FreeNovel
Chapter 0142
The butler loosens his grip, a look of disbelief contorting his face. But before he can leave, Gianna,
who’s been watching the whole scene unfold like some sort of soap opera, steps in.
“Wow, Karl,” she sneers, her lips curling into a contemptuous smile. “So now we’re letting not just
cheaters but liars and thieves back into our home?”
The room goes silent. A rush of blood fills my ears. I can’t believe she just said that.
Karl’s face reddens, his eyes flashing with something that looks a lot like betrayal. “Both of you, out.
Now.”
Gianna tosses her hair over her shoulder, glaring at me one last time before stalking out of the room,
her heels clicking angrily against the hardwood floor. Gerald follows, throwing me a disdainful glance as
he leaves.
The door slams shut, and I’m left standing there, my heart pounding in my chest, my eyes blurring with
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇttears I refuse to let fall.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, wiping away a stray tear. “I never should have come.”
I turn and make my way to the door, but Karl’s voice stops me. “Abby, wait.”
I don’t turn around. I can’t turn around. I’m too scared to see the expression on his face. What if it
mirrors Gianna’s or Gerald’s? What if he thinks I’m guilty too? What if there’s still a hint of her lipstick
on his lips?
Instead, I rush out of the room, bolting up the stairs and to my room, ignoring the confused stares of the
dinner guests.
…
A soft knock on my door interrupts my thoughts a little while later. I’m sitting on my bed, my mind still
swirling, when Karl walks in. He looks drained, as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders.
“May I?” he asks, gesturing to the empty space beside me on the bed.
I nod, scooting over to make room. He sits down, and for a long moment, we’re both silent, lost in our
thoughts.
“I know you didn’t steal anything,” Karl finally says, breaking the silence. “And I feel like I should explain
myself too. About… Gianna.”
My throat clenches. I’m about to tell him that I don’t want to know, but it’s too late.
“It was a misunderstanding,” he says. “She said she has feelings for me, and she kissed me. But I’m
not interested in her. I hope you know that.”
For reasons that I don’t want to admit to myself, I feel almost relieved. Almost.
I swallow, trying to feign indifference. “What goes on between you two is none of my—” I begin, but I’m
quickly cut off.
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“No, Abby,” Karl says, his voice firm. Before I can stop him, he reaches over to grip my hand. His
fingers are warm and smooth. “I’m not interested in Gianna. I never have been, and I never will be.”
For a moment, my mouth hangs open slightly, as though the words want to come but can’t seem to spill
out the way they should. What would I even say, though? That I’m glad? That seeing her lipstick on his
face filled me with more pain than I thought possible?
Then, before I can say anything once again, Karl speaks up once more. “Now, I have to ask… did you
see anything… important on my computer?”
I hesitate, unsure of how much I should reveal. Finally, I decide that honesty is the best policy. “I saw
an email exchange between you and Adam,” I say cautiously. “About some rare ingredients.”
As the words leave my mouth, I watch Karl’s face turn pale, his eyes widening ever so slightly. For a
split second, he looks vulnerable, almost afraid. It’s a look I’ve never seen on him before, and
something about it chills me to the bone.
“What’s wrong, Karl?”
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