?Chapter 296:


    You had mentioned Joyce a few days ago, but when I saw this news today and thought of those two people, I couldn’t help but think of her. Cathy took a steadying breath, as if bracing herself. “Kristopher, why don’t we help those two deceased individuals? Let’s confirm their identities and find their families so they can finally rest in peace.”


    The words “rest in peace” caused Kristopher’s brows to furrow deeply. If anyone else had spoken of caring forst night’s ident victims, he might have regarded them aspassionate. But the victims were himself and Belinda.


    With that in mind, he couldn’t help but frown. Had someone else uttered those words, he would suspect an ulterior motive—an attempt to dissociate themselves from the crime by feigning concern. Yet it was Cathy who had spoken them. She had always embodied gentleness and kindness.


    Five years ago, at eighteen, she had rescued him from the beach and tended him devotedly. Four years ago, when her sister took her own life, Cathy knelt before her parents for two days and nights, fasting in her grief. Three years ago, unwilling to burden him with her terminal illness, she vanished overnight to seek treatment abroad alone.


    It was hard for Kristopher to reconcile this selfless Cathy with the maniptive figure Marc had described. He was even less inclined to believe she would take pleasure in causing harm and then twist the circumstances to her advantage. Yet all the evidencey inly before him.


    He shut his eyes, pain etched across his features. His lips twitched as he spoke in a t, emotionless tone. “Those two have nothing to do with us. There’s no need to waste our time on them.”


    Normally, when he rejected her requests, Cathy would quietly drop the subject and wait for a better time to revisit it. But this time, her voice was urgent. “Kristopher, how can you say it’s a waste of time? What if there is a connection between us and those two?”


    She paused mid-sentence as a realization dawned on her and quickly changed tack. “Their families are probably worried sick about them. I just want to offer a bit of kindness to strangers.”


    Disappointment flickered in Kristopher’s gaze. “Then arrange for someone to look for them.”


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    He sighed. “If you need assistance, talk to Marc. I have no interest in tracking down rtives for strangers caught in car idents.”


    On the other end of the line, Cathy was taken aback by his dismissive stance. After a brief silence, she replied with a forced smile, “Kristopher, what I meant was that we could handle it together.”


    “You know I’ve recently started my own jewelry business and it’s taking up all my time.”


    Kristopher cut her off. “Cathy, concentrate on your work and stay out of such trivial matters.” He ended the call before she could respond.


    In the hospital room, Cathy leaned against the bed, phone in hand, words still on her lips. The abrupt busy signal made her brow crease in confusion. “He just hung up on me?”


    Since returning to the country, Cathy had been calling Kristopher nearly ten times a day. He had always insisted on being thest to hang up, but today, he had disconnected first.


    Narrowing her eyes, she reyed his words in her mind, a nagging suspicion forming. “Something’s off… There’s something wrong with Kristopher.” She turned to Jessa and said decisively, “Find out where Kristopher is. I need to see him myself.”


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