Chapter 539 Lock Him Up in the Asylum
Fiona slept until eight-thirty in the morning.
Finally, stretching and getting up.
Coincidentally, when she stepped out, she ran into Thalassa coming downstairs.
"Morning." Thalassa yawned.
"Morning."
They descended the stairs together.
In the living room, Carey was preparing a lesson and hurriedly invited them to the dining room, serving up the cream of wheat.
Once seated, she glanced at Thalassa, hesitating as if she had something to say.
Seeing this, Fiona lazily remarked, "Grandma, she knows. Whatever you want to ask, go ahead."
"She knows," Carey was slightly embarrassed. "I just wanted to ask if you found Selena's parents?"
"I did." Fiona nodded.
She recounted yesterday's events to Carey.
"I think I'd heard before that the Zhang family's just average because they had so many kids, several sons, and it wasn't easy until they finally had a daughter, but then..."
"No wonder Grace was popping nitroglycerin like candy," Thalassa murmured.
In that era, in patriarchal Guangdong, cherishing a daughter was not common.
Justin deserves whatever's coming to him.
"When you two are dealing with these matters, you have to be extremely careful. Justin may be getting on in years, but he's still ruthless," Carey expressed her worry.
Fiona smiled sweetly.
"Grandma, look at that." Fiona pointed out the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling window at Mike, who was talking to Xavier. "One of him could take on ten Justins. A hundred would be no problem."
Carey couldn't help but laugh.
"If there really were a hundred Justins, now that would be something."
As they chatted, they noticed Thalassa's mind was elsewhere.
Janna felt a bit better yesterday.
However, these were temporary solutions, not a cure.
After breakfast, they left the house leisurely and headed to the funeral home, arriving just in time for their appointment with Chris.
The funeral home had a small café inside.
Chris was already there, waiting.
He seemed somewhat taken aback upon seeing Thalassa.
He hadn't expected Fiona to bring Thalassa along.
"Why are you here?" He asked dryly.
"Did you give our photos to Justin?" Thalassa cut to the chase. "Do you realize he took those to my husband and in-laws?"
"Did they give you a hard time?" Chris asked anxiously, clearly taken aback.
"You're overthinking it; they wouldn't," Thalassa scoffed. "When Justin badmouthed me in front of Kenny, Kenny busted his head open."
Chris went pale. "Well, that's good then, as long as they're not giving you trouble..."
Thalassa remained silent.
Suddenly acting all pitiful. "What was that message you sent me about?"
Indeed, it exemplifies how circumstances shift, with Thalassa now addressing Chris in a way that contrasts with their previous dynamic, where Chris would often take on the role of lecturer.
"It's exactly what it says." Chris looked down. "Let's sit and talk."
Fiona and Thalassa took a seat.
Chris ordered drinks for them.
Then, he dove straight in. "Ms. Fiona, maybe you're right... My mother's death had something to do with Justin."
"How so?" Fiona inquired.
"I don't remember anything about the year leading up to my mother's death," Chris admitted gravely as his hand on the table clenched involuntarily into a fist. "It's the passing of Mrs. Maria that triggered those memories, and yesterday, everything about that year came flooding back. Now, I'm pretty sure Justin played a role in my mother's demise."
"She was ready to meet with Toby Brody, she wouldn't have taken her own life." Chris lifted his eyes, instinctively looking toward Thalassa.
His heart seemed to skip a beat when their gazes met.
She just stared back at him.
Gone was the love and hope that used to dwell in her eyes.
She truly didn't love him anymore.
"What do you plan to do about Justin?" Fiona asked.
"I want... to lock him up in an asylum," Chris answered, his voice heavy with determination. "He tormented my mother and me for years. Just letting him die or sitting comfortably in jail isn't enough for me. He ruined the life I should have had! I want him to suffer."
As he spoke these words, Chris's gaze turned back to Thalassa.
Thalassa was frowning in concern, but she remained silent.
"He's not only your problem. If you put him in an asylum, what if your second and third brothers quietly get him out? Having him harbor resentment and lying in wait wouldn't be good," Fiona said coolly. "However, if he truly loses his sanity, that's a different story."
Fiona was making a point.
The past, including events that happened over a decade ago, was impossible to prove.
Perhaps Maria's death wasn't enough to sentence Justin to death.
If it was just about locking him up, then compared to an asylum, prison was a far more comfortable place.
"Truly insane?" Chris frowned. "You mean, tampering with his mind?"
"That's not your concern," Fiona stated flatly. "Anything else you wanted to discuss with us?"
Chris shook his head.
"Alright then. Whether we decide to work with you or not will depend on your actions going forward," Fiona finished, taking Thalassa's hand, ready to leave.
"Thalassa, can I speak with you alone for a moment?" Chris requested.
"No," Thalassa denied without hesitation. "I promised Kenny I wouldn't meet with you alone. Say whatever you have to say here."
Chris looked up at her.
Her love and hate were evident and distinct.
"I'm sorry about the photos," he said.
Thalassa didn't respond; she simply walked away, hand in hand with Fiona.
Chris watched her departing figure.
He whispered again with a subdued voice, "I'm not getting married anymore... Can you forgive me, give me another chance... I know I was wrong..."
By the end, Chris was slumped over the table, a picture of despair and helplessness.
Tears were streaming down his face in large droplets.
Thalassa glanced inside, catching sight of Chris at the table.
She let out a sigh.
"What's up?" Fiona asked softly.
"It's nothing, just..." Thalassa struggled to find the right words. "Chris will probably never realize that it wasn't Justin who destroyed what he wanted."
It was his repeated hesitation, his constant relegation of her to a distant place.
His repeated letting her down.
His repeated baseless accusations.
His repeated entitlement, expecting her to wait for him.
It was all these instances he might have forgotten by now that chilled her heart and left her riddled with scars.
"People, for the most part, are so cheap—they never value what they have until it's gone and then they're on their knees, begging," Fiona said, linking her arm with Thalassa's. "If he doesn't do well in the future, it's his own doing. Just focus on a lasting relationship with Kenny."
Thalassa smiled, nodded her head.
"Just hearing the name Kenny lifts my spirits so much." "
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