Zacharias thought Jonathan was lying, but Anneliese''s words made him nearly pass out with anger.
His face turned ashen.
"Anne, this isn''t fair! Jonathan lied to you, too—how can you not care even a bit? Have you forgotten how cruelly your foster parents died? How tragic it was! You... ugh—"
Bang!
Before Zacharias could finish, Jonathan shot him a chilling nce.
The bodyguards stepped forward and shoved a torn cloth into Zacharias'' mouth.
"Honey, don''t listen to him barking. Let''s hang up now and talk tonight?"
Jonathan''s gaze toward Anneliese was already gentle, like still water.
Anneliese nodded and hung up first.
But she still couldn''t fully rx, so before leaving, she sent Jonathan a WhatsApp message.
''Be careful, don''t dirty your hands over unnecessary people.''
Seeing the message pop up, Jonathan''s thin lips curved slightly.
My wife cares about me!
I really wanted to show Zacharias, but never mind-he wasn''t worthy. Anneliese had never been a pawn for me to unt.
Jonathan turned off his phone and stood, stepping toward Zacharias, whose hands were bound behind him by two ck-d bodyguards.
The shadows seemed to darken as Jonathan approached.
Muffled, Zacharias could only struggle silently, his bloodshot eyes ring coldly at Jonathan.
Jonathan smiled. "You''ve been too rude to Mr. Shaw. Let him go."
Only then did the two bodyguards release him and step aside.
Zacharias ripped the cloth from his mouth, ran to the coffee table, and vomited into the trash can.
After emptying his stomach, he took a tissue to wipe his face and turned around in anger.
Though furious, Zacharias realized he couldn''t do anything. He left silently, enduring humiliation.
But Jonathan suddenly spoke, light and seemingly casual, yet sending a chill down Zacharias'' spine. "Did I say you could leave?"
Two ck-d bodyguards blocked the door simultaneously.
Zacharias clenched his fists and turned back.
"Jonathan! Don''t push me too far!"
Jonathan pursed his lips and stepped closer. "Mr. Shaw, there''s still one matter I''d like your advice on today."
Zacharias narrowed his eyes, suspicious, and sneered.
"Your way of asking questions is certainly unique. I''ve noted it."
Jonathan ignored him, voice low and serious.
"Roretha Smith-you should know this person, right?"
Zacharias frowned. "Roretha Smith? I don''t know anyone by that name."
"That''s strange. She used to live upstairs from your old home."
Zacharias thought for a moment, eyes shing.
With that hint, Zacharias remembered. Roretha was the grandmother of a family upstairs from their old home.
Over ten years ago, she was in her sixties or seventies. Anne and Zacharias called her Madam Stone, which is why Jonathan''s use of her real name was confusing.
"What about her?"
Zacharias studied Jonathan, wary. Why mention such an irrelevant person now?
Jonathan''s gaze turned slightly cold. "When my father-inw died, the officials on-site, knowing my mother-inw was about to give
birth, deliberately withheld the news.
"Yet strangely, my mother-inw received the news immediately and ran from home,
falling down the stairs inbor, resulting in the death of both her and the child.
"Now, consider this, the person who informed my mother-inw-do you think it was deliberate or idental? If they deliberate, and they saw her faff Without helping, wouldn''t that make this person my grandmother''s daughter''s murderer?"
Zacharias'' expression darkened as he listened.
He frowned. "Back then, the police and fire department leaders investigated—it was purely an ident. Why bring up Roretha now? Are you saying she''s involved?"
Over the years, Jonathan had been investigating who spread the news. Progress had been slow, but recently, a clue had emerged—linked to Roretha. Jonathan stared at Zacharias, catching every flicker of expression, and said with earth-shattering weight.
"Roretha imed that half an hour before my mother-inw''s ident, she saw someone rush out of my mother-inw''s building in a panic. That person she said was your mother, Melody."