CWMBR 122

Chapter 122

***

Sponsored by Elisa. Thank you ❤️ (8/10)

***

Bridget let out a hollow laugh and stared intently at Ain, lost in thought for a moment. She was debating how much she could safely tell him.

If, as he claimed, the assailant had been sent by Finn Emerson, Ain might eventually clash with Finn Emerson himself. If she shared information carelessly and his unilateral actions caused some interference, she'd be just as awkwardly caught in the middle.

After roughly organizing her thoughts, Bridget opened her lips.

"There's something I need to find at the house where Mr. Emerson is staying."

With just that one sentence, Ain understood the entire situation.

"Ha, fine."

He muttered irritably, then spoke in a stiff voice.

"I'll handle it myself. I know Finn Emerson's patron personally."

After all, given their past connection, it wasn't strange that Ain and Finn's patron knew each other. But if it were a relationship Ain could resolve, wouldn't Sanne have tried long ago?

Bridget wasn't well-versed in the upper-class relationship map, but she knew it wasn't one-sided or strictly hierarchical. Besides, even if it were, Bridget had no intention of backing out now.

"No matter how powerful the Wise family is, they're still just one family. Ultimately, they can't overstep the royal authority, right?" 

Watching the royal announcement, Bridget felt the raw power of authority. The very newspapers that had mocked her relentlessly now dared not utter a word on the subject after the royal statement. Even Ain Wise bowed to the royal decree.

This explained why Ronan had worked so tirelessly to befriend the powerful figures of Glynford. Bridget couldn't help but smile bitterly at the realization she'd ultimately have to choose the same path as Ronan, yet she couldn't let this opportunity that had rolled right to her.

"I requested full authority in the name of the royal family to investigate my parents' accident. And I stated that I wanted everyone connected to it to be judged under 'proper justice'."

No exceptions.

The royal family would make it happen. If she didn't take Sanne's hand when she needed her, when else would she be able to borrow the royal family's power to right the past?

Bridget looked at Ain, who was staring at her blankly. It was none other than the man before her who had made her decide to negotiate with Sanne. It was the result of clumsily imitating this man's attitude, who treated even a simple divorce agreement as a negotiation table.

For that, at least, she was grateful. Thanks to Ain, Bridget had learned to strive for rationality rather than emotional reactions when conversing with others.

Bridget spoke in a dry voice.

"Ain, this deal is already done."

She turned away from the speechless man.

***

*Previously

Declan was talking to someone in the first-floor lobby. Through her brief conversation with him, Bridget decided to hand this murder case over to the Wise family. After all, it was the Wise family member who had recovered Bertio's body, and it was the Wise family who were pursuing the intruder who had attacked Ain. There was really no question about handing it over.

"The Wise family, being of royal blood, possesses special investigative authority. Especially in a case like this, where Ain was attacked, there's no procedural issue with them directly pursuing the culprit. In fact, it would be better for them to handle this quietly."

Special investigative authority? Bridget nodded, thinking the Wise family really had every exception under the sun.

"Thank you for your advice."

So then, she only needed to worry about Finn Emerson.

Bridget exhaled a long sigh, recalling the desk in the study. A conversation from a few days ago naturally surfaced in her mind.

Gilum, who had gone to check on the investigation's progress, was gone longer than expected. When he returned, he wasn't alone. 

"How have you been?"

Unlike Gilum, whose face bore a calm, settled expression, Sanne looked as fresh and crisp as ever. She was relaxed enough to joke about missing Jane's pancakes. Escorted into the sitting room, she naturally brought up the investigation.

"Thanks to your cooperation, the investigation is progressing smoothly."

"That's a relief."

"We've also located Ronan Pennington."

Bridget's hand, which had been resting modestly on her lap, twitched.

"Donna Green visited Ronan Pennington recently. It seemed quite urgent. We even confirmed they had a heated conversation."

The media coverage of Donna's story was still ongoing. A bewildering array of revelations had surfaced, so extensive it was hard to believe they had remained hidden this long. Some details were entirely unknown to Bridget. Though Bridget had started it, the relentless exposés now chipped away at Donna's reputation and worth daily, spiraling beyond her control.

With her relationship with Mrs. Hera also strained, Donna seemed to have concluded that relying solely on friendly media outlets was no longer enough to stop this. Going to find the hidden Ronan was proof she was that cornered.

Now that Ronan's whereabouts were known, if Sanne had anything left to investigate, it would be to catch him. But Sanne suddenly brought up an unexpected topic.

“…It seems you suspect Ronan Pennington of masterminding the Pennington couple's murder. You plan to press charges against him separately from our investigation.”

Sanne smiled faintly and took a sip of tea.

"Declan seemed quite overwhelmed lately, running around requesting cooperation everywhere. Seeing he was struggling, I looked into it a bit."

"I knew you were busy, but I didn't realize you had the time to look into that too."

"Actually, we were wondering if we could offer some assistance."

Bridget let out a bitter smile without realizing it. She caught a fleeting image of herself just a few months ago, who would have eagerly accepted such an offer as a welcome favor.

Licking her lips, Bridget spoke flatly.

"Please tell me what you want first."

Sanne looked slightly surprised at this. She raised her eyebrows diagonally upward and swallowed hard. Without making excuses, she spoke directly.

"The address you gave me before."

"Yes."

"Did you know it was a property held under a pseudonym by Finn Emerson?"

"I didn't know."

"What did you do with the bouquet of lilies he gave you?"

"They wilted quickly, so I threw them away."

Bridget, who had been answering obediently, suddenly looked up.

"………………Could Mr. Emerson be connected to the illegal drugs found at the Grand Theater?"

Sanne didn't answer. But that silence was, above all, the clearest answer.

Sanne, who had been quietly sipping her tea, smiled indifferently and spoke softly.

"No patron would stand by and watch a publicly sponsored figure become embroiled in scandal. Thanks to your lilies, our investigation has made significant progress, but it's still somewhat insufficient. If you could assist us a little further, we would offer a reward that would not disappoint."

It seemed Finn’s patron was someone powerful enough that even Sanne couldn't treat them lightly. Considering Finn’s reputation, they couldn't be just any noble. And such a noble would surely shield their protégé, if only for their own dignity.

Bridget understood what Sanne was implying.

Bridget knew the address of Finn's nominee property, and Finn had given her a suspicious lily. At the very least, Finn must have sensed Bridget had some purpose.

So Sanne wanted Bridget to approach Finn.

"We've located Ronan Pennington and will secure his custody soon. We'll share any evidence found at his hideout."

It was a deal. The price was Ronan Pennington's capture and whatever he might be holding.

Bridget bit her lower lip hard without realizing it. She wasn't accustomed to this kind of transaction, but instinctively she knew she couldn't simply accept Sanne’s offer at this moment.

"It's possible the evidence I need is there. For something meant to make me feel better, that's a rather unsatisfying conclusion."

Declan said they needed to find evidence Ronan had left somewhere. But realistically, Bridget had no ability to find such a thing. No matter how capable Declan was, it wouldn't be easy to steer a case with no evidence solely on his own.

She needed help. The power of an influential group strong enough to reopen a case from years ago.

Bridget hesitated for a moment, her eyelashes fluttering, then glanced up.

"With royal authority, re-investigating an accident from years ago shouldn't be difficult, right? And ensuring proper justice is served through a rigorous judgment would also be possible."

Sanne's smile faded. Her expression, now devoid of humor, looked cold enough to make one hesitate to speak. 

“The matter you mentioned is too personal for us to intervene in.”

Bridget wasn't disappointed by Sanne’s stance—accepting the Wise couple's affair as a royal family dispute while drawing a line on the Pennington case. Instead, she swallowed dryly and said,

“If I can help Mr. Emerson loses his patron's trust, I will.”