Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law
Chapter 186: Puzzled

Chapter 186: Puzzled

The man stood inside the executive lounge, looking down at Melanie through the glass panels, his brows furrowed in thought. Her husband was probably in police custody right now, and yet she sat there—calm, composed, almost... unbothered. Why?

For a fleeting moment, the thought crossed his mind that she might also be involved. Maybe she was in cahoots with Sir Robert Collins and Spencer, helping them frame Adam while playing the innocent wife. Maybe Lady Collins had misjudged the girl?

But then he shook his head, brushing the idea aside. She’d just claimed that she was waiting for someone, so that would be most likely Adam. Which meant she probably didn’t know. She was still in the dark about everything that had happened. About the murder, the probably arrest. About the betrayal. About the chaos that would have unfolded.

He let out a quiet exhale, his gaze drifting to the corner of the lounge where his son was now playing with a small toy airplane, blissfully unaware of the storm raging around him.

The sight tugged at his chest, and he allowed himself a small moment of relief. At least that fear- his worst fear-had not come true. Adir hadn’t been taken. He was safe. He was right here, in front of him.

But the comfort was fleeting.

Because he knew better than to let his guard down now.

The real danger hadn’t passed—it had only just revealed its true face. To think that the old man had actually ordered the killing of Saira... It was staggering, even for him. He had always known that Robert Collins was a ruthless man, a predator who cloaked himself in charm and power. But knowing it in theory and witnessing the consequences of that cold-blooded ambition firsthand... that was something else entirely.

It wasn’t just shocking—it was revolting. Saira had been loyal to the old man since she was a small child. How could someone be so ruthless? No wonder all these years, Lady Collins had made him promise to keep away from Saira and Robert Collins as much as possible. She’d known that things would take a bad turn but he was sure that even she would not have suspected the old man of murder capabilities.

And now, Saira had brought Robert Collins to his door. He could not risk Sir Collins finding him and Adir. Or else, Adir would be nothing more than a pawn in the old man’s hand, stuck under his thumb forever. And for all intents and purposes, Adir was his son, so he would not let the child suffer.

Just then, he noticed Melanie putting the phone to her ear. In the next minute, she went rigid and then shot to her feet. He watched her grab her luggage and run back towards the exit and sighed. It seems she had finally been informed of the chaos that might have occurred.

He shifted for a moment, wondering if he should warn her of the upcoming chaos and a way to slither out of this porblem but then shook his head. No. He could not get sidetracked. It was more important to escape now. The killer was already looking for Adir and all he had to do was find something that he had probably missed in hiding and the killer would find Adir.

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, frowning at the number. A burner line—one only a handful of people knew. That alone made his gut clench.

He stepped away from the glass, thumbed the green icon, and pressed the phone to his ear. "What’s the news?" he asked tersely.

The voice on the other end spoke fast, low, urgent. He listened—and the blood drained from his face. His knees nearly buckled.

"What?" he rasped. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," the voice replied. "Confirmed. Multiple sources. It’s all over the precinct now. They’re changing the angle of the investigation."

He cursed under his breath, a string of words that would’ve earned him a stern glare from Lady Collins herself. His hand dropped to his side, phone still clutched tightly as he stared blankly ahead. No. This didn’t make sense.

He disconnected the call and slowly turned back toward the lounge, though he wasn’t really seeing it anymore as he went and sat down. His mind was spinning, trying to make sense of the impossible.

When he had run away from the hotel room last night with Adir, Adam had been unconscious-deliberately drugged and dumped on the bed. Saira had just been stabbed. The knife had been planted in Adam’s hand to make it look like he had attacked her. The setup had been clear as day. A clean, cruel frame job but one that would still keep Adam safe, even if cause him trouble.

But now... now everything had shifted.

Saira was dead, that was expected. But Adam had been stabbed—stabbed by the same knife that had killed Saira—and was now in surgery, fighting for his life.

And the police had found the knife in Saira’s hand.

They were investigating it as an attempted murder-suicide. Or if a third party was involved.

Saira tried to kill Adam... and then took her own life? It was absurd. A narrative so twisted it could only have come from someone who knew exactly how to manipulate a scene. Someone powerful. Someone like Robert Collins. But who could that be? Had the killer come back and tried to finish the job for some reason?

His stomach churned as he tried to think who could the intended target be... And then he paled. A third party involvement. A third party... Who would have more motive for killing Saira and attacking Adam? Melanie Collins. After all, she was Adam’s wife and Saira was already known as Adam’s ex girlfriend who was unwilling to let go.

He paled. It seemed Robert Collins’ target had just changed. Now it was not just Adam... but Adam and Melanie. And this was... a perfect plan...