Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband-Chapter 261: Frozen

"Where is Serena?", Aiden asked suddenly.

Ella froze, her fork clattering against the edge of her plate as her trembling hands betrayed her. He knew. He was not suspicious. He definitely knew.

She looked up at him, her wide eyes filled with a mixture of shock and fear. "I—I don’t know what you’re talking about," she stammered, though the guilt in her voice made her words sound hollow even to her own ears. She looked at her father for help even as Aiden leaned closer, intimidating her," Don’t lie to me, Ella. Come clean right now."

Knowing that she was out of her depth, Charles Hawk stood up and moved to stand between his daughter and Aiden "Aiden, back off. She doesn’t have to answer about anything to you."

"This isn’t about you, Charles. Stay out of it," Aiden retorted, not even sparing him a glance. His focus remained entirely on Ella, his voice growing colder. "It’s about Serena. And I won’t stop until I find her. Ella, where is Serena?"

Ella shook her head and hugged her shoulders. She didn’t know anything. She knew nothing. Like a mantra, she repeated the words in her head until she was repeating them out loud, causing Nathan and the others to cast her a worried glance.

Unable to stand the sight of his sister’s anguish, Nathan turned to Aiden. "Aiden, enough. I don’t think she knows anything. She hasn’t left this house, not even for the wedding. She said she’d be staying home, and she’s been here ever since."

Charles Hawk seized on Nathan’s words like a drowning man grasping a life preserver. His face, which had been tense with unease, lit up with the spark of an idea. He turned to Aiden, his tone defensive and accusatory. "That’s right, Aiden. Ella was here the entire time. I know you’re angry with her for taking my side, but this... this is absurd. Are you seriously trying to pin Serena’s disappearance on her? Is that what this is about? Blaming Ella because Serena left you?"

"Is that why you told her that I can stay here only as long as she stays here? And now, at the first opportunity, you want to pin some nonsense blame on Ella and throw her out."

Charles placed a warning hand on Ella then. If she did not snap out of guilt, Aiden would definitely find out everything.

To continue with the charade, he jabbed a finger in the air as his voice rose with indignation. "Ella was right here, at home, when Serena disappeared. She’s been in this house, minding her own business. So, unless you have actual evidence—solid proof—don’t you dare try to accuse her of something she didn’t do!"

"And let’s not forget, Aiden," he continued, his tone hardening further, "there weren’t any cameras in the parking lot. Nobody saw anything, and there’s no proof tying Ella to what happened. So maybe—just maybe—you should focus your energy elsewhere instead of trying to pin things on Ella."

This time, Aiden did not speak. He simply called out his guards who walked in at a single call and immediaely held Charles Hawk and covered his mouth while everyone looked on in shock. The room froze in stunned silence. No one dared utter a word or even move. The air was thick with tension, a foreboding sense that something had gone terribly wrong. Aiden would never take such drastic action unless...

As they looked on, Aiden knelt in front of her and pulled her chair so that Ella was facing him. Carefully, he searched her face. His voice, when he finally spoke, was soft but carried the weight of undeniable authority. "Ella," he began, "can you say, without any doubt, that you did not leave this house on the day of my wedding?"

Ella’s breath hitched as her gaze darted toward her father, who was struggling violently against the guards’ grip, his head shaking frantically in a silent plea. Despite her trembling hands, Ella nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I was at home," she whispered, almost as though convincing herself.

"Look at me, Ella." Aiden’s voice was cold and quiet, making her jump as she looked back up into his eyes. She saw the pain there and the warning.

"Where is Serena?"

She shook her head," I don’t know. I was at home. I don’t know..."

Ella’s voice faltered as she shook her head vigorously. "I-I don’t know," she stammered, her words spilling out in a rush. "I was at home. I swear. I don’t know anything—"

"Ella!" The force of Aiden’s voice shattered her defenses, and she recoiled slightly. His hand shot out catching her chin and tilting her face toward him, forcing her to look at him again. His grip was not harsh, but it was unyielding.

"You were not at home, Ella," Aiden said, his voice sharp yet trembling with restrained emotion. "I saw you." His words hung in the air like a heavy weight, and her eyes widened in shock.

"In the parking lot," he continued, "I saw you. You went to Serena’s room. She opened the door to you. She was surprised to see you there and asked why you had come."

Ella’s lips parted as if to protest, but no words came out. The blood drained from her face, and her gaze flitted toward her father once more. His frantic attempts to break free only heightened her terror. Aiden had seen her. How did he see her?

Aiden leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that only she could hear. "Do not lie to me again, Ella. Tell me the truth. Where is Serena?"

"He’s lying, Ella." Kim spoke up. "If he had indeed seen you, he would have said so that day itself. He is trying to make you confess that you did not do."

But Aiden did not even spare Kim a glance as he continued to look at Ella. "You were wearing a pin pleated top and jeans. When you came into the parking lot, I was on a video call with her. She had the camera facing outside. You came to the church, Ella. This is your last chance. Tell me the truth."

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com