CHapter 172


    Noe withdrew her gaze, a hint of a smirk ying at the corner of her mouth. “Don’t try to cozy


    up to me,” she said with a chuckle to Xavier, who looked at her expectantly. “Neither Grandma nor


    I will forgive you.”


    Xavier’s spirits plummeted. He knew if Harriet ever found out about his deeds, she’d be furious.


    Still, he took a smallfort in the fact that he hadn’t crossed any unforgivable


    lines.


    With a sigh, he lifted his head and gave a wry smile. “Shall we go see Tandy? He should be awake


    by now. You’ve got questions for him, right?”


    The staff at Lockhart Prison had their methods to wake a man up, just as they had their methods to


    put one down for good.


    Noe nodded. “Lead the way.”


    With a wave of his hand and a stern face, Xavier barked, “Hop to it! Clean out that room over there.


    You expect my darling to stand while she interrogates?”


    Noe nced at him nonchntly and stayed silent. She didn’t acknowledge her ties to Xavier, but


    she needed him to get to Tandy. So, she wouldn’t refute him. The fact that he had crossed the


    Schnabel family, not once but many times, was enough to haunt his


    conscience.


    Lockhart Prison was a maze ofyers, from the towers above to the sea below, each with their own


    brand of cell. Tandy was locked up in one of the underground cells.


    As they walked side by side, Xavier led Noe towards Tandy’s cell. “How had Harriet been? Was


    she alright?”


    “Is it considered alright to always be content despite never eating enough, and to have faced illness


    with almost no money for treatment but no regrets?”


    Noe didn’t hide the truth.


    When her grandma fell ill, it was her who worked tirelessly. Night after night, she slept barely two


    hours a night, waking to draw design after design and sewing clothes into the wee hours, with only


    the stars forpany. She was terrified of losing her grandmother.


    Vincent wouldn’t spare a dime, always iming Grandma Harriet had savings. Luckily, Noe made


    enough money–not only to see her grandma off but plenty to spare, though she still couldn’t keep


    her grandma alive.


    Xavier nodded, absorbing her words. “She’s got a poor memory. If she had never mentioned me


    before, it must have been that she forgot.”


    Noe shot him a cold look. “No, Grandma told me she had a brother. As a child, he was shed


    with a knife protecting her, from the corner of his eye to his jaw, scars all over his


    05.48


    body. Grandma said she missed her brother terribly but thought you were dead.


    Xavier froze in ce.


    Harriet… she remembered him all along! Only he and Harriet knew that past!


    An old man, hardened by years of living on the edge, the only redemption in his heart was his


    dearly departed sister. At that moment, a flood of emotions overwhelmed him.


    “She remembered me?”


    “Grandma mentioned a brother, not necessarily you.”


    “Yes, yes, it’s me!” Xavier insisted, his heart racing. Harriet had only one brother–it had to be him.


    The cell where Tandy was kept was modest, with all the necessary amenities, even a small


    bookshelf.


    Tandy sat on the bed looking schrly and genteel, wrapped in a Lockhart Prison nket, a book in


    his hand. He seemed like an academic, if not for the bloody sheets and the


    fresh bloodstains on the wall.


    Xavier entered the room, nced around, and dragged over a chair, wiping it down with


    his sleeve.


    “Noe, take a seat,” he offered, his voice carrying a hint of affection. “I’ll just stand.*


    Noe looked up, her gaze indifferent as she surveyed the fawning Xavier, but she didn’t refuse the


    seat. After all, why stand when you could sit?


    Tandy, putting his book aside, coughed twice. “Xavier, what’s all this fuss today? Coming to see me


    with such a crowd? And who’s this youngdy?”


    Xavier knew Noe’s questions wouldn’t be simple. He dismissed Magee, leaving only himself and


    Palmer at the sidelines.


    Tandy, intrigued by Xavier’s gesture, removed his barely intact, ck–rimmed sses and set them


    aside.


    “What’s the matter?”


    Xavier spoke with a cold edge, “She has some questions for you. You better answer truthfully, or…


    you know the consequences.”


    Tandy chuckled, which soon turned into a violent cough, blood speckling the linen. “Heh, Xavier,


    look at me. I won’tst much longer. Whatever you want to know, I might not have the answers.”


    Noe spoke lightly, “Hollis is alive. I saved him.”


    Initially seemed unconcerned, Tandy’s eyes widened in shock upon hearing Noe’s


    words. “What did you say? Hollis is alright? Why should I believe you!”


    Tandy must care about his brother as much as Thorpe did if he was willing to meet with the


    Toxic Monarch and get arrested for Hollis’s sickness..


    Noe crossed her legs nonchntly, the click of her high heels echoing in the cell.


    She smiled slyly. “You don’t have to believe it. While operating, I might’ve left something extra in


    Hollis’s brain. Guess what it could be?”


    Tandy’s pupils dted to their limits. “You!”


    “Take a guess. If I’m not pleased, will Hollis meet the grim reaper with you? It’d be quite a hassle for


    Thorpe to handle the bodies of both you and Hollis.”


    Tandy suddenly couldn’t sit still. “You can’t do that; he’s innocent! He’s never done anything illegal.


    Just tell me what you want to know, and leave him out of it.”


    Seeing his reaction, Noe nodded. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to start like this? First question:


    Do you know Vincent?”


    Tandy frowned slightly, clearly not expecting such a question from Noe.


    “Yes, college buddies.”


    “What major? Which university? How was your rtionship during that time, and did you have any


    business dealings afterward?”


    “Finance Engineering, Linefort University. We were just acquaintances back then; no dealings after


    graduation.”


    Noe spoke with a hint of frost in her voice, “Nothing, huh? Think hard. He sought you outst


    year, didn’t he?”


    Tandy’s expression flickered ever so slightly at Noe’s words. “If you already know so much, then


    why bother asking? There’s no business between us–it’s just that we’re old schoolmates. We catch


    up over Thanksgiving and Christmas; is there a problem with


    that?”


    A sly chuckle escaped Noe’s lips.


    Vincent, always the opportunist, would never reach out to Tandy without some agenda, certainly not


    for the sake of old school ties.


    “Next question: Do you know who I am?”


    Tandy eyed Noe for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I don’t. Should I?”


    Noe leaned back, settlingfortably into her chair as she studied Tandy. “But I saw youst


    year at Vincent’s ce. You even said hello to me.”


    Tandy looked at Noe with a rising skepticism. “You’re mistaken. I’ve never been to


    05:49 1


    Vincent’s ce, nor have I met you.”


    “Really? If you’ve never met me and don’t know me, then why did you hand me over to Vincent? I


    mean, neen years ago at the Heartfelt Orphanage!”


    The mention of that name wiped theposure off Tandy’s face in an instant!


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Noe watched carefully, taking in every shift of Tandy’s expression.


    “Not knowing me, yet managing to deliver me straight to the Lambert family–that’s quite


    impressive!”