A MIRROR OF MALICE のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 45

PAULINEThe three days leading up to the funeral felt like a slow walk toward a cliff. This family—the Ricardos and the entire pack—never forgives and they never forget. It is in their blood. They are like wolves that hold a grudge for a lifetime.As I sat in the room, locked away from the glares of the Chiefs, my mind kept drifting back to Diana. At the mention of her name, a cold shiver ran down my spine. Could she have done it? Could she have killed her ex-husband, the father of her children, out of revenge for being banished? I started to hate myself for bringing her back to this house. If she was the killer, I would be the one blamed for his death. Everyone would say, "Why did Pauline bring that woman home?" I prayed to the Goddess that she was innocent, not for her sake, but for mine.The second day came, and there was still no report. No evidence found in Evelyn’s room. No secret bottles of toxin. Every hour that passed without a new suspect meant that I was going deeper into t

PAULINEThe sun had begun to set, casting long, bloody shadows over the estate. Tomorrow was the funeral, the day the late Alpha Alexander would be returned to the earth. If the real killer wasn't found by sunrise, I was the one who would be led to the gallows. I was the official suspect. The village girl who poisoned the king.The Candlelight Vigil was starting in a few minutes. It was a somber, ancient tradition where the pack gathered to light the way for the fallen leader's soul. I was dressed in a heavy black gown, the fabric itching against my skin. I stood in a far corner of the courtyard, feeling like a shadow.Evelyn and Maria stood near the front, surrounded by the high chiefs. They made a show of their grief, wiping away dry eyes with lace handkerchiefs. Every time they looked my way, they pulled their skirts aside as if I were a leper."The killer shouldn't be allowed to hold a candle," Maria whispered loud enough for the guards to hear. "She has no shame.""Clear conscien

PAULINERicardo said he was going to change, and he was a man of his word. He changed for real. The man who used to worship the ground I walked on was gone, replaced by a cold Alpha who acted like a machine.In the middle of the night, the peace of the house was shattered by a phone call. It was Maria. I could hear her shrill, crying voice through the receiver even from across the bed. She was complaining that Leo had finally moved out of their bedroom. He had taken his things and moved into a guest room down the hall, refusing to even look at her.Ricardo’s face turned into a mask of stone. Without saying a word to me, he got up, grabbed his pillow, and walked out. He went to the guest wing to sleep alone, just as my brother was doing to his sister. He was keeping his promise: whatever Maria suffered, I would suffer too. Diana moved into the main house. She didn't go to the servant quarters or the guest house. She took the room right across from ours. The woman I had rescued from th