Chapter 769
769 Chapter 768
Darien looked stunned when he heard that.
He glanced at Keira, confused, and asked, “Nine fifty-five? I don’t really get what you mean p>
Keira immediately pressed, “I’m asking why you called her to come out at exactly 9:55 p>
Darien seemed even more confused. “Did I? I didn’t even notice p>
He pulled out his phone, checked his call log, and sure enough—it showed he had made the call at 9:55.
Looking baffled, he muttered, “I just called randomly. I had no idea what time it was p>
His expression was sincere, not like someone trying to lie.
Still, Keira glanced over at Erin, just to be sure.
“What are you looking at me for?” Erin asked, raising an eyebrow.
Keira replied, “Check if he’s been hypnotized p>
“Oh,” Erin said, stepping closer to check Darien’s pupils. After a quick look, she shook her head. “Nope, nothing p>
Keira frowned. “Then what’s going on p>
It felt like the trail had suddenly gone cold.
Just then, Lewis entered the room and handed Keira his phone. It turned out that during this time, he had someone investigate Darien’s background.
The report was incredibly detailed—it even listed the kindergarten Darien had attended.
From what they gathered, Darien seemed like an ordinary person, a kid from a small rural town who worked hard in school and made it to college, supported by his family.
But once he got to college, he was exposed to a world he’d never seen before and was dazzled by the wealth around him. He started dating rich girls at school.
That was when he set his sights on Ellie.
The whole “risking his life to save her” story? All fake!
There had been no heroic effort at all.
It was a carefully staged act by him and his friends.
The investigation even uncovered conversations between Darien and his buddies, detailing how he had gradually manipulated Ellie, pushing her boundaries step by step.
Once he realized how forgiving she was, he began living it up, meeting Mollie Francis along the way.
Mollie mistook him for a rich heir, constantly trying to impress him, which made Darien feel superior—something he didn’t experience with Ellie. He created the illusion that Mollie was his fiancée, deceiving Ellie completely.
For the past few years, Darien hadn’t worked a day, living off Ellie’s money while enjoying a lavish lifestyle with Mollie.
And Ellie never noticed—until the car accident yesterday.
There was nothing in his past that indicated anything strange about him.
So, what was really going on here?
Keira turned to Erin and asked, “How did the South family make him call Ellie at exactly 9:55 p>
Erin rubbed her chin thoughtfully before responding, “You keep assuming the South family is behind this. But have you ever considered the possibility that Ellie’d been hypnotized to follow Darien’s lead? Maybe this is someone targeting the Cobb family—someone out to destroy them—and it has nothing to do with the South family. Maybe the real enemy is just toying with Ellie and planning to kill her… and it just so happened that the timing fit with what the South family predicted p>
Keira pressed her lips together, deep in thought.
Erin, however, grinned and teased, “I know you don’t believe in mystical stuff, but sometimes, you’ve got to face the facts. At least for now, Darien checks out p>
She glanced at Ellie. “Whoever’s setting her up just wants to ruin the Cobb family, so they didn’t even bother messing with Darien’s mind or putting him under any kind of suggestion p>
Erin patted Keira on the shoulder. “I know the truth is hard to swallow, but you’ve got to accept it. How do you think the South family has survived for over a thousand years? It’s because they can do things that are hard to explain, and their hidden wealth is beyond your imagination p>
Keira furrowed her brow.
Lewis chimed in, “The South family’s definitely mysterious. No one’s ever been able to figure out where they are. Their predictions circulate among high-level circles, and they’ve never been wrong. Keira, maybe the South family really does have the power to foresee things p>
Keira tightened her jaw.
She had never believed in anything so mystical, but now the evidence was staring her in the face, leaving her with no choice but to take it seriously.
She took a deep breath.
Erin turned her attention to Ellie. “This guy? You figure out how you want to deal with him p>
With that, Keira walked out.
As she made her way through the hallway, her brow still furrowed, something clicked. “Wait, that’s not right p>