Chapter 490 Sidney Finds Evidence
The assistant came back ten minutes later with more detailed information. "Sir, Joseph from the Trento City Armed Forces M has been spotted with Thomas a lot lately. They recently went to Las Vegas together to gamble. I just learned that Thomas and Joseph will be meeting tonight."
The folks under Armed Forces M were a disorganized bunch.
And that Joseph was a notorious troublemaker.
Thomas... Eleanor's brother...
A vein throbbed faintly on Carlos's forehead. "Hire some bodyguards, I'm going to find Thomas myself."
"Sir, you're getting on in years and haven't been well lately. Shouldn't I contact Miss Winnie to discuss how to handle this?"
"I can handle it myself! Find Thomas, we'll get to the truth when you do!"
Seeing he couldn't dissuade his boss, the assistant hurried to prepare the car.
-
In the Blanchet family's backyard, Sidney enjoyed complete freedom of movement.
He pocketed a smartphone. It contained a photo his father had taken, capturing a piece of vital evidence left by Oscar. The embroidery on the fabric was distinctive, with a recognizable color and pattern.
He headed straight for the eerie garden cottage. It cast a menacing shadow near the Blanchet family's rear door, tightly sealed and covered in creeping ivy.
A hefty padlock hung on the gate, the windows all sealed. Sidney couldn't peer inside.
Drawn by memory, Sidney cornered himself inside the fence and immediately spotted the blossoms, exactly like those embroidered on the fabric!
In the heat of summer, these flowers were in full bloom.
Their tiger-striped colors were vibrant, the petals plump, each small bloom standing on its own.
Unsure whether they might be poisonous, Sidney refrained from touching them.
Yet he whipped out his phone and snapped a crystal-clear photo!
He and Mom were a team, she was busy searching for the origin of these flowers.
Sidney was sure these weren't common—perhaps, they were even rare.
Ironically, these were the same flowers adorning the fabric Oscar had torn down, and the Blanchet family had them in their villa's garden.
Sidney's gaze fixed on the mansion; during his previous visit, he had felt a compelling sensation as he neared this place.
Now, that feeling of urgency had dissipated.
He entertained a bold hypothesis.
Could the fabric be from the Blanchets' clothing?
Or, what if Oscar was being held captive in this villa?
A shiver ran down his spine.
Sidney hunched over, zooming in on the picture of the fabric...
He realized it might not be torn from any clothing.
The fabric was light and gossamer, almost like...
Suddenly, his mind latched onto an idea.
Sidney dashed to the front yard!
Upon reaching the main Blanchet residence, he kept a watchful eye—relieved to find the living room devoid of servants.
He vividly remembered Ishara's bedroom was on the second floor.
Slinking stealthily, he quickly tiptoed upstairs and gently pushed open the door to Ishara's room.
Standing in the opulent space, his eyes roved until they settled on Ishara's extravagant dressing room.
He found Ishara's collection of handkerchiefs in a clear display case, all delicate and thin as wings.
Both he and his mom had overlooked something.
Ishara had a penchant for various handkerchiefs!
For someone frequently coughing, it was common to have handkerchiefs, and their diminutive size made them easy to miss!
Searching through every pattern on Ishara's handkerchiefs, none matched the one on his phone.
His brow furrowed in concentration.
Undeterred, he resolved to stay the night in the villa!
-
Late at night, at the hospital.
Winnie receives a call from Olivia.
Olivia: "Winnie, the ward where Madam Rodriguez stayed at the hospital—it's been off-limits for ages, and nobody can get in. As for her condition, Dr. Moore is guarding that info like it's Fort Knox. I just can't get anything out of him."
“I refused to give up, so I just sat outside the hospital and waited. And then, as evening approached, Lawrence R. showed up!”
“He entered the hospital with Ishara. Nearly three hours later, they emerged from Mrs. Rodriguez's ward building. Ishara was wheeled out on a stretcher, but she was conscious."
"Wheeled out?" Winnie furrowed her brow skeptically.
"You said she was under the weather, so this shouldn’t be out of the ordinary, right."
"No, it doesn't feel right to me," Winnie countered. I kept thinking about what Jeremy had suggested - was there some connection between Ishara and Mrs. Rodriguez's illness? Can you find out Mrs. Rodriguez's current condition right now?"
"I really can't get in," Olivia admitted with difficulty.
She held up her cellphone, pacing around the hospital while making calls. "But I see Dr. Moore has come out now. He and his colleagues seem to be heading out for dinner. He looks much more relaxed than before…"
Does that mean Mrs. Rodriguez woke up from her coma?
Did her condition improve after Ishara's visit?
It could only be a few possibilities...
Could Ishara cure illnesses? Did she have something that made Mrs. Rodriguez better?
Winnie dared not speculate any further...
Olivia complained, "But what's the deal with Lawrence R.? He was weak in a wheelchair, with blood all over his chest. When I saw him leave just now, he headed straight to the ER. He seems really badly hurt!"
Winnie suddenly fell speechless, she unconsciously gripped her phone tighter.
He went to find Ishara; he took her to see Mrs. Rodriguez, risking his life. It wasn't just Ishara he cared for.
Maybe Jeremy was right; he was just worried about his mother...
Mrs. Rodriguez's illness wasn't organ failure. What was Lawrence R. hiding about her condition?
Winnie's thoughts were in disarray. Seeing that she didn't bite on the topic of Lawrence R., Olivia thought she might not want to discuss him and changed the subject. "Oh, about that embroidered fabric you sent me, I've done some digging.
“Turns out it's called Equinox flower, a toxic flower used in developing chronic neurological drugs. It's not found in the south but grows in the north, very pricey. Not everyone can afford to keep it, and even those who can may not find it available.”
“Why are you so suddenly interested in this flower?"
"Is it rare?" Winnie activated the recording function on her phone.
"Yes, and very few people can even recognize it because of its toxic nature. Anyone who cultivates it surely has a reason."
“The flowers were lovely, adorning either garments or handkerchiefs, they always carried an air of nobility and uniqueness.”
"Hankies..." Winnie murmured, furrowing her brow.
The following morning, as a maid helped him get ready, Sidney descended the stairs with his short, quick steps. He carried a small backpack, hiding what he'd secretly taken from Ishara's room – a trophy. He was off to the hospital to tell Mommy everything...
"Sidney," Eleanor approached, "the maid mentioned you're heading to the hospital to see Winnie. Kathy is on her way there too. Why don't you join me for a car ride?"
Thomas hadn't sent her any messages last night, and Eleanor suspected he'd been out indulging in his vices again. Anxious, she wanted to gather some information about Winnie at the hospital. Plus, with Winnie in admitted at the hospital, Eleanor knew she had to maintain appearances and show concern; failing to do so might raise Carlos's suspicions.
As they sat in the car, Sidney gave Eleanor a cold look. "You know Winnie is my mother, so why keep up the pretense?"
Eleanor stared at the defiant boy, irked by his complete lack of manners. Her eyes glinted with a dark chill as she smiled, "Well, your daddy is going to marry my daughter eventually. They are a perfect match, socially and legally."
Sidney could easily detect the sneer in her voice, implying his mother was an illegitimate child, not fit for public acceptance. He thought of something and mocked her with a scoff, "We'll see how well-matched they remain after your fall from grace. The last laugh has not been awarded yet. As long as Oscar and I are here, no one will marry my father."
Eleanor turned to face his icy expression, her scalp tingling. Was he intentionally bringing up Oscar? She had a feeling that the kid was doing all this on purpose...
Distracted upon her arrival at the hospital, Eleanor was about to put on an Oscar-worthy act for Winnie, when Carlos burst in, seething with fury. Spotting Eleanor, his eyes were daggers of icy scorn, "You dared to come here! What more do you want to do to Winnie?!"
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