Martin had been convicted and sent to prison after Tristan personally testified against him for embezzling a massive amount of kickbacks. At the time, I had believed Tristan's words. But now, the pieces no longer fit.
If Martin had truly been guilty, why had he come after Tristan the moment he was released? Why was he willing to kill?
I needed to investigate the case from back then. I couldn't let the betrayal and hatred from my previous life go unanswered. But, most of the trails had gone cold, so I had no concrete leads.
That afternoon, as I pored over old documents in my office, my phone buzzed with a message from Vanessa: [I have something to do tonight. I'll be home late.]
I chuckled, shaking my head. She had no idea I hadn't set foot in our home all day. If she were truly concerned about me, she would've known. But of course, she wasn't concerned—because she was too busy spending her nights with Tristan.
A few minutes later, the soft chime of the elevator reached my ears, so I instinctively turned off the office lights.
Footsteps. Two sets. It had to be them.
I remained still, waiting, listening as their voices filtered through the door.
"Vanessa, I've already looked into it," Tristan said in a hushed but eager tone. "That bastard Martin is getting released in three days—at night."
Vanessa's voice was laced with satisfaction. "Perfect timing. The media's been eating up the news of you moving into the mansion. It's all over the trending list."
Tristan let out a soft chuckle. "Exactly. The moment Martin gets out, he'll go straight there for revenge. And with it being dark, he won't be able to tell that Charlie's the one living there instead of me."
My fists clenched at my sides.
"As soon as he attacks," Tristan continued, "the police will shoot him for murder. And just like that, I'll never have to worry about him again. And once Charlie's out of the picture... well, we won't have to hide anymore."
Vanessa let out a small sigh. "It's just a shame... Charlie isn't falling for it. He refused the mansion."
Tristan clicked his tongue in irritation. "That idiot. He's never turned down anything from me before. Why now?"
"Don't worry," Vanessa said soothingly. "I'll find a way to help you."
Tristan's voice dipped into amusement. "He was jealous today. You didn't go home tonight—he didn't suspect anything, did he?"