CHAPTER 435: CHAPTER 435: PSYCHOLOGICAL MANIPULATION

—What if I say, she’s my daughter?

This statement hit Vincent Ford like a bolt from the blue, shattering his composure.

It took Vincent a while to find his voice, struggling to maintain a facade of calm as he said, "Mr. Sinclair, that’s not a funny joke."

"I’m not joking. It’s a fact."

Owen Sinclair initially wanted to keep it hidden because he saw no reason to share it with a stranger like Vincent Ford.

But upon realizing there was a misunderstanding about his relationship with Ashley and that Vincent was trying to dissuade him from getting involved, he felt he had to speak up.

The other party’s status was not ordinary, and if she insisted on obstructing him, he wouldn’t benefit from it.

So he decided to make it clear to her.

Vincent paused and asked, "Is she your goddaughter, or...?"

"Biological, confirmed with a paternity test, my real daughter."

"..." Vincent opened his mouth.

This time, he genuinely didn’t know what to say for quite a while.

He even felt like he was blind and heartless, completely led astray by Hugh York’s twisted thoughts.

However, it was also because Owen Sinclair’s identity was too special, and his circle was always entangled with scandals, leading him to overthink from the start.

But it was Hugh York’s words that made their relationship seem even more unspeakable.

It was Owen Sinclair who spoke, "You don’t need to be embarrassed. Misunderstandings are understandable. Even Ashley doesn’t know I’m her father yet."

"Huh?" Vincent was stunned again.

Owen gave a brief explanation of the situation, and Vincent was immediately more shocked.

Ashley Shaw was not the daughter of his ex-wife but a child with his first love.

Moreover, Ashley Shaw currently had no idea, only seeing Owen as a kind-hearted uncle and a friend of her friends.

Vincent sighed, feeling even more disgusted with his own petty thoughts.

The father-daughter relationship was pure to the core, yet he had suspected their intentions.

Being father and daughter meant Ashley Shaw’s relationships were clean.

With her father being the reputed upright film star Owen Sinclair, there would be no adverse influence in her friendship with Ashley.

Thinking of this, Vincent said, "I truly apologize. I was also misled by Hugh York."

"Hugh York?"

"Yes, the father of Noelle York, who brought her out of school. But he promised me that once the facts were clear and Ashley apologized to Noelle, he would release her."

Owen’s heart tightened as he asked, "Did he tell you this?"

"Yes. Why?"

Owen’s eyes darkened as he asked, "If it’s just an apology, does she really need to be brought to a place like this? Director Ford, have you been fooled by him?"

Vincent: "..."

...

A few minutes later, the interrogation room door was pushed open again.

By this time, Ashley Shaw felt it was difficult even to breathe, her vision swimming, head dizzy, feeling like she could faint at any moment.

She knew this was a severe dehydration warning.

But Hugh York across from her continued to ask, "What rumors did you spread about Noelle York in front of Owen?"

Ashley Shaw kept her eyes closed as if sleeping.

But she was doing her best to minimize water and energy loss.

Seeing Ashley in such a state, Hugh knew she couldn’t hold out much longer and was about to continue questioning when one of his men ran in, whispered, "Boss, Vincent Ford is here again."

Hugh was internally complaining about Vincent’s persistence when his subordinate continued, "And Owen Sinclair is with him."

Hugh’s eyelid twitched lightly, feeling a bit panicked.

Owen Sinclair, though a figure from the entertainment industry, had widespread connections and knew people from all circles.

Moreover, everything he told Vincent Ford was false, intentionally portraying white as black.

Now with Owen here, wouldn’t everything be exposed?

He was well-acquainted with Vincent Ford’s character: once she knew the truth, she would surely take Ashley out.

Hugh felt a wave of frustration.

Looking at the nearly collapsing Ashley Shaw, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and say, "Take her out first, let her have some water, don’t present her half-dead in front of others."

"Yes."

His subordinates worked efficiently, quickly taking Ashley Shaw out for "rest."

Meanwhile, Hugh met Vincent Ford and Owen Sinclair again in the previous office.

Owen recognized Hugh York at a glance; before signing contracts, they always made sure to get a general understanding of the other party, and Hugh’s position was not low, easily searchable online.

Similarly, Hugh York recognized Owen Sinclair at a glance.

The renowned film star’s fame wasn’t just for show.

When they met, both sides were polite and courteous until Ashley Shaw was mentioned.

Vincent said, "It’s been a while, I think you should have figured things out by now, you can let her go."

She didn’t say "can you let her go?" but "you can let her go."

Hugh pulled his lips tightly, still trying to procrastinate.

"We’re about to figure it out soon..."

He sensed he would have to release Ashley Shaw today.

But he still felt a bit reluctant.

It was supposed to be a simple matter, how did it become so tricky?

Although he didn’t dare to say anything to Vincent Ford, he was bold enough to "suggest" to Owen.

"Mr. Sinclair, someone of your status entering and leaving a police station, are you not afraid of others discovering your relationship with Miss Shaw and denouncing it online?"

Hugh York loved to manipulate people by getting into their minds.

Just like in his conversation with Vincent Ford earlier.

He spotted Vincent’s wavering moments during their conversation, so he immediately seized Ashley Shaw, explicitly and implicitly implying that Ashley wasn’t a person of integrity, not "proper."

But Owen, being straightforward by nature and not one to shy away, retorted, "Denounce what? I don’t understand."

Feigning ignorance, leaving Hugh York uncertain of what to say.

Vincent added, "Mr. Sinclair just said he would send his lawyer over. I told him since I know you, let’s settle this privately. You hurry up and bring her out."

The words sounded gentle, but underneath them was an authoritative tone.

After all, she was his superior, even if she was a woman, he had to yield.

Most importantly, with Owen here, all his lies would unravel.

By this point, Ashley Shaw had already suffered enough, having been "dealt with" by him and learned a hard lesson.

Even though she wouldn’t land in jail, for a newly enrolled college student, it was already a severe blow.

And having been so openly taken from school, Ashley would face many suspicions and accusations upon returning.

That was enough.

No need to clash head-on with Owen and Vincent.

Sometimes, making a timely concession wasn’t a bad thing.

Hugh York found a grand excuse for his bullying but cowardice.

He smiled calmly and said, "Well then... I’ll inform the people inside to bring her over. You two have some tea, and wait for me a moment."

As he finished speaking, unexpectedly, Noelle York, knowing Ashley had been brought here by her father, arrived.