Lady Warrior's Warth on Divorce Day novel Chapter 141

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141

Zoya was taken aback for a moment. The guard standing nearby quickly stepped forward and helped Gabriel

to his feet.

Zoya gestured to the guard, then turned to Gabriel. “If you have something to say, just say it. No need to kneel

like that.”

Gabriel let out a bitter laugh and thought, ‘Just say it? But no one listened to me when I tried to speak up back

then.

‘Everyone thought I was talking nonsense.

‘Even when I begged them to look into the truth, no one cared. They just chased me away.

‘My father was dead. Dead men can’t clear their names.

‘But I knew my father had been wronged.

Gabriel said, “Back then, everyone blamed the fire on my dad. They all said it was because he was smoking, and it got out of hand. But my dad promised me he’d quit smoking, and he was a man of his word. So there’s no way he started that fire!”

Zoya frowned, recalling how she’d once dug through every report about that fire. She knew full well the fire department had pinned the cause on a carelessly discarded cigarette butt.

Because Curtis Zeldin, the co–pilot, was the first to die, and with all kinds of evidence lined up, everyone ended up blaming him for the disaster, insisting the fire was caused by his smoking.

“Who’s to say he didn’t slip and sneak a cigarette when you weren’t looking?” Zoya asked.

“No way!” Gabriel insisted. “My dad always kept his word. And besides, he’d found out he had those ground- glass nodules in his lungs–in a spot too tricky for surgery. He told me he wanted to stick around and watch me grow up, so there’s no way he’d risk it by smoking again!”

By the end, Gabriel’s voice choked with emotion. “Please, Ms. Lucero. I’m begging you to help clear my father’s name. I can’t bear to think of him dying with a crime he didn’t commit hanging over his head!”

Looking at Gabriel, Zoya found herself thinking, ‘Could that fire be tied to Oscar’s vanishing?

‘Yeah, there’s no hard proof, but Oscar did go missing right after the blaze.

‘If the co–pilot wasn’t behind it, who was?

‘I need the truth, too.‘

“Alright, I’ll investigate for you,” Zoya said, “but I can’t guarantee the answers will be what you’re hoping for.”

Five years was a long time. Any evidence that might’ve existed was probably lost to time by now.

Chapter 141

And since the co–pilot was gone, there were just some truths people might never uncover.

Tears streamed down Gabriel’s face as he choked out, “Thank you… Thank you…”

Zoya was the only person who’d ever really stepped up to help him.

Gabriel couldn’t help but be thankful.

As Zoya stepped out of the meeting room, she saw Wren waiting for her in the hallway.

“All done?” Wren asked.

“Yeah,” Zoya nodded. “Gabriel told me the fire wasn’t because his dad was smoking. His dad had ground–glass nodules in his lungs and promised him he’d quit smoking, so he’s convinced his father would never smoke again. He’s certain his dad isn’t responsible for the fire, especially not because of a cigarette butt!”

Wren’s eyes flashed as he said, “So, you’re going to help him figure out what happened?”

“Yes,” she said. “To be honest, I always had this feeling that the fire was connected to my brother’s vanishing. I’d been meaning to investigate it anyway. Now I can team up with Gabriel and maybe finally get some answers.”

“I’ll help you dig into it,” Wren said.

“Alright,” Zoya agreed right away. ‘Having someone else on board means we’re way more likely to turn up a real clue,’ she thought.

“Let me help you out, Zoya,” Harvey’s voice suddenly echoed through the hall.

Zoya spun around, surprised to see Harvey had slipped into the detention center without her noticing. “What brings you here? Weren’t we supposed to meet up tomorrow for a little tour?”

“Honestly, I was just bored,” Harvey said with a grin. “Heard you were here, so I figured I’d swing by. Whatever you’re digging into, count me in.”

Since he’d just walked in, he hadn’t caught what Zoya and Wren had been talking about before.

So Zoya filled him in on everything she’d just discussed with Gabriel.

Harvey paused and said, “Trying to dig up details from five years ago isn’t a walk in the park, but maybe we can chase down some leads. If Jasmine was actually there when the co–pilot died and saw it all but didn’t lift a finger, she might know something we’re missing.”

Zoya had a similar hunch. “But honestly, I bet she’d never spill it even if she does know something.”

After all, it was Gabriel, the co–pilot’s son, who kidnapped Jasmine and forced her to admit during a live stream that she stood by and let it happen. With the whole public blaming Jasmine now, how could she ever risk telling the truth and helping clear the co–pilot’s name?

“Then, let’s dig deeper and include Jasmine in our investigation. Maybe we’ll uncover some useful clues,” Harvey said.

“Yeah, we just have to look and see what we can find for now,” Zoya replied.

“Zoya, it looks like you feel for Gabriel,” Harvey teased. “Want me to hook him up with a defense lawyer?”

“Wren has got a lawyer for him,” Zoya replied.

“Seriously, Zoya, did you forget what my granddad’s family does? I can get Gabriel the best defense lawyer in Ranard City,” Harvey bragged.

“The lawyer of the Richmond family’s legal team is already the best you’ll find in Ranard City,” Wren shot back, not holding back at all.

Wren and Harvey were at it again, throwing shade. Zoya rubbed her temples, thinking, ‘Why do Wren and Harvey always have to clash like this?‘

*****

After leaving the detention center, Zoya made her way to Abbott’s old residence.

At the Demolition Office, all the ownership records for Abbott’s old residence had been updated to Zoya’s

name.

Zoya knew the demolition of the old residence was part of the city’s redevelopment plan.

The old residence was filled with items from her family–each one a piece of her memories. She planned to pack everything up, contact a moving company, and have it all sent to her place in Marabotara for safekeeping.

As a result, Wren and Harvey had to come to the old residence and help Zoya clean it out.

So, there they were. Wren and Harvey, who always acted so above it all, ditched their jackets, rolled up their sleeves, and hauled boxes like a couple of regular movers, packing up Zoya’s family memories in the old

residence.

As Zoya watched all the belongings in the residence being packed up, she was overwhelmed by a bittersweet sense of nostalgia and loss.

In the past, Zoya’s family of four would always come to visit the old residence together every time. But now, she was the only one left standing in those empty rooms.

She picked up a family portrait from the table. Just seeing all their smiling faces together made her eyes sting and turn red with tears she couldn’t hold back.

“Zozo, are you alright?” Wren asked softly from behind her.

“I’m fine, really!” she answered quickly, taking a deep breath and doing her best to hide her sadness. “You guys have been helping out for hours and must be thirsty. Let me go and grab some drinks from the shop next

door!”

Then, Zoya quickly placed the framed family photo into a box and hurried out of the house.

Only Wren and Harvey remained inside the house.

They locked eyes, caught in an awkward standoff, neither saying a word.

“Zoya’s always been like this, you know. She hides her pain, even when she’s falling apart inside. Wren, Zoya was staring at her family photo. Don’t tell me you couldn’t see how much that cut her up?” Harvey said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Wren just tightened his lips, refusing to give Harvey the satisfaction of a response.

“Face it, you barely know Zoya. So what if you’re dating? You don’t really get her. It won’t be long before she gets tired of you. I’ve been with her for years, side by side in the military. I know exactly what makes her tick and what she can’t stand,” Harvey added, smug.

Harvey gave Wren a look that screamed, ‘It’s just a matter of time before Zoya gets sick and tired of you.’

A shadow flickered across Wren’s eyes. He was well aware Harvey had known Zoya for way longer than he ever could.

He couldn’t help the stab of envy. That stretch of time they’d shared in the military, all those memories he had no way of touching… It grated on him.

Suddenly, Wren shot back, sarcasm dripping from his icy voice, “Tell me, Harvey, do you even realize how much Zozo loves my body?”