Transmigrated: I Became My Nemesis's Woman novel Chapter 184

Chapter 184: I am not june anymore

"Then why does all the evidence point to you?" Xander demanded.

His gun never wavered.

Years of grief and anger had taught him not to trust words alone. Bernard was still a stranger to him—a man with a notorious reputation. For all Xander knew, this could be nothing more than another attempt to mislead him.

Bernard seemed to expect the question.

He let out a weary sigh before speaking.

"I don’t know who convinced you that I murdered my own daughter and her husband," he said calmly. "But whoever fed you that information wanted exactly this—to turn us against each other."

His gaze met Xander’s without hesitation.

"By the time Susan chose Lucas, I had already lost."

The confession surprised everyone in the room.

"I opposed their relationship in the beginning," Bernard admitted. "I was furious that she chose my enemy over her own family."

A bitter smile crossed his lips.

"But after signing the peace treaty with Lucas, I severed all ties with Susan."

Edward frowned.

"You expect us to believe that?"

Bernard looked toward him.

"I had no choice."

He clasped his hands behind his back.

"Lucas wasn’t the young man I had underestimated years earlier."

His voice grew noticeably heavier.

"I thought he would never surpass his father."

A humorless chuckle escaped him.

"I was wrong."

"He was even more dangerous."

Bernard glanced back at Xander.

"Lucas had gathered enough evidence to expose Black Veil’s operations. If he wanted to destroy everything I had built, he could have."

He paused.

"He didn’t threaten me out of hatred."

"He did it to protect Susan."

The room fell silent.

"I knew exactly what kind of man he was," Bernard continued. "If I had broken that treaty or laid a hand on his family, he wouldn’t have hesitated to wipe Black Veil off the map."

His expression darkened with the memory.

"So tell me, Xander..."

"Why would I start a war I already knew I couldn’t win?"

Xander’s grip around the pistol tightened.

The explanation made sense.

Far more sense than he wanted it to.

Bernard shook his head.

"I may be many things."

"Egotistical."

"Cold."

"A terrible father."

His voice faltered almost imperceptibly.

"But I never ordered Susan’s death."

He took a slow step forward despite the guns aimed at him.

Hunter immediately tensed.

"Boss!"

Bernard ignored him.

His eyes never left Xander.

"I know I’ve made mistakes that can never be forgiven."

"I hurt my daughter."

"I drove her away."

"I lost the chance to watch her live the life she chose."

His voice grew quieter.

"That regret will follow me until the day I die."

He drew in a slow breath.

"But I did not kill her."

"I did not kill Lucas."

"And I certainly never wanted my grandson to grow up without his parents."

The conviction in his voice left even Edward uncertain.

Bernard slowly raised his right hand.

"I swear on my life..."

He paused, his eyes reflecting a grief he had buried for decades.

"I had no hand in your parents’ deaths."

"If I’m lying..."

He looked Xander directly in the eyes.

"...then you can pull that trigger right now."

The office fell into complete silence.

No one moved.

No one even seemed to breathe.

For the first time since Bernard had walked into Phantom Headquarters, doubt crept into Xander’s heart.

If Bernard was innocent...

Then every lead, every piece of evidence, every assumption he had made over the years had been carefully manipulated.

Someone had orchestrated everything from the shadows.

Someone powerful enough to frame the leader of Black Veil...and powerful enough to make Xander spend years hunting the wrong enemy.

***

A taxi came to a slow stop in front of an old, abandoned property.

The engine idled for a moment before Ivy stepped out.

Dressed in a black hoodie, a cap pulled low over her forehead, and a face mask concealing most of her features, she blended effortlessly into the quiet neighborhood. After paying the driver, she waited until the taxi disappeared around the corner.

Only then did she turn toward the house.

Time had not been kind to it.

The once-white walls were now stained black with soot. Broken windows gaped like hollow eyes, and vines had swallowed almost every inch of the cracked exterior. Years of neglect had transformed what was once a warm family home into little more than a haunted shell.

Ivy stood motionless.

Her eyes lingered on the rusted iron gate standing crookedly on its hinges.

She slowly reached out.

Creaaak...

The rusty gate protested loudly as she pushed it open.

The sound echoed through the empty yard, disturbing a flock of birds perched on the roof. They scattered into the gray sky, leaving an eerie silence behind.

The overgrown lawn brushed against her shoes as she walked forward.

Every step felt heavier than the last.

She had visited countless dangerous places throughout her life as Raven.

Yet none of them had made her heart race the way this place did.

Because this wasn’t a battlefield.

It was home.

Or at least...

It used to be.

As she approached the burned remains of the front porch, a gentle breeze swept through the yard.

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