Chapter 12

Joshua froze, his legs giving way beneath him as he nearly collapsed upon hearing the officer's words. "So even if Lexi had saved Sebastian first, the people who would have died would have been her and Sebastian, while Melissa would have survived no matter what, because her bomb never had any explosives?" The officer nodded. "Lexi must have sensed something while defusing them. That's why she flagged these two bombs for us to further examine afterward." A single tear slipped down Joshua's face. He stared at his own hands, his voice hoarse. "So it was a trap, meticulously designed for Lexi and Sebastian. And I was meant to be the executioner in that trap." He let out a bitter, disbelieving laugh. Then his gaze turned cold as he looked at Melissa. The affection that had once softened his eyes was gone, replaced by suspicion and scrutiny. "Melissa, aren't you going to explain yourself?" Panic flashed across Melissa's face. She immediately grabbed his hand. "Joshua, I swear! I don't