CHAPTER 257: THE MOVEMENT

Arthur shook his head. He had racked his brain to think of all the possibilities, but he still couldn’t find the right one.

Ever since he discovered Hazel’s connection with River, he had dug into Hazel’s life. It was not easy, since she had been very low-key. No one paid her any mind before she engaged with Ranon Leighton.

"I know this sounds crazy, but while we have a retest on River’s body, will you do the test with me, too?" Arthur was going to be blunt with his intention.

"Do you really think I am River?" Hazel smiled calmly. Ranon had the same theory, too, and she knew he had done the DNA test on her and Greyson earlier, even before the matter with River came to light.

Arthur wanted to say something, but then he clamped his mouth. He thought of his answer carefully. "Yes," he replied curtly. "I know my daughter, and there are a few things that you did that remind me of her."

"Don’t you think that’s because you miss her?"

"No. I taught her everything, I watched her grow up, and I know her habits. The way she moved, the way she spoke." Arthur’s eyes were fixed on Hazel.

Under the calm façade, Hazel felt her heart was thumping wildly. Was it obvious to him? Ranon couldn’t tell because he didn’t know River personally, but Arthur was different.

He was right when he said he knew River very well. He was the one who personally trained her from such a young age. Every move River made and the way she was thinking and speaking—those things were something that you couldn’t change easily.

"Fine. Let’s do the test to put your mind at ease." Hazel shrugged. Arthur wouldn’t get anything because this body was indeed Hazel’s.

The test wouldn’t prove anything because it would only show exterior results.

"Anything else you want to say? If there is nothing more, can we talk about the main problem?" Hazel walked toward the ring. "There are a few things that we need to establish."

"What is it?" Arthur was satisfied because Hazel agreed to have the test, but seeing how calm she was, he started to doubt his suspicion.

"I have been in contact with Aubrey." Hazel watched how Arthur’s expression changed. He looked sad but also furious. "She is with the Barlowes."

"I know. She is more likely a captive there. Stupid child. After everything she’s done, she only gets a scumbag."

Hazel didn’t want to comment on that; she wanted to say that they deserved each other, but what she was going to say next wouldn’t be less offensive.

"She has been helping to get the information from inside the Barlowes." This information surprised Arthur, but Hazel continued. "For now, she is useful, but she is going to go down with Arlo."

Just because Aubrey was helping them now, Hazel wouldn’t go soft on her. That was not going to happen. Once they were done and Aubrey was no longer useful, Hazel would take her life with her hands, just like what she was going to do to Arlo.

Hazel wanted to make it clear from the beginning where she stood, so it was important for her to mention it up front.

Arthur was taken aback for a while, but then he became thoughtful as he contemplated his response.

"Why do you need to take revenge on River’s behalf?"

"Because she saved my life," Hazel then quickly added when Arthur was about to interrupt her. "I am not going to tell you how; you don’t need to waste your energy asking."

This was how River used to talk to him whenever they argued. That was why Arthur’s mind went wild to think that Hazel was actually River.

"Fair enough." Arthur nodded. "But in that case, you need to know that once we reach our goal, we are going to go our separate ways."

Hazel nodded. "Fine." In the end, Arthur was going to save Aubrey. He was going to risk everything to save his daughter.

"Let’s talk about the information that you have gathered here," Arthur said.

***

Hazel got out of the car with Yara, while Nolu parked it.

It had been a while since Hazel last visited the Leighton Company, and this was her first visit since Ranon bought the company.

There were a few changes within the organization. Some people were fired, while others were forced to resign because they were very loyal to Denzel. Ranon replaced them with his own people.

"Mrs. Leighton, how are you?" Valerie greeted her. She was still Ranon’s secretary.

"Great." Hazel hugged her instead of shaking her hand. "How are you?"

"I am great too," Valerie said, a little bit awkward because now Hazel knew that Marcus was her brother.

After what happened, Lucian helped her to find a great lawyer, and once the rehabilitation ended, Marcus was sentenced to three years in prison. Although it broke her heart, it was the best possible outcome.

"Mr. Leighton is having a meeting. I will inform him that you are here." Valerie escorted Hazel to Ranon’s office, while Yara followed them closely.

"There is no need to do that. I will wait for him here."

"I will get you something to drink. Do you want something?"

"Anything is fine."

Valerie then asked Yara the same question, and the latter gave the same answer. Once Valerie left, Yara sat down next to Hazel.

"I have sent you all the information about Darren Gild." Yara nodded to Hazel’s phone. "Our people in the Barlowe family said that Darren has gotten closer to Aubrey."

Hazel chuckled when she heard that. She didn’t know why, but she found it funny to think that Aubrey exerted her best ability to protect herself in the enemy’s den with the same method that she used on Arlo.

"Of course she has. That is her specialty."

Their spy was merely a young servant in the Barlowe household, which meant she could not access the same information as Aubrey. This made Aubrey still useful, as she had a unique position in the family.

Yara stared at Hazel for a brief moment. It started two months ago, when Hazel asked her to find out more about the staff in the Barlowe household.

She wanted to know the new staff there, because the old ones would be too loyal to the family for Hazel to bribe.

They found Casey. She was a young servant who had been hired only six months earlier. She had an ailing mother with huge medical bills that needed to be paid.

Of course, she became the perfect target. It did not mean that Hazel would put Casey in a crossfire; she only needed to pay closer attention to her surroundings, especially Aubrey’s movements.

An hour later, Ranon came out of his meeting to find his wife waiting for him there, and Yara left the room to give the couple some privacy.

"Why didn’t you tell me that you would come?" Ranon approached Hazel and kissed her forehead. She dressed casually, but he noticed that she put on some light makeup.

"I want to surprise you." Hazel kissed him back on the neck. "I just came from the boxing club and talked to Arthur."

Ranon knew about Hazel’s visit to the boxing club, and even though he was very reluctant to let Hazel deal with this side of their problem, he couldn’t deal with it without sacrificing his time in the office.

After all, there were a lot of things that he had to reorganize here after the buyout and Denzel’s death.

If he could, he would let Hazel deal with the matter in the office, since it was safer. Unfortunately, his wife seemed to have an allergy to anything related to business. She only wanted to know what was necessary.

Moreover, Hazel was more adept in this matter.

"We will go our separate ways once we figure out who has placed the hit on you and take down the two families," Hazel concluded after she told him about her conversation with Arthur.

"I expect that," Ranon said, and stared at her. "You are very capable of handling this."

Hazel flicked her hair smugly. "I told you that I can handle this matter better than you." This was her specialty after all.

"Don’t put your guard down," Ranon said. He knew Hazel’s capability, though it still perplexed him to no end, but he didn’t like it when she took it carelessly, even when she was only joking about it.

"Don’t worry," Hazel said casually. She then placed her leg on his. "Do you have another meeting? I am hungry. Let’s eat lamb chops; it has been a while since I ate them."

"Wait." Ranon reached for his phone and called Ares to handle the next meeting. "I am hungry; I am going to eat outside." And then he hung up the phone without waiting for his answer.

"Ares will not believe that," Hazel snickered. "He must think I have charmed you to neglect your work."

"You do charm me, but I don’t neglect my work. Come on." Ranon pulled her up as he stood up.

Both of them then walked outside while talking lightly about Ashlyn’s first birthday and what they were going to do for that.

"Tell Nolu to get my car," Ranon said to Yara when they went to the parking lot. They were going to use his car instead, since Hazel’s car was parked at the other exit.

"I think a small party..."

Hazel didn’t get to finish her words when they heard a loud explosion.