When Love is a Question Mark-Chapter 58: More clues

Samuel heard the phone buzz on the table, breaking the comfortable silence between him and Zinnia. He glanced at the screen—Timmy was calling.

"Let me answer this first," Samuel said, his voice low and calm as he pushed his chair back.

Zinnia looked up from her plate, surprised but understanding. "Sure, no problem," she said, offering a small smile, though a hint of concern lingered in her eyes.

Samuel stood and walked away from the dining table, his footsteps soft but determined as he moved toward the hallway. The quiet of the house felt heavier now, the lightheartedness of the moment slipping away with each step.

He pressed the answer button, bringing the phone to his ear as the call connected. "Timmy, what do you have for me?"

"Sir, I dug deeper into Revilo’s finances," Timmy’s voice came through, tense but steady. "He’s been funneling money through a shell company, but here’s the kicker—it’s connected to one of the Lucas family lawyers. Someone high up. I’ll send you the details."

Samuel’s blood ran cold. A lawyer? And not one of the five board members. That meant the person helping Revilo had access to sensitive legal documents, including James’s sealed trust. This wasn’t just a family member going rogue—this was an orchestrated attack. It was bigger than he had anticipated.

"Send me everything you have," Samuel replied, his voice sharp and urgent. "We need to move fast."

Timmy agreed and hung up. Samuel slipped his phone back into his pocket, but his fists remained clenched at his sides. His jaw tightened as the weight of the situation pressed down on him.

With a deep breath, Samuel tried to push the anger down and steady his mind. He straightened his back, setting his face into a mask of calm before walking back to the dining room.

Zinnia looked up as he reentered, her smile fading when she saw the tension in his eyes. "Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice soft, concern evident in her gaze.

"I’m fine," Samuel replied quickly, forcing a reassuring smile. "Just some work stuff." He didn’t want to worry her, not tonight.

Zinnia studied his face for a moment, not entirely convinced, but she nodded. "If you say so," she said, her tone lightening again. "I hope it’s nothing too serious."

Samuel sat back down, trying to shake off the thoughts swirling in his mind. He needed to change the subject, to bring back the lightness of before. "How was your day with Lily?" he asked, leaning forward slightly, trying to draw her back into the moment.

Zinnia’s face brightened at the question, and she launched into a cheerful recount of her day. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

As she spoke, Samuel watched her, listening to her every word, but his mind drifted. Seeing her smile like that, talking so freely, he felt a new resolve settle inside him. He would do whatever it took to protect her, to protect that smile. No matter what Revilo or anyone else planned, he wouldn’t let them take this from him.

He wouldn’t lose her now—not to James’s name, not to the company politics, not to anyone.

The night wore on, and soon it was time for them to say goodnight. Zinnia yawned as she stood, stretching her arms above her head. "I’m heading to bed," she said, smiling softly at Samuel. "Don’t stay up too late, okay?"

"I won’t," Samuel promised, standing up as well. He walked her to the stairs, and they exchanged a quiet "Goodnight" before Zinnia disappeared into her room.

Samuel lingered in the hallway for a moment before heading to his own room. Once inside, he pulled out his phone and opened the documents Timmy had sent him. His eyes scanned the pages, and the more he read, the darker his expression became.

Walter Cain, one of Lucas Realty’s most powerful legal advisors. He had been working with Revilo for months, funneling money, altering corporate documents, and diverting funds from James’s trust. This wasn’t just theft—it was a coordinated effort to undermine the entire legacy of Lucas Realty.

Samuel’s grip tightened on his phone as he read on. They were setting it up so that, at the right moment, Revilo and Cain could push for a vote of no confidence, cutting Samuel out of the company entirely.

His mind raced as he pieced together their strategy. They knew the conditions of his father’s will—Samuel had to marry and stay married to hold the majority stake. If they could discredit him or create enough instability, they could take it all.

And James’s name was the perfect tool. Zinnia’s past with James only made it worse. The more Samuel thought about it, the clearer it became: Revilo and Cain were using Zinnia against him. They knew her history with James would complicate everything, would make Samuel question everything.

But Samuel wouldn’t let them win.

The next morning, Samuel woke up early. Despite the turmoil in his mind, he didn’t forget to cook breakfast for Zinnia. He prepared a simple meal, leaving it on the counter with a note telling her she could reheat it when she woke up.

As he left the house, he took one last glance back at the peaceful home, steeling himself for what was ahead.

When Samuel arrived at the office, Timmy was waiting for him, a thick folder in hand. "It’s worse than we thought," Timmy said without preamble, handing over the documents. "The lawyer Revilo’s working with is Walter Cain. He’s tied to several offshore accounts linked to Revilo. They’ve been altering corporate documents—changing access to certain assets."

Samuel flipped through the papers, his jaw clenching as he read. This wasn’t just about money laundering. Cain had been quietly changing the corporate structure, preparing for a hostile takeover.

"They’ve been planning this for a long time," Samuel muttered, his eyes darkening as he realized the depth of the betrayal.

Timmy nodded. "It looks like they started after your engagement to Zinnia. They knew that if you married and stayed married, you’d hold the majority stake in the company. That complicated things for them."

Samuel’s mind raced. Revilo and Cain were trying to dismantle everything his family had built. They were using his personal life, and Zinnia’s past with James to destabilize him. And now, with James’s name back in play, they had the perfect excuse to create chaos.

"They want me out of the way," Samuel said, his voice cold. "And they’ll do whatever it takes."

Timmy hesitated. "There’s more. I found some old medical records—sealed reports from after the tsunami incident. James didn’t die right away. At least, not like we thought."

Samuel’s heart skipped a beat. "What are you saying?"

Timmy looked him in the eye. "James survived the initial incident. For a while, at least."