Chapter 116 She Cannot Lie
She paused. Her tone sharpened.
"And another thing, Alexander—how are you so sure she really doesn't remember anything? What if she's faking it? Pretending to have amnesia, acting crazy to win your sympathy, making you drop your guard so she can escape? After all, you're the man who tortured her for five years. The man who hated her."
Alexander's gaze stayed locked on Isabella. He didn't hesitate.
"She doesn't lie."
The words came out cold and certain.
Isabella froze. So did Alexander.
There was a time when he hadn't believed a single word Caroline said.
He had been convinced she was manipulative. Evil. A liar through and through.
But now… he was defending her. The woman he'd hated for five years. The woman he'd called a murderer.
The instinct unsettled even him.
Isabella stared at him in disbelief. Then her face twisted. She exploded.
"Alexander! Do you hear yourself? How do you know she doesn't lie? When Edith died, you didn't believe a word she said! And now you're telling me the woman who killed the love of your life doesn't lie?!"
Her accusation hit him like a slap. The chaos in his mind threatened to drown him.
He dragged a hand through his hair, ruining the perfect style. He was finished arguing.
He raised his hand sharply.
"Search the house."
Liam and a team of guards stormed in behind him. Within seconds, they surrounded the Neville Manor.
Isabella's eyes went wide.
"Alexander, have you lost your mind?! I'm Edith's mother! The mother of the woman you loved! And you're tearing apart my home to find her killer?!"
She stepped forward and reached for his collar. He looked at her—just one cold glance.
She froze. Her hand dropped.
But her voice stayed sharp.
"Alexander, do you even love Edith? Or do you just miss the version of yourself that loved her?!"
The words were careless. Offhand.
But they stopped him cold.
Alexander's mind spun.
He didn't know.
All he knew was that after Caroline hit her head, everything changed. She changed. And his world had been upside down ever since.
These past few days, every time he was near her, he lost control. Did things he couldn't explain.
And now she was gone. Gone after seeing Isabella.
He had to find her.
Not just because she hadn't paid for her crimes. But because she'd thrown his life into chaos. And she was going to answer for it.
The voice in his head roared. His hand shot up.
"Search the manor. Tear it apart if you have to."
"You wouldn't dare!"
Isabella stepped forward. The Neville guards closed ranks around her, guns raised.
Liam's eyes blazed. "Lower your weapons!"
His men raised theirs in response, aiming at the Neville guards.
The air froze. No one moved.
Alexander's gaze bored into Isabella. Then he spoke, his voice like steel.
"Mrs. Neville, do you really think anyone in Grandhaven can stop me?"
Isabella's pupils shrank.
The next second, Liam turned his gun on her.
Before she could react, a shot rang out.
Isabella screamed and threw her arms over her head. But it wasn't her who fell.
It was the guard beside her—her right hand. The man she'd spent years grooming.
"Alexander!" Isabella's voice shook with rage. "You killed my man?!"
"Keep pushing me, and you're next."
Alexander pulled off his leather gloves slowly. He reached into his jacket and drew a pistol. The pistol was already loaded. He chambered a round.
"Mrs. Neville, do I need to remind you who gave the order? When Edith wanted to leave home, you couldn't stop her. So you ordered the guards not to follow her."
He leveled the barrel at her forehead.
"No one in the Neville family is innocent in Edith's death."
"And what about you?!" Isabella's laugh was bitter. She stepped closer. "Aren't you the one who killed her?!"
They had crossed the line. There was no going back now.
"Alexander, you were delusional. You mistook Edith's kindness for love! If you hadn't proposed to her, none of this would've happened. She'd still be alive!"
Her words cut deep. Alexander's body went rigid. The gun trembled in his hand.
Isabella smiled coldly.
Then Alexander pressed the barrel harder against her forehead. Steady now.
"I'll pay for my sins." His voice was ice. "But right now, you're going to pay for yours."
The manor erupted into chaos.
Another wave of men flooded in. They tore through every corner—the front courtyard, the back gardens, the storage rooms, the main house, the basement.
No sign of Caroline.
Then Liam came running back.
"Sir! There's rope in the basement. On the arm of the sofa. It's got blood on it!"
Alexander's eyes went wide. He spun around, pressing the gun harder against Isabella's skull.
"Where is she?!"
"Alexander, you'll rot in hell!" Isabella's voice cracked. "If Edith's watching, she's cursing the day she ever met you!"
"Three!" Alexander roared.
"Do you even know who you're protecting?!"
"Two!"
"Alexander… stop! Put the gun down!" Isabella's voice broke.
"One!"