BELLA.
Fiona turned back to Austin and shouted aggressively, "Honey, W-What is she saying? You tried to kill our daughter and granddaughter?"
"N-No," he quickly denied, his face confused and shocked as his wife continued further, "Why would I do that? I actually wanted her to come back to Paris but she was hesitant and denied it!"
"So you thought of killing our granddaughter along with our daughter, right? Because you couldn't see your enemy's grandchild in her womb!" Fiona argued, she was raging as she shouted at him. "How could you do that to our daughter? How could you not even ask me anything?Why?"
Fiona grabbed Austin's collar and jolted him in rage. "S-She is our daughter. No matter how cold you are to her, you must never take that step, Austin. How could you? I-I'm so ashamed of you. I want to die!"
"Honey, listen to me," He cupped her face and politely said, "Believe me I love my daughter as much as you do. Of course I might have been not a good father to our children, but I would never do that. Please, trust me. I-I never planned or ordered her assassination!"
"What? Did you never plan?" I reacted shockingly, I never expected my mother to be not aware of my dad's deeds. Infuriating further, I pointed out, "Dad, do you think I will believe your lies? You can only fool mom, not me!"
"B-But I'm telling the truth. Why don't you believe in me?" My dad sighed as he squatted down in frustration. Covering his head, he murmured, "I know you have always considered me as a careless father. And I don't blame you for that because I have neglected my fatherly duties towards you and your brother."
"I-I'm sorry for that and I don't want you to forgive me. Your anger and hatred for me is justified."
"Dad, stop guilt-tripping my sister," Olivier stepped forward and pulled me back. Standing in front of me, he coldly thundered at dad, "Neither I nor Bella blame you for poor fatherly duties. The thing we are concerned about is you arranging the assassination of Bella and my niece."
"And I'm saying I didn't do that."
"Then who was the one who ordered Victor, Maria and Lucifer for my assassination," I retorted. "They themselves accepted that it was your order, dad. Stop denying it already!"
"W-What?" My dad gave me a baffled look as if he couldn't process whatever I was saying. Why was he acting like this? Was it too hard for him to just accept and be sorry?
I guess if he accepts it, his ego will be hurt. And I don't know if mother is acting like she doesn't know anything or if that is her genuine reaction after finding out the truth.
I reached for my brother's arm and murmured, "I can't listen to them anymore. Please let's go out."
"Yes, talking to him feels like talking to a robot. Same automated replies even after the truth has been known," Olivier's bitter reply made mom tear up.
She ran towards us, and holding my hand and Olivier's, she apologized, "P-Please, don't hate me, my children. I accept my mistakes, I was not a very good mother to you but believe me I would never want to kill my daughter or granddaughter, Bella."
My eyes narrowed down as I glanced at her, she has always been a naive woman who only cared about luxury and fashion collection. When she had my brother, she was very young and had no sense on how to nurse a child. Both of us were raised by a nanny because dad was no better than mother.
Careless, busy and if was not working then he would be fucking mother. Yeah, horny parents I had and I actually loved their relationship.
However they should have not neglected me and my brother. Maybe today I would have forgiven them for the sake of their love and care.
"Bella, please believe in me. I don't know why you are saying that I ordered your assassination guild to assassinate you. After you left for London, I never heard anything from your guild members," Dad said and my feet stopped.
Turning back, I seriously asked, "What are you talking about?"
"If you don't believe me, check my call history or bank account statement. After you left, I never paid them any payments since they decided to follow you."
My heart felt heavy, that moment I realized something was missing. Something was definitely wrong and someone else was behind all these things happening.
I said nothing to my parents and walked out with my brother. Arriving out of the basement jail, I suggested that my brother go through our parents' call history and bank account statements. While I went to the control room of the Hawkins' headquarters.
"Greetings Miss Ishabella," the soldiers who were working there greeted me and I asked them to be seated.
Everyone in this office was a software engineer and had access to each camera setup on the premises. I was suspicious because if someone else was behind my and my daughter's assassination, then they'd definitely take action after discovering that I knew the truth.
I was sure, so I sat on the chair and stared at the screens, nothing unusual was happening.
THUD.
"Bella," my brother's voice called me and I heard his fastened footsteps as he ran through the corridors. Entering the control room, he slapped the documents on the table and catching his breath, he said, "It's true."
"What is true?" I asked as I offered him a bottle of water.
Gulping down the water, he answered, "Father had no call or message history with any of your guild members after the day you left for London."
"H-How could it be?" I was surprised and at the same time confused.
"I even had my go through his bank account statements. No payment transactions were done with your guild members," he sat down and continued, "Not only that, I was suspicious and investigated further. Because many times businessmen have different bank accounts and numbers. But it was all clean!"
He forwarded me the documents and I impatiently flipped the pages. My eyes widened in shock, whatever he was saying was true. Then who was the one ordering the assassination of my daughter? Who could it be?
My hands grabbed my head as I started thinking deeply. But nobody came into my mind, because turning my loyal guild members against me required enough money. To bribe them all to the point they agreed to sacrifice their lives needed someone very powerful and rich.
I sat down and buried my face in my palms, I was feeling guilty. Why do I always get these kinds of things to experience?
I hated my parents for almost all my life, and when I assumed my dad was behind all this, I hated him even more. What now?
'Yeah, I hate my parents but I never wanted them to go bankrupt. The legacy of the Dior family has fallen into mud,' I thought as my jaws clenched in rage. 'I allowed Caspar to bring down my family's business and reputation because that way I was completing my revenge! Now what should I do?'
My senses were not working anymore. Raising my face up, I stared dead into Olivier's eyes.
"Brother, who could be the real culprit?" I murmured, feeling angry. I wanted to beat the hell out of the culprit who made my life miserable and led me to believe the web of lies he had spread.
"Bella, I could not answer your question regarding this. I have to investigate everything that happened in the last 2 years to find out the real mastermind," he replied as he massaged the space between his brows.
"However I can assure you that the culprit will be given the hardest death in the history of Black City."
"Brother, you understand it right? The culprit might have installed spies here or wherever I'm."
"My lovely sister," Olivier laughed as if he felt my remarks as an insult. "Do not worry. I will not hesitate to kill anyone if they turn out to be spies. You haven't actually seen me working!"
"That's what I thought," I sarcastically commented, taunting him. "I trusted my guild members more than anyone. Look what happened! They fucking betrayed me and agreed to assassinate me."
His smile vanished as he got up and came to me, he leaned forward and whispered near my right year, "I said, relax. Let me handle this because the culprit tried to kill you and my niece. I shall show them who they messed with!"
"Alright, I'll leave this case to you. Now get fucking away from you," I twitched my lips in annoyance as I pushed him back by my index finger on his forehead.
"Maintain a social distance while talking, brother."
"Ahem," he quickly stood straight and cleared his throat awkwardly. " Ignore my creepy behavior. I usually got used to close-up talk since I had to interrogate criminals and my enemies."
"Can see that!" I shrugged off lazily. "I'm pretty sure the ones who interrogate would tell the truth before you give them a heart attack just by dreadful eyes. I'm curious about why Karina isn't scared of me?"
"Because she's my niece. Do you want her to be scared of me?" He argued and poked my forehead back.
"Enough jokes! What should I do with my parents now that they're not the culprits?"