Chapter 233
โSo Christian has vanished too?โ Warren had looked into Christianโs background. โGiven his personality, after helping Daniella and causing the Gibson family fire that killed one and injured another, wouldnโt he come back to face the consequences?โ
Warren knew Christian wasnโt particularly capable, but he also wasnโt bold enough to burn down his own home.
โWe have records of Daniella leaving the country, but nothing on him,โ James said, finding this detail particularly odd. โBut Iโm certain Daniella had his help pulling this off.โ
Since Gabriel had kicked him out of the Gibson family, Christian hadnโt shown his face. But just because he stayed hidden didnโt mean he wasnโt plotting something.
When Ralph announced yesterday that he was cutting ties with the Gibson family, it must have been a warning sign for both Daniella and Christian.
โWe thought we needed to be careful on our way to the police station today,โ Warren said, glancing toward the hospital rooms. โBut we never imagined Daniella would go this far.โ
The fire at Gibson Villa was karma coming full circle, but Wyatt and Abigail werenโt supposed to pay for those sins.
The fire department and police investigation revealed that the blaze started in Abigailโs room. Hospital tests showed everyone in the Gibson family had sleeping pills in their system, with Abigail having the highest concentration.
This meant someone had been drugging her favorite foods. Since she ate more of them than anyone else, sheโd consumed the largest dose. That explained why she didnโt wake up until the fire had already spread so far.
Someone had also filled her door lock with glue, inside and out. Even with the electronic keypad, the door wouldnโt open no matter what code was entered.
By the time anyone noticed the fire, it was too late. When the fire department arrived, flames had already spread from the bedrooms throughout the house.
These old villas were death traps when it came to fires, built with far more wood furniture and timber framing than modern homes.
When they returned to Abigailโs hospital room, the doctor was just setting up her IV drip.
The doctor finished examining Abigailโs burns and turned to Sebastian. โThe burns are severe. Even after healing, there will be significant scarring. If she wants reconstructive surgery later, you should consider transferring her to a specialized facility.โ
Abigail lay awake, staring out the window. Her gaze appeared calm, but it was the emptiness behind her eyes that was most striking.
โI understand. You can go now.โ Sebastianโs voice was cold, and a dark aura seemed to emanate from him.
Abigail sat motionless, completely shut down, as if nothing around her existed anymore.
After the doctor left, James walked over to Abigailโs bedside and leaned down to look at her.
Bandages covered most of her face, leaving only her eyes, nose, and mouth visible. The sight made Sebastianโs heart ache. She truly had no family left now.
When James blocked her view of the window, Abigail slowly shifted her gaze to him. Her eyes were clear, with a shimmer of unshed tears.
After a long silence, she finally said, โYou know, when I first went to prison, I hated Grandpa too.โ
She had hated him for not seeing sheโd been framed. He was supposed to love her most in the world, yet he hadnโt saved her.
Now she despised herself for ever feeling that way.
Only after her release did she learn that Wyatt had fallen ill from the shock of her imprisonment. Heโd been sick for three years because of her.
โI believe he never blamed you for hating him. He probably thought he deserved it.โ James crouched beside the bed, reaching out to touch her head before stoppingโthe bandages covered everything.
He had no idea where it was safe to touch, or how bad the damage was underneath.
Abigail had brought this up because of last nightโwatching Wyatt rush in to save her without a second thought.
The fire had been massive, and at his age, heโd charged into that house without hesitation.
โHe knew he could have died last night, but he didnโt even pause.โ Her eyes reddened at the corners. โThatโs when I realizedโif heโd had any chance back then, he wouldโve never let me go to prison.โ
She felt deep regretโregret for the resentment sheโd harbored toward Wyatt back then.
Sebastian sat beside her, studying her profile. โNone of us are saints, especially not when you were only eighteen. Having emotions, even negative ones, makes you human. Without them, weโd just be robots.โ
Abigail sniffled, trying to compose herself.
โAbby.โ Warrenโs voice was exceptionally gentle, like a soft breeze carrying comfort.
He said, โWhenever your grandfather and I talked business, he always ended up talking about you. Out of all the Gibson children, you were his favoriteโhe made that clear.โ
Warren leaned forward and lightly touched Abigailโs head. โIf you hadnโt felt some resentment toward him, that would have hurt him more. Real love includes all emotions, even the difficult ones.โ