radicalducati Thank You
Thank You
Serena's pupils contracted sharply. A spark of hope flickered in her heart.
That's right! At the time, her father hadn't yet become the mayor of Vernon.
If the man claimed to be the mayor's secretary, then he may not have been her father's secretary at all!
She quickly stepped forward and grabbed Dr. Beckett's arm, eagerly asking, "Dr. Beckett, do you remember that man's name?!"
"I think was Matt... Matt something."
"Matt?!" Her eyes dimmed slightly.
"Are you sure it was Matt?"
Dr. Beckett frowned and rested his chin on his hand, trying to recall carefully.
After a moment, he suddenly slapped his thigh. "I remember now! His name was Matt Rivera!"
"Matt Rivera?!"
"Yes!" Dr. Beckett nodded firmly.
"His name was on the badge. I was being cautious and checked it very carefully at the time."
"Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"Absolutely not!"
Serena finally let out a long breath. "That man was not my father's secretary-he never was! My father's secretary is named Matt Lewis! Uncle Matt has worked with my father for many years. Even when my father worked in Clint's hometown, it was still Uncle Matt by his side!"
Her father's secretary had always been Matt Lewis.
He had been with her father since she was little-at least over ten years.
So, the person who went to see Dr. Beckett wasn't her father's secretary, but someone impersonating one to do dirty work under his name!
Xavier gently patted her hand, his voice steady, "This Rivera guy was probably the secretary of the local mayor at the time. I'll send someone to investigate immediately and get to the bottom of his identity."
"Okay!" Serena nodded firmly.
Dr. Beckett watched them and suddenly had a moment of realization. "Wait... so, the person who had me lie to my cousin back then... wasn't the current Mayor Knowles of Vernon?!"
"Definitely not my father!" Serena straightened her back, her expression sincere. "My father isn't that kind of person! He would never harm ordinary people just for his own political gain!"
Dr. Beckett was silent for a long time before finally sighing heavily.
He turned and walked to the window, gazing off into the distance.
After a while, he muttered, "I'm feeling a bit tired today. If there's nothing else, could you two please leave? I... I'd like to be alone for a while."
They had already learned all they came for, and Serena and Xavier didn't want to disturb him further.
They stood up promptly,
"Alright then, Dr. Beckett. Please rest well. We'll take our leave now. Thank you for everything today!"
Outside, on their way back, Serena sighed, her heart heavy. "You know... Dr. Beckett is actually quite pitiful too."
"Why do you say that?" Xavier asked with a faint smile. "He's a hospital director now-he has status and wealth. Doesn't seem very pitiful to me."
Serena sighed, "Even with power and money, he'll live with guilt his whole life. He'll never truly be happy. He'll always carry the weight of Gaius's death on his shoulders."
"And just now, we told him the person he thought was behind everything wasn't my father. The real culprit is still unknown."
"Thinking about it now, Gaius really died in vain... and Dr. Beckett must feel even more burdened now."
Xavier gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Don't overthink it. The good news is, Uncle Bram is innocent. As for the rest... what do you think about me forwarding all this information to Clint Beckett? That way, he'll learn the truth about his father's death on his own and won't keep holding a grudge against your dad. I believe he's capable of piecing it together himself. But honestly, the main reason-" he added, more frankly now, "-is that I don't want him staying in contact with you or your family anymore."
Xavier hesitated after speaking, his thumb lightly brushing over the back of her hand. For a split second, he looked away-like he was second-guessing himself.
"Maybe that was selfish of me," he said quietly. "I just... I don't want him anywhere near you. I know-"
Before he could finish, Serena looked up at him. Her eyes were soft, searching his face, and when she spoke, her voice carried only gratitude. "Xavier, thank you... for everything you've done for me."
His shoulders relaxed, and a slow, genuine smile lit up his face. He tilted his head down to meet her gaze, the teasing spark returning to his eyes.
"I think you should thank me properly," he said, his voice low and warm. "Miss Knowles, how do you plan to repay me?"
"Well..." Serena was caught off guard and stammered, "Your family is powerful and wealthy-you already have everything. What could you possibly want?"
His eyes narrowed playfully as he leaned closer, whispering in her ear, "I have a suggestion. Think about it."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Why don't you... offer yourself to me?"
Serena's face turned bright red, but for once, she didn't immediately reject him.
She lowered her head, hesitated for a long time, then finally nodded slightly. In a barely audible voice, she said, "As long as you don't mind... I... I'm willing."
***