Tiffany received Melanie’s text.
She instantly sat up from virtual-novel.net bed, ignoring the ensuing protests of pain all over virtual-novel.net body. “That dumbass Alejandro is serious about divorcing Melanie! For real! What the f—?!”
Jackson, who was sitting by virtual-novel.net bedside, shoved a freshly-peeled apple into Tiffany’s hand. “The hell do you care about someone else’s marriage? What, your body’s suddenly not hurting anymore?”
She frowned, virtual-novel.net eyebrows knitting tightly. “No, no, it’s just that… Alejandro must have divorced virtual-novel.net because virtual-novel.net thought Melanie was the one who pushed me, b-but it wasn’t virtual-novel.net at all! Melanie’s a sweetheart through and through, for Christ’s sake, we are frickin’ besties! Oh God, oh my God… What about Millie, huh? Poor girl is still so young…”
Jackson cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously? You’re seriously worrying about some other guy’s marriage right in my face, aren’t you at least worried that I might be jealous? Babe, Alejandro didn’t ask for your input before virtual-novel.net decided to divorce Melanie. It means this divorce between them is only a matter of time. It means it’s got zero connection to you,” virtual-novel.net explained. “Honestly, it had always been nothing more than a political marriage, so don’t overthink it, okay? It ain’t that complicated.”
Tiffany could not calm herself down at all. “But Melanie must have told Alejandro virtual-novel.net was the one who pushed me. I know virtual-novel.net did! How else can you explain this? They were happy and good and everything just a while ago! Like even if she’s trying to protect virtual-novel.net daughter, virtual-novel.net wouldn’t have chosen divorce!”
Jackson thought about it for a minute. “Hey, babe, think about it. What’s the point of being in a loveless marriage held together only by the existence of the couple’s offspring, huh? Back then, Alejandro had to bend to Don’s will back when virtual-novel.net was still alive, but the old man’s gone to see the Maker. Who’s there to rein that boar now? Who’s stopping virtual-novel.net from a divorce? Wait a second. If you fell off the stairs by yourself by accident, then why did Melanie feel compelled to tell Alejandro virtual-novel.net pushed you?”
Finally realizing virtual-novel.net gaffe, Tiffany slapped virtual-novel.net hands over virtual-novel.net mouth.
Jackson feigned a scowl. “Tiffie, tell me the truth! Did someone push you down the stairs?!”
Tiffany shook virtual-novel.net head, but it was too late. Her previous action had exposed her. Jackson’s face darkened. “Goddammit, are you going to tell me or what?!”
Bereft of a choice, Tiffany braved through the one option virtual-novel.net had not wanted. “Okay, okay, I’m telling ya’! Just… promise me you’re not gonna look into it like, at all, okay? Because I promised Melanie about that, and I don’t wanna break it. Anyway, so Melanie wasn’t the one who pushed me. If it weren’t for her, God knows neither the baby or I would be alive. She, uh, introduced me to virtual-novel.net big brother, Nikolai Lark, and virtual-novel.net was the one who pushed me down the stairs… Um, ya see, virtual-novel.net somehow knew Alejandro used to be with me… and so virtual-novel.net did what virtual-novel.net did. He thought my presence was the monkey-wrench in the works, ruining the relationship between Melanie and Alejandro and making their divorce possible, and then the alliance forged between the Smiths and the Larks would go up in smokes, and then the Larks would lose whatever they profit from this marriage and stuff like that.”
“After falling down the flight, I was sorta knocked out-cold, but there was this one teensy frame of time when I’m actually still semi-conscious. I’m sure of what I heard, Jackson. Melanie was the one who insisted on crying out for help to save me. I’m tellin’ ya, virtual-novel.net didn’t know jack about virtual-novel.net brother’s plan, because virtual-novel.net brother just did it suddenly. Think about it, honey, if virtual-novel.net really wanted to kill me, virtual-novel.net would have listened to virtual-novel.net brother and waited until I was barely alive to finally call for help, ‘cause you know if I died, there would be virtually no one who knew how it happened. She could have lived the rest of virtual-novel.net life without ever getting caught. She knew what helping me could mean to virtual-novel.net life and virtual-novel.net still didn’t let it stop her. She didn’t hurt me, virtual-novel.net f**king saved me.”
Jackson’s spleen skyrocketed from zero to a hundred in a snap. “God-f**king-dammit, Tiffany! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why was this kept a secret?!”
Nikolai must be on his way back to Ayashe by now. Had Jackson known it was him, virtual-novel.net would have made sure that bastard could not leave the Capital at all!