Chapter 31 : Find the Killer

After a few moments, the two cars drove in a convoy. Angela took the wheel of Leonardo's car with Mrs. Vera beside her, while Lara sat in Fredrick's car. Lara was upset about not traveling with Leonardo, but she had no control over his current decisions and the way he treated her. Angela silently observed the two, who were putting up a perfect façade to hide their true colors. Every moment in their presence was a struggle for Angela, but she reflected on what Leonardo had shared with her—that he could perceive the world and sense what was happening through her eyes.
The Red Elephant Restaurant was situated on the 12th floor of the city's tallest building. It was Angela's first time dining in such an opulent establishment, and they all gathered around one long table. Lara yearned to sit next to Leonardo, but he positioned himself in the middle, with Angela on one side and his mother on the other. Leonardo requested the menu and allowed Angela to read it to him, but ultimately, he recited to the waitress a selection of dishes he was familiar with, all of which happened to be Esmeralda's favorites.
"What are you trying to do, Leonardo? Stop making me look like a fool," Lara objected in a controlled, low voice. However, Leonardo persisted in mentioning Esmeralda's name from time to time, while Lara remained silent, enduring the dinner with caution, not wanting to upset him.
"How do you find the food here, Angela?" Leonardo asked casually after taking a sip of red wine from his glass.
"Well, Esmeralda had a discerning taste for good food," Angela replied, her gaze inadvertently meeting Lara's. She was well aware of the intense dislike Lara harbored for her. If looks could kill, Angela would have perished on the spot, but she tried her best to ignore Lara's presence. Observing the two of them together with Leonardo churned her stomach.
However, Lara couldn't hold her tongue and spewed something venomous at Angela. "Social climbers like you will always find a way up," she sneered.
Angela refused to take the bait and instead smiled at Leonardo and Mrs. Vera. "Thank you for inviting me to such an upscale restaurant, Leonardo. This will certainly be one of my cherished memories of our time together."
"It's been quite some time since I was here with Leonardo and Esmeralda, and it has changed a bit," Mrs. Vera commented casually, attempting to ease the tension between Lara and Leonardo. Angela understood that Leonardo's mother was caught in the crossfire, but she tried her best to ignore the "silent chaos" unfolding.
"Tell me your plans, Leonardo," Lara persisted. "I believe you intend to replace Esmeralda with Angela, or perhaps you plan to replace me with her."

"That's not true," Angela responded silently, holding back her anger.
"You stay out of this," Lara growled.
"Lara, please calm down," Fredrick intervened, trying to defuse the situation.
Leonardo then began to respond to Lara's inquiries, stating, "Lara, I think it's time you stopped hurting yourself."
"You're the one hurting me, Leonardo," Lara retorted, openly blaming Angela for all the pain she had endured due to Leonardo's coldness.
"If that's the case, you're free to leave the house at any time," Leonardo's frankness made Lara blush with shame in front of the others.
Lara sobbed softly, "And now you're pushing me away."
Leonardo proceeded to explain to everyone that he felt compelled to confront the past, to face the consequences of his actions towards Esmeralda. He hoped that by doing so, he could attain some semblance of inner peace. He acknowledged that his blindness was perhaps a form of karmic retribution for the pain he had caused her. "And if you cannot bear this journey with me, Lara," Leonardo spoke with solemnity, "you are free to leave the house and return when I regain my sight and perceive the world once more."
Tears welled up in Mrs. Vera's eyes as she listened to her son's heartfelt words, realizing the weight of his self-imposed penance. Angela, on the other hand, found herself staring at her now-empty plate, unable to fully comprehend the depth of emotions and complexities unfolding before her.
Lara remained silent, lost in her thoughts. Angela could perceive the torment etched on Lara's face, empathetically sensing the turmoil within her. The room was enveloped in an atmosphere of unspoken anguish, as everyone grappled with their inner struggles and the uncertain path that lay ahead.

The night grew late, and they returned home, slightly behind schedule. Fredrick accompanied Lara back to her place, leaving Angela and Leonardo to enter his room in silence. Leonardo had grown accustomed to navigating with his cane, moving without assistance.
"You can take a seat on the chair near the bathroom while I tidy up your bed," Angela suggested, walking over to Leonardo's bed and carefully straightening out the disheveled sheets.
Regret and sorrow filled Leonardo's voice as he spoke, his emotions on the brink of tears. "I deeply regret the pain I caused Esmeralda. I wish I could apologize to her."
"What matters now is that you acknowledge the wrongs you committed against her and understand the need to seek forgiveness. It is through this process that you may find some measure of peace," Angela advised earnestly, wanting nothing more than for Leonardo to find solace and reconciliation with Esmeralda.
"There's something else I must be honest with you about," Leonardo continued. "Lara manipulated me into betraying Esmeralda, and she willingly offered herself to me without my prompting."
As Angela listened to the account of Lara's deceit and manipulation, echoes of Fredrick's earlier revelations echoed in her mind, unveiling the depths of Lara's treachery. Emboldened, Angela dared to ask Leonardo a question that had been haunting her. "Were your feelings for Esmeralda genuine love, or was it merely a fleeting desire?"
"I adored Esmeralda," Leonardo responded with conviction. "I promised her a beautiful future, a wedding after we graduated from college." He sighed, a mixture of regret and frustration in his voice. "But Lara wouldn't let me go. She always found ways to make Esmeralda doubt me, and foolishly, I allowed her cruelty to cloud my judgment, forgetting that someone was waiting for me at home. Esmeralda would be waiting for me on the veranda."
Angela's heart nearly shattered as she listened to Leonardo's heartfelt confession. She could sense the truth in his words. He genuinely loved Esmeralda, and Lara had played the role of the cruelest antagonist. What shocked her, even more, was Leonardo's suspicion.
"I don't believe Esmeralda took her own life by jumping off the veranda, Angela," Leonardo stated with unwavering certainty. He described Esmeralda's strong religious beliefs and her fear of committing sins, emphasizing that she was devout and afraid of going to hell. "She was a devout woman," he added, his voice filled with somberness. "Help me find her killer, Angela."
Angela was taken aback, unsure of how to respond to Leonardo's theory. "What... What do you mean?"
"Help me uncover the truth, Angela," Leonardo implored solemnly. "Use Esmeralda's belongings, investigate, and reveal the true face of her killer."