Mated to the Beast of the Wasteland (Gillian and Merrick) novel Chapter 281

Chapter 281 Every Buried Secret Was Coming Out Today

Chapter 281 Every Buried Secret Was Coming Out Today

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“Run into what, exactly? Why don’t you spell it out, Master?” Elara’s voice carried a clear edge of mockery.

Maddox narrowed his eyes at her. “Elara, watch your mouth.”

The warning in his tone jerked her right back to Capital Planet, to all those years working under him. She felt the weight of it and shifted sideways, breaking eye contact.

Gillian saw Elara back off and drove straight to the point. “Skylar had been replaced by a crimson hide. That’s why you stood there and let her burn.”

Elara’s blood chilled. Maddox hadn’t stopped Skylar from dying because he’d known the woman in that fire wasn’t her.

“What else would it be?” Maddox frowned and tasted the new word “crimson hide” on his tongue. It was unfamiliar, but the meaning was clear enough.

Merrick let out a cold snort. “You say she wasn’t my mother, and that’s just supposed to be true? Where’s your proof?” he demanded.

Maddox had already started talking, so he wasn’t about to stop now. The wounds on Elara’s neck only confirmed what he already knew. “Because the thing pretending to be Skylar wanted you dead. That was all the proof I needed. She couldn’t have been Skylar.”

Merrick felt something shake inside his chest. He stared at Maddox like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

That’s it? That’s his evidence? He just decided?

“That’s your proof?” Merrick’s voice came out strained.

Gillian was just as stunned. Maddox’s arrogance was staggering.

He made a call based on a feeling, and that was supposed to prove she was fake?

Maddox didn’t waver under her scrutiny. He tapped his wrist and spoke with cold certainty, “I recorded everything on the Cryolotus. The fake trying to kill Merrick-I have that footage. Me setting the fire-I have that too. Once I couldn’t find Skylar, I stopped caring whether I lived.”

The room went cold.

“The Cryolotus was taken from us.” Elara’s hand drifted to her neck. The memory of those

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Chapter 281 Every Buried Secret Was Coming Out Today

crimson hides feeding on her was still raw.

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Maddox didn’t even blink. “Then take it back. Do I have to teach you that too?” he said.

Gillian pulled the thread tighter. “And framing Merrick? Giving his warding token to the Phoenixkin? What was that?” she asked.

Every buried secret was coming out today.

Maddox turned to Merrick with a mocking smile. “While he was locked up, so was I. Ralph Cole made sure of that. Do you need me to keep going?”

Gillian didn’t recognize the name, but the look on Merrick’s face told her everything.

“Father locked you up?” Merrick’s voice went tight. “Why?”

“Because he knew I’d come for you.” Maddox had decided to dump everything out today and stop letting this brat fantasize about killing him.

Merrick’s hands clenched. “So you never showed up that day?”

“I didn’t make it that day. If I’d been there, I’d own it.” Maddox’s tone sharpened, almost dismissive, like he was talking to an idiot. “And I was the one who set that fire. You think the fake was going to leave evidence behind? After I killed her, I packed up every last piece of Skylar’s belongings and sent them to you.”

“So someone else went to Merrick that day wearing your face and took his warding token?” Gillian’s mind was racing, the pieces falling into place. “A crimson hide just needs someone’s flesh and blood to copy their form. Maddox, when you were wounded, who had access to you?”

Maddox understood exactly how the crimson hides copied their victims, and the killing intent in his eyes nearly boiled over.

When he spoke, his voice was rough and low, “The head of Griffinkin-Merrick’s own father, my foster father-Ralph Cole. After Skylar died, the person who drew the most blood from me was him.”

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