Chapter 419: Giving Her a Chance to Come Clean
Caroline nearly dropped her phone the moment she saw Anna’s photo. “Anna!” Her first thought was that the person messaging her had to be Anna. She instinctively reached for the screen to call back, but just as she pressed the number, something felt off. No, this wasn’t Anna sending the messages. Clearly, this person had only sent her a video of Anna.
After much deliberation, Caroline replied with this message: [You mean to tell me you don’t know this woman? Caroline Beaumont!] The sender had called her name out loud and clear. Caroline felt a little panicked. [Just say it—what do you want? What’s your goal?]
The reply came: [No agenda. I just want to help you. I’m just like you—I can’t stand Claire having a good life. Besides, this girl looks like your sister.] [What do you think Frederick would do if he saw this girl? And what about Claire? If your sister’s really alive, she’ll definitely come back for revenge. After all, Claire ruined her life back then.]
To be honest, Caroline felt a rush of excitement after reading this. She knew exactly what a devastating blow it would be to Claire if Anna was still alive. The only reason she’d stayed by Frederick’s side these four years was because of Anna. If a dead person had this much influence, imagine the impact if she were alive. However, Caroline hadn’t forgotten the lesson taught to her by that woman. She wasn’t about to trust anyone so easily.
After much thought, she replied: [Who are you really? What’s your goal? The girl in this video does look like my sister, but I haven’t seen her in person. How do you know?] [Technology’s pretty advanced these days.]
The sender quickly replied: [True, better safe than sorry. You’re right to be cautious. Whether I’m lying or if this video was made with AI–you’ll find out soon enough.] [This girl’s already booked a flight back. She’ll be returning on this date. You can see for yourself at the airport.] The sender followed up with an itinerary, detailing the exact date and time of the return flight.
[Alright, I’ll wait.] Caroline replied. Since they put it that way, all she could do was wait. At this point, she didn’t have much choice.
Zachary wouldn’t help her anymore, and as for Diana, the car accident with Claire last time meant she wouldn’t act anytime soon. If the woman in the video really was Anna, it would only work to Caroline’s advantage. Frederick was already investigating Claire’s fall. If the truth came out, Caroline wouldn’t be able to escape the consequences. So, this girl showing up now was perfect timing.
Caroline had been completely drained, but after receiving the video, she suddenly felt energized. She got up, got dressed, and called a cab. Since Zachary’s villa was far from the Halfmoon Manor, it took Caroline an hour to get there. By then, the sky had already gone completely dark.
Feeling uneasy, she walked into the living room. Just as she changed her shoes, Frederick’s deep voice reached her ears. “You’re back.” She turned and saw Frederick sitting on the couch in the living room. “Yeah, I’m back, Frederick. About school…” Caroline responded nervously. She thought of Zachary’s situation and instinctively wanted to say something.
“Caroline, I’m giving you one chance to explain everything.”