Chapter 109:


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    Ted, already eight years old, was surprisingly strong for his age.


    Alice felt a sharp, overwhelming pain as he hit her. Before she could recover, he hit her again. The blows carried the malice of a child who had been taught to fight dirty.


    Alice struggled to defend herself, but the other children quickly restrained her. Ted continued to hit her and shouted, “This is what you get for messing with my mother! “This is what you deserve.”


    Her aim was deliberate, aiming for the softer parts of his body, avoiding his face and vital points. Despite the pain, Alice managed to push one of the children away.


    Ted saw this and immediately dropped the stick, grabbing a rope. In no time, he had tied his hands.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Alice''s voice grew firm as she demanded, "What''s wrong with you? Let me go."


    Ted looked at her, his eyes burning with intensity. “If I let you go, you''ll hurt my mother again. “I’ll make sure to kill you.”


    Alice froze, her heart stopping for a moment. It was the first time she had seen such a fierce, almost terrifying expression in a child''s eyes.


    He was incredibly daring.


    “Are you nning to kill me?” Alice struggled against the taut rope, breathing heavily. “Has no one ever told you that killing is a crime? You’ll end up in jail.”


    To her surprise, Ted scoffed and replied, "My mother told me that I''m a boy, so nothing will happen to me if I kill you. Didn''t you know that?"


    Alicia''s fear intensified as the weight of her words sank in. She understood thew and was using it to her advantage. It was clear that Mrs. Reyes had taught her well.


    Even if Alicia survived today, she knew she would suffer. Mrs. Reyes would let Ted take the me, knowing that thew would protect him.


    As these thoughts were running through her mind, Ted suddenly pushed her into the pool.


    Alice felt her stomach drop as she lost her bnce and fell. She tried to scream for help, but no sound came out of her lips. Within moments, her head hit a rock. Pain shot through her body before the world went numb.


    His energy drains and everything goes dark as he loses consciousness.


    Her body slowly sank beneath the surface of the water. One of the boys, clearly frightened, gasped. “Ted, she…”


    Ted stared in shock. The sound of Alice''s head hitting the rock had been so loud that it echoed throughout the yard. Now, Alice wasn''t moving in the water, and it looked like she was really gone.


    “I just wanted her to get in the water. “I didn’t know she hit a rock,” Ted stammered, his panic growing as he watched her body float upward. Blood began to spread into the water, deepening his fear. “It wasn''t me! “I didn’t push her.”


    Mrs. Reyes had only told Ted to mistreat Alicia. She never intended to hurt her like that.


    In a fit of panic, he ran outside, screaming for his mother, Mrs. Reyes. The other children, equally frightened, followed him, their shrill cries filling the air.


    Caden was in the living room, talking to Randolph, when he heard themotion outside. He looked out into the yard and saw Ted running into Mrs. Reyes''s arms.


    Caden recognized the boy instantly. Ted had been the one who had taken Alicia''s skewers during the meal. The look Ted had given him earlier suggested he held some sort of grudge.


    Randolph, puzzled, asked, "What''s going on out there?"


    Rachel looked toward the noise, her voice unconcerned. “They''re just some kids misbehaving. “They may have had a scuffle, but it’s nothing serious.”


    Caden noticed the fleeting look of guilt that crossed Rachel''s face. He watched her closely, but kept his thoughts to himself.


    As Rachel turned her attention to the small building in the distance, a frown created her forehead, and a sh of uncertainty passed through her expression.


    Caden looked restlessly out across the openwn. It was vast, but there was no sign of Alice anywhere. An uneasy feeling came over him and he rose from his seat.


    Meanwhile, Mrs. Reyes quietly questioned Ted, asking for more details.


    Ted was shaking, his voice barely above a whisper. “She’s dead… She hit her head and now she’s dead.” Fear gripped Mrs. Reyes. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “She''s dead?”


    "Who died?" he asked, barely able to understand what he heard.


    A booming voice cut through the tense atmosphere. Mrs. Reyes looked up in rm as her eyes met Caden''s. His face was shadowed with fury and the intensity of his presence was overwhelming.


    Before Ms. Reyes could speak, Ted blurted out, “It wasn''t me! “It wasn’t me.” Her immediate reaction was to me someone else.


    Caden''s suspicion deepened. It was clear that something had happened to Alicia.


    Without hesitation, he grabbed Ted by the cor and began marching toward the small building.


    Terrified, Mrs. Reyes stumbled after him. “Mr. “Ward, please let Ted go!”


    Caden ignored her, dragging Ted to the entrance of the building.


    "Where''s Alice?" I have grownled.


    Ted had never felt so scared. His mind went nk, and his body froze.


    “It’s upstairs… in the pool,” he murmured.


    “What floor?” Caden pressed.


    “The second…” Ted stammered.


    Caden threw him to the ground. Ted screamed in pain from the fall.


    Caden didn''t hesitate. He ran up to the second floor, threw open the door, and saw a figure floating in the pool. His heart pounded in his chest as he ran toward her.


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