She dedicated her life to finding out everything about the four families. Every secret, every crime. We were so close to destroying them for life. Everything was finally over, and I could step away and be a normal person, but it all came down at once.
I woke up today and learned that everything I had on them, they pinned on me.
You don’t understand, and I don’t want you to ever know how evil they are. The things they did, the horrific things they let happen in the world, and now it’s all on me. Tomorrow, everyone in the world will think that I did everything.
Meredith is exhausted. I’ve never seen her like this, but after a lifetime of searching for something only to have it all destroyed, it got to her. I took care of her. She’s okay now. She won’t have to suffer any longer.
I’m on my way to pick up Sable and end this once and for all. I’m about to end the Colefaxes and the Briarwicks and give you the only real chance any of us has ever had.
I’m sorry for leaving you alone, but I’m happy that the curse ends with me today. Sometimes I wonder how life would be if I didn’t let myself be swallowed by revenge, but as I started learning about the four families, I told myself it was right to keep going. They deserved to pay.
The price I’m paying is much greater than I’ve ever thought it would be.
Be careful, don’t trust anyone. Never step a foot inside Bellthorn and be safe. Don’t tell anyone you’re a Briarwick. I’m serious, this ends with me.
Love,
Dad
CHAPTER 72
SABLE
My throat workson a lump as I read the letter for the fifth time. The letter is the same—it doesn’t matter how many times I read it—but I can’t stop myself. I need my father’s words more than I need air. When my vision is so blurry that I can’t keep going, I toss it onto the bed and run to the bathroom.
They made me hate my father and be ashamed of our family. It’s not just the tragedy that followed, but it hurts to know all this time I was disgusted by a man who was trying to stop it all. I don’t appreciate him trying to kill me, but being angry about one huge transgression doesn’t mean he was a rapist and predator like I believed. They told me he raped and killed children to cover for the people who truly did it. Tears streaming down my face, I puke my guts out. It all comes out of me as if it’s an exorcism, lies and pain hitting the toilet bowl.
“It’s okay,” Parker says as he comes in. He drops to his knees behind me and presses his warm hand to my back.
It won’t be okay, but I can’t find the words to disagree with him, so I just cry and let him soothe me. The images of their crimes play in the back of my mind, the same way they played before when I thought those horrible things were my father’s doing, but now the rage is so much different. It’s a movie I neverwanted to watch, but my imagination drives me to madness with it. The letter also confirms that Nina is really my half sister, but I can’t even think about that now. I havefamily, something I thought would be a life-changing secret, but suddenly, having a sister is at the bottom of my priorities.
The four families destroyed so many lives. The pictures of the girls they sold willneverleave my mind. My parents dedicated their lives to ending this and still ended up losing. We lost everything to them. Knowing that my mother came from the fifth family makes me understand why she thought for even a second, she was powerful enough to go against them. Only someone with the ego of a founding family member could think they would manage it.
No one cares about what’s happening to those innocent people. The police don’t care about the truth as long as someone is greasing their palm. The founding families are benefiting from the abuse.
Nothing matters. Nothing fucking matters.
“Come on, Sable.” Parker hooks his hand under my arms and carries me to the sink and offers me a chance to wash my face. I accept, but I barely feel my body as I perform the motions.
The impotence of my position numbs me, and when the tears stop, the pain in my chest doubles. Parker doesn’t know how much it hurts right now, so he just brings me back to the bedroom. Everyone’s face reflects shock and disgust, showing they’ve all read my father’s letter.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Lex says. “But I’m so fucking sorry we are here, anyway.”
“To think they wouldn’t be involved in something like this is actually laughable. Of course it is them.” Hadrian shakes his head.
It warms my heart that they believe in my dad so quickly, but it doesn’t solve our problems. The four families are guilty of somany things that it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are the ones responsible for this tragedy too.
“We have to leave,” Soren says at last, eye on the letter. “I won’t let this happen to us.”
“It’s different now. We are the heirs,” Lex reasons.
“It’s not different enough. Do you want to risk Sable?” Soren argues.
“No one is risking Sable,” Orion agrees with his twin. I’d be more proud of their healing relationship if my world wasn’t crumbling down.
“We need to leave Bellthorn. I want Sable away from this,” Soren’s tone is fierce, his words strike a chord with all of them. Soon they are nodding at each other, agreeing while forgetting that I’m here. But I’m the one who decides my fate now, and that’s never changing.
“We can’t walk away from this,” I say, my own path thoroughly decided.
