Chapter 1076

Samuel rushed to the hospital, his footsteps echoing through the sterile corridors. He thrust open Sadie’s hospital room door and spotted her by the window, her back turned to him. The sight of her fragile silhouette against the harsh daylight made his heart constrict.

“Ms. Hudson,” Samuel murmured, his voice barely disturbing the room’s stillness.

Sadie pivoted toward him with deliberate slowness. Despite her ashen complexion and bloodshot eyes, an eerie composure resided in her gaze. “Did you find anything?”

Samuel nodded and extended the folder clutched in his grip. “Ms. Hudson, this contains Mr. Noel’s and his assistant Jack’s movements after they left the hospital.”

Sadie stretched out her hand to accept the file, her fingertips brushing against his with an unsettling coldness. She cast her gaze downward and thumbed through the pages with swift precision.

“Noah went to Castro Manor?”

Her fine brows knitted together as she lifted her questioning eyes to meet Samuel’s attentive gaze. Why would Noah visit Castro Manor? And at such a crucial time, immediately following Sharon’s disappearance?

Samuel acknowledged her inquiry with a nod and proceeded with his findings. “Yes, Mr. Noel drove directly to Castro Manor. Our team confirmed Mr. Blaine Castro’s presence as well. The two appeared to engage in some sort of confrontation before both retreated inside the manor and stayed for approximately an hour. As for what they discussed, the Castro family’s staff refused to reveal a single thing.” Samuel drummed his fingers against his thigh before continuing, “There’s more—Mr. Ralph Castro landed on domestic soil last night without any forewarning.”

A shadow of deeper bewilderment crossed Sadie’s features at this revelation.

“Ralph?”

? : gν?

Hadn’t Ralph traveled overseas citing health concerns? He’d claimed to need recovery time away from everything.

What prompted this abrupt return?

Why now?

The timing reeked of something beyond mere coincidence.

Could Ralph’s unexpected return somehow connect to Sharon’s death? Sadie forced down the maelstrom of suspicions churning within her mind, sat down on the bed, and returned her attention to the document. Noah’s assistant, Jack, went to a funeral home?

Catching Sadie’s widened eyes at this detail, Samuel promptly elaborated, “Yes, Jack proceeded directly to the funeral home on the city’s periphery after departing Castro Manor. This represents the extent of our discoveries thus far. Our investigation has yielded nothing further.”

A thread of resignation wove through Samuel’s otherwise professional tone. He faltered briefly, then leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “And one final matter, Ms. Hudson—they’ve scheduled Sharon’s cremation to occur within the hour.”

What?!

The statement struck Sadie like a physical blow, the words reverberating through her skull with brutal clarity.

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