At that moment, words seemed to elude Ariana, unable to mend the fractures in Theodoreâs heart.
She looked at him with a feeling of profound sorrow, gripping his hand firmly.
âYet⦠I have my doubts that Marleyâs death was her own doing.
â
Theodore whispered, his voice a murmur of uncertainty, âALL signs pointed to suicide, but Marley had an insurmountable fear of heights.
How could she choose to jump off a building as a way to depart from this world?â
With eyes closed, Theodore retreated into his thoughts, a lone soldier on a relentless quest for truth and vengeance.
While revenge was done, the elusive truth behind Marleyâs demise still eluded him.
In spite of all the evidence pointing to the fact that Marley had committed suicide, Theodore clung to his suspicions.
Ariana, too, found herself pondering.
âWere there no witnesses to the tragedy?â
Theodore shook his head solemnly.
âNo one except Helen, who was present when Marley fell.
Thatâs why Iâve kept her close all these years.
If Marley truly took her own life, I want to hear her final words.
â
The mention of Helen stirred a sense of suspicion in Ariana, as she herself had been deceived by that woman before.
She asked directly, âCan Helen be trusted?â
Theodore denied, âI had my reservations, but she had an alibi at the time of the incident, and surveillance footage showed her in the backyard when Marley jumped.
â
Ariana thought back to the blue teddy bear and questioned with a hint of seriousness in her voice, âAre you sure that teddy bear was left behind by Marley?â
âYes,â Theodore replied with unwavering certainty, âIt was a cherished gift from her foster parents, accompanying her since childhood.
She held it dear.
â
He hesitated, adding, âBut while we were going through Marleyâs stuff, we didnât find it.
Arianaâs eyes gleamed with suspicion as she probed further, âThen where did you get it?â
Theodoreâs nerves tensed, and he gripped Arianaâs hand.
âHelen gave it to me!â
This revelation only deepened Arianaâs suspicions, and she spoke candidly.
âAlthough the blue teddy bear was deliberately made to Look old, its production code caught my eye.
â
Ariana was aware of this since she often looked at the manufacturing codes on stuffed toys.
She took out her phone and wrote down the code.
She now gave her phone to Theodore, explaining, âLook, the manufacturing batch of this teddy bear is from six years ago, which means it was made after Marleyâs death.
Itâs impossible for her to be the one who left it behind.
â
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In the wake of Arianaâs words, Theodoreâs suspicion took root, and his brow knitted Like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
âWhy would Helen give me a fake one? Could she have hidden the real teddy bear?â he wondered aloud.
âYou could say that,â Ariana mused, her thoughts tangled, âThough the true reasons elude me, thereâs an undercurrent of hidden motives behind her actions.
â
Ariana believed that Theodore should look into Helen more, maybe beginning with the blue teddy bear, since something else was obviously being hidden.
Arianaâs intuition resonated with Theodore, forming a silent alliance between their minds.
Theodoreâs gaze fixed on the blue teddy bear, lost in a labyrinth of thoughts.
Meanwhile, in the murky depths of Mercy Hospitalâs third-floor basement.
Helen sat still, the room Lit badly and filled with drifting dust particles.
Her countenance resembled a lifeless statue, devoid of emotion.