Semua Bab The Devil wears Red Lipstick: Bab 51 - Bab 60

Richard’s POVThe house is clean again.No shards. No overturned lamps. No broken glass glittering across the floor. Not a single trace of her tantrum. The walls are pristine, white, and silent. But when I close my eyes, I still see the blood streaks running down them like brushstrokes of guilt.I take another bitter sip of whiskey. Burn. Another. Burn again.My ears trick me, I can still hear her screaming. Emma’s voice echoes in this hollow place, bouncing off the polished marble like it hasn’t left.The doorbell rings.I jolt so hard I nearly spill my glass. Heart hammering. My hand tightens on the crystal. Deep breath, Richard. Deep breath. Time to play grieving husband again. Time to mourn the wife you murdered.The empty hallway stretches out, every step I take echoing like a lie.When I open the door, her perfume hits me first. Sweet. Sharp. Too alive.And then she’s pushing past me without asking. Ivy. Angry Ivy.She waltzes into my home like she owns it, heels clicking agai

Marion’s POVThe video is already playing when I walk in.Kendra’s face fills the TV screen, voice trembling as she admits her lies. Her apology crawls across the silence like smoke in a locked room.“I was wrong… Jude Creed is not a predator. The allegations were false. I was wrong. I’m sorry.”The living room is frozen in rapt attention. Jacob is in his favorite chair, eyes unreadable. Martin standing tall beside him. Jude, a silent storm next to them. In the corner, Viv perched on Jace’s lap, her hands twisted nervously in her skirt. Eleanor and Ivy sit center stage, as though this is their play to narrate.And me? I stand by the doorway, watching my victory light up the screen. Pride curls through me like fire. I did this. I exonerated him. Jude Creed is free. His honor, his company, his life, all restored.I turn to leave quietly, but fate has other plans. My elbow brushes a tall vase by the door. It wobbles, tips, and crashes against the marble with a shattering crack.Every h

Jude’s POVThe whole day’s been a bottomless pit of chaos and noise.I’m back in the CEO chair of Creed Industries. Victory, they called it.A redemption arc for the headlines. The board bowed, the vultures apologized, and the press cameras flashed like lightning at the gates. But none of it means anything.Not when Marion and Jacob never showed. Not when my phone sat in my pocket all day like a useless weight, every call I made to her going unanswered.Now, climbing the steps of Creed Manor, my chest is a war drum.Worry, anger, and dread take turns beating me hollow.Do I brace for the worst? Or finally admit the truth, that maybe Marion doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore?“Jude, what’s with the hurry?” Her voice again.Ivy. Of course. She’s been glued to my side since morning, a shadow I can’t shake. She jogs up the steps, hair perfect, smile rehearsed. “Today was a success. What’s wrong?”I stop, glance at her. All I see is the press conference.A blur of microphones, sh

Jude’s POVThe tires crunch over the gravel drive, the sound unnervingly loud against the stillness of the night. I cut the engine and sit there, gripping the wheel like it’s the only thing anchoring me. My chest rises and falls, heavy. Eighteen years. It’s been eighteen years since I was last here.I force myself to breathe, then shove the door open. The air is sharp, crisp, biting in a way I almost welcome. The lake house stands exactly as I remember it, untouched, serene, like time chose to leave it alone.I pull my bag from the backseat, packed neatly, absurdly neatly for someone who feels like his world is splitting apart, and start toward the house.The trees sway softly, the lake glimmers faintly beyond them, and suddenly I’m drowning in memories.My father’s laughter echoes in my head. My mother humming while she set the table. The crackle of the record player drifting out into the yard while I chased fireflies barefoot through the grass. My father lifting me onto his shoul

Marion’s POVJude’s hand tightens around the steering wheel. “We need to leave right now.” His voice is clipped, urgent.“Just one more minute. Please, Jude.” My voice cracks before I even finish.He doesn’t respond. He just sits there, jaw locked, silent as stone. I turn back to the dorms. Through the fogged window, I watch Reid’s small frame vanish into the building, swallowed whole by the doorway. And something inside me tears.The sound that rips from my chest isn’t controlled, it’s feral, broken. I press my palms against my face, but the sobs still shake through me, every breath burning.“This might be the last time I see him,” I choke out. My chest feels like it’s caving in, ribs splitting open around my heart.Jude moves fast, pulling me against him. His arms wrap around me so tightly, I can feel the rapid thud of his heartbeat against my ear.“No, it’s not,” he whispers, his breath hot against my hair. “I swear, Marion. I’ll do everything in my power. You’ll never forget Reid.