Another person echoed, “At one point, Oswald was ready to put her on a pedestal.”
“That’s an exaggeration. I simply wanted to treat her like my cherished granddaughter.”
The group of seniors reminisced, all lively and cheerful.
This was when Trent and Keith realized the extent of Hannah’s achievements.
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Back when Hannah was in Cadilind, Trent thought she was mysterious.
Now, he was even more surprised.
On the drive back, with Trent behind the wheel and Hannah in the back seat, Trent couldn’t resist and asked, “If you were so accomplished in Newfort, why didn’t you stay there?”
It had been a long time. Hannah’s gaze turned somber as she looked out at the darkening landscape. “I didn’t have a choice back then.”
“Why?” Sitting in the passenger seat, Keith asked curiously, “You had such status and freedom here. Who could possibly make you feel Like you had no choice?”
The car fell silent before Hannah responded slowly, “My mother’s possessions were still home. Wyatt used this to blackmail me into returning. But…”
Hannah sighed deeply. “I’m to blame. After I returned, I misjudged someone I thought I cared about and ended up entangled with the Edwards family for a few years. You’ve done your homework on me. You probably know all about my life here, right?”
Keith coughed uncomfortably. “Well, we only caught bits and pieces… Honestly, we’re not that well-informed.”
Hannah turned away from looking out the window, her gaze playful as she looked at Keith. “What’s making you so embarrassed?”
Keith absently rubbed the tip of his nose. “We never wanted to investigate you.”
“I know, Keith. I’m not blaming you.” Hannah’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “If I had any hard feelings, I wouldn’t have waited until now to bring them up.”
From the driver’s seat, Trent interjected with a question that had been gnawing at him. “Hannah, when you got caught, I half-thought it was part of your plan. Around that time, rumors flew that the Bloody Gang’s leader had died. We were still scrambling to figure out how to cover for you.”
“And then,” Trent continued, eyes on the rearview mirror, “the Leader massacred his own people and topped it off with a suicide, right after you walked free. We caught the aftermath on video. What spurred that madness?”
The light in Hannah’s eyes shifted, a hint of something darker flickering as she spoke. “All I did was show him a video I’d taken at the Jade Paradise-as a warning. His suicide was… unexpected.”
Keith leaned back, his voice a mixture of relief and disbelief. “Well, it’s a good riddance. It saves us a lot of trouble. If today’s events hadn’t unfolded as they did, and he had detained you, things could have been far worse. Now without him, the Bloody Gang’s threat has practically dissolved. Seems even fate’s on our side.”
Trent, at the wheel, furrowed his brow in thought. “I can’t shake the feeling that his suicide was too convenient, though. Something doesn’t add up.”
Keith shrugged it off. “It doesn’t concern us. Best not to dwell on it.”
Their conversation faded into the hum of the car engine, oblivious to Hannah’s distant gaze in the backseat.
Upon their arrival at the Compton estate, a servant immediately approached her. “Lady Hannah, Master requests your presence in the study upon your return.”
Normally, an invitation to Wallace’s study only came when matters were pressing-a sure sign of his displeasure.