Chapter 67
The dirty plan was out in the open now, and whatever defense Elijah had left in his heart was completely shattered.
His face turned ghostly pale. He wasn’t stupid–he knew if Quinn handed over the evidence to the police, he would be looking at a long prison
Quinn wasn’t wrong. Elijah was greedy and weak. He dropped to his knees, crawling toward me with tears streaming down his face. “Natalia, please,”
he begged, his voice breaking
Toy your dad. I messed up. I know, but I was blinded by greed. Just one mistake. I’ll make it up to you–I swear
ear I’ll treat you better from
I felt something inside me was breaking, but I refused to show it. My jaw tightened as I looked down at him, disgusted. “You’re not my dad,” I said, my voice low and sharp. “If I were Skylar, you never would’ve treated me like this:
For years. I believed Elijah was different. I thought he cared about me, that we had something real.
But now I knew better. He was just like Jenna. I was nothing but a pawn to them, something to use when it suited their needs.
“Mr. Madden,” Finn said, his voice dripping with dischin, “should we call the police? This evidence is more than enough to keep him behind bars for
“No, you can’t call the police!” Elijah shouted, panic all over his face.
He pressed his bleeding head to the floor like a man grasping at straws. “Natalia, I raised you! I’ve been your father for over twenty years! Your mother’s gone–are you really going to throw me to the wolves?”
The nerve of him. The sheer audacity to call himself my father when he had hired someone to kill me, when he’d been so heartless as to want me dead
I stared down at him, my chest heaving as I fought to keep my emotions in check. “I’m so done hearing this crap,” I said, my voice cutting like a blade. “Elijah, you’re not my father. I don’t wanna even call you ‘Dad. You’re nothing to me, and you make me sick.”
His face collapsed into pure despair, his body trembling as he realized there was nothing left
“Don’t you always pull the ‘I raised you for twenty years card? Fine, you don’t want me to call the cops? No problem I glanced at Finn. “Finn, can. you grab two pens and some paper?”
Finn nodded and was back in no time with exactly what I needed.
I tossed the pen and paper in front of Elijah, my tone flat and cold. “Here’s the deal. Write two things. Once you’re done, you can walk out of here.”
Finn untied him, and Elijah snatched up the pen like it was his last chance at survival. What do you want me to write?” he asked, his voice shaking
“First” I said, my eyes locked on him, “I want a written statement severing any ties between us. Make it clear–we’re done. No more father–daughter
Once it was official, I’d be done with the Hinton family for good, and Elijah wouldn’t be able to use me ever again.
“Alright,” Elijah didn’t even hesitate. He scribbled furiously, desperation all over his face
I grabbed the paper when he finished, gave it a quick check, and tucked it into my pocket. “Alright, now the second one,” I said. “I want a full confession–everything. How you hired someone to kill me, why you did it, all of in
This time, he froze. The pen hovered over the paper, his hand trembling. I wasn’t surprised. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he weighed his options
I knew why he was stalling. I wasn’t letting him off because I was a saint–this wasn’t about forgiveness. It was strategy
I could throw him in prison out of sheer anger, but then Skylar would come e after me, and everyone would make me the bad guy. the Smith family came out, they and the Lee family would be dragged into the mess.
Once
That was my insurance. My way to protect myself and everyone else while ensuring Elijah couldn’t weasel his way back into my life.
my link i
“If you don’t want to write it, then go confess to the cops, Finn supped, his tone sharper than I ever heard. Even he was done with Elijah’s antics. and Finn was usually the calmest one in the room.
Elijah’s jaw tightened, his face twisting in frustration. Finally, he gritted his teeth and muttered, “Fine. I’ll write it.
A few tense minutes later, he handed me the paper. His com
Then, Finn walked Elijah out, leaving me alone with Quinn in the wine cellar
1/2
fingerprint stamped at the bottom.
12:00 PM
Chapter 67
I tucked the two documents away, and out of nowhere, Quinn, who was lounging on the sofa, asked, “What are you afraid of
I turned to him, puzzled. “Afraid? Am I?”
“Why let him off the hook?” Quinn said, not hiding his frustration. “Even if the Hinton family gets pissed, you don’t need to worry. I’m not going anywhere
His words caught me off guard. Was he saying he’d always have my back?
“I’m not afraid.” I said, keeping my voice steady and pressing my lips together.
Quinn didn’t get it. He couldn’t. He didn’t know what it was like to be betrayed by your own family. I looked away, not wanting to get into it. After a beat. I quietly said, “But thanks.”
“Hey, it’s okay to cry if you need to, Quinn said, his voice softer. He stood up and walked toward me. “Tve got a shoulder for
I chuckled a little, trying to hide the emotion. “Cry? For what!” I shot back, but my voice cracked.
you!
I looked up at him, meeting his eyes–dark and steady. Before I knew it, Quinn pulled me into his arms. His hand pressed the back of my head, pulling me closer, and I felt my face sink into his chest.
His voice, low and gentle, spoke right in my ear. “No one’s around, and I won’t remember it if you do.”
Something about those simple words broke me. The minty scent of his shirt wrapped around me, and all the hurt I’d kept inside came rushing out Tears fell, and I couldn’t stop them.
Quinn didn’t say a word just let me cry, his hand gently stroking my back
This was it my goodbye to the past, to the man who had pretended to be my father for over twenty years. It was final, and it hurt like hell.
1 didn’t know how long I ened, but by the time it stopped, I felt empty, like all the tears had been used up.
After feeling done. I pushed him away and stood up straight, not really knowing what to say except for a quiet thanks.
“Thank you” I muttered, barely loud enough for him to hear.
Quinn’s eyes were interse as he looked at me, his voice soft. “Are you really not thinking about moving back?”
I froze for a second. This was the first time he’d asked like that–like he actually cared.
Noticing my hesitation, he quickly added, “If it feels wrong, we can always get married again”
If I hadn’t just cried, if I didn’t see that hint of pity in his eyes, maybe I would’ve thought Quinn actually liked me
I laughed, bitterly Why was I still letting him get to me?
“Mr. Madden” I said, shaking my head, “you think it’s cruel to let me walk
walk away with nothing?”
1 grinned a little, trying to keep it light. “If you really feel bad for me, why don’t you just let me go from Madden Group? Or, you know, raise my salary
Quinn’s brow furrowed, his face serious now. It was the same old thing; he couldn’t stand being rejected
1 kept my strile, but it was thinner this time. “If you can’t do it, then just don’t bring this up a
again, alright? Let’s just pretend I’m not pathetic, ok
Toouldn’t kergelenting hun mess with my head. I loved him once, but it wasn’t the same anymore. Maybe I still couldn’t forget him, but I definitely couldn’t love him the way I used to
“Quinn,” I said softly, meeting his eyes, “we’re done”
曲
SEND GIFT
