CHAPTER 87: TWO LIVES, ONE MYSTERY

"What is Dante doing in Mistvale?" Kiera asked without even looking at the old man beside her, gripping her fork and stabbing her food a little too hard.

She had been in a foul mood since the day Dante announced Camela’s pregnancy and married that woman. Dante had managed to dodge every woman she picked for him.

She had planned for at least one of those women to eventually bear his child, and from there, she could take control. But now her plan was ruined.

Ferro, the old Volkhan, frowned.

"It’s not a problem for me. It’s good he found a doctor there who can help Camela with her terrible nausea."

Veyona, Dante’s mother, added more food to her husband’s plate, only to add fuel to Kiera’s anger.

"Eat, dear. You need to stay healthy. You’ll be meeting your grandchild soon."

And Ferro did the same. "You too... the baby will want to see Grandma too."

He placed more food onto Veyona’s plate.

Veyona glanced at Kiera, who looked completely irritated. She abruptly pushed back her chair and left the dining table. That made Veyona quite satisfied.

Kiera stormed out to her car and sped away.

Nearly an hour later, she pulled up at the brothel she owned and rushed inside. She slumped into her chair and pressed a hand to her face.

A knock came at the half-open door, and a middle-age man stepped inside. It was Gio, one of the workers at the brothel.

"Hey... why the bad mood again?"

Kiera lowered her hand the moment she heard the voice.

"Of course I’m in a bad mood. None of my plans are working."

She spread her arms as if to show just how badly everything had fallen apart.

"What more do you want, Kiera? The old Volkhan is already keeping you as his mistress. Isn’t that enough? What are you still chasing? You’re getting older... shouldn’t you stop?"

He leaned back and sat on the table in front of her, crossing his arms.

"Look at you talking like some holy man... Huh—I don’t want to hear it. Just get lost!"

She jabbed a finger toward the door.

Gio smirked and shook his head. "Are you sure you don’t want to hear it? I’ve got news about Andy."

Kiera’s breath hitched, worry flickering across her face but then her eyes narrowed.

"What about Andy?"

Gio pushed himself off the table, walked over to the nearby sofa, and sank into it comfortably.

"Remember the fake Avelina? Rose? The woman Albert caught back then?"

"Yes, why? Andy finished her, right? After she failed to infiltrate the Hale family..."

Gio shook his head.

"He didn’t do what you ordered. He kept the woman... and sent her back again. And... he got caught."

"Where the hell is he?" Kiera barked, furious.

"Prison..." he answered simply, leaning forward toward Kiera.

"He told them you were behind this."

Kiera stiffened. "He told who?"

"No idea. Andy sent Rose so he could kidnap Harold’s grandkid... and they both got caught. You’d better watch yourself."

Slowly, Gio rose from the sofa and stepped closer to her. He leaned in and spoke in a low, warning voice.

"You’ve slipped through again and again, Kiera. After this... I can’t guarantee your luck will hold."

Kiera snorted and pushed him away from her.

Years before, she had ruined Harold’s life by forcing him to witness the horrific accident that killed his two children.

But, it was an old case, and no one would bother digging it up. And as for his son-in-law... he was just a doctor, wealthy but powerless.

Kiera was confident she’d never get caught by a soft hearted man like Alex.

"Why should I worry?" She crossed her arms and smirked.

He frowned, realizing just how stubborn she was.

"Suit yourself, Kiera. I washed my hands of all this a long time ago. Don’t come looking for me again. I just want to spend the rest of my life quietly here."

He stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

...

At the Hale estate, Rowan and Martin sat in the parlor across from Agnes, while Damian stood at his usual spot beside his boss.

Mr. Cray brought out a leather box, its surface lightly dusted, a clear sign no one had touched it for years.

He set the box on the table between the sofas, then opened it and pulled out two files, placing them carefully in front of them.

Agnes pointed to one of the files. "This is my son’s accident report. He died in a car crash while abroad."

She shifted her finger to the second file. "And this one... it’s Avelina’s"

She leaned back on the sofa and said, "These files were prepared by the private investigator long before he stepped down. You may take them—I hope they help with your investigation."

Rowan took the files, glanced through them briefly, and then handed them to Martin.

"Last time, we caught the man, but he was only a hired hand. As for Kiera Dray, we’re trying to track her down and find out if she’s connected to the Volkhan. I have a feeling the culprit is tied to both accidents," Rowan explained.

Agnes nodded with a faint smile. "That’s good enough. You’ve already settled one problem, which means you’ve made progress."

Martin closed the files and set them back on the table. His gaze landed on the old woman slumped on the sofa.

"I’m sorry, but I have to ask—why was the investigation discontinued?"

Agnes’s eyes twitched slightly at the sight of Martin.

His green eyes reminded her of her son. Perhaps she had missed Edger and mistook someone else for him.

She dismissed the thought and answered.

"It was my decision. The private investigator I hired had received death threats and withdrew from the case. Around the same time, Harold fell ill, and I had to take over the business.

The media were pressing for news, the company’s stock was tumbling, and some of the team even left during those hard times.

The police were stretched thin, and they only ran into the same dead ends.

We lost our children, but our grandchildren still needed us. And I realized I couldn’t manage everything at once."

She had given up once, yet the presence of the young people before her now stirred a fragile spark of hope.

She prayed they would uncover the truth, allowing Harold’s soul to rest at last.

After the brief meeting, Rowan handed all the files to Martin, and they went their separate ways.