The Abandoned Wife's Second Chance (Scarlett and Jasper) novel Chapter 173

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“I was never your mother. I only told you I was so it would be easy to control you. I stole so the Stones would know what it feels like to lose a loved one, and so you would know what it feels like to be an orphan, the same way John became an orphan overnight.” Morgan laughs again, and the sound is broken. “But when I came back, when I was finally strong enough to finish what I started, you know what I found?”

She releases Virginia and turns to Scarlett.

“I found that they’d replaced her. That they’d adopted some other little girl and moved on like Virginia never existed. Like she didn’t matter. They were happy. Blissfully, perfectly happy.”

“So you decided to ruin that happiness,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. Trying to buy time. “You convinced Virginia she was your daughter. But how?”

“Oh, it was easy.” Morgan’s pacing now, gesturing wildly with the gun. “Dr. Rashid was drowning in gambling debts. I paid him to run a fake DNA test between me and Virginia. Made her believe I was her mother, that I’d been watching over her all those years. Then I had him run a real test between the Stones and Virginia.”

“But you told Virginia it was fake,” Scarlett says suddenly, her voice sharp with understanding. “You told her the Stones were lying to her.”

“Exactly!” Morgan points at Scarlett like she’s a prize student. “I needed Virginia to hate them. To resent them. To destroy them from the inside. And it almost worked. She drove a wedge between you and Jasper, between you and your parents. She was perfect.”

Virginia’s sobbing harder now, her whole body convulsing. “No… no, that’s not… you said they destroyed you…that you threw me away because of them…”

“I lied.” Morgan crouches in front of her, almost gentle. “They never threw you away, sweetheart. I stole you. And the DNA test was real. You really are their daughter.”

The devastation on Virginia’s face is absolute. Like her entire world just collapsed.

“But even that wasn’t enough,” Morgan continues, standing again. “Even with Virginia tearing your family apart, you were still standing. So I tried to have you killed in Nashville. Had Virginia bribe Dr. Bayli to finish you off. I thought if Scarlett and Lily died, the Stones and Jasper would either break down from grief or blame each other, turn against each other, until they completely destroy each other.”

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<Chapter 173

My hands curl into fists. “The car accident too?”

+25 Points

“All me.” She smiles, and it’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen. “Every scheme, every plan. And yet here you all are. Still breathing. Still together.”

“So you decided to finish it yourself,” I say.

“Finally.” She raises the gun, pointing it at James. “No more games. No more schemes. Just revenge, pure and simple.”

“Wait.” James’s voice is stronger now. “You’re right. About everything. I destroyed your father. I ruined your family. Your mother, your brother–all of that is on me. So take your revenge. Kill me. But let them go. Scarlett and Virginia are innocent. Jasper’s innocent.”

“My family was innocent too,” Morgan whispers. “My mother died of a broken heart. My brother overdosed trying to numb the pain. I spent my childhood in foster homes, being passed around like garbage. We were innocent, James. And you didn’t care.”

“You’re right.” James meets her eyes, and I see him accept it. Accept his death. “You’re absolutely right. So do it. Pull the trigger. Kill me.”

Morgan’s hand shakes on the gun. For a moment–just a moment–I think she might actually turn soft, show mercy on Scarlett and Virginia.

Then she laughs, cold and cruel. “You really think it’s that simple? That I’ll just shoot you and walk away? No, James. That would be too easy.”

She turns the gun toward Scarlett.

“You’re going to watch them die. One by one. And then, when you’re drowning in grief and guilt and despair, when you’ve lost everything that ever mattered to you–then I’ll let you die

too.”

The world stops.

No, no, no. Not Scarlett.

I try to think of something, anything to keep her talking, to draw her attention away from the gun in her hand. Anything to turn her attention away from Scarlett to me.

Morgan moves fast. One second she’s standing there with the gun pointed at Scarlett, the next she’s cutting their bonds with a knife.

Scarlett and Virginia stumble to their feet, both unsteady. Morgan grabs them roughly, dragging them toward the edge of the catwalk.

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+25 Points

“What are you doing?” I lunge forward, but two of Morgan’s men appear from the shadows, grabbing my arms and slamming me against the wall.

Pain explodes through my already injured head. Black spots dance across my vision.

“Let them go!” James is struggling against his restraints, the chair scraping against the concrete floor. “Morgan, please!”

Morgan shoves both women toward the railing. It’s a fifteen–foot drop to the warehouse floor below. Not enough to kill them instantly, but enough to break bones. To cause serious damage.

“Here’s the thing, James.” Morgan’s voice is eerily calm now. “You can only save one. Your real daughter–the one stolen from you, the one you searched for–or the replacement. The girl you adopted to fill the void.”

“No.” James’s voice cracks. “Don’t do this.”

“Choose.”

“I can’t—”

“Choose!” Morgan screams the word, pressing the gun against Virginia’s head. “Or I’ll choose for you. And trust me, you won’t like my choice.”

Scarlett’s eyes meet mine across the room. She’s terrified–I can see it in every line of her body–but she’s also determined. She’s already decided something, and I don’t like the look

on her face.

“Don’t,” I say, knowing exactly what she’s thinking. “Scarlett, don’t you dare-”

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