The Return Of the Invincible Heiress
Chapter 115

Chapter 115: Chapter 115

The concern for her twin sister, the empathy for the Carter family, and her instincts as a renowned detective made Avery feel a surge of emotions. She fell into deep thought, wondering what had attracted Zilvia at the time of the incident. For a child like Zilvia, with high intelligence, strong learning abilities, and living in a big city, ordinary things wouldn’t attract her. Even if someone wanted to abduct her, typical methods would be ineffective. Avery thought about it carefully. As Zilvia’s twin sister, she pondered what might have caused her to leave on her own if she had been in Zilvia’s situation. Suddenly, a terrifying possibility flashed through her mind like a lightning bolt. Her pupils dilated suddenly, and her body involuntarily shivered. Then she shook her head, trying to dispel the terrifying thought.

Both of them were sitting in the dim light, and Wesley, lost in his own thoughts, didn’t notice Avery’s distress. After talking about Zilvia’s disappearance, he closed his eyes, continuously trying to manage his intense emotions. After a long while, he finally opened his eyes and said softly, "Avery, the reason I’m only now telling you about Zilvia and why we don’t have her photos displayed at home is that no one else in this house can truly face the fact of Zilvia’s disappearance, apart from me and your older brother. If your mom hears Zilvia’s name or has to talk about it with you, she will definitely cry and might even collapse." He sighed deeply. "You don’t know that your mom cried all night before the paternity test. The next day, when she went to the hospital, she had to wear a mask, which was soaked with her tears. Your grandparents can’t bear to hear Zilvia’s name either. Apart from having to come to Rosemont City for medical appointments, they never visit the city. During the New Year, apart from having a family meal together, they never celebrate."

Perhaps because of her extraordinary experiences and intelligence from a young age, Avery had always felt emotionally detached, viewing the world from an observer’s perspective. Yet this time, she felt a profound sense of empathy. "Dad, I promise you, I will find Zilvia!" She turned on the light and looked directly at her father, her gaze resolute. "I’m very smart and know many remarkable people. I will find her."

"Thank you, Avery," Wesley said gratefully. "Although we haven’t been able to find Zilvia all these years, we often think that no news... might be the best news. When you came back, we also thought that if you could return, perhaps Zilvia still has a chance of being found. Maybe what we need, and what she needs, is just the right timing..."

"Dad, I have a strong intuition," Avery said seriously. "It won’t be long before Zilvia will definitely appear." Wesley looked at her in surprise, unsure if her confidence came from intuition, hope, or if she genuinely had a way to find Zilvia. However, seeing Avery so determined and hopeful gave him confidence. He nodded and said, "Avery, I believe in you. But you’re still young, with your own dreams and pursuits. You don’t need to shoulder the responsibility of finding Zilvia alone."

"It’s alright, Dad," Avery smiled. "I never force myself to do anything."

"That’s good to hear." Wesley rubbed his face, discreetly wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye. "Talking about your grandpa, grandma, and Zilvia has lifted a weight off my heart. As for everything else, we can take our time to understand it later."

"Yes, thank you for sharing this with me, Dad," Avery said seriously. "I have many secrets too, but I’d like to tell you and the family about them later." Wesley was not surprised by this and only smiled gently. "What matters most is that you’re doing well. You can share your things whenever you feel like it. If it’s inconvenient, it’s okay if you never say them."

Avery smiled and said softly, "Dad, do you have a photo of Zilvia? I’d like to see her." Wesley took out his wallet from his pocket, opened it, and carefully retrieved a photo from the inner compartment. He placed it in front of Avery while turning on the desk lamp. "This is Zilvia," Wesley said. "She looks very much like you."

Avery gazed at the small color photo of the little girl. Although more than a decade had passed, the photo was preserved exceptionally well due to lamination. The little girl’s features, sweet smile, adorable baby fat, and long, curled eyelashes were all clearly visible. She was indeed very similar to Avery when she was young. However, as Avery looked at the photo of Zilvia, she didn’t feel a sense of familiarity; instead, she experienced a feeling of estrangement. She looked up at her father and asked, "Dad, can I keep this photo while I’m searching for her?"

"Of course," Wesley smiled. "Your mom and I have many photos of her. You can keep this one. If you need more, just let me know." He then stood up, stretched his back, and added, "It’s getting late. My old body needs some rest. You should get some sleep too."

Avery stood up as well, nodding obediently. "Good night, Dad." Once her father’s footsteps had disappeared downstairs, Avery moved to the window, took out her phone, and dialed a number. "Cora, I need you to prioritize finding someone." After explaining Zilvia’s disappearance to Cora, she added, "I’ll send you her childhood photo right away." As she sent the photo, she said, "She’s my twin, so she must look very much like me now, unless she’s had plastic surgery or suffered an illness that changed her appearance. Additionally, she’s very smart. By now, she should have achieved something significant, given her capabilities. Perhaps she has already made a name for herself in a place we haven’t considered."

Cora replied, "I understand. I’ll do my best to track her down." After a brief pause, she continued, "I’ve also looked into who uncovered that you’re not actually a Murphy family daughter. It turns out to be Zoe. She must have watched a talent show during the summer vacation of her second year of high school. She was obsessed with Andrew and tried all means to get close to him. After getting to know him up close, she realized that Andrew looks like Isaac and Regina." She explained further, "She should have done a fairly detailed investigation of Andrew and found out that Andrew’s birthday was the same as yours. He was also eighteen years old and had a twin sister. Additionally, Andrew’s parents lived in Rosemont City eighteen years ago. Zoe regards you as a formidable opponent. She must have investigated you and learned that you were born in a fire in the hospital and lost a twin brother. Therefore, she became suspicious of your and Andrew’s background and secretly took samples from Andrew and Isaac to do a DNA paternity test."

"That makes perfect sense," Avery nodded. "Zoe is nothing to be afraid of. Since we’ve already investigated her thoroughly, there’s no need to bother about her anymore. The most important thing is to find Zilvia and my brother."

"Understood," Cora replied. She paused slightly before continuing, "While investigating Zoe, I discovered something else. It appears that she has joined a mysterious organization, which seems to consist of enigmatic geniuses. Many of her actions might be influenced or incited by this organization."

Avery blinked in surprise. "This foolish second-rate person has quite a few secrets." But she noted that her own secrets were still more numerous.

Cora asked, "Should we investigate the mysterious organization behind her?"

Avery said, "We can keep an eye on them discreetly, but there’s no need to focus too much on them unless their organization starts to impact us." She was someone who dealt with major matters and didn’t have the time or energy to waste on minor characters like Zoe. Zoe would be best off staying in the background. If she drew too much attention, she might end up being the first to get hit.