A Blissful Night with My Step-Father의 모든 챕터: 챕터 81 - 챕터 90

“You’re going to get yourself killed,” Ginny hissed, gripping Annabella’s arm tightly. “This isn’t just some game of cat and mouse, Annabella. This is Lucy. She’ll tear you apart if you make the wrong move.”Annabella wrenched her arm free, her face sharp and defiant. "Then it's a good thing I don't plan on making a wrong move."Joshua, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, let out a long sigh. "Ginny's right. This is reckless, even for you. Confronting Lucy directly? You might as well hand her a loaded gun.Annabella rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. “We can’t keep waiting for the perfect moment. We’ve got the evidence, Margaret’s testimony is locked in, and Lucy’s scrambling to keep control. This is the time to press her, not sit around hoping she doesn’t retaliate first.”Ginny leaned in, lowering her voice. "And just how do you plan on doing that? Walk in and just accuse her? She'll twist everything you say and bury you before you know what's hit you."A sl

“You’re playing with fire, Ginny,” Joshua warned, his voice low as he leaned against the doorframe of her room.She sat at her desk, staring at the documents strewn all over the front of it. Margaret's testimony and the board's decision to sideline Lucy had been a monumental win, but it was a hollow victory. The air in the mansion still felt charged, like Lucy's fury had soaked into its walls.“She’s lost control of the board,” Ginny said, her tone resolute. “She knows she’s slipping, and that makes her more dangerous. But we’re not backing down now.”Joshua shook his head, his expression grim. “You don’t get it. Lucy’s not the type to slink away into obscurity. She’s the kind who burns everything to the ground if she can’t have it.”“Then we’ll douse her fire before she starts it,” Ginny replied sharply.Before Joshua could argue, a knock on the door interrupted them. Annabella stepped in, her face pale but determined.“We have a problem,” she said, holding up her phone.Ginny’s sto

The room was suffocating, filled with the sharp tang of fear and the heavy sound of panting breaths. Ginny’s heart pounded as Lucy’s men spread out, eyes sharp and muscles tensed.Annabella leaned against the cool stone wall, holding the book of accounts as if it was her ticket to life. Joshua, on the other side, has his jaw clenched, fists too tightly bunched at his sides."You actually thought that you could outsmart me?" Lucy's voice sliced through. There was an undercurrent in her voice: humor laced with rage. She did another step and, by that light, her eyes sparkled menace. "You have underestimated me once too often."Standing her ground and her eyes fixed on Lucy, Ginny said, "We aren't afraid of you anymore, Lucy. The truth's out, and it is only a matter of time before the board sees it.Lucy's lips curled into a smile, but it was anything but friendly. "The boa"rd? Oh, darling, you don't think I'm worried about the board, do you?"She turned to one of her men, nodding sharply

The morning carried no peace. By the time Ginny stepped out of her room, whispers were already spilling through the hallways.Faces turned toward her, some with pity, others with suspicion. She felt the judgment like stones pressing against her chest.At the dining hall, Annabella hurried in, her face pale, clutching a folded newspaper. She dropped it on the table before Ginny. “She’s done it,” she said, her voice shaking. “Lucy has moved first.”Ginny’s eyes fell on the bold headline. Her name screamed across the page—accused of siphoning funds, manipulating accounts, betraying her own family’s trust. A wave of heat rushed through her body.She gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles whitening. “This is false,” she whispered, though the heaviness in her throat made her voice crack.“She’s framing you,” Annabella said firmly. “And she’s doing it publicly.”Margaret entered slowly, her face stern, her hands holding yet another folder. “It’s worse than that. She’s called for an emer

The boardroom was silent except for the shuffle of papers and the faint hum of the air conditioning. Ginny sat stiffly, her hands clasped together so tightly that her knuckles turned pale.Every breath she took felt heavy, thick with fear and hope.Annabella sat beside her, calm on the outside, but Ginny could feel the tremor in her cousin’s hand where their fingers brushed.Margaret was across from them, her face sharp with determination, and Joshua, though bruised and pale, sat straight-backed as if refusing to show weakness before Lucy.The doors opened.Lucy walked in like she owned the air they all breathed. Her heels clicked against the polished floor, her dress immaculate, her smile calm, controlled, a queen entering her throne room.She didn’t spare Ginny a glance as she took her seat at the head of the table.The board members murmured faintly, unsure, restless.“Ladies and gentlemen,” Lucy began, her voice dripping with authority. “I called this emergency meeting because the