Chapter 182
Inside the private room of the police station, Brandon paced anxiously, clearly on edge. He had rushed over the moment he heard about Sanya’s situation, determined to help.
“I’m calling Rain right now. This will end if she just denies the fraudulent marriage,” he said, hastily grabbing his phone.
“No, please don’t do that,” Sanya said, her voice strained with worry. Her hands trembled, and her heart raced as she felt the weight of her situation crashing down on her. “I can’t let Rain compromise her principles because of me p>
Brandon paused, his thumb hovering over the dial icon. “But Sanya, she could clear your name! This is spiralling out of control!” His tone was desperate, trying to reason with her.
Sanya shook her head, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “You don’t get it, Brandon. Rain believes in justice. If she intervenes, it would mean lying—saying that she registered the marriage. She’ll have to deny what I did, and that’s not who she is. She must never lie for something like this p>
Sanya swallowed hard, her face pale. She turned to Brandon, her voice barely above a whisper, “I can’t let Rain throw away her integrity because of me. Not for something like this p>
Brandon, torn between wanting to protect Sanya and respecting Rain’s principles, sighed deeply. “Alright, but we need another plan,” he muttered.
Outside the station, chaos erupted as Dina fanned the flames of the scandal, basking in the media frenzy. “Oh, it’s only going to get more interesting from here,” she teased the gathering reporters. “The truth is yet to come out, and trust me, the fallout will be… sensational p>
Just as the crowd buzzed with her words, a voice cut through the chaos. “Sensational my ass. You’re dragging our family through the mud with your pathetic antics,” William Lancaster snapped as he stepped into view, visibly irritated by the spectacle.
Reporters swarmed toward him like moths to a flame. “Who’s this?” one asked, confused by the sudden arrival.
William gave a cold smile. “I’m William Lancaster, and I’m here to take my girlfriend, Sanya Reed, out of this mess,” he said, calm but dripping with disdain for the situation.
One of the bolder reporters shouted, “Mr. William Lancaster, what’s your comment on Miss Dina’s statements? Is it true that the marriage between your brother, Mr. Alexander Lancaster and Rain Clayton was nothing but a sham p>
William paused mid-step, his face remaining neutral as the reporter’s bold question echoed through the crowd. He turned slowly, his gaze landing directly on the reporter who had dared to ask. The air felt thick with anticipation, and the murmurs of the other reporters quieted, all waiting for his response.
A small smirk tugged at William’s lips as he let the question hang for a moment longer, and then he spoke, his voice calm but laced with a hint of amusement. “Miss Dina Clayton… has a vivid imagination,” he began, his tone deliberately measured. “And while her statements may make for great headlines, they don’t hold any truth. The marriage between my brother and my sister-in-law Rain Clayton is legitimate. They are very much married. So no, it’s not a sham—far from it p>
The crowd buzzed as cameras clicked rapidly, capturing every word, every flicker of William’s expression. But he wasn’t done.
“Dina’s claims,” William continued, “are nothing more than desperate attempts to stir drama. Unfortunately, some people thrive on creating chaos when things don’t go their way p>
Before the reporters could ask another question, face flushed with frustration, Dina interrupted. “Desperate?” she spat, her voice rising in hysterical disbelief. “I’m telling the truth! They’ve been hiding this fraudulent marriage all along, and now you’re all covering for them p>
William didn’t flinch. He crossed his arms and watched Dina with an almost bemused expression, letting her rant.
“You’re all in on this, aren’t you?” Dina’s voice rose. “This is a cover-up! Rain never registered that marriage—it was Sanya! I overheard Sanya say it herself outside the nightclub. You’re all just protecting Rain to also protect your involvement in this p>
William’s facial muscles twitched as the realization hit him. ’So that’s how this madwoman found out.’ He recalled the night outside the club with Sanya and their careless words exchanged. ’Of all people, why did it have to be Dina lurking around?’ he thought, annoyed at the unfortunate coincidence.
A silent sigh escaped him as the old saying crossed his mind. ’There truly is no secret that stays hidden forever p>
The reporters turned their attention to him, eager for the next explosive comment, but William remained cool as ever. He exchanged a glance with Eric, who stepped forward, his lawyerly calm adding weight to his words.
“Miss Clayton,” Eric began, his tone stern, “I would advise you to stop making baseless accusations in public. Your claims about the marriage being fraudulent have no legal standing. And as for Rain Clayton’s involvement, my client, William Lancaster, has already explained the situation. Any further defamatory remarks could lead to legal consequences p>
Dina’s face twisted in anger, her frustration mounting as her moment of attention began slipping away. “Legal consequences?” she hissed, her voice wavering with a mix of fear and rage. “You can’t silence me p>
William finally uncrossed his arms and took a step forward, his voice soft but pointed. “Miss Dina, let me give you some advice,” he said, almost as if speaking to a child throwing a tantrum. “Dragging my family’s name through the mud won’t get you the attention you crave. All it’s going to do is backfire. And you’re going to be the only one standing in the rubble when it does p>
Dina’s bravado faltered for a split second, but she quickly regained her composure, her face hardening. “You think you can scare me p>
William gave her a shrug, his smirk returning. “I don’t need to. You’re doing a great job of destroying yourself without any help from me p>
William had no plans to stick around to fuel the fire. He straightened up and gave a knowing nod to another reporter before walking briskly toward the entrance of the police station.
Dina’s face reddened, and her voice rose again. “You can’t just walk away! This isn’t over p>
The reporter William nodded to turned to Dina. There was a glint of mischief in his eyes as he asked, “Miss Dina, is it true you’re doing this because of your own failed engagement with Paul Smith? Are you still bitter about it p>
“That has nothing to do with this!” Dina snapped, her voice sharp and defensive.
Another reporter quickly followed up, pressing further, “Are you just trying to drag your half-sister Rain Clayton and the Lancasters into your personal mess? We heard chaos happened at your engagement party, and Paul Smith was dragged out by the police p>
The crowd gasped, the atmosphere shifting as every eye locked onto Dina. Her face went pale, then flushed with a mix of rage and humiliation. Her lips quivered as she blinked rapidly, trying to compose herself.
The reporters sensed her vulnerability, circling her like sharks smelling blood.
“Is this just about getting attention p>
“That’s not true! This is… this is not what we’re talking about here! This is about Rain lying to the public!” she screeched, her voice cracking as hysteria started to seep in.
But the crowd wasn’t buying it anymore. Dina’s attempts to steer the story back to her accusations against Rain were crumbling, replaced by murmurs and exchanged glances that spoke of a different story, ’her’ scandal.