?Chapter 39:


    Suddenly, her gaze collided with Kaiden’s, who sat emotionless in his wheelchair. His eyes were cold and devoid of empathy, as though he were observing someone condemned.


    A shiver ran down Demi’s spine, but the chill was soon reced by an intense heat gnawing at her sanity. Something was wrong with her…


    “Demi, what’s happening? Exin yourself!” Erick’s voice cracked as his patience wore thin. All eyes were on her, waiting for an exnation.


    “Perhaps I was mistaken,” Demi finally muttered, forced to endure the humiliation.


    “Miss Gordon,” Ellie interjected smoothly, “you usually have sharp vision. How could you be mistaken? Weren’t you just using me of infidelity with such conviction?” Ellie wasn’t about to let her off the hook.


    “It was dim, and I couldn’t see clearly,” Demi stammered. If it weren’t for the crowd, she would have pped Ellie by now.


    “Erick, I feel sick…” Demi clung to him, her voice quivering, her expression feigning innocence.


    Seeing Demi’s reliance on him, Erick stepped in. “It’s a misunderstanding. Let’s leave it at that. I’ll escort Demi to her room.” His words were met with no resistance from the Thorpe family.


    But Ellie wasn’t having it.


    “A misunderstanding?” Sheughed lightly. “I could overlook the false usation, but her actions disrupted our peace, summoning us here for no reason. Is this how you resolve issues, Talon?” Her words were a pointed taunt at Talon for his obvious bias.


    “Address the issue your girlfriend caused!” Talon snapped at Erick, visibly frustrated, before storming out.


    To shield her son, Genesis turned to Demi. “Miss Gordon, we need an exnation!”


    Demi felt disoriented, a sudden urge to lean on Erick emerging as she tried to process the situation. Her mind was in chaos, and she even considered tearing her clothes off in frustration. Her body felt foreign to her, and staying in the room became unbearable.


    Biting her lip, she lowered her head. “I’m deeply sorry. Today, I acted with the best intentions but ended up causing distress to everyone.” She subtly implicated Ellie, suggesting she was attempting to expose Ellie’s supposed infidelity.


    Your favorite tales are on gα?ησν????s??оnn


    “Does ‘everyone’ include me? I must have missed that.” Ellie’s face lit up with a serene, graceful smile.


    “Ellie! You—” Demi, boiling with rage, her face flushed, managed to stammer, “I apologize, Ellie!”


    She needed to escape, to retreat to her room. Her suspicions grew—had the drug meant for Ellie somehow been consumed by her instead?


    “Miss Gordon, your apology seems forced. I can’t ept it as sincere.” Ellie, never one to let things slide, had more tactics at her disposal than Demi realized.


    Kaiden, his hands sped with fingers interlocking—an indication of his amusement—seemed pleased. Watching Ellie turn the tables was a rare treat for him.


    So this was the real Ellie.


    “I am sincerely apologetic! I ept full responsibility for today’s events!” Demi, on the brink of tears, felt a mix of anxiety and injustice.


    .


    .


    .