Chapter 126 Elowen Confession
BELLA
"Why would you poison me?" My voice cracked, trembling as the weight of her betrayal pressed on my chest. Hot tears slid down my cheeks, unrelenting.
Elowen stood before me, her own tears shimmering in her eyes. She reached out but hesitated mid-air, as though afraid her touch might shatter me completely. "I’m sorry, Bella. I didn’t mean to... I never planned to... I was forced."
I laughed bitterly, though there was nothing funny about it. "Forced? That’s your excuse? Everything about you is a lie, isn’t it?" My words were laced with venom. "You lied to me, Elowen. I thought you were my friend. You’re nothing but my enemy the daughter of a murderer, the man who killed my father... and my twins."
She flinched as though my words physically struck her, but I didn’t stop.
"Who forced you?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.
Her gaze darted around, landing on the curious eyes of our colleagues who had begun to gather nearby. She shifted uncomfortably. "Can we talk somewhere private? Please."
I crossed my arms, glaring. "Why should I trust you? You might try to finish the job."
"If I wanted you dead, Bella, you’d already be dead," she said, her voice steady now. "I could’ve let you drink that coffee, but I didn’t. I stopped you."
She was right, but trusting her felt like walking into a lion’s den. Still, my curiosity outweighed my fear, and I gestured for her to lead the way. We climbed the stairs to the rooftop, the fresh air doing little to ease the suffocating tension between us.
Elowen turned to face me, dropping to her knees. Her trembling hands clutched the hem of her blouse. "I didn’t mean to hurt you, Bella. I swear I didn’t."
"Then why did you?" My voice wavered, though I fought to keep my composure.
"My father," she admitted, her voice barely audible.
A chill ran down my spine. I knew it Western. Of course, it was him. I fought to keep my face impassive. "Why would he want me dead?"
Elowen swallowed hard, her lips quivering as she began. "It started years ago, back when we were in secondary school. Remember the day I took you home for dinner? That night, my dad couldn’t stop staring at you. He said you reminded him of someone Mr. Desmond Williams, his old boss."
I frowned, memories of that night surfacing. I remembered the dinner, the strange way Western looked at me, but I never thought much of it.
"I was excited," she continued, "because I thought it meant something good. But then Dad told me the truth. He killed Mr. Williams... your father."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I staggered back, gripping the edge of a railing for support.
Elowen’s voice broke as she pressed on. "I asked him why, and he said it was because of Mrs. Williams. My mom and I both knew he never loved her, but I didn’t think he was capable of murder. I told him I’d report him to the police."
"And did you?"
She shook her head, shame coloring her cheeks. "No. He threatened to send me to an orphanage. He said no one would take care of me, that I’d be known as the daughter of a murderer. He promised not to hurt you if I kept quiet and never told you the truth."
My chest heaved with anger, the betrayal cutting deeper than any knife. "And yet here we are. He’s still trying to hurt me."
"I didn’t know he’d go this far," she said, her voice cracking. "I thought I could protect you. I even took a DNA test to confirm you were Mrs. Williams’ daughter. Once I knew, I vowed to stay by your side, to keep you safe, no matter what."
"Safe?" I scoffed. "You poisoned me, Elowen. You betrayed me."
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her head. "I didn’t want to! He forced me. He said he’d scatter my mother’s ashes if I didn’t."
A lump formed in my throat. The broken girl in front of me seemed so different from the cold, calculated person I’d come to see her as.
"I’m sorry, Bella," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I’ve hurt you so much. I know you probably hate me, and I’ll accept that. But please let me make this right. I’ll help you reunite with your mother. I’ll even help you bring my father to justice. I have evidence things that can put him away for good."
I stared at her, her words hanging heavily in the air. Every instinct screamed at me not to trust her, but there was something in her eyes a flicker of desperation, of truth.
Could I trust her?
I stared into her tear-filled eyes, my chest tightening. Could I risk trusting her after all she’d done or would her help finally bring justice for my family? Either way, this choice could change everything