Chapter 1648:

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Brett, feeling powerless, relented. “Leave now. For Callie’s sake, I won’t harm you. But don’t push me, Miss Lawrence…”

Nicole stood firm, her silence a testament to her determination. She was too close to the truth to turn back now. Otherwise, her father’s soul would never rest.

Callie looked at Nicole, her own tears falling. She begged her father, “Dad, can’t you just be honest with Nicole? Tell her the truth, and then we can go. Please?”

Brett remained silent, while Callie’s eyes stayed locked on him, full of hope. “Dad, didn’t you always say that having a conscience is the most important thing?

Nicole’s family has been nothing but kind to us. Why can’t you tell her the truth? If her father was truly wronged, it’s a tragedy. Tell her, not hide it.”

Tears welled up in Nicole’s eyes. She locked gazes with Brett, then dropped to her knees with a loud thud, pleading, “Brett, I beg you… tell me the truth. Please…”

Brett was deeply moved by the scene unfolding before him. After a prolonged moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice heavy with emotion. “Callie, please go to another room and wait for me.”

Callie hesitated, reluctant to be excluded. “Dad, can’t I know too?”

“Trust me, Callie. Just go to the next room,” Brett insisted, his tone firm.

Brett couldn’t bear the thought of burdening his daughter with the knowledge of his actions.

The guilt would be his alone to bear for the rest of his days. He wanted nothing more than for Callie to live a life free from such a heavy truth. If Callie were to discover that her father had committed a terrible deed for her sake, it would shatter her happiness irreparably.

Still concerned, Callie asked, “You won’t harm Nicole, will you?”

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Brett met her gaze with sincerity. “Do you doubt your father? I assure you, I have never harmed anyone.”

With this reassurance, Callie seemed to find some peace. Casting a final glance at her father and Nicole, she turned and made her way to the next room.

Now it was just Nicole and Brett in the room.

As Brett helped Nicole to her feet, he muttered, “Miss Lawrence, please rise.”

Once standing, Nicole spoke softly, her voice tinged with urgency. “Brett, I trust you, but please, tell me the truth. What happened to my father?”

After a moment of contemplation, Brett finally said, “Miss Lawrence, your intuition serves you well. Your father was indeed murdered.”

Nicole felt as though a multitude of arrows pierced her heart, each causing unbearable anguish. Her father hadn’t taken his own life. He had been taken from her.

Brett recounted the events of that fateful year, his voice heavy with regret.

“Before the company’s layoff meeting, a woman approached me with an offer. She promised a substantial reward in exchange for my cooperation. She presented me with a tape, insisting I show it to your father.

The content was distressing—a video of you being harassed by several men. I refused outright. No money could justify such cruelty, especially given your father’s fragile health.”

Nicole listened in silence, piecing together the puzzle. The video in question must have originated from her time with Jarrod, likely recorded by Jamie.

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