I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father-Chapter 194: Tell Me The Truth And It Will Set You Free

Brooke, her face a mask of desperation, turned to Lyse, her voice laced with a mixture of anger and pleading. "Why, Lyse?" she demanded, her voice trembling slightly. "Why would you bother to bring the police into such a small matter? It was just a misunderstanding. A silly prank."

Lyse met Brooke’s gaze with a steady look, her expression unwavering. "A small matter?" she echoed, her voice laced with irony. "You were perfectly willing to involve the police when you thought it was me who had stolen the garment. Suddenly, it’s just a ’small matter’ now that the tables have turned?"

Brooke’s face flushed crimson. She knew Lyse was right. She had been so quick to call for the authorities when she thought she had the upper hand, but now that her plan had backfired, she was trying to downplay the severity of the situation.

"It was just a joke," Brooke stammered, her voice weak. "Cora did not mean any harm."

"A joke that could have ruined my career and my chances in this competition," Lyse countered, her voice firm. "A joke that could have landed me in jail. That is not funny, Brooke."

She turned to Cora, who was still sitting on the floor, her face buried in her hands. "Cora," Lyse said, her voice softer now, "do you have anything to say?"

Cora hesitated, her shoulders shaking. She looked up at Brooke, her eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. She knew that Brooke was waiting for her to lie, to cover up for her, to protect her. But she figured at this point that Lyse knew the truth. And she knew that Lyse would not let this go.

Just as Cora seemed to be about to speak, Brooke interrupted, her voice sharp. "Cora, don’t say anything!" she snapped. "You will only make things worse!"

Lyse sighed. "Brooke," she said, her voice laced with weariness, "you’re only making this harder on yourself. And on Cora."

She turned back to Cora, her gaze gentle. "Cora," she repeated, "do you have anything to say? Anything at all?"

Cora looked at Lyse, her eyes pleading. She opened her mouth, then hesitated again, her gaze darting nervously towards Brooke.

Brooke, her face a mask of desperation, stepped closer to Cora, her voice low and menacing. "Cora," she whispered, "you know what’s best for you. Just keep quiet."

Lyse watched the exchange, her expression unreadable. She knew that Cora was being pressured by Brooke, that she was being asked to lie to protect her. But Lyse also knew that Cora deserved a chance to tell her side of the story, to speak the truth.

"I am not going to press charges," Lyse said, her voice cutting through the tension, "if Cora tells the truth."

Brooke’s eyes widened in surprise. She had not expected that. She had thought that Lyse would be out for blood, that she would want to see Cora punished for her actions.

"You’re...you’re not going to press charges?" Brooke stammered, her voice incredulous.

"No," Lyse replied. "But only if Cora tells the truth. The whole truth."

She looked at Cora, her gaze unwavering. "The truth about why you did it and if... someon put you up to it," she added, her voice clear and firm.

Cora looked from Lyse to Brooke, her face a battleground of conflicting emotions. She knew what she had to do. She had to tell the truth. But she was terrified of the consequences.

Brooke, sensing the shift in Cora’s demeanor, stepped forward, hiding her face from Lyse’s sight. "I don’t know why you have to make everything about you, can’t you look pitiably at this young girl?"

Lyse smiled at Brooke then spoke, her eyes firmly on Brooke. "Cora, there is still time before the police get here. Tell me the truth and it will set you free."

After saying that, she turned and walked away without looking backwards.

Brooke ran after Lyse and grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop. Lyse wrenched her arm from Brooke and eyed her cooly. "Have you come here to confess?" She asked.

"Confess? Why would I want to do that?" Brooke asked as she glanced around.

"Because i know Cora only did your bidding, this has Brooke stamped all over it." Lyse sneered.

"If you know this, then why are you insisting on punishing Cora?" Brooke demanded in a harsh whisper.

Lyse raised an eyebrow at Brooke’s sort of confession, her eyes filled with disappointment. "I knew it," she said softly. "I knew you were behind this."

Brooke didn’t say anything. She simply stood there, her head bowed, her shoulders slumped.

Lyse sighed. "I am going to go to my assigned room now," she said, turning to leave. "I will wait there until the police arrive."

"Why are you still involving the police when you have heard what you wanted to hear." Brooke grabbed her again.

"I want you to confess in front of everyone." Lyse said quietly, causing Brooke to drop her arm.

Knowing that Brooke would never admit what she had done, Lyse started to walk in the direction of her room.

Brooke, her voice filled with desperation, followed her. "Please, Lyse," she begged. "Don’t do this. Don’t ruin my life, remember that I am your sister."

Lyse stopped and turned to face Brooke, her expression calm but firm. "You ruined your own life, Brooke," she said. "You made your choices, and now you have to face the consequences."

"But...but why?" Brooke asked, her voice choked with emotion. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Lyse looked at Brooke, her eyes filled with a mixture of pity and disappointment. "Because it’s the right thing to do," she said. "Because you need to learn that you can’t manipulate and use people to get what you want. Because you need to understand that actions have consequences."

She paused, then added, her voice softer now, "And because I want Cora to expose you. I want everyone to know the truth about who you really are."

Brooke stared at Lyse, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and hate. Anger at the failure of her plans. Lyse would have been disgraceed and out of the contest if she had not been a sneaky witch. Her hate for Lyse burned bright like a red flame.

Lyse turned and walked away, leaving Brooke standing there, her world crumbling around her. She knew that unless she did something quick, Cora would talk. That would mean the end of her career, she would lose everything. She could not allow that, she had already lost enough to Lyse.