Chapter 67
His death I felt as if something had hit my head. I could see Aren’s lips moving as he was still on the
phone with Agent Collins, but I could no longer hear them. The constant high-pitch sound distorted
everything else, aside from my hectic heartbeat. What the hell had just happened? Can was the most
arrogant bastard I had met. He wouldn’t bother to bribe the guards and drain Augustus’s pockets to hire
an army ofwyers to get him out of that prison, but I was certain that he couldn’t havemitted
suicide. That just didn’t make any sense. I mumbled, “He didn’t do it by himself.” Aren looked at me. His
eyes were filled with concern. He said something briefly on the phone about calling Jackter before
putting his arms around me and pressing my head against his chest. “Calm down, sunshine. Calm
down…” he whispered. “I’m… I’m just shocked,” I said, “but more importantly… how do you feel?” “How
do I feel? Am I supposed to feel anything?” He smiled bitterly. I hugged him tightly. “No matter what, he
was your brother.” He huffed mockingly. “I stopped considering him as my brother the moment he tried to
drown me in the pool when we were six.”
I looked into his eyes, slightly frowning. “I’m serious, Aren.”
“So am I,” he said softly before pressing me back against his chest. “He meant to kill me that day… even
though we were only kids. I fought for my life and managed to swim to the surface only after biting his
hand real hard, but because I did, I was the one punished, not him. No one believed me, or rather, it was
more convenient to believe Can-the stronger son.”
I felt so much bitterness in his tone that my heart began to ache for him. My hands started to stroke his
back gently as I kept inquiring, “Why was Can considered stronger than you?”
Aren chuckled coldly. “Because I was given half the food portions he was having. I was also given food
that was rotten from time to time. Vanessa was in charge of that. I would have died if it weren’t for Mei
Lien. She had to steal food for me from the kitchen.”
I leaned back to look at him, my eyes filled with tears. “Jesus… Aren…” My hand went up to stroke his
cheek. “What about your father? Why didn’t he do anything about it? He must have known that
something wasn’t right… Why did he just allow Vanessa to do that…?”
His lips twisted into a wry smile. “My father is a selfish, ignorant man. He always pretended not to see
anything, even when Mei Lien told him and begged him to stop neglecting me.” “What about your
grandfather?” I asked as anger boiled the blood in my veins.
“He knew about everything, but he did nothing. He wanted to have a strong heir, so he considered
Vanessa’s doing as a part of natural selection-survival of the fittest,” he said sourly.
“How could anyone be so cruel?” My tears flow down my cheeks unknowingly.
ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
Aren brushed them with his thumb. “Does my wife feel sorry for me?” he teased, making his voice sound
deeper.
I sighed and lowered my head. “I just thought that you used to have a better rtionship with Can…”
“He wanted me dead since I can remember. I have never done anything to hurt him, but I will not feel
sorry because he died. I know that he didn’t kill himself since you need guts to do it. Nheless, he
brought his death on him, so don’t expect me to feel sad after hearing the news,” Aren stated coldly.
I couldn’t me him. Shamefully, I had to admit that there were times when I wished that Can was
dead, and yet hearing that he died just hours after I saw him made me numb. I wouldn’t call what I felt
sadness. It was just… hard to process.
“This justplicates everything for everyone,” Aren squeezed through his teeth. I knew what he meant.
Can died while being arrested, and because he was a wealthy family son, it was more than certain that
the family would seek justice, ming the FBI, NYPD, and, of course, those who testified against him.
Thewsuits wereing, which would probably mean that further investigation would be put on hold
until the whole matter of the suicide was
solved.
“It was murder, wasn’t it?” I said softly. “Someone tried to silence Can.”
“Yes. Jack doesn’t believe in the suicide version either, but things like that are extremely hard to prove.
Unless the coroner finds defense wounds or any other signs of struggle, this case will be ssified as
suicide,” he exined.
It was more than obvious that the guy who organized my kidnapping was behind it all. I bet that he was
celebrating at that moment. Not only did he silence Can, but he also interfered in the investigation that
could have led us to him. It must have been someone dangerous; someone who had the resources to
allow him to have his own military organization, and someone who had his people inside the NYPD or
even the FBI… someone as strong as Aren, who hated Aren beyond imagination. “We will have to dy
our wedding ceremony… again.” My husband showed more concern for that reason than for his
stepbrother’s death. “I knew you would say that.” I sighed and already thought of another, even more
bothersome, issue. “We will have to attend the funeral, won’t we?”
“Yes. There would be a lot of press, and Vanessa would likely make a scene.” I could see Aren’s hands
fisted at the sound of his stepmother’s name.
“I bet that Augustus won’t stop her now that you no longer n to invest in his hotel?” I gave him a
crooked smile.
As I said it, his lips curled into a wicked grin. “He knows that I would never change my mind after what
happened, but…” He paused and chuckled. “But what?” I prodded his elbow. “But I’m guessing that he
would shift his attention to you.”
“To me?!” I eximed, widening my eyes. Aren chuckled before gently cupping my chin with his hand.
“Sunshine, aren’t you aware that you have be the owner of quite a fortune?” “You mean Tian
Kong?” I asked, teasingly shoving his hand away. “But I would never trade this diamond for anything.” “It
belongs to you, and for my grandfather, money is money. I bet that he will try to coax you into investing,”
he said. “But how would he know that I have that diamond?” I narrowed my eyes at him. Aren kissed the
tip of my nose. “The rumors are spreading across Manhattan as we speak.” “How…” I paused before
realizing the obvious. “You picked the famous jewelry artist on purpose.” He grinned slyly. “Yes, I did. And
with that one move, I have made you a key yer.” “I’ve married such a wicked man.” I snorted. “Hurry
up and recover soon. Then I will show you just how wicked I am,” he whispered alluringly and kissed me.
***
The special package from the FBI came at the same time I entered the office. Norton and n were
dying to check it out, and once I briefly described to them the whole situation with my kidnapping and
Can’s death, theypletely freaked out. Of course, now they were more than aware that my previous
version of the recent events that I told them about a week ago had been one hundred percent made up.
“Babe… you could have blown up along with that building and all you said was that you had a harmless
car ident?!” n eximed.
“Well… I was going to tell you the truth, but I knew that if I told you what really happened, you would
have either panicked or turned into a drama queen.” I smiled timidly, lowering my head.
n frowned and crossed his hands over his chest. “I would never—”
“She is right.” Norton stood up, painting Norton’s type of serious expression. “I would have panicked.”
Then he pointed at n. “You would have turned into a drama queen.”
I couldn’t help it. I burst out intoughter, and then we all did. Itsted a while, but then I officially
received their forgiveness. I guess that they were much more interested in checking Can’s phone than
being mad at me. As I opened the package and took out what was inside, I grinned wickedly.
“Gentlemen, ready to dig into some private data?”