My CEO Husband Says I'm Irreplaceable

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Out of Prison So Soon?

"Kevin, I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to go..." Shirley Langley was teary-eyed and clearly reluctant to part. The sight made Kevin Hawthorne’s heart ache, but he was helpless.

After calming Shirley Langley down, Kevin Hawthorne shot a look at Aidan Hawthorne, who was standing to the side.

Aidan Hawthorne got the hint immediately. He stepped forward to support Shirley Langley, and as they walked toward the staircase, he whispered in her ear.

"Mom, you’ll have to put up with moving out for a few days. Once I get my hands on everything the Hawthorne Family has, I’ll bring you back with all the honor you deserve. Then you can stay here legitimately."

Before long, Shirley Langley came downstairs, dragging two suitcases behind her.

"Open them for inspection." Ian Bell’s expression was unchanged as he coolly gestured for the bodyguards behind him to step forward.

Two bodyguards immediately moved in. Without another word, they took the two suitcases, forced them open, and swiftly began removing all the valuable jewelry, designer bags, and other items inside.

"What are you doing! Stop! Those are my things, put them down!" Seeing this, Shirley Langley rushed forward to stop them.

But she had barely taken a step before a bodyguard blocked her with an outstretched arm, preventing her from getting any closer.

Kevin Hawthorne’s face was terrifyingly dark. He roared, "Ian Bell, make them stop right now! Who gave you the nerve to act so outrageously here!"

"Second Master, these are the Old Master’s orders." Ian Bell remained calm. He pulled a printed list from his pocket and held it out to him. "The Old Master has instructed that Miss Langley is not to take any valuables with her when she leaves the Hawthorne Family. Everything on this list was purchased for Miss Langley with your marital assets. Any items not on the list must be returned within one month, or the Hawthorne Family will pursue legal action to reclaim them."

Kevin Hawthorne glanced down at the list, his pupils contracting sharply. He could no longer maintain his composure.

The list was densely packed with items—all the jewelry, property, and luxury goods he had given Shirley Langley over the years. In total, they were worth nearly fifty million.

Ian Bell’s voice sounded again. "Second Master, you must understand that these are all marital assets shared with the Second Mistress. Half of every cent you spent belongs to her. You have no right to unilaterally gift marital property to a third party from an extramarital affair."

Hearing this, the weight that had been crushing Nancy Linton’s heart finally lifted.

She knew it. As long as the Old Master was willing to step in and uphold justice, Kevin Hawthorne wouldn’t dare be too outrageous, no matter how much he favored Shirley Langley. And he certainly wouldn’t dare to look down on her and Brandon Linton anymore.

"Aidan, take your mother and leave." Kevin Hawthorne knew all too well that defying the Old Master never ended well. No matter how unwilling he was, he had to compromise.

Shirley Langley’s heart felt like it was bleeding as she looked at all those valuables. But with Aidan Hawthorne’s support, she could only leave the villa begrudgingly.

"Are you satisfied now?" Kevin Hawthorne’s gaze was ice-cold as he looked at Nancy Linton.

Nancy Linton met his gaze, a cold, mocking smile playing on her lips.

"Kevin Hawthorne, this is just the beginning. You know full well that I’ve never wanted any of this. I want my son, Brandon Linton, to get back everything that belongs to him!"

Meanwhile, Brandon Linton returned to his room, took out his phone, and made a call.

The moment the call connected, the person on the other end asked impatiently, "Brandon, how did it go? Is everything going smoothly?"

"There was a snag. They’re demanding another DNA test. We’re using a different hospital, but I’ve already bribed the doctor in charge of the test. If nothing goes wrong, the result will be the same."

"Why would they want to do it again? Are they suspicious of your identity?"

"I don’t think so. It’s not just me this time. Aidan Hawthorne has to do one too."

"Got it. Be careful. That grandfather-grandson duo of the Hawthorne Family is nothing like an idiot such as Kevin Hawthorne."

...

「During the three days of waiting for the results, Maxim Chandler personally made a trip to Ashmore.」

He went to the Sunshine Orphanage, the very place that had taken in Luke Lockwood years ago.

After returning the next day, he handed a file to Jared Hawthorne.

"President Hawthorne, while investigating Brandon Linton, I discovered that he also came from the Sunshine Orphanage. He grew up with Luke Lockwood and even bullied him. Furthermore, he’s the nephew of the orphanage director, Quincy Jarvis. It was Quincy Jarvis who instructed him to impersonate Nancy Linton’s son and claim kinship with the Hawthorne Family."

Jared Hawthorne scanned the document, a cold smirk on his face. "They’ve got some nerve. Find anything else?"

"Not yet... According to Quincy Jarvis’s confession, she saw the missing person notice from Northolme and was struck by the idea because both Brandon Linton and Luke Lockwood have the same mole on their lower back. The reason Brandon has a slight resemblance to Nancy Linton is due to cosmetic surgery."

"They really went to great lengths for money." A chill flickered in Jared Hawthorne’s dark eyes. "What about the hospital’s surveillance footage and the doctor involved from back then? Any leads?"

"We found them. According to their statements, the Second Master showed no unusual behavior at the time. Like most new fathers, he was filled with joy. But the child was stolen that night. Nancy Linton was heartbroken, and the Second Master was so focused on consoling her that he didn’t start searching immediately. The surveillance system also happened to be malfunctioning, and since it was the middle of the night, there were no witnesses... It’s going to be difficult to prove the Second Master orchestrated the whole thing."

After all, it happened over twenty years ago. A thorough investigation wasn’t going to be easy.

If it had been easy to investigate, Nancy Linton wouldn’t have spent over two decades searching without any leads.

Jared Hawthorne mused for a moment before asking in a low voice, "And Luke Lockwood?"

"He’s living in an urban village right now and has been sending out his resume and interviewing for jobs... It looks like he plans to stay in Northolme for the long term."

’He still hasn’t given up on Vesper, it seems.’

’Having someone like that return to the Hawthorne Family... we’d be seeing each other constantly. It’s rather annoying.’

...

Vesper Grayson took Dolly Hughes to inspect their stores.

Afterward, they found a café to take a break.

Because of her pregnancy, she had to give up coffee recently.

She ordered a cup of coffee and a glass of plain water from the server.

Dolly Hughes took a sip of her coffee. "Sister Vesper, the pace of life in Northolme is so much faster than in Ashmore."

Vesper Grayson smiled and asked, "Are you getting used to it?"

"Yeah. It’s busy, but the pay is high, and every day feels fulfilling!" Dolly Hughes’s eyes sparkled. "I never thought I’d adapt to life here so quickly."

"Are you and Harold Warner still together?"

"Yeah, he’s still in Ashmore, doing some kind of office work."

"You should ask him if he’s interested in working in Northolme. That way, you two won’t have to be in a long-distance relationship."

Dolly Hughes’s head shot up, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Sister Vesper, are you serious?"

"It mainly depends on what he wants."

"I’ll call and tell him right now!" Dolly Hughes pulled out her phone and immediately made the call.

Vesper Grayson chuckled helplessly. As her gaze casually drifted out the window, she saw a figure that made her heart sink.

A man in a faded janitor’s uniform was cleaning quietly with his head down, an indescribable weariness etched on his features.

’He’s out of prison already?’

She took a picture and sent it to Shiloh Sloan.

Shiloh Sloan called back almost immediately.

"Vesper, where did you see him?"

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