Chapter 25 On the boat (7)...
"Come in."
After a moment, the maid reopened the door and found that Mrs. Edward had changed into a dress suitable for meeting guests. The color was plain and it was completely different from the aggressive outfit she had worn in the banquet hall this afternoon.
Irene had originally prepared herself to have a cup of tea thrown in her face, but she had not expected Mrs. Edward to be so gentle and polite, and all her prepared remarks were useless.
As first-class cabins, the difference between this room and their first-class cabins is no less than that between the presidential suite and the executive suite. No one would have thought that there would be such a luxurious room on such a shabby ship.
Cherry wood furniture, good lighting, the table is covered with a handmade lace tablecloth, there is even a bunch of dewy roses on it, and there are several large boxes on the ground, which should be Mrs. Edward's luggage when she goes out.
But it was a bit strange that there was only one maid working in such a big house. Shouldn't such a rich man have many servants? Irene suppressed her doubts, took the tea handed over by the maid, and narrated the incident as objectively as possible without emotion.
Leo sat next to her, his eyes lowered, not knowing what he was thinking.
As Irene spoke, Mrs. Edward's face became paler and paler, and she relied entirely on her arms to support her shaky body on the table.
"You mean someone persuaded my husband to murder me?"
Mrs. Edward, with her back straight, finally put down the exquisite white porcelain teacup in her hand.
Irene and Leo each placed an expensive cup of this kind in front of them. Not only the cups, but everything in the room revealed a carefully maintained attitude towards life.
You can tell at first glance that Mrs. Edward is a woman who knows how to live and has a great sense of romance.
"Yes," she recalled the experience carefully, "The woman didn't have an accent, but her tone sounded very arrogant. It seemed that she didn't take human life seriously, and her affair with Edward must have lasted for a long time."
Mrs. Edward nodded, her face looking a little too calm, as if she had known what kind of person Edward was long ago.
But... Irene glanced at Mrs. Edward's palm, which was abnormally red from being pinched, and sighed silently in her heart.
After all, we are lovers who have slept in the same bed for many years.
She still remembered Linda saying that the Edwards were a model couple in Mobile.
But when the appearance of love is removed, what is left?
Are they both aware that they are incompatible but appear to be in harmony?
Mrs. Edward forced a smile on her face. She rubbed her fingertips and murmured, "Is this an arrogant woman who wants me dead?"
She seemed to be asking Irene, but more like she was talking to herself.
It was obvious that she had already accepted the fact that her husband and his mistress were trying to murder her, but she just needed time to digest it.
Irene was completely shocked. They didn't even ask her for evidence? She was ready to shout out the room number.
Perhaps the confusion in Irene's eyes was too clear, and Mrs. Edward felt a little guilty about the girl who almost died because of her, so she explained:
"I have a relatively good idea of what kind of person Edward is. There are actually signs that he wants to kill me. I'm not too surprised. I just didn't expect him to choose today."
The woman smiled bitterly. "Today is our eighth wedding anniversary. I thought it was him who came back, so I went out to greet him in casual clothes."
Irene felt sad, but she didn't know how to respond. She licked her dry lips and suddenly felt that her mood became inexplicably depressed.
Meeting, falling in love, and getting married, what comes after that, when the hormones dissipate, what makes love more sustainable and long-lasting?
Or is it that long-lasting love simply does not exist? When people get used to the dopamine produced by love, they will naturally feel that love is not that important, like a desensitization reaction.
Just get used to it.
Get used to being alone, then get used to living with someone, and gradually conflicts begin to arise. What happens after that?
Irene couldn't imagine it, but she knew clearly what everyone's end was. It was nothing more than a person and a handful of soil, and in the end, the only one left with oneself was oneself.
What's more, she is a time traveler. If she suddenly returns to the modern era one day, what will Leo become?
Irene didn't dare to think about it, nor did she want to think about it.
She seemed unaware of the scalding temperature of the white porcelain teacup. She pressed her fingertips against the cup but could not help but look up at Leo. The boy's bangs fell over his eyelashes, so his expression could not be seen clearly.
A man can still escape from his addiction, but a woman cannot be persuaded from her addiction.
She and Leo, who is the man and who is the woman?
If she were a woman, how would she protect herself and struggle out of the love game?
Irene stared at the clear tea, trying to see some instructions from the future from the wall of the cup like a witch.
The tea had an innocent and pure red hue, reflecting Leo's nervous eyes. He was still wondering if there was any deeper meaning behind what Irene had just said.
And why did she bring him along to see Mrs. Edward? Was it to make him understand something? Or was it to warn him, to warn him not to meddle in other people's business?
But the look in Irene's face when she spoke to him at the door just now didn't sound like she was warning him. Instead, it sounded more like she was extremely helpless towards him.
Every word Irene said, every look she gave him, at this moment became a corner of a tangled ball of yarn, filling Leo's heart.
Leo twisted his fingers tightly around his trouser legs, listening to the conversation between Irene and Mrs. Edward without daring to make a mistake, for fear that he would miss any important information.
He really didn't want to see Irene looking at him with disappointment in her eyes again.
Mrs. Edward took a sip of tea. She hesitated for a moment and then said, "The only thing I'm curious about now is who is the woman behind him?"
Irene shook her head. She hadn't heard this voice in the banquet hall, so she had no idea who it was. She could only suggest, "Why don't we check with people close to Edward, such as his secretary or friends?"
"We went to New Orleans for vacation. It was just the two of us. He didn't even bring his work." Mrs. Edward smiled bitterly. She said self-deprecatingly, "If I really died on this ship, maybe no one would have the chance to redress my grievances."
This is indeed true, Irene sighed deeply, in this age when science is underdeveloped and patriarchy is worshipped, women are still not valued after all.
If she hadn't boarded the ship, Edward's trick would have been accomplished long ago.
"Then I have one last question. Why did you take the initiative to tell me this, Miss Irene? What is your purpose?"
It was indeed very relaxing to deal with smart and easy-to-talk people. Irene cheered herself up and put on a businesslike smile again.
"I heard that your family owns a cloth factory, and I happened to want to open a tailor shop, so when I found out about Edward, I thought of coming to inform you."
This will make it easier for her to get cheap materials in the future.
Of course, Mrs. Edward understood what she meant without her having to say it.
Mrs. Edward was silent for a moment, and the atmosphere in the reception room gradually became quieter and more solemn.
Irene, who was sitting across the table, was secretly getting anxious and was almost unable to maintain the smile on her face.
Why don't you pick up on her? Shouldn't you just agree to it now? Why hesitate? Hurry up and announce like a heroine that you'll give me a cheap contract!
"But," Mrs. Edward said with some difficulty, "I don't have the management rights of the factory now. To be honest, since my father passed away, my influence on the family business is far less than Edward's."
The regret in the woman's tone was clearly revealed.
Irene couldn't help but gasp. This was a typical case of a Phoenix Man who wiped out the entire family.
After saying this, the rest was easy to say. Mrs. Edward rolled up her handkerchief and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"I met my father's attending physician some time ago. He is a close friend of my father and a devout Christian. He would never do anything that goes against his conscience."
At this point, Mrs. Irene's voice trembled more and more. "He told me that he suspected someone had been continuously giving my father trace amounts of poison. This kind of medicine would not have a big effect on normal people, but for my father who has been relying on medicine for many years..."
The woman's voice was completely choked, her eyes were red, and her voice was very hoarse.
Irene's breathing stagnated. It would be hard for anyone not to feel pain when they realize that their loved ones died in a man-made disaster.
"At the time, I thought it was my father's rival who did this, but now it seems that Edward is more likely to be the culprit than an outsider. It seems that ever since he came to my house, my father's health has been getting worse and worse."
Irene pushed the tissue box on the table towards Mrs. Edward and whispered "My condolences."
Mrs. Edward apologized with red eyes, then hurriedly got up and ran to the bathroom.
As soon as she left the table, Leo took out a piece of paper first. He quickly wrote a line of words and pushed it in front of Irene.
"I'm going to kill Edward."
It was concise and to the point, and it solved the problem fundamentally. It was exactly what Leo would do.
Irene forced a smile on her face, and while Mrs. Edward was away, she hit Leo's head hard, which had nothing else in it except killing people, and lowered her voice,
"Why are you killing? Do you think you are killing watermelons? What is the law for? Who are prisons for? Killing people is a last resort. Why not use legitimate means? Do you really think the country is a decoration?"
Leo said nothing, but looked at her with a slightly puzzled look, as if he had not been like this before he accused her.
Irene closed her eyes tightly. No, how come this guy knows everything?
The woman gnashed her teeth and stepped on Leo. "There's really nothing we can do about Booker. I can't just watch Hannah get killed by that group of people. She didn't want anything to happen to Booker. It was just an accident."
"Do I have to let Hannah die because of this accident?"
Leo nodded, not quite understanding.
"In short, unless your life is threatened, you are not allowed to mention the word killing." Irene unconsciously moved closer to the boy. She stared at Leo, her brows almost wrinkled. "You are not allowed to regard killing as a solution to the problem, understand?"
The woman's eyes were all on him, her clear pupils filled with his figure. Leo clutched the sleeves of his clothes, even breathing seemed a little difficult, and large patches of red spread from the tips of his ears.
"You two have such a good relationship," Mrs. Edward's envious voice came from behind Irene, "Did you just get married?"
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