The Billionaire Who Saved Me

It wasn’t just Garrett who thought the situation was odd. So did Amber. As someone who had been directly involved with Dirk and Dakota for the past few days, the incident clearly took her by surprise. It made Amber feel almost unable to raise her face in front of Garrett. Embarrassed. Like someone incompetent.

“Is everything okay?”

Sherly’s question made Amber turn. She looked at her colleague, forced a smile, and nodded.

“I’m fine,” Amber replied. “Thank you.”

Exhaling, Amber tried to contact Dirk and Dakota again. Alternately. Repeatedly. Ignoring a pair of eyes that had been looking at her phone screen all along. Clearly seeing whose name Amber was calling.

*

“Don’t get used to contacting me suddenly like this. If your husband finds out, he might think we’re having an affair.”

Nelson said after sipping his latte, grinning mischievously. It looked funny to see Amber’s disheveled face in front of him. The middle-aged woman scowled.

“You know what? My husband is worthy of being called a Hollywood actor.”

Nelson laughed this time. “I hope George doesn’t hear what you just said. I can’t imagine how big his ego would get.”

“Enough,” Amber said nonchalantly, waving her hand once in the air. “I didn’t ask you to meet for jokes.”

Nelson sipped his latte again, deliberately making a slurping sound to express his pleasure.

“So, what’s going on? Is it related to Mr. Garrett?”

Actually, Nelson could guess from the beginning that this was the reason why Amber had asked to meet him that afternoon. When the streets were clogged with slow-moving traffic due to the many vehicles flooding the roads, Amber had instead asked him to make time. There was something they needed to talk about, which was the reason Amber had given Nelson earlier.

“Yes,” Amber nodded. “Regarding Mr. Garrett, Mr. Dirk, and also Mrs. Dakota.”

Nelson, who was about to take another sip of his latte, suddenly stopped. The cup remained in front of his lips. Maybe five seconds before Nelson decided to put the cup back on the coaster. He didn’t drink it again.

“What’s going on? Did they meet? What did Mr. Garrett get?”

Instead of answering with words, Amber just scowled. Her eyes rolled once.

“Met? What did Mr. Garrett get?” Amber shook her head. Then she looked lazily at Nelson. “No.”

Nelson furrowed his brow. “No?” he asked, confused. “What do you mean, no? Didn’t they meet? Or did he get nothing?”

“Both. They didn’t meet and he didn’t get anything.”

Exhaling deeply, Amber’s hand rose to hold her head. As if she was afraid of a sudden migraine.

“I don’t know why Mr. Dirk and Mrs. Dakota suddenly refused my calls. More to the point, Mr. Dirk, who was supposed to meet with Mr. Garrett yesterday, suddenly canceled the meeting unilaterally.”

Without saying a word, this time Nelson wiped the mischievous grin from his face. Instead, he listened carefully to Amber’s story. He looked serious.

“They canceled the meeting?”

“Yes,” Amber nodded. “He didn’t show up and didn’t give me any updates. Do you know how embarrassed I was in front of Mr. Garrett?”

Nelson ignored the rhetorical question. He was more interested in the new facts he had just learned.

“And not only that.”

Amber followed his statement with a deep sigh and reached for her glass of juice. The glass contained a yellow liquid. It emitted a distinct aroma that characterized the sweetness it offered. Of course, the middle-aged woman chose mango juice for her friend to help her through the hot afternoon.

“Mr. Dirk couldn’t be reached either. Every time I called him, it went to voicemail. The same goes for Mrs. Dakota.”

As she thought about this, a feeling of frustration immediately filled Amber’s chest. She felt that everything she had done lately was pointless if they didn’t want to meet Garrett.

“You know? I am really annoyed with them. Why are they avoiding us all of a sudden?”

As she continued to ponder this with emotions filling her chest, Amber wasn’t prepared when Nelson mentioned that name. A name that instantly succeeded in dampening Amber’s frustration. It vanished and was replaced by shock.

“Madam Daphne.”

Amber was stunned. She fell silent for a moment as Nelson mentioned the name while staring at her intently. Not blinking, with a serious face. Very serious for someone like Nelson who was often relaxed.

“Ma-madam Daphne?”

It seemed that Amber had to fill her lungs with oxygen first. Because when that name came out of her mouth, there was a sudden feeling of tightness. As if her chest was being squeezed by an unfathomable weight.

“Of course, Madam is the one who can make Mr. Dirk and Mrs. Dakota withdraw immediately,” Nelson continued, exhaling deeply. He reached for his cup of coffee, but didn’t lift it all the way. “Who else has the power to frighten people but them?” Nelson shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. “No one. Only Madam can.”

Amber was silent for a moment. Her desire to sip the mango juice had vanished. Now, instead of enjoying the refreshing drink, Amber’s hand simply fell off the table. Limping, as if she had no energy left.

“We can’t do anything if Madam Daphne really did it. And I firmly believe that Madam Daphne is behind this.”

It seemed to take a few moments for Amber to fully grasp the situation. Until she did, she lifted her face. She looked at Nelson.

“Why would Madam Daphne do this? Could it be … she’s involved in this unfortunate event?”

Nelson’s shoulders rose briefly. “I don’t know about that. I’m not involved in the police investigation, and I have no interest in the incident.”

“Because it makes sense to me now. If she really wasn’t involved, she shouldn’t have prevented Garrett from investigating the incident. And now that I think about it again … isn’t that strange?”

Nelson’s forehead, now adorned with the wrinkles of age, seemed even more furrowed. He blinked once, just before he asked. “What’s strange?”

“Isn’t it strange that the investigation into the deaths of the late Mr. Harlan and Mr. Allan was stopped by Madam Daphne herself?”

Nelson remained silent. He chose not to answer the question because he had known the fact for a long time.

A rhythmic cough sounded in Amber’s throat. Her hand, which had fallen, rose and landed on the table, supporting her chin. Beneath her chin, Amber’s fingers seemed to be playing, rubbing against each other.

“This… certainly seems to indicate,” Amber whispered later. “That Madam Daphne was indeed involved in the incident.”

*

“Saturday, tomorrow. The Mendoza family contacted me personally this afternoon. They are inviting us to visit the orphanage with them this weekend. So you will be accompanying me, won’t you? Norah? Elice?”

The warm atmosphere at the dinner table was opened by Daphne with a topic related to the recent charity event. The elderly woman looked alternately at Norah and Elice.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Ah,” Daphne whispered, closing her eyes for a moment. She had almost forgotten something. When she opened her eyes, she immediately looked at Garrett. “I didn’t invite you, Garrett. Because this is a special event for women only.”

Garrett smiled thinly. To be honest, he was not at all interested in the topic Daphne was bringing up at that moment. But he still maintained his demeanor.

“It’s okay, Nana.”

Daphne turned back to her son-in-law and granddaughter-in-law. She waited for an answer, which came in the form of nods. Norah spoke first.

“This is definitely going to be a fun event, Grandma. What time is the event?”

Daphne seemed to remember for a moment. Then a smile spread across her face as she managed to force her brain to work.

“Ten in the morning. We plan to have lunch with the children at the orphanage and maybe play a game or two,” Daphne said. “And that’s why I invited you. The children need parents who are still agile to play. Not parents who use a cane when their knees start to shake.” Daphne’s chuckle accompanied her seemingly funny words. Then she turned to Elice. “You don’t have any plans for the day, do you?”

Elice shook her head. “No, Nana. I’m free this weekend.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I can’t wait to welcome this weekend,” Daphne said with a beaming face. “And you, Garrett.”

Garrett blinked. Although his eyes had been on Daphne the whole time, his focus hadn’t really been there. And thanks to Daphne’s voice mentioning his name, his focus came back.

“Yes, Nana?”

“It looks like you’re going to be spending this weekend alone.”

“Uh,” Garrett cleared his throat with a single shake of his head. “I don’t mind. I hope you enjoy the event, Nana.”

Garrett didn’t care about the event. What he cared about now was only one thing. How to prove the possibility that had occupied his mind since earlier. Could it be Nana? But why?

Because if Garrett suspected that Daphne was behind the failure of the meeting between him and Dirk, questions would surely follow.

Why did Nana do it?

And that question brought up a piece of information that Amber had once given him. That the termination of his grandfather’s autopsy was done on Daphne’s own orders. A hidden fact that filled Garrett with unspoken fear. What if Daphne was really behind the two deaths?

However, when Garrett saw Daphne’s relaxed expression as she spoke to Norah and Elice, he doubted the smile. Even apart from the firm and strong impression Daphne always made in her daily life, Garrett still wasn’t convinced that Daphne could do such a thing.

They were a loving couple. And everyone knew how much Nana loved Daddy, too.

Just thinking about it made Garrett’s brain feel like it was about to explode. So unconsciously he often took deep breaths. Trying to calm down and control his emotions. Something that wasn’t lost on Elice.

During dinner, Elice kept looking at him. Seeing Garrett looking tired. Just like the day before.

Garrett needed enough rest.

However, Elice knew that Garrett would still be working in his office as usual. So Elice would do something that would become her habit as well.

An hour after dinner, Elice went into the kitchen. She was about to make tea for Garrett when she accidentally heard sobbing.

Elice postponed her original intention for a moment. She went to the source of the sound. Towards the back door. Where Regina seemed to be crying, and in the end, Elice decided not to linger there.

If I come suddenly, the atmosphere will surely be unpleasant.

Later. Elice promised herself that she would talk to Regina when the time was right. Maybe there were one or two things she could do to help the young girl.

*