Chapter 293 The Truth Behind the Ring

Chapter 293 The Truth Behind the Ring

"I did ask her, and that's precisely why I've come to find you." William's words caught Megan Rice off guard. But she quickly reminded herself that Daphne was now a psycho with whom normal communication was impossible.

With this thought, she firmly declared, "Since you've met Daphne, then you must know the ring belongs to her."

"Lies!"

Before her words fully settled in the air, William thundered, "Even now, you continue to lie to me!"

"Daphne has recovered from her illness. She personally confirmed she has a husband, and the child she's carrying belongs to him. Furthermore, she doesn't recognize this ring at all."

William let out a cold laugh. "You're remarkably bold, Megan. You dare to deceive me? I warned you before—don't lie to me. The consequences won't be something you can bear."

"Yet you still lied to me!"

His eyes turned icy as he continued, "Are you still unwilling to tell the truth, even now?"

Hearing his words, Megan grew increasingly panicked. She recalled taking the ring from Anna's possession.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. Anna had been drugged and taken to a hotel by Penelope, where she had a one-night stand with a stranger, resulting in her pregnancy.

And William had been desperately searching for the owner of this very ring.

That meant Anna and William.

Realizing the connection, Megan burst into laughter.

She laughed uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

"So that's it," she murmured repeatedly.

She hadn't expected that Anna and William were the two people who had ended up together in that hotel room by coincidence.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Anna didn't know that William was the man she had been searching for.

And William, ironically, had no idea that Anna was the woman he had been trying to find.

How incredibly amusing this situation was!

As the realization hit her fully, Megan felt like crying. After the Rice family's downfall, she had begged for shelter everywhere, only to discover that her so-called friends avoided her like the plague.

Unwilling to accept defeat, she had repeatedly sought out Hayden, who treated her with utter disdain.

During their final encounter, an exasperated Hayden threatened that if she dared to harass him again, he would have someone break her legs.

Seeing his cruelty and fearing for her safety, Megan stopped pursuing him.

But having been born into wealth and luxury, Megan had never experienced such hardship before. After three days of starvation, she had resorted to trying her luck at a nightclub.

Fortunately, the nightclub provided food and lodging, addressing Megan's immediate needs. She had stayed there for over two years.

During those years, Megan had transformed from a privileged heiress who had never done a day's work into a service worker who survived by entertaining patrons.

She had witnessed the harsh realities of life and experienced the struggles of poverty firsthand.

But now, understanding the truth, she had no desire to watch Anna and William find happiness together. She had fallen to this state because of Anna—why should she allow her stepsister to find happiness?

The thought of Anna and William potentially living in misery for the rest of their lives filled Megan with vindictive satisfaction.

Compared to causing pain for these two people, her original plan of extorting money suddenly seemed less important.

She had found something that brought her more joy than money ever could.

With the thought, Megan grew increasingly defiant.

She laughed, "Yes, I lied. The ring definitely doesn't belong to Daphne. But I will never tell you who its real owner is."

Hearing her words, William's expression darkened terribly.

He hadn't expected Megan to still defy him at this point.

His cold gaze cut across Megan like a blade. "So Ms. Rice has decided to remain stubborn?"

"That's right."

Megan looked at him smugly, giving a mischievous smile. "I've fallen this far—when the Rice family collapsed, I nearly got on my knees begging you for help, but you turned around and threw me out."

"William, why should I tell you anything just because you ask?"

William's eyes grew dark. He knew continuing this conversation would be fruitless.

He turned to leave, instructing Ivan on his way out, "Take her away."

"Yes, sir."

Ivan acknowledged the order and grabbed Megan's arm.

"What are you doing? What do you intend to do? Let go of me!" Megan cried out in shock and anger, struggling to break free from Ivan's grip.

She tried to kick him, but her legs were too short to even reach the hem of his clothes.

Soon she was pushed into the trunk of a car. Inside the vehicle, William commanded, "To the prison."

They quickly arrived at Brighton Harbor Correctional Facility. By the time William stepped out of the car, Ivan had already made all the arrangements.

When William entered the visitation room, Jonathan was already waiting.

Upon seeing William, Jonathan nearly broke down in tears from excitement.

"Mr. Sterling, I truly wasn't wrong about you! It wasn't in vain that I gave Anna to you in marriage. Quickly, now that you're here, take me out of this place."

At the mention of Anna's name, William, who had maintained his composure until now, felt a sharp pain in his heart.

It had been a very long time since he had heard that name. He had thought hearing it wouldn't affect him, but he had overestimated himself.

Looking at the weary, graying Jonathan, William asked, "I want to know everything about when you brought Anna back, and about her giving birth. Tell me everything you know, in detail."

He wanted to investigate things he had overlooked two years ago.

"You!" Jonathan's expression shifted dramatically. He hadn't expected William to inquire about this.

With a trembling voice, he asked, "What's happened? Where's Anna? I want to see her!"

"After everything you and Penelope did to hurt her, do you really think she would want to see you?"

William was merely testing him, but his words caused Jonathan's expression to change drastically.

His lips quivered, and finally, tears streamed down his face.

"Anna, I've wronged her!" he cried. Then, urgently, he continued, "It was Penelope—all of this was Penelope's doing. She administered the drug. I only found out later."

Hearing Jonathan's confession, William was shocked, unable to believe his ears.

"Drugged? Are you saying Anna had a one-night stand without her knowledge or consent?"

"Yes, but I didn't know at the time. Penelope deliberately concealed it from me. By the time I found out, Anna's pregnancy was already showing."

Jonathan continued, pounding his fist in frustration. "I couldn't stand by and watch Anna ruin the Rice family's reputation, so I had someone take the baby away to be dealt with."

"Mr. Sterling, you're the head of a prominent family—surely you understand my feelings? If that child wasn't dealt with, Anna would be an unwed mother, and she would have destroyed our family's reputation!"

Jonathan's words further enraged William. "So the child that Anna has been desperately searching for—you had it killed?"

"No, no! I just had the baby taken away and handled. I never intended to harm the child. That baby—it might still be alive."

Now William understood why Anna was so obsessed with finding her child.

The child was part of her. But who was the man who had that one-night stand with Anna?