Harry's eyes narrowed as he studied Mona standing frozen in front of him. Something about this didn't feel right. Mona never came to see him without an ulterior motive."Look, I don't know what game you're playing," Harry said, turning away. "But I'm not interested.""Wait!" Mona's hand shot out and grabbed his arm before he could take more than two steps.Harry stopped and looked at her hand on his arm, then back at her face. "What do you want, Mona?"Mona's mind was racing. She'd come here on impulse, driven by emotions she didn't understand. But now that she was face to face with Harry, feeling his warmth under her fingers, she had to think fast. She couldn't just confess her feelings—he'd laugh at her, reject her, tell Alice.She needed a different approach.Mona quickly composed her expression, burying the turmoil inside. "It's about Alice," she said, her voice carefully controlled.Harry's demeanor changed instantly. "What about Alice? Is she okay?""She's in trouble with our fa

But Mona only sobbed harder, clinging to her mother's arm."Can't you see you've traumatized her enough?" Linda Anderson snapped at Harry. "You monster!""I'm not a monster!" Harry's voice rose. "She set me up! She told me Alice was in trouble, got me into her car, and then she kissed me!""Liar!" Richard shouted. "Look at her dress! Look at her face! You're telling me she did that to herself?""Yes!" Harry said desperately. "That's exactly what I'm telling you!"Alice stood frozen near the door, tears streaming down her face. She looked between her sister's torn dress and smeared makeup, and Harry's desperate expression."Alice," Harry pleaded. "You know me. You know I wouldn't do this."But Alice just shook her head slowly, backing away.The detective turned to Harry. "Mr. Solomon, there are witnesses who heard Miss Anderson screaming for help. They saw her exit your vehicle in distress. And I can see from here that you have lipstick on your face."Harry's hand went to his mouth, fe

The interrogation room felt suffocating as everyone crowded around the computer screen. Harry sat slumped in his chair, his heart racing, barely able to look up. Alice stood near her sister, one arm wrapped protectively around Mona's shoulders, staring at Harry with pure disgust."I can't believe I trusted you," Alice said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I actually cared about you, Harry. And this is what you are?"Harry couldn't find words. The betrayal in Alice's eyes was worse than anything his parents or the Andersons could say.The detective pressed play on the footage. The grainy black-and-white video showed Mona's car pulling up outside Alfred's house. The timestamp in the corner confirmed the time. Moments later, Harry emerged from the front door.The footage showed their conversation, though without audio it was impossible to hear what was being said. Mona appeared to be speaking earnestly, gesturing toward her car. Harry looked hesitant at first, then nodded and followed

"No amount of money will make this go away," Harry replied. "Your daughter tried to have me arrested for a crime I didn't commit. She wanted me to go to prison, to have my life destroyed. And you want me to just forget about it for money?"Linda Anderson spoke up, her voice pleading. "Harry, Mona is young. She made a terrible error in judgment, but she doesn't deserve to have her life ruined over this.""She was perfectly willing to ruin mine," Harry said flatly."Detective," Richard turned to the officer, "surely we can work something out here? My daughter has no criminal record. She's a good student, comes from a good family—""Your daughter committed multiple felonies," the detective said. "Mr. Solomon has every right to press charges.""Harry, please," Mona begged, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'll never do anything like this again, I swear!"Harry looked at her—really looked at her—and saw genuine regret in her eyes. But he also remembered sitting

Mona sat in the cold holding cell, her torn dress replaced with a gray prison uniform. The reality of her situation was sinking in—she was being charged with multiple felonies, and her entire future hung in the balance.Alice stood outside the precinct, feeling torn apart. She understood why Harry had pressed charges—what Mona did was unforgivable. But at the same time, Mona was her sister. The same sister who had protected her when they were children, who had shared secrets and dreams with her."I don't know what to do," Alice said quietly to her parents as they drove home."We need help," Richard said grimly. "Legal help. The best lawyer we can afford.""What about Frank?" Alice suggested suddenly. "He's connected. He might know how to handle this."Linda turned in her seat. "Frank Solomon? After what just happened with Harry?""Frank is different from Harry," Alice said. "He's practical. He might be able to help us negotiate."Richard considered this for a moment. "It's worth a try