“It’s fine,” replied Genevieve as she shook her head. “I’m sure Cooper can get it back.”
She sounded so sure that Armand sensed that something was off. He was sensitive and noted that the phrases she chose suggested that Cooper would strike a deal with Marilyn.
Genevieve was the first to get out of the elevator when it arrived.
She pressed the bell twice, and it didn’t take long before she heard the sound of the door unlocking. Maria had unlocked the door. Tears swirled in her eyes when she saw Genevieve standing behind the door.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, Ms. Rachford.”
“Sorry for worrying you,” replied Genevieve. She smiled and walked into the house.
Maria’s eyes shone with a hint of delight when she heard Genevieve’s voice. The latter looked more serene, and it was then something struck her and she immediately kneeled before Genevieve.
“I am so sorry, Ms. Rachford,” Maria choked out. “I’m sorry…”
Genevieve stood there, smiling. “What are you sorry for?”
Maria wiped her tears away. “I was the one who poisoned your food and made you mute. I-I didn’t want to do that, Ms. Rachford, but they found my son. They threatened to kill him and my grandson if I refused to do what they say. My hands were tied, Ms. Rachford, and I told them I would only do it once and that there would never be a second time.”
“When I went on a business trip to Bera, you called me and said that Old Mrs. Faulkner asked you to go to the Faulkner residence. You saw some photos while you were there.” Genevieve looked down at her. “Was that really how you saw those photos?”
Armand entered the house then and heard what Genevieve said, so he asked, “What photos?”
“The photos of you and Marilyn together,” answered Genevieve calmly. She opened the inbox on her phone, found the photo Maria had sent to her, and gave her phone to Armand.
Armand took a look at the first photo and narrowed his eyes when he saw it.
Both he and Marilyn looked young in the photo, and it was obviously taken when they had just begun dating.
He remembered how she had been invited as a guest for a grand opening party, and how he had stared at her as she played the violin on the stage. He had thought about her practicing when she was admitted to the hospital, about her behaving like a mute and always giving him food, and how she enjoyed extremely sweet snacks then.
Those funny memories had made him happy, so he had smiled at Marilyn, who was on the stage. And that moment had been caught on camera.
Now that he looked at the photos, all he could think about was how Genevieve had demanded a divorce from him after she was nearly strangled to death when she was on a business trip in Springwyn. She had hated him for defending Marilyn back then.
He had tried to explain himself, but she had refused to believe him. She had even typed on her notepad, saying that his gaze was not the same when he looked at Marilyn.
Ah, so these photos left an impression on Genevieve. She had been suppressing her emotions for so long, and the incident at Springwyn had caused it to blow up. So she was jealous at the time?
Coming to that conclusion prompted the sorrow in Armand’s heart to be replaced with inexplicable happiness.
He didn’t bother looking at the other photos.
His eyes glowed with intensity when he turned his attention to Maria. “Who gave you these photos?”
Maria trembled and looked down. “A-A mysterious guy I don’t recognize. He seemed to know everything about Ms. Rachford’s whereabouts and contacted me as soon as she reached Bera. He provided me with the photos and taught me how to lie to Ms. Rachford…”
With a face full of tears and regrets, she continued, “Please believe that I never wished to hurt you. They broke my grandson’s legs and threatened me… He is my only grandson, and I couldn’t let anything happen to him. I’m so sorry…”
