But each time she starts to speak and fails, my own reality tears apart.
She couldn’t have lied about the will … the lawyer read it and presented it to us … you can’t fake that, right? Those documents are legally binding.
Oh God, was I naive to believe it all?
Dean leans down, turning my head and whispering into my ear, “Trust us, okay? I only just found out minutes ago.”
He brushes my side, offering comfort, and I nod, letting him do whatever he needs.
Dean pulls me tighter into his side. “We know the truth, Adrianna.”
What?My neck nearly breaks when I look up at him.
Asher intertwines his fingers with mine, stepping closer to me, and I can’t help but to wonder if they’re trying to hold me up or hold me back.
Dean continues, and my world starts to spin with each admission, “Tyler Quinn, the one you and Cirella dealt with,isa lawyer—that is true. One you bribed to lie and falsify legal documents in order to take everything from Cirella, who Patrick Chamberlain had lefteverysingle dime, possession, and asset to. Tyler just confessed.” Dean is fuming by the time he finishes accosting Adrianna.
Deep inside, I feel the same way. But more than anything, I feel … somehowwhole. My dad didn’t leave everything to a stranger. He left it to … me.
Anger. Grief. Sadness. Disappointment. It all courses through me, fighting for the spot in the forefront of my mind. But I’m stuck, riding through the roller coaster as I wait for Adrianna to say anything. To deny it. To admit it.
She slams her eyes shut. “Look …”
One word.
One word is all I need to know the truth. To know that on top of abusing me, berating me, and tearing me down all of these years, she also stoleeverythingfrom me.
She is more of a fraud, of a monster, of an abuser than I ever thought possible.
“How could you?” I scoff, anger winning the war.
Asher’s and Dean’s hold tightens around me as I pull forward.
“How could you?”
“Detain her. I’ll call the captain of the Evermore Police Department,” Everett orders, and security starts dragging Adrianna out of the office.
“Everett, wait. No! We can talk about this!” she pleads, and he ignores her, not even looking in her direction. “Babe, please! I love you!”
Another lie. She doesn’t love anyone but herself.
Everett walks around his desk, planting his fists on the surface to hold himself up. His shoulders rise and fall, quickening with each breath.
“Hey,” Asher tries to talk, but Everett lifts his hand, stopping him without a glance.
“I can’t believe …” He trails off, and I can practically feel the emotion building inside of him. Like a ticking time bomb.
I don’t know if he’s talking to himself or us.
“How could I have been so stupid? So reckless?”
“Dad, it’s okay,” Dean assures, trying to comfort him, but Everett shakes his head, a sob tearing through him.
“Back up.” Two words—the only warning we have before Everett Kensington fully snaps.
Grabbing a golden statue from his desk, he cries out, and in one fell swoop, he turns and smashes it through the massive stained-glass window.
Dean and Asher immediately turn in toward me, shielding me with their bodies as the window shatters into a million pieces, flying in every direction with a deafening blast.
