Julio : [Meet me tomorrow at yesterday’s place. There are some things I want to tell you.]
Fabio read the short message carefully that Julio sent. Guessing what the man was going to tell them. After exchanging cell phone numbers yesterday before deciding to leave, suddenly last night, Julio sent Dimitri a short message.
So, when morning came, after finishing breakfast, the two decided to immediately go to a wheat plantation on the outskirts of Yorkshire. As soon as they arrived, Fabio and Dimitri were made to wonder a little. Because almost waiting for more than 15 minutes, Julio also did not show the bridge of his nose until someone came over and reprimanded them both.
“Who are you waiting for?” asked a young woman with a wheat roll in her hand. Judging from her appearance, the woman must have worked as a laborer, just like Julio.
“We’re waiting for Benjamin,” answered Dimitri politely. Then he glanced at the clock in his hand. “He asked us to come to this plantation early in the morning. But until now he hasn’t seen the slightest bit of his whereabouts.”
Hearing Dimitri’s explanation, the woman nodded slowly.
“Try to follow it directly to his house. The location is only about 500 meters from this plantation. Just ask the locals where the house of Benjamin the wheat miller is,” suggested the woman.
Fabio and Dimitri agreed to the woman’s suggestion. The two went to look for Julio’s house by asking residents.
When they arrived at the location, they were both shocked. There were a lot of people gathered there. Even some police officers and medical personnel were present. Out of curiosity, Fabio ventured to ask one of the medical team who was talking outside the house with several residents.
“Excuse me, may I know exactly what is going on here? Why is it so crowded?”
The officers and residents immediately turned around. One of them kindly explained. “Carlos, one of the gardeners found Benjamin dead in his house.”
Fabio’s eyes successfully balled. His body suddenly stiffened when he heard the news, which was quite shocking.
“W-what? Benjamin dead?”
The man nodded, confirming Fabio’s question.
“This morning, when Carlos knocked on the door because he wanted to pick up work as usual, Benjamin didn’t give an answer. Turned the door lever, it was not locked. Curious, Carlos went straight in and found Benjamin already lying on the floor covered in blood.”
Dimitri, who was listening, was also curious and then asked. “Blooded? Was Benjamin killed by someone? Or is there some other reason?”
It was the turn of one of the medical officers who answered Dimitri and Fabio’s curiosity. “There is a strong suspicion that he was indeed murdered. The motive is not yet known for certain. When the medical team and police conducted a crime scene investigation, puncture marks were found in several vital points of Benjamin’s body, such as the left chest, back, and both sides of his stomach. Maybe it was because he had lost so much blood. he died right then and there.”
“Good grief.” Fabio rubbed his face angrily. He was sure Raphael would be very disappointed when he heard this news. Where else would he now have to look for clues to the existence of the memory he had been searching for.
“So Benjamin was killed by an unknown person?” Dimitri again asked the people they had been talking to.
“That’s a strong suspicion. Besides, a few weeks ago, Benjamin also had two strangers who visited him. His movements were also very suspicious. Who knows, they really did it,” said one resident. Of course, this immediately attracted Fabio’s attention to ask again.
“Stranger? Do you remember the features?”
The man shook his head slowly as he explained. “I don’t really remember. But, it was clear that there were two of them at the time. Both of them were of great stature and didn’t look like they were from here.” Again, Fabio rubbed his temples. The fact that he just got added to the list of tasks he had to solve immediately. Indeed, this is the first time Fabio has received such a complicated task to complete.
***
Sophia woke up with red and puffy eyes after crying over Tristan’s actions all night. Straightening her body, she looked again at her husband’s bed, where she couldn’t find the man. A question arose in Sophia’s mind. Did Tristan return to their room last night? Or maybe the man was sleeping in Aurora’s room until morning came.
Deliberately spending time there for the sake of having fun with a woman who he said he already considered as a brother. Trying to ignore it, Sophia chose to get up to clean herself up.
As soon as she put on her clothes, there was a knock on the door from outside. Slowly but surely, Sophia stepped to open the door, where she found a maid.
“Madam, your breakfast is ready. Please come down to enjoy.” Samanta, one of the assistants who had been specially assigned to serve Sophia, came to inform.
Sophia nodded. Her lips that have not been smeared with lipstick seem to smile faintly. “Thanks, Samanta. I’ll be down in a minute.”
Smoothing her make-up succinctly, Sophia stepped casually into the dining room. When she arrived, she did not find the presence of anyone other than the maid who was busy passing by. Surprised by the quiet condition of the house, she then asked Samanta, who at that time was arranging some furniture into the draw partition.
“Samanta, where are the people at home? Have they all left for work?” Sophia asked as she took a bite of the meat sandwich that had been specially prepared for her.
“Mr. Raphael is not at home because yesterday he left for Liverpool. Meanwhile, Mr. Tristan and Miss Aurora left a few minutes ago after they finished eating their breakfast,” Samanta explained without the slightest bit lacking.
Sophia nodded in understanding. Once again, the woman asked the question. “Is my husband going with Aurora?”
Samanta looked up. After a while, the young woman nodded slowly. “As far as I can see, Master did depart with Miss Aurora this morning.”
Sophia took a deep breath. Instantly she remembered the events of last night, how Tristan awkwardly kissed Aurora right on the lips. Sophia thought, what kind of sibling relationship had the two of them had all this time. If both like each other or love, why not just get married? Why are you even related behind the back like now?
Annoyed with her thoughts, Sophia finished her meal. Grabbing the shopper bag she was carrying, she hurriedly walked towards the car to immediately go to her place of work. Like yesterday, today Alexius returned to escort Sophia to work.
Upon arrival, the tall, well-built man chose to wait in the car with the driver until Sophia’s activities were over in the afternoon. During her busy schedule, Sophia suddenly received a phone call from Edward. I don’t know what wind made the man contact him. It occurred to Sophia to ignore the call. But
Edward seemed so persistent. The man didn’t stop calling until Sophia finally gave up and accepted the call.
“Sophia, where have you been? I thought you didn’t want to be friends with me anymore,” Edward protested as soon as Sophia picked up the phone.
“Sorry,” Sophia said quietly. “I was having a photo shoot. So I didn’t know you called me,” Sophia boasted. She didn’t want Edward to ask too many questions.
“It’s, Okay. I should be apologizing for disturbing your hours,” Edward replied, feeling bad.
“It’s okay. There’s no need to be shy. But by the way, why did you suddenly call me? Is there anything you want to talk about?” Sophia asked curiously. She was sure there must be a purpose for the man to contact her. There was laughter on the other side.
It wasn’t long before Edward responded to Sophia’s question.
“Nothing. I miss you, Sophia. Have you had lunch yet? If not, I’d like to treat you to a meal,” the man offered. There was a pleading tone to the words he spoke.
“Have lunch?” Sophia repeated. “Yeah, lunch as usual. Can you do it? I’m sure Tristan will allow you if you eat with me.”
Sophia was silent for a moment. Of course, it wasn’t easy for her now to go out to eat alone, especially with Edward. Remembering this time, Tristan deliberately ordered Alexius to monitor every move he made.
“Sophia,” Edward called again. “How? Can you do it? If you’re willing, I’ll pick you up right now.”
“Do not!” reject it outright. “So you can’t accompany me to lunch?” Edward’s voice, which had been excited, suddenly turned sad. He was probably disappointed that he couldn’t get Sophia to go out to lunch together.
“It’s not like that, Ed,” Sophia corrected hastily. “I mean, you don’t have to pick me up. Let me follow you there. You give me the address of the restaurant.”
“Oh, my God.” Edward’s voice sounded pleased. “Thank you, Sophia. Then, we’ll eat at a regular restaurant not far from where you work. I’ll be waiting for you there. I hope you come on time.
“Okay,” Sophia answered confidently. Eyes for a moment. Think hard about how to trick Alexius so that he can escape from the man’s supervision.
Sophia approached all her co-workers and model friends until an idea came up. Asking them all in unison to mention Sophia was taking a photo shoot in case Alexius was looking for her.
After making the deal, Sophia calculatingly stepped out of the building through the back door. Checking the surroundings, then hurriedly headed for a taxi to quickly go to the restaurant where she and Edward had made an appointment.
Luckily Sophia was able to arrive on time. As soon as she entered the restaurant, her eyes immediately fell. caught Edward, who was sitting quietly waiting for his arrival.
“Sorry if I’m a bit late.” Without being asked, Sophia immediately took a seat before Edward.
“Relax, Sophia. I only arrived five minutes ago,” the man replied. “How? What do you want for lunch today? Is it the usual sushi?”
Sophia nodded. She didn’t have time to decide what to eat for lunch. Her thoughts were focused on Alexius, who might not have realized or did not realize that she had managed to escape from the man’s surveillance.
Meanwhile, Edward, who realized Sophia’s anxiety, immediately rebuked him. Asking the woman’s unusual-looking attitude.
“What’s wrong? I noticed that you seem nervous,” the man said openly.
“Ah, no,” Sophia argued. Carrying her hand, she deliberately played with the ends of her flowing hair to relieve nervousness. “I was just thinking about my photo shoot this morning.”
Edward nodded in understanding. The man then gave him a deep look. Deliberately looked closely at Sophia’s face to treat the longing that had been bothering him for a while. Because, to be honest, Edward couldn’t just forget the woman he once liked so much.
“How are you, Sophia? Did you and Tristan have a great wedding?” Edward asked on purpose. His gaze did not move one bit from the beautiful figure who was now sitting quietly in front of him.
“I’m doing fine. For a wedding … of course happy and joyful,” Sophia boasted. How could she possibly tell the man the truth? She remembered how Tristan had twice threatened to hurt anyone he loved if Sophia dared to tell anyone about her situation.
“Thanks,” Edward said with a smile. “I’m glad to see you happy with Tristan.”
Sophia smiled bitterly. She cursed her unfortunate fate because she had to receive cruel treatment from the man who had just assumed her husband’s status. For a moment, regret arose in her heart. Instead of choosing Tristan, why had she rejected Edward’s love, which was so sincere. Sophia felt stupid for choosing the wrong life partner. She was completely blinded by the false love that Tristan had deliberately created.
“Sophia …” Edward scolded when he found the woman in front of him looked lost again. “What are you thinking about?”
Blinking her eyes, Sophia shook her head. She certainly didn’t want Edward to know what was happening to her. “Nothing. I just remember the times when the two of us often ate together.”
Edward smiled. Without permission, the man suddenly grabbed Sophia’s wrist and held it gently. Even boldly kissed the back of the woman’s hand affectionately.
“I’ve also never forgotten all the moments between the two of us, Sophia. I will always remember your time with you. That’s why, I wish you a happy marriage to Tristan.”
Sophia pulled the corners of her lips into a smile. He nodded slowly and answered what Edward said to her. “Thank you for your prayers Edward. You’re the nicest man I’ve ever known.”
Immersed in the conversation, the two slowly finished the lunch that had been ordered. They spent a total of two hours together. Worried that Alexius would smell his gestures, Sophia chose to end her meeting with Edward. Before leaving, the woman asked permission to say goodbye to her workplace.
“Thank you very much for the invitation to lunch, Ed. Sorry, I can’t stay with you for long.” Edward smiled knowingly. Being able to meet and spend time having lunch with Sophia alone, he felt very grateful.
“You’re welcome, Sophia. I hope you don’t mind if I take you back another time.”
“Of course,” Sophia answered confidently. The two of them got up and walked towards the restaurant’s exit together. Edward had offered to take Sophia so she could get to her destination as soon as possible. But the woman flatly refused.
“Sophia…” Edward called once more before the two of them parted. “Like I said before, if you need my help whatever it is, don’t hesitate to say it. Remember! No matter what happens, you have me always by your side.” Sophia nodded, then smiled.
After really saying goodbye, she immediately took big steps to find a taxi to get to the agency building as soon as possible. Fortunately, when she arrived, her co-workers told her that Alexius had not once looked for his whereabouts from the time she left until she returned home. That meant that her meeting with Edward today could be said to be safe. It’s the same as when she got home.
Sophia had not found Tristan’s whereabouts even until night fell. The figure of the husband he did not find the slightest. Sophia suddenly woke up after choosing to sleep early, right in the middle of the night. Opening his eyes, she found Tristan lifting her body and then deliberately lying on the man’s bed. Of course, Sophia wondered what he meant by moving her onto the bed. Is Tristan being kind? Or maybe the man had realized and wanted to invite Sophia to sleep together like a normal married couple.
However, before he had time to express his heart full of questions, Tristan suddenly grabbed Sophia’s hands. As if trained, the man quickly tied Sophia’s hands with hand straps and then tied them to the end of the bed rest. Of course, this made Sophia immediately panic with fear.
“Tristan, what other madness do you want to do?” Hearing his name being called, Tristan immediately looked up. Gazing straight at Sophia’s blue bead.
“Don’t play dumb, Sophia. I warned you not to get behind my back.” That cold voice sounded filled with anger.
Without mercy, Tristan even accidentally grabbed Sophia’s hair. Forcing the woman to look directly at his annoyed face.
“I warned no one to touch you but me. Why did you let Edward touch and even dare to kiss your hand, huh?!”
Those words made Sophia choke. Not to mention that Tristan’s strong grip on her hair made Sophia feel even more pain.
“Tristan what do you mean? I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Sophia squeaked fearfully.
“You said you didn’t understand? Oh come on, Sophia. Don’t pretend. I know that today you met with Edward in secret. Just so you know, I have a tracking device on your cellphone. Want to deny it somehow I have evidence that you met each other today. Alexius even has a photo of when Edward dared touch and kiss your hand. Stupid again, you just let it go? What a bitch!”
“Watch your word, Tristan!” Sophia hissed angrily. “You call me a bitch. So what’s the proper name for you and Aurora? Are you two even making out behind my back? Why can you do that with another woman when I can’t!”
Tristan gritted his teeth hard. Venting his emotions, the man pulled on the nightgown that Sophia was wearing. Opening it up to show the beauty of his wife’s body without the slightest cover.
“Please don’t do this, Tristan,” Sophia pleaded in tears. “You really hurt me. Why don’t you divorce me or just kill me, instead of tormenting you like this all the time.”
Tristan laughed scornfully. Not the least bit concerned with the cry that Sophia showed. Leaning over, he grabbed his wife’s face and spoke with emphasis. “Don’t ever think I’ll divorce you, Sophia. It will never happen until what I’m aiming for is accomplished.”
“What exactly did I do wrong to you? WHAT’S MY WRONG TRISTAN!” cried Sophia in a rising voice. Instead of answering, Tristan grinned sharply. Approaching Sophia and then rubbing the woman so violently. Cockling his wife forcibly like a woman who has no value. Having satisfied his desires, Tristan got up and threw the blanket over Sophia’s body. At the same time, he chose to move to the sofa and sleep there.