CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

Martin is at the hospital today, not to visit his daughter Ashley, but to check on a patient whose father, Manuel Santiago, is still alive, but due to his old age, he is gradually weakening.

The Santiago tree has indeed not died yet. He could only say it in his mind. This was placed in a private room, and Martin could only laugh at the guards who were watching over it.

He could only shake his head. His parents always told him not to meddle too much with the Santiago family because they have a secret that has never been revealed.

He was deep in thought about how he would approach or even talk to that old man. His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a woman; he frowned because he recognized the woman even from behind.

Damn that bitch. He thought to himself, she wasn't with Justine, skilled lover Justine; he was alone heading to the hospital.

His curiosity was eating him up even more now; he could only shake his head. 

I really need to follow that woman. He could only say it in his mind. Because he couldn't get close due to the guards surrounding the private room.

Well, if you're going to use me, Sheila, I'll use you too. 

He left, and when he bumped into Vivianne, she immediately raised an eyebrow at him. She simply ignored him without a word.

He also walked out of the hospital. Many thoughts are troubling him now; he is digging into the long-ago crime that happened in the town of San Mateo, where the bodies of a couple were found.

That's been over for a long time, hasn't it? They closed the case because they were unable to identify the perpetrator of this brutal murder. He couldn't help but wonder at that time.

Martin recalled what he had heard during the conversation between the two. 

Does that couple have children? He found himself questioning himself once more. He just sighed. 

I need to go back to San Mateo for now; maybe I'll find something. He couldn't help but think to himself.

He immediately drove; he didn't understand why he was revisiting a memory from the past. He also recalled the bracelet he saw Sharlene holding; he didn't know why he had a memory of having seen it before. 

He just closed his eyes and shook his head; suddenly, the face of his daughter Ashley appeared. He didn't understand why it suddenly came to mind. His child resembles someone he had known before, someone he had forgotten in his mind.

He just brushed it off; he would return to his parents' ancestral house. He will rest there for now and consult with his former household staff. Martin has a day off from work, and he's free to do what he wants to do on his day off.

Both of his parents are dead now, so he has no parents to return to when he comes home here. He is thankful that his parents' passing was just a natural death; nothing suspicious happened. But, that being said, because of this illness, he was taken from him too soon.

"Sir, you didn't even bother to let us know you were coming back." Their caretaker, who greeted him when he got out of his car after parking it, could only say,.

"I just want to go here," he replied shortly.

The caretaker simply nodded at him without asking any further questions. He noticed that there were young people loitering near the boarding house close to where they used to live.

"Why are there young people there?" Martin asked as he hid the keys to his vehicle.

"Ah, they said they would be looking at houses like this for educational purposes. They considered visiting the Santiago mansion". This was the explanation for him.

He just nodded, then immediately went inside to rest. 

"Just call me when dinner is ready." He instructed the housemaid.

The housemaid just nodded at him. He somewhat missed his parents' mansion, so he comfortably lay down and closed his eyes.

"Why are you here?" young Martin asked a young girl.

She looked at him; she didn't answer his question.

"Where are your mom and dad?" Martin asked the little girl again.

"I don't know; I just woke up here. I don't know what my mom and dad's names are." He couldn't help but notice the sadness clearly visible in her eyes.

He noticed a bracelet that she was wearing—her own. 

"Do you remember who gave that to you?" 

The girl simply shook her head in response.

"I'm scared." She suddenly cried into her palm.

Martin was about four years old back then. He saw the girl's face and just frowned.

Ashley! Martin suddenly woke up.

Dream. He thought to himself, and there was suddenly a knock coming from his room. 

He just scratched his head and immediately opened the door.

"Sir, dinner is ready." That's all he heard.

He just nodded. "Okay, I'll follow." He could only say,. 

He immediately went down and headed to the table. Everything was already served for him, and he was just about to eat.

He requested that his wine glass be filled with wine. The maid complied with Martin's request. He was just eating quietly. The one who served the wine was about to leave, but his dinner was too quiet, so he thought of a question to ask.

"Wasn't there a report before about two bodies being thrown away?" he simply asked the caretaker.

They all were surprised by Martin's question, but the caretaker just nodded in response.

"Yes, sir, it was all over the place back then."

"Did those two corpses have a child?" Martin casually asked the other one.

"Ah, you were still young back then, sir, when that news spread. Yes, it was rumored that the couple had a child, and it was not reported whether the child died or was adopted back then."

"So?" The people here don't know that child?" He asked, looking at his caretaker and stopping what he was eating.

"Ah, excuse me, sir, if you remember, there was a little girl you mentioned to sir and ma'am before; you even asked if it was possible to help that child who had no memories and didn't know where she lived."

He furrowed his brow. "Really? I met a young girl who was in a similar situation." Martim asked who was wondering now.

"Yes, sir, even though you were quite mischievous back then, your parents quickly left to be with you."

"What happened next?" he asked.

"But, you didn't find the little girl you were talking about; they say she was taken and became a beggar."

He just nodded.

Did that dream really happen to me before? He just found himself questioning in his mind.

He just sighed and shook his head. He still remembered the bracelet that the girl used to wear, the one he could still picture in his mind.

Could that be a child of the Gonzalez family? Martin pondered while sipping his wine.