When I arrived at the coffee shop from before, it was 50 minutes past seven.
I was unable to hide my excitement and arrived ten minutes early.
When I entered, however, I saw Cole waiting for me at the window.
He was so early.
Just when my gaze was on him, Cole looked at me. He smiled and waved. "Here."
I approached slowly, pulled out the chair opposite him, and sat down. I looked at him coldly. "You’re here early, Mr. Anders."
"I figured you were going to be early, so I came ahead of time. It seems that I was right." Cole turned on the phone screen and said with a smile after seeing the time.
After ordering a cup of coffee, I questioned Cole directly since I was in no mood to chit-chat. "Mr. Anders, can you tell me the whole story today?"
I watched him take a sip of his coffee as if he was savoring the aroma. Cole asked me after a moment, "What do you want to know?"
I had no intention of sipping my own coffee and asked directly, "You already knew about Silas Yard’s existence, so why didn't you tell me? I had to go to Joen to check it myself. I could have gotten the results without the investigation, so why didn't you tell me, Mr. Anders?
"I also think you have too many secrets, Mr. Anders. Everything seems like a scheme of yours, including our first meeting. You’ve been guiding me step by step in my investigation into my history. How are we connected?"
These were the questions I wanted answers to the most.
I wanted to hear Cole explain it himself.
Cole's once bright eyes dimmed slightly after I said all this, and his eyelids lowered. He smiled wryly, even a little sourly. After a while, he raised his head to look at me. "That's right, your guess is correct. Our first meeting was part of my plan. I also planned on guiding you in your investigation."
I did not expect him to admit this so readily.
Taking a deep breath, I asked what I had been holding back in my heart. "Why?"
Cole clasped his hands on the table, stories seemingly hidden in his eyes. He bit his lips as if he was struggling to think before answering me. "Because you and I are relatives."
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