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Regina and Yocelyn. Those two names kept swirling around in Garrett’s head. Could it be that they were disturbing his office? But why?
Garrett’s increasingly frozen expression, with all the assumptions swirling in his head, made Elice furrow her brow. Garrett’s behavior seemed unusual.
“Garrett,” Elice whispered later. Her gaze seemed probing. “Is everything okay?”
Garrett could only stare at Elice without answering her question. For a few moments. Until he nodded.
“Yes. Everything’s fine.”
But that wasn’t what Elice picked up. She felt that Garrett was hiding something. But Elice didn’t push. As always, Elice was confident that Garrett would eventually tell her if he wanted to.
Elice smiled. “That’s good to hear,” she said. “I was just worried, considering those were Mr. Dirk and Mrs. Dakota’s files. I didn’t think such things should be known to others, given their involvement in the investigation of your late father’s and grandfather’s deaths.”
That was the most reasonable thing that came to Elice’s mind. An answer to her curiosity about Garrett’s surprise when he found his desk drawer open.
“I’ll make sure they don’t casually enter your office again.”
Despite her promise, Elice’s words didn’t make Garrett feel better. Instead, it was the opposite. He stared at his wife intently. His mind wondered.
How much did Elice know?
Realizing that he wouldn’t get an answer without asking his wife directly, Garrett made a decision. It might be risky. But really. Everything that had happened recently had pushed Garrett to his limits. He couldn’t contain his curiosity at the same time.
“Where did you find out about this, Elice?”
Elice blinked. Confused by Garrett’s question. “Find out about what?”
“About Mr. Dirk and Mrs. Dakota ‘s involvement in the investigation of Grandpa and Dad’s deaths?”
Elice’s voice sounded weak. She took a breath. Just before she answered.
“I found out when I was going through some office archives. I was reading old files in the office about the news. And not only that, I saw some photos that…”
Picturing those horrible photos in her mind, Elice felt her stomach churn. Her face tightened with fear. She shook her head. She tried to push the frightening images out of her mind.
“Wasn’t this incident investigated by the police? Because there was something suspicious about the deaths?”
Garrett’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected Elice to know so much. And now the big question in Garrett’s mind was, what else did Elice know?Content is © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
As he asked himself this question, Garrett found his heart pounding irregularly. Amidst the throbbing curiosity, he tried to be patient. He waited for Elice’s explanation.
“Because there were rumors that your grandfather’s heart attack was caused by something else. I thought…” Elice’s forehead seemed more wrinkled. She tried hard to remember. But she wasn’t sure what the name of the medicine was. “… there was a drug found in your grandfather’s drink. And this chemical was discovered during the autopsy,” Elice continued. “The same goes for your father’s death. Your father’s body condition couldn’t be attributed to an accident. His face was crushed.”
Garrett couldn’t hold it in any longer. Elice’s report had really affected him. Garrett’s body suddenly shook. His face paled.
“W-what did you say?” he stammered.
Elice felt a chill run through her body. A natural fear rose from within her as she remembered every detail of that information.
“But I don’t know why that message wasn’t published. It just ended up as an unfinished draft.”
Garrett listened to Elice’s account and then held his wife’s hand. Elice looked down and saw Garrett’s hand. Obviously, she felt something different about the way Garrett was holding her. Garrett’s grip felt shaky. Tinged with trembling.
“Garrett,” Elice whispered, confused. She had never seen Garrett like this before. “Is there a…”
“What were you saying before, Elice?”
Being cut off by Garrett made Elice confused. But even more confused by Garrett’s question.
“You said there was a drug in Grandpa’s drink? And Dad’s face was smashed?”
Stiffly, Elice nodded once. “That’s what I read in the old draft. With some accompanying photos.”
As Elice said this, she noticed how pale Garrett’s face was, as if there was no blood left. He looked suffocated. Suffocated by a panic that Elice had never seen in their time together.
“Garrett.”
Elice reached for Garrett, who looked dazed. He looked like someone who had suddenly lost his mind. And Garrett’s reaction made Elice think.
“You didn’t know about this?”
Garrett swallowed hard. Holding Elice’s hand, he shook his head in a panic that almost blinded him.
“I had no idea,” Garrett replied heavily. He took a deep breath. He tried to calm himself as reality shook his mind. “I didn’t know there was a trigger for Grandpa’s heart attack. And I didn’t know that Dad’s face was shattered in the accident. All I knew was that the investigation into the incident was closed. That’s all.”
Ignoring the fact that Garrett didn’t know anything about those two unfortunate incidents, Elice focused on something else. What Garrett had said about the investigation being dropped.
“You’re right. I don’t think I’ve seen any follow-up articles about the progress of that investigation.”
Curiosity began to take over Elice’s mind. What she had first thought was just an old draft article, was now starting to make her think about something else.
“And is that why you’re keeping Mr. Dirk and Mrs. Dakota ‘s files?” Elice guessed. “Because you want to know what really happened?”
Without answering his wife’s question directly, Garrett looked at Elice for a moment. As if weighing. But it wasn’t long before Garrett nodded.
“Yes.”
Without a shadow of a doubt, Garrett confirmed Elice’s suspicion. In fact, a few moments ago Garrett had felt a little doubt. Should he tell Elice the truth? Or vice versa?
But in the end, Garrett made a decision. He would be honest with Elice when he realized that his wife knew things he didn’t. And regardless of that, Garrett also realized. That maybe it was the right decision.
Garrett told what had been weighing on his mind all this time. About the anomalies he had felt for a long time. Everything, and Elice listened attentively.
“Ever since we returned from Hawaii, I have been investigating the deaths of Grandpa and Dad. That included trying to meet with Mr. Dirk and Mrs. Dakota. But I didn’t get anything.”
“What do you mean?”
“They didn’t want to meet me. They wouldn’t give me any information about these unfortunate events,” Garrett replied in a low voice. “But who would have thought that I would find out from you?”
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