Chapter 15

Molly's smile cracked a little as she tugged at the corner of her lips. "Well, weren't you just living it up there?"

She shot Tristan a quick look, like,what,was she supposed to say she'd been locked up?

Megan narrowed her eyes, cold as ice. "I had aphasia the past six months. I was afraid to make them worry,so I didn't come back. But you? You told them I was partying it up. Seriously, Molly, what's your deal?"

Molly clutched her handbag tighter, knuckles white.Her face flushed then paled, nerves all over the place.

Damn that Megan. Aphasia? Just perfect-explains the silence, the missing daughter act.

She wanted to say Megan had been locked away by Tristan, but she didn't dare. The man sat there like some untouchable king, his presence heavy and fierce.One glance at him and she caught the storm brewing in his eyes, like he could crush anything in his path.

Molly bit her lip hard and tried to salvage things. "I-I didn't want Mom and Dad to worry about you being sick."

Megan let out a cold snort."So now I know why no one ever visited me at Dreamscape Manor. You made me seem like some spoiled slacker who only cared about luxury."

Diane Hartwell shot up from the couch. She stormed past the coffee table and slapped Molly straight across the face.

The sharp crack echoed through the massive living room.

Molly's hand flew to her burning cheek, her eyes already brimming with tears. "Mom."

Diane gritted her teeth, her voice shaking with fury."Don't call me that. I didn't raise a daughter who stirs up drama and plays everyone. We took you in and this is the thanks we get?"

Then she turned to Elliot. "And you think we still owe some kind of favor? After all these years? This girl's been nothing but trouble since she entered this house at five! I've spent the last six months thinking my own daughter didn't want me anymore. Turns out Molly here's been stirring the pot the whole time."

Elliot frowned. "Alright, enough, let's not go on. Ifit was all a misunderstanding, now it's cleared up. Don't forget, if it weren't for Godfrey taking that bullet for me back then, I wouldn't even be alive."

Diane Hartwell wasn't having it. "Elliot, Godfrey was your bodyguard. He took a fat paycheck to protect you-risking his life was part of the deal. But answer me this: who's really your flesh and blood? Looks to me like Molly's got you wrapped around her finger."

"What nonsense are you talking?!" Elliot stood up abruptly. "Watch what you say in front of the kids."

Diane let out a cold snort. "Every day it's 'Molly this,Molly that' like she's your reaI daughter. Who knows what shady stuff's going on when nobody's watching."

"Enough!" Elliot's hands balled into fists, breath coming hard and fast.

"Well, well, who's yelling like that?" A clear voice rang out as a young girl with two ponytails walked into the villa.

She had fair,flawless skin and adorable dimples at the corners of her lips. The moment she saw Megan sitting on the sofa, her backpack slipped right from her hand.

Then a grin of disbelief bloomed on her face.

Chloe didn't so much run as launch herself at Megan.

"Sis! Oh my god, I've missed you so much.Your phone's been off, I couldn't reach you at all. Molly said you were living it up at the villa-were you just avoiding us?"

As she spoke, tears spilled down her cheeks.

Megan gently patted her back. "Get up first,we can talk."

"Oh, right."

Chloe stood, helping Megan to her feet.

Megan raised her hand to wipe away the tears from Chloe's little face. "I lost my voice. Been getting treatment out at the manor these past six months.I told Molly to let everyone know... didn't think she'd twist the truth."

Chloe's cheeks flushed crimson, her eyes blazing as she whirled on Molly. "I thought you were my real sister! Mom and Dad treated you like their own daughter! And this is how you repay us? Trying to rip our family apart?" Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper."You know what? You've always been twisted.I remember when Megan was eight-down with that awful flu, on antibiotics. You gave her a Hot Toddy!Whiskey,honey,lemon,the whole thing! She ended up in the ER getting her stomach pumped!"

"Megan begged me not to tell," Chloe choked out,her hands trembling. "Said she didn't wvant you punished. Back then I thought she was just soft-hearted.Now? Now it makes my blood run cold."

Diane's face went ashen. Her hand shot out, finger trembling violently as she pointed at Molly. "She told us. she swore she'd just eaten too much candy. All these years. it was you."

Molly shook her head desperately, tears welling. "No!I swear | didn't k<now! She was so sick, shivering. I just wanted to help her feel warm, like my grandma used to do for me! I had no idea. no idea alcohol and antibiotics could do that."

As she spoke, she dropped to her knees with a thud and started crawling forward, sobbing. "Mom, please forgive me! I swear it wasn't on purpose!"

Then she looked to Megan, tears streaming down."Megan, I really didn't mean it."

Megan gave a faint smile. "Mm, yeah. You didn't mean it."

Molly bobbed her head rapidly. "Right, right! You believe me, don't you,Megan?"

"Heh." Megan let out a cold little laugh. "Yeah, except.you totally did."

She rose slowly, circling Molly's crumpled form like a hawk. "You want to know why I fled my own engagement party?" Her razor-sharp whisper sliced through the silence. "Every broken string leading back to that disaster-you were the one holding the scissors."