Lemira looked at Hale. “You’re still hiding something from me, aren’t you?”

“Believe it or not, that’s up to you. If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing more I can do.”

Lemira didn’t get angry; instead, her suspicion deepened all the more proof that there was something secretive going on between the Sinclair family and Hale. Orion’s eyes were cold and sharp as he stared at Hale. “Where did you hide the evidence?”

“If you take me to the police station, I’ll talk. But here? I’m not saying a word.”

Lemira gave Hale another look, her doubts growing stronger. He was definitely keeping something from her.

“But if you refuse to tell the truth, then I’ll have no choice but to work with the Sinclair family. In that case, you’ll take the fall for murder and end up with the death penalty. All those secrets you’re carrying will die with you.”

Just as she finished, Hale lost his composure-exactly as Lemira had expected.

She stepped forward, her gaze icy and unyielding. “Speak!”

Lemira had anticipated this. The only reason Hale agreed to surrender to the police was because, in his version of events, the Sinclairs orchestrated everything and he’d never intended to murder the Langstons.

By law, that would mean he’d avoid the death penalty-he’d just serve some time before eventually getting out.

That was Hale’s plan all along.

But if the Sinclairs’ account was accepted-if Hale took full responsibility-then he’d be facing execution.

Of course Hale didn’t want to die. If he were dead, all the secrets and schemes he’d been holding onto would be worthless.

And gamblers like him never risk their own lives.

Hale showed his anxiety. “But if you side with the Sinclairs, your parents will never be avenged. It was the Sinclairs who bribed me they wanted me to harm your parents.”

“But the Sinclairs claim they only instructed you to injure my parents and stop them from attending the bidding. They say you killed them. You’re the murderer.”

“No, they’re lying! The Sinclairs made it clear from the start-they wanted your parents dead. I was the one who hesitated because of how kind they were to me. I tried to spare them.”

“But my parents died anyway.”

Hale paused, then replied, “It was all

the Sinclairs fault. I didn’t expect

their plan to be so thorough. I wanted to save your parents, but failed They even tried to kill me afterwards, to silence me I’ve been hiding ever since.” “

“So, that means it wasn’t you driving my parents’ car that night, was it?”

Evelina’s father was silent.

Lemira pressed on. “The person driving must have worn a mask-a mask of your face-tricking my parents. That person was your accomplice.”

“That’s right. He was my

accomplice. But I never imagined the Sinclairs had also tampered with the car itself. The explosion is what Killed your parents, and my accomplice died with them.”

“You’ll have to prove it. Is that the evidence you’ve been using to blackmail the Sinclairs all these years?”

Hale’s expression grew clouded; he seemed to realize he had let something slip, just enough for Lemira to see through him.

After that, no matter how much Lemira pressed, Hale refused to say another word.

Lemira turned to Evelina’s father and asked, “One last question-was there someone else in the back seat of the Singlairs car that night? You had to be there. You must have seen them.”

She had spent years investigating, and still hadn’t figured out the identity of the person in that car.

When Orion heard her question, he stood frozen in place, as though waiting for a final verdict.

Hale looked up at Orion. Under the lights, Orion’s features were shrouded in shadow, making his expression unreadable.

A faint, almost mocking smile flickered on Hale’s lips. “I don’t know.”

This driver was turning out to be anything but easy to deal with.