Chapter 59  Chase pulled Nicole close, holding her gently. “Hey, what’s up, Nicole? What are you talking about?”  Nicole pointed shakily towards the foot of the bed, “There’s… there’s someone there.”  My heart skipped a beat with excitement. Could she actually see me now? If so, maybe I could finally get my revenge. There was not much I could do, but even just giving her a scare would be enough.  I quickly ran through all those horror movies I’d watched, thinking about how those ghosts would make their entrance. After all, being newly dead. I was still figuring things out.  When Chase glanced my way. I lunged forward, sticking out my tongue. Was that scary enough?  But he stayed calm, oblivious to me. “There’s no one there. You’re Imagining things.”  Nicole cautiously peeked up from his embrace. I grinned wide, hoping to give her a real fright.  Her face softened, 1 must’ve been seeing things. Chase, I’m really scared. Can you stay with me tonight?”  “Don’t be ridiculous! I’m your brother–in–law. What would it look like if I stay in your room?”  Chase reassured her with a few comforting words before suggesting he should leave. He went from being angry when he arrived to being completely calm now, leaving me disappointed. So, it turns out, Nicole couldn’t see me at all. She must have been mistaken. As he left, my parents kept apologizing to him, saying it was all my fault. They begged him not to take it to heart, and that I’d come back once I cooled off.  Outside, rain poured down in sheets. I stood in the garden, listening to those painful words. My mom used to love me so much. How did such deep affection turn into this? I tilted my head back, letting the raindrops mix with the tears on my face.  Chase had been through the wringer all day. His emotions were all over the place. He hadn’t slept well in days and looked worn out.  The driver asked quietly, “Mr. Reyes, where to?”  After thinking for a moment, he said, “Back to the Reyes family estate.”  Before leaving, he called his assistant, “Look into Amanda and… Derek.”  Hearing that, I chuckled. We were childhood friends, inseparable for years. Yet, here he was, letting Nicole’s words sway him into doubting me. He actually thought I was involved with his uncle!  When he braved the rain to get back to the Reyes family mansion, Derek and Grandpa were playing chess in the tea room. Such a peaceful scene would have been unthinkable before, given Derek’s deep resentment toward Grandpa. It seemed like Derek’s return wasn’t just about business; his attitude had shifted, too.  Chase felt a huge threat. Unable to say much in front of Grandpa, he just greeted them, “Grandpa, Uncle Derek.”  Grandpa eyed him with disdain. “Look at you. You don’t even look like the CEO of Reyes Corporation.”  suit was s smeared with mud, and his hair and clothes were wet, making him look quite a mess. Chase’s normally crisp Derek gave him a once–over, placed a black chess piece, and casually remarked, “He doesn’t quite have that CEO look.”  He didn’t hold back, showing his outright hostility for Chase.  Chase wanted to confront Derek but held back in Grandpa’s presence, deciding to freshen up first.  When he returned, Grandpa had already gone to rest. Derek seemed to be waiting, still seated at the chessboard.  “Uncle Derek, I have some questions for you.”  Though Chase had a lot on his mind, he seemed to shrink a bit in Derek’s presence.  Derek wheeled his chair around, his narrow eyes sizing Chase up.  Even in death, I felt a natural fear of him. His pupils were small, and when he looked down, his eyelids covered part of them, giving him an especially cold and commanding look. With lips tightly pressed, his face exuded authority even without anger  “Speak. Just one word, full of authority, made me shiver, even though I couldn’t feel anything.  “I want to know why you were at the hospital when Amanda miscared. That was the maternity ward, and someone Amanda before our wedding.”  Derek toyed with a black chess piece, letting out a scomful chuckle, “Do you think there’s something secretly going on between me and  saw yo  you with  Chapter 59  “Uncle Derek, that’s not what I mean. I just…”  Derek cut him off, his voice cold and firm, “Then let me ask you a few things. Where were you when your wife miscamed? Why did she miscarry? You were at the hospital every day. Why couldn’t you find time to look after her? And yet, here you are, questioning me. What right do you have?”  Those questions left Chase speechless. Knowing he was in the wrong, he defensively shot back, “Are you changing the subject because you’re guilty? You and Amanda have met privately, haven’t you?”  Such a weak tactic was–obvious to Derek, and even I could see through it.  “Yes, I met her years ago,” Derek admitted openly.  Chase’s face lit up with a smug smile, thinking he had the upper hand.  Before he could relish it, Derek continued, “Do you want to know when we met?”  From Chase’s face, it was clear his thoughts were no good.  Derek sipped his coffee, the steam softly masking his handsome features, and he spoke slowly. “The year you were caught in an earthquake abroad, a foolish woman’s passport was hidden by someone, and she had to get smuggled across the ocean, just to make it to the earthquake zone as soon as possible. And guess what happened next?”