Chapter 48
Compared to the rest of the villa, Alex’s study was a bit dusty. The windows were tightly shut. Lily had to push the curtains aside to let the sunlight flood into the room, while Leo sneezed as dust flew through the air.
Arianne hesitated to enter. It felt too personal, too intrusive to be in Alex’s private space. However, as she glanced around the room, she was reminded of what they’d lost. Baby pictures of the twins were carefully framed and placed on the shelves. Pictures of Alex’s school days were also on display.
Arianne spotted a familiar picture on one of the shelves. She stepped inside and stared at it. She remembered when that picture was taken. She took the photo from the shelf to see it clearly.
It was their senior year in middle school. She was fifteen and had been sent to represent their school in a math competition, along with Alexander Rochefort and Gilbert Pemberton. Her secured spot had ruffled a couple of feathers for being the only woman admitted to the team.
It took the three of them weeks of preparation before they competed and finally won the championship. Arianne used to compete in the individual category, but when the school chose another student for that category, she was forced to compete in the group category instead.
This was the celebratory photo of their win. Alex stood in the center with both arms hooked around Gilbert and Arianne, a wide grin on his face. Gilbert was smiling genuinely, while Arianne wasn’t looking at the camera.
Arianne had never thought Alex would choose it as one of his core memories. He’d proven once again that she was part of his inner circle.
“Daddy and Auntie Aria were so young, but where’s Mommy?” Lily’s round eyes widened as she looked at the photo that had caught Arianne’s attention.
“We hadn’t met her yet at that time, Lily,” Arianne answered.
Lily turned her attention to her twin brother, who was busy pulling out a small box from the lower part of the shelf. Small trinkets and toys were revealed once it was opened.
The twins got distracted by it, leaving Arianne and Franz to survey the area.
“I should send someone to clean this place,” Franz commented as he stood next to Arianne.
“You should secure his computer and files first before doing so,” Arianne said, pointing at the folders neatly piled on the massive desk. She also noted a few unopened boxes in the corner, labeled “kitchen equipment” and “toys for the twins p>
This place was put on pause—left as is by its owner—and never revisited. Time had moved forward everywhere else.
Franz pondered for a moment. He wanted to keep the study as it was, but Arianne had a point. There were important details and documents on Alex’s computer and file shelves that would have been left unsupervised.
“Do you want to check Alex’s computer yourself?” he asked.
Arianne shook her head and crossed her arms. The chill of the afternoon was starting to seep through her coat. She glanced at the time on her watch, noting how much time they had left before leaving the estate.
If she was already this cold, it was only a matter of time before the children felt it too. They were just too distracted to notice the sudden drop in temperature.
“No,” she responded. “I’m sure there are documents there that aren’t for me to see. You are his brother. I’ll let you deal with it p>
Franz could only nod, the gears in his mind already turning as he wondered how to complete the task before his six-week limit.
Arianne moved on and checked the other shelves. Plaques and certificates were also on display. Alex was someone who didn’t brag but proudly showed his achievements without offering an explanation. At the same time, Arianne hadn’t bothered to display hers and had kept every proof of her wins tucked in a box, forgotten somewhere in storage.
“I remember this,” Franz said as he followed her gaze. “Isn’t this when you competed at Nationals with Alex and Gil p>
Arianne nodded.
“We almost got disqualified,” she chuckled at the memory. “Alex fell sick the night before the finals. Gil and I had to nurse him back to health. We thought we wouldn’t make it to the venue on time. Gil had to piggyback Alex because he couldn’t move fast enough to keep up with our pace p>
“Alex was distraught, you know,” Franz grinned. “He said he didn’t want to lose and drag your team down just because he got sick. He complained that all those sleepless nights and practices would be put to naught if you lost on a technicality p>
Arianne remained silent. Just like her, Alex was competitive. He didn’t mind losing—only if the reason was valid.
Her eyes then caught another photo. This time, it was Alex and Layla. It was taken much later. Layla was smiling at the camera, while Alex looked uneasy as she held onto his arm. The two weren’t in a relationship yet, but people around them had already noticed the attraction.
Seeing all these photos made Arianne feel as if it were only yesterday. It was hard to believe that almost twenty years had passed since she first met Alex.
Franz walked away from her and went to Alex’s desk. He checked each folder one by one, sorting them by importance. Once done, he opened the drawers. A leather notebook, a pen, and a document covered in crayon scribbles and drawings lay in the top drawer.
A smile spread across Franz’s lips when he picked up the document with drawings. He read it first—the Rochefort Group header printed at the top of the page—and immediately noted its importance.
Alex had allowed his children to mess with work documents without batting an eyelid. Studying the uneven scribbles, Franz didn’t doubt it was Leo’s masterpiece.
Setting it down on the table, Franz continued his search. The other drawers offered little until he opened the lowest one.
Franz pulled the thin folder free and read the header once.
The names of the Rochefort Group and Mythos Investment Group were printed at the top.
The proposal date predated Alex’s death by weeks.