Chapter 26: Unraveling the Secret

Chapter 26: Unraveling the Secret
Chapter 26

Unraveling the Secret

Adrian’s POV

I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. It had been two days now, and I was still confused about who the real killer was. At first, I began the investigation just to make sure Elena was brought to justice.

But now, it wasn’t about Elena anymore.

Now, I wanted to know the truth—who really did this, and why?

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Sir Adrian, your tutor is here,” came the soft voice of one of our househelps.

I stood up slowly, heading toward my private language class.



“Congratulations, Adrian,” my mum said with a smile as she sipped her drink during dinner. “I heard you came out top in the international math competition.”

“Thank you, Mum,” I replied calmly.

My dad cleared his throat in response—his usual cold way of acknowledging things. That was the kind of father I had. Never once had he openly praised me. Just criticism. I was never doing enough, and that alone was exhausting.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

Lucy: Can I come over? My dad has started again.
Adrian: Yes.

I replied, a bit reluctant. But my parents were heading to an evening party anyway.

I didn’t become friends with Lucy by chance. I had noticed her when we were just ten—she lived not far from us. Her father was known for his violent temper.

Most people avoided her because she seemed aggressive too, but I understood where that came from. So, I let her sit beside me during recess. 

I listened. I stayed—with her, along with Kade and Lucien. And somehow, we grew from broken kids into guarded teenagers.

About two hours later, Lucy arrived and came straight to my room.

“What’s up?” I asked as she walked in, her eyes were red probably from crying.

She sat down heavily, her shoulders sinking.

“How do I ever stop this violence, Adrian?” she whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. “My dad hits my mum and  breaks things when he is angry. But in public, we’re supposed to act like a loving family.” She sighed. “I’m tired.”

“It’s okay, Lucy,” I said, sitting beside her and gently patting her back. “You’ll be fine.”

She turned to me suddenly, her face was close, as she glanced down my lips, like she wanted to kiss me.

“Lucy, stop… why do you always do this?”

“Because I don’t know, Adrian,” she said, standing up. “I just don’t know. This is the only way I feel something... anything.”

I pulled her into a hug.

“You don’t need to sleep with someone to feel good, okay?” I whispered. “You don’t.”



The president of the United States visited our school that week—to commission a tech innovation project and attend the formal celebration afterward. The school was decorated like a palace. The red carpet rolled out. Cameras flashed. Important people stood in clusters, smiling through tight lips.

After the elegant ballerina performance, where dancers in soft chiffon moved gracefully across the stage, the music students were invited in. They walked in calmly, offered a polite bow, and positioned themselves behind their instruments.

Elena was on keyboard. But something felt off—she looked tense. That was unlike her. She was always confident when it came to music. But today, her hands were shaky.

She missed a key at first… then paused. Her jaw tightened as she composed herself. And then… she began again.

A soft tune filled the air—calm, melancholic and familiar.
It was “River Flows in You.”

As the music played, memories stirred—soft laughter from hallways, Gloria leaning back with her eyes closed as Elena played the same tune during music class. 

Those days now felt like another lifetime. Or was it love I felt back then? A strange pull I couldn’t name. What is love, really? A feeling? A lie? Or something you only understand when it’s already gone?

When the performance ended, the applause came slowly, but it came.

My personal assistant walked up, signaling it was time to greet the president on behalf of my family.

I stepped forward confidently and extended a handshake.

“Mr. President,” I said. “It’s an honor. I’m Adrian Beaumont, son of Charles Beaumont.”

“The Beaumont name precedes itself,” he said with a warm smile. “Your family’s work in international finance has been impressive.”

“Thank you, sir,” I replied. “We’re honored to contribute to the nation's development.”

He nodded, gave me a firm handshake, and moved on.

I excused myself to use the restroom. On my way down the hallway, I saw Elena.

She was walking toward me—but didn’t stop. Her gaze didn’t even pause on my face. She looked like she had a hundred heavier thoughts crashing through her mind.

We walked past each other.

For a brief second, our hands brushed. And in that moment, something in me softened.

I had once been convinced she was the killer. Convinced by how cold and unreadable she was. But now I wasn’t so sure. Maybe I had let my emotions cloud the investigation.

Still, I wasn’t ready to speak to her.

Not yet..



The next day was Thursday. Our test results were handed back.

I looked down at mine.
97%.
I leaned back in my chair. That had to be the highest. Gloria would’ve been the only one to match or beat it.

Then I heard Bella gasp.

“Is there an error or something?”

I straightened up.

“Attention, class,” our math teacher said. “For this math test, Elena scored the highest with 98%.”

What?

I scoffed. That couldn’t be right.

“She’s a dullard,” one student muttered.
“Are they buying grades now?” another whispered.

“Elena, see me after class,” the teacher said, then returned to the lesson.



Later, Lucien, Kade, and I headed toward our private lounge for lunch.

“What time’s the car race?” Kade asked.

“6PM,” Lucien answered.

But I wasn’t listening. My mind was still spinning around Gloria’s death. Something wasn’t adding up. If Rosa really saw Lucas that day… I needed to ask Lucas more questions.

“Let’s eat at The Pearl,” Kade suggested—a high-end restaurant in the city.

“Nice idea,” Lucien added as we headed outside.

Just as we stepped out of the school building, Rosa walked past and discreetly handed me a folded note smiling.

“What the hell was that?” Kade said, surprised.

Lucien smirked. 

“Let’s go,” I said, brushing it off.

Once we got into the car, I unfolded the note and read it quietly:

Rosa: I have more information. Let’s meet at the rooftop tomorrow after class.

My brows furrowed.

More information?

Whoever killed Gloria… had planned it well, with every move calculated.

I exhaled and leaned back, eyes on the window, and my thoughts spinning again.