Chapter 154 Investigation Results
The next day, Victoria showed up at Esme's old apartment, using the address Adrian had given her.
She'd double-checked it with Saskia and the others.
But they said they'd never been there, just knew the address.
To her surprise, the apartment was still around after more than twenty years, renovated and now well-known in the area.
She found Building C, went up to the 18th floor, and stood in front of apartment 1810.
Kimberly noticed Victoria standing still by the door and said, "Mrs. Howard, I asked the property management. They said this place has been empty for a long time, and the owner is your mom. A cleaning lady comes by every week. Brian's gone to find her."
Someone's been cleaning it regularly?
Victoria frowned, her eyes showing a mix of emotions.
After a bit, Brian brought up a woman—the cleaning lady.
She seemed straightforward and honest.
She looked at them cautiously and asked, "Who are you?"
Victoria smiled gently and said, "Don't worry. I just have a few questions."
The woman felt a sense of familiarity, like she'd seen someone who looked like Victoria before.
"Have you been cleaning apartment 1810 every week?" Victoria asked.
The woman nodded. "Yes, for eight years. Before me, it was other staff."
"Do you know who hired you?" Victoria asked.
The woman shook her head. "No idea. The company arranges our work."
"Okay, thanks. Can you open the door for us?" Victoria asked.
The woman hesitated, unsure about these strangers.
Even though the place was empty, it had valuable stuff inside. If anything went missing, she'd be in trouble.
Victoria noticed her hesitation.
She had ways to open the door but didn't want to damage the place where Esme had lived.
"What's your relationship with the owner?" the woman asked, eyeing Victoria.
"She's my mother," Victoria replied honestly.
The woman then realized why Victoria looked familiar and opened the door.
Inside, the apartment was neat and spotless but felt cold and lifeless, clearly unoccupied for a long time.
The woman said, "I knew you looked familiar. Turns out you're the owner's daughter. You look so much alike, even your expressions and eyes."
Talking about Esme, Victoria remembered her but only had five years of memories.
After Esme passed away, there were no photos left. Esme didn't like taking pictures, not even a wedding photo.
"Have you seen my mother?" Victoria asked the woman.
The woman replied, "I saw her in photos while cleaning."
"Where are the photos?" Victoria asked urgently.
"On the bedside table in the bedroom," the woman said.
But when they looked, the bedside table was empty. The woman was puzzled. "I remember they were here. I'm sure of it."
Victoria quickly realized someone had been there before her. Who could it be? Why did they take the photos? What secrets were they hiding? She felt certain someone was watching her, but she had no clues.
Brian came back from the cleaning company and said, "Mrs. Howard, the cleaning company never met the person who hired them. The hirer always contacted them and paid in five-year installments. They only left the surname Stewart, and the calls came from different places. All virtual numbers."
Stewart? That didn't match the initials on Esme's silver bracelet.
The more they tried to hide, the more Victoria wanted to uncover.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "Let's go to the university where my mom studied!"
With Brian's help, investigating was easier. Alexander had already set things up for her. But even at Esme's alma mater, she found nothing useful. Everything seemed too normal, which was suspicious.
They met the principal, who had been Esme's teacher.
"Your mother was exceptional. She's still a role model here. Wise, beautiful, and brave," the principal said.
Victoria smiled and thanked him. "Thank you for your kind words about my mother. Can I ask a personal question?"
The principal nodded. "Of course."
"After my mom graduated, did anyone come asking about her records?" Victoria asked.
The principal thought for a moment. "A year after she graduated, some people did come looking for her. When they found out she was no longer here, they left."
After Victoria and her group left, a nondescript car parked nearby with two men inside, one older and one younger.
"Dad, she's smarter than we thought. Can we really keep this from her?" the younger man asked.
The older man sighed. They hadn't expected Victoria to meet Esme's friend, Adrian.
"Keep it hidden as long as we can. Now's not the time," he said, glancing in Victoria's direction. "Let's go."
Victoria felt trapped in a web of mysteries. It was like she knew the answer but also knew nothing. It was like having a solution but not being able to solve it.
Back at the hotel, she locked herself in her room. It wasn't until after ten at night that her doorbell rang. She thought it was Kimberly with dinner.
Since returning in the afternoon, she'd been lost in thought, with no appetite. She got up from the bed, feeling dizzy and weak from not eating.
Outside, Alexander's face darkened when she didn't answer the door.
"Are you sure she's inside?" Alexander asked.
"Mrs. Howard hasn't come out since she returned. I've been guarding the door the whole time," Kimberly said, worried something might have happened.
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