After Amelia left, the ward quieted down.
Looking at the empty ward, I whispered, "Howard, I know you're here. Did you have something to do with Sophia's situation?"
I thought he was used such means to make me beg him.
"Do I look that bored to you?"
Seeing Howard suddenly appear in the room, even though I was already used to it, I still couldn't help but be stunned by his breathtakingly handsome face. He crossed his arms and looked at me indifferently. "She came to you because things between her and I are not over yet."
Then I remembered what he had said before, that Sophia's death was because I wanted her dead. "I have no grudge against her, why does she hate me so much?"
The previous bullying and the malicious tattoo she put on me all showed that she seemed to have a lot of hostility towards me. But I never offended her. If it was just because she thought I reported her to the teacher, that didn't add up.
While I was thinking, Amelia came in, shaking her phone. "I already talked to Grandpa; he said he can help."
I breathed a sigh of relief. If Aiden was willing to help, I wouldn't have to beg anyone.
"How do you plan to pay for it?" Amelia asked.
Hearing this, I was stunned. "Do I have to pay? How much?"
Amelia looked at me with difficulty. "It's the Martinez family rule; you have to pay, and..."
Seeing her troubled expression, I knew it wasn't something a poor student like me could afford. Then I though I knew why the Martinez family seemed so rich.
Howard's faint voice came. "She will come to you again. Next time, you might not be so lucky."
I knew he was waiting for me to beg him. Afraid of death, I pleaded, "Please, Howard." I admitted I lacked backbone, but my life was more important than pride. And everything pointed to Howard as the source of the problem, so I had no reason not to confront him.
"Alright, let's go." He agreed readily, as if he was just waiting for me to ask.
"Now?" I was still a patient.
Howard walked halfway and then came back, unexpectedly planting a kiss on my lips.
I was stunned, blinked, and looked at Amelia who witnessed the whole process, feeling embarrassed for the first time.
Amelia cleared her throat and turned around. "I didn't see a thing, so don't sweat it."
Hearing this, I felt more embarrassed.
Seeing my embarrassed and angry look, Howard frowned and said, "I'm not taking advantage of you. Do you feel a bit better now?"
It seemed true; my head wasn't as dizzy. It turned out Howard was able to treat me too; that was a game-changer!
I immediately lifted the quilt and put on my shoes. "Where are we going now?"
"To find Sophia." Howard said briefly.
I was stunned. "But isn't she already dead?"
To be precise, she had been dead for a week. Even though I was certain it was her who pushed me down the stairs that day, I had no idea where to find her.
Howard was obviously out of patience, his blue eyes glanced at me lightly. "Just follow me."
Amelia said, "I'll go with you."
The more, the merrier. I had no problem with her joining us. In fact, having Amelia around gave me an extra boost of confidence.
I always knew Sophia's family had money, but I never realized they were this loaded. Her place might not rival the Martinez Mansion, but it was still pretty luxurious. One could practically feel the wealth just standing outside those iron gates.
"Ladies, can I help you with something?" said the man standing at the door.
Amelia, calm as ever, lied without missing a beat, "We are Sophia's classmates, here to pay our respects."
"Then come with me." The man didn't wait to confirm and directly led us in.
I had assumed that meeting Sophia would be exceedingly difficult, but to my surprise, it turned out to be quite effortless.
Since Howard was invisible to others, we refrained from speaking to him in public to avoid being mistaken for lunatics.
I couldn't tell if it was because night had fallen, but since entering the villa, I felt a persistent chill. Unconsciously, I edged closer to Amelia. As the descendant of a master exorcist, she undoubtedly possesses powerful talismans, which made me feel somewhat more secure. "Amelia, do you notice anything strange? This room feels strangely cold."
Amelia shook her head, looking at me helplessly. "Although I learned a bit about ghost hunting, I'm not skilled enough to see anything, but your feeling is correct."
There was something eerie about this room.
I rarely saw a mourning hall set up in the living room.
As soon as I entered, I saw a black coffin in the center of the living room. Flowers lined both sides, candles flickered on the offering table, and a photo of Sophia in her prime was displayed prominently. The whole mourning hall had an understated yet intricate feel to it, but it didn't match the image of a wealthy family's mourning hall that I had in mind.
On the large sofa in the living room sat a stunningly beautiful woman, her legs crossed, casually applying nail polish without even looking. The blood-red color of the polish resembled fresh blood, making it seem especially eerie in the mourning hall.
"Mrs. Brown, these two are Ms. Brown's classmates, here to pay their respects." The man reported.
I didn't expect this young woman to be Sophia's mother. She lifted her eyes and cast us a nonchalant glance. Her well-maintained, beautiful face showed little emotion, but there was a hint of disdain in her eyes. "Take them to offer a flower and that's it."
"Tell her, her family feels haunted." Howard instructed me softly.
I frowned, hesitating as I thought speaking like this when someone had passed away in the house seemed rather impolite.
"Just say it." He was a bit impatient.
Under his pressure, I subconsciously spoke. "Mrs. Brown, your family feels haunted."
As soon as I said this, I thought I would be thrown out, but the woman just looked up at me. "Do you really understand these things?"
"I don't, but she does." I immediately pulled Amelia over. "Her family is a ghost-hunting family; she can see something off at a glance."
Amelia nodded calmly. "Yes."
The woman seemed interested, raising an eyebrow at Amelia. "You are so young and can see these things."
"Growing up in such an environment, I learned a bit." Amelia said.
The woman became interested and was about to say something when an unpleasant voice interrupted her. "What are you talking about with these kids?"
Hearing this, I looked up.
The speaker was a tall, slender man, appearing to be around forty years old. His somewhat gaunt face gave him a shrewd look, and his small eyes carried a hint of displeasure.
The beautiful woman stood up immediately when she saw him. "Honey, I'm just messing around with them."