Chapter 1821:


    “Bonnie!” When Christina said nothing, La called out again, impatience sharpening her voice. “Did you hear me? Get us out of here. I’m your future sister-inw — or have you forgotten?”


    “Future sister-inw?” Christina arched a brow, her smile light and unreadable. “Bain isn’t seeing anyone at the moment.”


    The color left La’s face. Her mouth trembled. “What do you mean? Didn’t you say I’d be joining your family?”


    “That was an offhand remark,” Christina replied, her smile edged with irony. “I didn’t expect you to take it quite so literally.”


    ????????????? уou ??o??’t p???? ??о??? ???? ????ln????e??s.??о??


    La stiffened — and then erupted. “How dare you! You deceived me!”


    “That seems fair,” Christina said, a quietugh escaping her. “Didn’t you deceive me as well? Or rather — haven’t the Wades been deceiving my family from the very beginning?”


    The Wades went pale. Fear flickered across their faces.


    Had the Jones family already uncovered everything? It couldn’t be. Their scheme had been meticulously constructed, the groundworkid long in advance. They had intended to move slowly and carefully, only pressing forward after circumstances shifted. How could the Jones family have dismantled something they had believed to be airtight?


    The pnded hard across La’s face. Her head spun, and a thin trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her lip. The blow hade so fast she hadn’t seen iting — she lost her footing and hit the floor.


    Her first instinct was to round on the Hewitts. But when she looked up, it was her father’s face she found, rigid with fury.


    La pressed a hand to her burning cheek, staring up at him with a hurt so deep it left her speechless. Her ear was still ringing from the force of it.


    “Dad — why would you do that?” she asked, her eyes filling.


    “How dare you speak to Bonnie that way? Who gave you the right?” Zahir’s voice was tight with barely contained rage.


    “She lied to me! She made me look like a fool — why shouldn’t I be angry?” La fired back, her voice breaking.


    “I don’t care what she did. You do not raise your voice at her. Apologize. Now,” Zahir ordered.


    He couldn’t afford to lose Christina’s goodwill — not now, not in this situation. Ever since the police had taken them in, anxiety had been eating at him without a moment’s relief. Christina’s presence only sharpened his unease. If the Jones family had uncovered their secrets, or was watching for them to slip up, they were finished. Their only hope was to keep Christina on their side. She had the Jones family’s ear — if she chose to speak for the Wades, the family would act ordingly, regardless of whatever grievances they privately held.


    La turned to her mother, tears streaming. “Mom, please —”


    Marsha shook her head. “You went too far, La. Apologize to Bonnie and mind your words from now on.”


    The betrayal of it struck her like a blow. She looked to Jaxen, but before she could say a word, he spoke first.


    “You were wrong. Apologize and ask for her forgiveness.”


    He didn’t fully understand his father’s reasoning, but he trusted there was a strategy behind it.


    .


    .


    .