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Chapter 31
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Shadows Of Deception Chapter 32
(IVY POV)My hands trembled as I gripped the cold iron bars of the gate.I fumbled with the latch. My breath came in short, gasps, every exhale a silent prayer"Ethan! Lily!" I called out, my voice thin and reedyThere was no answer. I tried again, louder this time, but only the echoes of my own desperation answered back. There was no response.The latch jammed under my jittery touch. "Please... please..." I muttered, my heart racing, fumbling with it again.Finally, the rusty latch gave way with a metallic screech, and I shoved the gate open with a grunt my pulse thundering in my ears.“Oh my God” I whispered.I pushed through, calling their names again. "Ethan! Lily!" My feet stumbled on the uneven path toward the main door that led to the sitting room. I reached for the handle, my tightly turning and flinging the door open. The silence inside was deafening, it pressed against my chest like a weight. I paused, straining to hear any sound, any sign of my little babies.My hear
Shadows Of Deception Chapter 33
(THIRD POV)(One hour thity minutes ago) Ethan and Lily exchanged uneasy glances. The persistent sound seemed louder in the small space, it amplified their anxiety.Lily fiddled with the edge of her shirt.and turned to Ethan to whisper again. "Do you think we should answer it?" Ethan, ever the braver of the two, crept closer to their mother’s bed. His fingers hovered over the phone, hesitating. The screen blinked with the caller ID: Dr. Collins. "Maybe we should pick it up, just to see who it is,just to hear the voice" he suggested, his voice firmer than he felt. Lily’s eyes widened. "No.way, we can't do that. What if it’s something bad? Mom would be furious if she found out we touched her phone," she countered, clutching her arms to her chest as if to protect herself from the thought. They debated in hushed tones, their voices layered with a mix of curiosity and fear. Ethan’s brow furrowed. "But do you think this person knows something?" he mused aloud. "No one ever ca
Shadows Of Deception Chapter 34
ADRIAN POV I sat in my study, feeling the tension settle into my shoulders. The steam from the coffee mug on my desk curled lazily in the air. I leaned back in my chair, eyes fixed on the stack of documents in front of mecontracts, estate paperwork, and recent business dealings that Gabriel had insisted I review. Gabriel… The guy had stepped in at the right moment, swooping in to bail me out of the station last week when Austin called him in. Even in our few exchanges, I could tell he knew what he was doing. His reputation spoke of a man seasoned in handling intricate legal disputest. I couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved; at least I had someone competent on my side.I flipped through another set of documents, but my frustration grew with each page. The words began to blur togethernothing concrete, nothing that could give me a clear sense of what Maxwell was plotting. I threw the paper down, the pages scattering across the desk. With a growl, I pushed my chair back and sto
Shadows Of Deception Chapter 35
THIRD POV) Adrian sat up on his chair, after Gabriel said what he said.“You really want us to go see the family?”Gabriel's eyes shone, a brief smile curving his lips. "It may help," he said slowly, considering Adrian's words. "But it could also raise more questions.""Questions need answers," Adrian replied. "And I'm ready whenever you are."Gabriel leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "How about two hours from now?" Adrian continued. "I need to go home and rearrange some things. I'll be back soon."Gabriel nodded, a small grin appearing on his face. "That's fine, I’ll just go home and freshen up as well. You could stop by at my place to pick me up if that's convenient."Adrian hesitated for a moment, appearing to consider the offer. "Sure that would be fine," he said. "Is the address you forwarded the last time still the right one?"Gabriel gave a slight nod. ."Yes, it's still correct."When Adrian stood up, Gabriel mirrored his action, pushing back his c
Shadows Of Deception Chapter 36
Third-Person POV)Lily’s small hands tightened around the headset, pressing it firmly against her ears, straining to catch every word. Beside her, Ethan steadied his pen against the paper, his grip firm, his attention fully on Lily's face, following the movement of her lips.Lily leaned closer to her brother, her breath quickening. She whispered, “Mum just asked the doctor what she meant by being in danger.”Ethan’s head snapped up, his eyes searching her face. But saying or writing nothing.Then Lily’s eyes widened, lighting up with a mixture of fear and curiosity. She opened her lips slowly, as if weighing the words carefully. “Mum Just asked if Caleb… came after the doctor.”“Caleb?” Ethan instantly repeated in a whisper, his brow furrowing as he leaned in even closer. Lily nodded to affirm, her expression serious.Ethan lifted a finger, and signalled at her.“Are they still talking?”Lily gave a quick nod, but then her head shook slightly, her brows knitting together in conc
Shadows Of Deception Chapter 37
(THIRD POV)Lily continued to stare at Ethan, Whose face had started to shift slowly, his features relaxing into a small, almost secretive smile.It was the look of someone who had just formed a brilliant plan. He nodded slightly, more to himself than to Lily, his eyes gleaming.“That would be pretty easy,” he said, his voice low but confident. "We just need to wait for dinner, when Mum will break the news. We have to make sure she doesn’t have a counter plan. We execute at the moment she’s left with no options."Lily arched an eyebrow, doubt etched across her young face. “Does your plan factor in the fact that we have school tomorrow?” She asked, her expression turning thoughtful. “You know she could just ask James to pick us up.”Ethan hopped down from the bed with a grin, his feet landing lightly on the floor. He straightened his shoulders, pretending to adjust an invisible tie at his neck, then he walked with an exaggerated swagger to the door."Aren't you going to say som
Shadows Of Deception Chapter 38
(Maxwell’s POV)I paced back and forth, my shoes soundless against the floor of my study room. My desk was a battlefield, covered in papers and documents, an endless sea of white with black inked words. I shoved a stack of papers aside with more force than necessary, my jaw tightening in mild frustration.I was supposed to be content with the progress I was making.Afterall, the meeting with the board members had gone as planned, a gone number of their approval secured.But there was something… something that gnawed at the edges of my concentration like a dull ache. Adrian’s release on bail last week… it shouldn’t have happened. And it wouldn’t have, if not for that lawyer of his Gabriel, the so-called Greyhound. I let out a slow, controlled breath, trying to push away the irritation curling in my gut. The timing of Gabriel's appearance was too convenient, too calculated. I reached for the familiar thick file, my fingers brushing over the edge of the paper before picking it up.
Shadows Of Deception Chapter 39
(THIRD POV )Vanessa stood in the middle of the simple bedroom of the flat Maxwell had rented for her just a week ago. It was nothing like the luxurious home Maxwell owned or the grand mansion where she'd lived with Adrian for the past four years. The curtains were thin and let in too much light; the bed was a simple, creaky frame with a sagging mattress. She pulled her blouse over her shoulders, her hands moving slowly.Her face was dull, her eyes staring blankly ahead, lost in some distant thought.She finished dressing and sat on the edge of the bed. Her gaze swept over the room, taking in its every detail the peeling wallpaper, the worn-out rug, the tiny wardrobe that barely held her clothes. Everything about this place felt temporary, transitory, a far cry from the opulence she had become accustomed to. She looked down at her phone, the message from Maxwell glaring back at her: “Hey…Come over”Her hand tightened around the device as she hugged herself.Her thoughts had st
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