Chapter 71

**Sarah**

"Miss, are you okay?" Amanda asked, her voice laced with concern as she noticed my silence while we stood together in the garden. The commotion from Dr. Morgan's incident had just subsided.

I couldn't bring myself to answer her inquiry about my well-being. Reflecting on Grandpa Mitchell's wish for me to join his business, I understood his reasons. However, deep down, I knew his desire was for me to marry Bronn. I looked at the vibrant red flowers, then let my eyes drift to the setting sun, seeking solace in its fading light.

"I miss my baby" I murmured, the words escaping my lips like a sorrowful gasp.

My child proves that Philip and I are not meant for each other. "I don't want people's prying eyes. I've made so many wrong decisions in my life. That's why I chose a job where I can conceal myself. But I'm questioning if I'm truly happy. Am I really content with the life I chose? Maybe Dr. Morgan is right; I am losing my grip on reality."

"Oh, Miss! The feelings you're experiencing are completely normal for a mother who has endured such a profound loss. No doctor can dictate or invalidate the complex emotions you're grappling with. Your feelings are valid," she reassured me.

"I'm always thankful you're by my side, Amanda. If you weren't here, I don't know what would have happened to me." Tears welled up in my eyes.

"You know that I love you. I'm not in a position to meddle in your life, and the only thing I can offer is advice. Uh, haven't you thought about starting a new family? I've seen Mr. Bronn Martin a few times, and he seems like a good, honorable man." Her words were tentative as if testing the waters.

Bronn was the only person I could envision loving me unconditionally, but a nagging doubt lingered-was he my second chance? Months back, I had already decided to give Bronn a chance and open my heart to the possibility of a new love, but Philip's constant presence in my life made it impossible to pursue that path.

Amanda smiled at me. "Do you know why I love you, Miss Sarah? Because you're a good person."

Overwhelmed by her kindness, I stepped forward and embraced her. If there's one person in this world who wouldn't hurt me besides Grandpa Mitchell, it's Amanda.

When I returned to my room, I realized I hadn't checked my phone, which had died after the long trip home. I had already asked my people to charge it. As soon as I powered it on, a flood of unread messages filled the screen-from Philip, Bronn, and Jakob, among others.

I hadn't even started reading the text messages, my head was begging to ache, especially seeing the many unread messages from Philip. I decided to read Jakob's message first because I had something for him to do.

***Jakob:*** *We need to discuss what I uncovered. Let's connect on our secure video meeting platform.*

He meant the encrypted online conferencing link we've been utilizing on our private server to guarantee complete confidentiality and safeguard against potential breaches or eavesdropping threats. As I scrutinized his message, my brows furrowed into a concerned frown.

***Me:*** *I've just been charged. Connect to the server immediately!*

I swiftly grabbed my laptop and joined Jakob online. His fatigued countenance emerged on the screen, enveloped by dim surroundings, signaling the early morning hours in Henderson.

"Oh, damn! I forgot it's early morning there. Haven't you slept yet?" I inquired sympathetically.

"Someone of interest has returned to their residence." He's talking about me. "I'm conducting investigations on behalf of both Bronn and you simultaneously. How can one possibly sleep under such circumstances?" Jakob grumbled, taking the rim of his coffee mug to his lips, relying on the caffeinated beverage to sustain his wakefulness.

Curious about his findings, I leaned in. "So, what did you uncover?"

His gaze remained unwavering, his eyes locking with mine through the digital screen that separated us. "First off, any idea why your ex-husband needs a small army of bodyguards? He's got, what, seven in total?"

I shrugged. "I never really paid attention to how many bodyguards he had. I just figured it was normal for important people like him to have many of them. You know, like Bronn, Chairman Cornell, my brother, even my grandpa. They all have their own security teams whenever they go out," I said, sounding pretty casual about it.

"But doesn't it strike you odd that Philip Cornell has so many?"

Now that he had brought the matter to my attention, I could not help but acknowledge his observation. "Why the sudden interest in his security detail?"

"Okay, about the investigation. I was unable to locate any surveillance cameras in the vicinity of the location where you claimed the encounter with the motorcyclist occurred. It's almost as if your presence there was anticipated. But, one street camera caught the motorbike. I'll share the footage."

In just seconds, the face of the person who had boldly threatened me with a gun that scary night in Highland Hills City appeared on my screen, bringing back the frightening memory vividly.

"Is this the guy who pulled the gun on you?" Jakob asked.

"That's him."

"Did you book your ticket at Philip Cornell's office?"

"You're absolutely right, but I took precautions. A VPN always shields my laptop while I work-wherever possible. Especially at Luminary Productions. I mean, what exactly are we discussing here?" I couldn't stop myself from asking as a creeping sense of anxiety started to spread under my skin.

"It's still regarding the investigation you tasked me with. Philip didn't go to New York as he claimed. He stayed in Highland Hills and met with someone named Mariano. Mariano is a significant supporter at Luminary Productions, likely a key reason your ex-husband holds the presidency."

Even when Philip and I were married, I purposefully avoided getting too tangled up in his work matters. All I knew was that he drank a lot, and I thought his breakup with Megan was the cause.

"Sarah, are you familiar with who Mariano is?" Jakob asked gravely. "He's the person referred to as the godfather of racing."

My lips quivered. Of course, I was familiar with Mariano. He had once set his sights on me, making unwanted advances. But what most people don't realize, he didn't participate in racing; he simply oversees it, entangled in illicit activities related to the sport.

"Mariano Luca?" I uttered his name.

"Exactly. Philip Cornell is currently Mariano's favored 'godson.' Most of your ex-husband's bodyguards, Josh included, are chosen and managed by Mariano. But hardly anyone seems to notice this arrangement. Usually, it's just Mariano's representatives conducting any transactions, but I believe Philip has met with the man himself on occasion."

"So you're saying Mariano essentially holds Philip's life in his hands?" I asked carefully.

Jakob gave a solemn nod, pursing his lips.

"How did you uncover this?"

"It started with me digging into Josh's past and what he's been up to," Jakob clarified. "That led me to check out the backgrounds of Mr. Philip Cornell's other bodyguards, too, just to ensure you were safe. Then, I found out they're all linked to Mariano. Recall when we questioned Josh's existence under Philip's authority? Turns out, Mariano was the one who put Josh in that position. Mariano knows exactly who Josh is, even if Philip doesn't have a clue."

I never could have imagined that Philip's life was entangled in such complicated webs.

Jakob continued, "Now, this is just my own assumption, Sarah. I want to be clear-I lack concrete evidence from the investigation. But I believe the white van tailing you the other night belonged to Mariano's group. And I think it was Philip Cornell himself who saved you from them that night."

My eyes widened at Jakob's revelation.