What if you fall in love with your main suspect?
When Theo starts investigating a murder in a small, distant town, he meets a charming young woman, Ann, who captivates his heart. However, the problem is that Ann might have killed her wealthy uncle...
Uncle Greg moved closer, his voice filled with earnestness. "Listen, John adores you. He has worked hard all these years to be on equal footing with you; now he's back. Isn't that romantic?"
"Uncle, I wish I had feelings for him. But I don't."
He retrieved the flower from his chest pocket and twisted it between his fingers, capturing her attention. "I once heard that love is like a flower. You can't rush its blooming, but with time and care, it will naturally blossom."
"Okay," she conceded. "If it's what you want, I'll give him a chance."
Uncle Greg smiled warmly. "I only want you to be happy, Annie. Enjoy this time with John, observe him, and listen to what your heart says."
She gave him a hesitant look. "I doubt he wants to see me again."
"Actually, you have a horse ride planned for today," he revealed.
"What?! When?"
Her uncle remained calm. "Why are you so startled? John and I discussed it last night, don't you remember? Marie and Elajio were excited to join you."
Ann struggled to recall if they had indeed talked about horse riding during dinner, as her attention had been elsewhere. But not wanting to appear impolite, she nodded. "Right. But didn't John change his mind?"
"Why would he?" Uncle Greg shrugged. "I'm sure your friends are already waiting for you in the living room."
Hope surged within her. She had been given another chance, and she needed to stop being foolish with John.
"Then it's settled," Uncle Greg declared. "But I'll skip this ride if you don't mind. I have some important work to attend to."
Ann narrowed her eyes at him. "Really? You can just say you want to give us some alone time."
Uncle Greg chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "True, that would be a bonus. But I also just received a new delivery of plants, and they are quite delicate. They're from the southern Kingdoms."
"I didn't know you were planning to grow another set of plants."
"It was an unexpected gift, and I thought I'd give it a try," he replied, the smile of someone who truly loved their work gracing his face. "Summer is approaching, and I'm excited to have something special for my flower collection."
"Ah, I see," Ann nodded in understanding. "Well, I'll go pack my things then."
Uncle Greg paused, remembering something important. "Oh, one more thing before you leave. Tonight, I had a dream about a big black snake with sharp teeth."
Ann's eyes widened with concern. Uncle Greg possessed the Gift of prophetic dreams, and his visions were rarely wrong. "Maybe I should cancel the horse riding event?"
"No way, young lady!" Uncle Greg's expression turned stern. "Annie, life is full of dangers, but if you always hide from them, you'll never truly live."
"But..."
"Please, just grab an antidote from the kitchen."
Her heart raced with apprehension. She didn't want to take any unnecessary risks, especially when it came to encountering a snake. However, Uncle Greg's words struck a chord within her. She had grown too comfortable in her cozy house, and it was time to step out and face whatever destiny had in store for her.
"Fine, I'll take the antidote with me," she finally agreed, mustering her courage.
"Very well," Uncle Greg said, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. "And please, be kind to John. He is a trustworthy man. If something were to happen to me, you would be safe with him."
"Nothing bad will happen to you."
"We never know," he replied, his expression tinged with sadness. "After all, I'm an old man."
"You're not too old," she playfully poked his shoulder. "You still have time to meet someone."
Uncle Greg chuckled. "Just promise me you'll remember my advice, okay?"
"Okay, I promise."
~ • ~ ☆ ~ • ~ ☆ ~ • ~ ☆ ~ • ~
If you enjoy this story, please support it with your vote!
Thank you! 💖💖💖
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
