Chapter 70: The sleeping gem (2) [PART 2]
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"Government tax incentives?" Doug frowned at the phrase.
According to Priyanka, the government already had a good idea of Asha's situation. Yet, instead of investigating further or taking drastic measures, they had allowed Asha to be adopted and had even offered tax incentives.
It was suspicious enough that even Doug, usually a rational person, couldn't help but grow wary. And if he felt that way, Priyanka, who was naturally far more cautious, was even more disturbed by it.
"Just two weeks after she arrived at the hospital, a man in a suit showed up claiming to represent the government and demanding to take her away." Her eyes narrowed, and her grip tightened around the cup in her hand. "His excuse was that Asha, who had no relatives or legal guardians, should be placed under government protection alongside children like her."
Doug's breath caught in his throat. Objectively, it sounded like a reasonable decision, but considering Asha's history, it was naïve to believe the man's intentions were entirely pure.
What were the chances that the orphanage and those children even existed? Without legal registration or protection, if Asha disappeared, no one would even notice. Since she wasn't officially registered as a citizen, would the law even apply to her?
"So that's why you adopted her..."
Doug remembered Priyanka's abrupt phone call, made without consulting him beforehand. At the time, he had been shocked, but given the circumstances, her actions no longer seemed strange.
Adopting Asha had been a way to protect her. At the very least, becoming legally adopted meant she was now recognized as a citizen. Any action involving Asha would require her guardian's approval.
Doug had no idea how Priyanka had managed to pull it off, but he doubted the government had been pleased. Maybe the tax break was their way of warning them to stay in line, literally buying their silence.
"That was the least I could do," Priyanka said, rubbing her temples in exhaustion.
"Even if she had gone to an orphanage, as they suggested, she would still need constant medical and emotional support. Most children in those places never receive the care or attention they truly need."
Doug nodded in agreement. If he had been in the same position, he probably would have done the same thing or acted even more impulsively.
Still, despite agreeing with her, he couldn't hide the shock on his face.
Until now, Asha had seemed to him like nothing more than a somewhat unusual child. He had never imagined her situation was this complicated.
And despite everything Priyanka had revealed, Doug still knew almost nothing about Asha's past. If anything, he now had even more questions than before.
The way she behaved around him suggested some kind of severe trauma. When Asha had been found, she was in terrible condition, but without recordings or evidence, there was no way to know how she had ended up like that.
Asha herself was the only possible source of answers, yet given her quiet nature, it was hard to imagine her willingly opening up.
Even now, Doug's fists clenched at the memory of her begging him not to be angry with her. That wasn't normal behavior.
He needed answers, deeper ones, and Priyanka was the only person who might be able to provide them.
"How much has she told you about her past?"
For the first time, Priyanka hesitated.
It wasn't because she lacked an answer, but because too many possibilities crowded her mind for her to put them into words coherently.
After a long pause, she finally spoke in a measured tone.
"Officially, Asha has been diagnosed with amnesia."
Doug's eyes widened. If that were true, extracting any meaningful information from her would be impossible.
Fortunately, a glimmer of hope came immediately afterward.
"However," Priyanka said quietly, "that's a lie."
*
Author's note
Sorry everyone, I'm not having a good day, or a good week. I need some quality time with myself. This part was my last urgent task. I'm full of ideas for the next part. I hope you like it.
Here's an apple 🍎
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