I Saw My Cruel Stepmom Future And Changed It All Chapter 09

I Saw My Cruel Stepmom Future And Changed It All Chapter 09

The next morning I laid the photo and all of Wynne’s compiled evidence flat across Kaelen’s Private Study desk.

He glanced up from his stack of corporate paperwork, his movements freezing the second he saw the surveillance image

“What is this?”

“The truth behind wiry your ex-wife left you two years ago,” I nodded toward the airport

screenshot

“She didn’t depart under hardship-she ran off with Damon, heir of our direct competitor Veyre Global Trade Co. The pair shared an overseas rental lease for almost two years.”

Kaelen picked up the photograph, his fingers squeezing the paper so hard his knuckles turned stark white as he scanned every detail of the image.

“Veyra Global filed for bankruptcy three months ago, and Damon went on the run,” I slid the full timeline report across his desk.

“Seraphina only returned once she lost her safety net. Jasper’s nothing but leverage to win back

access to the Hale family’s wealth.”

Kaelen stayed silent for an extremely long time, long enough I thought he’d never speak again.

“How did you track all of this down?”

“If you search hard enough, every secret leaves a trail,” I didn’t mention the floating commentary

at all.

“Kaelen, all this proof is right in front of you. Are you still planning to hand Jasper over to her?”

He set the photo down and leaned back against his leather office chair, closing his eyes.

For a split second, pure exhaustion washed over his face, mixed with a faint, flicker of guilt.

“I thought she left because living in this estate suffocated her,” his voice was quiet, almost a

murmur, half to me and half to himself.

“When she told me she was leaving, I didn’t fight it. I assumed it was all

my

fault.”

“So you planned to compensate her by sacrificing your own son?”

He didn’t give a verbal reply, and that silence spoke volumes on its own.

I took a deep breath and spoke firmly.

You can carry guilt over your failed marriage all you want, but you can’t use Jasper to pay that debt off. He’s not a bargaining chip for your remorse.

“I understand now,” Kaelen stood upright and gathered all the evidence papers from the desk

surface.

“I’ll direct my family law attorney to file a formal written objection with the family court against her custody modification petition, and present all evidence of her voluntary parental abandonment to the judge.”

My heart surged with overwhelming relief.

“Does that mean Jasper stays here with us?”

“He’s not going anywhere,” Kaelen met my eyes, a solid, fatherly resolve hardening in his tone.

The floating commentary spammed wildly across my vision.

[Kaelen’s finally woken up to the truth!]

[A little late, but better than never.]

[male lead slow emotional shift meter: 60%]

But Seraphina wouldn’t surrender that easily.

That afternoon, Seraphina and her attorney arrived after scheduling an unannounced emergency consultation via our estate security desk, and were escorted into the grand reception lounge by

Hugo.

“Kaelen, I don’t want to drag this through a public court hearing,” her makeup still immaculate,

but sharp malice glinting beneath her polished smile.

“A private mediation session is all I ask. If you refuse to negotiate civilly, I’ll bring every detail about how Miss Voss entered this household up before the judge.”

“She’s only here to settle your family’s debt-what legal right does a woman bought off with

money have to raise my child?”

The insult hung heavy in the air, and I opened my mouth to respond, but Kaelen spoke first.

“Seraphina.”

His tone was low, carrying unshakable authority that silenced her instantly.

“Did you spare a single thought for Jasper when you ran off with Damon two years ago?”

Seraphina’s face drained of all color in an instant.

“You had me investigated?”

“Airfield surveillance footage, international travel records, your overseas residential rental contract,” Kaelen pulled his phone out and held it up to her line of sight.

“All proof is right here. Do you want to present all of this to a judge during our formal court hearing?”

The judge will rule against a parent who voluntarily abandoned their minor child for two full

years.”

Seraphina’s hands shook uncontrollably as she stared at the evidence on the phone screen, her

carefully constructed gentle mother facade shattering piece by piece.

“You’re ruthless, Kaelen.”

“You struck first when you tried to use my son as leverage against my family.”

He slipped his phone back into his suit pocket.

“There’s no need for any mediation talks. My legal counsel will handle your official legal demand

correspondence in full.”

“If you attempt to approach Jasper without a court-approved supervised visitation order, our legal

team will immediately file for a restraining order with the family court.”

Seraphina’s lips trembled nonstop as she glared at me, venom in every word she whispered.

“You dug up all of this information, didn’t you Elowen?”

I met her glare without flinching.

“That was me.”

“Don’t get cocky,” she hissed low enough only the two of us could hear.

“You’re nothing but a temporary replacement to him, he’ll never genuinely care about you.”

“Leave this property now,” Kaelen’s voice turned ice cold, sharp enough to cut.

“Do I need to call our estate security staff to escort you out?”

Seraphina spun on her heel and marched toward the front door, the sharp tap of her high heels

echoing off the marble flooring until the front door slammed shut behind her.

I let out a long, heavy breath once the sound faded away.

[FINALLY, the fake mother’s gone for good!]

I turned to face Kaelen, and he was already staring straight at me.

“Thank you,” he said, voice stiff, unused to expressing gratitude out loud.

“Don’t thank me,” I shook my head gently.

Thank your son instead-he deserves a father who actually sees him.”

Kaelen’s gaze flickered, softening for a split second.

He lifted his hand, hesitated for a brief heartbeat, then brushed a strand of loose hair off my /

forehead.

He froze the second his skin made contact with mine, shocked by his own spontaneous gesture, then dropped his hand and turned to leave the room.

My ears burned hot for no obvious reason as I stood alone in the grand reception lounge.

[He’s falling for her hard!]

I pretended not to notice the floating commentary drifting across my vision.