Chapter 1423


    The name “Timothy” crashed into Yates’ heart like a stone causing ripples across a pond, gripping his


    throat with a suffocating and lethal sensation.


    “Is it because I killed Timothy, that Gregory took his revenge on Pauline?” Yates found it hard to


    believe. He had dug into the Howard family from the start-after all, he had killed Timothy. A vendetta


    was only natural, yet no clues pointed to Gregory.


    And Gregory, in the presence of the Sharp family, especially in front of his father, had always kept a low


    profile, meek to the core. Even when his son was gone, Gregory didn’t dare to confront.


    Could such a timid man really have the audacity to establish an underground syndicate, erase all


    traces, and then murder Pauline in such a brutal manner?


    “No, that can’t be right.” Yates was still full of doubt. “If Gregory knew it was me who killed Timothy, why


    didn’t he seek revenge directly from me?”


    “Gregory didn’te after you because of your ex-wife, Samantha.” Bernard sneered.


    “Samantha?”


    Samantha had been a marriage of convenience for Yates, a business partnership with an agreement to


    part ways after three years. Unfortunately, she fell gravely ill and passed away before their time was


    up.


    Her passing came shortly after Pauline’s murder. Yates had been so consumed with tracking down


    Pauline’s killer that he neglected Samantha entirely. It was only when the police notified him, after her


    body had been left undiscovered for three days, that he realized she was gone.


    To Yates, their marriage was nothing more than a formality, arranged by his father. He had barely


    visited the Stanley household, and his memories of her were faint.


    Now, Bernard was suggesting that Samantha was the reason Gregory hadn’t sought vengeance on


    Yates, which only deepened his confusion.


    “What does Pauline’s death have to do with her?” Yates asked.


    Bernard looked at Yates with eyes calm and deep, then nced at Yates with snowy white hair in the


    distance.


    “After you killed Timothy, she framed Pauline for it.”


    Bernard’s voice was t, as if narrating a matter of little importance, but to Yates, it was a devastating


    blow.


    “What?”


    He should have asked why, but shock robbed him ofposure for a moment.


    “Samantha didn’t want the divorce to go through, so she took the opportunity to get rid of Pauline.”


    Yates was astounded but quick-witted. A hint from Bernard was all he needed to piece it together, yet


    he still hesitated.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    “But… when I was arranged to marry her, she made it clear she didn’t like me. That’s why I chose her


    from several candidates. She agreed to all my conditions, iming she too was forced into this


    marriage and that it was a good opportunity to coborate.”


    “And after Pauline’s death, she suddenly fell ill and died, which doesn’t seem like the actions of


    someone who would do anything


    to avoid divorce.”


    Yates’ words wereced with skepticism, but as he spoke, he began to sense that something didn’t add


    up.


    “Could it be Samantha was being counterintuitive?” Knowing his love for Pauline, could she have


    pretended indifference, slowly infiltrating his world while maintaining the facade of a devoted wife?


    But then…


    “But she died so quickly, without gaining anything…” Was it all in vain?


    Bernard, anticipating Yates’ line of thought, looked at him with a pitying gaze, as his mind was


    overwhelmed with the past.


    “If I’m not mistaken, Gregory knew from the start that you killed Timothy and that Samantha was


    framing Pauline. He just didn’t care for Pauline and, fearing retaliation from the all-powerful Sharp


    family due to Timothy’s death, he directed his anger at her.”


    Gregory had let the thugs from the Darkness gang assault Pauline, an act clearly driven by spite rather


    than revenge.


    Xavier had mentioned that Gregory believed Pauline had discarded Timothy to climb the socialdder


    of the Sharp family, even killing him, and so he projected the pain of losing his son onto her.


    Given the clumsy way Samantha had left clues, Gregory, who’d grown up on the streets, would


    undoubtedly have seen through


    the charade, choosing instead to vent his anger.


    “And as for Samantha, she was probably killed by Gregory too.”


    Yates was perplexed.


    “Why would he do that?”


    “The reason is simple: to cut off the only lead back to him. He was afraid you’d trace the crime to his


    doorstep, so he eliminated thest link.”


    The dead don’t talk, which exined why Samantha suddenly passed away after Pauline’s death.


    Bernard’s ability to think critically was strong, and with just a few words, he helped Yates understand


    the entire chain of events.


    “You mean to say, Gregory did all this to hide, to grow the Darkness, and gather strength to eventually


    seek vengeance against me.”