CHAPTER 99: 99. UNCERTAINTY

Beta Gilbert continued to play along with Laura and Cassandra, pretending not to notice Laura’s quick move again to stop Cassandra from revealing anything.

"Okay, thanks a lot, girls. If you happen to remember anything, or if Maria later shares something with either of you, please do well to let me know. Together, we can help her get well quickly," Beta Gilbert said calmly, trying to sound genuinely concerned about Maria.

"Alright, sir, we will surely let you know if anything comes up. We’ll be on our way now, sir," Laura responded politely as she and Cassandra walked away from the garden. Beta Gilbert quietly watched them until they disappeared through the mansion’s gate.

As soon as they stepped outside, Laura’s calm expression changed. She turned sharply to Cassandra, her voice low but firm. "How could you? Were you seriously going to tell him Maria’s secrets?"

Laura’s sharp gaze pierced into Cassandra’s eyes, filled with frustration.

"I’m sorry! But what else could I do? He sounded so sincere, and I thought we could actually trust him to help Maria with her recovery," Cassandra explained, her voice soft and regretful.

"I know you meant well, but you can’t go around trusting just anyone because they sound convincing. Let Maria do her own talking, Cassandra. She’s the one living in that house with them, not us. If Beta Gilbert really cares, he should speak directly to her, not through us," Laura stressed, her voice calm but firm as she broke it down carefully.

"Okay, I understand now. I’m really sorry," Cassandra said with genuine remorse.

Laura sighed and then gave a small smile. "And I’m sorry too for yelling at you."

The tension between them melted as they both burst into light laughter and hugged each other, walking slowly toward the place where they would get a taxi.

**Back at the Mansion**

Meanwhile, Beta Gilbert sat still in the garden, his face clouded with suspicion and frustration.

’There’s something suspicious about this Laura girl,’ he thought to himself, his brows furrowed. ’Cassandra was about to reveal something useful, and Laura immediately stopped her!’

His anger deepened as he clenched his fists. "I need to find out everything about this Laura. If she turns out to be an enemy, I will crush her and her entire family without hesitation," he muttered coldly to himself, his voice dripping with determination.

Lost in thought, Beta Gilbert didn’t even notice when Bernard walked up to him.

"Dad... Dad... can you hear me?" Bernard called out several times but got no response. It wasn’t until he lightly tapped Beta Gilbert on the shoulder that his father snapped out of his deep thoughts.

"Oh, sorry son, I didn’t hear you. My mind has been occupied with a lot of things," Beta Gilbert apologized, realizing he had drifted completely.

Bernard crossed his arms and stared at his father. "Hmm... What’s going on this time, Dad? What’s bothering you so much?"

Beta Gilbert sighed and explained, "I tried to talk to Cassandra and Laura. I wanted to know if Maria had shared anything with them that could help us with her recovery. Cassandra was just about to say something when Laura stopped her and completely changed the direction of the conversation. It was obvious she did it on purpose."

The anger in Beta Gilbert’s voice was unmistakable.

"Calm down, Dad. I know exactly how you feel. I felt the same way last night. But don’t worry—I’ve already figured out a solution to this whole thing," Bernard said confidently, his voice steady.

Beta Gilbert’s curiosity immediately heightened. He turned fully toward his son, his eyes wide with interest. "A solution? What’s the plan, son?"

"First, we need to investigate Laura thoroughly. That girl is not as simple as she seems. I can feel it. There’s something more to her. Second, I’ll personally handle Cassandra. I’ll get her to open up to me. I know exactly what to do. I have a strategy, and I’m sure she’ll fall for it," Bernard explained, sounding almost proud of his carefully thought-out plan.

Beta Gilbert nodded slowly, clearly impressed but still cautious.

"Your plan sounds good. Investigating Laura is non-negotiable. But about Cassandra, are you sure you can get her to talk? What if Maria finds out? Can you pull this off without raising her suspicion? And are you sure Cassandra’s loyalty to her friendship with Maria won’t stop her from opening up?"

Bernard smirked slightly, full of self-assurance. "Dad, Cassandra and I are already close. She likes me more than you realize. Trust me—I know how to play this game. I’ll make sure she talks."

"Alright then, let’s move quickly. I’ll speak to Mason and have him assign some of our best trackers to follow Laura. I want to know everything about her—who she meets, where she goes, everything!" Beta Gilbert said, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

Once their discussion ended, Bernard got up, walked out of the garden, and headed straight to his car. Without wasting time, he drove out of the mansion.

Upstairs in her room, Maria sat quietly by her window, observing everything that had just happened in the garden.

From the moment Beta Gilbert called Laura and Cassandra, to their conversation, to the moment Bernard joined his father—Maria had watched it all closely, though she couldn’t hear what they were saying.

She sat there, puzzled and unsettled. Why would Beta Gilbert call my friends? What could they have discussed? she wondered, her heart growing heavier.

Her mind spun with more questions. Could it be that my friends might actually be persuaded by Beta Gilbert to turn against me? Or am I just overthinking things?

Maria pressed her lips tightly and thought to herself, while staring hard.

’If they call me and tell me what Beta Gilbert talked to them about, then I’ll know I can still trust them. But if they don’t... it simply means they’re hiding something from me. And I won’t be able to fully trust them anymore.’