Chapter: 191

Whitney's death had been declared a suicide, a verdict her family contested, opting to keep her body at the morgue instead of proceeding with funeral arrangements.

Standing at the front door, Kaitlin hesitated before knocking, opting not to disclose her identity right away. “Hello, is this Whitney Jones' family?" she called out.

Inside, the voices abruptly ceased, as if to deny anyone was home.

No one came to the door, nor did they answer.

Puzzled by the silence, Kaitlin tried a softer approach. "I was Whitney's colleague. We got along well. May I come in to pay my respects?"

The statement intended to pacify only served to inflame tempers within the house.

“What bullshit are you even saying? How could she possibly have had a close colleague? You guys called her insane behind her back. We know what really happened. You're the ones who killed her! It's entirely your fault!"

"Just go away!"

The bitterness in the voices inside the house was tangible even through the closed door.

Nora fumed, feeling unfairly criticized. "Based on their accusations, it seems Whitney Jones wasn't well-regarded at Mr. Thomas's company either. So why did he keep her on the payroll?"

Quintin paused to consider before responding, "Perhaps Mr. Thomas was trying to offload the problem to us. He was aware of her challenging personality but probably didn't foresee her taking her own life."

Kaitlin nodded thoughtfully. "That's a plausible theory, but if Mr. Thomas truly wanted to dismiss Whitney Jones, he could have simply fired her. Why complicate matters?”

A heavy silence fell upon them as they mulled over the complexity of the situation. The house remained ominously quiet, signaling their unwelcome presence.

Breaking the silence, Kaitlin dialed Phoebe, instructing her to set up a meeting with Manuel since Whitney had been his employee and he couldn't just ignore the unfolding events.

Shortly, Phoebe returned the call. "Manuel Thomas is dodging my calls! Even my assistant couldn't reach him. Thankfully, he's paid up front, or this would've been a complete waste of time."

Kaitlin's face clouded over with suspicion; she was convinced Manuel was hiding something. "Quintin, we need to confront him at his office directly."

Before they departed, Kaitlin donned a hat and mask, camouflaging her identity to sidestep any potential complications.

Her images were already circulating widely online.

After their arrival, Quintin suggested Kaitlin and Nora stay in the car for a moment. "Mr. Thomas hasn't met me yet, so he'll be less wary. Wait for my signal before you come in."

"Understood," Kaitlin agreed.

Kaitlin had faith in Quintin's judgment. As expected, around ten minutes later, her phone buzzed with a text from him.

As they approached the building, Nora voiced her concerns about Kaitlin's well-being. "Let's go, Kaitlin. No matter what comes next, try to stay calm."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Kaitlin responded, her tone soothing.

Manuel's initially warm smile disappeared as soon as he caught sight of Kaitlin. "Ms. Gilbert, why are you here?"