?<strong>Chapter 1229:</strong>


    Just then, Nigel’s palm mmed against the table, his eyes burning with fury as he turned to Carmelita. “You better start exining this, now!”


    Carmelita began to tremble.


    “I-I was wrong!” She knew that she could no longer deny it at this point, so she resorted to pleas for mercy. Perhaps if her parents intervened, she might have a chance of escaping severe consequences.


    “Carmelita! So, it was really you! Have you gone out of your mind?” Brielle shot up from the sofa and stared at her daughter in a mix of heartbreak and disbelief.


    “Where did you get the money to bribe the maid with?” Nigel asked, his voice low and menacing. He then turned to Carmelita’s parents. “Which one of you gave it to her?”


    Nigel knew Carmelita all too well. She was the type to spend every penny she had at any given time. She didn’t have much money saved. Nigel had already cut off her allowance, so the only possible exnation was that either her father or mother had given her money in secret.


    “Not me! I didn’t give her any money,” Brielle answered with a brisk shake of her head.


    “Who’s the real mastermind, the person who gave you the instructions?” Belinda, who had been silent throughout, finally spoke. She knew without a doubt that this was all connected to Verena. The only question was whether Carmelita was aware of it or not.


    Carmelita bit her lower lip and said nothing.


    “Speak!” Devin roared.


    Carmelita shuddered in fright. When she did speak, her voice wasced with reluctance. “I don’t know. The person contacted me by phone. The money and the… substance. They were given to me by a courier. They used a voice changer, so I couldn’t even tell whether it was a man or a woman.”


    After a pause, she continued, “They simply asked if I wanted to get back at Belinda. I was so blinded by rage back then… so I agreed. They came up with the whole n and said they would take care of everything, including the maid inside the Alvarado residence. They said they would arrange for someone to knock over…”


    Belinda’s drink so the maid could rece it with the spiked one. That’s all I know, I swear! I don’t know anything else.”


    Carmelita had deliberately skippedst night’s banquet in a bid to avoid raising suspicion, so she had only heard about the incident from other people. She was furious when she learned that Belinda had left the banquet unscathed. She thought the maid had dared to run off with the money and abort the n. She was shocked when she discovered that Verena had ended up taking the tampered drink.


    Belinda and Lucas exchanged a meaningful nce.


    Devin’s expression darkened further. Now, he felt even more guilty toward Belinda. Because he knew this was all because of him. If he hadn’t fallen for Belinda, if she hadn’t helped him that day… Carmelita would have never done these terrible things.


    “Belinda, Lucas… The fault is ours. We have failed in raising Carmelita properly.” Nigel’s face was ashen, and his shame rang out with every word he spoke.


    .


    .


    .