?<strong>Chapter 554:</strong>


    Daxton let out a dryugh and pulled out his phone. He swiped to a surveince clip and held it up. “This footage was taken a few days ago outside Lise’s house. That man—the one who attacked Carrie—was seen leaving her ce. Conveniently, every camera in her neighborhood malfunctioned that day, except for this one on a street nearby.”


    Carrie’s lips trembled as she bit her lower lip. She didn’t speak, didn’t react outwardly, but inside, her heart twisted. Daxton’s evidence might not hold up in court, but to Carrie, it was damning enough. It painted a picture that left little doubt in her mind about Lise’s culpability.


    Kristopher didn’t spare the video a nce. His focus remained on Carrie as he spoke softly. “I’ll handle this investigation myself. I don’t need anyone else’s help. Let me take you home.”


    Carrie’s silence persisted, her gaze unreadable. On the surface, she appeared docile, but Kristopher knew her too well to believe she had truly yielded. Beneath that calm facade was a stubborn resolve, one that even he feared he couldn’t break.


    Daxton stepped forward, unable to stay silent any longer. “Carrie, are you seriously going to go back with him? After everything, are you still going to trust his lies?”


    Carrie finally lifted her face to Daxton, her expression heartbreakingly fragile. Her cheeks, hollowed from illness and stress, made her look like a porcin doll—delicate and lifeless. Her voice was soft but firm. “Daxton, I’m tired. I just want to go home.”


    She was Kristopher’s wife. Walking out with another man wasn’t an option—not without severe consequences. Kristopher wouldn’t even need to wield his considerable power. A simple call to the authorities would be enough to force her back, and worse, it couldnd Daxton in trouble.


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    She couldn’t bear the thought of Daxton suffering because of her. He had already done more than enough, putting himself on the line for her time and time again. Now that the situation had spiraled out of control, she had resolved to face it alone. If Kristopher and Lise wanted to drag her into their darkness, she would pull them down with her, no matter the cost. But she wouldn’t let them take anyone else.


    Daxton was innocent in this twisted web of lies and betrayal. The only way to protect him now was to be cruel.


    Kristopher’s hand tightened on the wheelchair’s handles, relief washing over him as he began pushing her toward the door. Oliver followed behind them, holding the bouquet Kristopher had brought earlier.


    Daxton’s fists clenched at his sides, his frustration boiling over. “Carrie! You know I can help you! You don’t have to do this alone!”


    Carrie hesitated for a brief moment, Daxton’s words tugging at her like a lifeline in stormy waters. For a fleeting second, she felt the urge to reach out, to ept the help she so desperately needed. Her body ached, her spirit felt crushed, and the weight of fighting alone had worn her down to her core. She feared she wouldn’t be able to get to Lise, even if the effort took her life.


    She longed for someone to lean on, someone to share the burden. But… life rarely granted you what you truly wanted. The tighter you tried to hold on, the faster it seemed to slip through your fingers.


    She shouldn’t drag him into this.


    A voice inside her kept screaming. She turned back to Daxton and offered him a faint, fragile smile, one that seemed ready to fade at any moment.


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