Chapter 232: Sneaky Woman
Chapter 232 of "Mated To The Crippled Alpha" opens with exciting events: I was barely back in the room when I sensed it Vicky was already here.A... Continue reading!
I was barely back in the room when I sensed it Vicky was already here.A servant had just set down a tray, and Vicky followed right behind her like she owned the hallway. She moved fast, straight to Camillaâs bed, fluffing pillows and trying to sit her up as if nothing had happened. As if the blood and screams from earlier were just another inconvenience.
I stepped forward and blocked her.
"Vicky," I said calmly, "Ms. Morrigan needs rest. Let the nurses handle her for now."
Vickyâs lips curled, cold and offended. "Whatâs this? You think you can tell me what to do? Am I not even allowed to care for my own daughter?"
I kept my tone steady. "Iâm not trying to disrespect you. But Jeffrey asked me to manage things here, and the Hale house is already on edge. We canât afford another problem."
Her eyes sharpened. "Riley," she cut in, her voice hardening. "Iâve been with the Hales for years. Youâre just a new bride. Donât think you can start ordering me around."
I had planned to keep it polite.
But Vicky didnât.
So I stopped pretending.
I let my gaze travel over her slowly, then met her eyes. "Youâre right. Youâve been here for years. And yet, after all these years, you still donât have a marriage license. Youâre not Adamâs wife, Vicky."
The words landed exactly where I wanted them to.
Her face tightened. I could see the nerve Iâd hit. Adam had brought her into this family against Jeffreyâs will. Jeffrey had never truly accepted her, and everyone knew it. Vicky could play hostess, play mother, play the devoted woman... but on paper, she had nothing.
Even if Adam died tomorrow, she couldnât legally call herself his widow.
And she hated that.
Vicky took a step closer, her voice low and sharp. "Riley. I suggest you watch yourself."
Her stare was pure venom predator-calm, like she was measuring where to bite.
I didnât flinch.
I already knew what kind of woman she was. I already knew she wasnât innocent in my story.
So I returned her stare with the same sharpness. "Iâm doing exactly what Jeffrey asked me to do," I said. "And with everything happening lately, Iâm not taking chances."
Her nostrils flared. "What are you implying?"
I didnât raise my voice. I didnât need to.
"First, a servant files a false report," I said evenly. "Then, on the same day, we find poison in Silasâs food. Linda was just a maid, so why was she so involved in our movements? This family isnât that large. The timing doesnât make sense."
Vicky snapped back immediately, defensive. "Strange? Whatâs strange about it? Are you accusing me now?"
I kept my eyes on her. "Silas died without saying a single useful word. And youâre Camillaâs foster mother. You have access, influence, and motive."
Her jaw clenched.
I took one step closer not threatening, just undeniable. "Silas was the Hale heir. He was switched at birth. And youâve been in a âspecial positionâ in this house for a long time."
I paused, then delivered it cleanly.
"From now on, you wonât contact Camilla. And you wonât leave the Hale residence unless I approve it."
Vickyâs expression twisted. "Riley, are you trying to lock me up?"
"No," I said, calm as ice. "Iâm asking you to cooperate."
I tilted my head slightly. "If youâre innocent, Iâll apologize. Iâll bow to you in front of everyone. But if youâre guilty..."
I let the silence finish the sentence.
Then I added, softly, "If youâre hiding something, this wonât end well for you."
Vickyâs voice went sharp and icy. "Riley, you dare."
"Jeffrey gave the orders," I replied. "And right now, the Hales are under my control. Iâm doing my job."
At that moment, Adam walked in.
He looked like someone had carved years into his face overnight. His eyes were hollow and red, his posture heavy with grief. Losing Silas and the baby had crushed something inside him.
Vicky rushed toward him like a lifeline. "Say something, honey!" she cried. "Is this whatâs happening now? Lewis and his wife are taking over the Hales?"
I watched Adam carefully.
This was the moment he would either protect her... or choose the truth.
He didnât even hesitate.
"Do what Riley says," he said flatly.
Vicky froze.
"Adam..." Her voice shook. "How can you do this to me? After everything weâve been through?"
Adamâs eyes hardened. His voice came out cold, final. "Because I want the truth too."
Vicky swallowed, trying to keep her composure. "Are you accusing me?"
"Iâm not accusing you," Adam said, but his voice trembled when he spoke Silasâs name. "Iâm saying things donât add up. Linda called the police for no reason, and then she ended up dead in a detention center. Silas... Silas was the same."
His throat bobbed as he forced the next words out. "And the car crash when Lewis and my late wife were involved that wasnât an accident. Someone may have planned it."
The moment he said it, something clicked in my head.
Lewisâs leg.
It had healed long ago, yet he still moved like a man with a permanent injury. Like heâd been protecting a secret in plain sight.
Had he known all along?
If all of this was connected my death, Lewisâs leg, Adamâs wife, Silas, Julian, the Morrigans then this wasnât a string of bad luck.
It was a design.
A plan.
And whoever created it was still standing close enough to touch us.
Vickyâs face turned pale. "Honey... are you really blaming me for that crash?" she whispered, horrified.
Adam stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time. "If my wife hadnât died," he said slowly, "you would never have had the chance to replace her."
Vicky staggered like heâd slapped her.
"How can you say that?" Her voice cracked, tears spilling freely now. "Do you know what I went through raising our daughter alone? If you hadnât left us, she would still be alive! And now youâre accusing me? Iâm just a woman what could I possibly do to cause an accident?"
Her sobs filled the room, loud and desperate. "I shouldnât have come back..."
Then she turned.
And ran.
"Stop her!" someone shouted, but Vicky was already moving too fast.
She reached the balcony in seconds and climbed onto the railing, her body outlined against the sky like a threat and a performance at the same time.
She looked back at Adam, tears streaking her face, her voice raw.
"If you think Iâm guilty," she cried, "would it make you happy if I disappeared?"