Isla looked at him in disbelief.
But then she realized sothing.
The marriage certificate was displayed on the screen, which ant Lewis had known about their misdeeds all along!
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Tom suddenly took out a remote control and pressed a button, and imdiately, a video appeared on the screen.
The crowd could see it clearly. It was footage from two surveillance caras.
The first showed Isla sneaking into the video room and copying photos from a USB drive onto the computer.
The second was of two maids at ho, one projecting the photos in the background and the other secretly pressing the remote control...
The evidence was irrefutable!
Isla beca flustered as she turned to look at Jake. He was aware of the whole affair, even having taken part in it with her, but now Jake stepped back, avoiding eye contact with her.
In a panic, Isla cried out subconsciously, "Jake..."
Jake instinctively glanced at Oliver.
His father was frowning and staring fiercely at him with disappointnt in his eyes as if to say, "You can't even handle this trivial matter. You're useless!"
Jake clenched his fists tightly and suddenly rushed in front of Isla.
Isla thought he was going to protect her, her face lighting up with hope, but the next mont...
"Slap!"
Jake slapped her hard across the face. "Isla, I never thought you would be this kind of person! I know you and Keira don't get along. She's your illegitimate sister, and you've hated her since childhood, but how could you do such a thing at Great-grandma's birthday banquet?!"
Isla was dumbfounded.
She held her cheek, looking incredulously at Jake at this mont.
Poppy, who had been restrained, had cald down after realizing she couldn't free herself. Her hands were tied behind her, and a cloth was stuffed in her mouth.
When she saw what happened, she imdiately stood up. She let out an angry cry and started thrashing around, knocking aside the bodyguards and then slamming head-first into Jake's stomach.
Jake was knocked back several steps with a dull pain in his abdon.
Poppy, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, stared angrily at Jake. Although she didn't speak, everyone could see that she was furious!
It seed if Jake dared to lay another hand on Isla, she was ready to fight him to the death!
The sight left the other guests stunned.
They whispered among themselves.
"What's going on here?"
"Isn't she Keira's mom? Why is she protecting Isla like this?"
"Right, you'd think she was Isla's own mother!"
"..."
The whispers from the crowd brought Poppy back to her senses. She then looked at Isla, realizing she'd overreacted, and turned her gaze to Keira.
Isla lowered the hand holding her cheek, but she understood that Jake was now unreliable.
She clenched her fists tightly and looked at Poppy, who stood protectively in front of her, with a flash of disdain in her eyes.
This foolish woman always caused unnecessary trouble at tis like this. She had knocked Jake aside. Was he really the root of the issue?
She composed herself, and imdiately, her face took on a tearful expression. She lowered her head. "It wasn't on purpose. Keira told she just got her marriage certificate this year, so I had no idea her husband was my uncle! I just thought their relationship wasn't right..."
She covered her cheek. "I didn't an anything by it, I just felt it was unfair to my aunt... My mom is soft and kind, and it was because of this that she was replaced by a mistress who brought an illegitimate daughter into our ho... I just wanted one less person in this world like my mom, so I used the power of the public to restrain them..."
Her sobbing made the audience frown.
One by one, they turned to look at Keira.
Indeed, Keira was the illegitimate daughter and the child of the mistress Poppy.
Wasn't it natural for Isla to resent her?
But this was the Horton family party, and even if everyone sympathized with Isla, they didn't dare to say anything...
After all, the recent example of Mr. Horton chasing Erin out and making her unable to live in Oceanion anymore was still fresh in everyone's mind.
As everyone was in a daze, Lewis had already turned to the police, completely ignoring what Isla said. He said, "She has infringed upon the image rights of my wife and . Please handle it according to the law."
The two police officers imdiately approached Isla. "Miss, please co with us to the police station for investigation!"
Poppy, anxious, wanted to rush over, but was grabbed by a bodyguard.
Isla hadn't expected that her weeping plea would be ineffective and imdiately looked toward her only savior—Mrs. Olsen.
Suddenly, she rushed to Mrs. Olsen, grabbed her arm, and cried out, "Mom, help ! I only did it because I felt you were being treated too unfairly. I really didn't know she was married... and also, also... yes, I'm pregnant! I can't go to the police station! I can't be taken away!"
Mrs. Olsen looked at her daughter.
She wanted to say sothing, but with the marriage certificate still in hand, and rembering that she had mistakenly slapped Keira earlier that day, she found herself unable to ask Isla to let go...
Keira saw the dilemma she was in and felt a sharp twinge in her heart.
Mrs. Olsen was always known for her fairness and impartiality, but Isla was after all her biological daughter...
She tensed her jaw, and after a long pause she suddenly tried to say sothing, "I..."
Before she could finish, Lewis beat her to it. "Keira, even if you don't pursue the matter, I will! The Horton Group needs an explanation!"
This didn't give Mrs. Olsen or Keira a chance to speak.
After he said this, Lewis nodded to the police.
The two police officers imdiately grabbed Isla's arms. "Miss, please cooperate with our investigation!"
Infringing upon image rights, particularly of this nature which hadn't caused any notable reputation or financial damage, wouldn't result in a severe punishnt after trial. At most, it would involve an apology and several days of detention.
But as Jake's wife and a young lady from a prestigious family in Oceanion, being taken away in such a public venue with photographers nearby...
Isla would be humiliated!
This was a severe blow to the first branch of the family!
Mrs. Olsen understood this too and, knowing that the punishnt wouldn't be too harsh considering Isla was pregnant—perhaps not even detention—decided not to say anything.
Isla had made too many mistakes. It was ti for her to face so consequences.
After Isla was taken away, only the first branch was left disheveled and disgraced.
Yet the banquet hall gradually returned to normal.
Mrs. Olsen looked at Keira, hesitated, and then finally managed to say, "I, Keira, I'm sorry..."
She had finally spoken those words.
Just as Keira was about to offer her so words of comfort, Taylor burst out in anger. "Shirley, you don't need to apologize to her! I think she's doing this on purpose, trying to make you feel guilty! Otherwise, why didn't she tell us about her marriage earlier if it happened two years ago?"
With his arm around Mrs. Olsen, Taylor glared at Keira. "What are your intentions in keeping this from us? Do you need Shirley to apologize before you're satisfied? And just now, don't think I don't know that you and Mr. Horton were putting on an act! I believe you deliberately set this trap for Isla, didn't you? In your heart, do you even consider your father?"
Keira imdiately frowned and looked at Taylor calmly.
She only cared about the attitude of Mrs. Olsen; the words of the rest of the Olsen family didn't matter to her.
She just quietly looked at Taylor and said, "But you're not my father."
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