Chapter 66
“Quiant” I poped, my voice sharp with shock. He pulled me close, holding me tightly again him, I couldn’t tell if he was still drunk or just losing
The sloped his head, lisa old lips brushing ag shot my car as he slitsperest, “Natalia, let’s get married again?
cher pùm ls to the chest. Houze, my brcalli catching as my eyes wend wide.
Tuled my head ups, meeting his hary, unfocused gare. He was completely dond, no doubt about
I didn’t kome whether to laugh on be annoyed. Taking a deep breath, I pursued his
Beland one, he let out a weak lough, los and bitter. “You’re regretting it, aren’t you?”
Tutopped inmy traks, his wonh making my simmach flip. Regretting what?
and none he was spenting un
away, my w
y vier sharp. “If you’re going to art eraz
rary,
do in
To it at your
For a monnent. I was back to that last shrunken conversation we’ll had, the one Looulli’t completely forget..
“Regret what, Quinn?” Jasked, uning just enough to look at him. He only ever opened up like this when he was drunk, so I figured. I might as well.
Quinn narrowed his eyes, his gaze swimming with something between sadness and frustration. “Three years ago, you promised me you’d always.
ΠΙ
My chest tightened as the memory hall me like a freight train. Three years ago, fal stond in front of him, so full of hope and determination.
“Quinn. Flike you,” I had said back then, smiling so brightly li probably hunt. “I know you don’t feel the same now, but it’s ok E’ll wait. I’ll do wlutever it takes Sunday, you’ll love me too. I believe that.”
was abitost Lasigluble.
“That was former ago” I said, forcing a strug
rug like it didn’t bother me.
here is regret? It’s all in the past
Trumand away, perinding his words didn’t dig into old wormsds, pretending it didn’t hurt an
Honestly, I felt a little embarrassed just thinking about how naive I used to be, Hack then, I’d convinced myself that one–sided love was the purest
After I said that Quinn stayed quiet.
I tumed to check on him and saw his eyes were closed, completely knocked out again. Typical,
The next morningg. I woke up and figured I would make some breakfast for Quinn. But when I walked into the living room, the sofa was empty. AL sotne poust, he had woken up and left.
Fine by me. Saved me the trouble. Too lazy to cook, I got ready for work and decided to pick up something on the way.
take long for fur to notice Karlyan at her desk, still wearing the same outfit from Law night
aid, grinding. “Don’t tell me you didn’t go home last night! Tell me everything!
Harlynn’s cheeks Hashed immediately. “It’s not what you think!
me to her love lile, she turned into a bundle of nerves,
She was always un composed, but the moment
Con her desk, sucking “Really? And what exarily do you think I’m thinking?”
She squimed,
traplain “Everyone stayed out late, and į
a little ton dank. Mr. Bini dida’t know where I lived, so he let me crash at his
“Oak Tree” I nodded dramatically. Bu, he brought you home”
addet. Tim prang back to work! You ́er impossiblet”
inn showed up at the office
“My Hinton” be said, all business. “Mr. Madicii has requested you come to the winery. Dus here to take you?
1 binked at him, confined. The wineryt to
“Wan, don’t tell me he a he didn’t drink enough last night?” I grossed, the imemory of Quinn’s drunken mess still fresh. “Tell
12:08
Chapter 66
him I don’t get paid to babysit him while he drinks.
Finn’s face was deadly serious. “Ms. Hinton, you’ve misunderstood. The truck driver has been found, and he’s confessed. He revealed who ordered the hit on you. Mr. Madden thought it would be best if you heard it yourself”
Turned out, Quinn had ordered Finn to dig on this case. My stomach dropped. “Who is it?” I asked, barely above a whisper
He glanced at me but didn’t answer, keeping his tone deliberately vague. “You’ll find out soon enough”
The more he avoided it, the more unesse churned in my stomach
When Finn led me into the basement, my heart stopped. There, kneeling on the cold floor with his hands tied, was Elijah. My adoptive father
Lfrore, unable to process what I was seeing. The man who raised me, who I called my father for so many years, the person who ordered someone to kill me, was Elijah Hinton.
Quinn was sitting off to the side, his expression colder than I had e
ever seen. His piercing gaze was locked on Elijah.
The moment. Elijah saw me, his face paled even more. His voice trembled as he stammered. “Natalia..
His voice only made the ice in my chest spread further. I finally forced myself to speak, my voice low and unsteady. “Are you sure it’s him?” Finn handed me a tablet without a word. On the screen were a video of the truck driver’s confession and a recording of their phone conversation. The recording started, and a voice I knew all too well tilled the air. “If you kill her, I’ll transfer 150 thousand dollars to you after it’s done,” Elijah said coldly.
You can disappear from Enschester with that money. If you’re caught, claim it was an accident, and I’ll send 300 thousand to your family.”
Each word hit me like a blow. I stared at the screen, my body cold and numb, goosebumps spreading down my arms.
Finn shot Elijah a disgusted look and said, his voice low but sharp. “You thought you could pin this on someone else and walk away clean. But you forgot one thing loyalty bought with money is fragile.
“You offered him 300 thousand dollars to take the fall, but someone else offered 150 thousand dollars to bring you down”
dijah’s face went pale, panic flickering across his features.
He glanced at Finn, then at Quinn, who had remained eerily silent, and finally turned to me. Without hesitation, he begged, “Natalia, I can’t go to
You’ve already caused your mother’s death. Do you want to ruin me too!”
The cellar’s steady a
y air conditioning couldn’t keep me from feeling a chill that cut straight to
my
bones
I didn’t cause her death, I and firmly, my your sharp and ice–cold. I stared him down, the weight of my anger pressing on my chest. “And you did all this–plotted to kill me—for that?
It hit me like a punch to the gut. Elijah believed I was responsible for Jenna’s death and thought this was his way of getting revenge. How twisted. How unbelievably supad
Elijah faltered, his lips trembling as if searching for a defense, but no words c
came. His silence was louder than any confession.
Quinis finally broke his silence, his voi Hanton Group li worl
*
voice calm but razor–sharp. “One hundred and tilty thousand dollars,” he said, his eyes narrowing “That’s all the Harrly enough to keep the lights un
So all me. Lijab—what would make a spineless coward like you risk everything on some half–baked revenge scheme? Unless
it for you
Helen the word linger, his gaze pantung Elgali like a predator cornering its prey “There’s something bigger in it
Eljali stiffened, his entire body going rigid as if Quinn’s words struck a nerve, I stared at him, confused, not fully understanding what Quins w
Warlett muiting a brat. Quia e Finna look. Then, Fun nodded and turned to me. “Elijah took out a massive accident insurance policy under your tanur” he explained. his tour measured but prim
if youded in a car rident, he would be the sole heir in the payout–15
15 million dollarTM
The number echoed in my heal like a go. My dad. Hall’s just wan re gone, he has
had put a price on I
on my head.
Chapter 67
