44
AMBER'S POV.
I was surprised to hear Kathrine's confession.
When Asleena and Benny arrive at Joseph's mansion, Kathrine tells them something about Asleena's parents' accident. Kathrine gives them a printed photo showing Joshua, Asleena's father, with Mr. Bram, the financial manager of the Handerson Group.
I frowned upon seeing the print. It took her a moment to confirm that the man standing on the right side of the print was Joshua. There was denial in her heart because this photo looked rather dull. Like it had been taken years before.
"Why does Mrs. Kathrine have this photo?" I asked, looking at the photo in her hand.
Kathrine looked confused as to how to explain. Her eyes glanced at Benny, Joseph, and Waston in turn. Kathrine watched Asleena guiltily.
"I'm sorry, Miss Amber. Do you know why we all know the Handerson Group family?" Kathrine asked a question.
Only then did I lift her face and look at Kathrine with great curiosity. Asleena watched Kathrine as if she wanted to know where their conversation was going.
After a few seconds of Kathrine hesitating to tell Asleena something, Kathrine tapped my right hand. The gesture aroused my suspicion and made her think of bad possibilities.
"We are all very close friends, Asleena," Kathrine continued. After a moment's hesitation, Kathrine continued, "Unfortunately, there was a conflict that caused a division between us. Your father and Mr. Bram-the financial manager of the Hudge Group-were so close that Mr. Bram had hopes of getting a promotion."
"But after Mr. Bram found out that your father had given the promotion to someone else, Mr. Bram didn't want to communicate with your father anymore. They became very tense towards each other."
Hearing Kathrine's explanation left Asleena stunned in disbelief. Asleena could not say anything for a few moments. Her brain was trying to digest what Kathrine had just explained.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about that?" Asleena asked, muttering. "Then, was the conflict between you and Mr. Bram so tense?"
Kathrine nodded her head. "At first Joshua didn't feel that Mr. Bram was avoiding him. But over time, Mr. Bram changed his attitude. Did you know that the head of the finance division-the person Joshua was promoted to resigned because he couldn't stand working there?
"That's because of Mr. Bram?" guessed Asleena. Although Asleena had never heard any news about it.
Kathrine nodded her head. "Yes, because Mr. Bram is constantly looking for ways to get the former head of finance accused. The former head of finance has never done anything like corruption, drugs, or the like."
Feeling a pause in Kathrine's words, Asleena decided to remain silent and listen. Asleena let Kathrine think for a moment before continuing her explanation.
"But the former head of the finance division was caught in a trap that made him involved in drug dealing and embezzlement cases," Kathrine continued with an agitated expression on her face.
Asleena was still in denial. But unfortunately, because of the seriousness on Kathrine's face as she explained, Asleena's denial faltered. Gradually, her belief in Kathrine's explanation grew.
"If you can't believe what I'm telling you now, you can go to the prison directly. Because the former head of the finance division had to get a prison sentence after the entrapment incident."
Asleena did not have time to reply, but Kathrine had already said something.
"Or... you can also meet the people involved in Mr. Bram's plan to frame the former head of the finance division.
Asleena still found it hard to believe that all this time Joshua had to deal with someone like Mr. Bram. But considering everything that had happened lately, Asleena finally had no choice but to believe Kathrine's explanation.
"Thank you for your explanation, Mistress Kathrine," Asleena said in response.
Kathrine gave her a sweet smile. For some reason, this time, Kathrine's gestures and demeanor were different than before. Asleena did not think that her assumption about Kathrine asking to meet to insult her again was wrong.
On the other hand, Benny had not answered anything. Benny immediately curved a sweet smile after Asleena and Khatrine finished interacting.
"Asleena, I apologize to you for your actions so far," said Khatrine, who gave a farewell sentence to Asleena and Benny who had moved from the chair.
Hearing Kathrine's words, Asleena only gave a faint smile. She nodded her head in agreement with Khatrine's words.
"It's okay, Mrs. Kathrine. You don't have to feel guilty."
***
One month passed. A serious investigation to find the perpetrator of Asleena and Benny's photo spread was completed.
Asleena was relieved because during this serious investigation, they found evidence of the truth of Khatrine's words. Mr. Bram turned out to be the mastermind behind her parents' accident. Mr. Bram was eventually charged with premeditated murder, defamation of the former head of Hudge Group's finance division, embezzlement of Hudge Group's construction project funds, and other cases.
The results of the month-long serious investigation were a relief to Asleena. All the burdens in her heart were completely removed. Asleena was able to find out who the traitor in the Hudge Group company was that Joshua was referring to.
Now, Asleena was at her parents' funeral. It had been an hour since she had stood looking at the two large tombstones bearing her parents' names. This time there was nothing weighing on Asleena's heart as she looked at her parents' graves.
"Are you two okay?" Asleena asked with a small smile on her face. "I've found the person who caused you both the accident. Papa, you're proud of me, right?"
There was no answer.
It was very quiet. Asleena could barely continue because she suddenly felt a pool of water in her eyes.
"If only I could have prevented this a long time ago..." Asleena's tone was almost stammering. "I should have known that you were having an unpleasant experience, Papa."
In front of Asleena, her parents' two funerals looked calm. Asleena could not deny that there was still a residual pain in her heart. Longing and regret mixed together.
"You're so whiny," Benny, who had been accompanying Asleena by her side, spoke softly.
With a look of sadness on her face, Asleena looked at Benny with annoyance. Full of annoyance as if she wanted to smack Benny on the head right then and there.
"Can't you stop making fun of me?" Asleena asked irritably. "You saw me talking to my parents. You could have at least greeted them or said something, instead of mocking me."
Benny turned his gaze to Asleena. When he realized that Asleena was already showing an expression of wanting to cry, Benny pretended to make a pitying face. Again to tease Asleena.
"Uhuhuhu, gosh, you really look like a baby now. Do you realize you're so ugly right now?" Benny asked in a voice that sounded like someone was about to cry.
In front of Benny, Asleena got even more annoyed and hit him on the back. Asleena immediately knew that Benny was not going to stop teasing her. Therefore, Asleena decided to stop saying anything to Benny.
"Papa, why ask me to marry a man like him?" Asleena asked towards Joshua's grave, as if she was talking to her real father.
Benny silently smiled and held back his laughter. He then stepped forward and placed a special bouquet of flowers.
"For you, Papa-in-Law. Don't worry, Asleena is safe with me now," said Benny, who also spoke to Joshua's grave.
Asleena looked at Benny sarcastically. "No, you don't make me feel safe at all. How can you-"
Benny immediately shut Asleena's mouth before her sentence was finished. Benny immediately glared at Asleena.
"Don't speak ill of me in front of my father-in-law. I don't want him to not trust me anymore," Benny said.
In front of Benny, Asleena immediately tried to remove her hand from his mouth. Asleena growled in exasperation after Benny's hand was completely removed from her mouth, Asleena looked annoyed.
"Leave it alone. Since when did you become a trustworthy person?"
Hearing that, Benny was drawn into curving a lopsided smile. He was amused.
In that moment, Benny and Asleena dispelled their awkwardness towards each other. In the months since they first investigated together, Asleena and Benny didn't realize that their closeness had become more intense. But they realized that it turned out that all the events that happened to them were God's way of bringing them closer to each other.