Chapter 197

Outside the study, the atmosphere was tense and charged. As Gladys explained, some subtle details became glaringly obvious. The marks and scratches on Gladys' face were clearly inflicted by a woman! Cecilia's eyes flicked to Hedda's sharp nails, and she felt a chill run down her spine. "Spreading lies?" she asked, licking her lips. "Gladys is only three years old. How could she possibly spread lies like that?" "Hedda, why are you resorting to kidnapping?" Cecilia's voice grew colder. "Short on money? The money from mortgaging Benno's house wasn’t enough to cover your gambling debts, so you set your sights on Gladys?" Hedda's pupils contracted in shock, her breath caught in her throat for a moment. "Cecilia, you…" Regina, trembling, turned to Hedda with disbelief, suddenly finding strength to grip her. Her voice turned icy. "Hedda! Did you really mortgage Benno's house?" "I… no, I didn't…" "Didn't?" Cecilia sneered. "Hedda, maybe you don’t know this, but since you haven’t reclaimed Benn