Chapter 10%
Spencer immediately caught on and leaked the news of Robert cheating on Lexi. He also hired paparazzi to dig up dirt on Lexi, exposing her side gigs at multiple nightclubs.
Public opinion online was completely one–sided. People were tearing them apart, calling them scumbags./
Mockery toward Robert flooded the comments.”
[“He must be blind–leaving the devoted McLeod heiress just to have an affair.“]
[“Men just can’t control themselves, no matter their status. Even a big–shot CEO is no exception.]%
Bain Group’s stock crashed. With the McLeods as their enemy, no company dared to work with them.%
Just as I expected, three days later, the news broke–Bain Group had gone bankrupt.2
The media released photos of Robert, his face unshaven, dark circles under his eyes, completely stripped of his former glory. In just a few days, he looked like he had aged ten years.?
At the bar, I stepped into a cramped room. The moment I opened the door, a sharp, nauseating smell hit me.
Lexi lay on the floor, disheveled, her face ghostly pale. Bruises covered her exposed skin. She struggled to open her eyes. The moment she saw me, a vicious glint flashed in her otherwise lifeless gaze.
“Adalyn… it was you… You sent people to ruin me… I… I’ll kill you!”
I waved a hand, signaling the bodyguards to turn around. My silver high heels clicked against the floor as I slowly stepped closer. Leaning down, I flashed her a bright, almost effortless smile./
“If it weren’t for me, you would’ve frozen to death outside your uncle’s house. Lexi, tell me–why?“%
She wiped away her tears, her head lowered, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.
“Because I couldn’t accept it. Why were you born with everything while I had to fight rats for scraps? It’s not fair. She paused, then lifted her gaze to meet mine. The hatred and resentment were gone.
For the first time in years, Lexi looked just like she had the day I first met her–clear–eyed, unguarded.!
Her voice was soft, heavy with sorrow.”
“Adalyn, I lost. I admit it. The truth is, I never loved Robert. To me, he was just a man with money in his pocket. The person I truly loved died under a debt collector’s knife. He was eighteen. I was eighteen. And I loved him more than anything.”
“A girl like you, raised in a glass house, will never understand that kind of pain.”%
I slipped off my coat and draped it over her shoulde “Lexi, I never did anything to hurt you. Do you believ
Already on the last page
hesitated for just a moment.
I didn’t wait for her answer. Without looking back, I walked out of the stifling room.
Spencer stepped forward, holding an umbrella over me. His gaze was lowered, his expression filled with guilt.2
“Ada, did I do something wrong? I raised you to be kind and principled, but all it did was make you an easy target for others to hurt and manipulate. I’m so sorry.“!
I took his cool hand in mine and spoke softly. “Spencer, this isn’t your fault. Every choice I made was my own.”
Spencer opened his mouth as if to say something but didn’t. Instead, I wrapped my arms around him, just like I used to when we were kids.
“I’m really lucky–to be a McLeod, to have a brother like you.“@
“So what, Nico and I don’t count?”
Nico and Ronan walked over, both staring at me like they’d been betrayed.
I grinned. “My brothers are the best in the world.“@
Back at our home, the mighty McLeod brothers–ruthless and unstoppable in the business world–were completely overwhelmed in the kitchen.
The TV played in the background, a flat, emotionless voice delivering the news.
[“Two bodies were discovered by the river. Forensic analysis confirms their identities as Bain Group’s CEO, Robert Bain, and his girlfriend, Lexi Law. Preliminary reports suggest the cause of death was drowning.“]
I switched off the TV and stepped into the kitchen, watching as Spencer fumbled with a pile of ruined potatoes.
“Brother, if you keep this up, all we’ll have left to eat are potato skins.“!
Spencer looked up, a little embarrassed, and chuckled.
A while later, our hard–earned labor were finally set on the table. We raised our glasses, the crystal clinking softly. “To Adalyn and her new beginning!”
(The End)
