Chapter 911 Are you telling the truth?

Chapter 911: Chapter 911 Are you telling the truth?

"I know I wasn’t able to give Eli the life he deserved before but now that I know where he is, I can’t simply stay away from him."

His eyes became suspiciously moist again. He blinked rapidly, as though fighting back tears.

"He’s my son."

Bella looked at him for a long moment.

Then she asked quietly, "If you cared so much about him, why did you only start looking for him after you discovered that someone else had given him a better life?"

Jack’s face stiffened.

A flash of anger appeared in his eyes before he quickly hid it. His fingers tightened around the armrest of his chair and his jaw clenched. He had not expected that question.

Bella watched him, waiting. Her eyes were calm and cold, and they did not leave his face.

Jack forced himself to relax. He let out a shaky breath and lowered his head, as though the question had wounded him deeply.

"You don’t understand," he said, his voice trembling. "I have been searching for him for years. I just didn’t have the resources. I didn’t know where to look."

He looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes.

"It was only when I found out about the kindergarten that I finally had a chance to see him again."

Bella did not respond.

She simply looked at him with those calm, cold eyes, and Jack suddenly felt as though she could see right through him. He swallowed nervously. But he refused to give up. He had come too far to back down now.

"Searching for years?" Bella repeated, her voice turning colder. "But from what we heard, you abandoned your wife years ago and left both mother and son to fend for themselves."

Jack froze.

The sorrowful expression on his face faltered, and for a moment, he looked completely caught off guard. His lips parted but no answer came immediately. His eyes darted around the room as if searching for an escape.

"I... I had no choice..." he stammered.

Bella’s eyes remained fixed on him. She didn’t blink. She didn’t move.

"My wife..." Jack continued, his voice becoming shaky as he desperately tried to construct another excuse. "She wasn’t a good wife. She... she caused so many problems. Because of her, I had to leave."

He lowered his head and suddenly began crying again. His shoulders shook, and he covered his face with his hands.

"I didn’t want to leave them. I swear I didn’t..."

Bella watched him without the slightest sympathy. Her arms were crossed and her expression was cold.

Leo, who hadn’t spoken a single word from the start, finally spoke.

"Are you telling the truth?"

His voice was deadly calm.

Jack looked up quickly, his tear-streaked face turning toward the sound.

"Of course!"

Leo’s gray eyes remained fixed on him. He did not blink. He did not move.

"Think once again."

The room seemed to become colder.

Jack swallowed. His throat bobbed nervously.

Leo didn’t raise his voice or move from his seat. He simply watched him with an expression that gave Jack the uncomfortable feeling that his answer had already been checked somewhere else.

Jack hesitated for only a second before forcing himself to nod confidently.

"I am telling the truth."

Leo stared at him.

"You’re certain?"

"Yes." Jack nodded again, more vigorously this time. "I’m certain."

A faint silence followed.

Then Leo reached inside his jacket and calmly pulled out a handgun.

Jack’s eyes widened. His entire body went rigid. His hands gripped the armrests of his chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Now...?"

Leo didn’t answer.

He simply rested the weapon loosely in his hand and turned it slowly between his fingers, his movements almost casual. The metal caught the light, glinting dangerously. It was a simple gesture, but it carried a message that needed no words.

Jack’s face drained of color. His earlier confidence vanished so quickly that even his fake tears seemed to disappear. His hands, which had been covering his face, slowly lowered to his lap.

Leo glanced at the weapon before looking back at him.

"Interesting."

Jack swallowed hard. His mouth felt dry. His tongue felt too big for his mouth.

"I... I don’t understand."

"You will."

Leo’s voice remained remarkably calm.

Jack’s eyes darted toward the guards standing nearby, then back toward Leo. His breathing had become shallow and uneven.

"What... what are you going to do?"

Leo didn’t answer. He simply continued turning the gun between his fingers, watching Jack with those unreadable gray eyes.

"How... how do you have a gun...?" Jack stammered, staring at the weapon in Leo’s hand.

Leo didn’t answer.

He simply lowered his eyes to the gun. His thumb moved over it calmly before he rested it against his palm again.

Jack’s breathing became uneven.

Leo finally lifted his eyes.

Cold gray met frightened eyes.

He said nothing.

Instead, he slowly raised the gun and rested it against the arm of his chair, his posture completely relaxed. His body language said he had all the time in the world.

Jack swallowed.

Leo leaned back, one ankle resting over his knee, and casually turned the gun once between his fingers.

Click.

The tiny metallic sound echoed through the room.

Jack flinched violently. His whole body jerked as though he had been struck.

Leo’s expression didn’t change.

He only watched.

Jack’s gaze darted toward the guards. They stood motionless. Then toward the door. Another guard was standing there. His eyes returned to Leo.

Leo was still sitting comfortably, the gun resting loosely in his hand, watching him with the patience of a predator that had no reason to rush.

Jack’s forehead began to sweat.

He suddenly regretted every confident word he had spoken after entering the mansion.

"Whatever you’re saying contradicts everything."

Leo’s voice was calm. Almost frighteningly calm.

Jack froze.

Leo looked at him for a moment. His gray eyes moved over every tiny change in the man’s expression.

"You said you’ve been searching for Eli."

Jack’s lips parted. He wanted to speak but no words came out.

Leo continued.

"And yet, you’re the one who sent him to the orphanage."

Jack’s face tightened. His jaw clenched and his fingers gripped the armrests of his chair.

"You said your wife was a bad woman."

Leo’s gaze hardened. The coldness in his eyes deepened and his voice dropped lower.

"But from what I’ve heard, you were the one who abused her."

Jack stopped breathing for a moment. His chest tightened, and his eyes widened.