Page 42 of The Devil’s Lair

“Everything okay, Dad?”

“Same shit, different day.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

His smile is steeped in exhaustion. “Give me some good news.”

“That’s why I’m here. Rebecca has agreed to marry me.”

Dad’s shoulders drop a few inches. “That’s wonderful. Just what we need right now.” He picks up his diary—still old school—and flicks through the pages. “What about mid to late March? Oakleigh is beautiful in the spring. The rhododendrons and azaleas will be in full bloom.” He grows a little wistful, and I know he’s thinking about Mum. She loved the garden.

“Don’t you think we should marry sooner? The La Salles will continue to cause trouble until they realize they’re taking on Goliath and will lose. I don’t want Rebecca to go through more stress if we can help it.”

“You leave the La Salles to me.” Dad’s got that look that screams “Mess with me and see what happens.”

“I’ll talk to PR and let them know about the wedding, then.”

“Thank you, son.”

I get up to leave. Something makes me stop and turn around. “Is it George?” Dad’s brother is currently languishing in a cell in Oakleigh’s basement. As much as we all hate George, it can’t be easy on Dad.

“Partly.”

“Xan still not decided what to do with him?”

Dad shakes his head. “It’s tough on all of us. Your brother is convinced George knows more about what happened to Annabel than he’s shared, and as long as that mystery lingers in Alexander’s mind, he can’t move on.”

“Want me to talk to him?” Not that it’ll do any good. Xan’s stubborn. He’ll decide in his own sweet time, but he wouldn’t want to pile more crap on Dad’s shoulders, either.

“No. Leave him.”

“Okay.” I’m not leaving him, though. When the right opportunity arises, I’ll bring up George’s situation. We all deserve answers that will give us closure. The problem is until my brother chooses to act, the rest of us are trapped in the waiting room.

Chapter Fourteen

REBECCA

Isla plays at my feet, rhythmically brushing the hair of one of her dolls. Every day, new toys arrive for her to play with. Next time I see Tobias, I must remember to mention it. He’s spoiling her, and while I understand his reasoning, she doesn’t need this many toys. I don’t want her to grow up thinking the world will fall at her feet and she won’t have to work hard to achieve things in life.

In the two days since I agreed to marry Tobias, I’ve been back and forth as to whether it’s the right decision. The pro list far outweighs the cons by some distance, but it’s… well, it’s a lot. Deep in my soul, I know marrying Tobias is the right thing to do for me and for Isla. He’s a good man, and his no touching rule, while curious, is the perfect solution for me.

I’m doing the right thing—I am. It’s an adjustment, that’s all. I set the rules for our marriage, but I didn’t set them on parenting Isla. I’ll talk to him about it. It’s inevitable we’re going to trip over bumps in the road as we navigate this new reality.

My phone pings, and my heart sinks at the banner across the screen. Call me stupid, but I set an alert for either my name or Isla’s appearing online. Knowledge is power, and as painful as it is to read the lies Felicity is spreading about me, it’s better that I’m aware of what’s going on. It won’t help to bury my head in the sand.

I click on the banner.

The truth behind the La Salle tragedy: A story of one woman’s survival.

My heart leaps into my throat. That… that sounds positive, in my favor. I tuck my legs beneath me and dive into the article.

In the three weeks since the shocking events at exclusive private members’ club, The Lair, which left MP Preston La Salle’s eldest son Marcus dead and club owner Tobias De Vil recovering from a gunshot wound, a different narrative is emerging about the young widow at the center of it all.

Rebecca La Salle, 23, has been the subject of intense media scrutiny since that fateful Friday night. Initial reports painted her as a mentally unstable opportunist who coerced a wealthy man into marriage. However, sources close to the investigation tell a dramatically different story—one of abuse, control, and a young mother’s desperate attempts to protect her daughter.

“The narrative that Rebecca is mentally unfit to parent her child and that she forced her husband into attending The Lair that fateful night is not only false but dangerous,” says our source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Marcus La Salle was an abusive man who had complete control over his wife, financially, emotionally, and physically. She was a victim long before that night.”

What transpired inside the club has been the subject of much speculation, but those familiar with the incident paint a disturbing picture. Marcus La Salle was allegedly violating his wife in clear contravention of The Lair’s strict consent policies, which owner Tobias De Vil has built his reputation on enforcing.