Chapter 349

But I knew Tanya wouldn't actually drink it. She'd worked too hard, clawing her way toward wealth and status. If she hadn't given up after the hospital fiasco, there was no way she'd quit now. This was just another ploy to get Lindey to reveal Jace's whereabouts. Tanya probably thought Lindey and Matthew were hiding him, deliberately keeping them apart.

"Tanya Twain, your games are getting creative," I said, entering the room.

Lindey spun around, panic flashing across her face. She looked terrified I'd get the wrong idea. But Tanya? She wasn't surprised. She must have seen me coming. Even so, her trembling hand betrayed her.

Her expression shifted, becoming pitiful. "Keira, I had no choice. Jace is gone. His phone's dead. You've seen it—I have nothing left."

She was laying it on thick, but I wasn't buying it.

I nodded toward the bottle. "Isn't your escape right there?"

Her face darkened. Yeah, she wasn't drinking it. This was all about forcing Lindey to answer. Shameless. That's Tanya to a T.

"I know you'd love to see me dead. Fine, I'll die—right after Jace comes out and says it to my face." Her endgame was clear: she wanted to see Jace.

"If you want to see him, go find him. Don't come here," I said, stepping in front of her. She was sitting, so I towered over her, forcing her to look up.

Tanya flinched but maintained her defiant glare. "If I could find him, I wouldn't be here."

"And have you found him here?" I leaned closer.

Her lips twitched, but nothing came out.

"What do you think Jace will do when he hears you came here, bothering his parents?" I asked, watching the panic flicker in her eyes.

She stammered, "I… I didn't have a choice. If there was another way, I wouldn't be here."

"No, you've been plotting this for a while. You wanted to walk in here and secure your place in this family," I said, letting my contempt show.

Tanya's eyes widened.

"Tanya, did you really think you could fool everyone? That no one would see through your true intentions?"

She swallowed hard. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't?" I scoffed. "Then let me break it down for you. You were in love with Desmond, but he was just a regular office guy. Sure, his paycheck was decent, but compared to Jace—a CEO—it was pocket change."

Chapter 34

Jace and Desmond were close, and Desmond adored you. He spoiled you. Jace took you two to fancy places, and you became hooked on that lifestyle—the luxury, the status. It didn't take long for you to realize Desmond wasn't enough to satisfy your desires. You began to resent him.

Tanya shook her head, trying to deny it, but I pressed on. Today, her mask was coming off. She needed to know the rest of us weren't stupid.

"But Desmond was too good to you, wasn't he? You couldn't just dump him. And you knew if you wanted the life you craved, Jace was the ticket. So you spent time around Jace, cultivating an image with Desmond, playing your part, using every trick to be irresistible. Am I wrong?"

"No, that's not true," Tanya whispered, but her hand trembled so violently she could barely grip the bottle.

"If it's not true, then why are you shaking?" I leaned in, my voice low in her ear. "In fact, I've been wondering… was Desmond's accident really an accident? Or was it someone's plan?"

The moment I said it, Tanya screamed and shoved me hard.