NovelGoldChapter 274 Brian's face went pale, memories of that chaotic day at the hospital flooding his mind.
Back then, Claire had been desperate to prove her innocence, her emotions spiraling out of control, eyes brimming with despair and helplessness.
But Brian had looked the other way, stubbornly blocking Irene from naming Vanessa as the culprit.
Now, recalling how it all unfolded, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt-the ache for Claire only deepened inside him.
He spoke at last, voice heavy with remorse, every word weighted with regret. "No... it wasn't Claire." "Then who was it?" Karin demanded, eyes locked on Brian, her voice trembling with fury. "Who could be so cruel? Who pushed Irene down the stairs? If she hadn't been lucky, she'd be dead." Brian fell silent once more.
He and Karin had grown up with Vanessa; if anyone knew what Vanessa was really like, it was him.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEven if Claire hadn't done it five years ago, Brian was certain Vanessa would never have hurt Irene on purpose. Maybe Vanessa had accidentally bumped into Irene, who'd lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs.
Besides, Irene was Vanessa's closest friend. Vanessa had no reason to harm her.
If anything, Brian thought, Irene had always been the careless type-never sitting or standing properly. It was no wonder she ended up falling.
And as for Claire-if she didn't do it, why did she confess? If she'd kept quiet, she wouldn't have spent five years in prison, and Brian wouldn't be carrying this guilt.
He convinced himself it was as simple as that, conveniently forgetting that Claire never even had the chance to defend herself.
Ethan had lied on the stand. Adah had wiped the security footage. Vincent, the defense attorney, twisted the truth, and Brian himself never gave Claire a chance to explain.
The people Claire trusted most had been the ones to shove her into the abyss. Now, Brian found himself blaming Claire for not proving her innocence, ignoring the fact that she never had any evidence to clear her name.
"Say something!" Karin's voice shook with emotion as she shouted at him.
Still, Brian kept his lips firmly shut, refusing to say the non the tip of his tongue. His stubborn silence- protecting the real culprit-finally pushed Jarrod and Karin over the edge.
Irene was their youngest, the apple of their eye. She'd been doted on since birth, the darling of the entire Cole family. As the heiress to Cole Enterprises, she'd had everything she wanted; nothing was ever out of reach.
But now, their precious daughter was a shadow of herself. Five years in a coma, and even with the best care, her body was frail-skin and bones, barely clinging to life.
No amount of punishment for Claire could erase the pain the Coles felt. That's why they'd paid people to torment her in prison.
Now, they were being told they'd taken revenge on the wrong person.
And their own son was protecting the real culprit.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmJarrod's face turned a livid shade of red. He shoved his hand through the bars, grabbed Brian by the collar, his eyes wild with rage. "Tellwho's really responsible?" Brian clamped his mouth shut, refusing to answer.
Jarrod's anger boiled over as he pictured his daughter, bedridden for five years, wasting away despite the nurses' best efforts. With a cry, he slapped Brian across the face again and again.
"You selfish fool! Have you ever cared about your sister at all?" "Do you have any idea how much your mother and I have endured with the Fosters just to get you out of this mess?" "Sean gave us one day. If we don't give him a satisfactory answer by then, Cole Enterprises will go under." "And you still refuse to tell the truth."
Tears streamed down Karin's cheeks as she pleaded, her voice raw with desperation. "Brian, you can't tell us who did it, at least tellwhere Irene is. Please, just tell your mother-where is she?" Bruised and battered, Brian's eyes glistened with tears, shand pain etched across his face.
He knew he couldn't keep the secret any longer.
His voice cout hoarse and low. "I sent Irene abroad."
"You ungrateful son!" Jarrod shoved Brian away in disgust. "She's your own sister! Five years in a coma, and the first thing you do when she wakes up is ship her off to another country? Do you even have a heart? You're nothing but a disgrace!" He shot to his feet, towering over Brian. "You better pray Irene's unharmed. If anything happens to her, you're dead to me."
Turning to Karin, he said, "Con. We're bringing Irene home. I want to hear from her own mouth who dared to hurt my daughter. Whoever it is, they'll pay-no matter what it takes." Brian watched his parents' retreating figures, a hollow despair settling in his chest. "Vanessa... I swear, you never meant for any of this to happen."
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