Facade of Love

Chapter 313 Maxwell Digs Up the Past

“Zip it!” I fired back, whirling around to shoot daggers at Maxwell with my eyes. “Push me further, and I swear I’ll make you regret it.

He threw his hands up, feigning shock as he clutched his heart. “You’re terrifying, you know that? Here I have been, pining away for you, and you’re ready to tear out my tongue. They say there’s nothing scarier than a girl who’s been crossed.”

Words failed me, and the hall was eerily quiet. Slumping into the couch, I shot him a look.” When did you come back?”

He plopped down in the armchair beside me, his skin sun–kissed and his grin as charming as ever. “Just got here. What’s with the cold shoulder? This is not exactly the welcome I was hoping for.”

I ignored his joking around and cut to the chase, “What were you snooping around for in Lorrell?”

He stiffened for a moment, then put on a grave face and clamped his mouth shut, “Nothing…” “Maxwell,” I insisted, my tone unwavering, “It’s been barely a month since we last saw each other, and you are already shutting me out?”

“What are you getting at? Stop making

a

then. What secrets did you dig up in

hit me with it. “My parents‘ death years back was no accident.” My heart did a somersault. Deep

mean it wasn’t just

nod. “That disaster ten years ago? It happened because they dug too greedily under Snakehead

had figured out. I pressed him, “Look, it’s been a decade. Everyone was convinced it was just the earth doing its thing, that those caves were natural. How can you be so certain the mining

handiwork. When Aunt Deb and I were out on the trails, something just did not sit right with me. The mountains were practically shouting that they had been ripped open and poisoned. Yeah, there might have been some mining action a while back, but that was over ten years ago. Nature was usually a champ at bouncing back–it should have been all green and lively again. Time had ticked on, yet it was still a dead zone. Plants could not seem to

Mr. Zachary had let the cat out of the bag about the past. Old man Young had stripped Snakehead Mountain bare, hauling away anything he could get his hands on. Now, it is likely just a barren wasteland. If the lifelong locals had not stuck it out,” they would have ditched the

dedicated everything to uncovering its secrets. Holding all the pieces of the puzzle in his hands, he now needed to decide on

about a crime. And if it is a crime, then