Chapter 1196 Everything is Under Control
Austin's eyes were locked on Tina, determined to get an answer.
Tina hesitated before finally saying, "The last time I broke out of prison."
Austin's eyes widened. "That time?"
Tina looked down, her voice dropping to a near whisper as she began to recount the story. "With the power of the Moore family, the Langley family, and the Parker family in Sunset Bay, we didn't stand a chance. Especially against Harper.
After your mom took Oliver hostage and left with Violet and you, Harper started pulling strings to get me out.
But Charles was always watching.
Charles knew someone was trying to rescue me, so he played along and came to the prison to negotiate with me personally.
He wanted me to lure out the people behind the scenes. His goal was to capture all of you and eliminate any future threats.
My goal was just to keep you safe."
Her voice grew more intense. "I didn't want to agree! But Charles told me Violet had a tracking device on her! He knew your every move from the start.
If I didn't cooperate, he would capture you and your mom! I knew if you were caught this time, escaping again would be even harder.
Harper tried to rescue me, and he knew!
If Harper tries to rescue you in the future, he will know too!"
Realizing Charles had been planning all along, waiting for the fish to take the bait, she knew she had no other choice.
To save Austin, the only way was to cooperate with Charles and negotiate terms.
Because Harper never showed herself, finding her was difficult.
So Charles wanted her to return to his side and find a way to meet Harper face-to-face.
That day in the house, Charles deliberately let her escape with him, making Harper think her plan had succeeded and lowering her guard.
Austin gritted his teeth. "So, you betrayed me with him?"
Tina closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed back her tears. "I didn't want to see you get hurt or continue down this path! I knew only by completely cutting off your hopes would you wake up.
So, I agreed to cooperate with Charles!
When Harper tried to rescue me again, Charles pretended to release me and let me find you! Actually, I had a tracking device on me too!"
Austin's face turned pale. "So, he knew our every move all along!"
Tina nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes! He always knew! Including every contact and conversation with Harper! This meeting was arranged by him!
I just followed his orders to lure Harper here!"
Austin stared at her, then suddenly laughed. He laughed until tears streamed down his face, a heartbreaking mix of laughter and sobs.
"Do you know? The person I trusted most in the world was you! Even though Charlotte saved me this time, I don't feel grateful or trust her at all!
I thought everyone in the world might betray me, but you wouldn't!
I trusted you completely, with all my heart! But you, you betrayed me."
Saying this, he suddenly lost control and rushed to Tina, gripping her shoulders tightly and shaking her. "Tina, why did you betray me? Why?
I trusted you so much, believed in you so much, why did you let Charles manipulate you to betray me?"
Faced with Austin's relentless questioning, Tina could only cry silently, her voice breaking as she whispered, "Austin, I'm so sorry."
Austin pushed her away, looking up at the sky, muttering to himself like a madman, "Haha, you betrayed me. Tina, you betrayed me."
His heart felt like it was being torn apart.
The betrayal from the person he trusted most was more painful than death.
He should have known long ago that no one in the world was trustworthy, except himself.
But he had given all his trust to Tina.
In the end, it wasn't everyone else who betrayed him, but the one he trusted the most.
It was so ironic.
Even he couldn't understand why his heart hurt so much.
Even when Hannah left him repeatedly and went back to Charles, he never felt this kind of heartache.
Tina watched his descent into madness, tears streaming down her face.
She opened her arms, shielding Austin like a mother hen protecting her chicks, and said to Charles, "You promised to let us go! My task is complete, you should keep your word!"
Austin pushed her away. "I don't need you to plead for me! Get out, I don't want to see you ever again! I'll pretend you were never my friend!"
Tina stumbled and fell to the ground.
Austin roared at Charles. "Charles, I won't lose, I will never lose to you! If you have the guts, kill me! Otherwise, I will never give up on Hannah! One day, I will take her from you."
Tina feared his words would make Charles go back on his promise.
If that happened, everything she did would be in vain. She quickly got up from the ground and grabbed Austin's hand. "Austin, stop talking! In our current situation, how can we fight Charles? Let it go, give up! Don't be stubborn anymore."
Austin pushed her hand away again. "Get away, don't touch me!"
Tina was thrown to the ground again.
Carter saw Austin's stubbornness and felt completely disheartened, not even wanting to speak to him, turning his head away.
Charles coldly watched everything. "Austin, you're pathetic!"
Austin froze, then reacted like a cat whose tail was stepped on, instantly furious. "Charles, what do you mean?"
Charles looked at him with pity, then glanced at Tina. "You have such a good woman by your side, but you don't cherish her, instead, you keep chasing a woman who doesn't love you! You once said Hannah was your light!
Do you want to extinguish that light?
You should know, Hannah shines brightest at certain times! Forcing her to stay with you will only dim her light, and lead both of you to ruin."
His words struck Austin's heart deeply.
He felt like a burning candle, visibly dimming.
The light in his world would dim because of him, and then completely disappear.
In other words, Hannah was like a blooming flower. If he forced her to stay, she would slowly wither and eventually die.
It wasn't supposed to be like this!
This wasn't the result he wanted.
Austin was completely lost.
Tina seized the opportunity, got up, and tried to leave with him.
But they were surrounded by bodyguards.
She glared at Charles, "Are you going back on your word? You promised to let him go!"
"Yes, I did promise to let him go, but..." Charles paused deliberately, raised an eyebrow at her, his gaze growing colder.
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