He pulled Cassidy protectively behind him, the same way he once shielded my sister. Seeing the rage flare in his face, I laughed—bitter and scornful.
"Hendrix, you know Leila better than I do," I spat. "You really believe she would hurt someone? If she were capable of such cruelty, our parents wouldn't have died that night."
When our parents were silenced, my sister was the only one left at home. She'd been hidden trembling in a wardrobe, too terrified even to speak. I spent six months guiding her through therapy until she could barely breathe past the memory. It was then I learned the man I loved loved my sister.
Hendrix's expression hardened; his voice icier than before.
"Leila wasn't that kind of person. But she had a sister like you. If not for you, she wouldn't have gone astray!"
"Vienna, you never reflect on yourself. Your arrogance killed your parents, and your cruelty killed Leila. After all these years, you still don't see it?"
"You're the source of all evil—the real murderer!"
Each accusation stabbed through me like a dull knife, cutting deep but leaving me numb.
Beside him, Cassidy began to sob pitifully.