Chapter 65
Valerie fell quiet, a flicker of sympathy in her eyes.
Catching her look, Maxine gave a soft smile. “What’s with that face?”
“It’s nothing. I think I finally get it now.” Valerie stood, looking a little guilty. “I really thought this was your fault before. But after hearing everything, I see it now.
“Sebastian might be a great dad, a good boss, and maybe even a decent brother–but he’s a lousy husband. You did the right thing leaving him.”
Maxine chuckled. “Wow, that was fast. You’re on my side already, huh?”
Valerie put her hands on her hips. “Come on, you know me. I hate injustice. Just because he’s my brother doesn’t mean I’m gonna take his side. You’ve always been so good to me–how could I stand by and watch you get hurt?”
Maxine looked at her for a second, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
Valerie was still as open as ever, her emotions written all over her face.
Maxine took a breath. “Alright, back to business. What did you come here to tell me?”
“Oh, right.” Valerie sat back down beside her, lowering her voice. “Are you planning to use that sexual assault case to take Gabriel down?”
There was no reason to hide it, so Maxine nodded. “Yeah. That’s the idea. But whether it works or not, we’ll see.”
Valerie leaned in, voice dropping even more. “I wasn’t gonna bring this up before–I didn’t want to drag you into more drama with Gabriel. But since you’re divorcing Sebastian now, I guess it’s okay.”
Maxine narrowed her eyes, half amused, half annoyed. “What? You think once I’m out of the family, none of this touches the Masons anymore, right?”
Valerie gave a sheepish laugh, rubbing her nose. “Well, that’s part of it. But mostly, I trust you. Don’t overthink it.”
Maxine appreciated the honesty. “Alright. Go on.”
Valerie said, “Well, Gabriel did something awful a while back. He has a half–brother. The boy grew up outside the family, but came back to the country a few years ago and had some kind of contact with the Jenson family. Gabriel found out and, with his mom, came up with this plan to lure the brother back home under pretenses. But once he was in their hands, they treated him like garbage.”
Maxine’s brow twitched, something uneasy stirring in her chest. “A half–brother? How come I’ve never heard of this?”
“Well, he’s illegitimate,” said Valerie. “Just another one of their dad’s messes. Gabriel’s mom apparently knew the whole time but pretended not to. And since Gabriel’s always been kind of a letdown, his dad wasn’t exactly thrilled with him.
“But the younger brother, well, word is he was a straight–A student and a decent kid. He went to school abroad and did really well. So right after high school, their father brought him back.”
Maxine’s mind was spinning. She felt like she was missing something important. After a pause, she asked, “When was this?”
“Let me think… Maybe ten years ago? Gabriel was born in 1994, and his brother’s only a few months younger, I think. So he would’ve graduated high school around 2011 or 2012,” said Valerie.
Maxine’s face darkened. “What exactly did Gabriel and his mom do to his brother?”
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Wed, 18 Jun
Chapter 65
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Valerie let out a sigh. “I heard this from one of Gabriel’s ex–girlfriends. She said he and his mom used to abuse his brother at home every day but acted all nice in front of their dad. They made his life hell. Even when he asked to leave, they still didn’t let up.
“In the end, the brother had to sign some kind of agreement, probably promising not to ask for any shares in Jenson Construction Group or the family’s inheritance. Only after that did they finally let him go.”
Maxine was stunned. “What’s his name–Gabriel’s brother?”
Valerie frowned, trying to remember. “I think it was-”
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