Chapter 129
Chapter 129
Chapter 129 Don’t Say Anything
Lewis’ eyes sparkled when he noticed the fear in Josephine’s eyes.
He then retracted his hand and drove back to Styx Mansion.
Once they reached home, Lewis headed to his study while Josephine retreated to her bedroom. There, she hid under the covers while recalling everything she had seen in the
morgue.
At the same time, she remembered the things Lewis had said to her.
It was difficult for Josephine to connect the dots and realize that Lewis was involved in this
matter.
That night, she was unable to fall asleep. Nightmares would plague her whenever she closed her eyes.
Josephine would dream of Lily struggling in the inferno. She could see the look of despair on the latter’s face while trying to survive in the blazing fire. At the end of the nightmare, she would end up becoming the one trapped in the fire.
The feeling of suffocating in the thick clouds of acrid smoke felt so realistic.
A mix of shock and fear gripped Josephine as she woke up, the sensation of phantom heat burning her lungs remaining vivid.
With each breath coming in ragged gasps, she remained transfixed on the ceiling until the booming rumbles of the thunderstorm outside finally shattered her trance.
Josephine tilted her head to look out the window. It was dark and stormy outside, and a heavy downpour had already started. The protective net was already installed outside the window. With thin metal bars adorning the window, it acted like a prison that separated the mansion
from the rest of the world.
Josephine averted her gaze from the window as she stood up from the bed. Then, she raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat off her forehead.
After washing up in the bathroom, she headed toward the kitchen.
Unanticipatedly, as Josephine descended the stairs, a flurry of knocks erupted from the main entrance. The visitor, displaying a sense of urgency, repeatedly pressed the doorbell and pounded on the door with increasing rapidity.
Josephine’s heart skipped a beat out of anxiety. She turned to look at the stairway while wondering if Lewis was still home.
After that, Josephine glanced at the wall clock. The time displayed was 10.30 am, which came as a shock since she had thought it was merely 7 or 8 am, misled by the dreary, gray sky.
Josephine held her breath before creeping toward the main entrance. Then, she peeked into
the peephole quietly.
Much to Josephine’s surprise, it turned out to be Daphne, who had been outside the door all along.
That woman was clearly bridled with anxiety, not to mention she was soaked from the rain. She kept knocking on the door anxiously while calling out Lewis’ name.
“Lewis, open the door! Come on, open up!”
Josephine was silent for a moment before reaching out to grab the doorknob. Then, she opened the door for Daphne.
When Daphne saw the door swinging inward, happiness instantly flashed across her face as she pushed past Josephine and bolted into the mansion. “Lewis!” she shouted the moment she
entered the mansion.
Seeing as no one responded to her voice, Daphne rushed up the stairs immediately and started searching every room. However, she could not locate her older brother in any of those places.
Meanwhile, Josephine observed Daphne’s frantic actions quietly from the base of the staircase.
Once Daphne was done searching the whole mansion for Lewis, she ran down the stairs quickly and gripped Josephine’s arm tightly. “Where is he? Where did Lewis go?”
Josephine shook her head in response, not knowing Lewis’ whereabouts that morning.
Daphne was completely bewildered by Lewis’ disappearance. She had been to his company earlier but couldn’t find him there. After calling Sierra, she was told Lewis wasn’t with her either. He was nowhere to be found in Styx Mansion too. Where on earth did that man go?
“Hey, mute! Hurry up and tell me where the hell did Lewis go!”
Daphne grabbed Josephine by her shoulders and started shaking her violently as though she had gone mad from anxiety. “Tell me! Where the hell is he? Has he gone into hiding?”
Josephine was already dizzy from Daphne’s violent actions, so she instinctively raised her hands to push the latter away.
Daphne stumbled two steps backward while looking extremely frightened. In fact, she seemed abnormally terrified of something.
Daphne resembled an actual lunatic, judging from the way she looked with her wet hair splaying over her shoulders in a tangled mess. She looked like she had just seen a ghost, her gaze fleeting from side to side with raw terror shining in her eyes.
Then, Daphne rushed forward to strangle Josephine. “Tell me, where did he go?”
Josephine was shoved into the banister because of Daphne’s sudden actions. She could feel waves of dull pain emanating from her lower back that was pressed into the railing.
She grabbed Daphne’s hands in retaliation with the intention to shove her.
away.
The latter’s eyes had gone completely red out of fear and anxiety. With a hoarse tone, she said through gritted teeth, “Tell me where Lewis is right now, or else I’ll strangle you to death!”
Black dots started swimming before Josephine’s vision. Still, she managed to stretch her hands with great difficulty and latched her fingers around Daphne’s locks, thanks to her survival instincts.
She tugged on the locks forcefully, causing Daphne to shriek in pain and release her immediately.
Now that Josephine had regained her freedom, she fled as quickly as she could from Daphne’s vicinity.
Daphne could only clutch her head while shuddering violently. She then glared at Josephine with a murderous look on her face.
The latter clenched her fists nervously in response. By then, she had reached the coffee table in the living room, her hand already extending towards the plate resting on its surface.
As Daphne approached Josephine once again, the latter quickly picked up the plate to defend herself.
At that moment, Lewis’ voice boomed from the main entrance. “Stop it right now!”
Both women turned to look in the direction of the doorway. Lewis could be seen standing there wearing a windbreaker while holding a black umbrella over his head.
He pressed the button on the handle, activating the mechanism that closed the umbrella. Afterward, he proceeded to enter the mansion from the porch.
Daphne rushed toward Lewis immediately with wide strides as though she had just seen her savior. She gripped her brother’s arm tightly, exclaiming, “Lewis, we’re in trouble! Seriously, we’re in big trouble now!”
A light frown graced Lewis’ features. He lowered his head to shoot Daphne a warning look.
The latter’s words ended up getting lodged in her throat.
Then, Lewis raised his head to look at Josephine. “Go back to your room.”
Josephine, who was rooted to the spot with the plate clutched in her hands, gazed at the Alvarez siblings. With her lips pursed, she put the plate on the coffee table before turning on her heel and walking up the stairs. Owned by NôvelDrama.Org.
Once Josephine was gone, Lewis yanked his arm out of Daphne’s grip before walking to the couch and collapsing onto it. After that, he quietly lit a cigarette.
Daphne quickly followed suit by taking a seat next to him. She whispered, “Lewis, the police
took Dad away.”
The man paused in his actions, the cigarette still trapped between his fingers. “Then?”
“They suspect that Dad is the one who kidnapped Lily’s children and forced her to sign the contract before murdering them in cold blood.” Daphine’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
At the end of the day, she was just a scion who led a pampered and spoilt life. Naturally, she had never gone through anything like this.
The casualties caused by the fire led to Robert’s arrest by the authorities. It was impossible for Daphne not to fear for her life at this point.
“It’s completely normal for them to suspect him. Why are you so nervous?” Lewis shot Daphne an emotionless glance.
The woman just tugged on the locks that were plastered on her cheeks. She looked like a completely different woman at that moment. In fact, guilt was written all over her face as though she had done something wrong.
“Lewis, I-I didn’t want to kill her, b-but why did Lily end up dying in the end? Also, her children-
Daphne had a harrowing nightmare the previous night, haunted by visions of Lily and her children who seemed intent on taking her life. The experience left her utterly terrified, and throughout the day, she wandered in a daze, clearly shaken to her core.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?” The corners of Lewis’ mouth curled into a faint
smile as he stared at Daphne. “You were the one who did this, after all.”
Daphne widened her eyes before retorting hastily, “It’s true that I did this, Lewis, but I was-”
“Daphne,” Lewis interrupted while flashing Daphne a smile, “don’t say it. Why are you looking like this? Are you trying to tell everyone that you were the one who kidnapped and killed Lily?”
The aforementioned woman’s body slumped against the back of the couch upon hearing Lewis ‘words. Her complexion was completely devoid of any color at that time. She could only stare at Lewis in a dumbfounded manner.
“T-Then, what should I do now?”
“What else can you do now that things have reached this point? Either you turn yourself in or let Dad take the fall for you. Just think this through, hmm? Once you’ve made up your mind,
you can come to me again.”
Daphne no longer needed to give the question some thought.
She gripped Lewis’ arm right away, her tone more determined than ever. “I can’t turn myself in, Lewis! If I do, what will happen to Bambam? He’s still so young! T-There’s Seth as well! I can’t leave them on their own! You told me you’d help me, Lewis, so please help me!”
Lewis watched Daphne ramble on and on silently, taking in the glistening tears that gradually
brimmed in her eyes. Suddenly, he smiled at her. “Daphne, you don’t look like you’re well
enough to stay in this country. Why don’t you go on a vacation overseas?”