Chapter 73 Elimination of Suspects
"Just curious," Rachel said with a casual shrug.
Michael, focused on the road, turned the steering wheel and replied briefly, "Yes."
Rachel sighed inwardly with slight disappointment, 'It must be due to a genetic mutation.'
Rachel picked up her pen again, her tone turning professional. "Alright, Mr. Smith, I have no more questions. Please keep an eye on your mom in the future, and don't let her come to me for trouble again."
Michael's face grew solemn, his eyes flickering with a mix of frustration and hurt. "Rachel, can you not be so sharp with your words?"
Rachel laughed, a bitter edge to her voice. "Sharp? Mr. Smith, do you expect me to talk pleasantly? Have you ever thought about how you've treated me over the past six years? Why should I still be polite now? Who do you think you are?"
With that, she ended the call.
Michael listened to the disconnected tone in his Bluetooth earpiece, then moved his hand from the steering wheel to rub his temples, the weight of her words pressing heavily on his mind.
"Have you ever thought about how you've treated me over the past six years?" Her voice echoed in his head, a painful reminder of the truth he couldn't deny. They had indeed treated her poorly over the past six years.
Lost in thought, the hospital came into view. Michael parked the car, took a deep breath, and then walked into the inpatient department.
In the private room, Mandy was watching TV, and Charlotte was peeling an apple by the bedside. A knock on the door made Charlotte look up and smile.
"Mandy, look who's here?" she said warmly.
Mandy turned to the door and saw Michael. Her face lit up with delight, but her eyes quickly turned red. "Michael!"
She threw off the covers and rushed into his arms. Michael, now by the bedside, hugged her tightly and stroked her hair. "Why are you crying?" he asked gently.
"I missed you," Mandy murmured, burying her head in his chest.
Michael's eyes softened, his voice tender. "I'm here now."
Charlotte, seeing the two being affectionate, put the apple aside and stood up with a smile. "Michael, you came just in time. You stay with Mandy, and I'll go ask the doctor when she can be discharged."
"Okay," Michael nodded lightly.
After Charlotte left, Michael gently touched Mandy's forehead, confirming that her fever had subsided. He felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere?" he asked with concern.
Mandy pouted pitifully. "Yes, my head is still a bit dizzy."
"Then lie down for a while longer," Michael suggested, adjusting the pillow and helping her lie down.
Mandy shook her head. "I don't want to sleep. Just talk to me."
Michael had no objections and sat down by the bed. Mandy hugged his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. She said softly, "Michael, Mrs. Smith came to see me this morning. She heard that my attack was related to Ms. Williams and wanted to confront her. I couldn't stop her."
"I know," Michael said quietly.
"You know?" Mandy looked up at Michael's perfect profile. She pressed, "Mrs. Smith didn't do anything to Ms. Williams, did she?"
Michael lowered his eyes, recalling the incident. Emily did intend to go after Rachel, but Rachel ended up sending her to the police station. And Rachel didn't seem to be bullied. Thinking of this, Michael's lips curled into a slight smile, a tenderness in his eyes that he didn't even notice.
Mandy noticed and felt a pang of jealousy. She pretended to be puzzled. "Michael, what are you smiling about?"
Mentioning Rachel made him smile and show such a gentle expression. She had to get rid of Rachel quickly, or he would eventually fall in love with Rachel. He might not realize it, but she could see clearly that Rachel had already left a mark on his heart.
Michael returned to his usual cold demeanor and turned to Mandy. "Nothing, just remembered something funny."
"Is that so," Mandy forced a smile, feeling a mix of emotions.
At that moment, Charlotte returned. She smiled, "Mandy, the doctor said you can be discharged tomorrow."
"That's great. I don't want to stay in the hospital for another moment. Six years is long enough; I'm tired of it," Mandy said happily.
Michael affectionately ruffled her hair.
Charlotte suddenly asked, "Michael, did you find out who the man with the fox mask is?"
Hearing "the man with the fox mask," Mandy's smile instantly turned to fear. She called out, "Michael!"
Michael held her in his arms, gently patting her back. He reassured, "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Charlotte also regretted her words. She apologized, "I'm sorry, Mandy. I didn't mean to bring it up."
"I'm fine, Mom," Mandy shook her head with tears. "This is my retribution. If I hadn't hurt Ms. Williams first, she wouldn't have had someone kidnap me. So, it's all my fault."
"It's not your fault," Charlotte's eyes also turned red. She retorted angrily, "It's Rachel who's too cruel. Even though you hurt her first, we've already compensated her. She took the compensation and still had someone bully you. It's really hateful!"
Mandy lowered her head, sobbing softly, seemingly unable to understand Rachel's actions either.
Michael frowned. He explained, "Mrs. Brown, Mandy, this has nothing to do with Rachel. The man who kidnapped Mandy acted on his own, not under Rachel's orders."
"Michael, are you defending Rachel?" Charlotte looked at him in disbelief.
Michael shook his head lightly. "I'm not biased, just stating the facts."
Charlotte wanted to argue further, but Mandy tugged at Charlotte's sleeve, forcing a strong smile. "Mom, let it go. If Michael thinks it wasn't Ms. Williams, maybe it really wasn't."
Hearing this, Michael frowned slightly, feeling something was off, but he couldn't pinpoint it. Charlotte, however, understood and glared at him discontentedly.
Since Mandy woke up, she had insisted that she heard the kidnapper say Rachel orchestrated everything to get back at Mandy. By defending Rachel, he hurt Mandy's feelings, and Mandy still defended him, making Charlotte even angrier.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and David stood outside. "Mr. Smith."
"What is it?" Michael asked.
David glanced at Mandy and replied, "I have the results of the investigation on Robert."
Michael's eyes narrowed. "Wait for me outside."
"Yes," David responded and left.
Michael withdrew his arm from Mandy's grasp. He said, "Mandy, I need to step out for a moment."
Mandy smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Michael helped her lie down and covered her with the blanket before leaving the room.
Once the door closed, Michael looked at David. "What's the update?"
David handed over a file and reported, "Mr. Smith, here is the detailed information on Robert. He is an orphan who grew up in Pinecrest Valley. During his teenage years, he was sponsored by Rachel and Henry to go to school. As an adult, he was discovered by a talent scout and entered the modeling industry due to his good looks. In summary, he is not the man with the fox mask."
"He's not?" Michael frowned.
David nodded. "Indeed. I asked Mr. Brown, who had seen the man twice. According to his description, the man is a top hacker. Robert has never been involved in that field, and he was recently shooting in the mountains and caught a cold, while the man with the fox mask did not. So, they are not the same person."
Michael's mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle.
"What do we do now?" David asked.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
