Page 99 of Sixty Meters Under

“Are you sure she didn’t take the substance herself?” Erica interjected.

Lennart shook his head. “We didn’t find any drugs among her things or her husband’s.”

Everyone seemed to have the same concerns, but no questions followed. “I learned Maya is actually a drug addict. And Björn,her boyfriend, had an affair with Scarlett which adds to her suspicion.”

Erica’s eyes widened. “Oh, damn.”

“Björn is your brother, right?” George asked.

“That’s right.”

“And you didn’t know that Maya is…?”

“I didn’t even know her until we started packing our cars on our way here. We were in a hurry, and I thought she seemed decent at the time,” Lennart explained. “We’ll question Björn when we finish the meeting and Maya when the drug wears off. We took Maya’s blood sample, just in case, and confirmed what was obvious.”

“So, Maya is the prime suspect right now?”

“One of the suspects,” Lennart answered and noticed how Ryosuke’s father tensed. “Ryosuke is still not off the list,” he added and looked at Gunnar. “The two of us will interview Maya. Isamu and Nils will interview Björn.”

Lennart still didn’t want to share with the others that Ryosuke had confessed to him. He planned to finish the conversation with him first then to proceed accordingly.

?

Ryosuke realized he must have dozed off, he opened his eyes abruptly as the metal door creaked and someone walked through the room. He turned to see Ayame’s father greet him with a small bow.

Ryosuke swallowed thickly and nodded in greeting.

He shifted nervously under the covers as Hiroshi approached the bed.

Hiroshi pulled the chair closer, seated himself comfortably and spoke, “I hope you’re feeling better. Ayame told me what happened between you two.”

It seems I guessed right.

“I’m fine. And what did she tell you exactly?”

Hiroshi released a heavy sigh without breaking eye contact. “She told me you broke off your engagement.”

Ryosuke made a small nod. “Yes. I broke it off.”

“Can I ask what the reason was?”

Ryosuke took a deep breath, ready to speak, but suddenly the reason he had in mind didn’t seem sufficient. He exhaled and struggled to choose the right words as he felt the weight of his ex-fiancée’s father’s gaze.

The real push for him to act the way he acted was because he planned to commit suicide. He probably wouldn’t have broken up with her if he hadn’t been about to take his own life.

Ryosuke couldn’t look the man in the eye. He looked away as he spoke, “I had to do it. It’s in our best interest… for both of us.”

“But, why?”

Because I don’t love her the way she deserves.

Still, Ryosuke knew the reason they got engaged, and it wasn’t love from his side, only respect. He was convinced that he would not need love, and that Ayame’s love for him would be enough for them both.

“Ayame deserves someone better,” he finally spoke up.

“Do you think I would let her get engaged to you if I wasn’t convinced that you are good for each other?”

Ryosuke bit his lip.Valid point. I can’t argue. But still…