Chapter 233 The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Chapter 233 The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

The elevator descended all the way down.

Thomas fought through the stabbing pain in his stomach and stumbled out through the hotel's front entrance.

Matilda stood at the curb, raising her hand to flag down a cab.

"Matilda!"

Thomas ran toward her in long strides and grabbed her wrist hard, yanking her back.

Matilda was forced to turn around.

"I absolutely did not touch her." Thomas's voice came out hoarse, his eyes carrying a hint of pleading. "Will you please believe me?"

Matilda lowered her gaze to the hand he gripped so tightly.

She jerked hard and wrenched herself free.

"So what?" Matilda stepped back, putting distance between them.

Thomas's hand froze in midair.

Matilda looked at him, her tone flat. "What does this have to do with me? Who you're with—none of my business."

Those words pierced Thomas's ears like steel needles.

He clenched his jaw so hard it ached, his face turning ashen from the cramping in his stomach.

He stared at Matilda's cold expression, and for the first time, genuine panic rose in his chest.

"Mary!"

The name burst from his lips.

The air instantly froze.

Thomas himself went rigid.

He didn't know why he'd called out that name at this moment.

"Can't you see I like you? How could I possibly sleep with another woman and then call you over to watch?" Thomas's eyes reddened, his gaze locked on her.

Matilda's lips twisted into a cold smile.

"Thomas, look carefully." Matilda pointed at her own face, enunciating each word. "I am Matilda. Not Mary."

She pulled open the car door and ducked inside the cab.

The door slammed shut.

The taxi sped away.

Thomas stood rooted to the spot, wind whipping across his face.

He watched the taxi disappear at the end of the street, his hands balling into fists so tight the veins bulged on the backs of his hands.

Thomas turned and strode back into the hotel lobby.

The moment he entered, Brent hurried forward with several white-coated doctors and a few bodyguards in black.

"Mr. Stuart, I've brought them." Brent reported.

Thomas's jawline was rigid. He straightened his rumpled shirt.

"Go up."

Hotel hallway.

Ethan was dragging Rose by the arm, rushing toward the elevator.

Rose wore sunglasses and a face mask, bundled up tight.

"Hurry up!" Ethan urged, his expression impatient.

The elevator doors opened, and several burly bodyguards surged out, blocking their path.

Ethan froze.

Before he could react, two bodyguards stepped forward and clamped down on Rose's shoulders from both sides.

"Ah! What are you doing!" Rose shrieked, her suitcase crashing to the floor.

Ethan's temper flared instantly.

He swung his fist at the bodyguard's face.

But a hand shot out from the side, catching his wrist in an iron grip that left him unable to move.

The crowd parted, and Thomas emerged from behind them, his expression blank as he looked at them.

"What the hell are you doing!" Ethan jabbed his finger toward Thomas's nose, cursing.

Thomas ignored him, tilting his head toward the doctors Brent had brought.

"Take her in."

The bodyguards dragged Rose toward Room 1208.

"Let me go! Ethan! Help me!" Rose struggled frantically, one of her heels flying off, her face mask slipping down.

Ethan panicked and lunged forward, grabbing Thomas by the collar.

"Thomas!" Ethan's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging in his neck. "Do you have to be this ruthless? You know we can't stay friends after this, right?"

Thomas lowered his eyelids, glancing at the hand gripping his collar.

He raised his own hand and peeled Ethan's fingers away one by one, then grabbed a tissue from nearby and wiped his hands.

Only after finishing did he lift his head and meet Ethan's eyes.

"So what?"

Ethan went rigid.

He stared at this man he'd known for over a decade and felt like he was looking at a complete stranger.

Was Thomas really willing to cut ties with him over Matilda?

"I need to clear my name." Thomas's voice was cold as ice. "Don't worry. I'm just checking whether her body has any of my DNA in it."

Room 1208.

Rose was pinned to the bed as several doctors opened their medical kits, pulled on gloves, and retrieved blood draw needles and collection tools.

"I won't let you test me! Get away! This is invasion of privacy!" Rose screamed, desperately clutching at her clothes.

"Hold her down." Brent ordered coldly.

Two female bodyguards stepped forward and pressed Rose's limbs down firmly.

Ethan stood in the doorway, his face ashen, unable to utter a word.

He knew that today, the Gray family's reputation had been completely destroyed.

Half an hour later.

The doctor walked up to Thomas holding several rush test reports.

Thomas sat on the sofa, toying with a lighter.

"Mr. Stuart, the results are in." The lead doctor pushed up his glasses and handed over the report. "All bodily fluid samples collected from Miss Gray contain no trace of your DNA. Additionally, the red marks on her neck were determined to be self-inflicted by forceful pinching."

The room fell deathly silent.

Rose collapsed on the bed, hair disheveled, covering her face and sobbing.

Ethan closed his eyes and slammed his fist into the doorframe.

Thomas didn't even take the report.

"You hear that?" He stood and walked over to Ethan. "Take your sister and get the hell out."

Ethan ground his molars, walked over to yank Rose off the bed, and half-dragged her out of the room.

The hallway fell quiet again.

Thomas leaned against the doorframe, his stomach churning violently once more.

He pressed a hand to his abdomen, brow furrowing.

Brent stepped forward and offered him a bottle of water.

"Mr. Stuart, there's one more thing." Brent lowered his voice and pulled out another manila envelope from his briefcase.

"Speak."

"We've finished investigating Skyview City." Brent handed over the envelope. "The day Daniel's leg was broken, Rose's driver was indeed in the area. We continued investigating and tracked down the thugs who did it."

Thomas's movements stilled.

"Those thugs confessed that someone paid them a hundred thousand dollars to teach a man named Daniel a lesson—specifically to break his legs." Brent paused before continuing. "The transfer was traced through multiple layers back to a secondary card under Rose's name."

Thomas's grip on the water bottle tightened sharply.

"Not only that." Brent watched Thomas's expression and steeled himself to continue. "Mrs. Lorna Stuart's trip to Skyview City was also instigated by Rose behind the scenes. She deliberately mentioned to Mrs. Lorna Stuart how nice the hot springs in Skyview City were, guiding Mrs. Lorna Stuart to go there. Then she arranged for Mrs. Lorna Stuart to appear on that particular street, calculating that you wouldn't investigate further because of your mother's involvement—which would also help cover up the truth."

Thomas hurled the water bottle hard against the wall. Water splashed everywhere.

He stood there, chest heaving violently.

So that was it.

All the grievances Matilda had endured recently. Daniel's shattered leg. And this morning's staged scene.

All of it had been Rose pulling strings behind the curtain.