Chapter 222 The Truth of That Year

Chapter 222 The Truth of That Year

As soon as Adeline got out of the taxi, Ulysses rushed to meet her. "Ms. Smith, you're finally here." He was wearing a baseball cap and a mask; Adeline almost didn't recognize him. "What's with the..."

"Ms. Stewart told me to be discreet. Let's go in quickly," he said, putting a cap on Adeline's head as well.

Once inside the hospital, Adeline understood why Ulysses had to be so covert. The lobby was swarming with reporters, scrutinizing every person who walked in. Ulysses carefully shielded Adeline. "Be careful. We're just going for a check-up."

Adeline nodded in cooperation. The reporters, not finding their target, looked away.

It wasn't until they reached the hospital room that Ulysses let out a long breath. "Reporters are terrifying. If I weren't so clever, we would've been mobbed."

"Ms. Stewart, are you okay?" Adeline's eyes reddened as she rushed to Rhiannon's side and took her hand.

Rhiannon was wearing an oxygen mask, but her eyes were still filled with a loving kindness as she looked at Adeline and shook her head. She patted the side of the bed, motioning for Adeline to sit, then looked at Ulysses. "Go. Watch the door." Her voice was a mere whisper, barely audible in the quiet room. Ulysses nodded and stepped out.

With just the two of them left, Rhiannon removed her oxygen mask.

"No, you shouldn't," Adeline said, moving to put it back, but Rhiannon waved her hand away. "It's fine. I'm not that fragile." She held Adeline's hand, her gaze fixed on her face, as if seeing someone else through her. After a long moment, Rhiannon finally spoke. "Adeline, I'm sorry. It's taken me this long to tell you the truth. I imagine your parents never told you either, did they?"

Adeline nodded. It was the knot in her own heart. Her parents' secrecy, her aunt taking her away—she always felt something was deeply wrong.

Rhiannon pointed to the bedside table. Adeline immediately picked up her phone. "Everything I need to say is in there. See for yourself," Rhiannon said, putting the oxygen mask back on and slowly closing her eyes.

Adeline unlocked the phone. The first thing she saw was a photo of two young women, holding three enormous pink diamonds. Even with the low resolution of the time, Adeline could tell the gems were massive, the largest at least a hundred carats.

"That's a photo of us after we found the pink diamonds abroad." Rhiannon said, her eyes still closed, her voice soft as she recounted the story. She and Nancy had found three huge pink diamonds, but they had also attracted the wrong kind of attention. "We were powerless back then. My husband had some connections, and he barely managed to get us back into the country. But the assassinations, the robbery attempts... they never stopped." Her voice choked with emotion. "We agreed that because the Williams family had some influence, it was safest to keep all the diamonds with me. But I never imagined what people would do for money."

They had returned safely, thinking they were protected by the Williams family, but they were still being targeted. "The only people who knew we were back were a few old-timers in the Williams family company. The moment we returned, we were hunted. Your grandmother, to protect me, pretended she had all the diamonds." Rhiannon reached out and squeezed Adeline's hand tightly. "She shouldn't have died. But she told me she had cancer, that she didn't have long to live. So she staged it to make them think she and the diamonds had fallen into the river." Her voice broke, and her fingers were icily cold.

Adeline frowned. "Then why did Ronald's grandfather die too?"

"He was lured there. They knew I was the one with the diamonds and thought I was the one on the cruise ship that day. They were afraid I'd flee the country with the gems, so they tricked him into going." Rhiannon's kind eyes filled with a sliver of hatred. "But I was never able to find out who those people were. I stepped down and gave the business to Ronald all these years so I could focus on investigating what happened."

"Adeline, after your grandmother passed away, I was always so careful with my health. My heart problems... they were the Murphy family's doing." Her grip tightened, and she started coughing.

Adeline couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. Gemma's father, Upton Murphy, was one of the insiders back then. And Edwin—he used to be my husband's driver!" Rhiannon clutched her chest, insisting on removing the oxygen mask again. "The proof is in the phone."

Just as she finished speaking, a commotion erupted outside the door.

"No, Ms. Stewart said no one is allowed in."

"Dr. Phillips, please don't make this difficult for me. She really said that."

"No!"

Ulysses couldn't stop her. A middle-aged woman in a white coat walked in. Rhiannon had already closed her eyes, as if she had never woken up. Adeline had already slipped the phone into her pocket.

"Ms. Smith, why are you here?"

"Who are you? Ms. Stewart said no one was allowed in." Adeline turned, her voice turning cold. She knew, of course, that the woman before her was Gemma's mother, Amara Phillips.

Amara looked Adeline up and down. She had thought Adeline was a beauty from photos, but seeing her in person, Amara understood where Gemma had lost. Gemma wasn't as beautiful or as poised as Adeline, not to mention the history between the Smith and Williams families. For so many years, the Murphys had almost forgotten about the Smiths. They hadn't expected Adeline to be so capable. With the two families reconnected, it was a great thing—the largest diamond would surely surface soon.

"I am Ms. Stewart's attending physician, Amara Phillips. I'm also Gemma's mother." Amara smiled gently, showing no aggression. "Did Ms. Stewart have something she needed to see you about?"

"I wanted to see her myself." Adeline said, tucking Rhiannon's hand back under the covers and standing up. "I wanted to ask about something, but she's fallen asleep again. Since you're here, I won't disturb you."

"Wait a moment." Amara suddenly reached out, her eyes fixed on Adeline's pocket. "Ms. Smith, all items in this room belong to Ms. Stewart. If you've taken something you shouldn't have, please return it." When she entered, she had noticed the bulge in Adeline's pocket. If Rhiannon had given Adeline something, it would be trouble.

Adeline looked at her with displeasure. "Dr. Phillips, what is the meaning of this? Forget that Ms. Stewart is my boyfriend's grandmother; even if she were a stranger, I would never steal! Are you planning to search me?"

Adeline pulled her own phone out of her pocket and spread her arms wide. "Fine, search me! If you don't find anything today, I'm calling the police! I'd like to see what else you're willing to do to humiliate me for your daughter's sake!"