FALLING FOR THE FORBIDDEN STAR のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 161 - チャプター 170

Chapter 162The headlines the next morning rippled through the city like a lightning strike splitting open a quiet sky."BREAKING: Tania Costa, Convicted Criminal, Attempts Suicide in Prison. Condition Critical."Television screens buzzed. Phones lit up. News anchors with grim faces told viewers that, late in the night, Tania Costa had been found unconscious in her cell. According to prison authorities, she had repeatedly smashed her head against the cement wall until she passed out in a pool of her own blood.The prison medics were too late in discovering her. Time had slipped through the cracks, and when they finally rushed her to St. Gregory's General Hospital, the doctors whispered about brain swelling, skull fractures, and slim chances of survival.The same news networks that had once broadcast Tania’s lies and scandal now clung to her as a tragic figure, questioning whether the system had failed her. One commentator stated:"Perhaps, she truly was mentally unstable. Should she h

Chapter 164The days that followed Tania’s death were heavy with sorrow and uncertainty. News headlines still blared her final act of self-destruction. Some hailed it as proof of her remorse, while others saw it as a clever ploy to escape justice. Conspiracy theories sprang up like weeds, many of them questioning the legitimacy of her death. But inside the modest home Mia and Andreas shared, there was only silence. A silence that hurt more than words ever could.Brian hadn't spoken much since that day. He remained locked in his own world, staring at old photographs of his mother, running his fingers over the corners of her face as though he could touch her through time. Mia and Andreas did their best to comfort him, but they both knew that grief this deep had to run its course.It was a Saturday morning, the sun barely filtering through the curtains when the doorbell rang.Mia, still in her robe, opened the door to a man in a worn leather jacket. He was tall, middle-aged, with streaks

Chapter 166 Despite the enhanced security presence, the mood inside was anything but safe. Every creak, every rustle of wind against the windows made hearts pound. The morning after the unsettling delivery, the villa was cloaked in an eerie silence. Even the birds seemed to chirp more cautiously, as though they too sensed something sinister lingering in the air. Mia sat at the kitchen island, stirring a cup of tea she hadn’t taken a sip of. Her eyes, bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles, were fixed on the box now sealed inside an evidence bag, sitting on the granite counter. The mannequin head and the crude message had left their mark, not just as a threat, but as a sign. A sign that whoever was behind this wasn’t just watching. They were close. Andreas walked in, adjusting his wristwatch. His expression was tense, but he tried to keep his voice steady. "Cross said he’s bringing a forensic specialist today. They might find something. A fingerprint, a fiber, anything." Mia l

Chapter 168"It’s gone!" Andreas shouted, frustration bubbling in his voice as Cross appeared in the doorway.Cross exhaled heavily. "They beat us to it."But then there was something else. His eyes widened in realization. If they'd gone through all of her belongings to get the locket, it only means they had more information than they needed. Especially about Brian. His family wasn't safe. Hurrying up on his feet, Andreas announced. “We have to leave. Now!” Detective Cross stood confused. “Is something wrong?” he asked. Andreas paced then. “Yes. Everything is wrong. Those guys just got more information about Brian. And my family probably. We have to get to them. Before they do.” Detective Cross nodded. Agreeing with him. “Alright. Let's go.” Before evening, they were back at the villa. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the driveway.Andreas entered through the front door, breathless. Mia stood from the couch where she’d been folding some of Brian’

Chapter 170The loud crash tore through the house like a gunshot.Mia froze mid-step. For a fraction of a second, everything inside her went still, and then instinct took over.Something was wrong. She knew it. Terribly wrong.“Brian… Sophia…” she whispered, already moving.Then she ran.Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she sprinted down the hallway, her bare feet slamming against the polished floor. The sound of shattering glass still echoed faintly, mixing with the muffled voices of strangers.She reached the children’s room and burst through the door, and stopped dead.Two men were there. Dressed in black. Armed.The broken window and the scattered shards of the glass revealed how they'd gotten in. One of the men had Sophia gripped tightly by the wrist. The other held Brian, his small shoulder pinned under a rough hand.“Mummy!” Sophia cried, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face.Brian’s lower lip trembled, his eyes wide with terror.“Mum…” he whimpered.The si