Chapter 615
“Don’t lose hope. My sister will be fine.”
Sebastian gripped Simon’s shoulder, steadying him, though worry gnawed at his own chest.
“I’m sorry… it’s all because of me…”
Simon’s voice cracked. Tears spilled as guilt consumed him. He had promised Molly he would take her to meet his mother, that they would begin planning their wedding. And now everything had been shattered- destroyed by his vile father.
Sebastian exhaled slowly. “None of us wanted this to happen. But your father-”
“Don’t say his name.”
Simon dropped to his haunches, clutching his head as grief and rage twisted his features.
For more than twenty years, he and his sister and mother had lived through misery because of that man. Landon. Pig. Dog, Monster,
Now he was dead. And good riddance.
Simon felt no sorrow, only bitter satisfaction. If that jagged stool leg hadn’t finished him, Simon might have driven the knife into him himself–for what he had done to his mother, to Molly, to the only woman Simon truly loved.
Sebastian kept silent. He had already called their family. Half an hour later, members of the Vanderbilts rushed in.
Eliza and Raymond arrived first, followed by Jasper and Vincent. All wore the same stricken look.
“Molly, my daughter. how is she?” Eliza grabbed Sebastian’s sleeve, tears spilling freely.
Raymond’s face was drawn. “Sebastian, is she badly hurt?”
“What happened?” Vincent pressed. “How did she get hurt?”
“Weren’t you going to meet Simon’s mother?” Jasper asked, baffled. How had a simple visit ended in bloodshed?
Sebastian spoke carefully. “We were on the way to meet his mother. Something went wrong. Molly was seriously injured. She’s in surgery now. We’ll know more when the doctors come out.”
He didn’t mention the Smith family’s chaos.
But Eliza turned on Simon, her grief boiling over. She seized his arm, voice sharp with anguish. “What happened? You said you’d protect her! How could you let this happen? What did you do to her?”
Simon bowed his head. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault…”
100 Tue, sep y
“Mom, don’t blame him.” Sebastian interjected. “This was an accident. The one who hurt Molly was Landon.”
“Landon? Isn’t that Wendy’s father?“.
“Why would your father stab Molly?” Raymond demanded, staring at Simon.
The Vanderbilts had never interfered in Molly’s love life, but after she and Simon began dating, they had looked into the Smith family. They knew the parents were divorced. Now to learn that it was Simon’s own father who had nearly killed her–that was harder to swallow.
Simon said nothing, shoulders slumped, lips pressed shut.
Sebastian pulled his parents aside. “Listen. It really was an accident. Molly was at the Smiths‘ when Landon came home drunk, violent. She stepped in to protect Simon. She was stabbed… but Landon’s dead now.”
The words stunned them into silence.
Finally Vincent whispered, “Dead? How? Did Simon kill his own father?”
The suggestion shocked them all, and their eyes turned to Simon.
He froze like stone, unable to move, unable to answer.
“No.” Sebastian said quickly. “He fell–impaled himself. Caitlin and Wendy are already giving statements to the police. I’ll go down there now. Stay here and wait.”
He left for the station.
At the precinct, Caitlin and Wendy had already been separated and interviewed. Each told the truth, recounting the events as they happened. When Caitlin emerged, Sebastian was waiting outside.
“All done?”
She nodded.
“Let’s go.”
“Wait. Wendy’s still inside.”
Minutes later Wendy came out. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face ghostly pale.
The ordeal had shaken her to the core.
Caitlin slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go back to your place.”
The Smith family apartment complex was still crowded. Police cars idled outside, tape cordoning off the building. Neighbors clustered, murmuring excitedly.
“I heard the woman screaming upstairs–never thought it would end in a killing.”
“She’s always been unstable. Maybe she snapped.”
“What was the dead man to her? Some grudg
Inside the unit, the coroner finished a preliminary exam. Evidence techs sealed samples and bagged the body. Felix gave the order to secure the apartment, then led his team downstairs.
When the gurney appeared with the covered corpse, the gathered residents stepped back.
At that moment, two women burst through the crowd–a middle–aged wife and her grown daughter.
Wanda collapsed at the sight of Landon’s body, wailing, while Tonya fell beside her, sobbing for her father.
To outsiders, it looked like a scene of domestic tragedy–wife and daughter weeping, neighbors spinning lurid tales of love and betrayal gone wrong.
But Wanda knew exactly whose apartment this was. Her husband had died inside his ex–wife’s home. She was sure Rebecca and her children had something to do with it.
When Felix emerged, Wanda grabbed his sleeve. “Officer, who killed my husband? Was it that whore or her
son
“We’re still investigating.” Felix said evenly. “The medical examiner will issue a report. For now, the body must be taken for autopsy.”
He refused to reveal more in front of gawking neighbors. With a wave, he dismissed the crowd and ordered the body removed.
Once the police cleared out, Wanda and Tonya stormed upstairs, only to find the apartment sealed and guarded. Denied entry, they stomped back down.
Just then, Sebastian’s car pulled in. He stepped out with Caitlin and Wendy.
Wanda’s gaze locked on Wendy instantly. Her eyes blazed with hate. She barreled toward her like a fury
unleashed.
“Bitch! You and your family killed him, didn’t you? You all worked together to murder Landon! Where’s that shameless mother of yours? Drag her out here right now!”