Chapter 127:
Paola’s heart thudded, thinking maybe he still felt something for her. She offered a soft response, trying to sound gracious. “Thank you, Brad. But I’m really okay. We can just let this go.”
Brad shook his head. “I won’t falsely accuse anyone, but I won’t let anyone escape blame either. Rylie owes you a proper explanation.”
Off to the side, Ronan’s eyes met Brad’s. He hesitated for a second, then said, as he grasped what Brad wanted him to do, “There was a recent inspection. I ended up fixing the bar’s cameras. The recording should be available. I’ll bring it over, Mr. Morgan.”
Paola’s face, once bright with hope, suddenly tightened. The recording? The timing couldn’t have been worse.
She stepped forward quickly. “There’s no need, Brad. It’s fine. Really.”
Percy gripped her hand. “Paola, don’t let this go just because you’re nice. Rylie has to apologize. Let’s check the footage.”
Rylie gave a sharp smile, her eyes shining with amusement. “Yes. Let’s do that. I’m all for it.”
Brad pointed toward the largest screen in the room. “You know what to do. Put it up.”
Then he looked back at Paola. Her face had gone pale, but still, he smiled gently and said, “You’ll never be mistreated while I’m around, Paola. Not on my watch.”
Paola felt the weight in her chest tighten, her hands damp with sweat. It felt like she might collapse at any second. She prayed the dim lights in the bar would blur the truth. Maybe the camera wouldn’t capture every move.
Behind the scenes, Ronan moved quickly. He went to fetch footage from tiny pinhole cameras tucked into the corners of the room.
The obvious cameras hadn’t been helpful. Ronan had installed the hidden ones for patrons who liked privacy but still needed protection.
Those discreet lenses had night vision. They recorded high-definition footage that clearly showed Paola pulling Rylie and then throwing herself to the floor. As the video played across the large screen, the noise in the room swelled. Paola stood frozen, color drained from her face. Her lips quivered as she tried to steady herself.
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On the screen, the moment of her pulling Rylie was clear. Even the quick flicker in her eyes betrayed her intent.
“No… this has to be wrong,” she whispered, staggering back a step in her heels.
Brad moved just in time, catching her arm before she fell. His voice stayed quiet, but something in it struck hard. “Paola, steady yourself. The footage didn’t miss a thing. Even your expression was recorded.”
Percy snapped his head toward her. His eyes widened, disbelief splashing across his face. “Paola… did you really…?” The crowd erupted.
“What a performance!”
“She wasn’t fragile at all. She planned the whole thing!”
“Paola really went too far with that trick…”
Paola trembled and suddenly yanked herself out of Brad’s grasp. She raised her hand and pointed furiously at the screen. Her voice cracked as she shouted,
“That’s fake! It’s been edited! Rylie… she’s behind it!”
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