Page 105 of Owned By a Billionaire

“Have they taken everyone’s prints from the event?”

“They’re working through it.”

Mark shifted a little, and I glanced at him, noticing the tight line of his mouth.

I returned my attention to the rest of the family. “In her statement, Manon said that when she found Reynard bleeding on the ground, she pulled out the knife without thinking. Realizing what she’d done, she ran outside and tossed it in the rubbish.”

“But that’s crazy,” Declan said.

“It was the shock of seeing him like that. Her instincts told her to remove the knife.”

“But why not tell us? I mean, it just doesn’t add up. She’ll be slayed in court,” Declan said.

Mark rose and paced. “I was there.”

Everyone’s attention turned sharply to him.

“What?” I asked.

“I saw her holding the knife.”

“Did you see her do it?” Declan demanded.

He shook his head. “When I arrived, she was standing over the body, pale as a ghost and holding the weapon. I told her to get rid of it and to act like nothing had happened.”

“But she could have come to me,” I said, hurt that he hadn’t told me. “I would’ve understood.”

Mark shrugged. “I think she was hoping it would all just go away, and she didn’t want to implicate you.”

“But it implicates you. You’re an accessory after the fact,” Declan said.

Mark nodded. “I’ll hand myself in and give a statement.”

“Is that necessary?” I asked.

He sighed. “If we want to help Manon’s case, I think it is.”

Back to paddling for my life in a stormy sea. I shook my head in frustration.

Chapter 33

Mark

Themediascrutinyhadbecome unbearable, especially for Caroline, who protected her privacy as a bird guarded an egg.

I was out on bail, and as we sat in the library, looking morose, Manon arrived with Drake and passed a file to Caroline.

Caroline toyed with the folder.

“What’s that about?” I asked.

Caroline flicked through the pages in a desultory manner. “Information about Natalia and her brother’s smuggling ring of underage girls.”

“This is becoming quite a saga,” I said, attempting to make light of a heavy situation that kept growing weightier by the minute.

Carson knocked on the door and came in, looking at me and nodding. “We’ve got something interesting.”

She frowned. “Oh?”

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