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Chapter 35: Truth Comes Out

작가: June Stars
last update 최신 업데이트: 2026-01-28 12:28:31

Three weeks after the district attorney closed the investigation, life began to return to normal. William was back at Ashcroft Enterprises full-time, rebuilding relationships with clients who'd been spooked by the scandal. Lucy was working on her foundation, the Margaret Chen Memorial Fund, which would help women in difficult situations find support and second chances.

They were having breakfast when Lucy's phone rang. Her father's rehabilitation center.

"Mrs. Ashcroft, this is Nurse Patterson. Your father had a fall this morning. He's okay, but the doctor wants you to come in. There's something we need to discuss."

Lucy and William rushed to the facility. They found Jackson in his room, looking frail but alert. His doctor, a stern woman named Dr. Patel, was reviewing his charts.

"Mr. Taylor's physical injuries from his kidnapping have healed well," Dr. Patel said. "But we're seeing cognitive decline that concerns us. Memory lapses, confusion, difficulty with basic tasks. I've ordered
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  • The Twist of Fate    Chapter 46: Separation

    William stared at Lucy like she'd lost her mind. "Absolutely not. We're not becoming vigilantes.""I'm not suggesting we break the law. I'm suggesting we be proactive instead of reactive." Lucy stood, pacing the length of their living room. "Every time we wait for Rachel's team, for the legal system, something else happens. Someone else gets hurt.""And you think going after professional killers while pregnant is a better plan?""I think using ourselves as bait while Rachel's team closes in is a better plan than hiding in a safe house for months."William ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. "Lucy, these aren't amateur criminals. These are people Mirabel specifically chose because they're ruthless and effective. They won't hesitate to kill you.""Which is exactly why waiting makes no sense. They know where we live. Where we work. Where my father lives. A safe house only works if they don't find us. And people like that always find their targets eventually.""So your solution is

  • The Twist of Fate    Chapter 45: Trying to Explain

    Three days after Mirabel's arrest, Lucy sat in the courthouse waiting room, her hands folded over her barely visible baby bump. William paced nearby, his phone pressed to his ear as he spoke with their lawyer.The preliminary hearing would determine if there was enough evidence to hold Mirabel for trial. Rachel had assured them it was a formality, the evidence was overwhelming, but Lucy couldn't shake her anxiety."They're ready for us," William said, pocketing his phone.Inside the courtroom, Mirabel sat at the defense table in an orange jumpsuit, her expensive lawyer whispering urgently in her ear. When Mirabel's eyes found Lucy, there was no remorse. Only cold hatred.The hearing proceeded methodically. The prosecutor presented evidence: the audio recordings from the hospital basement, security footage, forensic analysis of the potassium chloride. Brad's written statement detailing decades of conspiracy.Mirabel's lawyer objected repeatedly, arguing entrapment, claiming the recordi

  • The Twist of Fate    Chapter 44: The Descent

    The service elevator descended into darkness.Lucy's captor, the fake nurse whose name tag read "Jennifer Walsh," kept the syringe pressed against Lucy's side. Her other hand gripped Lucy's arm with professional efficiency."Who are you really?" Lucy asked as the elevator passed the ground floor, continuing down to the basement levels."Does it matter?""You're not one of Mirabel's usual people. Too professional. Former military?"Jennifer's jaw tightened. "Former special forces. Dishonorably discharged. Mrs. Carson pays well for people with my skills and lack of scruples.""She's going to kill me. You know that.""Probably. But I'll be long gone with my money before that happens."The elevator jolted to a stop at sub-basement three. The doors opened onto a dimly lit corridor that smelled of disinfectant and decay. Hospital maintenance tunnels, Lucy realized. Perfect for moving someone without being seen.Jennifer pushed her forward. "Walk. Third door on the left."Lucy's mind raced.

  • The Twist of Fate    Chapter 43: The Setup

    Dr. Grace Chen sat across from Lucy in a private medical office, her expression carefully neutral. But Lucy could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her hands trembled slightly as she reviewed the chart."You understand what we're asking you to do?" Lucy said quietly."You want me to falsify your medical records. Make it appear your pregnancy is high risk when it's actually perfectly healthy." Dr. Chen set down the chart. "Yes, I understand. And I'll do it. It's the least I can do after what I helped Amanda do to your father.""We need it to be convincing," William said from his position by the door. "Mirabel has medical knowledge. She'll know if the records are obviously fake.""I'll make them authentic. Elevated blood pressure readings, protein in the urine suggesting preeclampsia, ultrasounds showing concerning measurements." Dr. Chen pulled out her laptop. "I'll input the false data into the hospital system myself. Anyone checking your records will see a pregnancy in troubl

  • The Twist of Fate    Chapter 42: Mirabel's Past

    Detective Morris arrived at their apartment within the hour, bringing files that had been sealed since Mirabel's supposed death."I pulled everything we had on Mirabel Carson," Morris said, spreading documents across the dining table. "If she's alive, we need to understand how she's been operating for the past six months."Lucy looked through the papers. Financial records, property deeds, corporate filings. "There's so much here. How do we even start?""With the cremation," William said. "Brad signed off on it unusually fast. That suggests planning. Mirabel would have needed a body, documentation, people willing to lie."Morris pulled out a death certificate. "The attending physician was Dr. Thomas Wei. He's not related to your lawyer Patricia Wei, by the way. We checked. But here's what's interesting. Dr. Wei left the country three days after signing this certificate. Moved to Singapore. Hasn't been back since.""Paid off," William said. "Mirabel gave him enough money to disappear."

  • The Twist of Fate    Chapter 41: Brad's Confession

    William hired a crisis management team within hours of finding Brad's note. Security experts, private investigators, corporate lawyers. Everyone gathered in Ashcroft Enterprises' conference room the next morning."Someone's trying to force a hostile takeover," William explained to the assembled team. "They're using my wife's pregnancy as leverage. We have six months to identify and neutralize the threat."Rachel Stone, the security specialist, reviewed Brad's note. "This reads like someone under duress. The phrasing is apologetic, almost pleading. Either Brad genuinely feels guilty, or he's trying to communicate something else.""Like what?" Lucy asked."Hidden messages. Warnings we're meant to find." Rachel pulled out a highlighter. "Look at the capitalization. Some letters are slightly larger than others. If you pull them out: M-E-R-I-D-I-A-N.""Meridian Pharma," William said immediately. "The company Amanda was connected to.""Exactly. Brad's telling you who he's working with while

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