Chapter 327 Chapter 327: I’m Here To Talk To You About Something
As Cristofer was holding Yvonne in his arms, it was inconvenient for him to take the glass.
Realizing his situation, Estelle put the glass on the tea table before him and asked, “Have you had dinner?”
“Um... Yes,” Cristofer answered after hesitating for a second.
“Tell me the truth.”
“No.”
“I knew it.”
“How did you know that?” Cristofer asked, stunned.
“Didn’t you ask Eva to keep in touch with me? She just sent me a message and specifically told me that you didn’t have dinner tonight.”
Cristofer, whose secret was exposed by Estelle, lowered his head and smiled awkwardly.
“I have no ulterior motive. My concern is that looking after both kids simultaneously can be exhausting for you, so I ordered Eva to lend a hand.”
“My mother and Rebecca will help me take care of the kids. Furthermore, they’re well-behaved, so taking care of them isn’t tiring,” Estelle replied.
“I see. It seems that my worry is unnecessary.”
“Pass Yvonne to me. I’ll bring her to the room,” Estelle proposed. She leaned over, gently retrieved her daughter from his embrace, and headed toward the room.
At that moment, Cristofer sensed the warmth fade away from his arms, replaced by a pang of emptiness that filled him.
He remained motionless, maintaining the same pose as though he still held Yvonne.
Only when Estelle emerged from the room and softly shut the door did he become aware of the extended duration he had stayed frozen in that stance.
Feeling a touch of self-consciousness, he brought his hands together on his lap.
Room 0826 was a sweet three-bedroom suite with a living room and a kitchen. It had a cozy, lived-in feel, more like an apartment than a hotel room.
“There are only eggs and rice here. Would you like to eat fried rice with egg?”
It took a moment for Cristofer to realize that Estelle was asking him. Eventually, he nodded and replied, “Sure. Anything is fine with me.”
“Okay. Wait a moment. You may drink some warm water first.”
“Sure. Thank you.”
It was dark in the living room, and they could only see things by the moonlight coming through the window.
At the moment, Cristofer was sitting on one side of the sofa, and in front of him was the big French window. And he was bathed in the silver light of the moon.
Seeing such a scene, Estelle shook her head with a bitter smile, looked away from him, and walked into the kitchen to cook.
Five minutes later, she came out with a plate of fried rice with eggs.
There was a faint smell of oil smoke in the air.
Cristofer disliked the smell of oil smoke. Even a faint smell of it was unbearable for him. But somehow, at the moment, he didn’t think the smell was unpleasant, and the smell even gave him a feeling of warmth.
“Have a try. It can’t compare with the dishes cooked by the chef in the five-star hotel, but it can fill your stomach. You may have a taste and see if it suits your taste.”
Cristofer took the plate, tasted the fried rice with egg, and chewed it slowly.
Then he commented, “It’s delicious.”
Estelle chuckled and smiled, “I thought you only liked the dishes in the fancy restaurants and wouldn’t like such ordinary food. Why didn’t you ask Eva to order food for you? I only have egg and rice here. If the food I cooked were not to your taste, you would have to starve until tomorrow morning.”
“It suits my taste,” Cristofer remarked, scooping up a big spoonful of fried rice and putting it into his mouth. “It’s really delicious.”
Estelle habitually wanted to sit on the sofa and watch the starry sky. But when she walked to the sofa now, she gave up the thought and walked aside.
Leaning against the wall with her arms folded, she was lost in thought.
“Star, come and have a seat.” Cristofer looked up and invited her.
“It’s okay. I’ll just stand here.” Estelle instantly refused.
Cristofer quickly ate up the fried rice and then walked toward her. He said, “I’m here to talk to you about something.”
“What do you want to talk about with me?”
Inhaling deeply, Cristofer initiated, “Throughout the three years while you were overseas, my mind was consumed by thoughts of the car accident nine years ago. Star, that accident seemed far too coincidental, and the events that unfolded afterward were excessively theatrical. Initially, I speculated that it could’ve been Melody and York orchestrating the accident to gain control of my family’s assets. However, upon further thinking, I realized that their intelligence and capabilities wouldn’t suffice to execute such a sophisticated scheme without arousing suspicion. Someone must have helped them secretly behind the scenes.”
Estelle lifted her head and interjected, “Have you forgotten Gretchen, the only light in your life?”
“I...” Cristofer scratched his head, remorseful and upset.
“After the car accident, I suffered with mental health issues, experiencing alternating bouts of manic depression. Consequently, I mistreated you. As for Gretchen... I found myself in a more balanced mental state whenever she was around. It’s possible she was aware of my mental condition and blended a tranquilizing element into my meals,” Cristofer admitted.
“Tranquilizer?”
“Or maybe some medicine that could induce manic depression. I’m sure yet. She’s in prison now, and I lack the means to confirm my assumption. Yet, during the years when you were absent, I’ve thought over the events of the past repeatedly.” Cristofer stated firmly.
“The car accident happened the day before our wedding. Then, Gretchen came into my life. When I was with her, I felt peaceful and never had an attack of manic depression. All of this seems like a huge coincidence. But maybe it’s not, I wasn’t sure at all.”
Estelle understood what he meant and asked, “So you’re saying that the person who planned the car accident might not have been Gretchen but someone else?”
“Exactly,” Cristofer nodded firmly. “Moreover, the purpose of that person isn’t simply to acquire the Hans family assets; otherwise, he wouldn’t have allowed York to claim the properties exclusively.”
Estelle’s brow furrowed as she inquired, “If that’s the case, why would that person orchestrate the car accident and involve so many people? What could be the motive if money and your company aren’t the goals?”
“You.”
“What?”
“He wants you,” Cristofer said. “Estelle, I know this might upset you, but I think it’s something you need to hear. Don’t you think it’s a little too coincidental that Mr. Mysterious showed up in your life right when you were going through a tough time?”
After a brief pause, Cristofer continued, “If the car accident hadn’t occurred, we two would have gotten married as planned and lived a happy life. However, the car accident happened on the night before our wedding. Obviously, the person behind it didn’t want us to get married. He wanted to break us apart so he can be with you.”