Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 905

Tiana's mind was in turmoil, questioning everything from the start. Furious, she demanded, "Where is my cousin? Call him over. I want him to explain everything from start to finish on our way here!"

"Alright, I'll call your aunt."

"Mom, let's head to the Central Hospital first!"

Returning to Banyan City after months, Tiana found her childhood city unwelcoming and cold. Until she was twenty-three, she had been the darling of the Melford family, Fabian's precious daughter, living a charmed and whimsical life.

But at twenty-four, her life was shattered by Barclay, marking a turning point.

Since then, life lost its color.

The cold shoulder Banyan City gave her over these three years turned it into a cold, unwelcoming place in her eyes.

The Central Hospital was located downtown. As expected, Tiana couldn't get any information about the Caldwell family at the reception desk.

It was as if a warning had been issued; the staff were icy in their responses.

Celine, worried, said, "I don't know if the Caldwell family is deliberately making things difficult for us. This morning, your aunt and I came here, and it was only after much difficulty that we got through to Thomas's dad on the phone. He swore at us, forbidding us from seeing Thomas's body, claiming he was in the hospital himself and threatened anyone who tried to bring a coroner to the morgue with violence. Then, he had us escorted out by security."

Tiana narrowed her eyes, suspecting Matthew Caldwell's hospital stay was a front, his real intent to guard his son's body.

She pressed the nurse, "I'm asking you again, in which wing is the Caldwell family staying?"

"Miss! I've already told you, you can't invade the patient's privacy. Mr. Caldwell isn't seeing anyone, and you should forget about trying to get to the morgue," the nurse replied firmly. Tiana understood then; the hospital was likely under the Caldwell family's influence.

Otherwise, why would they be so bold with her, a Melford?

pulling her mother

them?" Celine worried about her husband, "Your father's in detention, and I don't know if he's being mistreated. He's old and frail; I'm worried he won't withstand being

laptop, her eyes smoldering with anger, "And who said I'm approaching the

over the keyboard, skillfully

where Thomas's father

stood up, her gaze fixed on the security guards at the entrance to the wards, "Mom, wait here for my cousin. I'm going to the Caldwell family's room."

"Yes."

her face, and quickly blended

-

second floor of the ward building, the Caldwell family

was the hospital's

area like sentinels, barring

watched from the corridor as Matthew moved in and out of the

Finally, her cousin arrived.

Tiana's petite frame but fierce, fiery gaze, couldn't help feeling

approached her,

Tiana slapped him.

"Cousin!"

low and furious, "Didn't I warn you before I left Banyan City? Not to aim too high or bother

for the wind? It was bad enough you squandered your own family's wealth, but why drag my dad into your mess? He's about to have heart surgery, did your conscience get eaten

and cold, "I looked into

and I loaned money to

scoffed, "I know, a two hundred million mortgage. Tell me, how big of a bite were you trying to

high interest, 6%! I thought with their strong backing, the interest alone would sustain my whole company, so I went through the banks to loan them

damn it, after two months, they stopped

cash crunch, I couldn't pay back the banks, and my loan company was on the brink of bankruptcy. That's when I had no choice but