There were only Natalie and Lucinda in the compound of the house now.
Lucinda wiped her tears and regained her composure. “At first, I knew nothing about the incident. When I first learned Alice was arrested, my world just fell apart,” she said, “The cops said she attempted murder because of jealousy. They told me she was in love with Mr. Shane from the Thompson Group, but that’s impossible because…”
“Because?” Natalie looked into her eyes and asked.
Lucinda choked for a bit and explained, “Because my daughter is in love with a lad from the Wangton family. Why would she attempt to kill you when she’s not in love with Mr. Shane? But she told me not to appeal, and that’s how she went to jail.”
“So at that point, you knew she didn’t do it but didn’t know the court has found her guilty?” Natalie squinted.
Lucinda nodded. “Yes. When I visited Alice at the prison, she asked me if our debtor had let us off. Mrs. Thompson, you should know we were once a rich family, right?”
“Yes,” Natalie replied.
Looking at the way Lucinda carried herself, Natalie knew she must have come from a well-to-do family.
“Ever since the Brown family declared bankruptcy, we owed our debtors a lot of money, and they threatened to kill us,” Tears welled up in Lucinda’s eyes, but she still forced a smile, “That’s why Alice pleaded guilty.”
“Did the culprit promise her to settle all of Brown’s debts?” A sudden frown warped Natalie’s face.
“Yes. That’s why she agreed to take the blame,” Lucinda said, “That’s why when I visited her last month, she asked if the debtors still came after us.”
“Did they?” Natalie asked.
“Of course, they did!” A hard glint flashed through Lucinda’s eyes. “The culprit didn’t settle our debts at all, and the debtors still disturb us from time to time. After realizing she had been duped, Alice decided to tell the truth.”
“I wanted to save her, but I don’t know what to do. I’m so glad to have gotten to know you today.” Lucinda then grabbed Natalie and said earnestly, “Please, madam. Please help my daughter. She’s innocent!”
She broke into an uncontrollable sob.
Natalie sighed. “I know. I’ll help. The culprit is still out there, and perhaps, he or she is still plotting to kill me again. To clear your daughter’s name, we have to nab the person.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” Lucinda expressed her gratitude in between sobs.
Natalie retracted her hand and said, “Since your daughter had dealt with the culprit before, I’m sure she knows a thing or two about the person. I’ll visit her tomorrow.”
“All right. I’ll make an appointment for you,” Lucinda said.
Natalie took out her name card and passed it to her. “Give me a call once you’ve gotten the approval. I’ll visit her as soon as possible.”
“Got it. Thank you.” Lucinda then placed her name card and put it on her chest.
Natalie then left the neighborhood with her children.
She was weighed down with all sorts of negative emotions.
The woman whom she thought was the culprit was in fact not the mastermind, which implied that the person behind all this was still at large.
Natalie recalled her first impression of Alice. When she saw Alice for the first time, Natalie thought she was gentle and innocent-looking.
At that time, she did wonder if Alice was the one who tried to kill her. The truth Lucinda revealed today proved that her initial instinct was correct.
Most probably, it was the same person who burned down my warehouse and injured Stanley and Connor in the car crash.
He or she must have done all these to harm me and my family. I just knew it!
Natalie kept mum throughout the journey home.
Upon seeing the expression on her face, Sharon and Connor sat quietly and did not disturb her. They could tell something was bothering her.
After sending the children to their room, Natalie went to the kitchen. “Mrs. Wilson, can you tell me where Shane is?”
Martha turned around and asked, “Do you want to find him, Madam?”
