Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 905

Tiana's mind was in turmoil, questioning everything from the start. Furious, she demanded, "Where is my cousin? Call him over. I want him to explain everything from start to finish on our way here!"

"Alright, I'll call your aunt."

"Mom, let's head to the Central Hospital first!"

Returning to Banyan City after months, Tiana found her childhood city unwelcoming and cold. Until she was twenty-three, she had been the darling of the Melford family, Fabian's precious daughter, living a charmed and whimsical life.

But at twenty-four, her life was shattered by Barclay, marking a turning point.

Since then, life lost its color.

The cold shoulder Banyan City gave her over these three years turned it into a cold, unwelcoming place in her eyes.

The Central Hospital was located downtown. As expected, Tiana couldn't get any information about the Caldwell family at the reception desk.

It was as if a warning had been issued; the staff were icy in their responses.

Celine, worried, said, "I don't know if the Caldwell family is deliberately making things difficult for us. This morning, your aunt and I came here, and it was only after much difficulty that we got through to Thomas's dad on the phone. He swore at us, forbidding us from seeing Thomas's body, claiming he was in the hospital himself and threatened anyone who tried to bring a coroner to the morgue with violence. Then, he had us escorted out by security."

Tiana narrowed her eyes, suspecting Matthew Caldwell's hospital stay was a front, his real intent to guard his son's body.

She pressed the nurse, "I'm asking you again, in which wing is the Caldwell family staying?"

"Miss! I've already told you, you can't invade the patient's privacy. Mr. Caldwell isn't seeing anyone, and you should forget about trying to get to the morgue," the nurse replied firmly. Tiana understood then; the hospital was likely under the Caldwell family's influence.

Otherwise, why would they be so bold with her, a Melford?

She smirked coldly, pulling her mother aside.

"Tiana, we can't even talk to the Caldwell family, how are we supposed to plead with them?" Celine worried about her husband, "Your father's in detention, and I don't know if he's being mistreated. He's old and frail; I'm worried he won't withstand being convicted..." "He won't be convicted! Not even for involuntary manslaughter, because I don't believe it."

Tiana gritted her teeth, pulling out her laptop, her eyes smoldering with anger, "And who said I'm approaching the Caldwell family to plead? Just their refusal to allow an autopsy fills me with doubt."

Her fingers flew over the keyboard, skillfully hacking into the system.

Soon, the wing where Thomas's father was staying flashed on the screen.

Slamming the laptop shut, Tiana stood up, her gaze fixed on the security guards at the entrance to the wards, "Mom, wait here for my cousin. I'm going to the Caldwell family's room." "You... you found it?"

"Yes."

Tiana put on a hat, covering her face, and quickly blended into the crowd entering the hospital.

-

On the second floor of the ward building, the Caldwell family was staying there.

Behind it was the hospital's morgue.

The Caldwell family guarded the area like sentinels, barring any Melford from nearing Thomas's body.

Tiana watched from the corridor as Matthew moved in and out of the room.

Finally, her cousin arrived.

Frank, upon seeing Tiana's petite frame but fierce, fiery gaze, couldn't help feeling afraid.

He meekly approached her, calling out, "Cousin."

Tiana slapped him.

"Cousin!"

"You're worthless!" Tiana's eyes were filled with icy shards, her voice low and furious, "Didn't I warn you before I left Banyan City? Not to aim too high or bother my dad for help!

Did you take my words for the wind? It was bad enough you squandered your own family's wealth, but why drag my dad into your mess? He's about to have heart surgery, did your conscience get eaten by a dog?!" "Cousin, I... I didn't know Uncle's health was that bad."

"Animal." Tiana didn't buy his excuses, her eyes dark and cold, "I looked into it. Why did your loan company get involved with the Caldwell Estate?"

"Someone introduced me, and I loaned money to the Caldwell Estate..."

Tiana scoffed, "I know, a two hundred million mortgage. Tell me, how big of a bite were you trying to take with your small loan company?"

"The Caldwell Estate offered high interest, 6%! I thought with their strong backing, the interest alone would sustain my whole company, so I went through the banks to loan them the money.

But damn it, after two months, they stopped paying!

My company faced a cash crunch, I couldn't pay back the banks, and my loan company was on the brink of bankruptcy. That's when I had no choice but to ask Uncle for help to fudge the books and cover it up from the banks.

Then, Thomas went and ratted me and Uncle out, landing us under investigation by the Commercial Crime Bureau.

I just don't get it. He didn't want to pay me back the two hundred million, fine, we could have talked it out privately.

Why go and rat out me and Uncle? What, did he have a grudge?

Damn, I was so pissed, and Uncle couldn't swallow this insult either. So, we went to the Caldwell Estate yesterday to confront Thomas, hoping to settle things amicably. But the moment we stepped into his office, Thomas had some thugs tie me up! They didn't tie up Uncle, and that's where things went south.

I was tied up in a partition, hearing Uncle getting angry and arguing with Thomas. Then an argument broke out, and somehow, Uncle grabbed an ashtray from the table and hit Thomas on the head! Thomas fell, and they started fighting. Maybe in self-defense, Uncle hit him more than once.

Tom had eventually stopped moving, blood pooling around him on the ground. I begged my uncle to stop, but he seemed out of his mind, his eyes bloodshot. By the time I was untied and fled, Tom was unconscious, the scene a chaotic mess, everyone frantically dialing for an ambulance.

Frank, holding his head, recounted in a daze, "I was supporting my uncle when, within minutes, the Caldwell family arrived. Tom's dad and a few others started beating us up, then the cops showed up. They arrested my uncle on the spot based on the bloodstains, the bruises, and the testimonies of the bodyguards."

"Last night, my uncle was interrogated all night at the station. At four in the morning, we got the news that Tom had died despite attempts to save him. The police are pretty much considering it manslaughter.

You know the situation now. The Caldwells won't accept the police's findings, insisting my uncle is guilty of murder. This morning, your mom and mine tried to offer the Caldwells compensation, but they were turned away.

Maybe you should try talking to Tom's dad, see if you can plead our case?"

Tiana took a deep breath, her mind overwhelmed by the information Frank had given her, trying to make sense of the chaotic snippets.

Her gaze fixed on the hospital room, her grip tightening, "We have to try. Follow me."

With that, her determined figure strode towards Matthew's room!