Chapter 197 Leave Here Quickly
Celeste was kicked away by Alexander. Hearing Linus's words, she instantly froze in terror, her face wet with tears and snot.
"No... it wasn't me... it's all a misunderstanding... Alexander, let me explain..."
Linus sneered, pulled out a gun from his waist, and casually pressed it against Celeste's temple, making her shut up immediately.
"Celeste, if you want to live, you'd better tell us everything."
Under Linus's half-smiling gaze, Celeste completely broke down.
She covered her face, crying and babbling incoherently. "It was me! All me! I was jealous that Caroline married you, jealous that you always had Edith in your heart, so I arranged the apartment fire. I wanted to burn Caroline to death and destroy Edith's belongings! I stole Edith's necklace and planted it in Caroline's clothes! Both kidnappings were planned by me—I wanted to ruin her reputation! No! I didn't want her dead!"
"Later, when I was almost exposed, I bribed that manservant to create false evidence and frame Caroline for staging everything herself! But who knew that instead of turning against each other, you two grew closer!"
At this point, Celeste suddenly laughed maniacally.
"Those drugs... I was the one who introduced Charles to her! I wanted her to have a complete mental breakdown! It was all me! All because I love..."
"Enough!" Alexander roared, veins bulging on his forehead.
Though he'd suspected it, hearing Celeste's schemes with his own ears still made his heart shake violently.
So what had he done?
He had tortured Caroline over those baseless accusations?
Murderous intent surged through Alexander. He stepped forward, grabbed Celeste by the hair, yanked her up from the ground, and punched her hard in the face.
Celeste screamed as her nose bled profusely. The blow sent her flying backward, crashing heavily into a nearby container before sliding down limply.
Alexander moved to attack again, but Linus signaled his men to hold him back.
"Don't kill her yet. The best part is still to come."
Linus swirled his glass, watching with interest.
"Celeste, there's one more important thing you haven't mentioned. About that night at the dock—the incident that made my dear nephew hate Caroline for five years and took Edith's life... who was behind it?"
Alexander whipped around to look at Linus, his hands trembling violently at his sides.
"Speak!"
Seeing Alexander's furious face, Celeste knew she was done for. She suddenly burst into manic laughter.
"It was me! Yes, me! Caroline had no idea you were proposing to Edith that day. I didn't know why she suddenly ran out either, so I followed her secretly. I didn't expect Edith to be there too! So I called my people—I wanted to kill them both!"
"You should know I'm also Isabella's biological daughter, right? So why should those two be high-and-mighty young ladies while I wasn't even considered an adopted daughter back then? They deserved to die!"
"But who knew another group would arrive before mine? I didn't know them, and they got all my people killed! Who knows if Edith also wanted to kill Caroline that day?"
"But it worked out well. My people died but didn't expose me! Edith died too, and though Caroline survived, I still got adopted by the Neville Family and enjoyed everything that belonged to Edith!"
Celeste laughed even louder.
"So I already won, didn't I? All these years, you treated me as Edith's replacement, so good to me, but the two women you loved were both lost that night—one died, the other withered away."
And Alexander lost himself that day too.
Seeing the redness in Alexander's eyes, Celeste laughed even more maniacally.
"How dare you..." Alexander rushed forward.
But Linus's next words stopped Alexander in his tracks.
"However, there's something Celeste probably doesn't know. Let me tell you now, my dear nephew..."
He deliberately drew out his words, slowly savoring the panic on Alexander's face.
"Edith... she's not dead at all."
What?!
Alexander's mind went blank.
He'd guessed Linus was up to something, even prepared to go down together.
But he never expected to hear this news!
Edith wasn't dead? Then whose body was cremated? These five years...
Wait! Caroline's in danger!
Linus never planned to attack him—his target was only Caroline.
The moment Alexander realized this, he spun around and shouted to his men. "Pull out! Now!"
"Alexander!"
Linus suddenly called out to him.
Alexander turned to see Linus casually waving a remote control. Under Alexander's horrified gaze, he pressed the red button.
"A gift for you."
On the island, Liam was patrolling when he suddenly noticed smoke rising from the dock.
He squinted, about to investigate, when the dock suddenly erupted in flames.
An explosion!
Inside the house, Kenna turned in terror to see flames erupting along the distant coastline.
Then came a second explosion, a third...
There were bombs on the island!
Flames shot skyward, smoke spreading everywhere.
The villa's windows shattered under the shockwaves. Kenna screamed and shielded Caroline.
"Ma'am, we can't stay in the villa! Run!"
"Protect Mr. Hamilton and Miss Hamilton!"
Outside, Liam sprinted toward the villa while shouting into his radio.
Felix reacted fastest. At the first explosion, he turned and rushed back to the villa, burst through the tottering door, and found Caroline and Kenna holding the child amid the chaos.
"This way!"
Felix grabbed Caroline's hand and signaled Kenna to follow.
Liam also rushed in. Seeing them unharmed, he relaxed slightly.
"No good! The whole island is exploding! Nowhere's safe! Head to the emergency dock! Quick!"
The four stumbled through the smoke toward the hidden small dock on the other side of the island.
Finally reaching the emergency dock, they found the speedboat Alexander had left there.
"Let's go! We'll head to..."
Before Liam could finish, a horn blared from the sea.
Liam turned. Through the smoke, he clearly saw five or six mid-sized speedboats racing toward them from the opposite direction of the dock.
The pursuers had arrived!