Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 441

Haskell raised a hand, halting the bodyguard’s advance.

Draven’s eyes darted to the tactical blade in the bodyguard’s hand, then shot back up to Haskell, his voice trembling. “Mr. Palmer, if I tell you everything, will you let me go?”

Haskell’s gaze darkened. “It seems you still don’t grasp your situation.”

Then he gave another sharp nod.

The bodyguard flicked open the retractable knife, the blade catching the light and flashing in Draven’s eyes. A cold sweat beaded on his forehead. As the man stepped forward again, Draven finally broke, shouting, “Your real brother... Thatch sold him!”

The words tumbled out of him in a desperate rush, and he collapsed onto the floor, not daring to meet Haskell’s eyes.

Larissa, who had been playing with Sage, froze, her head snapping up to look at Haskell.

His face was a mask of terrifying cold. She had never seen such an expression on him before; he was always so composed, so gentle. The sheer fury radiating from him was palpable.

“Tell me everything you know. In detail,” Haskell said. His voice was deceptively calm, but it was laced with a murderous intent that Larissa, and more acutely, Draven could feel in their bones.

When Haskell remained silent, Draven scrambled to his feet and groveled. “Mr. Palmer, I’ve told you everything I know! I’m innocent in all of this. I just did what Thatch told me to do…”

He grabbed the hem of Haskell’s trousers, his voice thick with desperation. “Mr. Palmer, I was a fool! I’ll never dream of being the heir again. I’ll do anything you ask, just let me serve you. Please, spare me. I swear I’ll be loyal to you for the rest of my life.”

Larissa watched Haskell, her heart aching for him. Beneath the placid surface of his deep eyes, a storm was raging, a tempest of betrayal and fury that tinged his irises with a faint, bloodshot red. The subtle shift transformed his handsome, gentle features into something far more dangerous. His knuckles were white where he gripped the armrests of his wheelchair, the metal groaning under the pressure.

She knew he was fighting to contain the agony of learning his brother’s fate from the mouth of a stranger. She lowered her gaze, understanding his pain all too well. It was just like when she’d finally found her own parents, only to discover they didn’t love her the way she had always dreamed they would.