Chapter 143
Stella tried to comfort her. “Mary, this isn’t your fault. Eleanor meant to avoid you; none of this has anything to do with you, so please don’t blame yourself.”
“How could I not blame myself? If I hadn’t gone to take a nap, maybe none of this would’ve happened,” Mary sobbed, tears streaming down her face.
Mary had served the Hayes family when she was young, back when Eleanor was running the household. She was young, diligent, and sharp, quickly catching Eleanor’s eye and getting promoted from an ordinary servant.
Mary was never the ambitious type; she simply wanted to look after Eleanor. With Mary by her side, Eleanor felt truly at ease, so she kept her close.
Eleanor paid her the same as the housekeeper, and after all these years, with people coming and going, Mary was the only one who stayed by Eleanor’s side.
Mary was slightly younger than Eleanor, and over the years, Eleanor had come to see her as a younger sister. Likewise, Mary regarded Eleanor as her older sister. Now, seeing Eleanor pass away so suddenly and without any answers, Mary was torn up inside.
“Mary, listen to me.” Stella’s voice was a little hoarse as she spoke.
Stella said, “I don’t have the time to look after you right now. I can’t just count on the police to find her. I have to search for her myself too. You need to be strong, pull yourself together.
“I don’t blame you for what happened to Eleanor, and I’m sure if she were still here, she wouldn’t blame you either. I’m not asking you to do anything for me, but I hope you know what you should do now.”
Mary froze, stunned. It took her a while to process what Stella had said. “You’re right. I’ve just been so wrapped up in myself. Stella, I was planning to leave, but after hearing what you said, I don’t want to leave anymore.
“The person Mrs. Hayes worried about most was always you. I want to stay by your side. I don’t want any money from you; I just want to stay and take care of you.”
Stella said, “No, Mary, it’s better for me if you stay and look after me. You know I’ve got no family left in this world, but I still want to pay you what you deserve.”
“I…” Mary didn’t know what to say and Stella patted her.
At the police station, Stella asked officers if they’d seen Eleanor’s phone, but they hadn’t. Now she couldn’t stop wondering if the culprit had it; she had to find that phone, no matter what.
Jordan watched her sitting alone in the room. She wasn’t sad; instead, she hunched over her computer, doing something he couldn’t make out. He sat next to her to keep her company. The more Stella acted like nothing was wrong, the more worried he got.
When he saw Stella using a bit of simple code to track Eleanor’s phone, he wasn’t surprised at all. Stella had always been good at this sort of thing. “Did you find the phone?” Jordan asked/
“Yes, I’ve tracked it down. The phone’s right here. I need to go there right now,” Stella replied..
“I’ll go with you,” Jordan said. Jordan went to get the car ready. Stella had started learning to drive, but her license hadn’t come through yet.
When they got there, they realized it was actually a dump. Stella was certain the phone was somewhere in there; someone had clearly tossed it there on purpose.
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“You’re going to look for it?” Jordan asked, watching her get ready to dig through the trash.
“Yes, I have to find that phone. Maybe there are secrets on Eleanor’s phone,” Stella replied.
Jordan didn’t mind the trash and started digging through it with Stella. Stella tried everything she could think of to locate the phone, but nothing worked.
The sky was growing darker, and since they were at a dump, there were no lights around. Stella pulled out her phone, turned on the flashlight, and continued searching through the trash.
After what felt like forever, Stella finally caught sight of something familiar. But when she picked it up, she saw that Eleanor’s phone was
completely smashed, beyond repair.
Jordan took a look at it. “Maybe we can take it to the forensic team and see if there are any fingerprints on it besides Eleanor’s.”
Stella said, “Forget it. The phone was tossed here, so any fingerprints would have worn off long ago. And if they went to this much trouble, they probably thought we’d check for prints and wipe them.”
“Let’s just try anyway. You never know,” Jordan insisted.
Stella didn’t hold out much hope, but since Jordan was so set on it, she just went along with him. On the way back, Stella didn’t say a word, just messing with the phone the whole time.
Noticing that Jordan kept watching her, she shot him a glance. “What’s up?”
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Stella caught the look in his eyes and felt a gentle warmth spread through her heart. “Are you afraid I won’t be able to make it?” she asked.
Jordan didn’t say a word, but his grip on the steering wheel tightened. Stella laughed, yet her smile quickly faded, giving way to sorrow.
Stella said, “Eleanor’s death hit me hard. The police still haven’t figured out if it was suicide or murder. But I know my grandmother; she
would never take her own life.
“She was still making plans for a wonderful future with me. It has to be murder. I’m not going anywhere until I catch the person who did this.”
“And what if you find the killer?” Jordan asked. He spoke with extra care, worried he might touch a nerve and make things worse for her.
Stella hadn’t had someone talk to her like this for ages, so she explained, “The person who ruined my life is still out there, and I still haven’t seen the Hayes family get what they deserve.
“I won’t give up and die now; it’d be too unfair to me. Even if the whole world turns its back on me, I’ll still love myself.”
A smile tugged at the corners of, Jordan’s mouth, clearly satisfied with her answer. Stella asked, “Why do you care so much about whether I’d do something stupid?”
Jordan kept his eyes on the road and said, “Honestly, I’m all alone in this world too. So what do you say we team up and keep each other
company?”
Stella just kept staring at him. Jordan started to feel a bit creeped out by her stare and found himself at a loss for words. After what felt like forever, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Stella gave a gentle smile. “Jordan, the way I see you isn’t the same as how everyone else does. Deep down, you’re so sensitive, and you care a lot about what people think.
“All that cold, tough exterior you show the world–that’s just a mask, isn’t it? You’re all alone now, with no one to have your back or support
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you, so you put on an intimidating front to protect yourself. Am I right?”
Something flickered in Jordan’s eyes, his gaze growing more intense.
Stella said, “I like the idea of us sticking together. When I was in Middle–South Yaria, I was doing alright; never thought about ending it all, always believed I could escape someday.
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“When I was trapped in that mountain village, I felt hopeless many times. Even after returning, I nearly died countless times. But I never gave up on life because I’d figured something out.
“We only have one life, so why waste it? There are still so many beautiful places I haven’t seen. From now on, I’ll live fully. Each day I’m alive, I’ll make it count.”
Jordan made sure the road was clear ahead and offered his pinky for a promise. “So, pinky swear?”
