Chapter 119\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0aaa\u0a9f\u0ac7\u0ab2 \u0aae\u0abe\u0ab0\u0ac0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maya began crying louder, wiping her tears again and again as if she could erase what she had done just by rubbing her face raw. Her shoulders shook as she looked around at the crowd, at the police, at Craig on the floor, at her parents at the back, and her sobs turned desperate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do anything,\u201d she cried. \u201cI was trapped in this. I didn\u2019t want any of this to happen.\u201d Her voice broke as she added, \u201cCraig threatened me. He said he would kill my father if I didn\u2019t help him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
with betrayal, as if\u00a0<\/p>\n
Craig\u2019s head snapped up at that. Even with his jaw swollen and blood on his lips, his fury was unmistakable. \u201cThat\u2019s a lie.,\u201d he shouted hoarsely. \u201cI never threatened her. She planned this with me. She wanted it.\u201d His ex realizing too late how deeply he had been used as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes went to a solitary figure who had just entered the hall. Isla. Her throat bobbed as she saw the scene unfolding in front of her. It seemed like the happiness she had reserved for this event, turned into the most miserable emotion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suddenly a sharp voice cut through the chaos. \u201cBella!\u201d Jared\u2019s voice rang out from the crowd. \u201cStop this right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucy pushed forward beside him, her face twisted with rage. \u201cYou\u2019re being vindictive,\u201d she snapped. \u201cThat\u2019s your sister. Maya is innocent.\u201d Then she turned her anger on me. \u201cBella has fooled you too. She\u2019s a liar, a manipulator, who can do anything to tarnish our reputation! Can\u2019t you see this already?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt Bella tense beside me, ready to respond, but I stepped forward first, placing myself fully in front of her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A low growl tore from my chest as I looked at them both. \u201cDo not speak to my wife that way,\u201d I warned, my voice carrying clearly through the hall. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t the one who staged her own wedding\u2019s ruin. Why would my bride demand fifty million dollars from me when she has access to everything I own? So if you say another word to her or against her, I will make sure that you two are also behind bars. I\u2019ve had enough!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lucy\u2019s lips tightened. \u201cWho do you think you are?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t raise my voice, but the warning in my tone was clear. \u201cThe man who can bury you socially, financially, and legally without blinking. If you open your mouth again and put stress on Bella, or accuse her, you will learn what consequences feel like.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jared\u2019s face went pale. \u201cYou can\u2019t threaten-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can,\u201d I cut in, my eyes going hard. \u201cAnd I will. Because you have no right to demand mercy for the people who tried to destroy her.\u201d My eyes went to Maya. \u201cYour stepdaughter is the mastermind of this crime. She orchestrated it, thinking that she would stay like an innocent passerby. And now that she is cornered, she came with the excuse that Craig threatened to kill her father. How pathetic!\u201d I spat. \u201cShe is changing her narrative so fast. She is like a chameleon.\u201d My chest was heaving with anger. \u201cNo, she is worse than an animal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maya sobbed louder, desperate now. \u201cI\u2019m not the mastermind! I\u2019m just\u2026 I\u2019m just a pawn!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I scoffed, \u201cNo, Maya. You\u2019re not a pawn. You are the puppeteer. You held the strings of every person who came close to you. And that included Bella. When you couldn\u2019t control or make Bella dance to your tunes, you destroyed her life not just once, but several times.\u201d She went still, staring at me. \u201cYou are the person who lit the fire,\u201d I told her, and my voice dangerously calm. \u201cYou coaxed Craig into the final deed of ruining Bella. You pushed it forward. You helped shape it. And you thought you could hide behind fake tears and family labels?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maya shook her head quickly. \u201cNo, I didn\u2019t-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t let her finish. \u201cAnd your accomplice Jos\u00e9- He is not what he is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s eyes widened so fast it looked painful. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched her carefully and then delivered the\u00a0<\/p>\n
st blow, clean and clear. \u201cJos\u00e9 is Joseph Diaz.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The name hit the room like a slap. I saw Bella back go still, their heckles raised.\u00a0<\/p>\n
behin\u00a0<\/p>\n
saw\u00a0<\/p>\n
Troy\u2019s jaw tighten. I saw a few of the wolves in the\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maya looked like she couldn\u2019t breathe. \u201cNo\u2026 I don\u2019t\u2026 I don\u2019t know what you mean.\u201d I knew she was trying to hide that Jos\u00e9 was her accomplice and show instead he worked with Craig.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know exactly what I mean,\u201d I replied. \u201cI have been following your movements. Your calls. Your \u2018helpful stranger\u2018 who you met in a pub.\u201d I narrowed my eyes. \u201cJoseph ran the moment you two wai because he knew what was coming.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Your little\u00a0<\/p>\n
re today\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was my only miscalculation. I thought that Joseph would be lingering around to see me fail, but the fucking mouse\u00a0<\/p>\n
in time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
abandoned Craig and Maya the moment he realized that I didn\u2019t\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Craig shouted, \u201cThat theory is insane!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at him once. \u201cYou should worry less about what is insane and more about what\u00a0<\/p>\n
The officer tightened his grip on Craig. \u201cMove.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
proven.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Craig struggled. \u201cNo! You can\u2019t arrest me, this is-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maya began crying again, trying to clutch at Lucy\u2019s sleeve. Jared stood frozen, his face stiff, and Lucy looked around at the guests who were watching them now with judgment in their eyes. They had come here to be seen as in\u2013laws of the \u2018Scott Moore.\u2019 Now they couldn\u2019t handle being seen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The officers began leading Craig and Maya toward the exit. Craig\u2019s face was twisted with rage and panic, and Maya\u2019s face was streaked with tears. They both looked small now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As they were taken out, I turned back to Bella, and I hugged her tightly. She planted her palms on my chest. Her eyes were wet, and her breathing was shaky, but she was standing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re safe,\u201d I told her quietly. \u201cThis ends here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her lips trembled as she nodded, and I lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed her knuckles once, not caring who watched, because I wanted her to feel one thing above everything else. I was here, and I wasn\u2019t going anywhere. She looked at me through tears with a thousand questions swirling in her mind. I knew I had to answer them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Moments later, I looked at Troy. He nodded and announced to the guests, \u201cThe ceremony will resume in half bride and the groom need\u2026 recess.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
an hour. The\u00a0<\/p>\n
Muffled chuckles and laughter sounded. I picked my bride in my arms and carried her to the parlor behind the hall. I asked Millie via mind\u2013link to be with my pups.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Midnight Winds Carry Secrets Toward Worlds Yet Unknown 119 Chapter 119\u00a0 Scott\u00a0 \u0aaa\u0a9f\u0ac7\u0ab2 \u0aae\u0abe\u0ab0\u0ac0\u00a0 Maya began crying louder, wiping […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-new-world-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23084\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}