Page 84 of The Heart of a Villain

“Exactly.” He leans closer to me. “Our father adored Mom and us, never as much as raised his voice in her presence, even though they lived on the island he owned. Respected people and us. How does a man change in a second from that to someone who made Mom cry every single night?”

I push him away and pace back and forth, hating his words, as they bring up my own thoughts on the matter. After studying the human mind for so long, I could never understand my father and the life he subjected us to.

Even not searching for me after the boat accident and not coming to find my mother was out of character for him.

So while being a human trafficker, he once traveled to a nearby island to help put out a fire spreading there. He got injured, but he helped. Afterward, he built a school there and helped the families rebuild their houses.

What if…?

The throbbing in my head hurts because the truth that’s spiraling threatens to forever shatter my sanity, and I cover my head, intending to see the only reasonable explanation for this.

I thrived on logic and cut off feelings; however, my logic right now shatters everything and proves what a fool I’ve been, so utterly blinded by vengeance that I trusted the wrong person.

“I already know the truth. That’s why I wanted the diary. You wouldn’t believe anyone but Mom.”

We stare at one another while flashback after flashback pops in my mind, giving me different images, and yet they create a movie.

A tragic movie because the true evilness responsible for my suffering has been under my nose all along.

I still don’t know what truly happened all those years ago during the fire, but one thing is without a doubt.

Lachlan didn’t kill my mother.

“Always so confident, so sure of himself,” Jade spats, clenching Lachlan’s photo in his fist. “The underworld king. A title that should’ve never been his.” He spits on the photo. “A sinner who thinks he can be called a saint just because he thinks he’s better than all of us.” He smirks at me, while I barely pay attention to this bullshit.

Lachlan will be dead, but I don’t give a fuck about Jade’s sentiments on the matter.

“We will prove him wrong, though. Once his little princess suffers, our mission will be complete.”

“Aileen,” I say, darting to the car and jumping inside, then starting it. Rafael barely manages to get inside before I race toward the gates, hoping I won’t be too late to reach her before the unthinkable happens.

“What, Rush, what?”

“I left them all at the house with him.”

He curses under his breath.

“There are guns in the back seat. Remove the safety on all of them because we will need them.”

He brought an entire army of his guards and probably has more scattered on the island, since he expects Lachlan’s arrival.

My uncle for sure used this opportunity to attack and then cover it all by blaming it on Lachlan.

Racing through the fields, I lock away any emotions and focus only on one task.

Saving my family.

Because this time around, I will not lose to Jade.

People say lies hurt more than the truth.

Oh, how wrong they are.

Some truths are so horrible and devastating that they don’t just crush us.

They destroy us.

CHAPTER NINE

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