Chapter 214 The Night of Truth

Chapter 214 The Night of Truth

Frank's lips twitched slightly. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, "Like mother, like son, after all."

After breakfast, Sylvia took Garth for a walk around the island.

The security system here was nearly flawless, yet the scenery was breathtaking. The air carried the fresh scent of sea breeze and grass, filling her with a sense of peace.

"Mom, this place is really pretty." Garth held her hand, his eyes curiously surveying the surroundings.

"Yes, it is." Sylvia gazed at the lush forests in the distance and the white buildings faintly visible through them, a sudden thought crossing her mind.

When everything settled down, bringing the children here to live might be a good choice.

No fighting, no schemes, just the waves and the company of family.

They walked along a path paved with pebbles, slowly making their way to a small river on one side of the island.

The river water was crystal clear, with colorful fish swimming among the water plants.

Just then, Sylvia stopped in her tracks, her gaze falling on a man in a maintenance worker's uniform not far away.

The man was crouching by the bushes near the river, pretending to repair some wiring, but his eyes kept glancing toward a standalone two-story building across the river. His movements betrayed a poorly concealed suspicion.

"Mom, that man doesn't look like a good person." Garth suddenly lowered his voice, his small hand gripping Sylvia's fingers tightly.

Though young, having grown up with Sylvia in complex environments, he had an unusually sharp sense of danger.

Sylvia patted his head approvingly but did not respond immediately.

Seeing she did not move, Garth grew anxious and tugged at her sleeve. "Let's go tell that always-serious Uncle John and have him catch that bad guy."

"No." Sylvia shook her head, pulling her son in front of her. She crouched down to meet his eyes and explained in a voice only they could hear, "Garth, we have no proof right now that he's doing something bad. If we rush to find John and that person is just a regular worker, we would be wrongly accusing a good person. If he really is a bad guy, making a scene would alert the people behind him and make them harder to find."

Garth nodded, half-understanding. Though he did not fully grasp it, he trusted his mother's judgment.

Sylvia led him away casually, but mentally noted the man's appearance and the building's location.

It seemed there really were hidden problems within the Sapphire Sky Guild.

Night fell, and the sound of waves became the island's only background music.

Sylvia had just put Garth to sleep when the medical room door was gently knocked.

She opened it to find John standing outside, his expression showing hesitation and complexity, no longer wearing his stern, cold daytime demeanor.

"Is something wrong?" Sylvia asked softly.

John was silent for a moment before speaking in an almost hoarse voice. "Can we... talk? About your mother."

Sylvia nodded and invited him in. They sat down in the small lounge outside the medical room.

In the deep night, John looked at Sylvia's face, so similar to someone from his past. Emotions suppressed for years churned in his eyes—nostalgia, melancholy, and a trace of hope he dared not touch.

He rubbed the teacup in his hands, and after a long while, finally spoke with difficulty, his voice carrying a barely noticeable tremor. "Where is Imogen now? Is she... doing well?"

Asking this question seemed to drain all his strength.

He stared intently at Sylvia, waiting for the answer that would determine whether his remaining years would be filled with joy or sorrow.

Sylvia's heart sank slightly.

Looking at the light in this man's eyes, she knew her next words would extinguish it completely.

She lowered her eyes, her voice calm and clear as she said, "She passed away, many years ago."

Something seemed to explode in John's mind. The world instantly lost all sound and color.

The blood drained rapidly from his face. Those eyes that had just held a glimmer of light dimmed in an instant, as if all their spirit had been drained away.

The woman who had lived vividly in his memory for half his life, with her bright smile, had just... disappeared.

His tall frame collapsed in that moment, as if losing its support, his whole body hunching over.

The teacup in his hand slipped from his weakened grip, falling onto the thick carpet. It made no sound, yet seemed to tear a hole in his heart.

That iron-faced John seemed to age ten years in this one night.

His body swayed as if all his bones had been removed. He staggered to his feet, his eyes unfocused and vacant.

Without another glance at Sylvia, he left the small lounge like a walking corpse, his steps heavy, his retreating figure so desolate it was heartbreaking.

Garth had somehow emerged from the hospital room. Watching John's devastated appearance, his small brow furrowed tightly.

During the day, though John was gentle with Sylvia, he was stern with others, especially Frank, and was privately called the "Iron Judge" by island members.

Garth had never seen him so vulnerable.

Garth's small body seemed to house a soul more sensitive than his peers.

He felt John was very sad and wanted to comfort him.

Garth quietly slipped out of the medical room, following on his short legs, stumbling as he went.

Sylvia watched John's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, her heart heavy.

She knew the truth she had spoken was an extremely heavy blow to this man.

She sighed deeply and turned back to the small lounge.

Frank and Lisa had been waiting outside. Seeing John leave, they immediately came over.

"Sylvia, he really did love Imogen..." Lisa whispered, her eyes full of curiosity.

Frank looked at Sylvia, his brow furrowed. "Sylvia, John's reaction was too strong. He and the boss are sworn enemies—I've never seen him like this."

He wanted to know what kind of woman could make two excellent men—one unable to forget her, the other becoming enemies because of her.

Hearing this, Sylvia just gave Frank a look.

How much could she understand? She had only just learned she had an "uncle," and her mother's death was still an unsolved mystery in her heart for years.

At this moment, her emotions were complicated, and she had no mood to satisfy Frank's curiosity.

Night deepened. Apart from the howling sea wind, only the sound of waves crashing against rocks remained on the island.

After putting Garth to sleep, Sylvia kept thinking about John and her mother Imogen's past.

She thought Garth was sleeping soundly and did not pay attention.

It was not until late at night that she discovered the bed beside her was empty.