Chapter 7
An officer stepped forward to stop him.
“Sir, this is important evidence. Please don’t touch it.”
Maverick let go, and I watched him stiffly step back.
He gathered Bella back into his arms, blocking her view with his embrace.
He gently stroked Bella’s back, but his eyes stayed fixed on that plastic bag.
Several officers quickly gathered around it.
The black plastic bag was opened.
After all these years, he finally looked into those eyes again.
My eyes stared wide open, showing the pain and despair of my final moments.
I watched Maverick just stand there stunned, like his soul had left his body.
“Sir, do you know this woman? We need to get some information from you.”
He didn’t respond to the officer, didn’t even change how he was holding Bella.
He just stared intently into my eyes as tears silently fell.
“Paisley, I didn’t know that was really your last phone call…”
It felt like bitter grief was choking my throat, my very soul trembling.
The officers helped Maverick sit in the living room, and he still kept Bella protected in his arms.
Chloe arrived too. She sat gently beside Maverick.
I quietly settled nearby.
Chloe’s voice was somewhat shrill, sounding so sad and disbelieving.
“Maverick, where’s Paisley? Is it really true that Paisley’s dead?”
Tears immediately spilled from her eyes.
As soon as she spoke, Bella started sobbing again, making my own eyes redden.
Maverick quickly patted Bella’s back, soothing her to sleep before frowning at Chloe.
“Watch what you say–don’t scare Bella.”
His voice was very soft, but his words carried a clear warning.
Maverick explained to the police what he knew of the situation.
“Paisley used to call a lot. Chloe took several of those calls too.”
Chloe nodded beside him, wiping away tears.
J Sugar Daddyl
25.0%
Chapter 7
“Derek married Paisley because he loved her. The first two years, they always seemed so happy in public.”
Watching Chloe like this, I couldn’t help frowning. Her expression seemed fake somehow.
Maverick looked very dejected, his voice hoarse.
“Later Paisley kept saying she was being abused, but she hadn’t called in three years, so I thought…”
I looked grief–stricken. “It wasn’t that I didn’t contact you–I was locked in that basement.”
Just then, an officer hurried over with a stack of photocopies.
“We’ve got a new development. ‘Chloe‘ was the only person in close contact with the deceased.”
“The victim’s phone shows she sent distress messages to ‘Chloe‘ starting three years ago.”
I saw Chloe’s face immediately go white as she sat frozen on the couch.
My past desperation and struggles were clearly printed on that paper.
Spread across the table were also photos I’d taken of the scars on my body.
Seeing the information on the papers, Maverick’s eyes widened.
He stood up angrily, facing Chloe directly. “You couldn’t see her injuries?”
“‘Don’t make trouble and nothing bad will happen‘? That’s what you call caring about Paisley!”
Chloe’s eyes darted away as she pressed her lips tight, saying nothing.
But I stared at her with shock and disappointment. “You were deliberately provoking me this whole time.”
Maverick looked at Chloe, his voice growing colder.
“Chloe, what else did you say to Paisley? Just how much did you know about her situation?”
Chloe kept shaking her head as tears slid down again.
Watching her denial, I felt utterly cold inside.
“I sent you photos of my wounds, pictures of those bloody chains.”
“You knew everything. You even said you told Maverick, said you talked to Derek.”
I looked at Chloe in disbelief as a terrible suspicion formed in my mind.
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