When Love Becomes a Cage (Melanie)



"Why?" Clyde blurted out almost instinctively, and my heart skipped a beat alongside.

The case involved a huge sum of money years ago, and the police never managed to track down Galen Brown. So why was Lisa so sure he wouldn't show up now?

"He, he... he committed a crime, didn't he? He did something wrong, of course he'd stay hidden."

Lisa's voice was tinged with uncertainty, fueling my suspicions even more.

The Lairds shouldn't have had any dealings with our company, let alone know Galen Brown.

Especially since Lisa had been abroad all this time, how could she be aware of what was happening back home?

I narrowed my eyes slightly, and Clyde coughed softly.

"Are you sure about this? Melanie has been pushing for a divorce lately, wanting a hefty chunk of my assets."

"If Galen helps her, I might lose everything."Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

"You guys are really getting a divorce?" Lisa sounded almost excited, to which Clyde noncommittally hummed in response.

She then sighed in relief. "Just relax, no one's going to help her. Just keep an eye on her, that's all."

"Oh my, it's getting late. I need my beauty sleep. Goodnight!"

She hurriedly ended the call, and Clyde and I exchanged glances, each seeing the meaning in the other's eyes.

"Let's not dig deeper for now. We don't want to spook anyone."

Clyde's voice was low, his gaze fixed on the phone screen, my feelings similarly complex.

Galen Brown had been loyally serving our family for years, one of my father's few true friends.

He watched me grow up; I couldn't believe he would do such a thing.

But why did Lisa know Galen Brown? And how could she be so sure he wouldn't appear?

"Do you think Galen might have fled abroad? Or maybe he's already..."

I made a throat-slitting gesture.

Apart from these scenarios, I couldn't think of any other possibilities.

"He didn't leave the country; I

checked. There are no exit recordet

for

him either." Content bound , and the police bet

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"However, his wife and kids left for Aurorea, probably around the same time you did."

He said this with a hint of resentment in his eyes.

I chose to ignore his look, "So, what do we do now?"

He gently ruffled my hair, then pinched my earlobe.

"You, just take care of the project and yourself."

"I'll give Lisa a chance to cast her sights on my charms. You take the day off tomorrow."

"What?"

I didn't get his plan, and he didn't offer any more details.

The next day, I slept in, only to be woken up by Eliana's call.

"Melanie, it's the afternoon, and you're still asleep? Aren't you working today?"

I glanced at the clock-past four in the afternoon. It had been ages since I'd slept this well.

"I took the day off. What's up?"

"I've dug up some dirt on the Crawford family. Let's meet up; I'll head to your neighborhood." That statement jolted me awake. So, the Crawford family was indeed in trouble.

I quickly got ready and headed to a local diner nearby.

Eliana eyed the food with disdain. "Given this is a high-end neighborhood, this food... it's awful."

"I'll treat you to something better next time. Now, spill-what did you find?"