Only then did Janet remember that someone from the property management authority had called her
this morning to give some details about the fire.
She had been so worried about Ethan’s injury at the time that she soon forgot about it.
“The property management staff called earlier and told me that they’ve obtained some results from the
preliminary investigation,” Janet said now. Her brows furrowed as she tried to recall the conversation.
“He said that the electric wiring of the unit below ours was faulty, which eventually caused a short
circuit that led to the fire. They still have no idea how the wiring got damaged, though, since the unit
has been unoccupied for a long time.”
Ethan stared at her and mulled over this information. “It is strange, isn’t it?” he asked after a while.
That made Janet pause.
“Yes, I also felt that something wasn’t right about the whole thing. The staff reassured me that the
community’s fire safety measures has always been top-notch. Even if it was a short circuit, the alarms
should have been triggered as soon as the wires ignited. What’s more, Laney told me that a huge truck
was parked in the neighborhood the entire time that night, and the driver was nowhere to be found. It
was blocking the way, and that was why the fire engines got delayed with their emergency response. I
wanted to ask the staff about this, too, but he sounded so apologetic and ashamed that I thought it best
to let the matter go for now.” She was much calmer as she recounted all that she knew.
But Ethan’s face only grew darker with every word she spoke. “I don’t think this is an accident at all. It
looks deliberate. Arson, pure and simple.”
He pondered for a few seconds before adding, “The property management of our neighborhood has
always been strict, whether it involved the tenants or their guests. Plus, you mentioned there’s the truck
that night. No sensible driver would park their vehicles in an area allotted for firefighters or emergency
responders, yet such a thing happened on this one particular day. It just couldn’t have been a
coincidence.”
Janet pursed her lips, not knowing what to think of the whole incident. She wasn’t the type to think the
worst of other people unless there was proof of their misdeeds.
The Lester family couldn’t have been behind this terrible affair, or could they?
“Well, let’s leave it to the authorities. You just have to focus on your recovery. We can go over the
details later, once you’re all better.” With that, Janet opened the lunch box she had brought. “Frank said
that you need a proper rest for the next few days.”
She carefully laid out the dishes she had prepared—beef bone soup and some pickled vegetables.
At first, Ethan had no intention of eating at all. He simply didn’t feel like it. However, as the tempting
smell of food filled the air, he found that he had a rather healthy appetite.
“Here, drink this soup before it gets cold.” Even as she said it, Janet ladled a spoonful of the broth
herself, blew on it, and brought it to Ethan’s lips.
He slowly obliged. The warmth of the soup spread in his mouth and glided down his throat before
settling at the pit of his stomach. Just like that, the tension in his body loosened up, and he felt
unexpectedly cozy in his cold hospital bed.
Before either of them knew it, Ethan had already finished the whole bowl of soup.
He looked at Janet when he was done, basking in the tender sense of comfort one usually found in
one’s family. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt it.
Ethan was suddenly gripped with fear that he might lose it all over again, that his beloved wife might
leave him one day. On a whim, he asked, “What if I make a grave mistake in the future? Will you
forgive me and stay?”
Janet looked confused, but she only filled the bowl with some more soup and got it ready for Ethan.
She didn’t think anything of his words just now; all she cared about was his health. “Are you even
capable of making such a mistake? Here, open your mouth. You have to finish everything I brought.”
*******
As Ethan’s condition gradually improved, Janet got back to work. She wanted to be by his side and
take care of him, of course, but he needed to stay at the hospital for a considerable length of time.
Tiffany had already been magnanimous by allowing her a few days of absence a few weeks back.
Janet couldn’t bring herself to ask for more.
As for Ethan, he listened to Janet like a dutiful husband, and concentrated on his recuperation in
Frank’s private hospital. Once Janet had gone for the day, he made a call to Garrett. “Look into the fire
incident. Launch a full-on investigation and report back to me as soon as possible.”
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