Chapter Forty-Five: Influence

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Aside from himself, the people most afraid of their identities being exposed were Fletcher and the Thomas family. Virak knew very little about Elizabeth’s background. Since he had no idea what she might do after beginning to suspect him, the only way to minimize the risk was to report everything truthfully to Fletcher and the others.

The car sped back to the Thomas family estate.

“Get some rest,” Virak casually told Daniel before getting out and hurrying into the hall. The Thomas family was having dinner there, with Fletcher standing nearby.

“Father, Mother…” Virak glanced at the servants beside them. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Is it urgent?” Carmine asked, setting down his utensils.

“Very urgent.”

Virak understood that Carmine was really asking whether the matter he had encountered was difficult to handle.

“You may leave,” Carmine ordered the servants.

Once they had gone, the atmosphere in the dining room instantly fell to freezing point. Everyone in the Thomas family stopped eating and looked up at Virak with solemn, icy expressions.

“Speak,” Carmine said.

“I may have… been recognized.” Even as Virak spoke, he carefully watched Carmine’s expression.

At those words, Lady Mela, Kellerman, and Julia all covered their mouths and gasped softly. Carmine’s face grew even more severe.

“Explain everything.”

Virak recounted the entire incident without concealing the slightest detail.

“I did tell him before about my younger brother and Elizabeth,” Kellerman said. “I never expected that, by such a stroke of bad luck, he would run into her today…”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Carmine stared at Virak, though the question was directed at Kellerman as well.

“It was my brother’s private affair. He didn’t want anyone else to know…” Kellerman drew the blame toward himself and explained.

Carmine remained restrained, but his tone grew increasingly stern. “Yet you told him. He knows nothing and understands nothing. What good did it do to tell him? Did he know he might encounter Elizabeth? Did he know whether he needed to avoid her?”

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“This isn’t Kellerman’s fault,” Lady Mela said, defending him.

“This concerns something extremely important. Do you understand what is at stake?” Carmine snapped.

According to what they had told Virak, Chris had died in bed while fooling around with a female singer. Thus, when Carmine rebuked Kellerman, he stopped himself in time and did not reveal the truth.

Of course, they had no idea that Virak already knew everything.

“Julia, go upstairs and get some rest.” Carmine sent Julia away; she had nothing to do with the matter and could not contribute anything. “Kellerman, what exactly was the connection between Elizabeth and Chris?”

“Other than what I’ve already told you, I truly don’t know.” Kellerman was gradually realizing the seriousness of the situation, and his voice became choked. “Chris didn’t share everything with me either. But now it seems their relationship must have been far more complicated than I thought.”

“Virak.” Carmine turned to him. “Tell me what you think of Elizabeth.”

Virak had not expected Carmine to ask for his opinion. Yet this was an unforeseen development for everyone, and as the only person who had interacted with Elizabeth, he was the one best qualified to speak.

“I think… Elizabeth and Mr. Chris must have been very close. They may even have been lovers before. Otherwise, if they had only shared a few dinners, she couldn’t have recognized at a glance that I wasn’t Mr. Chris.”

“When you left, did you have the impression that Elizabeth intended to continue seeking you out?”

“That’s difficult to say.” Virak honestly described what he had sensed. “I deliberately lingered at the door for a while, and she did follow me. It was clear that she had many questions she wanted to ask. But when I finally left, she didn’t follow.”

“All your arrangements for tomorrow are canceled. You don’t need to go to work for now. In addition, remain at home during this period and do not go anywhere.” To be safe, Carmine decided to confine Virak to the house and prevent him from coming into contact with anyone.

“…Understood, Mr. Carmine.” Virak’s feelings were complicated.

He had no idea how long he would have to remain at home. If it lasted too long, it would seriously interfere with his other arrangements and slow his progress. But this was an inevitable consequence of seeking help from the Thomas family.

“Fletcher, investigate Chris’s relationship with Elizabeth thoroughly. You know what information I need, so make certain you find it.” Carmine began issuing instructions.

“Yes, Mr. Carmine.” Fletcher bowed slightly. As he left, he shot Virak a glare.

The look in his eyes seemed murderous.

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Virak knew he would suffer for this afterward. He had failed to tell Fletcher about Chris and Elizabeth. He had gone to the charity gala on his own initiative. There were also countless other reasons that no one had cared about before.

Whether or not he had previously given Virak tacit permission, Fletcher would punish him now.

“Virak.” Carmine addressed him again. “Colin was Chris’s best friend while he was alive. They’ve known each other since childhood, so he may know more than Kellerman. You’ve gone out together so many times. Did you never mention Elizabeth?”

“Never,” Virak replied.

“Tomorrow, invite Colin to the house on the pretext that you want to travel. I want to see him.”

“Understood, Mr. Carmine.”

The Thomas family was far more sensitive to this matter than Virak. In their eyes, if their identities were exposed, Virak’s worthless life could be sacrificed without a second thought. But they could not tolerate the immense Thomas family being placed in any danger.

“You should go rest as well. I’ll handle this matter.” Carmine rose, clearly no longer in the mood to eat.

“I’m very sorry about this. If I hadn’t gone to the charity gala, none of it would have happened…” Virak bowed apologetically to him.

Carmine ignored him, picked up his coat, and walked straight out.

Virak knew very well that even if the Thomas family managed to resolve the matter properly, his future movements would likely be severely restricted. Their trust in him would be greatly diminished. They would consider keeping him at home the safest option, and that would give rise to a new opinion of him in Carmine’s mind.

Namely, that every additional minute Virak remained alive was another minute during which the Thomas family had to bear the danger he brought with him.

Because of this incident, they might even consider eliminating Virak as soon as possible, then disguising it as Chris’s death and shifting the timing away from the real Chris’s death in order to erase the government’s suspicions.

Virak bitterly regretted what had happened that night, but now that it had come to this, regret was meaningless. Elizabeth’s recognition of him would have enormous consequences, and the Thomas family learning of it would have consequences just as severe. All he could do now was hasten his plans and escape Lezein as soon as possible.