Chapter 202

“Nobody knows for sure, but ever since the incident, Gideon’s people have been on the hunt for that girl’s brother. I reckon they’re aiming to silence him for good.”

Tarquin furrowed his brows. “Find him and send him to Charlie’s,”

Lowell asked, “To Charlie’s to chip rocks?”

“Better than ending up dead at Gideon’s hands.”

In today’s world, life’s already stacked against the poor. If you’ve got money and power, you’re set.

Without it, you’re nothing. Too many have suffered and died in silence, just like that girl!

Lionel’s death was a heavy sin, but why should her brother pay the price?

The darkness in society runs deeper than most folks realize, with only glimpses shown in movies.

Rich brats like Lionel, with their endless dirty deeds, are a dime a dozen!

His death should be a cause for celebration!

That girl’s brother is not a criminal here; he’s a hero!

But Gideon’s clever, using others to do his dirty work. Looks like Tarquin had been too lenient with him lately. Time to crack him down again!

Meanwhile, Elysia returned home and immediately burrowed into her blankets, shivering.

She was terrified.

Though she wasn’t sure if he had actually killed anyone, the fear was real.

Normally, if someone was falsely accused, they’d defend themselves. But when Allegra accused him, he stayed silent.

Why didn’t he refute it?

Deep down, she believed he was the murderer.

The thought of dealing daily with a murderer was enough to terrify her, especially given her timid nature.

And what about Allegra’s threats? If she couldn’t cure Elijah, would he turn on her? After all, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

Now, he was filled with hope for her.

Elysia’s mind was a mess, torn between feeling wrong for presuming guilt without evidence and the fear of getting too close to that man, which felt increasingly dangerous.

The next day, Elysia still went to the hospital to deliver breakfast for Elijah. But she didn’t go to Elijah’s room directly. She asked Benjamin to deliver it instead, and she kept up with Elijah’s condition through Benjamin.

It was clear she was avoiding Elijah’s father.

Benjamin, puzzled, took the food to Elijah’s room and asked Tarquin, “What’s going on between you and Ms. Thorne? Why is she avoiding you?”

Tarquin looked up and asked, “She was here?”

“Yeah, came and left. Here, she asked me to bring breakfast for Elijah.”

Tarquin’s mood soured immediately.

Benjamin said, “With Elijah’s situation, I thought this might bring you two closer, maybe even patch things up. Why did it only last a day? We’re all in this together; why not just clear the air?”

Tarquin scowled, “You might consider her one of us, but that doesn’t mean she feels the same. Stop wasting your time warming up to someone who’s cold.”

Benjamin was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

If she saw Tarquin as one of her own, she wouldn’t lump him in with the Bradfords and misjudge him.

“Not everyone can be considered ‘one of us‘. Don’t cheapen yourself.”

Despite his sharp words, Benjamin suggested, “Whatever the issue, bring it out into the open, instead of this silent treatment.”

“Who’s giving silent treatment?”

“She’s avoiding you, and you are making snide remarks behind her back. If that’s not silent treatment, what is?”

09:47 Tarquin frowned, “If she wants a silent treatment standoff, she’s got to be in my league first.”

Implying that Elysia wasn’t even qualified to have a silent treatment with him.

Benjamin was speechless again, but before he could say anything else, Tarquin had already left the room.

Feeling down, Tarquin decided to crash Allegra’s memorial service for Lionel. Normally, funerals took a few days of preparation, but given Lionel’s unique circumstances, both the higher–ups and Gideon were eager to have him buried as soon as possible.

So, the funeral was set for that moming.