Chapter 24

The situation escalated so severely that it drew the attention of the authorities. Once a full investigation was launched, everything spiraled completely out of control. The Gale and Lowe families finally fell from grace, their every misdeed exposed. Collusion with officials, bribery—every implicated officer was purged. Bella saw Sebastian and Ronald again. They were shadows of the confident, untouchable men they had once been. A single glance at their unshaven, exhausted faces told her all she needed to know about their misery. They stared at her with a mix of regret and confusion, their voices heavy with defeat. "Do you hate us that much?" Behind that question lay their true, desperate thought. "Do you hate us enough to throw away the 15 years of friendship and back us into a corner?" Bella understood the unspoken words behind their question and couldn't help but find it a little ridiculous. "Shouldn't I hate you? Don't bring up the 15 years of friendship again. Weren't you