Chapter 285

Early the next morning, Cynthia went to Rachel's restaurant. It had been open for over two weeks, and business was booming. Rachel needed to buy groceries every morning; she was swamped, handling everything herself and never finding time for a break. Cynthia often helped out.

When Cynthia arrived, Rachel was washing vegetables. Cynthia removed her coat, rolled up her sleeves, and began to help. She wasn't an excellent cook, but she was adept at these small tasks.

Rachel didn't want Cynthia to do the hard work. "Cynthia, you don't have to come so early," she said. "You don't need to do this. You weren't born to do this." Rachel didn't want Cynthia's delicate hands doing rough work. "I can do anything," Cynthia replied.

After working for a while, Cynthia took a break. Her phone rang. She frowned at the familiar number. Even though she'd deleted Lilian's number, she still remembered it. She should have blocked it. Nevertheless, she answered.

Cynthia suspected Filip had confronted Lilian the previous night about the medicine. She wondered what had happened and why Filip had taken it.

To Cynthia's surprise, Lilian didn't scold her this time. Her voice held a hint of a smile; she seemed in a good mood. "Are you at the Carefree Diner now?"

Cynthia frowned. Lilian always seemed to know where she was. "Lilian, are you watching me?" she asked coldly.

"I was just guessing," Lilian replied. "I'm at Red Carpet Bridal Studio in Pearl Plaza. Do you want to come over?"

Lilian sounded like she was speaking to an old friend, but Cynthia felt uneasy. Lilian has been acting strangely recently, she thought. Lilian seemed to have forgotten their current strained relationship, still considering Cynthia her high school best friend. "Lilian, I've told you many times. Don't call me again."

Cynthia guessed Lilian wanted to flaunt her upcoming wedding to Filip—a victory in stealing him away. Of course, she'd want to show off.

Just as Cynthia was about to hang up, Lilian said, "Come over here, and I'll tell you how Silas died."

Silas's death remained a mystery. Cynthia knew Lilian wouldn't be forthcoming, but she went anyway.

Red Carpet Bridal Studio, though not large, was owned by Yosef Gibson, a renowned bridal dress designer known for his work with celebrities. He frequently designed evening and bridal gowns for them. His dresses, of course, were expensive.

When Cynthia arrived, Lilian was stepping out of the fitting room in a wedding gown, admiring herself in a large mirror. Four staff members constantly flattered her:

"Mrs. Yates, this wedding gown looks great on you. You look like a fairy."

"Mrs. Yates, even though you're eight months pregnant, you still look slim in this bridal dress. Nobody will know you're carrying a child."

"Mrs. Yates, you'll be the most beautiful woman in the city in this dress!"

Lilian seemed pleased. She saw Cynthia in the mirror, turned, and exclaimed, "Cynthia, you're here!"

Cynthia entered and looked at Lilian. She was stunning in her diamond-adorned gown, sparkling under the lights. Cynthia approached. "Does it look good on me?" Lilian asked, lifting her skirt.

Cynthia didn't answer, instead asking, "Lilian, I'm here. Can you tell me how Silas died?" She only wanted the answer; she didn't care about the others present. She expected Lilian to dismiss the staff.

To her surprise, Lilian asked, "Cynthia, will you be my bridesmaid?"

Ignoring the question, Cynthia said, "You must have something to do with Silas's death."

"I even got a bridesmaid dress for you. Take a look and see if you like it," Lilian said, smiling.

"Lilian, you are not Silas's killer, are you?" Cynthia asked.

"Ms. Zabel, could you please bring Ms. Jones the bridesmaid dress?" Lilian said.

The staff were stunned. The two women were at cross-purposes. It was strange. As requested, the manager, Tracey Zabel, brought Cynthia a bridesmaid dress—a custom-made gown, stunning and perfectly matching the bridal dress in style and quality, though simpler. It was odd; the bridesmaid dress seemed nearly as expensive as the bridal gown. It was unusual for a bride to spend so much on a bridesmaid's dress, both because of the cost and because brides usually don't want their bridesmaids to overshadow them. Lilian, however, didn't care. She'd had it custom-made for her "best friend," leading the staff to admire their friendship. In reality, this was not the case; they didn't dare speculate on their relationship.

Soon, a staff member presented the dress. "Ms. Jones, do you need help trying on this dress?"

"Lilian, why are you so sure I'll be your bridesmaid?" Cynthia asked, eyeing the dress.

Lilian descended the steps toward Cynthia. "It's my wish. As long as you're willing to be my bridesmaid, I'll tell you what happened and how Silas died." She looked sincere. "Otherwise, you'll never know."

Cynthia frowned. "Lilian, what exactly are you trying to do?"

20:40 Fri, Nov 15