I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 375

Chapter 375

Kate’s upper body was bound tightly by the coat, so she couldn’t swim properly. She swallowed water and coughed violently.

“…George!” she called out between gasps while flailing in the freezing waters.

George stared coldly, showing not the slightest hint of panic at the fact that she was on the verge of death.

Just as Kate felt she might suffocate, Rocco yanked her from the water. He tossed her onto the shore as if she were nothing but

trash.

Rough stones tore into her knees. She couldn’t even sit up. All she could do was lie there, gasping to survive.

She had never been this vulnerable. Never…

“Why…” Kate rasped. “I… I just brought those poor kids… here to have fun…”

At her words, Rocco grabbed her again and threw her back into the water.

It was then that Kate saw the iron cage submerged in the water.

Horror gripped her.

The cage was the very one she had arranged in advance. It was meant to trap the two kids inside later. By then, no matter which child Rhea chose to save, she could accuse Rhea of being cruel and irresponsible for not rescuing her ex–husband’s child.

She never expected that it would be used to trap her now.

Her ears throbbed painfully, and the pain spread across her entire body.

Kate barely remembered what had just happened. When she opened her eyes again, she was inside a room.

On the other side of the cage stood George with a cigarette in hand.

His broad shoulders, tall frame, and strong forearms exuded power and authority. His gaze was as sharp as knives, radiating an unyielding intensity.

In both appearance and demeanor, he was exactly the type of man Kate liked.

Responsible and capable, he inspired a sense of security. The Pearson family needed a son–in–law like him, and she also needed a partner like him.

“Let me go… You can’t treat me like this because of Rhea. George, we have no conflict, and I never expected anything from you, but you can’t strip me of my freedom.”

“What?” George tilted his head in confusion. “I only used the trap you prepared on yourself as a test. How does that take away your freedom?”

Kate’s gaze flickered, but her voice remained steady. “What do you mean by the trap I prepared?”

George knew just how to hit her where it hurt. “Your stubborn denials really disgust me. A woman raised in a respectable household shouldn’t be like this. You are a waste of the education your teachers gave you.”

Kate’s face flushed crimson from a mix of anger and shame.

George picked up his phone and said, “You’re nearly ten hours by plane from Draventh. One call from me, and your parents‘ case goes to court. If you leave now, you might still see them before the trial starts.”

Kate chuckled. “There’s no need to scare me. Even if those charges you accuse them of were proven, they won’t go to jail. At

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Chapter 375

worst, they’ll face public condemnation.”

+25 BONUS

Connor and Evie weren’t government officials. Accepting bribes wouldn’t land them in jail. The only thing at stake was their reputation.

George smirked. “It looks like you haven’t seen the new evidence. Your father harassed a female student from a small town and threatened to ruin her graduation if she didn’t give it to him. I guess you didn’t know about this.”

Kate felt as if she had been struck by lightning. “W–What? What did you say?”

She sprang to her feet and gripped the cage tightly.

Her father…

Kate couldn’t believe it. She figured that someone must have framed him.

As she was lost in thought, George had already dialed the Draventh court.

Kate’s eyes were bloodshot, her composure shattered.

“Wait!” she shouted.

George turned to look at her calmly. “I don’t have much time. I hope you say something I want to hear.”