THE WRONG BROTHER のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 111 - チャプター 120

Charlotte "You saved me.""I should have been there sooner. Should have gone with you. Should have...""Stop." I reach over with my free hand and take his. "You couldn't have known. Kevin is insane. Desperate. He dressed as a server just to get close to me."I lean my head on his shoulder, exhausted. "I just want this to be over. The trial, Kevin, all of it.""Soon. It'll be over soon." He presses a kiss to the top of my head. "And then he'll rot in prison for the rest of his life."We sit like that for a long time, the ice pack slowly melting against my throat, Rhys's blood drying on his knuckles.Eventually, he helps me change into pajamas and tucks me into bed like I'm something precious and breakable."Get some sleep," he murmurs. "I'll be right here.""You should clean your hands. They're going to get infected.""In a minute. Right now, I just need to make sure you're okay."I drift off to the sound of his breathing, steady and sure beside me.------------------The next morning

Rhys"You don't have to rush off," Charlotte protests, but there's a hint of relief in her voice."I know, sweetheart. But I've been here all day, and you two probably want some time together." Greta pulls Charlotte into a hug, whispering something I can't hear. Then she turns to me. "Take care of my girl, Rhys.""Always," I promise.She studies me for a moment longer than necessary, as if trying to read what happened between the office and here. Then she nods, kisses Charlotte's cheek, and gathers her things.Charlotte walks her to the door. I watch them exchange a few more quiet words before Greta leaves, throwing one last concerned glance over her shoulder.The door closes.Charlotte stands there for a moment, her hand still on the doorknob, her back to me."Charlotte...""I'm going upstairs." Her voice is steady. Too steady. "I need to change out of these clothes."She doesn't wait for a response. Just walks past me and heads up the stairs, her footsteps measured and careful.I fo

Charlotte But my hand finds Rhys's under the table, and my grip is so tight I can feel my nails digging into his palm.James doesn't look convinced, but he nods. "Alright. Just... stay focused. Don't let them rattle you. That's what they want.""We won't," I say.I force myself to look away from Elena, to focus on the papers in front of me. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat, but my hands are steady as I open my folder.The rage that floods through me is so intense it's almost cleansing. It burns away the lingering hurt, the confusion, the careful distance I've been maintaining.She played me. Played us both.And now she's sitting over there like she's won something."All rise."The bailiff's voice cuts through my thoughts. I stand with everyone else, watching as Judge Katherine Morrison enters, a woman in her sixties with steel-gray hair and an expression that tolerates no nonsense."You may be seated."The rustling of bodies settling back into chairs fills the

Charlotte "Mr. Webb, you testified that you've worked at Mac's Tavern for twelve years, correct?""Yes, sir.""And in that time, you must have seen a lot of dramatic situations. Arguments between customers, people getting emotional?""Sure. It happens sometimes.""So you're familiar with how people behave when they're upset or having disagreements?""I suppose so.""Now, you said Ms. Hayes looked 'stressed' when she came in. Like she'd had a bad day?""Yes.""And she ordered a double whiskey. That's a fairly strong drink for someone who just walked in from the rain, isn't it?"Webb frowns slightly. "People order what they want. I don't judge.""Of course not. I'm just establishing that Ms. Hayes appeared to be in an emotional state when she arrived. Upset. Possibly agitated?""She looked stressed, yeah. But not agitated.""But stressed enough to order a double whiskey immediately." Richard paces slightly. "Now, you said you heard something fall, a phone, and when you looked over, Ms.

Charlotte "You came to me," I say, my voice low but carrying in the quiet courtroom. "Remember? You sat down at my table uninvited, fed me this whole sob story about being Michael's mistress, about how they destroyed you, about how you wanted justice.""That was true...""Was it?" I step even closer, forcing her to either hold her ground or back away. She holds her ground. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you were setting me up from the beginning. Getting close to me, earning my trust, learning everything about my case, about Rhys, about my weaknesses.""It wasn't like that.""Then what was it like, Elena? Explain it to me." My hands are shaking, so I clench them into fists at my sides. "Explain how you spent months pretending to be my friend.""You were never my friend! I can't even believe I considered you as one." My voice rises despite my best efforts to stay controlled. "Every conversation, every secret I shared, every moment of vulnerability, you were cataloguing