Chapter 208
“Narcissism is a powerful drug,” Alistair replied. He stood behind her, clow enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him, a solid wall at herk
The door to the observation room remained shut, but outside, in the hustling precinct hallway, a commotion erupted. Through the open doorway, Skye could saw a woman arguing fiercely with the desk sergeant.
It was Lydia Winthrop
She looked impeccable in a Chanel wait, her hair perfectly coiffed, but her eyes were red-rimmed and wild. She spotted Alistair through the open doorframe and langed past the officer trying to restrain her.
“Alistair!” Lydia cried, her voice shrill. She stopped at the threshold, blocked by one of Alistair’s bodyguards who stepped in front of the door. “…I saw the news. Is it true? Did he really kidnap her?”
Skyw turned slowly, stepping out of the shadows of the cheervation room to face the woman in the hallway. She looked Lydia up and down with a pity far more insulting than anger.
“He did more than that, Lydia,” Skyw said softly. “He traded his sanity for a delusion. And you were just a prop in his play.” Before Lydia could answer, Liam’s voice boomed through the speaker system connected to the observation room.
“She is my wife” Liam was screaming at the detective now. “Skyw is my only wife! I don’t care about the others! They were distractions Placeholder”
Lydia, standing in the hallway, heard every word through the open door. She flinched as if she’d been slapped. Her hand few to her mouth.
“Placeholders?”
“You didn’t know?” Skywalked, leaning against the doorframe. “You were just a warm body to keep the seat warm until he thought he could get me back. Just like Seraphins. Just like all of them.”
Lydia stared at the speaker, tears streaming down her face. Through the open door, she watched Liam grab the detective’s lapels with his good hand.
“I love her!” Liam sobbed, breaking down into pathetic, having tears. “I went to the hotel to save her from her family! Victor and Petunia…they brought her to me like a gift! They said if I took her, she’d have to stay!”
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The confession hung in the air, heavy and damning
Lydialet out a choked sound, then turned and ran down the corridor, the staccato click of her heals a rhythm of humiliation. “One down,” Alistair noted dryly.
Inside the interrogation room, the chief detective leaned in. “Victor Sterling? You’re saying Victor Sterling kidnapped Skyw Sterling and delivered her to you?”
Liam wiped his bloody now on his sleeve. Self-preservation had finally overridden his delusion. He looked up, his sy hard.
“Yes,” Lim said clearly. “Victor and his mother, Petunia. They wanted leverage. They wanted to blackmail Skyw into giving up the company. They used me.”
“And you let them,” the detective sid
“I was drank,” Liam lied smoothly. “I thought… I thought she was hurt. I was trying to help her.”
Sky let out a short, sharp laugh. “Unbelievable. He’s spinning it into a rescue mission.”
“It don’t matter,” Alistair said. “He just gave us Victor and Petunianilver platter. That’s conspiracy to commit kidnapping. That’s a federal charge.”