Chapter 298

Thea remained stubborn. Duncan snorted coldly. "It seems you won't be convinced until you see the grim reality. There's no caregiver. Will you only be satisfied if I show you the surveillance footage?"

"The footage clearly shows the caregiver left at 10:03 a.m. with the water pitcher and didn't return. You arrived just as she left, and something happened to Mom as soon as you left. Besides you, who else could be the suspect? Thea, I thought I was crazy; I didn't expect you to be even crueler."

Duncan initially planned to send Ivy to an overseas sanatorium if the affair with Emmalie became public and Ivy couldn't accept it. However, Thea killed Ivy.

"I have no motive," Thea muttered, shaking her head. "The caregiver was there. You must have missed something."

But this wasn't just Duncan and Emmalie's word. When the police arrived to investigate, Nicolas, considering Thea's state, checked the surveillance cameras. As Duncan said, there was no sign of tampering.

"What about the murder weapon?" Thea persisted.

Duncan crossed his arms, gazing coldly at her. "Then I'll ask you. Where did you hide the murder weapon? Thea, the truth is before you. This time, even Nicolas can't protect you. A life for a life is your destiny." Thea met Duncan's mocking gaze. She saw his gloating expression.

"What about the window?" Thea took Nicolas's hand, ignoring Duncan and Emmalie. She saw Emmalie clench her fists, wondering if she felt guilty, but Thea ignored her. Of those present, she only trusted Nicolas.

Duncan's mocking voice rang out. "You still haven't given up? Mom's ward is on the thirteenth floor. Do you think someone can fly like Spiderman?"

Thea's expression was tense. She stared at Nicolas. Nicolas believed Thea would never kill Ivy, even if Ivy had deeply hurt her. Thea was still the girl who would risk her life to save him.

"I'll get to the bottom of this," Nicolas promised coldly.

Behind Duncan, Emmalie was sweating profusely. "Thea, stop denying it! Your greatest ability is shifting blame. You wanted Duncan and me to take the blame for the mine collapse. Now, will you divert attention from Mom's death, too?"

"How could you be like this?" Emmalie's voice was filled with anxiety and panic.

Thea stared deeply at her. "Anxious? If there's no suspense, the police will conduct a normal investigation. You were just released from the station; you should understand the procedures better than anyone. It's not easy to pin this on me."

Duncan shielded Emmalie from Thea's gaze. A sneer played on his lips. "Emmalie, why bother with her? Let her struggle. A murder case isn't easy to solve. This time, she'll die."

Before the police arrived, Nicolas took Thea back to the car. Ivy's body lay in the morgue, while Max, Duncan, and Emmalie displayed their grief. Thea's eyes were empty.

Nicolas offered her water. "Thea, if you're sad, cry."

But Thea couldn't cry. "Do you think I'm heartless?"

"No." Nicolas held her hand; her body was cold. "Compared to their theatrics, I agree with you. We must find the mastermind and let the dead rest in peace." Thea's heart warmed. Someone still trusted her unconditionally.

She understood Nicolas's promise: no matter what, he would have her back.

Thea said, "Nicolas, there's a problem with the caregiver. If I'm arrested, pursue this. There might be a connection between her and Emmalie. Emmalie's parentage might be the key."

Thea's voice was cold, calm. She never resigned to fate. She wouldn't take the blame, for Ivy or herself. She had to find the truth.

Nicolas's subordinates were efficient. Before the police arrived, Darwin called. "Mr. Hendrix, the window lock is loose. We can't determine if it's damage or disrepair. And in a downstairs ward, there's a long-term patient named Sandy."

Nicolas thought, Sandy, the same last name as April? He turned on the speakerphone. Thea's eyes lit up. Darwin continued, "Regarding the caregiver Mrs. Hendrix mentioned, she once cared for Miss Emmalie Rowland. She's a frequent hospital employee, highly sought after by wealthy families. Her last name is Forrester."

The information set Thea thinking. She remembered details. When Emmalie returned to the Rowland family, she refused to call Ivy "Mother," always using "Mrs. Hendrix." Thea once saw Emmalie embrace another woman, calling her "Mother" affectionately. That woman looked seventy percent like Ivy.

Thea dismissed it as coincidence; the other woman rejected Emmalie. But now, it seemed significant. Ivy doted on Emmalie because of their resemblance, but Emmalie wasn't truly a Rowland.

Thea said, "My mother mentioned a younger sister when I was young, but I never met her."

Thea had a headache, but things clicked into place. She struggled to recall details. Her depression treatment affected her memory. She continued, "Is it possible Emmalie isn't my sister, but my cousin?"