Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
“What can I do for you, Mr. Harley?” Hank asked.
“You’re aware that Cecelia fell into the water while being here, aren’t you?”
Hank knew of the incident but had no leads at the moment. “So, what kind of explanation do you want from me?”
Yozan played with the ring on his thumb, his smile growing deeper. “I’ve already found out what happened to Cecelia, and all that’s left now is for Mr. Damazio to get rid of your beloved.”
His smile was pleasant, but the chill in his voice was unmistakable. When he mentioned ‘get rid,’ Hank’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he sensed something was off. “What do you mean?” he asked.
“My men have already found out who caused Cecelia’s accident. It’s quite unfortunate, but the person is a member of your Damazio Family. Furthermore, this person has confessed that they were acting on orders from your Mrs. Damazio herself.”
Yozan’s words implied that Yelena was the mastermind behind the whole incident. Hank’s expression immediately grew cold.
“That’s impossible. She’s being framed.”
“I’ve already investigated the matter thoroughly. If I don’t have evidence, why would I bother coming to you?”
Yozan was no longer civil, thinking Hank was trying to defend Yelena.
“Earlier, I didn’t say anything to save your reputation during your engagement ceremony. However, if you insist on defending her, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Yelena didn’t know that such a thing was happening and rushed over while holding her dress after finishing up some business. She immediately threw her arms around Hank, complaining, “You don’t know how tired I am. Engagement parties are such a hassle.”
“Miss Sullivan, you’re just in time. Perhaps you can explain why you harmed Cecelia.”
Yelena was in shock from being accused and was at a loss for words. “What are you talking about? I didn’t harm anyone.”
“Acting innocent, huh?” Yozan sneered. “How foolish.”
“Who are you calling foolish? What’s wrong with you? You were fine earlier. Why are you suddenly like this?”
Yozan took a deep breath, his face turning sour. Most of the guests had already left, and Elspeth and Callum were also coming over to say their goodbyes. Seeing Yelena almost on the verge of tears,
Elspeth was surprised.
“What’s going on? Is it because of what happened earlier?”
“No, Elspeth. He’s accusing me of harming Cecelia. I don’t even know what’s going on.” Yelena pointed angrily at Yozan, almost collapsing from rage.
Elspeth was taken aback by Yozan’s boldness, and although she was bewildered, her anger toward the accusation against Yelena couldn’t be suppressed. Therefore, when she spoke, her voice was icy. “Mr. Harley, I’m not sure how much you’ve had to drink, but your words are becoming increasingly careless and thoughtless.”
“This has nothing to do with you, Miss Lynwood. It’s best if you don’t get involved,” Yozan said. He couldn’t involve her due to their familiarity with each other. Furthermore, this matter really had nothing to do with her. “What do you mean it has nothing to do with me? The individual you’re bullying happens to be my beloved Yelena. In all of Damoria, nobody would have the audacity to make her suffer in my presence.”
Elspeth raised her chin and was determined to protect her friend. Callum was a bit more composed and asked, “What happened?”
Yozan expressed his suspicion, saying, “It’s regarding Cecelia’s fall into the water, and Yelena could be the one behind it.”
Yelena immediately remembered what had happened in the morning and became angry at Yozan’s accusation. “What are you talking about, Yozan? I tried to save her, and now you accuse me of causing it? You have a terrible mind!”
“I have a terrible mind? I think you have the biggest motive for doing this,” Yozan said. Then, he made a call, and soon, a person ran in. Then, the person knelt on the ground without saying a word. Elspeth carefully studied the person. The man had a strong physique but was not tall, and he had dark, shiny skin.
“Do you know this guy, Miss Sullivan?” Yozan asked.
Yelena casually glanced at the man on the ground and snorted, “Where did you find this man? Did you get him to frame me as a witness?”
The man on the ground panicked. His eyes went wide, and he looked frantic. “Mrs. Damazio, you told me to do it. Yet, you deny knowing me?”
“When did I tell you to do that? Don’t frame me!” Yelena tugged on Hank’s sleeve and said desperately, “I didn’t do anything, and I don’t know him.”
Hank was silent for a moment and asked, “Dino, why did you frame Mrs. Damazio?”
Dino heard this and became anxious. He spoke with a bit of an accent from his hometown, “I didn’t frame Mrs. Damazio. I speak the truth. It was a moment of madness that led me to push Miss Cecelia into the water. I shouldn’t have been greedy for money. I’m willing to accept the punishment from you, Mr. Damazio.”
He bowed on the ground, almost certain of the outcome.
“See? Someone has come out to testify against you. What else can you say? You’d better admit it and pay the price,” Yozan said impatiently.
“I didn’t do it! No matter how many times you say it, I will not admit to something I haven’t done!” Yelena was angry. She walked straight to Dino and grabbed his clothes. “I don’t even know you. Who sent you to frame me?”
“Mrs. Damazio, just admit it.” Dino raised his head, glancing nervously at Hank and Yozan before lowering his head again. “I think it’s wrong to lie to people.”
“Yet, you lied even though you think it’s wrong. This boatman from the Damazio Family sure is something.” Elspeth laughed, covering her mouth. She laughed heartily, but in the quiet atmosphere, her laughter seemed a bit frightening.
“How did you know he’s a boatman? I didn’t say anything about his identity.” As Elspeth nonchalantly revealed the boatman’s identity, Yozan’s suspicion grew stronger. Perhaps, his earlier speculation was wrong; Elspeth could have been involved, too.
“Stop staring at me like that, Mr. Harley. Don’t you observe someone when you meet them for the first time? Short-sleeved shirts, shorts, and vests are obvious signs of a boatman’s attire. Plus, his skin is dark from working by the water for years. If I’m right, he should be a southerner, too.” Elspeth smiled and looked at Dino as if she could see through him, making him feel a bit uneasy. Dino couldn’t articulate his feelings, but his inner sense of unease continued to intensify.
“Miss Lynwood, you’re indeed very intelligent,” Yozan coldly snorted, dispelling any doubts he had.
“So, may I ask, do you have any evidence to prove that Yelena instructed you to do these things?”
The man suddenly became confused. He felt like the woman in front of him was not easy to fool. “I can definitely provide evidence.”
The man pulled out his phone from his pocket and showed her the transaction record. “Look, this is the money transfer that Miss Sullivan made to me.”
Elspeth casually glanced at it and confirmed that it was indeed the Sullivan Family’s credit card. She read out the string of numbers and asked Yelena, “Are you still using this card?”
Yelena’s face turned pale in an instant. “Yes, I’m still using this credit card,” Yelena admitted. She never paid much attention to the details of her spending since her father directly deposited money into her credit card. She hurriedly checked the credit card’s expenditure record and found that it was missing 30 thousand.
“I don’t know what happened, but I really didn’t transfer any money to him. I don’t even know him.”
However, her defense seemed weak.
Yozan made a final judgment, almost certain that Yelena was the culprit. “Miss Sullivan, I advise you to admit your mistake and not escalate the situation.” Yozan signaled to the people around, and in the next moment, a few of them tried to grab Yelena.
Hank quickly shielded her, looking very upset. “What are you trying to do, Mr. Harley?”
“At the very least, she should apologize to Cecelia, and then… kneel down before Cecelia. If Cecelia doesn’t mind, then it’s no big deal.” Although there was no actual harm done, the humiliation was something Yelena couldn’t bear.
“I didn’t do those things. I’m not going to apologize.” Yelena poked her head out from behind and refused to admit her guilt.
“That’s not up to you, Miss Sullivan,” Yozan warned her.
“Mr. Harley, don’t act recklessly for now,” Elspeth said with a half-smile and her tone was somewhat threatening. “The matter has not been resolved yet. How can you just take someone away?”
“Isn’t what I saw the truth?” Yozan realized that she was just trying to buy time, and his favorable impression of her vanished. He had thought that someone so similar to himself would at least be his equal in rationality, but he didn’t expect her to be like this.
Elspeth didn’t rush to refute, but slowly said, “Give me some time, and I’ll be able to find out the truth of the matter.”
Yozan’s patience was almost gone. “Alright, I’ll give you 10 more minutes, and then I must take her away.”
“Okay.” Elspeth walked slowly to the man who was kneeling, bent down, and asked with a smile,
“Excuse me, you said Yelena asked you to do this. When did you meet her?”
The man’s brain worked quickly, and he continued, “It was the night before last. She met me and ordered me to push Miss Cecelia into the lake on the day of the engagement party.” It sounded plausible. However…
“The night before last, that’s… The timing does match up.” Elspeth nodded thoughtfully.
It seemed that this person knew Yelena’s schedule well and chose the right time.
Yelena was furious. “What nonsense are you spouting? I went to try on my wedding dress that night. How could I have met you?”
The man knew that he shouldn’t say too much and quickly glanced at Yelena before lowering his head again.
“I’m telling the truth,” the man insisted.
“Fine, that’s not important. Let’s move on to the next question,” Elspeth said, stroking her chin. “Are you sure everything you just said is true?”
The man nodded earnestly. This was something he had prepared in advance, and it was foolproof. Elspeth sneered, “Then tell me, how did Yelena know that Cecelia would definitely get on that boat?”
