Chapter 261:

The words made the whole car fall silent instantly."What information?" Alina asked, wariness immediately taking hold of her."She won't explain over the phone," Renee answered. "She says it's too sensitive to discuss without meeting in person."Adrian frowned. "Is this another trap? After everything that happened with Margaret—""I already thought about that," Renee cut in. "But this time the situation is different. Clarissa reached out through her own lawyer's office, not through some hidden channel. And she's asking to meet at the police station, with Detective Reyes present as a witness."The words offered a small measure of calm, though the wariness didn't fully disappear."Why does she want to talk to me directly?" Alina asked, trying to understand the motive behind the unexpected request."I don't know," Renee answered honestly. "But given her legal situation right now—her testimony against Daniel, the possible charges against herself—maybe she's looking for something. Leniency

Last Updated : 2026-09-17

Chapter 262

The room felt smaller with every second of silence that passed."Tell me everything," Alina said finally, her voice cold but firm. "I've lived with other people's lies long enough. I won't let you hide anything else."Clarissa nodded, her hands still trembling as she reached for a glass of water set on the table, downing it quickly before continuing."The accident happened at the playground, remember?" she said. "I hired someone to distract Junior's nanny for a moment, long enough to make him fall off the swing. I thought he'd only get a minor injury, maybe a small concussion that would keep him resting for a few days.""But the injury was worse than you planned," Adrian cut in, his voice sharp with controlled anger."Yes," Clarissa whispered, tears falling harder now. "The doctors said there was minor bleeding in his brain. The amnesia he developed afterward—losing part of his memory from the last few months, including his closeness with Alina—that was a side effect I never anticipat

Last Updated : 2026-09-18

Chapter 263

The news made the whole room tense up again."How could he disappear this fast?" Alina asked, her voice full of fresh worry.Detective Reyes immediately grabbed his phone, typing a quick message to his team. "We need to move before his trail goes completely cold. Mrs. Sterling, do you have this doctor's address?"Clarissa nodded quickly, her hands still trembling as she searched for the information on her own phone. "Dr. Kevin Marsh. He has a private clinic in the north district, but he also has a house on the outskirts of the city.""I'll send a team to both locations," Reyes said, already moving toward the door. "But if he already knew your testimony was about to be given, he may have had his own escape plan ready."Adrian looked at Alina, worry clear in his eyes. "This could mean someone tipped him off. Someone who knew about this meeting before we'd even finished.""Who knew, besides everyone in this room?" Alina asked.All eyes turned to Clarissa's lawyer, who had stood silently

Last Updated : 2026-09-19

Chapter 264

The words made Alina's blood run cold instantly."Vincent came here?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Why? What does he want from me?"Renee looked at her with a serious expression, trying to piece together the most accurate answer from the limited information they had."I don't think this is about you directly," she answered carefully. "This is about Adrian. And about making sure the truth about the manipulation of Junior's condition never fully comes out, because that would open a path straight to him."Adrian tensed hearing that. "He sees me as the main target.""Most likely," Renee answered. "And if he knows you're here with Alina, he might see this as the perfect opportunity to settle his old grudge while also protecting his own interests."Renee's phone buzzed again. Salvatore, once more.She answered on speaker, her hand still trembling slightly."We've confirmed his flight," Salvatore said without preamble. "He traveled under a false identity, but our team at the air

Last Updated : 2026-09-20

Chapter 265

"No," Alina said quickly, her body stiffening with total rejection. "I won't let Adrian be bait for someone like Vincent.""Alina—" Adrian tried to calm her, but Alina was already standing, her eyes full of a fear she couldn't hide."Vincent has hated you for five years," she continued, her voice shaking. "If he gets the chance to face you directly, who can guarantee he won't just attack you before the security team can act?"Renee nodded, understanding the concern. "That's a real risk. But Salvatore has thought through every detail. The plan involves layered protection—Adrian will never truly be alone, even when Vincent thinks he's successfully closed in on him.""How would it work?" Adrian asked, trying to understand the plan's details even as Alina kept watching him with deep concern.Renee opened her laptop, showing a digital map of the marked location. "We'll set up a scenario where you appear to leave this safe house alone, as if heading to a secret meeting. Vincent, who's alrea

Last Updated : 2026-09-21

Chapter 266

The tension in the command room instantly exploded into controlled panic."What do you mean he already knows?" Salvatore pressed, his voice sharp."He just spoke on the phone," the voice on the radio answered. "We caught part of his conversation on a long-range mic. He mentioned our name, Boss. He knows this is a Russo trap."Salvatore's face hardened. "How could he know?""We're not sure yet," the voice answered. "But he's not alone. There are at least three other people we've just detected around the location, scattered in spots we didn't anticipate."Alina felt her blood run cold watching all of this unfold on the screen in front of her. "Adrian's in danger."Salvatore grabbed the radio immediately, his voice firm and full of command. "All units, move now. Protect Adrian Lawson. His safety is top priority."On the screen, they watched chaos begin to break out—shadows moving fast from multiple directions, Salvatore's security team trying to close in on the area while unfamiliar figu

Last Updated : 2026-09-22