Chapter 123
Vespera’s expression twisted with disgust. “You really are insufferably tacky.”
Tina looked at Vespera’s face, swollen and smeared with blood yet still strikingly beautiful and defiant. Rage boiled inside her. She lashed out, her fists striding Vespera’s face again and again.
From outside, a man’s cold voice cut through the air. “she’s stalling. If you’re gonna do it, do it now.”
Tina froze, then quickly snapped back to her senses. She straightened and narrowed her eyes.
She said coldly, “You’re just trying to buy time, aren’t you? Waiting for someone to come save you? Don’t bother. No one’s coming for you tonight
ven knows you’re here. By the time they find you, you’ll already be dead–a suicide. Your suicide note is already written
Time send you to hell.”
the lighte
curled indelight as she took a step back, licking the lighter open again.
de watched with satisfaction as despair and tear twisted Vespera’s face, then tossed the lighter into the air.
The moment the flame ignited, Vespera’s survival instinct overpowered the drugs in her system. She tried to move, to escape.
But all she managed was rolling off the couch and collapsing onto the Bour
As the burning flame plummeted toward the ground, Vespera squeezed her eyes shut in atter despair.
Tina stood there, anticipation lighting up her face, waiting for the fire to consume Vespera completely And then–at the very last second…
Just two inches from the ground, the falling lighter was caught by a hand.
The expected explosion of flames never came.
Instead of the sound of the lighter hitting the no
“Who the hell are you?”
Realizing someone had come to coffee table and driving into
Vespera saw two dark tim
The pain she was
radioline igniting, a dick figure had appeared out of nowhere.
her plan was falling apart, Tina didn’t hesitate. She lunged straight for Vespera, snatching a knife from the wwled beside the couch.
the same time.
The sharp
powering the stench of gasoline
mtore through the air, followed by the heavy thand of something crashing onto the floor.
happened. A fall, shadowy figure had collapsed partially on top of her, his weight preasing her down. The scent of him latched
“… Mr. Reid?”
Hem nie swallowed his pain.
“Let go.”
lized herringers were gripping his shirt. Through the fabric, her palm rested against the bard muscles of his abdomen commediately.
| along with legalready swollen face, masked Vespera’s embarTUSSENCIAL,
pushed homself up, his movements slow from the pain. He untied her hands, then pressed a hand against his bleeding side. Gritting his teeth, he strode Muverpowered Tina, and led l up
Moments later, Luke arrived. So did the police and Rebecca.
Gasoline sualed the flous inside and out. Vespera lay on the couch,
h, battered and bruised. Blood seeped from Dominic’s stab wound. And Tina thrashed like a madwoman, streaming incoliciently.
The scene stunned everyone to silence..
Vespera recoliated everything that had happened.–
Dominic handed the lighter over to the police, explaining what he had witnessed when he uved
i
Unfortunately, in his desperation, he had caught the lighter with his bare hands. His fingerprints were on it now, making it useless as evidence. However, the laute on the floor would do.
Once Calvert captured the masked man who had test, there was nothing left for Tina to argue.
“pal You tried to bumi Vera alive? You’re completely insanel” Rebecca spat furiously
“Laike, it’s not what you think! I’m the real victim here! I was set up “Tina’s tears tell effortlessly, hoice trembling with practiced innocenc
Luke stood frozen, staring at the scene before him. Ith gaze fell on Vespera, covered in bruises and blood
A sharp, unbearable pain tore through his chest. He felt like he was being suffocated.
The world around him faded into silener, swallowed by the storm in his inind
brural consequences of his betrayal were now laid bare before him
her words echoed back at him. “You didn’t kill me, but because of you, I was almost murdered. Tell me, how is that any different from you being the one
