Chapter 163: He dies

Chapter 163: He dies
Third person

Valerie's smile broadened into a full-blown grin. "Oh, don't think it's unfair if justice isn't served for your lover's sister."

Karen frowned, her eyes narrowing. "My lover? What do you mean?" 

What did this have to do with Victor, she hasn't even heard from him, Karen wondered.

Valerie locked her eyes onto Karen's. "Victor, your bodyguard... the one you've been fucking.” She paused to study Karen's face—she didn't look so confident anymore. “But you killed his sister."

Karen's face drained of blood, her eyes wide and her lips parting with shock. Valerie continued, "The young lady who took care of Nathaniel Scott."

Dread coursed through Karen, her mind shifting back to the night Nathaniel was killed. He'd been with a woman, and when Adam killed Mr. Scott, the woman witnessed it. Karen had to silence her.

A small smile found its way to Valerie's lips as she studied the horrified look on Karen's face. "So now, does it finally ring a bell?"

Karen's eyes stung with tears, her voice and head shaking. "No, you're wrong. You're wrong... how would you say that woman was Victor's sister?"

"Ironic, isn't it?” Valerie leaned back in her chair. “Didn't you ever wonder? How the police knew that you were at the airport? How I survived that night when you asked Tessa to drug me?"

The shocked look on Karen's face deepened. She'd wondered how Valerie survived that night but she'd just attributed it to incompetence on the path of the men she hired. 

And the airport? She merely though it was a coincidence. Coincidence, huh? A voice in her mind mocked, and tears found its way down her cheeks

But Valerie didn't stop, "How I knew where the board of directors meeting was?”

Karen's eyes dilated, and she felt a heavy weight on her chest, the realization finally hitting her like a ton of bricks plus thunder.

“Your bodyguard has been working against you, getting revenge for his sister,” Valerie revealed, like it wasn't already the most obvious fact in the room.

Instantly, Karen's face shifted from disbelief to pain, her eyes flashing with anger. "No, no, no! You lying bitch! Victor will never do something like that to me... he's the most loyal!"

Yes, he was loyal, Karen said to herself. But she knew… She knew… The fact that Victor hadn't even come to see her all this while said enough. 

“I know that you know I'm telling you the truth.” A small chuckle left Valerie's lips. “Where was Victor the night Adam tried to kill you? He's your bodyguard... He was on that yacht too, yes? Wasn’t he supposed to be protecting you?"

Karen's head spun, she was too furious to accept the truth. She knew Valerie was right... Victor had vanished that night, and it was Val who'd saved her.

Still, the fact that Ashley was sitting there, acting like she'd won made her want to rip off all the hair on her own head. It reminded her of a certain night years ago…

Of when she'd planned to confess her love to James, her highschool crush. But Ashley being her usual self had to ruin her plans; James had confessed his love for Ashley instead. 

Karen had been so devastated that she'd called the cops to ruin the party—Highschoolers were having a party and there was coke.

They'd found out that Karen made the call days later. Her parents had sided with Ashley again and scolded her. And even though she knew much later about why they—Kate and Peter—favoured Ashley, she still looked at her parents with resentment sometimes.

“This is a really interesting game for you, isn't it?” Karen finally whispered, her voice cold and a fresh tear slipped from her eyes. “You must be enjoying it, just like the night that James confessed his love for you.”

Valerie frowned in confusion. “James?” Then the realization hit her almost immediately. “James from highschool?!”

“Yes, that James!” Karen snapped, wiping her cheeks aggressively.

“You never told me that you liked him,” Valerie began, a thoughtful expression on her face as she stared at the wall. “But I knew… From the way you looked at him, laughed at his jokes—”

“So you knew…” Karen's nose flared, a look of disgust clouding her features.

“I knew,” Val affirmed. “That's why I told him no.” 

In a split second, her calm expression disappeared. Valerie’s face twisted to a grimace. 

A flicker of different emotions clouded her features at once—disbelief, anger, shock,disgust—as a thought crossed her head. “That's not why you hate me, right?”

When Karen remained silent, Valerie raised a shocked brow and stood up, her eyes raking Karen's form in a disdainful way and she scoffed. “You're even more pathetic than I thought.”

Just then, the prison doors opened, and Mr. and Mrs. Harrison were dragged in, their face wet with tears, their eyes red like they'd been crying through the entire journey here—or since they told them that it was their daughter who'd ratted them out. 

Karen stood up abruptly, her chains dangling as she moved. Her eyes locked onto theirs, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Mom, Dad!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with guilt.

Mrs. Harrison glanced at her briefly but didn't say a word, her father too. Their faces were just etched with disappointment, their eyes filled with shock and stunned betrayal. 

Karen’s eyes returned to Valerie, who was already a step away away from the door, and her eyes blazed with anger. "You sneaky bastard!"

She charged at Valerie but Elliot was quick to restrain her. “I hate you I swear,” she snarled, struggling against Elliot’s grip. Her voice was thick with emotions, raw hate and bitterness slipping into her tone. Her eyes gleamed with the rest of the hatred that her voice and tone had failed to portray.

Karen's gaze snapped back to her parents who were being led away. “Mom! Dad!” She called out desperately.

“I'm so sorry. I'm sorry,” she cried as they went out of view. Her knees dropped to the ground, the guilt in her chest threatening to consume her. 

What did she do? Why did she rat them out? Her hands ran through her already disheveled hair, her heart aching, her conscience eating away at her.

Valerie stepped out of the prison, the warm sun on her skin a welcome respite from the cold, sterile atmosphere inside. She rubbed her tired eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her. It felt like a long day already, even though it was just 10am.

Finally… Finally…

This moment brought tears to her eyes. Oh, goodness. Her lips widened to a big grin, and warm liquid slipped from her eyes. It is all over now… All over.

She couldn't stop herself from crying and she just kept wiping her wet cheeks. Elliot handed a napkin. She cleaned her face and then got into the car.

At that moment, her phone beeped. Her cheeks flushed when she saw that it was Lucas—he wanted to know how it went. He was also reminding her of the doctor's appointment and letting her know that he was already heading there.

She smiled and was about to type up a reply when another text came in.

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw Matthew's name. 

Val hesitated for a moment before opening the message. The words attached to a picture made her blood run cold. "Meet me at the old warehouse on 5th and Main. Come alone. If you bring anyone, the boy dies. Tell anyone, he dies.”