Chapter 156 Debbie's Mysterious Death, Raising Patricia's Suspicions
Inside the understated and luxurious champagne-colored business car, Debbie's scarred face was shrouded in darkness, the moonlight streaming through the car window reflecting a cold glint in her eyes.
Hidden in the shadows as well, Hunter's thin lips slowly curved into a smile, a smile that didn't reach his eyes, sending shivers down one's spine.
"From today onwards, Debbie is dead. You, and Gavin, and Manda, even the entire Watson family, you have no relation with her anymore. Do you understand?"
Debbie touched her scarred face and said, "Even if you've helped me escape from Jocelyn's pursuit, what can I do looking like this? The moment I step outside, I'll be recognized instantly and forced to live in darkness, never seeing the light of day."
Hunter confidently responded, "Don't worry, I will change your appearance, give you a new identity."
Debbie hurriedly asked, "What identity?"
Hunter replied with a hint of mystery, "An identity that's supremely noble, dozens, no, hundreds of times more distinguished than your current one."
Debbie's face was full of confusion, "What exactly are you planning? What's your scheme?"
Instead of answering, Hunter's smile deepened. He started the Bentley and drove slowly away.
An hour later.
In a sequestered location, Debbie switched cars and left Ivara City.
...
The next morning.
After dropping Charles and Fannie at the kindergarten, Patricia headed straight to the hospital.
Randy and Martin were already there.
Randy had slept late last night and was visibly tired, his eyelids constantly fighting to stay open.
Patricia conducted a routine checkup on him, confirmed everything was normal, advised him to rest well, and then she left.
Once she finished her immediate tasks, Patricia found Martin in the hospital and pulled him to the corridor outside, sharing her thoughts, "I want to pay a visit to the Watson family. Would you come with me?"
Martin frowned and said, "Debbie just died. If you go to the Watson family now, Gavin will surely pin her death on you. I think you're letting your emotions get the best of you."
After much hesitation, Patricia still confided her thoughts to Martin.
"I don't know, but something about the fire feels odd to me! There was no electricity, no thunder, so how did it start? With 180 people, how could not one escape? Were they all sleeping that soundly? I won't be at peace until I see it for myself."
After Martin had saved her time after time, she began to open up to him more and more.
If they couldn't be a couple, maybe they could at least be confidants.
After hearing her words, Martin pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Alright! I'll go with you!"
After making sure Randy was taken care of, Martin drove Patricia towards the Watson family.
Just as they approached the turn, still a hundred meters away from the Watson family's place, the faint sounds of sorrowful music drifted through the air.
Since Debbie offended the Langley family as well as the Thomas family, the number of people who came to pay their respects was small. So much so that many distant relatives dared not attend, and only a few close family members trickled in to offer their tributes. The funeral was exceptionally desolate.
Debbie's portrait stood at the center of the main hall on the first floor. Her younger brother Joe knelt before the memorial altar, weeping as he burnt ceremonial paper money.
As Patricia and Martin stepped into the memorial hall, Melissa had just finished offering incense and consoling Manda, who was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.
"Sister, don't be heartbroken! Debbie was sensible from a young age," her aunt comforted. "We're all devastated by what has happened to her. But you can't keep crying like this—it's too hard on your body."
Manda was inconsolable, sobbing raggedly, laying prostrate in front of Debbie's portrait.
Gavin sat to one side, looking haggard as though he'd aged twenty years overnight, engulfed in an air of despair like none before.
Patricia swept her gaze over the room discreetly. Her eyes lit up slightly at the sight of the coffin behind the portrait, and she exchanged a knowing glance with Martin. He nodded, signaling that he understood her message.
Melissa, who had been comforting Manda, caught sight of Patricia and Martin at the door from the corner of her eye and her expression darkened drastically. She said sarcastically, "How dare you show your face here? Would Debbie have died if it weren't for you? You're the one who killed her, you shameless wretch."
Patricia acted as if she hadn't heard a thing, moving to the front of the memorial to offer her respects to Debbie.
Martin followed closely behind her.
Joe lifted his head through the thick smoke, looking at Patricia with sadness and disappointment, his tears flowing even more fiercely.
In a fit of anger, her face contorted, Manda lashed out at them during their incense offering. She pulled Patricia aside fiercely, "Debbie is dead. Are you not satisfied with how tragically she died that you have to bring Martin here to provoke her? You know she liked Martin, and yet you flaunt your relationship in front of a dead person, showing off your love—aren't you afraid of retribution?"
Patricia stumbled from the force, on the verge of falling, but Martin caught her waist with quick reflexes, steadying her with a gentle force.
Their intimate interaction only further inflamed Manda's eyes with rage.
"Kaylee, the servant, kick them out. The Watson family doesn't welcome them," she demanded.
Patricia ignored her and circumvented the portrait to approach the casket. The coffin wasn't sealed and Debbie's body was covered with a white cloth.
Patricia reached out, intending to pull back the white cloth.
She had to see with her own eyes to be at ease. Hearing isn't as good as seeing, and she needed that peace of mind.
Before her hand could even touch the white cloth, her wrist was seized by someone.
Tears streaming down his face, Joe said angrily, "After causing the death of my sister, what more do you want? Are you satisfied only if she dies with her eyes wide open?"
With a softened tone, Patricia pleaded, "Joe, I just wanted to see your sister one last time."
Despite being at odds with Debbie for many years, her relationship with Joe had always been good.
Several times when Debbie set her up and nearly got her killed by Gavin, it was Joe who pleaded on her behalf.
Thus, her attitude toward Joe and Debbie was starkly different.
Joe glared at Patricia, not masking his hatred: "You have no right to see my sister. If it wasn't for you, my sister wouldn't have her reputation ruined, wouldn't be disfigured, and wouldn't meet such an untimely death. I hate you, and I will never forgive you."
His words filled with hatred, stabbed Patricia's heart mercilessly, one word at a time.
Patricia's nose twitched sourly, and her eyes misted with tears, "Do you really hate me that much?"
Grinding his teeth, Joe responded, "Yes, I hate you, I despise you! Had I known, I would have let our father beat you to death back then. If I hadn't saved you, my sister wouldn't be dead."
Patricia stiffened; something seemed stuck in her throat as sorrow spread from her eyes.
Joe tried to pull Patricia away.
Patricia sniffed hard, pretending to follow him. When he let his guard down, she suddenly turned and with her other hand, pulled away the white cloth covering Debbie.
The air froze instantly.
Before them lay a charred corpse, blackened and with a grotesquely twisted pose, its features no longer discernible—
---
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
