Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 680

He paused, his voice turning grim. "I've thought about it from every angle. There's only one person it could be."

Jude finished his thought. "You suspect... Henry?"

The car fell into a heavy silence.

Finnian pressed his lips into a thin line. "My father is the only one who would clean up Liana's mess just to protect her..."

Ever since he was a child, Finnian could never quite understand it.

Liana was just a random orphan they had adopted to ease his grandmother's grief over losing her real granddaughter.

Yet his father spoiled Liana to a completely irrational degree.

He spoiled her so much that even Finnian, his biological son, sometimes felt a twinge of jealousy!

It was as if Liana was his actual flesh and blood.

While Finnian...

And his long-lost sister felt like the actual orphans.

When Finnian didn't say anything else, Jude broke the silence. "So, what's your next move?"

Finnian looked over at him. "If I can't break through my father, then I have to bring Matriarch Fairchild into this."

Jude's brow twitched. "You mean..."

"My grandmother is old, but she's not senile."

Finnian's voice was deadly serious. "She genuinely loves Liana, but she cares about Evangeline above all else. If she finds out Liana might be involved with this fake Evangeline, she won't let it slide."

Jude was quiet for a few seconds before giving a slow nod. "Alright. Let's try it."

...

An hour later, at Fairchild Manor.

When Liana rushed into the grand living room, she immediately noticed the suffocating tension in the air.

She froze for a split second, her eyes darting from Henry to Finnian before finally resting on Matriarch Fairchild. "Grandmother... you sent for me?"

The Matriarch raised her eyes, not bothering with pleasantries. She cut straight to the chase. "Liana, did you know that Evangeline is an Imposter?"

Liana blinked in shock. "An Imposter? What... what do you mean? Isn't she Evangeline?"

About fifteen minutes later, the heavy oak doors opened. A subordinate walked quickly to the Matriarch's side, bowed, and whispered something in her ear.

The Matriarch's expression shifted. She looked sharply at the man. "He ran?"

The subordinate bowed his head. "Yes, Ma'am. Lester's apartment is completely empty. He wiped it clean. There's not a single trace of him left."

The grand hall plunged into absolute silence. You could hear a pin drop.

The Matriarch pressed her lips together and turned her gaze back to Liana. "Liana. Swear to me. This fake Evangeline business truly had nothing to do with you?"

"Grandmother, I swear it has nothing to do with me... What do I have to say to make you believe me?"

Liana shrunk back, burying her face in her hands, letting out heartbreaking, muffled sobs. "It wasn't me... Why would I ever do something like that?"

"Enough, Mother..."

At that moment, Henry Fairchild, who had been completely silent until now, spoke up. His voice was calm and measured. "We watched Liana grow up. She might be a bit spoiled sometimes, but she would never orchestrate something so vicious."

He paused, his eyes sweeping over Liana's trembling shoulders before he continued. "My guess is that worthless dog Lester went rogue. He probably saw a chance to extort the Fairchild family for a massive payday and cooked up this fake heiress scheme..."

"As for the DNA sample, it must have been smuggled out from inside the estate. With so many people coming and going, getting a few strands of hair isn't exactly a difficult task."