Jinhai was busy with work when Assistant Xin came in.
“Sir. Apart from those two letters, Han Ru had found out another letter.”
Jinhai raised his eyebrows, “Han Ru?”
“Yes, sir.” He told him about the talk he had with Han Ru.
He frowned, “Huian told him? But she didn’t say anything to me. And which birthday banquet? I know Huian’s every friend. There was no birthday banquet since the past month.”
“Sir, even I didn’t understand that. What is Madam Liu’s connection here?”
“What was in that letter?”
He told him.
“Sir, Han Ru and I are both of the same thinking that this may be personally related to you. But, nevertheless, I investigated all our rival companies and their data and connections of two years back. There was no suspicious activity or deals neither back then nor which are currently going on.”
“Hm.”, he was in deep thought, “It started two years back…have a fake attack, it always works…”, then he made a face as something struck him.
Assistant Xin also realized at the same time, “Sir! There was only one incident that happened two years back. Old madam Liu’s heart attack.”
Jinhai slowly nodded.
“Apart from that, there was no major incident neither in your family nor at the company. Well, young master Chen Jianyu and Miss Tang broke up too but it is not directly related to you.”, but he was confused, “But why did it say fake? Old Madam Liu was clearly hospitalized.”
Jinhai narrowed his eyes, “Hm. The person from the second and the third letter cannot be the same. In second, it said that someone’s patience ran out…whose?”
“Yes, …it cannot be Old Madam Liu. Why would her patience run out? From what?”, he frowned, “and the first letter ‘in cahoots with’…this means that the person from the second letter and Old Madam Liu are together in something?”
After a pause he said, “Sir, was there something more to Old Madam’s heart attack?”, he asked carefully.
“Investigate Dr. Xie.”
Dr. Xie was the one who had treated Grandma Liu two years back.
“Yes, sir.”
—
Late at night, Jinhai returned to find Huian getting ready to sleep.
“Jinhai. You are so late.”, she pouted.
“Hm. I will take a quick shower.”
She smiled, “Okay.”
He came back ten minutes later and sat on the bed drying his hair.
Huian rested her head on his shoulders and said, “Jinhai. I was thinking if we should go for a small vacation somewhere. I’m really bored here. It would be a nice change.”
Huian was desperate to be away from that blackmailer’s grasp. She felt like she was always being watched. Day by day she was becoming jittery and would jump out in fear if anybody called her like it was an arrival of another letter.
Sometimes even the maids talked behind her back how they noticed her odd behavior.
He stared at her.
“Not now, Huian.”, he said.
She frowned. “Why? Can’t you make time for a few days? Please.”
“Huian.”, he said quietly, “Are you hiding something from me?”
She froze.
“H-huh? What are you saying? Why would I hide anything from you?”, she said laughing nervously.
“Then why did you ask Han Ru to give you any letter that would be sent for me?”
She was stunned.
What? Was he caught?
“N-n-no. It was nothing. I told you right? That Jiu maybe-“
“And I already told you that I was suspicious of the first letter itself. Why would Jiu stretch a prank this far? Three letters? If there are that many, that means somebody is doing something that we should be wary of.”, he cut her off.
“You especially came to the office to ask him to keep an eye on those letters? And if they really are only a joke as you say, then what is the harm in me getting them? I would have ignored them anyway.”
She was panicking now.
“What is wrong Huian? Is there any problem? Nowadays you seem lost somewhere.”
She wiped her forehead unconsciously. “No. You are misunderstanding. I really thought that it would be Jiu. You know how stubborn she is sometimes.”
He didn’t say anything.
The silence was stifling.
After a while, he patted her shoulders, “If there is anything, you can come to me.”
“Of course. You are my husband. Where else would I go?”
Jinhai’s phone beeped a text.
“You go to sleep. I have some work.”
“Again?”, Lately, she felt that Jinhai was avoiding sleeping in the bedroom. Either the whole night he would be at the office or if he is at home, he would be in the study.
Is he doubting me? She clutched the bedsheet tightly.
Unknown to them Liu Hai was right outside their door, listening to their every word.
—
The next morning, Huian woke up quite late. The whole night she could not sleep thinking that maybe Jinhai has started to doubt her.
The maid knocked and brought her usual cup of coffee. She hurriedly kept the tray and said, “Sorry Madam. I got a little late.”
She ignored her as she didn’t have the energy to rebuke her for her tardiness.
Huian just got up when she saw a paper tip coming out from the under the glass. The same light floral design.
Her heart thudded. She quickly took it out.
Mrs. Liu Huian
He is closing in on the truth. One more letter, and game over.
