NovelNext Chapter 4
Chapter 4
"Bruce! Is that really you? Are you okay?" Lily's voice cracked with disbelief, but there was a flicker of joy in her eyes.
I didn't let go of Samantha's hand. Instead, I shot Lily a cold look. "What could possibly be wrong with me?" I asked, my voice sharp.
Lily looked stunned, unable to wrap her head around how I had survived. Behind her, Alex eyed Samantha, his suspicion evident.
"Bruce, did Samantha save you? How did you survive from that height, and what are the odds you two just happened to meet in the woods? Were you in contact the whole time?" His voice was laced with suspicion.
What was he trying to imply? Did he think I orchestrated the whole thing?
"And you know Samantha is currently competing with Lily for the Taylor family inheritance," he continued, his voice rising. "You two just happen to show up together, and now you want me to believe this was all coincidence?"
"Bruce, can you honestly say this has nothing to do with you?" he pressed.
I took a deep breath, looking at Alex. In my past life, I had blamed myself for Alex's death, convinced that my actions had caused it. But now, it was clear that Alex saw me as a threat, not a brother.
As Alex kept digging, I couldn't take it anymore. I walked up to him and punched him square in the face.
"Smack!"
Alex staggered back, shock written all over his face. Even Lily looked at me in stunned silence. I wiped my hands off, as if the whole thing were nothing more than a small inconvenience.
The world fell silent.
I turned to the approaching police officers and raised my hand. "Officers, I want to report him for slander."
The situation escalated quickly. Alex accused me of plotting the accident with Samantha, while I countered that he was spreading lies. In the end, we all found ourselves at the police station.
As we waited for the interrogation, Alex wouldn't stop pestering me.
"Bruce, we're half-brothers. Lily's your fiancée. How can you be so heartless? Do you want us dead?" he spat.
I ignored him, staring at the bandage on my foot, my voice cold when I finally spoke. "You've said a lot, but do you have any proof? You should know the consequences of slander, better than anyone."
I met his eyes, my tone unyielding. "Alex Johnson, have you forgotten what happened to the last person who tried to slander me?"
The memory of high school flooded my mind—the rumors, the people who tried to destroy me. The ones who spread lies about my grades were arrested, and when the police dug deeper, everyone turned on each other, admitting they'd acted alone.
Alex's face paled as he realized the weight of my words. He stood there in stunned silence, while Lily pulled him behind her, furious.
"Bruce, what do you mean by that? The ones who started the rumors have already been caught. Don't threaten Alex."
"He was just expressing his thoughts. Do you really need to react this way?" I shot back, my voice calm but sharp.
Lily's eyes narrowed. "Speak with evidence, Bruce."
I chuckled darkly. "So now you care about evidence, huh?"
"You!" Lily's face went white with rage.
I studied her coldly, my gaze unwavering. "Do you know so much because you were the one who framed me?"
Lily's expression flickered, but years of business experience had taught her how to mask her emotions. She fixed me with an icy glare, her voice sharp and controlled.
"Bruce, if you're going to accuse me, you better have some proof," she spat, clearly trying to keep her composure.
I couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle.
"So, you understand the importance of evidence after all," I teased, my words dripping with irony.
Lily's face went an unhealthy shade of green as she struggled to find her next words. The tension in the air was thick, and I could practically feel her frustration radiating off her.
Before she could respond, Samantha stepped out of the interrogation room. The moment she entered, the room seemed to shift, her presence demanding attention. She didn't hesitate—she placed herself firmly between us, her stance confident, exuding authority.
"Are you planning on making this physical?" she asked, her tone calm but with an edge that dared anyone to challenge her.
I stayed behind her, unable to suppress a smirk as I watched Lily's face twist in fury.
Lily, now visibly rattled, shot a heated glare at Samantha.
"Sis! I'm his fiancée!" she snarled, her voice laced with venom.
Samantha raised an eyebrow, glancing between Lily and me with deliberate slowness. The shift in her demeanor was almost imperceptible, but there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes as she turned to me.
"Is that so?" she asked, her voice light, almost teasing.
She locked eyes with me, and for a moment, the world seemed to fall away. Her gaze softened, no longer as stern, but warm and inviting. It was as if the whole room had disappeared, and all I could focus on was her.
"Is she your fiancée?" she asked, her words almost a whisper.
I shook my head quickly, not even thinking about it.
"No! Definitely not!" I said, my voice firm.
Samantha's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. Her voice took on a softer, almost seductive tone. The way she moved, the way her eyes lingered on me, left me with a feeling I couldn't quite shake. I found myself drawn to her, wanting nothing more than to close the distance between us.
Had she cast some kind of spell on me? Because all I wanted in that moment was to kiss her.
Lily, standing by and witnessing the exchange, looked like she'd just been slapped. Her jealousy was so thick in the air it was almost suffocating. She shot us a death glare that would've burned a hole through steel.
Her face flushed with rage, her fists clenched at her sides, but before she could explode, the police called me in for my statement.
Lily's expression twisted in frustration as she realized she couldn't escalate the situation further. She had no choice but to back off.
After the interrogations were done, the police had a clearer idea of who the real culprit might be.