Zacharias yelled in pain and let go of Jonathan, reaching toward Anneliese.


    Before he could touch her, Jonathan pulled her back and held her close. His arm wrapped around her protectively.


    Then, his leg came up fast.


    His foot drove hard into Zacharias'' stomach, forcing him backward a few steps.


    Zacharias clutched his bleeding forehead, his eyes zing red with rage. "You hit me for him?"


    There had been no hesitation in her movements. Her blows had been fast and sharp.


    If she''d had anything heavier in her hand, Zacharias knew he''d be on the ground by now. His skull would''ve cracked.


    Anneliese didn''t even nce his way. Her attention was locked on Jonathan, her eyes full of worry and fear.


    Zacharias saw it. The sight burned through him like acid. The taste of blood filled his mouth again.


    "Why didn''t you move? Are you hurt?"


    "I''m fine."


    Jonathan gave her hand a squeeze and finally turned his gaze to Zacharias, his voice low and cold. "Mr. Shaw, what''s this? Trying to follow your mother''s example and get yourself arrested too?"


    Rage red in Zacharias'' eyes as he turned toward the frozen Nishay. "Nishay, you''ve always been against Anne and Jonathan being together. To keep you from ming him for Nak''s death, he bribed Roretha to frame my mother!"


    Anneliese''s anger boiled over. She red at him, furious at the lies he was trying to feed Nishay.


    "Shut your mouth! Twisting the truth? If Roretha had lied about Melody, do you really think she''d have gone so far as to hire someone to kill? Your mother is a murderer- she''s killed more than once! The police already have her in custody. You can''t just flip the truth because it suits you!"


    Nishay''s face went pale. Her voice trembled as she looked between them.


    "Anne, who did Melody kill? And what does he mean by ming your mother''s death on her? What is this?"


    Anneliese saw her wavering and rushed to steady her. "Please don''t listen to him—"


    Zacharias gave a short, sharpugh. "Don''t listen? Jonathan knows d*mn well what I mean. If this wasn''t a setup, why didn''t Roretha ever stand up for my mom?


    "My mother didn''t hire anyone to kill her. She only wanted to save Roretha from Jonathan''s control. He bought her off and nned to use her as a fake witness in court. My mom just wanted to help her wake up ande to her senses!"


    ...


    When Zacharias got back to uderias Tech, the board was in chaos. The media was tearing him apart, and there was no silencing it.


    He''d been forced to promise the shareholders he''d handle it.


    The only way out was to keep Melody from being convicted of murder.


    Hiswyer had already told her what to say-deny everything.


    She was to im she''d only hired those men because she was scared of being framed, that she''d wanted to talk Roretha into telling the truth.


    The three kidnappers would never admit they''d been hired to kill anyway.


    As long as they stuck to the same story, there was still a chance to walk free.


    And if they could make it look like Jonathan had been behind it all, why not?


    Anneliese let out a humorlessugh. The corner of her mouth curved with open disdain.


    "Zacharias, are you really that foolish? You think your mother can lie her way out of this? You actually believe that?"


    The look she gave him made his gut tighten.


    Did they already have evidence he didn''t know about?


    Jonathan''s eyes flicked toward him briefly, cold and calm. He said nothing.


    He picked up a ss of warm water, opened the nightstand drawer, and took out a bottle of pills.


    "Have Nishay take two," he said quietly.


    Anneliese took them and nodded before hurrying to prepare them. "Grandma, take these first."


    Nishay did as she was told,


    swallowing the pills and holding the


    ss between her hands. Her eyes


    lingered on Jonathan, her


    expression shifting slightly.


    He hadn''t spent much time in her room, yet he knew exactly where her medication


    was kept.


    He must have asked about her condition before.


    Nishay tried not to think about it, but it was always the smallest details that hit the hardest and refused to be ignored.


    After she took the pills, her face began to regain some color. Only then did Jonathan start speaking.


    "Melody went to the udes'' ce back then and told your daughter about her husband''s death Nishay When your daughter fell down the stairs, Melody was there.


    "She ran from the scene, and Roretha saw her. Roretha agreed to testify thcourt Ferrified of being exposed, Melody sold her jewelry and hired someone to silence her. The police caught her in the act."