Free Web NovelChapter 231: Chapter 231 Webs Of Lies
Christina’s POV
Daniel pushed himself up slowly, one hand on his lower back, the other braced on the table edge.
He made a show of breathing through clenched teeth.
Once upright, he turned to Hudson. "You’ve got a heavy hand, Alpha Hudson. I think you misunderstood—me and Christina, we were just talking. I got a bit emotional—" freēwēbηovel.c૦m
"Didn’t misunderstand," Hudson cut him off. "I just wanted to hit you."
Daniel’s mouth hung open. No comeback.
Hudson turned to me. "Did you know he’s Niall Granger’s brother?"
His voice cracked slightly on the name.
He’d clearly tried to keep it steady but failed.
He’d shown up unexpectedly, looking ready to throw someone through a window, and now I understood why.
"I know," I said quietly.
His head snapped up. "You know?"
His jaw clenched. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
He reached up and tugged open the top button of his shirt like it was choking him. "You know he’s Niall Granger’s bastard brother and you still gave him a job? Let him cry on you like some pathetic—"
"I just found out," I cut him off. "He told me himself. And I didn’t let him do anything. The idiot grabbed me so hard I couldn’t shake him off. My arm still hurts."
Hudson’s mouth tightened, but the tension between his eyebrows eased a little. "When did he tell you?"
"A minute ago. Right before you showed up."
His eyes narrowed, searching my face like he was trying to figure out if I was hiding something.
Then his gaze shifted to Daniel, who hadn’t moved.
"He’s not here to work," Hudson said flatly. "He’s here to dig for information. He’s got an agenda, and he’s not staying."
"That’s not true!" Daniel protested, his voice getting louder. "I’ve already explained everything to Christina. I didn’t come here because of Niall. I just wanted a job. It’s that simple. You think because my last name is Granger, I’m here to mess with someone? You should know better. I’m the bastard kid. Clive barely talks to me. They treat me like dirt. I get nothing from them. I’m not on their side. I never was."
He looked at me like I should back him up.
When I stayed quiet, he kept going. "All I want is to make some money. I don’t have a trust fund or a fancy apartment. No work means no food. What’s suspicious about wanting a job?"
He sniffled dramatically.
Hudson let out a short, dry laugh.
He stared at Daniel for several seconds before saying flatly, "You’re lying."
"I’m not. Why would I lie? I’ve been here for months. If I wanted Christina’s stuff, I would’ve taken it already. I haven’t done anything wrong. Just because I’m broke, you’re calling me some scheming psycho?"
He turned to face Hudson, his voice getting louder.
"Accusing me of having some agenda without any proof? That’s low."
"Then explain the staged photos," Hudson said.
Daniel’s eyes went wide. "What photos? I have no idea what you’re talking about."
I leaned closer to Hudson and whispered, "You think he set those up?"
"Yes," Hudson murmured back, his jaw tight. "I just can’t prove it yet."
He turned back to Daniel. "Let’s forget the photos for now. Tell me why you’re pretending to be broke."
"I’m not pretending. I really don’t have money. If I did, why would I be working odd jobs?"
Hudson looked Daniel up and down slowly.
"That jacket alone costs more than most people’s rent. Those sneakers were limited edition, sold out in two minutes. You think I believe you’re living on instant noodles?"
"They’re fakes, cheap knockoffs, worth nothing."
Hudson made a small sound of disbelief. "And I’m supposed to believe that? You think I can’t tell the difference?"
Daniel turned to me. "Christina, seriously? He’s insulting me because I wear knockoffs. Yes, okay, I bought some fakes because I didn’t want to look like a complete loser. Now he wants receipts? What’s next, my tax returns?"
Hudson glanced at me, staying quiet for a moment.
Then he pulled out his phone, his thumb moving quickly across the screen.
"Two properties in Wessexia, both bought by Clive Granger. Three supercars, each worth eight figures, also bought by Granger. You say he treats you badly, but he bought you half a city. He sends you money monthly, at least two hundred thousand. And you expect me to believe you’re struggling?"
He tilted the phone so I could see the screen, then turned it toward Daniel.
The image showed a marble townhouse surrounded by perfectly trimmed hedges and a driveway that could fit five cars.
Daniel’s face changed. Not all at once, but the cocky look he’d been wearing slowly faded.
Hudson continued, "You haven’t bought a house since you came back. Fine. But don’t act like you’ve been couch-surfing. Your rental costs fifty thousand a month. Still claiming you’re broke?"
He swiped the screen again.
Then thrust it toward me.
Another photo.
A high-rise apartment with glass walls on all sides, a long terrace, light stone floors, and floor-to-ceiling curtains.
"A spoiled little rich kid who wakes up every day in two thousand square feet of air conditioning, then bikes over here to work a minimum wage job. For what, pocket change?"
He handed me the phone.
I took it.
The report was extensive.
Photos. Transaction records. Lease documents.
I scrolled through everything, my grip tightening with each swipe.
He’d worked alongside me for weeks, finishing tasks without complaint, even covering my shifts more than once.
I’d actually thought he was decent.
When he told me Clive had abandoned him, I believed him.
I knew what the Grangers were like. Louisa was the only one in that family with a conscience.
It wasn’t hard to imagine Clive dumping his kid overseas and pretending he didn’t exist.
But now I was staring at proof that Clive was bankrolling his entire lifestyle.
I lowered my arm, looking directly at him.
"So everything you just said was a lie. Back in Sunset City, when you said you couldn’t afford a phone—that was a lie too? What do you really want? Why the act?"
