The CEO's Midnight Remedy novel Chapter 329

Chapter 329

Elsa met me at the door, her eyes widening at my appearance. I must have looked a wreck, despite my attempts to fix my makeup in the

CAL

“Miss Aria,” she said softly. “We weren’t expecting you tonight.”

“Is my father home?”

She nodded, then lowered her voice. “He’s been in a terrible mood all evening. Maybe tomorrow would be better?”

I gave her a sad smile. “There’s no better time for this, Elsa. Sometimes families need to face the truth, no matter how painful.”

Her expression clouded. “The truth can be a heavy burden, Miss Aria. Between father and daughter, there’s no wound that can’t heal with

time.”

“Even murder?” I asked softly.

Elsa’s face went slack with shock. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, unable to find words.

I patted her arm gently and moved past her toward my father’s study. Each step felt like I was walking toward my own execution, but I forced myself to continue. The weight of my mother’s last journal pressed against me from inside my purse, a talisman of truth against my father’s inevitable lies.

Outside his door, I paused, hearing him moving around inside. The smell of his cigars wafted from beneath the door–he only smoked when agitated. Taking a deep breath, I knocked once, then entered without waiting for permission.

William Harper looked up from his tablet, his face clouding when he saw me. He sat behind his massive desk, surrounded by the trappings of his power–awards, photographs with politicians, expensive art. Smoke hung in the air despite the sophisticated ventilation system.

“Aria,” he said, his voice clipped. “I’m busy.”

“I know what you did.” The words came out calmer than I expected.

He frowned, setting down his tablet. “What are you talking about?”

Instead of answering, I pulled out my phone and played Victoria’s confession, watching his face as his wife’s voice filled the room: “Where do you think I got such rare heavy metals? I had no connections, no way to access something like that. But your father did.”

The color drained from his face as the recording continued. When it ended, he surged to his feet, hurling his crystal whiskey glass against the wall where it shattered spectacularly.

“That conniving bitch!” he snarled. “She’s lying! You’re going to believe her over your own father?”

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Chapter 329

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I stayed perfectly still, letting his rage wash over me. “I have more than her word. I have Mom’s journals describing her symptoms. I have records of your bank transfers to a chemical supplier that specializes in the exact metals found in Mom’s system during her autopsy.”

That last part was a bluff–I didn’t have the bank records yet–but his reaction confirmed it. William’s eyes widened fractionally before

narrowing again.

“You’ve been investigating me?” he demanded, rounding the desk to tower over me. “Your own father?”

“Someone had to seek justice for Mom.”

“Your mother was sick!” he shouted. “She died of cancer!”

“The cancer came after months of unexplained symptoms,” I countered. “After Victoria had been making her special tea for nearly a year.”

“This is absurd,” he scoffed, but I could see sweat beading on his forehead. “You have no proof.”

“Then why are you sweating, Dad? Why did you just destroy your office at the mere suggestion?” I gestured to the whiskey and glass shards. “Innocent people don’t react like that.”

He moved closer, his voice dropping dangerously. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Just like your mother. Always questioning, never

accepting.”

“Did you kill her?” I asked directly, looking into the eyes that matched my own. “Did you help Victoria poison my mother?”

His hand moved so fast I didn’t see it coming. The slap cracked across my face, snapping my head to the side. Pain bloomed hot and sharp, but I refused to flinch or cry out. Slowly, I turned back to face him.

“That’s answer enough,” I said quietly.

William’s face contorted with rage. He lunged for my phone, but I was ready, stepping back and holding it away. “It’s too late,” I told him. “The recording is already backed up. Multiple copies, multiple locations. Including with my lawyer.”

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