Chapter 91

Chapter 91
\[AVA\]
The name hangs in the air, heavy with disbelief and shock.
Everyone in the room turns to look at Coraline, who doesn’t flinch or deny it. Instead, she just stares at me, her expression calm and collected, as if she had expected this all along.
“What the fuck?” Aaron is the first to break the silence, his voice laced with anger and confusion. “Coraline? Are you serious? How could that be? How could she…?”
What Aaron isn’t saying is obvious to everyone in the room. I understand where they’re coming from.
Everyone in our social circle knows Coraline as a spoiled heiress—a woman who has spent her entire life surrounded by privilege and wealth. She’s arrogant, judgmental, and never misses an opportunity to remind people of her status. But despite all her flaws, she has never been known for violence.
Manipulative? Maybe.
Cruel with her words? Definitely.
But physically hurting someone? No one would ever have believed she was capable of that.
“No!” Miranda’s voice cracks, her eyes filling with tears. “That’s impossible. Cora would never do something like this. She wouldn’t hurt anyone, let alone her own brother. No way. I don’t believe you. Maybe you got it wrong, Ava. Yes. That’s what happened, right? You simply got it wrong. It happens. Maybe someone has been framing her—”
“She’s not wrong,” Coraline finally speaks, her voice cold and detached.
Miranda freezes, her mouth hanging open. “What?”
“I did it, Mom. I did,” Coraline admits, not even trying to pretend or lie. But I should have seen that coming. Coraline has always hated me. And ever since we sent her father to prison, her hatred for my entire family has only intensified. She never tried to hide it. Not once. “I’m the one who’s been behind everything.”
The confession hits Miranda like a ton of bricks. I can see the devastation on her face, the disbelief on Aaron’s, and the betrayal in Sean’s eyes.
But I… I’m not surprised.
Not anymore. Not after what Max said earlier, not after connecting all the dots.
I knew it had to be her. It made sense. Who else would have such a deep-seated grudge against me? Who else would want to hurt my family and me so badly?
Coraline.
She’s been in my life for years. Until Val was alive, we had even been best friends. But everything changed after Val died and my family went bankrupt. She’s seen me at my weakest, knows my fears and insecurities. She knows exactly how to get to me. And she did. She played her cards perfectly, making sure I suffered every second.
But now, it’s all over.
“Why?” Sean’s voice is raw, filled with pain. “Why would you do this? I’m your brother. Why would you hurt me?”
Coraline’s expression doesn’t change. She looks at him with an almost bored expression, like his question doesn’t even matter to her.
“First of all, the attack was never meant for you. If you hadn’t stepped forward to protect Ava, you wouldn’t be here right now,” she says, her voice void of any emotion. “You were just in the way. And second, I don’t consider you my brother anymore. You made it clear whose side you’re on the day you testified against Dad in the courtroom.”
Sean flinches as if her words physically hit him. “That’s not fair, Cora. You know Dad was wrong. He hurt Ava’s mom. He deserved to go to prison.”
“Don’t you dare say that!” Coraline snaps, her calm facade finally cracking. “He was our father. The man who spent his entire life making sure neither of us had to face any hardships. And you? You chose to side with some outsiders over him? You’re a joke, Sean. Nothing but a coward.”
“I did what was right!” Sean argues back, his voice shaking with anger. “I testified because it was the truth. You know that.”
“No. What I know for sure is that you betrayed us. You betrayed Dad. And for what? For her?” She angrily points at me, her eyes blazing with hatred. “She ruined our family. She took away our dad, and you just stood by and let it happen.”
I clench my fists so hard my nails dig into my palms.
“Are you serious right now? Your father abused my mom for months. He made her life hell. Everything that’s happening to him now is because of what he did. He’s paying for his crimes. If you still can’t see that, then honestly, I feel sorry for you.”
Coraline scoffs, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, please. “Don’t stand there acting like you’re some innocent little victim. You’ve been milking that role for years.” Her lip curls. “Everyone keeps falling for your pathetic act, but I see right through it. You’re not some tragic heroine. You’re a manipulative bitch who knows exactly how to twist people around your finger and get whatever the hell she wants.”
I feel like the air has been punched out of my lungs.