Chapter 208
Chapter 208:
“Narcissism is a powerful drug,” Alistair replied. He stood behind her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him, a solid wall at her back.
The door to the observation room remained shut, but outside, in the bustling precinct hallway, a commotion erupted. Through the open doorway, Skye could see a woman arguing fiercely with the desk sergeant.
It was Lydia Winthrop.
She looked impeccable in a Chanel suit, her hair perfectly coiffed, but her eyes were red-rimmed and wild. She spotted Alistair through the open doorframe and lunged 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… I saw the news. Is it true? Did he really kidnap her p>
Skye turned slowly, stepping out of the shadows of the observation 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,” Skye said softly. “He traded his sanity for a delusion. And you were just a prop in his play p>
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. “Skye is my only wife! I don’t care about the others! They were distractions! Placeholders p>
Lydia, standing in the hallway, heard every word through the open door. She flinched as if she’d been slapped. Her hand flew to her mouth.
“Placeholders p>
“You didn’t know?” Skye asked, 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 Seraphina. Just like all of them p>
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, heaving 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 p>
𝗨n𝗆о𝖽𝗂𝘧𝘪𝗲𝘥 с𝗵𝖺p𝗍𝖾rѕ 𝗼𝗇 be.cо𝗺
The confession hung in the air, heavy and damning.
Lydia let out a choked sound, then turned and ran down the corridor, the staccato click of her heels 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 Skye Sterling and delivered her to you p>
Liam wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve. Self-preservation had finally overridden his delusion. He looked up, his eyes hard.
“Yes,” Liam said clearly. “Victor and his mother, Petunia. They wanted leverage. They wanted to blackmail Skye into giving up the company. They used me p>
“And you let them,” the detective said.
“I was drunk,” Liam lied smoothly. “I thought… I thought she was hurt. I was trying to help her p>
Skye let out a short, sharp laugh. “Unbelievable. He’s spinning it into a rescue mission p>
“It doesn’t matter,” Alistair said. “He just gave us Victor and Petunia on a silver platter. That’s conspiracy to commit kidnapping. That’s a federal charge p>