《LOOM OF THORNS 》全部章節：第 51 章 - 第 60 章

THIRD PERSON POV The morning air at Queen Amina Hostel didn't break with the usual sound of alarm clocks or the distant clatter of buckets. It broke with a sound that felt like glass shattering inside a ribcage—a high, thin scream that curdled the chilly dawn. It began in Room 98. A quiet 200-level Sociology student who spent more time with her nose in textbooks than in the campus drama or relating with people. She had always minded her business, and her roommate was the only friend she had— Titi had been a ghost, even while alive. When her roommate returned from an all night study at the school library, she didn't find Titi sleeping like she would normally do, after reading through the night. She found a scene that looked like a gothic art installation. Titi was slumped over their wooden reading desk, her cheek resting against an open textbook as if she had simply grown tired of studying. But the dark crimson, sluggish pool spreading across the white pages of Introduction to Socia

THIRD PERSON POV Josh leaned against the door of the study, his chest heaving. The echo of Ada’s hysterics still vibrated in the hallway and in his head, but it was the silence of the house that felt heavier.He pulled his phone from his pocket. No new messages. No 'signal' from the contact he’d paid at the police station, through one of his father's guards.“She’s still there,” he told himself, his knuckles almost white as he gripped the device. In his mind, he saw Becca on a concrete floor, her floral dress which he had gotten from a thrift store on the morning, where their hopes had been dashed, was probably stained with the filth of the police cell, her spirit breaking under the weight of a crime she didn't commit. He thought he was the only one holding the key to her release—the pen he had to use to sign the annulment today. This morning as a matter of fact.He had no idea that three miles away, at St. Jude’s, a ventilator was currently doing the work his wife’s lungs couldn't.

JOSH’S POV"What did you do to her?"My voice didn't even sound like mine. It was a raw, pathetic sound that ripped through the expensive silence of the dining room. I slammed my hands onto the table, and for a split second, I took a sick pleasure in watching the fine china rattle. I wanted to break it. I wanted to break everything in this house until I found the truth."What happened to Becca? She was supposed to be in a cell! Dad, tell me!"My father didn't even stop chewing. He just pointed a fork dripping of oil from fried eggs at my chair, his eyes cold, almost unfeeling and bored. "Sit down, Joshua. Your hysterics are ruining my appetite."I looked at Ada. She wasn't even pretending to be the victim anymore. She had took off the silly, sugary, fake smile off her face. She leaned back in her chair, a small, triumphant smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. That look confirmed everything.They’re going to do anything to stop her from being an obstruction, to their sick plans.

JOSH’S POVThe heavy ICU doors swung shut with a soft hiss, sealing Becca away in that sterile, silent tomblike room. The sound felt like a guillotine dropping on the last scrap of my soul.Ada didn’t let go of my hand. Her fingers remained interlaced with mine, a grip so tight it felt like she was trying to fuse our body and soul together. She was practically skipping down the hallway of St. Jude's, her heels making a sharp, annoying click-clack against the linoleum that echoed like hammer on nails."Wasn't that lovely, Joshua?" she cooed, tilting her head to look up at me, her eyes happily childlike. "She took it so well. Much more dignified than I expected from a girl like that."I didn't answer. I couldn't. If I opened my mouth, I was afraid I’d vomit or scream, and either one would give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d broken me. Broken us. She had struck me where it actually hurt. I kept my eyes fixed on the "Exit" sign at the end of the hall, watching it blur as my vision

THIRD PERSON POVChief Adeyemi leaned back in his favourite leather chair in his living room, tapping a gold ring against a crystal glass of whiskey. "It’s settled, then," he said, his voice a low rumble. "The press release goes out at midnight. By tomorrow morning, every major paper and blog from Lagos to Abuja will be carrying the headline: The Adeyemi-Williams Merger: A Union of Dynasties. Joshua and Ada’s engagement will be the only thing people talk about."VC Olayinka nodded, though his expression remained guarded. He shifted in his seat, the lamplight catching the sharp lines of his face. "It’s a strategic masterstroke, Chief. It silences the rumors about Joshua’s... disappearance... and it aligns your interests with the Williams family’s shipping empire. But..."The Chief’s eyes narrowed. "But?""But we must ensure the narrative remains controlled," Olayinka said, choosing his words with academic precision. "Joshua is... compliant for now, but he is a boy driven by sentiment.