Chapter 69: Ghosts of the Past

Leader Kicher was still talking to his advisor about everything that happened, saying that something wasn't right, Jacob is not a saint, but his behavior. I honestly think he wouldn't attack Rebecca without consent saying like she says. Oliver tried to argue, but before he could do so, DK gave him a cold look. 

"And you, Oliver, should learn to think before you act. As much as you love Rebecca, don't let that cloud your reason. Be careful not to be used." Oliver clenched his fists, but said nothing. Those words hit him like a slap, but he wasn't going to confront DK. Rebecca was his weak point, and he knew it.

"Let's check the security cameras." DK stood up and went to the room where the screens were set up. Oliver followed him while Rebecca, still hidden, became apprehensive because she had forgotten that Oliver, at Alexander's command, had placed cameras all over the mansion.

DK ran his hand through his hair, frustrated, as he stared at the security screens. The glow of the images captured by the cameras filled the room, but none of them showed what he needed to see. He frowned, his mind working quickly to find logic in what seemed like a tangle of lies and coincidences.

"So, nothing?" DK asked, his voice controlled, but full of tension.

"Nothing." Oliver pointed to the screen that showed only palm trees and the pool in the background. 

“Like I said, Mr. Alexander had cameras installed only inside the house and in these two outdoor areas.” DK shook his head in disbelief. 

“Unbelievable. Right in the area where it all happened, there’s nothing.” Oliver remained silent, unsure whether to feel guilty or defensive. DK turned to him, crossing his arms, his expression grim. “This is too convenient. Rebecca claims she was attacked, but we have no evidence. I can’t believe Jacob would behave like this. Do you really believe he would do this without your consent?”

Oliver hesitated. He wanted to believe Rebecca, wanted to trust her. But DK’s words echoed in his mind, planting doubts he couldn’t ignore. 

“I… believe what I saw, boss. She was hurt, she seemed genuinely scared.” 

“Okay. Let’s wait for everything to unfold, maybe Jacob will wake up and tell us his side of the story.” Rebecca was still listening behind the door, completely apprehensive, and for a brief moment, she feared that everything would fall apart. But when she heard that there were no recordings in the tent area, she felt a wave of relief run through her body.

"That was close," she thought, rolling her eyes before quietly leaving the hallway.

Rebecca knew she couldn't waste time. There were more pressing matters to attend to. She needed to speak to her ally in New York, to ensure that the next steps of the plan were perfectly aligned.

Arriving at her room, closing the door softly behind her, she picked up her cell phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. When the call was answered, her voice was low, but full of authority.

"We need to speed things up. I almost got caught by Jacob, but I managed to get away with it. However, DK is starting to get suspicious, and I can't risk being unmasked now.

On the other end of the line, a male voice answered with an equally serious tone:

"We'll have to wait until New Year's, because I think Bella and The brat is going on vacation and that’s where our plan begins.”

“Excellent, Dean. Keep me posted on the latest news.” They both end the call.

Still in New York, Susan asks her boss to welcome her uncle Evan Cole and his friend Robinson Fletcher, who were from the time Bella's father took over the leadership of the Hahn family. Although reluctant, she accepts to welcome them, but not in her home. Bella Hahn's restaurant was a discreet but sophisticated place, where business was conducted with the same calculated elegance that characterized her leadership. When Evan Cole and Robinson Fletcher arrived, they realized that the choice of location had been strategic: Bella wanted to make it clear that, despite accepting them, she still kept her distance. Sitting at the head of the private table, Bella watched them with a penetrating gaze. Susan was at her side, her rigid posture indicating that she was aware of the tension in the air.

"Thank you, Miss Hahn, for listening to us." Evan began, with a respectful bow. Bella crossed her arms and kept her voice cool. 

"Say thank you to Susan.. I accepted only because she insisted so much, and because Mr. Cole trained her very well. Thanks to that, she became my personal advisor and friend.” Evan’s eyes lit up with emotion as he heard Bella’s words, but he quickly looked away.

“When Susan’s parents died in a car accident, she was the only survivor,” Evan began, with a voice full of memory and regret.

“I was worried when the police called my cell phone. After all, I was already in the criminal world by then. How would I raise a 6-year-old girl, knowing that i could die the next day?”

He paused, his voice breaking slightly. 

“I considered leaving her in an orphanage. But when I looked into those sad, tearful little eyes, I felt a commotion I had never felt before. So I decided to take her with me and teach her everything I knew. At first, it would be just for her personal development. But when your father, Miss Bella, said he wanted someone to keep you company after you came back pregnant, I thought my niece would be the right person. She would protect you and be by your side for whatever you needed.” Evan looked away, moved, but Bella was unmoved. Her gaze remained cold, calculating. 

“That’s your luck.” Her voice cut through the moment with the precision of a blade. 

“Because of her, you’re still alive, you traitor.”

Evan became visibly tense.

“I’m sorry!” he said, almost in despair. “I couldn’t do anything for Benjamin. I couldn’t stop what happened.” 

Bella slammed her hand on the table, interrupting him. 

“Where were you when Johnny killed my father and struck a blow my brother, leading him to kill himself?” The coldness in Bella’s voice made the temperature in the room seem to drop. Evan tried to justify himself. 

“I… I was traveling. I was shocked when I found out.” 

Bella gave a bitter smile, leaning forward slightly. 

“Really?” She then stood up, adjusting her coat, and looked at the two men as if she were condemning them. 

“I hope you enjoyed your time as Capos of the Hahn family. Your services will no longer be needed.”

The silence that followed was almost deafening. Evan opened his mouth to protest, but Robinson, but Robinson held him back, whispering something that made him stop. Bella turned her back on his unyielding stance. Susan hesitated for a moment before following her, but not before casting a pitying glance at her uncle.

“We’ll talk later. For now, stay in my apartment and please keep a low profile.”

As Bella left the restaurant, she made it clear that she would not forgive the two men who, to her, represented the dark past and the some traumas of the had shaped her life.