“Our young master has a severe mental disorder; he can’t handle any stress. But these folks just


    showed up uninvited, and it’s just…” Eric let out a heavy sigh and pointed to the surveince cameras


    in the yard. “We’ve got cameras all over the ce; you can check the footage. Our guys tried to stop


    the stray dog from biting someone right when it happened, but you know how it is- once a dog goes


    rabid and mps down, it’s not letting go easily.”


    The officer nced at Colin’s state, then at Anthony and Diane. “You better get him to the hospital


    quick. We’ll get to the bottom of this, but if you were trespassing, that’s a whole different matter.”


    Colin was hiding behind me, his eyes intense as he red at Anthony and Diane.


    “Don’t forget, we’ve cut ties. Next time you barge in and rile me up, I might just… kill someone, you


    know.” Colin’s voice was timid as he uttered the most sinister threat.


    “Phoebe, are you scared?” Colin whispered to me after the police and Anthony had left.


    I was worried about the dog and shook my head. “Is the lead dog the one you own? It’s not going to be


    in trouble, is it?”


    “It’s smart. It should have run back home by now,” Colin said cheerily.


    I asked him in a low voice, “What’s the dog’s name?”


    Colin looked down, silent.


    “No name?” I prodded.


    “Coly.” he muttered softly.N?velDrama.Org content.


    “Huh? That dog’s name is almost like yours?” I couldn’t help but smile.


    Colin just grunted and fell silent.


    “Sir, Ma’am, Coraline’s been taken to the hospital; her life is not in danger, but her face… it’s pretty


    messed up. And the chatter on social media is still brewing,” Etic came over and updated us on the


    hospital situation.


    “Colin, about the situation with the Larsons, was that your doing?” I asked quietly.


    Colin didn’t deny it but changed the subject. “Phoebe, I don’t want to go to the office.”


    He was pouting, saying he didn’t want to go to work. “Stay with me, Phoebe.”


    I pushed away his pitifully handsome face with my hand. Such tricks wouldn’t sway me. “Go on your


    own, I’ve got things to take care of.”


    “Don’t wanna…” Colin seemed afraid to let me out of his sight, probably worried something might


    happen to me.


    “I’ll apany you to the office first,” I relented to pacify him.


    Before leaving the Langley’s, Colin and I went to see the old man who was now paralyzed and mute.


    To be honest, living like that seemed more painful than death.


    Unfortunately, he was stuck in a limbo where he wasn’t really alive but couldn’t die either- just a human


    shield now.


    I didn’t buy for a second that Brendan had the heart to feed stray dogs. Those dogs were clearly


    Colin’s.


    On the bed, Brendan watched Colin, his eyes nearly bulging out, unable to utter a single word, the


    frustration almost killing him.


    Colin just looked at Brendan, the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight grin. For a moment, he was


    truly terrifying.


    “Grandpa, take care of yourself. You need to live a long, long… life,” Colin said in a low voice as he


    approached Brendan.


    Brendan’s veins bulged with urgency, but sadly, he couldn’t say a thing now.


    I turned and walked out of the room, tooking at Eric who was waiting outside. “How many years have


    you been with Brendan, Eric?”


    “Ten years,” he answered truthfully.


    “And in those ten years, you didn’t develop any affection?” After Brendan fell ill, they talked about


    clearing the household, and Eric purged everyone from the Langley estate down to the


    nanny.


    At that time, I even suspected Eric was some sort of hidden kingpin, but then I saw how respectfully he


    treated Collin.


    Later, I wondered if Eric was using Colin, exploiting the heir of the Langley family, taking advantage of


    his naivety to control others.


    “You’re still young and might not understand the depths to which human depravity can sink,” Eric


    seemed to dodge my question, shifting the topic, yet there was a message in his words.


    “My dad died in a work ident when I was a teenager, crushed in a construction incident. That year,


    my little sister was just five. My mom took the money from my dad’s death and ran off, leaving me and


    my sister to fend for ourselves. I was barely in my teens, juggling school and work, scavenging,


    seeking shelter, and with the help of some kind souls, I managed to pull us out of the slums.”