Chapter 10
In the dead of night, I lay wide awake in my room. My thoughts were tangled in fear that Dad, driven by the heat of the moment, might do something he couldn’t take back.
The light in his study stayed on, and aside from Armand, a constant flow of people came and went.
I stayed put in my room, gripping my phone, compulsively refreshing the screen. An hour later, the media dropped another bombshell.
“Breaking: Searle Group’s Chairman, Connor, Exposed in Affair with Lanier Family’s Daughter–in–Law, Sienna Lycett–Proof Confirmed!”
“Connor’s Assistant Comes Forward: Chairman Personally Orchestrated Torment of Mrs. Searle!”
“Heartless Monster‘: Connor Shows No Mercy to Pregnant Wife–Public Outrage Erupts!”
In a flash, Connor was all over Jorvaska’s headlines.
Half an hour later, the media released another update.
“Disgraced Connor Attempts to Flee, Cornered and Beaten by Angry Mob at Searle Group Building Entrance!”
The news came with a flood of photos and videos. I clicked on one without thinking, and what appeared on the screen stunned me.
In the video, Connor, wearing a janitor’s uniform, was crouched in a corner, surrounded by a crowd of people of all ages and dressed in various outfits.
They gritted their teeth, delivering brutal kicks as they shouted, “You monster! You’re a heartless brute who would harm his own wife and take the life of his child! You don’t deserve to walk this earth!”
Connor raised his head and looked at the people in front of him.
For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes. I kept replaying the moment he lifted his head, watching the once–arrogant Connor brought to this pitiful state.
My body shook with a whirlwind of emotions. So, he was nothing special after all.
After the news broke, the media went quiet for what felt like forever.
I refreshed the page in the early hours and saw a new headline.
“Breaking: Searle Group’s Chairman and Mistress Suspected Dead–Identities Pending Confirmation!”
A few minutes later, the news broke again.
“Confirmed: Connor and His Mistress, Sienna Lycett, Found Dead–Naked Bodies Discovered in Mass Grave by Local Resident!”
Beneath the headlines were dozens of photos from the scene. Even though the images were censored, I could still make out the naked bodies of Sienna and Connor.
Two hours later, another news broke.
“Tragedy Strikes: Ingrid Downer, Devastated by Her Son, Connor’s Death, Leaps from Searle Group’s Building–Dies on Impact.”
I kept rewatching each of these shocking updates, over and over, until I lost track of how many times I’d seen them. The one thing I knew for sure was that my fingers had turned stiff and numb from scrolling so fast.
It wasn’t until then that I noticed that my clothes were drenched in sweat. Still in a daze, I heard a knock at the door.
“Hannah, it’s me,” Dad called.
I glanced up and realized that the sky had already turned light, I’d been sitting there all night without even noticing. I jumped out of bed, flung the door open, and threw myself into Dad’s
armis.
He gave me a gentle pat on the back and said quietly, “You didn’t sleep last night, did you? Have you seen the news?”
I pressed iny face into his chest and mumbled, “I’m worried about you, Dad…”
Out of the blue, Dad laughed heartily. “Silly goose, I’ll be just fine.”
Armand appeared quietly behind him, his eyes fixed on his back as he spoke hushedly, Mr. Amerson, we’ve tracked down the thugs who hurt Ms. Amerson. What should we do with them?” “Arthur’s flying out today, right? Have him bring those lowlifes back with him.”
Armand nodded and turned to leave.
Dad leaned down and studied my sweaty face before smiling. “Your new life starts now, Hannah.”
22
