Amara looked at Kaisar the same way she looked at Richard or Charlie. Full of anger and hatred, anything related to the incident seven years ago made her sick. Even if Kaisar was involved, Amara would definitely hate him.
"I'm sure this name exists only once in this country, Doctor Diamond. Don't disappoint me and explain what this means …" Once again Amara emphasized, she wanted a definite answer.
"Yes, I was one of the forensic doctors who handled your uncle's body back then."
Kaisar's answer made Amara grip the document tightly in her hand. Her thoughts were already mixed between belief and disbelief.
"So you knew from the beginning … when we met in prison back then?" Amara asked.
She remembered that during the trial, the doctors' names were mentioned. Because the information about the cause of death must have come from the autopsy.
There was a doctor presented in court, but at that time it was not Kaisar. Maybe there was indeed more than one person who performed the autopsy, and Kaisar was still very young back then.
"Or did you know when I was being tried in court? Answer me!" Amara's voice rose slightly, echoing through the corridor.
"If you want the real answer, we meet somewhere else … without your lawyer … without your personal secretary. I will give you the information you need most."
Amara's breathing became irregular; now she was the type of person who could not be patient. But if Kaisar was one of the doctors who handled her uncle's body, this could be huge information.
"How can I be sure your words can be trusted?"
"If I had bad intentions, I wouldn't heal Vero and be willing to help you. Remember what I told you before? I am a doctor — in this world … not only the living can tell the truth, Amara."
Meaning, the dead can also reveal honesty. That was what Kaisar was trying to convey to Amara indirectly.
In the middle of that tension, Kaisar's phone rang. A call from the nurse handling Vero.
"Alright, I'm going there now." Kaisar ended the call, then quickly walked toward the room where Vero was, followed by Amara from behind.
When they arrived inside the room, Vero was already lying on the patient bed with his body weak again. The child still showed trauma effects when around unfamiliar adults.
"Vero?!" Amara panicked when Kaisar checked his condition. "What happened, sweetheart? Calm down, Mommy is here with you."
"You're going to be fine. You trust me, hm?" Kaisar asked Vero softly, and the child nodded slowly. "Now take a slow breath and calm yourself."
Vero's eyes could barely open, but he obeyed because Kaisar was very patient. In a child's mind, a kind doctor was a doctor he liked.
"Now tell me, what makes you afraid?" Kaisar asked.
"Don't leave me alone again." Vero's weak voice came from his slightly dry lips. "They'll come later …"
Vero's small hand gripped the sleeve of Kaisar's doctor coat, then he said something that caused his fear.
The ones he meant were definitely Charlie or Richard.
"They'll put me in the closet again." Vero's eyes were empty, but there was something he could not hold back — his fear itself.
Amara cried beside Kaisar, covering her mouth with her hand. She was shocked hearing Vero's short confession.
Was that one of the punishments this child received?
"I called for help many times, Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, until my voice disappeared. But daddy didn't hear."
"Daddy was the one who put you there?" Amara asked.
"No …."
Amara held Vero's hand; now she didn't care whether Vero wanted to say it or not. What mattered was she would keep fighting for his mental health.
The reason behind Vero's severe trauma, Amara would never forget it.
"Alright, forget it, sweetheart. What Mommy wants is your recovery. If you don't want to talk about it, don't force it. Mommy won't ask anymore. Forgive Mommy …"
Vero stayed silent, just looking at his mother.
"Our meeting today is finished. Vero, listen … from now on remember something good. If you want, Uncle can take you somewhere you'll like."
Vero stayed quiet.
"Or is there somewhere you want to visit?"
"No." Vero's focus began to shift.
"Alright. Now Uncle has a gift because you behaved well," Kaisar said while taking a paper bag and giving it to Vero.
Inside were a drawing book and stationery, a pencil case shaped like a red sports car. Vero didn't look enthusiastic, but he didn't refuse.
His recovery was still gradual; they couldn't force it. The one Vero trusted now was Amara, including Kaisar.
Kaisar helped the child sit up. "If you have trouble sleeping, don't forget to take your medicine, hm? Call Mommy or Lia to accompany you."
Vero only nodded slowly.
Amara immediately hugged her son's small body. The only thing that could destroy her was Vero; her failure to protect this child was her greatest slap.
"You will recover, sweetheart … you will recover. There will be no more dark closets, Mommy will always listen to you."
Vero remained silent.
Some time later after that meeting, Amara stayed home more often. She observed Vero's habits now. There were some small changes.
Vero was still not interested in having friends, communicating with strangers, or talking much.
The only small change was …
"Auntie, I want to sleep." Vero, who was drawing on a floor carpet, called Amara sitting on the sofa. The child was sleepy after spending two hours there.
"You want to sleep? Mommy will accompany you." Amara guided him, but the child was slightly reluctant to walk toward the bedroom. "Why?"
"Can I sleep in Auntie's room?"
"Y—are you serious?" Amara asked in surprise. Vero nodded slowly. "Alright, we'll sleep in Mommy's room!"
Amara smiled widely and brought her son into the bedroom and onto the bigger bed. Vero looked calm. As Amara patted his back, Vero's eyes slowly closed.
Seeing Vero like this reminded Amara of seven years ago when she was also accompanying him to sleep. Her baby had just stopped crying back then, and Amara deeply regretted leaving him in the room. If she had known she would be separated from her son, she would not have left.
"Ma'am … there is a guest." A maid's voice was heard outside the room, and Amara carefully got down from the bed.
She then opened the door.
"Your secretary is downstairs, Ma'am."
"Alright. Now call Lia here, tell her not to stay far from my private room. Vero is sleeping inside," Amara said.
"Yes, Ma'am."
Amara went to her study near her private room, then called Megan to come there.
Megan entered and immediately handed additional documents onto Amara's desk.
"Today Mr. Richard has begun detention under fraud and data falsification charges, Ma'am."
Amara's smile contained satisfaction. She didn't care if Richard was Vero's biological father — she would not care!
"I like your performance." Amara kept smiling praising Megan's orderly work, slow but certain victory.
"Thank you, Ma'am."
Amara looked at the document in her hand. It stated Richard faced five years in prison. But of course, that was not the end for the man who made Amara and her son suffer.
"He was too confident to oppose me." Amara leaned back and crossed her arms. "I wonder what his face looks like now. Oh, damn …"
Amara seemed eager to witness the man's destruction. If she once still had pity for others, now her heart felt dead.
"Excuse me, Ma'am. Will you consider Doctor Diamond's invitation? If he is the doctor who handled Mr. Tony's body, he must have confidential information, right?" Megan asked. "According to the report from Mr. Charlie's personal driver, Mr. Charlie plans to attack you again."
"What do you mean?"
"This is only my assumption … it seems Mr. Charlie will seize Vero's custody by reopening your old case. Maybe he has arranged a plan to burden you again so you will not have custody rights."
Amara stiffened — not from fear, but disgust toward the old man's schemes.
"You're right …" Amara clenched her hand. "I will call Doctor Diamond. Prepare the meeting place, make sure no one can access it."
Megan nodded obediently.
Amara finally decided to meet Kaisar. In the end, she did this because Kaisar Diamond Carlton was directly involved in handling her late uncle's body seven years ago.
They met in a luxury hotel restaurant, where only Amara and Kaisar were present.
The adult man around thirty-eight years old sat calmly in his chair. Kaisar stood when Amara arrived — no pressure, no coercion. He smiled as if he had waited a long time for this moment.
"I doubted you would still want to meet me, Amara," said Kaisar.
"This is for my son." Amara pulled a chair and sat.
A waiter came and handed the menu; until their food was prepared, Amara kept staring at Kaisar without pause.
"You know I didn't come for dinner," she said coldly. "I came to know whose side you were on seven years ago."
Kaisar did not answer immediately. He only slowly rotated the glass of water in front of him.
"What if I say … I tried to save you back then?"
Amara frowned. "Save me? From what? Your name is in my uncle's death file, damn it."
Kaisar exhaled softly. The curse sounded like real anger.
"I was there, but I was removed from duty because I was considered disobedient and uncooperative."
"The reason?"
"Because I tried to oppose them. I realized there were many irregularities in the body, but the report was suddenly changed. I tried to meet the doctor handling it, and the result was I was removed."
The atmosphere suddenly felt heavy.
"But that's not the real reason you had to meet me today," Kaisar continued, looking straight into Amara's eyes. "The real reason is … someone started reopening your case file."
Amara's fingers stiffened on the table.
"Who?"
Kaisar smiled faintly — not a warm smile, more like a warning.
"Not the police. Not the court." He paused. "The person who made sure you went to prison … never stopped watching you."
Amara's breath caught.
Kaisar took a black folder beside his chair and pushed it toward Amara.
"And this time," he said quietly, "the target isn't you."
Amara opened the folder. Her face immediately turned pale. On the first page was a single name — Vero.