Chapter 53: Tahlia’s suspicious activity

The next day...

Kael entered the office.

"Sir, the surveillance footage from Enchanted Bay Hotel seven years ago has finally been restored." He placed the tablet on Soren’s desk and continued, "The images aren’t quite clear, but you can still make out what happened."

His voice trailed off. He hesitated, unsure how to deliver the rest of the news.

Soren had already guessed what might have happened that night. Still, he needed to see that with his own eyes, no matter how painful the truth might be.

He tapped the play button.

At first, the footage showed him walking down the hallway, his steps unsteady. His hand tugged at his tie impatiently.

Soren remembered how the drug had affected him that night. It was almost maddening. His control over his body, over rational thinking, had been slipping rapidly.

His head had felt heavy, and he had struggled to remain steady on his feet. Unable to bear it any longer, he had headed toward the room the company had reserved for him.

On the screen, his younger self stumbled into the room.

A few moments later, another figure appeared in the hallway.

Elowen

She wore a white blouse tucked into a black skirt. Her hair was tied tightly into a ponytail.

She looked young and nervous, her gaze wandering along the hallway, as if she were searching for something.

The moment she passed the room Soren had just entered, a hand suddenly shot out through the narrow opening of the door and seized her arm. Before she could react, she was pulled inside.

The folder slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor.

The door slammed shut.

Soren went completely still. He closed his eyes, his fingers tightening around the tablet. For several seconds, he couldn’t move.

He had finally seen it. He had been the one who had dragged her into that room.

Elowen had not entered the room willingly. She had not climbed to his bed to secure a place in the Vale family. She was the victim.

This was the reality he had deliberately tried to ignore. He had blamed Elowen for it—every moment he had made her feel unwanted. But in reality, he had used that accusation to justify his cruelty.

Soren let out a small sigh. A bitter ache spread across his chest.

’How could I have done that to her?’

He had ruined her that night. Yet, instead of trying to understand what she had endured, he had made her pay over and over again for the thing she had not done.

He paused the video and lowered the tablet.

"Did you find who drugged me?"

"I’m still investigating, sir," Kael said. "I haven’t identified the person responsible yet. I’ll inform you as soon as I find something."

Soren nodded as he handed him the tablet back. "Any updates on Tahlia."

Kael thought for a while.

There was something he had noticed about her; he wasn’t sure whether it was significant enough to report.

"There is something unusual about her. But I am not sure whether it’s worth your attention."

"Don’t dismiss anything related to her," Soren said in a warning tone. "No matter how insignificant it seems, I want to know every movement she made. Where she goes, who she meets – I want to know all of it."

"Understood, sir," Kael said instantly.

"Now tell me what you found."

The coldness of his tone made Kael nervous. He swallowed before saying, "She was seen with a man last night."

"Who is that man? What was she doing with him?" Soren grew increasingly curious.

Kael scrolled through the tablet and then held it out toward Soren.

"Here is a photograph taken at around ten last night."

Soren’s eyebrows creased as he watched the photograph.

He had expected Tahlia to be meeting some wealthy businessman, or perhaps a sports star, or someone influential. But the man standing beside her wore a waiter’s dress.

"What is she doing with a waiter?"

Kael shrugged. "No idea, sir." He nodded to the tablet. "That’s all we have managed to confirm so far."

Soren studied the photo carefully. "Ten at night."

His mind raced.

Last night, Tahlia had been in the Vale family estate for dinner. Afterward, instead of returning home, she had gone to meet that man.

’Why would she meet a waiter so late at night?’

His suspicion deepened.

It wasn’t the man’s occupation that concerned him. It was the secrecy surrounding their meeting.

Tahlia had been careful about her image. She had always been cautious about how others perceived her. Why would she meet a waiter secretly?

’This is not normal. She won’t go meet that man so late at night just like that.’

Soren wasn’t willing to overlook anything.

"Find out everything about this man," he ordered. "His name, background, family, employment history, and his relationship with Tahlia. I want every detail about him on my desk by tomorrow."

"I get it, sir."

"One more thing." Soren’s tone turned even more serious. "Contact the lawyer and ask him to prepare the legal documents for the property transfer. I want to transfer the ownership of the island to Elowen."

Kael’s mouth fell open. He thought he had heard it wrongly.

"You mean the island you are planning to develop? Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Why wouldn’t I? She is my wife. Whatever I own belongs to her."

Soren’s casual reply left Kael speechless.

The wife Soren had barely acknowledged in the past had suddenly become so important that he was willing to give her the whole island without a second thought.

’What has happened to him?’

Not long ago, Soren had instructed him never to mention Elowen at work. He had refused to take her calls during working hours and had become irritated whenever she had contacted him.

And now, he was acting like a devoted husband.

Kael struggled to reconcile the two versions of his boss.

’The boss clearly resented his wife. And now, everything has changed.’

He straightened his back, deciding it was wiser not to question Soren’s sudden change in heart.

"Of course, sir." Kael forced an awkward smile. "I’ll call the lawyer and have the documents prepared. Anything else?"

"Yes..." Soren’s expression turned pensive. "I want to write my will."

That deepened Kael’s surprise. "Your will? Now?"

Soren gave a thoughtful nod.

Kael looked as though he had informed that the world would stop existing soon. First, Soren wanted to transfer the island to Elowen, and then he wanted to draw up a will.

Something was clearly wrong.

Meanwhile, Soren’s expression became more and more distant.

Ever since his rebirth, he had been doing everything he could to win Elowen’s trust back and repair their broken family. He believed he was finally making progress, even if there was still a long way to go.

But he couldn’t be careless and become complacent.

Ten days had already passed. He had only twenty days left. If anything went wrong, he wouldn’t get another chance to make things right. He would be gone forever.

Soren wanted to make sure his wife and his daughter would be safe, even if he wasn’t there to protect them.

"If anything happens to me," he said, his tone grave, "all my shares, properties, and other assets will go to Elowen."