[84]
Although not wholly relieved, at least talking to Chris was the right decision. He never imagined that Ester would go to such lengths. Remembering the incident that almost took his life sent shivers down his spine. How the car lost control, flipped over, and hit the roadside.
The pain coursing through his body was relentless. Trapped against the steering wheel, the car was severely damaged despite wearing a seatbelt. He didn’t know what happened to the sedan he was driving, but he remembered it was going very fast.
Perhaps because he was driving the car in a highly emotional state, witnessing the struggle unfold genuinely disturbed him. He thought there was a slight chance that Chloe didn’t expect much. She just needed a little attention from Leonel. But she couldn’t accept even that.
Instead, she continued to feel hurt and disappointed.
Indeed, there were nights when Chloe couldn’t sleep, let alone see in the darkness that choked her. It was understandable that she underwent an emotional transformation. Her fear felt real.
“Ma’am,” Peni called out, making Chloe turn around. All the thoughts swirling in her head disappeared instantly. She tried to force a faint smile not to seem too lost in thought.
“Ma’am… Are you okay?” Peni had her concerns. Since Chloe’s return accompanied by Josh, even though nothing seemed to be missing, her employer became much quieter. She only wanted to talk to Adrianna. And even that conversation seemed more severe than discussing the store or the business Chloe wanted to start.
Adrianna’s tense face couldn’t hide anything from Peni when she said goodbye earlier.
“No, Pen,” Chloe shook her head softly. “I’m fine.”
“Would you like me to make some jasmine tea?”
That could be what Chloe needed. A little relaxation from what was troubling her now. “Yes, please.”
Before Peni could leave Chloe to prepare some tea, Tia hurriedly entered. “Ma’am,” she called out, slightly out of breath.
“What’s wrong, Tia?” Chloe asked, slightly confused. Tia had yet to speak, which only added to Chloe’s confusion.
“Um, Ma’am,” Tia pointed outside. “There’s a visitor.”
“Who?” both Peni and Chloe asked almost simultaneously.
“Mr… Leonel.”
Chloe stood up quickly. Her face, which had been somewhat cheerful despite having many questions in her head, now turned irritated upon hearing of Leonel’s arrival. “Tell him I’m not here.”
“It’s too late, Ma’am,” Tia grimaced. “I… didn’t know you didn’t want to meet Mr. Leonel.”
Chloe groaned softly. “I don’t want to be bothered. Tell him.”
Peni quickly found a middle ground. She immediately took hold of Tia’s hand to move away. She whispered that her employer was strong enough to handle this particular visitor. Although Tia didn’t fully understand, her employer wanted to avoid meeting Leonel if Peni said so. Not now or in the future.
Meanwhile, Chloe sighed in frustration. “What does he want here?” She quickly went up to her room. She didn’t want to be disturbed by Leonel’s visit because she knew he would insist. Fortunately, Peni understood her situation with Leonel. The woman would surely try to ward off Leonel’s arrival and his insistence.
In her room, she felt a little strange because something was missing. She didn’t know what. She just glanced around the room. Last night, exhausted and confused, she fell asleep right away. There was still fear and worry because of Josh’s actions and behavior that sent shivers down her spine.
Her intention to relieve her fatigue was interrupted by the loud ringing of her phone. She almost ignored it because the ringing was continuous without a break. She thought it was Leonel calling, insisting on meeting her. She continued to miss what was happening on her phone screen.
But her peripheral vision betrayed her. She saw Josh’s name appear on the screen. Whether she needed to feel relieved or not, one thing was sure: Chloe grabbed her phone without thinking.
“Am I disturbing you?” Josh asked softly. “I figured you were busy, so you ignored my calls.”
“No.” Chloe shook her head quickly. She sat down immediately on the edge of her bed. She momentarily set aside her intention to shower. “I just got back.”
“Do you have plans?” Josh asked again, but this time after a soft cough. “I’m inquisitive; that’s why I want to know. Forgive my curiosity. I couldn’t hold it back, Chloe.”
The woman, dressed in a blue dress, chuckled. “It’s okay. I don’t mind sharing my activities with you.”
“So… what have you been doing today?”
“I reported Ester’s unexpected actions, Josh. All night I was thinking, how could Ester be so heartless.”
“That’s the right step. I’ll tell you everything I know.”NôvelDrama.Org © 2024.
“Including your madness on the mountain?”
At the other end, Josh laughed. “That’s my business, Sa. If Leonel doesn’t accept it, I can tell him I did it consciously to retaliate for your pain. Because I know you won’t do anything.”
Chloe remained silent for a moment. “Being free from Grisham is already a relief for me.” She strolled towards the balcony of her room. Carefully, she opened the curtains that covered the window and the glass panes. She could still see Leonel’s luxurious sedan in the front yard.
And also…
“I want to have dinner together, Chloe. Can we?”
Chloe straightened her body as her eyes focused on the other car. The car with one of its doors open and a figure getting out of it. She could see that figure now: Josh.
Dressed in a neat suit, with his handsome face bathed in the remaining sunlight of the evening, that figure shone even brighter.
“I’m sure my actions yesterday made you feel strange. I sincerely apologize. That’s why I want to invite you to dinner.”
Chloe looked stiff, her eyes reluctant to shift away from Josh. She was not captivated, but the image of a different Josh, cold, rigid, cruel, and unassailable, reappeared in her mind’s eye.
She was afraid to be alone with Josh again.
“Why are you silent, Chloe?”
“I-I…”
“You can bring Peni along, or, if necessary, a car follows behind mine. To protect you. I don’t mind.”
From the balcony, Chloe could also notice Leonel staring sharply at Josh. There was no conversation between the two of them. Weren’t they supposed to be working together?
Leonel couldn’t possibly know what Josh was like towards him, right?
“Coincidentally, Leonel is here. You can get ready, Sa. I’ll wait. Can I have a brief conversation with Leonel? Do you mind?”
“No,” Chloe quickly replied.
“Okay. I’ll wait for you to get ready.”
***
Chris stared intently at the back of the thin man. No, not actually at his back. But at the screen where several photos he had obtained were being examined more closely.
The story Chloe had told and the evidence that Ester had done something to her car at that time match his findings.
As if…
“Yes, sir. It’s staged. I acknowledge the skill of the manipulation.”
Chris nodded slowly. His eyes were still fixed on the photo where Ester handed money in a brown envelope to someone in a mechanic’s uniform, the same place where Chloe’s car always received maintenance.
The person was wearing a hat that partially covered their face. Meanwhile, Ester wore a long scarf to cover her blonde hair partially. Chris recognized the body proportions and the woman’s eyes.
“Are you sure this is staged?”
Once again, the thin man nodded. “I’m sure, sir. But for the photos at the workshop, they are real, sir. However…”
“However?”
The man moved the cursor to a specific point. “In this part, sir. If you want a clearer view, try looking at CCTV footage from a different date, maybe in recent months.”
Chris suddenly realized something. “The timing was manipulated?”
“Exactly, sir. But I couldn’t delve too deeply into it because these screenshots happened. They weren’t staged.”
Chris nodded once again. He let the thin man continue his work while he chose to step aside. He sat on the provided sofa, which he used to review all the obtained findings.
The production company where Ester worked also came into focus. How could an agency fabricate a report of lies? But it could happen.
Who was closest to Ester? Surely they would know about her daily life.
No, Chris wasn’t defending Ester. Not at all. But if these accusations were directed at Ester, while there was a much bigger mastermind who should be held accountable for all this, what was the point of dragging Ester into it?
If Chris could make an assumption, Ester and Josh worked together to achieve their goals. Ester, with her motives that Chris understood very well. And Josh? He wanted to see Leonel’s downfall.
Chris sighed. “Why is it so complicated?”
Before he could lean back comfortably on the sofa to relieve fatigue, his phone rang loudly. His eyes immediately looked at the name displayed on the screen.
My Wife
“That’s unusual. What’s up?” He quickly answered the incoming call. “Yes, honey?”
“Our child had an accident, honey!”
Chris’s eyes widened.
“Can you come to the hospital immediately? The doctor said they need a lot of blood.” His wife’s voice trembled, holding back tears.
Without hesitation, Chris hurriedly left with a heavy heart.