Chapter 221
Mina was brimming with anger, barely restraining herself from shouting out the name of the killer. She longed to expose the truth, to openly reject Dexter’s insincere gestures, and to unleash her fury at him and his daughter. But before she could erupt, Jeremy walked in and skillfully defused the tension.
“Don’t upset yourself anymore,” Jeremy said, addressing Mina in a concerned tone. “Take care of your health. We’ve worked with Ruben for so many years. I’m heartbroken over what happened to him, too.” Turning to the bodyguard, who still looked indignant, Jeremy added, “The dead deserve respect, and grieving families deserve understanding. Let’s not get upset. It’s only natural for her to feel this way.
With Jeremy’s mediation, the bodyguard said nothing more and began picking up the scattered gifts and the thick envelope from the floor. His movements were reluctant but composed.
Jeremy, seeing that Mina seemed to have aged another ten years in just two days, sighed deeply. “My condolences,” he said, his voice heavy. “Ruben is gone, but the truth will come to light. Please take care of yourself.”
He pulled out a small stack of cash-just a thousand dollars-and placed it gently on the table. “This is just a small token of my sympathy,” he said. “Ruben and I worked together for many years, and we’ve known each other for so long. I hope you won’t mind the small amount.”
Mina’s gaze remained fixed on the bodyguard, her eyes burning with hatred so intense it seemed almost intangible. Oblivious to this, Jeremy remembered a message he was asked to deliver.
Jeremy added, “Oh, by the way, Ms. Felicia asked me to pass along her regards.”
Mina froze, the words pulling her back to that day in the Fuller residence’s dining room. She had pleaded desperately, asking what she should do. At the time, Felicia had calmly advised her to call the police, recover the body, and let the authorities investigate.
When Mina questioned why she shouldn’t directly accuse the killer, Kayla, Felicia had asked her a simple but cutting question. She asked Mina if she thought that Myra and Dexter would ever let Kayla bear the label of a murderer.
Mina didn’t have to think long to
answer. It was obvious that the Fuller couple wouldn’t let Kayla bear such a label. Not only would they refuse to let Kayla take the blame, but if they found out she was involved, they would use every résource to clear her name and erase any suspicion.
Her opportunity to seek justice would vanish before it even began.
Taking a deep breath, Mina forced a pale smile and turned to the bodyguard. “I’m sorry,” she said, her tone flat but polite. “I took my anger out on you. Please thank Mr. Fuller for the gifts and the money. Tell him I appreciate his kindness.” The bodyguard, visibly relieved, nodded. “Alright then. Take care of yourself.”
Just before he stepped out of the hospital ward, he glanced back at Mina. There was something unsettling about her stillness-an eerie calm masking something far more dangerous beneath the surface. He shook his head as he left, murmuring to himself, “I must be imagining things.”
After Jeremy left, Mina picked up her phone and dialed a number. Her voice was steady, almost unnervingly so.
“I did as you said,” she reported. “I accepted the gifts and the money without raising any suspicion. I didn’t name the killer, so they won’t be on guard.”
On the other end of the line, Felicia checked the time. There was about an hour left until nightfall. Unbeknownst to Kayla, every move she had made the murder, the disposal of the body-had been captured on camera by Lance’s men. Thinking she had passed the routine questioning unscathed, Kayla was now completely at ease and eagerly anticipating her upcoming birthday banquet.
Felicia’s voice was calm and
deliberate. “I send you a list of reporters. Start calling them. Tell them you’re taking them to the crime
are to catch the killer in the
act. The first ten reporters who
will get access to exclusive
evidence.”
“What evidence?” Mina asked, clutching the phone tightly.
“A footage,” Felicia replied, her tone unchanging. “It shows the entire process from the murder to the disposal of the body.”