Chapter 238
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Alex lit a cigarette, his movements deliberate. “She let it slip when she was drunk. Ellie said Haley didn’t want it, and later, she lost it.”
Layton smacked his thigh. “That’s easy enough. Just show Ellie the necklace you gave Haley. You’ll know right away.” Leaning heavily against the couch, Alex shot Layton a cold look. Haley told me she lost the necklace I gave her, too.” “Fuck!” Layton cursed under his breath. “Something’s definitely up. That’s way too much of a coincidence.”
Alex locked eyes with Layton, his brows furrowed deeply. “You think it’s more than a coincidence too?”
Layton planted himself on the coffee table in front of Alex. “Alex whether it’s a coincidence or not, Ellie gave Haley that necklace. Even if Haley didn’t take it, she’s seen it before. You need to confront her and see if she’ll admit to it.
“And another thing. Ellie can draw. Just ask her to sketch the necklace. That’ll settle it.”
Alex took a deep drag from his cigarette, the faint smoke curling into the air and obscuring part of his view. “I already tried that before.
“Haley admitted that Ellie once gave her a necklace, but she didn’t accept it. Her account matches Ellie’s. As for what it looked like, she claims it’s been too long and she doesn’t remember.”
“What about Ellie? Did you ask her to draw it?” Layton pressed.
“She won’t even talk to me,” Alex said, leaning lifelessly against the couch. His head rested on the back cushion as he stared at the ceiling.
Layton’s sharp eyes darted around thoughtfully as he shuffled a deck of cards in his hand. “Back then, you managed to give the necklace away, and you knew it was a girl. So why didn’t you remember her face?”
Alex straightened his posture, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray. “It’s not that I didn’t remember; I couldn’t see clearly.”
Years ago, during his kidnapping, Alex had suffered a severe head injury. Blood clots had pressed against his optic nerve, causing temporary blindness. He had desperately tried to make out the girl’s face, but all he saw was a blurry silhouette.
The suite fell into a heavy silence. Even Layton stayed quiet for a long time. Sitting across from Alex, he absently shuffled the cards, pulling out the ace of spades over and over again.
Finally, Layton broke the silence. “Alex, do you really think digging into all this now will do you any good?”
Alex’s brow furrowed at the sudden question.
Layton continued, “Given your current situation with Haley and Ellie, it’s obvious that you and Ellie have no future together. If you stop now, you can at least maintain the relationship you have with her.
“Things won’t escalate further. But if it turns out Ellie was the one who saved you back then, then the one who’ll be unable to have children in the future… is Ellie.”
Each word from Layton cut into Alex like a knife, piercing his heart with brutal precision.
Alex’s hand froze as he was pouring himself a drink. He gripped the glass tightly, sinking deeper into the couch.
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Chapter 238
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Closing his eyes, he masked his emotions, though the weight pressing down on him was palpable. It was as if he carried the weight of a mountain, leaving him barely able to breathe.
Layton, indifferent to Alex’s inner turmoil, pressed on relentlessly. “You’ve known for years that Ellie’s been in love with you. Seven years, Alex… And yet, you’ve hurt her so badly, even extending that hurt to her family and refusing to show them any leniency.”
Layton’s voice sharpened as he added, “If the truth ever comes out, if Ellie really was the one who saved you, then after everything you’ve done to her, your relationship will only end up worse than it is now.”
Finally, Layton posed the question that cut the deepest. “Alex, what’s the point of uncovering the truth? What will it change?”
