Chapter 972

 972:
It wasn’t the raw pain of reopened wounds she saw, but a flicker of panic—as if a hidden truth had been exposed.
Bart slammed his fist on the table, the sound echoing sharply. “Linsey, what are you implying? Have you lost your senses, or are you just trying to dodge your commitment by stirring up trouble?” he barked.
Alissa, her voice rough with disbelief, added, “Linsey, are you really going to keep dragging up the past? Gorman died saving you long ago. What nonsense is this? Are you saying this to avoid your responsibility?”
Collin, seated beside her, was momentarily stunned by her words. He turned to study Linsey’s face, his expression grave.
He could see she wasn’t joking or cruelly prodding at their grief—her demeanor was serious. A spark of realization flickered in Collin’s eyes, followed by the faintest trace of a smile.
He silently marveled at the cleverness of Gorman’s apparent scheme.
Linsey’s gaze dropped, her face unreadable. Alissa’s and Bart’s reactions only deepened her suspicions.
She began to believe Gorman might still be alive. Though she didn’t want to entertain such far-fetched hopes, a part of her longed for it to be true—even if it meant Gorman had spun an elaborate deception.
“Gorman must still be alive,” she said softly, lifting her eyes to meet theirs. “Your over-the-top reactions just now—it would have made more sense to kill me outright. You gave the wrong emotional response.”
Alissa and Bart stiffened, their faces freezing as they stared at Linsey, speechless.
“Since the news of Gorman’s death reached me, I’ve been grappling with doubt and disbelief. I never saw his body. Just days ago, Collin sent someone to investigate, and they reported that Gorman’s loyal men were guarding his remains, refusing access to anyone until you both arrived in Grester,” Linsey said, her voice steady, her thoughts sharpening with every word.
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A faint smile curved her lips as she continued, “I know some of Gorman’s men resented me, believing I was ungrateful and didn’t appreciate his devotion. But what struck me as odd was that after his supposed death, none of them confronted me. They simply vanished.” She pressed her lips together briefly before adding, “Those men were fiercely loyal to Gorman. If they despised me, they would have come for me—unless Gorman himself ordered them to stay away.”
The room fell deathly silent, the only sound the low hum of the air conditioning.
From the instant Linsey posed her first question, her eyes held firm, her voice steady and measured. She fixed her gaze on Alissa, radiating an undeniable sense of pressure. Whether it was Linsey’s commanding presence or the piercing truth of her words, Alissa felt a chill ripple through her, her body trembling involuntarily. Her throat constricted, rendering her speechless.
Linsey’s keen insight was daunting, stirring unease in Alissa, who, despite her wealth of experience navigating tough situations, found herself rattled by this woman not yet thirty.
As he noticed Alissa’s silence, Bart’s brow furrowed, and he sharply declared, “Utter nonsense.”
Linsey’s gaze shifted to Bart, calm and unshaken. He was clearly less yielding than Alissa, but Linsey remained composed, her brief moment of inner doubt giving way to certainty. She was convinced Alissa and Bart were merely putting on an act in front of her.
Lowering her gaze slightly, she spoke with deliberate calm. “You both know whether I’m speaking nonsense.”
After a brief pause, she continued, “When we met overseas, I could see how deeply you cared for Gorman. It’s only natural you would agree to his outlandish plan.”
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