Hector still had some porn on his phone, and if Simon saw them, it would be unbearably awkward!No way, he couldn’t let his brother see his private stuff.But Simon gave him no chance. He held the phone high and swiped straight to the call log.Sure enough, at 9:30 this morning, Irene had indeed called Hector’s number, and the call lasted one minute.Even though he already knew the truth, he still wanted to give Luna a chance to clear her name.Avoiding Hector’s attempts to snatch back the phone, Simon asked with a trace of hope, “What were you doing at 9:30 this morning?”Hector failed to get the phone back, sulked, and said irritably, “Simon, why are you suddenly asking this? Just give me back my phone.”He really didn’t understand. It was just a trip, not like they hadn’t traveled before—why was it such a big deal this time?When he caught sight of his brother’s stern expression, he scratched his head in frustration, completely at a loss. They had gone to so many places—how was he
Knowing the truth would come out the moment they got back, Luna would never have backed herself into a corner.She wasn’t stupid—everything she said and did always left her an escape. That was why she could keep such a tight grip on the Lewis family.At that moment, Hector yawned, took a sip of water, and chimed in on Luna’s side. “Yeah, Simon, we didn’t know anything about Grandma being sick. Don’t get worked up.“Mom and Dad are probably at the hospital right now. We’re exhausted—let’s just go see Grandma tomorrow.”They’d been out all day. If Simon hadn’t told them he’d managed to arrange a meeting with the Sinclair heir and demanded they come back, they wouldn’t have returned until the next day.Vacations were exhausting after all.But Simon placed his hand in front of Hector, his expression sharp. “Give me your phone.”If Autumn was telling the truth, then Hector’s phone would have Irene’s call logged—unless Luna had deleted it.Hector thought Simon wanted to check his spending
Autumn smiled at Julian. “Right back at you, Mr. Carter. Compared to me, you’re even worse, don’t you think?”She hadn’t loved Julian in a long time. Whatever little shred of feeling had remained was completely destroyed by him on her mother’s memorial day.Now they were worse than strangers, and she had no reason to be polite anymore.Julian’s eyes narrowed, his gaze carrying a dangerous edge.She knew him well enough to recognize the look—this was how he showed his anger. But this time, she wasn’t going to soothe him. Not this time, not ever again. Thinking back on the days when she used to grovel for his attention made her feel nothing but foolish.At that moment, Simon pushed the door open and stepped inside, his expression grim. Autumn noticed at once—the way he looked at Luna had changed.It seemed her older brother wasn’t completely blind after all. He still had enough sense to tell right from wrong.Keith’s dark gaze locked on Julian. “What’s the matter, Mr. Carter? Do you
Luna winced from Jasmine’s grip, then stood and said to Jack, “Sergeant Lowe, my cousin was only joking with Miss Lewis. There’s no need to make this a police matter.“I’m truly sorry to have wasted your time. I’ll have my cousin apologize to Miss Lewis and explain everything—then it’ll be resolved.”She never expected Autumn would actually call the police, let alone that Keith would indulge her so completely.The Lyric Lounge didn’t allow entry without a reservation, unless someone gave instructions to make an exception for the police.So, on the surface, it looked as though Keith hadn’t paid much attention to Autumn’s wishes.But in reality, whatever Autumn wanted to do, he supported her silently, without hesitation.Thinking of that possibility, Luna realized their chances were slim. She wasn’t really trying to defend Jasmine, only to chip away at Autumn’s edge.At tonight’s dinner, Autumn had stolen all the attention. Everyone present had been put in their place by her, except Keit
Before Autumn could speak, Jasmine abruptly stood up. “I was the one who called the police.”Every pair of eyes turned to her at once. The sudden twist left everyone stunned.It was completely unexpected.Autumn looked at her with amusement. What now? Another desperate struggle? She wasn’t about to take it seriously. Let her flail for a while.The two officers exchanged a glance, a hint of hesitation passing between them. The older one stepped forward and asked, “Miss, what’s your name? And why did you call the police?”Jasmine froze for several seconds before stammering, “My surname is Far. The reason I called the police is because of Autumn. She’s been slandering me without any evidence.“She claims I wronged her uncle, but I was only fourteen at the time. How could I have done all that?“Autumn keeps provoking me again and again without proof. You need to arrest her right now.”Grasping at straws, she dragged that old matter into it. After all, she hadn’t fabricated the police call
“From the moment you skipped Mom’s three-year memorial a few days ago because of Luna, I was completely done with you.“You went off traveling while Grandma was hospitalized. Mr. Sinclair even reminded you, and what did you do?”Her lips curled with sharper frost. “Luna said a few words and suddenly you doubted whether Grandma was even sick, as if we were lying to you.“But I remember Irene clearly called Hector, so why did he act like he knew nothing? Shouldn’t you be asking your precious sister what really happened?“And on Mom’s anniversary that day—why did Luna suddenly take a fall? Not earlier, not later, but right at that moment. “Think about it carefully with that squeezed little brain of yours. What was her intention?”With that, Autumn turned and pulled Keith away. She’d said enough—if they still couldn’t figure it out, then they were truly beyond saving.Keith glanced down at the hand she was holding. The corner of his mouth tugged upward in the faintest smile.When they re