Page 126 of The Truth of Us

“Would that have mattered?”

The question hit. I could have said no. The simple answer. The charming one. The one that made me look noble. Instead, I said, “It shouldn’t have.”

A few people murmured. I continued before they could turn it into something else. “Harper Montgomery owes none of you her pain. Her mother owes none of you her death. Her brother owes none of you his memory. And Alexander Montgomery owes none of you access to his grief.” The words came from somewhere raw. Somewhere I had avoided for most of my life. “If you want to criticize someone, criticize me. If you want a villain, use my name. If you want to speculate, speculate about how bad a man can fuck up before he realizes what he lost.” Behind the camera, someone gasped. I didn't care. “But leave Harper and her family out of it.”

For half a second, no one spoke. Then a reporter near the middle raised his voice.

“Isn’t it fair to ask if this is history repeating itself? Sophie Montgomery was also at the center of an affair scandal before the accident.”

I turned slowly toward him. “Leave Sophie Montgomery out of this.”

The reporter flushed, but pushed on. “There were allegations…”

“Were there facts?” I asked.

He blinked. “What?”

“You said allegations. Were there facts?”

The reporter hesitated. “Well, sources at the time…”

“Sources?” My voice dropped. “Did anyone have proof?”

He looked annoyed now. “The story was widely reported.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “No confirmed proof was ever released publicly, no.”

The words slid under my skin, a thread I felt ‌I needed to pull at…

No confirmed proof. Widely reported. Sources. People believed.

The exact machinery that had destroyed Harper’s life had been built on lies. My mind moved fast. Alexander’s father showing up. Alexander’s reaction. Rowan’s warnings. Carlisle saying anyone who knew Alexander and Sophie knew it was false. A scandal that benefited someone. A son pulled back toward a family he had left. My stomach tightened. Who benefited?

The reporter started to ask another question, but I stepped back.

“We’re done.”

“Mr. Vale…”

“No. You wanted a statement. You have one.”

I turned away. This time, I looked at Harper. She was already sliding into her SUV. Alexander stood beside her. Her face was unreadable, but her eyes were on me. The SUV door closed, and the car pulled away. I watched until it disappeared around the corner. Then I got into my car and called Rowan. He answered on the second ring. “What did you do?”

“Depends on who you ask.”

A pause, then he let out a ragged sigh and said, “Elliot.”

“I need everything on the Montgomery scandal.”

Silence for a moment, and then, “Why?”

“Because someone started it.” I replied.

“Obviously.”

“No,” I said, staring out the window as the city blurred past. “I mean someone started it on purpose, someone close, someone who would benefit from Sophie leaving Alexander.” Rowan was quiet, so I continued, “Every article, lawsuit, settlement, reporter involved, and every anonymous source. Everything on the woman who claimed to be involved with Alexander Montgomery.”