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?”
He furrowed his brow, “What are you getting at? Stop making things up.”
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“Out with it, then. What secrets did you dig up in Lorrell?” I demanded, fixing him with a steady, unblinking stare.
He took a deep breath and then hit me with it. “My parents‘ death years back was no accident.” My heart did a somersault. Deep
down, I had always sensed that some secrets just refused to stay hidden.
Gasping, I feigned surprise. “You mean it wasn’t just some random event?”
He gave a solemn nod. “That disaster ten years ago? It happened because they dug too greedily under Snakehead Mountain.
Chewing on my lip, I tried to read the stormy look on his face, wondering just how much he 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 caused it all?”
He shook his head with surety. “Nope, this is not Mother Nature’s 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 take root, and the creeks were still a mess. This kind of mess has over–mining written all over it.”
I kept silent, biting back my words. 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 place for sure.
“So, what’s your plan?” I asked, meeting his gaze. The mountain had taken his family, and he had dedicated everything to
uncovering its secrets. Holding all the pieces of the puzzle in his hands, he now needed to decide on his next move.
He stood there, solid as a rock, his voice so low it was almost lost, “They’ve all bought into the ‘natural disaster story, but if this
wasn’t an act of Mother Nature, then we’re talking about a crime. And if it is a crime, then those responsible should not be out
there living free. They need to be held accountable. For ten years, they’ve slipped through the cracks, while hundreds were
buried under that mountain without a chance to say goodbye. That’s just not fair.”
A surge of shock and discomfort flooded through me, leaving me speechless and lost. If I had not known about the Youngs‘
skeletons in the closet, I would be right there with him, shouting at the top of my lungs for justice for those who were taken from
us too soon.
I was in on the secret, and there was nothing I could do. Honestly, were humans not all a bit self–centered? It was kind of ironic
to me. I just could not go against who I am.
I could not just ignore what was happening to Idris. His life was falling apart, and I could not just stand there, doing nothing, while
he was being torn apart by his own remorse.
I spent a good while lost in thought before I faced Maxwell. “Look, it’s been ten whole years. since that mine blew up in the
mountains. Most of those miners are gone–either six feet under or skipped town. How in the world are we gonna find the guy
who started this whole mess?”
Maxwell’s mouth was a straight line, his voice steady as ice. “Sure, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, but that doesn’t
mean we’re out of luck. There were not too many players in the game back then, and it is pretty clear someone has been playing
keep–away with the truth. A decade is not long enough to wipe the slate clean. We can crack this case.”