The Villain's Wife (Book 2)

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"They must have already told you about me, right?" Claude said. Or, how would Jennie know about what he said to those people? For a few seconds, he narrowed his eyes at her before shifting his gaze to Lisa as he tried to remember if these two were one of the people watching him that night.

"No. We weren't there." Lisa immediately answered. "We are new members. So... we don't know most of the stuff in the organization. We just follow what they tell us. However... your grandmother is a different thing."

"I can't seem to kill her without knowing the whole truth," Jennie added. At this point, she was already sure that Claude was already half-convinced that she and Lisa were people from the organization. She decided to keep up the act until the man would tell them everything. "So... the proof... what did you give them?"

"They were old photos of bombing and some assassinations. Some were articles that showed images — look, I didn't check it. Alright? The one that I gave them... were only about five stuff. Two photos of Lilian meeting Mr. Neeson and another two guys then... one article with that one guy in Russia. He was like... I can't really speak Russian but I believe he was some sort of a politician. I don't know his name or anything like that. The other... should be Asian. I believe the other two were Korean new articles. Again... I can't read them. When they saw it... They voted to kill me right then and there. Throw my body in the ocean and kill my grandmother in her sleep."

"But? You were able to convince them?" Jennie asked.

"Yes."

Jennie nodded. These words were enough to cement her previous belief that The Order might have realized that Madam Luo is holding something more important than their identities. But what could it be? What could be worth so big that they would let the woman live while risking their identity? Was it possible that what Madam Luo had is not enough to reveal their names?

"And my grandmother?" Jennie said. Narrowing her eyes to the man in front of him, she added. "I know you know something about my grandmother."

Seeing Jennie's face turned stern, Claude's face turned serious. He gulped his nonexistent saliva. "She said that Lilian... is already a member of the organization long before she met your grandfather. At first... she said that Lilian was tasked to change the leadership of Luxembourg. Thus, she seduced your grandfather. But... she fell in love." He then held his hands in front of him, as if silently telling Jennie that he does not believe his grandmother's words. "Please... Please... I know that is unreasonable. There is no way that Lilian would do something like that."

"And... how did she know this?"

"I don't know!" Claude said. "Even I don't believe her. I think — I think she is only planting these thoughts in her head so... I mean, it would make her feel better, right? She lied so much that she started to believe her own lies." He gave an awkward laugh. At first, he was not planning to mention these nonsensical words to Jennie. After all, it just makes little sense.

However, she also wanted to let Jennie see that his grandmother's mind is not sound. She might be pretending to be someone forgetful, but... he always believed that her depression had affected her so much that she already started to believe the lies that she told herself.

"So... you think that she is only saying this to make herself feel better. And yet... you said that Lilian saved your grandmother. Why would she say something like that to the person who saved her?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know! Look... I really don't know what happened in the past. I am only... I am only telling you what she told me before. No more... no less."

"So... you only wanted to establish that Madam Luo is not someone in the right mind. So... even if she indeed killed my grandfather... we should just forgive her?"