To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 114

Andrew, who had worked as Noah’s secretary, immediately recognized Victor.

He remembered from his past life that Victor was hunting down the remnants of the Mage Union, but he couldn’t help feeling uneasy about the situation.

Of course, this life was different from the last one. Most of all, Scarlett, who had sparked the war, was still alive.

But one thing was clear: Victor Lebedev’s visit held special meaning.

He had dedicated his whole life to stabilizing the lives of Natalia’s people, and every one of his actions—big or small—carried purpose.

Early on a weekend morning, Andrew gathered all the documents he had collected on Julia Ashford’s murder case and went to see John.

“You don’t look as bad as I expected.”

Despite being disbarred and having resigned from his position, John didn’t look like he was doing terribly. His eyes were shadowed and he seemed tired, but from what Andrew knew, John had always lived with chronic fatigue.

“How are you feeling?”

“If I’d known parenting was this hard, I would’ve quit working a long time ago. I guess the good thing is that it’s so exhausting I don’t even have time to feel depressed.”

John gave Andrew a warm smile and asked in a lazy tone.

“So, what brings you here this early on a weekend?”

“I’ll get straight to the point. Let’s bring the Julia Ashford murder case to light and reopen the investigation.”

John’s eyebrows instantly furrowed. Before he could say anything, Andrew rushed to speak.

“You closed the case too hastily. That’s not like you. If you truly wanted to save Scott, you should’ve gone into the mud and proven his innocence.”

In his previous life, her death had been the reason Noah Ashford killed Scarlett in revenge.

It would’ve been ideal if they could go back to before Julia Ashford’s death, but Andrew’s memories from his past life had left him with too many doubts. So he’d carefully gathered the questionable points.

“Going public now is like scoring an own goal. She’s the emperor of Natalia’s biological mother.”

“The evidence… it hasn’t been destroyed yet, has it?”

“……”

Andrew continued, speaking in his usual calm and convincing tone.

“You know there were a lot of suspicious things at the scene.”

The problem was that the evidence and motive all pointed to Scott.

If a proper investigation and trial had taken place, Scott would’ve taken a heavy hit. Even if he had been declared innocent, just being suspected would’ve left him branded a murderer.

And at the time, Victor Lebedev, who was trying to protect Noah, had come to Wifland.

If things had gone to court, and Victor started pressuring the Wifland government while Noah took the throne, no one could predict how it would have turned out.

Taking all that into account, John had risked his entire political career to strike a deal with Victor and bury the case.

“First, Julia Ashford fought with mages before she died. She stood at the top in terms of skill. No matter how strong those Cravitz mages were, could they really defeat a warrior who once stood at the heart of battle?”

“She hadn’t used magic in almost twenty years.”

“But she wouldn’t have lost all her skills. Second, the communicator. I’ll ask again—do you still have it? Knowing you, I believe you kept it.”

“…Yeah, I still have it.”

“Good. Listen, Johnny. I think that communicator belonged to Scarlett.”

“I heard Scarlett’s was broken and thrown away.”

“Even if she broke it, I doubt it was more than a crack. But what if—just if—someone picked it up and gave it to someone else? And that someone was skilled enough to fix it?”

Aaron, who was tied to the mafia, was one thing. But Scott, as a munitions manufacturer, was constantly under watch.

And since it was known that Scott cared deeply for Scarlett, she must have also been under surveillance. So, if one of the staff had been bribed, something like that could’ve happened.

“Third, Scott said he never gave any orders. I believe him.”

Andrew’s unwavering gaze met John’s. John laced his fingers together and fell silent. His political instincts kicked in, and he began to calculate.

Andrew anxiously waited for John’s decision. Only after a long pause did John unclasp his hands.

“We’ll have to investigate it quietly, just between us. If we go public, there’s too much at stake.”

“Alright.”

“And Scott’s opinion too…”

“That bastard cries about how unfair it is every time he drinks.”

Having confirmed each other’s resolve to reopen the Julia Ashford case, Andrew immediately headed to the hospital. Today was the day of Scarlett’s regular checkup.

Scarlett was waiting for him at the hospital entrance. She looked a bit nervous, showing how medical results always manage to scare patients no matter how much time passes.

He gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder and walked inside. As they waited for the elevator that the White family had installed years ago, Andrew asked,

“Can I ask you a tough question?”

“What is it?”

“Six years ago… what happened between you and Noah Ashford?”

Scarlett nervously bit her lip and carefully chose her words. The elevator rattled as it descended.

“I loved him. Truly.”

“…”

“Falling in love with an illegitimate child who might even be my half-brother… I don’t understand it myself. But Andy, Teddy was born from love. It wasn’t an accident or something violent.”

“That’s… a relief.”

“Yeah. It is.”

Just then, the elevator reached the first floor. When the operator opened the door, Scarlett stepped in first. As Andrew followed, she added,

“If something happens to me—”

“Scarlett!”

“I got better for no reason, so I might get worse for no reason too.”

“Don’t think like that.”

Ignoring her brother’s protest, Scarlett went on.

“If my health declines and I end up leaving Teddy behind… of course, Scott and Susan would take care of him, but I can’t say I fully trust them. Scott’s rough by nature, and Susan… I worry Teddy might turn out like Isaac.”

“…”

“I trust you. So please take care of Teddy. Scott can protect him.”

“You’ve always been a stubborn one, you know that?”

“I know.”

He gently patted her back, a silent way of telling her not to worry. She gave a faint smile and cleared her throat nervously. The anxiety over the test results was starting to peak.

She felt like the life she had now was just borrowed time—that it wouldn’t be strange to die at any moment. So she was grateful every day just to be alive.

It made her happy to look her beloved son in the eyes and roll around playfully with him.

But her life could be taken away at any time. It had been given suddenly, so it could disappear just as suddenly.

Scarlett took a deep breath in front of the doctor’s office.

“I’ll be back.”

She opened the door and greeted the elderly doctor. It was Mr. Dixon, who had known her since she was young.

“Scarlett. I didn’t realize it was already time. Yes, today’s the day you get your results.”

“Yes. Whew… I’m nervous.”

“Let’s see… the results…”

The doctor’s voice faded, drowned out by the pounding of her heart. Scarlett felt the blood drain from her body and then rush back, hot and fast.

“Oh God… dear God…”

She buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders trembled.

“There’s nothing to worry about. Things haven’t gotten better since the last test, but they haven’t gotten worse either.”

“Thank you… thank you…”

Even staying the same was a blessing, especially after coming so close to death.

“And Scarlett, is Teddy… a mage, by any chance?”

Doctor Dixon was one of the few outsiders who knew she had been pregnant.

Her heart sank. She had never told anyone that Teddy could use magic.

She didn’t know if she should confirm it or deny it.

As if he had read her mind, the doctor continued.

“Recently, a study from Natalia revealed that fetuses with magical potential resonate with their mother while in the womb.”

“Resonate…?”

Scarlett had a strange feeling like she’d heard this before.

“It’s common knowledge that problems in the mother affect the child. But the reverse is also true. The fetus can affect the mother.”

“How?”

“For example…”

Dixon adjusted his glasses and lowered his voice.

“There have been reports of cases where, if the mother’s health was poor and the magical fetus was at risk, the fetus somehow protected the mother’s body.”

“…My God…”

“I’ll share more once further studies are done.”

If Scarlett hadn’t gone beyond her hatred and loved Noah, Teddy wouldn’t have been born. And without him, she would already be dead and buried.

In the end, her improved health was a miracle brought on by the love she once had for Noah.

Teddy…

She was already grateful that he had been born healthy. But he’d even helped her heal. She wanted to grab her son and cover him with kisses right that moment.

Coming out of the doctor’s office, Scarlett sniffled and tried to gather her emotions. Andrew grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

“Scarlett, we need to go. The reporters are coming.”

Even before he finished speaking, reporters surrounded them, flashes firing everywhere.

Support