On the day of the prison visit, Ariella's parents set out early in the morning. Attorney Leonel was supposed to accompany them, but he left first, claiming he had something urgent to attend to.
In truth, Leonel had already learned through his network that Gavin had regained consciousness. Without delay, and before Derek could catch wind of it, he rushed to the hospital to meet him.
The Ortiz family's company was on the verge of going public, and the momentum was strong. But a scandal involving a criminal cover-up—especially one involving a life—could destroy everything. If Derek learned that Gavin had woken up, he might resort to drastic measures to silence him for good. After all, only Gavin's death would make it impossible to overturn Ariella's conviction.
Leonel had sharply sensed this and arrived at the hospital before sunrise. He had already done his homework. On paper, Gavin was a senior executive at the Reed Group, but in reality, he was the illegitimate son of Chairman Reed.
Ariella grew up with Gavin. When they were older, he was taken abroad by his family, and they lost contact. Leonel's visit was a gamble—would Gavin remember who the real killer was at the scene of the crime?
Faced with a stranger, Gavin remained wary and silent no matter what Leonel said. But Leonel came prepared. He pulled out the official court documents and explained in detail what had happened while Gavin had been in a coma.
"She confessed to the crime?!"
Gavin finally spoke, a trace of an unreadable smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
Still, he remained suspicious of Leonel's identity. Even when Leonel explained he was Ariella's university classmate and had been entrusted by her parents to handle her case, Gavin stayed cautious. Though Leonel didn't get a direct statement, his visit was enough to stir something in Gavin's heart.
Shortly after, Gavin quietly arranged a hospital transfer. His whereabouts became unknown.
—
In the prison visitation room, a thick pane of glass separated me from my parents. Just one day apart had felt like a lifetime.
My mother noticed how gaunt and exhausted I looked, and her eyes filled with heartbreak. On the other hand, I put on a calm expression, pretending I had accepted my fate and comforted them instead.
Just then, my mother's phone buzzed again. With an annoyed expression, she picked it up—and sure enough, it was exactly what she expected. Seeing my puzzled face, she turned the screen toward me.
Derek's social media posts were pouring in like a flood, documenting every sweet moment of his new life with Jade.
[Today is Jade's first day home. She's sleeping so soundly.]
The attached photo showed Jade lying in the master bedroom, wearing my cherished nightgown, looking fragile and content. There were even faint red marks on her neck and collarbone.
[Made a heartfelt breakfast for Jade. Hope she likes it.]
A lavish breakfast spread filled the table. This was the same man who claimed he couldn't cook during our entire marriage—and had never once made me a proper meal.
Even when I was burning with a 40°C (104°F) fever and begged him, all he made was a bowl of plain porridge, and tossed it on the table with a frown.
So it wasn’t that he couldn’t—it was just that I wasn’t worth the effort.
He had pinned his latest post to the top.
[Some reunions are destined by fate. The right person is always waiting for you.]
In the picture, he and Jade held hands tightly, standing in front of a flower wall I had painstakingly built for his birthday.
I had spent months researching the perfect fragrant and visually stunning flowers, and bled many times arranging them into a giant heart. And now, that heart-shaped wall had become the backdrop for his public declaration of love for someone else.
The comments section was filled with blessings—and a few thinly veiled jabs at me.
Obviously, I was the only one kept in the dark about their affair.
I clenched my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white. My mother noticed the disappointment in my eyes and quickly put the phone away, trying to change the subject.
"Leonel said the victim had regained consciousness," she whispered, leaning close.
"Ariel, don't worry. Your father and I will do everything we can to get you out of here."
Although everything had already been decided, my parents were still doing their best. I was deeply moved, tears welling up in my eyes, but I said nothing.
Just then, my best friend Gemma called. My parents left, giving me those final precious minutes to speak with her.
As they were leaving, my mother reminded me again. "The victim is awake now. We'll go beg him for forgiveness... maybe it'll help reduce your sentence."
