Chapter 918: Chapter 917
The words from Rosemary left the room in a state of mild shock. Could it be that Erik and Martin had been in cahoots behind the scenes?
"That sedative incense—it’s a common item on the black market, with a strong aroma. Erik is somewhat a leader of an organization; he should’ve known what that incense could do. But he got nabbed by Martin’s bodyguard? A leader taken down by a run-of-the-mill guard? Doesn’t that strike you as odd?"
"You’re suggesting that Erik got captured on purpose? That from the moment he stepped into Martin’s place and sniffed that sedative incense, he knew his daughter wasn’t there. He realized it was a trap
set by Martin, but he still played along. Could this mean he also wanted to save his daughter? That he was willing to trade his life for hers?" Kenneth speculated.
"It’s a possibility we can’t ignore," Rosemary continued, "Another thing is, the poison that ultimately killed Erik was a slow-acting one. We guessed that Erik arrived at Martin’s place around noon or early afternoon. But the timing of his ingestion of the poison was in the morning."
That meant he had ingested it before heading over to Martin’s.
Everyone was taken aback at the revelation.
"So, it could really be as Dad said. He knew his daughter wasn’t at Martin’s and took the poison in advance to avoid suffering at our hands. He went to Martin to make a show of loyalty. Because it was a slow-acting poison, there was enough time for Martin to save his daughter and clear his own name. If Martin’s off the hook, our family wouldn’t pursue him, and he could then take care of his daughter,
ensure her safety."
"But Erik doesn’t strike me as someone who would give up so easily," Hunter chimed in, "His wife’s dead, and he’s letting go of that vengeance? He only has his daughter left. Doesn’t he want to be there for her? To see her get married, have kids?"
"Didn’t you remember the fire at the clinic? If Erik knew who the real mastermind was, could it be that the mastermind, fearing Erik would betray him if captured by us, forced Erik to take the slow-acting poison?"
In other words, Erik didn’t take it willingly; he was blackmailed by the mastermind?
Louisa, perplexed by her daughter’s analysis, asked, "But isn’t Erik’s biggest vulnerability his own flesh and blood? With his daughter under Martin’s protection, what’s there to fear?"
"Remember what Martha said at the unfinished building? That the mastermind has considerable power.
Could it be that not even Martin can stand against him? So, Erik sacrificed himself for his daughter’s and Martin’s future happiness?"
Dead men tell no tales.
With his death, the mastermind might be willing to spare Serena’s life.
"Who the hell is this mastermind?" Louisa was at a loss. Over the years, who had they angered that wielded such influence? They hadn’t made any mortal enemies, nor did anyone seem to have the means!
Except for the McMillian family—but no, they would never do such a thing!
Who could it be?
Who went to such lengths to hurt them?
Eighteen years and they still couldn’t live in peace?
"What exactly did Erik discuss with Martin? Could it be he left instructions for after his passing? Could Erik have told Martin who the mastermind is. If we ask Martin, wouldn’t we know?"
But Kenneth’s glimmer of hope was quickly extinguished by his daughter’s calm response, "He doesn’t know."
Their surprise was apparent, even Louisa couldn’t fathom it, "Rose, how can you be sure Martin doesn’t know the mastermind?"
"He just called me, begging to save Serena. If he knew, he’d have used that information as a bargaining chip by now."
"And he’s still pleading for that spoiled brat." Louisa was getting angry, "But Erik isn’t stupid. He must have left something for Serena, something to protect her. There’s definitely something we don’t know
about."
As Louisa spoke, Rosemary’s phone began to vibrate.
Rosemary’s phone buzzed with messages that set the room on edge.
[Rosemary, before Erik went to see the Collins family, he entrusted his personal phone to me, hoping that after I save Serena, I’d hand it over to her.]
[I obtained your contact information from his phone without Serena’s consent. Although I’m not sure who planned the fire at the clinic, I bet this phone holds the secrets you’re looking for.]
[It might even have details about his organization.]
[I’ll trade this phone for Serena’s life. Deal?]
Worried that Rosemary might not bite, Martin sent another message.
[I swear, I didn’t kill Erik. His death has nothing to do with me.]
Seeing Rosemary glued to the screen of her phone, everyone crowded around and asked questions.
"What’s going on? Who sent that?" Louisa asked with concern, "Rose? What’s wrong?"
"It’s messages from Martin. Just as we suspected, Erik did have an ace up his sleeve before he died—a phone meant for Serena."
"So, that means the phone contains the secrets we’re after? I’ll talk to him," Kenneth declared. "If he refuses to hand it over, I’ll take it by force if necessary!"
It was the first time he’d considered such drastic measures.
If it weren’t for that fire, his real daughter wouldn’t have been swapped at birth, wouldn’t have endured years of hardship, and they wouldn’t spent all these years raising Serena, which led to the ensuing
chaos.
He had to expose the puppeteer behind the curtain!
"If he’s daring to tell us about it, it means he’s not afraid of us stealing it," Rosemary mused, "If he wanted to hide it, it’d be hard for us to find it quickly."
"But Rose, why would he tell you this? What’s his angle?" Louisa pressed.
"He wants me to save Serena."
The moment Rosemary spoke those words, everyone unanimously objected, "No way."
Rosemary was surprised to hear the exact same words from her parents and both brothers.
None of them wanted to save Serena?
Kenneth: "After all she’s done to you, how could you even think of saving her? It’s generous enough that she’s still breathing!"
Louisa: "Even if you save her, she won’t be grateful. Who knows if she still blames you for her birth mother’s death..."
Hunter: "No need to save her. He shouldn’t even ask."
Sean: "She’s already lucky to have lived this long. Is Martin asking for trouble or what?"
The tension in the room was palpable, each family member wrestling with their conscience and the haunting shadows of their past. But amidst the turmoil, one thing was clear—their once-entwined lives with Serena had frayed, and they were all yearning for closure.