Chapter 528 A Room Full of Shadows
Elsie was under tight police watch–even Owen wasn’t allowed to see her. So the entire Saunders household sat shrouded in a heavy silence, tension hanging thick in the air.
As Wyatt’s car pulled into the estate, Yunice noticed another car parked outside.
“Paul?” she murmured.
The moment they entered the living room, Owen jumped up from the sofa, visibly agitated–but Peggy yanked him back down before he could charge over.
“This has nothing to do with Yunice,” she said flatly. “What are you trying to lash out at her for? It was Oscar who assaulted Elsie. Would she really sabotage herself just to take someone else down?”
The moment she said “assault,” Owen’s fists clenched so hard they trembled. His molars ground together with audible force.
Elsie had been violated–physically and emotionally. He couldn’t even bring himself to imagine the horror of it: Elsie alone, helpless, trapped in despair.
But what shattered him completely–was that the bastard responsible might be his own brother.
Yes, he’d known Oscar had issues with Elsie. But he never imagined Oscar–his clean-cut, ambitious brother–would do something this vile.
Yunice glanced toward Lily, who sat utterly still, eyes glazed, like the life had been drained out of her.
A scandal like this? Elsie’s entire future was destroyed. Lily’s dream of seeing her daughter married into a powerful family was now ash in the wind. Worse yet–it was Oscar who had done it.
Despite her bias toward Elsie, Lily had always favored Oscar more deeply than anyone else. He was the only one she had raised herself. Now the eagle she’d raised had gouged out her own eye–and she had no tears left to shed.
“You’re here to gloat?” The voice came from Paul.
He sat with unnatural stillness on the couch. His tone was quiet but carried an eerie chill. The heavy makeup over his scarred face, paired with his sunken cheeks, made him look ghostlike. Anyone could tell just by looking–Paul had not been doing well. And it hadn’t even been two years since the engagement broke off.
He barely looked human anymore.
Yunice narrowed her eyes. “And what are you doing here?”
Lily answered before Paul could. “Paul has a good heart. Elsie’s been hurt–he feels just as miserable as the rest of us.” Then she slowly lifted her gaze toward Yunice. Her voice turned sharp. “But you must be pleased, huh?”
She had wanted revenge on the Saunders family. On Elsie. Well, now she had it.
Yunice snorted. “From the moment I walked in, all I’ve heard is concern for Elsie. Funny how none of you seem to care that Oscar’s rotting in a cell right now. He might get charged with assault–and not one of you has even mentioned him.”
At that, every face darkened. It was clear–none of them believed in Oscar’s innocence.
Yunice’s voice sharpened. “Lily, of all your children, Oscar is the only one you personally raised. Don’t tell me you don’t know what kind of man he is.”
Lily bit her lip, voice weak. “He was holding the knife… He cut Elsie’s wrist. Everyone saw…”
“Oh? So ‘seeing’ makes it true?” Yunice snapped. “You already forgot how you and Elsie framed me back then?”
Lily said nothing, stiff with resentment.
Owen surged up again, trembling with rage–he couldn’t take anyone insulting Elsie right now. But Peggy held him down firmly. She wasn’t about to let him ruin things. Oscar and Elsie both being in trouble suited her just fine–but crossing their golden ticket? Not worth it.
Instead, Peggy turned her eyes, shameless and bold, toward Wyatt. She recognized him instantly–this must be the legendary, mysterious husband of Yunice. The one whose name no one dared speak. So she smiled sweetly and said, “Actually, I think Yunice makes a good point. There’s definitely something off about this whole thing…”
Then, fluttering her lashes in Wyatt’s direction, she added with a syrupy tone, “This must be Wyatt, right? You can tell at a glance—he’s the kind of man who handles serious business. With someone like him around, I just know Oscar and Elsie will both get justice.”
Lily and Owen both rolled their eyes at her blatant flattery. They knew full well Yunice would only lift a finger to save Oscar–not Elsie. But Yunice noticed something far more interesting. The moment Peggy finished, Paul let out a quiet, mocking laugh.
She stepped toward him, slowly, stopping right in front of his seat. She leaned down, eyes locked onto his. “What are you laughing at?”
Paul’s smirk faltered. His expression hardened.
He hated that look in her eyes–that calm, condescending gaze. Since when did Yunice get to look down on him?
Yunice’s gaze flicked across his face deliberately–landing on the scar beneath the thick layers of foundation. Her voice turned icy. “No matter how much cream you smear on your face, it won’t cover that scar. Guess some kinds of ugliness can’t be hidden, huh?”