Chap 3: The Truth Behind Austin's Parents Death

Ellina felt very relieved now.

In the midst of the gathering of her family and Jack's family, Ellina could not distance herself from Jack. Ellina really enjoyed being with Jack now and didn't need to think about how to get away from Austin-her ex-husband.

"I'm so relieved that my relationship with that poor man is over," Ellina said openly in front of her family and Jack's family.

Jack laughed sarcastically. "I remember the ridiculous look on his face when he found us earlier. He was so angry with me, as if you were still going to be his."

"Well done, Ellina! You shouldn't have stayed with that useless man any longer," Katherine, Ellina's mother, a well-known culinary businesswoman in this United States city, said. "I can't stand that you can't afford luxury items because your husband is a poor man."

"That's right, Ellina. Why did you accept him as your husband in the first place?" asked Petra, Jack's father, a conglomerate with a property business.

Hearing Petra and Katherine's words made Ellina unable to stop laughing. Ellina felt very sorry for maintaining a marriage relationship with Austin for four years.

"You guys are right," Ellina complained with a sneering expression. "Ah, my wasted four years! After all, I really only married him for my grandfather's business. After grandfather died, I've tried to divorce him repeatedly, but that poor man just won't have it."

"He acted like he could provide for you. Even though you had to save up for four months to buy a fifty thousand dollar necklace?" Jack laughed dismissively at the end of the sentence.

Ellina winced as she remembered the incident. When she was with her socialite friends, Austin suddenly picked her up in a tacky style of clothing. Austin gave her a necklace worth 50 thousand dollars.

The embarrassing thing is that Austin said explicitly in front of his socialite friends, he had to save up for the necklace.

Ellina almost couldn't stop herself from being embarrassed in front of her socialite friends. Unbeknownst to Austin, Ellina had to get disparaging looks from them.

"He should realize, he comes from a poor family. That's why he will continue to live in poverty," Jack said once again.

"Although I admit his performance is good, but unfortunately, I don't see him as Ellina's companion," said Petra who sighed heavily at the end of her sentence.

"It's lucky that Ellina met you, Jack! Ugh, I don't know if you two didn't meet. Ellina would have lived a miserable life with that man," Katherine retorted angrily.

"In that case, Ellina and Jack's wedding should be held as soon as possible," replied Luciana, Jack's mother. 

Her lopsided smile curved as she looked at Ellina-Jack in turn. "Ah, how compatible you two are. This is how it should be, a conglomerate family should be with a conglomerate family!"

Ellina agreed with Luciana. "That's right, Mama Luciana! Oh my goodness. I look like such a fool for choosing that useless Austin guy as my husband."

"He didn't even give you a place to stay, Ellina. You're the one who made your mansion available to him. His multiple jobs... ugh, no one has a high income."

"It would be better if he had a multi-job as a businessman. In reality, only as a courier, office boy, waiter at Jack's family mansion, and part-time restaurant deliver?" said Katherine while rolling her exasperated eyeballs at the end of the sentence.

Ellina chuckled and shook her head. "Yes, he's a hard worker, but unfortunately hard work isn't enough. His soul was born into poverty."

Petra, Katherine, Jack, Luciana, and Simon - Ellina's father all laughed with satisfaction in unison. They could never resist ostracizing Austin. In fact, they had long been annoyed to see Austin in the family.

"Don't worry, darling," Jack said in response, "you're free of him now. Your life won't be miserable. I'll make up for the four years you wasted feeling his poverty."

Ellina rolled her eyes in disgust. Even so, her smile curved and she looked at Jack fondly.

"Darling, you are indeed the best lover," Ellina replied, then clung to Jack's hand. "I should have met you earlier and gotten into a relationship with you."

Jack stroked Ellina's head with a warm gaze. "The important thing is that we're getting married soon, dear. So, what about that poor, useless man?"

There was an instant silence. Jack's question made them all pause to think about how to get rid of Austin completely.

"Just let him live as a bum, or go home to his poor family!" Katherine replied with a cynical, indifferent tone of voice.

Ellina was thinking the same thing as Katherine. But somehow Jack's question just now provoked her to think of a bad possibility.

"We can do that, but what if he takes revenge on us?" Ellina asked, instantly making everyone silent.

Jack laughed sarcastically. "How can she take revenge? How can she fight our family?"

Ellina, with an expression that briefly showed concern, said, "Hey, don't you know how lowly people like him think? He could have killed us without fear of being jailed or not."

Jack's smile gradually faded after hearing Ellina's words.

"Poor mentality, poor action," Jack said remembering the principle. "It's true what you said. Most likely he's not afraid of being behind bars, the most important thing is that he can avenge his anger."

"We can set him up," Simon, Jack's father, said casually while smoking his cigar. "Don't worry, I can take care of your worries."

*

Austin was astonished to see the magnificent mansion building. After a short discussion with Rudolf, Austin finally went to this mansion. Austin didn't expect Rudolf's mansion to be so big-more than Jack's family mansion.

"Austin, this mansion is actually going to be yours," Rudolf said in mid-step.

Austin was shocked. "What? Mine?"

Rudolf nodded, then stopped walking. "That's right. This is the mansion Jonathan left to you. I have invited a private notary of the Dalbert family to come here tomorrow."

Austin's steps also stopped beside Rudolf. Both his brows furrowed. He had never dealt with a notary before. Nor had he ever dealt with an heir issue like this.

"I know you're confused, but tonight, I'm going to tell you one more important thing," Rudolf said, noticing Austin's confused expression.

Then Rudolf called a mansion servant to bring Austin's tote bag. While Austin was invited by Rudolf to walk to a private room. It was on the lowest floor and there was only one room.

"What are you going to explain about?" asked Austin after they arrived at the private room.

Austin followed Rudolf to four seats facing a large projector screen. Austin sat in one of the seats as Rudolf turned on the projector screen.

Soon there was a display of a lineage of different faces. Above the skeletal arrangement was a medicine-like image that read: GHD.

While at the very top there is a title statement: Parties Involved in the Narcotics Distribution Project.

Both of Austin's eyebrows were furrowed deeply. What made Austin's astonishment grow was the faces of Ellina, Simon-Ellina's father, Jack, Petra-Jack's father and Austin's master, and five other unfamiliar faces.

The two faces at the bottom of the rightmost lineage were a police general and the chief prosecutor.

"Project Narcotics?" asked Austin.

"I've been investigating for years, Austin," Rudolf began. "They got your parents and your brother killed."

Austin couldn't answer right away. Rudolf's statement left him dumbfounded.

"Wait, you're not giving me time to digest. What do you mean? What... drug project? Also, the parties involved in the drug project are the ones who made my family die?"

Rudolf knew that Austin was too shocked to hear this. Then, Rudolf slowly made an up-and-down hand gesture.

"Relax, Austin, I'm actually not too sure. But, your parents are in trouble with the three of them..."

Austin watched as Rudolf pointed at Simon, Petra, and another strange man named Vernanzo.

"Not many people know that they are all planning one big narcotics project that will be distributed in all forms: medical drugs, club drinks, restaurant drinks, and so on.

The GHB narcotic they used was in large doses. It can cause death and acute hallucinations for anyone who is dependent," Rudolf replied slowly.

"So what you're saying is that my parents were in trouble with three people who were planning a major drug project?" asked Austin in confirmation.

Rudolf nodded his head in agreement, giving Austin a glance.

"That's right. If you ask me, how did your parents get involved in their circle?" Then Rudolf's hand moved to the next slide of the presentation.

"Because they were all, in the past, business partners. Jonathan was an influential trillionaire, his company was thriving, and that made him necessary for Simon, Petra, and Vernanzo."

"Who is Vernanzo?" asked Austin.

"The head of a large narcotics organization called the Bloody Red Organization."

"My father... recognize them?" Austin muttered. "Then, what happened?"

"It seems that Jonathan and Pricillia refused to get involved in the project. However, they already have important information about the project that should not be shared," Rudolf explained.

For a split second, Austin went sluggish.

"The problem is... what important information did your parents know that would make these people kill them both?"