?Chapter 1228:


    Hope sprang up as she thought about the Wagner family’s recent surge in power. Their name was now among the top four, and maybe, just maybe, they could hold their own against the Harper family.


    She refused to believe that no one could deal with the Harper family.


    Instead of heading home, she drove straight to Denis and Judy’s ce.


    A little way from the gatedmunity, she stopped and slipped into a nearby shop to buy some fresh clothes. Sunsses and a maskpleted her disguise, keeping the watchful eyes of the police off her trail.


    She then sneaked toward the ce where Denis lived.


    Her suspicions were confirmed: police vehicles lined the entrance, officers standing in silent formation.


    Fear kept her from approaching. What if they’d already connected her to everything that had happened?<fn71b0> Chapters first released on f?ndnovel</fn71b0>


    She paced, then finally gave up on the idea of walking in. A small restaurant across the street gave her cover—a perfect ce to sit and spy on theings and goings nearby.


    Patience was her onlypanion as the hours dragged by. Around four in the afternoon, thest police car finally rolled away.


    Seizing the chance, Tina slipped past the gates and hurried to Denis’ door. She rang the bell, nerves on edge.


    A housekeeper answered the door, barely ncing at her as she stepped inside. Shock hit Tina like a wave the moment she saw Denis sitting alone at the dining table, sipping wine, surrounded by an extravagant feast as if nothing in the world had gone wrong.


    He seemed in high spirits, swirling his wine ss and humming a tune. Azy smirk spread across his face as he caught Tina’s stare. “What, never seen a man rx before?” he asked.


    Lаτ??τ ch?ρτ?rs ιn g??l??ov?ls.??????


    Shock and disbelief filled Tina’s voice. “How can you sit here drinking as if nothing happened? Your wife was murdered! Shouldn’t you be trying to get justice for her? And her brother, Clive’s death was just as brutal, but you…” Tina could notprehend this situation. She questioned, “Are you not upset about your wife’s death?”


    A cold, almost mockingugh escaped Denis as he replied, “Upset? Why would I be upset?”


    Tina said, “Did you not love her? Lavish gifts, sweet words, always keeping her happy. If that wasn’t love, then what was it all for?”


    Denis shook his head. “Your words just prove how foolish you are. Judy was fat, ugly, and unreasonable. She always humiliated me, even hitting me sometimes. How could I possibly love her?”


    Getting up from his chair, he spread his arms as if to embrace his newfound freedom. “Now that she’s out of the picture, I’ve got every Wagner family asset under my name. With Clive gone, the Russell fortunees to me, too. Why would I be sad? If anything, this calls for a celebration.”


    Tina was shocked. If she were honest with herself, she hadn’t liked Judy either. Judy had been overbearing, impossible to reason with, and once, she had even struck her. Tina had wished for her death more than once.


    But hearing Denis admit that all his affection toward Judy had been nothing more than a well-worn mask was something she struggled to ept.


    Still, that wasn’t the heart of the matter. What truly mattered was this—if Denis had never loved Judy, then she couldn’t persuade him to go against the Harper family.


    In fact, Judy’s fate didn’t matter to her; she felt zero sympathy for her death. She even thought Judy had iting.


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