Xavier exhaled slowly. Then, with chilling certainty, he said, "What if the person who murdered Arabella... was our father?"
The world seed to be still.
Xander’s fingers curled into the sheets, his knuckles turning white. He could hear the steady beeping of the hospital monitors, but everything else felt distant—like he was underwater, drowning in the weight of Xavier’s words.
His throat felt tight, his breath uneven, but his glare was sharp. "What nonsense are you talking about?" His voice ca out sharper than he intended. "Is this so kind of pathetic trick? Another attempt to manipulate into believing you’re innocent?"
"I never touched her when I saw her dead," said Xavier, and Xander scoffed. "Not once."
Xander scoffed, shaking his head. "You’re lying."
"Am I?" Xavier leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze unwavering. "There was a witness that saw everything the night Arabella was killed."
Xavier’s words shocked Xander to the extent the latter nearly sprang up from the bed, completely forgetting his injured leg. He hissed in pain before he settled back down on the bed.
"That’s impossible. This is just one of the tricks you’ve cooked up from your sleeves. It’s too late for you to try to convince you’re not the one who murdered Arabella. You’re the one who took her away from because you were jealous," he accused with rage, saliva flying everywhere. "Father would never kill Arabella. He never knew we were in a relationship, and he didn’t have any business with her when she still alive."
Xavier ignored everything else he said and responded, "Whenever you’re ready, I might be willing to let you et with the eyewitness and know the truth."
Xavier stood up and was about to leave but Xander stopped him right when he was about to open the door.
"Father did not have Arabella killed," he said and Xavier could only look at him from the corners of his eyes without needing to turn.
"You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself," Xavier replied, and without wasting a second, he left the room.
He t with a lady with fiery red hair and erald green eyes outside whose eyes nearly popped out of her sockets once her eyes laid on him.
Xavier rely glanced at her before he walked past her like he never saw her and disappeared.
At first, Samantha was shocked to see a lookalike to Xander outside his room, then she realized it was his twin brother, Xavier. It was the first ti she was seeing him in person. Quickly, she rushed inside and found Xander on the bed, deep in thought.
"I just saw him outside, did he do anything to you?" She asked, ready to call the doctor but Xander shook his head, confusing her. There was no way Xavier would co in there and not hurt Xander. She believed sothing must have happened.
"Everything is fine," Xander replied, but deep down, he was sure nothing was alright. Doubting his father to be the one who killed Arabella was the last thing he thought was ever going to co out of her case. It was impossible because of several reasons.
Xander closed his eyes and decided to dismiss the thoughts. He believed Xavier intended to confuse him and direct him into hating their father because of what he’d done to him by kidnapping Anastasia.
But at the sa ti, he also wondered why Xavier didn’t finish him off. He could have shot him and easily escaped without being spotted by anyone and no one would ever know. So what was Xavier thinking?
anwhile, Xavier was heading outside, relieved that he’d inford Xander of what he knew. He’d been planning on taking care of their father all on his own, but their father didn’t only offend Xavier, he’d offended Xander more by getting rid of his lover several years ago.
Xavier wasn’t sure what his brother was going to do. There was a chance that he wasn’t going to believe all he said, but he was glad he’d planted that seed of doubt in him. If he and Mr. Wallace were seeing each other, Xander would at least attempt to confront him on the situation and try to get a direct answer from him.
Xavier sighted Anastasia and Julian. With his stance, the latter still felt familiar but Xavier didn’t bother trying hard to recall where he’d seen him anymore.
"Did he believe you?" Anastasia asked when she saw him. She glanced around to make sure Samantha wasn’t closeby before stepping closer towards him.
"It doesn’t look like it, but what’s done is done. If he’s smart like he says he is, he would put his nose down and start digging for clues," Xavier responded, his hands in his pockets.
"If Mr. Wallace was the one who killed Arabella, then could there be a chance that Bruce knew about it but never told him anything?" Julian suddenly asked, earning him a questionable stare from Anastasia.
Xavier nodded. "That is very much possible. They’re friends after all and partners in cri too or so sort. So it’s very much possible for Bruce to know about everything that my father has done and never told Xander anything."
"Bruce values Xander even more than his very own daughter, Samantha, so if that was the case he’s also betraying Xander."
Xavier scoffed. "I didn’t think either of them cared about who they betrayed along the way to achieve their goals."
Anastasia’s head was lowered, the weight of the conversation dropping on her shoulders. If Xander acted right, Mr. Wallace would be caught in no ti. Not like everything would be over with Xander choosing to quit his sex trafficking business and surrender, but at least, one enemy would be down.
Anastasia was about to say sothing when she suddenly got a text from soone. She checked it only to find it was an odd number, but her eyes widened in shock when she read the text she received.
It’s Izara
I’m willing to tell you everything
Anastasia couldn’t believe her eyes because she thought it was going to take a while before Izara would think of contacting her or be willing to inform her of the information she needed.
She quickly replied and glanced up at Xavier.
"It’s Izara," she said to him.
A second later, Anastasia received a text with the ti and address of where she would be eting up with the latter.
**
It was late at night, and Xavier and Anastasia arrived at the address that Izara had shared with her earlier. Xavier had insisted on going with her because he hasn’t t with Izara and neither did he trust her.
The place was almost on the outskirts of Regalith, several miles away from the palace and Anastasia couldn’t help but wonder if it was where their hideout was. To their surprise, the address led them to a club.
The neon sign read The Cockpit.
She exchanged a confused expression with Xavier, wondering if Izara was going to have a drink with her at the club or...
Several cars were parked everywhere, a sign that the inside must be bustling with people. The bouncers gave them a suspicious look but didn’t say anything.
The couple were tempted to go inside, but they hesitated still because there was a chance it could be a trap.
Not long after, Izara ca out through the door, her gaze landing on Xavier and instantly, she halted.
"I told you to co alone," said Izara, staring at Xavier suspiciously. "Who is he?"
Anastasia paused for a second before she replied, "He’s my husband."
"What?"
"You can trust him and believe when I say he also wants to help you too," Anastasia added.
Izara sighed. She’d already brought Anastasia to the main location and even if she changed her mind by deciding not to take her inside, the latter could force her way in.
"Alright then, co in."
They passed the bouncers and entered the club and what welcod the couple nearly had their jaws falling on the ground.
It was a normal club, however, the strippers were sothing they’d never seen before. Instead of female strippers, half-naked and all, the people standing on stage were n. Half-naked n with feminine makeup on that entertained the audience.
Anastasia suddenly felt a nauseating feeling and she had to take a deep breath to feel better.
"I know you have a lot of questions to ask ," Izara started as they headed towards a tallic door that looked like an elevator. But the couple could swear there was only the ground floor. "But I promise I’m going to answer everything."
The door to the elevator opened, but before they could step inside, Xavier asked, "Where will this lead?"
"It goes down to the underground sex trafficking ring," Izara responded. "Don’t worry, I don’t intend to harm people I need help from."
Xavier shared a look with Anastasia before they stepped inside.
Once the elevator opened, Anastasia wished they could go back and never return.
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