Chapter 164
Chapter 164
As Robert stepped out of Ben's room, the noise outside flooded his ears. He leaned against the doorframe, his gaze sweeping through the half-open door to the chaotic scene in the living room.
The room was packed with people, their faces a mix of anger, indifference, and excitement. An uncomfortable tension filled the air, with voices overlapping—some argued heatedly, others laughed derisively, while many simply watched the spectacle.
Amidst the crowd, Ada, with clenched fists and a determined look, struggled to make her way through, calling out her daughter's name, "Dora! Dora! Move! Let me through!"
But Ada's voice got lost in the commotion, like a whisper in a storm. In the center, Dora Bennett, a young girl in a school uniform, looked bewildered and helpless, clearly not expecting to be in the middle of such a mess.
Suddenly, Ben's father's stern voice pierced through the chaos, "Your mom has been aware all this time!" He glared at Dora, his words dripping with threats and accusations, "Your dad is gone, and it's time to settle the inheritance for my grandson, your brother! If we don't do it today, you and your brother will be left with nothing when your mom remarries!"
"Grandpa," Dora's voice quivered. Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked, "My parents only had me, where did my brother come from? And where's my dad? He promised to take me to the amusement park this weekend!"
Relatives began murmuring among themselves, some adding more drama to the already tense situation.
"If your dad really cared about you," a relative taunted, "would he have a kid with someone else? It's because you're a girl that your mom is in this mess!"
Dora couldn't hold back her tears, her fingers gripping her clothes tightly, knuckles turning white as she tried to contain her emotions.
Ada finally pushed through the crowd, pulling Dora into a tight hug, her actions protective and urgent. She whispered reassuringly, "It's not your fault, honey. Both your dad and I love you. Your dad messed up, but he still loves us."
As Ada comforted her daughter, a flicker of guilt and pain flashed in her eyes. Suddenly, she lifted her head, her voice low but seething with anger, "If anyone spreads rumors again, I'll make sure they regret it!"
Ada's anger silenced the previously arrogant relatives. They either looked away or exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to speak up.
Meanwhile, Robert observed the scene from a distance, his expression unreadable but his eyes sharp, taking in every detail.
Approaching Ben's father, Robert asked in a low voice, "You mentioned earlier that Ada knew about her husband's affair. Do you have any proof of that?"
Ben's father chuckled, almost anticipating the question.
He whipped out his phone, quickly locating a screenshot and passing it to Robert, saying, "Here you go, check this out!"
Robert peered at the screen, his eyes narrowing slightly at what he saw.
The screenshot displayed a Facebook chat from Layla, showing a family photo of Ben, Layla, and a young child. The timestamp revealed it was sent a month ago to Ada.
"This is the proof that she was aware all this time," Ben's father stated coldly, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
Robert remained silent, sharing a significant glance with Ethan.
Ethan strode to the center of the room and declared firmly, "Everyone, we need your cooperation for the investigation. Everyone here must come to the police station for questioning."
The room hushed briefly, followed by grumbles of discontent.
Approaching Ada, Robert's tone was composed yet resolute, "I need to check your phone. Please hand it over."
Ada hesitated but eventually retrieved her phone from her pocket and passed it to Robert.
The tech team swiftly recovered deleted data from Ada's phone. The photo had indeed been sent to her Facebook, but she had promptly deleted the chat, blocked Layla, and cleared the trash.
Despite Ada's claims of discovering her husband's affair posthumously, the retrieved data proved she had known a month prior and opted to hide it.
Simultaneously, the investigation team identified Layla's "husband," who was at the funeral home preparing for her cremation. Ethan hurried to bring him in for questioning.
Facing Robert's questions, the man appeared torn, confused, and sorrowful. He confessed to being Layla's boyfriend and the father of her child. They were in a long-distance relationship, planning to marry next year.
"I got a call saying Layla was in trouble and to rush to the hospital. I thought it was a nurse, so I rushed back. But when I arrived, she was already..."
The man had no idea about Layla's affair with Ben or even knew Ben. Someone had purposely lured him to the hospital with that call.
What could be the motive behind this? Could Ada be the one who made the call?
A car crash and a murder in the woods—two seemingly unrelated incidents with subtle connections.
The victim of the car crash, Ben, and the woman found buried in the woods, Dana, once lived near the same high school. This appeared to be the only link between the two cases.
Moreover, the large truck and van at the crash site, initially seeming coincidental, matched the injuries of the van's occupants with the burial tools found in the woods.
Robert contacted Alton who treated Ben in the emergency room, hoping for a new lead.
"Is there something off about the accident near the woods?" Alton asked bluntly.
"Why do you say that?" Robert inquired.
"We noticed some irregularities. Ben's test results were strange, and his medical records were tampered with," Alton revealed, "Sophia suspects the truck driver might be involved."
The twists in this case were getting stranger by the minute.