Demitri took the phone from Lucius and headed upstairs, motioning for Lucius to follow. Once in his study, he wasted no ti cracking the phone’s password without trouble.
"Got it," Demitri muttered as he accessed the device. He began combing through the details, focusing on the call logs. After a mont, he spoke. "There was an outgoing call on the sa day the attack occurred."
Lucius stepped closer, his brows furrowed. "Who was the call to?"
"I’m still checking," Demitri replied, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "The rest of the phone is surprisingly clean. X wiped most of the data to cover his tracks. My guess is he didn’t get the chance to reboot the phone on the day of attack, which is why this number is still here."
Lucius gave a curt nod of understanding.
Demitri’s screen lit up with the results, and his expression shifted. "Orabela Rosenzweig," he announced.
Lucius arched a brow, confusion evident on his face. "Orabela?"
"Yes," Demitri confird, swiveling his chair to face Lucius. "The number belongs to Orabela Rosenzweig. Isn’t she Layla’s half-sister?"
"She is," Lucius said, his tone sharp with intrigue. "I’ll need to speak with her imdiately. Thank you for this, Demitri. I trust you’ll soon tell what Matteo asked you to do."
He then took a mont to snap screenshots of the relevant data, ensuring he had proof of the discovery. With that, he turned on his heel and left Demitri’s house.
Stepping outside the gate, Lucius imdiately noticed Roger leaning casually against the car’s door fra, arms crossed as though waiting for an update.
"Boss?" Roger straightened up the mont Lucius appeared.
"I know what you’re about to ask," Lucius said, his tone firm but composed. "But first, we need to head sowhere."
Roger frowned slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Where to?"
"Rosenzweig Mansion," Lucius replied curtly.
Then, Lucius quickly briefed Roger about the situation, including Orabela Rosenzweig’s connection to the phone. Roger’s expression shifted from confusion to shock as the implications set in.
"Orabela?" Roger echoed. "I heard she’s planning to leave Italy tonight."
Lucius’s jaw tightened. "Then we can’t waste any ti. Let’s go."
He slid into the backseat of the car without another word. Roger climbed into the passenger seat, taking his place next to the driver. With a nod, the driver started the engine, and they sped off toward the Rosenzweig Mansion.
~~~~
Present Ti:
"I need to head to the airport," Orabela said sharply, her tone dripping with irritation. "My flight might leave without if you keep pestering like this."
Roger’s stance was firm, his eyes locking onto hers. "You’re not going anywhere, Orabela. Follow ."
She crossed her arms defiantly, a scowl forming on her face. "I am not following anyone," she shot back.
"Bella, if you know the man, then you should tell the truth," Darius interjected, his tone laced with concern. "You’ve lied to us before, and I don’t want you making the sa mistake this ti." His skeptical gaze bore into her, demanding honesty.
"Dad, I—" Orabela stamred, unable to finish her sentence as Lucius’s voice thundered through the living room.
"You truly underestimate everyone around you, don’t you?" Lucius’s sharp words sent a ripple of unease through the room.
All eyes turned to him as he strode confidently into the room. Without hesitation, he walked to the couch and sat down. His piercing gaze fixed on Orabela, who seed to shrink under its weight.
"I only need to tap one button to call the police here," Lucius’s voice turned nacingly low as he threatened her. "The man Roger showed you is the one who shot ." He leaned back against the couch, his posture deceptively relaxed.
Orabela’s lips parted as if to respond, but no words ca out.
"What?" Miriam exclaid in shock. "You again tried to harm–"
"No, Mom. I didn’t," Orabela refused. She walked to Lucius and pleaded with her both hands joined. "I have no hands in this attack. I-I don’t like Layla. I admit that. But I will never stoop so low to harm you or Layla. And hiring a shooter isn’t easy. I didn’t do it, Lucius. Please trust ," she urged, her voice trembling in fear in the end.
"Your mother tried to kill my daughter!" Miriam’s voice erupted, sharp and furious, echoing through the room.
"Miriam, that’s enough!" Darius tried to calm her, but she refused to hold back.
"Orabela, how could you do this to my daughter and son-in-law?" Miriam’s voice cracked with a anger and betrayal.
Tears welled up in Orabela’s eyes as she faced Miriam. "I didn’t do it. Please, trust . I did nothing," she pleaded, her voice quivering as tears stread down her face.
Lucius stood up as he approached her. Without a word, he held up his phone, displaying the screenshots he had taken earlier. "Isn’t this your number?" he asked coldly.
Orabela wiped her tears quickly, squinting for better clarity. Before she could respond, Miriam’s frustration boiled over. She grabbed Orabela by the arm, spinning her around to face her. Miriam’s hand shot up, ready to strike, but Roger stepped in swiftly, catching her wrist mid-air.
"Mrs. Rosenzweig, please," Roger said firmly yet respectfully, lowering her hand. "We are still investigating. Let us handle this."
Miriam huffed but stepped back reluctantly, though her glare remained fixed on Orabela.
Lucius smirked slightly, his tone laced with dark humor. "Yes, Mother-in-law, patience. If Orabela turns out to be the culprit, you’ll have every right to hit her as much as you want."
Turning back to Orabela, he leaned in slightly, his phone still extended. "Now, look again. Isn’t this your number?"
Orabela’s eyes widened in recognition. She nodded hesitantly. "It is, but... I’m not using that number anymore. I haven’t for months. You can ask Layla—she’s the one who got a new SIM card." Her voice trembled.
Lucius raised an eyebrow, his mind working through her claim. "Interesting," he mused aloud before pulling out his own phone.
"Let’s confirm that," he said, stepping away from the group as he dialed Layla’s number. "Give a mont," he added, excusing himself to have a private conversation with his wife.
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