Chapter 218: There’s Really Something Off About Gemma’s Past
Gemma burst out laughing.
“If you haven’t been in touch for years, how do you even know she had kids? Just made it up out of thin air?”
Bradley, “…”
“So, what-
–
Bradley, “…”
some friends or younger relatives just ‘decided‘ she must have a kid?”
Gemma scoffed.
“You should come up with a more creative way to start a conversation with me.”
Bradley had been feeling a little awkward, but when he heard that, his head snapped up.
“Creative?
“Nah, not really. But I DO have a creepy one. Wanna hear it?”
Gemma flashed a polite, professional smile.
“You signed in, and I’m your doctor. Listening to patients is literally part of the job.”
Bradley, “…Okay, maybe not ‘creepy‘, exactly. But that elder I mentioned? After a trip to Esapring Island, she lost it for a while–kept rambling about having a daughter.”
Gemma frowned. “Esapring Island?”
“Yeah, oh you probably haven’t heard of it. It’s this weird little island that supposedly just ‘appeared‘ in international waters. People say it shifts location based on ocean currents. Creepy, huh?”
He glanced at her, expecting a reaction, but Gemma’s face was unreadable.
“That doesn’t freak you out at all?”
A mysterious, ever–moving island. People go there and come back insane.
If you really think about it, that’s terrifying!
Gemma gave him a look of pure exasperation.
“Yeah, no offense, but you’re REALLY bad at telling scary stories.”
“…It’s not a story,” he muttered defensively.
Gemma didn’t show it, but she was turning his words over in her mind.
Esapring Island.
People who visit it go insane.
And this particular person…. might be related to her.
Whether it was true or not, this was likely her only real chance to get closer to the island.
She thought about it carefully.
Bradley’s angle here could mean two things:
One, he already knew she was looking into Esapring Island and was using this as bait to steer her into doing something.
Two, he was actually telling the truth and genuinely wanted to help her find her family.
But when she weighed both possibilities, the first one seemed far more likely.
After all, she grew up in a remote mountain village.
A place that no outsider could just “stumble” into.
There was no way she was some long–lost “real princess.”
Besides, some people couldn’t go after Cassius directly, so they targeted those around him instead.
Back when she was overseas, if she hadn’t been there, Shawn might’ve died.
And now, she was in a situation eerily similar to his.
Honestly, she had to thank the country’s strict laws–otherwise, she wouldn’t have even had a chance to fight back.
“If that’s the case, then bring your elder here,” she said casually. “If she really looks like me, we can run a DNA test.”
Bradley’s eyes widened.
“Wait–seriously? You’re just… agreeing? Just like that?”
“I was actually racking my brain for ways to convince you, and you just–wow, okay.”
‘Dr. Kelestine, you promise, right? No backing out!”
Setting
19:29
Chapter 218: There’s Really Something Off About Gemma’s Past
He jumped to his feet so fast that he knocked over his chair.
“Heh, uh–sorry, sorry.”
“I’ll get she here as soon as I can. You better not change your mind!”
Gemma smiled faintly. “My word is my bond.”
“Great!”
Bradley practically bounced out of the room, leaving in such a hurry that he forgot how to coordinate his arms and legs.
Gemma shook her head, amused, then turned back to her paperwork.
The next day.
The new interns at the Integrated Medicine Department arrived, which meant Gemma finally got a break.
Right then, she got a call from the police. They wanted her to stop by the station.
She wasn’t about to take any chances with her safety, so before heading out, she texted Cassius and called in her bodyguards. Together, they took a cab to the police station.
“Ms. Kelestine.” The officer who greeted her, Robin, had an easygoing demeanor.
After a brief introduction, he got straight to the point.
“We looked into what you reported and found some… concerning things.”
Gemma’s heart clenched.
Her hands unconsciously tightened.
“My hometown?”
Robin nodded.
He glanced at the bodyguards waiting outside the glass door, then lowered his voice.
“It’s not just domestic abuse and child neglect. There’s also a murder case involved.”
Gemma’s face went pale.
“Murder?”
In that backwater village, girls‘ lives were considered worthless.
But families still needed them to do chores as kids and bring in a dowry when they grew up, so they usually kept them alive.
As for boys–well, they were treated like royalty. Nothing was ever going to happen to them.
Her parents had abused her, sure. And they’d been involved in illegal logging, cutting down protected trees.
But murder?
That caught her off guard.
“The case is still under investigation,” Robin continued. “We need to conduct an on–site inspection.”
“I checked the maps. Even with a new road built around the mountains, getting to your village isn’t easy.”
“We need a guide.”
“Ms. Kelestine, we’re hoping you’ll cooperate.”
He hesitated, then added.
“Of course, you can refuse. But you’ll need to keep everything about this case confidential.”
Gemma looked down, thinking.
“Is Drogo Kelestine in custody?”
Robin nodded.
Gemma let out a slow breath.
“Alright, I’ll cooperate but only if you guarantee my safety and make sure those people don’t come after me.”
That village…
She still carried the scars it left on her.
If she could personally see those people get what they deserved… maybe that would bring her some closure.
Robin smiled reassuringly. “Of course. Your safety is our priority.”
He paused, and then reminded her.
“To avoid suspicion, we’ll pose as investors looking to develop the area. You’ll just be our local guide.”
*For convenience, we’d like you to let your village chief know that we’re planning to invest a few million in the village. That should keep him from interfering.
Setting
19:29
Chapter 218 There’s Really Something Off About Gemma’s Past
Gemma blinked
So–part of this investigation involved acting now?
Alright I’ll go along with it but only if you make sure Drogo doesn’t go back. If he does, we’ll be exposed immediately.” “Understood,” Robin said firmly. “You have my word.”
819
After leaving the police station, Gemma felt an unsettling heaviness in her chest.
Was her father, Dan, the only one guilty?
What about the others?
After hesitating for a moment, she went back to her apartment building and knocked on Chen Ke’s door.
Chen Ke had pulled an all nighter for work and had just woken up. She yawned as she opened the door.
“Gemmat What’s up?”
Thanks to Mr. Cassius, she’d landed a bunch of new gigs, but the stress was getting to her she was sleeping less, and even her hair was starting to fall
out. “You actually came at the perfect time. Make me some hair regrowth serum, will you?”
Gemina didn’t respond right away. Instead, she asked, “Cali… I need to talk to you about something,”
1929
