Chapter 7
Years ago, Roderick had watched his parents die in a car crash. He’d been just a kid, too young to fully grasp the horror of it, but old enough to remember every gut–wrenching second.
His survival! A fluke. No, more than that–it was because they’d shielded him, giving their lives for his.
Since then, that tragedy had become his untouchable scar, the one thing no one dared bring up unless they were looking for trouble.
Laurel paused briefly, then tossed out a casual “Goodbye” before stepping out of the car. Her movements were as unhurried as if she were strolling through a park. The car reared off without a second of hesitation, leaving her standing in its wake.
She scanned the area. Once she got off the bridge, catching a cab would be easy. The light traffic and quiet street made it the perfect time to slip away unnoticed.
With measured steps, she walked down the slope, thhing her phone from her pocket.
She dialed a number she knew by heart, and the line barely rang twice before a familiar voice came through. “Laurel, what’s up? Something wrong with the photos!”
A slight smile curled her lips. “Not a thing. You nailed it, as always. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you”
The boy on the other end let out an audible sigh of relief, his tone immediately more relaxed. “Good to hear. By the way, about that piece of shit George Lynch–cheating on you with your sister Regina? What’s the move! You’re not just gonna let that slide, right?”
Her voice was calm. “No rush. I made sure he felt a little sting today, but trust me, his real punishment is coming. One step at a time.”
Her words sent an involuntary shiver down his spine. Laurel wasn’t the kind of person you crossed without consequences. Anyone who dared to mess with her was playing with fire, and they always got burned
While his mind ran wild with thoughts of George and Regina’s eventual downfall, Laurel’s voice cut through his musings.
“Martin. I need you to look into something else,” she said.
His tone shifted instantly, all traces of his earlier casualness gone. “Of course. What do you need?”
“The car accident that killed Herb Lynch and his wife. I want everything–reports, records, anything you can dig up. If there’s video footage, even
better.”
All she’d known about that crash was the sanitized version George had told her. A tragic accident, nothing more.
But later, when Roderick turned his sights on George, the story shifted. George fought back, accusing Roderick of framing his parents,
George’s parents had denied it, sure. But Laurel had seen their faces. That flicker of guilt in their eyes said otherwise.
Later, when she ended up in prison for taking the fall for George, she’d seen news reports about Roderick suing George’s parents for premeditated murder.
The case had been ongoing at the time, no verdict yet, but one thing was clear–Roderick had found something.
Something big enough to back George into a corner and make him desperate enough to lash out.
That realization had stuck with her. Roderick wasn’t just smart–he was patient, methodical He’d been playing the long game, biding his time.
When she’d mentioned his parents earlier, it wasn’t an accident. She’d been testing him, watching every flicker of emotion. And when his mask slipped, just for a second, she knew she was right.
This was her opening, her way in. If she wanted Roderick Lynch on her side, this was the card she had to play. And she wasn’t about to waste it
In the car, Roderick gazed out the window, his expression unreadable. He tightened his grip on an old pocket watch.
Inside it, a faded family photo struggled against the wear of time. The faces were blurry, but the warmth of their smiles still lingered—haunting.
almost
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Chapter 7
Hadley Conner, his assistant, sat behind the wheel, sneaking occasional glances at Roderick through the rearview mirror.
Laurel’s earlier proposal was still ringing in his ears. She’d offered to help bring down George, but at a price–marry her and get her out of the Lambert family’s clitches.
It sounded insane, even to Hadley, Roderick didn’t need anyone’s help to crush George, if not for a few unresolved skeletons in the closet, George would’ve been taken care of long ago.
The silence was thick enough to choke on. Finally, Hadley broke it. “Sir, we’ve been chasing the same leads for years, and they’ve all dried up. Miss Lamben she’s been close to George for years. Maybe she knows something we don’t. Something that matters”
Roderick’s gaze didn’t leave the watch. He stared at the blurred photo as if it might suddenly come back into focus. After a long pause, he snapped
the watch shut
His voice was calmn, low, but there was steel in it. “We’ll watch her first. See if she’s serious about cutting ties with George. In the meantime, dig into her past. I want to know everything”
Hadley nodded, the faint tension in his shoulders easing. “Understood, sir,”
Still, doubts gnawed at him, Laurel had been with George for years–how could they trust her now! And this whole “adopted daughter” story o hers? Yeah, that needed some serious fact–checking.
of
Inside the lavish Lambert villa, Laurel had barely stepped through the door when the sharp, angry voices of her parents slammed into her like a
WING
“George said Laurel leaked that video on purpose? What the hell is she thinking‘ Has she completely lost her mind?” Bill Lambert’s voice roared from the living room, his tone heavy with fury.
e humiliated all of ust
“And even if she found out about George and Regina, did she really have to make such a scene at the engagement party? She The whole family!” Melinda Lambert’s voice followed, filled with outrage and wounded pride.
“Family matters should stay private!” Bill barked, his voice laced with frustration and disappointment. “We’re supposed to handle this behind closed doors. Did she really need to drag us through the mud and make us the laughingstock of the city?”
Laurel strolled in slowly. Without breaking her stride, she shot back with ley detachment. “They didn’t seem to care about family when they were screwing me over behind my back.”
Her words sliced through the room, cold and unforgiving, leaving no room for pretense.
e it.
Her parents were fuming, of course. Not because Regina and George had betrayed her, but because she had dared to expose i
Laurel had pulled their dirty little secret into the spotlight, shattering the carefully polished image of the Lambert family. The scandal? That was their real issue–pot the betrayal itself.
Laurel knew all this. She had known how deeply hypocritical they all were. And yet, standing here now, watching them twist the narrative to make her the villain, it still made her stomach churn
Melinda wasn’t clueless. She knew that Regina and George had crossed a line, that the family was in the wrong
But looking at Laurel–so calm, so detached, like she was untouchable–it only stoked her anger further, until it boiled over.
fru! Airing is
Melinda’s eyes blazed as she rounded on Laurel. “Even if there was something between Regina and George, you should’ve come to us first! in public–do you even know how humiliating that was for all of us”
Laurel let out a low, amused chuckle as she settled onto the sofa. She picked up the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup with deliberate slowness.
“Humiliating?” she echoed, her tone almost playful. “For who? The announcement didn’t even say who was marrying who. Nobody outside this family would’ve known it was a scandal”
She tipped her head back and doword the entire cup of coffer in one go, as if it was the only thing keeping her sane after a long, miserable day.
Melinda froze mid–breath, her throat tightening like she’d swallowed glass. For once, she had nothing to say.
Bill, however, wasn’t about to let the silence linger. He scoffed, his voice cutting. “You’ve been hanging all over George like you’re joined at the hip. You think people don’t notice that? That they’re blind?
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Chapter 7
“Everyone at that party today? They’re not just rich–they’re sharp as hell. You think they didn’t see the way you and Regina were going at it over
“Sure, they smiled to your face, but you can bet your ass they’re laughing at the Lambert family behind closed doors. You’ve made us a damn joke
Laurel’s lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smirk. A joke? That was exactly the point. She’d set this whole mess in motion for one reason to make everyone see the cracks in the so–called perfect Lambert family.
Still, she kept her face cool, unbothered, and let the silence stretch just long enough to twist the knife. Then, out of nowhere, she switched gears. “Dad,” she said casually, “you and Mom already knew about Regina and George, didn’t you?”
The question hit Bill like a slap to the face. He froze, just long enough to give himself away.
His original plan had been simple: guilt–trip her for airing the family’s dirty laundry, scold her into submission, and let George swoop in with his usual bullshit–telling her the engagement with Regina was nothing, just a misunderstanding
pretty picture, promise Laurel she was the one he really wanted, and everything would blow over.
George would paint a pretty
It had always worked before. Laurel was the “good daughter, the one who kept her head down and played along, no matter how much it hurt.
But today? That plan wasn’t landing. Not even close.
Bill’s mind raced, recalibrating on the fly. In an instant, his expression softened, the sharp edges melting into something that looked like fatherly
CONCEFIL
“Laurel,” he started, letting out a long, deliberate sich, “your mom and I yeah, we knew. But we didn’t tell you because we didn’t want you to get hurt. We’ve already spoken to Regina–gave her a damn good warning, too. She knows to stay away from George.”
He leaned forward slightly, his voice dipping into that soft. Tim doing this for you” tone he always used when he needed to manipulate her. “You’ve always been a good sister, always putting Regina first. We’ve seen that. We’ve appreciated it. It means a lot to us.
“But this time, he continued, with another heavy sigh, “I’ll take care of it. Itegina won’t come between you and George again. You’re still his fiancée, You’re the future mistress of the Lynch family. That’s your place. That’s where you belong. fin’t it
