Lise gave a nod of agreement. However, as she turned to leave, her face lost all warmth.
Quickly, she completed the paperwork with the guard and hurried out, clearly anxious to escape.
While Sharon clung to a flickering hope that Lise would return for her, dawn broke the next day, and Katelyn awoke in the hospital feeling rejuvenated after a restful sleep. Just as she rose, her phone buzzed with an incoming message. It was from Alfy.
“Neil has secured Lise’s release.”
Katelyn was momentarily stunned by the news. At that moment, the door to her room swung open. Katelyn instinctively turned towards the sound. Neil, maneuvering his wheelchair, entered with a look of concern.
“Katelyn, I heard about your accident. How severe are your injuries?” He surveyed her carefully.
Katelyn’s brow furrowed as she responded coldly, “I’m alright. Please, you don’t need to stay.”
She felt no urge to engage further with Neil. To her, Neil was an emblem of deceit. He had professed his indifference towards Lise, promising to bestow all his fortune upon her. Yet, he had covertly arranged Lise’s release from prison.
The allegations against Lise were severe enough to detain her indefinitely, and the cost of her release must have been astronomical. Clearly, Neil had spared no expense on Lise’s behalf.
Noticing Katelyn’s chilled demeanor, Neil queried softly, “Katelyn, is something amiss?”
Katelyn lowered her phone, her sharp eyes locking onto Neil with disdain.
“Leave. Now.”
The mere sight of him repulsed her. Each second spent in his presence felt like a weight on her chest.
Neil, however, showed no sign of being phased. His expression remained a mask, his words dripping with feigned concern.
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“Don’t be like this, Katelyn. I only came to check on you.”
Katelyn didn’t bother responding. Without hesitation, she got off the bed, moving swiftly to push Neil’s wheelchair toward the outside. Then she shut the door with force, the sound reverberating like a declaration of freedom. At last, the silence enveloped her—a momentary solace from the chaos.
But her thoughts shifted like a storm cloud—how could Neil be so infatuated with Lise that he willingly ignored every moral boundary, even if Lise had committed murder? The thought alone made Katelyn’s hands clench into fists, trembling with rage.
Then again, Katelyn felt it made sense. Neil thrived on manipulation and cruelty—morality was far removed from his nature. Those two truly were a match made in hell.
Taking a steadying breath, she forced her emotions into check. She quickly typed a message to Jaxen.
“Neil bailed Lise out. Do whatever it takes to get her back in!”
Did Neil really think he could save Lise so easily? Not on her watch!
Meanwhile, Jaxen, who had been diligently collecting evidence, froze in place as he read Katelyn’s message. He shot to his feet, his voice rising with fury.
“What? Are you kidding me? After all the effort I put into gathering evidence, they release Lise in just one day?” This wasn’t something he could tolerate—not now, not ever.
.
.
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