At this, Brandon shot a resentful glance at Earl.

I continued, "Since you're here, Renee must be around too. Come on out, no point hiding."

The crowd fell silent. I knew Renee was listening, so I pressed on.

"You think you can turn my company into the Jordan family's and use it for your dirty deeds? Renee, you're dead wrong. From the start, you made a huge mistake by kicking out my people and bringing in your Jordan family members. They're all useless."

"Honestly, if you'd kept the original team, the Jordan family would be swimming in money by now."

"If you had taken over the company yourself, it would have been the same. But you messed up by bringing in idiots like Earl and Irene."

Finally, a woman emerged from the corner, arms crossed, watching me with a seductive air.

Seeing her, I smirked. "I knew you were here. Was I wrong?"

"The biggest mistake was using Shirley and Paula."

"Shirley kicked your mother Karen in the stomach, and Paula is a two-faced snake. Who's Jason's real father?"

"This whole mess was stirred up by Paula. Without her, none of this would have happened. Jason wouldn't have died. She indirectly caused Jason's death and ruined the Jordan family."

"And you two still trust them."

"Then you let Earl, the fool, end up killing Jason."

I looked at Earl. "You'll pay for this, you know?"

Earl's face changed, and he looked at me warily. "Did you call the cops?"

I shook my head. "No way. I'm just here to pay my respects to Karen. She had so many kids, but not one of them turned out smart."

I placed the flowers in front of her photo.

As I turned to leave the funeral parlor, a few people blocked my way.

Renee sneered at me. "Caroline, your speech was impressive, but do you think you can just walk out of here?"

"Why not? I got out of a ten-year marriage, and soon the company will be back in my hands. You think I can't leave a small funeral parlor? Dream on, Renee."

Brandon looked stunned but quickly recovered. "What do you mean? The company will be yours?"

I smiled at him. "Exactly what I said."

"Brandon, you idiot, haven't you figured it out yet?"

I turned and walked out confidently, ignoring the tall men blocking my path.

"Stop! Don't go! Explain yourself!"

Brandon was completely unhinged, his eyes red as he screamed at me.

I ignored him. Just then, Savannah burst in from outside, kicking the men to the ground.

These guys looked tough but were all bark and no bite. Savannah took them down easily, leaving them groaning on the floor, unable to fight back.

I scoffed. "The people you hire are just as useless as you."

With that, Savannah led me out. I didn't care about the Jordan family's reaction.

I was about to head home when I got a call from Holly.

"Ms. Sharp, come back quickly! Aria is missing!"

A chill ran through me, and I rushed home with Savannah.

When I got home, Holly was on the couch, holding a crying Yves. She stood up as soon as she saw me. "Ms. Sharp, it's all my fault. I was outside with Aria, and Yves was napping. Suddenly, a group of masked people came in. They pushed me down and took Aria. I couldn't see their faces, and the license plate was covered."

Seeing her panic, I felt terrible but tried to comfort her.

"It's okay. Leave it to me. Just take care of Yves."

I called Simon. "Simon, do you have anyone available? Aria's been kidnapped."

"What?"

"Hang on, I'll send people over. We'll check the surveillance footage first."

I nodded, feeling frantic. I couldn't help but think of Jason's fate. I couldn't bear the thought of my child suffering the same.

Who would dare to kidnap my child in broad daylight? I thought about the people at the funeral. They didn't seem like they had planned this.

Then it hit me-Shirley and Paula. It had to be one of them.

Their reputation in the Jordan family was shaky, so they needed to prove themselves.

But Aria is Brandon's child. No matter what, he wouldn't let them kidnap his own kid. This must be a move to show loyalty to Earl or Renee.

I gritted my teeth and called Royce.

We hadn't spoken in a while, but this wasn't the time for awkwardness. I was on the verge of tears. "Royce, Aria is missing. Help me."

He responded quickly. "I'm on my way. Hang tight."

I couldn't sit still in the living room. Savannah checked the nearby surveillance but found nothing. Soon, Simon and Royce arrived with their teams.

I had Holly explain what happened.

Simon frowned. "This is outrageous, kidnapping a child in broad daylight."

"But don't worry, they won't harm the child."

Meanwhile, Yves started crying loudly, sensing something was wrong. His cries made me even more anxious and upset.

I had a bad feeling I couldn't shake.

Royce put his arm around my shoulders, gently patting me. "Don't worry, we'll handle this."