From Terrorist Cell to Diamond Prison

Chapter 15

Mr. Fitzgerald took a deep breath, finally breaking the silence.

"I think it's time I tell you something important, something that directly relates to your late parents."

Rosalie's attention snapped to full focus. She had been so young when her parents passed, too young even to say goodbye. All she knew was the report of their tragic car accident. But now, as Mr. Fitzgerald pulled a file from his safe, she sensed there was far more to the story than she'd been told.

As she read through the report, Rosalie's heart started to race. The details confirmed the suspicions she had buried deep down for years, her parents' death hadn't been a simple accident.

But why had she been kept in the dark all this time? Why hadn't anyone fought for justice on their behalf?

She looked up at Mr. Fitzgerald, her mind spinning. He gave her a reassuring nod.

"These documents were given to me two years ago by your grandfather."

Her grandfather. The image of the elderly man in his wheelchair flashed through her mind.

"Grandfather?"

But he had passed away years ago, at least, that's what she'd been told. She remembered the guilt she'd felt when she couldn't return home to see him one last time.

Confused, Rosalie turned back to Mr. Fitzgerald.

"Professor, what… what's going on?"

Mr. Fitzgerald let out a heavy sigh.

"You've been away for so long, Rosalie. Some things happened here that you don't know about. Your grandfather arranged for you to stay abroad all these years. He even contacted Luke, asking him to look after you. The Mitchell family made sure Luke benefited greatly from taking care of you, behind the scenes."

The memory of meeting Luke resurfaced with shocking clarity. Her carefully preserved image of their relationship began to crack. Had everything she believed been a lie? She'd thought fate had brought them together, that Luke's care and attention came from genuine affection. But now it seemed like her grandfather had orchestrated her life from afar. She never would have met Luke if it hadn't been for him.

And without the Mitchell family's hidden influence, would Luke have ever bothered with her?

But why? Why had her grandfather arranged her life this way?

Mr. Fitzgerald's next revelation left her even more shaken.

"Your grandfather didn't actually pass away, Rosalie. He's alive and has been receiving treatment in a nursing home."

Rosalie stared at him, her mind struggling to process the weight of his words.

"These documents were sent to me by his aides once I reached out to you. He wanted you to decide whether to pursue this or leave it behind."

Mr. Fitzgerald placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"When I saw how settled and peaceful your life was abroad, I didn't want to disrupt it with these old wounds. But now that you're here, you deserve to know the truth."

Rosalie's hands trembled as she held the documents. The truth about her parents was everything to her. It was the one thing she needed more than anything else.

After a long moment, she steadied herself and asked, "Where is my grandfather now?"

The car pulled up beside a secluded nursing home on the outskirts of town, nestled among a peaceful landscape of mountains and water. The place felt timeless, serene, almost untouched by the outside world.

As Rosalie entered the grounds, she spotted a wheelchair in a sunlit corner. An elderly man with silver hair sat there, his back hunched slightly, a thin blanket draped over his shoulders. Nearby, a few rose bushes swayed in the breeze, their delicate blooms a quiet reminder of days long past.

The elderly man sat with his eyes half-closed, unaware of her presence. A gentle breeze stirred a few fallen leaves around his feet, and the quiet of the place seemed to wrap around them both.