Chapter 42 A Truth That Shatters Trust
Adrian's POV
I toss on the bed for the thousandth time tonight as I stare up at the ceiling. The luxury of peace is far beyond what I can afford as sleep eludes me.
My eyes dart to the wall clock, and it's just a few minutes past three in the morning.
I sigh and close my eyes as I pinch the bridge of my nose. Kicking off the duvet, I stand but regret it immediately as a terrible migraine slams into me.
I stagger and fall on the bed. It takes me quite a while to steady my breath before I walk towards the window.
It's still dark outside. I open the window, and goosebumps creep onto my skin as the chilly breeze grazes it.
It should be enough to calm me down, make me feel better, but no. The ruckus going on in my head does not stop, neither does the headache.
That specific transaction is suspicious. Unless there's something else I don't know about her, I know she does not have the capacity to possess such money.
Something is wrong. The worst thing is the money was sent from a hidden account.
The pace of my heartbeat increases painfully, and I clutch my chest. My gaze shifts to the lampstand, and there's no water.
I exhale sharply and walk slowly into the kitchen. My throat is parched, and sweat continues to roll down my face.
I hold onto the stair railing as I make my way downstairs. The moonlight seeps into the kitchen, slightly lighting it up.
Thankfully, there's cold water. I take it out of the refrigerator and pour myself a glass.
I gulp down the water in one go and then a second glass. The coldness seems to slow my rising temperature.
A loud sigh escapes from my lips as I rest my head on the kitchen island. Seconds turn to minutes.
My headache reduces a bit, so I walk back upstairs, but I stop at Hazel's room to make sure she's okay.
I observe her as she sleeps peacefully, and I smile softly.
At least one of us is at peace.
Returning to my room, I sit on the chair and turn on my laptop.
The financial record that I received earlier now stares back at me. My eyes focus on the same reason for my restlessness.
Five hundred thousand dollars. Half a million!
The day she left, did anything happen that I don't know about? What really transpired between my mother and Darcy?
I snap my head as it clicks. CCTV cameras are installed in every part of this house. Why did I not think of this earlier?
All the cameras connect to my laptop. I click a few buttons, and a lot of video recordings are displayed on the screen.
She left on the 15th of March. I search for all the recordings from that day.
It's there. I rub my sweaty palms together.
I click play. Darcy and my mother are bickering. My heart skips a bit seeing Darcy's face after a while.
Although not a second has passed without me remembering how she looks, seeing her again makes all the memories rush back.
Darcy curls her hands into her dress, tightly gripping the hem.
I shake it off when their voices become loud. Darcy's face shows everything she feels—the pain, disappointment, and a hint of regret and guilt.
As usual, Mother looks unbothered and unremorseful.
There's nothing strange or suspicious about their conversation, but why is she feeling guilty and regretful? Like she did something she should never have done?
I've always doubted my mother, and I still do, but with Darcy, I've never.
I do not trust people easily, but I trust her. But she's still human, with flaws. I do not know what's in her mind.
Were they putting on an act to fool me?
"How can you think of Darcy like that? Shame on you. You don't deserve her!" my subconscious scolds me.
I grit my teeth and run my hands through my hair roughly. Maybe I don't.
It's shameful of me to doubt her, but it's not wrong that I want clarity on some things. She's not my wife and does not owe me anything.
However, instead of stressing myself and racking my brain, it will be better to let her explain herself and not jump to conclusions.
More reason I want her to be found—the sooner, the better.
As for the transaction, I plan to investigate further.
Darcy is incapable of scheming and manipulation. Another possible explanation for that transaction might be that she's in danger.
I rub the nape of my neck and swallow the lump in my throat. The thought of Darcy in danger stirs something unsettling within me.
I try to survive each day because I know that soon I will see her again, but if she's in danger and something bad happens to her, I will not survive.
Picking up my phone, I dial Jim's number. It rings for a while, but there's no response. I dial it three more times, but he doesn't answer.
Is he dead or something?
I tap on my keyboard, sending him a message:
"I want you to track the account that deposited half a million into Darcy's account. Make it quick and no complaints. I'll pay double the price."
I pause before clicking send.
I'm about to put the phone away when I hesitate. What if I send a message to the agency I hired yesterday? I want a heads-up.
Waving off the thought, I drop the phone. I'll wait till sunrise. I should be able to contain myself for the next few hours.
Time seems to go by slowly tonight. I've never known a night to be this long. As I cannot get a wink of sleep, I try to piece things together, but it always leads to a dead end.
Sometimes, I pace back and forth in my room, lie on the bed, or try to do some work.
It's finally morning.
I walk into the bathroom and look at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes are swollen, and there are dark circles around them. My hair is messy.
I brush my teeth, then splash water on my face.
Hazel should be awake in no time, so I need to freshen up. I strip and walk into the shower.
I wrap a towel around my waist as soon as I step out.
My phone buzzes. Hurriedly, I walk to where I placed it. A notification—a message from Jim.
I lick my lips as I open the document. Jim was able to track down the strange account.
My shoulders slump. I blink slowly, and my breath is shallow.
No. This is not possible!
I recheck and rub my eyes to make sure I'm not hallucinating, but the words remain unchanged.
It's real?
The account belongs to Mum's accountant's office. The room spins, and my head becomes woozy. My lungs contract painfully, and I gasp as I struggle to breathe.
What business do they have together? To make things worse, the money was sent a day before she left—before everything went south.
Darcy received such an amount of money from my mother but did not say a word about it.
Is it because she was hiding something?
What is really going on? Did I trust the wrong person? How many more lies did she tell me? Has everything been a lie from the start?
Darcy, please tell me this is a lie… because I won't survive the truth.