?<strong>Chapter 1147:</strong>


    Once inside the car, Cliff’s anger softened slightly at the sight of her tear-stained face. “You’ve barely worked there a few months, and you dare p Kira? What made you think you had the right?”


    Laney’s sobs wracked her body so violently that her mind buzzed, deaf to his words. His dark expression only fueled her frustration further. She frantically tried to escape the confines of the car.


    Cliff’s irritation peaked watching her exit the car until he noticed her uneven movements—her thigh trembling with each attempt. His expression shifted instantly as he grasped her wrist. “What happened to your foot?”


    “Leave me alone! I can’t stand the sight of you!” Laney shoved against him.


    In one fluid motion, Cliff scooped her up and deposited her back in the car. He shut the door and slid in beside her, carefully lifting her trembling foot onto hisp. The sight of her bruised foot beneath her shoe made his blood boil.


    “Did Kira do this?” Cliff’s voice was tight with controlled rage. Laney buried her face in her hands, her sobs too violent for words to escape.


    His suspicion confirmed, Cliff pulled her hands away and roughly wiped her tears. “You can’t solve anything with tears. If you’d told me about this earlier, would I have been so harsh with you?”


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    “I don’t need your concern!” Laney snapped.


    “I’m your cousin—looking after you is my responsibility.” Cliff examined her foot once more, his frown deepening, before stepping out of the car.


    Laney attempted to follow, but Cliff locked her inside and strode back toward the theatre without a backward nce.


    Just then, the Foster couple emerged with their daughter, offering her words offort. They collided with Cliff as he reversed course.


    “Mr. Hopkins, did you forget something?” Maka asked, startled. Without uttering a word, Cliff seized Kira and hauled her over to apologize to Laney.


    Initially, Kira attempted to deflect the me, shifting it onto Laney. She even showed Cliff her injured foot, iming it was in worse condition than Laney’s.


    Cliff, however, dismissed herints and focused on Kira’s parents, who stood behind her. “Mr. Foster, Mrs. Foster, Laney is my cousin. Surely, she deserves an apology today, doesn’t she?”


    Ondo’s expression darkened. The Foster family had experienced their share of sess, but they could neverpare to the fame of the Ht Free family. Moreover, the Hopkins family had strong ties with the influential Ward family. If the Ward family were to hear about this incident, it could cause significant trouble for the Foster family in the future.


    Weighing his options, Ondo decided it would be wiser to seek revengeter, and instead, he quietly urged Kira to apologize.


    Kira, with tears in her eyes, was hesitant to say sorry. Left with no other choice, Ondo feigned anger to pressure her. This led to a heated argument between them, which ended with Kira reluctantly apologizing to Laney.


    That forced apology marked the beginning of a rift between Kira and Laney, leaving them on poor terms.


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