CHAPTER NINETY SEVEN: HOW?

The tension in the room was palpable as Axel confronted his sister Bella and her friend, his old childhood sweetheart. Every word hung heavy in the air, charged with emotion and the weight of the truth that had been uncovered. Bella’s eyes darted nervously from Axel to her friend, a silent plea for help evident in her gaze. But her friend remained silent, her own guilt written plain on her face. Axel’s mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. How could his own sister, the person he had grown up with and trusted implicitly, be involved in something so sinister? And how could his old sweetheart, the woman he had once loved with all his heart, have betrayed him in such a devastating way? The silence stretched on, broken only by the sound of Axel’s ragged breathing as he struggled to contain his anger. He wanted answers, needed them, but he feared what he might hear. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Bella spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “Axel, please,”