Built His Empire Then Watched It Burn When He Cheated novel Chapter 632

Anneliese nodded and threw her arms around him.

"I can't believe it was her! How could she do something that awful? My mom treated her like family. How could she turn into such a snake?"

Years ago, she and her grandmother had searched for the person who told her mother about her adoptive father's death.

They'd asked so many people and found nothing. They'd assumed her mother had overheard someone talking.

But now, it was clear. Melody had gone there on purpose, full of spite.

And when her mother had fallen, bleeding and gasping for life, Melody had just stood there, watching her die.

Anneliese's chest rose and fell sharply. Hatred burned in her throat, but shame burned deeper.

"How could I have been that blind? All these years, and I didn't see it! I even called that woman my mother-in-law for two years. That's no different from loving my mother's murderer. My parents must be furious with me for being this stupid."

The thought of those years with Zacharias made her stomach twist. She had served Melody like a dutiful daughter-in-law, completely unaware of the monster behind the mask.

She clenched her fist and lifted it toward her chest, but Jonathan caught her wrist. He guided her hand to his chest instead, his voice calm and warm.

"This isn't on you, baby.

"There are just people out there who are cruel to the core. You, your grandma, your parents—you're all kind. You couldn't have known someone like Melody could be that venomous."

"If anyone's to blame, it's me. If I'd dug deeper back then, maybe she wouldn't have gotten away with it for so long."

Jonathan's regret cut deep.

If he had just pushed harder back then, maybe he could've exposed Melody years ago.

If that had happened, Anneliese wouldn't have been fooled by Zacharias. Her grandmother might've agreed to let him take little Anneliese back to the Fullbuster family. He would've protected her, raised his little rose with his own hands.

But life didn't give second chances.

Hearing the guilt and sorrow in his voice, Anneliese forgot her own pain. She threw her arms around his neck and brushed her cheek against his shoulder.

"That's not true. You were just a kid. How could you have known? You didn't even know who Melody was or what kind of person she'd become."

Jonathan smiled faintly and stroked her hair. "You were even younger than me, so stop blaming yourself."

Anneliese lifted her head from his chest. Her eyes, red and glistening, locked on his.

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