Xyla returned to her room, drenched in cold sweat. She never imagined her mother would do something like this.

She opened the photo she had just taken. This must be Sydney.

What kind of treatment was she enduring? Her mother was truly terrifying!

Xyla swallowed hard, and immediately sent the photo and a message to Christopher.

[This is the suspicious number I found in Mom's phone, along with a photo. Check this number. The woman in the picture might be Miss Harper.]

As soon as she sent the message, Christopher called her.

Just as Xyla was about to answer, her room door suddenly opened. Chandra walked in with a cold expression.

Startled, Xyla quickly hid her phone behind her back, her wide eyes filled with panic.

"Mom, why are you here? Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I was woken up by you. Why aren't you sleeping?" Chandra walked toward her slowly. "Why were you in my room so late at night?"

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Xyla laughed awkwardly. "I didn't go to your room. You must have been dreaming."

"Really?" Chandra said. "My phone was face-down, but when I woke up, it was face-up. How do you explain that?"

"You must have remembered it wrong. That's such a small detail-anyone could make a mistake. Why would I go to your room to look at your phone?"

Chandra suddenly grabbed Xyla's face. "We're family. You can't betray me. We need to stick together. Don't be afraid of me. What have you done? Tell me!"

"Mom, I didn't do anything, I swear..."

Chandra delivered a harsh slap across Xyla's face.

"You're my daughter. Do you think I don't know what you're up to? I'm your mother-how could you do this to me?" She extended her hand. "Give me your phone."

Xyla was stunned by the slap, her head spinning.

Her mother had never hit her before, not even once. She had always been gentle and doting. This was the first time.

Now that things had reached this point, Xyla decided to confront her directly. "Mom, why did you do this? Why?!" "What did I do?"

"You kidnapped Sydney! You're torturing her, aren't you? Where is she? Please, I beg you, let her go!"Property © of .

"You..."

Chandra, furious, raised her hand to strike Xyla again. Xyla closed her eyes in fear, but the slap never came.

In the end, Chandra lowered her hand and sighed deeply.

"Xyla, you're being foolish! We're on the same team. Everything I've done has been for you. The grievances you've endured, the youth you've wasted, and the tears you've shed someone has to pay the price. That woman is the mistress. If it

eline

weren't for her, you wouldn't have gotten a divorce!"

"Mom, if we're talking about mistresses, then I'm the mistress! Geoffrey and Sydney were together first. They were each other's first love. I'm the one who came later. Geoffrey dumped Sydney to marry me If we're being fair, I'm the one Who ruined them!"

"Don't you dare say that!" Chandra pointed at her angrily. "You're my daughter! Don't degrade yourself like this. You've spent over twenty years on that man. If you won't feel sorry for yourself, at least let me feel sorry for you."

"Mom, I'm begging you! Don't feel sorry for me anymore. It's all in the past. I didn't suffer that much. At most, my feelings were hurt, but I've moved on now," Xyla pleaded.