Chapter 71

Aiden

I stood there, stunned and powerless, as the events unfolded in front of me like a tragic play, each scene more disastarous and powerful than the last. The shockwaves from the booming sound of a hand connecting with skin echoed through the room, leaving an unsettling silence in its awake. I was going to put some sense into Drew, but Laura's father beat me to it.

Laura's father had always been Drew's advocate, standing by his side in every situation, even when Laura herself couldn't muster the strength to do so. But now, in this moment, that loyalty came out in a physical blow, a desperate attempt to confront the truth that had been lurking in the shadows for far too long.

Ira, Laura's mother, broke the heavy silence with a question that hung in the air like a storm cloud. "You have met her?" she asked, her gaze piercing through the room. Even I too stood there shocked knowing that he had met Valerie. Silently, I observed Laura's father, he was still reeling from the shocking