Chapter 257

Maeve's Facebook was like a perfectly curated gallery, almost as if she was some high-society socialite. Every post was about fancy dinners, exotic travels, and her late-night thoughts on books.

Maybe that was her whole vibe?

Some people totally bought into it.

To those guys, she was probably the definition of charm and allure.

No wonder she caught Brandon's eye back then.

But thinking about it, another question hit me.

How did Maeve even get into this circle in the first place?

Everyone knew about her antics, yet she still managed to show up at all these events. Besides her own cunning, she must have had some help.

Suddenly, a thought struck me like a bolt of lightning.

How could I have forgotten this?!

Without wasting any time, I called Simon.

"Simon, do you remember how Brandon first met Maeve?"

Simon sounded puzzled on the other end. "Caroline, why are you suddenly asking about Maeve?"

"Did you find some new lead? Is Brandon up to no good again?"

I chuckled bitterly. "Brandon's still locked up at the police station. Breaking and entering, plus theft, should keep him there for a good ten days or so."

Brandon had fallen so far that no one was willing to help him.

Maeve had told me that Brandon even tried to contact her through someone at the police station, asking her to bail him out.

The thought of it made me laugh.

But I didn't share this with Simon. Instead, I asked, "I thought of Maeve because of something else..."

"So, who introduced her to Brandon in the first place?"

I really couldn't remember.

Maybe it was because I was too busy gathering evidence for my divorce from Brandon at the time.

My friends knew and were helping me.

I thought life would be better after the divorce, but so much happened since then that my mind felt sluggish.

Especially after Royce returned. He helped me so much that I became overly reliant on him.

Cutting off contact with him these past few days, I forced myself to handle things on my own.

Simon hesitated for a moment before saying, "Caroline, this isn't something I can explain over the phone. How about we meet up?"

Hearing his reluctance, I knew there was more to the story.

"Come over to my new place. I'll be waiting."

After hanging up, I took a deep breath and sat on the couch.

Before I could gather my thoughts, my phone buzzed again.

I thought it was Simon calling back, but it was Royce.

I stared at his name on the screen, not moving.

The screen dimmed, showing a missed call.

Then it lit up again.

It seemed like he would keep calling until I answered.

Feeling a bit helpless, I hung up.

This time, Royce didn't call back, but WhatsApp notifications started popping up.

[Why aren't you answering my calls?]

[Did you see the flowers I sent? They're beautiful. I want to send you a bouquet every day.]

[Caroline, at least say something. I'm really worried about you.]

Reading his messages, I felt torn.

Part of me wanted to reply.

People have feelings. Even though I'm a divorced woman, it's hard to ignore a man's passionate pursuit.

Especially since we had spent so much time together.

On the other hand, I wanted to ask Royce about Joanna...

To see if he knew anything.

But after much thought, I suppressed my emotions.

Since I had already made things clear, I shouldn't bother him.

If he couldn't reach me, his enthusiasm would probably fade soon.

That's what I told myself.

But that night, seeing his persistent goodnight messages made my heart ache.

If only that woman named Yvonne hadn't shown up at the party!

Eventually, I drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

The next morning, I quickly got ready and headed out.

My new place was in Sunny Meadows, about a half-hour drive from Kelly's.

Sunny Meadows was near the outskirts, at the foot of a mountain, with beautiful scenery.

Every time I came here, I felt inexplicably relaxed, especially after entering the neighborhood. It felt like I was retreating into the mountains.

But today, my mood was heavy.

Simon was already waiting at the door. Seeing me, he quickly greeted me.

"Caroline."

Surprised, I walked over and opened the door for him. "Why didn't you just come in?"

I didn't come here often and had given him a key.

Simon shook his head. "It's your place. Even though we agreed to meet, it didn't feel right to wait inside like I owned the place."

I sighed with a smile. "We've known each other for so long. No need to be so formal."

We went inside and sat on the couch. I poured Simon a glass of water.

As soon as I sat down, Simon spoke up. "Caroline, about what you asked me yesterday..."

I looked up at him. "Is there something you can't say? Why couldn't you tell me over the phone?"

Simon quickly explained, "Caroline, with everything that's happened recently, I was worried about potential dangers. If our call was being monitored, it could be bad."

I gaped at him. "You're overthinking it."

"Sure, someone might be watching me, but monitoring my calls... that's a bit much!"

If someone was capable of that, there wasn't much I could do to stop them.

Simon smiled wryly. "I don't know why, but I've been worried about a lot lately... Anyway, back to what you asked."

I nodded, ready to listen, when the doorbell rang.

Who could it be at this hour?

And did anyone else know we were meeting here today?

I looked at Simon, puzzled. He got up to answer the door.

To my surprise, he returned with Royce.

I watched in shock as they both walked over and sat down.

Royce acted like nothing was amiss, telling Simon, "Traffic was bad. Otherwise, I would've been here sooner."

I stared at Royce, my mind racing. "What are you doing here?"

Royce looked at me, his expression serious. "I heard you were meeting Simon and thought I should be here too."

Simon glanced between us, sensing the tension. "Caroline, I didn't know Royce was coming. He just showed up."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Alright, let's just get to the point. Simon, you were about to tell me something important."

Simon nodded, looking a bit uneasy. "Right. So, about Maeve and Brandon... It wasn't just a random meeting. Maeve was introduced to Brandon by someone in his circle. Someone who wanted to use her to get to him."

I frowned, trying to piece it together. "Who would do that?"

Simon hesitated, then said, "It was Joanna. She wanted to manipulate Brandon, and Maeve was her pawn."

My heart sank. Joanna had always been a shadowy figure in our lives, but this was a new low.

Royce leaned forward, his eyes intense. "Caroline, I had no idea about this. I swear."

I looked at him, searching for any sign of deceit. "Why should I believe you?"

Royce sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Because I care about you. And I want to help you get to the bottom of this."

I felt a mix of emotions-anger, confusion, and a glimmer of hope. "Fine. But if we're going to do this, we need to be honest with each other. No more secrets."

Royce nodded, his expression determined. "Agreed. Let's find out the truth together."

Simon looked relieved, but I could see the worry in his eyes. "Just be careful, Caroline. This is bigger than we thought."

I nodded, feeling the weight of the situation. "I will. And thank you, Simon. For everything."

As we sat there, a sense of resolve settled over me. It was time to uncover the truth and finally put the past to rest.