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Chapter_59
The news hit Quinn like a blast of cold air, a chill that sank deep into her bones and numbed her to the very core. Her gaze was fixed on the television, but it was the echo of Alexander’s ominous words that consumed her thoughts. “She won’t have the chance.” Quinn had feared what Alexander might do to Abigail, but the reality unfolding before her was far darker than anything she could have imagined.
Abigail, miraculously unharmed, had unknowingly become the catalyst for a catastrophe—one that threatened to drag her, along with the entire Vanderbilt family, into a swirling vortex of scandal and disgrace. Meanwhile, Alexander remained conspicuously absent, his shadow lingering over the scene even as he distanced himself from the fallout.
Back at the Vanderbilt estate, the air was thick with urgency as everyone was hastily summoned, including Oliver. Abigail was a hollow shell of herself, slumped on the couch in a daze. Her eyes were empty, her voice barely audible, hoarse and laced with anguish.
When Oliver attempted to engage her, her responses were fragmented, her words disjointed. Upon hearing about her earlier encounter with Alexander, he let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Abigail, I warned you about getting entangled with Alexander. But you wouldn’t listen,” he said, the weariness in his voice evident.
Abigail’s face was ashen, her hands shaking. She had always been the bold, fearless one, but she had never been responsible for taking a life. The image of the car plowing into the crowd, the sickening crunch of bodies beneath the tires, replayed relentlessly in her mind. Each time she thought of it, a wave of nausea overwhelmed her.
“The situation’s out of control, and the media’s relentless. Some are even fueling the fire,” Mrs. Vanderbilt said, her voice trembling with concern. “We need to find out who tampered with that car and make them pay for this!” Mr. Vanderbilt’s voice was sharp with authority.
Oliver shook his head, the weight of the situation settling on his shoulders. “It’s useless. The footage clearly shows Abigail driving into the crowd. Whether the victim survives or not, the public won’t buy any other story,” he said. “They’ll accuse us of using our influence to cover up for her.”
At this, Mr. Vanderbilt’s brow furrowed in contemplation. “Do we have a list of the casualties?” he asked, his voice steady.
Oliver nodded. “Yes. The victims weren’t from prominent backgrounds. We can handle this financially.”
A deep, almost relieved sigh escaped Mr. Vanderbilt’s lips. “The value of a life seems so cheap these days,” he muttered. In their world, the worth of a person was measured by their social standing. A life lost in a car accident could be compensated with a few hundred thousand dollars. If the families of the victims raised objections, they could be silenced with a larger sum. Eventually, they would all fall quiet. The priority now was to manage the public and media reaction, to minimize the damage.
Abigail remained silent, her gaze fixed on the floor. She had often heard Oliver describe Alexander as a man with a cruel heart, but she had never truly understood. To her, he had always been nothing more than a scoundrel—a lowlife, unworthy of concern. Now, the truth was clear. Alexander wasn’t just a bad man—he was ruthless. And now Abigail had to live with the unbearable weight of having caused death. It was a punishment worse than death itself.
“I’ll turn myself in,” Abigail’s voice cut through the silence, her words trembling with guilt.
“Have you lost your mind?” Oliver’s voice was filled with disbelief. “You had a brake failure. You didn’t kill anyone on purpose. Why would you turn yourself in?”
Mr. Vanderbilt joined in, his voice sharp. “Exactly. You didn’t intend to kill. There’s no reason to take the fall for something that wasn’t your fault.”
Abigail’s hands covered her face as she whispered, “But it’s still murder. I did it. I was behind the wheel. I… killed them.” The weight of her words was suffocating, the guilt crushing. She had been naive, and Alexander had given her a brutal lesson—one that showed her just how far he would go to destroy her. He could have ruined her in countless ways, and yet he had chosen this.
Mr. Vanderbilt’s fury erupted. “After everything that’s happened, you can’t cause more trouble! I told you to stay home and reflect, but you couldn’t listen. You had to run out, thinking you knew better. You think you’re invincible, sticking your nose in things that don’t concern you?” His anger was palpable, his voice booming. “Alexander may be an illegitimate son, but he’s no easy target. He carved a bloody path to take over Kennedy Enterprises. Do you really think you can play games with someone like him?”
Abigail didn’t respond, her face still hidden in her hands as the full weight of her actions—and Alexander’s manipulations—pressed down on her.
