The lost heiress never forgiven

The Lost Heiress 14

When the Flame of Love Fades

Chapter 14 The Past

They had planned to go straight to the warden, but he wasn’t there.

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Bradley called Cameron for more details, then arranged for a prison guard to meet them.

The guard had been bribed before, and just by looking at the Xander brothers‘ clothes, he knew they weren’t ordinary visitors. Even if he didn’t follow celebrity news, he recognized Sean.

“We want to know how Sierra spent her three years here,” Bradley said.

“Sierra?” The guard shook his head. “We go by inmate numbers here. Do you know hers?”

The Xander brothers‘ expressions darkened.

For the first time, they had to face the reality of what prison actually meant.

Sierra had been gone for three years, but they had treated it like she was on some extended break, assuming she would just come back one day as if nothing had happened.

“Yes, we know,” Bradley muttered.

As her legal guardian, he had access to her records. Cameron had looked it up earlier. He recited the number, “00061.”

“00061?” The guard’s eyes widened slightly, his expression turning a little odd. He cleared his throat. “What’s your relationship with her?”

“We’re her brothers,” Evan answered. “We just want to know how she lived here.”

The guard hesitated, then gave a vague response.

“Same as everyone else. Wake up, eat, exercise, work, lunch break, work again, dinner, watch the news, free time, lights out.”

His eyes darted away as he spoke, his smile forced.

“Liar,” Evan said flatly.

He wasn’t a fool.

“She was hospitalized multiple times, and each incident was worse than the last. Don’t tell us those were just accidents.”

The guard pressed his lips together, silent for a moment, then sighed. “It’s over now. What’s the point of digging it up?”

“What the hell does that mean?” Sean snapped. “We’re her family. Of course we should ask!”

The guard scoffed.

“Family? In three years, not a single person came to visit her.”

“Even death row inmates have visitors. She had no one. During the holidays, she was the only one without gifts or food from her family.”

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Chapter 14 The Past

“So tell me, what kind of brothers are you, showing up now?”

Each word was like a knife to the gut.

Bradley, Evan, and Sean felt the weight of their silence.

Their guilt.

Bradley took a deep breath and pulled out a card, slipping it into the guard’s hand.

trouble. We just want

guard hesitated, rubbing his thumb over

Bradley pressed on.

word–no one

That was enough.

exhaled and

get bullied. Her cellmates were two of

her, everyone assumed she

she got

grip on his

in

They dared?

dared to

sister. Their sister.

treated her

He wanted to explode.

words echoed in

It was their fault.

They had disowned her.

she could

her once

settled over the

cigarette and exhaled

Finished

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Chapter 14 The Past

names,” he

person who had laid a hand

“What’s the point? She’s out

it doesn’t matter!” Sean snapped. “Answer the damn question before I

The guard’s face tensed.

placed another card

pause, the guard finally started

Finished

That fire you mentioned? She was locked in her cell when it happened–she almost didn’t make it

throat was permanently damaged from the

humiliation, the

he spoke, the darker the Xander

when we could,” the guard added quickly. “But we can’t monitor

wings are separate. Most of this

such a notorious inmate, he wouldn’t have known much about her at

snakes

face

His expression went stiff.

shoved the card back

what you’re talking about,” he

we even met

of them could stop him, he turned and

“He’s lying,” Evan muttered.

Bradley clenched his jaw.

Something wasn’t right.

just fine–until Evan mentioned the

Then, he had panicked.

Why?

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Chapter 14 The Past

Finished

it later. Right now, I want

his phone and

ended,

deal with,” Bradley admitted. “But she’s still our sister.

and Sean