"Looking for something Miss. Evans."
Bella looked up and saw Leo entering Henry's study. Bella, as usual is looking for her ID and marriage
certificate, which she is sure that Henry must have kept it somewhere in the study.
Last time the head maid caught her in the study and Bella had to leave. But today she had made up
her mind to find the documents and try to escape from this place as soon as possible. But before she
could open the drawer of the table, Leo entered the study and saw her.
"Leo...."
Bella whispered softly.
"May I know what are you looking for Miss. Evans?"
Bella could hear the sarcasm in Leo's tone. She knew that what reaso Leo gave to Henry for his return
was not true. It's not easy to live under the same shade with a person who is being claimed as a
murderer of his sister. She has her own doubts behind Leo's return.
"It would be Mrs. Jackson for you Leo Hanks."
Bella said while trying to keep her shoulders strong. As soon as she said this line, she saw some
different emotions in Leo's eyes which disappeared within seconds, as if it never occurred.
"Yes, ofcourse Mrs. Jackson. It was always for this title. Wasn't this your dream?"
Hearing this Bella started laughing. Seeing her laughing face, Leo lost his temper,
"You are laughing! You murderer! Vicious - hearted bitch!”
Leo yelled and cursed even more angrily,
“If it weren’t for you, how could my Cindy die young? If it weren’t for you, how could she be defiled by
those animals! It’s all because of you! It’s all your doing. To fulfill your this dream of becoming Mrs.
Jackson, you smelly - hearted girl destroyed my sister."
Bella was quietly standing and looking at Leo.
“Cindy and you were friends and infact Cindy regarded you as the most important friend, her best
friend. But what about you! What have you done!!"
"Ah!!!”
Saying that Leo pushed Bella and without any support and due to hard push, Bella fell directly in the
floor with a thud. She looked at Leo, his eyes were full of hatred.
Bella didn't speak a word. She let Leo vent his curses until he spoke softly,
"Cindy treated you as her best friend."
Bella couldn't bear it anymore.
“Many years ago, I thought so too. Cindy was my best friend and I also thought that she regarded me
as her best friend too.”
Saying that Bella who was still lying on the floor again gave a laugh and then smirked.
“You are still laughing. You still have a smile on your face!"
Leo somehow couldn't control himself, He caught Bella’s hand and slapped her hard on her face. Leo
slapped Bella’s face fiercely, her neck twisted to one side, she did not move, but leaned sideways
supported by her hand. There was a stream of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth. She didn’t
seem to notice the pain emitted by the slap and said lightly,
“Leo, do you consider me a fool? Or do you think that four years of prison time is not enough for me to
figure out few things?”
Her head slowly turned forward, her eyes finally falling on the man. With a terrifying face she spoke
again,
"I didn't messaged Cindy, I didn't hire the gangsters, I didn't get her raped! Even if no one believed me,
so what atleast I knew the truth.
You all considered me as a murderer and got me instantly punished as if you all were expecting me to
fall into the trap. Even though I don't know who made this trap for me but yes I fell into it. And badly.
I don't know if it was for good or bad but atleast I saw true faces of everyone and all the so called
relationships. Love, family , friends I saw them all. I don't know who was behind of this but I don't why,
but I feel you know more then what you speak. Am I right?"
Saying that Bella stared at Leo. The latter lowered his eyes as if he was trying to hide something from
her. Bella could see all the small moments made by Leo. Now she was sure that Leo's presence is not
as simple as it seems to be. Without any hesitation, Bella asked him directly,
"Who is it? Who has calculated everything?
Tell me Who is it? Who is the person who hates me so much that he made my life a living hell??
Tell me Leo???"
She spoke slowly but clearly. Word by word so that Leo can hear them properly. Even though the
corner of her mouth was cracked by that slap, she insisted that the words must be clear, every word
must be clear even with her hoarse voice.
How can she not express herself clearly now. Only by standing at the top of the pyramid and falling into
the quagmire can one understand that these trivial details that others may not care about, are most
important for the person who seen everything.
“You…”
Leo was speechless. Looking at the person lying on the floor, he had mixed feelings. A look of
suspicion appeared in his eyes. She knew? she figured it out that something was wrong?
How is this possible!
If she knew, why didn’t she find Henry immediately after she was released from prison? If she really
knew someqthing, then why didn’t she show her harshness towards him and why didn't she refuse for
him to stay here in the Mansion?
She could not know! If, if she really knows, why can she still care about nothing? Say nothing!
Bella didn’t seem to see the shocked face of the man in front of her or may be she really didn’t care
whether this man was shocked or something else. She didn’t care about any thoughts of this person,
she only looked at the incandescent lamp above her head faintly, like a memory and slowly got up from
the floor,
"Leo, do you remember that when we were young? We all used to sit in the garden of the mansion and
played together? Me, you, Henry, Carson, Brandon, Kevin , Martin, Ray.. we all. Then when we grew
older, Cindy came into our lives.
Me and Cindy used to sit back to back under the largest tree in the garden, even if not a day talking, we
sat, each holding a book and stayed like that for a whole day.
When my grandfather was alive, he was very strict with me. I had to learn a lot more than people of the
same age. I was often learning in the middle of the night. In fact, the time for rest was very limited for
me.
As soon as he gave me time to rest, I used to run away to come here. Henry was too impatient to take
care of me. In many cases, Cindy used to spend more time with me."
“What do you mean by telling all this!”
Leo looked suspicious and wary,
"You don’t think it’s useful to play the emotional card now, do you?”
Bella’s gaze finally turned from the incandescent lamp to Leo. After looking at the incandescent lamp
for a long time, she suddenly went to see him. She couldn’t see clearly, her vision was little blurred but
this was exactly her original intention - who Would you like to really see this odious man in front of her?
“I mean, when we grew up together like this, I happen to know her the most and I knew how strong and
witty she was. Inspite of claiming me as her best friend, she had courage to steal my fiancée from me
and sleep.with him. I don’t think so that a girl like Cindy who was determined to break everything that
comes in her way, can ever commit suicide!”
“Cindy committed suicide, isn’t it because you framed her and got her abused!”
Leo almost bit his cheeks tightly. Seeing this Bella chuckled and shook her head, only to feel ridiculous,
“I know very well that what happened that night was not framed by me. We know who framed whom.
Leo Hanks…you can tell me, How did Cindy die?”
“You… you… what nonsense! You didn’t frame it, who was it? You killed my Cindy!”
“Leo, who ever it was, in the end it was me who lost everything. I am nothing but a fish and you are a
swordsman. And maybe that's why you came back to see if I am really alive or not and I am sure you
probably don’t miss me alive, right?”
She looked at the man in front of her again,
“Brother Leo”
It’s rare. After many years, she called him Brother Leo.
"Brother Leo, since we are here and talking. Let me tell you the answer of the question that you asked
me first when you entered the study. I am looking for my ID card and our marriage red book as I am
sure your master must have kept it somewhere in this study.
And why am I looking for them? I am sure that this is your next question. I want to escape from here. I
don't want to live here. I know you won't believe me. You can ask Nina and confirm that I am on birth
control pills also. I don't want to get pregnant by Henry."
Leo was shocked to hear Bella saying all this. Without Bella's noticing, Leo's palms were now in form a
strong fist. His nails were almost embedded into his flesh.
"Since I am going to leave this place sooner or later, away from everyone, I just want to know one
thing. Just tell me please, how did Cindy actually die?"
She firmly believes that Cindy will never commit suicide. How can a wicked person who had destroyed
so many relations and was involved sexually with n number of men can easily commit suicide just like
that?
“Cindy committed suicide! You dragged her till her suicide."
“Cindy can never commit suicide.”
“She committed suicide!”
“She did not commit suicide!”
“She did. She committed suicide!”
“impossible!”
“How impossible! She did!”
The two refused to yield to each other, Bella insisted that Cindy could not commit suicide! But Leo got
more and more excited as they spoke.
“So what if she didn’t commit suicide ?”
Finally Leo exclaimed in excitement, his eyes were red and his already sunken cheeks showed a
strange blush and he exclaimed fiercely,
“Even if I tell you, she didn't committed suicide. How will it change a thing?"
Bella's ears seemed to explode, and time stood still. But Leo's voice suddenly stopped! His face was
blue, red, white and purple, unpredictable, like a palette!
“Cindy… you …YOU KILLED HER?”
Leo looked at Bella with a blank face. He could clearly see the emotions that were in her eyes. Leo
turned and without saying a single word started walking outside the study. He stopped at the door and
without turning back, he spoke in a low voice,
"If you really want to escape, I can help you only if you promise to keep our today's conversation a
secret."
Saying this he immediately left the study. Bella was not alone. She couldn't keep herself study and feel
on the ground once again. She curled her knees and held her mouth with one hand, so that noone can
hear her voice.
She was crying. She was actually crying thinking about Cindy and her unborn child. How can Leo, a
brother kill his sister? How can anyone get a pregnant woman gangraped and kill her mercilessly. And
more over why did he frame her.
Bella wanted to ask him more but she knew that nothing will come out of his mouth. She knew now it's
a dead end. She was even more determined to run away from this place. She hates everyone here.
These people sort cate about love, feelings, friendship and families.
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