Chapter 1052

“What befell you after you left me?” he demanded.

Mavis’ eyes flickered, hesitation evident in her face. She didn’t want to remember the horrendous

events that had transpired. She shook her head and replied, “Nothing happened. I went straight home

after I left you.”

He knew she was lying! In the past twenty minutes, he’d had someone look into Mavis’ whereabouts.

She had indeed been taken away after leaving.

“Mavis, I’m tempted to kill you.” Suddenly, Harlan was holding a black gun, the barrel aimed squarely at

Mavis’ forehead.

As the icy metal touched her temple, her hand involuntarily loosened its grip, and the fruit basket she’d

been carrying plummeted to the ground.

“Harlan, why would you do this to me?”

“Don’t act so innocent. You know precisely what you’ve done. Derek’s life hangs in the balance. You

must answer for this,” Harlan’s voice quivered with rage.

Stammering, Mavis asked, “Is Derek in danger?”

“You still refuse to talk? Fine, I’ll tell you. After you left my villa, Bruce’s people abducted you. They

forced you to reveal Marcus ‘injury, and you complied. They used that information to ambush Marcus at

night. Derek was shot because of your betrayal. You will pay for what you’ve done, Mavis.”

Harlan’s words were heavy, spoken through gritted teeth. Mavis could feel the threat in the air, her

palms slick with perspiration.

She never thought the man she cared for would summon her to a confrontation like this.

But Harlan was mistaken. She hadn’t disclosed anything about Marcus‘ to her.

Her affection for him drove her to endure injury captors.

their threats and abuse rather than yield to their demands.

A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y

“Harlan, you misunderstand me. Yes, I admit I lied earlier. I didn’t go directly home. I was abducted and

taken to a run-down house. They tried to force me to speak of Mr. Thomas’ injury, threatening me,

even… But you must believe me. I never said a word about Mr. Thomas’ injury. If I did, may lightning

strike me dead.”

The word she couldn’t bring herself to say was “rape.”

Her voice sincere and pleading, Mavis sought to convince Harlan of her innocence. His eyes shifted to

Marcus, who stood nearby, his face a mask of icy indifference.

Marcus’ eyes narrowed, his gaze sharp and unsettling. Though Derek was merely a subordinate, he

was irreplaceable as a trusted aide.

Marcus remained silent, but the look in his eyes conveyed his thoughts clearly to Harlan.

Turning his head, Harlan met Mavis’ gaze. Her large eyes were fixed on him, pleading, filled with tears,

begging for him to believe her.

Derek’s well-being was of utmost importance to Marcus.

Had Mavis not disclosed Marcus’ injury to Bruce, perhaps they wouldn’t have acted tonight, and Derek

would have remained unscathed.

Worse still, Derek had sustained his injury while defending Marcus.

Harlan couldn’t shake the feeling that Mavis was still withholding the truth.