Chapter 181: Scraps
"Ephyra’s mother died in a car accident, right?" Jania began, her voice lower now—measured, cautious. "They said her body was burned to ashes, but afterward, they only held a funeral. No ashes. Nothing to bury. And at that time, Ephyra was only three."
Han frowned slightly, crossing his arms as she went on.
"Secondly," Jania continued, "before Elara’s death, it was recorded that she visited a hospital every two weeks for physical exams. But here’s the thing—it wasn’t the family hospital. When I tried to trace that hospital’s records, it didn’t exist, Han. Not even a trace in the registry. It’s like it was wiped clean."
Han’s brows knitted together. "That’s strange. Go on."
Jania nodded, her tone sharpening. "Then there’s this other thing—an incident from when Ephyra was a baby. At first, she was loud, active, always moving around—typical newborn stuff. But somewhere between the third and fourth month, she suddenly changed. She hardly cried, slept almost all the time, and refused to let her mother carry her. It was so sudden that her father, Elliot, took her to the family hospital for a checkup. It’s all recorded."
She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees. The playfulness from before was gone; her face was serious now, eyes focused on Han’s reaction.
"Those are definitely suspicious," Han muttered after a pause, his tone low and thoughtful. "And you couldn’t find anything else that could explain all this?"
Jania exhaled sharply, frustration flickering across her features. "Nothing. Nothing at all—and that’s what makes it worse. There’s definitely something there, but we can’t find it. Which means whoever’s behind it isn’t just careful—they’re powerful. Maybe even more powerful than Master Lyle."
Han’s head snapped up, disbelief flashing in his eyes. "What the...?"
Jania met his gaze, her expression deadly serious now. "Yeah. That’s what I thought too."
"It seems Ephyra’s background might actually have nothing to do with the Allens... do you think her mother isn’t really her mother?" Han asked as he walked toward the couch facing Jania, his tone laced with disbelief.
Jania sat up straighter, her brows furrowed. "And wouldn’t that be the most logical explanation? But that just fucking means everything we did this past month was useless."
Han shook his head, resting a hand on the back of the couch. "I don’t think so. Even if Ephyra isn’t biologically connected to the Allen family, she’s still family. So everything we did—all that happened—was still necessary. And useful."
Jania huffed, clearly unconvinced. She stood, slipping off her heels and holding them loosely by the straps as she walked barefoot toward the dining room. The quiet click of the heel tips against her palm echoed faintly in the otherwise still space.
A maid appeared from the hallway, bowing slightly before hurrying over. "Miss Jania, please give me those. I’ll clean and keep them for you."
"Sure, thanks," Jania said absently, handing over the shoes before reaching for a piece of fruit from the polished dining table.
Han followed, trailing behind with an exasperated look. He thought she’d stop there—but of course, she didn’t. Jania sauntered out of the dining room, crossed the marble hallway, and entered the kitchen. The space was sleek, modern, filled with the hum of the refrigerator and the faint citrus scent of cleaning spray.
She rinsed the apple under the tap, grabbed a knife, and started peeling it with ease while leaning her hip against the counter. Her movements were casual, but Han could tell from the slight tension in her shoulders that her mind was still running laps.
Finally, having had enough of the silence, Han opened the fridge, pulled out a bunch of grapes, and spoke. "Is that all? You haven’t told me everything."
Jania looked up, a slow, knowing smile tugging at her lips. "Thought you wouldn’t say anything," she teased lightly before popping a piece of apple into her mouth. Then her tone shifted—serious. "I think Ephyra already has some idea about this whole ’unknown family’ thing. She let it slip once—that there were secrets she couldn’t tell Master Lyle. And that’s probably why she kept hesitating to accept his confession."
Han froze, a grape halfway to his mouth. "Master Lyle confessed? Wait—so Ephyra knows something, and Master Lyle wanted to know because that was the reason she rejected him? And you haven’t found anything?"
Jania nodded, expression flat but eyes sharp. "Yeah. Only inconsistencies."
Han sighed, setting the grapes on the counter. "Inconsistencies usually mean someone’s covering something up."
Jania smirked faintly, her knife glinting under the kitchen light as she sliced another neat strip of apple peel. "Exactly," she said softly. "And I plan to find out what it is whether they like it or not."
"You should probably report it to Master Lyle," Han said after a moment, closing the fridge door with his elbow. He paused, giving her a look. "Though I doubt he’ll be happy with the scraps you found."
"Tell me about it." Jania sighed, tossing a large chunk of apple into her mouth. The crunch echoed through the quiet kitchen.
Han chuckled as he rinsed the grapes, shaking the water off before grabbing a plate. "I’m just glad I wasn’t the one he asked to do the job. But don’t worry—you’ve got until tomorrow. I doubt he’ll have your or anyone’s time tonight."
Jania snorted, her eyes narrowing playfully. "Hmm, good for me, right? Fuck you, Han." She glared at him before dumping the peels into the trash.
Han laughed, leaning against the counter. "I don’t think you can."
Jania stopped at the doorway, turning slowly. A smirk curved her lips before she let out a theatrical sigh. "Yeah, you’re right. I can’t. But there’s someone else who would love to. I mean, after the first time, he just wanted more." Folding her arms, she tilted her head, feigning innocence. "But you wouldn’t let him. Such a shame."
At first, Han didn’t register what she meant—but when it clicked, his expression shifted from confusion to mortified disbelief. His face flushed red before twisting into a mix of outrage and helplessness.
"My advice?" Jania said sweetly, lowering her voice to a teasing whisper. "Just give in. I’m sure he’ll make you enjoy it." She winked before darting off, laughter echoing behind her.
"Shit—come back here, Jania!" Han shouted after her, half furious, half flustered.
The sound of her laughter faded down the hall, leaving him muttering curses under his breath.
