Chapter 463: The Sanders Are Guilty, But Not to This Extent!
I frowned at Josh. “Judging from the letter, Grandma seemed to have a decent relationship with the Commander’s wife—at the very least, not a bad one. So why would she send a woman to the Commander?”
Josh let out a cold laugh. “Do you think things in the world of power and ambition are ever that simple? Mrs. Carlyn Senior had just been discharged from the hospital after a difficult childbirth. On her way home, an accident occurred. She lifted the carriage curtain to see what was happening outside—and that’s when the Commander first laid eyes on her.
“He found out who she was and hinted to my mother that he wanted Mrs. Carlyn Senior. The Sanders relied heavily on the Commander, so my mother, for the family’s sake, handled the dirty work he couldn’t openly do. She navigated the delicate balance between the Commander and his wife. While the Sanders are undoubtedly at fault, the true villains are the Commander and his wife!
“They used my mother’s hand to commit their crimes and then walked away unscathed, leaving our family to face this catastrophe.”
Josh thought of his innocent child who had died and his own crippled leg. Even with surgery and a prosthetic, things would never be the same. His eyes reddened slightly. “The Sanders are guilty, but not to this extent!”
“What else do you know? Where did the Commander and his wife go after that?”
He shook his head. “At the time, after the Carlyns’ bodies were sent back, Mom suggested paying compensation to settle the matter and ensure the Carlyns were properly comforted and buried. But the Commander’s wife dismissed it coldly, saying, ‘A worthless life, serves them right for dying!’”
“I remember that Mrs. Carlyn Senior was beautiful and gentle. When she stayed at the Sanders’ residence, the Commander was very fond of her, visiting nearly every night. But the Commander’s wife was so domineering that, unable to vent her frustrations on him, she turned her anger on the delicate woman. She found ways to torment her and was even more ruthless toward the Carlyns. I was still young then, so I only remember a few heated confrontations. Later, Mrs. Carlyn Senior was sent away by my mother, and I thought that was the end of it. Then, at a dinner hosted by the Boltons, Mr. Ronald tried to assassinate my mother and the Commander, but Mr. Bolton intervened. I don’t know the Commander and his wife that well, but Mr. Bolton might know something.”
Right, Mr. Bolton! I almost forgot about him. He was around back then, but the Boltons were different from the Sanders. The Sanders rose to power, but the Boltons had stood strong for centuries. He must know the Commander!
Now the situation was becoming clearer. The Carlyns’ goal was to target the Sanders; it had nothing to do with the Boltons. But why did Wisteria want to marry into the Boltons? Sheila’s death… Wait, no! There was definitely something we had overlooked. This matter wasn’t over!
Chapter 463: The Sanders Are Guilty, But Not to This Extent!
“Keep looking for more clues related to the Commander and his wife.” “Got it, sis. Don’t worry, I’ll dig deeper.” “I’m going to head back to the Boltons for now.”
Finished.
I drove to the Bolton residence. After the death of his wife and child, Adam looked much like Josh—his face pale and lifeless. When I arrived, he was sitting in the yard, basking in the sun. The once spirited man now seemed like an elderly man nearing the end of his life. He was lying in a chair, covered with a blanket, appearing completely indifferent to the world around him.
Hugo gestured for me to be quiet. “Mr. Adam just fell asleep. He’s been having insomnia lately, and this is the only time he can get some rest.”
I nodded in understanding and quietly entered the living room.
“Where’s Dad?” “Mr. Bolton is in the study. Mr. Carter went to Jaford, and with Mr. Adam unable to focus, even though Mr. Luke is helping out, he’s mostly resting and treating his illness. Only Mr. Bolton is holding things together for the Boltons.”
I sighed. Whether I was in Zoey’s body or Chloe’s, the old man had always treated me well. After Grandma left, he was the only elder who truly cared for me.
I went to the kitchen to make some ginseng soup and knocked on the door. Coughing came from inside. “Come in.”
I pushed the door open and entered. “Dad.”
Jeffrey, thinking it was the butler, didn’t look up at first. But when he heard my voice, he quickly looked up. The moment he looked at me, his eyes, slightly moist beneath his reading glasses, softened.
“Good girl, come here, let Grandpa have a look at you.”
He referred to himself as Grandpa, not Dad. It seemed Carter had already filled him in. I closed the door and placed the soup on the table. He took off his glasses and reached out his hand, signaling for me to come closer. “Let Grandpa have a good look at you.”
Just hearing him call himself “Grandpa” stirred my emotions. When I became a spirit, I witnessed everyone’s reactions, which made me even more aware of who truly cared for me.
Chapter 463: The Sanders Are Guilty, But Not to This Extent!
He had repeatedly warned Luke to treat me well and had secretly searched for me. On that snowy night when he discovered the statue, he was heartbroken. I trembled as I called out to him, “Grandpa.”
“Ah, my good child, my obedient child.”
He stood up, leaning on the back of the chair for support, and shakily pulled me into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re alright. If anything had happened to you, the Boltons would have owed you too much. Luke, that fool, hurt you, and as his grandfather, I’m also responsible.”
“It’s alright. Carl has been really good to me. Being able to meet him in this new life is the best gift I could have received from the heavens.”
“Great, you may not have become my granddaughter-in-law, but you can still be my daughter-in-law. That’s still something to be happy about.”
The old man was overjoyed, gently patting my head. “It’s so good—living is so good. Ah, cough, cough…”
Hearing his persistent coughing, I quickly helped him sit down. “Dad, are you catching a cold?”
“I caught a cold at the board meeting the other day. Old age is taking its toll on me. Back in the day, I could swim across the river in the middle of winter.”
The loss of his wife hit him hard. If it weren’t for the responsibility of supporting the Boltons, he probably would have followed her long ago.
“You should take it easy. The Boltons need you, so if you catch a cold, listen to the doctor and rest properly.”
“I’m just happy as long as you and Carter are doing well.”
“Drink the soup first. I made it myself.”
“Good child.”
While the old man sipped his soup, I glanced at the pile of papers on his desk, feeling sorry for him. At his age, he should be enjoying his retirement, yet he was called back to work with such a heavy load. Even young people couldn’t keep up with this, let alone him.
I could actually understand Carter’s mother better now. Jeffrey was principled, tough, and had a strong character. Even if he was in his forties, like Bill was now—handsome, in great shape, dedicated, and wealthy—how could he not attract women?
“Dad, there’s something I need to ask you.”
“You’re here about the Commander, right? Carter already asked me.”
I nodded. “The Sanders are in this situation now, and the Boltons are a mess too. There were things I couldn’t understand before, but now I’m starting to piece things together.”
“Tell me, what have you figured out?”
“At first, I believed the Carlyns were pulling the strings. But the Carlyns have clear goals—they’re after the Sanders’ bloodline. He even has a principle and didn’t harm Kate. So, the events involving the Boltons weren’t their doing. Sheila, Wisteria, Silas, and the Carlyns were all just pawns in a larger scheme. The real person behind wanting to harm the Boltons is someone else.”