Chapter 417: A Meeting
"Mrs. Thomas. What are you doing here?"
Marianne walked into the office with a stiff expression, her eyes narrowed in silent challenge. She inspected the man carefully, because something about him always demanded it. From the easygoing smile tugging at his mouth to the calm, indifferent eyes watching her back, she knew her guess had been right.
She had looked into Adam Collins in the past but even then had not learnt so much. It was only now that she knew this.. She knew the man was anything but simple.
He was the one who had managed to bring down Sir Robert Collins himself and claim the seat of President at ABC Industries- a feat that had shocked even the most seasoned businessmen. On top of that, his position as chairman of Stormedge Inc, while still keeping his identity hidden, only proved how shrewd and calculating he really was. A man like that didn’t make careless moves.
Which meant she had to choose her words carefully.
"Where is Melanie?" she asked in a slow and measured tone. She had her suspicions but she dared not reveal them directly.
Adam leaned back in his chair, his movements unhurried, almost lazy, before taking a seat as if he had all the time in the world. His gaze held hers steadily.
"Melanie?" he repeated mildly. "She should be at your home, shouldn’t she?"
Marianne stiffened. "At home? Melanie went on a holiday with you! And now you’re saying she should be at home? Adam-" her voice rose before she caught herself, "-where is my daughter?"
The man only laughed softly, a sound that grated on her nerves, before letting out a long sigh.
"You’re joking, Mrs. Thomas," he said with faint amusement. "I went on a holiday with Melanie? No, no. You, of all people, should know better than that. Melanie is at your home. I went on a holiday with Melody."
Marianne went still. Her mind scrambled for the right response. Did he really know? Were her suspicions correct? Did Adam already suspect that Melody wasn’t who she claimed to be? It had to be. But there was no proof in his words- no clear sign. She couldn’t be sure yet. What if he was only probing to make sure?
"Adam," she said slowly, almost warily, "what are you talking about? Melanie is your wife. Melody is your sister-in-law. Why on earth would she be the one to go on a holiday with you?"
Adam chuckled again, this time louder, as if she had told a particularly foolish joke.
"Mrs. Thomas," he said with quiet derision, "either you think too little of my intelligence... or I have given yours far too much credit. I’m sure you already know the truth. Melody was never kidnapped. She returned as Melanie. And the real Melanie, was kidnapped and lost her memory. When she came back, she was told she was Melody, and so she believed it."
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharper now, cutting through her composure.
"But you, Mrs. Thomas... you of all people should have known this already. After all, wasn’t it you who helped Melody get rid of the hospital surveillance? Who helped her deceive me?"
Marianne froze, every trace of color draining from her face. It seemed their carefully woven plan had already begun to unravel before her eyes.
"Adam," she said finally, her voice tighter now, "fine. I admit that I did it. But Melody is in love with you whereas Melanie was with you for the contract."
Adam chuckled again," Mrs Thomas is quite well informed. It seemed I did not make a mistake in judging your intelligence."
arianne took a deep breath, forcing her voice to steady though her heart thudded in her chest.
"Where is Melody then?" she asked slowly, each word measured. "What have you done with my daughter?"
Adam tilted his head, his smile faint, almost mocking.
"Your daughter?" he repeated softly, tapping his fingers against the armrest of his chair. "Tsk, tsk. Are we back to misjudging intelligence, Mrs. Thomas?"
The words hit her like a quiet slap, his tone calm yet cutting. Marianne froze, reading between the lines, realizing he was turning the knife with every word he spoke. He knew everything. But how..
"What do you want?" she asked finally in a voice which was sharper now. There was no point circling around the matter any longer.
Adam’s smile widened slightly, the kind that never reached his eyes.
"Ah," he said smoothly, "now we get to the point." He leaned back, crossing one leg over the other as though they were discussing business over tea rather than lives caught in a tangled mess. "It’s quite simple, really. I want to get rid of Melanie."
Marianne stared at him. "A divorce?"
"Yes," Adam said as if the word were the most natural thing in the world. "You see, I thought I could use Melody for that purpose. But it seems," he paused deliberately, his gaze steady on hers, "the stupid girl doesn’t even know how to sign like Melanie. Imagine my surprise. But here is the thing, only with Melanie out of my way, can I claim ABC totally."
Marianne’s grip on the armrest of the chair tightened. "So you realized she wasn’t Melanie because of that?"
Adam shrugged, his expression careless, but his eyes remained cold. "Among other things. Now, here is the problem." He leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on the table between them. "The real Melanie has no memories. She actually believes she is Melody. Quite firmly, in fact. Which puts me in... let’s call it a rather interesting dilemma, if you understand what I mean."
Marianne’s thoughts raced. He had just admitted to knowing everything-Melody’s deception, Melanie’s amnesia, the entire mess but his tone was calm, as though he held all the cards. Which meant that... he was not emotionally invested in either Melody or Melanie.
"And what exactly," she asked carefully, "do you plan to do about this dilemma?"
Adam smiled again, slow and deliberate. "Oh, Mrs. Thomas, that depends entirely on you. After all," his voice lowered a fraction, carrying a trace of mockery, "you’ve been quite involved in this little drama from the start, haven’t you?"