Chapter 59
The news struck Quinn like a bolt of ice, a penetrating chill seeping into her veins, numbing her to her core. She found herself transfixed by the television, the echo of Alexander's ominous words reverberating in her mind. "She won't have the chance." Quinn had harbored fears about what Alexander might do to Abigail, but the reality was far more sinister than she could have imagined.
Abigail, miraculously unscathed, was now the unwitting architect of a disaster that threatened to pull her, and the entire Vanderbilt family, into a whirlpool of scandal and disgrace. Alexander, meanwhile, was conspicuously absent from the unfolding drama.
Back at the Vanderbilt estate, a sense of urgency pervaded the air as everyone was hastily recalled, Oliver included. Abigail was a picture of desolation, slumped on the couch, her demeanor one of disorientation and shock. Her voice, hoarse and choked with emotion, barely rose above a whisper.
When Oliver tried to engage her in conversation, her responses were disjointed, her words barely coherent. Upon learning of Abigail's earlier encounter with Alexander, Oliver let out a deep sigh. "Abigail, I've warned you repeatedly not to mess with Alexander, but you wouldn't heed my advice," he said, a note of resignation creeping into his voice.
Abigail's face was ashen, her fingers trembling slightly. Despite her typically carefree and courageous demeanor, she had never been responsible for a life lost. The horrifying image of the car plowing into the crowd, the sickening crunch of bodies under the tires, replayed relentlessly in her mind. The mere thought of it stirred a wave of nausea in her stomach, threatening to overwhelm her.
"The situation's spiraled out of control, the media is relentless, and some are even adding fuel to the fire. What are we going to do?" Mrs. Vanderbilt asked, her voice laced with concern. "Find out who tampered with the car and bring them to justice!" Mr. Vanderbilt declared, his tone resolute.
Oliver shook his head, saying, "It's futile. The video clearly shows Abigail driving into the crowd. Regardless of whether the victim survives or not, the media and the public won't accept any other narrative." He added, "They'll accuse us of using our influence to scapegoat an innocent person."
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Upon hearing this, Mr. Vanderbilt's brow furrowed in deep thought. "Have we received a casualty list yet?" Oliver nodded in affirmation. "Yes, those who perished didn't have significant backgrounds. Money can take care of it."
Mr. Vanderbilt exhaled a sigh of relief, thinking, "The value of a life is depressingly cheap these days." In their world, a person's worth was determined by their status. A life lost in a car accident could be compensated with a mere few hundred thousand dollars. If the bereaved families dared to protest, they could be silenced with half a million or a million. Eventually, they would all fall silent. The immediate priority was to quell the media and public outcry, to minimize the fallout as much as possible.
Abigail remained silent throughout the discussion. She had often heard Oliver describe Alexander as a man with a vicious heart, a characterization she had neither experienced nor believed. To her, he was nothing more than a lowlife, a scoundrel. Now, she understood the truth. Alexander was far from being a good man. He was ruthless. From this point forward, Abigail would have to live with the unbearable guilt of having taken lives, a fate she considered worse than death itself.
"I'll turn myself in," Abigail suddenly announced. "Have you lost your mind?" Oliver asked, his brow furrowing in disbelief. "You had a brake failure. You didn't kill intentionally. Why would you turn yourself in?" Mr. Vanderbilt chimed in. Abigail covered her face, her voice trembling as she said, "But it's still murder. I did it with my own hands." She had been naive, and Alexander had imparted a brutal lesson through his ruthless actions. He could have orchestrated her downfall in a thousand different ways if he had wanted to.Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.
Mr. Vanderbilt exploded in anger, "After causing such a disaster, you can't stir up more trouble! I told you to reflect on your actions at home, but you wouldn't listen. You had to run out, thinking you were smarter than everyone else. Do you think you're invincible, meddling in other people's affairs?" He continued, "Alexander is the illegitimate son who carved a bloody path through the Kennedys to take control of the Kennedy Enterprise. Do you think he's an easy target?" Abigail remained silent, her face still buried in her hands.