Chapter 276 Friends Turn Against Each Other
Caleb finally turned to Anna and said, "Anna, I love you. You know that. We really love each other. I know I messed up, but I've been trying to make it right. Didn't I give you a big proposal? I genuinely want to fix things. Please believe me."
Anna felt sick to her stomach hearing Caleb's words. "So, Bella was telling the truth? You really are the one who caused my family's bankruptcy? And I've been dating the enemy of the Powell family, almost marrying him. How ridiculous is that?"
She looked at Bella, "How ridiculous is that? Everything he said is true. Turns out I'm the fool, and this was all a scheme."
Bella saw the tears mixed with rain streaming down Anna's face. She grabbed Anna's hand, "Anna, don't be like this. It's not your fault. It's all Caleb's doing. He approached you with a plan. Anna, please don't be like this. I'm scared."
But Anna yanked her hand away, her voice icy, "Did you know all along? Have you been hiding this from me?"
Bella had always known this day would come, that Anna would confront her for keeping the truth. She just didn't expect it to come so soon.
Bella's words were stuck in her throat. She bit her lip, unsure of how to explain to Anna.
Sterling stepped forward and put his arm around Bella's shoulders. "Anna, it's not what you think. If we had kept everything from you, Caleb would have hurt you long ago. Do you think you'd still be standing here, safe and sound, yelling at Bella?"
Anna wasn't listening to their explanations. She stared directly at Bella, "So, all of you were lying to me. Caleb, you, and Colin. Everyone knew and treated me like a fool. You all are unbelievable, just a bunch of liars."
"Anna, my love for you was never a lie. I truly wanted to marry you. Please believe me," Caleb pleaded desperately.
Anna glared at Caleb, "Shut up, you murderer. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. I will make you pay. The Powell family was my father's life's work. Just wait."
Anna stepped forward and slapped Caleb with all her might. After that, she turned and walked away.
"Anna, where are you going?" Bella chased after her, but Anna turned back coldly, "Don't follow me."
With that, she left. Bella watched Anna's cold and resolute departure, feeling a deep sadness, as if something had shattered inside her.
Bella knew she shouldn't have kept the truth from Anna. Now, everything was beyond repair.
"Sterling, aren't you afraid of dragging the Windsor family into ruin by doing this? Even if you send us all to jail, what difference does it make? The Windsor family's reputation is already beyond saving," Tobias shouted, even as he was being restrained.
Caleb, defeated, knelt on the ground, seemingly resigned to his fate. Everything had turned to ashes.
He could have quietly slipped away tonight, pinning the blame on the Windsor family.
But his greed got the better of him. He wanted Sterling dead, so he stayed. Now, there was no escape.
No, he couldn't just accept this.
Anna didn't waste any more words on them. She had them taken outside to the waiting police.
Tobias never imagined that after living most of his life, he would end up spending his final days in prison.
Derek and Blair were also taken away.
Before leaving, Caleb glared at Sterling, "You think this is over? You think you'll have a happy ending? Bella, you don't know, but your father's death was actually..."
"Take him away," Sterling suddenly shouted, cutting Caleb off.
Sterling knew what Caleb was implying, and it made him uneasy. Bella heard it too, "What did he mean by that?"
Sterling replied, "Nothing, the words of a desperate man can't be trusted."
Bella knew it wasn't that simple, but now wasn't the time to delve into it.
The rain poured harder, and the night's drama finally came to a slow end around 5:00 AM.
Bella was very worried about Anna, not knowing where she had gone.
Sterling said, "Don't worry, I've had someone follow her. She'll be fine. She went back to the hotel and hasn't come out since."
Bella was still uneasy. They changed into dry clothes.
"Are you hurt?" Bella asked Sterling.
Sterling shook his head, "What about you? Are you hurt? Were you scared?"
Sterling reached out and hugged Bella tightly, "I'm sorry for scaring you."
No one knew how terrified Sterling was when Bella was held hostage by Caleb. He had hidden his fear, wishing he could tear Caleb apart.
"By the way, Colin, how is he? Will he be okay?" Bella remembered seeing Colin get shot.
Sterling held Bella, feeling both relieved and fearful.
"He's fine. The bullet only hit his shoulder," Sterling said lightly.
The darkness had hindered Caleb's aim, so he missed any vital areas. Sterling knew Colin would be okay. He was truly grateful to Colin and Micah.
"We'll go to the hospital to see him later," Sterling said gently.
Bella asked, "Is it over? What now? Their arrest will definitely implicate the Windsor family. What will happen to the Windsor family?"
Sterling reassured her, "It's okay. The Windsor family won't be brought down by a few rotten apples. They overestimated their abilities. The Windsor family will survive."
Bella felt a bit relieved but still worried about the Windsor family's internal issues. "Blair and Tobias were respected members of the Windsor family. Now that they're arrested, how will you explain their involvement in drug trafficking to the rest of the family? Will they believe you?"
Sterling's expression turned cold, "Why do I need them to believe me? What does it matter if they do? The Windsor family is falling apart internally. If they want to survive within the family, they better keep their mouths shut. If they don't want to rely on the Windsor family, they can leave anytime."
Bella felt more at ease hearing Sterling's words. Sterling suggested Bella rest for a while, as everyone was exhausted from the sleepless night.
But Bella was still worried about Anna, wondering how she was coping.
She could imagine how devastated Anna must be, finding out her boyfriend had ulterior motives and was responsible for her family's downfall, and that her friend had kept it from her.
Bella thought if she were in Anna's shoes, she would feel just as terrible.
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