Rift in the perfect picture

It had been a while since I last came to the police station. The humiliation I once suffered remained vivid. I had never forgotten how my fingers were cut and how my hair was snipped.

But thankfully, the perpetrators would eventually face justice, and the story was bound to have a happy ending.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

This time, I was outside while they were inside. Compared to Frances and Claudia’s screams, I seemed more relaxed on a random chair in the corner.

Everyone else was doing their job while the police interrogated them. I wasn’t their defense attorney, and the relief that I felt at this moment made me feel almost liberated.

So, this was how satisfied it felt to have the upper hand and see the ones beneath me struggle in agony.

I glanced at Claudia. She must’ve been thrilled when she used to look at me this way, as she never would have thought that the tables would turn so quickly.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips, and Claudia’s gaze met mine. She suddenly seemed to remember that I was her last straw, so she unexpectedly called out to me.

*Arianal

I raised an eyebrow, feeling quite surprised.

“Ariana, I’ve been wronged! She ordered me to do it. These damn cops took my phone–can you help me call Nick, please?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Frances immediately slapped her and shrieked, “I’ll rip your tongue off if you say one more word!”

Tears welled up in Claudia’s eyes instantly. She was still young, after all.

Refusing to let her tears fall, she retorted, “Go ahead! Didn’t you say you’d gouge out my eyes and rip my tongue off all the time whenever I caught you hooking up with some man when I was young? Go on! Do it now!”

A flash of hurt crossed Frances‘ face. “I’m your mother! How dare you speak to me like that? If I hadn’t been involved with those men, how could I even be capable of raising you? My biggest regret is not drowning you in the toilet when you were born!”

“If it weren’t for me sucking up to Nick, do you think you’d have lived so comfortably as the lady of the household for decades?”

“Exactly! If you hadn’t harbored such wicked intentions that old geezer wouldn’t have left us with nothing and kicked us out of the family! But you’re completely unaffected, still living off Nicholas‘ money and enjoying your lavish lifestyle.

“Have you ever thought about me? What should I eat and wear? The fact that I’m being humiliated in front of the other socialites never even crossed your mind!”

Feeling impatient, I stirred in my seat. I wasn’t interested in hearing about their life before they joined the Hawk family.

Neal noticed my fidgeting. “Are you tired?”

I nodded absently and said, “Separate them. We won’t get anything out of them if they’re put together.”

Then, I got ready to leave.

I was well aware that Frances‘ embezzlement of large sums of money from the company was a done deal. I couldn’t be bothered about the duration of her sentence, but I certainly wouldn’t let her lightly.

get off

The investigation of Daniel’s incident still required time. But if nothing unexpected happened, any evidence found in the hospital might have already been intentionally destroyed.

I wasn’t afraid of Nicholas finding out about this because I believed that he’d also want to know the truth about his father.

“I’ll walk you out,” Neal murmured.

I nodded, preparing to leave this oppressive space with him.

Seeing that I was about to leave, Frances and Claudia panicked. They began spewing curses and threats, though none of them held much weight.

“Ariana, just you wait. Nick will definitely bail me out. It wouldn’t take long for him to realize that I’m gone!” I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks and look at her. “Do you really think he won’t want to kill you? Just like how you killed his father.‘”

Claudia staggered backward, trembling as if she’d just remembered something terrifying.

I took a step forward, wanting to ask her if she had any conscience. How could she hurt Nicholas when he’d treated her so well?

Neal stepped in front of me, blocking my view with his tall frame. Patting my shoulder, he shook his head and said, “Calm down.”

I glanced up at him, anger simmering in my chest. But his firm gaze reassured me as he said, “I can transfer them somewhere else. I promise, no one will be able to find them within a short period even if they have supernatural abilities.

“Give me a few days, and the truth will be unveiled then.”

I knew this was Neal’s area of expertise–I had always believed in his investigative skills.

He flashed a smile at me. “Trust me.”

Lowering my gaze, I let out a heavy sigh and ignored the insignificant duo.

Just as I turned to leave, a person entered and shouted, “Captain!”

My departure was once again interrupted. Noting the person’s awkward expression, I knew things weren’t going to go as smoothly as I’d hoped.

Fatigue was already weighing on me after a night of insufficient rest. I promptly Ignored him, but then i heard Claudia shouting from behind me.

“Ariana, I’ll tell you the truth as long as you let me go!”