Please Come Back, My Love novel Chapter 375

Please Come Back, My Love

Chapter 375

“Who- My voice cracked. I had to swallow hard before I could continue. “Who would do this? Whe would send her this?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Lucas said quietly.

I looked up at him, and something in his expression made my breath catch. He looked haunted. Guilty.

“This is fake,” I said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “It has to be. Someone staged this to make it look like I was killed.”

“Yes,” Lucas said simply. “That’s exactly what they wanted your mother to think.”

The phone slipped from my fingers. Lucas caught it before it hit the floor.

“Who would be this sick?” I whispered. “Who would want to terrify her into thinking I was dead?”

My father’s voice was hard. “Someone who wanted to hurt you through her.”

I turned to look at him, saw the terrible understanding dawning in his eyes.

‘Claire,” I breathed.

The name hung in the air between us like poison.

Lucas didn’t react, but I saw something flicker across his face–recognition, maybe, or confirmation of a suspicion he’d already had.

*She hates me,” I continued, the words coming faster now. “She thinks I’m trying to steal you from her, and she- I broke off, pressing a hand to my mouth.

“Oh God. She did this. She hired someone to stage my death and sent the video to Mom to punish me.”

“Don’t.” I held up a hand, stopping him. “Don’t try to explain it away. Don’t tell me you’re protecting me or that you care about me or any of the other hes you’ve been feeding me. Thus I gestured wildly at my mother’s prone form, at the machines keeping her alive. this is what you protection looks like.

“You’re right.

The quiet agreement caught me off guard. I’d been braced for an argument, for him to defend himself or deflect blame.

‘You’re right, Lucas repeated. “This is my fault. But jumping to conclusions before we know the truth won’t help your mother.”

“The truth?” I spat the word like a curse. “The truth is that someone staged my death and sent the video to terrorize my mother. The truth is that Claire is the only person with both motive and/means. What other truck do you need?”

“Evidence, Lucas said simply. “Before I destroy someone’s life, I need to be certain.”

The calm rationality of his response made me want to scream.

“Then go,” I said, my voice shaking with barely suppressed fury. “Go find your evidence. Go investigate. Go do whatever it is you do when you’re hunting someone. Just get out of my sight.”