Page 138 of Demise

“I agreed to report back what I found before I even met you,” Wesley goes on. “I thought I was going to be eavesdropping on Asher’s spoiled wife. I had no idea you’d be…you. From the moment I met you, I knew I couldn’t betray you like that.”

“Then why did you?” Liam adds, hurt lacing his tone.

“I started feeding Christopher false info. Boring shit like her and Asher were fighting when they weren’t. She was throwing temper tantrums with his credit card. Things that I knew Christopher wouldn’t care about and ultimately keep her safe.”

“Then what about me?” Liam asks.

Wesley winces. “He got suspicious. He saw you staring at her the night of their ceremony apparently.”

Liam scrunches his nose. “Everyone in that room was staring at her.”

“Not the way you were, I guess,” Wesley says, causing Liam to stand more rigidly.

“You stand there and watch the love of your life basically being assaulted by your best friend and tell me you won’t flinch or react in any way!” Liam defends.

“I know,” Wesley says with his hands raised as his eyes move to each person in the room before landing on Skyla. “I should have told you from the start, but please believe me. I’ve only looked out for you. Christopher told me to install new security cameras in the house—"

“So, you did,” Skyla says numbly.

“So, I did, until I cut his feed the next day, telling him I think the stalker did it,” he finishes. “Everything I’ve done, has been for you, little one. It may have not started that way, but one look at you, and I knew I had to do everything in my power to protect you.”

“So, you knew Christopher knew about the stalker early on then? Yesterday, you were lying to me?” Ronan asks.

“Wait, what?” I say. “What do you mean?”

Ronan’s gaze flits to me and Skyla before sighing. “Yesterday, when we returned the journal, in that same hidden compartment, I found…pictures. One of them being Corwin watching Skyla sleep while she lived on campus.”

“I didn’t know that it was Corwin, let alone that Christopher knew. When I told him about the situation, he acted surprised.”

“Yeah, he’s good at fooling everyone,” Asher says bitterly.

“What were the other pictures of?” Skyla asks.

Ronan grimaces and Wesley hangs his head as Ronan speaks.

“It was Christopher and your father…with your mother.”

Her nose wrinkles at that.

“She was tied up, clearly crying, and…there was an identical one of Stephanie. By the looks of it, I’d guess it was taken the last time she was here.”

“What?” Skyla asks softly. “You learned this yesterday and you didn’t tell me?”

“I was going to,” Ronan says. “Then Asher told us you went to the Proctor witch’s shop, and I didn’t feel like it was the right time or place.”

“But now it is?” she laughs. “So, my father and Asher’s raped my mother, probably repeatedly. And Steph?” she asks, her sarcastic smile melting into sorrow.

She shakes her head. “I have to call her.”

Walking away, Skyla begins heading towards the stairs when Wesley calls out.

“I’m sorry, Sky. I never wanted to hurt you. I’ve done everything to protect you. Please believe me.”

“Well, she doesn’t,” Vincent snarls, hauling Wesley to his feet by the back of his shirt.

Skyla pauses in her steps, looking over the room as she shakes her head.

“I do believe you, that doesn’t change the fact that you lied to me for months. You could have been honest. Instead, you were a coward, hoping you wouldn’t get caught.”

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