?<strong>Chapter 149:</strong>


    Though Joelle deemed it unnecessary, she still directed the taxi driver to head to the hospital. After the examination, Rafael scrutinized the report, his expression growing increasingly concerned. “Joelle, have you taken any sleeping pills recently?”


    “No,” Joelle replied, her confusion and anxiety palpable. “I’ve only taken the medication you prescribed. Nothing more.”


    “Yet your report indicates traces of such drugs,” Rafael informed her.


    Joelle’s hand instinctively moved to her belly, her face draining of color with worry. “What about the baby? Is everything okay?”


    “The baby seems unaffected at the moment. Thankfully, the dosage wasn’t significant enough to cause harm.”


    “So, the fainting spell was due to sleeping pills?” Joelle pieced together, seeking confirmation.


    Rafael nodded affirmatively. “It appears so. Has anything unusual happened recently?”


    Joelle pondered deeply, eventually shaking her head. “I don’t know. I’ve been extremely cautious, especially since finding out about the pregnancy.”


    Understanding the urgency, Rafael quickly grabbed his coat. “We need to act fast. Let’s review the mall’s security footage.”


    At the mall, Rafael’s reputation afforded them unusual ess to the surveince system. Normally reserved forw enforcement, the mall manager granted Rafael permission without hesitation. “Mr. Romero, I’ve set up the surveince footage for you. Which time frame would you like to review?”


    “You’ll manage from here. Thank you—you can get back to your duties,” Rafael responded in a polite yet distant tone. “Okay.”


    Seated in the monitoring room, Joelle and Rafael meticulously reviewed the footage, starting from the moment Joelle arrived. As the children performed, Rafael noticed the spark in Joelle’s eyes—a clear love for the stage.


    ncing at her right hand, Rafael contemted the challenges she faced, given her past as a performer. “There!” Joelle eximed, pointing at the surveince screen. “Doesn’t that woman look like Reba?” At the time, her focus had been on the performance, oblivious to her surroundings or the ss beside her.


    On the screen, Reba could be seen approaching Joelle, but just as the critical moment neared, a passerby obstructed the view. There was no concrete evidence of Reba with Joelle’s drink. Rafael scanned the footage from multiple angles, but it seemed that by chance, all crucial moments were obscured. Joelle felt certain Reba was involved, but she had no evidence.


    “Rafael, can I take a copy of this video?” she asked. Understanding her intention, Rafael inquired, “nning to show Adrian?”


    “There’s no solid proof. Maybe the truth will onlye out through Reba. After all, Adrian always looked out for her,” Joelle responded, her tone detached, revealing a resignation born of countless simr disappointments. Rafael perceived the depth of her resignation—a wife weary frompeting with an outsider her husband couldn’t seem to forsake. He reflected on her strained marriage, not fully grasping until now her profound sense of detachment.


    “Joelle, Adrian is mostly driven by guilt towards Reba.” Joelle paused, then offered a wry smile. “Guilt doesn’t change anything substantive.”


    One would only feel guilt towards the person they loved. Joelle knew Adrian would never love her.


    It was the first time that Joelle knocked on Adrian’s door. Leah greeted her with a mix of surprise and warmth. “Ms. Watson?”


    “Is Adrian here?”


    “Yes, he just returned!” Leah led Joelle to Adrian’s bedroom door and knocked. “Sir, Ms. Watson is here.”


    The door swung open, revealing Adrian, his frame filling the doorway. Without a word, Joelle extended a portable hard drive.


    “What is this?”


    “The surveince footage.”


    Adrian took the hard drive from her, but as he did, Joelle turned to leave.


    “Joelle, don’t you have anything else to say to me?”


    Despite her confusion, Joelle managed a sardonic smile. “What is there to say?”


    “I asked Rafael to ensure you were examined,” he reminded her, seeking acknowledgment.


    “I did?” Joelle arched an eyebrow, confronting his expectation. “Should I be thankful for your concern?” That was indeed Adrian’s expectation, but hearing it voiced so bluntly by Joelle was jarring.


    “I just want you to know that if I’m involved, I’m fine with you seeing Rafael.”


    His words carried an unintended condescension, as if he were granting her a favor. His implication hung in the air, suggesting she owed him gratitude.


    Joelleughed, a sound mixed with disbelief and bitterness. “Adrian, why would you say that? Do you even know who you are to me now?”


    “Your ex-husband.” Adrian stepped closer, his presence imposing. “Have you truly put our past behind you in thesest three years?”


    His shadow loomed over her, reminiscent of the dusty, overshadowed years they had shared, marking the weight of their unresolved history.


    .


    .


    .