Chapter 247 It Was All a Setup
Sebastian’s POV
I let out a bitter laugh. "Abigail, you say you couldn’t let me destroy myself for you. But do you have any idea what you actually did? You left without a word and ran off with Damien. You humiliated me in front of everyone, and for the past three years, you’ve made me live a life that was worse than death. Is this how it should be? Is this what we deserved after years together?"
She lifted her tear-streaked face to mine, twisted with pain. It cut into me like a blade.
I kept going. "Do you have any idea what your words just did? You accused my father, and you’ve dragged me straight back into hell all over again."
"Sebastian, how do you know I haven’t been living in hell since the day I left you?"
I stood there, struck silent.
"Back then," she choked out, "my mind was a mess and I couldn’t think straight. All I cared about was saving my father’s life. I never expected it would cost me the love of my life. And in the end, I couldn’t even save him. I lost my mother too."
Her voice cracked completely, and my chest twisted so violently the air stopped in my throat.
I crossed the space between us and gripped her shoulders. "What the hell happened, Abigail?"
She stared at me, tears mixing with fury, and ground the words out through her teeth. "Your family owes me my parents’ lives."
I let go of her and stepped back, unable to believe what I was hearing.
"I was in France for three years," she continued, her voice shaking. "To keep your father’s agreement, I didn’t dare set foot in Silverlake City. My parents passed away a year ago, Sebastian. A year. And I didn’t find out until eight months later. Do you understand what that feels like? But what I still can’t wrap my head around is that the people who killed them were your parents. The parents of the man I loved. Why were they so cruel? Why?"
The room spun around me. I forced myself steady. I had to get to the truth.
"Abigail, don’t cry." My voice came out hoarse. "Calm down. Tell me the truth, and I swear I’ll get justice for you."
I meant it. Even as my heart shattered into a thousand pieces, even as tears burned the corners of my own eyes, I meant it.
She wiped at her face with trembling hands and sucked in a ragged breath. "The man my father hit that night, the drunk who stepped in front of his truck, he was dying of a terminal illness. It was all a setup, Sebastian. Your father promised him a million dollars to get drunk, throw himself in front of my dad’s vehicle, and let himself get run over. The man figured he was going to die anyway, so why not go early and leave the money for his kids? Your father bet my dad would panic and run. And he was right. He had someone hiding nearby to photograph the whole thing, so he could use it against me later."
My stomach turned.
"His plan worked," Abigail said bitterly. "I left you, just like he wanted. But I never expected your family still wouldn’t let it go. Your mother ordered someone to tamper with my father’s car. Both my parents died in that crash. I became an orphan overnight. And you, you’ve hated me this whole time. But what about me, Sebastian? Should I hate you the same way? Should I take revenge on your parents for my innocent mother and father?"
The blood drained from my head so fast I swayed on my feet.
My mother was part of this? My mother, so gentle and graceful, the Luna who was kind to every last member of the pack. The way she’d always put our family first, the way she’d loved me and Tiffany with everything she had. Could that same woman really stoop to murder?
"How do you know all this?" The words barely came out.
"I didn’t accuse your parents for nothing," she said sharply. "It’s all based on evidence. My godmother in France found everything. I have proof, Sebastian. Enough to bring your parents to justice. But I can’t do it. I can’t, because they’re your parents. Even though they killed my family, I can’t bring myself to destroy you like that. Because I love you."
Abigail’s grief and hatred were real. She said she even had proof.
Looking at her, in as much pain as I was, I had no idea who I was supposed to blame, or curse, or hate.
Slowly, I reached for her. My arms wrapped around her trembling frame, pulling her up from where she’d crouched on the floor.
She collapsed against my chest, and I held her as tightly as I could, as if I could keep us both from falling apart.
"I’m so sorry," I said, my voice cracking. "If my parents really did this, if they killed your family, I’ll apologize on their behalf. I swear to you, Abigail, I’ll question them. And if they’re guilty, I’ll get justice for you. I promise."
"Sebastian," she sobbed into my coat, "you won’t abandon me, will you? I only have you. Nothing else. For three years, I lived in hell for my parents. Now they’re gone, and you’re the only reason I’m still breathing. If I lose you too, I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep going."
Her tears soaked through the fabric, and I felt every drop against my skin like it was burning straight into my heart. Every beat was a spasm of pain.
"For the past two weeks," she whispered, "I haven’t slept. Every time I close my eyes, my parents are there, staring at me. Asking me why I didn’t take revenge. Why I didn’t use the evidence. Why I’m covering for their killers. I can’t look them in the eye, Sebastian. I’ve failed them. I’m the most unfilial daughter in the world. I’m the most selfish person alive. Because even after everything, I still love you. And I hate myself for it."
I closed my eyes and pulled her closer, my jaw clenched.
I pressed my lips to the top of her head, my heart heavy with a decision already made.
I was going to get to the bottom of this.