Chapter 12
522words
[Last night, that kid just wouldn't stop crying, then bam, he was gone.]
[Kids? Nah, women are way more fun. This new one I got? Killer body, wild as hell.]
[Isn't that what your basement's for? How long are you keeping her locked up this time?]
[You had the last one for what, six months? Is she still causing you trouble?]
[Don't remind me. She killed herself the minute I let her go.]
[And York, still after that ice queen? How long's it been?]
[I caught her, didn't I? Took some time, but now, she's mine. You guys give me too much credit. All I did was be there when she had no one else. Now, Susanna's hooked.
[If you want the playbook, just take out the guys in her life. Make them hit rock bottom. Then, pay them to push her over the edge so that she cuts ties.
[And speed up her dad's death. Women are at their weakest when they're grieving—that's when you swoop in.
[It's all about timing, boys.]
York's face twisted with panic as he realized what was being broadcast to the entire hall and beyond. "Shut it off!" he barked, spinning toward the staff with a pale face that soon started to flush from fury. The event was being livestreamed, and everyone in Aventon City would now know the truth.
York whirled around, his eyes landing on Susanna as suspicion flashed in his gaze. "Are you behind this?"
Susanna's expression crumpled in shock, tears brimming in her eyes. She was not faking it—her grief was raw. "York… did you have something to do with my dad's death?"
York faltered, unsure of whether she had anything to do with the video, but he was not about to let go of Susanna so easily. "No way!" he stammered, quickly regaining his composure. He forced a grin, leaning into the lie. "It wasn't me, Susanna. It was all Matthew. He's still alive! Can't you see? This is his doing. He's trying to ruin us today. He's the one messing with us. You've got to believe me!"
The crowd was buzzing with murmurs of disbelief, louder now. A reporter pushed through the sea of people with a phone in hand and approached York. "Mr. Smith, did you have anything to do with Matthew's death? We've just received evidence suggesting you paid off the driver involved in his crash years ago."
York's face turned beet red, veins popping on his neck. He snatched the reporter's phone and hurled it to the ground, his voice shaking with rage. "Lies! All of it! Fake evidence!"
The reporter, not backing down, scooped up his phone and shouted back, "This is how you react when you're caught, huh? This evidence is already out. Every news outlet has it—it's blowing up all over the internet. You're going down."
