Chapter 129

Chapter 129:
She had never asked Johnson about the situation between Lucas and Verena before. Back then, even hearing Lucas’ name had felt like tearing open an old wound to her.
Johnson had always been careful not to bring him up around her.
But now, her mindset had shifted.
After a moment of reflection, Belinda spoke, her voice thoughtful. “It seems… Harold must have discovered something.”
Johnson nodded in agreement. “Lucas thought the same initially. But after an exhaustive search, he turned up empty-handed, which led him to suspect Harold might have wiped all the things he had discovered.”
Belinda’s eyes, usually keen and calculating, narrowed further as she said, “What secrets could Verena be hiding?”
A thought seemed to strike Johnson, prompting a heavy sigh from him. “Verena went through a lot in those three years of isolation. She was under constant surveillance, deprived of any communication tools like phones or computers. She wasn’t allowed internet access and could only leave for a closely watched two-hour walk each day. There was a time her mental state took a nosedive, resulting in a diagnosis of depression and subsequent extensive psychological therapy.”
Belinda fell into a thoughtful silence, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions.
She had not fully grasped the severity of Verena’s ordeal back then until now.
Johnson continued in a grave tone, “It’s hard to imagine what Verena could have done to make Harold resent her so much. But the cruelty of confining someone in such conditions is undeniable.”
This was the first time he had talked about this topic with Belinda.
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Belinda remained silent, thinking about the guilt Lucas must be feeling regarding Verena.
When Johnson noticed the subtle change in Belinda’s expression, his gaze briefly flickered before he changed the subject. “Let’s move on from this topic. How is your investigation going into the unexplained hormones in your body?”
Belinda was pulled from her reflections, responding, “I haven’t found any clues. All the medicine packaging from my childhood was discarded right away. I had Addie check the calcium tablets I took for a deficiency after I grew up, but they were uncontaminated.”
“I’m stumped about how those hormones entered my system before.”
Johnson paused to consider this and then asked, “Do you have any suspects in mind?”
“No,” Belinda replied directly.
Johnson said, “Given your lifelong struggle with weight, if hormones were secretly administered during your childhood, family members are typically the prime suspects. But I can’t imagine your grandmother or mother being involved in this. They love you too much to ever harm you.”
Belinda sighed deeply and said, “That’s precisely why I’m out of leads.”
Johnson sought to reassure her, saying, “Don’t worry about rushing the investigation. This is a case that goes back over twenty years—it will require some meticulous digging to uncover the truth.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Belinda said with a nod.
She then turned her attention to the meal and said, “Let’s just enjoy the meal for now.”
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