“I have a fiancee,” Jasper Milton said in a grim tone.
Stella Grace’s heart missed a beat. She still felt it aching.
Jasper had been engaged to Katty Davis for more than three years yet they weren’t married. Had he not been able to let go of Bettany Hadley?
Stella looked down and sat on the couch.
The fact that he was clarifying his engagement meant he wanted to set a distance between them.
There was no need to deny it out of guilt.
“What I’m going to say next is all based on my judgement. Please forgive me if I offended you..” Stella said.
“Tell me, quick.” Terry Shine was an impulsive person. He frowned and stared straight into Stella’s eyes.
“Your mother looks like an easy-going person.
Truth is, she is quite sensitive. She covered it up by being cheerful.
She is kind, youthful, gentle and considerate.” Stella said.
“You’re right. Carry on,” Terry urged.
“Your father looks elegant and gentle. Born into the upper-class, he is well-educated and talented. He is always paying attention to details which makes him a perfectionist. But truth be told, he is harsh and egoistic. He looks like a completely different person when he’s mad. He tries his best to hide that side of himself,” Stella added.
Terry pursed his lips a little angrily. “The first half sounds right, how did you conclude the second half? It sounded like nonsense to me.”
“Your father prepared shoe covers at the entrance. They were put at the most obvious place they could be, right at the door. This indicates that he doesn’t like receiving guests. But, out of courtesy, he has no choice but to tolerate it.
He doesn’t like visiting people either. People like this might be open-minded, but they are absolutely wary of people. They tend to be more selfish. But his character is in conflict with his status, so he keeps these all to himself.
In contrast, your mother is not meticulous at all. She is kind and generous to people, and she likes socializing. As a result, your father keeps bottling up his emotions and expresses them in his paintings.
There is always something in his paintings, some depressing elements, which makes the finished product look less harmonious.
One of the paintings he did was a landscape painting. The mountains and rivers were in the clouds, it looked like a sanctuary. However, he added a few human figures at the bottom left corner of the painting.
Although there were just a few strokes, it’s clear what he wanted to express.
A young man was on a journey seeking his sanctuary, but he was disturbed by a few people.”
Stella finished her analysis of Jeremy Shine’s state of mind.
“Don’t tell me that you think the murderer is my father. He wasn’t even at home. He was busy with the Ambassador of the United States,” Terry said unhappily.
Stella smiled and said, “Your parents haven’t been intimate for at least 5 years, maybe longer.”
After all, Terry was still young. He blushed. “They were on good terms with each other.”
Jasper gave Stella a deep gaze. His eyes looked like a black hole that could engulf anything at any time.
Stella avoided it and said, “When they were young, your father fell in love with her for her youthful and energetic looks. She was a pretty girl back then.
Well, pregnancy might have affected her appearance.
Your father is a perfectionist. As time went by, they became overwhelmed with the daily grind of life. Add that to her loss of attractiveness. Eventually, they stopped being intimate.
As time progressed, your father became utterly disgusted to live with a fat woman who did not take good care of her appearance.
You could see this from his paintings and the captions. He only came home twice or thrice a week.
When he did, it was only due to his sense of responsibility and commitment to routine.
Your mother was sensitive. She knew your father disliked her and even considered losing weight.
It was hard for her, all that dieting and exercising. In the end, she was defeated by her age, appetite and body conditions.
She gave up eventually.
Then she found out that your father had an affair.
The mistress was beautiful, with a curvy figure. Born to a respectable family, she was an elegant and knowledgeable lady. She liked history, and was good at painting as well.
Your mother was very upset. But she did not express this to anyone. Her sadness was hidden by her cheerful facade.
She loved her husband very much. She bottled up her feelings so as not to affect his career.
She ran, worked out, and swam to change herself quietly.
Her constantly low mood and poor appetite added to her substantial weight loss in a short period of time.
In the past year, she attracted a man.
This man was much younger than your mother, and they had an intimate relationship.
Your father discovered it when your mother’s foot was injured.
Your father wanted to turn back, but your mother couldn’t.
Hurt and betrayal from a man she dearly loved against favor and love from a young and fresh lover. She decided to divorce him.
Therefore, there were five possibilities to who the murderer is: her husband, his subordinate, the mistress, her brother, and herself.
Go and check her account. We should be able to find her boyfriend. Or we might find some other clues,” Stella said.
Terry stood up but he was trembling inside. “Are you making up a story? Are you writing a novel? How can you make up such an absurd story? This is a person’s life, you can’t just accuse someone.”
“All I said can be deduced from your mother’s cosmetics, accessories, and recent dress style. Well, I was just making a wild guess. If you want to know the truth, ask your father, or wait for our investigation.” Stella stood up.
“If you made things up, I promise, you will have to pay the price,” Terry warned her fiercely.
Stella looked at Terry but she was not angry. She smiled and said, “You were close to your mother, weren’t you? Your father once got between you two. That’s why you have a love-hate relationship with him, am I right?”
Terry was surprised. “You investigated me?”
“You are wearing a necklace, and there is a word “Love” on it. It should be a gift from your ex-girlfriend. You were deeply in love with her.
When I mentioned your mother, there was shock, distress, and anger in your eyes.
When I brought Jeremy Shine up, there was not only hatred in your eyes, but also contempt and disgust,” Stella explained.
Terry pursed his lips but did not utter a word.