Now, it was Samuel’s turn to sigh in frustration. It seemed that what he had thought all along was right: Edward wasn’t the man responsible for Nathalie’s death. From his movements alone, Samuel could deduce that Edward was being honest with his confession.
“Thus…,” Samuel paused his sentence for a moment. He must have taken countless breaths before continuing the story. “Mrs. Nathalie passed away a few years ago. At the end of her life, she asked Mrs. Chloe to find a man. I don’t know the exact purpose or intention. But Mrs. Chloe believed that the man she was looking for was the one behind her sister’s death.”
Edward furrowed his brows.
“Don’t tell me Chloe accuses me of causing her sister’s death?”
Samuel confirmed himself once more. Ready or not, he was determined to reveal what he had known all this time. He did it to protect Chloe from a great deal of trouble. Yes, Samuel needed to act quickly. He didn’t want many parties to suffer from these baseless accusations.
“Unfortunately, your guess is correct. The man Mrs. Chloe suspects is you, Mister.”
Edward was taken aback. The information provided by Samuel this time left him almost speechless.
“How could it be me? I haven’t even known Nathalie.”
“I have my doubts as well, Mister,” Samuel replied. “But… when Mrs. Chloe examined her sister’s bag, she found a business card and a handkerchief with your name on it.” Samuel reached for his phone again, searching for a photo of something and showed it to Edward. “Luckily, I managed to take a picture of it. This is the handkerchief from Mrs. Nathalie’s bag, and your name is embroidered on it.”
Edward heaved a frustrated sigh, trying to recall if he had ever known or met Nathalie before.
“But, I swear, by God, by my parents, I really don’t know the woman in this photo, Sam. I also don’t know why my business card and handkerchief would be with her.”
For a moment, both Samuel and Edward fell into silence, each consumed by their own thoughts.
“Unfortunately, Mrs. Chloe has already considered you the cause of her sister’s death. She swears to seek revenge-”
“That’s why she set me up,” Edward interrupted.
Samuel nodded softly.
“For a long time, Mrs. Chloe has been following you, trying to find out all about you. She’s been devising plans to ensnare and destroy you.”
“So, sleeping with me, rejecting me, and finally accepting my proposal, all of that was part of Chloe’s plan?” Edward asked.
Samuel didn’t answer directly but instead nodded, confirming Edward’s question.
“Good Lord!”
Unconsciously, Edward cursed this action. He couldn’t believe that the woman he tried to sincerely love had ulterior motives. He had misunderstood everything. Chloe was more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
“If I may ask, when did this incident happen exactly?” Edward spoke up again.
Samuel seemed to be trying to remember.
“Three years ago, exactly two days before New Year’s Eve. Mrs. Nathalie was suddenly reported to be admitted to the hospital in critical condition. No one knows what happened to her before that, but the doctors assumed she had been subjected to violence and even suffered a miscarriage.”
Now, it was Edward’s turn to try to recall. He soon replied, “Three years ago, I was actually in Milan, not London. I remember it well because I was on vacation with some friends and my girlfriend at that time.”
“Do you have any evidence to support that?” Samuel asked.
Edward nodded with confidence. “Of course. If you want, I can gather it for you.”
Samuel also nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. That meant Edward wasn’t the culprit or mastermind behind all of this.
“Gather all the evidence you have, Mister. I believe it will be crucial in the future. I will also do my best to convince Mrs. Chloe that you’re innocent.”
Edward fell silent again. He was shocked to hear the information Samuel conveyed to him this afternoon. Now he was confused about how to act when he met Chloe again. Should he pretend? Play along with all the games she was playing?
“Sam…” Edward called again. “Do you happen to know what kind of plan Damian offered Chloe?”
Hearing the question, Samuel looked up, and their gazes met. The blue eyes stared into Edward’s hazel irises, emanating a sense of calm from the man before him.
“I’m not entirely sure, Mister. From Mrs. Chloe’s story, your cousin wanted to take over Quantum. One of his grand plans was to sabotage all the projects you would handle.”
Edward clenched his jaw. The calm look in his eyes turned into flashes of anger. He and Damian were never on the same page, but now he knew that his cousin was trying to destroy him.
“Alright, I know what I have to do, Sam. From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank you for believing in me and sharing all this.”
Samuel smiled faintly. He felt like a breath of fresh air had come to him. Perhaps it was the right decision to reveal all of this to Edward.
“But, Mister, there’s one more thing you need to know.”
Edward’s shoulders lifted momentarily, and his brow furrowed in response to Samuel’s statement.
“What now?”
“Mrs. Nathalie had a habit of writing down everything that happened to her in a diary. Mrs. Chloe believes there might be clues there. Unfortunately, until now, we haven’t been able to find it in her apartment.”
Edward nodded in understanding and then responded, “Who occupies her apartment now? Can you tell me its location? I will try to help find the diary.”
Samuel smiled faintly. Feeling like he was now on the right side.
“I’ll give you as much information as I have, Mister. If you want, I can also give you the keys to her apartment.”
“Okay,” Edward said as he glanced at his watch. “I’ll do what I can. We must exchange information for sure.”
Samuel nodded. He then decided to take his leave, leaving Edward sitting in silence. Edward closed his eyes, deep in thought about his next steps. There was a tinge of disappointment in his heart, but he quickly pushed the pain away.
“You want to play with me?” Edward grinned slyly. His eyebrows raised high. “Let’s see who will be shattered after this.”
The next moment, Edward took out his phone from his suit pocket. He searched for a contact and immediately made a call.
“Hans… come to my office right now. There’s an important task for you.”