Chapter 1099

However, Christopher seemed so certain.

Did he actually see what happened with his own eyes, or did he hear it? Otherwise, why would he dare to stand up for Bella?

“Ms. Hoffman, I’ll ask you one more time.” Christopher approached Zoe menacingly, his dark eyes glistening with a cold gleam that sent shivers down her spine. “Did Bella really hit you?”

“I…” Zoe’s throat tightened up.

“We’re all adults here, so we need to own up to what we say. There is no point in waiting until the evidence is right in front of us. By then, it’ll be too late for regrets.”

The space was silent as everyone waited for Zoe’s response. It had only been a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity of torment for her.

Zoe finally gave in to Christopher’s intense pressure. It made no sense. She felt an overwhelming fear for Christopher, as if he had a knife at her throat. She had never felt such terror before; not even Justin or Ryan had scared her this deeply.

“I… I had a little disagreement with Bella. I lost my balance earlier and accidentally broke through the door and fell to the ground.”

Zoe dared not mention the slap. But this statement was enough to regain Bella’s innocence and spark gossip.

“Wow! Did she actually slap herself? How malicious!”

“Don’t you get it? Young Master Iverson pressured her, so she caved in. Didn’t you hear how happy she was earlier?”

“Sigh, she’s only a little girl after all. She gets intimidated as soon as someone pressures her. If it were me, I wouldn’t admit it, even if I died. Let’s see if he can produce any evidence!”

“This is clearly defamation and slander. If the Thompson family refuses to let go, will Zoe still have the dignity to live on for the future?”

Christopher effortlessly helped Bella. But Bella remained solemn, showing no emotion, let alone any gratitude toward him. It was Wyatt who relaxed his furrowed brows and gave a rare, approving smile while nodding at Christopher.

Asher took a step forward, put his arm around Bella’s shoulder, and calmly said, “Mr. Hoffman, I wonder if your granddaughter still requires an explanation from my sister? If needed, we can arrange for it. Let’s wait until the horse race is over and then bring both families’ lawyers to the police station to discuss this further.”

Wyatt narrowed his eyes slightly in silent approval. He wasn’t able to voice it out, but it was

completely understandable for Asher to stand up for Bella as a protective older brother. Claire held her daughter close as Logan’s expression turned extremely dark.

Asher smiled faintly and said, “The Thompson family will take responsibility for any trouble caused. However, it’s clear that someone is trying to falsely accuse my beloved sister. I won’t let this slide, and I’ll definitely get to the bottom of this. I believe Mr. Hoffman also cares deeply for Ms. Hoffman. You probably would react the same way.”

All eyes were on them, and the members of the Hoffman family felt deeply embarrassed beyond words.

Asher’s brief statement left them with no way out. Agreeing could lead to a potential defamation case with the police. But if they refused, it might seem as though they were hiding something and that Zoe was falsely accusing Bella.

“Haha! Oh my, it’s simply a misunderstanding!” Liam, who had been observing quietly from the sidelines, intervened at this point with a smile in an attempt to ease the tension.

“Young people these days have disagreements that can easily escalate. It’s normal. We’ve all been young and reckless, haven’t we? Zoe is not inherently malicious. She’s just pampered by us and tends to be impulsive when upset. That’s why she spoke without careful consideration in the heat of the moment.”

Liam continued, “Zoe is still young and doesn’t know any better. We’ve known each other for many years. My older brother and Chairman Thompson used to be close friends too. Zoe is my brother’s pride and joy. As you know his character well, his daughter certainly couldn’t lack any redeeming qualities.”

Wyatt listened to these words and felt his anger gradually dissipate.