"What?" Nicole asked, puzzled.

Ethel seemed surprised. "I believe there's more to meet the eye than what was publicly disclosed."

Nicole was taken aback by Ethel's statement. Wasn't her father's suicide an established fact? How could there be hidden details?

“What... My father... What you know..." Nicole's heart raced, her words becoming jumbled in her anxiety.

“Don't worry, Miss Lawrence. I just have some suspicions, so I wanted to discuss them with you," Ethel reassured her.

Ethel had joined the force recently and was still in school when Nicole's father's death was reported as a suicide.

After her own father's sudden death, Ethel's life spiraled when her mother remarried and left, abandoning Ethel to face creditors who stripped away her family's possessions.

Facing the threat of having to drop out, Ethel's academic prowess and the intervention of her homeroom teacher led her to receive support from the Lawrence family's Hope Project.

This lifeline motivated Ethel to work hard and give back to society once she was able.

By the time Ethel entered college in Ardlens, the Lawrence Group had dissolved.

Nicole's father, known for his benevolence, had reportedly committed suicide amid allegations of economic crimes, jumping from a building to escape imprisonment. There were whispers that his charitable acts were merely a facade to mask his criminal activities.

But Ethel couldn't accept these rumors. She had once seen Nicole's father during one of his visits to rural areas. His kind face and gentle smile reminded her of her own father, a man of good character.

This personal impression led her to believe in Nicole's father's inherent goodness, despite the accusations circulating about him.

Fortunately, the Schultz Group later clarified that the contract fraud case involving the Lawrence Group was the result of an employee's sabotage, and the mastermind had been held accountable.

This revelation cast further doubt on the theory that Nicole's father had jumped off the building to avoid jail. After all, an innocent man wouldn't have any reason to be afraid.

Motivated by these inconsistencies, Ethel dedicated her spare time to investigating Nicole's father's alleged suicide once she started her police career. Her inquiries eventually unearthed some intriguing clues.

Ethel led Nicole to her desk and presented Nicole with some surveillance footage. "Miss Lawrence, please look at this."

The footage displayed the interior of the Lawrence Group's office building, a place Nicole knew well. It was dated the day Nicole's father had died.

Since it was related to an economic fraud case, all surveillance from that day at the Lawrence Group's office had been archived for investigation.

Ethel fast-forwarded to a specific time, saying, "Your father is reported to have jumped at 14:38. Before that, only your mother left the office. But at 14:45, someone else appears in this corner." She paused the video, highlighting a figure lurking near a corridor.