Chapter 16: The Woman in the Photograph

Stella remained standing in her bedroom long after the phone call ended. The old photograph rested in her hands while countless questions filled her mind. The woman beside Eric looked elegant and confident. More importantly, the warmth in Eric's expression was unlike anything Stella had seen before.

She wasn't angry.

She wasn't jealous.

She simply wanted the truth.

After everything she had experienced in her previous life, Stella refused to let misunderstandings destroy another relationship.

She placed the photograph back into the envelope and quietly left for the Chilton Estate.

An hour later, Eric was finishing a meeting in his study when the butler informed him of Stella's arrival.

'Miss Judd is here, sir.'

Eric looked surprised.

'Bring her in.'

Moments later, Stella entered the room.

Eric immediately noticed the serious expression on her face.

'Did something happen?' he asked.

Without saying a word, Stella placed the envelope on his desk.

'Someone left this in my bedroom today.'

Eric opened the envelope and froze the moment he saw the photograph.

His usually calm expression changed for the first time.

'Where did you get this?'

'I told you.'

'Someone entered my room while I was away.'

'They wanted me to see it.'

Silence filled the study.

Eric stared at the old photograph for several seconds before letting out a quiet sigh.

'Her name was Amelia Brooks,' he finally said.

'She was my university classmate.'

Stella remained silent, allowing him to continue.

'Everyone assumed we were dating.'

'In reality, we were only close friends.'

'She was one of the few people who treated me like an ordinary student instead of a member of the Chilton family.'

Eric walked toward the window.

'Five years ago, Amelia disappeared.'

'The police investigated for months but never found her.'

'No body.'

'No evidence.'

'Nothing.'

Stella quietly listened.

'The media blamed me because I was the last person seen with her.'

'Many people believed my family covered everything up.'

'Even today, some still believe I know what happened.'

He looked directly at Stella.

'But I don't.'

'I've spent years trying to find the truth.'

Stella studied his eyes carefully.

There was sadness.

There was regret.

But there was no dishonesty.

'Why didn't you tell me before?' she asked softly.

Eric smiled bitterly.

'Because Amelia's disappearance has nothing to do with us.'

'I didn't want to burden you with an old tragedy.'

'Besides...'

'I thought our future mattered more than my past.'

Stella nodded slowly.

'I believe you.'

Those three simple words made Eric pause.

'You do?'

'Yes.'

'Because unlike before, I'm choosing to trust instead of assuming the worst.'

Eric's expression softened.

'Thank you.'

Just then, Mason knocked on the study door.

'Mr. Chilton, we've identified the person who entered Miss Judd's house.'

'Who was it?'

'A temporary cleaning contractor.'

'The identification documents were fake.'

'He disappeared immediately after leaving the envelope.'

'Professional again,' Eric murmured.

'Exactly.'

Mason then placed another file on the desk.

'There's something else.'

'Our investigators found an interesting connection.'

'Amelia Brooks disappeared exactly five years ago today.'

Eric's eyes narrowed.

'Today?'

'Yes.'

'Which means whoever sent the photograph chose this date deliberately.'

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Someone wasn't merely trying to create misunderstandings.

Someone wanted to reopen an old case.

Stella suddenly remembered something.

'Eric...'

'Did Amelia have any enemies?'

Eric thought for a moment.

'Not that I know of.'

'But before she disappeared, she mentioned that she'd accidentally discovered something she shouldn't have seen.'

'She never explained what it was.'

Mason looked up immediately.

'Why didn't you mention that before?'

'Because I didn't think it mattered.'

'She laughed about it afterward.'

'I assumed it was nothing serious.'

Mason quickly wrote several notes.

'Maybe that's exactly where we should start.'

'If Amelia discovered a secret...'

'Perhaps the same people are targeting Miss Judd now.'

The possibility sent chills through the room.

Stella slowly looked toward Eric.

'You think our situations are connected?'

'I don't know yet,' Eric admitted.

'But I intend to find out.'

That evening, after Stella returned home, she carefully locked her bedroom door.

As she prepared to sleep, she noticed another object lying beside her bedside lamp.

It hadn't been there earlier.

It was a small silver key.

Attached to it was a handwritten note.

'Locker 307.'

'Central Station.'

'The answers you seek are waiting.'

Stella's breathing slowed.

Someone was leading them somewhere...

But whether it was a trap or the truth...

She had no way of knowing.