CHAPTER 42

"Fine," Adrian spat. "Then you can go to prison with him."

Isla's POV

I scoffed, feeling hurt, despite knowing very well he didn't care about anyone except Elara. He didn't even flinch when he said that, his eyes looking at me with fury. But he had no idea when I offered to go to jail, it wasn't out of some naive impulse. It was because I knew him better than anyone. Stefan was not capable of anything so gruesome.

But Stefan suddenly came in between us and shut me down so quickly I barely had time to process his words.

"Don’t," Stefan said, his voice tight, eyes burning with the weight of the situation. "You shouldn’t make a decision like that for me, especially when it has nothing to do with you.`"

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling inside me. "But it has everything to do with me! You’re my best friend, Stefan. I know you. You would never..."

 Stefan’s eyes softened for a second as if he was surprised. "Isla, you don't have to go to jail to help me..."

Before I could respond, Adrian’s men barged in, creating a barrier between us as if sensing the tension. Adrian was watching from the corner, his expression unreadable but calculating. He wasn’t giving me an inch of space to figure things out.

"Take them both," Adrian ordered, his voice sharp. My heart pounded as they put a cuff on my hand and dragged us both like we were criminals. I watched helplessly as Stefan was led away, his shoulders tense but unwavering.

Inside the station, we were separated, and I was placed in a different cell.

"Take him for questioning. Alone." Adrian commanded, glaring at me.

I stood there, my thoughts spiraling, as they locked me. The weight of the situation pressed down on me. There was something bigger at play here, something darker. The mandrake… was a key lead, but every step I took toward the truth was met with a new obstacle. I don't even know who could have found out about this and planned this conspiracy to pin the blame on Stefan. They were twisting everything I tried to uncover.

I paced the small room they had me in, my mind racing. Where had things gone wrong? I replayed every moment from the last few weeks, every strange occurrence, every coincidence, trying to piece together what had happened. But nothing made sense.

Adrian glanced at me one last time before his men led Stefan away. The helplessness washed over me like a cold wave, sinking into my bones. It was like every step I took was watched and manipulated. Whoever was behind this conspiracy was always one step ahead, treating everyone around me as mere pawns. They were always blocking my path to the truth. I had no idea where things had gone wrong. How did I miss the signs? And here, Stefan was now caught in the middle.

Adrian's POV

Stefan sat across from me, his face blank but his eyes stormy. He was not so strong when we first went to his home to arrest him. But since Isla took his support, his confidence and defiance knew no bounds. It was a performance he was playing for Isla. And it was bothering me even more.

"Did you buy Mandrake recently?" I began, sliding the flower order slip across the table. "This seems to be your handwriting."

Stefan hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the slip. For a second, something flickered in his expression, and then his eyes widened with recognition. He couldn’t deny it. But, of course, he wouldn't accept it either. The writing was too similar to his own. Still, he shook his head.

"It’s not mine," Stefan said, his voice low, measured.

I raised an eyebrow, leaning back in my chair. "Really? It looks an awful lot like yours."

He gawked, unable to answer me at first. But then he slowly fumbled, his voice low but unwavering. "Someone is trying to frame me."

I leaned forward, the tension between us thickening. "And what about Isla? Is she protecting you?" I watched him closely, waiting for a reaction.

"What? She has nothing to do with this. Isn't she helping you solve the case? It seems like you don't even trust her!" His voice raised and, for the first time, he dared to look back at me.

I laughed bitterly. His audacity was commendable. But that wouldn't outlast me. I pushed further. "If you are innocent, then why did you both plan to leave on the night of Elara's funeral?"

Stefan’s lips pressed into a thin line, his silence speaking volumes. There it was… the crack I was waiting for.

"You don't even mind dragging Isla down with you," I glared at him, smirking, threatening him.

Stefan met my gaze then, his eyes blazing. "I am not dragging her down with me."

I smirked, enjoying the shift in his demeanor. His stubborn loyalty to Isla was obvious, but it wasn’t going to save him now. "You already are. Every minute you refuse to cooperate, you are pulling her deeper into this mess." My voice became dangerously low, as I glared at him. "Isla is blind to it, but eventually, she will see you for what you are."

"I didn’t do it." His voice cracked, as he urged me to believe his lies.

"I am not playing games here, Stefan," I said, leaning forward, my voice cold. "If you don’t confess, I will make sure to banish you from the Black Mountain Pack. And don't think I am bluffing here." I slammed my hand on the table, anger flowing to the surface.

He didn’t even flinch. He looked at me, his eyes not even blinking. He wasn't going to back down. Stefan was a lot of things; stubborn, loyal, reckless. But I was not so confident that he was a liar. But that didn’t change the fact that something about this situation didn’t add up.

And if Stefan thought he could protect Isla by staying quiet, he was sorely mistaken.