Chapter 144

Chase knew better than anyone that a few slaps were merely a tickle for Nicole. They were insufficient to reveal her true nature; if anything, they only drew her deeper into her web of schemes.

Nicole didn't flinch. Eyes closed, lashes fluttering, she murmured, "If hitting me makes you feel better, go ahead. Finish me off, if that's what it takes."

Her words stopped Chase cold. Whether it was her pregnancy or his own reluctance to hurt her, his hand fell to his side.

"What do you know about Amanda's disappearance?" he asked.

Nicole shook her head. "Chase, after she vanished, I searched everywhere. You saw it yourself—first in Cloudville, then with the photo mess. I don't know any more than you do."

She paused. "Dad already had the photo checked. It's authentic. Maybe Amanda betrayed you before she disappeared."

Chase clenched his fists, knuckles white, his head snapping up. "No way! I've known Amanda for years. I know her like the back of my hand. She'd never do something like this."

"What if it was revenge?"

Nicole's voice grew frosty, and Chase met her gaze. "What are you getting at?"

Nicole glanced around, ensuring no one was listening and that the bodyguards were out of earshot. She lowered her voice. "Amanda never intended to marry you. If you hadn't left the wedding, you and I would have been the ones humiliated."

Chase's eyes widened. "What are you trying to say?!"

"Amanda always resented me. She blamed me for ruining your relationship. She's been seeking revenge against both of us." Nicole licked her dry lips. "This is what I found. Take a look."

Nicole's phone displayed photos and videos—evidence I had gathered before my death. After my miscarriage, I pretended to remain with Chase as a twisted form of revenge, biding my time to expose him and Nicole at the wedding.

"Amanda had everything planned for the wedding. She was going to show it all on the big screen before the ring exchange."

Nicole tapped a photo with a perfectly manicured nail. It was a hard-won snapshot of her and Chase kissing.

Given their positions, even without concrete proof, these intimate photos and that kiss were enough to forever brand them with shame. Nicole's carefully crafted public image would shatter, exposing her as a shameless homewrecker. Chase would be far worse off—labeled a cheater for an affair with his sister-in-law.

"Did you ever think about what would happen if Amanda went public with this? The internet would explode, and both the Reyes and Kennedy families would be dragged down with us."

Chase's face paled. He was visibly shaken. He understood, without Nicole needing to explain, the disastrous consequences for the Reyes family and the permanent stain on his reputation.

Nicole stroked his cheek, whispering, "Chase, Amanda was never the sweet, kind woman you thought she was. She was a real piece of work."