Chapter 17

Joshua paused for a moment, his strength easing slightly. Melissa looked up at him with disdain. "Joshua, you chose me. You caused Sebastian's death. You forced Lexi to deal with the fireworks and made her take the punishment. And now you call yourself innocent? You're the real hypocrite." Joshua gripped her collar tightly, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at her. "Shut your mouth. You have no idea how much I loved Lexi." He yanked the relic off her neck with force and flung her across the room. Melissa slammed against the wall and finally noticed the piles of fireworks stacked in the corner of the cabin. Fear spread across her face as she looked at him. "Joshua, what are you doing? I'm your sister. If anything happens to me, Mom will be sad!" Joshua's gaze swept over her, cold and unrelenting. "You're cut off. From today on, you're no longer part of the Lowe family. Everything in your name goes back to us." Fear overtook Melissa completely. She crawled toward him, desperate. "Jo