Author's point of view... The gun in Alvin's hand dropped as he saw Helen standing before him. Helen stepped forward, her eyes scanning the room, filled with sorrow and disappointment. “I never thought my own family would betray me,” she said, her voice soft yet firm, carrying the weight of a truth long hidden. Leo and Jessica exchanged glances before stepping forward at Helen’s call. They approached her, and she placed a gentle hand on each of them, her grip weak but meaningful. “If not for them,” Helen continued, her gaze settling on Alvin, “I would have died long ago in that accident.” Her voice cracked, but she held her composure. “Jessica, Leo, they were the only ones who stood by me. Jessica, at my request, carried out this entire plan so we could unearth the truth about the accident. And now, it’s clear… it was my own family behind it, the son I raised...” her eyes filled with tears. It was true that she wanted to find her lost son but she never treated Alvin as
Author's point of view... Helen stood tall, but her strength was faltering. She had just witnessed everything. The boy she raised as her son wanted to kill her. The weight of everything, the betrayal, the revelations, the heartbreak, seemed to crash down on her all at once. Her breath became shallow, her body swaying on weakened legs. Before anyone else could react, Leo rushed forward, catching her just as her body began to give way. "Ma'am, be careful...!" The moment his hands touched her, an electric jolt seemed to pass through Helen. She blinked in daze, looking up at Leo as if seeing him in a new light. His steady, concerned gaze met hers, and for a fleeting second, she thought of her son, her real son, the boy she had lost so long ago. He would be around Leo’s age now. How different things might have been had he lived. Leo gently eased her into a chair, his touch careful, almost reverent. His presence brought her a small measure of comfort, a warmth she hadn’t felt i
Author's point of view... Leo and Jessica walked side by side down the quiet street, the Connard estate fading behind them. They took a taxi back to the city. Daniel had taken care of everything about his restaurant. After giving up on all those luxuries that the system had provided him, the only thing that Leo had now was his restaurant, as the system believed that it was solely his hard work. And he deserved it. The villa he bought was under the name of Connard estates and so he had to leave it behind. Now, Leo was back in his small shabby room on the terrace of the restaurant. When they reached their restaurant, its closed doors greeted them with an eerie silence, offering a rare moment of privacy. The employees were all tired after the chaos that they had suffered, and because of this, Leo had given them all a few day's leave. Everybody needs some time for themselves, including him. As they stepped Inside, the space felt strangely peaceful, as though it, too, had b
Author's point of view...The envelope was empty...! Leo snuck his fingers into it and checked it again and again. A surge of frustration shot through him. He clenched his fist, trying to contain the anger bubbling beneath the surface. How could the system betray him like this? He had done everything and sacrificed so much, only to be left with nothing. Jessica, sensing his distress, placed a hand on his arm. “Leo? What’s wrong?” Leo pulled himself back immediately, he can't let her worry. He forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s nothing,” he lied, his voice tight. “Just... something which I didn't expect.” Jessica frowned, but she didn’t press further. She could feel the tension radiating from him and knew better than to pry. Instead, she stood by his side, offering silent support as Leo grappled with the storm of emotions inside him.Leo felt cheated, betrayed but he didn't let it show on his face. At least, he can't tell this to anyone. Controlling himself w
Author's point of view... Leo was puzzled. He couldn't understand what mystery this was. Should he laugh or cry? Mr. Renard Connard read the father's name again, then shifted his gaze towards the column of his mother's name, Helen Connard...! Helen was his birth mother?? He flipped over the photograph to see the faces of his parents once again, more clearly. However, just as he took it out again, the shocking resemblance took him aback. Tears filled his eyes again. "This...!!" He quickly reached for the other paper, pulling out the letter with trembling fingers. His heart pounded as he unfolded it, recognizing the worn edges of a note written in haste. As his eyes darted across the page, the truth hit him like a punch to the gut. It was a letter from his father. *Renard Edward Connard.* Leo’s knees nearly buckled as he read, the weight of the words sinking into him like an anchor. The letter explained everything—how his father had left him at the orphanage when he wa
Author's point of view... The first light of dawn crept into the room, casting a soft glow over the sleeping figure on the bed. Jessica stirred, blinking her eyes open as she adjusted to the early morning light. She stretched, feeling the cool air against her skin, and realized with a start that Leo wasn’t anywhere in the room. Panic gripped her momentarily as the memories of the previous day's events came flooding back. Leo had returned late, his mind elsewhere, burdened with a weight he couldn’t fully comprehend. He hadn’t come to the room after that. Where is he? Worried, Jessica slipped out from under the covers and rushed out of the bed to looked around. As she padded towards the terrace, she didn't find any trace of him, there either. Her breath caught in her throat as she stepped outside. Did he go somewhere?Did something happen again? Jessica recalled everything, how Leo seemed to be worried last night and she panicked at the thought of something going wrong wit
Author's point of view... That day, Leo felt so uncomfortable even to spend another second there, wasting time. After grabbing something to eat, Leo and Jessica arrived at the NGO with a sense of urgency, the weight of their mission pressing down on them. The place was quiet, with only a few staff members moving about. They immediately recognized Jessica as she was a volunteer there. Jessica led the way, her mind racing with memories from years ago. They were here to search through the records, hoping to find any information about the man she had encountered during a medical camp—a man she now knew was Leo's father, Renard Edward Connard, her Aunt's husband. When asked, the staff told her that those records might be destroyed as if had been so long. But Jessica insisted on checking them. They poi red towards a shabby room. The records room was tucked away in a corner of the building, a small, dusty space filled with rows of old files and boxes stacked high. Jessica hesit
Author's point of view... Though he didn't look frightening, Jessica took a step backward. Leo was busy on his phone, talking to Daniel about the case. He didn't notice anything behind him. The beggar snatched the food from her hands but then paused. Jessica wasn't brothered at all, instead, she wanted to help that beggar by lending him some more money. Then suddenly the stopped and was mumbling something to himself. "Th...thank ...y...you..." Slowly, he raised his head, and for the first time, Jessica got a good look at his face. His eyes were sunken, his skin weathered, and his hair matted with dirt, but there was something familiar about him that she couldn’t quite place. As he looked at her, a faint glimmer of recognition flickered in her eyes. Jessica was dumbfounded. Was that man...!! Was that him? “Thank you, young lady,” the man mumbled, his voice raspy with exhaustion. “Thank you so much for the food. My son is still waiting for me. He must be so hung