When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 30: Finding clues

Chapter 30: Finding clues

Samuel sat in the dim hospital room, his eyes fixed on Zinnia’s pale face. His heart ached as he watched her lying there, unconscious, her chest rising and falling slowly with each breath. His mind raced, but through the chaos, one thought stood out clearly: he had to protect her. No matter what it took, no matter who was behind this, he would never let it happen again.

Whoever did this had gone too far. They had used James’s voice, his image—it was cruel and calculated. They knew exactly how to hurt Zinnia and how to reach the deepest parts of her heart. And by hurting her, they had found a way to hurt him too. But now Samuel was done reacting. He needed to take control.

He stared at Zinnia, and his thoughts sharpened. Whoever did this had access to things they shouldn’t have—old photos of James, voice manipulation software. This wasn’t random. It was planned professionally. That meant one thing: whoever was behind this had resources. Samuel needed more information.

His phone buzzed softly in his hand. It was Timmy.

"Sir, I’ve been looking into the messages," Timmy said, his voice urgent. "Whoever did this knows how to cover their tracks, but I found a clue. Someone made a payment to a company that sells voice-mimic software. And here’s the interesting part—it’s linked to one of the Lucas Realty subsidiaries. Whoever’s behind this has inside access."

Samuel’s stomach tightened. "Someone in the family? "

"It looks that way," Timmy replied. "They know enough about James to make this whole thing seem real. They’re using company resources to mess with Zinnia."

Samuel clenched his jaw. "Then this isn’t just about James. It’s about Lucas Realty. Someone’s using Zinnia and me to get to something bigger."

"I’m starting to think so, sir," Timmy said. "But I’m not done yet. I’ll keep digging."

"Good," Samuel replied, his voice cold. "And Timmy—whoever’s doing this, they’ll pay."

He hung up, his mind now focused. This was more than just a cruel game aimed at their emotions. It was a calculated attack on the company, on his life, and on Zinnia’s safety. Everything—the sudden reappearance of James, the messages, and now this—pointed back to Lucas Realty.

The weight of his family’s legacy, of the company, had always been heavy on Samuel’s shoulders. But this was different. Someone wanted to use James’s memory to destroy everything, and they were willing to go through Zinnia to do it.

---

The next morning, Samuel hadn’t slept. His mind refused to rest, replaying the events of the night. He left the hospital early, leaving strict instructions for the nurses to call him the moment Zinnia woke up. There was no time to waste—he needed to solve this fast.

His first stop was Lucas Realty headquarters. The towering glass building gleamed in the morning light, a symbol of his family’s empire. But to Samuel, it now felt more like a battlefield—a place where power and control were always at stake.

He walked straight to his office, where Timmy was already waiting.

"I found something else," Timmy said as soon as Samuel entered. "There’s been a large transfer of funds from an account linked to James’s trust. The account should’ve been sealed when he disappeared, but someone’s been using it."

Samuel frowned. "Who has access to those accounts? "

"No one, officially. But someone found a way in. Either they hacked it or someone in the family knew how to get in," Timmy explained.

"If someone’s using James’s money, they might be trying to make it look like he’s still alive," Samuel said, his thoughts racing. "That would explain the fake messages and photos. They’re trying to convince people James is back."

Timmy nodded. "And if people believe James is alive, it could throw everything into chaos—inheritance, company control, everything."

Samuel clenched his fists. It all makes sense now. Someone wanted to destabilize Lucas Realty, and they were using James’s name to do it. And they were using Zinnia as part of their plan. But who?

He thought of his family. The Lucas family was large, filled with distant relatives, business partners, and people with their own agendas. Any one of them could be behind this.

"Timmy," Samuel said, his voice sharp, "I want a list of everyone who had access to James’s accounts. Find out who could’ve gotten into them."

Timmy nodded and immediately started typing on his laptop. Samuel turned to look out the window; the city stretched out beneath him. He needed to figure this out before it was too late. The longer this went on, the more danger Zinnia was in.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was the hospital.

"Mr. Lucas? Zinnia’s awake. She’s asking for you," the nurse said.

Samuel’s heart leapt. He didn’t waste a second.

"I’m on my way," he said, rushing out of the office without another word.

---

Samuel ran through the hospital corridors, his footsteps echoing off the walls. His chest tightened with anxiety, a mix of fear and relief. Zinnia was awake—but what had she been through? What had she seen, or believed, that made her leave that night?

As he reached her room, Samuel paused at the door, taking a deep breath before pushing it open. Zinnia lay in bed, her face pale, but her eyes were open, slowly turning toward him.

"Zinnia," he said softly, walking to her side. He reached for her hand, gripping it tightly. Her skin was cold, but the touch grounded him, reminding him why he was doing all this.

"Samuel," she whispered, her voice weak. "What happened? Why am I here?"

He sat beside her, still holding her hand. "You were drugged. Someone sent you a message pretending to be James. They lured you out, and then..."

Zinnia’s eyes widened, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I thought... I thought it was him."

Samuel’s heart broke. He hated that someone had used her love for James to hurt her. But now wasn’t the time to focus on the past.

"We’re going to find out who did this," Samuel said, his voice firm. "I promise you, I won’t stop until I find them."

Zinnia nodded weakly, her eyes closing again as exhaustion overtook her. Samuel stayed by her side, his heart heavy with guilt and anger. He had to protect her, no matter what. He had to stop whoever was behind this.

As he watched her sleep, one thing became clear—this was only the beginning of a much darker game.