Chapter 70 Shadows on the Dock
Ryder stepped forward, the weight of the moment pressing down on the ballroom like a gathering storm. The room had already fallen silent after his shocking declaration, but now the tension was suffocating. Eyes darted between him and Hallie; anticipation thick in the air.
He exhaled sharply, letting his gaze sweep across the sea of shocked faces. "You all want to know who planted the bomb? Who nearly got everyone in this resort killed?" He let the silence hang, his next words measured and deliberate. "It was Hallie Rogers."
Gasps rippled through the room like a shockwave. Hallie visibly stiffened, her face pale but her eyes burning with something unreadable—fear, anger, or both.
Ryder didn't let up. He turned toward the lead officer, reaching into his jacket pocket. "The proof is all here." He pulled out a hard drive and a flash drive, holding them up for the crowd to see before placing them into the officer's hands. "Inside, you'll find video recordings, phone calls, messages—evidence of every terrible thing she's done, every cruel word she's spoken. I made sure people saw it. I showed them all at Sabrina's party last night."
Murmurs grew louder, and eyes darted toward Hallie, who stood frozen in place.
Ryder's voice took on a sharper edge. "Hallie saw me kiss Sabrina the other night. I know she did. And that's just one of the many reasons she wanted her gone. She couldn't handle the truth. She couldn't handle being exposed for who she really is. So, she decided to take the ultimate revenge."
The officer's face darkened as he processed the information, then slowly turned toward Hallie. The weight of Ryder's words bore down on her as she took a shaky step back, her hands clenched at her sides. Her breaths came in quick, shallow bursts as if the walls were closing in.
Ryder tilted his head, watching her carefully. "And if you want the final piece of the puzzle, check her contacts. The person who made and planted that bomb should be right there."
The room went utterly still. A sickening realization settled over the guests as the officer pulled out his notepad and strode toward Hallie, his gaze deadly serious.
The walls she had so carefully built around herself were crumbling, and there was nowhere left to run.
But Hallie wasn't going down quietly.
A slow, humorless laugh bubbled from her lips, shaking at first, then growing louder. She tossed her head back, her body trembling with fury and hysteria. "A talk? A talk?" she repeated, her voice laced with venom. "You think this is about a fucking talk? This is about betrayal. This is about every single one of you ruining my life."
Her eyes locked onto Emilia and Sabrina, her face twisting with pure, unfiltered hatred. "These bitches took everything from me!" she shrieked, her voice cracking under the weight of her rage. "My career, my reputation, my dignity! All because I dared to fight back! And now you want to act like I'm the villain? Like I'm the monster? No, no, I was the one left behind, I was the one pushed aside, and I was the one who had to suffer while you all got your happy endings!"
People in the room instinctively backed away as Hallie's outburst escalated. Her breathing was ragged, her chest rising and falling in erratic bursts. Her fingers twitched at her sides, her mind racing as her world crumbled around her.
Ryder took a step forward, his face unreadable. "Hallie, stop. You're only making this worse."
She snapped her head toward him, eyes wild. "Oh, I'm making it worse?" she hissed. "I was already finished the second you turned against me. The second you decided I wasn't worth saving. You all want to see me as the villain? Fine. I'll be the villain. But don't you dare act like I didn't fight for what was mine."
The officer exchanged a glance with his partner, then reached for his cuffs. "Hallie Rogers, you are under arrest."
Hallie let out a bitter laugh, tears spilling down her face. "Jail? You think jail scares me?" She shook her head, her voice eerily calm now. "I've already lost everything. This? This is just the final nail in the coffin."
As the officer took her by the wrist, guiding her toward the exit, she cast one last glare over her shoulder at Emilia and Sabrina. "Enjoy your victory while it lasts," she spat. "Because one day, you'll lose everything, too."
And with that, Hallie Rogers was escorted from the ballroom—her swan song sung, her reign of ruin finally silenced.
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The ballroom buzzed with a mix of stunned silence and hushed murmurs as Hallie Rogers was led out, her reign of destruction finally over. The tension in the air was palpable, but beneath it was a collective sigh of relief. Emilia glanced around at the shaken faces of her family and friends, her fingers tightening around Henry's hand as they all tried to process what had just happened.
Lily rubbed her arms, as if shaking off the lingering unease. "It's finally over."
Roxanne exhaled, her shoulders slumping. "I still can't believe it."
Daniel, ever the businessman, stepped forward, clearing his throat to gain the attention of the remaining guests. "As of this moment, the resort is officially closed. The resort is compensating all guests for their luggage, but you must leave the island immediately."
A few murmurs of protest rippled through the crowd, but the gravity of the situation kept them at bay. That's when Elias, brows furrowed, turned to Daniel and Henry. "What about the people who own private homes on the island?"
Daniel gave a curt nod. "You all are fine to retrieve your belongings, but I need the resort guests off the island now."
Beau and Jason exchanged a look, the unspoken understanding passing between them. They needed to get that box off the island—without Henry or Emilia knowing. With careful precision, they maneuvered through the crowd, keeping their movements casual as they made their way toward their hidden cargo.
As all the people on the island get on the boats, Emilia embraced her cousin, holding her tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay," she murmured.
Sabrina smiled, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Me too. We need to hang out soon, though. I'll be filming soon, and I won't be around for a while."
Emilia nodded in understanding, squeezing her cousin's hands. "We'll make plans before you go."
Roxanne and Lily both enveloped Emilia in a hug before reluctantly heading toward the departing boats. Jason followed, hugging them both before stepping back. "We'll be on the next one. Henry brought his boat, so the family is taking that."
As the second to last boat left the dock, carrying the last of the resort guests, Beau caught sight of a figure standing in the shadows of the boat's corner, clad in a black coat. His stomach twisted, a chill creeping up his spine. There was something unsettlingly familiar about the figure—the stance, the way they held themselves. But when he blinked, the figure was gone.
Shaking it off, he turned to Jason. "Let's get our stuff."
Jason nodded, and together, they moved with practiced ease, ensuring their secret remained hidden as they prepared to leave the island behind.
They maneuvered through the dimly lit halls of the private villas, keeping their steps light. Beau glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was following. Jason pried open a concealed compartment beneath a storage bench, revealing the box wrapped tightly in dark cloth. He swore under his breath as he hoisted it up.
As they stepped outside, the island's wind howled through the trees, sending an eerie rustling through the branches. They kept their heads down, walking toward Henry's boat, parked further down the dock from the resort's transport vessels. The further they went, the fewer people they encountered, and the more their nerves tightened.
As they neared the boat, a voice suddenly called out. "Jason?"
Both men froze. Emilia stood a few feet away, her brow furrowed as she took a hesitant step toward them. Jason quickly shifted, angling himself so that the box remained obscured. "Yeah?" he asked, his voice casual.
Emilia's eyes darted to the covered box before meeting his gaze. "Everything okay?"
Beau forced a chuckle. "Yeah, just grabbing some last-minute things before we head out."
Emilia hesitated for a second longer before nodding. "Alright. Henry's looking for you guys, though."
Jason gave her a tight smile. "We'll be right there."
As soon as she walked away, Beau exhaled sharply. "That was too close."
Jason nodded. "Let's move."
Once they reached Henry's boat, they set the box down in the storage cabin. Jason locked the door behind them. "We're in the clear."
Beau let out a breath. "For now."
As the boat swayed gently in the water, he cast one last glance toward the dock. That's when he saw it again—the shadowy figure, standing at the far end, watching. The posture, the stance—it was eerily familiar, like someone from their past. His pulse pounded as he tried to make out any features, but the moment he blinked, the figure vanished into the night.
Swallowing hard, he shook it off once more and turned back toward the boat. "Let's get out of here before Henry or Em start asking questions."
Jason smirked. "Yeah, let's keep this little project off their radar."
They secured the box beneath a pile of standard luggage, disguising it as nothing more than another travel bag. As far as anyone else was concerned, they were just another set of passengers heading home. Keeping their secret safe, at least for now, was all that mattered.
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Henry found Emilia standing near the railing, gazing out at the dark waters. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "It's over," he murmured. "We're okay."
She sighed, leaning into him. "It just feels like everything changed so fast."
Henry turned her to face him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "No matter what happens next, you're not alone. We'll figure it out together."
Emilia searched his eyes, then nodded, a small smile breaking through the weight of the night. "Together."
Back on the island, as Hallie was escorted to the police boat, she turned her head slightly, her voice dropping to an ominous whisper. "Mark my words—your story won't end with a happy ending either."
Her words hung in the air long after she was gone, a chilling promise that no one could quite shake.