Chapter 5 Return The Necklace To Me

"Ms. Walsh, my boss funded your grandmother's medical treatments." The driver extended a handful of medical bills towards Elin.

With hands shaking from a mix of relief and disbelief, Elin accepted them, her eyes scanning over the medication receipts. She couldn't help but ask, hopeful yet hesitant, "Did Dean send you to pick me up?"

She was aware of the surveillance cameras at the building's entrance. Dean might be watching even now!

The driver shook his head, his expression somber. "Mr. Knight took everything from you and kept you from the Infinity Group. What are you still clinging to, huh?"

He gestured towards the open backseat door. "Please, Ms. Walsh."

Elin's gaze shifted and landed on a figure lounging in the backseat-a man with his legs crossed nonchalantly, a wisp of smoke spiraling up from the cigarette held loosely between his fingers. His mere presence was intimidating, nearly tangible in the air.

"I don't know your boss," she murmured.

"If there's anything you need to know, he'll tell you himself," the driver responded, his voice firm as he followed with a stern reminder. "And he's not fond of being kept waiting."

The message was clear, and with a heavy heart, Elin understood the gravity of her situation.

She didn't recognize the enigmatic man waiting in the car, yet her desperation for answers outweighed her fear. As she rose to her feet, pain shot through her from an unhealed wound on her leg, drawing a thin line of blood down her skin.

Quick to respond, the driver expertly bandaged the wound and handed Elin a towel to wrap around herself for modesty. She then slid into the car, settling cautiously next to the man.

As the car pulled away into the night, the dim interior lights illuminated the man's profile-flawless and eerily familiar, with the ember of his cigarette casting a small, sinister glow.

Elin gnawed on her lower lip, her eyes flickering with a mix of curiosity and dread. "What do you need to tell me?"

He remained silent for a moment longer, merely shifting his gaze away before his icy stare swept back to her, settling ominously on her neck.

"Return the necklace to me," he demanded, his voice low and chilling.

Instinctively, Elin's fingers grazed the necklace she wore, her heart skipping a beat at his words. It dawned on her-this was the necklace from that mysterious man that night, and a surge of anger quaked through her.

"So, it was you that night!" She recognized him from the photos she had seen before.

"You were the one who sent that message, weren't you?" Elin's voice rose, her hand lifting to strike him. "You monster!"

"I didn't send any messages, but yes, I did book that room," he responded, locking eyes with her as he spoke. "Ever wonder how you ended up in my room that night?"

Her hand halted mid-air, the memory of that night flashing through her mind-approaching the door, about to knock, only to be shoved inside from behind.

"Are you kidding me?" Elin scoffed, her frustration palpable. "You booked the room. Who else could it have been? I haven't done anything to you. Why would you set me up?"

Ruben Gordon let out a scoff, his expression one of disdain. "You really are oblivious, aren't you?"

Quicker than Elin could react, he deftly slipped the necklace from her neck, meticulously polishing it with a handkerchief. His voice cut through the air as he addressed the driver. "Bring Ms. Walsh to the hotel. She needs to witness the truth with her own eyes."

"Understood, sir."

The car soon glided into the dimly lit underground parking lot of the Orchid Hotel.

For Elin, this place was a chasm of unpleasant memories. As the memories of that morning flooded back, a shiver trickled down her spine.

With her leg wrapped in bandages and her clothes damp and clinging uncomfortably to her skin, Elin's appearance was the epitome of misery.

Keeping the towel tightly around her, she walked into the room behind Ruben. With a deep frown, she questioned, "What truth are you talking about?"

Ruben shot a meaningful glance at the driver.

Without a word, the driver fetched a remote and activated the wall-mounted LCD TV. Instantly, the screen lit up, displaying the layout of a room-it appeared to be a live feed.

To her surprise, Elin watched as two all-too-familiar figures entered the room-Dean, her recently divorced husband, and Camila, her best friend!

"Well, Dean, looks like you finally got what you wanted. Congrats." Camila's voice was soft as she encircled him with her arms, her fingers tenderly tracing contours over his body. "But leaving Elin with nothing? That's brutal. I've heard her grandmother's medications are quite expensive!"

"An old hag like her? The world would be better off without her," Dean retorted icily, turning to share a deep, calculated kiss with Camila. "Thanks to your help, I exploited those shareholders' vulnerabilities to seize control of Infinity Group."

"You're my boyfriend, who else would I support if not you?" Camila responded with a playful punch to his shoulder. "I've already handled the police. She won't find a shred of evidence."

But then her tone shifted, tinged with doubt. "Damn, Dean, is there no line you won't cross? You even screwed over your own foster parents?"

Elin's heart thudded violently against her chest, her breath hitching as the words sank in. As realization dawned, her legs gave way, and she collapsed into the unexpected safety of a broad chest behind her.

The harsh truth hit her like a thunderbolt: her parents' deaths were no accident-they were coldly orchestrated by Dean himself.