Chapter 191 The One You’ve Secretly Liked
Chapter 191 The One You’ve Secretly Liked
That man from earlier…
Isabel stole another glance in the direction Richie had gone.
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By now, he had disappeared from sight, but the image of his retreating figure lingered in her mind.
She compared it to the person in the photo–almost an exact match.
But relying on mere similarities in body shape seemed unreliable.
After all, many people share similar features, and even their postures can resemble one another.
Isabel touched her chin thoughtfully, pondering. After a pause, she made a decision. She would find a way to visit the Nelsons‘ place and look deeper into this.
She suddenly remembered asking Beowulf to investigate the Nelsons before. She wondered if he had discovered where their villa was located.
Just then, the sound of a phone ringing broke her concentration.
For a second, Isabel thought it was her own phone, since the ringtone was familiar. But then she saw Xander pull his phone out and answer the call.
She blinked, surprised. When has he swapped my ringtone onto his phone?
On top of that, she noticed that his phone case matched hers exactly. She clearly remembered him never/ using phone cases before.
This guy…
Isabel shook her head slightly, a quiet sigh escaping her.
“Hello, Mom?” Xander’s voice was casual as he answered, standing right beside her.
“I heard someone break into the Nelsons‘ villa last night. Is that true?” Ivana wasted no time with pleasantries and called Xander as soon as she heard the news.
“Yeah,” Xander answered briefly.
“Who did it? Someone after the Nelsons? Could it have been Isabel?” Ivana’s suspicions flared, her voice low with concern. She was convinced that Isabel’s recent visit to the Bennetts was part of some investigation into the Nelsons, and her instincts told her that Isabel had no good intentions,
She worried even more for her son, wondering if Isabel might harm him.
Ivana’s mind raced with troubling thoughts. With Rachel adding fuel to fire, her anxiety grew. She felt that she needed to act quickly, using any means necessary, even drastic ones, to separate Isabel from her son.
“It wasn‘ her. She was with me last night,” Xander replied firmly, shutting down the suspicion.
Huh?
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Chapter 191 The One You’ve Secretly Liked
Isabel blinked in surprise and glanced at Xander’s phone.
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Why bring me into this? What is Ivana trying to imply? Is she trying to push me out of the Bennetts‘ life again?
“You were with her? Then what about in the middle of the night? Could she have slipped out when you were asleep?” Ivana pressed, still not convinced.
“Not possible.” Xander’s tone was absolute, and Ivana fell silent for a moment, at a loss for words.
After a pause, Ivana’s voice came through again. “Or maybe it wasn’t her, but someone working with her?”
Xander furrowed his brow. “You’ve got no proof, do you?”
Ivana hesitated, unable to come up with a solid answer
“I’m just worried about you and your brother.” Ivana finally sighed, trying to explain herself. “I don’t mean to target her, but I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right.”
“I understand.”
Ivana paused before speaking again. “Actually, there’s one more possibility I’ve been thinking about. Could it have been Richard? The one who broke into the villa?”
Xander considered this. He had already wondered about that possibility.
“I don’t know, but whoever it was, it was a man. Judging from his silhouette, he looked about my age.”
Ivana’s heart skipped a beat.
“It’s him! It has to be Richard! He’s come back!”
She began pacing, clutching her phone tightly. “But if he’s back, why hasn’t he contacted us? What happened all those years ago at the Nelsons? Only Richard knows the truth. Why hasn’t he reached out? Does he not trust us?”
“Maybe not. If Richard did come back, it’s probably because he wants revenge,” Xander suggested.
Both Xander and Ivana had long suspected that the fire at the Nelsons‘ mansion had been no accident. If Richard was indeed still alive, his silence made sense–he was likely biding his time, preparing to take action on his own terms.
Richard…
Isabel’s mind spun. The name struck a chord with her, though she couldn’t quite place why.
She tried to focus, but the effort only made the headache throb more intensely.
But something inside her urged her to remember.
This name, Richard, was important. She couldn’t let it slip away.
Then, out of nowhere, a faint voice echoed in her mind–sweet, innocent, and full of energy.
“Richard, Richard, play with me!
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Chapter 191 The One You’ve Secretly Liked
“Richard, don’t tell Mom I ate ten candies today!
“Richard, I want to ride on your back…”
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The memories came in flashes, only to fade again. Isabel desperately tried to hold onto them, but it was like trying to catch smoke with her bare hands.
Richard…
He must have been someone incredibly close to her. The weight in her heart told her so.
Could the person in the photo be Richard? If so, maybe he would return to the Nelsons after all.
I have to visit the Nelsons. I just have to!
“What are you staring at? Let’s go. It’s getting late. We should grab something to eat.” A familiar voice broke Isabel from her thoughts.
Snapping back to the present, Isabel nodded and followed him out.
At the hospital entrance, Richie paused, his gaze fixed on the building for a moment.
Stan, confused, noticed and asked, “What’s up? You’re worried about that girl?”
Richie frowned but stayed silent, clearly troubled.
“No way. Richie, have you fallen for her at first sight?” Stan teased with a laugh.
Richie shot Stan a look of disbelief. “You think I’m like you, spreading my charm everywhere?”
“Haha! What can I say, bro? I’m just too handsome! Can’t help it.” Stan grinned.
Richie just rolled his eyes.
“Seriously, though, the girl is really pretty. You wouldn’t actually like her, would you? If you do, we should turn around. I’ll help you figure things out. With your looks and experience, getting a girl should be easy for you, right?” Stan dragged Richie along, practically giddy with excitement.
“I’m not,” Richie said, stopping in his tracks. “I just… think she looks like someone, but also not.”
“Huh?” Stan was baffled.
“What do you mean? She looks like someone, but not? So, are you interested or not?”
“She reminds me of someone, but her face isn’t the same,” Richie said thoughtfully, still recalling the brilliance of Isabel’s eyes, so familiar yet so distant.
She looks like that little girl.
Stan scratched his head. “I’m lost now. So, are you going for her or not? If not, let’s eat. Think carefully, and don’t regret it!“.
Richie glanced up at the sky, a bittersweet smile pulling at his lips.
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Chapter 191 The One You’ve Secretly Liked
“She’s already gone. No need for me to pursue her
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“Are you talking about the one you’ve secretly liked all diese years?” Stan asked, his voice teasing yet full of curiosity.
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