All their hopes were pinned on finding Susanna, on presenting a united front.


    Only by weathering this external storm could they deal with their internal squabbles.


    "What''s the matter?" Finch sneered, his anger making him reckless. "Did you finally learn how to sweet-talk a woman? Did that bitch Yvonne stop hitting your ounts? Or better yet, is she going to give back everything she stole?"


    The words had barely left his mouth when something silver shed through the air. Finch howled, pping a hand to his face as searing pain exploded across his cheek. A sharpbat knife ttered to the floor by his feet.


    The atmosphere in the study became instantly charged, thick with unspoken violence.


    Adelle rushed to Finch''s side. He was groaning, and when he lowered his hand, it was covered in blood. Adelle gasped. A long, deep gash ran from the corner of his mouth nearly to his cheekbone.


    "Dan, what are you doing?" she shrieked. "He''s your brother!"


    Dan''s eyes were cial as he looked at Finch. "Insult her again," his voice was deadly calm, "and I''ll do a lot more than leave a scar."


    Her? The woman who had been systematically dismantling ck Gate?


    Finch''s breath came in ragged gasps. He tried to speak, but the movement sent fresh agony through his cheek, as if the wound was tearing open.


    Seeing Finch in too much pain to even speak, Adelle''s rage boiled over. "Her? You mean Yvonne? Dan, have you forgotten? She''s the one who has been bleeding us dry!" She turned back to Finch, her voicecing with concern. "How is it?"


    The wound was a bloody mess, terrifying to look at. It would definitely leave a permanent scar. Adelle was practically vibrating with fury. "I''ll take you to the infirmary."


    Just then, Dan stood up and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. Then, he dropped the bomb.


    "Susanna''s been with Hull the entire time."


    His words hung in the air like a death sentence. He was long gone out the door before anyone in the study could fully process what he''d said. It was Finch''s pained cry that finally broke the spell.


    Derek and Adelle exchanged a look of pure disbelief.


    "He said... Susanna''s been with Hull this whole time?!" Derek''s voice was a hoarse whisper.


    Adelle could only nod.


    "Then what have they been doing all this time?" Derek roared, his face contorted with rage.


    "It was just a pretext, like we thought!" Adelle said, her voice heavy with dread.


    The realization was terrifying. Susanna being a pretext was one thing, but this level


    of calcted deception was something else entirely.


    "That little bitch," Ivanna seethed.


    "After all the trouble she''s caused us, what does she want? Has she beenpletely brainwashed by that man? We''re her family, for God''s sake!"


    The words "her family" made Adelle flinch, but she had to admit Ivanna had a point. Everyone in this room was Susanna''s blood rtive.


    "Helping outsiders attack us like


    this... Leanne and I should have killed her when we had the chance! Ivanna sp??, her voice filled with venom.