《Revenge After Death》 Chapter 1 Revenge After Death I was dead. I died on the night he wanted to protect his new love and forced me to lure away the murderer. After I died, my body was made into a specimen and locked in a ss disy. However, Michael Ford suddenly went crazy¡­ I also had no idea why my soul would return to the Ford Residence in Huma after I died. ¡°Why can¡¯t I still contact Stephie? It¡¯s been a couple of days.¡± Lois Smith sat on the couch and continued to mutter softly, ¡°She has always been obedient and would never ignore my calls. Could something have happened?¡± Ever since I was 18, I became a part of the Ford family as their adoptive daughter. My mother was Aunty Lois¡® best friend. Ever since my parents died in a car crash, Aunty Lois brought me back to be a member of the Ford family. ¡°Mom, forget about her. She¡¯s an adult now. What could possibly happen?¡± Michael felt slightly annoyed and nced at the time. ¡°Today is Yas¡® birthday. I¡¯ll be taking my leave. now.¡± As I looked at Michael, I chuckled to myself in self¨Cpity. There was no way he would care whether I was alive or not. Back then, we were what our family described as childhood sweethearts. I liked to follow him around, and he liked to hold my hand. He said he liked me, and I loved him like an idiot for a whole decade. It was a shame that young rtionships were too fragile. After Michael met his true love, all the feelings between us turned into nothing instantly. ¡°Oh, Michael. There¡¯s that rumor of a serial killer spreading out theretely. The killer targets pretty young women specifically. ¡°I keep having this awful feeling. Michael, try contacting Stephie. Tell her that I miss her.¡± Aunty Lois was anxious as she pleaded softly. After my parents died, Aunty Lois was the only one who loved and cared for me as if I were her biological daughter. I wanted tofort and hold her. However, I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Instead, I made her feel so terrible. ¡°Aunty Lois, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I choked. I opened my arms, wanting to hug her. But I couldn¡¯t touch her at all. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She¡¯s nothing but an ungrateful stray. Even if she¡¯s angry at me, she shouldn¡¯t be ignoring your calls. She¡¯s so arrogant now.¡± When Michael was talking about me, his face was full of disgust. I remembered how Michael was hurt by kidnappers back then. I disregarded my safety to lure those people away, hoping that Michael could survive. I could still remember just before he passed out, he told me he would treat me well forever. Now, that love was gone, and I had be a stray to him. ¡°Michael Ford, I¡¯m dead now. You¡¯re finally free.¡± I stood next to him and mocked myself. ¡°So, it sounds like I¡¯ve always been an ungrateful stray to you.¡± ¡°Michael, I know you don¡¯t want to marry Stephie. But there has always been a marriage arrangement between you two. ¡°You two were once childhood sweethearts and had established a good rtionship during childhood. How will I face her mother if you don¡¯t marry her?¡± Michael¡¯s face darkened as he replied coldly, ¡°Forget about childhood sweethearts. Must I marry her just because we grew up together? ¡°She was the only one in love and used the prior arrangement as an excuse. She could even throw her dignity away and seduce me just to marry me.¡± I lost control until my whole body was shaking. I raised my hand, wanting to p Michael. But it was all for nothing. ¡°Michael Ford, you bastard!¡± That night, he was the one who went crazy andid his hands on me. Yet, he said I was the one who did it after the matter. After Michael left, my soul was forced to follow him to Yasmin Bailey¡¯s birthday party. As we entered, Michael¡¯s buddies called for Yasmin with a huge grin. ¡°Happy birthday, Yasmin. Mike spent a lot just to celebrate your birthday.¡± Michael gave Yasmin an affectionate smile and handed a gift as everyone cheered. ¡°Michael, is there still no news about Stephie?¡± Yasmin looked like she suddenly remembered something and asked softly. I sneered, ¡°Why the innocent act? Weren¡¯t you the one who caused my death?¡± Michael frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t mention her and ruin the mood.¡± Yasmin smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. She¡¯s your sister, after all.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± Michael scoffed. ¡°She almost got you killed, and you still want to defend her. You¡¯re being too kind.¡± Yasmin hugged Michael and acted coquettishly. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it at all¡­¡® I stood in front of Michael and exined frantically, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! I¡¯ve never hurt her. She was the one who got me killed! Michael, she killed me!¡± However, Michael couldn¡¯t hear a single thing. I anxiously cried out as I tried my best to exin. After trying for so long, I suddenly felt tired. Michael had never trusted me. ¡°Have you all heard? That serial killer hasn¡¯t been caught yet. The police have already found six bodies, and they are all beauties.¡± Someone was talking about the murders. ¡°Didn¡¯t the killer target Yasmin a while back? Thank goodness you protected her well, Mike. Things would¡¯ve turned out badly otherwise.¡± ¡°Stephanie tried to lure the killer but failed. Even a killer wouldn¡¯t care about her. Haha!¡± ¡°Exactly. Even a killer wouldn¡¯t like her. How could shepete with our dear Yasmin?¡± Michael felt uneasy and was slightly frustrated. ¡°Why are we talking about this?¡± After he lit up a cigarette, his phone rang. Michael answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Is this Mr. Michael Ford? This is the Huma Police Force calling. May we know what¡¯s your rtionship with Stephanie Carlson?¡± Michael stood up abruptly and told everyone to be quiet. ¡°Shut up, everyone!¡± He was a bit nervous. His fingertips were turning pale, ¡°Stephanie is¡­ my sister.¡± I looked at Michael and suddenly smiled. Even after I died, I was still only his sister. ¡°Something might¡¯ve happened to her. We¡¯ve found her phone and belongings at a crime scene, Pleasee and confirm her identity.¡± Chapter 2 I followed Michael as we entered the police station. ¡°Mr. Ford, pleasee and confirm for us.¡± The police brought Michael to identify the belongings. from the scene. The clothes, phone, and bag¡­ They were all mine. Michael did not look well. It took him a while to finally speak. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Mr. Ford. Based on our preliminary investigation, it¡¯s very likely that she¡¯s dead. However, we have yet to find her body.¡± ¡°Then, there¡¯s no need to search anymore. Don¡¯t waste your energy on her. Nothing could¡¯ve happened to her.¡± Michael sneered, ¡°She left her stuff there on purpose to create suspense and make me feel guilty.¡± Michael didn¡¯t believe I was dead at all. To him, I was only a viin who would do anything to achieve my goals. He would give everything for me to be dead. ¡°Are you sure, Mr. Ford?¡± The police looked at Michael in confusion. ¡°Yes.¡± Michael nodded and continued seriously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to and find her in three days.¡± Michael¡¯s gaze turned dark, It was obvious that he was angry. I knew him too well. He was angry that I had taken it too far. troubled you all. I will take care of this Suddenly, I had the urge tough. I stood next to Michael andughed until I couldn¡¯t continue further. I was already dead, but he was stalling the police¡¯s investigation. It was just like the day I died. Myst call for help was to him. However, when he answered, he simply said in annoyance, ¡°Stephanie, are you done? Why don¡¯t you go and die?¡± I hopelessly dropped my phone as I was drugged by the killer. After that, I was taken and killed. ¡°Rachel, where¡¯s Stephanie? Tell her to get the hell back home and stop hiding. After leaving the police station, Michael angrily called Rachel. Rachel Qualls was my only friend. Yet I didn¡¯t even have the chance to say goodbye to her. ¡°Michael, are you crazy? I should be the one asking you that question. Where in the world did hide Stephie?¡± you 713 ¡°Tell her I¡¯m only giving her onest chance to return home first thing tomorrow. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even bother looking for her body if she dies outside.¡± I had no idea why he was so anxious. His breathing was rapid. I stood there, feeling paralyzed. Then I smiled mockingly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to find my body because there¡¯s no way you could find it.¡± ¡°Michael, Stephie is missing. I¡¯ve called the police. You bastard, if anything happens to her, I¡¯ll never let t you go!¡± Rachel cried as she scolded Michael. Michael tensed up andughed with disdain. ¡°This is her new tactic? She¡¯s using this to force me into marrying her? What a bitch.¡± I looked at Michael with my vision blurring up. At that moment, I really had given up. A week before the incident happened, there was a thunderstorm. Michael pinned me on the bed. His gaze was cold and full of threats. ¡°Stephanie, you kept seducing me because you wanted me to touch you, right? Why are you such a bitch? Do you want a man so badly?¡± t ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ Michael, we had a marriage agreement from the start. You¡¯re the one who isn¡¯t fulfilling it Michael didn¡¯t care about my exnation at all. He grabbed my chin and kissed me. That kiss had no meaning at all. There was only overflowing lust. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you want? Why are you still pretending?¡± ¡°Michael, please. My stomach hurts¡­¡± I cried as I begged, but he didn¡¯t let me go. He pinched my waist hard like he was possessed. At that moment, I felt like he wanted nothing more than me to be dead. ¡°Stephanie, you pushed Yas down the stairs and almost killed her. I¡¯ve not settled this matter with you yet. ¡°I¡¯m already being merciful by not calling the police on you, so don¡¯t try any tricks. So, you want me to marry you? You better give that idea up!¡± Chapter I In the end, I couldn¡¯t say a word anymore. It wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t push her. Fresh blood gushed out between my legs, and my stomach was in great pain. ¡°Michael, it hurts¡­. Please send me to the hospital¡± At that moment, I clearly felt that something wasn¡¯t right. ¡°How annoying.¡± Feeling disgusted, Michael threw me aside. He got up to put on his clothes, nning to bring me to the hospital. However, his phone rang at that moment. ¡°Michael! Help! I think I¡¯m being targeted by that psycho¨Ckiller! Save me!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Michael¡¯s face fell. Then, he frantically grabbed his clothes and ran out. He was too worried about Yasmin, so why would he even care if I lived or died? I was in so much pain that I fell from the bed and curled up on the floor. ¡°Help¡­ Michael¡­ Please¡­ Don¡¯t leave me Chapter 3 That day, I was in so much pain that I fainted. When I woke up, it was daytime. That was six days before the incident. After the rain, the sun was shining brightly. I struggled to get up from the ground. The blood between my legs had already dried. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Michael. What should we do?¡± Yasmin¡¯s cries wereing from the living room. She kept shaking as she said she was targeted by the killer. She was afraid to die. ¡°Michael, we¡¯ve checked the surveince footage. Yasmin was indeed targeted. Should we call the police?¡± ¡°No, Michael¡­ Don¡¯t call the police. This killer is cruel and specifically targets young women. ¡°The police have already found six bodies, but they can¡¯t even find him. If we were to anger him¡­ Yasmin shook her head in fear. She didn¡¯t want to call the police at all. ¡°Yas, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Michael held onto Yasmin as heforted her gently. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t know how to be gentle. It was just that he had never shown me the slightest bit of gentleness. I stood still and felt awkward. It felt wrong to leave. But it didn¡¯t feel right to stay either. ¡°Yasmin, when you were in Serenity Lane yesterday, what were you wearing?¡± Michael¡¯s best buddy, Zack Ziegler, asked. ¡°A red one¨Cpiece dress.¡± After Yasmin said that, she nced at me. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± I didn¡¯t say anything and avoided her gaze. I walked to the kitchen with py legs shaking. I wanted to get something to eat. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Michael, I have a n. Let¡¯s lure out the killer and catch him before we call the police. ¡°That way, we can prevent him from seeking revenge on Yasmin if we fail. At least, it feels safer that way,¡± Zack suggested as he looked at Michael. Michael nodded. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find a woman to wear Yasmin¡¯s dress and go to Serenity Lane at midnight to lure that guy out. There¡¯ll be cameras everywhere, and we will be watching closely. Nothing will go wrong.¡± Michael frowned. ¡°What a terrible idea. Are you letting your girlfriend do it?¡± Yasmin¡¯s gaze fell on me once again. She asked softly, ¡°Stephie, you don¡¯t look too well. Are you okay? ¡± ¡°Why care about her? She almost got you killed.¡± Michael held tightly onto Yasmin as he spoke with annoyance. My hand froze, even with a cup of hot coffee in it. The pain in my heart instantly spread all over me. ¡°Then, let her do it! We already have a candidate here!¡± ¡°She almost got Yasmin killed. She owes Yasmin one, so let her atone for her sins!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let Stephanie do it. She resembles Yasmin a little anyway, so she should go!¡± I looked at Michael in panic, hoping to hear him reject the idea. He clearly knew that I was afraid of the dark. Why in the world would I go somewhere shady like that¡­ Michael was stunned for a while. He looked at me with his cold gaze for a long time before speaking. ¡°You owe Yasmin one, so you must do it. That one reply from him felt like a thousand arrows piercing through me. My fingers went numb. I lost grip of the cup full of hot coffee, and it spilled all over my hand. Even though the coffee was piping hot, I felt as if I had lost all senses. I wasted a decade of my life and still failed to warm this man¡¯s heart. On the other hand, Yasmin did it without lifting a finger. ¡°I¡¯m not going¡­¡± I rejected. There was no way I would risk my life like this. ¡°Michael, don¡¯t force Stephie¡­¡± Yasmin¡¯s eyes teared up. ¡°Stephie didn¡¯t mean to push me down the stairs.¡± ¡°Stop defending her!¡± Michael suddenly erupted with rage. Even Yasmin Even Yasmin was shocked. Michael got up and rushed toward me. I shook my head in dread. ¡°Michael, I¡¯m not going!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to you!¡± Michael was determined to make me go. ¡°We¡¯ll be keeping watch and not let you die.¡± It sounded like Michael was making a promise to me. I looked to the ground as burning tears filled my eyes. ¡°Make it up to Yasmin, and I¡¯ll consider that you¡¯ve turned over a new leaf. I won¡¯t ever target your anymore.¡± Michael lowered his voice. It was like he was giving me hope, and I actually believed him. ¡°Can you¡­ really ensure my safety?¡± 20 ¡°Of course.¡± Michael was getting irritated. ¡°Michael, I don¡¯t owe Yasmin anything. After we catch the killer, can you promise me something?¡± 1 desperately looked at him. I wasn¡¯t negotiating with Michael. Instead, I had something I needed to tell him. ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡± Michael¡¯s expression instantly changed. I looked back to the ground and stopped talking Since I was living with the Ford family, I had to depend on them. I loved him and was scared of him at the same time. ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll go.¡± I agreed to the n. ¡°I¡¯ll do it to repay you for saving me back then. I entrusted my life to Michael. Once the whole thing was over, I would propose dismissing the marriage agreement myself. I would give him his freedom and leave the country. I would leave the Ford family forever. Chapter 4 ¡°Stephie, thank you. I didn¡¯t know you were so brave.¡± paze w Yasmin came to me with her fake gratitude to talk. She held my hands. Her filled with threats. I pushed her hands away and left the Ford residence. Honestly, I should¡¯ve given up entirely at that moment. I went to the hospital after leaving the house. ¡°You¡¯re already two months pregnant. How could you not have known? You should monitor for the next few days.¡± I sat on the chair in shock as I looked at the report. I could feel my whole body shaking. I was pregnant. I was actually pregnant at a time like this. Michael didn¡¯t love me. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t ept the child I was carrying. Even though I was pregnant, he would never change his mind about me. He would only think I was ying tricks to make him marry me. Soon, it was five days before the incident. I gathered my strength and nned to tell Michael about the pregnancy. If he didn¡¯t want the child, I wouldn¡¯t give birth. Then, I would leave. I would never bother him anymore. However, no matter how many times I tried to call him, he wouldn¡¯t answer at all. When I tried to call him onest time, the call was finally answered. However, it was Yasmin who picked up. ¡°Stephie, do you need Michael for something? He¡¯s tired and needs to rest.¡± ¡°Why waste your breath on her? Just tell her not to bother me.¡± I could hear Michael¡¯s annoyed voice and Yasmin¡¯s giggling on the other end of the call. ¡°Stop it, Michael. It¡¯s my time of the month, so you can¡¯t touch me today¡­¡± With my phone in my hand, I froze and felt numb as I sat on the couch. That night, Michael did not return alone. He had brought Yasmin along. ¡°Why did you bring her here?¡± Aunty Lols frowned unhappily. ¡°Mom, Yas and I are getting engaged. We¡¯re here to let you know.¡± Michael¡¯s tone was filled with determination. Aunty Lois was shocked, and she instinctively looked at me. Although my eyes were filled with tears, I kept quiet. ¡°I won¡¯t allow it. You have a marriage agreement with Stephie¡­¡± Aunty Lois wanted to continue. ¡°The killer has targeted Yas. Since he only alms for singledies, I will publicize our marriage so Yas will no longer be his target.¡± Michael¡¯s biased love toward Yasmin had already be so evident. With my stomach churning, I stood up abruptly. Then, I frantically ran to the bathroom and threw up like there was no tomorrow. What was I to him? Back when my parents died in a car crash when I was 18 years old, I was also trapped in a deformed vehicle. The car was already on fire, and it could explode at any moment. It was Michael who ran to me like a madman to save me. He gave his all to break the window. Even though his hands were covered in blood, he still wouldn¡¯t give up cutting my seatbelt. Then, he dragged me out of the car and carried me to somewhere safe. After that, he continued to risk his life to save my parents. ¡°Michael¡­ It¡¯s too dangerous¡­¡± I yelled with a weakened voice. I could only watch from a distance as he risked everything to save my family. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. t Just when my parents were about to be saved, the car exploded. The raging me and rumble made my heart skip a beat. Even though my parents still died in the end, I could still remember how Michael tried his best to save others. He was a good person. He always had been. It was just that he didn¡¯t love me. After I threw up everything I could, my vision darkened as I fell to the ground. Michael was getting married to Yasmin. I was nothing but a joke from the beginning. ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯ll be fine, Stephle¡­ Stephie¡­¡± I could s remember how he kept calling my name back at the ident. He wanted me to hold on because the ambnce was almost there. Back then, I thought he liked me too. That misunderstandingsted so many years. 2 ¡°Stephanie, why are you ying dead again?¡± The bathroom door was kicked open, and Michael looked at me angrily. ¡°You¡¯ll go to Serenity Lane tomorrow night. We¡¯ve already decided on it, so don¡¯t y any tricks.¡± ¡°Michael¡­ Do you really not care if I die?¡± My voice was hoarse as I asked. ¡°Stephanie, you¡¯re too stubborn to die, so you¡¯re the perfect candidate to face the killer! ¡°If you have the determination you used to bother me, you can bother that killer. Maybe you can even contribute a little to society!¡± ¡°If I die¡­ Will you be upset?¡± I continued asking with my scratchy voice. Michael frowned. ¡°Would you bear to die? I¡¯ll answer you this question after you¡¯re dead.¡± Chapter 5 It was four nights away before the incident. I was wearing a red one¨Cpiece dress and standing in an alley, shaking nonstop. ¡°Act natural.¡± Michael¡¯s voice came through the earpiece I was wearing. I walked from one end of the alley to the other multiple times. However, there was no one suspicious. ¡°Mike, could it be that the killer isn¡¯t interested in her?¡± ¡°Haha! Even a killer isn¡¯t interested in her.¡± Michael¡¯s buddies¡® mockingughter could be heard through the earpiece. I crouched on the ground with teary eyes. I had a sudden urge to cry out loud. That night, I didn¡¯t manage to lure out the killer. I thought they would let me go, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Three nights before the incident, they still made me walk back and forth in Serenity Lane. But I still failed to lure out the person they were looking for. Two nights before the incident, Yasmin came looking for me. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m sorry. I remembered it wronglyst time. I don¡¯t think it was Serenity Lane. ¡°Instead, I think I was followed in Sunset Alley. Michael wants you to go there after work tonight. We will set up an ambush there in advance, so yell for us if something happens. I believed her and went to Sunset Alley after work. This time, someone really started following me. ¡°Hello? Anyone? I think someone¡¯s behind me.¡± I was nervous and terrified as I called for someone through the earpiece. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Anyone¡­¡± Frolicking sounds came through the earpiece, but no one was listening to me. I felt something was off, so I kept calling Michael¡¯s phone. When he finally picked up the call, he yelled at me in annoyance, ¡°Stephanie, are you done? Why don¡¯t you go and die? ¡°You went to Yas yesterday to tell her I had a marriage agreement with you and asked her to leave me, right? Listen to me. If anything happens to Yas, you¡¯ll have to pay with your life!¡± I halted in my tracks in fear, wanting to exin. However, a pair of hands suddenly covered my mouth and nose. My phone fell from my hand. I struggled as much as I could, but it was in vain. Soon, I fell unconscious. When I woke up groggily on the day of the incident, I found myself in a huge wooden crate. It was the kind that was used to store fragile items. There was a slight opening I could use to see the outside. When I tried to struggle and get up, I saw arge figure of a hooded man walking in from the outside. I saw his face. His face was very fair, and his hair was messy. Even though his hair covered half of his face, I was still amazed by what I saw. Sure, no one would describe a killer as attractive. However, that man¡¯s eyes were light blue. His facial features were well¨Cdefined. He also had pure dark hair and pale skin. It was obvious that he was mixed race. The killer was radiating an aura of death. I was scared and didn¡¯t dare to make any noise. It looked like he was searching for something. He looked everywhere and picked up an ax before. dragging it out. I covered my mouth in dread and carefully climbed out of the wooden crate. I wanted to run away. However, before I could run far, I was knocked unconscious from the back and fell to the ground. Before I passed out, I saw the ax that the man dragged out and his hand. ¡°You¡¯re the most perfect piece of art I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± His voice was rough. It sounded like his voice was damaged. ¡°You¡¯re different from the others. I want to keep you forever¡­ I won¡¯t let anyone find you, and you¡¯ll be mine forever, always apanying me.¡± That man was aplete psycho. I slowly lost consciousness until thest drop of blood was drained from my body, and my heart stopped. It turned out that the moment before death was so peaceful. My soul followed Michael back to his home. He seldom returned to the Ford residence because he spent most of his time living alone, There were times when I contemted visiting his house. I assumed it would be our house after getting married. I yearned for this ce. ¡°Michael, did you find Stephie?¡± Once we entered the house, Yasmin rushed forward to hug Michael. She was in her nightdress. Obviously, she had been living here for a while. Michael held onto Yasmin andforted her gently, ¡°I don¡¯t know what tricks she¡¯s up to again.¡± 1 scoffed mockingly and looked at the decorations in the house. It turned out that this house belonged to both of them. They had been living together all this time. Chapter 6 ¡°Michael, Stephie doesn¡¯t want you to marry me,¡± said Yasmin as she cried. ¡®Ignore her. Let¡¯s just get engaged. Once she runs out of ideas, she¡¯ll be back.¡± Michael thought I was doing this on purpose to mess with their engagement dinner ns. He had already announced his engagement dinner for everyone to know. He thought once things were set in motion, I would stop bothering him. However, he had no idea that I had given up on him a long time ago. If I were still alive, I would be on a ne leaving the country by now. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Michael, why does Stephie hate me? First, she pushed me down the stairs and almost got me killed. ¡°Now, she¡¯s doing this to stop us from getting engaged. If Aunty Lois finds out, she would never agree to it.¡± Yasmin continued crying. Michael looked even angrier now. ¡°What else can she do besides using tricks on my mother?¡± I sneered. I couldn¡¯t even bother to exin now. He couldn¡¯t hear what I had to say anyway. He wouldn¡¯t even listen to me when I was still alive, let alone now that I was dead. Michael and Yasmin entered the bedroom, and I sabon the couch, feeling defeated. asionalughter came from the bedroom, and it felt like a sharp knife slicing my soul away. Looking down at my belly, I could feel my soul shaking. The child that didn¡¯t even have the chance to form disappeared with me just like that. If Michael found out I was dead while carrying his child, I was sure that he would sleep peacefully. After all, someone finally helped him to get rid of the thorn in his side. At three in the morning, Michael¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± Michael answered with annoyance. ¡°Mr. Ford, we¡¯ve found the headless body of a woman by Jadebrook River. The bracelet on the wrist has been confirmed to belong to your sister, Stephanie. Pleasee over and identify the body.¡± Michael shot up from the bed, and his breathing became rapid. The thunder roared, and the lighting struck outside. Michael suddenly had a major headache. 20 ¡°Stephie?¡± For a split second, when a bolt of lightning struck the earth, Michael felt as if he saw a figure in the living room. It looked like Stephanie. I was confused and looked at Michael. Could he see me? Soon after that, he cursed and picked up his jacket, preparing to leave. Yasmin was also awake on the bed. She walked out without wearing any shoes. ¡°Oh, Stephanie. You shouldn¡¯t me me. You should me Michael for being too perfect. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want him for herself? I also didn¡¯t think you would be so stupid and actually believe me. Serves you right for being dead!¡± Infuriated, I rushed toward her. I tried to grab her neck with all I had and cried, ¡°It¡¯s you! You killed me! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± I did everything I could think of to kill this woman who caused my miserable death. However, there was nothing I could do. I couldn¡¯t eveny a finger on her. I couldn¡¯t have my revenge. I couldn¡¯t do anything at all. Meanwhile, Michael had reached the police station. ¡°The deceased was vited before she passed. The clothes on her body don¡¯t belong to her as well.¡± Michael stood tensely next to the mortuary table. ¡°Stephanie lost this bracelet two months ago.¡± t ¡°Are you sure this is the one?¡± the police asked. ¡°Yes. It used to belong to my grandmother.¡± The bracelet was meant to be passed to the future daughter¨Cinw of the Ford family. After all, Michael was the one who gave it to Stephanie when she was 18 years old. ¡°Stephanie has¡­ a mole on her right chest.¡± Michael fell silent for a long while before saying my identifying features. ¡°She has a red birthmark on¡­ the left side of her pubic area.¡± He told the police that I was his sister. But how could a brother possibly know such a hidden and private birthmark? The police were stunned. After exchanging nces, they let the coroner continue checking the body. ¡°If what you described were true, then this body doesn¡¯t belong to Stephanie Carlson.¡± Michael slowly closed his eyes. It was obvious that he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Mr. Ford, you seem to be hiding a lot from us.¡± The police in charge of the case frowned and brought Michael out of the room. ¡°What¡¯s the real rtionship between you and Stephanie?¡± Chapter 7 ¡°Like I said, Stephanie isn¡¯t dead. As for my rtionship with her, it has nothing to do with the case!¡± Michael flew into a rage due to embarrassment. ¡°Mr. Ford, I hope you can cooperate with our investigation and not cause the police any trouble.¡± One of the policemen was getting unhappy. I stood at the side with a smile and said to the young policeman, ¡°How could he possibly tell you what indecent act he did to his sister?¡± ¡°Sir! The test result for the blood and skin cells from the bracelet is out. They don¡¯t belong to the same person as the body. Based on the DNA test, they belong to another victim, Stephanie Carlson.¡± ¡°It looks like something really happened to Stephanie.¡± Michael clenched his fists and still wouldn¡¯t believe that I would die. ¡°She¡¯s a smart one for faking this on purpose.¡± I looked at Michael. He disappointed me over and over. I had lost all hope for him. ¡°Mr. Ford, your dy and uncooperative behavior might cause us to miss the golden hour to save Stephanie. If she really was taken by the killer, then she would be very desperate while waiting for rescue!¡± I looked at the policeman, and my eyes teared up. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. He was right. From the moment I was still awake until the moment I died, no one knew how desperate I felt. I prayed countless times for the police or Michael to find me soon. However, when I thought about Michael toward the end, all I felt was pain in my heart. Suddenly, Michael¡¯s phone rang. It was Yasmin calling. Yasmin yelled excitedly, ¡°Michael, I saw Stephie at the Nocturnal Club!¡± Michael was stunned, and he looked at the policeman. The policeman exchanged alert nces with his colleagues as well. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Nocturnal!¡± Feeling anxious, I wanted to stop them. ¡°Don¡¯t go! Yasmin is doing this on purpose to trouble you. She¡¯s disturbing you because she¡¯s afraid that my body will be found! Don¡¯t believe her!¡± I yelled as much as I could, but no one could hear me. Michael trusted Yasmin deeply. He didn¡¯t even question why she would be at Nocturnal in the middle of the night. I followed Michael and could hear him scolding me. ¡°Stephanie, don¡¯t you let me catch you!¡± He voiced his threats. Based on his tone, it sounded like he would kill me if he found me. However, he had lost his chance. The police were dressed in casual clothes as they followed Michael to the Nocturnal Club to find Yasmin. ¡°I was scared of the thunder outside. Since you weren¡¯t home, I came out to look for you. Then, I saw Stephie sneakily enter the club. ¡°There are so many people, and I lost her,¡± Yasmin choked. Michael quickly embraced Yasmin. ¡°It¡¯s alright now.¡± The police took a meaningful look at Yasmin and entered the club. However, after a whole night of searching, they didn¡¯t find a single clue. I followed the police and sighed. ¡°It sure isn¡¯t easy to be a policeman. It¡¯s already sote, and you¡¯re still being yed by someone.¡± ¡°Freeze!¡± In the alley, arge hooded figure walked out with his head lowered. After the police shouted at him, the figure ran even faster. The police rushed forward and pinned the man to the ground. ¡°Officer Landon, this guy¡­¡± Under the moonlight,I saw that face once more. My whole body froze, and I took a step back in fear. Even in death, I was still afraid of this man. That face was as dashing as a celebrity. His fair skin looked amazing. It was a shame that he was a lunatic killer! ¡°It¡¯ste. Why did you run?¡± The policeman kicked the killer. The killer¡¯s gaze was fixed in my direction. I covered my mouth in fear. Could he see me? Chapter 8 ¡°Michael, that man¡­ He¡¯s scary. He¡¯s staring at me,¡± Yasmin said in a shaky voice behind me. I turned around and took a nce. Yasmin was hiding behind Michael. I let out a sigh of relief. That psycho wasn¡¯t staring at me but at Yasmin. It looked like he was staring angrily at Yasmin but remained silent. ¡°This is Steve from an orphanage nearby. He once snatched someone¡¯s purse, but I caught him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a bad guy,¡± A policeman spoke for him. I shook my head hard. ¡°No. He¡¯s a bad guy. He¡¯s the killer!¡± The police let go of Steve. Steve pathetically got up from the ground. Since his legs were too long, his pants couldn¡¯t cover his ankles. I saw a terrifying scar on his calf. It looked like a burn mark from being electrocuted. I was afraid that he would continue with the killing. Even though I was scared, I still followed him. He walked to Yasmin¡¯s side and spoke with a hoarse voice. It was the same scratchy voice that sounded damaged. ¡°It was you¡­ Yasmin looked at the man in fear, and her body was trembling. I also looked at Steve in shock. Did he know Yasmin lured me to him on purpose? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Mr. Ford, if you have any news about Stephanie, please let us know as soon as possible. We¡¯re sorry for disturbing you thiste.¡± The lead policeman spoke with an apologetic tone, ¡°I¡¯m Zion Landon, and here¡¯s my contact. Michael scoffed before taking Zion¡¯s name card and left with Yasmin.. After seeing Michael was gone, Zion said, ¡°I want you to investigate Michael Ford and Yasmin Bailey. Michael¡¯s rtionship with Stephanie isn¡¯t that simple.¡± ¡°Officer Landon, how could you tell?¡± ¡°Would you know for certain that your sister has a mole on her chest or a birthmark on her pelvic area?¡± ¡°How perverted.¡± The young policeman was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t close his mouth. ¡°He looks like a decent person, but he¡¯s anything but decent.¡± ¡°So, get on with the investigation!¡± I didn¡¯t return with Michael. I didn¡¯t want to see him with Yasmin anymore. I followed Steve and watched him leave the scene while limping. I wanted to find my body. He dragged his injured leg as he limped his way to an abandoned orphanage. Then, he climbed inside effortlessly. I followed him in and looked around as my breath quickened. It was here. This was where I died! It was him who brought me here to kill me. This was the real crime scene of the serial killing case. I tailed Steve closely to see if I could find my body. However, he didn¡¯t go to where he killed people. Instead, he entered an abandoned hostel. He went into a small room and curled up in a corner. The room was messy and filled with trash. However, it was obvious that he most likely spent his life here. This was an abandoned orphanage. I wandered around for a long time, but I couldn¡¯t find the basement where he killed me and the others. No wonder the police couldn¡¯t find it after investigating for so long. Suddenly, the gates of the orphanage were rammed open by a car. Steve cautiously walked out to see who the uninvited guests were. Confused, I looked at the people getting out of the car. It actually was Michael. Yasmin, who was shaking, was in the car as well. ¡°That¡¯s him. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s the killer, but he¡¯s the one who was following me for the past few days.¡± Yasmin didn¡¯t tell the police about Steve. Instead, she only told Michael. Michael didn¡¯t call the police either. He brought his men over to teach Steve a lesson. Steve wanted to run, but Michael¡¯s buddies had already stopped him. They hit Steve with a bat. ¡°How dare a beggar like you spy on our precious Yasmin?¡± ¡°Heh! So, he¡¯s the one who didn¡¯t care about Stephanie? He sure has high standards for a beggar.¡± Steve curled up on the ground and protected his head. It was clear that he was often beaten up. Michael walked to Steve before crouching in front of thetter and showing a picture of me. ¡°Have you seen this woman before?¡± At that moment, I wondered if he actually had a slight suspicion that I was already dead. Chapter 9 Steve stared at my photo, and his eyes turned red. He seemed agitated. ¡°Honestly, Stephanie has a great body. There¡¯s nothing to lose if I were to sleep with her. If I were the one she was bothering, I would¡¯ve done it with her as well.¡± ¡°When we were at Nocturnalst time, her whole body was wet from the rain. She really has a nice figure.¡± ¡°Benson, you sure took advantage of the situation and almost stripped her bare.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Michael¡¯s rich friends who tagged along started voicing out their dirty thoughts. Since Michael looked down on me, they also looked down on me. Michael had always thought I was cheap and disgusting, so these people never learned to respect me. I looked at their disgusting faces with hatred and rushed toward them. I wanted nothing more than to tear them to pieces. I clenched my fist and swung toward them, but it was useless. Bang! Someone punched Benson, and he fell to the ground hard. Shocked, I froze in ce and looked at the person who pounced on Benson and was punching nonstop. It was actually Steve. It was the psycho who killed me. ¡°Damn it! Is he crazy? Get him off immediately!¡± the people surrounding Benson eximed in shock. They stepped forward to stop the punching. However, Steve was like a beast that suddenly went berserk. No matter how hard the people around. him hit him, Steve still wouldn¡¯t stop beating up Benson. His eyes were red like a vampire¡¯s while he punched violently. ¡°You¡­ touched her¡­ should die¡­¡± Steve¡¯s voice was hoarse as he cried. However, no one could clearly hear what he was saying. Under the moonlight, Steve¡¯s face was full of blood. He was like a wild beast that went out of control, and anyone would be terrified of him. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. In the end, Michael had to step in to knock out Steve with a stick. Michael frowned and cursed. ¡°Call the police. They will get to the bottom of this,¡± he said solemnly. Benson had fainted from the beating. His face was full of blood, and it was an unbearable sight. I stood in ce, numbly looking at the miserable Benson. I smiled helplessly. Could this be counted as karma? 20 Two months ago, Benson called me using Michael¡¯s phone. He told me that Michael was in a bad mood and had drunk a lot. He also said that Michael wouldn¡¯t stop calling my name and told me to go pick Michael up. It was raining badly that day. I didn¡¯t have a car, nor could I get a ride. The wind was howling, and I couldn¡¯t even get my umbre to open. Since Benson said Michael was missing me, I ran to the club in the rain like an idiot. However, when I was soaking wet and miserably opened the door to a private room, I saw them mocking andughing at me. ¡°Haha! It¡¯s raining so badly out there, and she still came!:¡± ¡°You were spot on, Michael. Fine, you win! Haha!¡± Michael didn¡¯t drink that much at all. They were just ying a cruel game. ¡°Michael, that woman sure is a bitch. Could she really do anything just to marry you?¡± Benson laughed mockingly. ¡°Let her sleep with me. Tell her that if she sleeps with me, then you¡¯ll marry her. Let¡¯s see if she¡¯ll agree to it.¡± Everyone wasughing in the private room. They were looking at me like they were looking at a cheap product. They were disgusting and full of lust. I could never forget their vile faces. ¡°Did you tell my mom that I slept with you? Did you make her force me to marry you?¡± Michael leaned on the couch and looked at me teasingly. ¡°Stephanie, you sure gave up your dignity just to marry me. Are you that cheap?¡± My whole body was shivering as I stood at the entrance. My eyes teared up, and I said, ¡°If you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± I turned around and wanted to leave, but Benson suddenly pinned me against the door. His hands were all over me. It was obvious that he was picking on me on purpose. My body was shaking as I looked at Michael for help. ¡°Let me go! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± I cried and struggled as much as I could, but Michael didn¡¯t care about me at all. He was treating me as a joke like everyone else. He was admiring how miserable I looked. Show Michael didn¡¯t care, Benson became more bold. He pinned me on the couch and tore off my clothes. The more I struggled, those people got more excited. Theyughed and teased. They cheered for Benson to do more. I cried and yelled for Michael, begging him to save me. However, the gaze he had on me was suffocating. Chapter 10 I struggled with all my might and cried for help. Desperation almost swallowed me whole. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± In the end, Michael kicked Benson aside. I knew Michael hated other people touching his stuff. He didn¡¯t care about me, but he touched me before. He naturally treated me as his cheapest belonging. I fell to the ground miserably and curled up. I grabbed my clothes tightly. Michael seemed to have lost his excitement. He looked at me and said coldly, ¡°Everyone, scram!¡± Apparently, Benson and the rest still knew how to read the room. Seeing how Michael was furious, they got up and left one after another. There was only me and Michael in the room left. He got up and nudged me with his foot in disgust. ¡°I heard that you went looking for Fredrick today. Are you that cheap? Are you in a rush to bother him so that he would sleep with you?¡± Fredrick Williams was my senior in college. He tried to win me over for many years and was a great ¦°¦¡¦°. That day, I went to look for Fredrick because he was going overseas for his studies. He mentioned that he had applied for a spot for me to study abroad as well. He wanted me to think about it carefully before answering him. Even though I didn¡¯t like him, he did not mind. He told me that he admired my talents and would wait for me in Montavia. To be honest, I was touched. Michael didn¡¯t love me, so I knew he wouldn¡¯t marry me. I said I would consider it carefully because I was still delusional back then. I imagined perhaps all my efforts throughout the years could win me a piece of Michael¡¯s love. That was also the night that truly made me lose hope and determined to leave. ¡®Stephanie, did he touch you?¡± That night, Michael drank and was acting like a maniac. I hugged myself tightly and didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I am talking to you!¡± He kicked the coffee table like a madman and looked at me furiously. I was terrified, and I shook my head while crying. ¡°Let me tell you, Stephanie. Don¡¯t ever see him again! Understood?¡± He grabbed my hair and threatened me not to see other men except for him. I nodded in fear, but he still wasn¡¯t willing to let me go. He looked at me in annoyance, and his gaze was full of disgust. ¡°Michael, I didn¡¯t tell Aunty Lois I want to marry you. She was the one who said we had a marriage agreement and asked me.¡± Looking at his gaze, I started to feel afraid and exined as much as I could. Because Benson had ripped open my clothes, the torn clothes slipped below my shoulders. My body was soaking wet, so I probably looked extremely dirty and cheap at that moment. He seemed even more furious and took a bottle of beer from the table. Then, he poured the beer on top of my head. ¡°You¡¯re filthy. Wash up properly.¡± Scared, I shut my eyes and let him bully me however he wanted. I brainwashed myself nonstop, telling myself that I owed him. We would be even after that night. Then, I would apply for the opportunity to study abroad the next day. I wanted to leave. I thought he would let me go after enough bullying. However, as if possessed, Michael grabbed my chin and kissed me. I thought he would dislike me for being dirty.¡± He would find me disgusting all the time, but he never stopped tormenting me. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. He was touching me in the club¡¯s private room. He didn¡¯t care about my feelings at all. ¡°Michael, I¡¯m begging you. Can we go home?¡± I pleaded sincerely, but it was in vain. When the waiter opened the door and entered, I was so scared that I curled up in Michael¡¯s arms. I was terrified. At that moment, I too, found myself dirty and cheap. ¡°Get out of here!¡± Michael yelled furiously. The waiter closed the door in fear. However, I could never forget the way the waiter looked at me. It was like he was looking at a cheap prostitute. ¡°Michael!¡± I cried and pped Michael. ¡°Why are you doing this to me? What did I do wrong!¡± ¡°What did you do wrong? Yas is still lying in a hospital bed, so what do you think you did wrong? Why don¡¯t you go to hell, Stephanie!¡± He grabbed my chin tightly as he questioned me cruelly. Chapter 11 ¡°I didn¡¯t. How many times do I have to say it for you to believe me? I didn¡¯t push her¡­¡± Without any proof, Michael would only believe Yasmin¡¯s words. He trusted her unconditionally. As for me? I was nothing but a piece of trash. ¡°Stephanie, you really deserve to die.¡± That was the sentence that he said to me the most. That day, he didn¡¯t let me go until the end. He wanted me in the private room because he wanted to humiliate me. ¡°Stephanie, do you know how much they pay for a waitress to keep their clientspany? 800¡­¡± ¡®Stephanie, you can¡¯t evenpare to the waitresses here.¡± ¡°Stephanie, should I have let them get it on with you earlier?¡± Iy on the couch numbly. It felt like my whole body was torn to pieces. ¡°Michael, please let me go¡­¡± I had already forgotten how long he tortured me. He finally let me go when he almost sobered up. Then, he tidied himself up while feeling disgusted. He was always well¨Cdressed. Meanwhile, he didn¡¯t care if my clothes were torn into pieces by him. He didn¡¯t even spare me an extra nce because he felt disgusted for touching a dirty thing like me while he was drunk.t ¡°Michael, don¡¯t leave me here. Please.¡± He turned and left the room quickly. He didn¡¯t care about me at all. I was like a piece of abandoned rag that was thrown to the ground. I slowly got up and stepped on shards of ss. The pain and blood sobered me up. Feeling numb, I tidied my clothes. I tightened the torn clothing on me and walked out in despair. It was still raining heavily outside the club. Yet Michael didn¡¯t wait for me, ¡°Are you new here? How much for a night? You look like you like it rough.¡± The waiter who opened the door and saw what had happened earlier kept asking how much I charged with a smile. I didn¡¯t say anything and ran outside frantically. The waiter stopped me and teased, ¡°Why are you running? Stop with the innocent act. Look at the state you¡¯re in after having fun with that rich guy. It won¡¯t make a difference if I have a go, right?¡± I was terrified, and I stepped back nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, or I¡¯ll call the police¡­¡± The waiter scoffed, ¡°Everyone out there is drunk. If you go out like this, don¡¯t expect to leave in one piece. Why not let me have some fun?¡± There were many drunk people outside the club. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Why in the world would those men let me go? Michael clearly knew it was dangerous to leave me alone here, but he still left without hesitation. ¡°Scram!¡± My breath hastened as I pushed the waiter away. Then, I ran outside while crying. But the waiter was right. After leaving the club, I was blocked by other people in an alley. I trembled as I called the police. As I cried while waiting for them to rescue me, I woke up entirely. I didn¡¯t love him anymore. I wanted to live. I had to escape. The further, the better. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. I how you all.¡± I cried and asked for mercy, but those people wouldn¡¯t let me go at all. As they ran their hands all over my body, my stomach churned in disgust. ¡°You sure look pretty. Quick. Once you¡¯re done, it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± 1 I fell to the ground. Listening to all the dirty talk, I cried until I ran out of energy. After struggling until the end, I had no more strength to resist anymore. I thought that they would take turns and have their way that day. Just as I was losing consciousness, a blurry, tall figure dragged a steel pipe and violently smashed it on the head of the man on top of me. Then, a piercing scream filled the alley. ¡°Please stop hitting!¡± The few men who bullied me were all begging for mercy. However, that figure had no intention to let them go at all. ¡°Ah!¡± Shrill cries echoed. The figure then hit the man¡¯s wrist with the steel pipe. ¡°Touch her¡­ Die¡­¡± Chapter 12 ¡°I didn¡¯t. How many times do I have to say it for you to believe me? I didn¡¯t push her¡­¡± Without any proof, Michael would only believe Yasmin¡¯s words. He trusted her unconditionally. As for me? I was nothing but a piece of trash. ¡°Stephanie, you really deserve to die.¡± That was the sentence that he said to me the most. That day, he didn¡¯t let me go until the end. He wanted me in the private room because he wanted to humiliate me. ¡°Stephanie, do you know how much they pay for a waitress to keep their clientspany? 800¡­¡± ¡®Stephanie, you can¡¯t evenpare to the waitresses here.¡± ¡°Stephanie, should I have let them get it on with you earlier?¡± Iy on the couch numbly. It felt like my whole body was torn to pieces. ¡°Michael, please let me go¡­¡± I had already forgotten how long he tortured me. He finally let me go when he almost sobered up. Then, he tidied himself up while feeling disgusted. He was always well¨Cdressed. Meanwhile, he didn¡¯t care if my clothes were torn into pieces by him. He didn¡¯t even spare me an extra nce because he felt disgusted for touching a dirty thing like me while he was drunk.t ¡°Michael, don¡¯t leave me here. Please.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He turned and left the room quickly. He didn¡¯t care about me at all. I was like a piece of abandoned rag that was thrown to the ground. I slowly got up and stepped on shards of ss. The pain and blood sobered me up. Feeling numb, I tidied my clothes. I tightened the torn clothing on me and walked out in despair. It was still raining heavily outside the club. Yet Michael didn¡¯t wait for me, ¡°Are you new here? How much for a night? You look like you like it rough.¡± The waiter who opened the door and saw what had happened earlier kept asking how much I charged with a smile. I didn¡¯t say anything and ran outside frantically. The waiter stopped me and teased, ¡°Why are you running? Stop with the innocent act. Look at the state you¡¯re in after having fun with that rich guy. It won¡¯t make a difference if I have a go, right?¡± I was terrified, and I stepped back nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, or I¡¯ll call the police¡­¡± The waiter scoffed, ¡°Everyone out there is drunk. If you go out like this, don¡¯t expect to leave in one piece. Why not let me have some fun?¡± There were many drunk people outside the club. Why in the world would those men let me go? Michael clearly knew it was dangerous to leave me alone here, but he still left without hesitation. ¡°Scram!¡± My breath hastened as I pushed the waiter away. Then, I ran outside while crying. But the waiter was right. After leaving the club, I was blocked by other people in an alley. I trembled as I called the police. As I cried while waiting for them to rescue me, I woke up entirely. I didn¡¯t love him anymore. I wanted to live. I had to escape. The further, the better. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. I how you all.¡± I cried and asked for mercy, but those people wouldn¡¯t let me go at all. As they ran their hands all over my body, my stomach churned in disgust. ¡°You sure look pretty. Quick. Once you¡¯re done, it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± 1 I fell to the ground. Listening to all the dirty talk, I cried until I ran out of energy. After struggling until the end, I had no more strength to resist anymore. I thought that they would take turns and have their way that day. Just as I was losing consciousness, a blurry, tall figure dragged a steel pipe and violently smashed it on the head of the man on top of me. Then, a piercing scream filled the alley. ¡°Please stop hitting!¡± The few men who bullied me were all begging for mercy. However, that figure had no intention to let them go at all. ¡°Ah!¡± Shrill cries echoed. The figure then hit the man¡¯s wrist with the steel pipe. ¡°Touch her¡­ Die¡­¡± Chapter 13 I didn¡¯t go home that night. Instead, I curled up on a bench at the hospital and slept the night there. When I woke up the next day, I had a high fever. My phone didn¡¯t ring at all the whole night. Michael didn¡¯t call me a single time. ¡°Heartthrob¡­¡± Sitting on the bench, I called Fredrick. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about what you said about studying abroad.¡± ¡°Stephie, are you unwell?¡± Fredrick asked in concern when he heard something was off with my voice. ¡°Yeah. I got caught in the rain yesterday, so I have a cold today.¡± ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ll bring you some medicine.¡± Fredrick was anxious. ¡°Heartthrob, if I submit my application today, how soon can I leave the country?¡± I was in a hurry. At that moment, I actually had a feeling that if I didn¡¯t leave soon, I might die. I might die in Michael¡¯s hands. I wanted to live well. I wanted to leave Michael. Once I left, everything would be over. ¡°If you apply now, you¡¯ll receive the application result in two months. I¡¯ll ask the management to expedite it. Once we have confirmation, I¡¯ll help you get the tickets.¡± Fredrick was still worried. ¡°Is your cold bad? Shall go pick you up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Heartthrob, I¡¯m at the hospital. Thank you.¡± I thought I could leave Huma, this ce, and Michael forever after two months. After hanging up the phone, I left the hospital. Walking in an alley outside the hospital, I suddenly felt lost. I didn¡¯t know where I should go. After my parents died, the house was sold, and the death benefit from their insurance was used to clear their debts. Other than the Ford residence, I had nowhere else to rest. I didn¡¯t even know where my house was. My head was in great pain. I found a corner to sit down and continued sleeping while leaning against a wall. I didn¡¯t know how long I was asleep. When I woke up, I found a jacket on me. Even though it was old and torn, I could tell someone did their best to wash it. I looked around, but the alley was empty. There was no one. As I stood up, I saw two bens in a bag next to me. I smiled bitterly and felt belpless goessed a kind person probably thought I was a beggar. Abeggar? That seemed to be true. Michael once said I was no different from a beggar for living at their ce. 1 folded the jacket and ced it somewhere clean. I also ced the two buns on it. I figured that the kind person would take it back if they were to return. I walked a few steps while leaning against the wall. Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. When I turned around, I saw a tall, skinny, hooded figure as it passed by swiftly. I didn¡¯t think too much about it. I followed the path and got out of the alley. Then, I hailed a taxi by the road. When I returned to the Ford residence, Michael was there too. ¡°Michael, where¡¯s Stephie? Why isn¡¯t she back yet? She didn¡¯te back the whole night.¡± Aunty Lois was worried. ¡°She¡¯s an adult now. It¡¯s not like she would die.¡± Michael was unhappy. . I stood outside the door and looked at how irritated Michael was. I sighed. ¡°Ms. Stephie, there¡¯s someone outside looking for you. He said he was Fredrick, your senior.¡± The caretaker saw me standing outside and came to me. I was stunned for a moment before running out of thepound. Why was Fredrick here? ¡°Heartthrob¡­¡± I saw Fredrick waiting for me with a bag of medicine. ¡°I¡¯m here to give you some medicine.¡± He smiled. I felt grateful and reached out to ept the medicine. ¡°The Ford family isn¡¯t so poor that you have to deliver medicine,¡± Michael said in a cold voice behind 1. me. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I didn¡¯t know when he came out, but my body tensed up when he got close to me, ¡°Michael, Stephie is sick. There¡¯s no need for you to be so hostile.¡± Fredrick frowned. 1/ Michael scoffed. ¡°What does her getting sick have to do with you? Who are you to her? Did you guys sleep together?¡± Michael obviously found me disgusting I looked at Michael with teary eyes. ¡°Then, who are you to me? What gave you the right to talk to my friend like this?¡± Michael frowned and scoffed again. He probably didn¡¯t expect me to talk back to him. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you great, Stephanie? Who am I to you? Should I tell him that I¡¯ve slept with you or that you¡¯ve been living with us like a beggar for years?¡± I red at Michael as my breathing quickened. My gaze started trembling in despair. Chapter 14 ¡°Michael, don¡¯t go too far!¡± Fredrick stepped forward and grabbed Michael¡¯s cor. I was afraid that they might fight, so I stopped Fredrick. ¡°Heartthrob, thank you. You should go now. We¡¯ll talk another day.¡± Fredrick was worried I might be put in a difficult spot. He angrily nced at Michael. ¡°Stephie, you should handle the matter we discussed earlier as soon as you can. It¡¯s better to stay away from people like him as much as possible.¡± I nodded. ¡°Okay, Heartthrob.¡± After Fredrick drove away, I stood still and didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°Stephanie, have I been treating you too well recently?¡± Michael approached me and grabbed my wrist. Then, he pulled me to the shed in the backyard. I looked at him in fear, not knowing what he was nning. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to contact that guy anymore? Are you ignoring me?¡± Michael was furious. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Aunty Lois that our marriage contract is over. I¡¯ll leave Huma.¡± Afraid, I took a few steps back, nervously looking at Michael. ¡°Thinking of running away? Stephanie, you should be punished for your mistakes. Did you think you could atone for your sins by running away?¡± he sneered. ¡°You¡¯re the one who said I could leave.¡± I cried and asked why he was doing this. ¡°Before you evilly pushed Yas down the stairs, you still had the chance to leave. I gave you the opportunity, but you didn¡¯t cherish it. It¡¯s toote now!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it! How many times do I have to tell you this? Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± I continued crying as I asked why he couldn¡¯t believe me and why he was doing this to me. Michael didn¡¯t seem to care at all. There was only anger in his gaze. He snatched my phone and locked me up in the shed. ¡°I want you to repent in there thoroughly. When you agree to apologize to Yas, I¡¯ll let you out. I banged on the door while crying, begging Michael to let me out. However, he never did. No one in the Ford family dared to let me out. I didn¡¯t know how long I was crying. I curled up in a corner in dread. The lights in the shed weren¡¯t working. Michael clearly knew I had been afraid of the dark ever since my parents died. However, he still locked me in a dark environment to punish me. He had always been like this. The more afraid I was of something, the more he would use it to threaten me. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. He was using my gratitude for them to bully me. My fever became worse. Iy on a clutter of items in the shed and fell asleep. I had no idea how long I slept. If it weren¡¯t for the caretaker telling Aunty Lols out of worry, I would¡¯ve probably died in the shed that night. The next morning, Aunty Lois questioned Michael angrily, ¡°Michael, what mistake has Stephie made? Why did you lock her up in the shed?¡± ¡°Yas is still in the hospital. The doctor only dered recently that her life is no longer in danger!¡± Michael¡¯s tone was filled with uncontroble anger. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s your fault for pampering her. She¡¯s getting arrogant at this rate!¡± Iy on the bed drowsily as I listened to Michael and Aunty Lois arguing on the other side of the door. ¡°How dare she push Yas down the stairs? That¡¯s homicide! If Yas sues her, she would have to go to jail!¡± Aunty Lois kept quiet for some time before finally speaking. ¡°Michael, ask Yas what she wants forpensation. The Ford family can reimburse her. We can¡¯t let Stephie go to jail. She¡¯s too pitiful. Her life will be over if she ends up in jail.¡± Michael sneered, ¡°Serves you right for pampering her. She¡¯s been living off the Ford family all these years. Other than bringing us trouble, what else can she do? ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve asked Alex to get you ne tickets. Stay in Serenhaven for a few days, and I will take care of things here. ¡°You can¡¯t keep tolerating her actions anymore. You¡¯re only harming her by continuing to do so.¡± Michael wanted to send Aunty Lois away by asking Alex Luthor to buy tickets for her to leave. I gripped the nket tightly in fear and didn¡¯t dare to make a noise. If Aunty Lois were to leave, Michael could bully me more without restraints. My whole body shook even though I was curled up in the nket. I kept asking myself what I should do. There was no way Michael would let me go. Chapter 15 I didn¡¯t know how long it took before It became quiet outside. I thought they had all left, but Michael suddenly opened the door and entered. I was so scared that I got up to get away from him. Michael sneered, ¡°My mom has left. Let¡¯s see who else can protect you now.¡± ¡°Michael¡­ Let me go. Please.¡± But he was too strong. He grabbed my cor and pulled me into the bathroom. ¡°You¡¯re filthy! Clean yourself.¡± He was angry. Maybe he thought I was dirty because I was touched by all the drunkards the previous night. Ice¨Ccold water was poured all over me. For a split second, I felt suffocated. I had not recovered from my fever yet, but he still used cold water to wash my body. My mind went nk, and I fell to the ground. I didn¡¯t know how to fight back. I was shaking like an earthquake. ¡°Yas is awake, so you must apologize to her today!¡± Michael threw the shower head on me as he ordered me to apologize to Yasmin. ¡°I¡¯m not going¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know where I got the courage from. I was determined not to go. ¡°I¡¯m innocent.¡± ¡°Stephanie!¡± Michael looked like he was at its limits. He probably thought I was helpless. ¡°I¡¯ve already applied to leave the country. Two monthster, I will leave. Please let me go¡­. I looked at Michael with determination. Unlike before, there was no more love in my gaze. I hated him. ¡°Did Fredrick help you apply for it? How many times did you sleep with him for him to be so obsessed with you, Stephanie?¡± Michael grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. I gazed desperately into his rage¨Cfilled eyes. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve slept together, and I¡¯m in love with him. I won¡¯t bother you ever again.¡± I looked at him unyieldingly, not lowering my head at all. ¡°Fine! That¡¯s great!¡± Michael grabbed my hair and pinned my head to the ground. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re a natural bitch. I didn¡¯t satisfy you enough, right?¡± 273 He was strong. Every time he touched me, it felt like he was venting his anger. I had no idea why he was going crazy. He clearly didn¡¯t love me, but sometimes, I could sense him being extremely Jealous. But how was that possible? ¡°Stephanie, you must atone for your sins forever.¡± He was like a beast that couldn¡¯t be satisfied, wanting to shred me to pieces. I cried and begged for mercy. However, it was useless. In the end, I lost my voice, and I could taste blood in my mouth. Slowly, I stopped yelling and struggling. I would treat it as repaying the Ford family¡¯s favor. ¡°What should I do so that you¡¯ll let me go?¡± After an hour of torture, I lost all my senses andy on the ground. I asked what I could do for him to let me go. ¡°Apologize to Yas.¡± He was determined to make me apologize. ¡°Fine¡­¡± I finally agreed. The truth didn¡¯t matter anymore. ¡°The Ford family has provided for you for years. We also cleared your family¡¯s debt. I¡¯ll let you go when you¡¯ve returned the favor.¡± Michael took a shower before leaving the bathroom in a towel. I understood what he meant. He wanted me to sleep with him to repay my debt to him. Then, he would let me go. ¡°I¡¯ll return you the money¡­¡± But I had to leave. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. I would do my best to earn enough money to repay him. I wouldn¡¯t be his mistress, nor would I sleep with him. It was 4:00 pm when Michael took me to Huma Hospital. I clung to Michael as we went to the florist to get flowers for Yasmin. Then, I went into her ward numbly with him. ¡°Michael.¡± Yasmin¡¯s face was pale. She smiled at Michael. : When she saw me, her expression changed immediately. ¡°Michael, why did you bring her here?¡± Yasmin was surrounded by a few visitors. They started being arrogant toward me as well. ¡°Tell her to get lost. How dare shee after pushing Yasmin down the stairs?¡± ¡°How could you be so shameless?¡± A richdy called Yelena Norris came and shoved me. I lost my bnce and fell to the ground. I felt great pain due to the wound on my feet. Michael frowned. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Yelena red at Michael. ¡°How could we forgive her so easily after she hurt Yasmin? We¡¯re calling the police. She needs to go to jail!¡± ¡°Yelena, it¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry about me. We don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Yasmin started speaking gently. ¡°Yas, you¡¯re always too kind!¡± Yelena was furious. Michael didn¡¯t look happy at all. He red at me. ¡°She¡¯s here to apologize.¡± ¡°What¡¯s good about an apology?¡± Yelena scoffed. ¡°Apologize?¡± The other wealthy visitors started making noise as well. ¡°Is this the attitude you should have when apologizing? Shouldn¡¯t you get on your knees?¡± Yasmin smiled and teased, ¡°Stop messing around.¡± ¡°Yasmin, we need to teach a vile woman like her a lesson.¡± I stood up while leaning against the wall numbly. I held the flowers in my arms tightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear them? Kneel and apologize!¡± Michael demanded. I wouldn¡¯t do it.. I stubbornly looked to the ground and kept quiet. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to kneel!¡± Michael was enraged. He dragged me to the side of Yasmin¡¯s bed. Yasmin was watching me like she was watching a show. ¡°Michael, calm down. Stephie is still young.¡± Chapter 16 ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Yasmin¡¯s kindness, you would be in jail now!¡± Michael scolded coldly. I stood and felt nothing. No matter what those people sald, I just wouldn¡¯t kneel. I also wouldn¡¯t say sorry. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to apologize. Let her spend the night with us and have some fun. We promise we¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± The few rich men started smiling and teasing. I looked at Michael as I stood in ce. ¡°I¡¯ve exined myself¡­ I didn¡¯t push her. Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Michael frowned and looked irritated. ¡°Lying is a habit of yours¡­¡± ¦§ ¡°Fine,¡± I interrupted Michael and stopped him from talking. I really couldn¡¯t bear to be hurt by him. anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize.¡± I looked at Yasmin and smiled. ¡°You win.¡± Yasmin looked at Michael. ¡°Forget it. She¡¯s not apologizing to me willingly anyway. ¡°Stephanie!¡± Michael warned me. I took a step back and carefully ced the bouquet of flowers on the ground. ¡± I once yearned for Michael to give me a gift. I wouldn¡¯t mind even if it was only a bouquet of flowers. However, I received nothing. With my legs trembling, I kneeled on the ground. Michael looked away and said nothing. ¡°Stephie, please quickly get up. I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± Yasmin said, starting to act innocent again. I didn¡¯t say anything, nor did I n to stand up. ¡°Michael, this is me repaying you for saving me. Now, I don¡¯t owe you this favor anymore¡­¡± Now, there was only the mary debt left. I would think of a solution for the money. Michael clenched his fists. ¡°Since she¡¯s willing to kneel, we¡¯ll let her kneel right here!¡± The group of people in the ward started mocking and teasing. They started messing around and said some despicable words. I just continued kneeling on the ground until 7:00 pm. Chacher 16 I couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and fainted when both of my legs went numb. ¡°Stephanie! Don¡¯t y dead!¡± When I came around again, I was in a hospital bed, receiving IV drip. There was no one else in the ward other than me. I removed the needle and got out of bed. Enduring the pain under my feet, I left the ce whille limping. It had been raining for two days, and it was finally sunny that day. The sun was shining brightly, but it was still cold. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. That was what fall was like in Huma. It was depressing. ¡°Don¡¯t let him get away! Thief! Catch him!¡± I was shoved to the side when I was walking in the alley. Someone from far away was yelling about catching a thief. The person who was running for his life stopped in his tracks when he saw me. I looked at him while he looked back at me. He was tall and wearing a mask and a baseball hat. I could only see his eyes, which were clear and filled with a cry for help. He dragged me to hide with him behind the trash cans. He covered my mouth to prevent me from making a noise. I could hear his breath and heartbeat clearly. After the people chasing him were gone, he finally let me go and prepared to run again. ¡°Why did you steal?¡± I asked softly. His tall figure was facing away from me. He lowered his gaze and kept quiet. I could tell that he was young. ¡°I still have some money left. This bracelet¡­ is worth some money too. You can have them all.¡± I removed all the money from my pocket and the bracelet on my wrist. Then, I ced these on top of the trash can next to me before limping away. He didn¡¯t say anything or chase after me. I always treasured that bracelet and would wear it no matter what. That was my gift when I turned 18 years old. It was my first birthday after my parents passed away. It was a gift from Michael. It was the only gift that I had received from him. I once cherished it a lot. However, I only wanted to escape now. I wanted nothing to do with him anymore. It felt disgusting. I walked aimlessly on the street. When I returned to the Ford residence, It was already dark outside. My phone ran out of battery long ago. It wasn¡¯t like anyone would contact me anyway. ¡°Stephanie, where did you go?¡± When Michael saw me, he was furious. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?¡± He rushed to me and grabbed my shoulders. At that moment, it looked like he was extremely worried about me. I pped away his arm and turned around coldly. ¡°It ran out of battery.¡± He was irritated. ¡°Is it that hard for you to apologize for your mistake? Why do you act like you were used?¡± I kept my silence. He was angry about my attitude. But after grabbing my wrist, his expression fell. ¡°Where¡¯s your bracelet?¡± Surprised, I turned around and looked at him. He actually noticed my bracelet was gone. I thought he wouldn¡¯t even care if I died. ¡°I lost it,¡± I said as if I didn¡¯t care. ¡°Stephanie! Don¡¯t you know that bracelet was my¡­¡± Michael stopped speaking halfway. Chapter 17 ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re not fit to have it anyway.¡± Michael pushed my arm aside and turned to leave. I ignored him. He was just acting up as usual. I walked into my bedroom and started packing what I needed for going abroad. There were only two months left. Time would pass by in a blink of an eye. I¡¯d be free before I even knew it. Back then, I¡¯d been so gullible to believe everything would be over once I left the country in two months. Never had it urred to me that Michael would be the reason I died. As fate would have it, Michael was the one who saved my life, and he also turned out to be the reason. it ended. In the end, we were even. The rumbling of thunder brought me back to the present. I gave myself a hard p, but I felt no pain. It was only then that I came to terms with the fact that I was already dead. I no longer had to live in pain and suffering anymore. A police car came and took Steve away, who was out cold. The ambnce had also taken Benson away. ¡°Mr. Ford, do you have any news of your sister?¡± Zion had exited the police car to ask Michael. Michael frowned. ¡°She can¡¯t hide for much longer.¡± Zion kept quiet and bent down to pick a photo off the ground, which was the photo Michael had shown to Steve. It was an ID photo I had taken in preparation for my documents to study abroad. Zion was stunned when he saw my photo. His brows were furrowed as though contemting something. Perhaps he remembers me. He¡¯d seen me before, after all. ¡°Was your sister sexually harassed at the Nocturnal two months ago?¡± As he was a police officer, Zion had an excellent memory for such matters. Michael paused for a moment like he was recalling the incident. ¡°Yes. Something of the sort happened.¡± Zion raised his head and looked at him. ¡°The Ford family is considered pretty prestigious in Huma. Your sister had no need to sell her body, did she?¡± Michael seemed displeased by the question. ¡°Officer Landon, Stephanie isn¡¯t that kind of person.¡± A derisiveugh escaped me. Michael didn¡¯t say that to defend my reputation. He was simply doing it for the Ford family¡¯s reputation. ¡°My apologies. I must have gotten the wrong idea.¡± Zion waved the photo before Michael, saying, ¡°This photo is clearer than the other photos you provided before. I¡¯ll take this for now, and you¡¯ll be informed once we have any news about your sister.¡± Michael then got into his car and left. Zion ordered his men, ¡°Go look into the sexual assault case at the Nocturnal two months ago. See if it is somehow rted to this case in any way.¡± ¡± ¡°Officer Landon, are you suspecting that Stephanie¡¯s been targeted way earlier?¡± ¡°Every victim of the assant frequented the Nocturnal. They were all women who led extravagant yet messy private lives.¡± Zion nodded. I followed silently beside him. He couldn¡¯t hear what I said anyway. I could only pray that he would uncover the truth and make the murderer pay for his crimes. ¡°Officer Landon!¡± Outside the abandoned orphanage, one of his colleagues hopped out of a car and hurried to him. ¡°You got me to look into Stephanie Carlson and Michael Ford¡¯s rtionship, and I really found something! They aren¡¯t siblings rted by blood. ¡°The Fords adopted Stephanie, so she isn¡¯t biologically rted to Michael. In fact, they had a marriage arrangement between them!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Zion frowned. He clearly never expected things to be soplicated between me and Michael. ¡°Michael Ford¡¯s official girlfriend is Yasmin Bailey. He insisted on breaking off the marriage arrangement with Stephanie to marry Yasmin.¡± I had to admit that the police were really efficient in their investigation. They managed to find out so much in such a short time. I had been standing beside Zion as I listened to the conversation. Yet, I wasn¡¯t very much affected by their discovery. ¡°Michael¡¯s buddies imed that before Stephanie disappeared, Yasmin had been targeted by the murderer on her way home from the Nocturnal before. As Yasmin was afraid that the murderer might take revenge on her, she did not dare make a police report. ¡°Instead, they got Stephanie to pretend to be her and appear in the alley.¡± The police officer¡¯s expression darkened in anger. Even someone who didn¡¯t know me knew how ridiculous that sounded, but that was exactly what Michael had forced me into. He even promised to protect me. I let out a mirthlessugh. Now that I was listening to others analyze my death as an onlooker, everything sounded that much moreughable. Zion¡¯s face fell as he took a quick nce at the time. ¡°Stephanie Carlson¡¯s disappearance has long exceeded 48 hours! Set up a special task force immediately and apply for a warrant! ¡°I want Michael Ford and his group of imbecile friends taken away immediately! Not a single one of them is to get out of this!¡± My head whipped up at once as I stared at Zion in astonishment. Why did he want Michael to be taken away? Did he suspect him of being my murderer? ¡°It¡¯s not Michael! It¡¯s Steve!¡± I shouted desperately at the police officers. I wasn¡¯t trying to defend Michael, but I simply didn¡¯t want the murderer to walk away scot¨Cfree and continue his evil deeds. Chapter 18 Zion couldn¡¯t hear me. But I knew he wanted to solve the case to prevent more women from being harmed. Perhaps it was due to his instinct as a police officer that led him to believe that I had run into danger. That would make him the only person who thought so. grave ¡°You police officers have so many cases to deal with and so many people to investigate each day. It must be exhausting for you, isn¡¯t it?¡± I muttered to myself in despair. ¡°Officer Landon, here is all the information I have on Stephanie. As her phone was badly damaged, it¡¯s been sent to the Inspection Department for restoration and further examination. It¡¯ll take some time.¡± Zion had ordered his men to dig up everything they could find about me. Honestly speaking, I was pretty curious about what sort of a person I appeared to be in their investigation. ¡°All the information in her phone will also be exported after they¡¯ve been restored.¡± Now, t that was awkward. Wouldn¡¯t that mean the police would have ess to all my search histories and the diary I kept on my phone? Zion took the material handed to him and skimmed through it. ¡°Both parents died when she was 15, and she watched them die before her very eyes.¡± The very attachment on the document was a photo of the scene of the car crash back then. first I reflexively closed my eyes, unwilling to relive the memory. ¡°The Fords adopted Stephanie. Logically speaking, they should have quite a great rtionship. But from what we can see, Michael seems to treat her like an enemy,¡± one of the police officers murmured. Zion said nothing and focused on the information he had of me. They found out that I liked peaceful environments, enjoyed painting, and even found some of my paintings. They also had information about how well I did in school, my photos in the school forum, all the awards I¡¯d received, and my application to pursue my education abroad. ¡°Had nothing happened to her, she¡¯d be on the ne to Montavia right about now,¡± Zion said thoughtfully as he checked the time. That caught me off guard for a while as my heart clenched in pain. He was right. Had I not died, I¡¯d have escaped Huma by now. ¡°We got something Dave Lawson went and had a little chat with one of the waiters working in the Nocturnal Club. He said that he remembered Stephanie. ¡°Apparently, she¡¯s got quite a good figure, so she left an impression on him. He says that Michael and Stephanie did the deed at the Nocturnal about two months back.¡± One of the officers ran over and told Zion what he found. I covered my ears numbly. But I still could. not block out their discussion about my private matters. ¡°There were a lot of people in their private room that night. But Michael¡¯s friends all left at one point, leaving only the two of them in the room. We can¡¯t know for sure if Stephanie consented to it.¡± Bastard!¡± Zion cursed under his breath. ¡°What a bunch of scumbags!¡± I appreciated that he was inclined to trust me. Who would have thought that a stranger who only met me once would be willing to trust me? I could sense Zion¡¯s rage. He seemed to empathize with me. I followed him to the police station, where the police quickly retrieved the warrant. After all, the serial killing in Huma had brought a bad reputation to the city. It didn¡¯t take too long for Michael and his friends to be summoned to the police station. Even Benson was brought over, his face all bruised up. ¡°Are you guys out of your mind? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m the victim? Why are you interrogating me, not that madman?¡± Benson yelled. ¡°If he¡¯s a madman, he¡¯d be able to walk away with killing you,¡± Zion warned coldly. ¡°You¡¯re suspected of sexual assault, so shut the hell up.¡± Benson was startled. ¡°What? And who the hell did I sexually assault?¡± ¡°Stephanie Carlson!¡± Zion pulled Benson by the cor and dragged him into the interrogation room. Zion had my di in his hands. I have a habit of jotting things down in my diary. I was afraid that I¡¯d forget all the pain these people inflicted on me, so I noted them all down. ¡°That bitch should take a good look at herself in the mirror. I was doing her a favor byying my hands on her.¡± Benson wasn¡¯t the brightest crayon in the box. He was used to being arrogant, under the delusion that his family was so rich that they could cover up all his tracks. But Zion wasn¡¯t epting any of that. Without any hesitation, he noted on the interrogation record that the suspect had confessed to sexually assaulting the victim.. Standing behind Zion, I felt secretly overjoyed seeing what he recorded. Benson would be getting the punishment he deserved. ¡°On the night of the 13th, the few of you forced Stephanie to lure the murderer out of hiding. Is that true?¡± Zion questioned frostily. ¡°We were just trying our luck,¡± Benson replied nonchntly as if everything was just a game. What they didn¡¯t know was that this game of theirs had cost me my life. My eyes reddened in fury upon seeing his flippant attitude. . I rushed up to Benson and screamed at him at the top of my lungs. Like a lunatic, I was about to pick up a chair in the corner of the room to bash him up with. But I wasn¡¯t able to carry anything at all. I could only watch helplessly at how haughty he was behaving. ¡°Do you know that your ignorance and foolishness could have gotten Stephanie killed?¡± Zion¡¯s grip on the pen was tight, showing just how vexed he was. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The murderer wasn¡¯t even interested in her!¡± Benson retorted offhandedly. ¡°On the 13th, 14th, and 15th, you sent Stephanie to bait the murderer three days in a row. On the 15th, the night that she disappeared, why did you not file a police report right away? You dyed the police investigation!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Zion mmed his hands on the table. He was so enraged that he had an urge to go over and beat Benson up. But he was a police officer, so he suppressed the urge. ¡°No¡­¡± Benson seemed to notice something amiss. ¡°We sent her there on the 13th and 14th, but the murderer didn¡¯t take an interest in her, so we gave up. I didn¡¯t make her go there on the 15th, so don¡¯t me that on me.¡± ¡± I smiled wryly. So they didn¡¯t know that Yasmin had tricked me into going to Sunset Alley on the 15th. Did Michael not know too? Chapter 19 ¡°Here¡¯s surveince footage from the area near Sunset Alley. Stephanie wasst spotted heading toward Sunset Alley.¡± That was Zion¡¯s way of warning Benson to tell the truth. Flustered, Benson blurted, ¡°She has the freedom to go wherever she wants! We never made her go there on the 15th!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Zion banged his palm on the table. As a hot¨Cheaded person, Benson replied impatiently, ¡°Michael¡¯s the one behind everything. He¡¯s the one who got us involved in this. If you¡¯ve got questions, ask him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he made Stephanie go there on the 15th, but I¡¯ve got alibis to prove that I wasn¡¯t there with them that night. I was out drinking at the Nocturnal and had one too many drinks. I¡¯m sure some of the hostesses there remember.¡± Zion nced at the clock and signaled his colleagues to take Benson away. ¡°Officer Landon, could Michael have sexually assaulted Stephanie, and then because he was afraid that he¡¯d be exposed, pretended to be the serial killer and killed her¡­?¡± Zion kept mum. He too, had his suspicions about Michael now. I sighed and continued listening in silence, wondering what cruel words Michael would say during his interrogation. Not long after, Michael came in. He sat by the table, looking displeased. ¡°Mr. Ford, you shoulde clean to us about what you know. I hope you¡¯ll cooperate,¡± the police officer in charge of recording the interrogation statement reminded. Michael¡¯s patience seemed to be running thin today. ¡°I have the right to remain silent before my lawyer arrives.¡± ¡°If you hope to see Stephanie dead, you can remain silent forever,¡± Zion said gruffly. Michael¡¯s brows furrowed. But still, he said nothing. I chuckled dryly. It was ironic seeing him like this. He couldn¡¯t wait for me to be dead sooner. ¡°For three consecutive days, on the 13th, 14th, and 15th, you made Stephanie Carlson wear Yasmin Bailey¡¯s clothes and walk alone in Serenity Lane and Sunset Alley to bait the murderer. Is that correct? ¡°Zion asked stiffly. Even the police officers dared not carry out such a risky operation. But with no relevant skills or experience, Michael had sent Stephanie there to fend for herself. Michael looked up at Zion, still refusing to utter a single word. He clearly wasn¡¯t about to cooperate with them. Zion seemed like a cop who empathized often with victims and the deceased. mming his hands on the table, he shouted, ¡°Have you any idea how much despair Stephanie would have been in her final moments had she really been targeted and murdered because of your arrogance?¡± I shook all over as I sat in silence in the interrogation room. Zion was right. I had been in utter despair. The person whom I loved and cared for the most, the man who had saved me, had been the one who pushed me into the depths of hell with his own hands. ¡°Officer Landon, provocation won¡¯t work on me. You don¡¯t know Stephanie. I¡¯m the person who knows her best. She won¡¯t die. She can¡¯t. ¡°Before I actually see her body. I won¡¯t believe and news about her death,¡± Michael answered calm He truly didn¡¯t believe that I was dead. ¡°On the 15th, Stephanie entered Sunset Alley and disappeared. ording to surveince footage, she never came out again.¡± Zion felt helpless. Michael seemed adamant about being uncooperative, and Zion couldn¡¯t help but take pity on Stephanie. ¡°There¡¯s an error in the timing. I don¡¯t know if you gave me the wrong date on purpose. While it is true that I sent Stephanie to lure the murderer out on the nights of the 13th and 14th, I never sent her there on the 15th,¡± Michael said in all earnestness. ¡°Besides, I sent her to Serenity Lane, not Sunset Alley.¡± Zion scrutinized Michael in silence as though trying to see through him, to inspect if he was lying. I stood behind Zion and studied Michael quietly too. ¡°Tell me about Stephanie. What kind of a person is Stephanie to you?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Zion did not show Michael the evidence and footage. Instead, he wanted him to talk about me. What kind of a person was I to him? ¡°Her?¡± Michael smirked. ¡°She looks all pure and innocent on the outside, but she¡¯s really a treacherous and conniving one on the inside.¡± Zion leaned back on the chair and stared at Michael in silence. with ¡°My family adopted her, and she¡¯s harbored feelings for me for many years. She used all sorts of underhanded tactics just to marry me. She even tried to murder my fianc¨¦e,¡± Michael spat hatred. I felt numb standing in front of him. If I could do so, I would have pped him across the face. But again, I felt there was no point anymore. ¡°Yasmin?¡± Zion seemed to have caught on to something. ¡°Mind talking about the matters between Stephanie Chapter 20 Michael frowned as though regretting what he¡¯d said. He was most likely worried that he¡¯d brought trouble on Yasmin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, those are private matters, and I¡¯d prefer not to talk about that.¡± Zion didn¡¯t press on as another officer approached to whisper in his ear that Michael¡¯swyer had arrived. Zion had no choice but to allow Michael to leave for the time being. Michael stood up and straightened his clothes. He seemed to never be flustered, as though nothing ever rmed him. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. When he reached the door, Michael suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Zion. ¡°I¡¯ve said this before. If you want to solve the case of the serial killer, focus on anything but Stephanie. ¡°She¡¯s smart. Smarter than you think. This is just a ploy of hers to get me to marry her. But she has no idea that she¡¯s misleading you from getting to the bottom of things.¡± Zion kept silent. ¡°She¡¯s stubborn. I¡¯ll give her a good talking to once we find her. But if you¡¯re misled, Officer Landon, then that¡¯s on you. There¡¯s no one else to me for that, am I right?¡± Michael asked meaningfully. Zion tapped lightly on the table with his fingers, still not saying a word. I had no idea what was going on in his mind. But at that point, I clearly heard the threat in Michael¡¯s words. He was actually threatening a police officer. I knew he hadn¡¯t said that for me but for Yasmin. He was worried that she might be implicated because of this, for the next person to be interrogated was none other than Yasmin. I sat on an empty chair and watched as she walked in. That was a perk of being dead. I could see just how heartless and evil the people around me were. ¡°Ms. Yasmin Bailey, I heard from Mr. Ford that you¡¯ve got some disputes with Stephanie. Please talk to me about them in detail.¡± Zion wasn¡¯t a fool. He knew how to trick Yasmin into telling him what he needed to know. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Yasmin¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°She was a good girl, just a little wilful, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m sorry that she¡¯s caused you all such trouble. She¡¯s Michael¡¯s sister, which makes her my sister too. ¡°It¡¯s our fault for not guiding her properly. When we find her, we¡¯ll discipline her well.¡± Yasmin sure had excellent acting skills. I almost thought that I was watching a movie for a second. How did she manage to lie without so much as batting an eyelid? 20 ¡°Stephanie likes Michael. You must be aware that they aren¡¯t siblings rted by blood?¡± Zion could see that Yasmin was trying to change the topic, so he prompted her back on track. ¡°It¡¯s true that they aren¡¯t rted by blood, and I knew from the start that Stephie had feelings for Michael. Because on the day Michael introduced me to her, she warned me that she was Michael¡¯s fianc¨¦e and that I should stay away from hin ¡°She even threatened me. She said if I continued hanging around Michael, she¡¯d get people to teach me a lesson.¡± Yasmin lowered her head, her eyes very red by now. But soon, she broke out in a smile. ¡°She¡¯s just childish like that. She doesn¡¯t mean what she says. She¡¯s not a bad person, really.¡± I clenched my fists tight as hatred and fury rose within me. I nearly lost control of my emotions. When had I ever threatened her? In fact, she was the one who got me killed! ¡°Liar! You liar!¡± I rushed over and tightened my hands around Yasmin¡¯s throat, trying so badly to end her. But it was all to no avail. ¡°About two or three months back, I can¡¯t recall the exact date when Michael brought me home. I had a disagreement with Stephie, which led to her pushing me down a flight of stairs. I ended up in the ICU and almost didn¡¯t make it.¡± Yasmin sighed as if she felt bad about the incident. Zion¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Stephanie tried to harm you. Why didn¡¯t you file a police report?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Michael¡¯s sister! She was just being wilful and meant no harm, so I thought I should give her at chance. If I filed a report against her, she¡¯d be sentenced. ¡°She¡¯s still so young. I really couldn¡¯t bring inyself to ruin her life, so I gave her a chance.¡± Yasmin made herself sound like a saint. I lost it at that point. I yelled, I cried, I struggled, I tried with all my might to hit her, but nothing worked. She was a liar! Nothing but a liar! Zion seemed lost in thought, but I had no idea what he was thinking. Fear started taking a grip on me. I was afraid that even Zion might be fooled by Yasmin. From what I could remember, Michael changed after he knew Yasmin. He started taking her side and trusting only her. Even all my friends turned their backs on me and became her friends after knowing her. She seemed to have a spell that could somehow make the people around her like and trust her, whereas I ended up bing the one they hated and insulted. ¡°Don¡¯t trust her. Please, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t believe what she says. She¡¯s the one who led me to my death. Please,¡± I cried as I begged Zion and the other police officers not to believe Yasmin¡¯s lies. But no one took heed of me. ¡°Where were you, on the nights of the 13th, 14th, and 15th, Ms. Bailey?¡± I couldn¡¯t read Zion¡¯s expression. ¡°Michael thought that Stephie owed me as much, so he made her go and lure the murderer on behalf of me. But we were only there for two days, on the 13th and 14th. I¡¯m not quite sure about the 15th,¡± Yasmin answered. ¡°Alright. Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Bailey. Phil, will you please escort Ms. Bailey out?¡± When Zion stood up once more, his attitude toward Yasmin was much better than before. That was when I knew. He trusted her. They all did. Chapter 21 I sat on the interrogation chair and stared at Zion in despair, who was arranging his notes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that,¡± I said in a hoarse voice, feeling I was about to lose myst and only hope. I desperately hoped that the police would find out the truth about Yasmin and clear my name so I could¡­ rest in peace. Yet, based on the current situation, not only would the truth never be known, but my body would never be found. ¡°Officer Landon, she¡¯s lying. She¡¯s a liar,¡± I whispered in a hoarse voice. Why didn¡¯t you believe me? Why wouldn¡¯t anyone believe in me? Why did everyone believe in Yasmin? ¡°Officer Landon, we¡¯ve spoken to the people who knew Stephanie Carlson. None of them had good comments on her. Sounds like Stephanie had a terrible personality,¡± said Phil Jeffers as he walked into the interrogation room. ¡°On the other hand, Yasmin Bailey seems like a kind person. She almost got killed when Stephanie pushed her off the stairs. But she chose not to report it to the police and forgave Stephanie instead.¡± Phil was obviously siding with Yasmin. Zion stopped writing his notes and said, ¡°What you have heard or seen may not be the truth.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What is the truth then?¡± Phil was puzzled. ¡°Evidence.¡± Zion pointed at his notes. ¡°I only believe in evidence.¡± Humans might beplicated and unpredictable, but evidence would never lie. I stared helplessly at Zion, not putting much hope on him anymore. No one would believe me, not until my body was found. A female officer, Lily Reyes, suddenly entered the room. She said solemnly, ¡°Office Landon, Steve¡¯s examination report¡¯s out. There are some old electrocuted burns on his body. Apparently, he had suffered long¨Cterm abuse when he was a child.¡± Zion frowned and took the report from her. I managed to take a peek at the photos from where I was sitting. There were old burns caused by electrocution and cigarettes, as well as hideous scars caused by repetitive whipping on Steve¡¯s body. ¡°Steve might have a pretty face, but his body is fully covered with scars. Some sick psycho in the orphanage might have taken advantage of him since he¡¯s got the looks and was mentally ill. Those sick bastards!¡± Lily couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with Zion read through the examination report in silence, and then he said, ¡°He has nothing to do with this case. Besides, his mental illness history could pardon him from legal responsibility. And he has no guardians whom we could talk to/ Lily understood what Zion was getting to. He wanted them to release Steve ¡°But Officer Landon, this grry¡¯s crazy and aggressive. He might hurt ordinary civilians if we release him¡­¡± Phil was concerned ¡°He¡¯s a murderer! A murderer!¡± I shouted at Zion. Why was he letting Steve go? He was mentally ill. So what? Didn¡¯t he need to pay for what he had done? He¡¯s a murderer! No matter how unfortunate his life was, that didn¡¯t change the fact that he was a murderer! He had killed so many innocent women. ¡°Has he ever attacked anyone else besides Benson Lopez?¡± Zion asked. ¡°Not that we know of.¡± Phil shook his head. ¡°Then those people asked for it. No one asked them to go to that abandoned orphanage to find Steve.¡± Zion was defending Steve. Apparently, he didn¡¯t think Steve was guilty. I was done exining, so I angrily left the interrogation room. Zion was such an idiot! The murderer was right in front of him, yet he let him go again and again. More innocent women might die because of his stupid kindness. I stood at the front of the police station. For some reason, I could feel the bone¨Cchilling wind, cold and desperate. Steve had been released. He couldn¡¯t help but lift his shoulders as he felt cold in the wind. As winter drew near, there was a notable difference in the day and night temperatures. Yet, Steve only had a ragged sweatshirt, ill¨Cfitting pants, and tattered shoes on him. ¡°Someone bailed you out, Steve. So wait here.¡± Zion came out for a cigarette. He seemed to be surprised that someone actually bailed a psycho from an orphanage out. Thid at the entrance and stared at Steve, feeling a little scared. Steve, who had been keeping his head low, suddenly raised his head and nced in my direction in Chester 21 disbelief. 313 I was so shocked that I quickly hid behind the door. For an instant, I forgot that no one could see me since I was dead. Nevertheless, Steve stared at me as if he could see me. Soon, he turned away and lowered his eyes in disappointment. A ck Maybach stopped before the police station. A middle¨Caged man got out of the car and stared at Steve gently. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, it¡¯s time to go home. No more hide¨Cand¨Cseek. You¡¯re the scion of the Lincoln family, after all.¡± t to go with him. Steve nced at the man alertly, reluctant to Two bodyguards came out of the car and shoved Steve into the car, regardless of how he had struggled. After they entered the car from both sides, they drove off. The cigarette in Zion¡¯s hand flickered. I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. Perhaps he was as dumbfounded as I was. A scion? How was it possible that a mentally ill homeless man who had grown up in the orphanage turned out to be a scion? Chapter 22 ¡°Officer Landon, I heard that you¡¯ve released that psycho?¡± Michael asked with displeasure as he walked out from the police station with Yasmin. Yasmin was hiding in Michael¡¯s arms as if she was terribly frightened. Michael took off his coat and put it on Yasmin¡¯s shoulders lovingly. Then, he held her in his arms and asked, ¡°Are you cold?¡± Yasmin gently nodded. ¡°Mr. Ford, someone has bailed him out. They also mentioned that should your friend have any questions, feel free to give them a call. They wouldpensate for all the medical expenses as well as any other losses.¡± Zion passed the name card to Michael. Michael looked at the name card. Then, his nce changed. He frowned and asked, ¡°Ignatius Lincoln?¡± The Lincoln family¡­ I stared at Michael dumbfoundedly. Did he just mention the Lincoln family? The Lincoln family was the wealthiest and most influential family in the business industry in Huma. Even the Ford family could not bepared with them. However, how did a member of the Lincolns end up growing up in an orphanage and turning into a psycho? I couldn¡¯t help but tremble when I thought of Steve¡¯s true identity. Did he manage to get away from all those murders he hadmitted thus far because he was a Lincoln? So, someone had been cleaning up the mess for him. What should I do now? Where on earth was my body? Would the truth about my death evene to light? ¡°H¨Che was a Lincoln?¡± Yasmin was dumbfounded too. After a long silence, she eventually found her tongue. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that there¡¯s a psycho in the Lincoln family.¡± ¡°Three years ago, Mr. Lincoln Senior¡¯s eldest son, eldest grandson, and granddaughter were killed in a car ident. His youngest son was the only family he had left, but he was azoospermic. ¡°Since the youngest son was infertile, there is no chance of an heir,¡± Michael said in a low tone while he frowned. ¡°Which means this psychic is a bloodline of the Lincoln family. Otherwise, Mr. Ignatius wouldn¡¯t care so much about such a psycho.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Zion smiled coldly. ¡°If he really cared about Steve, he wouldn¡¯t have let him wander around ke a homeless person. He¡¯s just making sure the bloodline of the Lincolns won¡¯t die.¡± Michael kept quiet. He wasn¡¯t interested in the Lincoln family, nor did he want to get involved with them. ¡°Since you¡¯ve finished questioning, you probably should focus more on the murderer instead of Stephanie.¡± Michael opened the door of his car and let Yasmin in. Apparently, he was particr in every detail when it came to taking care of Yasmin. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Yas and I are getting married soon, I bet she¡¯ll show up at our wedding.¡± He was quite certain about. 1. it. I scoffed, knowing that Michael nned to lure me out at his and Yasmin¡¯s wedding. ¡°Congrattions to you two then.¡± Zion nced at Michael meaningfully. ¡°Hopefully, this was all just Stephanie¡¯s prank. I do hope she¡¯ll attend your wedding. Then we¡¯ll know she¡¯s safe and sound.¡± ¡°Yeah, keep dreaming¡­¡± I stood aside and taunted Michael. I would not show up at his wedding. never ever. Michael got into the car and drove off. I stood there feeling rather lost. I did not know where I should go next. Perhaps I was what was known as a ¡°lost ghost¡°. 1 A soul which had no idea where to go after death.¡± ¡°Where are you, Stephanie?¡± Zion suddenly asked as he raised his head and stared at the sky. I turned around and looked at him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m dead, but I don¡¯t know where my body is¡­¡± ¡°Officer Landon! We¡¯ve got another case!¡± Phil came out of the police station,and ran toward Zion panickedly. ¡°Another female body was found at the Godrey River. Same MO¡­. The victim wore a red dress and often wandered around at night. She was sexually assaulted before she died of suffocation,¡± he said. Zion frowned and threw away the cigarette in his hand. ¡°Damn¡­ that bastard!¡± He was furious that he uncontrobly smashed the trash can next to him. He was feeling pissed that the murderer was still atrge because of his ipetence. So many innocent women died because he couldn¡¯t catch the murderer. ¡°The victim¡¯s face waspletely skinned, thus we can¡¯t identify her,¡± Phil said. Zion finally calmed down and stood there in silence. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± I followed Zion worriedly. ording to myst memory, the murderer had indeed abducted several women. I remembered seeing a fewdies in red quivering at the corner before I died.. ¡°There are survivors, Zion! There are still some survivors! Go to that abandoned orphanage! Search the orphanage!¡± I anxiously yelled at Zion while I followed him. Someone was still alive. The murderer only killed a person every once in a while. And before he killed, he would first abduct a person. So there must be survivors! ¡°Zion! There are survivors!¡± I shouted as loud as I could, hoping that he could hear me. However, it was all in vain. We were like people in two different worlds. He couldn¡¯t even feel my existence. ¡°This might sound weird but we found another Stephanie¡¯s belonging on the body. The victim was wearing an earring on her left ear. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed that it was the earrings that Stephanie was wearing on the day she went missing,¡± Lily reported to Zion when she returned from the scene. Chapter 23 ¡°Is it possible that we¡¯re heading in the wrong direction? Maybe the murderer isn¡¯t a male, but a female? Or maybe it¡¯s Stephanie Carlson?¡± Lily told Zion her suspicion. Zion remained silent. I tried to exin to him, but it was no use. They couldn¡¯t hear me crying or shouting. I wondered why the murderer was putting my belongings on the victims after he had killed me. First, it was my bracelet; Now, it was my earring. What the hell was that lunatic trying to do? I followed Zion to the Godrey River. It was a remote area that was some distance away from the abandoned orphanage. Obviously, the murderer had dumped the body into the river. Then, the body floated downstream and was found in such a deste ce. I stood by the river and saw that body covered in white cloth. I couldn¡¯t help but cover my eyes in fear. Yes, even when I was dead, I was still as timid as ever. ¡°That¡¯s Stephanie¡¯s earring alright. Thest body had Stephanie¡¯s bracelet, and this one had her earring. What is the murderer trying to say?¡± Phil was puzzled. ¡°Lily might be right. Maybe the murderer is Stephanie Carlson! Even if it isn¡¯t her, she¡¯s definitely part of it. ¡°She¡¯s now missing, and her friends insist that she¡¯s still alive. So maybe she pretended she was missing, but the fact is, she¡¯s the killer or aplice!¡± Phil said angrily. ¡°I heard that Stephanie Carlson was in love with Michael Ford. They said she would do anything to get married to him. ¡°Perhaps she knew the murderer. So whenever the murderer kills someone, she intentionally leaves. her belongings on the victims so she could provoke Michael and Yasmin?¡± Lily said as she walked to them. I stared at Zion helplessly and shook my head desperately. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me. I did not.¡± Zion remained silent for a while, and then he said, ¡°Get an arrest warrant for Stephanie and put her on the wanted list.¡± Thest hope I had been holding onto shattered in a blink of an eye. I sarcastically nced at the officers who were standing before me. Then, I turned around and left helplessly. trot only I they not believe in me, but they even standered me and nned on arresting me I wondered if they would feel guilty for their suspletoms when they found my body. Anyway, that was not important to me anymore. No one in the world would believe in me to one believed that i was dead. And no one believed that Vesmin was the one who got me into this. All of them believed in Yasmin I went back to Hamforth Residence, where I used to stay with Mom and Dad before their ident. We might not be considered wealthy in Huma, but we were a happy middle¨Css family. Before I was 18, I used to imagine I was the happiest little princess who had a beautiful life with my parents and a wonderful future ahead. However, everything had been ruined. I could never go back to how things were. As I wandered on the street in despair, countless cars ran through my soul. But I couldn¡¯t care less. I never thought that I would fall into the pit of despair after I died. I was even more desperate than I was alive because I couldn¡¯t even end my life when I was a ghost. ¡°Stephie¡­ Stephie, where are you? Please¡­e back to me.¡± 1 I heard a faint crying from the entrance of my old home. A thin figure was squatting at the door and kept making calls. I stood under the streetlight. My body trembled when I saw who it was. That was Rachel, My childhood friend and bestie. Rachel tried to get through my phone over and over, even though the phone was no longer reachable. ¡°Stephie, please don¡¯t scare me. Don¡¯t scare me,¡± she kept murmuring. Her voice sounded hoarse after a long cry, yet she couldn¡¯t stop repeating, ¡°Stephie, please don¡¯t scare me. Come back to me, Stephile.¡± I squatted next to her helplessly, I wanted to hug her, but I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Rach, Fin here. I¡¯m right here¡­¡± I said to her in tears, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Rach. I¡¯m here.¡± However, Rachel couldn¡¯t hear me. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯ll find out the truth. I promise you I¡¯ll find out the truth and avenge you, Rachel promised in her hoarse voice. I had a bad feeling about this. Rachel was the only person who really cared about me, so I couldn¡¯t let anything happen to her. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Rach!¡± I followed her and screamed her name in worry, but she didn¡¯t look back. She wiped her tears and made a call on her phone. ¡°Have you found it?¡± ¡°The police found another body today. The body was wearing Stephanie¡¯s earring. The police couldn¡¯t identify the victim, but they¡¯d confirmed it wasn¡¯t Stephanie through DNA analysis. As Rachel studied medicine, she had a friend in forensics. Hence, she could easily find out about the investigation. ¡°Put me in touch with Zion Landon. Tell him that I¡¯ve been going out during nights for quite some time, and I¡¯m willing to be his bait to lure the murderer. Ask him to contact me. If he won¡¯t, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Rachel sounded determined. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± I shrieked at Rachel, thinking that she must be crazy. She shouldn¡¯t mess with that murderer! Chapter 24 Zion never expected Rachel would use such a reckless n to force him to meet her. Therefore, he was furious when he entered the coffee shop at the corner of the street. ¡°I understand you¡¯re anxious to find your friend, but you¡¯re using the wrong way!¡± Zion frowned as he lectured Rachel. ¡°Then tell me what¡¯s the right way to do it? Should I just sit and wait for you cops to solve the case? You¡¯re taking too long! ¡°How desperate Stephie would be by now if she¡¯s still waiting for someone to rescue her!¡± Rachel lost. her temper and yelled at Zion. Zion didn¡¯t seem happy as he rubbed his eyebrows. ¡°I know how you feel- ¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know a damn thing about how I feel!¡± Rachel interrupted Zion. Zion nced at Rachel in silence, feeling speechless. N ¡°If I didn¡¯t report to the police that Stephie was missing, no one would¡¯ve reported it! You cops wouldn¡¯t even have started investigating. ¡°Stephie has lost her parents. She has no one but me! If I don¡¯t do anything, she¡¯ll¡­ she¡¯ll be gone for good.¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes had reddened as she clenched her fists fiercely. I could tell that she must be terribly upset right now because her body wouldn¡¯t stop trembling. ¡°Rach, please, don¡¯t do anything reckless¡­¡± I begged her not to go. She should forget about me and live on without me. However, Rachel seemed to have made up her mind. She wouldn¡¯t give up before she found me. ¡°Don¡¯t take the deal, Zion. Turn her down!¡± I cried, begging Zion not to ept Rachel¡¯s proposal. Zion pondered for a long while. Then, he said, ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t know you, nor Stephanie, I only learned from Michael and his friend that Stephanie isn¡¯t a good person, if not vicious-¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit!¡± Rachel shouted furiously. ¡°Those people are all devils! Fucking bastards! They¡¯ve got a lot of nerves to criticize Stephie! They¡¯re the ones who have been hurting Stephie! ¡°Michael Ford¡¯s a rapist! You¡¯re a cop, aren¡¯t you? You should arrest Michael Ford! Go arrest him now!¡± Rachel frantically pushed Zion as she shouted in tears. Zion was a little at a loss. He probably didn¡¯t know how to calm down ady. When Rachel cried, I couldn¡¯t help but cry with her. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. oolda¡¯t save me nove. ¡°Zion, you¡¯re a cop, so you shouldn¡¯t believe that most people would tell the truth. Stephie isn¡¯t the person they described. I can prove it to you.¡± Perhaps she had vented enough, Rachel suddenly calmed down Somehow, she seemed scarier now than when she was frenzied, What do you have in mind?¡± zion asked. ¡°Tomorrow night, I¡¯ll wander around the alleys in a red dress. If one day isn¡¯t enough, I¡¯ll keep wandering for two days, three days until I lure that lunatic out. Rachel clenched her fists tight. She was so agitated that even her breath was shaky. ¡°What kind of friend is Stephanie to you? Why would you risk your life for her?¡± Zion was a bit irritated, so he went to the smoking area for a cigarette. Rachel smiled weakly. ¡°You want to know more about Stephanie? Follow me. I¡¯ll bring you to a ce where you can understand the real her.¡± Zion remained silent and followed Rachel. I quiddy followed them. ¡°Stephanie was a top student. She always got first ce in our ss.¡± Rachel drove Zion to the Hamforth Residence, where I was born and raised. She knew where my house key was hidden since this ce used to be our little hideout when we were students Stephanie was beautiful. She had been the campus belle of our school.¡± Rachel took a key out from a shoe, opened the door, and entered the house. There was a photo hanging at the entrance of the living room. It was a beautiful artistic photo of me, taken when I took part in a ballet performance when I was 18. I was wearing a white tutu, posing like a swan spreading its wings in the photo.¡± ¡°She was so beautiful.¡± Zion nodded his head as he nced at that photo. ¡°After her parents had died in the car crash, theirpany went bankrupt and owed a lot of money. Stephanie didn¡¯t need to bear those debts. But she still paid them off with her parents¡® death benefits she had imed from the insurance, without keeping a cent for herself.¡± Rachel took a box out of the drawer. ¡°After we went to college, Stephie would hand me the money she received from her schrship every year. ¡°We would donate the money to help the children at welfare homes. She said the children would be so lonely without their parents.¡± Chanter 24 Bang! The door suddenly opened. Steve stood at the doorway, breathing heavily. His eyes were all reddened. 1 was standing at the entrance, looking at him in disbelief. Wasn¡¯t he taken away by the Lincolns? No, that wasn¡¯t the point. The real question was, how did Steve have my house key? Rachel was shocked to see Steve too. ¡°Who are you?¡± Zion¡¯s first reaction was to press Steve against the wall. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Stephie¡­ Stephie!¡± Steve shouted for Stephie in his shaky, hoarse voice. Chapter 25 Zion furrowed his brow and released Steve. Steve turned and immediately started running. He signaled for Rachel and Zion to follow him. In a panic, I wanted to stop Rachel. ¡°Rach, don¡¯t trust him,¡± I pleaded. ¡°He¡¯s a murderer. Don¡¯t go with him!¡± But Rachel saw this as a good opportunity. She was desperate to find me. ¡°Stop right there,¡± Rachel demanded. She chased after Steve and urged him to stop. I was in a state of panic and started to follow them. I shouted at Zion, ¡°Please, follow them. Ensure her safety.¡± Zion snapped to his senses and joined the chase. He and Rachel followed closely behind Steve. Steve seemed to struggle with his movements. It was evident he was running with all his might. Blood streamed down his slender calves. It was a harrowing sight. His pants were both short and tattered. It seemed they were scavenged from somewhere. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about Steve¡¯s background. If he was indeed from the Lincoln family and they treated him well, I wonder why he would be left to wander without directions. I knew nothing of Steve¡¯s upbringing. Nor did I wish to empathize with a serial killer. Regardless of his past, murder is indefensible. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Zion inquired. His brow was furrowed as he grasped Steve¡¯s arm. ¡°Where are you taking us?¡± rmed, Steve wrenched his arm free from Zion. He stumbled to the ground, then rose and continued his escape. His shoes were missing. The soles of his feet bore horrific scars reminiscent of severe burns. I - watched in shock as Steve stumbled every few steps. I wonder what horrors he had endured. ¡°What happened to his feet?¡± Rachel gasped in horror. She observed Steve¡¯s determined efforts to rise after each fall. His feet were severely burned. Each step he took must have been agonizing. What was driving him to endure such pain? ¡°They¡¯re burn injuries,¡± Zion concluded. He approached Steve after another fall. He offered a hand and waited for Steve to ept help. However, Steve hesitated. It seemed he was already ustomed to solitude. Once back on his feet, Steve resumed his painful journey. Bloody footprints marked his trail. 20 Rachel was puzzled. ¡°How did he burn his feet?¡± she wondered aloud. ¡°I had my suspicions about him,¡± Zion confessed. He spoke with a heavy heart. ¡°I believed he might be the murderer and conducted my own investigation.¡± Zion¡¯s admission took me aback. To think he had suspected Steve all along. ¡°He is the murderer,¡± I insisted. ¡°You must investigate further!¡± ¡°Steve¡¯s life has been filled with hardship,¡± Zion reflected. ¡°Raised in an orphanage, he was never acknowledged by Mr. Lincoln Senior The Mr. Lincoln Senior never considered bringing him into the Lincoln family fold. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s karma that Mr. Lincoln Senior¡¯s lineage has ended with him. Now, he turns to Steve, the grandson he once shunned.¡± Zion followed behind Steve. He lit the cigarette and pondered the cruel irony. ¡°A servant from the Lincoln household confided in me,¡± Zion continued, ¡°Steve resisted his new life with the Lincoln family. He frequently attempted to flee. His reclusive nature and quick temper made him difficult to manage. ¡°To prevent further embarrassment, Mr. Lincoln Senior resorted to extreme measures. He crippled Steve, confined him, and treated him like an animal. All this to ensure the continuation of the Lincoln lineage.¡± Rachel covered her mouth in shock. ¡°So, his injuries¡­¡± she began. ¡°Were they inflicted by Mr. Lincoln Senior to prevent his escape?¡± Zion¡¯s response was a silent, pained look. In the eyes of the wealthy, Steve was not a person but a tool for reproduction. Once he fulfilled his purpose, he could vanish from Huma forever. I followed behind Zion. My emotions were conflicted as I observed Steve. ¡°Empathy for a murderer is misced,¡± I muttered hoarsely. ¡°However pitiful he may be, his victims deserve our sympathy more.¡± Steve¡¯s motives were unclear to me. I was uncertain if he had aplices. But with Zion present, I felt a measure of safety. After what seemed like an eternity, Steve led us back to the abandoned orphanage. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The sight of the dpidated building sent shivers down my spine. It was here, in an old alleyway, where I was drugged and abducted. Was Steve about to reveal the site of his crimes? ¡°What¡¯s here?¡± Zion demanded. His voice was tense as he surveyed our surroundings. Steve paid him no mind. He pushed open door after door. His search was frantic yet fruitless. 171 I was skeptical of his intentions. I suspected that it was an act of madness. But then, we found. something on the second floor in a deserted dormitory. A figure in a red dress stood before us. The silhouette was eerily familiar. The figure seemed lost in thought as it gazed out the window. I was breathing heavily, and my body trembled uncontrobly. Was I staring at my corpse? Chapter 26 Rachel hid fearfully behind Zion, not daring to look. Steve was the first to enter. He limped slowly. I felt like he was trembling. It was unclear if this trembling stemmed from fear or excitement. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± His voice was hoarse and unpleasant. The ruined tone felt suffocating. ¡°Stephanie?¡± Zion echoed. He farrowed his brow as he activated his phone¡¯s shlight. There was a dull thud. The woman standing before us fell straight to the ground. Zion¡¯s expression darkened. He quickly grabbed a nearby stick and surveyed the surroundings. cautiously. It was a dead body. Rachel was just an ordinary medical student. Despite her strong character, she had never seen a body like this. She screamed as she covered her eyes and crouched on the ground. It took her a moment to slowly lower her hands. She cried as she asked Zion, ¡°Zion, my legs are numb. I can¡¯t look. Please check for me. Please, see if it¡¯s Stephie.¡± She dared not confirm if the body was mine. Not just Rachel, even I couldn¡¯t bear to look. Eventually, I took a deep breath and gathered the courage to move forward with Zion. After seeing the face of the body, Zion sighed in relief. My soul, however, tensed up. It wasn¡¯t me. Steve retreated and fell to the ground. His gaze flickered around. Suddenly, he ran out of the dormitory as if he was mad. He shouted, ¡°Come out¡­ Get out here¡­¡± I watched Steve in horror, unsure if he might have a mental illness. Perhaps he had a split personality. Could he be unaware of his actions, not knowing he had killed so many people? ¡°It¡¯s not Stephie.¡± Zion discarded the stick. His brow furrowed as he called the station. Soon, the sound of police sirens approached. Rachel sat on the ground and suddenly broke into uncontroble sobs. ¡°Stephie¡­ where is Stephie?¡± She was afraid to look at the body, yet relieved it wasn¡¯t mine. The police and forensle team arrived at the scene. By the time Zion went out to look for Steve, he was nowhere to be found. 1, too, gave up struggling and simply sat down on the ground. I wondered when this series of murders would finally end. ¡°The victim was around 23 years old,¡± the forensic analyst began. ¡°The skin is still stic. She likely died about ten minutes ago. She seems to have died peacefully, probably due to the influence of drugs. He briefly summarized the scene. ¡°The victim had no ear piercings. These earrings were forcibly put through while she was alive. Her nails were pulled out and then glued back on. They likely weren¡¯t her own.¡± 1 listened to the forensic analysis and smiled weakly. I wondered how she could have died only about ten minutes ago. It took us half an hour just to get here with Steve. 1 paused, then suddenly looked up. My whole body was trembling. I wondered if there could be more than one murderer. Did Steve have an aplice? Or were there two peoplemitting these crimes with strikingly simr methods? Zion followed the police back to the station and immediately ordered a search for Steve. ¡°Find him. But don¡¯t scare him. Bring him back,¡± he instructed. ¡°Judging by that madman¡¯s behavior, he knew there was a body at the old orphanage but didn¡¯t know exactly where,¡± Rachel said. She was wrapped in a coat, shivering as she held a hot cup. 1 sat beside her and leaned on her shoulder. Would she be terrified of sleeping at night if she knew souls truly existed in this world? I smiled weakly, lost in thought, as I rested on Rachel¡¯s shoulder. Everything felt like a nightmare. Where would I go when I woke up? Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Officer Landon! The identification results are in,¡± a colleague announced. ¡°None of the nails on the body¡¯s ten fingers belong to the victim. After testing¡­ they belong to¡­ to¡­¡± the colleague hesitated. ¡°Speak,¡± Zion demanded. ¡°They belong to Stephanie.¡± I watched as the cigarette in Zion¡¯s hand fell to the ground, sparking on impact. The colleague¡¯s shock was probably because I was a murder suspect just a few days ago. I pondered on which murderer would pull out their own nails and ce them on a victim¡¯s body. Chapter 27 Rachel¡¯s cup shattered on the floor. She stood up abruptly. Her lips were pale. ¡°What¡­ Whose nails were those?¡± she asked. Rachel seemed to have lost control after the question. She threw off her jacket and ran outside frantically. She was terrified for me, fearing I was dead. Or worse, still alive and suffering. I cried out with my arms wide and tried to stop her. She was all I had left. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Rach. Please don¡¯t go.¡± Zion reacted quickly and grabbed Rachel¡¯s wrist. ¡°Calm down. Maybe, just maybe, this is one of the killer¡¯s tricks. She might still be alive. Don¡¯t be rash.¡± Rachel copsed to her knees. She sobbed and clutched Zion¡¯s leg. ¡°Please, I beg you, find Stephie quickly. Please,¡± she pleaded. Rachel¡¯s cries to the police were desperate. She urged them to find me quickly. The thought of any further dy was unbearable. She couldn¡¯t imagine the pain I might be enduring. I crouched and covered my head as I shook with fear. I couldn¡¯t bear to think about what the murderer might have done to me before my death. He had pulled out my nails and crushed my finger joints. This made my hands look less. Perhaps the memory was too painful. I couldn¡¯t remember where I had died. s grotesque. All I could do was join Rachel in her cries. We begged the police to solve the case quickly. Around one in the morning, Michael arrived, looking grim. Zion must have informed him. ¡°We found another victim. The nails belong to Stephanie,¡± Zion stated indifferently. Michael frowned. ¡°So, the body isn¡¯t hers?¡± Zion looked at Michael. ¡°Do you think Stephanie is the kind of person who would pull out her own nails to ce on a corpse?¡± Zion was unsure of how Michael perceived me. I wondered how I became so deranged in Michael¡¯s eyes. Michael clenched his fists tightly. His voice was deep. ¡°She¡¯s a lunatic.¡± I was shocked at Michael¡¯s words. Even now, with my nails ripped out, he still refused to believe I was dead. ¡°Michael! Are you insane?¡± I yelled and rushed to grab his cor. ¡°You bastard!¡± I cried as I pped him. It was something I would never have dared to do before. But it was futile. My hits were weak and ineffective. ¡°She could push Yas down the stairs to kill her just to marry me. She could drug my drink and poison Yas¡® cake. Is there anything she won¡¯t do?!¡± Michael¡¯s eyes reddened as he had seemingly lost control. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Even now, you¡¯re still ndering Stephie! Did you realize the police dyed their investigation because you said Stephie wasn¡¯t missing? This is all your fault!¡± Rachel screamed and rushed forward to p Michael. ¡°If anything happens to her, you¡¯re the murderer! You¡¯re an aplice! Bastard! ¡°You¡¯ve done so many disgusting things to Stephanie. What kind of man are you?¡± Rachel cried as she fought Michael. Michael just stood there and let Rachel hit him. ¡°Rachel, what right do you have to hit Michael?¡± Yasmin rushed in and pushed Rachel away. I tried to protect Rachel in a panic. But Yasmin was too strong. Rachel stumbled and fell backward. I reached out to help her but could only watch helplessly as she fell through my hands. Thankfully, Zion rushed over to protect Rachel. ¡°Michael, do you have any evidence for what you¡¯re saying?¡± Zion frowned. ¡°Evidence? What evidence do you need to leave us alone? We¡¯re getting married soon. Can¡¯t you be happy for us?¡± Yasmin seemed crazy too. She showed the police her scars. ¡°These are the scars from when Stephanie pushed me down the stairs! And the hospital records for the stomach pump! What more evidence do you need?¡± Michael held Yasmin gently,forting her in a low voice. ¡°Yasmin, don¡¯t be afraid. Calm down. I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Stephanie wants me dead! She¡¯s tormenting us! When will she stop?¡± Yasmin cried. Her acting skills were on full disy in Michael¡¯s arms. I numbly watched Michael. His eyes were filled with trust for Yasmin. With Yasmin¡¯s convincing act, he wouldn¡¯t believe me. ¡°Officer Landon, Yasmin and I have moved forward with our wedding. Here¡¯s the invitation. If you want to catch Stephanie,e to our wedding the day after tomorrow.¡± Michael handed Zion an invitation and left with Yasmin. ¡°Michael, if Stephanie is really dead, will you regret it?¡± Rachel asked from the floor. Michael stopped and turned to look at Rachel. ¡°If she¡¯s dead, I¡¯ll join her in death. If she¡¯s alive, scheming all this to torment Yasmin, I¡¯ll have her Choke 21 titution. She¡¯ll never see the light of day again!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 28 ¡°Join her? You better not stain Stephanie¡¯s path to heaven,¡± Rachel said weakly. She supported herself to stand up. ¡°Michael, you will regret this. When you see the true colors of the woman in your arms¡­¡± I stood behind Rachel. In a hoarse voice, I added, ¡°Michael, there¡¯s a heavy price for betraying trust.¡°. Michael shifted his gaze away. ¡°You¡¯ll see the truth at my wedding,¡± he dered. He was still holding onto a sliver of denial about my fate. As they exited the police station, Michael¡¯s hand slipped from Yasmin¡¯s grasp. He seemed somewhat deste. ¡°Michael?¡± Yasmin steadied him after noticing his troubled state. She managed to prevent him from stumbling. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Michael imed as he waved his hands. ¡°Michael, could something have happened to Stephanie?¡± Yasmin¡¯s question was tentative. ¡°No!¡± Michael¡¯s voice was sharp. It cut through the air. ¡°She¡¯s not dead.¡± Yasmin recoiled at his intensity. Her face turned pale. Michael, realizing his outburst, softened his tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yasmin. Please go back first. I have matters to attend to.¡± ¡°Michael, do you still think about her?¡± Yasmin asked as her eyes brimmed with tears. ¡°Make yourself clear, Michael,¡± Yasmin pleaded as she followed him. ¡°You always said Stephanie was like a sister. What are you afraid of? Her death would mean she could no longer be entangled with us.¡± Michael stopped suddenly. He turned and frowned at Yasmin. ¡°She¡¯s not dead! She will show up at our wedding.¡± ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t?¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice was filled with doubt. ¡°She will. She must¡­¡± Michael muttered repeatedly. I observed Michael coldly. Perhaps he was starting to believe I was truly gone. What kind of madness. would lead someone to believe I would harm myself in such a way? He knew that even a bug would scare the hell out of me. Michael sent Yasmin away with the driver and walked alone into the night. I followed, watching him with a mix of sadness and irony. ¡°I¡¯m dead. Aren¡¯t you relieved?¡± I whispered hoarsely, though I knew Michael couldn¡¯t hear me. Yet, he stopped and turned suddenly as if he sensed something. Then, looking defeated, he turned. back and massaged his forehead wearily 2 Michael took out his phone and opened our chat. He had my WhatsApp chat pinned at the top, which I found bitterly amusing. ¡°Stephanie, you¡¯ve won,¡± Michael typed.. I could hear his voice breaking. ¡°Come back, and I¡¯ll call off the engagement with Yasmin.¡± He leaned against a wall, looking blighted. The revtion of the ten nails today had clearly shaken him. I watched Michael sarcastically as I stood right in front of him. ¡°You pushed me into the abyss when I loved you. Michael, you¡¯re the one who killed me.¡± Michael continued to send messages but I could no longer respond. Michael, I am gone. No one can save me now. The despair I feel is nothingpared to what I felt while alive. I still remember the day Michael found out about my feelings for him. His eyes were filled with disgust. ¡°You¡¯ve always been like a sister to me. We, the Ford family, took care of you, and this is how you repay us?¡± He tore up my letter and scolded me. ¡°Focus on your studies. No dating until you¡¯re in college.¡± Back then, the despair in Michael¡¯s eyes truly crushed me. Little did he know I had let go up my letter. ¡± when he tore But it was always him, clinging to the past, unable to move on. He humiliated me whenever I got close. to any man. If a man showed interest in me, he would nder me. I spent a long time doubting myself, wondering if I was really as terrible as he made me out to be. ¡°Stephanie, where the hell are you!¡± Michael shouted into the night with his frustration boiling over. ¡°You¡¯ve won, okay? You¡¯ve seeded. You¡¯ve scared me. Please,e back¡­¡± Michael copsed to the ground and repeatedly sent messages to beg for my return. Watching his pitiful state, I couldn¡¯t help but find it slightly amusing. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Is this what fear looks like? Now, I was almost looking forward to the day Michael found my body. I was curious to see his reaction when he realized Yasmin was responsible for my death. I wondered how he would feel when he learned the whole truth, that I had never pushed Yasmin down the stairs, that I had never hurt anyone. Instead, it was them who tormented me behind my back. Chapter 29 But Michael did not return home. Instead, he headed to Serenity Lane and Sunset Alley. I had no clue what he was up to. I just trailed behind him blindly. I was eager to witness his reaction once he discovered the truth. Was it going to be regret or relief? Or would he cover up for Yasmin? ¡°Michael Ford, have you ever had the slightest affection for me? What were you thinking when you bullied me? ¡°How could you be so disgusting and shameless just to get what you want?¡± I stood behind him and repeatedly asked. I knew he couldn¡¯t hear. But I still sought a result and an answer. ¡°Mike, there is no sign of Stephanie¡¯s whereabouts. As we told the police, we did ask Stephanie to be here on the 13th and 14th. ¡°But the police also mentioned that she headed to Sunset Alley on the 15th. I checked the surveince, and it showed that Stephanie came alone.¡± Michael¡¯s buddies had arrived with the investigation results. I sneered at the pair, wondering if they were genuinely oblivious or just acting. It was evident I heard themughing and joking around through the earpiece on the day of my ident. They even said on the other end that even a pervert wouldn¡¯t be attracted to a woman like 1. me. ¡°Why did shee alone on the 15th?¡± Michael¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good as he nced around. ¡°Did the surveince capture her leaving?¡± ¡°The police identified a janitor. Only a janitor was seen leaving with arge trash bag during the time Stephanie went missing. There were no traces of Stephanie¡­¡± The guy¡¯s confidence faded as he spoke. Then he asked in a low voice, ¡°Mike, Stephanie can¡¯t be dead right?¡± Michael¡¯s face paled. Perhaps the panic had started to set in. ¡°Stop talking nonsense, she can¡¯t be dead.¡± He took a step back and leaned against the wall. I just stood there and looked at Michael. A sense of destion engulfed me. ¡°Mike, didn¡¯t I warn you that women like Stephanie would stop at nothing to achieve their goals? She pushed Yasmin down the stairs and even tried to poison her. It¡¯s better for her to be dead.¡± None of Michael¡¯s buddies liked me. I knew they preferred Yasmin all along. These people had never respected me. They¡¯ve always made fun of me, bullied me, and humiliated me. I knew very well that Yasmin had the ability to sway their opinions. However, Michael¡¯s deliberate encouragement was the root cause of their mistreatment. It was only natural for them to hate me because Michael hated me. Michael frowned and looked at the other person. His eyes were hazy, somewhat intimidating. I remembered that guy¡¯s name was Jack Brown. He had tried to assault me in the Ford Residence¡¯s backyard but failed. He ran away after I smashed his head. Afterward, Jack threatened me to not tell anyone about what happened that day. He said that even if I did, no one would believe me. He had spread rumors around Michael and his friends to discredit me. He tarnished my reputation just to prevent me from revealing the truth. If I were ruined, he could easily dismiss the assault as just another lie from me. No one would believe me even if I had told the truth. And indeed, that was what happened. Jack was a distant cousin of Michael. He was there when I first entered the Ford Residence at the eight of eighteen. At that time, his mother evenined to Michael¡¯s mother. ¡°Lois, if you¡¯re trulycking a child, Jack isn¡¯t a bad option. If you prefer girls, I have a daughter. Why bother taking care of someone else¡¯s child when you can care for your own blood?¡± At that time, I cowered behind Michael. My parents had just passed, and I was scared. There was no one I could trust around me. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Ignore these people, they¡¯re all sick in the head.¡± Michael held my wrist and brought me to a bedroom on the second floor. ¡°From now on, this is your home.¡± I watched Michael in silence. From that moment, my dependence and reliance on him reached its zenith. However, everything shattered after he discovered the love letter that I had written. After all these years, I still never understood why Michael reacted so intensely and felt repulsed. I had been naive and in love. Why did he harbor such disdain for me throughout the years? Chapter 30 ¡°You¡¯re just a drag. Stop clinging to Mike,¡± Jack and I had attended the same college. Although we were from different faculties, we began our freshman year together. I was too soft¨Ctempered, so I ignored him. But he persisted. ¡°Stephanie, why are you so arrogant every day? You¡¯re nothing more than an orphan raised by the Fords. Mike took you in just to warm his bed. Did you really think that you¡¯re ady in his eyes? The people around Jackughed, ¡°She¡¯s indeed ady, just not a wealthy one.¡± At that time, my face turned red from holding back. I felt wronged and was on the verge of tears. Jack led those people to encircle me and spoke vulgarly to me. I panicked and desperately wanted to escape. When I turned around, I noticed Michael standing not far away with a gloomy expression. I looked at him for help. That was the first time he treated me with cold indifference. He merely cast a disdainful nce my way and walked away. Due to his indifference, Jack became more offensive toward me. It happened in the fall when I was 20 years old. During Michael¡¯s mother¡¯s birthday party, Jack seized the opportunity and forcefully pinned me down onto the bushes in the backyard. Hen pressed onto me, his voiceced with disgust and threat. ¡°Stephanie, since you let so many men touch you, can I touch you too? You can¡¯t just let Mike sleep with you. Let me have some too, hmm?¡± I struggled to push him away, but he was too heavy. He covered my mouth when I tried to scream. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death if you scream.¡± I wasn¡¯t afraid of dying, but he was just too strong. ¡°Stephanie, everyone knows about infatuation with Mike. The Fords adopted you out of goodwill. Yet you repay their kindness with hatred. You even forced him to marry you with some marriage contract? I slowly abandoned any hope of trying to escape. filled with despair. My eyes 14 Thinking I had surrendered, he rxed his grip on me. Then, he immediately attempted to tear my clothes apart. Seizing the opportunity, I picked up a stone and smashed it on his head. Jack stared at me in pain and shock before fleeing. That day, I hid in the backyard. I sat there huddled with my legs to my chest for a long time until night fell, and the autumn rain soaked me through. That was the moment I resolved to break free from the Ford family. 1 yearned to escape. I had to leave. Otherwise, I would die in the hands of the Fords. Die in the hands of Michael Ford. I studied hard and strived for various honors and schrships. No matter how hard I worked, I couldn¡¯t counter the malicious rumors spread by others. Rumors circted around college that Michael got together with a goddess named Yasmin. They were deemed the perfect couple. And I became the malicious woman used of framing, ndering, and plotting against the goddess Jack led the way and proimed that I was a promiscuous woman who engaged in multiple affairs and even attempted to flirt with him. I was helpless, unable to exin myself. I knew it was a trap they had set for me. The harder I tried to rify and restore my reputation, the more entangled I was in their trap. They heartlesslyughed at me and trampled on my dignity. They pushed me toward a dead end, bit by bit. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. In the third year of college, there was a student exchange program. It was exclusive to those who had excellent academic performance and outstanding qualities. I was thrilled at the opportunity. I thought that as long as I could get it, I would be able to leave, and everything would get better. However, I watched helplessly as the opportunity I had diligently pursued got snatched away by Michael. He went to great lengths only to give it to Yasmin¡¯s sister, Eva Bailey. I cried hysterically and questioned him why. Why couldn¡¯t he just let me go if he despised me so much? He responded, ¡°You¡¯ll still have many opportunities in the future. Studying abroad isn¡¯t your only option. Yasmin¡¯s sister has been in poor health since she was a child. She values this opportunity greatly. Can¡¯t you just give it to her?!¡± This opportunity was not the only thing I had to give away. I had to give up everything to Yasmin. Why?! Chapter 31 I once questioned Michael why he felt entitled to make such a decision. He replied, ¡°Simply because you¡¯re living and eating under my roof. You won¡¯t be able to repay the kindness my family showed you throughout your entire life. It¡¯s just a student exchange spot. How dare you yell at me?¡± That day, I sat on the ground dejectedly and felt like an abandoned stray dog. Jack wrapped his arms around Eva, the person who stole my spot, and walked toward me. They proceeded to trample on me with the cruelest words. Eva said, ¡°Stephanie, you¡¯re really worthless. Mike¡¯s affection should only be reserved for my sister, not someone as unworthy as you. You¡¯re nothing more than a stain in Mike¡¯s life.¡± Jack kicked me and added, ¡°Mike said the thing he regretted most was having Aunty Lois adopt you.¡± I sat there, and my body gradually stiffened. ¡°Stephanie, I¡¯ll kill you if you dare breathe a word to Mike,¡± Jack threatened me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if she did, Mike wouldn¡¯t believe her. Nobody would believe a woman like her.¡± Eva strutted away proudly, holding a bag that Michael had gifted Yasmin. The bag was easily worth tens of thousands. Michael always imed I owed him and the Fords. Throughout these years, my living expenses at the Fords and tuition fees only totaled a few tens of thousands. I had a schrship that essentially waived my tuition and covered my living expenses. I would rather work night shifts in 24¨Chour convenience stores than spend any of the Fords¡® money. What I owed Michael was nothing more than my parents¡® funeral expenses and the penalty he had paid off for my family for not honoring the business contract. The workers werepensated using my parents¡® deathpensation and the sale of the house. I knew I owed Michael a significant amount of money. Still, even if it was substantial, it couldn¡¯t compare to the amount Michael spent on Yasmin, her family, and friends. I vividly recall when I fell sick in my junior year. I had encephalitis and fainted on the school field. Despite my high fever, Michael insisted that I perform a physical fitness test on behalf of Eva. I told him I was suffering from my fever, but he remained persistent. ¡°Stephanie, it won¡¯t kill you to 1. go. I couldn¡¯t argue. I¡¯ve always remembered he said, ¡°Stephanie, you owe me¡°. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I just thought of it as repaying what I owed. Lightheaded, I got up from the bed and went to the field. That day, I fainted halfway through the half¨Cmile run. My elbows and forehead stung from the scrapes. The doctor called me crazy and said that I didn¡¯t value my life for attempting a physical test with a 10% -degree fever. Due to this incident, the school discovered that Eva had someone else take her physical test. They canceled her qualification for the student exchange program. That day, Michael rushed into the hospital ward with a gloomy face. He nearly yanked me off the bed. ¡°Stephanie, I didn¡¯t know you were so cunning. How could you do this to Yasmin¡¯s sister just because she got the spot?¡± He had called me cunning and calcting, but he never once acknowledged my hospitalization due to encephalitis. My encephalitis almost took half my life. I desperately needed money for the hospital treatment, or I would die. However, my living expenses for that month were not sufficient to cover my expensive medical bills. I had begged Michael to lend me money for the treatment. I promised to repay him after I recovered and started work. However, he only gave me a look of disgust. ¡°Stephanie, you¡¯re still pretending at this point. It¡¯s such a waste that you¡¯re not an actress.¡± My head throbbed as I dropped onto the ground. ¡°If you want money, fine. Show me what you¡¯re willing to do for money.¡± Michael grabbed my hair and sneered, ¡°What did you exchange in return for asking Jack for money before? I have already told you toe to me if you need money. How can you be so dirty?¡± I stared at him nkly and exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask him for money.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still making excuses. You¡¯ve been full of lies since you were a child!¡± He pushed me away and leaned against the wall. ¡°Stop acting if you want the money. Leave, I¡¯m not interested in having you around.¡± I lowered my head as my tears fell. He repeatedly called me dirty and vented his anger on me. That night, my fever didn¡¯t go away. I bled from both nostrils and copsed in the hotel bathroom. The janitor discovered me the following day and took me to the hospital. I could¡¯ve died if it had been any Yet Michael never gave me any money. Left with no alternative, I phoned Rachel. She hurried over from the hospital. She begged her father, who had never supported her ever since her parents¡® divorce, for five thousand dors. Rach and I both sacrificed our dignity, all for the sake of five thousand dors. We sharedughter and tears in the ward without uttering a word. I knew she was the only one I had. On the day of my discharge, I ran into Michael at the hospital. He appeared somewhat fatigued as he moved in and out of the inpatient department. Chapter 32 Later, I discovered that he left me at the hotel to die that night because Yasmin¡¯s father, Roger Bailey, fell ill Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. He had suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage while drinking. His hospitalization, recovery, and subsequent recovery cost a lot of money. Michael insisted on the best for everything. He demanded a private room, the finest nurse, an elite medical team, and top¨Cnotch rehabilitation He could spend tens or hundreds of thousands, or even millions for Yasmin without batting an eysh. Yet, he treated me with extreme cruelty. While Yasmin enjoyed his unreserved generosity, I carried a heavy burden. It seemed that no amount of money and kindness I had shown throughout my life would be able to repay him. For a long time, I struggled to differentiate gratitude, guilt, and feelings. I couldn¡¯t distinguish them clearly. Sometimes, I wondered if I really loved Michael, What did I love about him? Did I fall in love with him when he rescued me? Did I be infatuated when he risked his life and rushed into the car to carry my parents¡® bodies? Or was it the moment when he gazed at me with concern and fear of losing me when the car exploded? As it turns out, I was deceiving myself. Back then, I believed Michael genuinely cared about me. I believed he loved me as well. Unfortunately, it was all just a figment of my imagination. Even the love I once felt for him now felt like a distant illusion. ¡°Stephanie, aren¡¯t you ashamed to keep lingering around the Fords? You were already an adult when you entered the Ford family. Have some shame, will you? You¡¯re staying here just to get close to Michael, right?¡± That day Yasmin fell down the stairs at the Ford residence was the day I got discharged. Aunty Lois traveled to Georgeke as Michael¡¯s father was unwell. He had been undergoing treatment there throughout the year. This time, Aunty Lois intended to stay with him for about half the year. I felt scared whenever Aunty Lois wasn¡¯t around. In her absence, there was no one to protect me. Michael would treat me even more cruelly without her in the house. 1 contemted escaping or finding refuge in the dormitory. It didn¡¯t matter if I had to rent a house and live in the basement. But Michael caught me in the act every time. He always brought me back and questioned how long I intended to keep up this act. ¡°Stephanie, the same trick loses its effectiveness once overused.¡± Yasmin stood by the staircase and looked at me mockingly. ¡°Do you know what people are saying about you? They¡¯re saying that you bring bad luck. You have caused the death of your parents, ¡°Even Michael¡¯s father fell ill since you joined the family. What¡¯s the point of someone alive? ¡°Shut up.¡± I lost control of my emotions after being provoked by Yasmin. Because it was the day of my parents¡® death anniversary. like you being In the first two years after I joined the family, Michael still remembered my parents¡® death anniversary. However, he soon forgot about it. ¡°I would have quickly died if I were you,¡± Yasmin¡¯s cousin sneered along with Michael¡¯s friends, all mocking me. They never regarded me as a human. ¡°Michael¡¯s not back yet. ¡°Stephanie, I heard you¡¯recking a man? Come, let me offer you some warmth while Michael¡¯s away. I shivered at their disgusting words as if it was a curse. ¡°Let¡¯s go,e with me.¡± Yasmin held my wrist and dragged me down the stairs forcefully. I retreated in fear, watching as Yasmin deliberately released my hand while I struggled. She sneered at me and then tumbled down the stairs. Everyone was shocked and quickly stood up. Horror filled me as I watched Yasminy in a pool of blood on the ground. Then my gaze shifted to Michael, who had just entered. I shook my head anxiously. It wasn¡¯t me, it wasn¡¯t me. But nobody would believe me. Even if everyone other than Michael saw that it wasn¡¯t me, they wouldn¡¯t defend me. ¡°Stephanie! How can you be so evil!¡± Eva rushed over and pped me. A punch and kick soon followed Touted up in the corner, holding my head. I was too scared to move. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± It really wasn¡¯t me Chapter 33 The ambnce arrived and whisked Yasmin away I watched as Michael anxiously lifted Yasmin into his arms. He even red at me fiercely. Everyone present bore witness to me pushing Yasmin down the stairs. Even the servants from Ford family sided with them. At that moment, I was in a daze. I even started doubting if it was me who pushed Yasmin down the stairs. Once again, I fell into the trap of self¨Cincrimination. I didn¡¯t know how to exin myself. It seemed wrong to exin myself, but not exining myself was also wrong. I curled up under the stairs and waited for a very long time. Finally, Michael returned at dawn. I stood up with bloodshot eyes and choked out, ¡°Michael, it wasn¡¯t me.¡± There was a resounding p as he struck me. My ears rang intensely¡­ My nose bled, and my hearing was muffled. I probably had a ruptured eardrum. He put a lot of force into that p. ¡°Do you know that Yasmin¡¯s sister wanted to call the police? You had deliberately hurt her!¡± he yelled. He then dragged me up from the ground and forcefully pulled me into the study. ¡°Stephanie, have I spoiled you to the point where you dare to do something illegal?¡± he roared. He continued, ¡°What¡¯s next? Do you n on killing someone?¡± I covered my face and looked at Michael, desperately wishing he would believe me. I cried and pleaded, shaking my head. ¡°Michael, it wasn¡¯t me. It truly wasn¡¯t me,¡± I said, but he did not believe me at all. ¡°Jack saw it. It wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t push her. It truly wasn¡¯t me,¡± I exined desperately, nearly getting on my knees as I begged him to believe me. Yet he did not believe me. ¡°Jack said he saw you push Yasmin down the stairs! Yet you still want to deny it!¡± My heart sank at his words. Right, how could I be so foolish to think that Jack would stand up for me? After all, they were the ones who spread rumors about me to ruin my reputation from the start. ¡°If Yas doesn¡¯t forgive you when she wakes up, I¡¯ll send you to prison!¡± He said he wanted to send me to prison. It scared me. I was unwilling to ept that. After the death of my parents, I worked desperately and studied hard. My hard work was what gave current achievements. I refused to ept having it destroyed in such a manner. me my ¡°I refuse to go to prison. I didn¡¯t push her!¡± I stared at him fearfully. My breathing was shaky. Terrified, I stood up and found the courage to push him aside. I then desperately fled the Ford home. I ran from this ce I once thought was paradise butter turned out to be hell. I ran and hid in a dark alley for a long time. I was terrified. At that moment, I felt utterly alone. I did not remember when I fell asleep. Nor did I recall who ced a worn but clean nket over me. was not sure who left a cup of cheap but clean tea and a lollipop beside me either. This was not the first time someone had left me a lollipop while I was alone in the dark. In the past, when my parents were still alive, I would frequently throw tantrums and run away from home. Every time I woke up, there would be a lollipop by my side. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Who are you?¡± I mumbled as I looked around. Who was the person who always silently watched over me? ¡°Could you take me away if you aren¡¯t human? I¡¯m very cowardly, so I dare not kill myself.¡± I did not dare to die. If I could genuinely die, I would have followed my parents when they passed away. On the day of the car ident, I saw the blood of my parents mixing with broken ss. They said, ¡°Stephie, you must live on. Carry a part of us and live on. Bring us along to witness the future of this world¡­¡® I couldn¡¯t possibly dare to die as I had been burdened with too much. I Michael had people searching for me for many days, but there was no sign of me. It was his and Yasmin¡¯s wedding day, but the atmosphere was not very lively. Perhaps it was my imagination, but both Yasmin and Michael did not look well. ¡°Michael, she¡¯s noting back,¡± said Rachel as she walked over. She looked at Michael and Yasmin¡¯s wedding photo and sneered before kicking it. ¡°How disgusting,¡± she said. Chapter 34 ¡°Rachel!¡± Jack and Michael¡¯s friends rushed forward to block her. But Zion, who had followed Rachel, furrowed his brow and said, ¡°Everyone, be quiet. The police hadid in wait everywhere. They were waiting to see if I would show up. I found it funny because I was right beside them. Unfortunately, no one could see me. ¡°Michael, you¡¯re the one who killed her. She won¡¯te back!!! N?velDrama.Org holds this content. But as time passed, there was still no sign of me. Even the surroundings of the wedding venue were filled with people Michael had arranged in advance. Still, there was no sign of me, no sign at all. Somehow, Michael ditched Yasmin and the guests and left as if he had lost control of himself. ¡°Mike¡­¡± Yasmin followed after him with red eyes. ¡°The guests have arrived, and my family is here. You can¡¯t do this, you promised me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yas. I can¡¯t marry you,¡± said Michael. He then removed the flower from his chest and turned to leave. ¡°Michael!¡± Yasmin watched him leave. Upset, she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Michael, you¡¯ll never find Stephanie! She¡¯s dead!¡± After she had said that, she seemed to regret her words. Her face turned pale, her eyes filled with panic. Michael stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Yasmin. ¡°What do you know?¡± Yasmin¡¯s breathing sped up. She tried to change the topic. ¡°I just¡­ spoke without thinking. Mike, please stop making a scene ande with me. My parents are here¡­¡± Michael frowned. His expression was unpleasant as he walked up to Yasmin. ¡°Do you know something? Tell me!¡± Michael seemed to lose control as he grabbed her by the shoulder, demanding answers. I had never seen Michael treat her so harshly before. It was quite unsettling for me. I sneered as I stood by the side. Of course, she knew I was dead. ¡°On the 13th and 14th, we asked Stephanie to wear a red dress to Serenity Lane. Why did she appear in Sunset Alley on the 15th?¡± Michael lowered his voice. He looked as if he was interrogating her. I didn¡¯t know if he found anything, but I was somewhat surprised that Michael would be suspicious of Yasmin. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. ¡°Yasmin nervously took a step back. Michael clenched his fists. He scrutinized Yasmin without saying a word. Zion and Rachel had been waiting, anticipating my appearance and arrival. ¡°Stephanie wille. She loves Mike so much. She loves him shamelessly. How could she not show up?¡± Jack muttered quietly They all firmly believed that someone like me, who loved Michael to the core, would surely appear at the wedding reception to try to stop it. But what puzzled me was that it was supposed to be the wedding of both Michael and Yasmin. Yet only Yasmin¡¯s family was present. None of Michael¡¯s rtives showed up, not even his aunt. ¡°Mike, she¡¯s not here.¡± Michael¡¯s friends had also arrived. They shook their heads, saying they had carefully observed the surroundings and hadn¡¯t seen me. As the wedding reception came to an end, I still hadn¡¯t appeared. ¡°Mike, it¡¯s almost time. Why haven¡¯t you twoe in yet? Everyone is waiting,¡± Yasmin¡¯s mother came out to ask at the entrance of the banquet hall. Yasmin looked somewhat guilty. She pleaded with Michael, ¡°Mike, please. I didn¡¯t know my sister would tell everyone in my family about the wedding. Now all my rtives know, and they¡¯re here. I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± ¡°I told you, this wedding was only to lure Stephanie out!¡± Michael spoke in a low voice. Zion nced at Michael and signaled his employees to stand down. Continuing to wait here was meaningless. Stephanie wasn¡¯ting. When they found my fingernail on that corpse, the police understood that I wasn¡¯ting back. However, Michael insisted I wasn¡¯t dead, so they decided toe over to go through the motions. ¡°Michael, she¡¯s noting back. Are you satisfied?¡± Rachel¡¯s face turned pale. Her determination was crumbling. Following Zion dejectedly, Rachel took a few steps forward. She said, ¡°She¡¯s noting back. She¡¯s noting back.¡± ¡°Officer Landon! We found Steve!¡± Last night, the police had conducted a raid but hadn¡¯t caught Steve. Yet, he had appeared at the wedding. Chapter 35 The clothes he wore today suited him better. Although it looked rather faded, it covered the worrying scars on his ankles and calves, He stood under the shade of a tree opposite the road. He looked a little down. Zion led his men across the road. They then surrounded him. Steve looked somewhat normal today. He did not wear his hooded sweatshirt and seemed to have washed his face. A youthful aura seemed to emanate from his very bones. He was tall, with skin as fair as the moon. His freshly washed face appeared wless, especially his captivating eyes. His jet ck hair fell messily across his face. In the current lighting, he seemed to outshine any celebrity. I stood in the light. My gaze was fixed on his slender fingers, and my breathing sped up. In his hand was a bundle of lollipops tied together with a red string He seemed to look forward to my appearance at the wedding. Did he look forward to me being alive? Or did he look forward to me crashing the wedding? ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steve¡¯s voice was hoarse. His eyes were somewhat red. He looked like he was anticipating the oue that he hoped to witness. I was a little suspicious. Was he pretending to be crazy? Or was his acting that good? ¡°Stephie isn¡¯t here.¡± Rachel¡¯s previous animosity and wariness toward Steve were absent. Upon seeing the lollipops in his hand, she choked. ¡°Previously¡­¡± she trailed off and continued, ¡°Were you the person who constantly protected Stephie in secret and gave her lollipops?¡± 1 froze for a moment, then anxiously looked at Rachel. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for it! He¡¯s a murderer. He¡¯s only pretending right now!¡± I yelled. Steve said nothing. He merely lowered his head. ¡°Steve,e back with us. If you wish to find Stephanie, please cooperate with us.¡± Zion¡¯s voice was gentle. He gestured at his colleagues to not startle Steve. Lanxiously stared at Steve and looked at his face. ¡°You liar¡­ You fake.¡± A few female police officers stepped forward to lead Steve into the car. Upon seeing his appearance, they looked away bashfully. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell at first, but he looks so handsome, just like a movie star,¡± said one of them. Steve¡¯s head remained down. He didn¡¯t fight back as he obediently got into the police car and sat in the corner confusedly. He stared at the lollipops in his hand. He feignedpliance. Looking at his long and tremblingshes, even I was bewitched. For a moment, I questioned if I had misremembered the moments before my death. ¡°What do you n on doing?¡± I followed him into the car and gathered my courage to sit beside him. ¡°Why did you kill me?¡± 1 asked. Steve kept his head lowered and didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°What do you want? Does killing others benefit you?¡± I kept interrogating him, but it also felt as if i was speaking to myself. ¡°Why did you have to kill me?¡± I trailed off. Steve stayed silent. Suddenly, he lifted his head. His gaze was zing as he looked at me. He startled me. I looked around anxiously. The heat in his gaze slowly dissipated. He then lowered his head once more and remained silent. ¡°Steve, how did you know that the murderer would ce the corpse at the old dpidated welfare home?¡± Zion asked gently. He was afraid of agitating Steve. However, Steve said nothing. I furrowed my brows as I looked at Steve. It was because he was the murderer. ¡°Steve, it¡¯ll be very hard for us to find Stephanie if you don¡¯t cooperate,¡± Zion then sighed. He continued, ¡°You know Stephanie, right? You don¡¯t want her to die, right?¡± Steve raised his head and looked at Zion. ¡°The welfare home¡­¡± he said those words with a hoarse voice. Zion looked at Steve for some time. He then turned and said to his colleague, ¡°Go to that welfare home!¡± The old welfare home was roughly a 20¨Cminute car ride away. I was rather surprised that Michael and his friends were present as well. Was he not at the wedding? Was he not getting married? ¡°Officer Landon, we found an eyewitness to what happened on the night of the 15th. He saw someone pull arge luggage from Sunset Alley to the welfare home,¡± Jack said anxious It was possible that he feared I had actually died. Zion looked at the old dumpster diver. He then stepped forward to question him. ¡°What did you see?¡± ¡°I saw someone dragging arge trash can over to this area. I remember very clearly because all the N?velDrama.Org holds this content. garbage in that area was being collected by me.¡± The old man sounded a little angry that someone had taken away the garbage that belonged to him. Zion looked back at his colleague. ¡°How far is Sunset Alley from here?¡± ¡°Here!¡± Steve suddenly rushed toward the wall of the courtyard. A small door was blocked with wooden boards leading directly to Sunset Alley. Zion and his colleagues exchanged nces and rushed over cautiously. The main entrance of the welfare home was far from the Nocturnal, but this backdoor led directly to Sunset Alley, providing a shortcut. ¡°Call for backup, surround the welfare home, and conduct a full search,¡± Zion ordered. In the bushes, he had found bloodstains and traces of torn clothing. Chapter 36 ¡°Officer Landon, do you suspect this is the scene of the first incident?¡± a colleague asked. Zion nodded. Steve stared pointedly at the door and then turned to start looking around. The welfare home wasrge and had been abandoned for many years. Earlier, the police had searched it several times before but found nothing. Steve picked up a stick and began searching everywhere. I followed behind Zion anxiously as well. Was I about to be discovered? Nobody could escape justice. If the police were diligent, they should be able to find the scene of the first incident. Michael¡¯s expression was also grim as he followed the police in silence. ¡°Mike¡­¡± Jack¡¯s voice trembled, hesitating. ¡°Speak.¡± Michael frowned. He shot Jack a warning look. ¡°The monitoring device in my garage¡­¡± he trailed off. He continued, ¡°I checked theputer yesterday and found a recording¡­ from the night of the 15th¡­ Not only did Jack¡¯s voice tremble, but his legs too. He kept hesitating on whether he should speak. Upon seeing Michael, who called off his wedding and came to find Stephanie, Jack suddenly panicked. I could tell that Jack was truly scared. He feared the police investigation might lead to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mike. I didn¡¯t know, I really had no idea¡­¡± Jack handed the USB drive to Michael and retreated in a panic. Michael¡¯s expression darkened as he turned to look at Zion. The police were still searching the welfare home, and everyone was tense. Even the police dogs were there. ¡°What happened on the night of the 15th?¡± Zion murmured and used the USB drive on the police ¡°Mike¡­ Mike, where are you guys? I¡¯m feeling scared¡­ ¡°Mike¡­ I¡¯m afraid of the dark. Can you say something?¡± ¡°Michael, this time¡­ if we catch the killer, can you let me go? Let me leave.¡± ¡°Michael¡­ How long do I have to keep repaying you? Can you give me a figure? I¡¯ll pay you back in the future.¡± ¡°Michael, say something, I¡¯m begging you.¡± The recording was of me murmuring in the alley as I trembled in fear. I had begged Michael to say something so I would know that he was nearby and could feel a bit more at ease. Michael¡¯s face had visibly paled, and his breathing was shaky. Rachel¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she stared at Michael with hatred. ¡°You¡¯re such a bastard! You let Stephie go to Sunset Alley alone! You let her die, Michael!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± His arms lost strength. He looked as if he was about to exin himself. I cried, thenughed. See Michael, isn¡¯t it painful when you can¡¯t exin? ¡°Michael, I want to leave, I¡¯m so scared¡­¡± In the recording, I told Michael I wanted to leave. However, just as I turned to leave, someone grabbed me and covered my mouth. ¡°Mm¡­. help¡­ help¡­¡± ¡°Mike¡­ help me¡­¡± I struggled and cried for help, but my voice slowly faded. The noise in the recording gradually disappeared. Everyone¡¯s nerves were on the edge, including mine. Hearing this recording confirmed that I was murdered. Michael¡¯s fingers kept trembling. His eyes gradually turned red. He turned back to look at Jack. His eyes were bloodshot. ¡°When did you find this recording? I¡¯m fucking asking you, when did you find it?¡± Jack was terrified. His legs felt weak. ¡°Y¨Cyesterday¡­¡± he stammered. ¡°You damn well tell the truth!¡± Michael rushed up to Jack and roared at him like a deranged beast. Jack fell onto the floor in fright. His face was pale as he spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°The police¡­ the police came to us that day and said that on the 15th, Stephanie was also seen in Sunset Alley. I went back¡­ went back to check theputer. I¡¯m sorry, ¡®Mike, I was too scared.¡± Jack was crying as he admitted that he was scared, so he hadn¡¯t dared to hand it over to the police. I looked at these people helplessly. These conspirators who murdered me. None of them were N?velDrama.Org holds this content. innocent. ¡°You bastard! If anything happens to Stephanie, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Michael went crazy and punched Jack repeatedly in the face. I sat there numbly, smiling at the sidelines. ¡°Michael, what are you acting for?¡± I trailed off, wondering why he was pretending to be a good person. ¡°Michael, it was you who killed me. What expression will you make when you see my body?¡± Michael was pulled away by the police. He pounded the wall uncontrobly. ¡°On the 15th¡­ Was she stupid? I didn¡¯t tell her to go. Why did she run off by herself?¡± he yelled. I looked up at Michael, got up, and pped him. I knew that it wouldn¡¯t reach him, but I still did it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to go? Yasmin said you told me to leave!¡± I yelled, but Michael couldn¡¯t hear me. ¡°Officer Landon! We found something over here!¡± yelled an officer. Zion ran over cautiously. I stood in ce, waiting for the moment my body would be discovered. Perhaps by then, I would be free. Chapter 37 I hurried over because the police found something My memories of my death were already unclear. Some memories became blurry after awakening from unconsciousness, only to fall back into it again. All I knew was that I was drugged on an old street. When I awoke, I was in a dimly lit warehouse, where I was stuffed in a wooden makeshift transport crate. The crate was filled with hay, which seemed to be used to transport porcin or fragile items. Zion discovered an iron gate covered by weeds in the southeast corner of the welfare home. The gate was rusty, but the grass on the ground had shown signs of frequent movement. Even the lock was newly reced. ¡°We searched herest time, but the grass was too tall. We couldn¡¯t have found it without careful observation,¡± Zion¡¯s colleague said in surprise. As Zion nced around, he noticed Steve, who had sneaked into the yard at some point. ¡°When did he get over there?¡± ¡°Who knows? This manes and goes like a shadow. I saw him jumping over in a swift move,¡± the colleague said with exasperation. He never knew that Steve could be so agile as to jump over walls so easily. Rachel and I followed behind Zion, who pried open the lock and entered the yard. It was a courtyard within the abandoned welfare home, usually where the director or other high¨Cranking officials resided. The yard was spacious and looked deste after being abandoned. I clung tightly to Rachel, who was always braver than me. No matter what happened, she would always walk ahead of me. ¡°I¡­ think they drugged me and brought me here.¡± I began to suspect reasonably that the serial killer was not acting alone. Steve definitely had an aplice. He was a murderer who was too good at disguising himself. His appearance and face had deceived everyone. ¡°He¡¯s a murderer! He¡¯s a murderer!¡± I screamed uncontrobly, running into the room. It was filled. with many wooden crates used for logistics transport, resembling a small warehouse. My breath became rapid as I looked around. This was it. This was where I was locked up by that person when I woke up halfway through. It was here that I saw Steve¡¯s face. He had been searching around the room anxiously, looking for something, and finally picked up an ax from the floor. I frantically searched around and saw the same ax in the corner, with dried bloodstains still on it. ¡°Officer Landon, there¡¯s an ax here.¡± Zion strode over and looked around before stating, ¡°There are traces of dragging here, but this isn¡¯t the primary crime scene.¡± ¡°There are bandages and clothing debris here.¡± ¡°There are a few strands of hair in this wooden crate.¡± The forensic doctor, Keenan Sparks, was also Rachel¡¯s senior. He inspected the scene meticulously, afraid of missing any traces. On the wooden crate where I was previously held captive, he found several strands of hair entangled with the nails. Those were my hairs that got pulled out when I tried to escape. 1 remember crawling out in a daze, wanting to escape. But the person wearing a hood had grabbed my hair and covered my mouth and nose. Then, I lost consciousness again. When I woke up again, I was lying on a cold, operating table¨Clike surface. Blood was being drained from my body, and the person was injecting some other liquid into me. I couldn¡¯t see the murderer¡¯s face. I could only feel my blood slowly draining and my detaching in despair. When I regained consciousness once again, I was¡­ dead. For some reason, when I woke, my soul was at the Ford residence. I, too, had no idea where the primary crime scene was. ¡°Officer Landon!¡± Michael called out from outside. y soul slowly Zion walked out and saw him pointing to one corner with a pale face. A pair of blood¨Cstained shoes and socks had been casually thrown there. ¡°These belong to¡­ Stephie,¡± Michael said with a trembling voice. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He had started calling me Stephie instead of Stephanie with his usual detestable tone. I was so disgusted by how he said my nickname. ¡°Based on the current evidence¡­¡± Zion hesitated, looked at Rachel, and continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But based on our experience, it¡¯s highly probable that Stephanie¡­ has been murdered.¡± Rachel¡¯s breathing became weak, her legs going wobbly, and she fainted. Keenan quickly caught her and shouted, ¡°Rach, Rach!¡± I stood there bawling, not knowing how tofort her My dear Rach, I had not been in pain. I¡¯d just¡­ experienced a despair I¡¯d never felt before. : ¡°Mike¡­.¡± On the side, Michael also seemed a bit unsteady, his figure shalding slightly. I had no idea if he was acting, but I found his reaction hrious. ¡°Impossible¡­ She can¡¯t be dead,¡± he murmured continuously. ¡°Officer Landon! We found a major clue!¡± Outside the courtyard, a female police officer ran over in a panle. ¡°All the known female victims we found were all adopted from this orphanage. They were either orphans or abandoned by their parents.¡± Chapter 38 Zion stared at his colleague in shock. ¡°How did we miss such an important clue before this?¡± The female officer exined, ¡°Things have beenplicated with this orphanage. In the beginning, it was privately run, with not many records and files. Moreover, the orphanage director was exposed several years ago for constantly abusing and viting the children. ¡°Consequently, he was sentenced, and the orphanage was shut down. Some of the orphans who were not adopted were transferred to other welfare institutions. The information of those who were adopted is iplete, making it difficult to trace.¡± She continued, ¡°It was when I started asking around the neighbors and family members of the victims that I found them all to be adopted. I probed further in this direction and discovered that all the deceased were indeed adopted from this orphanage. ¡°Many of the victims¡® families were initially unwilling to mention this butter confessed. It was all because of this welfare home!¡± ¡°It seems that we were wrong from the beginning¡­ We thought the victims were connected because they frequented nightclubs and other entertainment venues, but it seems to just be a coincidence, said Zion while lighting a cigarette in frustration. 1 looked at the policewoman in astonishment. If all the victims were females adopted from this welfare home, then something wasn¡¯t right. I wasn¡¯t an adopted child. I was my parents¡® biological child. Was I just unlucky? ¡°Mike, Yasmin¡­.. I heard from Lily that Yasmin was actually adopted! The Bailey family has always been charitable. They must have liked Yasmin because she was intelligent, so they brought her home to keep Lilypany!¡± Jack said anxiously after he remembered something, ¡°Is it possible that the killer was targeting Yasmin¡­¡± So, it was not that the killer was targeting women wearing red dresses. Instead, the killer had dressed the victims in red dresses after killing them. I staggered backward hopelessly, a bitter smile on my face. The truth was that I died on Yasmin¡¯s behalf. What kind of injustice was this? Why did I have to die because of her? This was so unfair! ¡°Stephie¡­ No¡­¡± Steve hade back from somewhere and was holding dearly to a photo frame. He was standing at the door. He handed the photo frame to Zion. I looked at Steve with hatred. ¡°Liar. You¡¯re just a liar and a psycho! A murderer! Stop acting, you freak!¡± 213 the hilled so many people i desperately wanted to grab his cor and shout to the whole world that he was a murderer, but no ou could hear my vatce I was in despair, feeling utterly hopeless. ou took the photo frame and looked up at Keenan sou ¡°The pics who were adopted all wore red .photographed in red dresss¡­¡± sses. When their adoptive families took them away, the Keenan nced at the photo and then looked at Steve, who was easy to identify because he was mixed ¡°Is this you?¡± Steve nodded. ¡°No Stephie Isar¡¯t an orphan. She¡¯s Mr. and Mrs. Carlson¡¯s biological daughter. She¡¯s also not from the orphanage Does that mean the killer might spare her? ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t kill her, and that¡¯s why her body hasn¡¯t been found. She¡¯s waiting for me¡­ She¡¯s waiting for me to save her!¡± Michael shouted maniacally, appearing very agitated. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°gion¡­ you must find Stephie. I need to find her. She¡¯s waiting for the,¡± he continued while grabbing Zion¡¯s arm anxiously. A man with pride was suddenly pleading with the police in such a humble and anxious manner. ¡°Please, please find her¡­¡°. 1 burst intoughter watching Michael. The contrast between his demeanor from before and now was too stark, making his act very fake. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just think that the murderer hadn¡¯t taken her away?¡± Zion asked with furrowed brows, obviously annoyed. Dejected, Michael stepped back and mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± He didn¡¯t expect things to end up like this. He honestly didn¡¯t know that I would still go to Sunset Alley on the 15th. ¡°That silly woman¡­ Why would she go there on the 15th? Why didn¡¯t she call me¡­¡± ¡°We checked Stephanie¡¯s phone records. She did call you a few times, and you even answered,¡± stated Zion, interrupting him.. Michael was stunned for a minute there as if his heart had just been shot. Smiling, I said, ¡°Yeah, you answered my call, Michael, and you asked me to die¡­¡± And here I was, dead. It was just as you wished, Michael Ford. He retreated dispiritedly and fell to the ground embarrassingly. He said nothing and kept quiet. Then, he looked like he wanted to get up. He remembered what he had said. ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that. I just¡­¡± he stuttered, his eyes bing red. Those who didn¡¯t know him might even think he was so in love with me. Chapter 39 I looked down at Michael with a mocking smile ¡°Michael, I¡¯m dead. Shouldn¡¯t you be happy? Who are you putting an act for? It¡¯s because of you that I¡¯m dead!¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Ford. There¡¯s nothing you can do here. You¡¯d better go back and wait for our call,¡± said Zion, somewhat disapproving of Michael. He probably couldn¡¯t stand his contradictory attitudes. ¡°Michael Ford, you¡¯re really disgusting!¡± Rachel suddenly shouted, still very agitated. She pointed at him and cursed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting married soon? Go back and marry your Yasmin!¡± I stood beside Rachel and looked at Michael with indifference. At this point, I no longer had the strength to hate him. I was just Yasmin¡¯s scapegoat. I shielded Michael¡¯s beloved woman from the disaster of ughter. With this¡­ I had paid off all my debt to him, even the life I owed him. Michael remained rooted to the ground. Apparently, he already believed that something had happened to me. As Rachel returned the coat to Zion and retrieved an envelope from her bag, she said, ¡°Michael, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to give this to you before because I didn¡¯t think you and Yasmin deserved Stephie¡¯s blessing¡­¡® As she spoke, her voice choked up. I wanted to wipe her tears and hug her, but I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Three months ago, Stephie found me and said she had applied for an opportunity to study abroad. She asked me to keep it a secret¡­¡± she continued while trembling all over. She was probably thinking that I wouldn¡¯t have died here if I had gone abroad earlier. ¡°She has been wanting to leave you for the longest time. Every moment of her life, she was thinking about leaving you, and yet you think she would¡¯ve done anything to have you,¡± Rachel sarcastically mocked him. ¡°Your pitiful ego is truly pathetic. ¡°Enough¡­¡± Michael interrupted with a frown, clearly not wanting to hear any of this. ¡°The reason she has been enduring and indulging you is not because she¡¯s debasing herself, but because she¡¯s repaying what she owes you! That day, Stephie told me that repaying the money she owes you is easy, but she doesn¡¯t know how to repay that life, that favor¡­¡± She handed the envelope to Michael and continued, ¡°All these years, she has been working non¨C stop, from selling her design drafts to tutoring. ¡°While doing three jobs all by herself, she tried so hard not to spend a penny from the Ford family and save money to repay what she owes you.¡± Then, Rachel took out a card from her bag. ¡°Stephie left all these with me. The envelope contains ten thousand dors, which she prepared as a wedding gift for you. She said it¡¯s not much, but it represents her sincerity because she sincerely. wishes you and Yasmin¡­¡± As she spoke, tears couldn¡¯t help but fall. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I stood aside, quietly listening. Once, I truly wished Michael and Yasmin well. I had hoped that he could truly be happy after marrying Yasmin. ¡°Enough¡­¡± Michael uttered. However, he didn¡¯t even want to hear these well¨Cwishes. Ignoring him, Rachel continued, ¡°Do you know how many jobs Stephie took to earn this gift money? Every day, she had to go to Richmond Hill to tutor the children of the wealthy. She¡¯d get scolded. Sometimes, she even came back with injuries. ¡°At night, she had to work as a cashier at a 24¨Chour convenience store. She could only sleep for a maximum of five hours a day, depending on how busy work was.¡± She sneered and said, ¡°Stephie worked for over a month just to gather this ten thousand dors for you. She said that she wanted to earn the gift money for you before going abroad. Michael didn¡¯t want to listen to any of that, but Rachel insisted on speaking. ¡°There¡¯s over a million dors in this card. Stephie¡¯s been saving this money for four whole years, ever since her parents passed away. She said she¡¯d eventually save enough to repay her debt to you. Michael avoided eye contact and refused to take the card. ¡°Take it¡­ You always said that I owe you too much, didn¡¯t you? Take it, then¡­¡± I questioned him, my voice already hoarse. But he never took the card. ¡°You said Stephie owes you a lot, but I don¡¯t think the money she owes you is even enough to cover Yasmin¡¯s father¡¯s hospitalization fees, surgery, and rehabilitation expenses¨Clet alone the cost of buying luxury goods.¡± Rachel, losing her patience, threw both the money and card at Michael. ¡°Take your money and leave¡­ Never appear in front of Stephie again. She hates you, and she doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡± I nodded, agreeing with Rachel. Indeed, I never wanted to see Michael again¨Cnot even in death. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine¡­ I promise that if anything happens to her, I¡¯ll die with her. She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Michael mumbled with a hoarse voice.. 1 found him incredibly ridiculous. He¡¯d die with me? On what grounds? Was he even worthy ¡°Mike, you need to go back! There¡¯s a call from the hotel saying that Yasminmitted suicide! Jack had taken a call nearby and rushed back in a pante, saying that Yasmin had tried to take her own fe at the hotel I watched as Michael¡¯s face turned even paler, his expression increasinglyplex. Chapter 40 ¡°Suicide? Ha! If she had the heart to die, she wouldn¡¯t have caused Stephie¡¯s death!¡± Rachel yelled uncontrobly. Her hatred toward Yasmin was intense, perhaps because I had be her scapegoat. ¡°Calm down for now. Go and see what¡¯s going on first,¡± Zion intercepted the emotionally unstable Rachel and handed her over to Keenan. ¡°Take care of her.¡± Keenan nodded and held onto her. ¡°You¡¯re a doctor too. You know more than anyone that you shouldn¡¯t let emotions cloud your judgment at any time.¡± Without saying anything, Rachel just stood there with red teary eyes. Zion nced at his watch and sorted things out at the scene before rushing to catch up with Michael. He said, ¡°Mr. Ford, I¡¯ll go with you to check out the situation. Based on the current investigation, your wife, Yasmin, is also one of the girls who left the orphanage back then. So, the murderer will continue to target her.¡± Michael¡¯s steps froze for a moment. With a low voice, he said, ¡°She¡¯s not my wife¡­¡± Zion was baffled by Michael¡¯s odd behavior, but he didn¡¯t say much. I followed behind the two and got into the car too. ¡°The girls who left the orphanage back then have grown up and are now scattered throughout the city. There are no significant patterns to the list and order of deaths. It¡¯s as if the murderer is seeking revenge. Zion looked at Michael and continued, ¡°If your wife isn¡¯t afraid of dying, I wonder if she can. cooperate with us to catch the murderer as soon as possible?¡± Originally, he didn¡¯t want to suggest this, but Yasmin and Michael were the ones who had pushed me into bing bait. I smiled at Zion and teased, ¡°As if he¡¯d agree to that. He treasures Yasmin so much. How could he possibly let her be bait to lure out the murderer?¡± ¡°I said¡­ she¡¯s not my wife,¡± said Michael, who seemed to be very bothered by the title. ¡°Besides¡­ something has already happened to Stephie. I can¡¯t possibly let Yasmin take any more risks.¡± Iughed. See, he¡¯d never agree. ¡°Risk? Mr. Ford, what were you thinking when you asked Stephanie to be bait, then? Or is it that in your eyes, Yasmin¡¯s life is worth something but not Stephanie¡¯s?¡± Zion countered. Clearly caught off guard, Michael sat there stiffly. I could only feel a bone¨Cplercing chill run through my entire body. Yes, my worthless life could never compare to Yasmin¡¯s precious one. ¡°Yasmin is in poor health, and her emotions have always been unstable. You heard it too just now, that she attempted suicide!¡± Michael fumed, ring at Zion. ¡°You¡¯re a police officer. How could you say such things?¡± Zion remained silent, but it seemed Michael¡¯s response had confirmed his suspicions. ¡°Michael, Stephanie wasn¡¯t from the orphanage, and her body still hasn¡¯t been found. My team and I think there¡¯s a high probability that she¡¯s still alive. If we don¡¯t find her soon, she¡¯ll die for sure,¡± said Zion after a long silence, He hoped that Michael could persuade Yasmin to help the police and ultimately me. He was already being quite tactful with his words. The fastest way to find the murderer now was to use Yasmin as bait to lure them out, but Michael hesitated. I had already umted enough disappointment in him. Now, I found myself able to face it with some resignation. I knew that I had no ce in his heart, and his choice was within my expectations. My feelings for him that had been buried deep in my heart during my youth rapidly took root and grew into a towering tree. But they wereter crushed and destroyed. My love for him ended in the year 18th birthday. Michael¡¯s car stopped in front of the hotel. Guests at the wedding reception hadn¡¯t left, including Yasmin¡¯s parents, who obviously looked upset. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Michael¡­¡± Yasmin¡¯s mother, Jacquelyn Case, was an elegant woman¨Cespecially since she came from a well¨C off family. It was just that they had gone bankrupt in recent years. That was why they needed Michael¡¯s help. ¡°Mrs. Bailey,¡± Michael greeted as he lowered his head, seemingly feeling guilty.. I stood not far away, watching the family and feeling a sense of irony. ¡°Why are you still calling her ¡®Mrs. Bailey¡®? You should call her ¡®Mom¡® by now,¡± said Yasmin¡¯s father, Roger Bailey. He sighed and continued, ¡°Michael, we¡¯ve seen how you treasure Yasmin. But regardless of the reason why the reception turned out like this¡­ embarrassing Yasmin in front of all her rtives wasn¡¯t right. You should go talk to her properly.¡± Michael was silent before he opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He just nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Zion 1 was smoking in the smoking area nearby. He seemed to be a heavy smoker, probably due to the long hours spent investigating cases. I was there next to him. I subconsciously coughed because I couldn¡¯t stand the smell of smoke. It became a conditioned reflex for me to avoid whenever I saw someone smoking. However, after coughing twice, I suddenly realized that I was already dead¡­ Why should a soul¡­ be afraid of second¨Chand smoke? I snickered and turned to face Zion. ¡°You see, Yasmin¡¯s suicide is just an act. If she really wanted to die, she should be in the hospital now and not resting in a hotel room.¡± Zion couldn¡¯t hear my words, but he seemed to share my thoughts. He also chuckled sarcastically and said to himself, ¡°Is it really suicide or just an act to get Michael to come back?¡°! I nced at Zion with a smile, d to find someone on the same page as me. ¡°Mr. Ford, I would like to see Ms. Bailey,¡± said Zion to Michael after Yasmin¡¯s parents left. Michael frowned and answered, ¡°Let¡¯s do it another day. I don¡¯t think we should agitate her further. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey said she broke down just now and only just fell asleep. Oh, how considerate he was being. ¡°Dying this by another day¡­ means giving Stephanie another push toward her death,¡± said Zion, his brows knitting together. ¡°Michael, tell me, do you really want Stephanie to be found?¡± Chapter 41 Was Stephanie¡¯s life or Yasmin¡¯s emotions more important? Michael clenched his hands tightly and remained silent for a long time before finally saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and talk to her. But just to be clear, this has nothing to do with her, so she has no obligation. He was still protecting Yasmin. ¡°Nothing to do with her?¡± I eximed and couldn¡¯t helpughing at his words again. ¡°How could you say that it has nothing to do with her? It was her who lured me there. She was the one who tricked me into the hands of the murderer!¡± I shouted at Michael, but he couldn¡¯t hear me at all. He never wanted to hear what I said when I was alive, let alone now that I was dead. ¡°Stephanie¡­ It¡¯s sad that you¡¯ve fallen in love with such a man,¡± muttered Zion to himself after Michael left. Yes, falling in love with such a person was truly pathetic of me. Everyone could see how pitiful I was. Loving him was my greatest regret, but as time passed, my heart had be numb. It wouldn¡¯t hurt as much as before. Who said love wouldn¡¯t fade? It would, once there was enough disappointment umted. Love would disappear once the person had tasted enough despair. It¡¯d be their own fault if the person continued to love the other blindly even after all that misery. I loved Michael, and I lost my life because of that. What else was there to love him for? Michael went to Yasmin¡¯s room and soon came out. He shook his head at Zion and said, ¡°Sorry, Yasmin¡¯s emotions are very unstable now¡­¡± ¡°Michael, let me talk to her. This is a matter of life and death. Every moment dyed¡­¡± said Zion anxiously. Nheless, he knew he had no authority to rush things. From any legal perspective, Yasmin had no obligation to cooperate, but he knew that she was definitely rted to my incident. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t let you further upset her,¡± said Michael, insisting on protecting Yasmin. Zion furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Do you know that Yasmin called Stephanie three hours before she went missing? Originally, Zion didn¡¯t want to mention this. After all, this was an ongoing investigation, and he couldn¡¯t specte arbitrarily. Michael frowned and looked at the officer, asking, ¡°Officer Landon, what do you mean? Zion exined, ¡°There was a call from an unknown number three hours before Stephanie went 212 missing. Because Stephanie hadn¡¯t saved the number, we didn¡¯t pay much attention to it during the investigation ¡°But yesterday, I had someone look into the number, and the number belonged to Yasmin¡¯s best friend. My colleague asked her about it, and she said she never called Stephanie. But Yasmin did borrow her phone that day. So, the caller might have been Yasmin.¡± ¡°ording to your words, Yasmin might have called her, and you can¡¯t confirm that!¡± Michael was desperately hiding something, or perhaps he was afraid of something. I burst intoughter after seeing his evasive behavior. ¡°It was her. ¡°I¡¯ve instructed the IT department to recover the call recordings from Stephanie¡¯s phone. It¡¯s the process, but when the recordings are ready, the truth wille to light,¡± said Zion lightly. ¡°I¡¯m actually d that Stephanie was quick to react,¡± he added. I took a deep breath. After knowing that Yasmin had called me, I immediately decided to record the conversation. I didn¡¯t trust her and wanted to gather evidence, proving that I had always been repaying Michael¡¯s favors. I just didn¡¯t expect that one day, it would be crucial evidence in my death investigation. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. With furrowed brows, Michael looked at Zion and answered, ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have made wild. guesses before you have the evidence!¡± ¡°You know deep down whether I¡¯m making spections or not. Stephanie appeared at Sunset Alley. on the 15th, but none of you were aware of it. Don¡¯t you find it strange and suspicious?¡± Chapter 42 Zion threw the cigarette butt in the trash can and spoke again. ¡°Stephanie¡¯s phone has suffered varying degrees of damage, but it¡¯s notpletely irreparable. It¡¯ll Just take time to recover the data, so we¡¯ll wait and see,¡± He turned to leave but suddenly remembered something and looked back at Michael. ¡°If your hesitation and protection result In Stephanie¡¯s death or any other more dreadful oue, you¡¯ll be partly responsible. Even if thew can¡¯t punish you, morality and conscience will always be your shackles.¡± Michael stood numbly in ce, looking unusually exhausted for a moment. I nced back at him once and never looked back again. I didn¡¯t know when my soul would disappear and when I would truly die. I didn¡¯t understand why I was in my current state. All I could do was wait. I hoped for my body to be found and the truth to be revealed so that my remains could be cremated andid to rest. Perhaps then, I could truly find release. ¡°Officer Landon, the lunatic¡­ Steve has gone missing! We were all busy with the scene investigation, and when we turned around, he was gone. Zion frowned and got into the car. ¡°Find him and keep an eye on him. He surely knows something. Zion was convinced that Steve knew some secrets. Sitting in his car, I looked at the phone in his hand. It was the photo of the little girl in a red dress that Steve had found at the welfare home. In the photo, Steve was the most dazzling figure, always catching people¡¯s eyes at first nce. Perhaps it was because he was just so good¨Clooking. Standing next to him was another boy, who looked somewhat timid. He was clinging to Steve¡¯s arm in fear and hiding behind him. Standing in front of the boy as if protecting him, Steve looked like a big brother. Zion studied the photo and said in a deep voice, ¡°Steve¡­. ¡°Lawson, can we find out about these children in the orphanage photo?¡± he said into his phone after dialing his subordinate¡¯s number. Dave replied, ¡°A few years ago, there was a big fire at the orphanage. The director knew that his crimes were about to be exposed, so he intended to burn all the children to destroy evidence. ¡°Except for the girls in red dresses who were already adopted, only Steve survived¡­ He wasn¡¯t a fool Chade before, he was said to be a genius, but he became mentally disabled after that big fire.¡± Zion looked at the children in the photo again. Except for those who were adopted, they all died, leaving only Steve. ¡°He¡¯s the murderer on a killing spree, He¡¯s killing everyone from the orphanage back then. This person is very dangerous. He either has a split personality or¡­ he¡¯s just very good at disguising,¡°I said to Zion, but he couldn¡¯t hear me. However, Zion was clearly beginning to suspect Steve as well. ¡°Keep a close eye on Steve after we find him!¡± Seeing his suspicion of Steve, I felt relieved. Just as he hung up the phone, his phone rang again. It was Keenan. ¡°Zion! Rachel is missing. She might have gone to find Yasmin. Are you with her?¡± Zion paused for a moment before subconsciously looking toward the direction of the hotel. I also nervously watched the entrance of the hotel. Rachel was on the way to see Yasmin? Zion quickly got out of the car and walked toward the hotel. I followeil, feeling worried. In the hotel corridor, Yasmin was leaning against Michael, looking pale and weak. Standing at the door, Rachel didn¡¯tsh out at her but was speaking very subtly. ¡°Please, help me save Stephie.¡± For my sake, she could only plead with Yasmin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Yasmin choked up and buried her face in Michael¡¯s chest. Michael was infuriated as he said, ¡°Rachel, stop acting crazy here. Yasmin¡¯s going through a lot now, and you¡¯re here only to provoke her.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Rachel shot daggers with her red, swollen eyes at Michael and cursed, ¡°You deserve to die¡­¡± He fell silent and said nothing- ¡°You don¡¯t have to go, but lend me vou red dress. dress¡­¡± said Rachel again, this time asking Yasmin for her I had been wearing my red dress the day I went missing. Taken aback, Yasmin looked at Rachel and said, ¡°You¡¯re insane¡­ We¡¯re talking about a murderer here. ¡°Someone like you naturally doesn¡¯t deserve anyone to risk their lives for you,¡± Rachel answered, her voice hoarse but firm. ¡°What¡¯s so good about Stephanie that you¡¯re willing to go this far for her¡­¡± Yasmin murmured, soominge unable to understand or believe Rachel¡¯s actions. ¡°Do you even deserve to learn about her?¡± Rachel coldly replied while clenching her fists. ¡°Yasmin, you better pray that Stephanie¡¯s incident has nothing to do with you. Otherwise¡­ I won¡¯t let you 11 sighed from a distance. It was she who deceived me into going to Sunset Alley. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re going too far,¡± Michael interrupted angrily, still trying to protect Yasmin. Ms. Bailey, just do as she says. If you¡¯re unwilling to cooperate with us, it¡¯s fine. But lend us the Zion, bating listened for a while from the side, quickly stepped forward. off In fact, he could already differentiate between the good and the bad. Yasmin was deliberately dying time because she never wanted to help save Stephanie. AC Past Free Bonus Time is Running Out! Chapter 43 When Yasmin found out she was being targeted by the murderer, she got me to lure the murderer res her behalf. Yasmin was a selfish woman, and everyone could see that, except for thicknes Zion looked meaningfully at Michael. Was he really that foolish? Or was there some hidden agradat ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I don¡¯t have the red dress anymore,¡± Vasmin stammered, hesitating to give it here 1. 1. she didn¡¯t want the police to find out anything Taken aback, Michael said, ¡°But clearly¡­¡± Clearly, there was another one. Yasmin had said she liked that one very much, and Michael bought it for her ¡°That¡­ That one got ruined in the wash. It bled in the washing machine, so I threw it away,¡± she stuttered. Michael didn¡¯t say much after that. Rachel was so angry that her eyes were bulging with redness when she asserted, ¡°Tell me the brand and style of the dress. I¡¯ll buy one myself.¡± Michael remained silent for a long time before answering, ¡°It¡¯s the Luxe Yonder autumn collection There¡¯s only one red dress in that collection.¡± Listening to his words, my heart ached faintly. When I was 18, he asked me what gift I wanted, and I said, ¡°Give me a dress. I like the designs of Luxe Yonder.¡± He agreed, but in the following years, the person he bought dresses for was no longer me. Toozy to say anything anymore, Rachel only nced at him before walking away. He¡¯d better not regret it after this. With furrowed brows, Zion followed her out and uttered to himself, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with Yasmin.¡± ¡°Officer Landon, could we get started with the n as soon as possible?¡± Rachel asked as soon as they got into the elevator. She was no longer able to wait for another second. ¡°Please, let me try¡­ I don¡¯t dare to think about what Stephie is going through right now. Please,¡± she pleaded. Zion took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you to buy the dress first and then we¡¯ll leave this hotel with you disguised as Yasmin. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Rachel nodded while gripping her hands tightly. ¡°I must catch that murderer,¡± she swore. Zion, you must make sure that no harmes her way,¡± I nagged, despite knowing that he couldn¡¯t hear me. ¡°You must protect her.¡± That night, Rachel changed into the same dress that Yasmin had, straightened her long hair, and left the hotel with a face mask I was worried, so I followed her all the way. I was afraid that she might encounter any danger. She went to a bar and drank some alcohol. Soon, she was drunk, and her hair was all disheveled. To avoid suspicion and make her act look authentic, she had actual alcohol. 1 sat beside her with red eyes the whole time. ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m always here beside you. I wanted to be her guardian angel to always protect her, but there was nothing I could do.¡± The police made sure that everything was going perfectly ording to n so that Rachel would not get hurt. Rachel stumbled out alone into the night and walked back through Sunset Alley. Suddenly, there was a faint sound behind her. Nervously, I looked back at the dark corner while trembling with fear. Even I, a ghost, was afraid of human intentions. What was truly frightening was never ghosts but the hearts of humans. ¡°Rach_ be careful,¡± I said nervously while staring straight at the darkness. ¡°Zion¡­ Zion, where are you guys?¡± I shouted in fear, but they couldn¡¯t hear me. A dark figure shed by and ran into the distance. The policemen who were watching from afar followed the figure. I felt an inexplicable fear. I had a feeling that this was a diversion. ¡°Rach¡­¡± I tried to pull Rachel away to escape, but it was toote. A figure had already emerged from the darkness. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and ill¨Cfitting pants, revealing scars on his ankles. There was a long stick in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯te any closer!¡± I screamed and shouted in fear, stomping my feet in ce. ¡°Rach! Run, Rach!¡± He was the murderer. He was indeed the murderer! It was Steve! said Steve hoarsely when he noticed Rachel sitting on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s not her¡­¡± he muttered, his eyes also red. His extremely handsome face revealed a hint of coldness. Crate 13 When Yasmin found out she was being targeted by the murderer, she got me to lure the murderer on her behalf. Yasmin was a selfish woman, and everyone could see that, except for Michael. Zion looked meaningfully at Michael. Was he really that foolish? Or was there some hidden agenda? ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¨CI don¡¯t have the red dress anymore,¡± Yasmin stammered, hesitating to give it because she didn¡¯t want the police to find out anything. Taken aback, Michael said, ¡°But clearly¡­¡± Clearly, there was another one. Yasmin had said she liked that one very much, and Michael bought it for her. ¡°That¡­ That one got ruined in the wash. It bled in the washing machine, so I threw it away,¡± she stuttered. Michael didn¡¯t say much after that. Rachel was so angry that her eyes were bulging with redness when she asserted, ¡°Tell me the brand and style of the dress. I¡¯ll buy one myself.¡± Michael remained silent for a long time before answering, ¡°It¡¯s the Luxe Yonder autumn collection. There¡¯s only one red dress in that collection.¡± Listening to his words, my heart ached faintly. When I was 18, he asked me what gift I wanted, and I said, ¡°Give me a dress. I like the designs of Luxe Yonder.¡± He agreed, but in the following years, the person he bought dresses for was no longer me. Toozy to say anything anymore, Rachel only nced at him before walking away. He¡¯d better not regret it after this. With furrowed brows, Zion followed her out and uttered to himself, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with Yasmin.¡± ¡°Officer Landon, could we get started with the n as soon as possible?¡± Rachel asked as soon as they got into the elevator. She was no longer able to wait for another second. ¡°Please, let me try¡­ I don¡¯t dare to think about what Stephie is going through right now. Please,¡± she pleaded. Zion took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you to buy the dress first and then we¡¯ll leave this hotel with you disguised as Yasmin. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you. Rachel nodded while gripping her hands tightly. ¡°I must catch that murderer,¡± she swore. ate 13 ¡°Zion, you must make sure that no harmes her way,¡± I nagged, despite knowing that he couldn¡¯t hear me. ¡°You must protect her.¡± That night, Rachel changed into the same dress that Yasmin had, straightened her long hair, and left the hotel with a face mask. I was worried, so I followed her all the way. I was afraid that she might encounter any danger. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She went to a bar and drank some alcohol. Soon, she was drunk, and her hair was all disheveled. To avoid suspicion and make her act look authentic, she had actual alcohol. I sat beside her with red eyes the whole time. ¡°Rachel, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m always here beside you.¡± e police I wanted to be her guardian angel to always protect her, but there was nothing I could do. The made sure that everything was going perfectly ording to n so that Rachel would not get hurt. Rachel stumbled out alone into the night and walked back through Sunset Alley. Suddenly, there was a faint sound behind her. Nervously, I looked back at the dark corner while trembling with fear. Even I, a ghost, was afraid of human intentions. What was truly frightening was never ghosts but the hearts of humans. ¡°Rach¡­ be careful,¡± I said nervously while staring straight at the darkness. ¡°Zion¡­ Zion, where are you guys?¡± I shouted in fear, but they couldn¡¯t hear me. A dark figure shed by and ran into the distance. The policemen who were watching from afar followed the figure. I felt an inexplicable fear. I had a feeling that this was a diversion. ¡°Rach¡­¡± I tried to pull Rachel away to escape, but it was toote. A figure had already emerged from the darkness. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and ill¨Cfitting pants, revealing scars on his ankles. There was a long stick in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯te any closer!¡± I screamed and shouted in fear, stoinping my feet in ce. ¡°Rach! Run, Rach!¡± He was the murderer. He was indeed the murderer! It was Steve! ¡°No¡­¡± said Steve hoarsely when he noticed Rachel sitting on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s not her¡­¡± he muttered, his eyes also red. His extremely handsome face revealed a hint of coldness. Chapter 44 Rachel sat on the ground, looking at Steve. ¡°Where¡¯s Stephie¡­¡± Steve dropped the stick in his hand as if he had been startled by something. He turned and ran, but Zion pinned him. ¡°Why are you running? What¡¯re you doing here? Take him back for interrogation!¡± Zion shouted, seething with rage- It was always Steve! I knew that Zion¡¯s suspicions of Steve had deepened. I sighed in relief. That was a good sign. As long as the truth was discovered soon and my body was located¡­ The police took Steve away, and Zion carried Rachel. I was temporarily relieved and stood there in a daze, looking at the lollipop that Steve had dropped. It was fruit¨Cvored. Steve was arrested, and the police interrogated him for 24 hours. He didn¡¯t say a word. Without evidence, the police had to let him go for the time being. I sat in the police station lobby, watching Steve being led away by the Lincoln family. My vision was numb. $ This murderer¡­ was too cunning. Steve still seemed to be of great value to the Lincoln family. The Lincoln family had hired Huma¡¯s bestwyer to bail him out. I wondered if it was proven that Steve was the serial killer, would the Lincoln family try to get him. out? If that was the case, then those dead women were too pitiful. In the afternoon, Michael came to the police station to inquire about the investigation. He seemed very eager to know if I had been found. I guess he wanted to find out if I was dead. ¡°The mission failed because it wasn¡¯t Yasmin.¡± Zion began to suspect Steve, assuming that Steve ce not to kill because he realized that Rachel was not Yasmin. Crate 14 Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We found a handkerchief with traces of sedatives in Steve¡¯s pocket. There was a stick and other criminal tools too.¡± Zion frowned. Even if Steve was released on bail, they would still keep an eye on him. ¡°It¡¯s Steve, that lunatic! He¡¯s the murderer! Stephanie must be in his hands!¡± Michael angrily eximed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you arrest him?¡± ¡°First of all, the lunatic you¡¯re talking about is the scion of the Lincoln family. Ignatius Lincoln stepped in to bail him out. ¡°Secondly, they¡¯ve hired the best legal team to release Steve on bail. Andstly¡­ Steve has a psychiatric evaluation to prove that he has a mental disorder. Even if he carries drugs and a stick in his pocket, there¡¯s no way to tell that he¡¯s the murderer.¡± Zion warned Michael to act rationally. Things would be different if Yasmin was the one who went that night. Once Steve was arrested in the process of trying to kill her, Zion would have the confidence to detain Steve temporarily. Michael didn¡¯t say anything and took a deep breath. The Lincoln family¡­ was indeed not to be trifled with. ¡°I always have this feeling that¡­ Stephie is right beside¡­¡± Michael muttered. After a while, he spoke again, ¡°If we keep an eye on Steve, is it possible¡­ to find Stephie?¡± Zion didn¡¯t say anything, but he hoped so. The police had already started to suspect Steve and were watching him 24 hours a day. I believed that under such tight surveince, he would show his true colors sooner orter. $ Rachel sat on the bench, looking a little lost. ¡°Is Steve the murderer? Why don¡¯t I think so?¡± I sat down next to Rachel, smiling gently. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too kind.¡± Rachel froze, turning her head in my direction. I froze too, not knowing why I felt like crying. Her eyes betrayed her deep sadness, and she shook her head. ¡°Stephie¡¯s going to be okay.¡± ¡°Murderers are all good at pretending, especially psychopaths,¡± Michael said in a deep voice. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be pretending.¡± Zion, being a police officer, had his fair share of experience. ¡°I¡¯ve contacted experts in criminal psychology. I suspect¡­ Steve has multiple personalities or some other mental disorder.¡± I shook my head and sighed. I had suspected Steve was suffering from multiple personality disorder before. Yet, now I was more inclined to believe that Steve had an aplice. Ste 14 ¡°Zion, the bodies of the women who were adopted in that photo have all been found. All except for a woman named Mildred Silva, and this Yasmin.¡± A colleague came over and looked at Zion. ¡°We¡¯re searching for Mildred.¡± Zion nodded. -Can¡¯t we just arrest that lunatic? Why does the Lincoln family still want to protect a loony guy! him?¡± Michael¡¯s emotions spiraled out of control as he turned and left the police station. He intended to confront the Lincoln family. I ignored Michael. He wasn¡¯t anxious for my sake. He was just worried that Steve would hurt Yasmin. Rachel¡¯s eyes reddened as she turned her gaze to Zion. ¡°Seriously? Is there no other way? We can only keep our eyes on Steve? Is that it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. We¡¯re watching Steve.¡± Zion poured Rachel a cup of hot water. Rachel took it, but her tears couldn¡¯t be held at bay. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ I¡¯m afraid Stephie is now¡­ ¡°Rach, I¡¯m fine,¡± I reassured her in a hushed tone, suddenly feeling relieved. I was dead by now. At least I didn¡¯t suffer much. The pain of dying was all but forgotten now too. ¡°Officer Landon! Something¡¯s wrong¡­¡± Outside the door, a young policeman rushed in with a pale face. ¡°Steve sneaked out from the Lincoln family¡¯s residence. We followed him all the way¡­ We found Mildred¡¯s body in the ditch behind the old orphanage¡­ Chapter 45 There was a victim. I stood up in horror. Did that lunatic kill so many people? The girls who were adopted were all killed, one by one.. What could be the reason behind this? That lunatic threw away the bodies of the people from the orphanage earlier but only kept hers What did he want to do? Did he realize he killed the wrong person? Or was it¡­ ¡°We¡¯ve got Steve, but he didn¡¯t run. He stood still, waiting for us to catch him¡­ ¡°This time, on the body, we found¡­ We found¡­¡± The police officer¡¯s breath was shaky, and his voice was hoarse. ¡°What did you find!¡± Zion asked anxiously. The young police officer nced at Rachel cautiously, hesitant to speak. Rachel was terrified. She stood there, trembling. Her breath came in shallow gasps. ¡°Please, just say it, she whispered. ¡°Eyes¡­¡± The young police officer took a deep breath. ¡°Dr. Sparks examined the corpse. ording to him, the eyes in the victim¡¯s sockets were put there after death. ¡°So, there¡¯s a possibility the eyes may not belong to the victim. They might¡­ belong to Stephanie.¡± Rachel copsed, trembling all over. Her face was pale and devoid of colors. Eyes¡­. Did that maniac gouge my eyes out? My whole body was shaking. I was terrified. What did that maniac want? What was he trying to do? ¡°Crazy! He¡¯s just crazy!¡± I shouted as I lost control of my emotions. I cried and crouched on the ground. It was too cruel¡­ Zion¡¯s face looked grim as he took a deep breath. ¡°Take care of her. I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± 21 e 15 Zion wouldn¡¯t let Rachel go to the scene. She couldn¡¯t handle something like that. ¡°We can¡¯t be sure before any test is done. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Zion didn¡¯t know how tofort Rachel. He scratched his head and cursed as he walked away. I stayed by Rachel¡¯s side, spacing out with her. ¡°Rach, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m dead and I can¡¯t fulfill our promise.¡± I once promised Rachel that if neither of us married, we would stay single. Then, we would find a city to spend our old days together. I couldn¡¯t fulfill that anymore. Zion came back soon after. The corpse was also brought back to the forensic department. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The coroner was still conducting the examination. This would take time. Michael rushed over after hearing the news. He looked even more haggard and disheveled than he had in the afternoon. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­ I don¡¯t believe it!¡± He didn¡¯t believe that the eyes in the corpse would be mine. The autopsy results were a harsh reality check for him. Those were indeed my eyes. At this point, Zion and the other officers werepletely convinced that I had been murdered. Rachel sat on the ground in dejection, no longer struggling. She believed that I was dead. Only Michael, as if he had heard some kind of joke, lowered his head. What followed next was his laughter tinged with a sort of madness. I no longer had the strength to confront him or to p him. All these were meaningless. ¡°Now, thest person the murderer wants to kill is probably only Yasmin,¡± a female officer whispered. Michael¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll wait for him.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve finally agreed to use Yasmin as bait? It¡¯s a pity¡­ it¡¯s toote.¡± Zion said meaningfully, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s always after losing something that people realize its importance. How pathetic. Michael clenched his hands tightly, saying nothing. ¡°What¡¯s important? It¡¯s best if she dies¡­¡± he yelled at Zion, his eyes red. I knew he would think it would be best if I died. I sighed. Looking at Michael¡¯s current state, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. With me dead, he would be free. At the door, the young officer lowered his eyes and said softly, ¡°Officer Landon, Steve¡­ confessed. He said he killed her¡­ He killed them all.¡± ¡°What about Stephanie? Where¡¯s Stephanie¡¯s body!¡± Zion yelled out of control. ¡°That bastard!¡± ¡°He won¡¯t talk¡­¡± I sat on the chair in a daze. This madman still refused to reveal the location of my body. ¡°What? That son of a bitch.¡± Zion lost control. Even as a police officer, he still couldn¡¯t help it. In a fit of rage, Zion entered the interrogation room. He turned off the surveince camera and punched Steve, knocking him to the ground and beating him. No matter how his colleagues tried to stop him, they couldn¡¯t. Steveughed maniacally with blood on the corner of his mouth and his eyes frighteningly red. ¡°Where¡¯s Stephanie? She¡¯s not from the orphanage. Why did you kill her? Why!¡± Zion shouted at Steve. ¡°Soon¡­ Soon, you¡¯ll see.¡± Steve¡¯s voice was a hoarse murmur. Before long, everyone would see my body. ¡°After Yasmin¡­ is dead.¡± Chapter 46 ¡°Crazy! You¡¯re a lunatic!¡± Zion kicked Steve. His colleagues tried to pull Zion away. ¡°Officer Landon, this is not the time to be so rash. Although we don¡¯t know why he¡¯s so persistent in admitting to being the murderer¡­ the timelines don¡¯t match up.¡® Zion took a deep breath and stood up straight. Steve suddenly pointed at himself in fear. ¡°It was me¡­ I¡­ killed them. Kill me!¡± He wanted Zion to kill him. Zion frowned and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Keep investigating until he tells the truth.¡± Even if Steve admitted to the murders, he had a psychiatric evaluation and many alibis. How could they convict him? Ignatius also had the best legal team, so it was obviously a dead end. There was amotion outside. It was Michael¡¯s frantic shouts. He wanted to rush in to kill Steve. I stood at the door of the interrogation room, ignoring Michael¡¯s enraged howls. I no longer cared, and I didn¡¯t love him anymore. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I stared at Steve, trying to get a read on him. He admitted tomitting the murders¡­ But why did I feel something was wrong? His jacket was torn because of the beating. Steve was wearing only a short¨Csleeved shirt as he sat next to the interrogation table. His face was ashen, like a zombie. At this moment, he was as beautiful as a lifeless doll. I stood next to Steve, trying to see through him. But I couldn¡¯t understand at all. My gaze fell on the back of Steve¡¯s hand. Such beautiful and slender fingers were covered in burn scars It was like a piece of pure white porcin with ws and cracks. I remembered this hand when I was locked in the wooden box. I remembered how he had taken an ax and walked off step by step. le 16 My gaze traveled upward from his fingers. My heart suddenly sank. This wasn¡¯t right. Steve¡¯s upper arm was smooth and free of any scars. Something was off¡­ 1 had struggled desperately before I died. My fingernails dug into the killer¡¯s inner arm, tearing out blood and flesh. It hadn¡¯t been long since I died. Even if his wounds had healed, there should still be temporary scars, This was not right. Did he have an aplice? ¡°Get out of the way! Let me in! I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± Michael was still shouting, his emotions out of control. I turned my head back to look at the uncontroble Michael. What was he yapping about? Wasn¡¯t he the one who caused me to be like this today? Zion couldn¡¯t take it anymore and punched Michael. Finally, it was quiet. ¡°Officer Landon! Officer Landon¡­ We found¡­ We found¡­ W¨CWe found Stephanie.¡± Outside the door, a panicked female officer barged in, almost stumbling. Michael, red¨Ceyed and out of control, grabbed the officer by the shoulders. ¡°What? Stephanie¡­ Where is she?¡± Zion, also startled, looked at the female officer. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Dave and the others found a cer in the abandoned orphanage, Stephanie is in the cer¡­¡± Rachel, also losing control, got up and ran over. ¡°She¡¯s still alive, right? Please tell me she¡¯s alive. ¡°It¡¯s okay even if she doesn¡¯t have eyes. Healthcare is so advanced now¡­ Is she still alive?¡± Rachel¡¯s voice trembled. The female officer didn¡¯t say anything and just lowered her head. ¡°Officer Landon¡­e with us. Zion¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He gave Michael a meaningful look. Michael stood there numbly, suddenly quiet. The silence was eerie. ¡°I told you¡­ she¡¯s not going to die. She¡¯s just doing this to make me marry her,¡± Michael murmured, his words dripping with sarcasm. I wanted tough, but I couldn¡¯t. te 16 All I wanted to do now was to see my corpse and witness how it had been ravaged. ¡°Rachel¡­ You shouldn¡¯t go,¡± the female officer said kindly. Rachel clenched her fists, her eyes filled with determination. The female officer nced at Zion. Zion¡¯s silence implied a tacit approval. Something had happened to me, and everyone had toe to terms with that fact. Chapter 47 Rachel¡¯s whole body was shaking as she followed Zion. Michael also trailed behind them. He was silent, but his face looked unsightly. I looked at Michael and suddenly smiled. The police had finally found my body. This way, Michael could finally find relief. He had probably been wishing for my death for a long time.. ¡°Are you sure you want to go?¡± Before getting in the car, Zion asked Rachel again. Her face was equally ashen. When she got into the car, her legs went weak and she almost fell to the ground. Subconsciously, I reached out to help her, but it was futile. My hands simply passed through her. I couldn¡¯t touch anyone. ¡°She¡¯s not dead.¡± Michael frowned, still insisting on his belief. Rachel red at Michael with loathing and got into the car. I sat next to Rachel, staring out the window in a daze. I hade to the point where I no longer had any feelings or expectations for Michael. He and Yasmin had done this to me. All of my love and gratitude for them had been exhausted. The police cordoned off the orphanage, with officer¡¯s on patrol everywhere. Several ambnces were parked there, which seemed a bit unnecessary. It was obvious that this was the first crime scene of all the murders. I smiled bitterly. What were the ambnces for if I was already dead? ¡°Why didn¡¯t they find this cer despite multiple searches?¡± Zion¡¯s superior also came since this was a major case. Zion quickly exined, ¡°It¡¯s our bad. This orphanage has long been abandoned. There are no building blueprints, and this cer is well¨Chidden¡­¡± I looked at the cer curiously. It was in a small warehouse behind the abandoned yard. Under the wooden floor was a private cer, emitting an eerie atmosphere. I had no memory of this ce at all. I was unconscious before being dragged in by the murderer. Then, I woke up halfway and found myself in a dim ce with no idea of how I got there. ate 17 ¡°This cer is well¨Chidden. It¡¯s hard to believe that anyone would find it by ident. Who was the first person to discover it?¡± Zion asked. ¡°Officer Landon, I was the one who found it. It¡¯s strange¡­ Yesterday, I came here a few times but I didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. But today, I saw footprints on the floor¡­¡± Phil was a little skeptical, wondering if he hadn¡¯t been observant enough yesterday. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I was careless yesterday.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. The killer wanted to let us find out.¡± Zion¡¯s expression was dark. He lit a cigarette. This murderer was a cunning one. ¡°Isn¡¯t the murderer that madman?¡± Phil asked curiously. ¡°Either he had an aplice or he took the me for someone else.¡± Zion shook his head. There were too many doubts here. To down Phil and the others fell silent. They stood at the entrance of the cer, reluctant to go ¡°Officer Landon, you need¡­ to be prepared. Frank just went down there and came out vomiting. It¡¯s a littleplicated there. The medical staff are still trying to figure it out.¡± Zion took a deep breath before turning to look at Rachel and Michael. ¡°They¡¯re family members of the victim. They¡¯re here to make identification easier¡­¡± ¡°The doctor is here. So does that mean¡­ Is Stephie still alive?¡± Rachel grabbed Zion¡¯s arm in panic. Is she still alive?¡± Zion¡¯s gaze was solemn. ¡°Both of you¡­e with me.¡± Michael was a little agitated, but at the critical moment, he seemed to lose his nerve. He hesitated for a long time before going down. I stood by and mocked him for being cowardly. Was Michael afraid now? Wasn¡¯t it because of him that I ended up like this? Michael¡­ must be the aplice. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. I followed Rachel down to the cer. I was almost overwhelmed by the fear that came over me. Chapter 48 Shaking, I clenched my fists tightly. Even if I had already be a soul, I was still terrified. Suddenly, Rachel stopped in her tracks. When she saw the sight before her, she shuddered and turned pale. She turned around and vomited. It was the biological reaction to seeing something so saddening and horrifying. It wasn¡¯t that she found it disgusting. There was a ss enclosure Inside the dark plt. It was lit up, making it seem like a cultural exhibit in a museum. I was Inside the enclosure, she could see me hooked up to countless drips. I looked like a doll that deliberately ced there. My eyes were gouged out, and the murderer had covered my eyes with a red slip of cloth¡­ My skin was already deathly pale. I was dressed in a red strappy dress, and my legs were pinned to the tform. Firefighters and doctors carefully opened the ss enclosure. Everyone let out a gasp when they saw 1. me. At that moment, my corpse looked like the most beautiful masterpiece on disy¡­ Michael stood there with his gaze flickering. His eyes were filled with terror and mixed emotions. I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking at that moment. Even I¡­ didn¡¯t dare to take another look. ¡°That sicko¡­ even pulled out her nails and iid them with crystals. Her earrings are also made of crystals, and her skin is encrusted with crystals¡­ Everything Stephanie is wearing is priceless. Even this ss enclosure isn¡¯t made of normal ss¡­ ¡°The patient has a pulse! There are weak breath sounds!¡± the doctor yelled loudly, warning everyone to be careful with me. I stared at the doctor in shock. There was a pulse? And breath sounds? What was the meaning of this? I wasn¡¯t dead? ¡°The culprit must have injected the victim with a huge amount of drugs. These are pretty much liquid nourishment tubes for sustaining life. The victim is unconscious, but there are still signs of life,¡± the doctor exined. Rachel crumpled to the ground. Her emotions were all over the ce. ¡°Stephie¡­ Save her, please. Zion, please save her. Doctor¡­ please, please save her.¡± She knelt on the ground and begged. Her body was quivering like a leaf. She didn¡¯t know who to beg so that I could survive. ¡°That man is a psycho¡­ The victim can only lie in this position. If we move her.¡± The doctor sighed. ¡°No¡­ Save her, please!¡± Rachel begged them tearfully I stood there numbly and slowly closed my eyes At that moment, I sort of understood why my soul hadn¡¯t disappeared together with my body. It was because I wasn¡¯t truly dead. After a long time, Michael finally uttered hoarsely, ¡°Save her¡­¡± Save her. Those two words sounded like mockery. His face was ashen. He took two steps forward stiffly, as though he wanted to make sure that the person inside the ss enclosure was indeed me. ¡°That bastard¡­ I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± Michael¡¯s voice was hoarse and deep, like it was being ground out. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He was shaking. When he confirmed that the person inside the ss enclosure was me, he bowed his head and didn¡¯t dare to look up. His red eyes seemed incredibly sorrowful. However, his every move right now felt like mockery to me. It wasughable. you¡¯re the one who did this to her!¡± Rachel screamed hysterically. She rushed forward to p him.¡± You asshole!¡± Michael stood there helplessly, allowing Rachel to lose her mind. He didn¡¯t move an inch. I stood there, watching the police and the doctors panic. My best friend was losing control, and Zion held her back. I watched as Michael lost his bnce and fell on his behind¡­. ¡°Officer Landon, Stephanie lost her pulse!¡± The doctor¡¯s heart rate monitor let out piercing beeps. My vision grew blurrier until darkness swallowed me. So this was what death felt like. Chapter 49 In the darkness, I could still faintly hear some voices. I could hear Rachel¡¯s cries as well as Zion¡¯s and the doctor¡¯s anxious shouts. ¡°Stephanie, hang in there¡­¡± ¡°Stephanie!¡± ¡°Stephie!¡± ¡°She¡¯s been holding on for too long. We found her toote¡­ Maybe, maybe if we were one day earlier ¡­ Just one day¡­ she would¡¯ve survived.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice broke, and his eyes turned red. ¡°She was pregnant too¡­¡± As a spectator, he seemed to be unable to believe what had happened to 1. me. ¡°She must have been in such despair.¡± Phil looked away. ¡°If only we had found her earlier¡­ Two lives were lost from this! That animal!¡± ¡°She was tortured so badly that her finger bones were shattered. And just to make her look more delicate, he injected her with a huge amount of drugs. Her skin is even paler than a doll¡¯s now. ¡°That psycho¡­ disyed her like a piece of art in this ss case!¡± One of the female officers also broke into tears and looked away. Sitting on the ground, Michael¡¯s breathing grew heavier. As though he¡¯d gone insane, his eyes were bright red. ¡°She won¡¯t die¡­ She won¡¯t die. She¡¯s lying to me! She won¡¯t die! Didn¡¯t she want me to marry her¡­? I¡¯ll marry her, soe back! Don¡¯t die!¡® ¡°If you and Yasmin hadn¡¯t obstructed the police¡¯s investigation, Stephie wouldn¡¯t have died!¡± Rachel sobbed while hitting Michael. She wanted to kill him. The female officer tried to stop her, but Zion held her back. Zion also resented Michael. Stephanie could have lived. ¡°Even if we were earlier by just one day¡­¡± Rachel cried weakly, kneeling on the ground. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Just one day would have been fine. ¡°You and Rachel are the reason she¡¯s dead. Go to hell, Michael! Just die!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not dead¡­ She won¡¯t die!¡± Michael suddenly lost his mind, like he didn¡¯t believe that the person in the ss case was me. He ran away as quickly as he could. Howughable. Didn¡¯t he wish I was dead all this while? Now that I was, what was he going crazy for? ¡°Officer Landon, we found a lead! Stephanie¡¯s parents were the phnthropists funding this orphanage back then. The day they died in a car ident was the day when they were on the way to attend a celebration at the orphanage! ¡°Also¡­ on the same day, there was a huge fire at the orphanage that ended with a lot of casualties.¡± An officer jogged over into the basement. He was holding a photo of me and my parents at the orphanage. ¡°The orphanage¡­¡± Suddenly, my head hurt. The memories of the car ident flooded my mind. The face of the person frantically trying to save my life at the scene slowly changed from Michael¡¯s face to another person¡¯s. ¡°Steve¡­¡± Why was I suddenly thinking about that murderer? Wasn¡¯t it Michael who saved me? Did I lose that many memories from that ident as I thought? ¡°This can¡¯t be a coincidence. The death of Stephanie and her parents might not have been an ident! ¡°Zion mmed his fist against the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll catch that bastard for sure¡­ I won¡¯t let Stephanie¡¯s death be in vain!¡± My consciousness was fading. I slowly stopped being able to hear¡­ It turned out that my parents¡® deaths weren¡¯t an ident! It was orchestrated! It was definitely tied to the murderer who killed me. The moment death came, a roaring wave of hatred and thirst for the truth nearly tore me apart. The Grim Reaper gave me time but not the chance to leave behind any regrets. My life was just beginning! I was so unsatisfied. Why did I have to go through all this pain? Why did I have to lose my parents at 18 years old and live under someone else¡¯s roof? I lived apliant life, yet I couldn¡¯t escape the fate of being tortured and killed by a murderer, I was abandoned by my childhood friend and harmed by a wicked woman! I was unsatisfied! If I could get another chance, I definitely wouldn¡¯t livepliantly anymore. ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± After the darkness came a sh of white light. I didn¡¯t know how long I was out. I didn¡¯t know what time it was. I didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°I¡¯m not satisfied. I want to live. I want revenge. I want to know the truth!¡± ¡°Stephie, it¡¯s time to wake up, youzy piglet.¡± ¡°Mom and Dad will always protect you.¡± After Stephanie died, the killer was not caught. The Lincoln family bailed Steve out once again. Since he had proof of his mental illness diagnosis and an alibi, the police had no choice but to release him again. ¡°You bastard, I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t birth an heir to the Lincoln heir soon, don¡¯t even think te 19 about leaving this ce!¡± Faintly, I heard a fierce voice. It yanked me back to reality. Chapter 50 ¡°Sir, I just gave her the drugs. That woman is also in the room. This time, it¡¯ll definitely be a sess.¡± I began to feel scared. Where was this ce? Why were my eyelids so heavy? ¡°Stephie¡­¡± A hoarse voice tickled my car, followed by quick breathing. There was also ant undisguisable rush of¡­ lust. All of a sudden, a heated kiss was forced on my lips. I was now fully terrified and shocked. Where was this? Where was 1? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Mmh¡­¡± A low moan escaped my throat. I tried my hardest to resist and to open my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t do it no matter how hard I tried. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± He kept calling my name, but he still felt very unfamiliar to me. Our bodies touched rapidly, and I could feel the desire that he was trying his best to suppress. It almost seemed like he treasured my body and didn¡¯t want to hurt me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Stephie¡­ I can¡¯t control¡­ my body,¡± he apologized in a choked¨Cup voice. He seemed to be in agony, like he wasn¡¯t fully conscious. After that, Ipletely gave up on resisting and lost consciousness once again. ¡°Mmh¡­¡± After some time passed, the soreness of my body dragged me back to reality again. I slowly opened my eyes. The blinding lights made my vision slightly blurry. The sun streamed in through the windows. White curtains billowed in the wind. I rubbed my hurting forehead. After a long time, my eyes shot open. Wasn¡¯t I¡­ dead? I pressed myself up and stared at the man lying next to me in a daze. Seeing the unfamiliar surroundings and man, I instinctually screamed. My hands missed the mattress, and I almost fell out of bed. Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me back up. Breathing wildly, I looked at the hand in confusion. Blotches of scars covered his hand from the back of his palm all the way to his forearm. His defined muscles looked great when flexed. The man was lying across the bed on his stomach. The scars on his back were even scarier, but the muscr lines seemed to beautify the fierceness. 21. ate 50 His dark hair was soft and slightly long. It was ruffled messily atop his head. I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, so I could only force myself to calm down. The untucked covers covered his lower half. His gorgeous back dimples were on full disy, and so was his round bottom¡­. Even if I was stupid, I would still be able to guess what had happenedst night. There was also a trace of red on the white bed sheets. I gaped at the red stain in surprise¡­ Then, I got out of the bed in fear. The soreness in my body and between my legs made me freeze on the spot. This was impossible¡­ Michael and I had done it a long time ago. The blood on the bed sheets¡­ Wait, wasn¡¯t I dead? Standing in this strange room, I looked to my left and right warily. When I saw the woman in the mirror, I screamed again. Who was she? I lifted my hand to touch my own face while gazing at my¡­ naked body in the mirror. Thispletely nude woman looked so unfamiliar. Her skin was smooth and wless, and her figure was curvy in all the right ces. She was absolutely stunning¡­ I felt as though I was staring at a goddess. But, who was she? And why did I wake up in her body? ¡°You¡¯re too loud¡­¡± The man in bed was awake now. He frowned unhappily and sat up. ¡°Ah!¡± Before I could properly process that I had just been reborn into another person¡¯s body, the man¡¯s face once again horrified me.. Why was it him? Chapter 51 It was Steve, the psycho from the orphanage! He was the murderer who turned himself in for killing me! What was he doing here? He gaped at me for a long time too. I came to a realization that I was naked. I picked up a towel from the floor and reached for my phone to call the police. Maybe it was due to fear, but my body wouldn¡¯t stop shaking. I fumbled for my phone in this unfamiliar environment but couldn¡¯t find it. I was like I was having a nightmare and was trying to escape with all my might, but I was powerless. Kneeling on the floor, I stared at myself in the mirror. There was a 70% resemnce with my own face. I raised my hand fearfully and touched that face in confusion. This couldn¡¯t be. I was already dead. Who was this person in the mirror? After a while, my rapid breathing slowed down. Only then did I realize that I had been reborn. I was reborn into aplete stranger¡¯s body! After a long bout of silence, I tentatively spoke up, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°You just want a child. You just want to give birth to a Lincoln¡­ You¡¯ll get what you want. If you don¡¯t want to die, then get out!¡± He snarled angrily. I could see the hidden murderous intent in his eyes. He wanted to kill me! As I thought¡­ A murderer was still a murderer. He couldn¡¯t hide the resentment and murderous intent in him. I looked at him warily. In a panic, I grabbed themp next to the bed so that I could fight back at any time. I didn¡¯t have a phone to call the police. Not to mention, I was very frightened by my current predicament. I didn¡¯t know who I was, much less why I was sleeping in the same bed as a murderer! Probably noticing my desire to kill him in my eyes, Steve¡¯s gaze also darkened. We were like two beasts that were about to bite each other at any time. Neither party dared to let their guard down. Just as I forced myself to calm down to analyze myrroundings, the door opened. A middle¨Caged man in a wheelchair was pushed in. ¡°Ms. Stephany Larson, you were screaming a lotst night.¡± The man grinned. His expression looked like he was up to no good. ¡°Mr. Ignatius agrees to a union between the Larson family and the Lincoln family. The funds he to your family are for you to give birth to a healthy heir to the Lincoln family, not for you to enjoy. yourself!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. gave I frowned in confusion. Stephany Larson? The Larson family? The Lincoln family? A union? Give birth to an heir? The middle¨Caged man left the room. I quickly followed him so that I could leave, but the nanny stopped me. ¡°Let me out! Who are you to keep me here!¡± ¡°Ms. Larson, your duty is to birth an heir for the Lincoln family in order to save your family. In order to ensure that you sessfully get pregnant during your ovtion phase this cycle, please hold on a little longer.¡± With that, she shut the door. ¡°Let me out!¡± I was mad and scared at the same time. I was desperate to find out the situation I was in. Why w was I reduced to a baby maker for this murderer? ¡°You¡¯re so noisy,¡± Steve said hoarsely, seemingly annoyed. He was looking for something. ¡°Where is it?¡± He wasn¡¯t wearing anything, and he seemed to be enraged. I was struck by his rage. It made me reevaluate this psycho. Before this, I always saw him in ill¨Cfitting shirts and baggy pants that didn¡¯t cover his ankles. I never imagined¡­ that he could look so beautiful. Objectively speaking, whether it was his body or his face, he was very gootl¨Clooking¡­ If I hadn¡¯t died once before, I would¡¯ve had a hard time linking him to the person who killed me ruthlessly. ¡°I¡¯m asking you¡­ Where is it?¡± He rushed over. He lost control and grabbed my throat. At that moment, he wanted to kill me. He seemed to be furious at me for sleeping with him and for moving his things. A feeling of suffocation overcame me, and the dark veil of death shrouded me once again. I hit him forcefully, subconsciously aiming for his neck. ¡°Stephie, if you run into a bad guy next time, hit him in the throat. This can make your opponent lose their breath, and you¡¯ll have a chance to run away. All of a sudden, my head felt like it was splitting apart. Who was teaching me self¨Cdefense? Chapter 52 Who did that familiar yet foreign voice belong to? After that car ident when I was 18 years old, who did I remember? I had this feeling that I had forgotten someone very important, but why couldn¡¯t I remember? ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steve held his throat in pain. He gave me a heated stare before searching the room in a frenzy again. Finally, under the towel, he found a bracelet. I stared at the bracelet in surprise. It was the bracelet that I gave to the thief and also the bracelet that the murderer put on his victim¡¯s body¡­. But the police had already found the victim. The bracelet should be with the police. Could it be that it was just the same design? Or could it be¡­ that the one on the corpse¡¯s wrist was fake? As Steve held the bracelet, the rage faded from his body. Instead, he found a corner to curl up in, like a wounded animal licking its injuries. I took a few deep breaths to force myself to calm down. Last night, while I was unconscious, some memories that didn¡¯t belong to me had entered my mind. They seemed to belong to the actual owner of the body. I wasn¡¯t able to fully process them just now. Now that I was calm, I finally understood. The original owner¡¯s name was Stephany Larson. She was the daughter of Charles Larson, the chairman of the Larson Group. She had been sold to the Lincoln family as though she was an object to be a babymaker. In order to save the Larson family¡¯s business, Stephany married into the Lincoln family with the clear purpose of bing a babymaker. Afterward, James Lincoln¨Cthe man in the wheelchair just now- forcefully injected her with follicle¨Cstimting hormones and aphrodisiacs¡­ Because the original owner had a heart condition, those drugs proved to be too much for her. After she was tossed into this room, she died from shock. And due to some mistake or some coincidence, I was reborn into her body. ¡°Steve?¡± I tried tomunicate with him. I knew that if I wanted to find out the truth behind these. serial killings as well as my parents¡® deaths, I had to start with him. Thus, I had to disguise myself and get a hold of the prime suspect, whom I wasn¡¯t sure was really insane or not. He looked at me. Those dark eyes looked as though they wanted to swallow me whole¨Cthey were dangerously beautiful. 273 He continued hiding in the corner while stark naked¡­ He looked like a masterpiece from the ancient legends. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. As I thought, if I hadn¡¯t known that this person was most likely a perverted murderer, I would¡¯ve been bewitched by his beauty like anyone else. His body was wless. His legs were long and muscr. Probably because he was of mixed heritage, he had paler skin than the average person here. The brutal scars on his calves and soles didn¡¯t take away from his beauty. ¡°I¡­ did this to her.¡± His long eyshes fluttered. That sort of broken beauty would easily make someone want to protect him. ¡°I¡­ did this to Stephy,¡± he repeated, looking out the window. I frowned as a derisive look shed in my eyes. Was he regretting killing me? Were murderers able to feel regret? ¡°What do we have to do in order to leave?¡± I said carefully, trying to make my voice gentle. Probably from all the shock I experienced since I woke up, I suddenly grew dizzy. I quickly crouched down. Ever since I was young, I always had this problem. Whenever I was anxious, nervous, or scared, I would show signs of low blood sugar. During those times, my father would give me a lollipop. I thought that I wouldn¡¯t feel this again after being reborn into someone else¡¯s body. But to my surprise, the feeling of low blood sugar was still evident. Maybe because I had disturbed him, he suddenly shifted his gaze toward me. His eyes were scarily heated. He stared at me for a long time, as though he wanted to see right through me. After a while, he took out a lollipop from somewhere and gave it to me. I was stunned for a moment. With my hand shaking violently, I bit back the fear and reluctance in my heart. I took the lollipop to put it in my mouth. He just stared at me quietly. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Out of the blue, he called my name. I raised my head subconsciously. ¡°Yes?¡± I wasn¡¯t even sure whether he was addressing Stephanie Carlson or Stephany Larson. Steve seemed to get worked up. With reddening eyes, he slowly walked over with restraint. Subconsciously, I felt afraid as he approached me and backed away. I forced myself to calm down and pointed at the towel on the floor. ¡°Cover yourself. Chanter 52 All of a sudden, he was very cooperative. He wrapped the towel around himself and sat across from me, gazing at me. I was astounded. Just a second earlier, he seemed like a prowling wolf. Why had he be so nice all of a sudden? As I expected, in order to gain his trust, I had to act as gently as possible in front of him. Chapter 53 ¡°You should¡­ eat.¡± Steve¡¯s hand was injured. It was obvious that someone had hurt him deliberately. Because of that, he couldn¡¯t use cutlery. He could only raise the te to his face in order to eat. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he put down the te. He hid in a corner and kept quiet. I forced myself to put on a kind face and reached toward him. ¡°Let me see your hands.¡± I had to earn his trust as much as possible. Steve was very cautious. After I stretched out my hand, he hesitated for a long time but still showed me his hands. I took the chance to flip his hands up and down and inspect them closely. Indeed, they didn¡¯t have the red birthmark that my murderer had. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t the person who actually killed me, but he was definitely rted to the murderer somehow! If he wasn¡¯t an aplice, then he was a partner. The serial killings, my parents¡® deaths, and the memories I lost after the ident¡­. There were too many truths¡­ They blurred together, yet it felt like the answer was right on the tip of my tongue. Just what was the truth? ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I looked up at Steve, trying to win his affection. was He was very quiet. His beautiful,rge eyes were filled with innocence and warmth. ¡°Who did this to your fingers?¡± I gazed at the deep, furling wounds on the pads of each of his fingers and couldn¡¯t stop myself from shuddering. The Lincolns had to all be sick in the head. No matter what, they couldn¡¯t treat him like this. ¡°It was to stop me¡­ from escaping from here.¡± Steve pointed at the window. I looked out of the window. We were on the third floor. Indeed, with his fingertips like this and the unhealed burns on the soles of his feet, he couldn¡¯t run away. I took a deep breath, feeling a bit angry. ¡°You need medicine for your wounds. Or else they¡¯ll get infected and rot! I went to the door and screamed, ¡°Open the door! If you want him to produce an heir, the least your could do is treat his wounds! Are you even human?¡± However, no one responded. Steve just stared at me. When I began to m the door with my hand anxiously, he finally said, ¡± Stephie, how did your parents die?¡± ¡°There was a car ident ¡°I nearly blurted out. But as soon as I said that, I tensed up. It was Stephanie Carlson¡¯s parents who had died in a car ident. But Stephany Larson¡¯s parents were still alive, as cruel as they were. ??? ¡°I was just saying that. I wish they¡¯d die in a car ident,¡± I exined, attempting to cover it up. Steve said nothing. Suddenly, he smiled. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± he called my name again. I turned to face him. ¡°They won¡¯t open the door.¡± Steve got up and slowly approached me. Subconsciously, I was still afraid of himing close, so I instinctually backed away. He stopped in his tracks. He was probably afraid of frightening me. After a long while, he spoke up, ¡°Do you want to¡­ leave?¡± I nodded. Of course, I did. I couldn¡¯t be locked up here to be a babymaker. I had to leave in order to find out the truth behind everything. ¡°Once you get pregnant, they¡¯ll let you out.¡± Steve picked up a pregnancy test and gave it to me. I was taken aback. Although I knew he was right, how could I¡­ I just couldn¡¯t give birth to a murderer¡¯s baby. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After a long silence, I turned around to observe the room we were locked in. Then, I went through every draw to find anything of value. When I opened the first drawer, I saw two copies of a marriage certificate. It was mine¨Cno, it was Stephany and Steve¡¯s marriage certificate. ¡°Steven Lincoln? This name¡­¡± I murmured quietly. It sounded very familiar. I tossed the marriage certificates back into the drawer. After a moment of shock, I finally processed. that those were marriage certificates! It turned out that Stephany had married this psycho! ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Seeing me in a daze, Steven called my name again. I turned around while flustered. Trying to keep my cool and gentle demeanor, I asked, ¡°W¨CWhat is it? ¡°I want a baby¡­¡± he said carefully like he was scared of spooking me. Chapter 54 ¡°I want to help you leave this ce,¡± Steven added. It was as if the only way he could think of to help me leave was to impregnate me as fast as possible. Most likely, Stephany had plotted this for a long time, so Steven also thought that she wanted a baby. ¡°When ites to these things, we can¡¯t rush into it!¡± I tried to make myself calm down and buy as much time as possible. I said gently, ¡°Children are the product of love between two people. Children who aren¡¯t born out of love are too pitiful. We¡¯re still not that close yet¡­ Steven¡¯s gaze darkened as he looked at me. Suddenly, he smiled and said seriously, ¡°We are close!¡± I gaped at him. This was the first time I would call a man ¡°bewitching¡°. His eyes were bright and sparkling, as though they contained a thousand gxies. His eyes shone like brilliant stars. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I run away, I¡¯ll bring you with me,¡± I confronted him. This person carried too many secrets. I had to get a hold of him and make him trust me. I had to first think of a way to leave so that I could find Rachel. As for Michael and Yasmin¡­. Thinking of Michael, my gaze froze over. I finally died just as he wished! Now, Michael would have nothing holding him back from living a good life with Yasmin. In that case, I wished him a few happy days with Yasmin. I wouldn¡¯t let the woman behind my murder get what she wanted! Since I had been reborn, I had to let Michael and Yasmin experience all the pain I went through! I continued ruffling through the drawers and found a first aid kit in the second drawer. Taking out the iodine and cotton buds, I called Steven over and helped him clean¡® his wounds. This version of Steven was a mystery to me. I couldn¡¯t see through him. His mysteriousness and wildness scared me. But he seemed to like looking into my eyes. I wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to see in them. However, I kept having the feeling that he was looking at someone else. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± He liked to call me by that name in his throaty yet gentle voice. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. After cleaning the wounds on his hands, I asked him, ¡°Did it hurt?¡± It had to hurt a lot. A few of his fingers were about to fester. Gazing at me, he shook his head. Then, he nodded, looking a little aggrieved. ¡°It hurt.¡± I furrowed my brows at him. His current self and the person who tried to strangle me this morning were like two different people. Did he really have multiple personality disorder? ¡°Stay strong. It¡¯ll get better in a few days. Try not to get your fingers wet for now.¡± He nodded like an obedient dog. ¡°Help me shower, Stephile.¡± My temples suddenly began to ache, and my ¡°gentle¡± mask nearly slipped. ¡°Why should 12¡± ¡°You¡¯re my wife.¡± Steven pointed at the marriage certificates, I sucked in a breath. Was this person really crazy? Or was he putting on an act? In order to test whether he was crazy, I took out a pen and paper and scrawled several math questions on it. ¡°What is 345 plus 246?¡± When Steven saw the questions, heughed. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Although I was deeply terrified of this person, every time he smiled, he had this innate¡­ charm. It made people think that he was very pure. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡± He seemed to have read my mind. Without hesitation, he wrote down the answers. I was slightly surprised. ¡°Knowing arithmetics doesn¡¯t make you smart.¡± Iv After pondering it for some time, I wrote down a very difficult advanced math question. In school, my senior and I had spent a long time on this question but weren¡¯t able to solve it. Afterward, we went to consult our teacher, who then spent a whole night trying toe up with the solution. I guessed that Steven wouldn¡¯t even understand it. I passed the paper to Steven and rested my chin in my hand. ¡°Can you solve this one?¡± Steven took a look and picked up the pen with his fingers stiffly. I was afraid that he would go crazy if he didn¡¯t understand it, so I carefullyforted him, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t understand it. I didn¡¯t know how to solve it either back then.¡± This was something I only learned when I got to college. Steven grew up in an orphanage, so there was no way¡­ Before I could say anything else, he had already scribbled the solution on the sheet messily. From the moment he looked at the question to getting the answer, he had taken less than five minutes. Chapter 55 I stared at Steven in shock. It took me a long time to process this information. I snatched the paper out of his hands and gasped¡­ I thought he had scribbled nonsense on it, but unexpectedly, it was the real answer. ¡°You¡¯ve studied this before?¡± I asked in surprise. Shock aside, I was also in disbelief. Wasn¡¯t he insane? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Steven nodded. ¡°This is simple.¡± Those words provoked me. This was impossible! Ever since I was young, I was always top of the ss. When I went to college, my professors took great pride in me. Even though I wasn¡¯t a genius by any means, I was still an excellent student. How could Steven be smarter than me? ¡°Have you seen the solution before?¡± Refusing to concede defeat, I continued writing more questions. for him. Jone However, he quickly answered correctly. Sometimes, he even wrote his answers while distracted because he would want to look at me from time to time. Despite all of this, he could stille up with an answer so quickly. This made him more than the average genius¡­ It was as though the crazy person was on his left shoulder and the genius was on his right. He could. only go between the two options. ¡°You¡­ You went to college?¡± I asked hesitantly. ¡°I went to Stamford¡­¡± he began. I gasped. He really had gone to college. ¡°When I was 14 years old. I was in the advanced sses and was scouted by the college,¡± he finished. I was speechless. Advanced sses? Why did that sound so familiar? Suddenly, my head hurt a flooded my mind. some memories Two children stood at the door of the welfare home, holding giant bouquets. There was a banner in front of the welfare center that congratted two of its children for getting into the advanced sses. I pressed my hand to my forehead, struggling to remember more. But my memory seemed to have been corrupted. To have been scouted to attend Stamford at 14 years old, Steven was indeed a genius. ¡°Then why did you sleep at the orphanage and act crazy?¡± I tried to make myself appear calm. I was getting more and more curious about Steven¡¯s secrets. This person was clearly not crazy! Had he been purposely putting on an act so that he could cover up his crimes? ¡°Stephie asked me to wait for her¡­¡± Steven lowered his gaze, and his voice sounded sad. I frowned. What? Stephie? Was he referring to Stephanie Carlson or Stephany Larson? ¡°Why are you being so nice? Is the Stephie you¡¯re referring to me?¡± I didn¡¯t fully trust the man in front of me, even if he was acting pure now. I pointed at myself to see his reaction. He looked into my eyes for a while then nodded. The person he promised was Stephany? I couldn¡¯t see through this man. Just because of a promise he made to a woman, he pretended to be mentally ill at the orphanage for so many years? This person seemed a little too stubborn. He was just like¡­ a monster in a fictional book, but ant angelic one. ¡°Was it worth it, wasting your talent to wait for someone?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°Yes!¡± Steven seemed irritated by that and continued in a serious tone, ¡°Stephie asked me to.¡± + I rubbed my forehead, Whatever. Trying to bait a mentally ill criminal into saying something useful was not easy. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going to sleep for a bit¡­¡± I had to restore my energy so that I could think of a way to get out. Steven said nothing. When he saw me go to the bathroom, he followed me too. He just kept standing behind me. When I brushed my teeth, he brushed his teeth. When I washed my face, he just watched. 1. me. When I walked out of the bathroom, he also trotted after me and theny down beside me. Thinking about how this person could either be a murderer or an aplice, my body couldn¡¯t help but go as stiff as a board. But since I had to live with this psycho for now, I just had to tolerate it. However, there was one thing I underestimated, which wa his eyes¡­ His long eyshes were enchanting. I admitted that people were unable to defend themselves against beauty. When I came back to my senses, I ultimately put my rationale first. ¡°You sleep on the floor.¡± Steven didn¡¯t protest. He just obediently got up andy down on the floor. Iy there for a while, wondering why he was suddenly listening to everything I said. The one who nearly strangled me to death this morning was him. Clearly, I was getting tired. ¡°You cane up here and sleep¡­/ can¡¯t touch me.¡± you need to promise me that you Chapter 56 Steven immediately climbed onto the bed,ying on the edge. He seemed very energetic and kept staring at me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± I was frightened by his stare. The trauma of my previous life before my death shrouded me. Although I had epted the fact that I had been reborn, it was difficult for me to sleep with the murderer. ¡°Stephie, they won¡¯t let you out unless you¡¯re pregnant.¡± He said seriously, ¡°Theye and watch us every 24 hours. And the meals we eat¡­ all have aphrodisiacs.¡± Upon hearing that, I sat up abruptly and tried to spit out what I had eaten. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me that earlier!¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless. The fragrance in the air will make us horny too¡­¡± Steven smiled sarcastically. I wondered if it was my illusion. At that moment, I felt a sense of strong coldness from him. ¡°Have you never thought about resisting? Even when they¡¯re doing this to you?¡± I asked tentatively. Was it because he was hurt and tortured by the Lincoln family that his mind distorted? Was that the reason which caused him tomit those murders? He looked into the distance and said in a low voice, ¡°I never thought that¡­ I¡¯d lose something I wanted to protect. But now, I want to resist.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand it, but I seemed to recall some memories from the deepest parts of my mind. ¡°Stephie, what do you want to do?¡± He looked back at me and asked me seriously. ¡°I want to leave. I want to¡­¡± I wanted to find the murderer. I wanted Yasmin to get retribution. I even wanted.to see Michael repent. ¡°I can ¡°Stephie, as long as you don¡¯t lie to I whatever you want.¡± Steven looked at me seriously me¡­¡± I felt a little guilty for no reason. ¡°Okay.¡± He smiled innocently. ¡°How did you hurt your throat? Where did you get the scars on your body?¡± I pretended to be rxed as I tried to understand him better. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Fire¡­ Fire in the orphanage¡­¡± He suddenly turned his back on me, only mentioning the fire in the orphanage 212 I looked at his back quietly. It turned out that when he became silent, his body could also express his NOFTOW Looking at his back, I felt his loneliness and helplessness. I subconsciously wanted to reach out to comfort him, but I was soon shocked by my own thoughts. Was I crazy? I shouldn¡¯t be deceived by this monster even though he was good¨Clooking. Unconsciously, I fell into a deep sleep. As Steven said, the fragrance in the room smelled of lust and made me hot. I almost woke up from the heat and kicked the nket irritably, forgetting that I was sleeping with a dangerous person. He covered the nket back on me, but I kicked it away several times. From beginning to end, his breathing was hot, as if he was holding back. ¡°It¡¯s so hot¡­¡± I grabbed Steven¡¯s arm, delirious. He immediately took a ss of cold water and sshed it on my face. I woke up in shock, sat up, and looked at him warily. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He looked at me seriously. ¡°If you don¡¯t consent to it, I won¡¯t touch you.¡± ¡°Is pregnancy necessary?¡± I asked irritably and then angrily picked up the ss to throw it at the door. ¡°You perverts! You¡¯re all crazy!¡± ¡°For them, having an heir exceeds moral values.¡± Steven¡¯s voice was still hoarse. The fire had destroyed his vocal cords. With such an angelic face, he should have had a beautiful voice in the past. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep. I¡¯ll be fine after I fall asleep.¡± I turned over irritably, facing away from him. He whispered hoarsely, ¡°You¡¯ve really¡­ forgotten me.¡± I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about and couldn¡¯t respond. My body was so hot and ufortable that I could only force myself to sleep. In my daze, I had a dream. In it, a delightful voice called out my name, ¡°Stephie,e here¡­¡± ¡°Steven, let¡¯s meet at the orphanage on Saturday. You can wait for me there. I want to ask you about the college entrance examination questions. ¡°Steven, wait for me at the orphanage¡­ ¡°Steven, wait for me¡­¡± Chapter 57 1 abruptly woke up and started gasping heavily. The room was already dark. The sky outside the window had also darkened. Unexpectedly, I slept all afternoon. Steven was still sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at me. I was so startled to see his gaze that my heart ached. It was hard not to be scared when I woke up and saw the murder suspect staring at me. I rubbed my eyebrows, a little confused. ¡°Don¡¯t keep staring at me. It¡¯s scary.¡± He lowered his head but soon looked up at me again. His eyes were bright under the illumination of the night light as if he wanted to see through me. I felt guilty for no reason, so I looked away. I feared that Steven would discover I wasn¡¯t the original Stephany. ¡°Dinner is here.¡± He pointed to the food on the table, asking me to finish my meal. I dared not to eat it as there must be aphrodisiacs in it. ¡°I won¡¯t eat it. I have no appetite.¡± Steven thought for a moment before saying, ¡°If you don¡¯t eat, you won¡¯t be able to stand the hunger.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand it even more after eating it¡­¡± Iined softly. He looked at me and said again seriously, ¡°I¡¯m your husband. I can help you.¡± My mouth twitched. How could he help me? ¡°You want to have a child to help the Larson family. I can help you as long as you don¡¯t lie to me. If you lie¡­ His voice was still gentle, but there was a hint of threat. I didn¡¯t know what he meant, but I felt inexplicably guilty. What did I lie to him about? Well¡­ I was hiding the fact that I wasn¡¯t the real Stephany. ¡°I don¡¯t want children. I want to escape. The Larson family¡­¡± I wanted to tell him that the Larson family had nothing to do with me, but I was upying Stephany¡¯s identity right now. ¡°Forget it.¡± If I couldn¡¯t fight, I could onlypromise. ¡°We can¡¯t leave before you¡¯re pregnant. He seemed to be coaxing me, ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m your husband.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t repeat it¡­¡± I looked at Steven warily, I had no idea that I would be married to a possible murderer, let alone that I would have to cooperate. with him to eliminate his vignce. I had never thought of handing myself to him. ¡°I can help you have a baby,¡± Steven said seriously. He analyzed it with me from a biological perspective, ¡°After ovtion, the eggs Can survive in your body for up to 24 hours, so the sperm must wait for the eggs in the uterine cavity in advance. We should have intercourse every other day.¡± I looked at him in shock. Did he know what he was saying to me with that serious look on his face? ¡°Y¨CYou¡¯re a dimwit, a tramp. How did you learn this in an orphanage?¡± I felt like I couldn¡¯t figure out who he was more and more. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t wait for me to get pregnant. Did he know that with his current situation in the Lincoln family, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to erase him after having an heir? ¡°It¡¯s the eighth hour after ovtion. We still have a chance.¡± Steven continued, ¡°It takes one to two days for fertilization and about a week for imntation. It¡¯ll also take at least seven days before the HCG in the urine can be detected with a pregnancy test strip¡­ So Stephie, if you want to leave, it¡¯ll take 14 days at the earliest before they can get the results.¡± I looked at the man who was like an encyclopedia. I leaned slumped against the bed and thought about the current situation. I was trapped in this cage¨Clike room by the Lincoln family. They treated me as a babymaker. My situation wasn¡¯t much different from before I died. Life was like a dream, and mine was tragic. I stared at the ceiling. All I could think about was the murderer, Yasmin, and Michael. I wanted to see them brought to justice and receive retribution. I was eager to recover my lost memories to find out my parents¡® cause of death. But now, I was trapped, in this room. Was there no other way but to get pregnant? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Did I have to ept such a fate? Chapter 58 ¡°Is there no other way?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Steven stared at me. For a moment, I felt that not only was he not stupid, but he was even as clever as a fox. He was just waiting for me to step into his trap. Maybe it was my misunderstanding that I thought I was the hunter and he was the prey. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Steven said seriously, ¡°Tomato juice can make two lines appear on the pregnancy test strip, which blood can temporarily deceive them. But the Lincoln family has a family doctor. They¡¯ll take your after they take you out. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to hide your fake pregnancy then. Unless you¡¯re sure you can escape from them after leaving here.¡± It would¡¯ve been better for him not to mention such a method. It was useless. Of course, I was unsure. I didn¡¯t even know what it was like outside. ¡°How do you know so much? What did you major in in Stamford?¡± He didn¡¯t answer me. Right then, my stomach growled with hunger, but I still refused to eat. After carefully sorting out Stephany¡¯s memories, I discovered that the Larson family had investigated Steven before she married him. He majored in chemistry and minored in medicine, finance, andputer. He was also proficient in multiplenguages. He was a very rare genius. Holding my head, I nced at Steven as I wondered why the Lincoln family wasted such a genius. No wonder they wanted to keep his genes¨Che was excellent. He looked at me. ¡°Do you need a child?¡± He didn¡¯t seem to feel shy or ashamed at all. I choked. ¡°Let me consider it.¡± He nodded, looking at the time. ¡°You still have eight hours to consider. If you¡¯rete, your chances of conception will decrease.¡± I copsed on the bed. What sins had Imitted? I dared not close my eyes now. I would think of the past as long as I closed my eyes. Those memories were like hell, constantly torturing and eroding my soul. ¡°Stephie, eat something. Eggs are fine.¡± Steven peeled a boiled egg for me. 272 He seemed to worry that I would feel disgusted with him and added nervously, ¡°I¡¯ve washed my hands¡± I quickly took the egg and ate it. I was too hungry. I was curious. Did Stephany starve to death? Lying on the bed, I looked at Steven, who was still peeling eggs. I asked tentatively, ¡°Steven, have your ever thought about your future? Are you going to be controlled by others your whole life? You¡¯re capable. Don¡¯t you want to resist?¡± He didn¡¯t speak, but he nodded after a long time. ¡°I will resist.¡± He was boring, but he was indeed good¨Clooking. Did there really exist a person in the world who had an angelle face but a devilish heart? He was a rare genius who had been scouted by Stamford. He was the one that the Lincoln family shouldpete for. Why did he end up like this? How many secrets did he have? Why did he fall from a genius to a crazy and mentally disabled person? He was even forced by the Lincoln family to continue the family line. ¡°Let¡¯s have a baby,¡± I thought for a long time and suddenly figured out something. If I got pregnant, I would be the person the Lincoln family needed to protect the most. After all, I would be giving birth to an heir they needed to carry on their family line. With this identity, I could use their power to help myself. Chapter 59 I was trapped in the Lincoln family¡¯s vi for about 13 days. Every day, I kept thinking about the murderer¡¯s motive, path, method, and all possibilities. I heard vaguely from the helpers of the Lincoln family that the murder case had been closed. Although Steven surrendered, the Lincoln family balled him out and trapped him at home by using his mental problems as an excuse. I knew he wasn¡¯t the only perpetrator. At the very least, my murderer was someone else. I was sure that there must be some kind of rtionship between him and the person who killed me. But after so many days, I didn¡¯t manage to get any clues from him. Perhaps he was too good at pretending. He did nothing but stare at me in a daze every day. I wrote on a sheet of paper, analyzing the murderer¡¯s motive and all the suspicious points in my memories. I wanted to help Zion catch the murderer. If the murderer wanted to kill the girls who got adopted and left the orphanage, the only survivor of those girls in red dresses was Yasmin. ¡°Ms. Larson, Mr. James wants to see you,¡± The nanny knocked on the door and asked me to go over. This morning, I handed a pregnancy test strip with two lines to the nanny. James should be looking for me regarding this matter. s1 Steven was right. As long as I was pregnant, I could get out. The nanny waited outside the door while I changed my clothes. When I left, Steven didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You¡­¡± Upon walking to the door, I looked back at him. Forget it. Before I found out the truth, it was safest for him to remain locked up by the Lincoln family. What if he went out to kill people again? I had never really been able to trust him. ¡°I¡¯ll find you¡­¡± As I was walking outside, I vaguely heard Steven say that. When I looked back, the nanny had already closed the door and was locking several big locks. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too exaggerated?¡± I asked. The nanny whispered, ¡°Ms. Larson, you¡¯re truly impressive for being able to stay in there with him for so long. You have no idea how scary he is¡­ He has killed people!¡± 272 She looked around hesitatingly before continuing, ¡°Mr. Lincoln Senior has found women for him before. You¡¯re the luckiest. The others have been scared crazy.¡± I ignored her words, not caring about the Lincoln family¡¯s birth n. Arriving in the living room on the first floor, I saw James on the couch. Ignatius was also there. ¡°Is she pregnant?¡± Ignatius spoke first. ¡°It seems to be the case¡­¡± The nanny handed him the pregnancy test strip that showed two lines, He didn¡¯t look at it. ¡°Take Stephie to have her blood drawn. Let Dr. Adrian check on her.¡± I kept my head down and didn¡¯t speak to avoid saying anything wrong. ¡°Dr. Adrian said that you need to draw blood to check your HCG levels. You also need to take a B- ultrasound. The conditions at home are limited. It¡¯s best to do it in the hospital.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief. Once at the hospital, I had a chance to escape. Ignatius was in a good mood and looked at me. ¡°Go ahead. Be careful.¡± I nodded and still didn¡¯t speak. He then looked at James. ¡°Stephie is a blessed one. You must treat the child as yours after it¡¯s born.¡± James smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± I lowered my head and sneered secretly. How could James treat the child of others as his own? ¡°Take care of Stephie well. She¡¯s now our hero,¡± Ignatius said happily. ¡°About my family¡­¡± I asked tentatively, fearing that others would suspect I wasn¡¯t the actual Stephany. The reason why Stephany came to the Lincoln family was to help Larson Group tide over the difficulties. If I ignored the Larson family, they would be suspicious of me. Ignatius said nothing while James said unhappily, ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Your family will get their benefits once the child is born safely.¡± I nodded and left with the nanny. Chapter 60 This unborn child would be the key to saving my life. I arrived at Huma Hospital with the nanny and driver. I stood still for a long time after getting out of the car. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The hospital and its surroundings felt familiar to me. I wasn¡¯t dreaming. I had returned with a new identity. ¡°The autopsy report is out. Stephanie was indeed pregnant when she died. She was pregnant¡­¡± In the hospital corridor, I saw familiar figures¨CZion and Rachel. My legs stiffened, and my breathing quickened. My eyes reddened as I opened my mouth. I tried to say something, but no sound came out. I wished I could rush over to hug Rachel and reveal my true identity. But I could never live the same life while holding a different identity than Stephanie. ¡°It¡¯s Michael! I want to kill him! Let me go! Let me kill him!¡± Rachel was on the verge of copsing, desperately wanting to kill Michael. Zion tried to stop her without making anyments. Rachel shouted in desperation as she struggled forcefully, ¡°Let me go! Let me kill him! Why are they still alive? Why? Yasmin and Michael killed Stephie. You¡¯re a policeman. Why don¡¯t you arrest them? Go arrest them!¡± Zion continued to block her silently. The atmosphere became tense. My legs felt numb as I attempted to move forward. My steps were burdened by an unusual heaviness. Rachel¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Larson, this way.¡± The nanny ran back to guide me toward the doctor¡¯s office. I turned to see Rachel. It seemed that Rachel had spotted me as well. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Rachel pushed Zion aside, scanning the crowd for me. I stood at the doorway, observing Rachel as she passed by. I almost forgot that I was no longer Stephanie, even though Stephany¡¯s appearance was simr to mine. ¡°Rachel.¡± Zion chased after Rachel and grasped her wrist. ¡°Please, go back first.¡± ¡°Zion, you¡¯re a policeman. You¡¯re aware of the numerous suspicious aspects of this case. How could Steve possibly be the murderer? It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s taking the me for someone else. The real murderer is still out there. ¡°Yasmin is highly suspicions. Why did all the red¨Cdressed girls die while she alone survived?¡± Rachel nervously looked at Zion, imploring him to solve the case quickly. Zion lowered his eyes, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate the case thoroughly¡­ Despite hismitment to aprehensive investigation, there were numerous uncontroble factors in this case. ¡°Did you know that Steve once struggled with a mental illness? He was a genius boy from that orphanage. Do you know why the orphanageter changed its name to Double Stars Welfare Home? ¡°The term ¡®Double Stars¡® signifies two genius boys. One of the genius boys was Steve, and another died in a fire many years ago, Simmy.¡± Rachel shared her findings with Zion. 1 stood by the door, listening quietly. The name Double Stars Welfare Home sounded familiar to me. Suddenly, a headache swept over me, apanied by shes of memory fragments crossing my mind. However, I couldn¡¯t make the connection to these fragments. ¡°How could a genius end up like this?¡± Rachel wondered why Steven had turned from being a genius to a madman. 1 I had the same question as Rachel in my mind. Steven definitely would not share the story behind it. I refrained from asking Rachel more, fearing it might scare her. Zion said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Rachel looked around. ¡°I think I saw Stephie a moment ago¡­ Zion took a deep breath and pulled Rachel away. 1 I sneakily hid by the door, watching Rachel leave before turning into the consultation room. ¡°Dr. Adrian, is my child developing normally?¡± That was another patient in the consultation room. That patient¡¯s voice made me tense up. It was Yasmin! Looking up, I found that Yasmin was seated next to the doctor, with Michael apanying her for the prenatal check¨Cup. I sneered. They seemed to be leading a happy life. Chapter 61 Michael appeared expressionless, as cool as he usually was. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Yasmin, on the other hand, seemed happy. She looked down at her abdomen, seemingly anticipating their child¡¯s birth. I scoffed sarcastically. How would Michael have dealt with my unborn child if I hadn¡¯t died? Would Michael have forced me to have an abortion, or would he have ended our child¡¯s life. personally? Michael was capable of anything. He and Yasmin turned their gazes toward me simultaneously. Perhaps myughter had caught their attention. Their eyes disyed a moment of surprise. Michael approached me with a pale face. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± I frowned. Despite Stephany bearing a slight resemnce to me, it was unlikely for Michael to mistake her for me. ¡°Who are you?¡± Michael took a step back dejectedly after staring at me for a long time. Clutching my fists, I whispered while walking past Michael, ¡°Crazy people.¡± ¡°Michael, she¡¯s not Stephie. You¡¯ve mistaken her¡­¡± Yasmin feigned sadness and held Michael¡¯s arm. ¡°Michael, the deceased won¡¯te back. You can¡¯t let yourself stay demotivated. Even if concerned about yourself, think about our child.¡± l not I felt my feet grow numb as I walked. I suppressed the urge to turn around and confront the despicable couple. ¡°Doctor, this is Mrs. Lincoln. The blood test results are in. Please take a look.¡± The nanny handed over the results. I could feel an intense gaze on me while sitting in the chair, which made me ufortable. What was Michael looking at? ¡°Michael, let¡¯s go.¡± Yasmin pulled Michael away. Michael turned to look at me. He continued to murmur even as they left the consultation room, she really not Stephie?¡± ¡°Is Michael pushed away Yasmin¡¯s hand and walked ahead. ¡°Are you satisfied now? There was a child in Stephie¡¯s womb. It was my child,¡± he kept muttering. I could hear his voice even in the consultation room. His words made me feel disgusted. ¡°HCG levels are still low, so we need to monitor for a while. We must determine whether the pregnancy is intrauterine or ectopic. If there are no otherplications, you can safely continue with the pregnancy.¡± Dr. Adrian smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Everything looks fine.¡± I nodded, held the test results, and left the room. Suddenly, I covered my mouth as I felt nauseated. Ignoring the bodyguards and nanny waiting outside, I rushed to the restroom. Upon entering the restroom, I scanned my surroundings. Luckily, I found the window was slightly open, which provided me with an opportunity to slip away. I quickly left the hospital by climbing out the window. I needed to meet with Rachel before being caught by the Lincoln family¡¯s bodyguards. Rachel was the only person I could trust in this world. Only she could recognize my identity. Before I could go far, the Lincoln family¡¯s bodyguards started chasing after me. I felt so annoyed with their presence. Just as I was about to find a hiding spot, a hand suddenly grabbed me into a car and covered my mouth. I turned in panic to find Michael beside me. I felt disgusted upon seeing him. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± I stared at Michael cautiously. ¡°Nothing¡­ I won¡¯t harm you. I just want to help¡­¡± He raised his hands to show that he was harmless. $ I noticed that Michael appeared to have aged significantly in a short period. He looked thinner and less sharp than before. I avoided eye contact with him. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡± Chapter 62 Michael smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re running. But if you step away now, they¡¯ll definitely take you away.¡± 1 leaned back in the seat and asked, ¡°Got nothing better to do?¡± Indeed, having Michael take me out was an option. ¡°Yeah.¡± Michael nodded. Lowering my voice, 1 said, ¡°Take me out of the hospital.¡± Michael didn¡¯t refuse my request and signaled the driver to go. I crouched on the floor of the car, avoiding the people outside. Michael sat next to me, blocking the view of the people outside. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± After leaving the hospital, Michael had the driver stop the car in a safe ce. I looked out of the car window and nced at Michael. ¡°Why are you helping me? Michael stared at me for a long time. ¡°You remind me of someone I know.¡± ¡°Someone you know?¡± Iughed, feeling increasingly nauseous. How disgusting! For whom was he putting on this affectionate act? ¡°This is my business card. Feel free to reach out if you encounter any trouble in the future.¡± Michael handed me a business card. I epted the card and got out of the car. As Michael¡¯s car drove away, I tore the card into pieces and threw them into the trash. ¡°I¡¯ll get my revenge on all of you¨CMichael, Yasmin, and also the murderer.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Leaving the alley, I tied my hair up and wore a hat. I walked away with my head down. After passing through several streets, I borrowed a phone from a coffee shop and dialed Rachel¡¯s number. Meeting Rachel directly wasn¡¯t an option. It would be too obvious. I had to make here out to see 1. me. ¡°Hello?¡± Rach¡¯s familiar voice echoed through the phone. Her voice was strained from crying daily. ¡± Who are you looking for?¡± My eyes instantly turned red. I leaned on the table, trembling all over. ¡°If you want to know how your best friend, Stephanie lied, keep quiet. Come alone to the coffee shop on the corner near Mansion 13. Cheer Rachel suddenly became alert upon hearing my words. ¡°Who are you?¡± I remained silent, fearing that I might burst into tears if I spoke. She nervously asked again, ¡°Who are you?¡± I covered my mouth, suppressing the tears. I hung up the phone before handing it back to the waiter. Iy on the table and cried for a long time. After about 15 minutes, Rachel arrived. I chose this caf¨¦ because it was close to her home. Also, we often came here when my mood was low. It had be our secret meeting ce. It seemed Rachel came in a hurry as she was wearing slippers. She alertly looked around to search for the person who had called her. ¡°Over here.¡± I waved to her. She looked at me cautiously and came over quickly. ¡°You¡­¡± She stared into my eyes for a long time, as if wanting to say that I looked a lot like Stephanie. She asked me softly, ¡°Do you know the cause of my best friend¡¯s death?¡± Her eyes turned red. I nodded and looked around. ¡°If we haven¡¯t gotten married by the time we¡¯re 30 and haven¡¯t found suitable partners, we¡¯ll abandon everything and embark on a six¨Cmonth journey abroad. ¡°If we still haven¡¯t found a life partner by the age of 40, we¡¯ll forgo marriage. Instead, we¡¯ll purchase a small house in Southvis City and spend our days together. If we¡¯re financially well¨Coff, we¡¯ll adopt a child¡­¡± Rachel¡¯s gaze at me slowly turned into surprise. She covered her mouth while trembling all over.¡± You¡­ Who are you?¡± Chapter 63 ¡°Rach, do you believe in souls?¡± 1 anxiously looked at Rachel, unsure if she would believe me. ¡°I¡¯m Stephanle¡­¡± Rachel was in shock for a long time. With a hand over her mouth, she didn¡¯t say a word for a while, Maybe my exnation was too forced and unbelievable. ¡°What do you want?¡± Rachel frowned after a long time had passed. She appeared somewhat angry. ¡°How do you know all that? Why are you limpersonating Stephanie? Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± She looked at me with caution, as if wondering if I was a suspect or an aplice. It was indeed challenging for anyone to ept someone suddenly appearing and iming to be their deceased friend. ¡°Rx, rx.¡± I quickly raised my hands, making a calming gesture, Rachel was stunned for a moment and grew more cautious, She was probably wondering why I knew so much about Stephanie¡¯s secrets. ¡°Do you suspect me of being one of the murderers or an aplice? Do you think I did something to Stephanie before her death, forced her to reveal the secrets between you, and then came to deceive you?¡± I voiced Rachel¡¯s doubts. She remained silent, maintaining her caution. feel free to ask me any questions. Ask about the I raised my hands as I exined, ¡°If you think so, secrets only you and Stephanie know. Stephanie couldn¡¯t have told other people all her secrets. I am Stephanie¡­¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes reddened. Perhaps she was hoping that I was Stephanie, but we were both atheists. How could we believe that someone had reincarnated into another person? Such a plot was typically found only in novels. ¡°I have Stephanie¡¯s bank cards with me.¡± Rachel cautiously looked at me. I said, ¡°There are two cards. One is my schrship card, and the other is my sry card. ¡°The schrship card has over 30 thousand, and the sry card has 10 thousand, which I earned for Michael and Yasmin¡¯s wedding gift. There¡¯s also a joint card for our donation to the orphanage. I once wished Michael and Yasmin a happy andsting marriage. Unfortunately, they only take my life. My eyes shed with a hint of resentment as I talked about Michael and Yasmin. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Rachel asked again, ¡°Stephanie had stic surgery. Which part did she modify?¡± wanted to I was annoyed by Rachel¡¯s question. Women blessed with natural beauty often disliked receiving comments about having undergone stic surgery. ¡°I was born beautiful. Did I need stic surgery? I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the wrong answer. I apanied her for eysh extensions.¡± Rachel waved her hand. I was left speechless by her words. ¡°Rachel, are eysh extensions considered stic surgery? I remember you brought me to that beauty salon where the extensions didn¡¯t match the length of my naturalshes. ¡°As a result, myshes fell into my eyes, causing me to get conjunctivitis.¡± Rachel looked at me with some uncertainty. ¡°Where did you get your eysh extensions done?¡± ¡°I went to Beauty Magic on Sisilia Street. The moment I walked in, the salespersonplimented my looks and praised my skin ¡°She even suggested semi¨Cpermanent eyeliner and eyebrows, saying I wouldn¡¯t need makeup in the future.¡® Rachel tightened her grip on her cup of water as she continued to ask, ¡°Did Stephanie love Michael?¡± I held my breath for a moment and replied slowly, ¡°Stephanie no longer loved Michael. If she still did, then all the pain she endured would be justified.¡± Rachel averted her gaze, wiping away her tears. ¡°I¡¯ll temporarily believe that you have some connection with Stephanie. ¡°But I find it hard to believe that you¡¯re Stephanie herself. So, just be straightforward with me. What want?¡± do you ¡°Yasmin killed me¡­¡± Fearful that Rachel wouldn¡¯t ept it, I revised my words. ¡°Yasmin killed Stephanie. She intentionally asked Stephanie to go to Sunset Alley on the 15th. She didn¡¯t inform anyone else and deceived Stephanie into going there. In the end, Stephanie was killed by the murderer.¡± Rachel turned abruptly to look at me. ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have evidence, but I¡­ Stephanie¡¯s phone has a recording of a call with Yasmin. Hasn¡¯t the police retrieved the data?¡± Rachel frowned. ¡°Data recovery isplicated. It¡¯s not as simple as you might think. It takes some time.¡± I nodded. ¡°Once the phone recording is recovered, Yasmin won¡¯t be able to escape. She knows that.¡± Chapter 64 ¡°You know a lot.¡± Rachel looked at me suspiciously. ¡°What exactly are you nning?¡± I said firmly, ¡°I want to make Yasmin and Michael pay for what they¡¯ve done to me. ¡°Michael has always seen Yasmin as a kind woman, right? Let¡¯s expose Yasmin¡¯s hypocritical mask and reveal her true colors to Michael.¡± ¡°We?¡± Rachel sneered. ¡°How can you be so sure I¡¯ll help you?¡± ¡°You will. You know what Stephanie went through in the Ford family. You also know that Yasmin falsely used her.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. 1 added confidently, ¡°For the sake of your good friend, you¡¯ll help me.¡± ¡°What should we do first?¡± Rachelpromised as she harbored strong animosity toward Michael and Yasmin. I passed a note to Rachel. ¡°Stephanie didn¡¯t push Yasmin down the stairs, and Jack witnessed it. They lied. Jack clearly saw that Stephanie wasn¡¯t the one who pushed Yasmin.¡± ¡°Jack and Yasmin are on the same boat. Even if he saw it, he wouldn¡¯t tell the truth.¡± Rachel frowned. ¡°Jack is a coward. Let¡¯s stage a scenario to scare him, and he¡¯ll tell everything. Then, call Michael and Yasmin over.¡± I wanted to create a show that would expose Yasmin¡¯s true colors to Michael. I wanted to gradually ruin their so¨Ccalled true love. I wanted Yasmin to never get what she wanted. Yasmin and Michael needed to face the consequences they deserved. ¡°I have to go¡­¡± A few people were searching for someone outside the window. Clearly, they were the bodyguards of the Lincoln family. I couldn¡¯t be away for too long. The Lincoln family might be suspicious. Rachel frowned as she asked, ¡°How can I reach you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact you.¡± I stood up, preparing to leave. ¡°I trust you because you were able to answer my questions, indicating Stephanie¡¯s genuine trust in you¡­¡± Rachel¡¯s voice was hoarse. I nodded. ¡°Wait for my updates.¡± Leaving the caf¨¦, I hailed a taxi and returned to the Lincoln residence. I brought along some baby products. Ignatius¡® expression soured as he stood in the yard. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°Grandpa, I was happy, so I went to the shopping mall near the hospital to buy things for my child. ¡°Although it¡¯s still early, buying baby products in advance symbolizes good luck. It¡¯s my wish for the child to have a safe and smooth birth.¡± I smiled, trying tofort the old man in front of me. This old man didn¡¯t seem like a kind person. I felt uneasy just looking at him. Ignatius sneered and didn¡¯t say much. ¡°You¡¯re now carrying the Lincoln family¡¯s child. This child¡¯s sessful birth is thepletion of your mission, understand?¡± I quickly nodded obediently. ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Alright, go back to your room and rest.¡± I followed the nanny upstairs, but she led me to a different room. ¡°Aren¡¯t we staying together anymore?¡± The nanny said disdainfully, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. It might not be safe for you to continue living with that lunatic.¡± They didn¡¯t care much about Steven. ¡°No matter what, he¡¯s still the Lincoln family¡¯s scion and the father of my child. Is it fair to criticize him like this? ¡°If Mr. Lincoln Senior finds out, he might think you¡¯re jinxing the child in my belly. What if my child. turns out to be a lunatic too¡­¡± I lowered my voice to threaten the nanny. The nanny¡¯s face changed slightly as she quickly lowered her head. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, you¡¯re right.¡± Passing by Steven¡¯s room, I suddenly stopped when I heard sounds of violence and suppression coming from the room. I turned to the nanny. ¡°What are they doing?¡± ¡°That mad¡­ Mr. Steven tried to escape today, but he got caught. Mr. Andy is giving him a lesson.¡± The nanny nced around cautiously. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mrs. Lincoln. We don¡¯t need to intervene.¡® I felt worried as I recalled the injuries on Steven¡¯s body. I abruptly stopped after taking a few steps. I turned to walk toward the room and forcefully pushed open the door. Chapter 65 Inside the room, James had given themand for Steven to be beaten up. To put it kindly, he just didn¡¯t want Steven to get out and hurt anybody. To put it more directly, he just wanted to let out his anger on Steven. However, it was obvious that he was holding back and didn¡¯t dare to actually kill Steven. After all, the baby in my belly might not be birthed sessfully. I knew that James was just waiting f?r me to give birth to my baby. Once that happened, he would kill Steven andpletely wipe out the so¨Ccalled ck sheep of the Lincoln family. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± James asked in a low voice. ¡°Things are getting violent. You should rest up since you¡¯re still pregnant.¡± He instructed a helper, ¡°Take her downstairs.¡± Steven held his head in his hands, but his gaze was full of hatred and murderous intent. I knew he would never give in. He wouldn¡¯t give in even if they beat him to death. ¡°I went to the hospital today, and the doctor said my hormones are imbnced. I need the father of my child to spend more time with me andfort me so that my hormone levels can go back to normal. Otherwise, I might have a miscarriage,¡± I said quietly, looking fearful. James scoffed coldly. ¡°Is that so?¡± The nanny hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, I followed Mrs. Lincoln to her appointment.¡± The nanny needed James¡® protection, and she wouldn¡¯t argue with me over such trivial matters. James scoffed coldly again and was pushed in his wheelchair next to me. ¡°Dress up properly tonight. You¡¯ve earned some respect after bearing a child for the Lincoln family. Dad wants to introduce you to everyone, so you should go get ready.¡± My heart skipped a beat as I turned to look at the nanny. Softly, she said, ¡°Mr. Lincoln Senior invited all the VIPS in Oceanville because he¡¯s¡¯overjoyed by the news. You¡­ You should be on high alert tonight.¡± Everyone who was anyone in Oceanville would be attending tonight. I took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°You can step out first. If Grandpa asks about me, tell him I¡¯m having morning sickness and that my hormones are imbnced. I need to spend some time with the baby¡¯s father.¡± ¡°Is he going to believe that? What if he asks the doctor?¡± the nanny asked nervously. ¡°He won¡¯t. Even if he does, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I was pregnant. As long as I wasn¡¯t asking for anything ridiculous, he would say yes. The nanny nodded and left. I went back into the room and closed the door. ¡°If the child¡¯s birth is a sess, they¡¯ll kill you,¡± I said quietly. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Steven sat in the corner silently. He was covered in injuries, and fresh blood was dripping from the corner of his eye. I took the first aid kit out and helped him clean and dress his injuries. He remained as still as a statue, and even his expression remained the same. What a lunatic. Couldn¡¯t he feel any pain? ¡°What do you think? Are you going to be a sitting duck, or are you going to take up my offer to work together?¡± I asked softly. ¡°I¡¯ll work with you,¡± he finally uttered after a long pause. I looked at the gash next to his eye and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll let you out the minute I get a chance.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Steven said. ¡°Once James is dead, that old git will let me out. If James was dead, then Ignatius would need a recement heir for Lincoln Group. After all, my baby hadn¡¯t been born yet. If Lincoln Groupnded in an outsider¡¯s hands, it would be much harder to get it back. By then, Steven would have the chance to take the role of the only remaining heir of the Lincoln family. ¡°A¨CAre you talking about murder?¡± I asked without thinking. Was he about to show his true colors? Steven¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°He¡¯s not worth it.¡± Steven¡¯s gaze betrayed his disdain. It was as if he was saying that James wasn¡¯t worth getting his hands dirty for. I was suddenly a bit scared of how different Steven was when he was serious. He didn¡¯t look like a lunatic anymore. Instead, he seemed like the devil himself. ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± I wanted to know what he was up to. ¡°All you need to do is protect yourself,¡± Steven said, leaving my question unanswered. I didn¡¯t dare to ask any more questions about it. I was nning to leave after helping him dress all his injuries. Chapter 66 ¡°Steph,¡± Steven called out. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re over it, right?¡± He stared into my eyes. Feeling self¨Cconscious, I murmured, ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Forget about him, Steph. He¡¯s not worth it.¡± It was a strange thing for Steven to say. 1 looked at Steven in panic. Who was he talking about? If I remembered it correctly, Stephany did have an ex¨Cboyfriend who was also an asshole. He was even worse than Michael. Was Steven talking about him? I didn¡¯t try to exin and left with my head hanging low. Steven¡¯s gaze was always deep and entrancing like a ck hole. I didn¡¯t have the guts to look back. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, this jewelry and dress is from Mr. James. He said that you have to be the most outstanding person at the party tonight since you¡¯re part of the Lincoln family now,¡± the nanny said with an envious expression as she walked into the room with an expensive custom¨Cmade gown and some jewelry. I scoffed coldly. James never had any good intentions. Butter wouldn¡¯t melt in his mouth. I looked closely at the gown and essories. They were expensive, and just one ne set cost upward of tens of millions. I went to the mirror and began to freshen up simply. ¡°Everyone attending today is a very important figure. You really have to make sure you look your best so that Mr. Lincoln Senior won¡¯t be embarrassed,¡± the nanny reminded me. I knew how huge Ignatius¡® ego was, so I began to put a bit more effort into my appearance. I put on some makeup and wore the strapless gown that had been prepared for me. The dress had an extremely low neckline, which only served to entuate Stephany¡¯s already perfect figure. I looked at my reflection. It honestly didn¡¯t seem far¨Cfetched to call myself a modern Venus. Stephany¡¯s beauty couldn¡¯t be argued with. She was so stunning that she stood out even in the entertainment industry. ¡°Beautiful,¡± the nanny couldn¡¯t help but utter. My expression was bitter, though. The extremely low neckline exposed James¡® real sick intentions. As expected, men were all animals, even if said man was wheelchair¨Cbound. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, a loud bout of apuse came from the doorway. I turned to see James pping from his wheelchair. ¡°Wow, I have to admit Dad has good taste. He never disappoints with his choices. How stunning. Simply breathtaking.¡± Hispliments made me want to throw up. I looked at him cautiously and smiled. ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Uncle James.¡± I I made sure to rify our rtionship so that he would finally get the hint. Sadly, his heart wasn¡¯t in the right ce to begin with. James looked at the nanny and said, ¡°You can leave. I have something to tell her.¡± The nanny hesitated for a moment, but she didn¡¯t dare to object. She left and even closed the door behind her. I looked at him, still cautious. With a frown, I asked, ¡°What do you have to tell me?¡± ¡°Steph, you¡¯re a smart girl. You should know better than anyone who the real heir to the Lincoln family fortune is, right?¡± James stood up from his wheelchair and approached me. I stared at him in shock. Wasn¡¯t he handicapped? Could he walk the whole time? What was he doing in a wheelchair, then? He might as well have just skipped right to lying in a coffin. ¡°Uncle James, what are you trying to say? I don¡¯t get it.¡± I stepped back and away from him. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to have to be with a lunatic. If only I¡­¡± he trailed off and gritted his teeth as his eyes shone evilly. It was as if he was recalling a hateful memory. James was infertile and weak. That was an ongoing joke among everyone in Oceanville. I had heard Michael and the othersugh at James before, talking about how the Lincoln family was burdened by the sickly disappointment that was James. He had mistreated his body in his younger years and was now suffering the consequences of it. They joked that he would die because of women one day. ¡°Steph, once that kid is born, that lunatic will be useless. Dad doesn¡¯t have any other heirs. I¡¯m the only one left. If you join me, you¡¯ll be able to live out the rest of your days in luxury. Do you understand?¡± James was no longer trying to hide his true colors andid everything out on the table. He reached out in a wicked attempt to grab my dress. I wanted to dodge his hand, but he caged me against the vanity. Chapter 67 I had nowhere to run and was forced to go with the flow. ¡°What are you trying to do, Uncle James?¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a pity for you to have to stay together with that lunatic,¡± James said with a chuckle. ¡°We have plenty of time ahead of us. You might as well ditch him and date me instead.¡± ¡°But the doctor just told me I¡¯m pregnant. Grandpa really cares about this baby. What if the baby doesn¡¯t make it?¡± I said with a smile. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good, would it, Uncle James? You can wait for a little while longer, right?¡± James narrowed his eyes, clearly enjoying my reply. He reached out and held my chin with one hand. ¡°What a little vixen you are.¡± My smile was bing forced as I tried to hold back my disgust. How could someone like him still be living so brazenly? ¡°Okay, I have plenty of time. Let¡¯s wait,¡± he said before leaning in closer with his hand still on my chin. 1 frowned as I tried to dodge him, but that made him annoyed. ¡°What? Not even a kiss? Come on. You can¡¯t lead people on and then act all shy and innocent.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. He was starting to lose his patience, but I was starting to not be able to keep up my facade. Suddenly, right as I was panicking and at a loss for what to do, I heard a loud crashing noise. I saw that someone had knocked James out with a wooden pole. I looked at Steven in shock. ¡°H¨CHow did you get out?¡± His expression was bitter and dark. His gaze was murderous, and he paid no attention to me. Instead, he lifted the wooden stick again and prepared to swing it down on James¡® head. He was trying to kill him. ¡°Steven!¡± I quickly stopped him. ¡°Are you trying to kill him?¡± I could sense that Steven was actually aiming to kill. I started to seriously suspect that he was one of the murderers. Still, I couldn¡¯t just watch him murder someone in front of me. ¡°Grandpa will kill you if you actually kill him. Calm down.¡± H Steven¡¯s murderous gazended on me, and some of the rage faded from his eyes. ¡°Heid his hands on you. He deserves to die.¡± I froze. That sentence seemed so familiar. Back when I was still a wandering soul, he had said the same thing after viciously beating up the asshole next to Michael. ¡°If youy a hand on her, you¡¯re dead.¡± Back then, diche¡¯s know why he would kill someone for me even though we didn¡¯t know each other. I So it wasn¡¯t for me but for Stephany but ¡°Mrs. Lincoln ¡°The nanny came to call me to go downstairs, Inst when she saw that Steven was out and James was unconscious on the floor, she screamed and can out I My expression became somber as I reached out to grab Steven¡¯s hand pulled him back into the room and said, ¡°Don¡¯te out I got this Steven looked at me the wanted to say something, but he only managed to open his mouth. 1 shook my head at him and shut the door before standing outside. Soon enough, Ignatius rushest upstairs with a few bodyguards behind him. ¡°Where¡¯s that little bastard? Find him now!¡± ¡°Please calm down, Grandpa,¡± I said as 1 quickly approached him and stopped him from going any further. ¡°Just now, Uncle James tried to assault me. I was worried that something would happen to the baby, so I ran into the room. Steven instinctively acted to protect his child, Thank heavens he was there, or the baby¡­¡± 1 trailed off as I put my acting skills to good use and began to sob. Ignatius knew best what kind of person James was, I was betting on the chance that Ignatius cared more about the heir in my belly. After all, Steven had been a genius before he went insane. Apart from that, James was infamous for being a pervert. If he hadn¡¯t wasted his youth away by sleeping around so much, he might still be fertile and not a failure who couldn¡¯t even make a test¨Ctube baby. If it wasn¡¯t for James¡® recklessness, why would Ignatius have to ce all his hopes of having an heir on a lunatic? Ignatius¡® expression darkened. ¡°That monster! Ralph, bring him back and make sure he learns his lesson!¡± 1 let out a sigh of relief. At least I managed to dodge that obstacle. ¡°Grandpa, who¡¯s going to attend the party tonight?¡± I asked as I approached him and changed the topic. ¡°Please calm down.¡± Chapter 68 ¡°Hmph. Many big names in Huma will show up tonight.¡± Ignatius scoffed and led me downstairs. He offered, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to themter as you¡¯ll be my granddaughter¨Cinw soon. It¡¯s about time you bear a son for the Lincoln family as well.¡± I was aghast at his remark. Why did he need me to produce a son? It wasn¡¯t like the Lincolns had a throne to be passed to a male heir. However, when I considered the Lincolns¡® wealth and status in Huma, it did seem that they had a significant amount of inheritance to pass on. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± I put on a look of stress. ¡°Sure, babies conceived naturally are healthy and smart, what if I give birth to a girl?¡± but ¡°You¡¯re still young. I have some years left in me as well. Don¡¯t worry, you can keep making babies in the next few years until you get a son,¡± Ignatius suggested impassively. My lips twitched. Did he see Stephany as merely a tool for childbirth? Anyway, Steven would remain of use to the Lincolns as long as I hadn¡¯t produced the male heir that Ignatius so wished to see. I started wishing that I¡¯d give birth to a girl. ¡°How did Steve¡­ go mad?¡± I whispered curiously. ¡°Steve?¡± Ignatius shot me a nce. I wondered if they addressed him as ¡°Steve¡± at home. Suddenly, it struck me that Steve was Steven Lincoln to the Lincolns. ¡°Oh, I mean Steven.¡± Ignatius exined coldly, ¡°He was a smart kid, even a genius. Too bad he was driven crazy¡­¡± After some silence, he looked at me warily. He was reluctant to air the family¡¯s dirtyundry. He added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Just focus on producing an heir. That¡¯s the best thing you can do for us.¡± I nodded obediently. ¡°Sure.¡± Although Ignatius did not reveal anything to me, I assumed that Steven¡¯s current condition had everything to do with the Lincoln family. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°But Grandpa, I¡¯m quite scared. There are rumors out there that Steven is a killer¡­ A serial killer who targets women. Even the maids at home are gossiping about it. Is that true? ¡°The doctor advised me to spend more time with the baby¡¯s father, but I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll¡­¡± I put on an act to gauge Ignatius¡® response. ¡°Oh, he might be crazy, but he¡¯s no killer. Take my word for it. The rumors are baseless. For the safety. of you and your child, you should keep a distance from him, though,¡± replied Ignatius, who sounded. confident that Steven was not a murderer. If so, why was he at the crime scene, and what was he doing there? How was he connected to the murderer? Ch Ignatius had invited many big names in the business world to the Lincolns¡® dinner party. The Fords, just second to the Lincolns in power, were naturally present at the event. However, I was surprised to see Michael showing up alone. Did he really treasure Yasmin so much that he¡¯d rather keep her tucked away at home during her pregnancy? ¡°Mr. Ignatius, is this your precious granddaughter¨Cinw?¡± a guest greeted Ignatius with a smile. Ignatius looked cheerful. The Lincolns had been regarded as a sess in business but were rumored to be heirless. He¡¯d, of course, take the opportunity to introduce me to everyone at the party. ¡°This is Stephany, my granddaughter¨Cinw. She¡¯s also the daughter of John Larson of Larson Group,¡± Ignatius introduced me to everyone with a smile, attracting looks of surprise from the guests. Those who were in the know would understand that I was nothing more than a babymaker that the Larsons gave away to the Lincolns. No family in their right mind would marry their daughter to a madman or a psycho killer. Michael¡¯s gazended on me. Looking irked, he interjected, ¡°Mr. Ignatius, I see that your granddaughter¨Cinw is here. What about your grandson?¡± It was a hostile question that stemmed from his deep resentment for Steven. Hah. What a ridiculous man! Ignatius¡® expression crumbled. He was about to speak when his assistant rushed over in a panic, saying, ¡°Mr. Ford, something has happened to Mrs. Ford! ording to the police, she has been taken by the murderer.¡± Chapter 69 Michael¡¯s expression fell. He frowned at Ignatius and remarked, ¡°Can¡¯t the Lincolns even keep an eye over a madman?¡± Ignatius looked riled as well. Still, he couldn¡¯t refute it because firstly, the Fords were an established family in Huma. Besides, Steven was clearly a suspected criminal and a madman, a stain on the Lincoln family name that they desperately wanted to get rid of. ¡°Watch your attitude.¡± I stood beside Ignatius and addressed Michael sternly. ¡°Who are you calling a madman?¡± Michael fixed a scorching and furious gaze on me. I didn¡¯t want to be around him for long, but I felt obliged to speak up for Steven and the Lincoln family. ¡°Are you the fianc¨¦e of that crazy man?¡± Michael confronted me. ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°Why do you seem more concerned about my husband than your wife?¡± I frowned at Michael, feeling disgusted just by talking to him. Sparing no time to argue with me, he cast me a knowing look and remarked, ¡°No matter how desperate the Larsons are, they shouldn¡¯t send their daughter to hell. Watch out for that madman, or you might end up getting badly hurt.¡± With that, he turned to leave. I stood there with a frown and stared at Michael¡¯s figure. Then, I cast a quick look upstairs. Steven was at home, that was for sure. If so, who took Yasmin away? Steven had admitted to his guilt when my body was discovered. Why did someone else emerge at this point? Was it an open provocation of the police? I mused silently, ¡°Is Steven the killer? Or is he a conspirator?¡± ¡°Ignore that Ford kid. He¡¯s brash and rude.¡± Ignatius snorted and proceeded to introduce me to the others. However, I felt rather distracted and unwell. I excused myself, ¡°Grandpa, I feel tired.¡± Ignatius might not care about my health, but he was concerned about the well¨Cbeing of his future grandchild. He relented. ¡°Fine. Go upstairs and have a rest.¡± I nodded and made my way upstairs, only to be stopped by a woman. Young and good¨Clooking, looked like the daughter of a wealthy family. she N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Hah, Stephany Larson, you¡¯re really something. How did you transform yourself into Mrs. Larson in just a few days?¡± the woman confronted me with hostility and even shoved me. I knitted my brows together and looked at the woman, finally recognizing her as Lena Ziegler. In Stephany¡¯s memories, Lena was her bully in school. Lena had led the other ssmates to gang up against bet. Misfortune befell the Larsons because of thepetition between the Zieglers and the Larson As John Larson was less capable than hispetitor and was tricked into signing a bet on agreement, he struggled with capital chain rupture. That led bit to give hispany away bi ¡°Do you really think you can climb the socialdder by marrying an shot from the Lincoln family? You should take a look at yourself in the mirror. You¡¯ll always be beneath me,¡± taunted Lena with a smirk as she looked at me tauntingly. 18 years ago, I was a princess to my parents before they passed on. My ssmates were friendly and caring, and the world seemed perfect. After my parents died in a car crash, I was sent to live with the Larsons. That was where I had my first taste of what it felt like to live with a foster family. I kept quiet when I was bullied because I didn¡¯t want trouble for the Larsons. Nheless, I had lost my life once because of my cowardice. If 1 remained as cowardly after my rebirth, I might as well stay a spirit. ¡°Who are you calling an idiot?¡± I feigned a shocked expression and stared at Lena. ¡°Are you saving that Steven Lincoln is an idiot? Gosh, that¡¯s pretty ignorant of you ¡°Steven Lincoln was once regarded as a genius. Don¡¯t you know that he enrolled in advanced sses at the age of ten?¡± Hearing that, Lena chuckled sarcastically. ¡°How pathetic of you to bring up these useless facts from years ago! Everyone in Huma knows that Steven Lincoln, an illegitimate child who grew up in an orphanage, is a murderous madman.¡± Looking astonished, I spun around and yelled out to Ignatius, ¡°Grandpa, Lena is starting rumors of Steven, calling him a murderous madman!¡± Chapter 70 There were so many guests around. In a sh, Ignatius became extremely upset. the Ford family. He was already embarrassed by the scene that Michael caused. However, he was from the after all. The Ziegler family was not up to their level. ¡°I see that any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to bark at the Lincoln family now?¡± Ignatius chided. Lena was trembling in fear. She looked at me in shock. She looked like she was shootingser beams from her eyes. ¡°Stephany, you set me up¡­ Mr. Ignatius, it wasn¡¯t me¡­ It was Stephany. She¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa, Lexy has been listening,¡± I said as I looked at the nanny, who was standing by the side. She nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Lena was in fear. ¡°Mr. Ignatius¡­ 1¡­¡± ¡°Where is thisdy from?¡± Ignatius asked in a deep voice. ¡°She¡¯s from the Ziegler family,¡± his assistant answered. ¡°Moving forward, the Zieglers are not allowed to attend any events rted to the Lincoln family. They should first educate their own daughter. It¡¯s only after that can they associate themselves with my family again.¡± Ignatius¡® voice was deep. He was taking this opportunity to give out a warning. ¡°Please leave.¡± I gave Lena a mocking look. Recently, Ignatius had been filled with pent¨Cup anger. She happened to be oblivious and ended up triggering him. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Lena waspletely freaking out now. She came to her senses after a while. She looked at me in astonishment. ¡°Stephany, you¡­ You did that on purpose? How dare you!¡± She was about to hit me when she was stopped by the Lincoln family¡¯s bodyguard. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re not wee at the Lincolns¡® family dinner. Please leave.¡± She kept staring at me. It seemed as if she was going to burn a hole through me with her gaze. Stephany used to be submissive. She wouldn¡¯t say a word to anyone no matter what happened. Lena must be feeling confused as to why she had suddenly changed. I red at her provocatively. Then, I went upstairs. It felt good to have someone backing me up. However, the Lincolns weren¡¯t backing me up. It was the baby that I was carrying. Ignatius had to entertain the guests. I gave an excuse saying that I wasn¡¯t feeling well and needed to rest. I retreated to my room and sent the nanny away. From the window upstairs, I nced down. There was no one else outside. I took this opportunity to change into a different set of clothing and climbed down. ¡°Hi Rach, it¡¯s me.¡± I ran out from the Lincolns¡® home and called Rachel. Rachel stayed silent for a while before she said. ¡°We¡¯re not that close. You can call me Rachel instead.¡± 1 acknowledged her request pretentiously. ¡°Ms. Rachel, I heard that Yasmin was abducted by the murderer. Is that true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Rachel answered unhappily. I raised my eyebrow. This was simr to my theory. I had guessed that Yasmin was the one who staged the incident. She just wanted to make Michael worry for her. ¡°So, I suppose that couple is ying house, aren¡¯t they?¡± I remarked in a low voice. ¡°Yasmin acts well. When she regained consciousness at the orphanage, she said that someone abducted her. The cops didn¡¯t expose her either. ¡°Steve is under control, so she thinks that she¡¯s safe. Zion has said that it¡¯s highly unlikely that Steve is the murderer. She¡¯s just ying with fire. It would be her own fault if she ends up burning herself.¡± Rachel wished that Yasmin could get rid of the murderer as soon as possible. She wanted the murderer to be gone. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about Yasmin and Michael for now. Have you found where Jack Brown is?¡± I squinted. I thought of tackling the matter with Jack as a starting point. ¡°He¡¯s at the bar. Where else could he be?¡± Rachel snorted. ¡°I¡¯m here, watching him. Do you want to come over?¡± ¡°Of cab. course. Tonight¡­ I¡¯m going to scare him out of his wits!¡± I gritted my teeth and gged down at One by one, I would teach them a lesson. Jack would be the first! Chapter 71 Jack was at Nocturnal Club. Ever since the incident with Stephanie, he visited the bar almost every day. ¡°Come over here, beautiful. Let me hug you.¡® Jack and his good¨Cfor¨Cnothing friends were having fun in a private room. ¡°Alright, you guys have fun. I¡¯m going to the restroom,¡± Jack said. He then tried to open the door to the restroom in the private room, but he realized that the restroom was locked from the inside. So, he stumbled out of the private room and headed for the public restroom at the other end of the corridor. The corridor was very quiet. Rachel had found the Nocturnal¡¯s owner¡¯s contact number beforehand. She had then asked Zion to call and give them a warning. The owner had closed the ce earlier than usual. Only Jack¡¯s private room was left upied. I was wearing an outfit that I used to wear frequently in the past. I took a ss of alcohol and followed Jack Jack had drunk a little too much and was already wasted. ¡°Here you go. Have another drink,¡± I said as I ced the ss in his hand. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. 202 He took the drink and downed it. Then, he looked up at me, and he suddenly froze. ¡°Stephanie¡­¡± I smiled at him. ¡°Long time no see, Jack.¡± Jack was so shocked that he sat on the floor, his face as white as a sheet. ¡°Stephanie¡­ Don¡¯te for me. You should put the me on the right person. It was the murderer who killed you. Don¡¯te after me.¡¯ All of a sudden, the lights in the corridor turned off. A green ray of light shone on my face. Jack backed away in fear and scurried to hide in the restroom. ¡°Stephanie, don¡¯te after me. I have nothing to do with your death.¡± ¡°Jack¡­ You¡¯ve caused me great grief¡­ I didn¡¯t push Yasmin. I know you saw it, but you lied. I hate you ¡­¡± I said fiercely. ¡°No¡­ It was Yasmin. It was Yasmin and her sister who told me not to say anything. They wanted me to help hide it from my brother. 16 ¡°You can¡¯t me me for this. It was Michael who didn¡¯t believe you. You should me the right person. Go look for Michael instead!¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t lied to Michael so many times, how could I have been ndered by Yasmin.¡± ¡°Michael was the one who would rather believe Yasmin instead of you. You can¡¯t me me for this. All I did was hide the truth. 1 ¡°But he believed everything Yasmin said. Yasmin fell on her own. Then, she imed that you had pushed her, and he just trusted her words blind) I scoffed. I approached him and choked him. ¡°Go to hell!¡± ¡°Stephanie, let me go¡­¡± Jack then fainted from fright. 1 loosened my grip on him, then got up and sighed. Just now, I had really lost my cool and wanted to strangle him. I tidied up my hair and reapplied my lipstick. I had specially put on makeup today to make myself look more like Stephanie Stephany and I looked alike in some ways. Putting on makeup made us look even more alike, especially under such dim lighting Moreover, Jack already had too much to drink, so it was a plece of cake to scare the living daylights out of him. The lights came back on. Rachel walked out with a phone in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve recorded it all.¡± I took a look at her phone. ¡°You¡¯ve filmed it well.¡± ¡°Your acting skills were pretty good too.¡± She nced at me warily. I guess I really looked like Stephanie Carlson. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± she called out softly. Then, she lowered her head and sneered. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve got the video recording, what are you going to do next?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to send it to Michael. How could he and Yasmin think of getting by peacefully?¡± I replied in a low voice. Rachel shot a quick nce at me. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send it to him.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I smiled and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. ¡°Rach, you should also try to get over it. After all¡­¡± I was still alive and well. Rachel frowned. She looked at me and remarked, ¡°Mind your own business.¡± I sighed. When would she let down her guard against me and recognize that I was Stephanie? ¡°I don¡¯t care what your motives are. Just don¡¯t pretend to be Stephanie in front of me. She¡¯s irreceable to me. No one can pretend to be her,¡± Rachel said. I smiled as her words warmed my heart. ¡°Rach, when will you believe that I am Stephanie?¡± Rachel let out a coldugh. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I trust that you¡¯ll be able to get back on your own.¡± Chapter 72 I nodded and walked out of the Nocturnal. I stood at the entrance and nced around. It was here where I was once bullied by Michael and those other people. Those drunkards had knocked me around back then. But that felt like it had happened ages ago. Everything was different now. As soon as I walked out of the Nocturnal, I heard a sounding from behind me. I looked back warily and saw a shadow shing past. Frowning, I backed away cautiously. An inexplicable feeling of panic rose within me. I felt like I was being watched the moment I stepped into the Nocturnal today. I still couldn¡¯t shake off that feeling even after exiting that ce. Perhaps it was because I had died once, but it felt like I had be more sensitive. The night breeze was quite cold. I took a step back fearfully. This feeling¡­ It was exactly the same as when I had met the murderer at Sunset Alley the previous time. Another sound came from the alley. A tall figure wearing a poncho stood there with a stick in his hand. I backed away in horror. I turned around and wanted to run away. But maybe due to the fear, my legs felt heavy. Right when I was feeling overwhelmed with fear, I suddenly bumped into someone¡¯s muscr chest. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± The man¡¯s chest was rising and falling quickly as he panted heavily. It seemed as if he had run over here anxiously. I caught a whiff of a light fragrance on him. He smelled good. The sound of his heartbeat was comforting too. He wrapped his arms around me. Then, he removed his jacket and put it on me. ¡°I¡¯m here¡­ Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± he said. I clung onto his clothes tightly and looked up. It was Steven¡­ I don¡¯t know how he had escaped or where he had gotten his clothes from. I nced behind me fearfully. The alley was empty. There wasn¡¯t anyone around. I was a little doubtful. Was it my imagination? Was it because I was under too much psychological pressure? Steven didn¡¯t say anything. He just hugged me tightly as he fixed his cold and frigid gaze in the direction of the alley. ¡°How did you escape?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°I was worried¡­ about you.¡± Steven lowered his head and wrapped the jacket around me more snugly. Then, he took me by the hand and led me away. His actions were very natural, as if we had known each other for a long time. 1 looked at Steven¡¯s back. Why did he seem familiar? Where had I seen him before? My head hurt a little, so 1 massaged my temples gently. Steven and I went to hail a taxi. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing any shoes?¡± It was only then that I realized that Steven wasn¡¯t wearing any shoes. The wound on his foot had split open, leaving a trail of bloody Tootprints on the ground. I frowned and held him back. ¡°You ran out in such a hurry just to find me?¡± Steven lowered his head like a child who was feeling guilty. He didn¡¯t say anything I let out a long sigh. He was a good¨Clooking man. With such an aggrieved expression on his handsome face, anyone would feel like giving in to him. At that moment, I felt like my values were being swayed, and I almost got lost in his good looks. ¡°Go and take a seat over there!¡± I pointed at the bus stop sign by the side of the road. Steven looked up at me, but he didn¡¯t move. ¡°Go and sit down!¡± I instructed a little fiercely this time. Steven then went over and sat down obediently. I felt bad for him, so I ran to the mall to buy him some clothes and stroes. I also bought some iodine.. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I rushed back with the items that I had bought and found Steven still sitting obediently on the bench. I let out a sigh as I looked at him. He seemed like such a well¨Cbehaved person. Could he really be a murderer? Chapter 73 ¡°It¡¯s raining. Why didn¡¯t you seek shelter?¡± I ran to the bench where Steven was sitting and pulled him toward the mall to seek shelter from the rain. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask me to leave¡­ So, I kept waiting,¡± he said, staring straight at me with a sincere look in his eyes. I was taken aback. For some reason, my head suddenly started to hurt really badly. At that moment, it felt as if we knew each other. He seemed so familiar. ¡°Stephie, you won¡¯t lie to me, right?¡± He sounded a little nervous and seemed as if he was seeking some sort of confirmation. The light rain wet his hair. His face was extremely captivating. ¡°Put on these shoes,¡± I said, lowering my head as my voice cracked. He was really enchanting. Maybe he was adept at deluding others. So, even the police didn¡¯t think that he was a murderer. I asked him to sit on a chair. Then, I tended to the wound on his foot and bandaged it carefully. After that, I put on a pair of socks and shoes for him. He sat motionless on the chair and just kept looking at me. He was like a docile puppy. To be honest, I was a little curious to know which side of him was the real him. ¡°Did James cause you any trouble after he woke up?¡± I looked up at him and asked. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He nodded sheepishly. He extended his arm to show me the bruises on his forearm. It was obvious that he had defended himself while he was being beaten up. ¡°Nutcase¡­¡± I mumbled under my breath. I nced at Steven¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital. Steven shook his head and moved to hold my hand. My first reaction was to pull my hand away, but he held on tightly. The tips of his fingers were a little cold, and the ces where his hand touched felt strangely numb. ¡°You¡­ Let go,¡± I said. Steven didn¡¯t say anything and just grasped my wrist firmly. Just when I was about to get angry and rebuke him, he spoke. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± I was stunned. All of a sudden, my anger simmered down. I decided to pretend to concede and see what other tricks he had up his sleeve. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re in any pain at all!¡± 212 He wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull me by the hand if he had really broken his arm. He gawked at me for a very long time before he finally let go of my hand. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me. And don¡¯t lie to me again.¡± I squatted down in front of him, not knowing how to respond for a moment. ¡°Heh, it seems like we really can¡¯t avoid our enemies. Today, this fool ran away from the Lincoln residence by himself.¡± It was true that one could never avoid their enemies. That voice¡­ I immediately recognized Benson¡¯s voice. He was part of Michael¡¯s gang of scoundrels. I turned and looked at him coldly. Benson was with a woman. They hade to the mall to do some shopping and bumped into us. It was probable that he had already called Michael. Yasmin made such amotion today, and Michael probably assumed that it was Steven¡¯s doing. He trusted Yasmin so much. I was certain that he was eager toe and pick a fight with Steven now. In an instant, Steven¡¯s gaze turned cold. He stood up and shielded me behind him. All of a sudden, he seemed like a cobra that was ready to strike. ¡°Well, what do we have here? This fool has a partner now?¡± Benson mocked. He put his arm around his femalepanion. ¡°It¡¯s just your luck that I bumped into you today. I don¡¯t care if you are pretending to be crazy or acting stupid¡­¡± I knew that Benson didn¡¯t dare to do anything else besides spewing insults in public. After all, Steven had almost beaten him to death in the past. Moreover, Steven was still the main suspect of a cold¨Cblooded murder. Benson wouldn¡¯t dare to do more than this. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that dogs could speak these days.¡± I scoffed and then deliberately said, ¡°Steve, you¡¯re mentally unstable anyway. Do you want to take this opportunity to get rid of him?¡± Benson turned pale with fright. He subconsciously retreated and hid behind his femalepanion. Steven nced at me. His expression was serious as he said, ¡°Sure!¡± After saying that, he turned his gaze toward Benson, looking cold and vicious as if he were looking at an already¨Cdead man. It made me shudder. Benson was shaking like a leaf. ¡°You¡­ You crazy woman¡­ What are you talking about?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Kill him, Steve,¡± I said, continuing to fan the mes. But in reality, I kept a firm grip on Steven¡¯s arm. I was afraid that he would really hurt Benson. Chapter 74 Steven took a step forward, but I held him back. He turned to look at me, Benson was scared . He yelped, then turned around to scurry away. As soon as he reached the entrance, he saw Michael walking in with a dozen bodyguards. Benson instantly regained his confidence. He stuttered, ¡°That nutcase is over there, Mike! Take him down, and send him to a mental hospital!! Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. I was rmed to see Michael and his group of bodyguards. I stepped forward to shield Steven behind me. ¡°What are you trying to do in broad daylight, Mr. Ford? Are you trying to intimidate others?¡± Michael lit a cigarette and nced at me. ¡°Move aside,¡± he said. ¡°Only in your dreams.¡± I stared at him icily. Michael took a puff of his cigarette and closed his lighter. Then, he looked back at his bodyguards and ordered, ¡°Take him away. ¡°Michael, this is a society governed byw. How dare you take someone away just like that? Do you think this iswful?¡± I stood in his way and gave the bodyguards a cautionary stare. ¡°Thew? He¡¯s a madman with no conscience at all. I¡¯ll be doing the country a favor if I were to kill him.¡± Michael stepped forward as he spoke, his voice filled with hatred. ¡°I¡¯ll make him pay a hundredfold for what he did to Stephanie.¡± ¡°What gives you the right to say such a thing?¡± I sneered and pushed him back. Didn¡¯t he know how he had treated Stephanie? ¡°Take him away!¡± Michael ordered again. That made me frown. I knew that he was doing this for Yasmin¡¯s sake. It seemed that Rachel hadn¡¯t sent Michael the video of Jack yet. ¡°Mike, I heard that Yasmin was abducted by this lunatic today. I won¡¯t be able to sleep well if we don¡¯t get rid of him. Besides, Yasmin is pregnant with your child. Your child is the most important,¡± Benson chimed in. Michael was a little unhappy. ¡°Shut up.¡± Benson was taken aback. ¡°Michael!¡± Michael¡¯s men approached Steven to capture him. Steven was quite agile, but there were more than ten people on the other side. It was obvious that Michael had learned from past experience on how to capture Steven. A mere five or six people wouldn¡¯t be enough to fight him, but a dozen men would be enough to get the job done. ¡°Let him go, Michael!¡± I wanted to stop them from taking Steven away, but Michael wouldn¡¯t listen to me at all. He ignored me and ordered his men to take Steven away. ¡°Michael, don¡¯t you want to find out who actually killed Stephanie?¡± I asked him. Michael stopped in his tracks and looked back at me. ¡°It was this madman who did it.¡± ¡°It was you,¡± I said through gritted teeth. I was filled with contempt for him. Michael looked at me with aplicated expression and frowned as he said, ¡°I won¡¯t spare anyone who had hurt Stephanie.¡± That sounded ridiculous to me. ¡°What about yourself? Shouldn¡¯t you be punished harshly too?¡± Michael approached me and looked down at me condescendingly, with an oppressive air. Subconsciously, 1 was still fearful of him. I took a step back. ¡°Don¡¯t try to provoke me. Even if you tell Mr. Lincoln Senior about this, I won¡¯t let him go today,¡± Michael said. Michael¡¯s eyes were red, and he looked as if he was ready to go all out. ¡°Think about the Ford family¡¯s current situation. If you were to offend the Lincoln family, both parties would get hurt,¡± I threatened as I clenched my teeth. He sneered. ¡°Do you think that I care about that? Do you know what this madman did to my wife?¡± Wife? I frowned. Was he referring to Yasmin? Yasmin would know best whether Steven had harmed her. ¡°Even if I have to give it all I¡¯ve got, I¡¯ll make his life a living hell.¡± Michael¡¯s voice was shaky. It sounded like he was really determined. ¡°Mr. Ford, I have a very interesting video here. Would you like to take a look?¡± Rachel asked as she ran into the mall, panting. I had just sent her our location. I didn¡¯t expect her to get here so quickly. Chapter 75 I stepped forward to shield Steven and stared at the men warily. Michael frowned, seemingly upset. ¡°What are you up to this time, Rachel?¡± he asked. ¡°What? You don¡¯t dare to watch it? Don¡¯t you want to find out what kind of person Yasmin is?¡± Rachel sneered and took out her phone to show him the video. It was the video of Jack yelling in fear on the ground. He was shouting at someone not toe after him and to find Michael instead. In the video, he also said that it wasn¡¯t Stephanie who had pushed Yasmin down the stairs. Michael¡¯s expression darkened as he watched the video. I watched his reaction closely, hoping to see a trace of guilt and panic in his eyes so that I could feel the pleasure of getting revenge. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. The air Michael exuded felt dangerous. It seemed like he didn¡¯t believe what he had seen in that video. I sneered inwardly. I had truly underestimated Michael¡¯s love for Yasmin. But it didn¡¯t matter since this was just the beginning. ¡°Rachel, I know you look down on Yasmin, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little despicable to use tricks like these?¡± Michael said. Rachel burst outughing. She then put away her phone and glowered at him with her jaw clenched. ¡°You¡¯re so pathetic, Michael,¡± Rachel said. ¡°I wonder just how long you¡¯ll take Yasmin¡¯s side. ¡°By you the way, the data in Stephie¡¯s phone was destroyed during the recovery process. Who else do think has the power to destroy the police¡¯s protected evidence that was in the hands of technicians?¡± She looked at Michael and said, ¡°Yasmin sure is extraordinary.¡± ¡°Do you know how ridiculous you sound?¡± Michael snapped. ¡°Yasmin is an orphan, and she was adopted. She doesn¡¯t have the power to do that! Even the Bailey family doesn¡¯t have that much power! He continued angrily, ¡°I¡¯ve failed Stephanie, but I won¡¯t let off those who had hurt her. But unlike you, I won¡¯t simply assume that Yasmin¡¯s the one behind this!¡± ¡°Go to hell, Michael!¡± Rachel cursed. Then, she turned to look at Steven and me. She continued, ¡°I¡¯ve called the police. You were illegally detaining him. He¡¯s a suspect with a mental illness who has surrendered himself to the authorities ¡°There¡¯s no evidence to prove that he was the murderer, so the police have no right to conti detaining him. Do you want to lynch him?¡± I shielded Steven with my body and backed away cautiously. ¡°Michael, you¡¯re disgusting,¡± I said. Michael frowned and looked at me. I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. Rachel then nced at me indifferently and said, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it for yourself. He firmly believes in Yasmin. He really doesn¡¯t deserve Stephie. She turned to look back at Michael. ¡°We¡¯ll see how you defend Yasmin once the data in Stephie¡¯s phone is recovered. 1 remained silent as 1 held Steven¡¯s hand and left with him. Steven looked at Michael indifferently. After walking a few steps, Steven muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to¡­¡± Startled, I turned to look back at him. What was it that he didn¡¯t know how to do? ¡°I¡¯ll always believe in you,¡± Steven said earnestly. ¡°And I¡¯ll believe in you forever, no matter what.¡± At that moment, his expressi¨®n, his gaze, and the way he spoke could make anyone¡¯s heart melt. It was too easy to get trapped in those eyes. Taking a deep breath, I lowered my head and smiled bitterly. Why should I believe in a psycho¡¯s words? Michael left the mall with his men. They seemed like they were going to block our path again, but Zion arrived with his men just then. In the end, Michael could only give up. When I walked past Zion, I instinctively wanted to greet him. I opened my mouth but ultimately held my tongue. Zion nced at me and then at Steven. ¡°Are you his guardian?¡± he asked, to which I nodded. 1 Steven seemed rather happy as he nodded along with me, looking quite proud of himself. I felt a little helpless and tightened my grip on his wrist. Zion checked the time and asked, ¡°Where was he yesterday? And where was he earlier today?¡± ¡°He was at the Lincoln residence the whole time,¡± I told him. ¡°There are surveince cameras there. The footage can prove that what I¡¯m saying is true.¡® Zion nodded. ¡°Alright. As his guardian, you have to keep an eye on him. Don¡¯t let him run around too much.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded and left, pulling Steven along with me. ¡°Since you sneaked out, how are you supposed to get back home? The nanny said that James is looking for you. If he catches you, he¡¯ll beat you up again.¡± Chapter 76 Steven immediately started pretending to be pitiful. He hugged me from behind and said, ¡°It hurts when they hit me.¡± I looked at him helplessly. What should I do with someone like him? I was about to find a ce for him to stay when the Lincoln family¡¯s car stopped by the side of the road. Ignatius¡® assistant, Ewan Bart, got out of the car. He nced at Steven thoughtfully and bowed his head politely. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, it¡¯s time to go home. I couldn¡¯t help but sneer inwardly. These people really knew how to put on an act when they were outside. He had even addressed Steven as ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡°. Had the Lincoln family ever treated him like a scion of their family? ¡°Mr. Bart, is Mr. Ignatius angry? Steven didn¡¯t leave the house for nothing. He came out to protect me. Can you please put in a good word for him?¡± I said warily. I had to give it a shot even though Steven would definitely get mistreated again when he goes back. ¡°Mr. James caused some trouble at work, so Mr. Ignatius has sent him to Montavia to handle some projects there. ¡°Mr. James left at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. He¡¯ll be staying abroad for three months,¡± Ewan said expressionlessly. I heaved a sigh of relief. Things would be better in these three months then. Ewan continued, ¡°As for Mr. Ignatius, he¡¯s getting older, and his body isn¡¯t as strong as before. He needs to go to Huma Hospital for his physiotherapy treatment.¡± I was stunned for a moment and felt puzzled. Why did it feel like Ewan was reporting all these things to me? He had no reason to tell me all this. So, why did he deliberately tell me all that? I turned to look at Steven, who was staring at me innocently. It was clear that Ewan wasn¡¯t reporting to Steven either. Did he say all that to coax Steven to return home without resistance? This was probably the case. ¡°Mr. Ignatius has already gone back to the old residence to prepare for tomorrow,¡± Ewan continued. ¡°Let¡¯s set off now. It¡¯ll take three and a half hours to reach our destination. Please get into the car.¡± He then opened the car door for Steven and me. I was speechless. Why was Ewan being so polite? 22 hin and walled in a manner that made me seem more elegant and noble. Since I was pregnant, I might as well enjoy my status for a bit. Steven looked at me and smiled. His smile was really dazzling Laverted my eyes. This was the first time I had used that word to describe someone¡¯s smile. And, it was because of a man. ¡°We¡¯re going back to the old residence this time to pray for your child¡¯s health and for a smooth birth, wan exined once we got into the car. I was rather surprised. Was the Lincoln family actually concerned for my child? Still, the Lincolns were a crazy bunch. I couldn¡¯t guess what they actually had in mind. 1 leaned my head against the window and watched as the scenery passed by. My mind was filled with the scene of Michael defending Yasmin just now. If it were in the past, my heart would have shattered into a million pieces, but now, I just felt disgusted. I would just let him continue with his delusions for now and see how long he could protect her. I really couldn¡¯t understand it. How was I so blind to fall for a man like him? Was it only because he had saved me from the fire during the ident? My head started to hurt again. shes of the ident kept appearing in my mind. The person who had saved me¡­ Why did it feel like the person who had saved me wasn¡¯t Michael? Did my mind perhaps trick me into believing that? Due to how silent it was in the car, I felt rather sleepy. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. As I started drifting off, I felt Steven reach out his hand and gingerly ce it under my head. It was as if he was afraid that my head would hit the car window when there was a bump on the road. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, it¡¯s almost time,¡± Ewan said. ¡°Alright.¡± Right before I fell asleep, I heard Ewan¡¯s voice. But I couldn¡¯t hear his words clearly, and I soon fell asleep. Chichest Chapter 77 I didn¡¯t know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I realized that Steven¡¯s hand was still under my bead I rubbed my forehead and looked at Steven drowsily. Did he maintain that position the whole journey? That was more than three hours! Was he really a fool or just pretending to be one? ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Tr¨¦ old Lincoln residence,¡± Steven exined in a low voice. He took my hand in his, looking scared. The pitiful look in his beautiful eyes gave me the urge to protect him from all danger. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here,¡± I told him, patting the back of his hand. In all actuality, I was scared as well. What kind of ce was this? The house was surrounded by mountains and looked very deste. Not only that, the dim light from themps made it seem like a haunted house. 1 1 swallowed. After mustering up my courage, I pulled Steven out of the car. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln, pleasee this way.¡± Ewan stood by the door, waiting for us. I dragged Steven all the way to the door and followed Ewan inside to see Ignatius. Ignatius stood in front of a wall that had many photos liung neatly on it. He seemed to be saying something to them as we entered the ce. I saw Steven¡¯s father, Andy Lincoln, in one of the photos. Although Steven was an illegitimate son, he was still Andy¡¯s child. Steven stared deeply at the photo, his face expressionless. I nced around at all the photos. Beside Andy¡¯s photo was a photo of Henry Lincoln, Ignatius¡® eldest grandson. I heard that Andy, Alice, and Henry had all died in the car ident. Ignatius had put in a lot of effort preparing Andy and Henry to be his sessors. On the other hand, James was the son that Ignatius had paid the least attention to. James was ignorant and conceited, and he wasn¡¯t smart or flexible. He wasn¡¯t fit to be Ignatius¡® sessor. However, fate had its own ns, and Andy and his family had all perished in the ident. Now, Ignatius only had one son left, James, but James was infertile. Ignatius had a traditional mindset, so it was a big deal for him not to have any descendants. How could he allow the family bloodline to end at his hands? von That was where Steven and I came into the picture. We were both there to carry on the family line. ¡°Come over here. Pay your respects to Andy,¡± Ignatius said, turning around to look at Steven and me. 1 stepped forward to take the flowers from him and handed some to Steven, but Steven didn¡¯t move. His eyes never left Andy¡¯s photo. From the look in his eyes, I could tell that he loathed Andy. An inexplicable emotion washed over me. 1 was afraid that Ignatius would scold Steven again, so I gently said to him, ¡°Steve,e here.¡± Steven finally turned away from the photo to look at me. With a hoarse voice, he said, ¡°All of liars.¡± I was startled. There was such strong disappointment in his eyes. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Liars? Did Stephany lie to him before? What did Andy lie to him about? ¡°Come and pay your respects.¡± Despite his reluctance, I still pulled him forward and handed him the flowers. you¡­ are ¡°Car ident¡­¡± Steven muttered as he put the flowers in front of Andy¡¯s photo. He then looked at me, seeming like he had something to say. I waited for him to speak, but he didn¡¯t say anything. So, I didn¡¯t ask him about it. I knew very well that unfortunate events happened and that car idents were ruthless, because my parents had also died in a car ident. Ignatius seemed satisfied with how well¨Cbehaved Steven was. At least Steven listened to instructions and behaved more normally now. ¡°I can see that Steven feally likes you and is willing to listen to you,¡± Ignatius said. Chapter 78 1 lowered my head and listened quietly as Ignatius spoke. ¡°It¡¯s great that he listens to you,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Now that you¡¯re pregnant with a descendant of the Lincoln family, you¡¯ve done our family a huge favor. If the baby¡¯s a boy, then our family would finally have a worthy heir.¡± I kept my head lowered and remained silent. What kind of traditional thinking was this? Couldn¡¯t daughters be sessors too? Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ignatius left after that. He ordered Ewan to lead Steven and me to our rooms to get some rest. Steven held my hand the whole time. I assumed that he was just trying to get my attention and tried to pull my hand away but to no avail. ¡°The house is haunted,¡± he said abruptly as he looked at me. A chill ran down my spine, and 1 hid behind him in fright. Holding onto his arm tightly, I muttered, ¡± Who are you trying to scare? As a person who had died once, it wasn¡¯t that strange for me to be afraid of ghosts. Steven smiled but said nothing. He let me hold his arm all the way to the rooms. When we finally stopped in front of one of the bedrooms, he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether our child is a boy or a girl. The baby¡¯s health is our priority.¡± I looked at him, puzzled. He seemed to act more and more like a normal person these days, and I found it rather strange. Suddenly, there was a breaking sound as the door opened a little. I was so scared that I hugged his arm tightly and didn¡¯t dare to look around. Steven led me into the bedroom and switched on the lights. The electric circuits here weren¡¯t functioning well, so the lights flickered. The interior of the room looked really old too. The room was in a state of disrepair, and it seemed like it had been a long time since anyone lived here. ¡°Has this ce ever been rented out to shoot a horror movie?¡± I asked Ewan, looking around. ¡± Where¡¯s my room?¡± Ewan nced at Steven. Then, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, are you sure you don¡¯t want to sleep in the same room as Mr. Lincoln? Your room is next door, but someonemitted suicide there a few years ago.¡± I took a deep breath and walked straight into Steven¡¯s room. Then, I pointed to the room next door and said, ¡°Steve, you can sleep in that room.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m scared.¡± Steven looked upset. In the end, the two of us had to share the room, which had only one bed. ¡°It¡¯s so cold up here in the mountains,¡± I whispered. Steven didn¡¯t say anything. He justy down beside me and hugged me. ¡°It¡¯s warm this way,¡± he said. I wanted to resist, but it really was warmer with him hugging me. He was so warm. ¡°In the past, the Lincoln family members were all physicians. Then, they started opening clinics and pharmacies. Later, they started their own business and umted a lot of wealth over the past few generations.¡± He continued in a whisper, ¡°This is the old Lucly residence. All the Lincoln family members are buried here after their death.¡± All I knew was that this ce was extremely creepy. So, this old residence was the grave of the deceased Lincoln family members. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you,¡± Steven said as he held me closer. It was a peaceful night. He simply hugged me to keep me warm and didn¡¯t do anything else. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was too tired, but I fell asleep without worrying about anything at all. That night, I slept well. I had never felt so rxed before. Ever since my parents died in the car ident, I had rarely slept so soundly. When I woke up early the next morning, Steven wasn¡¯t beside me. I shot up from the bed and ran downstairs in search of him. He was standing in the yard, with the sun shining down on him and making him seem to glow. I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from him. ¡°We need to head back to Huma as soon as possible. Something hase up,¡± Ewan came over and said in a low voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anxiety gripper my heart. ¡°Something has happened to Mr. James. He was robbed at gunpoint in Montavia and was gravely injured. ¡°He¡¯s currently unconscious, and the doctors are still trying their best to save him. It seems that it¡¯ll be difficult for him to wake up.¡® Ewan subconsciously nced at Steven as he spoke. Meanwhile, Steven stood there indifferently, without any emotion on his face. Chapter 79 Ha! Was this considered karma? It didn¡¯t matter if Steven was the murderer or whether James deserved it, but a scumbag like James deserved to be in aa. ¡°Mr. Ignatius is on his way back already,¡± said Ewan Steven didn¡¯t say anything. He simply turned to look at me. I was distracted, thinking that this was too much of a coincidence. ¡°Let¡¯s head back then,¡± I said. The Lincoln family had lost another family member. Now Ignatius wouldn¡¯t even have an infertile son. The only ones left were the ¡°crazy¡± illegitimate grandson, Steven, and the baby in my belly. I didn¡¯t know what this would mean for Steven, whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Ignatius was old, and the Lincoln Group couldn¡¯t withstand any more hardships. James was an idiot who couldn¡¯t manage thepany, but because he was Ignatius¡® only son alive, he was put in charge of it all these years. Thepany seemed fine to outsiders, but it was fragile on the inside after being in James¡® hands for so many years. Since Ignatius wasn¡¯t getting any younger and there was no sessor from the Lincoln family to take over thepany, the scheming people within the Lincoln Group would go all out to take charge. Besides, the baby in my belly was still young, and there was no guarantee that I could give birth to it smoothly. Whether Ignatius would be able to live long enough to see my child grow up and inherit everything was another question. Things are going to change for the Lincoln family. In the car, I looked at Steven and felt that it was a shame. If he wasn¡¯t mentally ill, with how smart he was, he could definitely lead the Lincoln Group to greater heights and a brighter future. After a few hours, we finally returned to Huma. It suddenly started raining.. As I sat in the car, I looked out the window and watched as the pedestrians rushed by. My gaze drifted, and so did my thoughts. Before my death, I was most afraid of the rain because it had poured heavily on the day my parents had the car ident. I was afraid of thunder and rain. I was scared of the dark and afraid of enclosed spaces too. 213 I used to long for someone to hug me when I was scared. I had also desperately hoped that Michael would wrap his arms around me when I was scared Unfortunately, he would just rub salt into my wounds and make me feel worse than ever. Boom! Suddenly, lightning shed across the sky. The deafening sound of thunder that apanied it made my whole body stiffen, and 1 started trembling It was just like that day when I was eighteen. when my parents met with that ident. My Breath hitched in my throat, and I trembled uncontrobly. ¡°We¡¯re here, Mr. Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln,¡± Ewan said as he opened the car door for me. I tried my best to pretend that I was fine, but when there was another crack of thunder, I couldn¡¯t help but fall back into my seat. Steven got out of the car, walked over to me and covered me with his coat. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. You won¡¯t get wet,¡± he said. Startled, I raised my eyes to see him holding an umbre. My breath hitched. Why did he always give me this familiar feeling? Was he a part of the memories that I had lost? Or did I have Stockholm Syndrome and had developed feelings for the person who had probably killed me? ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Stephie,¡± he said softly. His voice was hoarse and low because of the injury to his throat. But it gave people a sense of security. I got out of the car and stood beside him under the umbre. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I used to feel scared when I heard his voice, but now I felt safe, which made me anxious. Would I get brainwashed if this continued? The rain pattered against the umbre as I stared at him for a long time. He didn¡¯t say anything and. just looked down at me quietly. ¡°Mr. Ignatius has gone to Montavia. No one would bother us for now, and no one would bully you anymore,¡± I said in a whisper. I could get my own things done tomorrow. I had to find out the truth and also find out who Steven¡¯s aplices were. Steven didn¡¯t utter a single word. He simply held the umbre for me and held my hand, then he led me back to my room. ¡°Good night,¡± I said to him. Something had befallen James, so I was in a good mood Steven¡¯s hair was drenched with the rain, and his face was pale. The dark color of his ck shirt emphasized his prominent facial features, yet it also gave him an air of mystery. Chapter 80 I stood at the door and nced at him before going into the room and closing the door. The Lincolns gave me a big room with a soft bed. The environment was nice but it was too spacious. Instead, Steven¡¯s small house seemed to give me more sense of security. 1 seemed to be surprised by my own thoughts, as I was slowly changing my views of Steven. However, I knew he was a murderer! I cowered in fear on the bed, terrified of lightning and thunder. Now, I was even more afraid of sympathizing with Steven, the murderer. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning seemed to explode right in front of me.. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± I cried out in terror, curling up with my legs close to my chest as I breathed heavily. ¡°Steve¡­ wait for me at the orphanage, be obedient.¡± ¡°Stephie, I¡¯ll always wait for you. If you don¡¯te¡­ I won¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Stephie, you promised toe find me. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the orphanage.¡± Images of the car ident that day shed through my mind, familiar yet strange. ¡°Boom.¡± The sound of thunder rumbled outside the window. Terrified, I scrambled to my feet and ran outside desperately. I didn¡¯t know why I was running. When I came to my senses, I had already opened the door. ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, arge hand grabbed my wrist, pulling me over and pressing me against the wall, then kissing me. The room was dark, with no light to see by, but I knew that Steven was outside the door. I couldn¡¯t see his face, only feeling his breath. He seemed scared of something, kissing me wildly as if he was venting. I tried hard to push him away, but I couldn¡¯t budge him, and my eyes were burning with tears. ¡°You liar¡­¡± He seemed to be venting, calling me a liar. ¡°You told me to go back¡­ and wait for you.¡± ¡°Get off¡­¡± I pushed him away forcefully, pped him across the face, and leaned against the wall as my breathing became even more rapid. I didn¡¯t know why, but suddenly all the grievances surged up within me. He looked a bit forlorn, standing there with his head down silently. Instinctively, I wanted to reach out andfort him, but I was surprised at myself for wanting to do 50. 50. What was happening to me? ¡°potu!¡° The thunder roared loudly, and instinctively, I moved closer to seek refuge in Steven¡¯s embrace as I cried even louder. At that moment, all the grievances truly flooded my heart. From my parents¡® tragic ident to now, everything felt like a dream. Steven¡¯s body stiffened for a moment, then slowly, he raised his hand and held me tightly. He didn¡¯t say anything, but I could feel his body trembling. ¡°Stephie¡­ No matter what you be, I¡¯ll find you. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you again.¡± Steven tightened his grip around my arms, his voice trembling. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. 1 I leaned against him, for the first time¡­ wanting topletely rx and rely on someone. ¡°I¡¯m scared of the thunder. Stay here tonight,¡± I whispered softly. He was surprised, probably due to the initiative I took. h!¡± I grabbed his neck when he suddenly carried me up. He lifted me with one arm¡­ How was he so strong? He looked thin and weak, but without his clothes¡­ he was surprisingly y muscr. Heid me down on the bed and took a warm towel to wipe my hands and feet. In the dim light by the bedside, I just stared at him. He was a murderer. If he really was the one who killed me and so many other women, even if thew couldn¡¯t punish him, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate¡­ to kill him myself. Chapter AT Chapter 81 ¡°Steve, have you ever killed someone?¡± I asked under the dim lights. He paused and looked at me intensely, neither answering nor denying ¡°Go to sleep,¡± he said, pulling back the covers for me to slip into. I hesitated for a moment but eventually crawled in. It was raining outside, and the room felt a bit cold. I hated the cold¡­ Whenever it got cold, my muscles would tense up as if I was shivering. I understood that I was someone whocked a sense of security and love. It was because of thisck of love that I had loved Michael for so many years in the past. My love for Michael, perhaps, was just to fill the emptiness in my heart. Honestly, everyone was selfish. Who could truly be selfless and live solely for one person in their heart and mind? Take Michael, for example. He appeared to love Yasmin so much, yet he did so many disgusting things to me. Recalling those past experiences, it was truly nauseating¡­. Steven went to take a shower, and the frosted ss door of the bathroom allowed in the yellowish light. During the time we spent together, I noticed that Steven liked to soak himself in the bathtub. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Many times, I worried that he might drown himself. This time was no different. As I felt myself getting sleepy, he showed no sign ofing out. ¡°Steve?¡± Strangely, I found myself worrying that he might die in there. Outside, lightning shed and thunder rumbled. The emptiness of the room was eerie, and he was in the bathroom¡­ still noting out, and there was no sound at all. I got up and tentatively knocked on the door, but there was no response. I was starting to feel scared. Scared that he might be dead, but how could a murderer die so easily? ¡°Steve?¡± I pushed open the bathroom door suddenly, holding my breath. The steam in the bathroom hadn¡¯t dissipated yet, and he was curled up in the bathtub as if he had fallen asleep. Perhaps he never intended to sleep with me from the beginning. During the time trapped in the attic room, he also got used to soaking himself in the bathtub. Chaster 51 212 ¡°Go sleep outside,¡± I walked over and tugged at him. He didn¡¯t move, just curled up his body slightly. I sensed something was wrong, so I reached out and touched his head. Sure enough, he had a fever. ¡°Steve?¡± I went out to turn on the lights and boiled water, looking for cold medicine. ¡°Stephie¡­¡°He seemed delirious, kept calling out for Stephie. ¡°Liar¡­¡± I was helpless. Why did he keep saying Stephie was a liar? What did Stephanie deceive him about? ¡°How did I lie to you?¡± I asked softly. I wanted to know what exactly happened between Steven and Stephanie. Though I had some memories from the original host, but¡­ not all. ¡°You said, ¡°Wait for me at the orphanage¡­¡® What a big fire. Stephie¡­ I have to wait for Stephie, I can¡¯t leave. I have to wait for Stephie¡­. I frowned, unable to hear clearly, so I leaned closer to try to hear better. But as soon as I leaned in, he opened his eyes. I froze for a moment, my heart skipping a beat. I¡¯d admitted more than once that he was good¨Clooking, those eyes could really captivate a person¡¯s soul. My body stiffened, I wanted to exin, but when I opened my mouth, no words came out. He nced at me drowsily, then reached out and kissed me on the forehead. Perhaps because of his fever, his touch was scorching¡­. ¡°You¡­¡± It took all my rationality to push him away, and I sat down on the floor, looking at him with a complicated expression. He sat in the bathtub, wearing only boxers, running his hand through his semi¨Clong hair. This guy was too devilishly handsome, and his legs were too long to fit in the bathtub. His skin was fair, his abs were obvious, and his V¨Cline was distinct¡­. Chapter 82 In short, the scene before me was definitely enough to make one¡¯s nose feel warm. ¡°You have a fever, take your medicine,¡± I kept myposure and pushed the medicine toward him, avoiding eye contact, feeling my ears turn red. It wasn¡¯t my fault. He was just too attractive. Steven¡¯s hair was still damp, and he casually swept it back before taking the medicine. I looked at him, feeling an indescribable sensation. Was he really this obedient?Would he listen to anything I said? ¡°Sit still and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll blow dry your hair,¡± I brought out the hairdryer and started drying his hair. Surprisingly, he obediently sat in the bathtub without moving, as if he was genuinely well¨Cbehaved. I was skeptical and tested him again. ¡°You¡¯ll sleep on the floor tonight, I¡¯ll take the bed.¡± Steven nced back at me, his eyes innocent and captivating. I thought he would refuse, but he nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Will you agree to anything I say?¡± I asked. Steven nodded. ¡°So if I asked you tomit suicide, would you agree?¡± I asked curiously. His body stiffened for a moment. Without turning to look at me, he just nodded. ¡°You really are¡­ insane,¡± I muttered quietly, getting up and leaving. ¡°Come out and sleep, on the bed, but no moving around.¡± Iy on the bed, waiting for him toe out for a long time. He walked to the side of the bed, hesitated for a moment, and still decided to sleep on the floor with at pillow. ¡°The floor is cold, sleep on the bed,¡± I said, wrapping myself in the nket. ¡°No¡­¡± he said, refusing with his head down, ¡°Why?¡± I asked, puzzled. We had slept together in the bed just a few days after my rebirth, and now we even had a child¡­ Why was he acting so innocent? ¡°I¡¯ll hurt you¡­¡± Steven spoke softly. ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°I have a strong desire for you,¡± he spoke bluntly. I was stunned for a moment, then tightened the nket around me. ¡°Then sleep on the floor,¡± Maybe there was someone by the bed that I slept pretty soundly that night. When I woke up again, it was already noon. Steven was still on the floor, and it looked like his condition had worsened. I touched his forehead and panicked as I ran out. ¡°Where¡¯s the butler? Call the doctor.¡± Steven was sick, and it seemed to be getting worse. He had been unconscious for a long time and hadn¡¯t woken up. 1 felt guilty as 1 had let him sleep on the floorst night¡­ But he seemed too obedient, and he had really slept on the floor all night just because I said so. Sitting on the sofa, 1 absentmindedly rubbed my forehead. Then, my phone rang, and it took me a while to react. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The caller was Rachel. I was stunned for a moment and straightened up. ¡°Rachel.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Someone else is in trouble again.¡± Rachel¡¯s voice sounded hoarse over the phone. ¡°Who? Yasmin?¡± I asked, alert. If the motive for the murderer was the girls from the orphanage who were adopted wearing red clothes, then Yasmin should be the only one left to be targeted. ¡°No,¡± Rachel sounded somewhat weary. ¡°Has Steve been with you recently? Last night at around one in the morning, somete¨Cnight joggers found a dead woman by Godrey River. She was also wearing a red dress, with pale skin, and we haven¡¯t been able to identify her yet.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been with me the whole time, he doesn¡¯t even have a phone¡­¡± I looked upstairs and saw he was still running a high fever, unconscious all night. There was no way he could have gone out and committed murder right under my nose. ¡°If it¡¯s not the serial killer still atrge, then someone is deliberately imitating them,¡± Rachel¡¯s voice sounded tired. ¡°But either way, if the murderer isn¡¯t brought to justice, whether it¡¯s Steve or not, they won¡¯t stop. Yasmin really is the only lead we have, but that bastard Michael has been protecting her too well¡­¡°! I knew that Michael¡¯s protection of Yasmin meant that the police couldn¡¯t use her to solve the case. It would make solving the case much more difficult. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your goal is, but right now, we need to get Michael to give up Yasmin. Then we can use her to catch the real culprit, or else more people might end up dead,¡± Rachel¡¯s voice was hoarse. Since my death, it seemed like she had been obsessed with catching the killer. I knew she med herself for not protecting me.. Chapter 83 ¡°You¡¯ve seen how much Michael protects Yasmin too¡­¡± Iughed sarcastically. Getting Michael to give up Yasmin? How could that ever happen? ¡°Michael went to find Jack. I heard Jack went into hiding out of fear, so Michael probably doesn¡¯t distrust our video, he just went to find Jack afterward and couldn¡¯t locate him,¡± Rachel spoke again, her voice heavy. ¡°I know where Jack is hiding, I need you to send Michael the location as he¡¯s blocked me and doesn¡¯t trust me.¡± I was somewhat surprised. Michael had already started investigating? Was he starting to suspect Yasmin? Huh¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll contact him.¡± I remembered Michael had given me his business card, although I had thrown it away, I still remembered his phone number. ¡°We¡¯ll meet at the intersection of Macalister Road and Rundle Street.¡± Rachel hung up after speaking, sounding very urgent. I checked the news on my phone, and sure enough, the news of the serial killer striking again had shot up in the trending topics. Who was the person who killed me? Was Steven involved after all? I subconsciously looked over at Steven, who was still lying unconscious on the bed. When I first woke up and saw him, I felt fear and anxiety. After all, waking up to find a murderer right in front was scary. But as I got to know him better, I started to hesitate, to waver. I even began to doubt. Was he really the murderer? But if he wasn¡¯t the murderer, why would he turn himself in? If he wasn¡¯t the murderer, why did he appear at the orphanage after I was kidnapped? Steven had too many secrets, and there was definitely some connection between him and the murderer. I couldn¡¯t believe he was innocent. Steve to you Rubbing my forehead, I got up and walked out. ¡°Ewan, I¡¯ll leave I¡¯m going out to buy some daily necessities. You don¡¯t need to have anyone follow me.¡± Ewan hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. ¡°Okay. If you need anything, please call me.¡± I nodded and had the driver take me to Pavilion Mall. Rachel and I had arranged to meet near there. ¡°Michael?¡± I called Michael on the way. ¡°Who is this?¡± Michael¡¯s voice was cold and wary.. Chister 83 ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been looking for Jacktely?¡± I spoke in a low voice. ¡°Who are you?¡± He sounded displeased, and I could tell he was getting angry. I still knew him too well. ¡°He¡¯s at Pacific Court on Macalister Road. You should know where he¡¯s hiding, right?¡± I continued to provoke him. ¡°I¡¯m asking who you are.¡± He was more focused on knowing who I was. You¡¯ll find out when you get here. You have thirty minutes. If you don¡¯te, you won¡¯t know what Stephanie experienced before she died.¡± With that, I hung up the phone, ignoring any further calls from him. I knew Michael too well; he was arrogant and selfish. To him, I was just a possession hebeled, my murder without his consent was a challenge to him. Michael treated Yasmin well because I heard Yasmin saved him once. He saw Yasmin as pure innocent, unlike me, who he thought harbors too many dirty secrets. and and But I was determined to help him uncover the truth about Yasmin, to show him how malicious his girl really was. I wanted him to regret, to suffer! And what would he do then? Would he continue to protect Yasmin, or would he continue to delude himself to love her and protect her? I was looking forward to it. Meanwhile, at Pacific Court, Rachel and I met at the intersection of Macalister Road. She was wearing all ck, with a white flower on her head, looking quite mournful. I felt a pang of pity, and also a bit amused as I thought, ¡°I¡¯m right here, Rach¡­ why won¡¯t you just believe me?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Chapter 84 ¡°Watch your steps.¡± It was as if Rachel was not really here with me when we walked. She nearly banged into the pir again. I reach out instinctively to grab her wrist, pulling her to the inner side. ¡°You walk inside.¡± Rachel was stunned for a moment. Perhaps, she saw a little of Stephanie in me. ¡°Who are you¡­¡± She finally whispered after a moment. I just chuckled and said, ¡°She was never gone. Rachel¡¯s eyes reddened, and she looked away, walking toward the residential area. Jack was hiding here. ¡°What are your ns after graduation? Are you going to work in a hospital?¡± I casually asked, wanting to know if she would follow her own life path. We once set goals together. I said I wanted to study abroad for a while, and she said she wanted to continue her education afterpleting her bachelor¡¯s and master¡¯s degrees, pursue a PhD, study abroad, and then return to our hometown together. She would be a doctor dedicated to saving lives, and I would work as a secretary for others. We nned to earn money happily together, spend it together, travel together, buy a house together, and envision the future together. ¡°I minored in forensic medicine. After graduation, I will work as a forensic pathologist,¡± she said earnestly, looking at me. I stood there stunned, feeling somewhat shocked. ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t we agree that you would be a doctor¡­¡± Why did she change her dream? ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Rachel sneered sarcastically. ¡°She¡¯s already left me behind, why should I fulfill any promises? I want to be a forensic pathologist, I want to catch that murderer and I won¡¯t let any bad people get away.¡± I lowered my head, remaining silent for a long time. ¡°Rach, this is very dangerous¡­¡± I just hoped she would be safe and sound, and find someone who loved her and spend the rest of her life together. ¡°This is my business, it has nothing to do with you,¡± she snorted coldly, striding quickly toward Jack¡¯s ce. When we arrived, Michael was there too. He got out of the car, looking very upset, and walked angrily into the elevator. When he was up the stairs, he kicked the door. Rachel and I hid outside the door, watching Michael causing trouble for Jack. Jack was probably still asleep. Now the door was kicked open, and he grumbled impatiently. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Can¡¯t you let me sleep!¡± The door opened, and Michael walked in with a cold face. Jack was still in bed with his upper body bare, and his face was pale with fear. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. He nervously clutched the nket, stuttering as he spoke, ¡°Mike¡­ Mike, why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time,¡± Michael said calmly, walking to the bedside and ncing around the room. ¡°You¡¯re hiding here, sleeping so soundly.¡± Jack was terrified, stammering as he spoke, ¡°Mike¡­ I, I¡­ my phone broke these past two days, I haven¡¯t had a chance to rece it, I¡­¡± Before Jack could finish his sentence, Michael had already grabbed him by the cor. ¡°What about the video? Aren¡¯t you going to exin that to me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ I swear, there was a woman who looked exactly like Stephanie. I was scared so I babbled nonsense out of fear. Mike, you have to trust me! Someone obviously set me up, they even recorded a video,¡± Jack said, clearly feeling guilty and scared. ¡°Jack, you chose to hide the fact that you found Stephanie pleading for help in the car at first. I¡¯ve already given you one chance. Are you sure you want me to resort to violence again before you¡¯re willing to speak?¡± Michael¡¯s anger was heavy, as if he could really harm Jack. Jack trembled in fear. ¡°Mike¡­ After Stephanie died, you went a little insane. Please¡­ don¡¯t do this¡­ I¡¯m your cousin brother, you can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Ah!¡± With a scream, Michael pressed Jack¡¯s head and smashed it against the bedside table. In an instant, blood was all over his nose and mouth. Rachel and I were both startled, hiding behind the door and not daring to enter. Michael¡­ Why was he acting like a madman? I admit, I¡¯d seen Michael lose control after drinking, but he was never so crazy regarding anything about me. ¡°Mike¡­ I was wrong, I¡¯ll talk¡­¡± Jack cried and begged for mercy. Chapter 85 ¡°The truth is, Stephanie didn¡¯t push Yasmin down the stairs,¡± Jack stated between sobs as he leaned against the wall. ¡°I saw everything from downstairs.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Just get to the point!¡± Michael demanded coldly. Jack said, ¡°Eva and I were at your ce that day. Yasmin and Stephanie got into a heated argument and Yasmin¡­ She identally fell down the stairs. It wasn¡¯t Stephanie¡¯s fault.¡± Then, he cried and confessed, ¡°Okay, I lied. I purposely framed Stephanie¡­ I didn¡¯t speak up for her.¡± Without saying anything, Michael grabbed Jack¡¯s cor. In a sudden burst of fury, he struck Jack squarely in the face. Jack¡¯s panic surged as the force of the punch struck him. ¡°Why the hell are you hitting me?¡± he shouted desperately. ¡°You were the one who doubted her!¡± With uncontroble rage driving him, Michaelnded another punch on Jack as if he aimed to kill Jack. I looked at Rachel and asked, ¡°No one¡¯s going to die, right?¡± Rachel clenched her fists. ¡°Well, Jack deserves it.¡± I nodded. Jack was unmistakably a scoundrel, and what he did to me would remain etched in my memory forever. ¡°Michael, why the hell are you still hitting me?¡± Jack coughed up blood. His agony deepened as he felt the jagged edge of a broken tooth. ¡°What makes you think you have the right to hit me? Do you think I¡¯m blind to what¡¯s happening between you and Stephanie? ¡°You¡¯ve slept with her, right? Yet, you refuse to admit it! Why? ¡°Why is it eptable for you to be intimate with her but not me? Every damn time Ltouched her, she went ballistic. Despite her pretense of innocence, you¡¯ve been intimate with her¡­¡± Jack had a habit of spilling everything when he was agitated. Michael¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. He grabbed Jack¡¯s head and mmed it against the wall. He roared, ¡°Did you fucking touch her?¡± Jack was terrified, and he tried to escape. Unfortunately, Michael caught him and pinned him against the wall again. Michael shouted frantically, ¡°Tell me, what did you do to her?¡± I watched from the doorway and noticed Michael¡¯s cold, indifferent smile as he confronted Jack. It made me wonder if Michael truly didn¡¯t know what Jack had done to me. It was during the Ford family¡¯s party that Jack tried to assault me sexually. Disheveled and distressed, I pleaded with Michael for help. To my dismay, not only did he take Jack¡¯s side, but Michael also used me of intentionally behaving provocatively to seduce Jack. He evenbeled me as cheap and dirty. CIL I thought that being reincarnated would rid me of such bitter memories, but reliving these painful moments still sent shivers down my spine. I stormed into the room as my emotions were in turmoil. After shoving Michael aside, I grabbed Jack by the cor and smacked his face. Then, consumed by a frenzy, I continued to hit him relentlessly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to hell!¡± My grip on Jack¡¯s cor tightened as the urge to strangle him rose within ¦°¦¥. Jack, battered by Michael¡¯s earlier assault,y sprawled on the ground. He looked at me with a feeble smile. ¡°Stephanie¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re alive¡­¡± When I heard that, my body tensed up, and I instinctively kicked his abdomen. Suddenly, heughed hysterically. ¡°Stephanie¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to kill you¡­ it was never my intention.¡± Amidst hisughter, tears cascaded down his cheeks, and soon, they turned into audible cries. It dawned on me that his remorse wasn¡¯t for killing me but for the consequences it brought upon him. He was grappling with the notion that my demise had shattered his world. I screamed at Jack, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you think a simple ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to kill her! will fix everything! ¡°You¡¯re damned! Your filthy sins will stick to you like stench forever! Just go to hell!¡± With uncontroble rage, I kicked him frantically. ¡°And you, Michael! You¡¯re no better!¡± I red at him with my bloodshot eyes as I gritted my teeth. In my eyes, he bore the weight of utmost condemnation. His suspicious gaze lingered on me as he asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± I took a deep breath and smiled sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m your mother.¡± Michael lowered his head and chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­ she¡¯s already dead,¡± he muttered, retreating a step and bracing himself against the wall. ¡°She¡¯s long gone! Even if you bear her likeness¡­ you¡¯re not her.¡± My fists tightened as I shot him a look of pure disgust. ¡°Stephanie didn¡¯t push Yasmin down the stairs. Both of you are murderers! You both deserve punishment!¡± Rachel hurried over and pulled me away. ¡°Michael, open your eyes! It¡¯s Yasmin who¡¯s been setting up Stephie from the start. She¡¯s the one who killed Stephie!¡± Michael said nothing as he leaned against the wall. Chapter 86 Rachel frowned at Michael. ¡°Even after everything that¡¯se to light, you¡¯re still defending Yasmin? ¡°She fell down the stairs on her own. She probably didn¡¯t see properly¡­ She thought it was Stephanie. Also, Jack was lying¡­¡± He tried to defend Yasmin, but his tone betrayed his uncertainty. What was he trying to justify? He was just defending himself by supporting her. 1 knew he would deny any involvement in what had happened to me, no matter how damning the evidence might be. ¡°Stephanie, I¡­ I thought you were dead. But why are you haunting me? Just leave me alone!¡± Jack¡¯s words were slurred from drinking before Michael hit him. Now, he was even more agitated. He wiped blood from his mouth and pointed at Michael. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for what you did, Michael. You should be the one she¡¯s after, not me.¡± His words were desperate. ¡°Stephanie, I swear it wasn¡¯t me who caused your death. It was him. He let you die for Yasmin, not me.¡± Michael red at Jack. His hands clenched tightly until his knuckl¨¦s turned white. It was clear that Jack¡¯s words had struck Michael¡¯s nerves. ¡°Jack!¡± Suddenly, Eva Bailey barged in with a group of people. She was Yasmin¡¯s sister and just as mean. Eva led the bullying against me in school. Yasmin¡¯s voice choked with sobs, called out from outside the door. ¡°Mike¡­¡± Momentster, she appeared, and a surge of anger rose within me at the sight of her.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Yasmin¡¯s hand was on her belly, and her eyes were swollen with tears. ¡°Mike, I¡¯m not sure if what Jack said is true. I was indeed arguing with Stephie, and then I fell. But that¡¯s all I know¡­¡± Tears rolled down her cheeks as she continued, ¡°Mike, I swear I don¡¯t know.¡± She tried to sound vulnerable. Then, she doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach and leaning against the wall. ¡°Mike, my stomach hurts¡­¡± Michael stood perfectly still. His eyes reflected a myriad of emotions as he looked at Yasmin. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at him. ¡°Mike, perhaps this baby¡­ it¡¯s Stephie¡¯s way of making amends with you. ¡°She couldn¡¯t bring her own child into this world¡­ If she were still here, she¡¯d surely have your child. That¡¯s why we must protect our unborn child for Stephie¡¯s sake.¡± I stared at her in disbelief. Could Yasmin, of all people, really be showing empathy? ¡°You make me sick!¡± 1 approached and pped Yasmin. Who did she think she was, causing me such revulsion? ¡°Who the heck are you?¡± Eva confronted me angrily. ¡°Mike¡­ Yasmin pretended to have a stomach ache and fainted. Michael rushed over, pushing me aside before swooping her in his arms. I staggered as he whisked her away. Despite Jack¡¯s revtions, Michael stubbornly held onto his trust in Yasmin, refusing to waver. ¡°Michael, Yasmin is the one who killed Stephie,¡± Rachel shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll gather evidence, ensure she¡¯s brought to justice, and face the consequences!¡± Michael¡¯s conflicted expression remained unchanged as he nced at Rachel. With Yasmin in his arms, he didn¡¯t utter a word as he walked away. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯re quite persistent, huh?¡± Eva smirked, ncing between Rachel and me. ¡°And you¡¯ve got a partner in crime, too? Is it just the two of you?¡± She nced at the people beside her. ¡°Do you think you can just show up uninvited and start throwing punches? How can I keep my reputation intact if I don¡¯t put my foot down?¡± Rachel stood on guard as she eyed Eva, and her group approached. She instinctively tugged me behind her. Eva attempted to strike me, but her arm was swiftly intercepted. As I retreated, I stumbled into a solid chest. He pulled me close with one arm, shielding me, fierce gaze bore into Eva. His voice, deep and threatening, cut through the tension. ¡°Lay a finger on my woman¡­ and I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Eva¡¯s eyes widened in fear as she stared at Steven. ¡°You¡­ it¡¯s you! You¡¯re that lunatic, the murderer¡­¡± Upon hearing that, I was surprised and arched my eyebrows at him. ¡°What¡­ how¡­¡± It puzzled me why he woulde here when he should have been resting at home. Chapter 87 Steven was running a fever. His breath was warm, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his stance was unsteady. He hugged me from behind and whispered, ¡°Stephle¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡± It was everyone else who feared him, even people like Eva. Though they were the type who got their thrills by bullying others, he was someone who¡¯d kill in cold blood, ¡°You guys have ulterior motives, actually teaming up with this psycho killer! You won¡¯t be leaving now that you¡¯re here!¡± Eva sald angrily, signaling those around her to take action. Rachel remained unaware. I grabbed both of them and hurriedly headed out. I yanked Steven, causing him to stumble and almost lose his bnce. Eva came with three people. They were big, tough individuals. It was wiser to retreat than to face unnecessary harm. Rachel and I quickly ran out. She was pressing the elevator button forcefully. ¡°Why are you still taking the elevator? Did you call the cops?¡± I asked while we were running. ¡°How would I know we¡¯d get beaten up¡­¡± Rachel followed me, saying defiantly. ¡°You¡¯re incredible¡­¡± I was in disbelief. Rachel stopped running and looked at me again. ¡°What are you looking at¡­ run!¡± I said, puzzled. Rachel didn¡¯t say anything, turning her head to look at the corridor. ¡°Where¡¯s Steve?¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I was stunned. Steven didn¡¯te out! ¡°Steve!¡± I ran back to Steven quickly. He was sick! ¡°Steve!¡± I grabbed a fire extinguisher from the hallway and rushed in. I couldn¡¯t let him get beaten up by these people. As soon as I entered the living room, I was stunned. I didn¡¯t need to do anything at all. The people inside were all writhing on the ground in pain. Eva was frightened. She copsed on the ground, and her face turned pale. ¡°He¡¯s mad¡­ he¡¯s just mad¡­¡± Steven tossed aside the stick in his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and he grinned at me. I stood frozen in ce, holding the fire extinguisher in my arms. His fair skin provided a stark contrast against the bright red blood. Who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d grin at me after a fight? The impact of that smile was strong. My heart seemed to skip a beat. I tossed the fire extinguisher aside and grabbed Steven, rushing out. I stayed quiet all the way, and Steven remained quiet too. He trailed behind me like a scolded child, his head lowered, and the air felt tense between us. It wasn¡¯t until we reached a safe spot that I let out my frustration. ¡°Are you crazy? You¡¯re sick! Why did youe here?¡± Steven looked aggrieved. He hunched over on the edge of the flower bed and allowed me to scold him. ¡°What if you¡¯re hurt? How can you be so careless with yourself?¡± I scolded him while examining his bloodied face. If his face got messed up, it would be really unfortunate. He grinned at me, speaking softly. ¡°It¡¯s not my blood.¡± I was still angry and pushed his chin away. ¡°Stop messing around with me! Why did youe here? How did you find me!¡± He remained silent, lowering his head again. He just wouldn¡¯t tell me how he found me. Meanwhile, Rachel was panting heavily, squatting on the ground, struggling to catch her breath.¡± Don¡¯t be too harsh on him¡­ he¡¯s so pitiful.¡± ¡°And you! You were so confident when you called me out. I thought you had everything under control. ¡°You should¡¯ve at least called Zion, shouldn¡¯t you? You¡¯re all alone! What if something had happened! ¡°I found myself losing control, seizing the chance to scold Rachel amid my rising anger. Rachel was stunned. She just squatted there and allowed me to scold her. Chapter 88 It took Rachel a moment to speak up. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with this suspect?¡± ¡°What suspect?¡± I realized that I had forgotten Steven was a murderer. My impression of him had changed so drastically when all along, I¡¯d firmly believed he was the murderer. I pretended to be nice to him, just to make him let his guard down and get the truth and secrets about the serial murder case out of him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m Stephie¡¯s husband,¡± Steven raised his head and said. I red at Steven, and he lowered his head miserably. ¡°Stephie? You¡¯re called Stephic too?¡± Rachel asked cautiously. ¡°I¡¯m Stephany Larson.¡± I anticipated that Rachel might struggle to ept that I¡¯m Stephanie Carlson, so I decided to reach out to her using the name Stephany. ¡°Why did you pretend to be Stephanie?¡± Rachel frowned and asked. ¡°What¡­ ¡°I sighed. Even if I told her that I¡¯m Stephanie, Rachel wouldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Fine, as long as you two are okay.¡± 1 sat on the side, catching my breath for quite some time. Stephany was much more physically fit than I used to be. Back when I was Stephanie, I was frequently ill. My health wasn¡¯t great. But Stephany¡­ I thought she¡¯d be weak from all the medication, making it easy for me to take advantage of her. Instead, she was running around, not even out of breath, and seemed pretty healthy. ¡°I¡¯m feeling really rough, Stephie,¡± Steven murmured. I reached out and touched his forehead. ¡°With such a high fever, no wonder you¡¯re feeling ufortable.¡± Steven remained quiet. He just looked at me. I couldn¡¯t handle the way his eyes kept staring at me so intensely, making my heart race inexplicably. I quickly looked away and pulled him up. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go home.¡± Rachel stood up as well, trailing behind me. ¡°I never imagined Michael¡­ would still be backing Yasmin.¡± ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s not backing Yasmin, but his fragile ego,¡± I retorted sarcastically. ¡°Yasmin is carrying Chapter M his child now, he won¡¯t easily let go of her, so your scheme¡­ might not pan out.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Yasmin is pregnant now, and Zion doesn¡¯t agree with the cops using a pregnant woman as bait,¡± Rachel sighed. I whispered to Rachel, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys suspect that he might be the real murderer? Or that he¡¯s involved somehow? Just because there¡¯s no evidence?¡°. Rachel shook her head. ¡°Zion said he might have been threatened by the murderer to take the fall.¡± Threatened by the murderer? ¡°He just turned himself in, and then Stephie¡¯s body was found. They must have made some kind of deal.¡± Rachel spected. 1 shook my head. No, it shouldn¡¯t only be about threats. Steven showed up at the scene where I was kidnapped, andter he appeared at the murder bait setup. He was somehow tied to the murderer. Even if he wasn¡¯t the killer or an aplice, he would surely know the identity of the murderer. ¡°Isn¡¯t Yasmin the only girl left from the orphanage? And this victim¡­¡± I wondered if it was the same person behind this incident. ¡°It¡¯s the former orphanage director¡¯s daughter.¡± Rachel nced at me. ¡°The cops havebeled it a serial murder case, which means they have evidence pointing to the same killer in all incidents.¡± ¡°The same person?¡± I turned to look at Steven. What¡¯s the connection between Steven and the murderer? Was he an aplice, a partner, or something else¡­ As the three of us strolled down the alley, Steven suddenly stopped. I turned to look at him, he was vigntly looking around, tightly holding my hand. Was there someone else? I also looked around vigntly. It felt like someone was watching us. Chapter 89 1 nced around cautiously and reached out to pull Rachel close to me. ¡°Anyone there?¡± Rachel whispered, her gaze fixed on the alley. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I shook my head and focused on the figure not far down the alley. Sensing our gaze, the figure swiftly disappeared. gour ncing at Steven, I noticed the lingering hostility in his eyes as he stood in the dim alley, resembling Satan emerging from hell. I cautiously called out, ¡°Hey, Steve?¡± He turned to look at me. I could see the hostility in his eyes fading away quickly, reced by an innocent look as he said, ¡± Stephie, I feel dizzy.¡± Then he copsed onto me. His towering six¨Cfoot frame sprawled over mine. I barely had a chance to resist. I could only let him rest on me. ¡°He looks skinny but weighs a lot,¡± Rachel remarked as she helped me support Steven, guiding him to the roadside. He appeared dizzy, his entire weight bearing down on my back. I muttered, ¡°Why is he so heavy¡­¡± Rachel hailed a cab, and together we helped Steven into it. t ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the Lincoln residence first,¡± I whispered, urging Rachel to follow me. Rachel nodded in agreement, curious to learn more about Steven. Throughout the journey, Steven leaned against me. His forehead was feverish. He was truly sick. I touched his forehead and sighed. If he wasn¡¯t the murderer, nor an aplice, what kind of rtionship did he have with the murderer? ¡°Are you really married to Steven?¡± Rachel whispered. ¡°Is he truly your husband? Can he even get married? He¡¯s¡­¡± Rachel asked softly and pointed at her head. I understood she meant Steven had mental illness. ¡°Even though he¡¯s good¨Clooking, can he, you know, perform normally in marriage?¡± Rachel whispered. Chapter o Her question almost caught me off guard. Indeed, she was still the Rachel I knew, always curious about such matters. ¡°Indeed, he is my husband, and well¡­it¡¯splicated.¡± I rubbed my temples and pondered how to exin to her. I woke up and realized I was suddenly married? And now I was carrying our child? As for whether he can handle it¡­ ¡°He¡¯s pretty normal, just has his asional moments.¡± Rachel looked curious. She leaned closer. ¡°Really? I thought he¡¯s just a pretty face, you know? God gave him looks but skimped on brains. ¡± ¡°He¡¯s really smart, a genius.¡± I instinctively defended Steven. ¡°He got into the college¡¯s genius program when he was barely a teenager, quite a rare talent.¡± Rachel was shocked and pointed at Steven. ¡°Him?¡± I nodded and nced at Steven. He seemed a bit uneasy, nuzzling in my embrace. I quickly patted him. ¡°Almost home, time to sleep. But I didn¡¯t see the smile on his lips. Rachel was taken aback. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± The car stopped in front of the Lincoln residence. Rachel and I got out and dragged Steven out exhaustively. The Lincoln residence yard appeared lively, with a lot of people present. Supporting Steven, we entered the courtyard, and Austin hurried over. ¡®Help Mr. Lincoln to get some rest,¡± I whispered softly. Austin nodded. ¡°Something bad has happened to both Mr. Lincoln Senior and Mr. James. ¡°Rumor had it that Mr. Lincoln Senior became enraged and suffered a stroke in Montavia, and even if he were to awaken¡­¡± Austin sighed, this was a drastic change for the Lincoln family. Chapter 90 I was stunned, watching Ewan approached from afar. Amidst the drastic changes in the Lincoln family, it signaled potential shifts among the Lincoln family members. It appeared Group. that those present today were interested in the family assets and shares in the Lincoln ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, things are really tough for the Lincoln family at the moment. You¡¯ve probably noticed. Something bad has happened to both Mr. Lincoln Senior and Mr. James. ¡°Currently, Mr. Steven is the only scion of the Lincoln family, along with the child you¡¯re carrying,¡± Ewan exined, his wordsden with meaning. I looked at my growing belly. It¡¯s true¡­ whoever bore the crown must beared its weight. The Lincoln family¡¯s situation wasplex, and I was getting caught in it. Rachel stood by the doorway. She watched the crowd gathering and asked, ¡°Need a hand?¡± 1 shook my head. ¡°This is the Lincoln family business, you shouldn¡¯t get involved. I¡¯ll have the driver take you home.¡± Rachel nodded. Indeed, she shouldn¡¯t get involved in this matter. After sending Rachel off, I followed Ewan into the living room. The room was filled with people, headed by Martin Lincoln, Ignatius¡® cousin. Although it was a family business, the Lincoln Group was primarily established by Ignatius alone. Initially, he weed the Lincoln family members into thepany, hoping to help them out. Little did he know, it turned out to be a recipe for trouble. Now that Ignatius had a stroke, everyone was eager to im his wealth. ¡°This is Mr. Martin.¡± Ewan introduced me with respect. I nodded respectfully. ¡°Mr. Martin.¡± Martin snorted. I knew he didn¡¯t regard me highly. ¡°Mr. Martin, she¡¯s the eldest granddaughter¨Cinw introduced by Mr. Ignatius at the banquet, Ms. Larson,¡± Ewan introduced me. Martin remained quiet. However, a rough¨Clooking man beside him, spoke up, ¡°Huh¡­ the eldest son and grandson of Mr. Ignatius died in a car ident. What¡¯s the deal with this eldest granddaughter¨C in w?¡± ¡°Mr. Andy got married at the age of 20 in Montavia. His wife, Alice Bowman, is of mixed¨Crace, with Montavia nationality and Chinese descent. ¡°Mr. Steven should rightfully be the eldest grandson,¡± Ewan exined in a low tone. ¡°Huh¡­ A lunatic kept hidden by Mr. Ignatius, the biggest stain on the Lincoln family. Can a marriage registered in Montavia even be valid? ¡°Mr. Hugo has no heir, and something bad happened to both Mr. Ignatius and Mr. James. The Lincoln family¡¯s assets must not be transferred to others! ¡°You, a mere assistant, think you can bring in an outsider and snatch away everything that belongs to our Lincoln family?¡± The man mmed the table forcefully, ring at me fiercely. If it were before I was reincarnated, I might have been afraid of him. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t seen as much as I had. ¡°Whether Mr. Steven is the legitimate scion of the Lincoln family, thew determines. ¡°He is Mr. Ignatius¡® grandson, Mr. Andy¡¯s eldest son, my legal husband, and the father of the child that I¡¯m carrying!¡± I stared coldly at him. ¡°Today, if any of you came for Mr. Ignatius¡¯s health, I appreciate it. But if you came for the property, sorry! Mr. Moore, please see our guests out!¡± I pointed to the door, my voice low. Martinughed and pped his hands. ¡°Ignatius has considered everything.¡± Martin gazed at my belly and smiled. ¡°This child has just been conceived, right? You better protect him well and ensure a smooth birth,¡± Martin threatened. ¡°As for that lunatic¡­¡°Martin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Our Lincoln family¡­¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Martin is an elder of the Lincoln family. Apart from Mr. Ignatius, you hold the most prestige. ¡°Is it appropriate for you, as an elder, to call him a lunatic? If this spreads, it will make our Lincoln family look bad,¡± I interrupted Martin. I spoke again. ¡°Mr. Moore, please see our guests out!¡± I was trying to maintain my aura, but I knew it wouldn¡¯tst long. Martin would definitely go after my unborn child and Steven next. The sudden incidents involving Ignatius and James in Montavia were definitely not simple. The Lincoln family¡¯s fortune changed. Chapter 91 Martin sneered, got up, and left. His gaze bore a strong warning. I knew exactly what he was thinking of. As long as my child lost¡­ if Steven died, then he would be the rightful scion to the Lincoln Group. ¡°Youngdy, you better take good care of the child in your belly,¡± n remarked jokingly. He approached me, squinting as he seized me up. ¡°She¡¯s a beauty, what a loss¡­¡± He raised his hand and pinched my chin before turning away. After everyone left, I sighed in relief and sat down on the couch. Ewan reassured, ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, you¡¯ve been worried. Your main task now is to take care of yourself and protect your unborn child.¡± ¡°When will Mr. Lincoln Senior return to the country?¡± I asked. Although Ignatius had suffered a stroke and might not be able to make decisions in the future, as long as he was alive, these people would still fear him. ¡°He¡¯ll be able to return tomorrow,¡± Ewan whispered. I nodded and nced upstairs. I wasn¡¯t sure when Steven woke up, but hisplexion was very pale. He stood at the stairwell on the second floor and stared coldly at the group of people led by Martin, who had already left. ¡°Why did youe out? Go back to your room and rest,¡± I said, letting Steven return to his room. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He suppressed his aggression and spoke in a intive tone, ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m scared¡­ I can¡¯t bring myself to sleep.¡± I rubbed my temples in frustration. What a mess! Being reincarnated only to marry into the Lincoln family, such a hotbed of trouble. ¡°Mr. Bart, what¡¯s the situation inside the Lincoln Group?¡± Ignatius had suffered a stroke, and James had an ident. The Lincoln Group must be in chaos now. ¡°Mr. Martin is temporarily in charge of thepany. The man sitting beside him, Mr. Hugo, is his SOIL. The entire security department of the Lincoln Group is under his control,¡± Ewan said tactfully. He was implying that Martin and Hugo hadplete control over the Lincoln Group. It seemed that the news of Ignatius¡± stroke had been promptly disclosed to Martin. 212 Now I had more reason to suspect that the simultaneous idents involving Ignatius and James were deliberate At present, Martin had the most suspicion because he was the one who benefited the most.. ¡°Let¡¯s put Lincoln Group¡¯s affairs on hold for now. We need to figure things out first,¡± I said, rubbing my temples as I headed upstairs. The priority was to take back the Lincoln Group from Martin. It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to give them a hard time, but the situation was such that, being innocent and carrying this child, they couldn¡¯t just let me go. Asking them to spare me was impossible. I had to take a risk and see how it yed out. Upstairs, Steven reached out to me as he saw meing up. I nced at him and could only coax him back to his room to sleep. ¡°Those people¡­are very bad,¡± Steven grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his embraces. ¡°Did they hurt you?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Steven murmured, speaking softly. 1 remained silent for a long time. Steven¡¯s identity and situation in the Lincoln family must have caused him a lot of suffering. How could these people let him off easily? They probably wanted him dead too. Martin¡¯s idea of taking over the Lincoln Group must have been brewing for a long time, and they must have targeted Steven early on. ¡°Grandpa had a stroke, and Uncle James won¡¯t be back,¡± I said to Steven, trying to reassure him. ¡°From now on, we can only rely on each other. We have to trust each other, you know?¡± ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t lie to me again¡­¡± Steven hugged me tightly, as if afraid I would abandon him. I thought he had post¨Ctraumatic stress disorder. I could only handle him with extreme care, hoping he would soon rely on me and then tell me everything he knew about the serial killer. Chapter 92 Steven was very cautious, repeating not to lie to him. I knew he hadn¡¯t fully trusted me yet. He wouldn¡¯t tell me now if I asked. ¡°Let¡¯s go, time for bed.¡± I led Steven into his room, gave him his medicine, and changed the bandages. on his hands and feet. As I unwrapped the gauze from his feet, the blood¨Csoaked wounds were shocking. I furrowed my brow, feeling tense. The sight of those wounds alone made me ache. ¡°How did you get these?¡± I asked softly, carefully rinsing his wounds with saline solution, fearing they might worsen. ¡°Starting tomorrow, you¡¯ll be in a wheelchair and you¡¯re not allowed to walk. Understand?¡± Steven looked at me and nodded obediently. He behaved well when he wasn¡¯t acting crazy, but when he did, I got scared. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t let me escape. They intentionally made me step on burning coals¡­¡± Steven spoke softly, his voice hoarse,cking much emotion. He wasn¡¯t afraid or terrified, but there was a sense of emotional emptiness about him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I knew when he said ¡°they,¡± he meant James and Ignatius. They would stop at nothing to prevent Steven from escaping, to ensure that Steven stayed and carried on the Lincoln family¡¯s bloodline. It was truly despicable. ¡°How cruel,¡± I muttered, unable to find words to describe James¡® cruelty and dark heart. 1 ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I gently washed the wounds, looking up to ask Steven. He seemed to have no nerve sensation. Even in this state, did it really not hurt? Steven shook his head. He wasn¡¯t devoid of sensation. He was just numb. After dealing with the wounds on his feet, I tended to the wounds on his hands. The people of the Lincoln family thought they could trap him by immobilizing his hands and feet. But in doing so, theypletely destroyed a genius. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven looked at me and called my name. ¡°What is it?¡± I tidied up the first aid kit, and looked up at him. ¡°Do you want him dead?¡± He looked at me very seriously. ¡°Huh? Who?¡± I was a little confused. It ¡°Michael Ford.¡± Steven replied. I looked at Steven in shock, It took me a long time to regain myposure. Did I want him dead? 1 remembered this wasn¡¯t the first time Steven had asked me. Last time, I thought he was joking. But this time, I felt a strong sense of murderous intent. ¡°I don¡¯t want him dead. I want him to live, to live every day in pain, self¨Cme, guilt, and torment.¡± shook my head, looking at Steven. ¡°Go to sleep. You still have a fever. Steven obediently wanted to sleep on the floor. ¡°On the bed!¡± I pushed him onto the bed and tucked him into the covers, He looked at me for a while, then suddenly reached out, pulling me into his embrace, rolling over to press me underneath him. ¡°What¡­what are you doing?¡± I looked at him, afraid and cautious. His eyes seemed like they could devour me. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± he called my name. I could never tell if he was calling me or calling Stephany. But his eyes were truly beautiful and deep, silently conveying to me, ¡°I love you, I really love you. Chapter 93 ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven seemed to be restraining himself as he lowered his head to kiss my neck. I wanted to avoid it, but there was nowhere to hide. ¡°We are husband and wife¡­¡± It was like he was telling me, reaffirming our rtionship, yet also reminding himself. I felt he was a bit of a lunatic. It¡¯s hard to change his thoughts. I could only slowly influence him. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep, you¡¯re delirious from the fever¡­¡± I tried to coax him to sleep, but he remained indifferent. He held onto my hands and gazed into my eyes. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± he called my name. ¡°I like you,¡± he confessed. My heart skipped a beat. Since being reincarnated, my thoughts had always been on the murderer. I just wanted to find out the murderer and seek revenge on Michael and Yasmin. Toward Steven, I felt more pity, wariness, and suspicion. I won¡¯t fall in love again. Besides, Steven was confessing to Stephany, not me, Stephanie. Actually, I envy Stephany. She could make someone so infatuated despite their foolishness. ¡°Okay, I understand,¡± I murmured softly. ¡°Go to sleep, you¡¯re hurting me. Steven continued to look at me and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°I really do,¡± I said, trying to reassure him. ¡°When did you start liking me?¡± I suddenly felt curious. When did Steven fall for Stephany? If Steven ever found out that Stephany was dead and I had taken her ce, would he go crazy? Would he want to kill me? ¡°At eight years old¡­¡± Steven answered seriously. Eight years old? This genius¡® early romance is quite unique. ¡°I¡¯ve liked Stephie for many years.¡± He buried his head in my neck, his voice muffled, shy, as if confessing¡­ This sensation of his, simr to a warm and obedient creature voluntarily seeking sce, is perilous, yet it strangely brings a sense offort. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s sleep,¡± I said with mixed emotions. But he wouldn¡¯t sleep, just kept shifting around. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. 312 ¡°I¡¯m pregnant¡­¡± I warned him not to overstep. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m feeling unwell,¡± he looked up at me with a pitiful expression, his big eyes pleading for Could he truly be switching between dual personalities? That gaze¡­ it¡¯s heartbreaking, even though he was fierce in the fight and in the alley. ¡°You can¡¯t, even if you¡¯re ufortable. It¡¯s early pregnancy,¡± I warned him, gesturing for him not. to mess around. His eyes welled up, looking at me with a wounded expression, refusing to get up from me. I could guess what he wanted to do. ¡°Steven!¡± I gritted my teeth, blushing from his nuzzling. But he didn¡¯t listen, tightening his grip on my fingers. I felt tense all over, and my face flushed. I looked away, unable to meet his gaze because he was too captivating. My breath was warm, and my ears were burning. In my past life, when Michael bullied and tormented me, it was merely to vent his anger.no joy or anticipation in matters between men and women. Having a child with Steven was purely for the sake of a purpose. I blushed and couldn¡¯t look at Steven. I could only feel the warmth of his fingertips. It seemed like he cared about the child I was carrying, not making any unreasonable demands besides asking for help. ¡°You¡­ stop it!¡± I was bing annoyed. ¡°Stephie¡­ hot,¡± he hugged me from behind, murmuring that he felt hot. ¡°You have a fever, go to sleep,¡± Iforted him. Who behaved like this? Like a wild animal in heat during mating season. But at least he could restrain himself and be patient. Steven held me and drifted off to sleep heavily. But I had insomnia. Chapter 94 My thoughts were a mess, total chaos. Suddenly reincarnated into a stranger¡¯s body, everything around me felt unfamiliar. There was a familiar scent on Steven, yet I couldn¡¯t ce it. I don¡¯t know how long I had been. struggling with insomnia before I finally drifted off into a deep sleep. When I woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln¡­¡± the nanny entered and set down lunch for me. ¡°Where¡¯s Steve?¡± I asked. The nanny nced outside. ¡°He¡¯s been out since early morning.¡± Rubbing my forehead, I walked over to the French windows. Steven wasn¡¯t running around. Instead, he was barefoot, sitting on thewn, basking in the sun. I had to admit, he was too perfect, like a piece of art in nature, perfectly harmonized. He wiggled his feetzily, then lifted his head to meet my gaze. Subconsciously, my chest tightened, and I took a step back, unsure why I felt the need to retreat. When I returned to the window, Steven was no longer in the yard. I was stunned for a moment, then lazily stretched. Before I could react, someone hugged me from behind. ¡°You¡¯re awake¡­¡± Steven whispered softly. I¡¯d ten used to his sudden appearances. ¡°I told you not to run around with your injured foot. It¡¯s to use the wheelchair.¡± Steven bowed his head like a scolded child. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, the Larson family called. Mr. Larson wants you home,¡± the nanny informed me. I was stunned, father? Stephany¡¯s father, John Larson? After my parents died in a car ident, the concept of parents had be nk to me. Now, being reincarnated as Stephany, I was still getting used to it. I forgot that the original owner had parents. ¡°I see.¡± It was something I couldn¡¯t avoid. I couldn¡¯t keep hiding. John used Stephany to marry into the Lincoln family. 212 Now that the Lincoln family was in chaos, John couldn¡¯t possibly resist the temptation of their assets. Besides, I was already pregnant with the Lincoln family¡¯s child. Without seeing John, I could guess the reason he wanted to see me. ¡°Stephie, can I apany you?¡± Steven asked softly. I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± I had to probe into the Larson family¡¯s situation. Since I¡¯d been reincarnated as Stephany, I had to ept this identity and live with it, then use it to survive. Now, because of the Lincoln family, I¡¯d been pushed into the spotlight. Many people in the Lincoln family didn¡¯t want Steven, me, and our unborn child to survive. I not only needed to find the murderer and uncover the truth but also found a way for me and my unborn child to survive. Steven didn¡¯t stop me, just held my hand. I cated him with a lollipop. He took it with a smile. I noticed that since Ignatius had a stroke and James had an ident, Steven smiled more often. It¡¯s actually quite nice. If only he wasn¡¯t a murderer, it would be even better¡­ Leaving the Lincoln family, the driver took me back to the Larson family. I didn¡¯t know what I would encounter when I arrived there. My memories of Stephany were limited, but I knew her parents didn¡¯t love her and treated her like at pawn or a tool. ¡°Ms. Larson, you¡¯re back. Mrs. Larson has been asking for you these past few days,¡± the maid greeted as I entered the courtyard. The maid was vastly different from the one in Stephany¡¯s memories. ¡°Oh, Stephany, I thought after marrying into a wealthy family, you wouldn¡¯t acknowledge our humble home anymore,¡± a girl in designer clothing and luxury said proudly from the yard. I nced at her. She was Stephany¡¯s adoptive sister, Ann Larson. Despite no blood rtion, she was pampered by the Larson family. Chapter 95 ¡°Who are you?¡± I spoke indifferently and pretended to be aloof. Ann¡¯s expression shifted slightly, disying clear annoyance toward me. But she quicklyughed it off. ¡°Huh, I heard that Mr. Lincoln Senior is sick. Now it¡¯s just you and that dimwit left in the Lincoln family. Poor you.¡± I didn¡¯t even bother looking at her. Compared to Yasmin, I thought Ann was too young Yasmin had that kind of clusive charm, but Ann wore her had intentions on her sleeve. A barking dog seldom bites. Yasmin¡¯s rank was much higher than Ann¡¯s. Now that I wasn¡¯t even afraid of Yasmin, why would I fear this spoiled brat, Ann? ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude? Just because you¡¯re older than me, you think you¡¯re somebody?¡± Anni angrily blocked my path. I knew Ann was originally supposed to marry into the Lincoln family. However, because Ann had been delicate and sickly since childhood and was pampered by the Larson family, they didn¡¯t want to push her into a difficult situation. So, they let Stephany marry in her ce. They had no idea that the lunatics in the Lincoln family didn¡¯t care about Stephany¡¯s well¨Cbeing at all. Stephany should have resisted on her first day of marriage into the Lincoln family, which is why she ingested too many drugs and died on her so¨Ccalled wedding night, leading to me waking up in her body. ¡°Stephany, now that you¡¯ve be Mrs. Lincoln, you think you¡¯re something, huh? How does it feel to be married to a dimwit?¡± Ann continued to provoke with a smile. ¡°Move aside!¡± I said firmly, making her step aside. Annughed. ¡°Why should I move aside? This is my home¡­¡± She wanted to say this was her home.. From Stephany¡¯s memories, I could sense her jealousy and hatred toward Ann. Stephany resented Ann for stealing the parental love that should have belonged to her. But because her life had been swapped, she wasn¡¯t found until she was 18 and returned to the Larson family. 18 years of poverty had left Stephanycking in confidence. Even though she was naturally beautiful, she was buried under feelings of inferiority. Stephany originally had a boyfriend, a very outstanding rich boy, who was also snatched away by Ann. She practically took everything from Stephany. The thing she said most was, ¡°This is my home, who are you to live here?¡± Stephany¡¯s character was too timid. I couldn¡¯t help butugh, realizing there was someone in this world even more miserable than me. It¡¯s no wonder I was reincarnated into her body. But my personality wasn¡¯t naturally timid. It was shaped by circumstances. Losing my parents at 18 and being dependent on others made me be more patient over time. ¡°Your home?¡± I looked at Ann. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Larson residence?¡± Ann was taken aback. She looked at me suspiciously, apparently not expecting me to have changed so much. Fortunately, now that I had married into the Lincoln family, even if I were to be arrogant, I would have a reputation to back it up. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ann frowned, asking me. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I pped Ann across the face. ¡°Since this is the Larson residence, you better follow the rules. Ann looked at me in shock, seemingly unable to believe that I had pped her. ¡°I¡¯m the real deal in the Lincoln family, the true bloodline heir. What are you? Just a misced clown. Living in the Lincoln family is a favor I bestowed upon you, got it?¡± I warned Ann, pointing my finger at her. It took her a long time to react and then she went crazy and wanted to hit me. ¡°If you have the guts, go ahead and hit me,¡± I sneered. ¡°I¡¯m carrying the Lincoln family¡¯s only hope. ¡°If anything goes wrong, not only will the Larson family hold you ountable, but¡­ Dad won¡¯t spare you either.¡± Chapter 96 Ann¡¯s face darkened. She gritted her teeth as she stomped in ce. ¡°Stephany, keep acting arrogant. Let¡¯s see how long you can keep it up. You married a dimwit. Even if you married into the Lincoln family, so what?¡± I pped her again. ¡°Respect your elders. I¡¯m your sister, and Steven is your brother¨Cinw. ¡°You keep calling him a dimwit. Do you dare to offend the Lincoln family? Without their support, 15 the Larson family heading for bankruptcy?¡± Ann waspletely bewildered. She stared at me for a long while. She couldn¡¯t understand why I had suddenly be so bold. It waspletely out of character for me. I ignored her, and pushed past her into the living room. In the living room, the so¨Ccalled father of Stephany was sitting on the couch, looking imposing. Upon seeing me, he pretended to be weing. ¡°Stephie is here. Come, have a seat. You¡¯re now a great contributor to the Lincoln family, so take care of your unborn child.¡± I smiled, looking at the so¨Ccalled father. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re right. The child I¡¯m carrying is the only heir of the Lincoln family. Once born, they will be the future head of the Lincoln family.¡± John nced at me carefully and spoke lightly, ¡°It seems you¡¯ve figured things out?¡± I remained silent, and waited for him to continue. ¡°Now that Mr. Lincoln Senior had a stroke, and Mr. James is unlikely to take over the Lincoln family. ¡°You control Mr. Steven, and if you raise the child well, you will be the true head of the Lincoln family, ¡°John tentatively suggested. I knew that John wanted to use me as a puppet to control the Lincoln family. But I didn¡¯t know how John would control me, was it something Stephany cared about? ¡°Now, the Lincoln family listens to me,¡± I arrogantly dered, feeling as if I had already ascended to the top like a phoenix on a tree. I wanted to see what John would use to threaten me. ¡°Dad!¡± Ann burst in, seeming to have processed the fact that I had pped her, and eximed, ¡°Dad, she pped me!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that Dad and I are discussing important matters? You don¡¯t have manners, don¡¯t have the demeanor of ady. Get out!¡± I scolded Ann unhappily. Ann gritted her teeth. ¡°Dad!¡± John looked at me with a furrowed brow, knowing I was being defiant. ¡°Dad, we¡¯re discussing important matters¡­. why is she interfering?¡± I asked in a low voice, also . hinting at a threat. Both of us were probing each other¡¯s limits. It was good to test it out. ¡°Leave,¡± John ordered Ann to leave. Ann was shocked. It seemed John had never treated her like this before. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Ann was somewhat unwilling. ¡°Leave now,¡± John said and waved his hand. Ann reluctantly left, but before she did, she gave me a fierce re. ¡°You¡¯re just arrogant, marrying at dimwit.¡± I remained silent. I leaned on the couch and looked at John. ¡°Now that you¡¯re in charge of the Lincoln family, you should take control of the Lincoln Group soon and help our Larson Group through this difficult time,¡± John reminded me. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m helpless. Though I¡¯m now associated with the Lincoln family, Ick real authority. ¡°With Mr. Lincoln Senior gone, Mr. Martin is in charge of the Lincoln Group. He has influence in both legitimate and illegitimate circles. I don¡¯t want to get into trouble,¡± I said calmly. John frowned. ¡°Handing over the shares of the Lincoln family to me is your primary task. What¡¯s the holdup? Are you backing down? Don¡¯t forget, your Grandma still relies on the Larson family for her treatment. Can the Lincoln family afford to neglect an insignificant olddy?¡± I was stunned for a moment. John finally revealed his leverage. But this grandmother¡­ I rubbed my temples. Grandmother? Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Wasn¡¯t she the grandmother who raised Stephany after she was taken in by mistake? But shouldn¡¯t she be Ann¡¯s real grandmother? Ann really was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Chapter 97 Of course, I didn¡¯t expect the Larson family to extend Stephany¡¯s grandmother¡¯s life, but now that I knew John¡¯s trump card, I had a rough idea. Join thought I was still Stephany who was easy to control, but he was dead wrong. Stephany might have had feelings for John and his wife, Nadia Colt, due to familial ties, but I didn¡¯t. My parents died in a car ident when I was 18. So as for John and Nadia, they didn¡¯t deserve to be called parents to me. family now. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve misunderstood. What I meant is, I¡¯m already the head of the Lincoln family ¡°Although Mr. Lincoln Senior is returning to the country, he¡¯s had a stroke and has no real power. Mr. James can¡¯t even wake up. Now, everyone in the Lincoln family listens to m I quickly exined with a smile. John snorted and squinted. ¡°The Larson family raised you for so many years. Although you came back at 18, we raised you until now. Your Mom and I are your biological parents, we¡¯re rted by blood. We share our fortunes and misfortunes. You should be clear about that.¡± I nodded quickly. ¡°Dad, I understand.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. John nodded. ¡°We still need to think about how to take over the Lincoln Group as soon as possible. If Mr. Martin controls the Lincoln Group, gradually, he¡¯ll take everything from the Lincoln family. They won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± ¡°Dad, do you have a n?¡± I whispered. John nced at me. ¡°Find a way to get Ann into the Lincoln Group. You returned toote. Your education couldn¡¯t pace, and youck management skills and capability. ¡°Get Ann in there, let her assist you. Once she establishes herself in thepany, transfer the shares. you obtained to her.¡± I looked at John with a smile. His n was obvious. Why should I give the shares to Ann? That¡¯s ridiculous. ¡°°Ö,À÷Êϼ¯Íſɲ»ÊÇÄÇôºÃ²å½øÈ¥È˵Ä,ůůÄÇôÓб¾ÊÂ,µÃƾ×Ô¼ºµÄ±¾Ê½øÈ¥°¡,ÎÒ´ÓÀ´Ã»ÓнӴ¥¹ý¹« ˾, ÄÄÀïÖªµÀÔõô°²²åÈË¡£¡°ÎÒСÉù˵×Å,¡°ÒªÊÇůůÁ¬À÷Êϼ¯ÍÅÕÐƸÕâÒ»¹Ø¶¼½ø²»È¥, ÄÇÔõôµ£´ËÖØÈÎ,ÈÃÈËÐÅ·þ?* ¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not easy to arrange someone into the Lincoln Groun if Ann is so cam she should earn her ce based on her own merits. ¡°I¡¯ve never been involved with the Lincoln Group, so I wouldn¡¯t know how to arrange someone¡¯s entry?¡± I whispered. ¡°If Ann can¡¯t even pass the Lincoln Group¡¯s recruitment process, how can she convincingly handle such a responsibility?¡± I sighed, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m considering our big n. What do you think?¡± John looked at me and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange this. Your responsibility is to pave the way for Ann and Kelvin.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything as John continued speaking, ¡°Stephile, now that you¡¯re a part of the Lincoln family. There are some things you need to concede to Ann. You and Kelvin aren¡¯t meant to be.!! I smiled and didn¡¯t say anything Kelvin, Stephany¡¯s boyfriend, was rumored to be a wealthy second¨Cgeneration individual. However, the Grayson family appeared to be experiencing financial difficulties in recent years, and Kelvin lacked capability. Therefore, they targeted the Lincoln family. They sure had guts. Biting off more than they could chew. ¡°No worries, just go back and prepare well.¡± John waved his hand. I raised an eyebrow. What kind of father was this? He called me back and didn¡¯t even offer dinner. Ann stole Stephany¡¯s boyfriend, and I had to help her get into the Lincoln Group, give her shares, and support that scumbag? Back in the Ford family, I only felt that Michael bullied me, that I was living under someone else¡¯s roof, and resisting would only bring me beatings and force me to endure silently. But that didn¡¯t mean I was a fool. I never expected the Larson family to be so tant about treating others like fools. It showed how miserable Stephany¡¯s life was in the Larson family. ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back first.¡± I checked the time, turned, and left. In the courtyard, Ann was crying and acting cute with a man. ¡°Why is she acting so arrogantly? How dare she p me? Who does she think she is?¡± Ann comined to the man. ¡°Does she think she¡¯s all that just because she married into the Lincoln family? There¡¯s nobody left in the Lincoln family, and she married a dimwit. What¡¯s there to be proud of? I heard he¡¯s a dimwit who picks up garbage and wanders around, dirty and ugly. Chapter 98 Ann wasining to a man. I stood nearby, sneering. Steven ugly? I¡¯ve never seen a man better looking than Steven. ¡°Alright, Ann, don¡¯t cry. We don¡¯t stoop to her level. She¡¯s just a dull, tasteless fool. Fools belong with fools. They¡¯re made for each other,¡± the manforted Ann. ¡°She¡¯s acting all high and mighty because she¡¯s working for you. Once she gets the shares of the Lincoln Group and transfers them to you, the entire Lincoln Group will be ours.¡± They were dreaming big. ¡°I smelled trouble from miles away. In broad daylight, don¡¯t go getting frisky,¡± I walked up to them, disdainfully remarking. Ann¡¯s face turned ck. ¡°Stephany, what nonsense are you spouting?¡± I nced at Ann, then at the man, who must be Kelvin. ¡°You two are a perfect match, a match made in heaven.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a saying before.¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Bitch with a scumbag, forever and ever.¡± Ann moved forward to attack me, but Kelvin stopped her. ¡°How did you be like this, Stephie? How could you say such things about Ann?¡± Kelvin looked utterly disappointed in me. For such a scumbag¡­ I was giving him way too much respect just by talking to him. ¡°If I don¡¯t say it like this, how should I say it? Should I fight while talking?¡± I raised my hand as if to hit Ann. Ann cowered behind Kelvin in fear. Kelvin wanted to protect Ann. ¡°If you dare toy a hand on me, and something happens to my unborn child, I¡¯ll see what you guys If you do then.¡± I knew Kelvin wouldn¡¯t dare touch me. They were all counting on this little one to exchange for shares and fight for the Lincoln Group. I was carrying the heir of the Lincoln family. Kelvin hesitated for a moment, not daring toe closer. I grabbed Ann and pped her face. I had suppressed too much before my death. Now that I had finally been reincarnated and was carrying the heir of the Lincoln family, I had every reason to be proud. If everyone had someone to rely on, who wouldn¡¯t want to be arrogant? 172 ¡°Stephany! You¡¯ve gone too far. Look at yourself now!¡± Kelvin held Ann in his embrace ¡°Look like what? Why should I behave? Ann is a bitch,¡± I said coldly, turning around and leaving, Ann covered her face, trembling with anger. ¡°Kelvin, are you just going to stand there and watch her hit me?¡± ¡°Endure it. She¡¯s only arrogant for now. Once we coax her into giving up the shares, you¡¯ll be in charge. ¡°Besides, she married a dimwit, dirty and ugly. She won¡¯t be able to show her face at the ss reunion in a few days,¡± Kelvin whispered tofort her. I took a few steps and paused. ss reunion? Stephany, Ann, and Kelvin were all high school ssmates. Stephany was transferred to their school in her senior year, with poor grades and no admission to a good university. Ann graduated from high school and was sent abroad for further studies. When she returned, she snatched Kelvin away. I wasn¡¯t particrly interested in these details, but I remembered that most of the women killed by the murderer graduated from this school. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Even though I graduated from this high school, just a year ahead of Stephany. 1 Chapter 99 After leaving the Larson residence, I took a cab to my old home. After my parents died in a car ident, I sold all our properties to pay off debts, except for this old house, which holds all the memories of my parents and me. Getting out of the car, I looked at the familiar ce with mixed feelings. Taking out the key hidden in the flowerpot, I stood there in silence for a long time before opening the door. The house was quiet, filled with my photos and my parents¡® belongings. It seemed like nothing had changed, yet everything was different. Sitting on the couch, I quietly stared at the photos on the wall. It all felt like a dream. Suddenly, I heard a faint sound behind me. My body stiffened, and my nerves tensed up. Was someone in my house? Afraid to turn around, I slowly reached for my phone to call the cops. But as always, in moments of extreme panic, my hands fumbled, and even unlocking my phone screen became a struggle. Behind me, I felt someone was staring at me, getting closer and closer. Taking a deep breath, I abruptly stood up and turned to look behind me. At the doorway, a man stood holding a stick, his face grim as he looked at me. I stood frozen in ce, my throat constricted with fear. That person¡­ He was tall, with ck hair, a grim face, and arge burn scar on his right cheek and fingers. His overall appearance was eerie and unsettling, just like the fear I felt before I died. ¡°Are you following me?¡± he asked in a hoarse voice. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. It was a fear that stemmed from the depths of my soul. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± he frowned, tossing the stick aside andmunicating with me as if he were ustomed to it. I stared at him rigidly. This voice¡­ it was definitely the person who killed me before. Definitely! But why did he seem to know me? Wait¡­ I¡¯m currently assuming the identity of Stephany. Why does he recognize me? ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were here,¡± I spoke softly, taking a deep breath. ¡°Isn¡¯t this where Stephanie used to live? I¡¯ve been getting close to her friend, Rachel, recently, and I found out where she used to live.¡± Chanter 99 212 1 The man sat on the couch. ¡°I¡¯m hiding out here for a few days.¡± I stood still, stiffly looking at him. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve done a good job impersonating her,¡± he sneered. I was frozen. What did he mean? What rtionship did Stephany have with this man? Impersonating what? ¡°Just¡­¡± My mind raced quickly, with no memories associated with this man. ¡°Mr. Lincoln Senior had a stroke¡­¡± I guessed, thinking that our cooperation was rted to the Lincoln family. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you pregnant with his child?¡± The man seemed uninterested in matters concerning the Lincoln. family, just ring at me darkly. A chill ran down my spine. This man seemed capable of killing me at any moment. But why¡­ was he staying in my house? ¡°Yes¡­¡± I answered softly¡­ The man suddenlyughed. Hisughter was wild and intense. I felt nervous, not knowing what to say. ¡°He mistook you for Stephanie?¡± he spoke first, as if talking to himself. ¡°He really mistook you for Stephanie? Hahaha¡­ saying he loves her so much, but this is all he can do. Just anyone can rece Stephanie in his heart!¡± I stared at him in shock. What did he mean by thistaking me for Stephanie? ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re smart,¡± he suddenly stoppedughing, his hostility intensifying. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll always listen to you just because you¡¯ve left traces of Stephanie and imitated her? I didn¡¯t say anything, letting him continue. ¡°Get the task done quickly, and don¡¯t entertain any inappropriate thoughts,¡± he warned in a low voice. 1 gasped and felt a chill. What task had he given Stephany? Was it rted to Steven? Did Steven mistake Stephany for Stephanie? Steven called me Stephie, not Stephany, but Stephanie? Chapter 100 ¡°I got it¡­¡± I held onto my phone nervously, watching the man, eager to make a call to the cops. This guy¡­he¡¯s definitely the murderer. ¡°You can leave now,¡± he motioned with his hand. I nodded and ran in a hurry. ¡°Don¡¯t entertain any unrealistic fantasies. He just sees you as Stephanie, but he won¡¯t actually develop feelings for you,¡± he warned as I reached the door. I dashed out of the house without looking back, my legs felt weak. Taking out my phone, I wanted to call the cops, but it took me a while to realize, what should I tell them? That he was a murderer? Where was the evidence? If I can¡¯t provide proof, would I just be stirring up trouble? But why was he staying in my house? What¡¯s going on? Was this a provocation? Just as I stepped out of the hallway, I bumped into someone¡¯s embrace. It was Steven. He reached out and held me in his embrace, his voice hoarse. ¡°Why do you keep running around¡­¡± He was worried about me. ¡°You¡­¡± I held onto Steven tightly, seeking some sense of security. The voice of the man upstairs and Steven¡¯s voice sounded simr, both were hoarse and low. ¡°How do you always manage to find me?¡± I looked up at Steven and asked nervously. Steven didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Do you have a tracker on me?¡± I continued to ask. ¡°Just¡­afraid you¡¯ll get into trouble.¡± Steven averted his gaze. I nervously nced back, afraid the murderer upstairs mighte out. Holding Steven¡¯s hand, I quickly led him away, ¡°Where¡¯s the tracker?¡± I asked Steven. Steven remained silent. ¡°You gonna talk or not?¡± 1 frowned, getting a little annoyed. Dupter 106 Steven held my wrist and rubbed the bracelet on it. Then he touched the pendant around my neck. Well¡­ turned out all the jewelry I wore daily had trackers? Not only that. His hand ended up on my phone. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I was furious that I was being tracked. Steven looked as if he was wronged, holding my hand. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re heading home.¡± I always felt a chill down my spine, bringing Steven back with me. Afraid of being targeted by that murderer. That murderer probably doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m Stephanie. He surely couldn¡¯t have imagined I would experience being reincarnated. But what did he ask Stephany to do? I¡¯m currently using Stephany¡¯s identity. If I keep investigating, won¡¯t it lead back to me? Is Stephany the aplice? ¡°Stephie, something on your mind?¡± On the way back home, Steven held my hand, asking. I didn¡¯t say anything. I¡¯m thinking about what to do next. Until we got home, I didn¡¯t talk to Steven. Steven just stayed with me quietly. ¡°Steve¡­ Rachel told me you went to the police station to confess that you¡¯re a murderer, why?¡± I looked at Steven, trying to see his reaction. Steven nced at me, then looked down. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it¡­ forget it,¡± I was afraid of arousing suspicion from Steven. And I still suspected that Steven and the murderer living in my house were in cahoots. ¡°That man said¡­ if I voluntarily confess that I¡¯m a murderer, he¡¯ll return you to me,¡± Steven¡¯s voice was hoarse, head lowered, hair covering his eyes, so I couldn¡¯t see his emotions or gaze. But I could feel him trembling ¡°Who is he¡­¡± I nervously looked at Steven. ¡°Return me to you? Is it Stephany, or Stephanie? Steven raised his head, his eyes burning as he looked at me. The murderer said that Steven mistook Stephany for Stephanie, treating Stephany as a substi So the person Steven truly wanted to save was Stephanie? Was he referring to Stephanie every time he called out ¡°Stephie¡°? Chapter 101 ¡°You know the identity of the murderer, right?¡± I grabbed Steven¡¯s hand tightly in slight agitation as he remained silent. ¡°Tell me who he is. A look of panic crossed Steven¡¯s face. He turned his back against me, as if he was avoiding me. ¡°I don¡¯t ¡°You do know who he is!¡± His reaction made me anxious. He must know who the murderer is, but why wouldn¡¯t he tell me? Steven walked ahead in avoidance as he refused to reveal who the murderer was. I followed him closely and questioned him repeatedly. But no matter how I asked, he refused to budge. I had thought of going to the police or telling Zion and Rachel, but right now, I was Stephany¡­ not Stephanie. No one would believe me. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Furthermore, from my interactions with the murderer, I could tell that he was somehow connected to Stephanie If I went after the killer before finding out what was going on, I would spook him while implicating myself¡­.. I rubbed my eyes in frustration. Things were bing more and moreplicated. I couldn¡¯t even calm down or figure anything out right now. It would have been simpler if I were just an outsider. As luck would have it, Stephany was rted to the murderer. If I implicated myself now, it would be harder for me to investigate further in the future. ¡°Stephie¡­ Let¡¯s go home.¡± As I struggled frustratedly in my confusion, Steven walked over and held my hand. I shook him off instinctively. ¡°The Stephie you¡¯re referring to is Stephanie right? I¡¯m not Stephanie, I¡¯m Stephany.¡± I couldn¡¯t admit that I was Stephanic. Even Steven wouldn¡¯t be crazy enough to believe in reincarnation. ¡°You¡¯re Stephanie! You¡¯re her!¡± He grabbed my shoulders suddenly as if he¡¯d lost his mind. He was hurting me. At that moment, I was fearful. It was as if he was consciously ¡°making¡± me out to be Stephanie. Rather than recognizing me as Stephanie, it was more like he wanted Stephany to be Stephanie. He was just like Michael. Both of them were using Stephany, a Stephanie lookalike, as a puppet to avold Stephanie¡¯s death. Ha, that must be why Steven had been so obedient and rxed recently. To him, Stephanie was no longer a person but a persona he created. He was truly a lunatic. ¡°You are Stephanie! You must be Stephanie, you can only be Stephanie¡­ If you¡¯re not her, I¡¯ll kill you. ¡°He was still running amok. ¡°Okay, okay¡­ Calm down.¡± My shoulders were hurting badly, so I tried anxiously to calm Steven down and change the topic. ¡°When did you and Stephanie know each other?¡± ¡°Many years ago¡­¡± Steven loosened his grasp suddenly and said bitterly. ¡°Where did you meet?¡± I continued asking. ¡°The orphanage,¡± Steven answered. I looked at Steven in shock. Orphanage? What¡­ That orphanage? My head started to pound. The pain made me crouch to the ground as I held my head in my hands in agony. That orphanage, those adopted red¨Cdressed little girls, red dress¡­ Perhaps that was why I found those red dresses familiar. My memory wasing back to me. I had an identical red dress when I was a kid. But when did Steven and I meet? Why didn¡¯t I remember anything? A few years ago, as part of my dad¡¯s act of charity, he sponsored kids from the orphanage and donated resources. I¡¯d follow my dad to the orphanage when he was carrying out his charity work. Was that when I met Steven? Why did I have no memory of it at all? ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven started to panic. He was starting to feel helpless after losing control. Crouching nervously in front of me, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± I nodded as I reached my hand out to touch his forehead. His fever was gone. ¡°Carry me home¡­¡± I whispered as I tried my best to suppress my fear. Steven¡¯s eyes lit up. He nodded and turned his back toward me, inviting me to climb onto his back. I hesitated for a moment, but I eventually got on his back. He was strong and tall. When he stood up, the change in gravity caused me to lose my grip momentarily. I hugged him tightly. I whispered to Steven, ¡°Stay home. Don¡¯t wander around, okay?¡± Martin and his people would stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Things had changed at the Lincoln household. After removing Steven, me, and the child I was carrying, Martin would be able to take over the Lincoln Group and the Lincolns¡® estate. Chapter 102 Steven and I walked on the sidewalk as cars streamed past us on the highway. He took slow steps forward as he carried me on his back. As I was slightly tired, I fell asleep on his back. I had a dream. In the dream, various scenes shed through my mind. There was a little boy of mixed ancestry. He looked like a Prince Charming from a fairytale. He was carrying a little girl in a red dress and running as fast as he could. ¡°You¡¯ll be alright, Stephie. We¡¯ll be home soon.¡± Heforted me as he ran, saying, ¡°Stephie, wake up. Don¡¯t fall asleep. ¡°Stephie, wake up. Try to eat something¡­¡± I woke up in a startle. I took quick breaths as I observed my surroundings. I didn¡¯t even know when I¡¯d arrive home. Steven was waking me up to eat something. I looked at Steven and rubbed my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating.¡± ¡°Just a tiny bit.¡± Steven pushed the bowl to me as he encouraged me to eat. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t feel like it! I¡¯ve no appetite!¡± I said frustratedly as I pushed Steven¡¯s hand away. The soup in the bowl spilled all over the floor. He sat there, staring at me silently. I got up in frustration. With my head pounding, I walked back to my room. I felt like a puppet to this lunatic. The feeling terrified me. I was too tired, so I fell asleep again once I hit my bed. The early symptoms of pregnancy were getting obvious. I was lethargic and emotionally unstable¡­ As I fell into a deep sleep, I started to dream again. ¡°He loves you, doesn¡¯t he? That¡¯s why I¡¯m returning you to him with an appearance he¡¯ll love¡­. ¡°You¡¯ll be like his favorite toy. I¡¯ll make you pretty. ¡°He loves you so much. Why did you lie to him? Why? You deserve your death¡­ ¡°Do you know your lies nearly killed him? How dare you forget him and be with another man you¡¯re so filthy¡­ Your heart is dark, and your body is dirty.¡± In the dream, t those blurry scenes began toe into focus. What happened before my death became 212 clear too. The murderer had stood at my bedside with a surgical knife. He was slowly peeling my skin and removing my nails so that he could embed diamonds into my flesh. He looked at me with an expression of a madman and smiled savagely. ¡°You look prettier now, I made you into a doll so that you can belong to him forever¡­¡± He then put me into a ss disy cab. He said with the voice of a devil, ¡°This used to be your favorite red dress, and it¡¯s also his favorite. I¡¯ve made you into what he loves. This will make him happy¡­¡± ¡°No, help! Help!¡± My breathing hastened, and my pulse quickened. I was struggling. But it was as if I was trapped in the dream. I could not wake up. ¡°Help me¡­ Steven, help me!¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I didn¡¯t know why I instinctively called Steven for help. ¡°Stephie? Stephie!¡± Steven was calling my name. But I could not wake up. I was trapped in a nightmare. ¡°Steven¡­ Steven, help me.¡± ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m here.¡± In my panic, I felt someone hug me tightly. My tense body eventually rxed. It was already noon when I woke up the next day. I opened my eyes exhaustedly. I was alone in my room. ¡°Hello?¡± I reached out to pick up my ringing phone. ¡°A ss reunion?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t make it¡­¡± I instinctively refused. ¡°But our teacher was so kind to you back then. She had surgery recently, so she wants to see us¡­ Her cancer is terminal. A lot of our high school seniors will be there too.¡± My former ssmate¡¯s voice sounded hoarse on the other end of the phone. I frowned. I should go. I could also find out if there were any clues about the victims. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be at the hotel on time.¡± I agreed to go. ¡°We heard you got married. Everyone¡¯s bringing their spouses today. You should bring your husband as well. Our teacher¡¯s keen to meet him.¡± Chapter 103 I was sitting at a corner of the coffee shop at the street corner. I had my cap on and was waiting for Rachel to arrive. For now, Rachel was the only one I could trust. Apart from her, I would not trust anyonepletely. ¡°You were looking for me?¡± Rachel sat down irritably in front of me. It was obvious that she wasn¡¯t in a good mood. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I¡¯ve read the news online. They say murderers won¡¯t stop killing. That means there must be a next target.¡± I looked around anxiously before continuing, ¡°I know who the murderer is, but I have no proof¡­¡± Rachel looked at me suspiciously. ¡°You know who the murderer is?¡± ¡°He¡¯s currently living in Stephanie¡¯s home¡­¡± I was afraid that Rachel might not believe me. Rachel looked at me in disbelief. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I covered my face and took a deep breath. ¡°Just believe me this once. I¡¯m serious. Just ask Zion to keep an eye on whoever¡¯s living in the house¡­ He¡¯ll definitely kill again.¡± Rachel looked at me skeptically. ¡°I just went to Stephanie¡¯s house yesterday. Why didn¡¯t I see him?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t visit anymore. The murderer is hiding inside. You were just unaware.¡± I looked at Rachel nervously. I was worried for her safety. Rachel was still wary of me. She didn¡¯t trust mepletely. ¡°How would you know that? Who exactly are you?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t believe me even if I tell you. I¡¯ve told you that I¡¯m Stephanie¡­ but you refused to believe me.¡± I sighed. ¡°Anyway, I have no other motive than to find out the truth and bring the murderer to justice.¡± I wanted to protect Rachel from any harm. Rachel looked at me like I was crazy. After a long pause, she asked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re mentally well?¡± I was slightly angry, but I could understand where Rachel wasing from. It would sound strange and terrifying if a stranger told you she was your deceased best friend. ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you believe it or not. Just ask Zion to keep an eye on Stephanie¡¯s home. There¡¯s someone secretly staying there,¡± I said anxiously. ¡°Alright, I get it. I¡¯ll investigate. If you¡¯re fooling around with me, I won¡¯t forgive you.¡± Rachel finally agreed. 972 I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m counting on you. I really don¡¯t want to see anyone else get burt.¡± Rachel slumped on her chair dejectedly. ¡°This murderer is too smart. We haven¡¯t obtained any clues so far. There¡¯s almost no news from the investigation.¡± I hung my head with disappointment too. ¡°Yeah, this person is scary. He¡¯s killed so many people¡­¡± Even I, a person who had died once, could not get close to him. He left no traces behind. Rachel shook her head. ¡°But I don¡¯t believe that there are perfect criminals.¡± I shook my head too. ¡°Me neither.¡± Rachel warned me seriously, ¡°If you¡¯re really trying to help me catch this murderer, I¡¯ll be grateful. But if you have other motives, I¡¯lle for you.¡± ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t tell anyone what I just told you. You can share this with Zion, but not anyone else in the police force. It¡¯s best if we kept this to just a few people. We can¡¯t wake the sleeping wolf.¡± I was worried that the murderer might catch on to us. Rachel nodded. Relieved, I nced at the time. Steven had been locking himself up in his room these days, I wasn¡¯t sure what he was up to. But now I was sure he was somehow rted to the murderer. He was unwilling to give the murderer after all. up, The Lincoln Group was in the eye of the storm now. With Martin and his son managing the company, it would be difficult for me to get a foot in. The Larsons managed to get Ann into the Lincoln Group. If it were up to me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to find her a way in or find someone to implicate her. I couldn¡¯t even speak to anyone important at the Troubles were really brewing internally and externally now. Chapter 104 ¡°You¡¯re not going home?¡± Rachel asked before leaving. ¡°No, I have a high school reunion to attend today.¡± I sighed. I didn¡¯t even know these people, yet I had to pretend to be Stephany in front of them. How annoying But after being guilt¨Ctripped by those former ssmates, I felt obliged to go as Stephany. I needed to adapt to being Stephany as soon as possible. If not¡­ it would be troublesome if someone started to suspect me. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, then.¡± Rachel ordered a cappino for me before leaving. I took a sip and frowned. ¡°You know I don¡¯t take my drinks so sweet. How much sugar did you add?¡± Rachel narrowed her eyes on me. Without saying anything more, she left. I sat in the corner with my head in my hand as I watched the cars and passersby stream by through the French windows. It was so good¡­ to be alive. I could still feel the warmth of sunshine and taste the delicacies of this world. Just then, my phone rang. It was that former ssmate again. You¡¯re married, so you h ¡°Stephany, everyone¡¯s bringing their spouses today. to bring your husband. If not, we won¡¯t let you join us.¡± I could hear a few giggles on the other end of the call. It was obvious they were waiting to make a joke out of me. They knew that I married the dimwit of the Lincoln family, yet they were trying to pressure me to bring him to the reunion. It was clear they were waiting to see how Steven and I would make a fool of ourselves. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°My husband is unwell. I won¡¯t¡­¡± Before I could finish, they hung up. I was slightly angry as I was so fed up with them. But from the way these people treated Stephany, anyone could see that they had no respect for her. Stephany was a timid person. It was probably because she was used to living in the countryside. Transferring to the prep school and interacting with these rich upper¨Css ssmates must have made her feel inferior. She only transferred to this ss in her 12th grade. Logically speaking, I didn¡¯t have to attend this so- called ss reunion. But in Stephany¡¯s memory, her teacher was the only person who was kind to her when she felt lonely and helpless. 212 Now that the teacher had cancer, I felt like I had an obligation to see her even if it was only on behalf of Stephany. With a sigh, I got up and lowered my cap as I walked out. Ever since Martin kicked up a fuss at the Lincolns¡®, I felt unsafe walking alone on the streets. After my reincarnation, my sixth sense was much stronger than before. After a few steps, I stopped and turned back. Sure enough, I saw a man in ck taking cover quickly in the alley. Ha, son of a bitch. I retraced my steps and quickly hid in the alley too. The person started to panic when he couldn¡¯t find me. He ran ahead quickly. I hid in the shadows to observe him. Once he entered the alley, I grabbed a stick and smashed his head. The guy fell to the ground and looked at me in shock. ¡°Why did you hit me?¡± I held on to my stick nervously. ¡°You¡­ Why were you following me!¡± ¡°Ewan made me follow you to protect you!¡± The guy held his head as he grimaced in pain. I rubbed my eyes with frustration. ¡°Sorry, I thought you were someone with ill intentions¡­¡± The guy continued rubbing his head. He looked like he was in agony as he stood up. ¡°You should be careful. There were quite a few people observing you. I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you should get yourself checked out at the hospital¡­ im your expenses from Ewan. I have a ss reunion to attend, so I need to get going now.¡± Chapter 105 1 As I walked into the lobby of Landing Hotel, I saw Ann and that scumbag, Kelvin, cozying up to each other. I rolled my eyes. A scumbag and a bitch, what a perfect match. ¡°Ah, Stephany, you¡¯re here!¡± A former ssmate approached me enthusiastically. ¡°We heard you got married. Where¡¯s your husband? Is he not with you today?¡± I kept quiet and walked to the resting area. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± ¡°Stephany, we heard you married into money, specifically the eldest son of the Lincolns. We all agreed to bring our spouses, but you¡­ Does Mr. Lincoln dislike you? Or are you too ashamed to bring him out?¡± The same former ssmate intentionally mocked me. These people were so annoying. I was frequently bullied and hurt by these people in my past life. If I faced the same humiliation without resisting this time, then I deserved all my previous suffering As they said, it was hard to change one¡¯s character. But I had been through such a major ordeal. I should know better by now. Humans were generally cowards who bullied the weak and buttered up to the powerful. They¡¯d just These people saw me as a pushover. They wouldn¡¯t stop just because Ipromised once. They¡¯d escte the bullying further. ¡°You may be free, but why should I bring my husband here just so you could see him? He¡¯s very busy. It¡¯s our ss reunion, so why are you more interested in seeing my husband? Do you want to be his mistress? ¡°That¡¯s possible, given that the Lincolns are rich. They can afford to feed another mouth. It depends on how morally depraved you are.¡± I lounged on the couch and looked at my former ssmate as I spoke coolly. She was stunned by my response and remained shocked in her disbelief for quite some time. She opened her mouth a few times but ended up swallowing her insults. After a while, she said, ¡± Stephany¡­ you really think marrying a Lincoln has made you into something, huh? You really think we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in the Lincoln family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re still so arrogant. Ha, we know they bought you to be a babymaker for the Lincolns.¡± Another former ssmate joined in to mock me. I pretended to be shocked. ¡°Babymaker? Your mom went through so much to give birth to you, yet you regard her as your family¡¯s babymaker? You¡¯re so unfilial. Aren¡¯t you afraid of God¡¯s judgment?¡± This person was stunned by my response too. Ann, who was observing these exchanges in Kelvin¡¯s embrace, frowned. She whispered to Kelvin, ¡°Dot Charles 105 you feel like¡­ she¡¯s changed?¡± It seemed like people had begun to notice that I was no longer the same Stephany. Kelvin said sarcastically, ¡°She probably thinks she has the upper hand now that she¡¯s a Lincoln.¡± ¡°Mrs, Miranda is here,¡± Miranda Patel appeared in the private room looking weak. She was sitting in a wheelchair, and her face was pale. She still had a kind smile. My sixth sense was right¨Cthis teacher was a good person. Unfortunately, the sad truth was that good people usually didn¡¯t live long lives. Instead, they usually had to endure the pain and torture of sickness. Miranda looked a little swollen from the advancement of the cancer. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect¡­ to see so many of you. I¡¯m old, and my body is getting weaker. I wanted to see you all before dying. So many of my students¡­ It mustn¡¯t have been easy to gather everyone together, ¡°Miranda said sailingly as she gestured for us to sit. ¡°The reason I organized this gathering is not only because my health is failing and I wanted to see you. I also wanted to talk about that murderer I¡¯ve been hearing about recently. He¡¯s killed so many v of our students,¡± Miranda coughed a little as she got agitated. ¡°Some of them were my students. I can¡¯t believe this is happening¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Miranda, you¡¯ll get better.¡± The ss monitor who organized the reunion rushed tofort her. Another guy spoke up, ¡°The murderer will definitely be apprehended! I have a friend who¡¯s a policeman in the crime division. Apparently, those who were killed were all adopted from Double This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Stars Welfare Home. ¡°I want to remind everyone, especially those who grew up at the welfare home, to be extra careful.¡± ¡°This is obviously a vendetta,¡± someone said, horrified. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you from Double Stars Welfare Home too?¡± a woman asked the ss monitor. I looked over and saw that the ss monitor was a tall and shy guy. He looked like a decent person. His face fell slightly, and he replied hesitantly, ¡°Ah, right. It¡¯s been ages since I left the welfare home. My adoptive parents adopted me when I was very young. I¡¯m not sure about¡­ these murder cases.¡± Chapter 106 I looked at the ss monitor suspiciously. In the group chat, his name appeared to be Howard. Perhaps he knew something N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m so d all of you coulde. Please take care of yourselves. Your safety is of utmost importance.¡± ¡°Miranda nodded regretfully. ¡°I just want to see all of you seed in your careers, have own families, and live blissful lives.¡± your The woman I insulted earlier grumbled, ¡°Mrs. Miranda, Stephany¡¯s being disrespectful. She got married, but she didn¡¯t bring her husband.¡± I walked over and said respectfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Miranda. My husband isn¡¯t in the pink of health. too. An event like this isn¡¯t the best for him¡­¡± The woman rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s just a dimwit, he¡¯s not sick.¡± ¡°Jessica, that¡¯s enough.¡± Howard was being fair. This reunion was for Miranda, after all. ¡°We¡¯ve heard rumors. Stephany married the dimwit for money, but the dimwit hasn¡¯t been nice to her. Apparently, he has violent tendencies, and he¡¯s a murderer,¡± another person muttered loudly so that everyone could hear him. Hearing theirments, I raised my eyebrows at Ann. ¡°The Lincolns are well¨Cknown in Huma. How dare you nder them¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Stephie is a good girl. She must¡¯ve found a good husband who dotes on her.¡± Miranda smiled at me kindly as she gestured for me toe to her. ¡°Stephie, you¡¯ve changed a lot. You¡­ You¡¯re finally stronger and braver now.¡± Miranda¡¯s eyes reddened as she patted my hand. I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll protect myself, Mrs. Miranda. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± Miranda nodded happily. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°I feel relieved seeing how well all of you are doing.¡± ¡°Mrs. Miranda, this is my boyfriend, Kelvin. You may not have taught him, but you must know whot he is,¡± Ann introduced Kelvin proudly. Kelvin was the top student in Stephanie¡¯s high school. He may not have been the top student in the district, but he was an excellent student. All the teachers knew of Kelvin. Some even said he was a genius. ¡°Yes, yes. He was the top student every year.¡± Miranda nodded smilingly. She remembered all the good students. ¡°They¡¯re sisters, but Ann ended up with a top student while Stephany married a dimwit. Haha¡­¡± I stayed silent as the others continued to ridicule me. 14126 312 ¡°she¡¯s not too bright either. She didn¡¯t manage to get into umiversity. Isn¡¯t she a perfect match for the ¡°My husband¡¯s not here, but I can still tell you a little bit about him. His name is Steven Lincoln, and he was at the top of the advanced sses in all of Huma. ¡°He¡¯s an absolute genius. He was scouted for admission and graduated from university when he was only 18. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. Steven was very bright before he became mentally sick. Howard froze. He looked at me with a glint of fear in his eyes. He may have hidden it well, but I still sensed something from his expression. He must know Steven. Miranda was surprised. ¡°A genius from the advanced sses! It¡¯s rare to hear of anyone from Huma entering the advanced sses.¡± Someone mused, ¡°I remember Double Stars Welfare Home was named after its two geniuses! Both of them ended up in the advanced sses, and that¡¯s how the welfare home gained their fame. After that, a lot of rich families adopted kids from that home.¡± Indeed, it was the two absolute geniuses from the welfare home who transformed abandoned kids into ¡°hotcakes¡± for the rich Those rich people knew the value of geniuses. I kept observing Howard. I was certain he knew something¡­. Seeing that she was outshone by me, Ann said quickly, ¡°I didn¡¯t know my brother¨Cinw was so impressive! How did he be a dimwit? And a violent one too?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a dimwit; he¡¯s just a simple person, unlike a certain someone¡¯s duplicitous partner. He said he was a top student, but he¡¯s just a scumbag.¡± I crossed my arms and looked at Ann provocatively. ¡°I still have some photos and videos from when I caught you cheating in bed. Should I show them to everyone?¡± Ann¡¯s face fell, and her body trembled in rage. Kelvin was outraged. He pointed at me and yelled, ¡°Stephany, don¡¯t be too cocky. You really think you can do anything just because you married a mentally ill person? ¡°People who are mentally ill can¡¯t be charged with murder.¡± Steven suddenly appeared at the door and was leaning against the door frame. There were traces of madness in hiszy voice. Chapter 107 Everyone present was shocked, including myself. Why did hee¡­. Steven was dressed smartly today. He seemed to have put some thought into his appearance. He was already good¨Clooking, but now he looked like the male lead of a movie. ¡°You¡­¡± Kelvin appeared stunned by Steven¡¯s appearance. He asked nervously, ¡°Who are you?¡± No one had seen Steven in this state, so they didn¡¯t recognize him. Steven walked to my side. He tugged at my wrist and pulled me into his embrace. Hisugh was maniacal and provocative. ¡°I¡¯m her husband.¡± His response could kill Kelvin in a second. Kelvin gulped fearfully and shifted his gaze from Steven to Ann. Ann was stunned too. She surveyed the people around her. ¡°Steven? He¡¯s Steven Lincoln? That¡¯s not right. Didn¡¯t they say he¡¯s a psycho?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard. How is he so good¨Clooking? Wow¡­ He looks better than a movie star.¡± Those ssmates started to murmur quietly. I nced at the ss monitor, Howard. He hid himself behind the crowd once he saw Steven. Why was he hiding? He must be afraid of Steve. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my husband was sick a few days ago. He didn¡¯t n toe, but he decided to apany me here to see you.¡± I stepped forward to exin to Miranda. Miranda looked at me with relief. Her eyes were red as she nodded. ¡°Good, good. I feel so relieved to see you doing so well now, Stephie.¡± Steven took my hand and walked to Miranda. He resumed his well¨Cbehaved self. ¡°Please take a good rest. You¡¯ll get well soon.¡± ¡°What a good man.¡± Miranda looked at Steven excitedly and happily. ¡°He¡¯s so handsome. You and Stephie are a match made in heaven.¡± Steven gazed at me deeply and smiled. I felt momentarily dazed. Which¡­ Which was the real him? ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­ He can¡¯t be Steven Lincoln!¡± Kelvin was obviously unhappy to be embarrassed. He was supposed to be the star of the reunion. Unfortunately, Steven¡¯s arrival had captured everyone¡¯s attention. Even Ann seemed impressed by Steven. Of course, he¡¯d hate to have his limelight stolen. I raised my eyebrows as I observed Kelvin and Ann. Ann was staring dumbfounded at Steven. She was probably feeling regretful that she wasn¡¯t the one who married into the Lincolns. I sneered. It was toote for regrets now. ¡°If I¡¯m not Steven, who is? You?¡± Steven growled as he shielded me behind him. I raised my head to look at him. Even though I was just a puppet to him, a substitute for Stephanie, I still enjoyed feeling protected. Before my death, I had wished that Michael would protect me and give me a home one day. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t give me any of that. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯ve invested a lot to attend this reunion, Stephany. Everyone knows that Steven Lincoln is a dimwit, a psycho. You should¡¯ve found someone who can y the role better. He can¡¯t be Steven Lincoln.¡± Kelvin sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the Lincolns¡® ce, and I¡¯ve seen Steven Lincoln. He¡¯s just a dirty crazy dimwit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Stephany. How could you get someone to pretend to be your husband?¡± the other people chimed in. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s my husband. Do I need you to help me identify him? What a joke.¡± ¡°What is this ruckus about?¡± Another bunch of people entered through the door. I frowned. I was immediately wary as my fingers dug into Steven¡¯s arm. Those were not Stephany¡¯s ssmates. They were Miranda¡¯s students from Michael¡¯s batch. Chapter 108 Yasmin and Michael were students of Miranda. That was before my parents died in the car ident. When they were in school, I hadn¡¯t met them or transferred there. When I transferred to Michael¡¯s school, he had already graduated. ¡°Mrs. Miranda.¡± Michael walked to Miranda with a gift in his hand. Miranda said happily, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯de.¡± Yasmin¡¯s hand was on Michael¡¯s arm. Michael was behaving indifferently, but Yasmin looked happy and blissful. Perhaps her pregnancy had progressed, or maybe Yasmin was acting out. It had only been a few Thonths, but Yasmin looked very pregnant. Michael and Yasmin did not look at Steven and me at all. Steven saw that I was staring at Michael. He gradually tightened his grip on me. I suddenly felt scared. When he got crazy, his possessiveness could be terrifying. He seemed keen tobel me as his, just like what Michael had done. ¡°Michael must know Steven Lincoln. Stephany brought an actor with her today, insisting that he¡¯s Steven. Michael, take a look and see if he¡¯s a fake.¡± A woman went up to flirt with Michael. At this point, Michael turned to look at Steven and me. Frowning, I looked back warily at Michael. He just took a quick distant nce at me while removing his arm from Yasmin. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Steven Lincoln. I don¡¯t know him.¡± Scoffing, I looked at Yasmin. ¡°Mr. Ford, is this your fianc¨¦e?¡± Michael stayed silent and unresponsive. Yasmin answered quickly and anxiously, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve had our wedding ceremony.¡± I asked puzzledly, ¡°Are you Stephanie?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Yasmin¡¯s face fell immediately as she panicked. ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡± I sneered. ¡°I must have been mistaken. I heard that Mrs. Ford was the one who arranged Michael¡¯s marriage. Apparently, his fianc¨¦e¡¯s name is Stephanie?¡± Michael frowned and stared at me. He seemed to be ming me for stirring up trouble. Archool looked at me th MO Gotable was my intention. ¡°Mr. Ford, where¡¯s Stephanie, your fianc¨¦e?¡± Steven wel his bond to chock on me. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my imagination, but I thought I saw him smile in adding maner ¡°fe f?lt strange, but I couldn¡¯t pinpont why. phany, why are you bringing up all this miserable stuff? Everyone in Huma knows that Michael only sur Stephanie as a sister. Moreover, she was killed by a serial murderer. You¡­ ¡± saw Ann wanted to impress. Michael. She thought Michael hated Stephanie. But before Ann could finish, Michael tornod and stared at her murderously This frightened Ann, but she still tried to appeal to Yasmin. ¡°Anyway, Stephanie had a bad reputation. The murderer must have been on to her for a while.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Michael asked sternly. Kun thought she¡¯d managed to please Michael. She smiled as she said, ¡°I¡¯m Ann Larson¡­¡± ¡°Do the Larsons want to disappear from Huma?¡± Michael¡¯s presence was terrifying. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so good that you came too. Come,e. Take a seat.¡± Howard, the ss monitor, saw that things were getting out of control. He gave up on hiding and rushed forward to coax Michael. ¡°Ann is 200 outspoken. Please forgive her.¡± Howard looked at Ann with displeasure. ¡°Stephanie was a nice wom He seemed to know the old me. He also seemed sincere in defending me. But I didn¡¯t remember having any interactions with anyone from the orphanage. 1 instinctively turned to look at Steven. His gaze was also on Howard, but it was so intense it could born a hole. Chapter 109 Ann was slightly shocked. She was still unaware that she had made a mistake. Wasn¡¯t Yasmin Michael¡¯s first love while Stephanie was just a bitch who failed to seduce him? ¡°Alright, everyone, Please take a seat.¡± Howard tried to settle down everyone at the reunion. I sneered. It was obvious that Ann had hit a nerve with Michael. I was pregnant with his child as well when I died: That was probably a miserable and unspeakable matter for him too. ¡°Everyone must be hungry. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Miranda changed the topic quickly. She didn¡¯t know how to handle such a situation. They were all her students. that ¡°Mr. Ford, you must¡¯ve heard something unwarranted. Did something upset you? As the saying goes, he who lies down with dogs, rises up with fleas. Do you and your current fianc¨¦e ever worry something mighte back to bite you?¡± I sneered as I walked to Yasmin and whispered, ¡°Yasmin, even the night has ears. Stephanie recorded all her phone calls. You may think that you¡¯re safe because you¡¯ve deleted the recordings. But unless you¡¯ve covered all your bases¡­ the recordings will definitely be recovered eventually.¡± Yasmin¡¯s face was ashen as she looked at me. She clenched her hands nervously and took a step back as her breathing quickened. ¡°Stop it.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°You¡­ What are you up to?¡± she whispered. ¡°Me?¡± Iughed. ¡°Nothing. I just want to see what will happen to you.¡® Yasmin clenched her hands together and lowered her voice. ¡°Stephany, don¡¯t go overboard. You¡¯re not Stephanie¡­¡± I frowned. I was surprised that she knew my name. She must have looked into me. ¡°I ¡°Is this considered overboard? Have you forgotten how you treated Stephanie?¡± I continued threatening her. Suddenly, Yasmin clutched her belly and fell to the ground. ¡°Mike¡­ My stomach hurts.¡± I knew that Yasmin was good at pretending. I had expected her to clutch her belly anyway, because Michael would fall for it. I looked at Yasmin distastefully. ¡°You don¡¯t have any other tricks, do you?¡± Yasmin looked at Michael anxiously. ¡°It really hurts this time¡­¡± Michael seemed annoyed. He had sent her to the hospital thest time. This time, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. Mirande gathering today. Just take a rest in the corner.¡± 212 Evidently, Michael was no longer falling for her tricks. I was slightly surprised. Michael was getting annoyed with her, huh? Interesting. Yasmin¡¯s expression darkened. She was nning to show me the smile of a victor, but now she was embarrassed. I don¡¯t know what happened between them, but Michael had been more of a mystery after my death. Yet¡­ he was never a sentimental person.. Yasmin wasn¡¯t looking too good. Maybe she wasn¡¯t pretending this time. ¡°The guy guy with Stephany, is he really the scion of the Lincoln family? He¡¯s really not a dimwit?¡± There were still some who were curious about Steven. ¡°Mrs. Miranda, my husband is sick. We won¡¯t be staying for dinner.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like staying back. Thankfully, this trip was not a waste. Something was up with the ss monitor, Howard. I nned to leave quietly and investigate himter. Miranda nodded. ¡°Alright, go back and take a good rest.¡± I led Steven toward the exit. Unfortunately, Benson and his gang decided to show up. ¡°Wow¡­ a psycho can look decent too after dressing up, huh?¡± Benson¡¯s friends tried to provoke us. Benson had a foul mouth. It seemed like it applied to hispany too. These people used to bully me repeatedly, but Michael had never done anything about it. ¡°What a gathering we have today. Even the dogs havee¡­¡± I grabbed Steven¡¯s arm as I said. gravely. Chapter 110 Steven¡¯s gaze instantly sharpened. He was a man of few words, but the intensity in his eyes alone. could send shivers down anyone¡¯s spine. As predicted, Benson, familiar with the sting of a past thrashing, started coughing. He subtly motioned to the person beside him. ¡°Alright, just shut up. You wouldn¡¯t want to pick a fight with a lunatic like him. He might kill you, and it wouldn¡¯t be against thew.¡± The person, obviously scared, gulped hard and stopped talking. ¡°Good boys don¡¯t block the way.¡± I smirked, lifting my foot to trip Benson as he passed by. Benson tumbled to the ground in a clumsy manner. Turning back with a grin, I joked, ¡°Oh my, such a grand performance for Mrs. Miranda?¡± Frustrated, Benson clenched his fists and red at me through gritted teeth. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely insane¡­¡± Perhaps he thought I was just as much of a lunatic. Benson nced at the people around him. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can¡¯t tackle this lunatic together. Let¡¯s do this!!! Seeing that Benson and the others were about to start a fight, Miranda hurriedly stepped in. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Mrs. Miranda, let¡¯s step aside and talk. They¡¯re adults. They can handle their issues without resorting to actual fighting.¡± Yasmin, enduring the pain, guided Miranda away with a few others. It was clear she deliberately wanted Benson and the others to confront Steven. Steven was on his own, squaring off against a whole bunch of them. Meanwhile, Michael remained aloof as he observed the unfolding situation without uttering a word. I turned to Benson. ¡°Well¡­ some things never change. Looks like somebody forgot they were almost beaten to death thest time. ¡± Benson¡¯s group charged forward. One of them was wielding a bottle, ready to attack Steven. Instinctively, I positioned myself as a shield for Steven, who appeared somewhat clueless. Then, out of nowhere, Steven pulled me into his arms. I quickly snatched the bottle, and his cold gaze was locked on the attacker. There was a hint of madness in his eyes. He seized the bottle and smashed it against the attacker¡¯s head. ¡°You guys started it.¡± I gave Benson a disapproving look and then nced at Steven. ¡°He¡¯s the one who initiated this. Hit him.¡± Benson looked scared. He was clearly shaken by Steven¡¯s intimidating presence. ¡°Okay.¡± Surprisingly, Stevenplied. It was as if he would follow whatever I said. He let go of me but continued to shield me behind him. He hurled the bottle at Benson. Perhaps to prevent ss shards from hitting me, he shielded me effectively. Steven was really going all out, easily taking down Benson¡¯s group. Now, it was me who was starting to feel uneasy¡­ I had spoken impulsively, but Steven¡­ It seemed like he was dead serious about harming Benson. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough!¡± Michael snapped. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Steven, with a grip on Benson¡¯s cor, momentarily stopped his fist. ncing back at Michael, Steven smirked before turning back tond the punch. t was per ¡°Steven¡­¡± I moved closer, hugging his arm. scared someone might get seriously hurt. ¡°Please, just stop.¡± ¡°Come on, stop it.¡± Many others tried to intervene from a distance while avoiding getting too close. Howard, the one who organized the gathering, stayed behind the others. He was unwilling to step forward. With a dark expression, Michael was about to step forward when cries from his former ssmates interrupted him. ¡°Michael, Yasmin fainted! There¡¯s blood on her dress!¡± ¡°Michael, Yasmin fainted!¡± Chapter 111 Steven was the type who preferred action over words. When we finally managed to stop him, I saw Yasmin being carried out by someone. Her dress was stained with blood. Michael looked irritated. He carried Yasmin over and left with a grim expression. 1 observed the intriguing subtle dynamics between Michael and Yasmin with great interest. It appeared that Michael was getting fed up¨Cquite typical of a yer. Knowing Michael well, I predicted that if Yasmin kept bothering him, she would soon experience the kind of torment he once put me through. ¡°Steven, let¡¯s go,¡± I said, taking Steven¡¯s hand and leading him away. As we walked outside the hotel, I observed Michael handing Yasmin over to his friend. He didn¡¯t apany them to the hospital. I held onto Steven¡¯s arm. There was a sarcastic smile on my face. ¡°Steven¡­ You see, people change, and that fickleness is disgusting.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Steven rejected my statement. I looked up at him. ¡°I won¡¯t change,¡± he said. Avoiding eye contact, his fair cheeks turned slightly red. Hearing that, I was stunned for a moment. Then, the mockery in my smile intensified. What was it that he was iming he wouldn¡¯t change? The fact that he was taking me as a substitute for someone else? ¡°If you won¡¯t change, why are you so kind to me? We¡¯ve only known each other for a few days, right? I questioned. Steven and Stephany hadn¡¯t known each other for long either. ¡°Because you¡¯re Stephanie,¡± Steven suddenly said seriously. Hearing him say my name in such a way made my chest tighten. It was clear he was still treating Stephany as a substitute. ¡°Stephanie¡­¡± I murmured. I always knew Steven was calling for Stephanie instead of Stephany. ¡°What if you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else?¡± I cautiously probed, fearing he might react aggressively likest time. ¡°I know you¡¯re Stephanie.¡± He reached for my fingers and stated firmly, ¡°No matter how you change, I will always recognize you.¡± He looked too serious, and his intensity was making me a bit uneasy. No one would believe me even if I admitted that myself. Even Rachel couldn¡¯t recognize the Everyone was a skeptic nowadays. There was no belief in ghosts or spirits. I died, but somehow, I was reincarnated in someone else¡¯s body. If I were to say this, people would probably think I was mentally ill and send me to a psychiatric hospital. But Steven, the widely¨Cproimed lunatic, firmly believed that I was Stephanie, Was he deluding himself, or had he genuinely discovered something? ¡°How¡­ How did you find out it¡¯s me?¡± I asked in a low voice. Steven held my fingers tightly and said softly, ¡°The moment you opened your eyes, I knew you were Stephanie,¡± It was clear his words were just a delusion of a lunatic rather than a true discovery. ¡°I just know¡­ you are,¡± he said, insisting. His voice was slightly trembling I didn¡¯t dare to provoke him further. If he wanted to consider me as someone else, I¡¯d let him. I just wanted to know the truth. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t remember me¡­¡± Steven hugged me. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± As if he was forgiving me for something, he softly said he would be with me. My heart was beating at a strange pace. It was a feeling I had never experienced before. He was saying I didn¡¯t remember him. Did I forget him? Did he y a role in my life? Why couldn¡¯t f remember at all? The driver came to pick up Steven and me. Coincidentally, we witnessed Michael leaving Yasmin alone to head to the hospital. He drove away with an uneasy expression. Leaning on my chin, I stared out the window and kept an eye on Michael. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You want to know where he¡¯s going, don¡¯t you?¡± Steven asked. He then instructed the driver, ¡± Follow him.¡± I looked at Steven in surprise. This guy was indeed something else¡­ Could he read minds or something? I didn¡¯t say anything and quickly averted my gaze. I was too afraid to look into Steven¡¯s eyes. He really seemed like one of those shamans from the 19th century. Just a nce could make one feel uneasy and frightened. Those eyes of his seemed capable of drowning a person. The driver discreetly followed Michael as he drove toward the outskirts. Chapter 112 Michael¡¯s car pulled up at Sacred Hills Cemetery. I couldn¡¯t help but stare in surprise as Michael parked the car and walked into the graveyard. I mean, seriously, after leaving Yasmin, he ended up here? It was just ridiculous¡­ ¡°Wait, so my¡­ body is buried here?¡± I asked in a hushed tone. Steven gripped my hand tightly. ¡°After they found your body, everyone thought Michael went crazy. He fought with the police to take your body and was detained for a whole day. ¡°Later, after the autopsy, Michael¡¯s mother came to im your body for cremation. To punish him, she didn¡¯t tell him where your ashes were buried. I heard he knelt in the yard pleading with his mother all night before she finally told him.¡± Steven said that after my death, Michael went mad. During this period, no one informed me about what happened after my death. Michael went mad? If what Steven said was true, then Michael had truly lost his sanity. Steven and I huddled in the car, quietly observing as Michael approached a tombstone. His figure was cloaked in loneliness and sorrow. He just stood there, looking like he might fall apart at any moment. Holding a bunch of roses, he gently ced them in front of the tombstone. But it left me feeling disgusted. It felt like he had desecrated my resting ce. ¡°It must be because of him. Him losing his sanity marred my journey to the afterlife¡­¡± I muttered under my breath. I was genuinely tempted to unleash curses upon Michael. Was it because of him that I couldn¡¯t smoothly transition to the afterlife and had to be reborn in this way? ¡°Why hasn¡¯t he left yet?¡± I grumbled impatiently, wondering why Michael was still lingering at my grave. Michael just stood there, and Steven remained silent. After a while, Steven finally said, ¡°He often stands here for an entire day.¡± I frowned. It seemed Michael had indeed lost his sanity. Luckily, he didn¡¯t actually stand there for the entire day. At some point, he answered a phone call, and his expression visibly changed. In a hurry, he turned and walked away. Once he had driven off into the distance, I got out of the car and walked toward my tombstone, curious. I had often wondered what life would be like after death. As it turned out, this was what it felt like. Looking at my own tombstone was quite a peculiar experience. 272 ¡°What the heck?¡± The moment I approached the tombstone, all myposure just went out the window. On the tombstone, it actually said, ¡°Stephanie, Beloved Wife of Michael Ford¡°? ¡°Beloved wife? Is he fucking crazy?¡± I was so mad that my fingers were shaking. Steven reached out to console me, pointing to the three small words on the tombstone. ¡°The Ford family¡­¡± At that moment, my stomach felt like it was doing somersaults. Beloved wife of Michael Ford? Tsk¡­ Just why did he have to disgust me even after my death? How could someone be so disgusting! He was the one who told me to die. Now, he was continuing to disgust me after my death? Couldn¡¯t I just rest in peace? Ipletely lost it. I kicked away the flowers on the tombstone and tossed aside everything Michael left there. I tried to erase the words on the tombstone with a stone. It was truly disgusting. Steven held me back, not letting me continue to smash the words on the tombstone. ¡°Let him write whatever he wants¡­ I won¡¯t let him have you, Stephie¡­ You¡¯re mine.¡± The churning feeling in my stomach was almost too much. It was triggered by those two words- beloved wife. Beloved wife? How ironic. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Chapter 113 After my breakdown, I oddly started feeling more at ease. Honestly, the old me, Stephanie, was long gone. I wasn¡¯t Stephanie anymore. Michael wouldn¡¯t have a say in my life any longer. I had already dealt with the nightmares he caused and squared things away from past favors. I was free from owing him anything. If anything, he owed me a life¨Cthe life of the child who used to grow inside me. As I was leaving, my phone started ringing. It was Rachel calling. ¡°Stephany, the police have managed to restore Stephie¡¯s phone. We¡¯ve retrieved thest recorded call from her.¡± Before heading to Sunset Alley, I took the precaution of recording all my conversations with Yasmin. It turned out to be a rather clever move. I didn¡¯t trust Yasmin. Ever since she falsely used me of pushing her down the stairs, trust was out the window. Fortunately, I had those recordings. ¡°I¡¯ve already informed Michael. Do you want toe over and listen?¡± Rachel asked. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be on my way. I want to see the look on Michael¡¯s face.¡± I practically gritted my teeth, showing just how much I loathed him. I used to be crazy about him, thinking he could be my savior in death. Now, I couldn¡¯t stand him just as much. ¡°Too bad Yasmin said she has a stomach ache and has gone to the hospital. It would¡¯ve been quite a show if she coulde,¡± Rachel remarked with a low voice. Apart from me, Rachel probably had the biggest grudge against Michael and Yasmin. I chuckled, my voice tinged with sarcasm. ¡°Her? Who knows whether she really has a stomach ache or if she¡¯s just trying to avoid the matter?¡± But it didn¡¯t matter anymore. It wasn¡¯t important. Just watching Michael¡¯s expression would be interesting enough. ¡°Let¡¯s go and catch some drama.¡± I grinned at Steven after ending the call. He hesitated for a moment and awkwardly asked, ¡°Do you¡­ still hate him?¡± I knew he was talking about Michael. How could I possibly not hate him? ¡°I do,¡± I answered honestly. For some reason, Steven seemed a bit displeased. He slowly let go of my hand and looked out the car window. I couldn¡¯t quite figure out the reason behind his reaction. But how could I not hate Michael? After an awkward pause, Steven stared out of the car window and said, ¡°He¡¯s not a good guy¡­ He doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡± I gave Steven a puzzled look. Was he deceiving himself into thinking I was Stephanie? ¡°Okay.¡± I wasn¡¯t convinced Steven had figured out who I was. At most, he might have mistaken me for Stephanie based on my appearance. Seeing my dismissive response, he appeared irritated. He turned to me, looking somewhat disgruntled. He was like a big dog that had been provoked. ¡°I¡¯m clearly¡­ more obedient.¡± I paused, looking at Steven. He imed to be the more obedient one. I couldn¡¯t help butugh at hisment, especially since he had put in the effort to dress up today. It enhanced his already refined and elegant appearance. Nowadays, the name Steven would suit him best. Even calling him Steve didn¡¯t quite do justice to that face. Indeed, being good¨Clooking had its advantages. A person so refined was staring at me so seriously and iming to be the more obedient one¡­ Regrettably, trust had be a luxury I couldn¡¯t afford. Michael treated Stephanie like a possession. Steven¡¯s actions also mirrored Michael¡¯s. He insisted on branding Stephany as his own, forcing me to live as Stephanie. Hence, I refrained from letting myself be drawn to anyone. I admitted that I had been traumatized. ¡°Why are you suddenly dressed like this today?¡± I deflected, changing the topic. Steven appeared a bit disheartened. He knew I was avoiding the topic. ¡°I was concerned that those people might give you a hard time. You¡¯re not Stephany. If they had tried anything, I¡¯d get angry,¡± he whispered, no longer meeting my gaze. Chapter 114 I sat quietly, looking out the window without saying much. He said he was concerned others might give me a hard time¡­. The car arrived at the police station. Not a word passed between Steven and me until the car came to a stop. He just quietly followed behind me. Right as we were about to step into the police station, I abruptly halted, my heart racing. Anxiously, my eyes darted toward a corner. Someone was there. Even with just a brief nce, it was unmistakably the murderer living in my house. I didn¡¯t know if Rachel had informed Zion about the murderer or if Zion had locked down on him¡­. Terrified, I instinctively clung to Steven¡¯s arm. Feeling his warmth, I slowly eased my nerves. Steven paused, likely sensing my fear. He gently wrapped his arm around my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ve got you.¡± Steven and I walked into the interview room together. On the way t officer. She looked at Steven in surprise, her cheeks and ears turning red. ¡°Well, look who finally decided to dress properly.¡± Before, she had only seen Steven in ill¨Cfitting attire. we bumped into a female I wondered why Steven always opted for that worn¨Cout hoodie and too¨Cshort pants despite the Lincolns having provided him with various clothes. That outfit appeared to be from years ago, perhaps something he wore before he grew this tall. The female officer added with a sweet smile, saying, ¡°You look so good, in that. Caught off guard, Steven shot a quick nce my way and lowered his head. The female officer finally noticed me and asked, ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m his guardian,¡± I responded, feeling a bit irritated about it. It felt like someone had set their sights on what belonged to me, but I shouldn¡¯t be developing feelings for anyone. All of a sudden, I started to understand why Michael used to dislike people coveting his belongings. It genuinely felt ufortable. Steven looked at me, proudly introducing, ¡°This is my wife.¡± The female officer paused, looking surprised. ¡°You¡¯re actually¡­¡± Her words trailed off. ¡°Married? But he was living as a homeless man not too long ago,¡± the female officer couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡°Over here,¡± Rachel called out to me. She was standing in the corridor. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I took Steven¡¯s hand and headed to the interview room. Zion¡¯s expression turned serious as he looked at Michael sitting across from him. Michael seemed impatient. ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± ¡°We¡¯re waiting until everyone involved is here,¡± Zion replied with a serious tone. Once Steven showed up, Zion took out a recorder and yed the backup copy of the phone recording from that moment. ¡°Yasmin is supposed to be here,¡± Rachel mentioned as she sat beside Zion. ¡°It¡¯s too bad. ¡°I really wanted to see how she¡¯d try to talk her way out of this,¡± Rachel added in a low voice. Michael frowned but stayed silent. He seemed to be having second thoughts. ¡°Why are they even here?¡± Michael questioned. Noticing Steven and me sitting on the side, he was clearly irritated. ¡°He¡¯s also one of the parties involved,¡± Zion rified. He was referring to Steven, who had turned himself in initially. However, due to insufficient evidence and the Lincolns¡® bail, Steven was released. ¡°Stephie, Mike wants you to wear that red dress tonight, but we¡¯re not going to Serenity Lane. We¡¯re heading to Sunset Alley.¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice echoed through the recording. ¡°I¡­ Can I not go?¡± That timid voice was me in the past. Listening to my own voice now, it found it rather ironic. ¡°Stephie, Mike said tonight is thest time. As long as you go, we¡¯ll be even, and you won¡¯t have to go again. After all, Mike¡¯s still mad about you pushing me down the stairs.¡± ¡°I never pushed you. Why are you trying to use me?¡± My voice was shaking On the other end of the call, Yasmin chuckled. ¡°But he¡¯d rather believe me.¡± Chapter 115 I was leaning back in the chair, just casually watching Michael as if I were engrossed in some TV show. I mean, hadn¡¯t he always believed Yasmin and not trusted me? Now, the evidence was right there in his face. I really wanted to see if he coulde up with any more excuses. Once the recording was over, everyone¡¯s expressions darkened. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Zion leaned back in his chair. He was constantly fidgeting with a lighter even though smoking wasn¡¯t permitted in the interview room. ¡°This involves someone¡¯s life,¡± Zion uttered in a low, deep voice. Michael remained silent throughout. His face showed no emotion, but the atmosphere slowly became more tense. I could tell he was pissed off, and I meant utterly pissed. ¡°Michael, you and Yasmin are the ones responsible for her death. You¡¯re both murderers.¡± Rachel¡¯s voice sounded exhausted, as if she couldn¡¯t muster the strength to argue anymore. Michael¡¯s demeanor remained subdued as he stared at Zion coldly. ¡°So, what¡¯s the point of bringing this lunatic here? Isn¡¯t he the one whomitted the murder?¡± Michael turned his usation toward Steven. I felt a sudden urge tough, yet my chest still ached. I stood up abruptly, locking eyes with Michael. ¡°You¡¯re truly disgusting.¡± ¡°The murderer may not necessarily be him,¡± Zion said in a deep voice, evidently discounting Steven¡¯s involvement to some extent. Steven remained seated in silence. Lost in my focus on Michael¡¯s mood, I hadn¡¯t noticed Steven beside me. His demeanor had turned intense. He was seemingly on the verge of losing control. With an icy re at Michael, he suddenly stood up and went for him. Punch after punchnded on Michael¡¯s face. It was as if he intended to kill Michael. I stood there in shock for a while before rushing over quickly to grab Steven. ¡°Stop it¡­¡± ¡°Why should I? I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± Steven turned to me. Michael¡¯s blood was smeared on his face. My eyes welled up as I reluctantly released my grip on Steven. ¡°Even if you kill him¡­ can Stephaniee back to life?¡± Michael¡¯s face was a bloody mess as he leaned against the wall,ughing maniacally¡­ He made no attempt to defend himself. It felt like he hadpletely lost his mind. He genuinely appeared insane. Sure, Steven might be labeled a lunatic, but Michael appeared even more unhinged than him. ¡°Go ahead, hit me! Come on, do it!¡± Michael taunted Steven. He probably felt like he deserved a good beating. Steven, breathing heavily, threw another punch. Zion, standing nearby, watched with indifference. As he checked the time, he said, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± He could have stopped it from the beginning, but he didn¡¯t. Beyond rules, there was still a sense of humanity. Somehow, Zion also believed that Michael deserved to be punched. I wondered if a couple of punches might jolt him back to reality and make him regret what he did to 1. me. ¡®Michael, you¡¯re just despicable¡­¡± Rachel¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Both you and Yasmin deserve to die.¡± After saying that, Rachel turned to run away. I stood there, holding onto Steven. Other officers rushed in. They were kind of confused about who to nab. ¡°Officer Landon¡­ he assaulted someone¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s mentally ill,¡± Zion said in a deep voice before turning and walking away. I gripped Steven¡¯s hand tightly, whispering, ¡°Steven, let¡¯s go home.¡± My words seemed to shap Steven back to reality. He looked at me, stood up with those teary eyes, and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He was apologizing to me. Dropping his head and cupping my face, he went on and on with the apologies. But what was he apologizing for? I had no clue. ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s go home,¡± I reassured him. Chapter 116 Michael¡¯s gaze bore an intense vulnerability as it locked onto me. Anxious about the revtion of my true identity, 1 was eager to distance myself from him. ¡°Stephanie,¡± he called out unexpectedly. He called me Stephanie. The use of that name brought me to a halt. Gathering myposure, I took a deep breath and chose not to look back. Zion¡¯s brows furrowed, observing Michael as he called me Stephanie. He must be thinking Michael had lost his mind. ¡°Stephanie¡­¡± Michael¡¯s voice carried a mix of urgency and confusion as he eximed. Rising to his feet, he grasped my wrist tightly, seeking answers. ¡°Stephie? Is that you, Stephie?¡± A frown marred my expression. With disdain, I pushed his hand away. ¡°Mr. Ford, have you lost your mind?¡± Silence lingered as he stood there, bewildered. Steven shot Michael a stern warning look. He kept a firm grip on my arm as he led me away. My legs felt weak from the moment I stepped out of the interview room. I was scared Michael would recognize me. I was afraid he would find out I was actually Stephanie. ¡°Steven, go to the car.¡± My voice faltered as I looked at him. ¡°Just head straight to the car.¡± I needed to talk to Zion. The real murderer was still out there, iming lives. We couldn¡¯t afford to dy any longer. Even without solid evidence, we could at least put him under surveince to prevent further harm. I had already told Rachel to update Zion on the situation. I was unsure if Zion had uncovered any substantial evidence in these past few days. With concern in his eyes, Steven delicately held my face. ¡°Stephie¡­ try not to be too upset.¡± I nodded, gently pushing him. ¡°Hurry up. Go to the car.¡± A subtle disappointment lingered in Steven¡¯s demeanor as he lowered his head and walked away. I cast a brief nce at him before looking away. In the corridor, I saw Michael emerging with blood staining both his face and body. As he walked past me, he abruptly halted in his tracks. In an effort to maintain myposure, I did my best to appear unfazed. Silence lingered between us, and without uttering a word, he stared at me. Abruptly, he lifted his hand as if to touch my face. Instinctively, I pushed his hand away, casting a re filled with profound disgust. My action left him. momentarily frozen. Suddenly, I flinched. My reflex mirrored the resistance I once disyed when he used to touch me. These involuntary movements, the expressions, and the nuanced details spoke volumes. Michael lingered there, scrutinizing me for what felt like an eternity. It was as if he was attempting to see through me. Frowning, I clutched my hands tightly. ¡°Have you lost your sanity?¡± Michael didn¡¯t say a word. Once Zion came out, he quickly walked away. Breathing a sigh of relief, I reassured myself that my true identity as Stephanie remained concealed. Even Steven, it appeared, hadn¡¯t entirely pieced together that I was Stephanie. ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± Zion approached, asking. He scrutinized me, his gaze tinged with skepticism. ¡°I¡­¡± I faltered, the impulse to disclose my identity as Stephanie almost slipping out. However, admitting it might lead him to associate me with Steven and as someone grappling with mental health issues. ¡°Officer Landon, I¡¯m Steven¡¯s wife and his legal guardian. I previously had Miss Rachel update you about the murderer¡­ Did you I asked in a hushed tone, feeling a bit jittery. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. look into in Zion regarded me with caution. ¡°What¡¯s your connection to this case?¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I took a deep breath. ¡°Steven is my husband. I can¡¯t stand by while he faces false usations. I¡¯m determined to find the real culprit and clear his name.¡± After all, Steven was still a suspect. He was currently out on bail. Zion reluctantly epted my exnation. ¡°Rachel didn¡¯t mention the murderer to me. What¡¯s going on?¡± I paused. Did Rachel not inform Zion? Did she stillck trust in me? Chapter 117 ¡°I suspect the killer may be secretly staying in Stephanie¡¯s house, though Ick evidence. If you trust me, we could arrange for someone to keep an eye on him,¡± I said nervously. Even Rachel seemed unconvinced, and I could imagine Zion¡¯s skepticism. Without their trust, the murderer might persist, posing a continued threat to potential victims. ¡°I¡¯ve got this feeling that the murderer¡¯s victims are connected to the people from that orphanage, not just those women in red dresses from the photos. Perhaps¡­ it¡¯s just the beginning.¡± I nervously nced at Zion. I held off on bringing up the ss monitor, Howard, for now. I needed to find out more. Zion gave me a skeptical look. ¡°Are you saying the murderer might be staying in Stephanie¡¯s house?¡± I nodded firmly, anxiously looking at Zion. Zion furrowed his brows. ¡°How do you know?¡± 715 ¡°L¡­ Well, I did some digging.¡± I hesitated. ¡°And where¡¯s the evidence?¡± Zion demanded. ¡°If you trust me, just keep an eye on him. He¡¯s bound to strike again,¡± I said urgently. ¡°Why are you still fixated on someone living in Stephanie¡¯s house?¡± Rachel emerged from the office, giving me a nce. ¡°Stephany, after after you told me, I went to her house. Everything was normal. There were no signs of anyone there. I checked the surveince from the past few months too, and the only frequent visitor was you. Before Stephie passed away, you were always sneaking into her house!¡± Rachel¡¯s stare turned icy. ¡°I¡¯m curious. How did you obtain Stephanie¡¯s house keys? How did you unlock the door, and what exactly were you doing there? Stephie never mentioned you to me.¡± ¡°L¡­¡± I tried to exin, but it was surprising that Stephany used toe to my ce often. What was she doing there? I wasn¡¯t living there anymore. Yet, Rachel¡¯s and Zion¡¯s intense stares made it feel suffocating. Despite knowing the truth, voicing it out loud seemed futile. ¡°And I searched through Stephie¡¯s belongings. Her diaries were all kept in that house. But now they¡¯re all gone. You took them, didn¡¯t you?¡± Rachel was furious. ¡°Rachel, you¡¯ve got to believe me. Trust me, I really want to help Stephanie catch the killer,¡± I said, feeling a bit anxious. Did Stephany take my diaries? How many secrets did she hold? Rachel eyed me with suspicion and then exchanged a nce with Zion. ¡°I¡¯m suspicious of her. She knows too much about Stephie, and in too much detail¡­ It seems like she¡¯s intentionally imitating Stephie to mislead us.¡± Zion also gave me a skeptical look. That look wasn¡¯t just showing mistrust but also carried a sense of suspicion. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll just go,¡± I stated briefly. Too much talk would only deepen their suspicions. Since trust seemed elusive, my only option was to gather evidence. ¡°She¡¯s definitely fishy,¡± Rachel remarked, furrowing her brows and exchanging a nce with Zion. Zion didn¡¯t say a word, but his gaze held a depth of contemtion. In the car, my mind wandered as I stared outside. I watched the drizzly, overcast sky. It hit me all of a sudden¨Cthe serial murderer always seemed to pick days like this. The rain provided a perfect cover. With people wearing raincoats, even if he was captured on camera, nothing would be clear. It was easy for the killer to strike and dispose of the body. ¡°Steven¡­ head to my ce!¡± I said, trying to keep my emotions in check. I was desperate to find evidence to make them believe me. That feeling of not being trusted, especially by my best friend, was overwhelmingly crushing. ¡°Driver, take us to Harmony Road.¡± Steven knew I meant Stephanie¡¯s house. The car pulled into a cozy alley off Harmony Road, slipping in seamlessly among other parked vehicles. It was a perfect hideaway. I anxiously peered out of the car window, my gaze fixed on the direction of my house. The advantage of these vintage buildings was the open corridors on each floor, offering a clear view of any doors opening or closing. I told Steven to stay in the car and slipped out, finding a hiding spot in a corner. I kept a vignt watch on the entrance. After a while, I finally spotted a figure in a raincoating out of my house and descending the stairs. 1 quietly followed. ¡°Zion¡­ I saw the murderer. He¡¯s about to strike again,¡± I sent a voice message to Zion, urging him to If we got to catch this person in the act, that would be the evidence. Once that happened, Zion and Rachel would have no choice but to believe me. The rain poured down, intensifying. The sky gradually darkened. Chapter 118 I followed that guy for what felt like ages. He was super paranoid as he checked over his shoulder multiple times. But luckily, I managed to stay hidden. Finally, he stopped in front of an apartment. Holding a photo, he started looking around. I could tell he had a new target, a fresh victim. No doubt, his target was inside that apartment. Just as expected, a fancy car pulled up. A woman in a red dress with an umbre stepped out, heading into the apartment. The hallway was oddly quiet, with only the woman¡¯s high heels making a clickety¨Cck sound. Anxiously, I held onto my phone and captured the entire scene. The woman entered her ce, leaving the door slightly ajar. Seizing the opportunity, the killer in the raincoat sneaked in after her, using his hand to block the door. In a panic, I sent it to Zion. Would this count as evidence? woman, I Fearing that the police might not arrive in time and the assant could enter and harm the hurriedly approached. I started banging on the door. ¡°I¡¯m from the building¡¯s management. You need to pay your fees for this month.¡± Inside, it was dead silent. Could the murderer really be about tomit murder? ¡°Open the door, I¡¯m from the building¡¯s management. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. As I shouted for the third time, Zion and his team stormed in, smashing down the door. They quickly took down the person in the raincoat. The woman screamed ¡°uhod you people! Are you crazy?¡± Zion furrowed his brows, and the other officers looked confused. I stood right at the door, watching as the raincoat slipped off¡­ No way! It was not the murderer. I got yed. The murderer intentionally sent someone out of my house. It was all nned. Did he somehow know I was going to call the police on him? ¡°Why the hell are you attacking my husband?¡± the woman in red snapped. The man red at Zion. ¡°Are you out of your mind, breaking into someone¡¯s house like this!¡± ¡°Stephany, what the hell are you doing?¡± Zion was getting frustrated. ¡°Don¡¯t you know we¡¯re busy?¡± I stood there, feeling numb. I did not know how to exin. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ It¡¯s not¡­. Chaillel 1 712 1 pointed at the man in the raincoat. ¡°He came out of my house. Why did youe out of Stephanie¡¯s house?¡± The man furrowed his brows. ¡°Your house? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Zion was getting impatient. ¡°Stephany, making false reports is also against thew!¡± I stood frozen, my fists clenched. Zion didn¡¯t believe me. He clearly had a strong bias against me. ¡°Zion¡­¡± I wanted to say something, but what could I really say? ¡°Officer Landon! Something¡¯s wrong! We found a body at the South Bay docks¡­ It¡¯s a guy! It looks like he was recently killed. He just lost his vital signs,¡± an officer rushed in, updating Zion. I looked up, meeting Zion¡¯s furious gaze. ¡°If I find out you¡¯re intentionally messing with pointed at me before quickly leaving. Tanxiously followed. A man¡¯s body? Was the killer targeting men now? us, I¡¯ll definitely arrest you,¡± Zion warned as he ¡°Zion¡­ That person is the killer. Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± I shouted, feeling frustrated. Downstairs, Steven stood in the rain, quietly watching me. Once I came down, he came over with an umbre Chapter 119 ¡°I just heard them say there¡¯s a male victim now,¡± I told Steven. This meant the serial killer was still out there. And he wasn¡¯t just stopping at women. He had ns to continue with male victims. It seemed linked to that orphanage. This was a direct challenge to the police, who were struggling to catch him. ¡°Who is he, and why haven¡¯t the police found any clues so far?¡± My voice quivered. Certainly, that person had to be suspecting me. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Steven held an umbre for me, his body tense. I nervously looked at Steven as raindrops dripped down my hair. ¡°You know, right? You know who he is, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let him keep killing people.¡± I clutched Steven¡¯s clothes tightly. He knew who the murderer was, so why wouldn¡¯t he say anything? ¡°They¡­ deserve to die,¡± Steven¡¯s voice was hoarse, his body slightly trembling. I looked up at Steven. They deserved to die? Was he referring to the victims? ¡°What about Stephanie? What did she do wrong?¡± I pushed Steven away and turned to run outside. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven nervously called my name. I didn¡¯t stop but kept running in the rain toward the crime scene. Who was the victim this time? As I rushed to the South Bay docks, the relentless rain made me drenched. The biting cold caused me to shiver uncontrobly, and my face turned a ghostly white. Standing at the roadside, I joined the onlookers to observe the scene. the ¡°The deceased is a male. He was also an orphan from that orphanage. After the fire years ago, government relocated the children from the orphanage. Most found adoptive families, but it seems¡­ the murderer still has a connection to the orphanage.. ¡°Investigate everyone from the orphanage! Bring them all in for questioning!¡± Zion was furious. Indeed, in recent years, this was the biggest serial murder case in Huma to remain unsolved. Until now, the police had no leads, no clues, and hadn¡¯t caught the killer. There wasn¡¯t even a trace left behind. ¡°The murderer is too vignt. He left no hair, no nails, not even fingerprints. How does he manage that?¡± a young officer asked in terror. ¡°It¡¯s as if there¡¯s no murderer¡­ just like those online rumors. It¡¯s as if everything was done by a vengeful ghost.¡± Zion¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°Cut the crap! There are no ghosts in this world.¡± I stood frozen in ce, watching the body being carried away by the police. If the murderer was indeed human, how could they not leave any evidence? Rachel said she went to my house, but there were no signs of anyone living there. But clearly, I saw that person in that house¡­ Zion was an atheist. He didn¡¯t believe in ghosts and gods, but I¡­ I was someone who had died before. I knew even if one became a ghost, it was impossible tomit murder because one couldn¡¯t physically touch anything. The dead were more like souls trapped in a four¨Cdimensional world. They were unable to interact with the three¨Cdimensional world. ¡°Stephany, who are you, really?¡± Rachel was there too. Holding an umbre, she scrutinized me. What do you really want?¡± I breathed heavily as I looked at Rachel. ¡°Why won¡¯t you believe me¡­¡± She furrowed her brows and looked at me, warning me, ¡°Don¡¯t give me a reason to catch you.¡± shes of memories that didn¡¯t belong to me flickered in my mind. It was Stephany¡­ and that murderer. ¡°I can help you get rid of the people you want to eliminate, but you have to listen to me and marry Steven. I crouched on the ground with a sudden headache, looking at the ground with a terrified expression. Stephany¡­ and that murderer were indeed connected. ¡°How did shee here? This woman is definitely suspicious. Should we bring her in for questioning? Jeffers asked Zion. Chapter 120 Zion¡¯s face was grim as he looked at me. ¡°Ms. Larson, you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± I stayed quiet. After the police cleared the scene, I got up to find Steven, Iwondered if he had followed me here. Frantically, I searched for Steven. When I finally spotted him across the street, still standing in the rain, relief flooded through me. He was still here. ¡°Steven¡­¡± I wanted to run to him, but the road was too crowded with cars. ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t move,¡± he called out. Rushing over, he draped his jacket over my shoulders protectively. ¡°Should we go home?¡± His gentle voice calmed my nerves. I nodded, taking onest look at the crime scene. ¡°That madman won¡¯t cease his onught,¡± I murmured. The murderer would continue his spree until he felt satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m looking for him too,¡± Steven said. I looked at him. ¡°Why won¡¯t you say his name?¡± Steven shook his head. ¡°Because I¡¯m not sure either.¡± I frowned, feeling unsure if I could trust Steven. Back at the old Lincoln residence, I took a hot shower and then curled up in bed with a warm drink. Steven came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe and squatted beside me. ¡°Feeling better?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I nodded, feeling somewhat calmer. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Steven nodded. ¡°Why did you say those people who died deserved to die?¡± I wanted to know what those people had done. Steven lowered his gaze, clenching his hands into fists. Despite bearing scars from past burns, his fingers were exceptionally attractive. If he had never been injured, he would have been God¡¯s perfect masterpiece. ¡°They started the fire,¡± he said. Recalling those painful memories, he trembled. I held Steven¡¯s hand and instinctively pulled him into a hug. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ It¡¯s all in the past now.¡± I took out my phone and messaged Zion, ¡°Steven mentioned that the deaths are linked to the orphanage fire.¡± Shortly after, Zion replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± I sighed heavily and leaned back on the bed. It dawned on me that Stephany was unreliable. Rachel must have noticed something off about Stephany, or else she wouldn¡¯t have suddenly be so cold and distrustful toward me. However, I wondered what she had discovered. ¡°Stephie, promise me¡­ Don¡¯t get involved in this matter anymore, okay?¡± Steven said anxiously, hoping I wouldn¡¯t get dragged into it again. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lincoln Senior is back.¡± The butler, Austin, knocked on the door. Ignatius had returned from his trip, but now he was bedridden and would require constant care. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I ruffled Steven¡¯s hair. ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs and see Grandpa, won The troubles of the Lincoln family were enough to weigh heavily on anyone¡¯s mind. With Ignatius paralyzed and unable to speak or make decisions, it seemed likely that the other Lincolns would take advantage of him. Chapter 121 After Ignatius was brought back, hey on the bed, looking unwell. Martin and Dax arrived with sinister intentions. Most of the Lincoln family¡¯s distant rtives were present, each with their own motives. They still believed I was the weak and easily manipted Stephany who was brought in to secure the Lincoln family¡¯s inheritance. Unbeknownst to them, I wasn¡¯t the same old Stephany anymore. ¡°Ignatius is sick, and the Lincoln family can¡¯t go without a leader for too long. I don¡¯t see anyone competent enough here. One¡¯s a fool, and the other¡¯s an outsider,¡± Martin remarked disdainfully as he cast a nce at Steven. That outsider he referred to was me. Smirking, Martin approached the bedside. ¡°Ignatius, if you agree to let me take control, just nod. I¡¯ll ensure Lincoln Group prospers under my leadership.¡± Despite his anger, Ignatius was unable to utter a word. He gripped the covers tightly, shooting a fierce re at Martin. ¡°Mr. Lincoln Senior mustn¡¯t be agitated,¡± Ewan interjected solemnly. ¡°I believe Ignatius has agreed,¡± Martin dered. ¡°Who says Grandpa agreed?¡± I entered the room, standing firmly by Ignatius¡® side. ¡± Everything that belongs to the Lincoln family, including the shares of the Lincoln Group, is for my unborn child who¡¯s the rightful heir of the Lincolns. Am I right, Grandpa?¡± Ignatius stared at me as I spoke. Though taken aback by my statement, he reluctantly nodded in agreement. Martin¡¯s expression darkened. Dax sneered, ¡°Mind your ce, woman, or your child may never see daylight.¡± Ignatius shot Dax a furious re, his lips slightly parted as if on the verge of cursing. I suddenly felt a pang of pity for Ignatius. Despite his life of prominence and influence, he nowy confined to his bed. Even his wealth and power left him powerless. ¡°You find pleasure in intimidating a mere woman, don¡¯t you? Is that the best you can do?¡± I countered, meeting his gaze without flinching. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. For all their intimidation, could these people be any more fearsome than a serial killer? Taken aback by my defiance, Dax sneered and walked forward. With Ignatius incapacitated on the bed, he certainly felt emboldened. As I began to step back, Steven stood before me. His tall and imposing figure gave me an inexplicable sense of security. Dax frowned and looked at Steven. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a fool, yet you have the audacity to defend her?¡® Steven stared at Dax and remained silent. He was used to the rough and tumble of the underworld, but now he seemed intimidated by the fool, Steven. Steven rarely spoke, maybe because of an old injury that left his voice raspy. Yet, when he got serious, he was truly intimidating. ¡°The Lincoln Group can¡¯t stay without a leader. Are you letting this idiot take over, or will it be her?¡± Martin¡¯s voice broke the tension. ¡°I¡¯ll take over thepany,¡± Steven spoke up. I had intended to offer to temporarily assume control, but Steven beat me to it. His words stunned everyone, including myself. Even Ignatius stared at Steven in disbelief. His expression wasplex as he struggled to articte his thoughts. A glimmer of fear reflected in his gaze. Chapter 122 1 began to wonder if Ignatius was afraid of Steven. ¡°It seems like even Ignatius doesn¡¯t find it easy to hand over thepany to a fool.¡± Martin chuckled. I frowned, leaning in to whisper to Ignatius, ¡°Grandpa, you don¡¯t want your hard¨Cearned empire to be snatched away by someone with wolfish ambitions, do you?¡± Ignatius¡¯s gaze stiffened, and he slowly nodded in Ewan¡¯s direction. Ignatius finally agreed to let Steven lead thepany. Martin cast a furious re at Dax and muttered, ¡°He¡¯s just a fool. Let¡¯s see how long he canst in thepany.¡± ¡°Do you mean Ignatius would rather hand thepany to that fool rather than give us even a small share?¡± Outside the door, other rtives still clung to hope for a share of the inheritance. I nced at Steven, signaling him to rx. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Steven didn¡¯t say anything. He held my hand, wanting me to stay with him. ¡°How could Ignatius leave such a huge family business to a fool? Can a fool even manage the company? It¡¯s ridiculous. I think he¡¯s gone senile,¡± someone remarked outside. ¡°Is he even thinking clearly?¡± Outside, there was amotion. Steven and I walked out, looking at those people. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s just sick, not gone. He¡¯ll get better with treatment. The Lincoln family is just facing a small problem. Are you all that eager to divide the inheritance?¡± I asked coldly. ¡°If you upset Grandpa, you won¡¯t get a single share.¡± They looked over, seemingly stunned by my words. They didn¡¯t seem to expect Stephany, who was rumored to be timid and obedient, to suddenly be assertive. ¡°I always thought you were timid, but now things seem moreplex,¡± Dax sneered, ncing at me. The others fell silent and followed Martin out. 30 They hadn¡¯t given up, nor were they scared off by me. It was simply because Ignatius was still alive. After everyone left, I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Steven. ¡°You¡¯re too impulsive. Why did you say you want to take over thepany? Can you handle it? They¡¯ll definitely make things difficult for you, and you won¡¯t evenst a day.¡± I was certain that thepany had undergone a significant internal restructuring, with most of the employees likely Martin¡¯s men.. Steven looked at me and fell silent. I felt a headacheing on. I hadn¡¯t even sorted out the matter of the murderer yet, and now I was getting dragged into the power struggle of the Lincoln family. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, although Mr. Lincoln has agreed to join thepany, I still have to remind you that this isn¡¯t a simple matter,¡± Ewan came out after putting Ignatius to bed. He adjusted his sses and looked at me. ¡°The Lincoln Group is working with the Ford Group. Tomorrow¡¯s meeting is with Michael Ford, the president. If it goes well, it¡¯ll help the young sir assert himself in thepany.¡± I was taken aback for a moment and instinctively looked up at Steven. It was quite coincidental that we had to coborate with that lunatic again. Steven¡¯s expression darkened, and he red angrily at Ewan. ¡°Enough!¡± Clearly, he didn¡¯t want me to have any contact with Michael. But Ewan seemed oblivious. ¡°If you can¡¯t secure this coboration, it¡¯ll be difficult to gain credibility within thepany.¡± This marked the most critical initial step for Steven in taking charge of thepany. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you to thepany tomorrow.¡± After a moment of silence, I made up my mind to help Steven in this matter. ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± Steven whispered before heading upstairs. He was clearly upset. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 123 ¡°Please don¡¯t fall for him anymore¡­¡± As I stepped into Steven¡¯s room, he suddenly pressed me against the wall. He pleaded with me not to fall for Michael anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t like him anymore,¡± I muttered. ¡°Lies¡­¡± He used me of lying. ¡°I¡­¡± I tried to exin, but he silenced me with a kiss. My breaths were hot, and the room seemed to heat up. I was still afraid of him. When he became serious, he was terrifying. When I called him by his nickname, he seemed to regain someposure. Indeed, his icy gaze softened momentarily when I called him Steve. He took a deep breath and let go of me, likely concerned about hurting the baby I was carrying. ¡°Stephie, please don¡¯t leave me again. Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± he kept repeating. It seemed like Stephanie had deceived him many times before. But I couldn¡¯t remember. That night, Steven stubbornly clung to me and refused to release his grip. Perhaps I had caught a cold in the rain, but I felt feverish and my head throbbed relentlessly. Memories that didn¡¯t belong to me slowly invaded my mind. ¡°To control Steven, you must be like Stephanie¡­ ¡°You need to mimic everything about her. Even the simplest gestures and words should be just like Stephanie¡¯s.. ¡°Only then can you make sure Steven keeps you close. Then, you¡¯ll gradually gain shares in the Lincoln Group. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m Stephanie¡­¡± I struggled with those memories in my dream. Who was the person speaking? Was it the murderer? No, the voice wasn¡¯t right. ¡°No, I¡¯m Stephanie.¡± I woke up suddenly, breathing heavily as I sat up. Steven was sitting beside me, holding a towel and looking at me with concern. ¡°Steve¡­¡± I suddenly felt scared and instinctively clung to Steven. He tensed for a moment before softly reassuring me. ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± I nodded. My thoughts were in a jumble. Stephany had too many secrets. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here.¡± Steven¡¯s voice was hoarse butforting. ¡°Go back to sleep. You have a fever. You¡¯ll feel better after some rest.¡± I drifted off into a heavy sleep. Unaware of how long I had been asleep, I woke up to find it was already noon the next day. ¡°Steve¡­¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Steven?¡± I asked as I stepped out. ¡°Mr. Lincoln is at the office,¡± the new maid informed me. I hadn¡¯t realized the change in household staff until now. All the helpers were new faces. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. When did this turnover ur? ¡°What about the previous housekeeper, Alex?¡± I inquired tentatively¡­ The maid lowered her head and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Lincoln. I don¡¯t know Alex. My name is Suzanne.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. I noticed that these new helpers seemed to show me more respect than before. ¡°Please inform the butler that I¡¯ll be going to thepany,¡± I instructed. ¡°Of course.¡± The new maid nodded and turned to find the butler. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, I¡¯ve arranged the car,¡± the butler stated upon entering. I was taken aback, realizing that even the butler had been reced. The previous butler had been serving Ignatius for years, so this change was unexpected. ¡°What about the previous butler?¡± I asked. Chapter 124 Was Since Ignatius incapable of moving and now with no one in charge of the Lincoln family, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder who would havepletely changed the household staff. ¡°The previous butler fell ill and retired. I¡¯m the new butler. Please feel free to let me know if you need anything, Mrs. Lincoln,¡± the new butler informed me. I found it puzzling and wondered if Steven was behind theplete overhaul of the helpers. However, upon reflection, he likely didn¡¯t have the authority to do so, considering how everyone in the Lincoln family regarded him as a fool. It didn¡¯t seem usible that he possessed such power. I absentmindedly entered the car and massaged my temples. Lately, I had a sense of foreboding, though I couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint its source. My phone buzzed, and to my surprise, it was Rachel. Since my demise, Rachel¡¯s demeanor had grown colder. She had nearly sacrificed everything in her relentless pursuit of solving the case and apprehending the murderer. I felt sorry for her, but I didn¡¯t know how to help her. She remained skeptical of my words. ¡°Yasmin¡¯s child didn¡¯t make it. The lunatic is still after her. Thankfully, the police intervened just in time, but she lost the baby,¡± she said. My heart tightened as I realized that the murderer remained determined to kill Yasmin. ¡°Why are you sharing this with me? Don¡¯t you doubt me?¡± I inquired softly. I didn¡¯t understand why Rachel was suddenly telling me these things. ¡°Yasmin wants to meet with you,¡± Rachel said tly. ¡°She wants to meet with me?¡± I was surprised that Yasmin would want to meet with me. After all, I was now Stephany. ¡°Yes, you, Stephany.¡± Rachel¡¯s voice was chilly. I felt a bit flustered. ¡°When?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you outside Huma Hospital at 6:00 pm,¡± she replied. ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, I stared nkly out of the car window. It was strange that Yasmin specifically requested to meet with me. Did Yasmin also know Stephany? This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Are the Lincoln Group and the Ford Group currently discussing cooperation?¡± I asked casually as the butler chauffeured me. I wasn¡¯t certain if he was well¨Cinformed about thepany¡¯s affairs. ¡°Indeed,¡± he affirmed. Surprisingly, he appeared knowledgeable about thepany¡¯s dealings. ¡°Is Michael personally in attendance?¡± I queried. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Lincoln,¡± he replied¡­ I frowned, considering that Yasmin¡¯s heartbreaking loss should have caught Michael¡¯s attention. However, he seemed unperturbed and still attended the coboration discussion. His apparent indifference perplexed me. He was once deeply devoted to Yasmin. He would be profoundly affected by even the slightest harm to her. Yet, he appeared unaffected in the aftermath of the loss of their child. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± the butler announced. Upon a at thepany, I stepped out of the car. Looking up at the towering office building of the Lincoln Group, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel. It was indeed the gship enterprise of the Huma business district, and the entire building belonged to the Lincoln family. ¡°Mr. Ford, this way, please,¡± a voice called out. It seemed fate had brought us together. Just as I entered thepany, I saw Michael Ford walking in as well. He clearly noticed me too, and his gaze momentarily froze. The oblivious assistant ushered us into the same elevator. Although there were only a few of us in the elevator, the atmosphere felt heavy. Upon reaching the second¨Cfloor lounge, a crowd of employees suddenly surged in. I found myself being pushed backward, but someone reached out and gently pulled me into a corner. Instinctively, I looked up and met Michael¡¯s gaze. I instantly felt a surge of difort in my stomach. I felt physically uneasy whenever I saw him. His gaze seemedplicated, as if he were trying to see through me. ¡°Mr. Ford, how leisurely of you. I heard your wife lost her child, yet you still have the capacity to discuss coboration,¡± I remarked sarcastically. Michael¡¯s body stiffened for a moment before he said, ¡°She¡¯s not my wife.¡± ¡°Oh? Weren¡¯t you head over heels in love with her before?¡± I found him disgusting. Was he already tired of her? ¡°My wife¡¯s name is Stephanie Carlson, and she passed away.¡± He suddenly revealed, stating that Stephanie was his wife. I felt as though I had heard something filthy and red at Michael. I scolded him, ¡°You have no shame. When did she be your wife? Stop tarnishing her name!¡± Michael¡¯s gaze toward me became even moreplex. After a moment, he called out, Stephie¡­¡± Chapter 125 My expression darkened as I looked at Michael warily. What was he up to now? ¡°Who are you calling? Don¡¯t disgust me!¡± I pushed Michael away and tried to exit the elevator. Michael suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. ¡°You¡¯re Stephie, aren¡¯t you? However, His hoarse voice was tinged with excitement. Feeling uneasy, I forcefully pulled my hand away from Michael¡¯s firm grip. ¡°Stop acting crazy here. This is the Lincoln Group, not your home.¡± As the elevator doors opened, the employees exited on the working floor. Only Michael, the assistant, and I were in the elevator. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Michael remained silent. He stared at me, sending shivers down my spine. ¡°Mr. Ford, please follow me,¡± the assistant said as the elevator doors opened. Ewan was standing there. Seeing me, he didn¡¯t seem surprised at all. Michael looked at me with aplex expression and walked straight out of the elevator. I followed behind, still feeling shaken that Michael might have recognized me. I reassured myself that he was deluding himself. As my clenched hands slowly rxed, I wiped the sweat from my palms and followed behind Ewan. ¡°Has Steven arrived at thepany? Are they giving him a hard time?¡± Ewan calmly looked back at me. ¡°Mr. Martin¡¯s businesses are facing problems and are under police investigation. He can¡¯te over right now. It seems like nobody else in thepany dares to cause trouble for Mr. Lincoln at the moment.¡± I was surprised. If Martin¡¯s businesses were also facing problems, was it just luck that Steven had avoided trouble, or was there something more to it all? It all seemed too coincidental. ¡°Most of those who dare to oppose Mr. Lincoln are mainly aligned with Mr. Martin. With him currently absent, they likely won¡¯t dare to make significant moves,¡± Ewan exined. I nodded in agreement. Ignatius¡® prestige in thepany wouldn¡¯t disappear just because he was sick for a few days. Most people in thepany still feared him. It would take some time for Martin topletely overhaul the Lincoln Group. ¡°Mr. Martin¡¯s side won¡¯t be dyed indefinitely. He¡¯lle back sooner orter to deal with Mr. Lincoln. So, the coboration with the Ford Group must go through,¡± Ewan said. ¡°I¡¯ve checked into this coboration. Mr. Ford himself visited the Lincoln Group, so it seems they¡¯re keen on coborating,¡± I murmured. After a brief pause, I added, ¡°Considering how strong the Lincoln Group is in Huma, there shouldn¡¯t be any issues unless Mr. Martin and Mr. Ford have struck a deal and are nning something together.¡± However, it appeared to me that Michael hadn¡¯t struck a deal with Martin yet. Before entering the office, Ewan added, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s Mr. Lincoln who opposes coborating with the Ford Group.¡± Steven was the one who declined cooperation with the Ford Group. He was the one behind all of this. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from the news that several projects of the Ford Group have encountered issues¡­¡± I murmured softly before looking up at Ewan. ¡°Steven shouldn¡¯t have the capability to handle this¡­ no?¡± He was just a fool. In the past, he was abandoned and even lived in an orphanage. It was unbelievable that he had only recently returned to the Lincoln family and now had the authority to confront Michael. Ewan remained silent. He opened the door and gestured for me to enter. I stood at the doorway, hesitating for a while before stepping inside. Chapter 126 Steven sat beside the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window in his office, exuding an air of solitude and aloofness. However, given his past and hisck of experience running thepany, it would take time for him to fully take charge. I used to admire Michael¡¯s demeanor, which seemed fitting for a businessman. Yet now, in Steven¡¯s presence, Michael appearedpletely subdued. The silence was shattered with Michael¡¯s voice. ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m surprised by the Lincoln Group¡¯s sincerity. It seems they don¡¯t take this coboration seriously since they¡¯ve sent a fool to greet us.¡± ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s no need for the coboration,¡± Steven retorted coldly. Steven appeared even more menacing in Michael¡¯s presence. Michael frowned. If there was no need for further discussion, why had Steven personally summoned him here? In the past, the Ford family may not have posed a challenge to the Lincolns. However, with Ignatius gone, relying solely on a fool like Steven would inevitably lead to their downfall. ¡°The absence of a leader in the Lincoln family has ced the burden on your shoulders. However, with your sole leadership, the Lincoln Group is destined to copse,¡± Michael remarked calmly as he stood up, showing no desire to prolong the conversation. ¡°Mr. Ford, sincerity is key in business rtionships. While the Ford Group stands to benefit from this coboration, yourck of sincerity is clear. Despite your disrespect, my husband has chosen not to have security escort you out. If you wish to coborate, please show more sincerity,¡± I emphasized. Then, I walked to Steven and nudged him. If this coboration were to fall apart, Martin would certainly criticize Steven upon his return. It was best not to act stubbornly when establishing authority within thepany. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Steven¡¯s stare on Michael was icy, but he quickly shifted to a pitiful, puppy¨Ceyed expression when he looked at me. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had a split personality to switch expressions so effortlessly. Feeling uneasy, I cleared my throat. ¡°Mr. Ford, Mr. Lincoln Senior is unwell, and Steven is the sole heir of the Lincoln Group. So, learn to show respect. Then, we can discuss further coboration.¡± This was the first time I had spoken so assertively to Michael. Despite Michael¡¯s harsh treatment in the past, I never dared to resist as I feared it might upset But now, I was no longer Stephanie, so I didn¡¯t have to worry anymore. ¡°If you¡¯re here to help Steven establish his authority in the Lincoln Group, then our partnership is essential,¡± Michael noted, clearly aware of the current dynamics of the Lincoln family. ¡°Looks like you need my support now.¡± Michael¡¯s true colors were showing once again. He couldn¡¯t seem to shake off his habit of threatening others. This project isn¡¯t exclusive to the Ford Group,¡± Steven asserted as he held me close. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s anyone¡¯s game now.¡± His hoarse voice carried an unexpected air of authority. Michael stayedposed as his gazended on our intertwined hands. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s wait and see,¡± he replied calmly. He was eager to see who woulde out on top. Michael didn¡¯t take Steven seriously, considering him a fool amidst the various threats within the Lincoln Group.. ¡°Mr. Ford, this way, please,¡± Michael¡¯s assistant urged, opening the door for Michael to leave. Michael walked to the door and nced back at me. ¡°Check on Stephany¡¯s details,¡± he instructed his assistant. After Michael and his assistant left, I turned to Steven. ¡°Why did you refuse to cooperate with the Ford Group?¡± Steven huffed and ignored me. Confused, I wondered if I had done something to upset him. Chapter 127 ¡°Did anyone give you a hard time in the office today?¡± I asked tentatively. Steven seemed like apletely different person in public and in private. When Michael was around, he seemed tough and aggressive. Now, he appeared vulnerable and intimidated. Steven nced up at me and asked softly, ¡°Do you want me to coborate with him?¡± you do coborate with him, remember that it¡¯s for the benefit of the Lincoln Group. Personal grievances should be set aside,¡± I replied, sitting on the desk and looking out the window. ¡°Only by sealing the deal can you shut them up.¡± Steven reached out and pulled me into his arms. I stumbled onto hisp in an awkward position. Luckily, his long legs saved me from ending up on the floor. ¡°You¡­¡± I was about to scold him when he suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around me. Stephie, they all gave me a tough time.¡± My heart ached at his words, and it was hard not to feel sorry for him. Patting Steven¡¯s back, I tried tofort him as best as I could although I couldn¡¯t even protect myself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°Stephie,¡± he muttered. ¡°If both Michael and I were drowning, who would you save?¡± He suddenly looked up at me with an intense gaze. I paused for a moment, struck by how those eyes always had a way of making my heart skip a beat. ¡°What a childish question¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. But he seemed to take it seriously and eagerly awaited my response. ¡°He has nothing to do with me. Of course, I¡¯d save you,¡± I said earnestly. A hint of a smile finally appeared on Steven¡¯s otherwise gloomy face as he buried his head in my chest again. ¡°Stephie, please don¡¯t lie to me anymore.¡± I felt inexplicably anxious. Could this hypothetical situation actually materialize one day? The prospect of choosing between Steven and Michael weighed heavily on my mind. ¡°I need to go out for a while. Stay in the office, and if anything happens, Ewan will help you,¡± I gently reassured him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Steven grabbed my wrist and asked nervously. ¡°I¡¯m going to meet someone,¡± I told him. I was Stephany Larson now. There was no way Yasmin would recognize me as Stephanie. If even Rachel didn¡¯t believe me, how could Yasmin easily believe that I was Stephanie? So, I was curious why Yasmin suddenly wanted to see me. ¡°Take me with you,¡± Steven pleaded. He seemed quite attached to me, as if he were afraid I would disappear again. ¡°How can you skip work on the first day?¡± I scolded him with a nce and then checked the time. ¡°I¡¯m heading out to meet Rachel. I¡¯ll bring back something delicious for you when I return.¡± Steven seemed reluctant, but he eventually let go of my hand. ¡°Hey, Stephany, what a coincidence,¡± Ann said as I stepped out of the office. Carrying her ID badge and files, she elegantly walked toward me. I squinted at her. Ann surely had some skills to be able to join the Lincoln Group. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you a full¨Ctime employee?¡± I asked, reaching for her ID badge. I was astonished to find out that she was the president¡¯s secretary. She didn¡¯t undergo an internship either. Ann looked at me and smirked disdainfully. ¡°Even without you, I could still get into the Lincoln Group,¡± she boasted before striding confidently into the president¡¯s office. Concerned about Steven, I hid behind the door and peeked through the gap. Ann¡¯s sharp and cunning demeanor left me concerned that Steven¡¯s innocence might not match her wit. I feared Ann might take advantage of him. ¡°Mr. Lincoln,¡± Ann said, cing the documents near Steven. Leaning over the desk, she disyed her curves. ¡°Please review these documents. They¡¯re ready for your signature.¡± Chapter 128 Steven frowned, distancing himself from Ann. Yet, Ann leaned closer again. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Your scent is unpleasant,¡± Steven remarked. Ann stayed quiet, but I couldn¡¯t miss the subtle tension in her petite frame. I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling grateful that Steven didn¡¯t fall for her act. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, please review and sign if everything looks good,¡± Ann rolled her eyes and remarked, probably thinking Steven was a turnoff. Steven nced over the contract, and his expression darkened. ¡°Who reviewed this?¡± Hismanding presence rendered Ann momentarily speechless. ¡°It was reviewed by the Project Department under the supervision of Mr. Adam Cyden.¡± ¡°Ewan!¡± Steven¡¯s voice boomed. Turning around, I saw Ewan enter the office with a grave expression. Honestly, I had never seen Steven so serious before. ¡°These few can be dismissed,¡± Steven said as he tossed the contract onto the table. It was evident that there were issues with it. After a thorough review, Ewan confirmed, ¡°How dare they make such subtle changes in the contract? These are typically hard to detect. Indeed, these individuals can¡¯t stay.¡± I stood outside the door, astonished. I almost forgot that Steven wasn¡¯t a fool, he was a genius. He could easily spot the ws in such a contract with just one nce. Perhaps he could even remember it all with a photographic memory. ¡°Ewan,¡± I called after him as he emerged from the office. ¡°Who gave permission for Ann to join the company? She¡¯s the president¡¯s secretary.¡± Ewan nodded politely. ¡°She imed to be your sister, so Mr. Lincoln made an exception.¡± I felt a twinge of anger. Steven was still naive. I had praised him for nothing earlier. ¡°Ann has always been unscrupulous, and I¡¯m worried about her being so close to Steven. Considering her inability to handle even basic contract reviews properly, it¡¯s best to transfer her elsewhere,¡± I whispered. I had never considered sabotaging Ann, but she brought it upon herself with her ulterior motives. Ewan nced at me meaningfully before nodding. ¡°Of course, Mrs. Lincoln.¡± As I left the building, I spotted Michael leaning against the car door. I ignored him and walked toward the road. Are you going to the hospital? I can take you,¡± he offered. ¡°Yasmin lost her child, and instead of being at the hospital to console her, you¡¯re waiting here for me?¡± I sneered, wondering if Yasmin had told him she wanted to ¡°That child isn¡¯t mine,¡± Michael stated. His denial disgusted me. ¡°I never touched her,¡± he exined frantically. p me. I found himughable and somewhat disgusting. He was lying even when everyone knew the truth. They lived together under the same roof, and he had the audacity to im he never touched Yasmin. Besides, whether he touched Yasmin or not was none of my business. ¡°Don¡¯t disgust me,¡± I shot him a re and turned to leave. Michael seemed persistent. ¡°You¡¯re Stephie, right?¡± It seemed he was eager to confirm whether I was Stephanie. He had his suspicions, but he wasn¡¯t certain. ¡°If I were Stephanie Carlson, I¡¯d have simply taken you out instead of letting you disgust me, I remarked. I hailed a taxi by the roadside and cast a quick nce at the Lincoln Group¡¯s office building. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that someone was watching me, and I wondered if it was Steven. Chapter 129 I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that someone was watching me from behind, but whenever I turned around, there was nothing there. As I got into the car, Michael¡¯s assistant whispered something in his ear. ¡°These are all of Stephany Larson¡¯s documents.¡± I was aware that Michael was probing into my background. While he suspected me of being Stephanie Carlson, it was merely conjecture. Michael was arrogant. Instead of owning up to his part in Stephanie¡¯s death, he sought out a look¨C alike to bolster his ego. ¡°Stephany was quite submissive before, but now she¡¯s be much stronger. I wonder if it¡¯s because she married into the Lincoln family and gained support,¡± Michael¡¯s assistant murmured. Michael silently stared at me as I departed. ¡°Sir, please bring me to Huma Hospital,¡± I directed the driver. I had arranged to meet Rachel at the hospital entrance. Upon arrival, she was already waiting for me. ¡°Apologies for the dy,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re still not quite convincing. Stephie wouldn¡¯t address me so formally,¡± Rachel remarked coldly as she led me into the ward. ¡°She¡¯d just say-¡± ¡°Sorry for beingte. Let me treat you to a buffet,¡± Rachel and I echoed simultaneously. Rachel paused for a moment, looking at me with aplex expression. I just smiled and said nothing. ¡°Even if you try to mimic her, you¡¯re nothing but a poor imitation,¡± Rachel sneered. Yasmin was currently under heavy police surveince, so I was escorted to her. While I wasn¡¯t sure of her intentions for wanting to see me, I was certain it wasn¡¯t for anything positive. ¡°Stephany.¡± Yasmin was sitting on the hospital bed while wearing a patient¡¯s gown. She looked as pale as a fragile porcin doll. Thest time I encountered her at the hospital, she used me of pushing her down the stairs. It felt ironic how everything had changed. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I asked firmly. Yasmin nced at Rachel and fell silent. Rachel nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two some privacy.¡± Puzzled, I wondered why Yasmin wanted everyone out of the room. Once the ward was empty, Yasmin frantically said, ¡°I¡¯ve done everything you asked. You asked me to lure Stephanie Carlson out that day, and I did. What should I do now that Michael already knows everything?¡± My expression darkened as I looked at Yasmin warily. Was she trying to frame me? ¡°Are you attempting to pin the me for Stephanie¡¯s death on me? I won¡¯t fall for this dirty trick,¡± I warned Yasmin. ¡°I thought you had more guts than to y these framing games with me.¡± Yasmin frowned, surprised by my words. ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying you have nothing to do with all this?¡± She then eximed, ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me to lure Stephanie out and demanded updates. on her. And you even asked for recordings of her conversations. Haven¡¯t you been pretending to be Stephanie all along? Have you started to believe you¡¯re her after imitating her for so long?¡± I looked at Yasmin skeptically, trying to discern if there was any connection between Stephany and Yasmin. ¡°I told you everything Stephanie did, recorded it all, and sent it to you. You promised to get rid of Stephanie, and I have proof. Are you going to deny it now?¡± Yasmin shook her phone. ¡°If Michael causes trouble for me, I won¡¯t let you off. I¡¯ll tell the police you¡¯re behind it all.¡± I stood rooted to the spot, feeling a sense of panic creeping in. It was shocking to learn that Stephany had been attempting to imitate me all this time, and I began to wonder why she would do that. If Yasmin¡¯s words were true and she had evidence implicating me in these crimes, then I would be in serious trouble. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. You seem to be delusional. I don¡¯t know you at all,¡± I said, still refusing to admit to such a thing. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 130 With so many police officers stationed here, I couldn¡¯t believe there wasn¡¯t a listening device in Yasmin¡¯s hospital ward. ¡°You¡¯re in cahoots with the murderer, and you¡¯re his aplice,¡± Yasmin suddenly used., She suddenly smirked as she added, ¡°I knew it, so you¡¯re his wife¡­¡± I warned her, ¡°You need evidence to back up your ims, or I¡¯ll sue you for defamation.¡± ¡°Defamation?¡± Yasmin pulled out her phone and opened her email. ¡°These are all the emails I sent to you. Want to take a look? It¡¯ll be easy for the police to verify if you¡¯re the recipient, won¡¯t it?¡± I tried to grab Yasmin¡¯s phone, but the door was suddenly pushed open. Zion and Rachel entered with several police officers. Their expressions were a mix of disappointment, curiosity, and indifference. ¡°She¡¯s lying. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about. She¡¯s just trying to smear my name, attempted to exin. I u ¡°Whether it¡¯s nder or not, everything will be clear once we confirm the recipient,¡± Zion stated, gesturing toward one of the officers. ¡°Take her into custody.¡± ¡°Without evidence, you have no right to take me backed away. * away,¡± I felt a sudden panic and instinctively If this was really Stephany¡¯s doing, how would I clear my name? I suddenly felt incredibly unlucky. Why did I have to be reincarnated into Stephany¡¯s body? Couldn¡¯t I have been reborn as someone unrted? There were too many secrets surrounding Stephany. ¡°Why pretend to be Stephanie?¡± Michael¡¯s voice cut through the ward as he joined Zion and Rachel. His expression, moreplex than theirs, held a blend of coldness and a hint of anger. It was as if he felt betrayed by my deception. ever I chuckled. ¡°Why would I pretend to be Stephanie Carlson? When have I pretended to be her?¡± It was he who insisted I was Stephanie and stubbornly called me Stephie. ¡°Even if you resemble her, you¡¯ll never be her!¡± Michael said angrily. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Michael, maybe you should take a good look at yourself in the mirror and see how disgusting you are,¡± I retorted. A gleam of triumph shed in Yasmin¡¯s eyes. At that moment, I felt a sense of relief in my heart. I wasn¡¯t worried about her attempts to frame me. My real concern was whether Stephany had actuallymitted these crimes. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, and I have the right to contact mywyer,¡± I told Zion. ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already informed your husband,¡± Zion replied firmly. It was clear he no longer trusted me. ¡°How can you just take her word for it without even confirming if those emails were for me? If there was any truth to her ims, Stephanie Carlson wouldn¡¯t have been killed,¡± I said, ring at Yasmin. Yasmin maintained her pitiful facade. ¡°I was just forced into this. You left me no choice.¡± I scoffed, then turned to Zion and Rachel. ¡°Do you really believe her?¡± Neither Rachel nor Zion responded, but their silence spoke volumes. Michael seemed to have fully bought into Yasmin¡¯s lies. I suddenly felt a sense of despair and powerlessness. It was as if everyone was willing to believe what Yasmin said. ¡°Stephie.¡± Just as I resigned myself to go with Zion, a hoarse and urgent voice came from the corridor. I was taken aback to see Steven rushing toward us. He finally came. Would he firmly believe that I was a fraud like the others as well? Chapter 131 My gaze fell on Steven, but I didn¡¯t hold much hope. He had always lived in his own fantasies, believing that I was Stephanie Carlson. Now, knowing that I might have intentionally impersonated Stephanie to deceive him, he would probably go crazier than Michael. ¡°That woman is lying.¡± Steven walked up to me and tightly gripped my hand. ¡°Stephie was killed because of her. She deliberately lured Stephie out, and I have evidence.¡± Steven nced at Zion, and as the recorded conversation yed, everything came to light. I nced at Steven, puzzled as to why he was still defending me. If he had only seen me as Stephanie, he should have realized the truth by now. ¡°It was her who told me to lure Stephie out! You¡¯re crazy, and it¡¯s likely the two of you conspired to kill Stephie! I didn¡¯t anticipate Stephie¡¯s death when I persuaded her to leave on the 15th,¡± Yasmin cried, trying to garner sympathy from everyone. She looked at Michael, choking up. ¡°Michael, you have to believe me. I truly didn¡¯t know that Stephie would die when I asked her out.¡± With no response from Michael, Yasmin continued, ¡°Michael, I assumed she would inform you. I thought nothing would happen to Stephie while everyone was nearby. Jack heard her cries for help but didn¡¯t intervene.¡± They began turning on each other. I looked at Zion. ¡°Can you prove that the emails she mentioned were meant for me?¡± If the emails could indeed be traced back to Stephany, I would need to devise another n to protect myself. However, if Yasmin failed to provide evidence, then I wouldn¡¯t be held responsible. Zion nced at Sue. ¡°Have you tracked the IP?¡± ¡°The IP address is in Huma, but the email wasn¡¯t registered under Stephany¡¯s name.¡± I let out a sigh of relief and smirked at Yasmin. ¡°So, why were you keeping tabs on Stephie? And who did you report her actions to? Were you perhaps sending updates to the murderer?¡± Yasmin¡¯s expression changed. She found all of this unbelievable and seemed unwilling to ept it. ¡°It can¡¯t be. It was her! She was the one in contact with me!¡± She was adamant that I had been in contact with her. ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence? Besides these emails, do you have any other evidence?¡± I tilted my head. ¡°If there¡¯s no other evidence, I can sue you for defamation and misleading the police.¡± Yasmin hesitated for a moment, pinning all her hopes on Michael. ¡°Michael, you have to believe me. I didn¡¯t lie to you. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. It¡¯s her. She took advantage of her somewhat simr appearance to Stephie and deliberately impersonated her to get close to you. I raised an eyebrow, realizing I had overestimated Yasmin. Her ultimate goal in all this was still to prevent Michael from being interested in me because of my resemnce to Stephanie. Michael gave me aplex look and said coldly, ¡°Even if the email address wasn¡¯t registered under her name, it doesn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t using it. Rachel saw the surveince footage too. She was targeting Stephie before her disappearance, and she even sneaked into her house multiple times.¡± ¡°Yes! With surveince footage, she can¡¯t y innocent anymore!¡± Yasmin seemed emboldened, knowing that Michael was now on her side. ¡°I knew where Stephanie¡¯s keys were because we were close friends. She trusted me enough to share her house keys,¡± I calmly said. None of this evidence could link me to the murderer. Rachel looked at me with a prating gaze. After a while, she asked, ¡°Where are Stephanie¡¯s diaries?¡± ¡°I met Stephanie through charity work, and we quickly became close friends, so it¡¯s not unusual that I know where her spare keys are,¡± I exined to Rachel. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Revealing my identity too early would be a mistake, considering I was inhabiting Stephany Larson¡¯s body while iming to be Stephanie Carlson. Naturally, this would raise suspicion. ¡°As for Stephanie¡¯s diaries, I honestly haven¡¯t seen them and don¡¯t know where they are. I¡¯m not the only one who could have essed Stephanie¡¯s house. When you reviewed the surveince footage, didn¡¯t you see a tall man? I suspect he might have taken them,¡± I suggested. Redirecting suspicion onto the murderer and urging the police to investigate further seemed like the most prudent choice for me at that moment. Chapter 132 It appeared that rushing to confirm my identity was a misstep. I should have kept it secret and then gradually advocated for the investigation. If I had initially presented myself as Stephanie¡¯s friend, perhaps Rachel and Zion wouldn¡¯t have been so suspicious of me. I was too careless. ¡°She¡¯s lying!¡± Yasmin attempted to protest. I gave Yasmin a meaningful look. ¡°If you can¡¯t provide any evidence, I¡¯ll take legal action. against you.¡± Yasmin seemed hesitant. Her intention hadn¡¯t been to have me arrested but to distance Michael from me. Clearly, she had seeded. ¡°The Lincolns have the means for legal representation,¡± Steven said firmly, gripping my hand tightly. His re at Yasmin was intense and menacing. I even sensed that if the ward were empty, Steven might have taken drastic action against Yasmin. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The veins on the back of his hand bulged. It was as if he was trying to contain his anger. He held my hand tightly, seemingly trying to offer reassurance. But pretending to be reassured would have been a lie as I still couldn¡¯t fully trust him. ¡°I did see a suspicious man entering Stephanie¡¯s house in the surveince footage,¡± Rachel said as she looked at Zion. Zion frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± ¡°I thought Yasmin and Stephany were coborating against Stephie, but now I¡¯m more inclined to believe Stephany. She¡¯s right. Stephanie wouldn¡¯t have shared her house keys with someone she didn¡¯t trust.¡± Rachel¡¯s gaze held a mix of emotions, conveying a silent message, ¡°I¡¯m cing my trust in you, so please don¡¯t disappoint me.¡® I smiled at Rachel before addressing Yasmin, ¡°I¡¯ll contact awyer to work with the police. Yasmin intentionally led Stephanie to Sunset Alley. It was a nned murder. She desired Michael and believed Stephanie would take him away because their rtionship wasn¡¯t that simple.¡± ¡°Stephany!¡± Michael¡¯s voice boomed with anger. Was he afraid I would send Yasmin to jail? ¡°You don¡¯t need to shout at me. I¡¯m not deaf,¡± I told Michael. ¡°You imed Stephanie was more like your sister, but she was actually Mrs. Ford¡¯s chosen fianc¨¦e for you. ¡°Because of Stephanie, Mrs. Ford doesn¡¯t ept Yasmin and won¡¯t easily let her into the family. So, Yasmin had to find a way to get rid of Stephanie. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare tomit the murder herself. So, she schemed to eliminate Stephanie. Coming from the same orphanage, she would¡¯ve known why the serial killer was targeting women like them. She made Stephanie wear her clothes and manipted the serial killer to do her dirty work.¡± I walked toward Yasmin¡¯s bedside and stared at her. ¡°My assumption is correct, isn¡¯t it, Ms. Bailey?¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense!¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice wavered as fear crept in. She desperately gripped Michael¡¯s wrist and tried to defend herself. ¡°Michael, you have to believe me. She¡¯s ndering me. You know me better than anyone. I risked my life to save you. How could I evermit murder?¡± She wanted to convey that she was a kind¨Chearted person who would never consider such a thing. Michael stared at Yasmin and slowly withdrew his hand. I smirked sarcastically, observing Michael¡¯s suddenck of trust in Yasmin. It was rather fickle of him. Since nobody believed her, Yasmin made a decision. ¡°Officer Landon! I¡¯m willing to cooperate with the police to lure out the murderer. I believe once the killer is caught, the truth wille to light. Then, you¡¯ll see who¡¯s lying!¡± Chapter 133 Yasmin red at me menacingly, as if warning me that if I didn¡¯t let her off easy, she wouldn¡¯t make things easy for me either. She was determined to take me down with her. She seemed overly confident about the usations against me, and that confidence of hers made me feel uneasy. I never imagined there were so many secrets to Stephany. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I knew deep down that there was some kind of deal between Stephany and the murderer. Unfortunately, I found myself reincarnated into Stephany¡¯s body. ¡°Well then, please refrain from leaving Huma anytime soon and cooperate with our police investigation and inquiries promptly,¡± Zion said. Then, he asked me, ¡°You were close with Stephanie Carlson, right? Do you know about the incident where she was nearly assaulted?¡± I knew Zion was testing me. I shot Michael a cold look and replied, ¡°Stephie told me about it. That night, Jack messaged her, saying Michael had drunk too much at the Nocturnal Club. It was pouring rain, and Stephie was really worried about Michael. I even advised her that it wasn¡¯t safe to go out in such heavy rain.¡± Michael tensed up. He lowered his head and clenched his fists. ¡°Stop it¡­ But I persisted. ¡°Stephanie went out in the rain and took a cab to the Nocturnal Club, only to discover that Michael wasn¡¯t really drunk. He and his friends had bet on how quickly Stephanie would show up.¡± That night, they allughed at me, mocking me by calling me Michael¡¯spdog And foolishly, I believed Michael was truly drunk. I was worried it wasn¡¯t safe for him to go home alone in such heavy rain. In that torrential downpour, I overcame my fear to see him, only to be shamelessly humiliated in return. ¡°Please stop it,¡± Michael¡¯s body shook as he pleaded with me to stop. ¡°Stephie was terrified of thunderstorms because her parents died in a car ident on a rainy day!¡± Despite his pleas, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop. ¡°she was so scared that she cried when she called me. But she went anyway because she was afraid something might happen to you. And what did you do? You let Benson assault her! You stood by as your friends mocked her, tore her clothes, and tried to-¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Michael shouted frantically like a madman. Perhaps I went too far with the details. He wanted to silence me, but instead, Steven stepped forward and gave him a punch. Enraged, Steven red fiercely at Michael, as if he were ready to tear him apart at any moment. I chuckled, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and sorrow. I hated myself for my past weakness, cowardice, and ignorance. And I hated Michael for everything he had done to me. ¡°Please, stop,¡± Michael pleaded, covering his ears helplessly as he fell to the ground. It was a stark contrast to his usual arrogance and superiority. He appeared meek and submissive, pleading with me not to continue. I stared at him and cruelly continued, ¡°Michael, have you forgotten? You threw those people out, but what about Stephie? You disregarded her pleas and protests. You assaulted her in front of everyone at the Nocturnal Club. And then, you just walked away and left her there without any clothes!¡± I knelt in front of Michael, pulled his hands apart, and yelled, ¡°You imed a woman on the street is worth 800 dors, but she wasn¡¯t even worth that! After you left, the club waiter grabbed Stephie and asked how much she was worth!¡± In a sorrowful tone, I added, ¡°She stumbled out of the Nocturnal Club, disheveled, and was dragged into an alley by those drunken men! If someone hadn¡¯t saved her, she would¡¯ve died that night!¡± ¡°Stephany!¡± Michael snapped as he pushed me away. Steven reached out and pulled me into his tight embrace. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he were on the brink of losing his mind. steven, I gripped Steven¡¯s hand tightly. take me home.¡± Steven held me tightly, his voice trembling with anger as he said, ¡°Michael¡­ I¡¯m going to kill you.¡± At the doorway, Zion silently looked at me with aplex expression. Yasmin sat on the bed in shock. For a moment, she appeared unsure of how to console Michael. Rachel¡¯s eyes were red with tears. Chapter 134 Rachel didn¡¯t know what Stephanie had truly gone through. Steven lifted me, struggling to control his emotions. Being mentally ill, it was a hundred times harder for him to contain his feelings than for an ordinary person. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± he whispered softly, carrying me out of the hospital ward. Rachel rushed forward, pping Michael hard across the face. She shouted, ¡°You bastard, give me Stephie back! Give her back to me!¡± I buried my face in Steven¡¯s chest and cried. At that moment, I didn¡¯t care if Steven was acting or not. I just wanted someone to lean on, that was all. ¡°Steven, let¡¯s take the subway back, okay?¡± I rested my head on his shoulder and croaked. Steven held me close as we walked. He gently replied, ¡°Alright.¡± I smiled. His acting was impable. How could his emotions be so stable? Was he really mentally ill? ¡°Steve, I¡¯m not Stephanie Carlson¡­¡± I wanted to see how he would react. I didn¡¯t want to be Stephanie anymore. It was too painful. Steven paused for a moment and looked down at me. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Since he knew I wasn¡¯t Stephanie, I wondered why he wasn¡¯t getting angry. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d kill me if I wasn¡¯t Stephanie?¡± I asked in a muffled voice. He didn¡¯t answer. He carried me in his arms as we entered the elevator, and I didn¡¯t bother to walk on my own. He continued to defend me even after realizing I wasn¡¯t Stephanie. Was it because he knew I was carrying his child? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. To me, it was all the same. I didn¡¯t expose him and quietly leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Why do you want to take the subway?¡± he whispered softly as we entered the subway station. I didn¡¯t exin because he had been carrying me the whole way, and people around us were staring and gossiping. But Steven remained true to himself. He didn¡¯t concern himself with others¡® perceptions. Despite his past struggles with mental illness and wearing clothes that didn¡¯t fit properly, he paid no mind to what others thought of him. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t rush hour, so the subway wasn¡¯t crowded. I left his embrace and leaned against a nearby pole. Maybe I had gotten too worked up earlier, and I was feeling a bit lightheaded. Like magic, Steven pulled out a lollipop from his pocket and ced it in my mouth before searching for a seat. Finally, he spotted three vacant seats next to a middle¨Caged man. But the man was sitting comfortably with his legs crossed, upying all three seats. A young girl approached him. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re taking up three seats by yourself. Can you give us one?¡± She gestured toward me. ¡°Look, this woman can barely stand.¡± The man snorted. ¡°I sat here first, so these are my seats! Mind your own business. And you, you¡¯re dressed so indecently. I guess you aren¡¯t any good either.¡± Without saying a word, Steven led me over and swiftly punched the man on the forehead. Instantly, the man copsed to the ground. Taken aback by Steven¡¯s brutality, I sat down nervously. Steven then gentlemanly gestured to another seat for the young girl to take. She sat down, admiring him and his appearance. ¡°Are you a model? You¡¯re so handsome¡­¡± Meanwhile, the many sprawled on the ground, pretending to be injured. ¡°Call 911! My heart hurts! He attacked me, you all saw it! I¡¯m calling the police!¡± Chapter 135 The man continued to wail on the ground as if he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until he extorted a hefty sum from Steven. The girl sitting beside me cautiously approached and discreetly filmed the shameless man before nervously asking me, ¡°Miss, is he your boyfriend? He seems so cool.¡± I looked up at Steven, who was ring at the man. He was probably already thinking about how to deal with this guy and put an end to this nuisance. Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s just his personality.¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you, this won¡¯t stop until you pay up. Are you in cahoots with this disgraceful woman to attack people in broad daylight?¡± The man continued his tirade. Since no one was paying him any mind, he redirected his usations toward the girl beside me. In truth, the girl¡¯s attire was quite normal. She was wearing a floral sundress that entuated her well¨Cproportioned figure. She gave off a sunny, youthful vibe. But the man persisted in criticizing her attire. ¡°You¡¯re the indecent one,¡± the girl retorted in tears. Steven¡¯s re sent shivers down the man¡¯s spine. I guessed if the man knew Steven was mentally ill, he would be trembling in fear. F Indeed, the man seemed genuinely scared. He hesitantly inched away from Steven on the ground. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± He didn¡¯t dare provoke Steven, who towered over him, so he directed his aggression toward me. I sighed, reaching out to tug at Steven¡¯s sleeve. I wasn¡¯t afraid of the man extorting us, was afraid Steven might lose control. I didn¡¯t understand the world of the mentally ill. They were too unpredictable. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you have to pay up, or this won¡¯t end!¡± the man continued to scream. but I ¡°He¡¯s trying to me you guys. I bet he¡¯ll call the police. When they arrive, I¡¯ll testify for you,¡± the girl offered to help us avoid trouble with the man. I remained silent and held onto Steven tightly. ¡°You¡¯re all a bunch of crooks. I bet you two are prostitutes too!¡± The man persisted in his usations. With a loud thud, Steven stepped forward and kicked the man against the subway door. The man¡¯s greasy face bore the imprint of Steven¡¯s shoe, and blood began to trickle from his nose. ¡°He assaulted me! Help! Assault!¡± the man started to cry out, attempting to attract more attention. Steven walked over, grabbed his cor, and punched him in the eye. He crouched there with an impassive expression, as if he were engaged in something intriguing. He grabbed the man¡¯s cor and effortlessly delivered another punch, swelling both of the man¡¯s eyes. The man let out a cry as he looked fearfully at Steven. Despite being a middle¨Caged man with considerable strength, he waspletely overpowered by Steven. Although Steven appeared slender and tall, he possessed an unexpected amount of strength. ¡°Steven¡­¡± I nervously stood up, attempting to intervene. Meanwhile, the girl beside me admirably covered her mouth. ¡°Oh my god, he¡¯s so crazy! I love it.¡± I couldn¡¯tprehend the girl¡¯sment in this situation. Steven nced back at me. The man attempted tounch a surprise attack on Steven. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Instinctively, I tried to help him, but the man¡¯s strike missed. Steven caught it instead. He truly was quite mad. With everyone watching, he grasped the man¡¯s wrist and exerted a firm pressure. There was a crack, followed by a bloodcurdling scream. The man¡¯s phone fell from his pocket as he writhed in pain on the ground. I facepalmed. This was really bad. ¡°I hereby dere that I¡¯m done idolizing celebrities. I¡¯m going after him. He¡¯s so handsome!¡± The girl excitedly filmed Steven. Chapter 136 I surveyed the scene and realized that a crowd had gathered around us, the incident on their phones. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Is. with many recording This was concerning. ¡°Steve, you went too far,¡± I said. Then, I angrily approached and grabbed his arm. ¡°This is a public setting. He was just upying seats. Did you really need to be so brutal?¡± Suddenly, I remembered the day I first woke up in Stephanie¡¯s body, when he almost strangled me just because he couldn¡¯t find his bracelet. Steven was mentally ill and prone to harming others. ¡°Apologize to this gentleman!¡± I feared Steven might get into trouble and end up forcibly confined to a psychiatric hospital, so I had to make him apologize first. Steven lowered his head slightly, looking somewhat aggrieved. He picked up the man¡¯s phone in silence. ¡°And return his phone!¡± I couldn¡¯t fathom what was going through his mind. Theplexities of interacting with someone afflicted by mental illness began to weigh heavily on my mind. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital at the next stop.¡± I wanted to calm the man down first. The man held his wrist in pain, but he stopped yelling and didn¡¯t dare ask for his phone back. I sighed, realizing a trip to the police station was inevitable. ¡°Miss, please don¡¯t scold him. He did nothing wrong. This man harassed us first, and this man here acted bravely,¡± the girl next to me earnestly defended Steven. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡­¡± I wanted to say Steven was mentally ill, but saying it aloud would hurt his pride. I had to change my approach. ¡°Even so, he shouldn¡¯t have been so rough.¡± Steven remained silent. As the train pulled into the station, the police arrived.. ¡°No, I won¡¯t press charges. Just give me my phone and let me go,¡± the man suddenly changed his mind about involving the police and just wanted his phone back so that he could leave. I looked at the man suspiciously and then nced at Steven, who had been following me with a resigned expression. Instead of returning the phone to the man, Steven handed it over to the police. ¡°He was taking photos,¡± he said. The police hesitated for a moment before instructing the man to unlock his phone. But the man refused. Suddenly, it became clear to me why he was monopolizing three seats and why he seemed so fixated on the girl¡¯s attire. He was taking upskirt photos of the girl. Fearing someone might catch him in the act, he upied three seats all by himself. The police forcefully made the man unlock his phone and open the photo gallery. There were over a thousand pictures, all of them secretly taken photos of women on the subway¨Cupskirt shots, chest shots, and more. The girl in the sundress looked at the photos with horror, screamed, and kicked the man while clutching her skirt. ¡°Police! He¡¯s a pervert! I¡¯ll sue him!¡± I looked at Steven, feeling guilty. I had misunderstood him. Steven didn¡¯t say anything and kept his head down. We all went to the police station. The girl kept talking to Steven with admiration, but he remained silent throughout. ¡°I admit to taking indecent photos, which was wrong, but he assaulted me. I¡¯m going to sue him because he broke my wrist.¡± At the police station, the man toughened up. Since he couldn¡¯t escape the charge of secretly taking photos, he wouldn¡¯t let Steven off easily. ¡°My husband stepped in to stop the man¡¯s misconduct, especially because the man provoked him first,¡± I stood in front of Steven, defending him. Steven¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at me. He was happy that I stood up for him. ¡°I¡¯m Steven¡¯s assistant,¡± Ewan arrived with the bestwyer in Huma. I sighed with relief. I knew that with their arrival, Steven would be fine. To my surprise, Ewan gave the police a red document, which turned out to be Steven¡¯s mental disability certificate. The sleazy man, who had been making a fuss, suddenly fell silent. His expression turned to fear. Chapter 137 ¡°You¡¯re lucky you weren¡¯t beaten to death. You must have a death wish to dare to provoke a mentally ill person with aggressive tendencies,¡± the officer reprimanded the man sternly. The man seemed visibly terrified and stopped shouting. Ewan looked at Steven and respectfully said, ¡°Mr. Lincoln, it¡¯s time to Steven reached for my hand, whispering, ¡°Stephie, let¡¯s go home.¡± However, I couldn¡¯t understand why I felt inexplicably annoyed. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. go home.¡± At the door, the girl¡¯s family arrived to pick her up, and their well¨Coff appearance put me at ease. ¡°Goodbye, Miss, Mister. Until next time.¡± The girl waved. The man who came to pick her up looked authoritative and respectable. ¡°Thank you both for this,¡± the man said politely. ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± I replied with a polite smile. Steven looked at him warily and shielded me behind him. The man nced at Steven with a smile. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± But Steven still seemed protective even when everyone was gone. Sighing, I ushered him into the car. On the way back, Steven fell asleep against the window. I found myself gazing at Steven, feeling a bit lost in thought. His quiet demeanor was truly mesmerizing. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, I apologize for the fright. Mr. Lincoln rarely has episodes unless provoked,¡± Ewan exined. I stayed quiet until we got home. After giving Steven cold medicine and helping him sleep, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Ewan, how long have you known Steven?¡± I asked as we left the room. ¡°I¡¯ve known him since he was 14 years old. That was the year the Lincoln family found him,¡± Ewan replied. ¡°And back then¡­¡± I was curious about what Steven was like as a teenager. ¡°He was exceptional,¡± Ewan remarked with a hint of nostalgia. ¡°But being too exceptional is a curse in high society.¡± Ewan had a point. After a moment of contemtion, I gently asked, ¡°When was he diagnosed with his condition? ¡°At 19 years old, he went through a traumatic experience,¡± Ewan mentioned, leading me to a r small attic room filled with Steve¡¯s memorabilia¨Cincluding photos, certificates, and trophies. Astonished, I stood frozen in the room filled with his awards and certificates. These were collected by Mr. Andy. He loved Mr. Lincoln dearly when he was alive, but his affection was tempered,¡± Ewan exined. He pointed out each item. ¡°This one¡¯s from when Mr. Lincoln joined the advanced sses.¡± Looking at the young man in the photos, I suddenly felt a headacheing on. It all felt so familiar. The young man in the photos had a radiant smile. At that time, Steve was truly pure and wless. Holding his trophy, he definitely stood out in the crowd. ¡°A double degree?¡± ncing at Steven¡¯s certificate, I was momentarily surprised, but then it all fell into ce. He entered university at just 14 years old, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that he had finished both degrees by the age of 20 years old. Despite his young age, Steven excelled in multiple subjects with a perfect 4.0 CGPA, inevitably sparking jealousy among his peers. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± In the far corner, I spotted a group photo taken at the orphanage. ¡°This is a photo taken when Mr. Lincoln was admitted to the advanced sses. It was a farewell from the orphanage,¡± Ewan exined proudly. The pride on his face suggested that he regarded Steven as his own child. As I carefully examined the photo, I could still discern some familiar faces despite the changes that came with age. In the corner of thest row, I spotted Stephany¡¯s ssmate, Howard Zachman, whom I had met at the ss reunion. It appeared that Howard hadn¡¯t been adopted before Steven astonished the entire city of Huma with his brilliance. ¡°Was it only after Steven¡¯s brilliance made waves during the Genius Showdown that the Lincoln family found him?¡± I asked as I suspected there to be a conspiracy behind all this. ¡°Not quite,¡± Ewan confessed truthfully. ¡°The Lincoln family knew about Mr. Lincoln all along. But it wasn¡¯t until Mr. Lincoln Senior gave his approval that anyone dared to bring him back. Only after Mr. Lincoln¡¯s brilliance caught the city¡¯s attention did Mr. Lincoln Senior allow us to officially recognize him as part of the family.¡± Chapter 138 I scoffed, realizing that even within esteemed families, self¨Cinterest was paramount. Sadly, that was just human nature. ¡°They¡¯re still keeping these old clothes?¡± I noticed Steven¡¯s ill¨Cfitting and faded outfit from his homeless days still hanging on the rack. After bringing him home and cleaning him up, I found it odd that the Lincolns hadn¡¯t thrown away his dirty clothes. ¡°These clothes are cherished by Mr. Lincoln and are off¨Climits to anyone,¡± Ewan intervened, preventing me from touching them. I was curious why Steven treasured these worn¨Cout and oversized clothes. ¡°Have you seen this boy before?¡± My thoughts returned to the photo. I pointed to a timid- looking boy standing behind Steven. ¡°That¡¯s Simeon Kent. He was another genius boy at the Double Stars Welfare Home who shook the city of Huma back then,¡± Ewan sighed as he looked at the photo. After a short silence, he continued, ¡°Sadly, he died in the fire at the orphanage that year. Mr. Lincoln would¡¯ve died too, but he miraculously survived.¡± I was shocked. ¡°Was the fire idental?¡± ¡°It was arson,¡± Ewan stated firmly. ¡°Did they catch the killer?¡± I asked urgently. ¡°The killer was never found. The investigation technology wasn¡¯t as advanced back then, and there were no surveince cameras in the area where the fire started. Everyone denied setting it, so¡­¡± Ewan shook his head. I sensed he was keeping back some details, but I chose not to push for more. After all, Ewan wasn¡¯t present at the scene. As I looked at Howard in the photo, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he knew more about the fire. But what puzzled me was why the serial killer was targeting people from the orphanage. It appeared that no one in that photo was safe from him now. ¡°Can I take this photo with me?¡± I asked. ¡°These are all preserved by Mr. Andy Lincoln. If you need it, I¡¯ll have a new copy printed for you,¡± Ewan offered. I nodded. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. All the girls in red dresses in the photo had passed away, except for Yasmin. The killer was targeting the remaining ones. ¡°Is that the orphanage director?¡± I pointed to the middle¨Caged woman seated in the center. ¡°She and her husband ran the orphanage,¡± Ewan confirmed. An inexplicable chill crept in when I saw the couple in the photo. Despite their charitable smiles, I couldn¡¯t shake off the unsettling feeling. ¡°Are they still alive?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°They are, but their daughter passed away not long ago,¡± Evan said. I looked up at Ewan in shock. Their daughter was dead. It seemed that this gruesome series of murders was driven by vengeance. All these people must have something inmon, something they did to provoke the killer. ¡°Stephie¡­ Stephie!¡± Suddenly, panicked shouts from Steven echoed from outside the door. It sounded like he was having a nightmare as his voice was filled with desperation and anguish. My heart clenched with pain, and I dashed outside to find Steven anxiously standing by the window. Bloodstains marked the floor where his wounds had reopened. His pale, beautiful face was streaked with blood. Like a frightened child, he hid his bloodied hands behind his back when he saw me. Ewan¡¯s expression changed, and he rushed out in a panic. ¡°Doctor! Get a doctor!¡± Clearly, the Lincolns had kept too much from me about Steven¡¯s condition. It was evident that his current state was far from normal. Chapter 139 ¡°What¡­ have you done?¡± I asked. My heart ached when I saw Steven so disoriented while covered in blood. I tried to walk over to him. His skin was a lifeless pale white that starkly contrasted with the dark red of the blood. I felt suffocated as an inexplicable panic washed over me. ¡°Please, don¡¯te near me,¡± Steven pleaded, seemingly afraid of me seeing him in this state. He frantically called out for Stephie as if he were afraid of losing her. ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me¡­¡± Suddenly, he dashed back into the room like a madman and locked himself in. I knocked on the door, but he wouldn¡¯t open it. There were still remnants of his bloody footprints on the floor. Since my rebirth, I hadn¡¯t fully grasped the severity of Steven¡¯s condition. I knew he had a mental illness, was considered unstable, and might even be capable of murder. As far as I could recall, he appeared quite stable as long as he wasn¡¯t provoked. Hence, I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to his condition. When I saw him covered in blood, it frightened me. Ewan had experienced numerous such episodes. He promptly summoned the family doctor and barged into the room. I wanted to follow, but Ewan stopped me. ¡°You¡¯d better stay outside. Mr. Lincoln may not want you to see him like this.¡± He di He didn¡¯t want me to witness him in a disoriented state during his episodes. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I anxiously asked Ewan. Ewan remained silent for a moment and softly said, ¡°It¡¯s terrifying when Mr. Lincoln loses control. He feels the urge to harm others, but¡­ he¡¯s never actually hurt anyone. He only inflicts pain on himself.¡± Steven was too kind. He didn¡¯t want to harm anyone, so he would hurt himself to maintain his sanity. I stood frozen, watching as Ewan entered the room. The doctor administered a tranquilizer to Steven, and his agonizing cries echoed through the door. What kind of torment did he have to endure to turn from a genius to what he was now? Even from outside, I could feel his pain and helplessness. Almost unconsciously, I found myself wanting to reach out and embrace him. When I snapped back to reality, I was bewildered by my own emotions. Tears had unknowingly streamed down my face. After administering the tranquilizer, Steven finally quieted down and drifted off to sleep. Ewan finally let out a sigh of relief. As he emerged from the room, he looked at me and fell silent. ¡°Does this happen often?¡± I asked softly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quitemon, especially if he¡¯s triggered,¡± Ewan replied. I paused for a moment, wondering if I had triggered him when I said I wasn¡¯t Stephanie. ¡°Mr. Lincoln is too kind¨Chearted. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t resort to harming himself to cope,¡± Ewan said with a heavy heart. ¡°We usually remove anything that could harm him from the but he managed to cut himself with shards after knocking over a ss of water.¡± room, Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I paused, feeling guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know. The ss was mine. I brought it into the room to give him some cold medicine.¡± I hadn¡¯t expected Steven to harm himself. I had brought over the ss to let him have some cold medicine and left it there afterward. Chapter 140 Ewan fell silent. He checked the time and asked, ¡°Would you like to learn more about Mr. Lincoln? After all, you¡¯re now his wife. Ewan wanted to provide me with more insights into Steven. I looked up in tears. ¡°Okay.¡± Ewan remained silent as he led me to the abandoned orphanage. ¡°When Mr. Lincoln was 19 years old, Mr. Lincoln Senior intended for him to pursue his Ph.D. abroad. But that day, a fire broke out at the orphanage. Someone deliberately locked him and Simeon in a room, trapping them inside. If we hadn¡¯t arrived in time, Mr. Lincoln would have perished as well. The orphanage instilled a deep fear in me because I died here. Fortunately, Ewan took me to the east wing of the orphanage. ¡°Maybe the culprit just wanted to frighten Steven and Simeon, but things spiraled out of control with the fire. The whole dormitory burned down. 19 kids perished that year, except for Steven and Simeon, who were older. The others were just seven or eight years old.¡± I knew Steven and Simeon had returned to the orphanage for some annual event, where children around their age who hadn¡¯t been adopted would gather for a ceremony. Those who perished were the younger ones who hadn¡¯t found a home. ¡°They were choking on the thick smoke when we found them trapped in the burning room,¡± Ewan said as he pushed open the now charred and creaking door. at the doorway I stood stiffly trembling with fear for reasons I couldn¡¯t understand. The room was deste, with only a bed frame ckened by smoke against the scorched walls. Even after all these years, the w marks from the children¡¯s struggle in the fire were still visible. 1 covered my mouth in fear as I shakily crouched on the ground, overwhelmed by a nauseating sensation in my stomach. It was hard to imagine the pain and despair Steven and Simeon endured while trapped in this room. I could almost hear their screams of agony and feel their despair as their bodies were scorched by the mes and they were engulfed by the suffocating smoke. The marks on the wall seemed to narrate their desperation at that moment. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you find them sooner?¡± I choked out, my heart sinking into despair. ¡°On that day, the Lincoln family faced a massive tragedy. Along with the orphanage fire, Mr. Andy, his wife, and children died in a car ident. Mr. Lincoln Senior was devastated, and the entire family was engulfed in sorrow. They forgot that Mr. Lincoln was still at the orphanage.¡± Ewan¡¯s voice croaked, and tears started streaming down his face. ¡°After Mr. Lincoln woke up, he went insane. He hurried back to the orphanage and refused to listen to anyone who tried to persuade him to leave. He insisted on waiting for someone there, saying he had been asked to do so. Despite his injuries worsening, he waited patiently.¡± Ewan wiped his tears and continued, ¡°It was simply a post¨Ctrauma response. With patience and family support, he could have gotten better. But Mr. Andy¡¯s death led to Mr. Lincoln Senior being influenced by Mr. James, resulting in Mr. Lincoln being forcibly admitted to an asylum.¡± I was shocked to hear that Steven had been forcibly confined to an asylum. ¡°How long was he kept there?¡± I sobbed uncontrobly, questioning the reason behind my grief. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°For a year and six months¡­¡± Those were the true hellish months for Steven. He attempted to escape numerous times, only to be recaptured and subjected to abuse, electric shocks, and forced medication. I couldn¡¯t bear to imagine those brutal experiences. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bringing you here without permission,¡± Ewan said, feeling guilty as he noticed my difort. ¡°What did he go through in the asylum? Could you take me to visit him? I¡¯m eager to understand him bett ¡°I I gazed up at Ewan and inquired. Chapter 141 Ewan hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing. As we made our way to the asylum, my body trembled uncontrobly. I couldn¡¯t understand why I felt so sad, but the image of that charred room remained etched in my mind. The fire, the thick smoke, and the desperate cries reyed vividly in my thoughts. When Steven and I shared a room, I immediately noticed the grotesque scars from the fire covering his entire back, as well as his hands and legs. He must have endured so much pain back then. ¡°That asylum waster shut down, and the director was arrested because of reports of patient abuse,¡± Ewan said. During the journey, I looked up the asylum and came across numerous horrifying scandals. The doctors derived pleasure from tormenting and abusing the patients, subjecting them to electric shocks, drowning, suffocation, and torture. The darkest aspects of human nature were amplified within those walls. As I sat there, a sudden realization washed over me. ¡°Apart from the director¡¯s arrest and sudden death from a heart attack in prison, the other doctors, who weren¡¯t convicted, seemed to have died one after another over the years,¡± I muttered. Were all these events truly a mere coincidence? ¡°Somebody online suggested it¡¯s payback for the lunatics at Saint Sahns Asylum,¡± I murmured, feeling inexplicably uneasy as I scrolled through the thread. If the deaths of those doctors wasn¡¯t a coincidence, could they be connected to the serial killings at the orphanage too? My head suddenly throbbed, and I instinctively pulled at my hair, trying to keep myselfposed. Perhaps they were idents. Maybe it truly was all just coincidences. ¡°I¡¯ve always believed that the universe has a way of bncing things out,¡± Ewan said as he opened the car door for me after we arrived. I sensed he was hiding something, but there were certain matters I knew better than to pry about. The asylum had been sealed off, so we had to sneak in through the gates. It felt just as eerie as the orphanage, instantly unsettling me upon arrival. Recently, a popr livestreamer had explored this ce, iming it was haunted. ¡°This was Mr. Lincoln¡¯s room. The Lincolns specifically instructed it to be a single room for his comfort,¡± Evan said. But instead, it was like hell. I pushed open the door and froze in ce for a moment. The walls were adorned with forms and numbers, revealing his attempt to calcte something. The room was oddly clean. For a moment, I could almost picture a teenager in a white patient gown, diligently scribbling calctions on the wall with a pencil. I walked along the walls, gently tracing the numbers as I went. Atst, at the end of the room, I saw that form. He was using calculus to calcte pi, endlessly working out every digit after the decimal point. ¡°What did he want to do?¡± I asked skeptically. Steven was undeniably a genius in mathematics and finance. But what drove hist obsession with calcting pi? ¡°The doctor who exposed the asylum scandal mentioned that Mr. Lincoln was eager to prove something. Everything, like pi, has a pattern that can be calcted to the smallest detail.¡± He continued, ¡°With the loop in time, everything can reset as long as we can figure out the pattern. Souls exist across different dimensions of life¡­¡± Ewan also seemed puzzled. Anything was possible in the world of madness. I stared in shock at the wall of numbers, feeling as if I were submerged in icy water. When everything followed a pattern, time could flow backward, and souls could be reborn. 1 covered my mouth in shock. Steven wanted to prove that this world was illusory and that everything would eventually start anew. ¡°He¡¯s a genius¡­¡± Steven was truly an otherworldly genius, or perhaps, a madman. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 142 No ordinary human being could understand why Steven was 60 adamant about his perspectives. ¡°Is that kind¨Chearted doctor still in Huma?¡± I asked, still feeling concerned, I distrusted Steven because he was too bloodthirsty at times. When I asked him if he¡¯d killed a man before, he hesitated and didn¡¯t answer me, which showed clear deflection on his part. Did Steven actually kill people before then? Was it connected to the orphanage serial killer case? ¡°The doctor is still in Huma.¡± Ewan nodded. I sighed in relief. Investigating the matter would be far easier now, especially with eyewitnesses from that incident still present today. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± I was scared Steven would get hysterical again once he woke up. Ewan nodded. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, I brought you over because I hope you¡¯ll better understand Mr. Lincoln¡­ Mr. Lincoln didn¡¯t have fortunate beginnings. He needs unconditional love and care.¡± I understood Ewan¡¯s intention. He thought I¡¯d be the one to save Steve. We were husband and wife now, after all. But¡­ I could never be Steven¡¯s savior. Steven wanted love, something that couldn¡¯t give Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. him. I could only do my best to be kind to him and pray that Steven wain¡¯t one of the murderers from the orphanage murder case¡­ But after my visit today to the asylum, I was scared that Steven might¡¯ve actually killed. someone before. I was worried he might be connected to the serial killings. What should I do if I found evidence that he was the one behind them? Should I hand him over to the police? I kept on going through Saint Sahns Asylum¡¯s records and articles from the past on the way back. The whistleblower was a kind¨Chearted doctor who reported the incidents for Chiater 142 the patients¡® sake. 217 He ended up pissing off the asylum¡¯s director and the other doctors in the process. In the end, the doctor lost his leg in a car ident and was now crippled. But when someizens asked the doctor whether he regretted doing what he did and putting himself and his family at risk, the doctor replied that someone had to do it regardless. Someone had to bear that burden and shed some light on the darkness. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln¡­ we¡¯re here.¡± The car came to a stop while I was still in the midst of reading those articles. Many people shared their hellish experiences at Saint Sahn Asylum. They imed that the asylum director had a thing for watching attractive people be tormented, and those doctors he hired were the real psychos there. I couldn¡¯t imagine what someone as handsome as Steven would¡¯ve experienced there. He was the kind of person who refused to yield and would continuously fight back. That would only agitate his tormentors and inflict more pain on him. I was already trembling from how tense I felt after reading the articles. I couldn¡¯t imagine how desperate Steven must¡¯ve felt then¡­ being tormented over and over again. If I were in his shoes, I¡¯d probably kill someone too. ¡°Stephie!¡± Steven yelled from the courtyard. None of the house helpers were able to restrain him as he searched for me, still barefoot. Steven quietened down when he saw me. He came over and held me in his arms, saying hoarsely, I¡¯m scared, Stephie¡­¡± In that instant, I suddenly felt like what Steven was scared of was nothing more than losing me. ¡°Stephany!¡± Right when I was about to try and get Steven back to his room, Zion¡¯s car suddenly came to a stop outside the center. He exited the vehicle in a hurry. ¡°Stephany! Have you seen Rachel?¡® I replied, shocked, ¡°Rachel hasn¡¯t contacted me at all today¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone missing!¡± Chapter 143 My heart dipped in my chest, and I hurriedly ran over to Zion. ¡°Rachel¡¯s missing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been spending all her time at the coroner¡¯s to look into Stephanie¡¯s death and examine bodies with Dr. Sparks so that she could try and find the truth. Rachel even nearly faintedst night, which was why I told her to go home and rest. ¡°She wasn¡¯t with the police force this morning, so I gave her a call, but no one picked up, ¡°Zion exined. He continued worriedly, ¡°I was dealing with another case then. By the time I went looking for Rachel at noon, she¡¯d already gone missing. I¡¯ve been looking for her all this time, and no one else has seen her.¡± ¡°What aboutst night? Are you sure Rachel reached home safely?¡± I asked shakily while grabbing Zion¡¯s arm. ¡°The security guard was on shiftst night, so he should¡¯ve seen Rachel if she went back. home. But he didn¡¯t, which meant she didn¡¯t go home. That means she must¡¯ve gone missing on the way home after leaving the police station,¡± Zion said. I looked back at Steven, worried. I needed to find Rachel. Steven looked as if he wanted to say something to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my ce to find her!¡± I eximed to Zion, suddenly recalling something.¡± Oh, I meant¡­ Stephanie Carlson¡¯s home.¡± I told Rachel that the murderer might have been at my home before. Could she have gone there instead of going homest night? Zion was stunned before he gestured for me to get in his car. Steven took a couple of steps toward me before he stood there, dejected. I watched him from the rearview mirror, my heart hurting for some reason. Was Steven upset? Or sad? Was he sad that I cared more about somebody else than him? Or was it all just my misunderstanding¡­ ¡°He depends on you a lot,¡± Zion spoke up as he nced at the rearview mirror. I said nothing in response, feeling ufortable. Why¡­ did I feel so upset seeing Steven standing there alone, quietly waiting for me? It was as if a voice was telling me to not make Steven walt anymore. That he had walted for too long. My hands sped together as I nced at Zion. ¡°Can I¡­ bring Steven along?¡± Zion was about to start driving. He looked at me and said, ¡°Sure.¡± I hurriedly got out of the car and asked Steven, who was standing there barefoot in the courtyard, ¡°Do you want toe find Rachel with me?¡± Steven swiftly looked up at me, eyes bright. He said nothing but instead hurried over and got into the car with me. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. I took his shoes from the housekeeper before getting into the car and putting them on for him. He was curled up in a corner, watching me carefully throughout. ¡°Have you¡­ remembered me, Stephie?¡± Steven asked softly. I shook my head, confused. I was only doing this out of sympathy. Disappointment colored Steven¡¯s eyes again before he turned to look out the window. We were silent throughout the car ride, though Steven never once let go of his grip on my hand. Zion parked his car in the alleyway below my apartment before cautiously leading us upstairs. Now that it was dark out, the lights in the stairwell were dimmer than usual. I instinctively protected Steven by standing in front of him. Meanwhile, his eyes never left me. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with the man hiding in Stephanie¡¯s home,¡± I whispered, giving Zion the door key hidden under the floor mat.. Zion carefully unlocked the door and gestured for us to be careful. It was dark and unlit inside. My portrait appeared quite terrifying in the dark. I was definitely the first person alive to be scared by my own portrait. ¡°Shh.¡± Zion suddenly gestured for us to be quiet with his finger and listened for any sounds from within the house. All of a sudden, there was some noise from the bedroom. ¡°Rachel?¡± Zion called out cautiously and switched on the living room lights. He then slowly moved to the bedroom. I carefully eyed the bedroom as well, praying Rachel was alive and well. Chapter 144 ¡°She won¡¯t die,¡± Steven sald confidently from behind me.. I nced at him. ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± ¡°Innocent people.¡± Steven meant that Rachel was innocent. This inadvertently meant that Steven knew that the serial killer wouldn¡¯t kill Innocent people. When the bedroom door was opened, there was no one to be seen inside. I checked in all the other rooms in the house and found no one else either. A loud bang suddenly came from the bedroom again, this time from inside the closet. Zion and I looked at one another before we hurried over to open it. Rachel was inside, her hands and feet bound together and a piece of cloth shoved in her mouth. Luckily she wasn¡¯t in any danger, just mildly dehydrated. ¡°Rachel!¡± Zion quickly untied her and took out the cloth. ¡°That bastard¡¯s threatening us¡­ ¡± Rachel gasped before passing out in Zion¡¯s arms. She seemed to be in shock. ¡°I¡¯ll get her to the hospital right now!¡± Zion carried Rachel in his arms and dashed out of the room. I was about to run after him when I suddenly turned around to look at the portrait in the living room with fright. I screamed in fear. The original portrait of me ballet dancing had been reced.. It was a photo of my body arranged as a life¨Csized puppet in a ss case after I was murdered by the murderer. Zion stopped in his tracks, noticing the change too. We hadn¡¯t noticed that the portrait was changed earlier when we entered. All our focust was on the bedroom. Steven instinctively covered my eyes and said shakily, ¡°Go.¡± I stood there trembling uncontrobly, rooted to the ground. Zion gave his colleagues a call to have theme over and secure the ce. ¡°Blood is¡­ dripping off of the painting,¡± I stammered. Even though Steven had covered my eyes, I could still smell the rich iron of blood. The dress of the portrait was smeared in fresh blood¡­ ¡°The blood¡¯s still fresh, which means the murderer hasn¡¯t gone far yet,¡± Steven said hoarsely before turning to examine the room. ¡°The murderer was able to predict how long it¡¯d take for us to arrive and when we¡¯d see this portrait. Someone as intelligent as him would no doubt hide nearby to admire his handiwork¡­¡± As Steven spoke, he kicked the washroom door open. He was slowly spiraling out of control. Zion set Rachel down on the couch and tasked me to take care of her while he and Steven searched the house for the murderer. Steven was mumbling to himself, ¡°The killer was able to calcte how long the victim had to live after he put her in the ss case. He¡¯s skilled in math and medical science¡­ He then turned to look at the shoe cupboard by the front door. Supposedly, no grown man would be able to fit in there. But Steven still went over to it. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± M voice rang out from the front door. He sounded displeased. He had several other men with him who looked to be from a movingpany. ¡°Go away!¡± Steven cried, wanting Michael and the others to leave and not ruin the crime. scene. But Michael was hostile to Steven. ¡°This was Stephanie¡¯s home, and she was my fianc¨¦e. Now, I¡¯m the one who legally owns this ce, so you guys should be the ones leaving!¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Michael then said to the movers, ¡°Move everything out of the house. Be careful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything!¡± Steven yelled all of a sudden, running over to try and stop Michael. But Michael¡¯s bodyguards instantly subdued Steven. ¡°Michael Ford!¡± Zion and I both yelled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t let them in! We need to keep this ce untouched!¡± But it was toote, Michael¡¯s men had already entered the house to stop us. ¡°There¡¯s someone in the shoe cupboard!¡± Ferled when the movers started lifting the cupboard and blood poured out, A strangely positioned human body was in the shoe cupboard. It fell out with a chilling think Everyone grew silent in an instant, followed by someone dry heaving to the side. ¡°The man had been kneeling before he fell out. He was shoved into the cupboard.¡± It was a good thing I had noticed¡­. Chapter 145 ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet¡­¡± Steven shoved away the people around him and went to feel the man¡¯s pulse. ¡°He¡¯s not going to live¡­¡± Zion called an ambnce. Michael quickly took several steps back, clearly never having seen such a bloody sight. before. Meanwhile, everyone else had run outside the house to heave their stomach contents out. They had pretty much ruined the crime scene. ¡°The murderer was able to calcte how long it¡¯d take for this victim to die¡­ ¡°Steven said in a panicked tone as he knelt on the floor. ¡°He knew what time we¡¯d arrive and what time we¡¯d find this victim. He wanted us to watch him dic¡­ Just like how the murderer had done to Stephanie. I walked forward, feeling numb as I looked at the body. ¡°It¡¯s the orphanage director¡¯s husband.¡± I had seen this man before in Steven¡¯s photos. ¡°If the murderer was able to shove such a heavyset man into the shoe cupboard, then he must definitely be a strong adult,¡± Zion said sullenly. That was the only way the murderer could¡¯ve moved a body around and shoved a man on the verge of death into this small cupboard. ¡°Maybe¡­ the victim climbed in there himself.¡± Steven pointed at the footsteps which Michael and the other movers had disturbed on the ground. ¡°There was only one set of footprints.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something else that¡¯s scary too. The murderer didn¡¯t leave behind fingerprints, hair, or any clues. Even camera footage is useless because we can¡¯t identify the murderer from his face.¡± The person I saw the other day at home had an extremely scarred face from burn injuries. and looked incredibly scary. I couldn¡¯t tell what he originally looked like. ¡°The murderer is too intelligent,¡± Zion said. The murderer had been taking the police as fools. ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± 1 turned to Michael. ¡°Why did youe here at thiste hour just to move some furniture?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Michael looked at me, displeased. ¡°These are all my wife¡¯s belongings.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± I went up and pped him in the face. ¡°Can you be more considerate for once? Michael red at me warningly. ¡°I told you, this house is in my name, so you guys are the ones who are trespassing!¡± ¡°Why did you bring movers here at this time of the night, Michael Ford? If you don¡¯t give a reasonable exnation, I have reason to suspect you intentionally ruined a crime scene! ¡°Zion warned. ¡°I met a fortune teller who told me¡­ that Stephie died a terrible death and her soul is currently wandering unbound. The fortune teller told me to burn her furniture at midnight tonight,¡± Michael grumbled, looking away. Wait, why would someone as self¨Ccentered as Michael who never believed in the metaphysical suddenly believe in this sort of thing? I cast a suspicious look at him. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with that fortune teller.¡± It was too big of a coincidence. ¡°Where did you meet this fortune teller?¡± Zion asked. ¡°At the cemetery.¡± Michael had gone to Stephanie¡¯s grave again today. Now, I suspected even more that Michael had negatively affected my journey to the afterlife. He was tormenting me even after my death. ¡°Officer Landon!¡± The other police officers and backup had arrived. But it was toote. The victim had already died, just like Steven said. There was no saving him even after Steven tried to stop his bleeding. Too much blood had been lost. The medics took Rachel away, who had passed out from hunger and shock. I heaved a sigh of relief when they told me her life was no longer at risk. ¡°Why was he kneeling in the shoe cupboard?¡± I didn¡¯t understand what the murderer was trying to tell us. Steven murmured, ¡°Redemption. He¡¯s trying to redeem himself.¡± Chantry 14 Zion looked at Steven and then at me. ¡°Steven has always refused to cooperate with the investigation in the past. Why is he so active today?¡± Steven had always been opposed to helping with the investigation even when the police questioned him. He would never so much as utter a word. But Steven was clearly cooperating right now. I realized this difference as well. Steven was particrly cooperative today. Steven stared at the victim, mumbling, ¡°Anesthesia¡­ overdose. Hallucinations, poor wound clotting¡­ One will slowly die without feeling any pain.¡± Chapter 146 Zion looked at Steven in shock, then at the coroner who had just arrived. Keenan took off his mask and turned to Steven. ¡°You have a keen sense of smell. The victim must¡¯ve struggled when the murderer injected him with anesthesia, causing it to stain his clothing. Anesthesia are strictly controlled drugs.¡± Zion turned to Phil. ¡°Search the area right now!¡± But it would be difficult to find the murderer in such a short amount of time given the big field of search. ¡°Most of the usable leads are ruined now that the crime scene has been destroyed.¡± Keenan¡¯s brows furrowed as he looked at all the footprints. Michael looked away silently, feeling guilty. He was the one in the wrong here. ¡°The murderer is still in the area. They haven¡¯t gone far.¡± Steven suddenly looked out the door confidently. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Phil ran out with some other men after hearing some noise outside.. ¡°Clear the area and lock the ce down,¡± Zion ordered his men. I held Steven¡¯s hand and walked out into the hallway so that the police could perform their investigation. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Steven seemed to be trying to piece something together. He crouched on the floor, mumbling, ¡°The next one¡­ Time and date.¡± Was he calcting when the murderer would strike next? ¡°What a freak,¡± Michael sneered, insulting Steven. Steven gazed at him coldly. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t brought those men and barged into the house. ¡­ I would¡¯ve found him.¡± If Michael hadn¡¯t interfered, Steven would have sessfully used the clues to find out who the murderer was. But they¡¯d stirred up the ho¡¯s nest now. ¡°Stop with the fear¨Cmongering. You could very well be the murderer too. How else would you know what drug the murderer used and deduce his actions?¡± Michael red angrily at Steven, wanting to attack him. I went up and shoved Michael away, standing defensively in front of Steven. I even pped Michael again. ¡°Shut up!¡± Michael would¡¯ve made me regret hitting him twice in the past. But now that I was Stephany, he couldn¡¯t threaten me like he used to back when I was Stephanie. Nor would I be afraid of his tactics anymore. ¡°Stephany¡­¡± Michael said darkly before sneering. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at pretending to be Stephanie.¡± He could probably see Stephanie in me. ¡°Hmph¡­ How shameless.¡± I scoffed, suddenly feeling like I¡¯d touched filth by pping. him. ¡°Since you want to be Stephanie so bad, I¡¯ll give you a chance to act the part,¡± Michael threatened coldly. Chills ran down my spine. I had no idea what he was trying to do. Whenever Michael showed this expression in the past, I knew he¡¯d¡­ ¡°punish¡± me. His punishment was always to force me into a corner, making me have no choice but to compromise. Michael suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. ¡°What can you get from marrying a lunatic? The Lincolns are already at the end of their prime. It¡¯ll be extremely difficult for you to try and fight against Martin Lincoln. ¡°I can give the Larson family whatever you¡¯re secking from the Lincoln family. Divorce this man. I¡¯ll let you be Stephanie Carlson and stay with me. You just need to y your role well.¡± Michael even shot Steven a challenging look, as if certain that I would give up Steven and be with Michael all for personal gain. This was because Steven had no power when it came to the Lincoln Group. Steven gazed darkly at Michael, restraining his killing intent. Steven¡¯s voice was trembling as he hissed, ¡°Give her back to me¡­¡± Steven wanted to use his handgun but didn¡¯t, probably out of fear of hurting me. But Michael deliberately goaded him further, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me closer into his arms. ¡°Who do you think Stephany will choose, you lunatic? Me, or Chapter 147 Steven stood there helplessly while suppressing himself. He wanted to take action yet. was afraid I might get hurt. My misunderstanding from earlier today when he hurt that pervert on the train must¡¯ve frightened him, making him think I might get upset again if he acted too drastically. Steven seemed really, really afraid that I might choose Michael over him. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven called out nervously, wanting me to choose him. I gazed at him, feeling overwhelmed. When Michael saw how I didn¡¯t struggle, he said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re lucky you resemble Stephanie Carlson.¡± I gritted my teeth, wanting to punch him in the face. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Raising my head, I headbutted Michael in the face before turning around and hitting him. I had really wanted to punch him for a long time, It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to in my previous life; it was just that I didn¡¯t dare to. Michael often threatened the lives of those around me. That was what he did best. I couldn¡¯t cross Michael then. And with the addition of the debt I owed him, I had no choice but to swallow it all down. But now¡­ I¡¯d already died because of him, so screw that debt. Steven was stunned. He swallowed nervously as he looked at me. ¡°What are you standing there for?¡± I called out to Steven. ¡°Come over here and beat him up with me!¡± Steven ran over excitedly and was about to toss a punch at Michael when Zion grabbed. him by his shirt cor. ¡°Come with me for a bit, Steven.¡± Steven red at Zion and turned back to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± I said, ignoring Michael who was still sping his injured nose. I then went up to hold Steven¡¯s hand. Steven was shocked. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ choose him¡­ Stephie¡­ ¡°He¡¯s not even a choice for me,¡± I consoled Steven, though I still felt confused inside. Steven¡¯s emotional state was unstable, so I had to continuously console him. But this was just pity on my end, I had to leave the Lincoln family sooner orter. I couldn¡¯t stay by Steven¡¯s side for the rest of my life, after all¡­ What should I do if he was too dependent on me? Steven seemed to be in a really good mood. He was eagerly helping Zion analyze the case. ¡°Serial number. Every child in the orphanage had a serial number. It was a¡­ sequence of who would die first. But the director¡¯s family wasn¡¯t in the sequence.¡± It was clear that Steven hadn¡¯t expected the murderer to suddenly stop killing the people from the orphanage and turn to the director¡¯s family members instead. I gazed at Steven. He seemed to really understand the murderer¡­ ¡°When I asked you to cooperate in the investigation previously, you always refused to say a word. What¡¯s gotten into you today?¡± Zion asked Steven curiously. Steven lowered his head and looked at me for a long time. ¡°Stephie¡­. ¡°Hm?¡± I didn¡¯t know why he was looking at me all of a sudden. ¡°I only listen to Stephie,¡± Steven said. He meant that he¡¯d onlye along and cooperate because I asked him to. If I hadn¡¯t asked Steven toe along and left him back at the Lincoln residence, he wouldn¡¯t have cooperated. I didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Is the next victim the director?¡± I asked. Would it be that woman? ¡°No¡­¡± Steven shook his head. ¡°Alive. Worse than death.¡± My heart sank. Her husband and daughter had died. Coupled with all the orphanage children who died one after another, that kind of fear arising from all those deaths would drive one mad. Leaving her alive was the best punishment for her. What did the director actually do to the murderer all those years ago? ¡°Did Simeon¡­ really die all those years ago in the orphanage fire?¡± I had already suspected Simeon didn¡¯t actually die during that fire, ¡°The face of the man I saw at home was so badly burned I couldn¡¯t tell what he looked like before. If Simeon¡¯s still alive, he¡¯d have a motive to kill, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± The police would surely face difficultles trying to look into someone who had faked their own death. ¡°We¡¯ve long suspected this.¡± Zion lit a cigarette. He seemed exhausted. ¡°We¡¯ve considered every single possibility you could think of and looked into each one. Simeon Kent is really deceased. My mentor was the one who investigated the fire all those years ago. ¡°Steven was the only person left alive. There was only one other body found at the scene, and it was burned to a crisp.¡± Chapter 148 My mouth fell open in shock. If Simeon really was dead, that meant he wasn¡¯t the murderer. So who was? I nced at Steven, noticing how strange his expression was. He kept on mumbling. ¡°Simeon¡¯s dead¡­ Simeon¡¯s dead¡­¡± ¡°Are you certain that body was Simeon¡¯s?¡± Based on the murderer¡¯s level of intelligence, the only two people I suspected to be the killer were Simeon and Steven. So if Simeon was dead¡­ Was Steven¡­ I looked at Steven nervously. Though he had no window of opportunity tomit a crime throughout our time spent together, it was still¡­ ¡°I told Steven toe here because I wanted him to be honest with me.¡± Zion took a long drag from his cigarette as he looked at Steven. ¡°What connection do you have with the murderer? Why did you go to the police station and confess to killing people?¡± Zion¡¯s gaze was intense. ¡°I¡¯m asking you this now and not bringing you to the station right away because I trust you, so you¡¯d better tell me the truth.¡± Steven looked away silently. I had asked him these questions in the past too, but I only got vague answers in response. ¡°Steven¡­ We can¡¯t let anyone else die.¡± I looked nervously at Steven, wanting to coax him to speak up. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find Stephie¡­ All clues pointed to the orphanage¡­ I wanted to save Stephie, but I couldn¡¯t find her.¡± Steven suddenly looked panicked, as if he was ming himself. ¡°I lost¡­¡± Steven cried, tearing at his hair hysterically. ¡°I lost his game.¡± ¡°What do you mean? What game?¡± Zion looked cautiously at Steven. ¡°Someone put a letter in the room I was in the day Stephie went missing. The murderer said he wanted to y a game with me, for me to find Stephie¡­ He would give Stephie back to me if I correctly calcted where she was within the specified time.¡± That psycho wanted Steven to urately pinpoint someone¡¯s location? ¡°Psycho¡­ ¡± I hissed. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He lied to me. I had already calcted the correct coordinates¡­ ¡± Steven¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°But when I went to that cabin, I didn¡¯t manage to find Stephie. I didn¡¯t know there was a basement. Steven was ming himself. He was tearing his hair out as he crouched in a ball on the floor. He had clearly calcted the right location and went over in time. But he couldn¡¯t find Stephie. ¡°I lost. It¡¯s my fault,¡± Steven said, his emotions unstable. ¡°She died because of me.¡± I held his hands, stopping him from further hurting himself. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.¡± ¡°I tried so hard to find the murderer, but I only found a second letter telling me to go to the ce the police suspected to be the crime scene and pretend to be the killer. He said. he¡¯d give Stephie back to me if I confessed to the crime.¡± That psycho did return Stephanie to Steven¡­ ¡°No wonder. Someone had intentionally led the police to discover the basement that day, Zion said with furrowed brows. The moment Steven confessed to the crime, my body was found. ¡°The basement wasn¡¯t freshly dug. Steven didn¡¯t even know it was there, which means¡­ only a few people knew about it¡­ ¡± I murmured before looking up at Zion. ¡°I¡¯m sure the orphanage director knew what the basement was used for.¡± I had a feeling the murderer didn¡¯t put my body there by random chance. There had to be some dark secret surrounding the basement. ¡°If the murderer is neither Steven nor Simeon¡­ Then who else could it be?¡± I said to myself. Based on the murderer¡¯s modus operandi, he was definitely some kind of genius. Steven stayed silent. He had perfectly exined why he¡¯d been at the crime scene. But was what he said really the truth? Could we really trust Steven? ¡°Officer Landon, they¡¯ve tricked us! The hospital just called to inform us that Yasmin is missing!¡± Chapter 149 ¡°Yasmin¡¯s in¡¯s serial number at the orphanage was number 37. They numbered the orphans based on when they joined regardless of age. But children of the same age would be grouped together, so their serial numbers were mixed up. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Based on the photo from the orphanage and after we arrange the serial numbers, the next person should be Yasmin,¡± Zion said. He then looked at Steven and asked, ¡°Are you able to pinpoint where Yasmin is?¡± ¡°Why were all the previous victims female? Stephanie Carlson wasn¡¯t from the orphanage,¡± I said, confused. ¡°Because most of the orphans were girls, and there were very few boys. That¡¯s why the previous couple of victims were women,¡± Zion exined. ¡°I think the murderer seems to be sacrificing the victims. The way he killed Stephanie Carlson was completely differentpared to the rest of the victims. ¡°Stephanie was injected with an anesthetic and barely went through any pain throughout the process. All the other victims besides the one kneeling in the shoe cupboard went through great torment and pain. Some even died from shock.¡± Steven suddenly seemed to recall something and snatched away the notebook and pen from Zion¡¯s hands. ¡°The 12 horoscopes are in different positions. Thest victim was found at the South Bay docks¡­ toward the southeast. Steven drew a circle on the notebook and then began plotting a location. ¡°If the orphanage is the center¡­ then the location is¡­ the South Bay docks. The next one would be Neinstreet, West Quay!¡± Steven had calcted the location where the murderer would dump the next victim¡¯s body. ¡°He¡¯s going to dump the body here, which means he¡¯ll be killing them nearby. He wouldn¡¯t dare to take action too far away. ¡°The only suitable ce to kill someone would be this abandoned pharmaceutical factory. The development in Fleetfield had forced a lot of factories to move out of the area, but no actual development had actually begun there. ¡°Hurry up and go to the factory!¡± Zion turned to Phil. ¡°What are you standing there for?¡± Phil still hadn¡¯t recovered from his shock. He quickly gave Steven a thumbs¨Cup, finding him incredibly impressive. I looked at Steven in shock too. He really was pretty amazing for being able to calcte where the serial killer would kill his next victim and dump the body. We went to the pharmaceutical factory in Zion¡¯s car. The abandoned factory looked quite deste. Yasmin was tied to the roof, which was an incredibly obvious spot. She was pale with fright and calling out for help. There was a rope around her neck with a lit candle at its other end. If the me burned the rope through, Yasmin would fall due to gravity and be hung to death. The murderer was using this method to make Yasmin, his victim, suffer the most pain and despair before her death. ¡°Michael, save me!¡± Yasmin cried out when she saw us. I sneered. True love, indeed. She still remembered to call for Michael¡¯s help even in such a circumstance. Michael hade over with the police, his nose still bruised. He hurriedly rushed forward to try and undo the rope around Yasmin. Steven silently watched Michael, neither saying a word nor stopping him. Michael didn¡¯t know that if someone undid the rope around Yasmin right now, she would fall and hang to death. With how much Yasmin weighed, falling from such a height would snap her neck right away. The murderer had ounted for all this to happen. I saw through Steven¡¯s intent. He wasn¡¯t stopping them because he despised Michael and Yasmin. ¡°I¡¯d advise you not to simply touch anything, Michael,¡± Zion said. Steven and I could hate Michael and Yasmin all we wanted and stay silent, but Zion wasn¡¯t going to sit by and let tragedy happen. ¡°What are you just standing there for, then? Save her!¡± Michael eximed angrily. Chupsex 149 ¡°We still have a chance to save Yasmin before the candle burns through the rope.¡± Zion walked over and pointed at the countless knots and ropes all tled to Yasmin. This warehouse had a very high roof, about three stories off the ground. Yasmin was now hanging on top of it. If there was no way to secure her, she would die from the fall. Yasmin would die from undoing the wrong knot or the rope being burned through. The same fate awaited her whether she remained hanging from the rope or falling from it. being cut. Michael was frantic. ¡°What are all you police officers doing just standing there? Hurry up and find a way to save Yasmin! You promised to keep her safe!¡± I sneered. Michael knew to panic now. ¡°You should¡¯ve been able to tell that the murderer is very intelligent by now. We¡¯re just the police, not geniuses. Give us some time to figure this out.¡± Zion found Michael irritating. Chapter 150 Zion stared at the rope, sweat already beading on his forehead from anxiety. ¡°The murderer is way too smart¡­ If the candle is moved out of position or extinguished, the direction of the breeze nearby will change and make the iron beads fall like dominoes. The de positioned above will fall and cut the rope and Yasmin will die.¡± If the beads were taken away prior, there would be uneven weight distribution. Yasmin didn¡¯t dare move an inch while hanging on the roof. ¡°Michael¡­ save me. I¡¯m so scared.¡± Yasmin sobbed. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯d advise you to not speak so loudly. These ropes and systems are bnced very delicately. The more you yell, the sooner you¡¯ll die,¡± I warned. Yasmin¡¯s face reddened with fright. She didn¡¯t dare cry out anymore and only sobbed quietly. As I looked at Yasmin hanging there, I felt¡­ delighted, for some reason. I had to admit¡­ I had the evil thought of not saving her. I knew Steven could save her, but I didn¡¯t want him to. Zion looked at Phil and the rest of the police force. ¡°Whatever we move now will put Yasmin at risk. When will backup arrive?¡± F They had arranged for a helicopter to rescue Yasmin from the roof. ¡°But it¡¯ll take at least 20 minutes for the helicopter to arrive here at this developmental area¡­ Yasmin clearly couldn¡¯t wait that long. ¡°What do you mean 20 minutes? The rope will have already snapped by then!¡± Michael roared at the police. He turned to look at Steven, targeting him. ¡°Was it you? Did you do this? Did you lure us all here on purpose? You¡¯re the murderer! You must be!¡± Steven looked at Michael coldly, staying silent. ¡°Don¡¯t you go around using people!¡± I warned Michael. ¡°If Steven hadn¡¯t discovered where Yasmin was, she would¡¯ve already been dead,¡± Zion Cher 10 warned as well, making Michael calm down. Steven continued standing where he was, the air incredibly tense around him. I wasn¡¯t sure if I saw it right, but there was a hint of delight in Steven¡¯s eyes. I probably saw that wrong, right? ¡°It must be him! How else would he know Yasmin would be here?¡± Michael was still angry. 212 ¡°I suggest you calm down, Mr. Ford. The only person who can save Yasmin before she dies is Steven, so you¡¯d better beg him to help save Yasmin!¡± Zion yelled, grabbing Michael by the cor. ¡°You want me to beg him? Bah!¡± Michael clearly wasn¡¯t going to do that. Steven leaned against a pir coldly, not saying a word. ¡°I promise you Yasmin will not survive for long.¡± Zion¡¯s brows were furrowed. ¡°Looks like Yasmin¡¯s not that important to you, huh?¡± I sneered, feeling gleeful at my once¨Cin¨Ca¨C lifetime chance to threaten Michael. ¡°Are you able to save her, Steven?¡± Phil asked frantically as he looked at Steven. Steven stayed silent. I knew that he wouldn¡¯t save Yasmin if I didn¡¯t ask him to. In the end, Michael still spat out the words, ¡°What¡­ will it take for you to save Yasmin?¡± Steven straightened up and said darkly, ¡°I¡¯ll save her¡­ if you kill yourself. You have three minutes to think about it.¡± Chapter 151 Michael¡¯s expression darkened immediately. Then, he angrily red at Steven and cried, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, Steven Lincoln!¡± Obviously, Michael wouldn¡¯t kill himself. ¡°I seem to remember you saying that you¡¯d be buried with Stephanie Carlson if she died, Michael,¡± I said, suddenly remembering what Michael had sworn to do in the past. He had said that Stephanie wasn¡¯t dead and that she was purposely causing suspense to achieve her own ulterior motives. He even swore to join Stephanie in her grave if she really was dead. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity to do that? You get to join Stephanie in her grave and save the love of your life.¡± I looked up at Yasmin hanging there and continued with a smile, ¡°Look, she¡¯s going to die anytime now. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter which rope snaps first because she¡¯ll still end up hanging to her death anyhow. What¡¯s more, you don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°Stephany Larson!¡± Michael angrily eximed. Yet, he was still at someone else¡¯s mercy. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Being threatened like this must feel terrible for him, huh? I looked at Michael and observed how pissed off he was. I found it amusing the more I reflected on our past. Michael used to be the best at threatening others, yet now he was upset after being threatened himself? He was just being given a taste of his own .taicine isall As the saying went, you should treat others like how they treated you. But I guess this was something Michael couldn¡¯t ept, huh? an anyway. ¡°I don¡¯t need to beg him. He¡¯s not going to save You guys should just hurry up and figure out how to get her down,¡± Michael said. Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to go kill himself. After all, someone as selfish as him wouldn¡¯t sacrifice himself. Halfway through watching everything unfold, Zion cleared his throat. He didn¡¯t want things to escte now. Besides, they¡¯d found Yasmin and stopped the killer¡¯s n from going through, and this was the first step in provoking the killer. Zion then stepped out and tried advising Steven, ¡°Please help us out, Steve. We can¡¯t just let someone die like this. The killer will probably refrain from killing his next target if Yasmin survives. The killer¡¯s desire to win is very strong.¡± Steve silently looked at me. He didn¡¯t want to help them. ¡°Help me¡­¡± Yasmin hoarsely called out from where she was on the roof, already dehydrated. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Michael.¡± Michael nced at Yasmin before frantically turning to Zion. ¡°Are you guys just going to stand here and wait?¡± ¡°What else can we do? Fly up there to save her?¡± Zion had already done his best to convince Steven. The only person who could save Yasmin now was him. ¡°The fire rescue department will take at least 10 minutes to arrive. An air cushion would also be useless because Yasmin still has a rope around her neck. If she falls, she¡¯ll still hang to death. And regardless, the fire rescue team will still need to wait for the helicopter, understand?¡± Zion turned to Michael with a furrowed brow. Then, he said to Steven, ¡°Steve, you said you¡¯d lost to the killer once before and couldn¡¯t save Stephanie in time. Can we prevent such a tragedy from happening again?¡± Apparently, Zion was really good at convincing people. I could see that Steven¡¯s resolve had been slightly shaken as he shot me a look. But I knew that he would still refuse to save Yasmin if I didn¡¯t agree to it. Zion saw this too. So, he turned to look at me and said, ¡°Stephany, if Yasmin lives, the killer might just temporarily stop his killing. Moreover, you said it yourself¨Cwe can¡¯t let anyone else die.¡± I knew that stopping more victims from being killed was a police officer¡¯s duty. I looked up at Yasmin, hoping that she would just die right there on the roof. ¡°Stephany¡­ Help me.¡± Even Yasmin herself was begging me now. I coldly stared up at her. I wanted her to suffer even if she did end up being rescued. ¡°Stephany!¡± Michael frantically cried. ¡°If you love her so much, then tell the killer you¡¯ll swap ces with her,¡± Izily said. ¡°Yasmin saved my life in the past¡­¡± Michael finally seemed to have caved in and was begging me now. ¡°How does Yasmin saving you have anything to do with me?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°The rope¡¯s going to snap!¡± Phil gasped. They hadn¡¯t dared to simply shift the rope for fear of a weight imbnce. I furrowed my brows and looked at Steve. Save her then¡­ If Yasmin didn¡¯t die, the killer would continue to focus on her, and everyone else with serial numbers after her would temporarily be safe. Steven knew what I was thinking too. But then, he pulled me into his arms and held me from behind, saying, ¡°I can save Yasmin, Michael¡­ But you have to get on your knees.¡± Steven wanted Michael to kneel down, yet he made me stand in front of him. It was clear that he wanted Michael to kneel before me. I was stunned. I nced at Steven as an indescribable emotion surfaced within me. Chapter 152 ¡°Steven Lincoln!¡± Michael angrily eximed as he balled his hands into fists, prepared to attack Steven. ¡°Hurry up! We¡¯re running out of time!¡± Phil anxiously cried. The rope would snap at any moment. However, Steven still looked at Michael, resolute. Finally, Michael gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°Alright, Steven. You better not regret this. Just because Michael was taking this jab at his pride now didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t get revenge on Steven for it in the future. He was bound to make Steven regret his decision. Honestly, I was somewhat worried. This brief moment of glee¡­ It would surely cause Steven a lot of trouble, wouldn¡¯t it? But I couldn¡¯t care about that right now. We would deal with whatever happens in the future when it happens. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. In the end, Michael got on his knees before me with anger boiling in his eyes. It was clear how much he didn¡¯t want to do this. Huh¡­ My body was slightly tense, and I couldn¡¯t tell what emotion I was feeling right now. When I hated Michael in the past, I couldn¡¯t wait for him to get on his knees in front of me. I wanted him to beg for mercy from me and say that he¡¯d regretted all his actions. But all of a sudden, I felt like someone like him kneeling because of me would mess up my reincarnation. ¡°Steve!¡± Phil cried. There was a small notch of rope left before it would snap. Immediately, Steven let go of me and hurried over. Then, right before the rope snapped, he grabbed one of the ropes among the tangled mess of other ropes. No one else, not even I could tell why Steven had grabbed onto that rope in particr. But when the rope above snapped and Yasmin¡¯s body slightly fell, she was caught just in time by the rope Steven was holding onto. Steven then stared tly at Yasmin before purposely loosening his grip. And just like a wooden puppet, Yasmin¡¯s body slipped yet again as her face flushed red with pain. I took a deep breath. Steven¡­ was torturing Yasmin. He watched as Yasmin suffered and slowly suffocated, unable to even plea for mercy. Then, Steven smiled¡­ But it was a terrifying smile. Meanwhile, I silently looked away. Zion then massaged his temple before going over to Steven. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± he said. However, Steven replied without budging, ¡°Yasmin will hold out until the helicopter¡¯s here.¡± Yasmin wouldn¡¯t die, but she had to suffer the pain of getting asphyxiated. Zion and Phil trusted Steven¡¯s sense of time. If he said Yasmin wouldn¡¯t die, then she wouldn¡¯t die. But she couldn¡¯t escape her suffering either. Meanwhile, Michael had silently stood up and was coldly gazing at Steven and me. I knew he wouldn¡¯t let us off easy now. Soon, the medics and helicopter arrived. Yasmin was sessfully rescued, but she¡¯d fainted and nearly died because of theck of oxygen. Steven watched coldly as Yasmin was rescued, his eyes filled with hatred. He was the one who hoped the most for Yasmin¡¯s death, but in the end, he¡¯d still saved her because of me. Even the police wouldn¡¯t have had a way to save Yasmin if Steven hadn¡¯t stepped in. ¡°The killer lost this time¡­ And he won¡¯t like it. This will surely piss him off.¡± Steven looked at his surroundings, certain that the killer was watching everything that was going on right now. The police wouldn¡¯t be able to catch him though. ¡°You better watch out,¡± Michael warned and shoved Steven. ¡°I¡¯d advise you to stay by Yasmin¡¯s side all day and all night, Michael. The killer won¡¯t stop until she¡¯s dead, and no one will be able to save her if he tries to kill her a second time,¡± I said, going up to hug Steven and shooting Michael a warning look. Michael then snorted and left with the doctors. Suddenly, Steve leaned against me and whined, ¡°Stephie¡­ He pushed me.¡± Chapter 153 Steven wasining like a child would to his friends. I took a deep breath and instinctivelyforted him. ¡°Ignore Michael. He¡¯s crazy.¡± At that, Steven seemed to lighten up and tightly hugged me. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Zion said to us after examining the crime scene and making sure there were no suspicious people lingering around. ¡°We¡¯ve already checked the surveince footage, Zion. All we saw was a figure who carried Yasmin in while she was unconscious. The figure was broad and tall, and they wore a raincoat and a cap. But we could see that he was pretty muscr.¡± Phil had looked through all the local surveince footage and could only recover this piece of useful footage. The killer must¡¯ve neglected this aspect of his n because the footage was from a camera installed by a local family on the second floor of their home. Those who didn¡¯t know about this camera wouldn¡¯t have noticed it either. I peeked at the footage and sure enough, there was only a figure on the screen. But strangely¡­ I felt like this man was different from the one with the burn injuries on his face. ¡°I feel like¡­ ¡± I couldn¡¯t really pinpoint what was off. The man who had spoken to me in my home had been like a ghost. Though he was tall, he was still skinny and slightly hunched¨Cover. He wouldn¡¯t appear so muscr even if he was wearing a raincoat. I didn¡¯t think that he would¡¯ve even had the strength to lift Yasmin up. ¡°Are you able to identify him?¡± Zion turned to me. I shook my head. ¡°The camera footage only captured the back, so it¡¯s not very clear.¡± After that, Phil and some other officers stayed behind to further investigate while we left for the hospital with Zion. By the time we got there, Rachel had already woken up, though she was still feeling the aftereffects of shock. Good thing she was usually pretty bold. ¡°How did you end up getting abducted there?¡± Zion asked, giving her some fruit that he¡¯d brought over. ¡°I missed Stephiest night after leaving, so I went to her ce to look around and¡­¡± Rachel instinctively nced at me before looking away. Rachel probably believed me and wanted to see if the killer was truly residing in my home. ¡°I was just trying my luck. I didn¡¯t expect to actually meet the guy. I was knocked unconscious the moment I stepped through the door,¡± Rachel said, getting somewhat agitated. Zion consoled her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯re alright now. Don¡¯t take any actions on your own from now on.¡± Rachel nodded. ¡°The man¡­ was pretty strong. He should be around six feet in height and pretty muscr. I tried grabbing his arm while struggling against him, but his bicep was so big that I couldn¡¯t even hold on to it.¡± I shook my head, stunned. ¡°No. They¡¯re not the same person¡­ This isn¡¯t right.¡± The man I saw at home had a face marred with burn scars. And though he was tall, he was ¡­ gaunt. Not at all muscr or strong. ¡°Could it be possible that¡­ there¡¯s more than one killer?¡± I nervously looked at Zion.¡± Possibly two or more?¡± Both Zion and Rachel grew silent. We hadn¡¯t discovered anything so far even though the killer had already killed so many people. ¡°They¡¯re definitely not the same person,¡± Zion said after a long period of silence. ¡°When we were investigating Mildred Silva¡¯s cause of death, we found another piece of footage ¡°It was of a smaller¨Clooking figure in a raincoat on the street where Mildred went missing. The figure seemed to be either a woman or a scrawny man.¡± I instinctively looked at Steven. He was simply standing there, staying silent without reacting much to anything. There was more than one killer all acting together in an organized manner. So, there must be someone at the lead giving them instructions¡­ ¡°Yasmin is now free from danger, which means that the killer has failed. And based on their personality, they¡¯ll likely find another opportunity to kill her.¡± Zion looked at his phone. ¡°I hope the killer doesn¡¯t hurt anyone else before killing her. That way, we¡¯ll have time to investigate.¡± ¡°Since Ms. Rachel is safe now, we should get going,¡± I said. I wanted to bring Steven back home. He was still sick, after all. Zion nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have Phil send you guys back.¡± 1 shook my head. ¡°No need. We can take the train.¡± Rachel nervously looked at me, her mouth opening in hesitation as if to say something. Then, I turned around and gestured for Steven to leave with me. However, he raised his hand and said, ¡°Hold my hand, Stephie.¡± I turned back and held his wrist, exasperated. ¡°Come on, ¡°Hold on tight and don¡¯t let go,¡± Steven whispered. let¡¯s go home.¡± However, I didn¡¯t hear him clearly the first time, so I looked back at him and asked, What did you say?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. But in response, Steve merely smiled at me without saying anything. Chapter 154 ¡°Stephle¡­¡± Rachel suddenly called out from the hospital bed. I stopped but didn¡¯t turn back. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. It was better for me to remain as Stephany Larson right now. Steven held my hand the whole way during the train ride back home as I leaned on his shoulder, deep in thought. He didn¡¯t question me about why we were using the train and not a car. But I guessed that someone as smart as him would¡¯ve been able to figure out why. I was afraid of being inside cars whenever it rained. Being on a train surrounded by more people just made me feel safer. When we got off the train, Ewan and the driver were already waiting for us by the train station entrance. Steven furrowed his brows and nced at me. ¡°Let¡¯s run away, Stephie.¡± I was surprised. ¡°Run away? To where¡­ ¡± But before I could finish my sentence, Steve had already grabbed me by the wrist and ran off into the crowd. Ewan wanted to run after us, but in the end, he lost us among the crowd. I ran along with Steve for a long while and only stopped when I began panting heavily. Why are you running?¡± I asked. In contrast to me, Steve was neither red in the face nor panting. In fact, he seemed entirely fine. He sure could run, huh¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t wanna go back,¡± Steven answered. He didn¡¯t want to return to the Lincoln residence, probably feeling it to be more like a cage than a home. ¡°Ewan must¡¯ve already installed a tracker in both of our phones,¡± I said in exasperation. After all, I was pregnant with the Lincoln family¡¯s flesh and blood, and Steven was one of the family¡¯s sons. They couldn¡¯t lose either of us, which meant that Ewan was bound to find us too. However, Steven didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he took both our phones and seemed to tamper something on them before returning mine to me. ¡°One day away is fine,¡± he said. I wasn¡¯t sure what had gotten into Steven today, or why he wanted to run away, so I decided to simply agree for now. After all, I wouldn¡¯t know where to find him if he ran off by himself anyway. ¡°Where do you want to go now?¡± I asked. ¡°I want to sleep with you, Stephie,¡± Steven said seriously. I froze for a moment before looking up and realizing that Steven had stopped in front of a high¨C ss five¨Cstar hotel. I grumbled, ¡°Why stay in a hotel when you have a perfectly fine home to return to?¡± But instead of answering me, Steven simply tightly held onto my hand, refusing to let me 1. go. Based on what I knew of Steven, there had to be some reason why someone as intelligent as him would refuse to go home. It couldn¡¯t have been a spontaneous decision at all. I wanted to refuse him, but as I looked at how pitiful Steven was, I simply couldn¡¯t. So, I turned and led him into the hotel, irritated. Whenever I looked at Steven, I would think of the orphanage and the asylum. I had no idea how much suffering Steven had gone through, but I truly hoped that he had nothing to do with the serial murders. ¡°You want to stay in a high¨Css hotel? Didn¡¯t you use to sleep in junkpiles? wanted to chuckle as we walked into the grand hotel lobby. Steven used to sleep in shabby little spaces like the one in the orphanage back when he was living on the streets. Yet, here he was at a hotel while we were away from home. ¡°No.¡± Steve shook his head seriously. ¡°Stephie deserves only the best.¡± I was surprised. Steven already said he knew I wasn¡¯t Stephanie before¡­ So, was I now basking in my own glory? After getting a room, I coaxed Steven to take a shower. Then, I got a call from Ewan. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, the president of Ford Group has already been waiting for you and Mr. Lincoln here at home for two hours. He says he wishes to talk to you about a project¡­¡± Ewan said, sounding somewhat helpless. The corner of my lips twitched. Steven must¡¯ve made us stay out here at a hotel because he knew that Michael would have gone to find us back home. He really was terrifyingly intelligent sometimes. Chapter 155 ¡°Michael says he wants to talk about a work project, but he¡¯s gone all the way to our doorstep. Are you sure it¡¯s just business he wants to discuss? It sounds more like a threat, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I sneered. ¡°He insists on meeting you tonight and that if he doesn¡¯t¡­ he¡¯ll call off your partnership and work with Mr. Martin instead,¡± Ewan hesitantly said. I understood Michael all too well. There was simply no way he would let Steven off the hook after being forced to kneel and lose his pride. ¡°If Michael wants to wait, then let him wait. Just tell him that Steve and I won¡¯t be going home tonight,¡± I said angrily. ¡°If he really doesn¡¯t want to leave, release the dogs on him. Michael was scared of dogs. I¡¯d heard from Aunty Lois that he¡¯d been bitten by a dog when he was a child. Ewan grew silent. It was clear that he was exasperated now. After a brief period of silence, he said, ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, this coboration with the Ford Group is vital. Even if¡­ it isn¡¯t a sess, we can¡¯t be enemies with them.¡± Ewan knew that this was a tough situation, but the business world was not child¡¯s y. I silently massaged the bridge of my nose. I¡¯d studied economics and knew that only benefits stood tost when it came to the business world, while enemies never stayed permanent. If Michael actually partnered with Martin, my life with Steven would be more difficult in the future. What¡¯s more, Martin was probably already nning to take action against us too. Then, Ewan said, ¡°By the way, whether or not you and Mr. Lincoln return tonight, please do be careful. Things have been disquietingtely. ¡°There¡¯s been some suspicious individuals loitering near the house recently, and I suspect Mr. Martin was the one who sent them. I also don¡¯t think they¡¯ll let you off so easily.¡± Ewan had gone to fetch us at the subway entrance today because of this reason as well. My brows knitted together. Was Martin finally going to take action against us? Just then, the sound of flowing water stopped in the bathroom, and Steven opened the door. Then, he simply stood there naked as water flowed down his hair and body. He really wasn¡¯t shy around me at all¡­. Instinctively, I covered my forehead and switched off the phone. ¡°Can¡¯t youe out only after you finish getting dressed?¡± Yes, Steven¡¯s body really was a sight to behold. But was now the right time for this? Steven looked at me and tly said, ¡°It¡¯s legal.¡± So, I could see him naked because we werewfully married? I took a deep breath, simply unable to understand the mind of a mental health patient. ¡°Get dressed!¡± I finally eximed. So, Steven silently put on his clothes, albeit feeling aggrieved at my outburst. As he did so, I peeked at him and saw the countless scars on his back. ?? ??? ?? They were¡­ strangely enchanting. And the reason I described them as ¡°enchanting¡± was because those scars didn¡¯t ruin Steven¡¯s looks at all. In fact, they were like delicate cracks on porcin. They simply added ayer of depth to him. If I only observed Steven¡¯s obedient demeanor alone, he came off as an innocent little angel. But the scars on his back hinted at a fall from grace. Just like the archangel who rebelled with his flock of countless other angels and fell from grace. After Steven put on his pants, he still looked aggrieved. It was as if he was asking me whether he¡¯d done enough yet. I stayed silent, but my fingers couldn¡¯t help but touch the scars on his wrists. They were the remnants of his self¨Cmuttion. Then, I spotted a specific scar in the shape of pi. ¡°Pi?¡± I asked. Why did he leave such a symbol on his body? ¡°Pi. Endless. Never cycling back,¡± Steven exined. But for some reason my head started hurting. Pi. Endless. Never cycling back. Yet, when Steve was at the asylum, he¡¯d kept insisting on finishing his calction of it. What was he really thinking? ¡°Stephie¡­ Shoulder hurts.¡± Steven crouched down before me like an obedient puppy. He was much more talkative today than he usually was. It was probably because of my sympathy that led to me being more epting of him aspared to before. ¡°Did you hurt your shoulder? How did the injurye about?¡± I anxiously checked Steven¡¯s shoulder. Did he get hurt today? Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Steven replied softly, ¡°Michael Ford pushed me.¡± I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Anger boiled in my stomach when I thought about Michael. ¡°I¡¯m better than him, Stephie,¡± Steve said sternly, trying to hard sell himself to me again. ¡°Mhm, you¡¯re way better than Michael. Let¡¯s beat him up next time we see him,¡± I replied in a serious manner. Steven seemed so happy with my response that he immediately pushed me down onto the bed. If he had a tail, it would be excitedly wagging now. ¡°I have a fever, Stephie.¡± Steve hugged me tight while rolling around in bed. I withheld my anger. I knew Steven didn¡¯t actually have a fever, rather¡­ ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Steven Lincoln¨Cyou better go to sleep right now!¡± I eximed. Even an idiot could tell what he had in mind. It was written on his face in as day! Could Steven be any more shameless? Chapter 156 ¡°I really do have a fever, Stephie. It¡¯s really hot. Touch it.¡± Steven was usually so serious, yet here he was saying such an embarrassing thing. I thought he wanted me to touch his forehead. As Steven held me from behind, I felt like my hand was giving out. I¡¯m warning you, Steven Lincoln¡­¡± I gritted out. Steven then buried his face in my shoulder, feeling aggrieved. But this time, he obediently held me without doing anything else. So, I switched off the light, thinking that we could finally go to sleep. However, Steven began grinding against me like somerge dog. I turned around and gave him a p, the sound of which rang out loudly in the room. Then, I met Steven¡¯s eyes in the dim light. I saw how tearful and aggrieved he looked, and it made my heart tighten. Now, 1 regretted pping him. This was just my sympathy ying up again, right? I used that as an excuse for my feelings. Instinctively, I caressed Steven¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Be good and go to sleep.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. This time, Steven behaved and stayed quietly still behind me. The silent atmosphere seemed to heighten my hearing, and I could hear Steven sniffling. It was as if he was crying. Well, now I couldn¡¯t sleep anymore. What kind of man was he? Why was I in the wrong now? I gritted my teeth and turned around to face Steven, epting my fate. ¡°Close your eyes!¡± Steven stared at me for some time before obediently shutting his eyes. I took a deep breath as I blushed. Then, I carefully reached down to touch him. Steven¡¯s breathing began growing heavier, and I could hear all the sounds he was making so acutely that I wanted to curl up in embarrassment. What I would give to be swallowed up by the ground right now. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± I warned when Steven tried to hug me. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± he called out. ¡°Be quiet. Keep your eyes shut,¡± I gritted out. But this time, Steven didn¡¯t obey and instead pulled me back into his arms and kissed me. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± he kept on calling out raspily. Somehow, it was frightfully attractive. It felt like rough strokes teasing my heart, and my breathing began to grow heavier as well. I knew Steven was losing control. His primal desires were instinctual to him. But because I was still in the early stages of my pregnancy, I knew he would be able to control himself no matter how difficult this was for him. I ground my teeth and silently swore to live in separate rooms from Steven from tomorrow onward, or else, I might end up being seduced by him. ¡°Stephie¡­ Stephie¡­ I¡¯ve waited for you for so long¡­ Please don¡¯t make me wait any longer, okay?¡± I suddenly heard Steven say. He said that he¡¯d been waiting for me for a long time. That night, I had a dream. The childhood friend in my dreams was no longer Michael. It was someone else. But no matter how much I tried running over to him, I couldn¡¯t properly see his face. ¡°Hurry up ande here, Stephie.¡± A boy ran in front of me while flying a kite in the sky. We were in a field while I happily ran after him. But all of a sudden, arge fire consumed everything around me, including the boy in front of me. ¡°No!¡± I cried, jolting awake as my head pounded in pain. Another nightmare. I went to turn on my phone and looked at the time. It was 3 am. I massaged my temples before reaching out to hold Steven. However, the spot beside me was empty. I hurriedly sat up and switched on the light. Steven¡¯s spot was already cold to the touch, which meant that he must¡¯ve left not long after I fell asleep. Where could Steven have gone at thiste hour? Chapter 157 My heart lurched as fear suddenly took root within me. Did Steven take the opportunity to leave when I was sleeping? Did that mean¡­ he was involved in the serial killings? I hurriedly got out of bed and got dressed. Then, I left the hotel room and went down to the reception. ¡°Hi there, did you happen to see when my husband left the hotel?¡± I asked. The receptionist shook her head. ¡°Apologies, there too many people earlier¡­¡± were inst ¡°He¡¯s of mixed blood and pretty good¨Clooking,¡± I said. The receptionist replied, ¡°Oh, that handsome man! He must¡¯ve¡­¡± She then took out her phone as she mumbled to herself, ¡°He was so handsome, I couldn¡¯t help but take a photo and share it online.¡± She then continued confidently, ¡°He left around midnight.¡± The receptionist had shared the photo of Steven at 12:03 am. I felt anxious. Steven had left around midnight, which meant that he left soon after I fell asleep. And it was 3 am now, which meant that three hours had passed since. Steven would have had ample time tomit a crime. I quickly left the hotel and looked around in a panic. What would I do if Steven was actually part of the murders? Then, I ran ahead with no direction in mind for a moment before my phone rang. It was Zion. I grew even more panicked. I didn¡¯t know if I was afraid that the police had arrested Steven at a crime scene, or if another murder had happened. ¡°Hello?¡± I answered the call after calming myself down. ¡°Come to the police station at Yellowbrick Road, please.¡± Zion sounded exasperated. ¡°Police station?¡± I was taken aback. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you keep Steven in check? You really let hime out at night to beat someone up? Aren¡¯t you his guardian?¡± Zion sullenly asked. If the local police officers hadn¡¯t been familiar with Steven, they would¡¯ve detained him for the night. ¡°Beat someone up?¡± I asked in confusion as I hailed a cab. ¡°Steve beat Michael up and trashed his car. What¡¯s worse, he even got nearly a dozen stray dogs and set them on Michael¡¯s bodyguards and injured them,¡± Zion said, nearly gritting his words out. ¡°If Steve wasn¡¯t dered insane, he would¡¯ve been imprisoned already.¡± I was so confused. ¡°Steve went to beat Michael up in the middle of the night? And trashed his car too? He even had some dogs bite his men?¡± I was overwhelmed by all this information. Did Steven suddenly want me to stay at the hotelst night because he¡¯d nned to beat up Michael? ¡°But more than one person was injured. And ording to Steve, the people who have been lingering around the Lincoln residence have run off. ¡°They were probably there to spy on you guys and intended to harm you two. So, Steve¡¯s actions can technically be counted as self¨Cdefense in this case,¡± Zion said, exasperated. ¡® But Michael and his driver are considered innocent bystanders given that they were simply waiting for you two at the door.¡± At that, I fell silent. So, Steven ran off at 3 am, not to kill someone, but to go back home and beat people up. No wonder he kept on repeating that Michael had shoved him. Did he hold a grudge? I cupped my forehead and said in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away. Please look after him for me in the meantime¡­¡± ??? As Steven¡¯s guardian, I was responsible forpensating Michael for the damages to his car, and the medical fees for his bodyguards. I wasn¡¯t too worried about the money since the Lincoln family could afford it. But my concern was that Steven might¡¯ve pissed Michael off for good now. ¡°You really are capable, Stephany Larson,¡± Michael gritted out outside the police station. ¡°Keep your mad dog on a leash, will you?¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°What breed of dog are you then? You were barking so madly outside our house at night instead of staying at the hospital with Yasmin.¡± I red at Michael and peeked at Steven who stood behind the door. He didn¡¯t daree out to face me. Then, Michael took a step forward and looked down at me. Chapter 158 Michael was bleeding at the forehead and had a cut lip, and it was all probably because of Steven. ¡°Ah¡­ So, it was just an ident! After reviewing the surveince footage, we saw that someone in the local vicinity had been hurting people, and this upset the young man. ¡°That was why he grew agitated and injured Mr. Ford who happened to be waiting outside the house,¡± the police officer exined in an effort to mediate the situation. ¡°Both parties are at fault here,¡± he concluded. Michael gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m at fault for waiting outside the door?¡± ¡°What were you doing waiting outside someone¡¯s house in the middle of the night anyway? Wouldn¡¯t any normal person mistake you for a bad guy for hanging around the area like that?¡± The officer then quickly winked at Michael and said quietly, ¡°Plus, why would a sane man like you be so bothered by the acts of a madman?¡± Michael scoffed in response. The police officer then turned to me. ¡°But you should still pay duepensation. I looked at Michael¡¯s pale and injured face under the streemp. His greatest fear was dogs, and the fact that Steven had brought nearly a dozen of them back home, well¡­ All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Michael must¡¯ve undoubtedly been frightened. Heck, his knees might still be secretly shaking. ¡°Steven did it on purpose,¡± Michael said as he looked at me. ¡°He¡¯s liable to go hysterical at any given point. ¡°Let¡¯s see just how long you¡¯llst by his side. Who knows, he might end up choking you to death in the middle of the night!¡± Michael then nced at the time and saw that it was already 3 am. ¡°I suggest youe to Ford Group tomorrow to exin yourself,¡± Michael said. He wanted to see me alone. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll get awyer and file an application to force Steven to return to the asylum!¡± I furrowed my brows and red at Michael. What a huge jackass. After Michael had gotten what he wanted, he left in his car. I wasn¡¯t sure why Michael insisted on meeting me in person alone, but I knew the reason wouldn¡¯t be anything good. What was he doing waiting for me to show up at Lincoln residence the entire night? Why didn¡¯t he stay by his ¡°kind hearted¡± sweetheart, Yasmin, at the hospital instead? Between Michael and Steven, Michael was more of a lunatic to me. ¡°Come outside!¡± I called angrily to Steven. He was still hiding behind the door after Michael left. Steven slowly walked out with his head bowed, looking aggrieved. ¡°What were you doing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?¡± I yelled at him, all my patience gone. ¡°There were bad men¡­¡± Steve whispered. So, he had gone back to make Martin¡¯s men leave because he was worried that they might hurt me.. Zion leaned against the car door and watched as I scolded Steve. Then, he chuckled and said, ¡°I realize that the kid only listens to you. He always looks like he¡¯ll tear anyone else who chastises him to shreds.¡± I cupped my forehead. ¡°Do you have any idea how dangerous it was for you to go back home alone sote at night?¡± Steven nced at the stray dogs roaming around the dumpsters nearby. ¡°Wasn¡¯t alone¡­¡± I was really angry now. ¡°Do dogs count as people?¡± I eximed. ¡°People sometimes can¡¯tpare to them,¡± Steven¡¯s expression turned darkly, and the atmosphere suddenly grew cold. But just when I thought that perhaps I saw wrongly, Steven had already resumed his pitiful demeanor. ¡°I made a mistake¡­ Stephie.¡± ¡°Made a mistake? How?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I might get a stroke at this point. ¡°Why did you beat Michael Ford up?¡± ¡°He deserved it,¡± Steven said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°Ahem. That¡¯s enough now. Don¡¯t talk about this here in the doorway.¡± Zion opened his car door. ¡°Get in. I¡¯ll drop you guys back home.¡± I dragged Steven into the car with me, hands trembling in anger. But then, I thought about how Steven had gone back home right after leaving the hotel, but he didn¡¯t kill anyone¡­. Phew. Just then, Zion¡¯s phone buzzed. It was a call from Phil. He was keeping watch over Yasmin at the hospital. ¡°Zion, we just caught someone who tried to kill Yasmin here at the hospital!¡± Chapter 159 I looked at Zion in shock and grabbed tightly onto Steven¡¯s hand. Had they caught the killer? If they caught this one, then the police would be able to trace and capture the next one! Steven looked at me when I grabbed his hand. I took a deep breath and waited for Zion to hang up the call. After he did, he looked at me and said, ¡°Phil caught someone. I don¡¯t have time to drive you guys back now, so let¡¯s just go to the hospital together.¡± Zion then elerated the car and headed for the hospital. Our anticipation was high during the car ride. Who was the killer? Who was the person who killed me? I really wanted to know. Meanwhile, Steven stayed silent throughout the ride with his head hung low. He was probably scared that I might scold him again since he knew he was at fault. The moment the car was parked, I ran out of the car with Zion. Steven trailed behind us for a couple steps before stopping. Then, he turned to coldly gaze at a corner nearby the hospital entrance. But the corner was very dark, and nothing could be seen. I stopped and turned back to Steven. ¡°Steve?¡± Steven met my gaze and walked toward me. ¡°Hurry,¡± I said before running forward again. I really wanted to see the killer. But the moment I looked forward, I saw in my periphery that Steven had pointed at that dark corner and then did a throat¨Cslitting gesture. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. However, when I turned back to Steven, he¡¯d resumed his innocent demeanor again. As far as I could recall, I¡¯d developed an idea of what an angel looked like after seeing Steven right before I died. And now that I was used to seeing his innocent face, I felt like he was hiding too many things under that innocent facade. When we arrived at the hospital ward, Phil was pinning the killer to the ground while Yasmin was curled up in the corner of the room. She was trembling in fear, and her face. was extremely pale. All these incidents were extremely shocking to Yasmin. After all, she¡¯d been so pampered by Michael, and for so long too. My guess was that it would be a long time until she¡¯d be able to sleep well again, given that she¡¯d probably be in constant fear for her life from now on. But this was simply Yasmin¡¯s karma.. Steven was right about what he¡¯d said the other day. Death was not the greatest punishment. Rather, being alive was. Constantly being in a state of guilt, loneliness, and fear was the cruelest punishment one could inflict onto another. ¡°Zion, this guy is¡­ underage,¡± Phil said worriedly and handed Zion the intended murder weapon. It was a syringe containing what was probably deadly fluids. ¡°Someone paid me toe here and inject that into her IV. I just did it for the money!¡± The teen yelled at Zlon, ¡°Don¡¯t kill me!¡± Zion wore a sour expression as he went over to grab the teen by his cor. ¡°You weremitting murder! Where are your parents?¡± The teen was tall and dressed in a white doctor¡¯s coat. He seemed to only be 15 or 16 years old. ¡°Let me go!¡± The teen struggled, trying to escape. ¡°Take him away!¡± Zion angrily ordered. If the boy wasn¡¯t the killer, he¡¯d at least been instructed by them. ¡°Look into who his parents are and where he studies,¡± Zion said in irritation. This killer had gone way out of line! ¡°I don¡¯t have any parents! They died a long time ago! Please don¡¯t arrest me. I still have a baby brother who¡¯s sick! He needs money to treat his illness! ¡°Please, I beg of you! My brother will die!¡± the teen cried to Zion, kneeling on the floor. ¡± Please, I know I was wrong. Please don¡¯t arrest me!¡± Zion angrily kicked him. ¡°Whatever reason you did this for, you were stillmitting murder! Don¡¯t you have basicmon sense?¡± The teen knelt there on the floor and suddenly lost hisposure. ¡°What do all of you know? All you do is look down on us from your moral high ground! Look at us! We¡¯ll die without money!¡± After screaming his fill, the teen angrily red at Yasmin as she trembled in the corner. ¡± The man even said that she was supposed to be dead in the first ce. So, why are all of you protecting the bad guy here?¡± Zion stood where he was without replying. Then, after a long pause, he said, ¡°Take him back to the station.¡± Phil grabbed onto the teen, about to take him away. ¡°Don¡¯t take me away! My brother¡¯s still waiting for me¡­¡± the teen sobbed, trying to wrestle free from Phil¡¯s grasp. But Zion shoved the teen against the wall and growled, ¡°Let me exin something to you, kid¨Cbad guys will always be punished by thew, but not privately punished by you like this. ¡°Who do you think instructed you to do this in the first ce? They¡¯re the bad guys!¡± Zion seemed to have lost control as well. After all, he¡¯d barely gotten three hours of sleep every night ever since the first murder was discovered. The killer had been provoking Zion, the police authorities, and everybody else. To Zion, the killer deserved to die no matter what his reasons for killing so many people were! After the teen was taken away, I leaned against the wall, feeling somewhat down. When Phil dragged the teen past me, our eyes met. The teen then opened his mouth, as if he was trying to tell me something. Chapter 160 I looked at the teen, confused. Was he trying to talk to me? Was there something he wanted to tell me? Did he¡­ know me? ¡°The boy¡­ must¡¯ve been acting on someone else¡¯s instructions,¡± I said softly. Zion leaned against the wall and weakly thumped his forehead. He looked to be in great agony. As long as the killer remained uncaught, there would be more deaths. And because of this, Zion felt guilty and med himself for it. ¡°I could¡¯ve¡­ I could¡¯ve arrived earlier¡­¡± Zion grumbled. He could¡¯ve found Stephanie earlier. The doctor had said that if they¡¯d found her even a day earlier, she would¡¯ve had a chance. at survival. Then, with a loud m, Zion punched his fist into the wall, and blood seeped out of his knuckles. I rushed over to try and stop him, but didn¡¯t know how to console him. Zion then went to the smoking zone and took out a cigarette. Meanwhile, Steven and I silently stood in the doorway. ¡°Cigarette?¡± Zion offered Steven. Steven shook his head. ¡°Smoking is bad for your health.¡± Zion smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ll smoke a couple more then.¡± Steven continued, ¡°Why do manufacturers still produce cigarettes when they know it¡¯s bad for your health? Where is the source of it all?¡± ?? ?? ?? Where was the source of the crime? Zion¡¯s hand around his cigarette froze, and he instantly turned to look at Steven. Steven had just reminded him that his investigation had taken the wrong direction from the start. The police had kept a close watch on the killer and victims all this time, but finding out why the killer was killing in the first ce was the key. Since the killer had been stumped here when he tried to kill Yasmin, then they should be taking the opportunity to trace everything backward, all the way until they found the so- called source of the crime. By the time we left the hospital, it was 4:30 am. The sky was brighter than before, but still gloomy. This was the time of the day that I hated the most¨Cthe dark before dawn. The dead silence that came with it often scared me. Yasmin had to be sedated to calm down. I watched on from outside the ward door while she said I was gloating and making fun of her. Well, I certainly was. But I still didn¡¯t feel satisfied. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. After all, this was far from the level of suffering I wanted her to experience. When we left the hospital, we saw a young boy in the parking lot who looked to be around eight to nine years. years old. The boy was scrawny, pale, and seemed to have had a nosebleed. He messily wiped the blood away. ¡°Can you please give me my brother back?¡± the boy cried, begging Zion. He was clearly the baby brother of the teen from earlier. ¡°My brother only did it for me,¡± the boy cried. Zion wiped away the boy¡¯s blood with a tissue. Just then, a female officer ran over. She said, ¡°Zion, this is that teen¡¯s baby brother. He has leukemia¡­ We just looked into their info and both the boy and his brother are orphans. ¡°They¡¯ve been roaming the streets because no one would adopt them. Their livelihood¡­ basically depended on the teen stealing whatever he could.¡± Zion crouched down to look at the boy, his brows furrowed. ¡°Have you and your brother¡­ been stealing things all this while in order to take care of yourselves?¡± The little boy shook his head. ¡°My brother won¡¯t let me steal things.¡± Zion silently hung his head. He was probably recalling the teen¡¯s yell of, ¡°What do all of you know? All you do is just look down on us from your moral high ground!¡± Judging how others lived their lives¡­ ¡°Take care of him,¡± Zion said to the police officer before leaving. I was about to leave as well when I heard the boy whisper, ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Immediately, I stopped and turned to the boy in shock. He and his brother actually knew me! Chapter 161 The boy ran over to hug my leg when he saw how dazed I was. He held on tight, refusing to let go. ¡°Why don¡¯t I take you back, little boy?¡± The female police officer coaxed. The boy shook his head as he sobbed and continued holding onto my leg. I helplessly looked at Steven. And at the same time, I felt incredibly shocked. These two boys¨Cthe teen who¡¯d been instructed to kill Yasmin, and the little boy in front me¨C definitely knew who I was. ¡°He likes you. You can take him back.¡± Steven walked up to me and blocked me from Zion¡¯s view. I felt guilty and was concerned Zion might see through me. ¡°If the boy likes you so much, you can take him home first if v relented. want to,¡± Zion also I heaved a sigh of relief and held the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you want to go back home with me? The boy obediently nodded. Then, I crouched down and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He gazed at me with wide eyes for a moment before saying, ¡°My name¡¯s Jean.¡± I smiled. ¡°What a good boy you are, Jean.¡± Jean held onto my hand as we walked, not letting go even once. After Zion and the female officer left, I called Ewan to have hime fetch us. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Jean hid behind me once the police left. He was fearfully gazing at Steven. He seemed scared of him. Meanwhile, Steven stared back coldly at Jean. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t like him?¡± I cautiously asked Steven. Steven looked away. Then, in an effort to show how kind he was, he innocently said, ¡°No, I took care of those stray dogs, didn¡¯t I?¡± But based on how Stevenpared Jean to stray dogs, I could still tell that he didn¡¯t like Jean. Jean didn¡¯t like Steven either, and he kept cautiously watching him. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln,¡± Ewan greeted when he arrived and gestured for us to enter the car. I was about to get into the car with Jean when I noticed Steven standing where he was, unmoving. His head was down as he stood there, seemingly unhappy. ¡°Get in the car,¡± I said in confusion. Then, Steven suddenly extended a hand out to me. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t lose me again. How dare I hold someone else¡¯s hand. I felt exasperated, but Steven¡¯s condition was different. So, I had no choice but to coax him, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get into the car.¡± Steven held onto the hand I extended to him. Then, he turned around and challenged Jean, saying, ¡°Let go of her hand. She¡¯s mine.¡± Jean trembled fearfully as he hid behind me. Yet, he refused to back down. ¡°No way. Stephie is mine.¡± This time, I was certain that this boy knew who Stephanie Carlson was. I was afraid Stephanie¡¯s secrets would be exposed, so I quickly led both of them into the car. ¡°Stephie, can you tell the police to let my brother go? He was just trying to get money for my sickness,¡± Jean tentatively said. I looked down, unsure of what to say. As the car drove on, I whispered, ¡°Jean¡­ How did wee to know each other?¡± ¡°Stephie?¡± Jean looked at me before whispering back, ¡°Do we have to pretend we don¡¯t know each other now too?¡± My heart lurched. Well shit. Not only did Jean know Stephanic, she had even made the boy pretend to not know who she was in front of other people. Now, I was even more certain that Stephanie Carlson was connected to the serial killer. When we reached home, Mr. Moore had someone prepare a scrumptious breakfast for us. And by the time we finished our meal, the sky had turned bright. From the way Jean wolfed down his food, one could tell that he¡¯d been starving for a long time. Meanwhile, Steven silently ate his own food and nced at me from time to time. ¡°Stephie¡­ Can I take away what we can¡¯t finish?¡± Jean pointed at the unfinished food on the table, not wanting to leave yet. Chapter 162 I nodded and had Angel to help pack up the food for Jean. I wanted to know what other secrets he was keeping. I needed to uncover all of them. After breakfast, I coaxed Steven to finish his food and go to sleep. After Steven fell asleep, I secretly trailed behind Jean as he left the Lincoln residence. I saw him run into an alleyway and a long way further. However, my legs were getting sore as I followed him. Finally, we reached an abandoned factory where several other children about the same. age as Jean were residing. Most of them seemed to have been born crippled¨Csome had only one arm while others. were mute or blind. ¡°I brought you guys food,¡± Jean said to the other children. He acted like an adult. I was stunned. Why didn¡¯t these children go to an orphanage? Their orphan intake had improved in thest couple of years. ¡°Where did you get all this food, Jean?¡± a little girl happily asked. Jean said proudly, ¡°Stephie gave them to me. But you can¡¯t tell anyone else. You have to pretend to not know her when you see her too, understand?¡± I hid in the doorway, feeling both anxious and saddened. These children seemed to really respect Stephanie. What was her connection to them? ¡°When will Grandma Rosie leave the hospital? Will she get better?¡± a boy quietly asked. ¡°She¡¯ll get better,¡± Jean said sadly, sitting to one side. ¡°Grandma Rosie will definitely get better with Stephie around.¡± I listened to the children in shock. Grandma Rosie? Was that Stephany¡¯s grandmother? The woman Brandon was using to threaten people with? I suddenly recalled that I hadn¡¯t once visited Stephany¡¯s grandmother ever since I was reincarnated. But it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to¨CI just didn¡¯t dare to. Our closest loved ones were often the ones who could identify the minute changes in ourselves. So, Stephany¡¯s grandmother was bound to realize that I wasn¡¯t actually Stephany no matter what lie I came up with. But maybe I really had to pay her a visit now. These children, Stephany, Stephany¡¯s grandmother, and Jean¡¯s brother were all connected to the serial killer. Everything seemed to align now, and anyone in this alignment had the possibility of being the killer themselves. No one could escape suspicion. I left the alleyway and was about to head straight for the hospital when a ck car came to a stop beside me. As the car window rolled down, I saw Michael sitting in the backseat. Was he following me Had he actually lost his mind? ¡°What are you trying to do, Michael Ford?¡± I questioned. First, he forced me to see him at his office yesterday. And now, he was stalking me. Did he have too much time on his hands? Michael seemed to have expected that I wouldn¡¯t go see him at his office no matter how much he threatened me. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. So, he calmly said, ¡°Get in the car. But I turned to leave. ¡°If Zion finds out that you¡¯ve been supporting these children in secret all this while, don¡¯t you think the police will take you in for investigation? ¡°Won¡¯t you be the prime suspect for the person who told these children to kill Yasmin?¡± Michael asked darkly. He seemed confident that I would do as he said. I halted and turned to look at Michael. He must¡¯ve done his investigation if he could say all this with such certainty. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re saying,¡± I tried lying my way out as my hands balled into fists. ¡°After your adopted parents passed away when you were 10, your grandmother, Rose Briary, raised you in the countryside all by herself. She brought you to the city to help you track down your birth parents and took care of you using whatever scraps she could scavenge. ¡°Your grandmother has helped most of these children before.¡± Michael tossed out a pile of evidence from the window. I picked up the photos. They all depicted Stephany and the children together. ¡°The Larson family found you when you were 18. But then, you started stealing things. from home and selling them in order to support these children, am I right?¡± Michael coldly gazed at me. He continued, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal for the Larson family to lose things here and there, but your sister, Ann, caught you stealing and threatened you with it. She even reported you to the police and humiliated you. ¡°And ever since then, you became the infamous ugly¨Cduckling¨Cturned¨Cswan who embarrassed her family and made them loathe having a daughter like you.¡± Then, Michael said, ¡°Two months ago, a scrawny little kid took advantage of a woman¡¯s sympathy and fooled her into going into an alleyway. After that, the woman disappeared, but her body was found a little while after.¡± Chapter 163 My expression grew uglier by the second. I looked up at Michael and said, ¡°Stop it!¡± I was afraid that Stephany really was connected to the killer in some way and that she¡¯d been using these children for that purpose. Right now, I was Stephany Larson. So, it would be hard for me to discharge myself if Stephany was found to be an essory to the murders. ¡°Now will you be good and get in the car?¡± Michael threatened. I ground my teeth and got in. I wanted to know why he was threatening me in the first ce. you want?¡± I firmly looked at him. ¡°What do you ¡°I¡¯m the only person who can help you, not that lunatic, Steven Lincoln.¡± Michael looked coldly and proudly at me. ¡°I want you to divorce him.¡± I clenched my hands together. ¡°Why are you so insistent on my divorcing Steve, Mr. Ford? I¡¯m pregnant with his child, you know?¡± I purposely mentioned my pregnancy in order to make Michael stop targeting me. But that only made him sink more into his madness. Michael gazed feverishly at my stomach. ¡°Stephie¡­ was pregnant too.¡± At that moment, I suddenly found him to be far crazier than Steven was. ¡°The Lincoln family no longer has any heirs¨CMr. Ignatius had a stroke and James will never reawaken. Who cares about the baby in your belly?¡± Michael sneered and sped my chin. ¡°You should feel lucky for having a face like this¡­. Michael just wanted to keep me by his side as a substitute for Stephanie. ¡°My face? I don¡¯t look like Yasmin at all. Plus, she¡¯s not dead yet.¡± I intentionally. provoked him. Michael¡¯s gaze was icy. ¡°That¡¯s not something you should specte about.¡± I clicked my tongue. I felt that Michael was just as overconfident as usual. ¡°Were you thisposedst night when my husband unleashed those dogs on you, Mr. Chanter 163 Ford?¡± I asked.. I was kind of angry that Steven didn¡¯t wake me upst night to go along with him. Oh, how I wanted to see something other than pride and coldness on Michael¡¯s face. Michael ground his teeth together. ¡°I¡¯d advise you to take the smarter route. I know you¡¯ve had some dealings with the killer in order to sessfully marry into the Lincoln family and help the Larsons through their troubles.¡± Michael had clearly uncovered some more information. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± I met his gaze. Michael pulled me closer to him. ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°What do you n to do after I divorce Steven? Protect me with your resources? If I¡¯m truly a murderer, you¡¯ll bemitting a crime by harboring me.¡± I shot Michael an innocent yet serious look. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Michael reminded me to not stray from the topic, saying, ¡°Just come find me after you divorce Steven. My guess was that Michael had already drafted an agreement for me to sign after I divorce Steven. ¡°Harboring criminals is a grave crime. We¡¯re technically in the same boat now, aren¡¯t we? ¡°I asked sweetly. Michael¡¯s brows knitted together, displeased. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know how important a president¡¯s reputation is to theirpany, right, Mr. Ford?¡± I asked. By this time, the driver had stopped nearby the Lincoln residence, and I got out of the car. Then, I waved my phone at Michael. ¡°I¡¯ve already recorded the conversation we had. earlier about harboring me, so if you really n to threaten me, I¡¯ll drag you down with 1. me. We¡¯re in the same boat now, after all.¡± Michael¡¯s expression darkened, but he remainedposed and unreadable as usual. His gaze was so deadly that it felt like he might lunge at me in the next second. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°So, from now on, please don¡¯t trust women so easily,¡± I said with a smile before leaving. The only way to deal with people like Michael was to give him a taste of his own medicine. They had to experience this no matter what. I used to just let Michael do as he pleased, given the debt I owed him. However, he ended up getting more and more out of line, Moreover, after dying once, I came to understand this one thing¨CI could still live my life without him. Besides, I¡¯d already paid off what I owed to him with my life. Wasn¡¯t that enough? I could feel how angry Michael was in the car even without looking back. His eyes were practically burning holes into me. ¡°Mr. Ford¡­¡± The driver turned to look at Michael nervously. Michael said nothing. Instead, he chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°If Ms. Stephany really shares that audio recording¡­¡± The driver was worried Michael¡¯s reputation would be affected. Chapter 164 ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Michael said confidently. ¡°I have my ways of making here and beg me for help.¡± Meanwhile, I was hiding behind the door and only sighed in relief after Michael¡¯s car drove away. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Michael was someone who would do anything to achieve his goal. So, even though I may have escaped his clutches this time, I might not be so lucky next time. My guess was that Michael had found out about the connection Stephany had with the orphaned children. But he still didn¡¯t have anything concrete between her and the killer. I took a deep breath. I could already feel a headacheing on. What sort of rtion did Stephany Larson have with the killer? Did she help and feed those orphans to have them kill other people? Was Stephany such a terrifying woman? Based on the school reunion before, I could tell that Stephany herself was a cowardly woman who was easily manipted and had low self¨Cesteem. Could she have grown cruel and malignant after being pushed around for so long? I was worried that if I continued looking into this matter, I might not be able to recover from Stephany¡¯s dirtyundry. What¡¯s worse, I might end up getting imprisoned myself before we actually found the killer. That would really be too terrible. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± I saw Steven the moment I entered the living room. He seemed anxious, and it was probably because he couldn¡¯t find me anywhere after waking up. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± I quickly calmed him down. Steven ran over and hugged me tight. ¡°I thought¡­ you didn¡¯t want me anymore. He was trembling along with his voice, as if he lived in fear every single day of his life. ¡°We deserve an exnation for this. We need to sustain ourselves too even though Mr. Lincoln Senior can¡¯t make the decisions anymore. What right did he have to stop providing for us?¡± ¡°Yeah. What right does a lunatic like him have to cut us off from the Lincoln family¡¯s wealth?¡± someone was calling out amid themotion from the living room. Only then did I realize that the Lincolns hade to trouble us again. But this time, other Lincolns hade instead of Martin. They were here for their monthly allowances. I¡¯d heard from Ewan that Ignatius would give these rtives allowances every month for their rtion¡¯s sake, depending on how close or far¨Crted they were. Did Steven cut all of them off after Ignatius fell ill? No wonder they were here causing such a scene. I gazed at Steven, confused. ¡°Did you stop their monthly allowances?¡± Steven nodded innocently. ¡°Why should we give them money? Spending money on dogs. is better than spending money on them.¡± I took a deep breath, wanting to give him a thumbs up in agreement. Even dogs knew to protect their owners. But these Lincolns only knew how to leech off of the family. Plus, the Lincoln family was never responsible for supporting these people in the first ce. Yet, they¡¯d be reliant on them. Not to mention, the Lincoln family supported them for such a long time too, but it was only for them to end up with nothing in return. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Steven, we no longer see you as part of the Lincoln family. Get out of this house right now, you lunatic, and give us everything we deserve! We won¡¯t let you off so easily otherwise!¡± an elderly woman who stood at the lead yelled. She seemed to be Ignatius¡® cousin. ¡°Yeah! We can barely survive. You need to pay us!¡± ¡°Give us the money or I¡¯m going to end myself!¡± the other Lincolns begin insisting. Steven stood before me and gazed coldly at them. ¡°If you can live on, then please do. But if you can¡¯t, then die.¡± The Lincolns were taken aback. They wanted to get angry at Steven, but Steven¡¯s crazed and fierce air was too frightening. ¡°You all should¡¯ve died, but you didn¡¯t. You guys are just like a bunch of maggots. ¡°Can¡¯t you guys just go die already instead of bothering us every now and then? Do you need my help to kill you?¡± Steven cocked his head and gestured for Ewan to shut the front door. It felt like Steven might start killing people the moment the door shut. I swallowed nervously. Steven wasn¡¯t actually going to kill them, was he? Chapter 165 Everyone was stunned. They were clearly panicked and scared now, and they couldn¡¯t tell what Steven might do next. Silence filled the living room. But the silence onlysted for a few seconds before noise broke out again. ¡°What are you saying, you psycho?¡± The old woman¡¯s son¨Cinw wanted to strike Steve. ¡°The Lincoln family has no responsibility to support you guys. You¡¯ve taken their kindness for granted and evene knocking down the door for the money. How thick- skinned are you guys?¡± I stood defensively in front of Steven. Just then, the man who spoke earlier tried to shove me away. However, Steven swiftly and protectively held me in his arms and kicked the man away. Don¡¯t touch her!¡± Steven¡¯s fierce air was incredibly strong as he gazed coldly at the man who¡¯d been kicked to the floor. ¡°I can grant you the death you seek.¡± ka Steven then took a golf club from nearby and aimed it at the man. ¡°Ahh!¡± The man yelped and flinched. ¡°Crazy, he¡¯s crazy¡­ He¡¯s fucking crazy! He¡¯s going to kill me!¡± However, Steven¡¯s golf club didn¡¯tnd on the man. Instead, he held back as he shot me a look. He would¡¯ve probably struck the man with the club if I wasn¡¯t here. Was Steven worried that the blood and violence might scare me? Or was he worried that I might be scared of him in the future? The old woman was scared now too. She pointed at Steve and stammered, ¡°Y¨CYou psycho!¡± Steven sneered and used the golf club to prod at the old woman until she sat back down on the couch. She was so scared that she was nearly getting a heart attack. ¡± Steven then struck a ss pane with the golf club with all his might, shattering it. The other Lincolns grew pale with fright and longed to escape the more hysterical Steven behaved. ¡°Don¡¯t go yet¡­ Didn¡¯t you guys not want to live anymore?¡± Steven grinned. It was a frightening sight. Steven then continued breaking everything else around him. He¡¯d rather shatter these things into pieces than let the other Lincolns take them away. After all, he knew they hade here today to steal things from the house. The other Lincolns screamed and tried to escape, afraid that Steve might lose control and strike them to death with the club. Meanwhile, Steven continued smashing the things around him hysterically. ¡°Do something about him, Ewan! He¡¯s lost his mind!¡± the old woman¡¯s daughter yelled at Ewan. But Ewan simply stood calmly with the other bodyguards, blocking the door. He said apologetically, ¡°Mr. Lincoln is certified to be insane. No one can control him once he loses his mind.¡± Then, Ewan calmly took out a document verifying Steve¡¯s insanity from his coat pocket. The other Lincolns were scared out of their wits. They screamed and cried and tried to run to safety. The old woman¡¯s son¨Cinw especially, had be extremely frightened the moment Steven shoved him to the floor. ¡°He¡¯s crazy, Mom! He¡¯s crazy! Run for your lives!¡± The living room was in chaos. The son¨Cinw shoved Ewan away and ran out the door, abandoning the old woman and his wife. The old woman was then supported by her daughter as they fled to safety. ¡°You psycho! The Lincoln family is ruined in your hands, you madman!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ruined for good!¡± Silence soon befell the living room as everyone left. I silently opened my mouth before giving Steven a thumbs up. Only madness could defeat madness, it seemed. Steven tossed away the golf club he was holding. Then, a pitiful look immediately surfaced in his eyes as he said, ¡°I¡¯m scared, Stephie¡­ I¡¯m scared they¡¯ll try to steal our things.¡± My lips twitched. Who was the one who should be scared right now? I know I sure was. Ewan then exined, ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, these other rtives of the Lincolns have always been taken care of by the family. They used to get monthly allowances ranging from ten thousand to fifty thousand a month when Mr. Lincoln Senior was around. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°But it¡¯s a pity they weren¡¯t grateful for what they were given. So, Mr. Lincoln cutting them off was a reasonable action. I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right to not give them the money. There¡¯s no point supporting them. given the way they are.¡± Ewan nodded. ¡°But they¡¯re still part of the Lincoln family. If they go and support Martin instead¡­ ¡°I looked at Ewan. Spin to im Your Surprise Reward! Chapter 166 ¡°Rest assured, they¡¯re just nobodies to the Lincoln family,¡± Ewan replied in an indifferent tone. Meanwhile, Steven was still holding my hand, feeling upset. Then, he deliberately showed me the cut that he got while smashing the ss. ¡°Stephie¡­ It hurts.¡± 1 took a nce at the wound on his hand. It was bleeding, but it wasn¡¯t as serious as the wounds he¡¯d inflicted on himself thest. time. ¡°I¡¯ll get the first aid kit,¡± I said. Then, I led Steven to the couch and sat him down before carefully tending to his wounds. But suddenly, Steven leaned in close to me and sniffed. At the next moment, a menacing glint appeared in his eyes for a brief moment before quickly disappearing. ¡°Stephie¡­ You met up with Michael.¡± I stared at Steven in disbelief. How did he know that? ¡°You got his smell¨Cbad small.¡± Steven frowned. I sniffed myself and nced at him. Did he have the nose of a dog or something? ¡°He¡­¡± But before I could exin, Stevne suddenly pressed my head to his and kissed me. I struggled to push him away, aware that Ewan and the others were still present with us. However, Ewan nonchntly turned around and led everyone out of the room. He even closed the door! I continued to push Steven away. But after failing to, I found myself struggling for breath. from his kiss. But it wasn¡¯t even a kiss! It felt more like a punishment that left me gasping for air! ¡°Steve¡­ ¡°I called his name, getting a little nervous and scared. Something was wrong with him. ¡°Steve¡± eximed in annoyance, still unable to push him away. However, Steven simply lifted me up and headed upstairs despite his bleeding hand. ¡°Steve¡± I cried again. But for fear of falling, I dared not struggle too much. ¡°I just happened to bump into him on the street. It¡¯s not like I wanted to see him or anything. He¡¯s just like a lingering ghost!¡± I tried to exin myself to Steven, but his mood remained gloomy. 1 anew that he could be emotional and sometimes unpredictable, but¡­ he was really frightening me now. ¡°Steven¡­ What are you doing?¡± 1 cautiously asked, worrying that he might lose control if I somehow provoked him. Michael was right being with a lunatic meant that you¡¯d never know when you might end up getting strangled to death by him one day. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g But despite my cries, Steven simply ignored me and carried me into the room. After that, he started to take off my clothes in a fit of pique. ¡°Steve¡± 1 struggled, impulsively pping him on the face in the process. Suddenly, Steven stared at me, looking aggrieved. Then, he tightly hugged me again, saving. ¡°Stephie¡­ you¡¯re mine, mine¡­¡± His voice was trembling as he lifted my face. And as he did so, the blood from the back of his hand stained my skin¨Cfeeling both searing and scalding. For some reason, Steven¡¯s quivering and pleading eyes deeply broke my heart. At the same time, a voice in my mind kept telling me to hold him and coo him, telling me that he was actually easily pleased. Then, Steven suddenly lost control and clutched me as tight as he could. He then apologized, mumbling, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Stephie¡­ It¡¯s all my fault. They locked me up, so you went to look for me, didn¡¯t you? But you couldn¡¯t find me anywhere¡­ So, you¡¯re punishing me now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Was he referring to the time when he was locked in the asylum for one and a half years? ¡°Stephie¡­ They deserve to die¡­ They deserve to die!¡± Steven cried. 1 originally intended to pet his head to calm him down, but at his words, my fingers stiffened, and my hand froze in mid¨Cair. Despite his uncontroble shivering, his violent demeanor continued to frighten me. ¡°Steve¡­ Have you ever¡­ been involved in killing people before?¡± I asked in a hoarse volce. But Steven didn¡¯t answer and simply kept tightly holding onto me. ¡°Steve, I¡¯m suddenly¡­ curious to know more about you,¡± I said as I put my hand on his head and stroked his hair. His hair was soft, and it smelled like shampoo. Just as Steven had said to Zion¨Cwhat was the murderer¡¯s motive? Perhaps I had been heading in the wrong direction all this while. I was too fixated on identifying the murderer. But perhaps I should¡¯ve focused on uncovering the motive behind the killings instead. I needed to unravel the truth about the fire at the orphanage. I needed to pay the doctor at the asylum a visit and find out what Steven had really gone through all this time. Chapter 167 Suddenly, I grew curious about Steven and the history we had between us. While I was certain that Steven knew Stephanie Carlson, I had no memory of him myself. In fact, not only had I forgotten about him, but I also couldn¡¯t recall anything rted to the orphanage. When did I start losing my memory? And when did I ask Steven to wait for me at the orphanage? Did I have something to do with¡­ whatever Steven had gone through? There were so many questions waiting to be answered. Meanwhile, trouble was brewing within the Lincoln Group. Since both Ignatius and James were unavable, Steven was the only rightful person to manage the Lincolns¡® affairs. However, Martin and his associates wouldn¡¯t easily allow Steven to take over the Hence, Martin had deliberately spread rumors within thepany that Steven was mentally ill and rallied all the executives and directors to oppose Steven together, intending to force him to relinquish management control. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, there¡¯s an urgent matter at thepany that requires your attention. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have toe with me,¡± Ewan stated as he knocked on the door. Steven reluctantly lifted his head and looked at me. ¡°Stephie¡­ They¡¯re annoying,¡± he said impatiently, as if he wished for all those people to disappear for good. ¡°Do you want me to go apany him. with you?¡± I tried to get up and put on my clothes so I could But Steven shook his head, the red marks of my p still starkly apparent on his fairplexion. ¡°Stephie, wait at home.¡± So, I looked away and said, ¡°Just listen to whatever Ewan says, and don¡¯t be stubborn or rash.¡± Steven nodded and left the room. I was now certain that Steven¡¯s sudden change of expression wasn¡¯t merely my imagination. He definitely disyed a different demeanor with mepared to when he was with other people. Even the air around him would change. As Steven stepped out the door, even his silhouette seemed imposing. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was from an unknown number. I answered the call. ¡°Stephany, it¡¯s me, Yasmin.¡± I was surprised that Yasmin had called me. Her voice shook with rage and hatred as she said, ¡°Are you with Michael? You shameless woman! Do you think you can steal him from me by pretending to be Stephanie Carlson? ¡°He¡¯s not answering my calls! Tell him to pick up!¡± Yasmin shouted hysterically, demanding to see Michael. ¡°You called me to ask for Michael? Are you nuts?¡± I sneered. I had never seen Yasmin in such an uncertain and insecure state before. But served her right! When she used to taunt me, she would brim with confidence, convinced that Michael would always love her and only her. But too bad for her, she now had a formidable opponent, and this meant that she couldn¡¯t be as domineering as before. Finally, she got a taste of what I had endured! ¡°Get Michael on the phone!¡± Yasmin shouted in a panic, almost as if she was threatening 1. me. I chuckled and mimicked the tone that she once used with me, ¡°Oh, Michael? He¡¯s in the shower at the moment, so he can¡¯t take your call.¡± I remembered the time when I fainted from severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. and was rushed to the hospital. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Center 167 At the time, I needed the money for my treatment. So, I called Michael, hoping that he woulde and help me. But where was he at that moment? He was throwing an extravagant party at a luxury hotel with Yasmin. However, I kept persistently calling him. And in the end, Yasmin was the one who picked up the call. Then, she simply told me in a mocking tone that Michael was in the shower and couldn¡¯t answer my call. Hmph¡­ Now the tables have turned. Yasmin was on the verge of losing her mind as she hysterically screamed at me, Stephany Larson, do you really think he loves you? The person he loved was Stephanie Carlson! You¡¯re just a substitute, a fake who can never rece her! ¡°He¡¯s only interested in you because you look like her. But he¡¯ll dump you sooner orter! I rubbed my ears, feeling rather amused. I hadn¡¯t expected Yasmin to im that Michael was in love with Stephanie. How ironic. ¡°Are you done? I¡¯m hanging up now. All your bullshit is soiling my ears.¡± I¡¯d heard enough of her nonsense, so I wanted to hang up the phone. Then, Yasmin said, ¡°You really think that I can¡¯t prove your connection to the murderer? Just you wait and see, Stephany. Even if I had to die, I¡¯ll drag you down to hell with me.¡± She gritted her teeth, continuing to delude herself, saying ¡°Keepughing while you can. I saved Michael¡¯s life, so even if it were just out of gratitude, he¡¯ll continue to financially support me. He won¡¯t abandon me just like that. You¡¯re nothing but his new toy.¡± Chapter 168 ¡°Okay, good for you. All the best.¡± I said before immediately hanging up the phone. I wanted to make sure that Yasmin would continue to suffer and spend the rest of her days in horror and doubt. But there was no rush. After all, I had to slowly exact my revenge and relish every moment of it. Yasmin had to taste a hundredfold of the suffering I endured before justice was served. ¡°Mr. Lincoln sure cares about Mrs. Lincoln¡­ He hasn¡¯t eaten all day, and all he¡¯s done is wait for her to return. He even insisted that if Mrs. Lincoln doesn¡¯te home, then he wouldn¡¯t eat anything either.¡± When I went downstairs, I overheard the nannies discussing how Steven hadn¡¯t eaten all day. Apparently, he had been waiting for me since he woke up from his nap after breakfast. He¡¯d even skipped lunch and simply kept waiting for me. I sighed and walked out of the house. Why was Steven so obsessed with waiting for me? What was his rtionship to me in the past? ¡°Sorry for the sudden call, Howard. But I have some questions regarding our time at school that I¡¯d like to discuss with you. Yes, it¡¯s work¨Crted.¡± After leaving the house, I called Howard. I wanted to start my investigation at the orphanage and find out what actually happened there. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s meet at the cafe at the corner then,¡± Howard said. So, I walked out of the Lincoln residence and hailed a cab. Then, as I got into the cab, I deliberately nced at the rearview mirror. It seemed like I was being followed by a ck car. ¡°Please take a left turn at the junction in front,¡± I instructed the cab driver. Then, the ck car took a left turn too. ¡°Turn right,¡± I instructed the driver again. The ck car followed suit. Then, I asked the driver to drop me at a random ce. Once more, the car stopped somewhere nearby too. Obviously, the people in the car were tailing me. So, for fear of dragging Howard into any trouble, I decided not to head straight to the cafe yet. After all, Howard was also a member of the orphanage, though his number was quite far down the list, and it would still take some time before the murderer could find him. As I got out of the cab, I pulled out my makeup mirror under the guise of freshening up. Then, as I discreetly nced behind me, a few men emerged from the ck car. They blended into the crowd while keeping their eyes on me. After that, I went into a washroom, tied my hair up, and then seamlessly blended in with a group of women to make my exit. And before the men could realize, I quickly left the ce. I had no idea who they were, but they definitely weren¡¯t friendly people. I also doubted that they were sent by the Lincolns to protect me. After I¡¯d beaten up the person who was supposed to protect me thest time, Ewan started giving me a heads¨Cup whenever he sent anyone to follow me. So, if he had sent these men, he would have told me about them. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g In other words, these were not Ewan¡¯s men. After making sure that I wasn¡¯t being followed, I entered the mall and left through the backdoor. Only then did I head to the cafe. When I entered the cafe, Howard was already there. He greeted me and said in a low voice, ¡°Stephany, how have you been doingtely? Sir told me to beware of you. He said you might betray us.¡± Howard seemed rather anxious. I felt my chest tightened. What did he mean? I might betray them? Chapter 169 ¡°I might betray you?¡± I tried to be as calm as possible. ¡°No way¡­. Howard sighed in relief. ¡°I doubted it too. No way you would betray us,¡± My palms started to sweat as I clenched my fingers and said, ¡°So, Howard, any instructions from¡­ Sirtely?¡± Who was this ¡°Sir¡± anyway? ¡°Our recent operations haven¡¯t been going smoothly. Sir had requested for some funds. several times, but all have been denied. Some kids even got beaten up too. And without the funds, we can¡¯t locate the children¡¯s biological parents.¡± Howard sighed and continued, ¡°Sir mentioned that now that you¡¯ve married into a wealthy family, you¡¯re preupied with your upper ss lifestyle. He thinks that you¡¯ve lost interest in the children and might even betray us. ¡°Children?¡± I found myself asking. I didn¡¯t get what he was saying. ¡°When we rescued those trafficked children, we made some enemies. Those people came yesterday and smashed Sir¡¯s windows,¡± Howard said with a frightened expression. Those guys are crazy!¡± I stared at Howard for a long while. So¡­ Stephany, Howard, and this ¡°Sir¡± saved a group of trafficked children? Were they some sort of charity organization? Stephany¡¯s secrets never failed to surprise me. ¡°Howard, um¡­ sorry. Actually, I fell sick a few days ago and somehow lost my memories after I woke up. That¡¯s why it took me a while toe find you. If I¡¯ve caused any dys¡­ ¡°I said guiltily. ¡°Oh, so you were sick. That exins it.¡± Howard waved his hand and said, ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll talk to Sir and clear things up.¡± ¡°Sir is¡­¡± ¡°Sir is a good person. He neverined when he supported the both of us in the past. And now, he¡¯s fully devoted to these children too, so we should help out however we can, Howardforted me. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chantes Tax ¡°Oh, by the way, Stephany¡­ How did you suddenly end up marrying that¡­ lunatic from the Lincoln family?¡± Howard looked at me warily. There was a clear sense of fear in his eyes when he mentioned Steven. ¡°You know¡­ He¡¯s probably a murderer,¡± Howard whispered to me. But I pretended that I didn¡¯t understand what he was saying, ¡°Why?¡± I asked. What made him think that Steven was a murderer? ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s a long story.¡± Howard scratched his head. ¡°You know, I was an orphan. I was adopted by my foster parents when I was in my teens. Later on, my foster parents went bankrupt, and life was tough up until I met Sir.¡± ¡°I used to stay in the same orphanage with that lunatic. Steve used to be a genius, but then he went mad.¡± Howard gave a vague exnation. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s what I wanted to talk to you about today. Can you tell me more about. Steve?¡± I said, gazing at Howard with a serious expression. That day at the ss reunion, I could tell that Howard was a person with some leadership skills and was actively involved in charity work. Hence, I assumed he wasn¡¯t a bad person. But what on earth actually happened at that orphanage? ¡°You¡¯ve heard about that serial killer case too, haven¡¯t you? All those victims were from our orphanage.¡± Howard stared at me. I nodded. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared, Howard? I heard that the murderer specifically targeted the people from the orphanage.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. I¡¯ve done nothing wrong, and I¡¯ve never hurt those people either. They have no reason to kill me,¡± Howard confidently replied. ¡°But those victims deserved it.¡± I looked at Howard curiously. ¡°The first victim¡¯s name was Mandy Fry. She was the leader of the bullies in our ss. She enjoyed picking on people, especially those who joined the orphanageter than her. Whoever disobeyed her would be in big trouble.¡± Then, Howard nced around and said, ¡°She was the first victim. And I saw from the news that her death was the most gruesome one too. Her stomach was full of bugs! It seemed like she died in pain.¡± I swallowed hard. I¡¯d also heard that the first victim¡¯s death was the most brutal one. And when the police found the body, it had already been devoured by insects and was beyond recognition. ¡°When I was at the orphanage, I saw with my own eyes that¡­ she ordered her underlings to hold Simmy down and force him to eat bugs,¡± Howard said in a low voice. Then, he said, ¡°Simmy was a genius. He joined the orphanageter than Mandy and was weak and skinny. So, Mandy enjoyed picking on him. She even ordered some guys to strip him naked so the bugs would bite him.¡± So, Howard was a witness, But why didn¡¯t he tell the police about this? Surely Zion must have talked to him. ¡°Did you tell the police about¡­ all this?¡± I asked nervously. Howard¡¯s expression shifted slightly. Then, he nodded. ¡°I told the police when they questioned me. They suspected Simmy, but Simmy had died long ago in that fire!¡± So, this clue was a dead end. Chapter 170 I took a deep breath and nced at Howard. ¡°Then Steve¡­¡± ¡°Steve arrived at the orphanage before Mandy. He was abandoned there when he was little. Steve was a loner and didn¡¯t have any friends, but whenever he was bullied, he made sure to retaliate. And as a result, Mandy didn¡¯t dare to mess with him even thought she really wanted to.¡± Then, Howard paused for a moment, deep in thought, before saying, ¡°If my memory serves me right, Mandy had once targeted Steve because he had helped Simmy out of the blue. And from that moment on, Simmy began following Steve everywhere while Steve made sure to keep him safe from Mandy. ¡°So, since Mandy couldn¡¯t get her hands on Simmy, she deliberately put bugs into Steve¡¯s pasta as revenge toward him.¡± I clenched my fists. That Mandy girl was such a bitch! ¡°Guess what happened next,¡± Howard said with a mysterious tone. ¡°Steve didn¡¯t say a word to Mandy and simply grabbed her head and pressed it into his pasta. Then, he forced her to finish the whole te in front of everyone. ¡°And ever since that incident, Mandy would flee whenever she caught sight of Steve.¡± I nodded in understanding. So, Simeon was very attached to Steven and saw him as his savior. And Steven was very protective of Simeon too. Not to mention, the both of them were the geniuses of the orphanage and were selected to join the junior ss. Then, Howard continued, ¡°The second victim was Hailey Lynch. She was Mandy¡¯s underling and the most disgusting person in our ss. ¡°She was the one who caught those bugs for Mandy. But aside from that, she¡¯d also done a bunch of other shady stuff for her. That¡¯s why she was found dead with her hands cut off and tongue pulled out.¡± ording to the police, the second victim¡¯s hands and tongue were detached when she was alive, so she must have died in great pain too. | Chaster 17 I sped my hands tightly and took a sip from the cup. I couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted and frightened¨Cbut regardless, this was simply a natural physiological reaction.. But as I listened to Howard¡¯s description of the victims, I noticed a pattern¨Cthey were all bad people. ¡°The murderer has been killing people from the orphanage, but he has neverid a finger on Steve¡­¡± I murmured. Based on my memories before my death, I was certain that the murderer must have had some kind of connection with Steve. And for now, Simeon was still on the top of my list of suspects. Besides, was he truly dead? Was that burned body really Simeon¡¯s? ¡°That¡¯s why I said that Steve might be the killer. You should stay away from him. There¡¯s just something eerie about that guy. Ever since I firstid eyes on him, I¡¯ve felt that he was creepy.¡± Howard shivered. ¡°Howard, do you know Stephanie Carlson?¡± I nced at him and asked. Howard momentarily froze with his coffee in hand when he heard Stephanie¡¯s name. Then, there was a sudden silence. ¡°Stephanie? Nice person.¡± That was hisment about me. All of them knew me, yet I had no memory of any of them. ¡°Back then, no one was willing to fund the orphanage, and only Stephanie¡¯s father kept funding us. Stephanie was a nice person too. Her father used to bring her to visit us at the orphanage and y with us.¡± Howard took a sip of the coffee, his gaze somewhat unfocused. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I stared at Howard. Something told me that I couldn¡¯t believe everything he was saying. When he spoke, his gaze would wander, and this suggested to me that he was hiding something. On top of that, when he talked about the orphanage, he seemed overly enthusiastic, as if he intentionally wanted me to know about it. ¡°Wow, look at the time! Anyway, I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright. I¡¯ll clear things up for you with Sit. If you have time, let¡¯s do some charity work again sometime, ¡°Howard said after ncing at the time. Inodded. Then, Howard quickly stood up and left in a hurry, After he left, I followed him and saw him nce around cautiously before walking into an alley, ¡°I told her everything¡­ Just like what you told me to do,¡± Howard spoke nervously, hist voice trembling with fear. ¡°You know what to say, and what not to, don¡¯t you?¡± the man he was talking to replied in a low, hoarse voice. Meanwhile, I hid in a corner to get a good look at the man. But suddenly, my body tensed up. The man who was talking to Howard¡­ was Ewan! Chapter 171 Ewan cautiously nced at the end of the alley. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Panicking, I quickly turned around to hide. But suddenly, someone covered my mouth and dragged me into a store next to the alley. ¡°Told you you¡¯d regret marrying Steven,¡± Michael¡¯s voice came from behind me. I was slightly startled. Then, I frowned and stared at him warily, anything better to do, Mr. Ford?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have ¡°I¡¯m just passing by,¡± Michael said in a yful tone as he took a mango¨Cvored lollipop from the shelf and handed it to me. He probably mistook me for Stephanie again. He knew that Stephanie had a low blood sugar issue, so he thought that I¡¯d need a lollipop like Stephanie too. But ironically, he wasn¡¯t aware that Stephanie was allergic to mangoes. ¡°Are you mistaking me for someone else, Mr. Ford?¡± I asked in a low tone. Michael remained silent. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Stephanie Carlson was allergic to mangoes, Mr. Ford?¡± I sneered. Then, I walked past him without taking the lollipop. Meanwhile, Michael stood frozen for quite some time. But suddenly, he walked toward me and grabbed my wrist. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to divorce Steven for your own good,¡± he said. Then, he quickly dragged me to his car and shoved me inside. Soon, Ewan came out of the alley and got into a car. Michael then started following Ewan¡¯s car. ¡°The Lincolns have been cleaning up Steven¡¯s mess over the years. And whenever Steven got into trouble, Ewan was the one who settled it for him. That¡¯s why he met Howard today.¡± Michael solemnly said. Then, he continued, ¡°Since Stephie gave you the keys to her house and confided in you so much¡­ she must have seen you as her closest friend. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡® I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Michael was putting up the nice guy act again. Chatter 171 ¡°You can¡¯t let anything happen to me? I don¡¯t think we¡¯re that close, Mr. Ford.¡± I said skeptically, ¡°Stephanie grew up with you, and you failed to protect her. But now you¡¯re trying to protect me?¡± Thanks, but no thanks. Michael¡¯s grip on the steering wheel tightened, and the back of his hand turned pale as his veins bulged, betraying his hidden tension. ¡°Actually, Michael, I¡¯m quite curious. Stephanie was head over heels in love with you. So, how could you be so cruel to her? Didn¡¯t it even hurt you a bit? Would you be so cruel to a dog that you¡¯ve raised for many years?¡± I was asking from a bystander¡¯s perspective. After all, my heart had gradually found peace, so I was no longer affected by the past. However, Michael simply remained silent as we continued to follow Ewan¡¯s car. ¡°I¡­¡± After a long silence, Michael said in a low voice, ¡°I loved her.¡± What did he say? I didn¡¯t catch it. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°I loved her so much.¡± Michael¡¯s voice was quivering. ¡°But¡­ I wasn¡¯t the one she loved. She stayed with me out of obligation. Someone else had her heart.¡± I was stunned as I red at Michael, fuming with rage. Stephanie was already dead, yet here he was trying to shift the me onto her! Was he even human? He continued, ¡°She was someone who felt obligated to repay her debts. I wanted to set her free, but I couldn¡¯t bear to let her go. And I knew that she would leave one day¡­ but I never expected her to die so soon.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± I found Michael rather pathetic. How could he make up such a ridiculous lie at a time like this? ¡°Your love was such a joke. Stephanie loved you for ten years because you told her that you liked her.¡± I sneered. Michael¡¯s expression grewplex. He then cast a sidelong nce at me and asked, ¡°Did Stephanie tell you she was in love with me for ten years?¡± I frowned and ignored him. Michael seemed like he had something to say, but he hesitated, and his gaze simply lingered on me. We stayed silent until Ewan¡¯s car halted in an old alley. Michael then parked his car and apanied me out before we discreetly followed behind Ewan. Chapter 172 Ewan bad bought some food and was headed toward an old house. Then, as he knocked on the door of the house, Michael and I hid in the shadows, waiting to see who he was meeting. Soon, the door cracked open a little, and a hand reached out through the gap. That hand¡­ had burn marks on it. 1 gasped and warily stared at the person behind the gap¨Cit was the murderer I saw at my house! The person who killed me! If I could only catch a glimpse of his inner arm to see if there was a red birthmark, then I would know for sure whether or not he was the one who killed me! But why was Ewan delivering food to him? ¡°Mr. Lincoln, I¡¯ve reminded him and sent him the things he requested.¡± Ewan walked into an alley and made a call to Steven. Meanwhile, Michael and I hid behind a trash can as we watched Ewan leave. ¡°After Stephie died, I never stopped investigating the murder case. I don¡¯t believe that Steven had nothing to do with it. He¡¯s been using his history of mental illness to get away with his crime. I¡¯ve always been keeping an eye on him,¡± Michael whispered. My fingers were shaking as I instinctively pulled out my phone to call the police. ¡°Divorce Steven, Stephany. You¡¯re only after the financial support for the Larsons, which I can help you with. But by staying with Steven, you¡¯re only putting your safety at risk.¡± Michael tried to persuade me to divorce Steven. However, I wasn¡¯t paying attention to him. Instead, I dialed Zion¡¯s number. ¡°Hello?¡± Zion¡¯s hoarse voice came from the other end of the line. It seemed he had fallen sick due to his busy work schedule. ¡°Zion, I saw the suspect who stayed at Stephanie¡¯s house¡­ He was the one who knocked Rachel out¡­¡± I spoke in a low voice. That day when Rachel entered my house, the surveince camera had captured someone following her, but the person¡¯s features were too blurry to make out. 20 ¡°What¡¯s the address?¡± Zion asked. ¡°The courtyard at 163, Civil West Road,¡± I whispered. ¡°Stay there and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Zion quickly hung up the phone. I knew he woulde. And if Zion was willing to look into it, I would get my answer soon. Even if I risked alerting that man in the house, I had to find out whether or not he was the person who killed me. ¡°Stephany, Steven isn¡¯t who you think he is. If the person hiding in this house is one of the murderers, Steven is definitely their aplice.¡± Michael continued to persuade me to leave Steven, ¡°He¡¯s a psycho. Don¡¯t you know he killed someone in the asylum?¡± I nced back at Michael. ¡°Mr. Ford, do you make your judgments solely based on guesswork? Before we get the whole story, do you think I¡¯d believe in you, an untrustworthy man who indirectly contributed to Stephanie¡¯s death, or my husband?¡± I gripped my phone tightly. If I had to choose to trust either one of them, I¡¯d rather believe in Steven. But what if Steven really was hiding something? ¡°Stephany, one thing you and Stephanie have inmon is your stubbornness. Both of you insist on your own beliefs and never listen to other people¡¯s advice.¡± Michael frowned and continued, ¡°Steven is extremely dangerous. He¡¯s aggressive and impulsive, and many people at the asylum know that he went berserk and killed someone there! Besides, the case is basically as in as day.¡± But Michael could see that I was unmoved, so he said, ¡°Yasmin said that Steve was the only person with a motive to kill! ¡°The fire at the orphanage was actually a prank by the people there. They locked Steven and Simeon in a room and set it on fire. And though Steven survived the fire, his best friend Simeon still died in it. That¡¯s why Steven holds a grudge against those people!¡± I tensed up and turned to Michael again. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying¡­ those people at the orphanage intentionally trapped them in that fire?¡± I was losing control of my emotions now. ¡°Have you been to the scene of the fire, Michael? Those people should all go to hell!¡± How could they do that to Steven? The fire, the screaming, the cries for help, the struggle¡­. Every night, I would have nightmares and would be haunted by the images of the handprints and scratch marks left inside the burned room at the orphanage. Those marks were left by Steven and Simeon¡¯s desperate cries as they begged for help and struggled to save themselves¡­ N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Those people were devils. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that he should turn to murder! What about Stephanie then?¡± Michael eximed, gripping my chin tightly. His eyes were bloodshot as he said, ¡°She was carrying my child!¡± Chapter 173 Michael¡¯s bloodshot eyes made it seem as if he wanted to kill someone. I shoved him hard and snarled at him as my breath quickened. ¡°You have no right to say that! Didn¡¯t she die because of you? Weren¡¯t you the one who asked her to lure away the killer? And if she hadn¡¯t died, would you have let her give birth to that baby?¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve!¡± Michael¡¯s fist crashed into the trash can behind me. The trash can toppled with a tter, and we both fell silent. Then, we nced nervously toward the courtyard, fearing that the man might have heard the commotion. But when a scavenger approached to collect the trash, we both sighed in relief. ¡°I would have married her,¡± Michael said in a hoarse voice after a long silence. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. It sounded like he was telling me this, or perhaps he was just mumbling it to himself. ¡°Do you believe in ghosts?¡± Michael asked with a self¨Cmocking tone. I didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I think I saw her the other day¡­¡± he said. I had no idea which day he was referring to, but it wasn¡¯t like I cared anyway. Shortly after, Zion arrived with Phil and a handful of inclothes officers to avoid drawing unwanted attention. They climbed over the fence into the yard and quietly opened the door from the inside before storming in.. Then, Michael and I dashed in too. There, in the room, a tall and slender man who was munching on fast food was now pressed up against the couch by Zion. He lounged against the couch and seemed rxed, as if he had been expecting us. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked. Zion furrowed his brows. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest as a suspect in a murder case. Pleasee with us to the station.¡± The man silently smiled. He was a tall man, but half of his face was burned, which made his features unrecognizable. His stare was cold and dark too. Before leaving with Zion, the man looked at me with a murderous gaze. I felt a chill run down my spine, so I quickly stepped back. Michael frowned and pulled me behind him, shielding me with his body. However, I shook off his hand. After the man left with Zion, I said in a low voice, ¡°I guess that¡¯s it. Bye, Mr. Ford.¡± ¡°Stephany, I¡¯m serious. Leave Steven, divorce him,¡± Michael said as he firmly gripped my wrist. Disgusted, I tried to shake off his hand again. Yet, it seemed that he had made up his mind to force me to leave Steven. ¡°Are you out of mind, Michael?¡± I cursed. Then, I suddenlyughed. ¡°You just can¡¯t seem to stop seeing me as Stephanie Carlson, can you? Do you think that you can absolve your guilt toward Stephanie by projecting it onto me? You pathetic egoist!¡± Michael lowered his head in silence. ¡°Let go of me!¡± I struggled as hard as I could, but I was no match for his strength. Micahel then forcefully dragged me out of the courtyard, refusing to let go despite my struggle. ¡°Michael!¡± I shouted. But at the next moment, I was thrown into his car and locked from the inside. I started to panic. It felt like I was reliving the nightmares of my previous life where Michael would coldly and heartlessly torture me all over again. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I pped Michael in the face and tried to get out of the car. However, Michael grabbed my hands and pressed them against the seat. He then removed his necktie and used it to tie my hands to the passenger seat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I frowned as I stared at him. He wasn¡¯t usually like this. Something must have triggered his sudden odd behavior. Where was he taking me? What was his purpose? Did it have something to do with Steven? ¡°Steven is the murderer. He hurt Stephanie, and I won¡¯t let him get away with it,¡± Michael said in a low voice. I was right¡­ My heart tightened as I struggled to free my hands from the tie. ¡°Michael, you What are you going to do to him?¡± But Michael didn¡¯t answer me and simply started the car to drive. asshole! ¡°What are you going to do to him? You asshole¡­ What are you going to do?¡± I stared at Michael in panic and lifted my leg, trying to kick him. But Michael pressed my leg down and gave me a warning look as he red at me. ¡°You all want some proof, right? I want him dead¡­¡± Chapter 174 Michael was convinced that Steven was the murderer. ¡°I¡¯ll show you. He¡¯ll confess that he was the murderer,¡± he said in a hoarse voice as he drove. Meanwhile, I sat quietly in the passenger seat, feeling powerless and exhausted. ¡°What¡­ are you going to do?¡± ¡°Since he¡¯s a lunatic, I¡¯ll make sure he stays like that forever.¡± Michael was driving toward the abandoned asylum. Suddenly, I realized what Michael was nning to do¨Che was going to push Steven and force him to tell the truth. He was going to make Steven admit that he had killed Stephanie. When we arrived at the asylum, Michael dragged me to a small room and made me watch the surveince monitor. ¡°You don¡¯t believe that he killed someone, do you? You don¡¯t think he¡¯s a lunatic, right? Well, sit and watch then.¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s ready, Mr. Ford,¡± the assistant said to Michael. I watched in horror as the monitor flickered to life. Michael¡¯s intentions were clear¨Che was going to use the past events to provoke Steven and rub salt on his wound. ¡°Mentally ill patients are incapable of distinguishing reality from dreams. They might perceive the world as unreal and, consequently, express his innermost thoughts,¡± a doctor in a white coat solemnly stated. I turned to him, sping my hands tightly. ¡°You¡¯re Quentin Long, the doctor who exposed the scandal of the asylum, right?¡± Quentin nodded. ¡°Since you rescued Steven, you should know that he¡¯s not a bad person¡­ So, why are you helping Michael with this? You¡¯re adding insult to his injury,¡± I questioned him. Quentin was silent for a while before saying, ¡°He killed innocent people, including Mr. Ford¡¯s pregnant wife¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! Stephanie wasn¡¯t his wife. In fact, he¡¯s the reason she¡¯s dead!¡± 1 angrily red at Michael. That shameless asshole. However, Michael didn¡¯t say a word. Instead, he grabbed my chin from behind and forced me to watch the monitor. ¡°Stephie¡­ ¡°A man suddenly burst into the room on the monitor. It was Steven, and it seemed like he¡¯de in a hurry. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven repeatedly called my name. ¡°You used me to lure him here?¡± I asked through gritted teeth. So, that was the reason Michael had shown up in the alley. He was there to abduct me so he could use me to threaten Steven. ¡°He seems to care about you a lot,¡± Michael said in a low tone as he forced me to look at the monitor. I tightly clenched my hands as I watched Steven standing alone in the empty room. It made my heart ache. The moment Steven had burst into the room, the metal door behind him was immediately locked. Yet, he still kept calling my name. Then, the light suddenly dimmed, and Steven¡¯s cold eyes stared into the camera with a horrifying and dark re. ¡°I will kill you¡­¡± Steven fixed his eyes on the camera and spoke in a hoarse and low voice. However, Michael merely gave a cold smile before gesturing for Quentin to begin his work. Quentin sat silently for a while. Then, he stood up and pressed the y button on the Then, the light dimmed before a video was projected onto the screen in the room. It showed Steven¡¯s past experiences in the asylum. I tightly gripped my hands as I watched the video on the screen. Steven was desperately pounding on the mental door as he repeatedly shouted, ¡°Let me out. She¡¯s waiting for me. I need to get out¡­ But the people in the video didn¡¯t let him out. Instead, they pulled him to a chair and strapped him into it. Then, they gave him injections and fed him some drugs. Steven lost his mind when he saw the video and pounded at the metal door with all his strength. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g The fear of confinement alone was enough to drive him crazy. Not to mention, the way they were forcing Steven to relive these unbearable moments was so inhumane. The video on the screen was so brutal that I couldn¡¯t help but close my eyes to avoid watching it. Nevertheless, Michael forced me to watch. Now, the video was showing the doctor torturing Steven for fun¡­ Steven went berserk and broke free from the restraining rope. Then, he seized a pair of surgical forceps from a nearby table and repeatedly struck it against the doctor¡¯s head. ¡°See¨Che killed a person,¡± Michael wanted me to witness with my own eyes that Steven had killed someone. Meanwhile on the monitor, Steven was curled up in a corner, trembling uncontrobly as he was triggered by the images of his past. ¡°You killed someone. You killed Dr. Carter.¡± Quentin opened the metal door and walked into the room, offeringfort to Steven. ¡°You killed someone, didn¡¯t you?¡± Steven pulled at his own hair and kept murmuring, ¡°Stephie¡­ I need to find Stephie¡­¡± ¡°You also killed Stephanie Carlson, didn¡¯t you?¡± Quentin was trying to lead Steven to admit that he had killed Stephanie. ¡°Tell me, how did you kill Stephanie Carlson? What did you do to her?¡± Chapter 175 I sat in the room and stared at Steven through the monitor. I was aware that he might go berserk and harm himself after being triggered. After all, that was his way of punishing himself. Steven was reluctant to answer Quentin¡¯s questions and simply kept banging his head against the wall, perhaps trying to calm himself down. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You killed Stephanie, didn¡¯t you? You put her in the ss disy. I remember when you were at the asylum, you had a habit of collecting small animal bodies. ¡°You said you were worried that the kitty would leave you, so you killed it and stuffed it. Then, you hid it somewhere that you felt was safe. And that bird¡­¡± Quentin persisted in questioning Steven, determined to extract the truth from him. ¡°You liked Stephanie, but she didn¡¯t belong to you. She was in love with Michael, so you had no choice but to kill her. Only then would she be yours forever. ¡°That¡¯s why you put her in the ss disy, right?¡± Quentin asked in a loud voice. Steven¡¯s quivering body momentarily stiffened. Then, he looked up at Quentin. His forehead was stained with blood from the impact of banging his head against the wall. I knew Steven couldn¡¯t take it any longer. Quentin kept pressing him for answers while the screen on the wall continued disying his past nightmares ¡°Let go of me, Michael.¡± I stared at Michael with reddened eyes filled with hatred. ¡°He¡¯s a lunatic, for crying out loud! What do you see in him?¡± Michael seemed to lose control as he pointed at the screen. ¡°He¡¯ll kill anything or anyone that he likes. If you don¡¯t leave him¡­ this might be your end.¡± I furiously red at Quentin who continued to mercilessly provoke and force Steven to admit he was the murderer. These people were all lunatics. 20 ¡°Michael, you¡¯re the reason Stephanie¡¯s dead¡­¡± I said in a low tone, trying to shift his attention. At this, Michael turned away from me and nced at the monitor instead. He still insisted on hearing Steven confess to killing Stephanie¡­. While Michael was distracted, I used my teeth to untie the knot around my wrists. Then, I grabbed a nearby stick and swung it at Michael¡¯s head. It was the first time I had ever hit someone, so I was somewhat scared. And perhaps because I didn¡¯t hit him hard enough, Michael wasn¡¯t knocked out. However, he did fall to the ground. Then, he touched the blood on his forehead and fumed in anger. After taking one step back, I turned around and ran. Meanwhile in the room, Quentin continued to press Steven for answers. ¡°You liked Stephanie for so many years. During your days at the asylum, you kept calling her name too. You¡¯d always nned to kill her, right?¡± Suddenly, Quentin noticed Steven¡¯s gaze turning solemn. Scared, he took a step back. Then, Steven suddenly grabbed Quentin¡¯s cor and pulled him close. ¡°No¡­¡± His whisper was hoarse, and his voice was barely audible to anyone but the two of them. Then, with sudden ferocity, he mmed Quentin¡¯s head against the wall and knocked him out. After that, he wiped away the blood stains trickling from the corner of his eye 1. up. and stood Then, he smashed the projector hanging on the wall before shifting his cold and dark gaze toward the surveince camera. At that moment, I burst through the door and met his icy re. Yet, upon seeing me, the frostiness in Steven¡¯s eyes melted away and was reced by a sense of grievance. He stood there, visibly aggrieved as his shoulders slightly trembled. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven lowered his head as tears cascaded down his cheeks, dampening his gray hoodie. But as I stood in the doorway, I was stunned. I looked at the chaotic scene in the room and saw Quentin lying unconscious on the ground. Chapter 176 ¡°Stephie¡­ I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡± That was the first thing Steven said to me when he raised his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± I felt aplicated mix of emotions as I rushed to his side and took his hand. Steven hung his head as he followed me, sniffling as he did. I was a bit worried, so I brushed his hair aside to look at the bruises on his forehead. ¡± Does it hurt?¡± Steven nodded with reddened eyes as tears streamed down his cheek. Somehow, my chest abruptly tightened at this. His eyes were so innocent. I could never imagine these innocent eyes belonging to a murderer. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt yourself again.¡± I carefully wiped away Steven¡¯s blood and led him out. Meanwhile, outside the door, Michael¡¯s bodyguards were already waiting for us. Steven was immediately on guard and shielded me with his body. He red at them like a beast ready to tear its prey apart. ¡°You¡¯d rather believe a psycho over me?¡± Michael approached us as he painfully wiped off the blood stains on his forehead. ¡°Stephany, you¡¯re bing more and more like Stephanie Carlson.¡± I warily stared at Michael. ¡°What do you want from us?¡± ¡°Steven, you killed Stephanie Carlson because you hated her, didn¡¯t you? You were angry that she¡¯d forgotten about you,¡± Michael questioned in a low voice. Steven red at Michael. ¡°You lied to her¡­ You should be dead, not her.¡± ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t know when to call it quits.¡± Michael smiled coldly. Then, he stepped away to allow his bodyguards toe forward. ¡°What are you doing?¡± My heart tightened. What madness was Michael up to? I stepped forward to protect Steven, but there were simply too many of them. And while Steven may have been skilled, he was still caught off guard by them and took at hard blow to his back. At the next moment, I was cornered by Michael¡¯s men. My eyes reddened as I anxiously shouted, ¡°Stop it, Michael!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a lunatic. When he¡¯s triggered, he might smash things, hurt people, kill people, or even kill himself,¡± Michael said in a low and gloomy tone as he nced at Steven pressed against the ground. ¡°Does it even matter if a lunatic dies?¡± he asked. ¡°Michael, let go of him!¡± I sensed Michael¡¯s determination and began struggling in my panic. I had a sinking feeling about what he intended to do. He was going to throw Steven off the floors of the building. ¡°Michael¡­ What can I do to change your mind?¡± I asked in a hoarse voice. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. But Michael wasn¡¯t seeking vengeance for Stephanie. Rather, he was driven by his own pathetic pride and was running away from the fact that he was the reason Stephanie was dead. Michael nonchntly nced at me and said in a deep voice, ¡°Unless Stephanie is brought back to life¡­ Otherwise, he must die.¡± I gasped and stared at Michael in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re the one who should die¡­¡± ¡°Police!¡± As Michael¡¯s men were dragging Steven away, the police burst in. Michael frowned and nced at Steven. However, Steven returned his gaze with a mocking re. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zion entered with his men, his brows furrowed as he observed Michael and Steven. Steven looked utterly aggrieved. ¡°He abducted my wife and had his men beat me up.¡± Zion was taken aback. He had never seen Steven looking so aggrieved before. What kind of nonsense was this? Michael turned pale. And before he could say anything, Ewan came in with awyer. 30 ¡°Officer Landon, Mr. Lincoln suffers from a mental illness, rendering him incapable of controlling his actions during such episodes. As such, he cannot be held legally responsible for his behavior. ¡°However, Mr. Ford, being of sound mind, hadmitted abduction¡­ and assault, which are serious crimes,¡± Ewan said. Zion nced at me, signaling for an exnation of what had happened. At the same time, Michael also turned to me. Everyone seemed to be waiting for me to provide an exnation. Now, it was up to me to decide whether or not Michael had abducted me. Chapter 177 ¡°Michael abducted me, threatened my husband, and assaulted him¡­¡± I told the truth in a low voice. Michael¡¯s gaze deepened as he stared at me and sneered. ¡°I abducted you? Where¡¯s your proof? Officer, I¡¯m willing to cooperate with your investigation.¡± Then, before he left with the cops, Michael took another nce at me. ¡°You¡¯ll regret this, Stephany,¡± he said. Michael was certain that Steven would kill me one day. And when the time came, I would regret not having believed him. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven came to me with a pale expression. He leaned on me and rested his chin on my shoulder, as if he was drained of all strength. ¡°It hurts.¡± My body tensed up slightly as I softly asked, ¡°Did you inform the police before you came? ¡°Uh huh,¡± Steven admitted that he had asked someone to call the cops. Apparently, Steven wasn¡¯t stupid at all. Michael had met his match this time. ¡°Mr. Lincoln was worried about you,¡± Ewan respectfully said. I stared at Ewan with aplicated expression. I wondered what connections he, Howard, and the murderer shared. Were they working for Steven? Suddenly, Steven pulled my hand, trying to leave. However, I stood there motionless. Steven turned to me with a bewildered look, seeming somewhat afraid. ¡°Who was that guy at the courtyard?¡± I stared at Steven and asked in a hoarse voice. Instead of harboring suspicions, I¡¯d rathery all the cards on the table. Steven stared back at me for a long while before saying, ¡°He¡¯s Simmie. He¡¯s also from the orphanage. 15 years old. Survivor of that fire. From Dorm 403.¡± Dorm 403 was the dormitory room adjacent to the room where Steven and Simeon had been trapped in. In that fire, many children had died. But Simmie was one of the lucky survivors. However, due to his severe burns, I couldn¡¯t make out his features or tell his age. All knew was that he was tall and slender¨Cjust like the killer in my memory. ¡°He¡¯s not the murderer¡­¡± Steven exined in a soft voice. I turned around and looked at Zion, puzzled. Zion nodded and said to me, ¡°He¡¯s right. That guy¡¯s only 15 and underage. He rarely gues out of the house because his body¡¯s in bad shape from the burns. He lives with his elder sister. She¡¯s the only family he has. I also checked his arms no red birthmark.¡± I rubbed my temple, feeling a headacheing on. Did I remember it wrong? No, he was definitely the person who had spoken to me at my house that day. Simmie? But I was certain that the man who murdered me had a red birthmark on his arm. ¡°He¡¯s been to Stephanie¡¯s house, right?¡± I asked Zion. Zion nodded. ¡°That kid often sneaks into houses to steal because he has no ie. He¡¯s just a thief.¡± ¡°Which means that he¡¯s the one who knocked Rachel out, right? Then the body found at Stephanie¡¯s house was¡­¡± I anxiously asked. Zion shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t him. He has an alibi¨Cevery month, he goes to the hospital to get his prescription. The doctors, nurses, and even the surveince camera. can prove that he was at the hospital the entire time. So, he didn¡¯t hurt Rachel or kill anyone that night.¡± But I still couldn¡¯t buy it. My instinct was telling me that something was definitely off about that guy. ¡°Why did you send him food?¡± I turned to Steven, hoping that he would tell me the truth. ¡°He has no ie, and no one wants to hire him.¡± Steven approached me and tried to hold my hand, but I dodged. ¡°How about Ewan then? Why did you meet up with Howard?¡± I wanted to hear everyone¡¯s side of the story, I didn¡¯t want any more secrets. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Lincoln doesn¡¯t want you to further get involved. He¡¯s concerned about your safety, ¡°Ewan exined indifferently. But he didn¡¯t seem to be lying either. However, I wouldn¡¯t dare to trust them entirely. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said in a low, suppressed tone and led the way. ¡°Simmy¡­ Simmie,¡± I murmured to myself. Their names sounded alike, but their ages didn¡¯t match. ¡°Stephie¡­ Let¡¯s go home,¡± Steven cautiously took my hand and spoke softly. I nced at him. ¡°Do not lie to me, ever. Even if it¡¯s just a white lie.¡± Chapter 178 Steven¡¯s fingers stiffened as he looked at me. ¡°Steve doesn¡¯t lie. Stephie lies.¡± My heart skipped a beat, and I shifted my nce elsewhere, feeling somewhat guilty. Was he implying that he¡¯d never lied, whereas I was the one who lied a lot? When did I ever lie to him? When we stepped out of the abandoned asylum, we saw a flood of reporters and onlookers gathered at the entrance. The crowd surrounded Michael and were asking him why he, the president of the Ford Group, was involved in an abduction and illegal activities. But Michael merely got into the car with a solemn face. ¡°Noment,¡± he said. Obviously, the reporters were here for Michael. If the media reported this, it would definitely have an impact on the Ford Group. Then, Michael gave me a cold stare and silently left with the police. ¡°The president of the Ford Group was involved in an abduction!¡± ¡°Why did he do that?¡± The reporters murmured among themselves while the onlookersmented that Michael had gone mad. The Ford Group¡¯s stock price would be severely impacted if this news got out. Did Michael offend someone? I suspiciously looked at Steven. ¡°Did you do this?¡± Steven remained silent, tacitly admitting his involvement. It seemed as if he was a bad liar, so he chose to stay silent instead. ¡°The Ford family is in for a ride now.¡± Zion sighed and gave me a nce before getting into his car. ¡°If Michael is charged with abduction, the Fords might want to settle this with you in private. It¡¯s your call.¡± I was startled. If someone from the Ford family wanted to meet me to discuss Michael¡¯s matter, it would definitely be Aunty Lois I might show no mercy to Michael, but I might not be able to do the same to Aunty Lols. I got into Ewan¡¯s car. Then, after a moment of hesitation, I decided to ask Steven, ¡°Are you trying to ruin Michael¡¯s life?¡± How could he possibly do that? ¡°No.¡± Steven shook his head. ¡°I want him dead.¡± Steven¡¯s eyes glinted with murderous intent when he said this. The news of Michael being taken away by the police spread like wildfire and soon reached. the ears of the Ford family. When Aunty Lois came to the Lincoln residence to see me, I noticed that she had significantly aged. I¡¯d heard that after my death, Aunty Lois was so grief¨Cstricken that she fell ill and had been recuperating at the Georgeke. This time, however, she specifically came back for Michael. The Fords¡® legal team was formidable. Although the abduction charge might not hold, Michael¡¯s uwful restriction of my freedom still constituted a crime. I knew Aunty Lois hade to have me sign a release form to salvage Michael¡¯s reputation and mitigate the impact on thepany. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Ford is here.¡± The nanny led Aunty Lois to the living room. My fingers tightened as I calmly remained seated. When Aunty Lois saw me, she couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth in disbelief as her eyes. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. reddened. As much as I wanted tofort her, I couldn¡¯t. I was not Stephanie Carlson anymore. I was just a stranger with no connection to her. ¡°Please excuse me¡­ Ms. Larson. You look very much like my daughter.¡± Aunty Lols was choked with emotion. She always told me and everyone else that I was her daughter. I knew Aunty Lois truly and dearly loved me, but¡­ I didn¡¯t want to let Michael off the hook again. ¡°Ms. Larson, I know what Michael did was rather rude and inappropriate. Please¡­ let us know what we can do topensate you,¡± Aunty Lois pleaded softly. ¡°You¡¯re responsible for his poor upbringing. Just how long do you think you can clean up his messes for him?¡± I said firmly. This time, I wouldn¡¯t let Michael off so easily. I wanted him punished. Even if his legal team could get him a 15¨Cday detention, so be it. Aunty Lois was silent for a while before speaking, ¡°After my daughter, Stephie, passed away, Mike has been somewhat unhinged. But this is his karma¡­ for lying to Stephie and himself for so many years. He told me that you were a close friend of Stephie¡¯s and that Stephie confided everything in you?¡± I frowned as I looked at Aunty Lois. ¡°You mentioned Michael lied to Stephanie. What did he lie about?¡± ¡°In that car ident involving the Carlsons¡­ The person who saved Stephanie and her parents wasn¡¯t Mike,¡± Aunty Lois said. Spin to im Your Surprise Reward! Chapter 179 The air fell quiet for a moment. I sat on the couch, my fingers tensed up. ¡°What?¡± I thought I heard it wrong. Or, could it be possible that my memory was wrong? I recalled that I was in 12th grade that year. I was exhausted after all my studies, so I fell asleep as soon as I got into the car. In my memory, Dad drove for a long way. I couldn¡¯t remember where we were headed, but I remembered lying on Mom¡¯sp, sleeping soundly. ¡°Turn down the music. Stephie¡¯s sleeping.¡± I vaguely heard Mom softly scolding Dad. ¡°Andy asked me to meet at the Hymn Bridge. Let¡¯s head over there.¡± I couldn¡¯t quite recall Dad¡¯s exact words, but I remembered feeling excited to meet someone. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Andy¡¯s car?¡± Mom asked. ¡°The orphanage has fostered two geniuses, and the superiors have high expectations for them. This is a good opportunity to promote our cause and inspire more people to join the public welfare movement. We have to raise awareness about orphaned and neglected. children¡­ Bang! The moment Dad stopped the car, a loud bang echoed, and a powerful impact nearly N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. threw me out of the car. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± My final memory froze as Mom held me tightly, sheltering me in her arms. Her blood mingled with mine. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± ¡°Stay alive¡­¡± ¡°Stephie¡­ Stephie!¡± But I couldn¡¯t recall anything beyond the crash. I was stunned the moment it happened. I couldn¡¯t tell when it urred, or how much time passed. It just felt as though time had frozen. All I remembered was that when I regained consciousness, Michael was there beside me and was repeatedly calling my name. I also vaguely remembered a figure rushing into the mes, risking his life to get Mom and Dad out of the car¡­ And then, the figure gradually merged with Michael¡¯s. Could it be that my memory was distorted? Aunty Lois continued, ¡°It was the day of the award ceremony and the children¡¯s graduation ceremony at Double Stars Welfare Home. Stephie¡¯s parents and I had agreed to meet there. Then, when I saw the car ident on the bridge, I realized that Stephie¡¯s parents and Andy Lincoln were involved in it. ¡°It was a terrible ident. The Carlsons and the Lincolns were caught between a dump truck that was traveling in the wrong direction and an overloaded semi¨Ctruck. The Lincolns were instantly killed.¡± Aunty Lois sobbed and continued her story. ¡°ording to witnesses, a teenage boy had bravely rushed into the mes to save Stephie. But when Stephie woke up, she couldn¡¯t recall who had saved her, so she assumed it was Mike. ¡°But before I could tell Stephie the truth, Mike had already taken the credit¡­ I was surprised, but I didn¡¯t want to meddle, so I I never imagined that it would bring harm to Stephie!¡± I sat on the couch, bewildered. I stiffly stared at Aunty Lois, feeling as if my head were about to explode. Apparently, your own memory could deceive you, especially in times of immense trauma and shock. The brain would fabricate false memories of the moments preceding unconsciousness. I always thought that Michael was the one who saved me, and I¡¯d never once doubted it. W/S And whenever I asked Michael about it, he would quietly concede too. ¡°Michael¡¯s father and I were on bad terms, so Mike never received the love he deserved from a young age. He knows how to possess, but not to love.¡± Aunty Lois wiped her tears before continuing, ¡°I was close friends with Stephie¡¯s mom, so we arranged Mike and Stephie¡¯s marriage carly on. We hoped to be inws someday. ¡°Mike was a rebellious kid with opinions of his own. And if he didn¡¯t like Stephie, he would never ept the arrangement. Yet, he¡¯d quietly epted it. So, I knew Mike liked Stephie. He really did! Though he never admitted it.¡± Chapter 180 ¡°Sorry, Mrs. Ford. The Michael that you just described seems to be different from the man Stephanie described to me,¡± I interrupted Aunty Lois¡¯s story because I refused to believe that Michael had loved me. I shook my head and added, ¡°Love isn¡¯t about possessing or hurting someone. Yet, Michael had brought Stephanie nothing but pain. No matter what his reasons were, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Michael had lied to Stephanie and caused her significant harm.¡± Aunty Lois lowered her eyes and said, ¡°Ms. Larson, Stephie loved Mike. She loved him deeply¡­ Can¡¯t you give Mike another chance, for Stephie¡¯s sake? Mike¡¯s the president of the Ford Group, and his reputation carries weight on the fate of the entire corporation. He cannot afford any tarnish on his record.¡± Aunty Lois was trying to convince me that Michael had also loved Stephie. And so, I should give him another chance for Stephie¡¯s sake. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Stephie the truth? You had so many chances¡­¡± I asked in a hoarse. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. voice. Was I ming Aunty Lois? Perhaps a little¡­. ¡°Because I loved Stephie dearly as if she were my own daughter. Since Stephie was in love with Mike, I was looking forward to the day Mike would marry her. Then, we could finally be a real family. ¡°I prayed that Mike would one day recognize his true feelings and treat Stephie with care. I knew Mike loved Stephie too¡­¡± veves Iughed with my head down as welled up with tears. Suddenly, I realized how selfish people could be at times. During my days in the Ford family, did Aunty Lois not notice the harm and emotional abuse Michael had inflicted upon me? Was she not aware that I constantly felt like I was walking on eggshells living under someone else¡¯s roof? All she needed to do was tell me that Michael wasn¡¯t the one who rescued me, and I wouldn¡¯t have had to tolerate Michael out of my sense of indebtedness toward him. M I too, had my own dignity and pride. If I had known that I wasn¡¯t indebted to Michael, I wouldn¡¯t have let him hurt me. I would have had the freedom to choose whether or not to love himm I shouldn¡¯t have been bound by him. I could have called the police when Michael forced me to do things against my will and let him get the punishment he deserved. However, because I had believed I owed him for rescuing me and my parents¡® bodies. from that fire, I tolerated his emotional abuse and torture for so w years All of this could have been avoided if Aunty Lois had just told me the truth. Yet, she and her son held me captive in the name of love. One was afraid of me leaving while the other had imed it to be love. ¡°So, do you know who rescued Stephie, Mrs. Ford?¡± I took a deep breath, tightened my hands, and looked up at Aunty Lois. Since Micahel wasn¡¯t the one who saved me, I had no reason to show mercy to him anymore. He was the reason me and my unborn child had died! He and Yasmin had to pay for what they did! Aunty Lois shook her head. ¡°The person left when we arrived. There were no surveince cameras on the bridge too, so no one knew who saved you. ¡°But ording to the witnesses, it was a teenage boy. I ced ads to find him, but no one came forward. I¡¯ve never stopped asking around since.¡± I silently lowered my head. Ms. Larson, could you please give Mike another chance? I hope we can settle this in private¡­¡± Aunty Lois said with a gentle voice. I was aware that she wouldn¡¯t sound so gentle anymore if I turned her down again this time. Before Michael took over thepany, Aunty Lois had been running thepany alone. She was a strong and decisive woman. ¡°Sorry.¡± I shook my head. I would notpromise again, Michael Ford. ¡°Mike¡¯s abduction charge won¡¯t hold, so that leaves only the assault usation that It you¡¯ve made against him. However, it appears that you haven¡¯t suffered any harm, Ms. Larson. ¡°There are better ways to handle this, ways that won¡¯t lead to a feud between our families,¡± Aunty Lois¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°What he¡¯s done to me goes beyond physical injury. He abducted me, threatened my husband, and even mentally abused him. I will not tolerate any of this,¡± I stated solemnly and firmly. After a moment of silence, Aunty Lois ced her phone in front of me. On the screen were images of Steven, still homeless at the time, holding an abused animal. He was covered in blood and was cradling a kitten that had been severely abused and mutted. ¡°Since the Lincoln family wants to wage a public rtions battle, the Ford family will see it through to the end,¡± Aunty Lois dered. With that, she stood up and left. Chapter 181 I understood that Aunty Lois was nning to ruin Steven in the same manner as we did Michael. I took a deep breath and got up from the couch. I wanted to ask Steven about the animal abuse. However, when I turned around, Steven was already sitting on the stairs. He gazed at me with reddened eyes, as if he were deeply aggrieved. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t settle it in private.¡± ¡°Michael won¡¯t go down so easily. He¡¯ll definitely fight back. In the worst¨Ccase scenario, he¡¯ll only be detained for 15 days,¡± I told Steven. Despite its significant impact on the Ford Group, this incident wouldn¡¯t result in severe punishment for Michael. ¡°Detained for 15 days¡­¡± Steven seemed rather excited about it. As long as Michael faced the music, he would be happy as ark. ¡°Do you think the Ford family would just sit back and watch?¡± I sighed and sat next to Steven. ¡°You don¡¯t want to mess with The Ford family, especially Aun- ¡°Especially Mrs. Ford. It¡¯s not the 15¨Cday detainment that concerns them, it¡¯s the impact of this incident on thepany.¡± Steven wrapped his arms around his legs and hunched over them with a pitiful expression. He looked like a huge abandoned dog. I stared at him with aplicated gaze before saying, ¡°When you¡­ have an episode, do you abuse animals?¡± Steven was startled as he looked back at me in silence. I noticed that his eyes were somewhat emotional too. Was he aggrieved? Depressed? Or perhaps, upset? Was he using me of not trusting him? ¡°Then how do you exin this photo?¡± I showed him the photo that Aunty Lois had sent to me. Steven nced at the photo and looked up at me. ¡°If I say no, will Stephie believe me?¡± Honestly, it was difficult for me to blindly believe him when the proof was right there in front of me. And I was also aware that he was incapable of controlling himself during his episodes. ¡°Steve¡­ The Ford family will exploit this to the fullest in their publicity. They will attack you for your mental illness and blow it out of proportion¡­¡± I lowered my head, dreading how cruel the ensuing public opinion could be toward Steven. But lucky for him, he seldom checked his phone. Otherwise, he would be in another level of hell. Shortly after, Aunty Lois sent me an article. It was a post published the year before, and the title was about paying attention to stray animals. The article discussed themon urrence of animal abuse among the homeless poption and had a picture of Steven holding a kitten covered in blood attached next to 1. it. The article was highly critical, likely written by a journalist, and nearly reduced the homeless poption to being utterly worthless. The post had received millions of views when it went viral that year. I didn¡¯t know how Steven went through it. Public opinion sure could be a double¨Cedged sword. ¡°Stephie¡­ You don¡¯t trust me, do you?¡± Steven¡¯s voice was hoarse, as if he was on the verge of losing it again. He grabbed my arm, searching my eyes for a sense of trust. However, upon finding nothing, disappointment washed over him. Steven lowered his head as his eyes gradually reddened. Then, with tears streaming down his face, he stood up and left. ¡°Steve¡­¡± Instinctively, I reached out and held his hand, hoping for an exnation. But Steven seemed to be very sensitive about the cat abuse incident. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Steve?¡± I called again, but he ignored me and ran off to the room. This was the first time I had seen him react so emotionally in front of me. I rubbed my temples. Honestly, anyone would feel suspicious after seeing that article and photo. So, Steven. couldn¡¯t me me for doubting him, especially since he refused to exin himself. But I was just worried. I was worried that he might get hurt by the public opinion the Ford family was about to instigate. So, I searched for the incident about a homeless teenager abusing a cat that urred in the previous year. As expected, there were numerous photos and videos in the search results. In one of the videos, the videographer bumped into Steven in the alley and struck Steven with a stone and a stick. After that, Steven huddled in a corner and was tightly clutching onto something. His forehead and body were grimy, and there were traces of blood on him. I was aware that Steven had suffered a lot during his days as a homeless person, but I had no idea that he had been through this much. He could have fought back¡­ ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight back?¡± I murmured in a hoarse voice. Chapter 182 I quickly sifted through the online news and stumbled upon a dissenting voice. It was a video with very few views that had spoken up for Steven. In the video, the blogger followed Steven and recorded him, asserting that Steven was trying to rescue the stray cat rather than harm it. However, the media misinterpreted Steven¡¯s actions with their own distorted interpretation, and Steven couldn¡¯t even defend himself because he struggled with Obviously, someone had deliberately suppressed the visibility of this post, resulting in its low traffic. And low traffic meant fewer people would learn the truth. The blogger who posted the video had also only published this one post. I frowned and went to look for Ewan. If the Ford family nned to suppress the negative publicity surrounding the Ford Group by instigating public opinion about Steven¡¯s mental illness and cat abuse incident, then we had to be ready for it. ¡°Ewan, find this blogger for me as soon as possible. I want theplete video he¡¯s holding.¡± I pinned my hopes on this blogger, hoping he possessed aplete version of the video that could prove Steven¡¯s innocence. In retrospect, if I had thought this through, I would have realized that the news was fake and that I had misunderstood Steven. The fact that those stray dogs obeyed Steven¡¯smands to bite people indicated that Steven treated them well. So, he couldn¡¯t have been abusing animals.. Nevertheless, I needed actual proof now. While Ewan sent someone to look for the blogger, I sat on the couch and scrolled through the posts, hoping to find more evidence. However, the Ford family was quick to act. As the news of Michael¡¯s intentional assault gained increasing attention, reports about Steven, the president of the Lincoln Group, being used of past animal abuse also went viral. Thements from ignorantizens immediately flooded in. ¡°The homeless teenage boy who abused the cat is now the president of the Lincoln Group? ¡°Is the Lincoln Group out of its mind? They actually chose a homeless guy to be their president?¡± ¡°The Lincoln Group might as well pick me as their president. These suckers are going bankrupt soon!¡± Not surprisingly, theizens couldn¡¯t wait to see how the mighty had fallen. Their attacks and insults impacted the Lincoln Group in no time. The Lincoln Group¡¯s PR swiftly issued a statement, saying, ¡°We, at The Lincoln Group, will thoroughly investigate this matter and provide everyone with an exnation.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Then, calls from the executives of the Lincoln Group started pouring into the Lincoln family. Ewan calmly answered the calls one after another despite each call being apanied by scolding and cursing. I bit my finger. I knew that I wouldn¡¯t have a moment of peace that night. Should the controversy continue to escte, Martin¡¯s people would undoubtedly show up the next morning to pressure Steven to resign in response to the usations. They would also force him to relinquish his shares and leave the Lincoln Group. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a call from Aunty Lois. ¡°Ms. Larson, have you thought it over yet? Are you ready to settle it in private now?¡± Aunty Lois asked, assuming that I wouldpromise. I nced at the room upstairs and firmly refused her, saying. ¡°Never.¡± I¡¯d rather go down swinging thanpromise. Aunty Lois hung up the phone without saying a word. Perhaps she thought it was childish of me. But I had my pride to maintain, so I couldn¡¯t care less. ¡®Mrs. Lincoln, we¡¯ve gotten in touch with the blogger. He has theplete video, but since he¡¯s an independent content creator, he requested exposure and support in exchange for releasing the video.¡± I nodded. ¡°He can be the first to release the video. We¡¯ll help him increase visibility.¡± Ewan nodded in agreement. Soon, the whole raw truth went viral. The video revealed that someone was abusing the kitten, but Steven drove the abuser away. Then, he carefully took the injured kitten and rushed it to the nearby vet. However, several vets had turned him away. And this resulted in him having to helplessly watch as the kitten took itsst breath in his hands. Then, the video showed Steven kneeling on the ground, overwhelmed by the feelings of loss, despair, and fear¡­ My heart tightened as I watched the video. Then, I left this matter to Ewan and went to see Steven. I knocked on the door, but he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Steve? I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I said softly outside the door, ¡°I was wrong about you, Steve.¡± The door opened. Steven stood in the dimly lit room and said to me with eyes glittering with expectation, ¡± Then sleep with me, Stephie.¡± I was startled by his words. Then, Steve reached his hand out to me and said with reddened eyes, ¡°Stephie, hug me, pamper Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was Zion. ¡°Stephanie! Michael¡¯s mother was hit by a car on her way to the police station! She¡¯s still in the ER, and the person who hit her¡­ ims it was Steven who ordered it.¡± Stunned by the sudden news, I instinctively nced at Steven. Chapter 183 ¡°Our men are on their way to bring Steve in for questioning,¡± Zion said. I hung up the phone and stared at Steven. If he was the one who ordered the hit, would the driver have given out his name that easily? Besides, Steven usually let Ewan handle things on his behalf, and Ewan would never mention Steven¡¯s name. It was evident that the driver had framed Steven by alleging that he¡¯d ordered him to hit Aunty Lois with a car. Zion must have also been aware that Steven was framed, so he called me in advance to give me a heads¨Cup. Since Michael would only face a maximum of 15 days of detention, Aunty Lois had no reason to stage this ident and jeopardize her own life. Could it be that someone was attempting to provoke tension between the Lincolns and the Fords? ¡°Michael¡¯s mother was hit by a car, so I¡¯m heading to go to the hospital now. Stay home and wait for me, okay?¡± I was worried about what those ignorantizens and the people behind this ident might do if they found Steven leaving the house. If the feud between the Fords and the Lincolns escted because of Steven, his position within the Lincoln family would inevitably be affected. Not to mention, Martin would have thestugh, and he¡¯d be able to openly confront Steven without facing any condemnation. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven wanted to follow me. ¡°Be a dear and stay home, okay?¡± I reminded him again. ¡°Wait for me at home.¡± Steven¡¯s gaze turned dark, as if he were panicking. ¡°You won¡¯t lie to me this time¡­ right? 11 But I knew that what he was trying to express was- ¨C¡°You¡¯lle back to me, won¡¯t you? I was startled for a moment. Then, I shook my head and replied, ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll be back before you know it. ¡°Okay.¡± Steven nodded obediently. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait. I¡¯ll wait for you until you¡¯re home.¡± At this, I felt a sudden tightness in my chest. Nevertheless, I turned away from Steven and requested Austin to arrange for someone to drive me to the hospital. Michael was still in police custody. But if he found out that his mother was badly injured in a car ident when he got released, he would undoubtedly go berserk again. When I got downstairs, I saw Ewan going upstairs with a solemn expression. Then, I nced back and saw Steven standing in the shadows on the dimly lit second floor. I couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly, but there was an intimidating and ominous air about him. Just then, I noticed my shoces hade loose, so I squatted under the stairs to tie them. ¡°Michael seems to be bored out of his mindtely,¡± came Steven¡¯s low voice. Ewan nodded in agreement. ¡°It appears so.¡± Apparently, someone had staged this incident. ¡°Keep an eye on her. If anything ever happens¡­¡± I caught fragments of Steven and Ewan¡¯s conversation from downstairs. Steven¡¯s voice sounded cold. It waspletely different from the tone he used when speaking with me. But I thought that perhaps I was just hearing things, so I stood up on my tiptoes to get a better look. However, when I did, they were already gone. Was Steven truly a real dimwit? ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, your driver is here,¡± the nanny informed me. Before I got into the car, I instinctively nced at a corner. I could tell that someone had been watching metely. I suspected that Martin and his people might be up to something to get rid of the baby in my belly, so I¡¯d been waiting for them to make their move. However, although I could sense that I was being watched, never once had anyonee to hurt me. Something told me that while someone was trying to kill me and my baby, there were also people secretly protecting me. Otherwise, Martin and Dax should have targeted me a long time ago. Aunty Lois was taken to the Huma Hospital. Although she was still unconscious, her condition had stabilized. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I sighed in relief when I visited her in the ward. Then, I anxiously asked the doctor, ¡± When will she regain consciousness, doctor?¡± ¡°Maybe tomorrow. She suffered a concussion, but she should be fine,¡± the doctor briefly exined before leaving. s / Zion waited outside, his face filled with concern. ¡°This is clearly a setup. Despite theck of evidence, they still think it was Steven who orchestrated the ident. And Michael might believe that it was Steven too.¡± When Michael got out of jail, he would surely hate Steven even more. ¡°If he had anymon sense, he¡¯d realize that this was a setup,¡± I remarked, feeling a bit ticked off. ¡°If he had any sense, he wouldn¡¯t have let Stephanic die.¡± Zion furrowed his brow. Taken aback, I remained silent. Zion was right. ¡°Thank goodness, Lois is fine.¡± Zion nced toward the ward. ¡°I looked into that guy, Simon Foley. He¡¯s been up to a lot of petty theft, but when ites to murder, it¡¯s unlikely. Without solid evidence, we gotta cut him loose,¡± Zion said, looking apologetic. ¡°There¡¯s just something off about him,¡± I murmured. ¡°He¡¯s barely a teenager, but he seems way more mature than that, and¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t exin the frightening aura that surrounded him, nor could I tell Zion that I was certain I¡¯d seen him before my death. But at this moment, I couldn¡¯t even trust my own memories, especially given the semi- conscious state I was in before my death. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something off about Simon. I¡¯ll keep my eye on him,¡± Zion said, giving me a quick nce. ¡°The doctor from the asylum where Steven got knocked out confirmed that he¡¯s got some serious mental illness, the dangerous kind. ¡°Steven might go to extremes to hold onto what he wants, whether it¡¯s things or people. And right now, it seems like we¡¯re dealing with more than one murderer, and it¡¯s organized. In fact, Steven could be the ringleader, so we can¡¯tpletely rule him out.¡± I fell silent. ¡°If the evidence eventually points to Steven being the mastermind, what would you do?¡± Zion asked me. Chapter 184 213 ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± I dodged the question. I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if Steven turned out to be the mastermind behind everything. Before, it was due to insufficient evidence. But what if they managed to gather all the evidence? ¡°If Simon is truly one of the murderers, and Steven has been secretly sheltering him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to shake off our suspicion.¡± Zion looked at me, seemingly wanting to tell me more, yet hesitating at the same time. I knew there were things that, as a cop, he couldn¡¯t tell me, especially things regarding their investigation. Even though there were numerous truths and evidence unknown to me, he still couldn¡¯t disclose them. But now that Zion had specifically brought up these matters, I started to feel uneasy. Could there be actual evidence pointing to Steven? I nervously looked at Zion. ¡°Have you found something?¡± Zion remained silent for a while before speaking, ¡°This case is a major concern for the higher¨Cups, it¡¯s a serial murder case, and with so many deaths¡­ Our heads are all on the line.¡± I tightly clenched my hands, not knowing what Zion meant by this. Would they just me everything on Steven if there was evidence that he was at the crime scene? ¡°Many people¡¯s fate is hinging on this, so we can¡¯t tolerate further loss of life.¡± Zion leaned against the door of the emergency exit. He wanted to light a cigarette, but he gave after ncing at me. up He said, ¡°Steven was a victim back then, so he has sufficient motive tomit the crime. ¡°If he possessed a motive for the crime, he wouldn¡¯t surrender himself. He¡¯s not that foolish!¡± I didn¡¯t know why I was defending Steven. After all, he was the one I suspected the most too in the beginning. I could tell that there were things that Zion was hesitating to tell me. Yet, I wasn¡¯t someone he could trust. ¡°Stephany, you should understand that you¡¯re also one of the primary suspects we¡¯re investigating.¡± Indeed, Zion must have thoroughly investigated me as well. ¡°Stephany, I hope¡­ you¡¯re not involved in this,¡± Zion sighed and looked at me meaningfully. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I instinctively looked at him. They must have found something. ¡°Stephany? Come with us for questioning,¡± the cops said when they arrived. I was caught off guard, but I had seen this daying. After all, Stephany had been quietly funding those homeless orphans like Jean Chester. And since Jean¡¯s brother, Cyrus Chester, failed to assassinate Yasmin, it would eventually drag me into the mess. ¡°Zion¡­¡± I whispered. ¡°Can I contact Steven? He¡¯s waiting for me at home.¡± Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out! Chapter 185 Zion nced at his colleagues with aplex expression and said, ¡°Sorry¡­ It¡¯s not our team¡¯s investigation now, so¡­ I can¡¯t say much.¡± Deep down, I sensed that there must have been some internal reorganization among them since Zion hadn¡¯t found the real culprit yet. Hence, the case remained unresolved. ¡°Zion¡­ Please reach out to Steven for me. He¡¯ll be worried if I don¡¯te home. Just let me speak with him, I¡¯m begging you,¡± I said, looking at Zion anxiously. Zion was about to speak when Phil interrupted. ¡°Officer Landon is under investigation too, so don¡¯t further drag him into the mess,¡± Phil whispered to me. I nced at Zion in shock. Why was he being investigated too? ¡°Officer Landon¡­ got reported,¡± Phil muttered. I drew in a deep breath. The convergence of all these events at this particr moment was definitely not a coincidence. It appeared as if nothing was connected, but somehow, it all fit together perfectly. So, I was taken away for questioning. I knew that Steven would surely lose hisposure and go off the rails. After all, he was and once he lost control of himself, Martin would take advantage of the situation by spreading rumors. all alone now, And in the end, people would only believe what they wanted to believe. What¡¯s more, if Michael got out of jail and learned that his mother had been hit by a car, he¡¯d surely unleash his fury out on Steven. ¡°I have the right to call mywyer. You can¡¯t just take me away like this.¡± I said, still wanting to contact Steven. At least then, I could give him some assurance and keep him calm. 13 173 Zion nced at his colleagues with aplex expression and said, ¡°Sorry¡­ It¡¯s not our team¡¯s investigation now, so¡­ I can¡¯t say much.¡± Deep down, I sensed that there must have been some internal reorganization among them since Zion hadn¡¯t found the real culprit yet. Hence, the case remained unresolved. ¡°Zion¡­ Please reach out to Steven for me. He¡¯ll be worried if I don¡¯te home. Just let me speak with him, I¡¯m begging you,¡± I said, looking at Zion anxiously. Zion was about to speak when Phil interrupted. ¡°Officer Landon is under investigation too, so don¡¯t further drag him into the mess,¡± Phil whispered to me. I nced at Zion in shock. Why was he being investigated too? ¡°Officer Landon¡­ got reported,¡± Phil muttered. I drew in a deep breath. The convergence of all these events at this particr moment was definitely not a coincidence. It appeared as if nothing was connected, but somehow, it all fit together perfectly. So, I was taken away for questioning. I knew that Steven would surely lose hisposure and go off the rails. After all, he was all alone now, and once he lost control of himself, Martin would take advantage of the situation by spreading rumors. And in the end, people would only believe what they wanted to believe. What¡¯s more, if Michael got out of jail and learned that his mother had been hit by a car, he¡¯d surely unleash his fury out on Steven. ¡°I have the right to call mywyer. You can¡¯t just take me away like this.¡± I said, still wanting to contact Steven. At least then, I could give him some assurance and keep him calm. 1 Chaplet Ins 273 But the cops didn¡¯t offer me that opportunity, ¡°We didn¡¯te to nab you without evidence, so you better y along,¡± So, I decided to go along with the investigation for now. After all, I had no idea what the cops had dug up. And I was pretty clueless about Stephany¡¯s secrets too, I rubbed my temples, feeling helpless and frustrated, What on earth had Stephany done? I wasn¡¯t sure when the car arrived at the police station, but time flew by as the cops grilled me all night, asking me why I had Cyrus kill Yasmin. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I was genuinely puzzled. ¡°Cyrus spilled the beans. He imed that you were backing them up and had told him to kill Yasmin. He said that if he did so, you promised to cover Jean¡¯s medical bills,¡± the cops said in a chilling tone, trying to pressure me. I was startled. Did Cyrus really say that? Did Stephany really do that? ¡°No way¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have told Cyrus to go to the hospital to hurt Yasmin.¡± This, I was certain about. Since I got reincarnated, I hadn¡¯t reached out to Cyrus at all. So, it couldn¡¯t have been me. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°You better spill the beans!¡± The cops mmed several photos on the table in front of me. ¡°These are the photos of you helping them out, buying them food, and taking Jean to the hospital. Let¡¯s see you try to talk your way out of this.¡± ¡°I was just helping them out. What¡¯s wrong with that? What evidence do you have to prove that I instructed them? I won¡¯t confess just because of someone else¡¯s words.¡± I tried to remain calm. ¡°Stephany, I suggest you not to mess around. Come clean, work with our investigation, and try to get a fair deal.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell Cyrus to kill Yasmin. It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± Just then, before the cops could say more, another officer entered and whispered something to the officer questioning me. The interrogating officer then gave me a deep look before walking out. Now, I was alone in the interrogation room, and my head was pounding. What if Steven couldn¡¯t wait until I got back? Would he lose it? He did seem really set on waiting for me. I wasn¡¯t sure if Zion had told Steven about me. But if he didn¡¯t, then Steven was probably still waiting for me. And just like that, I spent the night at the police station. The interrogators couldn¡¯t get any evidence out of me, so they stopped asking questions as well. Then, I slouched in the chair and dozed off. When I woke up, a female officer said that I could leave. ¡°You¡¯re done questioning me?¡± I asked, puzzled. But the female officer simply ignored me. As I left the police station, I saw Zion leaning against the car, as if he were waiting for me. ¡°Cyrus spilled the beans. He said Carol Kent told him to kill Yasmin,¡± Zion said grimly. I felt a sudden panic. ¡°Who¡¯s Carol Kent?¡± ¡°Simeon¡¯s sister,¡± Zion replied in a low voice. I stared at Zion in shock. Simeon¡¯s sister? ¡°Don¡¯t you think¡­ it¡¯s all too much of a coincidence?¡± I asked. I get picked up by the cops, and then Cyrus confesses? ¡°I looked into it. Simeon was abandoned as a kid and wound up in the orphanage with Carol. Carol¡¯s got mental disabilities. How in the world could she tell Cyrus to kill Yasmin? Chapter 186 ¡°There¡¯s definitely someone backing Carol up.¡± Zion nodded. ¡°But you¡¯re not totally in the clear yet either, so better not wander around too much for now.¡± I stayed silent, watching as Ewan parked the car by the roadside. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, let¡¯s go home.¡± Ewab opened the car door for me. I got into the car and looked at Zion with mixed feelings. In response, Zion simply waved at me. ¡°Mr. Bart¡­ Lately, I¡¯ve been feeling like someone¡¯s been keeping tabs on me behind my back, even during the police investigation. There¡¯s got to be someone pulling the strings, don¡¯t you think?¡± I inquired. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure, Mrs. Lincoln.¡± Ewan chose to not be truthful. He refused to admit anything, and I felt powerless. There was surely someone watching out for me behind my back. Otherwise, how else could I have managed to get released so quickly despite being under investigation? I couldn¡¯t believe it was just luck. ¡°Did anything happen when Steve realized that I wouldn¡¯te homest night?¡± I expressed my concern. ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­ has been waiting for you,¡± Ewan replied as he drove the car. As we entered the neighborhood, I spotted Steven from a distance. He stood by the door, appearing lonely. ¡°He¡­ waited for me all night?¡± I asked softly. Ewan nodded. ¡°We couldn¡¯t convince him otherwise.¡± I stepped out of the car. I saw that Steven¡¯s eyes were red, so he probably hadn¡¯t slept all night. In fact, he¡¯d probably just stood here waiting for me. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± He rushed forward and enveloped me in his arms as soon as I stepped out of the car. Although his voice remained hoarse and choked, his grasp was firm and powerful as he held onto me. He held me close, as if he feared that I wouldn¡¯t return. Then, he tightly cradled my head. ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡± I raised my hand and gave Steven aforting pat on his back, All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No one¡­ can snatch you away from me again,¡± he said in a low voice, sending shivers down my spine. ¡°Steve¡­ Cyrus imed that Carol told him to kill Yasmin, but isn¡¯t Carol mentally disabled?¡± I whispered, feeling increasingly uneasy, ¡°Yeah, she has intellectual disabilities.¡± Steven nodded, ¡°If Simeon was really behind all this, would he drag Carol into it too?¡± I asked. I couldn¡¯t figure it out anymore. The two individuals with the mostpelling motives were Steven and Simeon. But Simeon was supposedly deceased. And even if it was a staged death, he wouldn¡¯t have done anything that would implicate Carol. Could it really have been as Zion suggested? Was Steven potentially the mastermind behind it all? Steven looked at me with a serious expression before finally speaking, ¡°Stephie, are you hungry? Let¡¯s head home for some food.¡± He took my hand and guided me back. As I stared at Steven¡¯s back, my mind was in disarray. ¡°Steven Lincoln!¡± Suddenly, a car screeched to a halt behind us. Then, Dax stepped out and angrily red at Steven. ¡°You got my dad arrested by the cops, didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked. Steven was bewildered and taking cover behind me. ¡°Stephie¡­ I have no idea what he¡¯s talking about.¡± ¡°From what I know, Mr. Lincoln Senior is suspected of multiple illegal activities, and the evidence is solid. ¡°And given Mr. Lincoln Senior¡¯s age, I suggest you go home and figure out a solution instead of pointing fingers here,¡± Ewan said sternly. Dax angrily red at Ewan and Steven. ¡°It was you!¡± ¡°Stephie¡­ He¡¯s being really aggressive,¡± Steven said from behind me, his gaze still fixed on Dax. ¡°Why do you think that it was Steven, Mr. Dax?¡± I furrowed my brows and asked. ¡°Hmph, you stepped into the police station, and my dad¡¯s already in trouble. Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Dax pointed angrily at Steven. ¡°I can see through him now. He¡¯s a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing!¡± ¡°I ended up at the police station because of you?¡± I cautiously looked at Dax. However, Dax snorted and remained silent. Clearly, he was rted to these series of events too. Meanwhile, Steven stood tall as he protectively wrapped me in his arms. He gave Dax a cold stare. ¡°Touch my people, and you¡¯re finished.¡± Chapter 187 Dax red at Steven with his fingers tightly clenched. ¡°Just you wait and see.¡± I stared at Dax in surprise. Did I just detect fear in the eyes of someone so fierce? Was he afraid of Steven? I turned back to look at Steven, surprised. He was still giving Dax a hostile re, and it wasn¡¯t until everyone had left that he slowly regained hisposure. ¡°The sudden events in the Lincoln family¡­ It all happened too quickly,¡± I whispered. ¡± Steve, are you sure you had nothing to do with this?¡± Steven didn¡¯t respond and simply continued to hold me tight. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m starving,¡± he said hoarsely. I couldn¡¯t discern if he was just pretending or genuinely unaware of what I¡¯d said. But regardless, he had stayed up all night without eating or sleeping, so he must have been hungry. So, I took him out for a meal and tucked him into bed afterward. As I sat by the bedside, I gazed at Steven¡¯s face for quite some time. What sort of persony beneath this mask of his? Then, I snuggled up beside him and drifted off into a heavy sleep. Being pregnant made me feel sleepy, and after staying up all night in the interrogation room, I felt extremely tense. However, nightmares still haunted my slumber. Yet, in the haze, aforting hand pulled me close and held me tight. As my body gradually warmed, I found sce in a peaceful sleep. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, moving against Mr. Lincoln Senior now might be too rash. It could alert the enemy too soon. You shouldn¡¯t act now just because of her.¡± I heard Ewan¡¯s voice as I drifted in and out of sleep. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyoney a finger on her,¡± Steven said sternly. ¡°It¡¯s just a routine investigation, nothing too serious.¡± Ewan sighed. ¡°But you¡¯ve revealed yourself too early. It might provoke Mr. Lincoln Senior to retaliate. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve been patient for so many years. You shouldn¡¯t take such risks now for her.¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯ve been holding back all these years for? For all the dirt of the Lincoln family?¡± Steven sneered. ¡°Mr. Bart, you know better than anyone what I¡¯m after. ¡°Is it worth it?¡± Ewan asked. ¡°Even the gods seem to be on my side.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Are you absolutely sure she¡¯s the one?¡± Ewan sounded anxious. ¡°She is,¡± Steven said firmly. In my daze, I tried to open my eyes to catch what they were saying, but I was too sleepy, and my eyelids felt heavy. The room was spacious, and Steven and Ewan were talking outside the room. I stretched on the bed, feeling the urge to get out and see what was going on. Just then, the door swung open, and Steven entered while holding a cupcake. His eyes met mine, clear and bright. ¡°Stephie¡­ You¡¯re awake.¡± He stood where the sunlight spilled in, and the golden hue created a feeling of warmth and serenity. Steven always had a pure and angelic quality about him. I started to wonder if everything I had heard was just in my head, if it was all just a trick of my mind. ¡°Steve¡­¡± I took a moment to calm myself as I sat on the edge of the bed. Then, Steven fetched me some warm water. His loyal demeanor made it difficult for me to stay upset. ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± I whispered. ¡°For a whole day and night,¡± Steven murmured beside me. 373 I was stunned, I had slept for so long? ¡°Stephie, are you hungry?¡± Steven earnestly asked. I could see that his hands were stained with fruit coloring. I closely inspected the unattractive cupcake. Did Steven make it himself? He seemed to know that Stephanie enjoyed cupcakes with dragon fruit. ¡°I don¡¯t really like dragon fruit,¡± I deliberately stated. Steven was stunned for a moment. Then, he spoke softly, ¡°Have your tastes changed?¡± Do preferences change too? I remained silent, feeling inexplicably annoyed. ¡°Just eat it yourself.¡± Then, I got up and headed to the bathroom. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, feeling irritated for quite some time. Why did I have to be reincarnated? Why was I trapped in someone else¡¯s body? Initially, I believed that being reincarnated into Stephany¡¯s body was a second chance from above. But at some point, it turned into torment. My soul was forcibly trapped in a body that wasn¡¯t mine, one that felt unfamiliar and perilous. I spent quite a while in the bathroom. When I came out, Steven was no longer in the room, but he had left the cupcake there for 1. me. So, I walked over and took a bite. It was sweet, yet not overly so. The vor was quite familiar too. Chapter 188 For a moment, I spaced out. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°Steve, are you hurt? Who messed with you?¡± ¡°They ruined the cupcake I made for you.¡± Some strange memories shed through my mind. In those memories, a little girl squatted next to a little boy. She asked the little boy why he was hurt, and the little boy simply held a broken cupcake as tears welled up in his eyes. The little girl, dressed in a red dress, reached for the broken cupcake and took a bite. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet.¡± My head throbbed as if it might burst. I raised my hand and pounded my head, but the strange memories still stubbornly lingered. Who were they? ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, are you hungry?¡± The nanny knocked on the door and spoke softly. My attention was drawn back, and I stepped outside. ¡°Where¡¯s Steven?¡± The nanny nced around and whispered, ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­ has gone somewhere.¡± Frowning, I wondered where he had disappeared to. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, I¡¯m new here, but you could check with Ms. Ewing. She¡¯s been with the Lincoln family for ages.¡± I nodded, not wanting to trouble the nanny further. Then, I headed downstairs. Ever since James had his ident and Mr. Lincoln Senior suffered a stroke, there was quite a shake¨Cup in the Lincoln family. Most of the old staff were gone, except for Angel, who still ran the kitchen. However, the rest were dismissed. ¡°Ms. Ewing, where¡¯s Steven?¡± I inquired. I was a little irritated earlier, and I might have upset him. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, it¡¯s typical for Mr. Lincoln to leave around this time every year for a brief period of time. But he did ask me to remind you to get enough rest and to eat your meals on time.¡± So, Steven had left and wasn¡¯t at the Lincoln residence now. I was a bit worried since his emotions were unstable, ¡°Did he say where he¡¯s gone off to?¡± I inquired. Angel shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t dare pry into where Mr. Lincoln goes.¡± I absentmindedly took a few bites of food before heading out. As I made my way to my destination, my mind was filled with that sudden fragment of a memory¨C the little girl in a red dress, and the little boy holding a broken cupcake. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± The little boy¡¯s face was blurry, but I faintly remembered a cut at the corner of his mouth as I struggled to recall the rest of his features. Then, I sat up fast, catching my breath. Steven. Why was Steven¡¯s face popping into my head? That mixed¨Crace teenager. That pair of clear eyes. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, we¡¯re here,¡± the driver said, interrupting my thoughts as he parked the car. I snapped out of my daze and stepped out of the car. I looked around and saw that the alley was a mess. Trash was everywhere, and a nasty smell filled the air. This was thest slum in Huma, untouched and awaiting demolition. This was the spot where many homeless folks hung out, attracting all sorts of shady characters. I¡¯de to see Carol, Simeon¡¯s sister. As I ascended the dirty stairs, I soon reached the third floor. Trash was everywhere in the hallway. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re only worth 200 for me.¡± In the rundown hallway, shouts and cries continuously echoed. Anyone could tell what was going on here. Then, the door of Room 306 was kicked open, and a man came out. He was pulling up his pants and cursing nastily. The man sized me up. ¡°Hmm, never knew there was such a hot chick here.¡± I shot him a warning gaze. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to call the cops, then get lost.¡± The man then muttered a curse. But fortunately, he didn¡¯t stick around and left in a huff. Room 306 was dimly lit, and only a fair¨Cskinned woman was sitting on the bed. She appeared somewhat off, and her face was marked with bruises. I carefully looked around the room until my eyesnded on a photo hanging prominently on the wall. It sent shivers down my spine. In the photo, there were three teenagers. I stood in the center, dressed in a red dress, and looked around 17 or 18 years old. To my right stood Steven, tall and aloof, purposely avoiding the camera. On my left was Simeon, looking rather unhappy as well. I had neverid eyes on this photo before, not even during my search for information about the orphanage. Chapter 189 If I¡¯d once questioned whether or not Steven and I had met before, now, it was practically confirmed. What¡¯s more, not only did I know Steven, but I also knew Simeon. The fact that Carol had hung this photo in such a noticeable spot suggested that the bond between Steven, Simeon, and me had been pretty special. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the three of them?¡± I turned to Carol and asked. She cowered in fear, murmuring, ¡°Simmy¡¯s¡­ buddies.¡± I stared at Steven¡¯s photo for a long time. Back when he was a teenager, he seemed even colder and more aloof than he was now. It was also a trait typically seen in geniuses. But his eyes often avoided direct contact, hinting at a shyness beneath his aloof exterior. ¡°The cops must¡¯ve already hit you up, huh?¡± I turned around and whispered. The cops would¡¯ve definitely talked to Carol. But the reason they hadn¡¯t cuffed her was probably because they didn¡¯t have enough evidence, or maybe they had something to clear her name. Carol muttered as she hugged her knees tight. ¡°She should die. She¡¯s just the worst.¡± ¡°Did you have Cyrus kill Yasmin?¡± I walked up to the bed and questioned her. ¡°Yeah¡­ It was me,¡± Carol replied, looking confused. It was obvious she had some intellectual disability. But she still confessed. No matter what had been asked, she¡¯d fessed up. Maybe the cops were stuck with her too. ¡°Where did you get the chemical that Cyrus used to kill Yasmin?¡± I asked again. Carol looked up at me. ¡°Paraquat¡­ kills insects, pests.¡± Carol admitted to all the me, but with her intellectual disability,ck of evidence, and a ¡°Who got you the paraquat?¡± I asked Carol. ¡°Paraquat is lethal. Once it¡¯s in the bloodstream¡­ No way out. The body slowly breaks down, and she¡¯ll stay wide awake till the end,¡± Carol muttered, holding her head, as if she was recounting someone else¡¯s words. Clearly, this was someone putting the idea of murder into action. Someone had put Carol up to it and greased Cyrus¡® palm to kill Yasmin. ¡°Who told you that?¡± I asked, Carol was intellectually disabled. How could she know that once paraquat gets into the bloodstream, it¡¯s game over? Moreover, paraquat didn¡¯t allow for any second thoughts. It just brought pain and remorse, with no chance of survival. Hardly anyone made it out alive after downing paraquat. Once that paraquat dripped into Yasmin¡¯s body, her blood would get tainted in no time. Her insides would also slowly turn into a fibrous mess until she couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. She would just suffer till death. Carol kept shaking her head. ¡°I did it, I did it. She wouldn¡¯t spill who it was that put her up to it, and I didn¡¯t keep pushing her either. Besides, if the cops couldn¡¯t get it out of her, there¡¯s no way I could. All I could do now was to keep a close eye on her and figure things out on my own. I turned around and pointed at the photo. ¡°Hey Carol, can you tell me about the three people in this photo?¡± Carol appeared eager to open up to me and showed no signs of fear. She swiftly hopped off the bed and dashed over to the photo. ¡°Simmy, Steve, and this one is¡­¡® ¡± Carol introduced me with excitement, pointing to ¡°Stephanie¡± in the red dress in the middle. Then, she looked at me with a puzzled expression and said, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± My heart skipped a beat as I stared at Carol in shock. ¡°No, you¡¯ve got it wrong. We just happen to look alike.¡± Chain 187 Carol shook her head, puzzled. ¡°I remember you. W¡¯s adiowaty you my didn¡¯t like you at all. You were alwayspeting with key for Geys ¡°¡­peted with him for Steve?¡± My nerves Hypered, ¡°Steve is Simmy¡¯s closest buddy, wy¡¯ve been tig for forew Yowy w utw the advanced sses together, ¡°But Steve¡¯s always ditching Simmy to beng, one with you, may wash but Steve shut him down,¡± Carol said sadly ¡°bimy was crushed cried for ages. He said you and Steve didn¡¯t want anymore N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. way we m Ma Suddenly, Carol angrily red at me, ¡°Why¡¯d you have to snatch Says away at hen set even bother to cherish him? Why¡¯d you have to hurt them! You¡¯re the one the loses to die!¡± Carol¡¯s words caught me off guard, and i swiftly stepped back Then, she suddenly charged at me and gave me a shove, I wasn¡¯t able to keep my bnce and tumbled backward. Then, my head smuded against Carol¡¯s small stool, and the world went dark, in front of me, I never imagined Carol could be so strong ¡°You¡¯re the one who caused their deaths. You snatched Steve away from Simmy and then you dumped him. You¡¯re so mean.¡± In my daze, I kept hearing Carol¡¯s cries, ¡°My name¡¯s Stephie. What¡¯s yours? ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Old memories buried deep inside my mind starteding back to me, Behind the orphanage on thewn, a skinny mixed¨Crace boy was covered in wounds and hiding in the corner. Chapter 190 The little girl in the red dress spotted him and took out a band¨Caid from her bag. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± The little boy shook his head, looking bewildered. ¡°Hey, blue¨Ceyed little bastard! Never seen you shed a tear or crack a smile, and you act like nothing hurts!¡± A group of kids from the orphanageughed and taunted as they threw stones at Steven. They called the little boy a bastard because he had a pair of stunning eyes, like the stars in the sky. ¡°Who are you calling a bastard?¡± The little girl in the red dress got angry. She protectively stood in front of the little boy and picked up some stones from the ground.¡± If you mess with him again, I¡¯ll knock you out!¡± ¡°Hey, who¡¯re you? Just got here? Don¡¯t you know the orphanage rules?¡± ¡°Check out that dress she¡¯s got on, real nice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s brand new!¡± ¡°Once we strip her of that dress, it¡¯s ours.¡± The girls wanted the red dress the little girl was wearing. They bossed around the few boys there and told them to tear it off her. Meanwhile, the little girl stood in ce as tears streamed down her face. The little boy observed that the girl was crying. Then, he swiftly seized a stone from the ground and aggressively tackled one of the boys, repeatedly striking him hard on the head. The little girl in the red dress was terrified, screaming out, ¡°Daddy! Daddy!¡± Then, a figure slowly drew closer from afar, and the faces of everyone from the memory started to be distinct. The little girl in the red dress was me when I was young, while the little boy who was fighting was Steven. And from afar, my dad, along with Ivan Hanks, the orphanage director, were rushing toward us. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± Later on, Steven was locked in the punishment room because Mr. Hanks wanted him to reflect on his behavior. The girls who were bullying me mentioned that they liked my dress, so Dad promised to get each of them one next time. After that, Dad lifted me up and took me away. As we left, I noticed a teenage boy peeking at me from behind a window. That was Steven. His eyes were unmistakable. So, it turned out I had known Steven for a long time. But I¡¯d just forgotten that memory. ¡°Steve, I have feelings for you¡­ But I need to prepare for the college entrance exam. Once we graduate, can we be together? ¡°Steve¡­ Can you wait for me?¡± Suddenly, there was a sudden intrusion from outside. I recognized the voices immediately¡ªit was Rachel, Zion, and¡­ Michael. The intrusion immediately brought me back to my senses. Wasn¡¯t Michael supposed to be in detention? How did he get out? ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Rachel yelled at Carol and instructed Zion to call for an ambnce. ¡°She¡¯s Stephanie,¡± Carol said from the corner. Her head tilted as she pointed at me. ¡°I can¡¯t be mistaken, she¡¯s Stephanie.¡± ¡°Do you believe in ghosts, like, in this world?¡± Carol asked Zion and Michael, sounding a bit crazy. ¡°She¡¯s like a lingering spirit¡­ She¡¯s back to be with.Simmy, to take Steve away again.¡± Michael¡¯s face turned pale as he held me tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll take her to the hospital!¡± ¡°Stephie, you¡¯ll be okay. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± In my daze, I heard Michael¡¯s voice. He sounded like he was in tears. ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you again, I swear. I¡¯m sorry, Stephie¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I like you¡­¡± My mind was wandering. I didn¡¯t even realize what I was saying. Michael¡¯s body briefly tensed up as he struggled to make out what I was saying, as if he Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g was eager to hear the response he desired. ¡°Steve¡­¡± Yet, I found myself calling out Steven¡¯s name. Chapter 191 ¡°Michael! Hands off!¡± Rachel tried to yank me away from Michael. However, she stopped for fear of identally hurting me. During the ride to the hospital, Rachel kept on berating Michael. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but trash, just wasting air. ¡°Michael, why don¡¯t you go die? Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to be buried with Stephie? Just go die. ¡°You¡¯re such a waste even in death. Change Stephie¡¯s tombstone for me! You¡¯re not even fit to be her husband. ¡°You¡¯re disgusting.¡± Throughout the journey, Rachel kept on talking. She did a great job speaking up for me, cursing with gusto. Meanwhile, I struggled to wake up. I badly wanted to see Steven. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯re still out on bail, so I suggest you don¡¯t wander around,¡± Zion warned Michael. Michael remained silent for a while before speaking up, ¡°She¡¯s Stephie, isn¡¯t she¡­¡± Rachel was stunned, and her face darkened. ¡°Michael, what¡¯s gotten into you? Just after Stephie passed away, there were rumors about you going crazy. ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t believe it. But now, it seems there might be some truth to it.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°You know¡­ She¡¯s Stephie.¡± Michael, with reddened eyes, said to Rachel with a questioning lilt in his voice. Rachel felt somewhat guilty. ¡°I reckon you¡¯re really losing it,¡± she said. ¡°Whether she¡¯s Stephie or not, she belongs to me.¡± Michael said sternly. ¡°I won¡¯t let her get close to that lunatic, Steven.¡± ¡°I think Steven seems fine. But you, on the other hand, you look more like a lunatic,¡± Rachel quipped. Then, she whispered to Zion, ¡°He was locked up for a few days. How did hee out even crazier? Did you guys brainwash him?¡± ¡°Who knows, he went on a hunger strike in there just to get bail,¡± Zion muttered, 212 The doctor gave me a thorough checkup and said that there was nothing wrong. But for some reason, I just couldn¡¯t wake up. My mind was clear, and I desperately tried to open my eyes. But for a moment, it seemed like this body was beyond my control. Then, I felt a sudden rush of panic as I struggled to open my eyes. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t snap out of it. It was like I was having sleep paralysis. ¡°No problems at all? Then why isn¡¯t she waking up?¡± Michael nervously asked the doctor. ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s just exhausted. Let¡¯s keep an eye on her a bit longer,¡± the doctor suggested. ¡°Steve!¡± I panicked, calling out Steven¡¯s name. Why was I unable to wake up? ¡°Steve¡­¡± Then, I recalled meeting Steven at the orphanage when I was young. Steven ended up getting locked up by Mr. Hanks because he stood up for me and fought the boy who was bullying me. But as for what happened next, I couldn¡¯t recall. My memories were scattered. And among the fragments, the only clear memory I could recall was the first time I met Steven. Even from the photo at Carol¡¯s house, it was clear that Steven and I had met when we were around eight or nine years old, and our bond remained strong throughout adolescence. Why did I specifically forget about everything rted to the orphanage, including Steven and Simeon, after the car crash? ¡°Steve¡­¡± I kept shouting Steven¡¯s name. Then, there was a voice in my mind that said, ¡°Steven has always been waiting for you.¡± ¡°Steve!¡± Maybe because I was eager to wake up, I suddenly felt like I broke free from some restraint and opened my eyes wide. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Michael was the first to rush up, looking panicked as he called my name. However, I ignored him and tried to bolt from the bed. Steven was waiting for me. ¡°Stephie.¡± Rachel returned with the test results just as I was trying to make a run for it. ¡°Stephie?¡± She tried to chase after me. But in my panic, I simply dashed out of the hospital and hailed a cab back to the Lincoln residence to see Steven. I wasn¡¯t sure why I wanted to see him so badly. And now that I realized I¡¯d lost some memories, they were graduallying back to me. Chapter 192 ¡°She¡¯s Stephie, right?¡± Rachel stood nearby as she watched me hail a cab. Zion followed her out and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Forget about it. The doctor said that she and the baby are fine.¡± Rachel lowered her gaze as her eyes turned red. ¡°If she truly is Stephie, will she be upset with me for not recognizing her at first?¡± Zion sighed and nced at the deeply troubled Michael. ¡°Man, I swear you two are both going crazy.¡± Rachel lowered her head and tightly clenched her hands. ¡°Is there a chance that the science we¡¯ve been learning can¡¯t exin certain things?¡± Just then, Zion¡¯s phone rang, so he stepped aside to answer it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride,¡± Michael said hoarsely as he approached me. I was struggling to hail a cab, but I ignored Michael. At that moment, all I wanted was to return to the Lincoln residence to meet and apologize to Steven. It seemed like I had truly forgotten about him. But I was putting in a lot of effort to recall and bring back all our shared memories. Then, Michael grabbed my wrist as I tried to flee. ¡°Hey, Stephany, calm down!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± I forcefully pushed away Michael¡¯s arm, my eyes filled with disgust and hatred. Michael stood frozen in ce and stared at me for a long time. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± he called out to me after I finally managed to hail a cab and was about to get 1. in. ¡°Stephie¡­ Is that you?¡± Michael hurried over, tapping on the car door. I gave the driver a cold nce. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Michael trailed behind the car for a few steps before destely standing in ce. He shouted, ¡°Stephanie! Come back, please, I¡¯m begging you. ¡°Stop it. Who do you think you¡¯re fooling? You seriously think she¡¯s like some character from a novel who gets reincarnated? You¡¯re out of your mind! ¡°Let me make it clear¨CStephanie¡¯s gone, and you¡¯re the one who killed her! And child too.¡± Rachel continued to provoke him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go die?¡± Your ¡°You think I haven¡¯t tried to die?¡± Michael shouted at Rachel, his voice trembling. I nced at them in the rearview mirror until their voices grew distant. Late affection was worthless. I didn¡¯t care about Michael¡¯s remorse now.. When the cab arrived at the Lincoln residence, I hastily got out of the car and searched everywhere for Steven. ¡°Steve¡­¡± I called. ¡°Is Steven back yet?¡± I nervously asked Angel and grabbed her arm. Angel shook her head. ¡°Mr. Lincoln won¡¯t be back tonight.¡± Suddenly, I felt a bit anxious. Did I upset him by not eating the cupcake today? ¡°Mr. Bart, where¡¯s Steve? I want to see him.¡± I called Ewan. He must know. Ewan remained silent for a moment before speaking up, ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, you should rest early. Let Mr. Lincoln have some time alone today.¡± ¡°I want to see him!¡± I stated firmly. I wanted to see him. There was always a voice in my mind urging me, saying, ¡°Go see him. He¡¯s been waiting for for so long.¡± you ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll head over to pick you up from the Lincoln residence,¡± Ewan responded. After waiting at the door for 20 minutes, Ewan finally showed Now, I finally understood what it felt like to wait for someone. 1. up. While waiting, people¡¯s emotions would be greatly amplified. And they would feel anxious, panicked, and fearful. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the first time I ran into Steve back when we were just kids. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Our connection wasn¡¯t so simple. Otherwise, Simeon wouldn¡¯t be so insanely jealous of 1. me. ¡°Hey Ewan, where¡¯d Steve go?¡± I couldn¡¯t wait to find out as soon as I got into the car. ¡°Mr. Lincoln has his own secret spot. He managed to buy a house with the money he¡¯d been umting since he joined the advanced sses schrships, cash prizes, bonuses from Mr. Andy, and his own earnings. ¡°He says the Lincoln residence isn¡¯t where he belongs and wants to have his own ce, It¡¯s a promise he made to his sweetheart,¡± Ewan exined. ¡°Did he go there to avoid me?¡± 1 felt a bit nervous. ¡°No¡­¡± Ewan hesitated, taking a moment before he continued, ¡°Mr. Lincoln not only has a tendency to self¨Charm, but also a tendency toward suicide. ¡°After Ms. Carlson passed away, he attempted suicide mutiple times. Later¡­ when you showed up, we all thought you were his chance at improvement, his salvation.¡± My heart felt like it was being stabbed, and hard at that. ¡°He mentioned that if he could start anew, he wanted to return to where they first met. ¡°He¡¯s scared that if he hurts himself again, it¡¯ll freak you out. So, he¡¯s hiding in a spot he thinks is safe.¡± Chapter 193 Ewan drove to a vi in the city center. The houses there were really pricey. Dad mentioned before that it was a fancy neighborhood built by the Lincoln Group. It was a ce we couldn¡¯t afford even if we worked hard for an extra 20 years. Even though Steven had been making money from prizes, schrships, and his jobs since he joined the advanced sses at 14, he still couldn¡¯t afford a house here. And ever since Mr. Andy passed away, the Lincolns didn¡¯t seem like they would give Steven any money. And even though Steven had recently taken over the Lincoln Group, he didn¡¯t have much real power yet and was still being suppressed. He was simply stuck in a passive state. ¡°How¡­ did he afford to buy a house here?¡± I asked Ewan in disbelief. Ewan remained silent for a while, seemingly avoiding my question. Then, he said, ¡°Mr. Lincoln is just awesome. He¡¯s a genius.¡± The car soon came to a stop at a vi in the middle of theke. I was stunned by the surroundings. This ce was definitely the priciest spot in Huma. This house of Steven¡¯s¡­ He couldn¡¯t have bought it himself, right? As I stepped into the yard, I was stunned. The yard was filled with my favorite tulips, and the walls were covered in blooming roses. ¡°Stephie, we¡¯ll have our own ce. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯ll keep you safe. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you again.¡± Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over me. That familiar headache returned, and my memories slowly resurfaced. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Every memory I recalled was rted to Steven. ¡°Steve¡­¡± I went into the house and dashed into the living room looking for Steven. this bedroom was locked, the curtains pulled shut tight, and not a glimmer of light was slipping through. ¡°Steve! Open the door!¡± I was getting anxious, afraid that Steven would keep hurting himself. ¡°Mr. Lincoln isn¡¯t doing too good. I¡¯ll send someone to knock on the door,¡± Ewan said, sounding a bit worried. ¡°Hey, Steve, I gotta talk to you,¡± I whispered. I was really scared now. ¡°Whether you¡¯re Stephanie or not¨Csave him,¡± Ewan bowed his head and said in a low tone. Ewan¡¯s plea was in the word ¡°save¡°. It felt like Steven¡¯s time was running out. ¡°Steve¡­¡± I banged on the door. ¡°Don¡¯te in and don¡¯t look at me,¡± Steven said urgently. He didn¡¯t want me to witness his distress. This time, I didn¡¯t avoid it. I admitted that I was Stephanie. ¡°Steve, I remember¡­ the first time we met at the orphanage.¡± All of a sudden, the room went quiet. Then, the door swung open. Steven stared at me in a panic. His hands were stained with blood, and he trembled as he held my face. ¡°Stephie¡­ You remember everything?¡± What was he so scared of? Was he hoping I¡¯d remember everything, or was he dreading it? I said, ¡°Steve¡­ I only recall us meeting at the orphanage when we were kids. T ¡°During the year of our college entrance exam, it felt like I¡¯d asked you to wait for me. What¡¯s our rtionship, really?¡± I asked Steven as tears started to well up in my eyes. Steven¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°You remember me now¡­¡± Even though it was only of our past encounter. 33 ¡°Nothing else matters as long as you remember me.¡± Steven suddenly hugged me tight, his fingers still dripping blood. I caught a whiff of the blood emanating from him and suddenly felt a wave of unease. ¡°Stephie¡­ The bad guys are almost dead,¡± Steven whispered. I tightened my grip on Steven¡¯s clothes. ¡°Steve, please tell me you didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ Tell Tell me, you¡¯ve got nothing to do with the serial murders. You didn¡¯t kill Steven shook his head. ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll never leave your side.¡± I held Steven¡¯s hand and led him back to his room to tend to his wounds. anyone. By then, he¡¯d reverted back to that obedient demeanor of his and quietly sat in front of 1. me. ¡°Can¡¯t youst a minute without me?¡± I chided softly. ¡°Stephie¡­ Don¡¯t go out of my sight,¡± he pleaded softly. This was a form of moral maniption. Chapter 194 Feeling resigned, I simply nodded and pretended to go along with him. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m not mad at you,¡± Steven suddenly said. ¡°You forgot about me, but I¡¯m not ming you,¡± he spoke again. For some reason, tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn¡¯t hold them back, and I didn¡¯t even know why I was crying. ¡°Stephie¡­ Please don¡¯t cry.¡± Steven awkwardly wiped away my tears and pulled me into his embrace. ¡°Stephie, it¡¯s all in the past now. Can you give me another chance?¡± ¡°Steven, I¡¯ll get to know you again,¡± I whispered. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, sounding pleased. It seemed like things were finally getting better. Everything was going to be alright. ¡°I went to see Carol today. Although she¡¯s not as smart as the others, she seems to be involved in some shady business,¡± I whispered. I wasn¡¯t sure if Steven was aware of this or if he would lend a hand. But she was Simeon¡¯s sister, after all. Steven paused for a moment, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes. ¡°You went to see her?¡± I nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t trust a word she says. Stay away from her.¡± Steven looked nervous as he held my face. ¡°Stephie, from now on, don¡¯t trust anyone but me.¡± I saw Steven starting to panic, so I quickly nodded. ¡°Okay, I trust you.¡°. Steven finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, my phone rang. I nced at it and saw that it was Yasmin calling. Well, that sure was something. ¡°Stephany, I¡¯m getting discharged from the hospital,¡± she said. ¡°Are you crazy? Why are you calling me? You should call Michael if you¡¯re getting discharged,¡± I retorted, I wasn¡¯t in the best mood. ¡°I know you¡¯re with Michael.¡± Now, wasn¡¯t she good at figuring things out? ¡°He¡¯s in the shower. Want me to call him over?¡± I teased, Provoked, Yasmin took a deep breath. ¡°Tonight, I¡¯ll be working with the cops to lure out the murderer. Don¡¯t you want to see who the murderer is?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t miss it.¡± I snorted. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t die too easily.¡± ¡°Stephany, you imitated Stephanie well, but there are some secrets about her that you don¡¯t know. ¡°Come see me tonight, and we¡¯ll wait for the murderer together. I¡¯ll spill a secret about Stephanie. Those who know about it have almost ended up dead at the hands of the murderer.¡± Yasmin¡¯s words sounded intriguing, as if she was holding onto some incredible secret. Huh? But what secret could there possibly be that I¡¯m not aware of? ¡°And even if you¡¯re Stephanie, there are secrets you¡¯re not aware of. Stephanie had amnesia and forgot a lot of things,¡± Yasmin added. I frowned and recalled the first time I crossed paths with Yasmin. She¡¯d looked at me nervously and whispered, ¡°Stephanie? Do you¡­ remember me?¡± She was probing me. But back then, I genuinely didn¡¯t remember her. Considering how Yasmin was also raised in the orphanage, there must have been some connection or encounter between us previously too. ¡°If you care so much about Stephanie, don¡¯t you wanna know why Michael was so harsh on her? Don¡¯t you wanna know¡­ what I did to make Michael hate Stephanie so much? ¡°If it was just me using Stephanie of pushing me down the stairs, Michael wouldn¡¯t have hated her so much.¡± So, Yasmin knew a lot of secrets Stephanie wasn¡¯t aware of. I remained silent for quite some time. I stood by the window and observed Steven. He was patiently sitting on the bed waiting for me. He was such a good boy. It felt like he hung on to every word I said. ¡°I also know about the connection between Stephanie and that lunatic, Steven, and their involvement in the recent serial murder case! ¡°If you want to know the truth,e see me!¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice trembled, her will to survive evident. I knew she was afraid of dying. She was convinced that Steven was the murderer, so she brought me along. She thought that her chances of survival would be greater with me by her side. After all, Steven would hesitate to hurt me and the baby I was carrying. I knew Yasmin intended to use me as a hostage when the situation got tough. Not a word she said could be trusted. Then, she added, ¡°I¡¯ve always known about the secret underground room in the orphanage. And I know of all the hidden dark secrets of the orphanage too. Don¡¯t you want to know?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. She really got me with that one. These were the things she wouldn¡¯t spill to the cops, no matter how hard they pressed her. But today, out of fear, she might just spill it all to me. Chapter 195 ¡°Stephie¡­¡± I¡¯d barely hung up the phone when Steven started his act. ¡°Ow, it hurts.¡± Steven raised his hand to show me the wound on his wrist. I suspected that he¡¯d caught wind of my chat with Yasmin and was now scheming to stop me from leaving. ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor take care of it?¡± I held Steven¡¯s wrist and nced at it. ¡°Why would hurt yourself when you know it¡¯s painful?¡± With a hint of sadness in his eyes, Steven whispered, ¡°Stephie, how about we move out and live somewhere else?¡± He didn¡¯t want me to stay at the Lincoln residence any longer and preferred to leave Ignatius there to fend for himself. ¡°We¡¯ve got a ce.¡± He gazed at me with determination, wanting to convey to me that this was our home. I took a moment to gather my thoughts and nced around. Not only were the flowers in the yard ones I loved, but even the room decorations were tailored to my preferences. It appeared that he had truly been making continuous efforts all this while to create a home with me. ¡°Steve¡­ This vi is expensive. Did you buy it or rent it?¡± I asked suspiciously. Steven¡¯s eyes shifted slightly. ¡°I rented it¡­¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go back to the Lincoln residence, we¡¯ll stay here.¡± Steven was the heir of the Lincoln family. Of course, he could easily afford the rent with the monthly trust payment. Finally happy, Steven didn¡¯t seem to be feeling any pain from his wound anymore. ¡°Your foot and calf injuries haven¡¯t fully healed yet. If you keep hurting yourself, I¡¯ll leave you.¡± I tried to make him heed my warning by threatening to leave. Sure enough, Steven was terrified. He nervously nced at me and the leave¡­¡± ¡°Then stop hurting yourself.¡± puned Steven remained silent and simply held me tight, unwilling to loosen his grip. ¡°I¡¯m going out tonight. Just stay home and get some rest. I¡¯lle straight here to be with you when I get back,¡± I whispered, trying to reassure him. I hadn¡¯t yet remembered much about my time with Steven, but the memories of our childhood meeting felt like they were deeply affecting me. If Steven and the orphanage were really that significant to me, why did I specifically forget about them? Yasmin was also from the orphanage. And in my memories, the girl who admired my dress must have been thete Mandy. Yasmin, on the other hand, was the girl who always followed Mandy. She¡¯d looked weak, but she¡¯d coldly watch and even find joy in others¡® misfortune. Ever since she was a child, Yasmin always had a mean streak in her. On our way back, I questioned Howard about the time when Stephanie was bullied by some boys for wearing a red dress. Based on my recollection, Howard wasn¡¯t part of the event and didn¡¯t initiate the tearing of my clothes. Howard responded, ¡°Back then, Stephanie¡¯s father was in talks with Mr. Hanks about funding the orphanage while his own daughter was getting bullied there. ¡°Later, Mr. Hanks punished Steven and those who bullied Stephanie, but Yasmin was the only one who wasn¡¯t implicated.¡± This indicated that Yasmin had always been a clever person who was skilled at stirring up trouble from a young age. ¡°Stephie! I¡¯m in so much pain.¡± Steven suddenly gripped my hand tighter. ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t leave. Stay with me, please?¡± I looked at Steven suspiciously. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Did he overhear my phone call, or did he have a sense of what might happenter? ¡°Steve, I have to go out.¡± I wanted to uncover the truth and reim my memories. I couldn¡¯t just reacquaint myself with Steven again so naively. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to Steven, nor to myself. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m thirsty.¡± Steven changed the topic. So, I could only go and get him some water. But as soon as I stepped away, Steven¡¯s gaze dropped to my phone screen. It was showing Michael¡¯s name on the caller ID. Without hesitation, Steven blocked the call. Steven¡¯s vi was massive, yet there wasn¡¯t a nanny in sight. Steven wasn¡¯t fond of having people around, so there was only an old butler named Leo Hart who helped him with the yard work outside. After fetching him some warm water, I brought it into the room. That¡¯s when I noticed Steven was having a fever. He was curled up in bed and couldn¡¯t be bothered to cover himself with a nket. I was worried. How did he survive all these years with such poor self¨Ccare skills? ¡°Stephie¡­¡± I wanted to get him a thermometer, but Steven grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto the bed, holding me tight in his arms. Even though he was sick, he was still very strong. Chapter 196 It was truly an endless show of his strength. ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Steven murmured and groaned as he held me tightly in his arms. This time, he remembered to cover us both with the nket and even tightly wrapped me up with his long legs, as if he feared I might slip away. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°What¡¯s scaring you so much?¡± I asked, puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of sleeping alone¡­¡± He feared that when he woke up, his dreams would fall apart. ¡°Stephie, guess which one¡¯s the real deal¨Cdreams or reality?¡± Steven whispered to me. ¡°Who knows?¡± I replied, feeling just as lost. ¡°Do you ever wonder why when we recall the past, it feels like we¡¯re seeing things from God¡¯s point of view?¡± Steven asked in a hushed tone. His question caught me off guard. Recalling childhood memories did feel as though we were seeing them from God¡¯s point of view. ¡°Could it be that when we revisit those moments in time, we¡¯re not the same people anymore¡­¡± Steven¡¯s voice was low as he tightened his grip on my hand. I thought about what he said for a while, but I just couldn¡¯t understand it. Perhaps this was just how a crazy person or a genius thinks¨Csomething beyond my understanding as an ordinary person. ¡°Want some water?¡± I whispered. But as I turned to look at him, Steven had already fallen asleep. It seemed like he could always quickly drift off to sleep whenever he was with me. His long eyshes and wless skin made him look exceptionally handsome. Actually, it was kind of annoying. Even though Steven had wandered around and wore clothes that didn¡¯t fit right, his skin still looked amazing. In fact, it looked much better than that of the people who splurged on skincare products every year. The room had a fresh scent that was reminiscent of sandalwood, the aroma of which could induce drowsiness. I couldn¡¯t recall how I drifted off to sleep, but with Steven holding me like that, I fell asleep very quickly. When I woke up, it was already 10 pm. The sky had turned pitch ck, and Steven wasn¡¯t in the room. My heart sank as I reached for my phone. Surprisingly, Yasmin hadn¡¯t called me. However, when I checked my phone, I realized it was on ¡°Do Not Disturb¡± mode. It was Steven. ¡°Where¡¯s Steve?¡± The vast vi was quiet and dimly lit. There was also no nanny, and it was just Leo that was still out in the yard weeding. ¡°Excuse me, where¡¯s Steven?¡± I anxiously asked. Leo appeared elderly and possibly had some difficulty hearing because he merely nced at me before continuing with his weeding. It was already 10 pm, yet he was still busy weeding away. Just then, a big dog came out of the bushes andy down obediently next to my feet. Its wolf¨Clike cars stood tall, and it had a pair of cute and big eyes that gave it a pitiful look. It didn¡¯t seem fierce at all. Suddenly, Steven came to my mind for some reason. ¡°Mr. Hart, where¡¯s Steven?¡± I asked again. Leo put down the hoe and gestured to show that he didn¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t get what the hand signals meant, so I had to give Ewan a call. Yasmin had agreed to help the cops lure out the murderer on this night, so I hoped Steven wouldn¡¯t show up there. Tavan Wildn¡¯t pick up when I called, so I had no choice but to dial Zion¡¯s number. However, Zion didn¡¯t answer either. He was probably watching over Yasmin right now. After all, they had to make sure she stayed safe. Since Yasmin hadn¡¯t died thest time, the murderer hadn¡¯t made any further moves. So, clearly, the murderer was the most desperate and eager for Yasmin¡¯s death more than anyone else. ¡°Stephanie, why aren¡¯t you here?¡± I called Yasmin, and she sounded scared on the line. ¡± Stephanie, where are you? He¡¯s after me¡­ Help, please, I don¡¯t want to die!¡± I nced at my phone and suddenly burst outughing. What was Yasmin up to? Was she experiencing the same hopelessness I felt before I died? Chapter 197 ¡°The cops should be keeping in touch with you, right? If you¡¯re under their watch, nothing bad can happen to you,¡± I said firmly. ¡°We¡­ got lost,¡± Yasmin sald nervously, ncing around as if she were really scared. ¡± Stephanie, that lunatic, Steven, only listens to you. If youe to rescue me, I¡¯ll spill everything. Save me, please,¡± Who knew that there¡¯d be a day when Yasmin would actually beg me to save her? ¡°Do you know¡­ how desperate Stephanie was before she died? She¡¯d called Michael, but Michael told her to die. ¡°What were you guys doing when she called?¡± I sneered. ¡°Yasmin, this is your karma.¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Stephany! You¡¯re not Stephanie, why are you acting like her? No matter how you act, you¡¯re not Stephanie! Save me¡­ ¡°Why should I save you? Didn¡¯t you tell the cops that the murderer and I were in cahoots? Didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯d intentionally made you give me Stephanie¡¯s information to imitate her? ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I was an aplice in Stephanie¡¯s murder?¡± I chuckled as I spoke again, ¡°Since I¡¯m an aplice, why would youe to me for help?¡± The moment Yasmin asked me to save her, I felt a sudden sense of relief in heart. my tense After all, Yasmin wasn¡¯t stupid. If she had proof that I was an aplice in the murder, she wouldn¡¯t havee asking me for help. In fact, I should even be hoping for her death instead. ¡°Stephany!¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice trembled, growing more frantic. ¡°I know I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to the cops. ¡°Someone told me that you¡¯ve been pretending to be Stephanie just to seduce Michael and that lunatic, Steven.¡± I had no idea how terrified Yasmin was at that moment. It took her a while before she spoke again, ¡°Stephanie, please save me¡­ I¡¯m begging you. That lunatic, Steven, won¡¯t spare me. He¡¯s just a psycho. Once he realizes that you¡¯re not Stephanie, he¡¯ll mercilessly kill you too. ¡°He¡¯s here¡­ He¡¯s here¡­ Stephany,e save me.¡± Yasmin started to panic. My chest tightened. Did she spot Steven? Now, I was getting a bit scared too. After all, I¡¯d woken up and didn¡¯t see Steven. Just where did he go? ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell me your location when you ask for help? You¡¯re an important hostage, so the cops can¡¯t have lost you. You yourself know what you¡¯ve done,¡± I said. I knew Zion was a responsible cop. He wouldn¡¯t let a hostage slip away from his sight. So, there was only one possibility¡ªeither Yasmin arrogantly thought she could escape the murderer by intentionally leaving the cops¡® sight. Or¡­ she knew the cops were following her, and she couldn¡¯t lure out the murderer. So, she took a risk. Some people imed that the kids from the Double Stars Welfare Home were all bright children. They had two absolute geniuses, and the rest of the children were better than the average child too. Yasmin was.really good in school. She and Michael were ssmates, and she was a year ahead of me. She¡¯d also graduated as the top student in her ss and ced fourth in her year. Hence, Yasmin¡¯s foster parents treated her pretty well. They thought that she could make them proud. Yasmin¡¯herself knew she had to work harder to earn more recognition. So, when she became Michael¡¯s first love, I didn¡¯t see her as just a pretty face climbing up thedder. And it was also because of how smart Yasmin was that I¡¯d ended up dying. This was why despite her fear right now, she called me instead of the cops. She knew that if Steven was truly the murderer, I was her only chance at surviving, and the cops couldn¡¯t keep her safe for long. She was taking a risk. I believed she had other options besides me, so I wasn¡¯t worried she¡¯d die. I was more concerned about Steven. I was worried that he was really the one who was going to kill her. This was the trap Yasmin set for the ¡°murderer¡°. My heart skipped a beat, and I began to feel lost. What was I thinking? If Steven truly was the killer, I should¡¯ve hated him from the depths of my soul and wished for his swift demise. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Why¡­ was I actually worried about him? ¡°Stephany, you¡¯re the only one who can stop him now,¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice trembled as she spoke. I could hear the sound of metal scraping against the ground through the phone. It sounded like someone dragging an ax or some other tool. Chapter 198 ¡°I¡¯m at the orphanage,¡± Yasmin said. She must have had a death wish going there. ¡°I bet Michael is lurking around too, right? You love him so much, he¡¯s sure to keep you safe. ¡°Calling me over, you¡¯re quite the double¨Cchecker, huh? You weren¡¯t satisfied with just killing Stephanie, and now you want to kill me too? I¡¯m not as naive as Stephanie,¡± I said. But I still felt a bit guilty as I spoke. ¡°You¡¯lle because you want to uncover Stephanie¡¯s secret,¡± Yasmin confidently said. I figured that Michael and Yasmin must have talked it over. They probably nned for me to see first hand that Steven was a murderer. Michael repeatedly imed that he¡¯d reveal Steven¡¯s true identity, and both he and Yasmin were convinced that Steven was the culprit. That¡¯s why Yasmin insisted for me to go. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice trembled even more violently. ¡°Come over right now, and you¡¯ll get to see Steven.¡± With that, she ended the call. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. If I¡¯d called the cops first in my past life, I wouldn¡¯t have met my tragic end. But now, in my second chance at life, even though everyone seemed unreliable, the cops were definitely more trustworthy than Michael and the others. ¡°Zion, Yasmin went to the orphanage,¡± I said when Zion finally answered the phone.¡± She said the murderer targeted her and she¡¯s already there.¡± Zion cursed over the phone. He sounded frantic, and everyone seemed to be panicking. ¡°That woman¡¯s insane! She agreed to meet at Sunset Alley, but then she put the tracking device on the dog and slipped away into the night herself. So, we¡¯ve just been chasing the dog in circles!¡± Zion was still running in a hurry, probably leading the team to the orphanage. ¡°I¡¯m heading there too.¡± After hanging up the phone, I made up my mind to head to the orphanage, Honestly, I was scared that it was really steven who wanted to kill Yasmin. As I ran out of the house, the big dog from the yard dashed out too. It wagged its tall as it approaches the personing in. There, Steven stood under the streetlight bolding a te of steaming hot fried mushrooms from my favorite chain restaurant. There was always a long queue there. Did he go out to buy the fried mushrooms? For some reason, my heart settled down. The streetlight cast a shadow over Steven, and it made for a striking Image of a person that was between an angel and a demon. I dashed over, feeling tense. ¡°Steve, you didn¡¯t head to the orphanage?¡± ¡°You knew I was supposed to go to the orphanage?¡± Steven asked, looking puzzled. I was stunned. ¡°Michael called to mess with me,¡± Steven said, looking upset. ¡°And Yasmin, she said a bunch of crap about you to mess with me. ¡°She lied, saying that I should find her at the orphanage. But I didn¡¯t fall for it and went to get fried mushrooms for you instead.¡± Steven looked like a well¨Cbehaved kid, eager for praise. My expression darkened when I realized that it was indeed all Michael and Yasmin¡¯s scheme. They wanted to lure Steven there and provoke him. They wanted him to lose control so that the cops would think he was the murderer. Chapter 199 ¡°Jerk,¡± I muttered. Michael had really crossed the line. After all the things he did to me before, now he was targeting Steven too. 1 fumed with anger. I wanted to go to the orphanage to unmask Michael¡¯s hypocrisy. However, Steven grabbed me and looked at me with pleading eyes. ¡°Stephie, the fried mushrooms are getting soggy.¡± After waiting in line for so long to get them, Steven would go crazy if I didn¡¯t eat them soon. I could understand why people often used their wiles to get their way. It was indeed an effective strategy. As Steven stood under the streetlight, he looked at me with pitiful and pleading eyes. Could anyone resist? Absolutely not. So, I took the fried mushrooms and had a couple of bites. They were crispy and freshly fried. It was evident that Steven couldn¡¯t have been to the orphanage, and these mushrooms were his alibi. ¡°Stephie, does it taste good?¡± Steven suddenly leaned in close. Bathed in the warm glow of the streetlight, my heart skipped a beat. ¡°You¡­ haven¡¯t eaten?¡± Then, Steven suddenly kissed me and said sincerely, ¡°Tasty.¡± My heart was racing. Whenever Steven flirted, he didn¡¯t seem crazy at all. In fact, I often wondered if he was just pretending to be foolish. But I had no proof. I coughed awkwardly before looking down to continue eating the fried mushrooms. Then, Steven reached out his hand to me and led me home. ¡°Stephie, I think I¡¯m sick, still running a fever. Can you stay with me?¡± He just wouldn¡¯t let me leave. Meanwhile, the big dog was wagging its tail behind us, hoping for a taste of the fried mushrooms in my hand. I gave it a piece and whispered, ¡°Steve, is this your dog?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It was just a little pup abandoned by the roadside when I found it. I rescued it and named it Buddy. It¡¯s been by my side ever since,¡± Steven introduced Buddy to me as he patted Buddy¡¯s head. ¡°Sometimes¡­ dogs are more loyal than people,¡± he added. I gave Buddy another piece of fried mushroom, ¡°Buddy¡¯s really gentle.¡± Steven looked at me in surprise before smiling. ¡°Dogs have a way of understanding humans. They see through the things we can¡¯t see and choose their master,¡± I didn¡¯t think too much about Steven¡¯s words. Whenever Buddy was around me, it was gentle and obedient and would keep wagging its tail. But I always thought that perhaps it was just a docile, non¨Caggressive dog, ¡°Stephie¡­ My hand really hurts, and I can¡¯t get it wet.¡± Steven suddenly brought up his dilemma when we were about to sleep. He stretched out both of his bandaged hands and looked at me with a pair of pitiful eyes, It was obvious that Steven couldn¡¯t take a bath himself and wanted me to do it for him. But was he genuinely clueless, or was he simply ying a deeper game? My ears turned red, and I murmured, ¡°No need to wash up, let¡¯s just sleep¡­¡± ¡°Nope. Got to keep clean,¡± Steven seriously countered. I smirked. Was he seriously talking about hygiene after having been a wandering hobo for a while now? But regardless, I wouldn¡¯t call him out on this. After all, people have their dignity. ¡°Stephie, it¡¯s legal,¡± Steven suddenly reminded me. I looked up at him. Then, I saw that he had already stripped off his shirt to reveal his¡­ well¨Cdefined physique. I couldn¡¯t be med for thinking like this. He simply wanted to seduce me with his seductive physique. Steven preferred loose¨Cfitting clothes, and it made him appear tall and slender. But once he took them off, his attractive physique was on full disy, ¡°Stephie, look at me. All legal,¡± he said, now particrly mindful of thew. I just hoped that he would strictly adhere to thews and regtions regarding murder. I hoped that he had nothing to do with the serial murder case. ¡°Stephie, my body¡¯s dirty. Can you help me wash up?¡± Steven asked, reaching for his pants. I quickly grabbed him. ¡°Don¡¯t take off your pants.¡± ¡°How can I wash without taking them off?¡± Steven seriously looked at me. I took a deep breath. ¡°Then wash with your pants on,¡± I said. ¡°No.¡± He lowered his head, looking unwilling. I chuckled at his antics. ¡°Alright, wait here. I¡¯ll go fill the bathtub.¡± Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Steven nodded obediently, but his expression darkened as soon as I looked away. Chapter 200 When I came out to call Steven in for a bath, I thought I caught him messing with my phone. ¡°Stephie, my hands hurt.¡± Just as I was about to grab my phone, he mentioned that his hand was hurting, Indeed, the white bandage was now soaked in blood. I rushed to find the first aid kit and changed his bandage. Then, I convinced him to take a bath and blow¨Cdried his hair after. Steven was obedient and quietly let me help him. Then, he grinned and wrapped me in his embrace. ¡°Stephie, time for bed,¡± he said. However, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he had some kind of scheme going on. But I was alsopletely worn out. And as Iy in Steven¡¯s arms, drowsiness washed over me. Steven¡¯s room always carried a faint scent of sandalwood, and it was a scent that was very comforting and conducive for sleeping peacefully, Soon, I fell asleep. Since Yasmin and Michael were up to something sketchy anyway, I figured that I didn¡¯t need to go. Besides, I¡¯d also already called the cops, and Zion going would be more helpful than if I were to go. And if Michael and Yasmin had just nned an borate ploy, Zion would be giving them a piece of his mind. But if they hadn¡¯t nned anything, well, I hoped Zion could catch the murderer: That night, I had a dream. Michael was standing before me covered in blood. He smiled wickedly as he said, ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m here for you.¡± I stepped back in disgust, but he kept moving closer. He said, ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m sorry. How about we all be together¨Cyou, me, and the child?¡± I yelled at him, ¡°No, stay away! You¡¯re messing with my reincarnation.¡± Michael then looked at me with reddened eyes. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know how to love other people, I just want you to love me.¡± I yelled at him, ¡°Get lost!¡± Perhaps due to my intense struggle, it seemed like I kicked something. Then, I jolted awake and breathed heavily as sweat beaded on my forehead. Sunlight streamed in through the window, and as I slowly turned around, I saw Steven sitting on the floor. His furry head was peeking out, and his eyes looked innocent as he stared at me. ¡°What¡­¡± What did I do to him? ¡°Stephie¡­ You kicked me,¡± Steven said intively. Then, he climbed back onto the bed and grabbed my hand. ¡°Rub it. It hurts.¡± Steven was wearing only boxers. Yet, he ced my hand on his groin. My face flushed. Who was he trying to seduce so early in the morning? Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°It¡¯s swollen,¡± he said and looked at me pitifully, implying I was the cause of it. Sometimes, I really felt like calling the cops. Was he just acting dumb to be sneaky, or was he actually this foolish? ¡°You¡­¡± I warned and pointed at him, refusing to be fooled by his Suddenly, Steven bit my finger. I was speechless, but I ignored him. Then, I reached out for my phone, wanting to check it. games. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Steven said before pinning me down and nting a kiss on me. I thought he might be intentionally dying me from checking my phone, but I couldn¡¯t prove it. He always got upset at the slightest thing. What could I do? ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven also always liked to call my name when he was emotional. The sun shone through the curtains and warmed the room. It made everything feel like a dream, yet the burning sensation in my cheeks and the tingling nerves were all too real. Perhaps¡­ I was truly losing my mind. Just then, my phone kept buzzing. I reached out to grab it, puzzled. Steven wanted to hug me, but I pushed him away in annoyance. When did I put my phone on silent mode? It was an unknown number calling. ¡°Stephie, where are you? It¡¯s Rachel. Why aren¡¯t you picking up my and Zion¡¯s calls? Something bad happened to Michael!¡± Chapter 201 I was stunned for a moment and quickly sat up. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t receive any missed calls from you all.¡± Rachel was a little anxious. ¡°Last night, Yasmin and Michael took it upon themselves to lure the murderer. Yasmin was almost killed, and Michael got stabbed saving her. He¡¯s in critical condition and being treated. Did that bitch, Yasmin, call you? It¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t go. Otherwise¡­¡± Rachel didn¡¯t finish speaking, but she meant that I could have made the same mistake as Stephanie. I was shocked. Yasmin and Michael teamed up to plot against Stevenst night. Unexpectedly, they encountered an actual murderer, and something happened to Michael. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Lois was still in the hospital. Rachel informed me that Lois had just woken up and that something had happened to Michael again¡­. ¡°Has the murderer been caught?¡± I asked without thinking. Last night, I contacted Zion immediately. Even though Michael was a scumbag, he had been consistently working out throughout the year. It was no simple task for the murderer to inflict serious harm on him. Zion and the others were at Sunset Alley, close to the orphanage. It was just five minutes away. Hopefully, the murderer wouldn¡¯t be able to escape again. ¡°Yes.¡± Rachel let out a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. Then, she became a little emotional and continued speaking with a cry, ¡°Stephie, the murderer has been caught.¡± I knew she was telling Stephanie, her best friend. For no apparent reason, my eyes were slightly red. I instinctively raised my hand to cover my mouth. Had the murderer been caught atst? I was incredibly shocked, and my fingers were trembling. The situation felt very sudden. ¡°Although Michael deserves to die, this time, it was his n to lure out the murderer. Zion said the murderer was clever, left no evidence, and was highly skilled at avoiding detection. ¡°Yesterday, Michael chose to remain at the orphanage and requested Yasmin to help lure out the murderer. He insisted that she needed to atone for her sins.¡± The murderer was very good at avoiding being detected. If the police had used Yasmin to try to catch the murderer, the murderer would¡¯ve quickly realized what was happening. He wouldn¡¯t have fallen for it while under police surveince. But it would be a different story if Yasmin escaped on her own and went mad at the orphanage. The opportunity presented itself, and the murderer would not let this chance go to waste. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who is¡­ the murderer?¡± asked in a hoarse voice. Rachel took a while to respond. ¡°It was Simon. After we released him, hemitted another murder.¡± I stood still in shock. Simon? I had always had my suspicions about Simon. Despite being underage, only 15 or 16 years old, there was something about him that seemed off. His gaze was extremely icy, far beyond what one would expect. from someone his age. After the call ended, I immediately wanted to go to the hospital and find out the details from the police. The serial crime and murder case was not the work of a single individual. At least three people were caught on surveince. Simon had to be one of these three individuals. Simon was caught and would be interrogated soon. The result would be released eventually. When I went downstairs, I saw Steven cutting flowers in the yard. He gave me some white roses. I took the flowers, my eyes teary. I tried to hold back tears and smiled at Steven. It was a relief that he wasn¡¯t the murderer. Even though there was still some suspicion, I started to feel hopeful that he wasn¡¯t. I extended my hand to him. ¡°Come with me, Steven. The murderer has been caught. Michael was injured. Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡± Steven¡¯s hand froze, and he looked up at me. ¡°Really?¡± I nodded, feeling emotional, with my hands still slightly shaking. ¡°Yeah. The police caught him. It was Simon¡­ He deceived us all.¡± I hoped Steven was deceived by him as well. The police were all aware that Steven had asked Ewan to fund him. I feared that Steven would now come under suspicion as well. Steven was quiet on the way to the hospital, appearing lost in thought. As we were about to leave the car, he suddenly shook his head. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡­¡± I was stunned, fixing my gaze on Steven. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The timing is wrong. He wouldn¡¯t allow himself to be caught now.¡± Chapter 202 Steven was lost in thought as he whispered to himself. The timing was not right. ¡°Did Michael intentionally trick him out?¡± Michael¡¯s calction disrupted the murderer¡¯s n, causing it to go awry at the wrong time. Steven shook his head. ¡°Michael¡­ is stupid.¡± Steven believed that Michael was incapable of doing that. I disagreed. ¡°Michael is not stupid. When attending sses with Yasmin, he was the top student in his grade.¡± He was a finance industry genius and a rising star in the business world. He led the Ford Group to great sess after taking over the Ford family. I was just analyzing it objectively. I didn¡¯t mean to praise Michael, but he did have his good points. Steven puffed up his cheeks and snorted. ¡°Stupid.¡± To someone as brilliant as him, Michael seemed stupid. Out of 10,000 participants from around the world, only one person won the worldwide knowledge quiz exceptional individuals among the crowd. Everyone was a genius. Sighing, I held Steven¡¯s hand. ¡°Anyway, if one murderer is caught, the others will also be caught.¡± Steven had been lost in his thoughts, and I couldn¡¯t shake the bad feeling that had settled in. It was clear that they had caught the murderer. However, I still felt conflicted. It seemed too easy. Michael was skilled, but could he truly outsmart a killer? Simon was arrested. The police called Ewan for questioning because he had contacted and funded Simon. However, Ewan¡¯s response was wless, and the murderer did not make any false usations. As a result, he was promptly released but had to remain avable at all times. ¡°Michael¡¯s condition is not good.¡± Zion waited outside the emergency room, feeling concerned. ¡°He imed that he wanted to make amends, which was why he couldn¡¯t notify the police. That¡¯s just N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. absurd. ¡°Stephanie is already dead. What¡¯s the point of his atonement? He said he was sorry to Stephanie. Even if he knew something would happen to him, he still made a deal with Yasmin to lure out the murderer.¡± Zion¡¯s voice was scratchy, and heined while waiting. Yasmin didn¡¯t want to go, but Michael forced her, saying she owed Stephanie. The police thought this was foolish behavior. Luckily, they caught the murderer, but the cost was too high. ¡°Simon admitted that hemanded the killing and correctly mentioned the timing, but¡­ he simply declines to disclose the other two aplices.¡± Zion nced at me and then shifted his gaze to Steven. 1 was aware that he had suspicions about Steven. ¡°Based on the surveince footage, no one is as tall as Steve. People can hide their height, but they can¡¯t fake being short,¡± I defended Steven without thinking. Steven was standing behind me, his eyes always on me. He murmured for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Zion. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t let you catch him so easily. It¡¯s wrong. The timing is wrong.¡± Zion furrowed his brows, still perplexed by Steven¡¯s words. Steven kept repeating that it was wrong. ¡°He was wearing a wig. His head and body were severely burned, leaving him with no hair. He suffered severe burns that endangered his internal organs. He didn¡¯t have much time left. His lungs were already struggling to function properly. ¡°He said he just wanted revenge on the person who set fire to the orphanage, so he nned everything.¡± Simon had severe burns, resulting in no hair or fingerprints. Without any other traces, he only left footprints when going in and out. Due to severe burns, he had been suffering from excruciating pain for several years. The hospital permitted him to acquire narcotic painkillers, which exined his possession of the medication. The police also traced the medicines back to him. The timing of this discovery was just too coincidental. ¡°He still refuses to reveal his aplices,¡± Phil told Zion, shaking his head. Meanwhile, the policewoman received a call. ¡°Officer Landon, Simon said he can name his aplices, but there are conditions. He wants to meet you!¡± Zion stood up and nced at me. ¡°I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Steven suddenly grabbed Zion. ¡°Wrong¡­ It¡¯s wrong.¡± Chapter 203 There was a clue on medicines, and even though it was hard to investigate, it would eventually lead to Simon. Also, I had already seen him at ¡°Stephanie¡¯s¡± house. He was the first to be exposed. It was only a matter of time before the police found him. However, he happened to be the very person who nearly killed Michael and was arrested by police. It was too coincidental. I whispered, ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a red birthmark on his arm, does he?¡± If there wasn¡¯t one on Simon¡¯s, then there had to be someone else involved. I didn¡¯t trust my memory, but I indeed held onto the arm of the person who killed me before I died. I noticed a red birthmark on his arm. I couldn¡¯t be mistaken. Zion patted Steven¡¯s shoulder before returning to the interrogation room. He wanted to see what Simon was up to. ¡°When did you begin supporting Simon?¡± I whispered to Steven, holding his hand tightly. Steven lowered his head. ¡°After suffering severe burns, he began relying on social welfare assistance. The orphanage couldn¡¯t provide sufficient support. They were unable to find adoptive families for these innocent children who were caught in the fire and suffered burns. ¡°They could only transfer them to a welfare home and had the welfare agency cover the medical expenses. ¡°But the world isplex. Many donations and charity funds can¡¯t reach the victims and solve the fundamental problems, He was living in pain.¡± Steven nced up at me. He wasn¡¯t sure if I could understand. Indeed, I felt suffocated for a while. Severely burned victims with organ failure due to infection were fighting to stay alive. They were extremely desperate and had to depend on drugs for survival and pain All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. relief. ¡°After being rescued from the asylum, I went back to the orphanage and waited¡­¡± Steven continued after a brief moment of hesitation. ¡°Simon also returned to the orphanage at the same time. We were both in a simr situation. I would give him the money I earned from collecting bottles and selling scraps so that he could buy medicine. Later, the Lincoln family found me, and I requested them to take care of him.¡± I realized that Steven was a kind person as I got to know him better over time. In my current memory, when Steven was little, he used to protect me. He knew he would be severely punished for fighting, but he still did it. I leaned on his shoulder and said softly, ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t involve you, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Simon could have be an evil person seeking revenge for the fire and use Steven as a cover. This could be a possible exnation for the criminal motive. However, I still felt that something was amiss. ¡°The police have many ways to investigate and will solve the case soon. And¡­ Zion is capable,¡± I murmured to reassure Steven, but in fact, I was reassuring myself. ¡°Zion is kind of smart.¡± Steven rarelyplimented anyone. Zion was considered an intelligent person among the police. He secretly investigated the orphanage, discovering many secrets and truths that he couldn¡¯t reveal as a policeman. Zion¡¯s presence likely affected the person behind the scenes. His team was extremely dedicated to finding the real culprit. This was a case of serial murders. Zion was pressured to close the case as soon as possible. The higher- ups even instructed Zion to arrest Steven and make Steven surrender to close the case. This led to an argument with his superiors. Zion was a responsible person. Phil¡¯s words that day disclosed this information. ¡°But not very smart,¡± added Steven. I was confused. He praised Zion as smart, but not very smart. ¡°Now that Simon is arrested, others will be arrested soon too.¡± I was still hopeful. Simon didn¡¯t kill me in the orphanage basement, but the person who did would surely be caught soon. Zion was a responsible police officer. He would definitely help me solve my case, find the murderer, and let me rest in peace. No¡­ It was inappropriate to say I could rest in peace since I had been reincarnated. ¡°Mike! Mike!¡± As we waited to see if Michael would pull through, we heard crying in the distance. I frowned. Wasn¡¯t he still alive? Was she here for a funeral? Chapter 204 Yasmin cried and seemed very emotional. She held Lois, who looked pale and was crying non¨C stop. Her tears were even more genuine than those of people who had lost their family members. I frowned at her. Her behavior was very inappropriate. ¡°Stop crying! He¡¯s not dead yet,¡± I said with a frown. Upon seeing me, Yasmin acted aggressively, eagerly approaching me like a hungry dog ready to attack. I wanted to p her till her face was skewed. But before I could do anything, someone pulled me away and held me in his arms. Steven stared at Yasmin without emotion, giving off a scary vibe. Yasmin got scared when she saw Steven and decided to give up her unreasonable actions. She backed away in horror. ¡°It¡¯s him, Mrs. Ford¡­ He¡¯s the murderer!¡± Lois red at Steven. Yasmin seemed to have a way with the elders. Lois quickly assumed that Steven was responsible for the car ident. Without hesitation, she moved forward and pped him. Although Steven stood his ground when protecting me, he ultimately epted the p. Lois still nned to p him again, but I stepped forward and held her wrist. ¡°Mrs. Ford, Yasmin is one of the individuals responsible for Stephanie¡¯s death. Do not trust anything that Yasmin says.¡± ¡°I have a strong feeling! I¡¯m sure he¡¯s the murderer!¡± Lois said angrily, visibly shaken and with red eyes. ¡°Mike was killed by him, and so was Stephie!¡± Louis hated Steven and even wished to kill him to avenge Stephanie and Michael. I protected Steven and prevented Lois from harming him again. Yasmin kept crying. ¡°Mike was stabbed by the murderer because he was trying to save me. Mrs. Ford, it¡¯s my fault.¡± She began acting. She took every opportunity to impress Lois in order to get her approval for marrying Michael. Back then, when Yasmin and Michael were madly in love, Lois had no issues with her. Later, Lois discovered that Michael had used the marriage contract as a way to bully me. Due to the marriage contract, she refused to approve his marriage with Yasmin. Yasmin also knew that Lois was the key to marrying into the Ford family. ¡°You¡¯re such a jinx. Michael is still alive, but you¡¯re crying as if he¡¯s already dead.¡± After Rachel sent Zion into the elevator and returned, she heard Yasmin crying from a distance. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g *Mrs. Ford, be alert. She¡¯s just a jinx. Michael didn¡¯t have to get seriously injured. But she was foolish and Michael was stabbed to protect her.¡± Rachel was furious with Yasmin, wishing to confront her. Yasmin continued crying. ¡°Mrs. Ford, they¡¯re associates of the murderer, They¡¯re ndering me.¡± Lois continued to believe that Steven was the murderer and the lunatic, ring at him fiercely. If someone hadn¡¯te out of the operating room, it seemed like she would¡¯ve attacked Steven. Steven had been warily watching them from behind me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dodge?¡± I questioned softly, studying the redness and swelling on Steven¡¯s cheek. ¡°She provided you with a ce to live.¡± Steven was a man who knew right from wrong. Lols had Indeed been kind to me. I tightened my grip on Steven¡¯s hand. ¡°If someone attacks you in the future, you must dodge¡­¡± The doctor emerged from the emergency room and looked at Lois. ¡°Are you the victim¡¯s mother?¡± With tears streaming down her face, Lois nodded, her fear palpable. I wanted to help her, but I couldn¡¯t because of my current identity¡­. ¡°He¡¯s losing a lot of blood, and the wounds are deep. We¡¯ll try our best to save him, but his survival is uncertain.¡± Chapter 205 When Lois heard the doctor¡¯s words, her vision darkened and she nearly lost her bnce. I quickly stepped forward to help her, but she pushed me away. Yasmin then helped Lois to sit down. ¡°Mrs. Ford, Mike went there to take revenge for Stephie,¡± Yasmin said with tears, putting all the me on Stephanie. Even though I was dead, she still took the opportunity to disparage me. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Lois looked pale, and her voice was hoarse. She spoke again just as I was about to move forward, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have brought Stephie home in the first ce.¡± I remained frozen in ce, unable to move. Lois regretted bringing me home. If I could choose again, I wouldn¡¯t follow her back to the Ford residence. I had already experienced death once, believing that nothing could ever hurt me again. However, I was currently enduring intense pain. Suddenly, Steven reached out and wrapped his arms around me from behind. He rested his chin on my head and whispered, ¡°Stephie, I¡¯ll give you a home.¡± He was working hard to provide her with a home and rebuild the home she once had. I froze and looked up at Steven. He mentioned he would give me a home¡­ ¡°I hurt Mike and also hurt Stephie,¡± Lois said with a trembling voice. Yasmin wept, tightly gripping Lois¡® hand. ¡°Mrs. Ford, Mike will wake up. If something really happens to him, I¡¯ll die with him. I love him, and I¡¯m willing to risk my life.¡± Yasmin excelled at ttering herself. Rachel rolled her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s bragging again.¡± Yasmin shot Rachel an angry nce. ¡°Mrs. Ford, Stephany¡¯s husband being a psycho doesn¡¯t mean he can avoid legal consequences repeatedly.¡± I furrowed my brows and nced at Yasmin, who was clearly a troublemaker. ¡°Do you think that you¡¯ll be safe after the murderer is caught? As far as I know, multiple murderers are involved, at least three. If one has been arrested, there are still a few more out there.¡± Yasmin quickly turned pale and nervously hid next to Lois. However, Lois waspletely focused on Michael. She held her hands together and nervously prayed for him to be safe. I patted Steven¡¯s head gently. ¡°Let¡¯s take a seat on the side.¡± Steven nodded and obediently followed me. ¡°We can definitely catch all the murderers this time. Zion had a breakthrough, and we also discovered valuable clues on the body,¡± Rachel whispered to me, trying to reassure me. 2102 Capturing Simon this time would surely lead to the sessful capture of the others as well. I nodded and prayed that Zion could find out where the other murderers were from Simon. Steven sat with his head lowered, eyes fixed on the ground. He was lost in uninterrupted thought. All of a sudden, Steven looked up at me and said anxiously, ¡°Zion¡­ The person behind it will not be caught so easily. Their target this time is Zion.¡± Zion was clever, and his actions impacted the person involved. This showed that he was getting closer to the truth. Some people would be determined to prevent the truth froming to light and the murderer from being identified. This would lead them to take extreme measures and eliminate Zion. Steven suddenly sounded anxious. ¡°The location this time is the police station. Zion¡­ Call Zion!¡± Something was going to happen. That lunatic was going to kill someone at the police station. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ¡°He wants to kill someone in the police station? How is this possible? I gazed at Steven in astonishment. Who exactly was the killer? ¡°I¡¯ll call Zion now.¡± Rachel seemed to trust Steven and immediately called Zion. However, the call was not picked up. He probably didn¡¯t bring his phone to the interrogation room. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be an issue, right? This is the police station,¡± Rachel whispered. Chapter 206 Steven disagreed, ¡°No, the next murder will ur at the police station.¡± His prediction was spot on. ¡°Michael was not involved in the situation. He shouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt. What happened to him was an ident.¡± Michael was the so¨Ccalled innocent person. Simon likely harmed someone innocent in order to protect himself. *Based on the evidence found at the site of Yasmin¡¯s ident, the next crime scene is the police station.¡± Steven kept repeating the police station. This suggested that something was going to happen at the police station. Zion had discovered many clues, and the mastermind felt threatened. Thus, they wanted to eliminate Zion. Abruptly, I rose to my feet and fixed my gaze upon Rachel. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the police station.¡± Waiting for Michael was pointless as the doctor had already indicated that his condition was uncertain. However, they needed to ensure that nothing would happen to Zion. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rachel nodded. Steven gently tugged at my clothes and whispered, ¡°Stephie, do you believe me?¡± I remained silent, opting to believe the worst. But Rachel nodded firmly. ¡°I do! Steven, you¡¯re a genius! If you hadn¡¯t figured out where Yasmin was kidnapped, she would¡¯ve died!¡± Rachel purposely said it loudly so that Yasmin could hear it. ¡°Some people are ungrateful and return kindness with ingratitude. It¡¯s a disgrace! Even animals can be more grateful than some humans.¡± Yasmin was angry and wanted to scold Rachel. However, she decided not to because she had always acted like the victim. She wouldn¡¯t be able to win the argument against Rachel, Steven was overjoyed as he took my hand, and we walked out together. ¡°Stephie, let¡¯s go and rescue Zion.¡± I was surprised to see him so active, so I smiled and quickly followed him. ¡°Drive faster!¡± Steven kept pushing the driver to hurry as we headed to the police station. He was afraid something would happen if we arrivedte. When we got to the police station, we were stopped outside. Zion was interrogating Simon inside. So, we had to wait outside. Rachel was worried about Zion. Hence, she asked the other police officers to keep an eye on the surveince footage and enter quickly if they noticed anything suspicious. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Impossible! Simon is restrained in the interrogation chair and unable to carry out murder. Besides, Officer Landon is very skilled. Simon can¡¯t hurt him,¡± Phil reassured us. Upon hearing that, I felt more relieved. Perhaps Steven was wrong? Rachel also breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Zion is a tough man. Simon can¡¯t hurt him easily. We may have exaggerated the abilities of the murderer. Whenever the murderer kills someone, he first Incapacitates them. He probablycks any fighting skills.¡± I also believed that all of us were excessively anxious. Steven stayed quiet and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s wrong¡­¡± It was still wrong. Something was wrong. ¡°Let Zione out! Quick!¡± Suddenly, Steven yelled uncontrobly, urging Zion to exit the interrogation room swiftly. The police stopped Steven from entering the interrogation area as it was against the rules. Steven looked at me anxiously. ¡°Stephie¡­ let Zione out.¡± I nodded and looked at Rachel. ¡°Rach, find a solution. Let Zione out first and hear what Steven has to say.¡± Rachel nodded, looking at Steven with doubt. Although we didn¡¯t know why Steven suddenly reacted that way, we were inexplicably willing to believe him. Rachel approached Phil to discuss the matter. After their conversation, Phil agreed to call out Zion. Before they could knock on the door, they heard a noise from the interrogation room. The interrogation room had soundproof walls and doors. Any noise would imply that there was a significant disturbance happening inside. Phil and the others rushed in immediately. However, it was toote¡­ Chapter 207 Simon was sitting on the interrogation chair. He had blood on his face, and he wasughing with blood dripping from his mouth. Looking weakly at the ceiling, he smiled and uttered, ¡°Relief¡­ I can finally be free.¡± Zion stood next to him, overwhelmed with emotions. He had blood on his hands. He attacked Simon. Simon seemed to know that he would die. Zion only punched him once, and he started vomiting blood. Simon was dead. He passed away before the medical staff arrived. Zion feltpletely numb. At that moment, he suddenly realized that Simon had intentionally provoked him, urging him to hit him. Simon simply wanted to die. The surveince camera recorded Zion beating and violently interrogating Simon. Zion would face consequences for his actions. He would be punished and suspended from his job. All his work would be temporarily halted. Once he left the case, the investigation would stall. This would enable the hidden murderer to continuemitting crimes. Simon was the chosen sacrifice. Simon was taken to the hospital with the help of the other officers. Zion left the interrogation room and started smoking, his fingers shaking. ¡°He¡­ said he was the next one. That bastard could predict our next move, so he knew Yasmin¡¯s location. But it wasn¡¯t Yasmin he wanted to kill.¡± Steven held my hand tighter, looked down, and fell silent. He saw iting, but it was already too ¡°The one who was going to die was Simon¡­¡± Zion found a serious problem. ¡°A murderer is both a murderer and a victim.¡± I was confused and puzzled by his words. ¡°Simon mentioned he wasn¡¯t asleep back then. He heard a noise and looked out the window. He saw someone tricking Steven and Simeon into a room, locking them in, and starting a fire. He didn¡¯t tell the teacher but hid in bed, shivering.¡± Simon didn¡¯t expect the fire to spread to the entire floor and trap them in the dorm. It caused many deaths. ¡°He had a phobia and wanted revenge on those who caused the fire. He admitted to sexually assaulting several victims, which made me instantly angry.¡± Zion lowered his head, his gaze fixated on his bloodied hands. It was as if his mind had This isn¡¯t your fault, Rachel reassured. Zion shook his head. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t reveal who was behind it or admit that there was someone behind it. But he definitely was not the mastermind.¡± Steven confirmed in a soft voice, saying, ¡°He wasn¡¯t the mastermind. He was just a pawn, and he was always meant to die in the game.¡± ¡°Could there have been perpetrators hiding among the deceased? Perhaps they blended in with them, just like the movie ¡®The Perfect Victim¡® we watched before?¡± I asked softly. We had been investigating for a long time, as had Zion. We were all moving in the right direction, but why couldn¡¯t we find the murderer? Could the three people seen in the video already be dead and among the deceased? My words reminded Zion. In an instant, he lifted his head to meet my gaze. ¡°Right¡­ You¡¯re absolutely right!¡± Zion abruptly got up, took a drag from his cigarette, and hurried to the archives room. He nned to carry on with the investigation. However, after learning about Simon¡¯s death, the authorities promptly ordered Zion¡¯s temporary suspension. They also put a halt to the case investigation. Zion and his superior were loudly arguing in the office, and the sound of banging on the table echoed throughout the empty corridor. I caught a glimpse of Steven, his face burdened with self¨Cme and guilt. I sped his hand firmly and uttered, ¡°Steve, this has nothing to do with you.¡± Steven cast a nce in my direction before pulling me into a strong embrace. ¡°Ms. Larson, there¡¯s an update from the hospital that Michael is still in critical condition, but his life has been temporarily saved. He¡¯s currently being monitored in the intensive care unit, and his life is not in danger.¡± The person I left at the hospital called. Michael wasn¡¯t dead, yet he didn¡¯t regain consciousness either. I stood still in the hall, watching Rachel pacing anxiously and worrying about Zion. Chapter 208 Atst, Zion emerged, wearing a somber expression and brimming with fury. He ignored Rachel me, and Steven. Then, he angrily walked past us, got into the car, and mmed the door shut. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Rachel followed him. ¡°How can he possibly be this stubborn?¡± Steven put his hand in his pocket and grabbed my cor. He pulled me into his arms to protect me from Zion¡¯s reckless driving that could¡¯ve crushed my toes. ¡°As stubborn as a mule!¡± Rachel angrily scolded Zion while also looking at Phil with concern. She said, ¡°Simon¡¯s death isn¡¯t Zion¡¯s problem. He¡­¡± ¡°But Officer Landon¡¯s punch caused his death. If they pursue this case, Officer Landon may lose his job this time,¡± Phil exined with deep concern. Rachel was momentarily shocked before speaking in a nervous tone, ¡°Is it really that serious? Simon clearly provoked Zion on purpose. It¡¯s obvious¡­¡® ¡°This is part of their n,¡± Steven whispered to me. It was unclear what punishment Zion would get. It would be good if he didn¡¯t go to jail, but he might lose his job. I froze in ce. At that moment, I felt the sheer horror of the hidden murderer. I constantly felt a chill on my back as if countless eyes were fixated on us and countless forces were controlling us. Those geniuses viewed ordinary people like us as mere puppets. They could easily manipte and control us. They could kill people freely. They could make the police lose their jobs and prevent Zion from participating in the murder case. The mastermind was clever. He manipted Simon, who was dying, to trick Zion into making a mistake. He sessfully got rid of Zion. The chilling sensation in my fingertips intensified, and the fear of the mysterious and formidable talent reached its peak. Compared to absolute geniuses, I could only be seen as a fool among fools, just as insignificant as ants. ¡°Steven, he¡¯s so scary.¡± The mastermind was truly a terrifying figure. Steven¡¯s hand tightened around mine, and his gaze deepened. ¡°Then let¡¯s be scarier than him. Don¡¯t be afraid, Stephie. I¡¯ll always be here with you.¡± Upon our return to the hospital, we found that Michael had been transferred to the intensive care unit. Yasmin remained by Lois¡® side. Both of them were sobbing. God blesses the good man. Mike will surely wake up. Yasmin wiped her tears, Mrs. Ford, you¡¯ve just been discharged. Go back and rest quickly. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle everything Yasmin gently urged Lois to go back. Lois felt unsteady and wanted to stay, but she couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. She nodded and was helped by the nanny to leave. As Steven and I passed by, Lois red at us and eximed, ¡°You¡¯re not wee here. Get out of here!¡± I remained silent, folding my hands in front of me. After Lois left, I frowned at Yasmin. Yasmin watched Michael through the intensive care unit observation window and asked in a deep tone, ¡°Stephany, don¡¯t you want to talk to me?¡± Atst, she cut to the chase. She wanted to talk about the secret she mentioned on the phone. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to.¡± Steven stared at Yasmin warily and tightened his grip on me. Yasmin sneered. ¡°Stephany, you¡¯ll be torn to shreds if you stay with wild beasts.¡± Yasmin¡¯s gaze was immediately drawn to Steven. ¡°Steven, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid that she¡¯ll learn some secrets about you and Stephanie Carlson? Do you think she¡¯s Stephanie? She¡¯s not! A fraud is always a fraud.¡± Steven¡¯s eyes shed with anger, and he clenched his fingers until his knuckles were drained of color. I felt like he was ready to attack Yasmin. nin¡¯s gentle and kind nature made men want to protect her. It made people trust her completely. In the past, Michael, Jack, and the others decided to believe in Yasmin instead of me. Howe her magic seemed to have failed on Steven, Steven saw her as a viin, believing that She was feigning weakness and fragility. Inexplicably, I felt happy deep down. Atst, someone had seen through Yasmin¡¯s facade and glimpsed her true nature, even if Steven was considered a lunatic by others. In thisplex world of truth and deception, it was hard to tell who was considered normal and who was abnormal. Who decided what was considered normal for a person? ¡°You don¡¯t need to provoke Steven. Even if he loses control and kills you, you deserve it,¡± I warned Yasmin in a chilling tone. Yasmin was scared of Steven, so she stepped back to keep her distance. She asked softly,¡± Stephany, are you sure you don¡¯t want to talk to me about Stephanie Carlson?¡± I patted Steven¡¯s hand. ¡°Wait for me here. Everything will be fine.¡± Steven hesitated. However, after seeing how determined I was, he finally agreed. I went up to Yasmin. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Steven furrowed his brows and nced at the bodyguard standing not far away. ¡°Follow her.¡± ¡°How about you?¡± the bodyguard asked softly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Steven instructed the bodyguard to protect me. As I prepared to walk through the exit door, I turned around to look at Steven. He sat on a chair patiently as if eagerly waiting for me to bring him home. After going through the exit door, I turned to Yasmin and said, ¡°Speak up if you have something to say, but hurry.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I would tell you for free,¡± said Yasmin in a hoarse voice. She was deeply affected by Michael¡¯s ident. ¡°What do you want?¡± I gazed at Yasmin surprisingly. ¡°Mike is in trouble. I need you to use your influence within the Lincoln family to ensure my safety,¡± Yasmin said thoughtfully. She truly amused me. ¡°Who do you think you are, asking me to protect you with the influence of the Lincoln family? Do you consider yourself an endangered species or do you think I¡¯m a dog lover?¡± Yasmin was furious; Stephany, there¡¯s no need for you to be defensive. Despitecking concrete evidence of your direct connection to the killer, it¡¯s clear that you¡¯re imitating Stephanie and using her ways to seduce Steven. But remember, the truth can never be hidden forever!¡± It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re so shameless. I have to be more assertive to break through you,¡± I retorted. Yasmin got really agitated with me and couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore. She lost control and shouted, ¡°Stephanie and Steven were in a rtionship, but she lost some of her memory. The person she loved was not Michael but Steven.¡± I frowned as my heart skipped a beat. I was uncertain if I could trust what Yasmin said. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve chosen to imitate Stephanie, stop pestering and seducing Michael anymore. He belongs to me¡­ You can¡¯t be so greedy. You can¡¯t have both Steven and Michael,¡± Yasmin said, her jealousy seeping through her words. She likely didn¡¯t anticipate that after getting rid of Stephanie, another woman named Stephany would be involved. Due to the intervention, Michael refused to marry her. After all, the Bailey family was her adoptive parents¡® family. While they provided for her upbringing, they were not generous with material possessions and property. She had to carve out her own path and fight for everything. She tried everything to marry Michael because she wanted to marry into a wealthy family. ¡°If you have something to say, speak now. If not, let¡¯s end the conversation. Psycho!¡± I reprimanded her and walked away. Yasmin probably didn¡¯t expect me to be firm, so she quickly reached out to hold the exit door. Stephany!¡± Chapter 209 ? Yasmin''s gentle and kind nature made men want to protect her. It made people trust herpletely. In the past, Michael, Jack, and the others decided to believe in Yasmin instead of me. However, her magic seemed to have failed on Steven. Steven saw her as a viin, believing that she was feigning weakness and fragility. Inexplicably, I felt happy deep down. Atst, someone had seen through Yasmin''s facade and glimpsed her true nature, even if Steven was considered a lunatic by others. In thisplex world of truth and deception, it was hard to tell who was considered normal and who was abnormal. Who decided what was considered normal for a person? "You don''t need to provoke Steven. Even if he loses control and kills you, you deserve it," I warned Yasmin in a chilling tone. Yasmin was scared of Steven, so she stepped back to keep her distance. She asked softly," Stephany, are you sure you don''t want to talk to me about Stephanie Carlson?" I patted Steven''s hand. "Wait for me here. Everything will be fine." Steven hesitated. However, after seeing how determined I was, he finally agreed. I went up to Yasmin. "Let''s go." Steven furrowed his brows and nced at the bodyguard standing not far away. "Follow her. "How about you?" the bodyguard asked softly.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "Don''t worry about me," Steven instructed the bodyguard to protect me. As I prepared to walk through the exit door, I turned around to look at Steven. He sat on a chair patiently as if eagerly waiting for me to bring him home. After going through the exit door, I turned to Yasmin and said, "Speak up if you have something to say, but hurry." "I didn''t say I would tell you for free," said Yasmin in a hoarse voice. She was deeply affected by Michael''s ident. "What do you want?" I gazed at Yasmin surprisingly. "Mike is in trouble. I need you to use your influence within the Lincoln family to ensure my safety," Yasmin said thoughtfully. She truly amused me. "Who do you think you are, asking me to protect you with the influence of the Lincoln family? Do you consider yourself an endangered species or do you think I''m a dog lover?" Yasmin was furious. "Stephany, there''s no need for you to be defensive. Despitecking concrete evidence of your direct connection to the killer, it''s clear that you''re imitating Stephanie and using her ways to seduce Steven. But remember, the truth can never be hidden forever!" "It''s okay. You''re so shameless. I have to be more assertive to break through you," I retorted. Yasmin got really agitated with me and couldn''t hold herself back anymore. She lost control and shouted, "Stephanie and Steven were in a rtionship, but she lost some of her memory. The person she loved was not Michael but Steven." I frowned as my heart skipped a beat. I was uncertain if I could trust what Yasmin said. " Why are you telling me this?" "Since you''ve chosen to imitate Stephanie, stop pestering and seducing Michael anymore. He belongs to me... You can''t be so greedy. You can''t have both Steven and Michael," Yasmin said, her jealousy seeping through her words. She likely didn''t anticipate that after getting rid of Stephanie, another woman named Stephany would be involved. Due to the intervention, Michael refused to marry her. After all, the Bailey family was her adoptive parents'' family. While they provided for her upbringing, they were not generous with material possessions and property. She had to carve out her own path and fight for everything. She tried everything to marry Michael because she wanted to marry into a wealthy family. "If you have something to say, speak now. If not, let''s end the conversation. Psycho!" I reprimanded her and walked away. Yasmin probably didn''t expect me to be firm, so she quickly reached out to hold the exit door. "Stephany!" Chapter 210 Herplexion appeared somewhat pallid. I could serise her growing anxiety as Michael was still unconscious after the incident. Simon was arrested, but there were still some murderers on the loose. She felt unprotected. I sneered at Yasmin and leaned against the door. ¡°Yasmin, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone begging with such an attitude. Since you¡¯re asking for my protection, it¡¯s best to act like you¡¯re begging.¡± Yasmin asked, her voice filled with tension. ¡°What do you want?¡± I raised my eyebrow and replied in a low voice, ¡°If you want to beg me, then kneel down.¡± I gazed at Yasmin with indifference. Before I died, Yasmin used me of pushing her down the stairs. Michael made me kneel down to Yasmin while many people were watching in the ward. Yasmin red at me. ¡°Stephany!¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I scoffed. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, then you¡¯d better start praying harder.¡± I pushed Yasmin away. I didn¡¯t believe a word of her so¨Ccalled secret. Why would I waste my time with her if I didn¡¯t believe it? She was trapped in a hopeless situation. She would be on her own if anything happened to Michael. ¡°Stephany, I can kneel! But the Lincoln family isn¡¯t the only people in Huma who can protect me. Have you heard of the president of Crowdstar Group in Jacaster? As long as I approach him, he¡¯ll help me!¡± Yasmin appeared very confident. She was extremely intelligent. Among all the businesses, the only one that could rival the Lincoln family¡¯s sess was the recently established Crowdstar Group from Jacaster. Despite the Ford Group¡¯s impressive performance under Michael¡¯s leadership, his personal wealth still ranked fifth. Nevertheless, Michael¡¯s reputation in the business world was remarkable as he was the youngest among the top ten wealthiest individuals. However, Crowdstar Group surpassed the Lincoln family three years ago, ending their nearly decade¨Clong reign at the top. As a result, Ignatius was forced to settle for second ce. The founder of this growingpany was very mysterious. No reports or insiders knew him. Yasmin knew all too well that her ability allowed her to be with no one but Michael. That was the pinnacle of her life. She saw this as a chance to marry into the Ford family and be the wife of Michael, the president of the Ford Group. Unfortunately, Stephanie¡¯s death made this impossible. With Michael¡¯s Incident, Yasmin recognized that the Lincoln family and the president of Crowdstar Group possessed the ability to ensure her safety. Nevertheless, the president of Crowdstar Group was beyond her reach. sneered once believed that Yasmin truly loved Michael. However, now I could truly see the truth. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been using Michael¡¯s connection to look for the president of Crowdstar Group. I¡¯m also extremely interested in this influential figure. ¡°Seeking help from a distant source won¡¯t alleviate your immediate needs. If you could get help from him, you wouldn¡¯t havee to me.¡± She started using Michael as a stepping stone, aware he might not marry her. Unfortunately, the president of Crowdstar Group was quite secretive. Furthermore, not only was it utterly impossible for Yasmin to reach him, but even Michael was turned away. When Michael took over thepany, Crowdstar Group emerged. It was very supportive of the Ford Group. With the help of the mysterious president of Crowdstar Group, Michael sessfully led the Ford Group to its current position. Everyone spected that Michael was connected to the president of Crowdstar Group. Many tried to befriend him, hoping to get connected with the president. But only I knew that the president of Crowdstar Group previously refused to meet Michael. Michael once visited the president in Jacaster but was turned away. He had been upset ever since. Michael didn¡¯t know who the enigmatic president of Crowdstar Group was. He couldn¡¯t fathom why this person offered assistance but declined to meet him. Therefore, whenever anyone deliberately approached Michael to covertly extract information about the president, his mood would sour significantly. Tused to be very curious about the president of Crowdstar Group. In just three years, he surpassed the Lincoln family and became a leader in the business world. Furthermore, this individual possessed a legendary status and deserved recognition as a business genius.. He was at the forefront of business district development, leading each step forward. He developed a lot of popr software that was widely used. He also owned Sunrise Pharmaceutical Group and Gxy Media Group. He acquired the top automobile brand in the country in less than a year. His sess in real estate, pharmaceuticals, food, and entertainment industries was unparalleled by anyone else. Yasmin looked at me, her face pale. ¡°The president of Crowdstar Group is quite mysterious as no one has ever seen him. Do you also w Chapter 211 ¡°I bet you¡¯ve found out something, haven¡¯t you?¡± I smiled. I also needed this connection just as much as Yasmin did. Instead of staying passive and being attacked, I needed to take the initiative. Despite Michael¡¯s serious injury, it was my responsibility to assist Steven in maintaining his position within Lincoln Group. Otherwise, we would be too passive. Despite feeling as though someone was protecting me from behind, I was always on edge in the Lincoln family, constantly fearing Martin and Dax¡¯s. potential attacks. Yasmin seemed reluctant, so I opened the door and prepared to leave. ¡°If you¡¯re notfortable sharing, forget it.¡± Yasmin firmly grasped my wrist. ¡°The president of Crowdstar Group will attend the Chamber of Commerce¡¯s charity dinner in Huma on the 1st of next month. It¡¯ll focus on raising funds for welfare homes. Stephany, that¡¯s all I know. ¡°He¡¯s highly respected and holds an untouchable position in the business world. No one dares to challenge him. We each have our own skills to aplish our goals. Please don¡¯t hinder me.¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice trembled with fear as she worried that I might stop her from attending. I pushed Yasmin¡¯s arm away. ¡°Whether you¡¯ll make it to the first of next month is still uncertain. Are you that confident in your appearance? Do you think everyone else is just as stupid as Michael? He¡¯s the president of Crowdstar Group. ¡°A man in such a high position not only has a high status, but he might also be older. I heard he¡¯s an old man in his 60s or 70s. You sure are open¨Cminded and can appreciate men of all ages.¡± Apart from the honey trap, she seemed to have no other strategy. Back then, her appointment as Michael¡¯s secretary at the Ford Group was certainly not based on her qualifications. Could the president of Crowdstar Group, a legendary figure, be captivated by Yasmin? He wouldn¡¯t be as easily deceived as Michael, right? Yasmin nervously grabbed my wrist and refused to let me go. ¡°Stephany! Help me. If I can get in touch with the president of Crowdstar Group, I believe I can assist you as well. But you have to protect me first.¡± I inquired in a solemn tone, ¡°Michael is still alive. Will he be sad if he realizes that you¡¯re already looking for a new partner when he¡¯s not even dead yet?¡± Yasmin firmly stated, ¡°Don¡¯t defame me. I¡¯m doing this for Mike¡­ Contacting the president of Crowdstar Group will also benefit Mike.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like listening to her nonsense anymore. ¡°I told you to kneel down if you want me to protect you.¡± I walked out of the door. Yasmin wanted to kneel down before me in a secluded ce, which could be seen as enduring humiliation. ¡°Don¡¯t kneel here. When you requested Stephanie to kneel down before you, many people were in the ward.¡± With a sneer, I approached Steven and took a seat. ¡°If you¡¯re going to kneel, do it in this spot.¡± Yasmin red at me with intensity, clearly seething. She knew I was humiliating her. Steven was sitting obediently on the chair. He felt relieved when he saw me returning and reached out to hold my hand. ¡°Stephie, she¡¯s not worthy of kneeling before you.¡± I smiled at Steven. ¡°She won¡¯t kneel down. Let¡¯s go home.¡± As Steven and I were about to leave, Yasmin suddenly called my name. Her eyes turned red, and she knelt on the ground in humiliation. ¡°Stephany! I¡¯m begging you. Mike is seriously injured, and you¡¯re the only one who can help us.¡± She shamelessly attempted to emotionally manipte me. Many people were observing and pointing at us in the hospital. ¡°Yasmin, did you ever anticipate that this day woulde when you ndered Stephanie and compelled her to kneel before everyone? I looked down at Yasmin who was kneeling in front of everyone, and I couldn¡¯t help but sense a hint of irony. Yasmin clenched her hands tightly, showing her unwillingness to give in. She was extremely intimidating. She was flexible and resilient. She endured any humiliation I subjected her to because she was confident that she would rise to a powerful position in the future and repay me with even more humiliation. Her determination fueled a powerful ambition to surpass Michael and establish a direct connection with the president of Crowdstar Group. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Chapter 212 She believed the president of Crowdstar Group was the only person capable of defeating the Lincoln family. After all, I was now Steven¡¯s wife. Despite not yet having real influence, I held the title of the president of Lincoln Group¡¯s wife. But what did she own? Michael adamantly refused to marry her. If she did not work hard to reach. the president of Crowdstar Group, how would she defend herself? How would she overshadow me? How would shepete with me? ¡°Stephany, I¡¯ve already knelt before you in front of everyone. What else do you want?¡± Yasmin said pitifully, struggling to keep herselfposed. and The crowd also couldn¡¯t help but start talking about it. Yasmin seized the moment to cry a speak. ¡®Stephany, you asked me to kneel before you. Here I am, already on my knees. Please help 1. me. Only you can save me¡­¡± Yasmin feared Steven and thought he was a killer. However, she understood she could rely on the Lincoln family¡¯s influence for her safety. ¡°Steven, I know you hate those people from the orphanage, but at the end of the day, we all grew up together. We were all young and bound to make mistakes. Let¡¯s move i it, okay?¡± Yasmin¡¯s gaze shifted to Steven. Steven frowned and hugged me with one hand. ¡°Don¡¯t try to guilt¨Ctrip me. It won¡¯t work.¡± Yasmin was angry and asked, ¡°Steven, do you have to argue over every little thing with us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s going on? Why do you have to force her to kneel?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being overly aggressive. What harm could she possibly do?¡± Meanwhile, a group of ¡°warm- hearted¡±dies started to preach beside us. I stared at thedy who spoke earlier. ¡°She, along with a group of criminals, trapped my husband in a small room with barred windows and started a fire. Ultimately, it caused the deaths of over 20 people and serious injuries to more than ten others.¡± After I finished speaking, everyone was monster. shocked. They all looked at Yasmin as if she were a Yasmin¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she desperately tried to exin herself, ¡°Stephany, I had nothing to do with the fire at the orphanage that year-¡± I approached Yasmin with a condescending gaze and interrupted her, ¡°You know deep down whether you participated in it or not. That murderer wouldn¡¯t kill innocent people, and it appears that you¡¯re not innocent. ¡°Yasmin, at that time, those who were burned alive by the fire and those who were struggling in the mes saw you through the barred window. The murderer saw you clearly.¡± Yasmin¡¯s fear overwhelmed her, causing her to crumble to the ground and instinctively recoil in sheer terror. ¡°What you¡¯re saying is utter nonsense¡­ It¡¯splete nonsense¡­¡± I scoffed at Yasmin. There was no doubt that she was involved. ¡°Stephany! Steven is a lunatic. He has been a lunatic since he was a child! Stephanie Carlson is the one he has feelings for! Stephanie was his girlfriend, and she was also a lunatic!¡± Yasmin appeared to be suddenly frightened. She had a terrified look in her eyes, as if she was seeing Steven through me. ¡°Stephanie was the one he truly loved. She has passed away, so you¡¯re just a recement, a puppet, and an item. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Do you believe he truly loves you? When he¡¯s done with you, he¡¯ll kill you mercilessly and trap your in a ss cab! You¡¯re going to die! You¡¯re going to die!¡± she screamed at me. I turned to Steven, astonishment shing in my eyes. I couldn¡¯t seem to recall, but it appeared I had a past rtionship with Steven. Did I forget him because of amnesia? Steven just gazed at me aggrievedly, his eyes tinged with red. Then, he smiled at me. ¡°Stephie, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± He never med me for forgetting about him. He always reassured me of that. Despite his understanding, my anxiety only continued to grow. Steven didn¡¯t argue against Yasmin¡¯s statement, indirectly confirming that what she said was true. I forgot about Steven, my lover. After losing my memory, I fell in love with Michael during the years. when Steven was trapped in hell. When Steven finally escaped and came to find me, he discovered that I had forgotten about him and fallen in love with someone else. Why was I having a heartache? Could this possibly be true? If so, then I owed Steven too much. Chapter 213 ¡°Stephany, you¡¯re not Stephanie! You¡¯re not!¡± Yasmin continued to scream. As soon as the nurse noticed this, she hurried over tofort her. Recognizing that something was amiss, she promptly alerted the doctor. *Stephany, I¡¯m aware of Stepalinie¡¯s secret. You don¡¯t believe me, right? I really do know her secret¡­¡± She suddenly grabbed my arm, her voice hoarse and low. ¡°Be wary of Steven. Be wary of that lunatic. I stepped back and stared at Yasmin, her eyes filled with despair. ¡°The Lincoln family won¡¯t protect you, and I don¡¯t need to learn Stephanie¡¯s secret from you. Yasmin, this is your own doing. and no one can help you.¡± Yasminy on the ground shaking. ¡°Stephany! You¡¯ll regret this!¡± She resented me for making her kneel today without offering her any protection. However, I ignored her. Despite her continued hysterical shouting, Steven took my hand and guided me away. I did not turn back. I was not a saint. The more she suffered, the more joy I felt As I gazed at Steven¡¯s back, my vision slightly blurred. Yasmin¡¯s words about me and Steven being lovers resurfaced in my mind. I had feelings for Steven, and Steven felt the same way about me. How could I have let such a momentous memory slip my mind? How? ¡°Stephanie! Why are you still fighting with me about Michael? Why do you still hold a ce in hu heart even after you¡¯re gone? You¡¯re a lunatic and an evil ghost! You nearly caused Michael¡¯s death once. It¡¯s your fault! It¡¯s your fault that he hates you!¡± Yasmin continued to shout. Steven seemed to walk faster. He looked at Yasmin with a sinister expression, took me into the elevator, and covered my ears. ¡°Don¡¯t trust anything she says.¡± I couldn¡¯t look away as Yasmin wept until the elevator door shut. Rachel, who had been outside on the phone, eagerly approached me as soon as she saw me coming out. ¡°Stephany¡­ Zion¡­ The incident unexpectedly went viral online. The overwhelming public bacshpelled the authorities to impose sanctions on Zion.¡± I was stunned and checked my phone. Police brutality had be a popr search topic. Someone was intentionally influencing public opinion. ¡°At first, I thought the murderer behind was just one person, a lunatic. It seems that we all underestimated¡­¡± My voice was strained. The individual responsible was not just one person. They also possessed significant power and financial resources. It took extraordinary influence and resources to shape public opinion and control traffic flow. Who could this murderer be? Rachel looked down, her voice trembling with tears. ¡°Zion was transferred to the traffic police team 3. He has been involved in this case since the beginning. But now, he has been demoted to a traffic policeman, making the closure of this case even more unlikely.¡± ¡°Zion must have been devastated.¡± I found myself at a loss for words. ¡°Shall we go and support him?¡± Rachel whispered, seeking my opinion. She now seemed to trust me, which surprised me a little. Steven held my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I was pleasantly astonished by Steven¡¯s initiative to show care for others. ¡°Sure.¡± We all stood outside Zion¡¯s residence together. Despite Rachel¡¯s persistent knocking, Zion refused to open the door. Rachel forcefully kicked the door. ¡°Zion, I know you¡¯re in there. If your don¡¯t open the door, I¡¯ll make sure the police know all about you!¡± I was aware that Rachel was concerned about what would transpire with Zion. However, Zion continued to refrain from opening the door. ¡°Zion, get out here! You bastard! How could you leave me? I¡¯m carrying your baby, and your dumped me!¡± Rachel¡¯s tears were streaming down her face as she put on a convincing performance. They were in the dorm room of the police station. Zion¡¯s father served as a dedicated police officer and tragically lost his life in the line of duty while pursuing a dangerous criminal. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Inspired by his father¡¯s unwaveringmitment and fueled by passion, Zion believed he had the potential to be an exceptional police officer. However, reality had made him feel defeated many times. Rachel¡¯s outburst was so intense that it left Steven and me stunned. We exchanged a nce and silently stepped back in agreement. Chapter 214 Steven was clearly shocked by Rachel¡¯s acting skills andmented in a hushed tone, ¡°Stephie, your friend is so aggressive.¡± I raised my hand to cover my forehead, thinking she was indeed quite aggressive. Soon, Zion opened the door and put his hand over Rachel¡¯s mouth. His countenance was somber, and he wore a stubbly beard. All the neighbors in this neighborhood were his father¡¯s colleagues, and Rachel¡¯s actions would cause him great embarrassment. ¡°What nonsense are you yelling?¡± Zion dragged her into his house. Then, he nced at me and Steven and hastily fixed his disheveled hair. ¡°My house¡­ is a little messy Steven and I walked into the house filled with beer bottles and cigarette butts scattered on the floor. The ce was more than a little messy. ¡°Are you willing to give up on this case just like this?¡± asked Rachel. Zion had just ignited a cigarette, but as soon as he noticed my presence as a pregnant woman, he promptly extinguished it. With a frown, Steven firmly raised his hand and gently pressed my head against his chest. ¡± Secondhand smoke is harmful.¡± Upon hearing that, Zion rolled his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be too sad. You have some intelligence, but it¡¯s limited. It makes sense that you couldn¡¯t deal with him. It¡¯s a matter of talent,¡± Steven consoled him. I felt my face flush with embarrassment, but no words escaped my lips. The statement was so straightforward. Was it intended to offer sce to others? As I observed the slight twitching of Zion¡¯s lips, I couldn¡¯t help but sense his desire to chase Steven out. However, his upbringing restrained him from acting on his impulses. ¡°Although I left, there is some good news. My superiors sent an expert over. He¡¯s a genius in criminal investigation. I heard he¡¯s also in the advanced ss. He should be a ssmate of Steven. Zion nced at me and added, ¡°His name is Eason Grant, reputedly a genius known for his exceptional memory. I heard that his observational skills are unmatched and that he never misses any clues once he has seen the scene.¡± I nced at Steven, my astonishment evident. Could this person truly possess such incredible abilities? Steven sneered and quietly muttered, ¡°He¡¯s just trash I was perplexed. Even though Zion didn¡¯t hear Steven¡¯s muttering, I was able to discors it. He and Eason seemed to be at odds with each other. ¡°Out of hundreds of millions of people, only one person can make it into the advanced ss. He must possess unique qualities, unlike the average person I hope he can swiftly resolve the case,¡± Rachel quietly whispered her heartfelt plea. ¡°There are many types of geniuses,¡± Steven disputed itachel¡¯s statement. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°A genius is considered a genius if he scores above 60 points, but there¡¯s a significant distinction between 61 points and a thousand points. There¡¯s no limit to this disparity. Moreover, this person is as annoying as Michael Steven had serious doubts about Eason I was speechless. Steven now saw Michael as the embodiment of annoyance Rachel nced at Steven in astonishment ¡°You¡¯re quite talkative today.¡± Indeed, Steven really despised Eason. ¡°He¡¯s not as good as you. Steven shot a resentful look at Zion. He was trying to persuade Zion not to give up indirectly. Zion said nothing and poured himself a ss of beer. ¡°Is the beer still okay to drink? When was it opened?¡± Rachel reached out to snatch the bottle. Zion dodged, ¡°Last night. I don¡¯t wanna waste it.¡± Shortly after Zion had a drink, he began to experience a stomach ache and rushed to the toilet. Rachel assisted him with cleaning up the house, feeling helpless. ¡°Yasmin became frantic in the hospital today. She knows that after Michael¡¯s ident, no one can shield her,¡± I informed Rachel before I left Zionis house. I wished to cheer her up. The destiny that Yasmin experienced today was seen as a form of retribution. Rachel paused while tidying up the mess and looked at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this? She should be feeling more despair.¡± I left with a smile on my face, holding Stever¡¯s hand ¡°Steven, have you and Stephanie ever been in a rtionship?¡± I asked, raising my head to look at him intently. Was he truly able to identify me as Stephanie, or did he simply view me as a mere recement for her, as others thought? I was afraid that one day, he would wake up, lose all self¨Ccontrol, and eventually kill me. Steven stood before me, his gaze intense and unwavering ¡°Partner You¡¯re my partner.¡± Steven said it with a stern expression. My heart hurt when he said I was his partner. ¡°Stephiel Rachel and Zion ran out upstairs. ¡°We received a call from the hospital saying that Yasmin attempted suicide next to Michael¡¯s bed, and Michael is now conscious!¡± Chapter 215 I nced at Rachel helplessly. ¡°A bad thing never dies. Is Yasmin finally gone? If she passes away, I¡¯ll celebrate with fireworks.¡± Rachel stood upstairs, letting out a sigh. ¡°Besides acting, what other skills does she possess? She¡¯s exceptionally intelligent. She desires to consistently keep Michael indebted to her.¡± Sure enough, even Rachel could see through Yasmin. Zion and Rachel descended the stairs, and we proceeded to the hospital together. Zion appeared with an unshaven face, giving off an air of slight disarray Rachelined softly, I think you look more like a homeless man than Steven does, but you¡¯re not as good¨Clooking as Steven.¡± Zion red at Rachel. ¡®How rude!¡± With a smile on her face, Rachel hopped into Zion¡¯s car. Michael was finally conscious, and his words were crucial for advancing this case. They had to uncover the events leading to his stabbing, determine what transpired, and establish if Simon was the perpetrator. Obtaining his testimony was of utmost importance. A few of us hurried upstairs, but we were prevented from entering the ward. Phil raised the cordon and looked at Zion in embarrassment. ¡°Officer Landon, the new officer is here. He¡¯s instructed us to prevent anyone else from essing the area. It was clear that the new officer had anticipated Zion¡¯s arrival, with the rest of us merely being the anyone else he referred to. ¡°Eason?¡± Zion frowned and stormed in with frustration. ¡°I want to find out what happened that night.¡± In the ward, a man in a ck suit was standing with his back to the door. When Zion entered, he didn¡¯t even look back. In a stern tone, he stated, ¡°Officer Landon, due to your unprofessional behavior, you are no longer in charge of this case.¡± Zion¡¯s face contorted into a deep frown as he tightly clenched his fists. Although the man didn¡¯t look back, I could already sense his profound arrogance, as if he held himself above everyone else. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. While traveling here, I looked up Eason on Google, who was previously known as Hudson butter changed his name to Eason. He achieved third ce in the exam for the advanced ss. He joined the advanced ss at the age of 15, which was one year older than Steven and Simeon. score of 700 Steven discovered the errors and inuracies of the question maker in the mathematics On the other hand, if Simeon had presented his answers with more elegant handwriting, he would have achieved the same score as Steven. Unfortunately, due to his extremely messy handwriting. six points were deducted from Simeon¡¯s final score. As for Eason, he scored 367 points. This should be the difference that Steven mentioned. The entrance exam for the advanced ss was quite challenging, with a total of 700 points. Despite the challenging nature of the test, a minimum score of 300 points was all that was required to qualify. Nevertheless, given the vast number of children participating nationwide, only 14 managed to surpass the 300¨Cpoint threshold. Furthermore, it was even more astounding to discover the significant disparity between the scores of third ce and those of first and second ce. That was also why Double Stars Welfare Home gained nationwide recognition, as it had nurtured two extraordinary geniuses. The presence of Steven and Simeon made the other 12 Individuals in the advanced ss appear as foils. ¡°Michael, what happened that day?¡± Zion had been heavily drinking these days as his mental state was truly shattered. Despite Simeon¡¯s deliberate attempts to provoke Zion into seeking death, Zion remained determined to uncover the truth. ¡°The victim has just woken up. He can¡¯t provide many details at the moment. You should be able to see that, Officer Landon. After all, you¡¯re a top graduate from the police academy,¡± Eason said coldly, his words dripping with disdain. I stood at the door, feeling that he was very unapproachable just by looking at his back. ¡°I¡¯m deeply concerned about your low IQ, Officer Landon. You attacked the criminal suspect and killed the only clue just because you were provoked.¡± Eason was irritating Zion. Zion tightly gripped his hands, ready to spring into action. Chapter 216 ? "Do you have a high IQ? Are you deliberately trying to give the impression that you''re intelligent by dressing as if you are attending a funeral?" Steven asked at the door. Rachel and I were left speechless with astonishment. Steven was soposed and confident while criticizing others. Eason''s body momentarily tensed, but then he turned to face Steven and broke into a sudden smile. "Oh? Aren''t you... my old ssmate? Have you finally been released from the asylum? It seems you stillck basic manners. "It appears your parents'' negligence in not keeping you on a leash continues to endanger others." Eason and Steven were extremely hostile toward each other. He mentioned Steven''s parents intentionally to provoke Steven. It wasmon knowledge that Steven''s father passed away in a car ident, and his mother''s fate remained a mystery. She abandoned him at the orphanage''s doorstep when he was just a child. "Sir, you speak eloquently. Did you grow up independently?" I furrowed my brows, observing his discourteous behavior. Had he not been raised with any guidance on proper etiquette? Eason''s eyes grew darker as he fixed a prating gaze upon me. After a considerable amount of time, a burst ofughter came from him. "Steven, you haven''t changed a bit. You still have that obsession with collecting..." He was likely mocking me for resembling Stephanie. "Get out..." Lying on the hospital bed, Michael''splexion was ashen as he requested for everyone to leave the ward. Eason turned to Michael, saying, "Mr. Ford, rest well. I''ll return when your injury has improved." As Eason exited the ward, he purposefully halted right in front of me. "You know, you and Stephanie do look very simr." He believed that this sentence would provoke me and was clearly doing so intentionally. What he didn''t realize was that I was Stephanie. I frowned. "Do you know Stephanie?" Eason was a ssmate of Steven in the advanced ss. I hadpletely forgotten... By now, I had realized that the memories I lost revolved around Steven. I hadpletely forgotten about Steven and his group of friends. "Of course... Everyone in our dormitory knows Stephanie. After all, he was always hugging the photo of Stephanie while sleeping." Eason''s gaze settled on Steven. "Regrettably, they tore the photo into pieces, which was really unfortunate. It''s considered bad luck to do that, isn''t it? I heard that Stephanie passed away..." Once again, Eason reminded me, "Avoid repeating the same mistake she made." Eason''s behavior had finally triggered Steven, who had been bottling up his anger. He stormed up and pushed Eason against the wall. He red at Eason. "You''re going to die." Eason sneered. "Am I also a target for revenge in the serial murder case? Okay... Then I''ll wait. Let me see if you, an absolute genius who entered the advanced ss with the perfect score, can kill me."All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. With a firm push, Steven brushed off any wrinkles from his clothes and confidently strode away. I stared in disbelief at the note crumpled in my hand. Eason had secretly slipped it to me after intentionally provoking Steven. What could be the hidden message he was trying to convey? "That night, I was hiding in the dark, trying to see if Yasmin could lure out the murderer. Out of nowhere, Simmie appeared and wanted to kill Yasmin. I stepped forward to stop him and was stabbed by him," Michael eventually replied so that Zion would know. He believed more in Zion than the unfamiliar officer. "Mike..." Just as Zion was about to say something, he heard Yasmin crying. Her wrist was bandaged in gauze, and with Lois'' support, she entered the ward. "Mike, Yasmin''s a good woman. She attempted suicide for you. Thankfully, I discovered it on time." Lois sighed and continued, "Now that Stephie is gone, we have to find a way to move forward. I won''t force you anymore. If you want to take care of Yasmin, just marry her. Yasmin was very smart. She took her own life to gain Lois'' eptance. Michael nced at me, his eyes betraying a hint of panic. "Stephie..." Chapter 217 I ignored Michael and urged Steven toe home with me. ¡°Stephanie Carlson¡­¡± Michael called my name in a slightly anxious tone. ¡°Mike, don¡¯t scare me¡­ She¡¯s not Stephie. She just bears a slight resemnce to her.¡± Lois¡® face paled with fear as she swiftly restrained Michael, preventing him from getting up. ¡°Your wound is severe. Stop moving around.¡± Yasmin nced at me with red, provocative eyes. She was clearly conveying that she had once again won the bet. Luck was on her side, and Michael regained consciousness. If Michael agreed to marry her, she wouldn¡¯t have to try so hard to contact the mysterious man from Crowdstar Group. ¡°Mike¡­ I¡¯m d you¡¯re conscious now. I thought you¡­ lost hope, thinking it was the end, but thankfully, Mrs. Ford found me in time.¡± Yasmin cried. Michael¡¯s gaze was fixed on me, brimming with unspoken words. Yasmin¡¯s eyes grew even redder as she noticed Michael¡¯sck of response to her words. ¡°Mike, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re finally awake. Take good care of your injuries and treat Yasmin well in the future.¡± Lois sighed. I made my way to the door, casting a nce back at Michael, whose eyes were fixed on me. With a sneer, I proceeded to lead Steven away. ¡°Stop staring at him,¡± Steven said unhappily, gripping my hand tighter. He then cursed Michael softly, ¡°He¡¯s blind.¡± I nodded and smiled at Steven. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Rachel noticed that Zion was in a bad mood and not paying attention. It was probably because of something Eason, the genius, said today. ¡°Are you that fragile?¡± Rachel asked quietly. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Zion did not respond.. ¡°More fragile than ss.¡± Rachel sighed and continued talking to Zion, ¡°Zion, ignore the nonsense of that supposed genius. There must be something¨Coff about that person. I think he seems more like a gangster.¡± I nced at Rachel, who wasforting Zion. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I only met Rachel after my parents passed away and when I transferred to Michael¡¯s high school. We decided to attend the same university. While she was keen on medicine, I leaned toward mathematics. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t possess Steven¡¯s inherent talent and intelligence, so I opted for a more conventional major. Rachel was an incredibly kind person. She and I both had a small circle of friends, so we relied on each other a lot. Because of family circumstances, she often felt isted and lost. The two of us shared a deep, unspoken understanding and harmony. Sometimes, I felt that friendship was the most genuine rtionship. Unlike family, friends were not bound by blood. They simply chose to be with each other. During my most vulnerable moments, Rachel was constantly by my side, offering me unwavering support and assistance. She shared in my tears andughter without reservation. Even after my death, she continued to search for the real culprit. ¡°Take good care of Officer Landon.¡± I waved my hand at Rachel. As Ewan approached, Rachel greeted him with a nod before hopping into Zion¡¯s car. She stepped on the elerator and reversed the car, immediately driving Zion away from the scene. Even from the roadside, I could clearly see the panic in Zion¡¯s face. I always remembered the moment when Rachel and I got our driver¡¯s licenses after high school. We used to joke that if we ever hit the road, we¡¯d be a threat to everyone! ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln.¡± Ewan held the car door open and gestured for us to get in. ¡°Have the policepleted taking down your statement?¡± I asked. Ewan acknowledged. ¡°We supported Sammie, but we were unaware of his involvement in the killing.¡± I didn¡¯t ask any more questions and got into the car. Along the way, I kept thinking about the note Eason handed me. He wanted to meet me tomorrow at noon. He also said not to tell Steven. Eason was a policeman, so there should be no danger in meeting him. However, the secret nature of our meeting left me wondering about his intentions. He mentioned wanting to take me somewhere. Where could he be leading me? Chapter 218 ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven called out. He noticed how distracted I was and tugged on my hand cautiously. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, you¡¯ll need to attend a charity g next month,¡± Ewan said as he nced at Steven through the rearview mirror. ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Steven replied unhappily. He was socially anxious, so he hated attending social events as such. ¡°You¡¯ve just taken over the Lincoln Group, so you¡¯ll need to take part in social events like these.¡± Ewan persuaded helplessly. ¡°How annoying¡­¡± Steven said with petnce. He was getting a little angry. I propped my head up and looked at Steven. I was suddenly amused by him. His angry expression made him look like a child who was being forced by his parents to visit distant rtives he didn¡¯t like. ¡°Steve, we have to attend the charity g. Mr. Martin has been released on bail and ims that others have taken the me for his illegal actions. Dax believes that we¡¯re somehow involved. Mr. Martin is less likely to let us off the hook now that he¡¯s been released,¡± I sighed. I continued, ¡°I heard that a big shot from Crowdstar Group will be attending the charity g too. He¡¯s been rumored to be quite extraordinary in recent years.¡± Steven was taken aback to hear that. He cast a sidelong nce at me and asked, ¡°Stephie, do your want to go?¡± I nodded in response. Even though our main objective was to figure out who the main culprit was, we had to prioritize staying alive over anything else. ¡°It was clear that Martin didn¡¯t want Steven and I to live. If we could meet the mysterious president of Crowdstar Group this time, it might help boost our status in the Lincoln family. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard that Crowdstar Group¡¯s president is very capable. He can help us out of our current predicament and further cement your position in the Lincoln Group,¡± I whispered. Ewan must have hit the brakes a bit too hard at that moment. I almost fell out of my seat, but Steven managed to catch me. Steven frowned at Ewan. ¡°Sorry, I got a bit distracted for a moment,¡± Ewan apologized. ¡°Do you know anything about Crowdstar Group¡¯s president, Mr. Bart? You¡¯ve been part of this industry for a while now, haven¡¯t you?¡± I asked Ewan if he had any knowledge of the president of Crowdstar Group. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Lincoln. All I know is that Crowdstar Group has be rather popr in recent years, but its founder is very elusive. No one has ever seen him, and there are very few reports in the media about him. It almost feels like he¡¯s hiding from everyone,¡± Ewan said, shaking his head. Even though Ewan was assistant to the Lincoln Group¡¯s chairman, he had never met the president of Crowdstar Group. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. This person was indeed rather elusive. ¡°I¡¯ve looked him up. Some people on the inte im to have seen him before, apparently. They say that he¡¯s an old, ugly man with a limp. That¡¯s why he¡¯s rarely seen in public. Hardly anyone has seen him,¡± I said. I was unsure if the online rumors were reliable. Steven was in the middle of drinking some water when he suddenly stiffened. Then, he coughed, seemingly having choked on it. I instinctively grabbed a tissue to wipe the water that had dribbled out of his mouth and flowed down to his neck. I couldn¡¯t help but notice how good Steven¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple looked. Its shape was so distinct. When he swallowed, it rolled. I blushed slightly at the sight and unconsciously withdrew my fingers. I had heard one shouldn¡¯t touch a man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple carelessly. Sure enough, Steven ended up reaching out to pull me into his arms. Then, he lowered his head to kiss me. Ewan then helplessly raised the partition and continued to drive steadily as if he were driving an army tank. ¡°You¡­¡± I tried to push Steven away. ¡°You started it first,¡± Steven said, looking aggrieved. He implied that I had seduced him. ¡°I was just wiping the water off you,¡± I muttered softly. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Steven said. He held my cheeks stubbornly and leaned down to kiss me again. You¡¯re mine.¡± I had no choice but to surrender and let him kiss me. ¡°Steven¡­¡± I whispered his name, feeling my breath heating up. Why did I have to forget everything rted to him? ¡°Mr. Martin has encouraged some high¨Cranking employees to go on a strike. You¡¯ll need to head to thepany tomorrow morning,¡± Ewan said. He seemed reluctant to interrupt us, but he ended up speaking up after answering a phone call. I breathed a sigh of relief. If Steven would be at the Lincoln Group, it meant that I could sneak out to meet Eason in secret at noon tomorrow. I wanted to know what he wanted to show me. Chapter 219 Once we got back home, I managed to coax Steven to go to bed first. It seemed that after experiencing being well taken care of, Steven wanted to experience it again. He kept pretending to feel ill and said that he had a fever, sore hands, and sore feet. He even All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. asked that I bathe him. I hoped he could just be honest. Bathing Steven was really troublesome, especially since he took advantage of the situation. Steven had stripped himself naked earlier and ended up soaking me as well, ¡°Steven Lincoln!¡± I gritted my teeth after yelling. I was soaked from head to toe. ¡°Stephie, your clothes are all wet. Come on, let¡¯s just bathe together,¡± Steven said, looking innocent. He was seriously trying to unbutton my shirt. I pped his hand away and took a deep breath. I tried to console myself. I kept telling myself that there was no way around this. Steven was my husband, after all. I repeated this mantra in my head. It was my fault for spoiling him so ¡°Stephie¡­¡± My phone rang at that moment. To avoid getting it wet, I ced it in a small crook on the inside of the bathtub. Steven reached out to help me grab the phone. But when he saw that it was Michael calling, hist face darkened and his grip loosened as well. I watched helplessly as my phone fell into the bathtub. It seemed to struggle to stay on for a few seconds before shutting offpletely. I took a deep breath and felt anger rise within me. Previously, Michael¡¯s number in my phone had been blocked. I was certain that Steven had been the one who did it. ¡°Stephie¡­ I got water on my wound. It hurts so much. You¡¯re not going to get mad at me for not holding your phone firmly enough, are you?¡± Steven said, looking at me with a pitiful expression on his face. His gaze was not as dark as before he dumped my phone into the water. At this moment, he looked more like a naughty child seeking forgiveness for his mistakes. The raging fire inside of me was instantly put out by his expression. I had to admit that I was weak. ¡°Steven Lincoln, this is the third phone you¡¯ve ruined. Don¡¯t touch my phone next time,¡± I said through clenched teeth and suppressed anger. Steven¡¯s eyes turned red¨Crimmed. ¡°Is your phone that much more interesting than I am?¡± I didn¡¯t know what led him to that conclusion. I reached out to fish out my phone from the bathtub. However, he grabbed my wrist and suddenly pulled me in. I fell on top of him as a result. The anger within me erupted in that instant. But the raging me was swiftly extinguished by Stever¡¯s body and looks. He had wless skin and well¨Cdefined muscles. There were water droplets all over his perfect body, which made him resemble a merman that had just surfaced from the depths of the sea, untouched by worldly matters. ¡°Oh, dear. Guess we¡¯ll have to take a bath together now,¡± Steven said innocently. His lips curled into a smirk as he held me in his arms. I wanted to push him away out of anger, but the water made everything too slippery. In an instant, the atmosphere in the bathroom changed. Unable to bear the tension any longer, I could only bite down on Steven¡¯s corbone. put Steven¡¯s body stiffened for a moment. He did not move to push me away, nor did he try to up a fight. ¡°You like biting people when you¡¯re mad, huh?¡± he said softly. Suddenly, he flipped over to pin me down in the bathtub. My head was instantly submerged in water. I held my breath instinctively as Steven pressed me deeper into the water and kissed me. I suddenly realized that this guy was definitely not as clueless as he appeared. Someone had definitely taught him these moves. Steven is seemed innocent and clueless, yet he would always manage to make others blush. ¡°Steven Lincoln, if you end up drowning me, you¡¯re done for!¡± I pushed him away forcefully. I gasped for air and shook my head vigorously to get the water out of my ears. I red at Steven but could not bring myself to vent my anger on him. ¡°You¡¯d better start bathing yourself right now and go to bed straight after,¡± I said in a threatening tone. However, it was useless. Steven wouldn¡¯t listen to me and continued to touch me. Steam filled the bathroom as the touching escted. After doing it for hours with Steven, I ended up tiring myself out. As soon as Iy down on my pillow, I felt extremely sleepy. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, you have to go to thepany tomorrow morning,¡± Ewan said from outside. He was still trying to persuade Steven. ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯m going to keep Stephiepany when she goes for her prenatal check¨Cup tomorrow,¡± Steven replied irritably. Steven remembered everything. Whenever it was time for one of my check¨Cups, he was better at reminding me about it than my phone. I I With a grunt, I quickly added, ¡°You should really go. I can go for the check¨Cup by myself in the morning.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Steven said unhappily. Then, he lowered his head and asked, ¡°Stephie, do you not like it when I¡¯m around you?¡± 6 Chapter 220 I felt helpless and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to thepany tomorrow? You cane with me to my prenatal check¨Cup the day after. How¡¯s that?¡± I could easily push my check¨Cup a day back. Steven lowered his head and remained silent. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, your new phone has arrived and has been ced outside your door,¡± Ewan said. He put the phone down and left quietly. Everyone noticed that Steven only ever listened to me. Even I noticed it myself. I got out of bed with a yawn and went to get my phone at the door. After inserting my SIM card, I turned it on and set it to silent mode before going to sleep. Steven looked to be in high spirits. He did not seem tired at all. He climbed onto the bed and held me in his arms, ying with my hair. I was too tired to bother with him, so I leaned against his chest and drifted off to sleep. I slept for a while before waking up with the urgent need to pee. I really needed to go to the bathroom. When I opened my eyes, I saw that Steven hadn¡¯t slept yet. He was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was looking at something in his hand. I rubbed my eyes without reacting at first. But when I finally came to, my heart skipped a beat. I wondered if Steven was looking at the note Eason gave mest time. I clearly recalled throwing the note into the hospital¡¯s trash can after reading the contents and the phone number on it. How could it be with Steven? I turned around and walked over to his side. Only then did I see that Steven was merely holding a piece of tissue paper. I breathed a sigh of relief and asked softly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet? It¡¯s the middle of the night. What are you doing?¡± ¡°I needed the bathroom,¡± he said. He looked as sleepy as I felt. I hummed in response. It looked like Steven had just woken up too. We had fooled around in the bathtub for quite some time, after all. We were both dying of thirst when we got out, so it felt great to drink a cup of water before going to bed. It was just annoying that we had to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom because of R ¡°Stephie. I¡¯m scared,¡± Steven said. He clung to me from behind. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I raised my head groggily to look over at him. I wondered why he would feel scared to go into the bathroom ¡°Stephie, do you think souls or spirits can follow us around without us seeing them?¡± Steven asked softly. I A chill ran down my spine upon hearing that. I tightly grabbed onto the hem of Steven¡¯s clothes. This time, the scared one wasn¡¯t him. It was me Because I knew for a fact that souls and spirits truly did exist in forms that couldn¡¯t be seen. ¡°Stephie, you¡¯re going to pee, right? I¡¯ll wait outside for you,¡± Steven said. His tone was innocent vet serious. After what he said, I kept feeling a chilling breeze in the bathroom. Steven knew me too well. He knew that I was easily spooked. I grabbed the hem of Steven¡¯s shirt and said, ¡°Turn around. Just don¡¯t look at me. The corners of Steven¡¯s mouth curled upward. He nodded obediently and turned away. He kept. me company the entire time. I huffed, knowing full well that he was deliberately trying to scare me. ¡°You¡¯ve used up all your intelligence to poke fun at me, huh?¡± I muttered softly. Steven didn¡¯t turn back to face me as he said, ¡°You once asked me what would be the only thing in - life that wouldn¡¯t change if a genius like me suddenly turned into a fool the next day.¡± 1 looked up at Steven. I couldn¡¯t remember that at all. ¡°Even if I became a fool overnight, I¡¯d still love you the same.¡± Steven¡¯s voice was soft. I could hardly hear what he said. I wanted him to repeat his words, but he had already lowered his head and was keeping silent. When I woke up early the next morning, Steven had already left to go to thepany. I reached for my phone and saw that I had several missed calls from Rachel. Dhapter 220 ¡°Steph, you¡¯ve finally picked up my call!¡± Rachelined softly. I was taken aback by the nickname. Did Rachel think that I was Stephanie? Before, she would only ever call me Steph when I was Stephanie. ¡°Michael suddenly went crazyst night and insisted on seeing you. None of the doctors could stop him. Despite his severe injuries, he managed to get up, which caused his wound to start bleeding all over again. ¡°His attending doctor is a friend of mine. My friend called me to tell me about it. All I could tell him was that I couldn¡¯t ensure that Michael died happy,¡± Rachel said with venom in her tone. She continued, ¡°And guess what? When the doctors weren¡¯t looking, Michael ended up running away even though his wound was still bleeding.¡± Chapter 221 ¡°He ran away?¡± I asked with furrowed brows. I had no idea what Michael was up to now. ¡°Did hee looking for you?¡± Rachel asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m currently¡­¡± I was staying in a vi Steven had rented. There was no way Michael could find his way here. I began to wonder if he had gone to the Lincoln residence instead. ¡°Could he have gone to the Lincoln residence?¡± I asked. I sat up suddenly and got out of bed to put my shoes on. ¡°He¡¯d better not drop dead at the Lincoln residence¡¯s doorstep. He¡¯ll bring nothing but bad- luck.¡± After hanging up the call, Rachel and I rushed to the Lincoln residence. Sure enough, we saw Michael at the Lincoln residence¡¯s entrance. He could barely stand at this point. What was wrong with him? Why couldn¡¯t he just stay in the hospital and recover from his injuries properly? Why did he want to see me so desperately? Michael¡¯s face was pale and devoid of all color. By the time he saw me, he could no longer stand on his own and had to lean against the wall for support. ¡°Stephie¡­. Did he just call me Stephie again? This psycho was looking for my past self again. I furrowed my brows and said, ¡°Michael Ford, don¡¯t you dare die on my doorstep.¡± Michael struggled to walk toward me. Suddenly, he hugged me tightly and said, ¡°Oh, Stephie. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I pushed him away, acting as if he had just electrocuted me. I red at him angrily and asked, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Michael couldn¡¯t remain steady on his feet, so he fell to the ground. The wound on his abdomen started bleeding again. The blood soaked through his shirt. ¡°I¡­ shouldn¡¯t have doubted you,¡± he said. He seemed convinced that I was Stephanie Carlson. I figured he was probably the same as Steven. These men were turning to me to console themselves. ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong person,¡± I said in a deep voice. ¡°I know you¡¯re Stephie. When I was dying, I saw Stephanie,¡± Michael said softly. He sounded as if he had gone mad. I was taken aback to hear that. I suddenly panicked and asked, ¡°What are you saying?¡± Who did he say he saw? ¡°Stephany¡­¡± Michael murmured in disbelief. Everything that happened felt like a dream to All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. him. However, Michael firmly believed that the dream he had was real. He believed that Stephanie hadn¡¯t died and that her soul had reincarnated into Stephany¡¯s body. I took a deep breath and nced around subconsciously. ¡°It might¡¯ve just been a dream, but at least let me do something to make it up to you¡­ Michael¡¯s voice was hoarse when he spoke. Regardless of whether I was Stephanie or not, it was clear that Michael wanted to make up for his guilt toward her through me. I had to admit that his behavior irked me. ¡°Stephie, please believe me. I can offer you whatever Steven can as well,¡± Michael said. His gaze b burned into me. He then reached out to me anxiously. ¡°Stephie, will you pleasee back to me? If you still insist on using Steven¡­ you can use me the same way too.¡± It sounded as if he was begging for me to use him. I sneered and took a step back from him. I had beenpletely devoted to Michael once upon a time. I was willing to give him all of me, but he had avoided me like the gue. Yet at this moment, he was begging a woman who resembled my deceased self to use him. E 3 I O He was doing all this just so he could make up for his guilt toward me. He was truly despicable. ¡°Michael Ford, you¡¯re such a bastard,¡± I said in a deep voice. Then, I looked over at Rachel, who had rushed over with Zion. I said to them, ¡°I think he should be admitted to an asylum for mistaking me for Stephanie Carlson.¡± Chapter 222 Rachel looked at me with an odd look in her eyes for a moment and asked me softly, ¡°If Stephie were still alive now, do you think she would truly let the matter go?¡± I scoffed and retorted sarcastically, ¡°What is she, brain damaged? It¡¯s only logical for her to let the matter go if that were the case. Otherwise, does she want to die a couple more times before seeing through things?¡± Rachel chuckled at that and suddenly hugged me tightly. I was a bit caught off guard. ¡°Why are you doing this? We¡¯re not even that close,¡± I said. ¡°I think you¡¯re pretty cool. I want to be friends with you,¡± Rachel replied and reached out to 1. me. She continued, ¡°Nice to meet you, Stephany. Let me reintroduce myself to you. My name is Rachel Qualls. Stephanie and I were the best of friends. We were super, super, super close!¡± Rachel said that we were the best of friends. She also used to tell me that when speaking about important things, they should be repeated thrice. I lowered my head and smiled. Then, I shook her hand. I had received a second chance at life, after all. Not only did I have to protect myself this time but also my most cherished friends. In fact, just as I was about to die, I had sworn something to myself. I swore that if I were ever given another chance in life, I would truly care and love those who truly felt the same about me. I was foolish in my past life. I needed some sense to be knocked into me to grow and change my ways. I learned my lesson in the end, but the price I paid for it was far too high. ¡°Mr. Ford, if you keep acting crazy like this, I¡¯m going to call the asylum and have you admitted,¡± Zion said with a frown. He genuinely thought that Michael had gone insane. Zion did not believe in higher powers, after all. It was impossible for him to believe in stuff like reincarnations and souls. Before Michael could say anything else, Lois and Yasmin arrived. ¡°Michael!¡± Lois called out. She and Yasmin rushed over to hug Michael. ¡°Why did you sneak out of the hospital like that? Are you trying to get yourself killed?¡± Yasmin¡¯s eyes were red¨Crimmed too. She red fiercely at me and barked out, ¡°Stephany Larson, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still trying to seduce Michael by pretending to be Stephanie. Are you trying to kill him?¡± Yasmin was pinning all the me on me. ¡°She has nothing to do with this. I was the one who came looking for her,¡± Michael exined in a low voice. ¡°Shut up!¡± Lois yelled angrily and pped Michael. ¡°You didn¡¯t cherish Stephie properly when she was still around. Didn¡¯t I tell you to appreciate her more? Yet you never did! What¡¯s the use of acting like this in front of such an obvious impostor?¡± Lois was a strong and independent woman. She red at me for a moment and said in a threatening tone, ¡°Stephany, I don¡¯t care why you¡¯re imitating and learning from Stephanie. You might be doing it to get to the Lincolns or us Fords, but if you do anything to harm my son, I won¡¯t let you off easy!¡± I nced at Yasmin in that instant. It appeared that she was still very talented at inciting arguments. This was a talent she possessed since she was a kid. ¡°Mrs. Ford, I¡¯m married to Steven Lincoln. I¡¯m even pregnant with his baby. I have not intention of plotting against your son. He¡¯s far inferior to Steven, after all,¡± I said coldly. I continued, ¡°Instead of suspecting what my supposed motives might be, you should really be wary about the people closest to you. The woman standing next to you is as malicious. as theye. Not only did she cause Stephanie¡¯s death, but she also has ns to suck your family dry. ¡°Do you want to know what¡¯s the most terrifying thing about her? Michael had just gotten into an ident yet she was already thinking of ways to use him to get to the elusive. president of Crowdstar Group.¡± Yasmin paled at that. ¡°You¡¯re spouting nonsense! ¡°Mrs. Ford, Michael, you can¡¯t trust her words. This woman is clearly an aplice to murder. She¡¯s a bad person,¡± Yasmin said anxiously. It was clear that she felt guilty. I sneered and took out my phone. I paused for a moment and cursed at Steven inwardly. Damn it, I had forgotten that he had dropped my phone into the bathtub earlier. Luckily, all my recordings were uploaded to the cloud. After logging into my ount, I pulled up the recording of the conversation Yasmin and had in the hospital the other day. Gather around, you two. Mrs. Ford, this is the evidence of Yasmin begging me to help her seduce the president of Crowdstar Group while your son was unconscious,¡± I said, I raised an eyebrow and tilted my chin proudly in Rachel¡¯s direction. I had learned my lesson, after all. I had been killed by Yasmin once already. I knew to always start recording whenever I met her alone. Yasmin looked surprised as she listened along to the recording I had on my phone. She nced at Michael with panic in her eyes and quickly stepped forward. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by her, Mrs. Ford. I was just asking her about the elusive president of Crowdstar Group to help Michael. I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to handle Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. everything at thepany if Michael didn¡¯t wake up,¡± Yasmin said. Yasmin turned back to look at Lois nervously. She tried to y into Lois¡® good graces. ¡°What a clown. It¡¯s clear that she was trying to get with Crowdstar Group¡¯s president, yet she¡¯s still trying to make it seem that she was making sacrifices for Michael¡¯s sake. Her acting skills are truly top¨Cnotch,¡± Rachel said, adding fuel to the fire. Michael¡¯s face along with Lois¡® had darkened significantly. I smirked at Rachel. She and Zion then gave me a thumbs¨Cup. I ¡°I have other matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t keep you all any longer. Mr. Ford, go consult a doctor if you¡¯re ill. You¡¯re at the Lincoln residence, not a crematorium. There¡¯s no need for you to cry your eyes out here either,¡± I said in a low voice while ncing at the time. I still had to meet Eason. I didn¡¯t have time to indulge Michael in his regrets and his menial attempts to make amends. Chapter 223 ¡°Stephle¡­¡± Michael tried to continue, but I had already instructed the butler to shut the door. Rachel and Zion stopped Michael from advancing. ¡°Mr. Ford, if you really do end up dying out here, it¡¯ll make things difficult for your doctors.¡± Lois¡® face had turned ashen. She looked at Michael with a mixture of frustration and disbelief in her expression. ¡°Michael, I think you¡¯ve truly lost your mind.¡± Lois was an independent woman in the modern world, after all. I could see the weariness and disbelief in her eyes. She probably never imagined that her son would end up in such a a. state. I shook my head helplessly and walked into the living room. After I left, Rachel sent me a text. She told me that Lois was on the verge of going mad from anger because of Michael. It turned out that Lois was wondering if her son had been possessed by spirits or reced by someone else. Lois had even asked her assistant to inquire about the best exorcist in Huma. She said that she wanted the exorcist to perform an exorcism and also protect her family against any potential harm. I was taken aback to hear that. I could only let out a resigned smile. Everyone knew that there was no way the dead coulde back to life. Lois was Michael¡¯s mother, after all. It wasn¡¯t surprising that she was looking for other reasons to pin all of Michael¡¯s unhinged behavior on at this time. I figured that Lois must hate me a lot at this moment. She probably regretted adopting met into the Ford family and ruining her son. It was because of me that Michael turned out this way, after all. Sure enough, I received another text from Rachel before reaching the ce where I was supposed to meet Eason. She told me that Lois had brought an exorcist to my gravesite. Rituals were being performed to ward off evil spirits at this moment. It turned out that the evil spirit Lois was trying to banish was me. Rachel said that they were going to perform some special rites¨Cfor me to prevent my spirit from lingering around Michael. Mrs. Lincoln, we¡¯re here.¡± At some point, the Lincoln family¡¯s driver had started speaking to me with a lot more respect in his tone. I didn¡¯t think it was a big deal. However, I realized that the household staff had started addressing Steven the same way too. It felt as if they regarded Steven as the head of the Lincoln household now. I didn¡¯t think much of it. James had be a vegetable with little to no chance of waking up, after all. Furthermore, was now a paralyzed invalid after his stroke. He could Ignatius not even take care of himself, let alone make any decisions for the household. It was clear that Steven was the head of the Lincolns now. I nced around after getting out of the car. Stamford was a prestigious university located between Huma and Jacaster. It was the best university in the country and the only one that offered advanced sses to geniuses. I didn¡¯t know why Eason invited me here. However, I was rather angry. I was already three minuteste due to traffic, after all. I had expected Eason to be upset with me. But to my surprise, it turned out that he still hadn¡¯t arrived. I had never liked people who weren¡¯t punctual. Michael was a very punctual person. Hel N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. measured time to the second. If I rante to meet up with him at our appointed time or somehow displeased him, he would always find a way to punish me. As a result, I became a very punctual person. I would be very anxious if the person I agreed to meet with at a certain time didn¡¯t show up. I started to wonder if I was being yed for a fool again. I took out my phone and called Eason. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to meet you at the designated location around this time?¡± I asked. On the other end of the call, Eason sounded as if he was gritting his teeth as he spoke, And didn¡¯t I tell you not to tell that psycho, Steven, about this meeting?¡± I was taken aback to hear that. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell him anything. After reading the note, I threw it into the trash can at the hospital. I¡¯m sure nobody saw it. Steven doesn¡¯t know,¡± I replied, feeling bewildered. Eason chuckled at that. Then, I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end. It sounded as if he was in pain. I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it from that lunatic. He must have seen the note somehow and had someone beat me up in advance. I¡¯m too embarrassed to show my face anywhere now!¡± Eason continued to grumble over the phone, ¡°I¡¯m certain that it was him. I can¡¯t be wrong. He knows I care most about my looks, so he deliberately had someone hit me in the face!¡± I was starting to get upset by the usations Eason made. ¡°Stop ndering my husband¡¯s name. He needs assistance for basic living needs, you know. If he had the ability to get someone to beat you up, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten bullied by Mr. Lincoln Senior and Mr. James back then.¡± If Steven was really capable of getting someone to beat Eason up, he wouldn¡¯t have let himself get bullied by Ignatius and James in the past. Sometimes, I wondered if Steven really was the murderer. Would a murderer really allow themselves to be abused that way, despite being capable of all that? ¡°So are you saying that the people who used to wrong him are tucked away safe and sound now?¡± Eason asked in a meaningful tone on the other end. Chapter 224 My heart skipped a beat upon hearing that. I widened my eyes and asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Steven¡¯s dad, Mr. Andy, died. His death is closely rted to his uncle, Mr. James. Even Mr. Martin and the rest of the Lincoln family were involved with it. As you¡¯ve seen, James¡® fate has already been sealed. ¡°And now, even Mr. Ignatius, who condoned the murderer, is also bedridden. Do you honestly think Steven had nothing to do with all of it?¡± Eason said in a low voice and sneered. I fell silent. I knew deep down that I did not trust Stevenpletely. But I had known him since we were kids. I knew that he was fundamentally a good person. ¡°I guess that lunatic thought that by swelling up my face, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take you to see that ce. He has definitely underestimated me,¡± Eason said. He seemed eager to challenge Steven. Eason¡¯s speech over the phone was a bit stuttered. I figured his face must be bruised up quite badly. Eason was often cold and aloof, after all. It was difficult for me to imagine what he looked like all beaten up. ¡°Have you arrived at Stamford?¡± he asked again. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m already here,¡± I replied while ncing around. ¡°Pass your phone to the guards when you walk into the campus. I¡¯ll let them know to let you in. Just follow my instructions,¡± he said. I didn¡¯t know what Eason was up to. Even so, I followed his instructions and traversed through the Stamford campus ording to his directions. He told me to walk across ¨¤ field to get through a small gate. Then, I was asked to head toward a row of apartments located behind the school. ¡°You¡¯re not ying games with me, are you?¡± I asked through gritted teeth. I was losing my patience. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Why would I do that? I¡¯m right behind you. What are you so afraid of?¡± Eason teased. I nced back. No wonder It felt like someone was following me the whole time. Eason had pulled his cap low. He had a face mask and a pair of sunsses on. He even had his hoodie pulled over his baseball cap. If I hadn¡¯t known any better, I¡¯d think he was a celebrity trying to avoid the public gaze. ¡°Is all that necessary?¡± I asked, my lips twitching with amusement. ¡°I¡¯d rather be beheaded than have my face looking ugly out in public. If this ends up ruining my handsome features, he doesn¡¯t need to work hard to get me killed. I¡¯ll jump off a building myself,¡± Eason said through gritted teeth. My lips curled into an amused smile. When I saw Eason at the hospital the other day, he sounded so aloof and arrogant. I thought he would be a difficult person to approach, but who would have thought that he would be such an amusing idiot? ¡°Let¡¯s go to the apartment building on the third row,¡± Eason said, then hung up the phone and walked alongside me. I nced at him through his sunsses. He was sporting dark bruises on both eyes, making him look a bit like a panda. I was rendered speechless. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Steven was really capable of getting someone to beat Eason up. It felt impossible. Steven couldn¡¯t even stand the pain of his wound making contact with water. He would always tear up when that happened. How could someone like that possibly instruct someone to beat another person up? Eason led me into the apartment building and down to the basement. I felt a little scared for some reason. I didn¡¯t know why, but the ce felt eerie and cold. ¡°Are you scared? You have the guts to marry a lunatic. I thought you¡¯d be braver,¡± Eason scoffed and said with a sharp edge in his tone. However, he didn¡¯t seem like a bad guy. proper ¡°This apartment is private property. It belongs exclusively to that lunatic. The only reason I¡¯m even allowed in here is solely based on my good looks,¡± Eason said proudly. It turned out that he had charmed the administrator at the apartment¡¯s entrance with his appearance. I followed Eason from behind. Every step forward felt heavier than the one I took before The apartment was old, so the basement was very chilly. However, it wasn¡¯t very damp because it wasn¡¯tpletely underground. The walls were covered in graffiti. were many scribbles of forms and numbers. It was cles: that Steven had lived here when he was taking advanced sses at Stamford. ¡°But I thought the Lincolns took him in when he was studying in Stamford? Why would he live in a basement like this if that were the case?¡± I asked, feeling puzzled. I touched the wall lightly with my fingers and felt a sharp electric shock shoot through me. ¡°He¡¯s like a vampire who can¡¯t stand the light. He loves dark ces,¡± Eason said grumpily. Then, he pushed open a door in the basement that made a loud creaking sound. I followed Eason inside the room. The ce was spacious, and there were shelves lining the walls. They were all covered by ck cloth. Eason reached out and pulled away the ck cloth. Once the ck cloth was off, I instantly froze in my ce. Fear began to spread through my entire body. m Bonus For Free Every Days Chapter 225 There used to be a rumor that circted around about Steven. People said that he was a lunatic who liked collecting animal corpses and putting them in ss cases. Back then, I hadn¡¯t believed it. But whaty before me shocked me to the core. There were countless ss cases on the shelves in the basement. Each of the ss cases contained many different types of dead butterflies. They were essentially taxidermied. I could see butterflies of many colors. There were blue ones, ck ones, and colorful ones. And the ss case at the very bottom of the shelf contained a taxidermied cat. The cat- lying inside the case seemed peaceful. There were also puppies, snakes, hamsters¡­ ¡°Scared, are you?¡± Eason asked. He saw that I had stiffened up and sweat was starting to form on my forehead. Then, he sneered and continued, ¡°He¡¯s a pervert. He loves turning things he likes into taxidermy and specimens like these and putting them in ss cases. You understand now how Stephanie died, don¡¯t you?¡± Eason firmly suspected that Steven was the person who killed me. I knew Eason had taken on this case to beat Steven at his own game. He was here to find clues. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a perfect murder. As long as what happened to Stephanie was a homicide, there will definitely be clues and evidence to prove it. If that lunatic really did kill someone, I won¡¯t show him any mercy,¡± Eason said in a solemn tone. He wanted to lock Steven behind bars himself. ¡°No way. Steven wouldn¡¯t have killed Stephanie. He said that he loved her¡­¡± I muttered softly. I started to feel panic well up inside of me. I couldn¡¯t stop shaking my head. Eason let out a cold chuckle and replied, ¡°You¡¯re still so naive. Stephany, why do you think I brought you here to see all this? I¡¯ve investigated you before. You¡¯re not beyond saving just yet. But if you keep staying with Steven Lincoln, you¡¯ll die. ¡°Don¡¯t delude yourself into thinking that imitating Stephanie will make him develop feelings for you. If he does end up liking you, you¡¯ll be doomed to die at his hand!¡± around to leave. However, Eason managed to grab the back of my cor and forced me to take a closer look at the butterflies in ss cases. He said, ¡°Do you know how these taxidermy animals and insects are made? They were trapped in these ss cases before they eventually died. I followed that lunatic here out of curiosity when I was 15. Do you know what he was doing? ¡°He trapped a butterfly in one of these ss cases and watched it p its wings desperately to escape. The excitement and thrill in that lunatic¡¯s eyes terrified me!¡± Eason had been truly frightened by Steven at the time. ¡°He kept going on about how he had seeded. He had just trapped an insect he liked in a ss case to death. Was that really something worth celebrating?¡± Eason continued. He couldn¡¯t understand Steven, nor could he forgive and forget. ¡°He¡¯s nothing but a lunatic¡­¡± Eason said with a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m not going to believe you,¡± I replied. Then, I forcefully pushed Eason away from me and turned to run. But just as I ran out of the basement, a person wielding a knife suddenly charged at me. I let out a scream and shut my eyes. I figured I was going to die again. However, I ended in an embrace that felt secure and familiar. up Soon after that, I could smell the metallic scent of blood.¡± ¡°Stop right there!¡± Eason rushed out to tackle the assant to the ground when he saw that someone was attacking me. I opened my eyes while trembling and met Steven¡¯s worried gaze. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven looked at me with a panicked gaze. He cupped my face with his hands and looked into my eyes as he asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± At that moment, I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the immense shock. I burst into aggrieved tears. Steven hugged me tightly in a hurry. His arms wrapped around me protectively. ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± Eason, who was restraining the assant, cursed with irritation and guilt in his tone, ¡°Stop being all lovey¨Cdovey with each other. You¡¯re injured, you lunatio.. Only then did Steven realize that he was hurt. He lowered his head to look down at the side of his stomach, which was soaked in crimson blood. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. In order to protect me, he ended up getting stabbed. Even so, Steven seemed to feel no pain at all. My eyes redirected toward his wound. I panicked and tried to press down on it with my hands. ¡°Steve, does it hurt? Come on, we have to get you to the hospital right now.¡± Instead of worrying about his own injury, Steven seemed more concerned about my wellbeing. He covered his wound with one hand and held me close with the other. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to be scared. The knife didn¡¯t hit anything vital, and the stab wound isn¡¯t very deep. The bleeding is not severe either, so the police and ambnce will arrive before I faint.¡± Chapter 226 Steven always seemed to be able to urately predict everything. It felt as if he was confidently weaving his own narrative most of the time. I cried out of concern. I felt at a loss as I continued to press down on his wound. Soon, the police rushed in and took the assant away. The ambnce arrived promptly as well. Steven seemed to have anticipated that someone would get injured. ¡°Did you know beforehand that someone was going to hurt Stephany? Is that why you called the ambnce in advance?¡± Eason asked in an arrogant tone. He felt the situation was definitely more complex than it seemed. Eason had acted very cautiously the entire time, so there was no way the assant could have followed him. The only other usible exnation was that Stephany had been targeted as soon as she left her house. The assant had followed her all the way here. ¡°I called the ambnce for you, actually,¡± Steven replied in a low voice as he red coldly at Eason. I watched as a hint of fear shed in Eason¡¯s prideful gaze. It was obvious that he was still fearful of Steven. ¡°You called my wife over without my consent. If this happens again, I can guarantee that the one lying in the ambnce next will be you next,¡± Steven said. Steven let me press down on his wound. He covered my ears with his hands and began to curse at Eason coldly. ¡°You dumb¡­¡± Even though he had covered my ears, I could still hear him cursing Eason out. His words were rather vulgar. I could tell that Eason was having a hard time in the ambnce. If it weren¡¯t for the police officers holding him back, he would have rushed forward and attacked Steven already. However, it was clear that Eason had intentionally let the police hold him back. I could tell that he was still afraid of Steven, yet he kept shouting, ¡°Stop holding me back! I have to kill this lunatic today!¡± Hearing that, the police officer holding him back obediently let him go as he asked. Eventually, Eason ended up quieting down. He gritted his teeth and sunk further into his chair. Then, he said to the officer next to him coldly, ¡°Well, I suppose there¡¯s no use fighting violence with violence.¡± ¡°Hey, my wound feels alright. It¡¯s not that deep. Look, I¡¯ve practically stopped bleeding,¡± Steven comforted me in a low voice when he saw how pale I still looked. I looked up at him for a moment. Even though he was the injured one, he ended up being the one to console me instead. ¡°That idiot doesn¡¯t quite understand the current situation we¡¯re in. Mr. Lincoln Senior is getting desperate. He¡¯ll definitely make his move soon,¡± Steven whispered. He looked different from usual. I wondered if it was just because he didn¡¯t want me to worry about him. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. At this moment, Steven looked mature and stable. He felt a little strange, but not unpleasant to be around. It almost seemed like Steven should have always been this way. He should have been a strategist from the very beginning. ¡°How would I know what you Lincolns get up to these days? So many people want to hurt you guys, after all,¡± Eason muttered quietly. But it was clear that he had been in the wrong this time. ¡°Hudson, don¡¯t let there be a next time,¡± Steven warned Eason in a low voice as they were getting out of the ambnce. Hudson was Eason¡¯s old name. Steven didn¡¯t seem to like calling him Eason. Eason frowned and felt distinctly threatened. I turned to look at Steven subconsciously. The way he had just threatened Eason made. him look really frightening. However, he ended up reverting back to his usual self in the next second. He looked at me with pitiful eyes and hugged me. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m feeling a bit dizzy now. Can you please hold me?¡± Sure enough, Steven¡¯s charm onlysted for three seconds. ¡°Stephie, it hurts,¡± Stevenined. The medical staff wanted to treat his wound. However, Steven kept holding onto me tightly. He looked pitiful and scared. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m scared,¡± he said. I was rendered speechless for a moment. He had only just realized that he was scared. now. Perhaps his brain needed some time to catch up with what had just happened for him to react. I hugged Steven guiltily and patted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be here with you. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by his act! There¡¯s no way he¡¯s feeling scared right now. Maybe the assant I pinned down just now was his aplice! He might be the culprit behind everything!¡± Eason pointed at Steven angrily as he eximed. His finger trembled for a long while before he quieted down. ¡°Mr. Grant, please don¡¯t unjustly use my husband of such crimes again. I trust him. unconditionally,¡± I frowned as I said. Steven¡¯s lips curled into a small smirk. His eyes seemed to darken as he looked at Eason. It felt as if he was provoking him. Eason clenched his fists in anger. ¡°You will regret this. Chapter 227 I remained silent. But up until this moment, I still chose to believe in Steven. After all, it didn¡¯t make sense for someone to risk their life to protect someone they didn¡¯t care about. ¡°Stephie¡­ it hurts so much. This is all his fault. If he hadn¡¯t invited you out, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten injured. He¡¯s a bad guy.¡± Steven said while hugging me. Then, he looked at Eason and warned me, ¡°Don¡¯t go out alone with him again, alright?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded. I had to agree with him at this moment. ¡°Steven Lincoln, it¡¯s such a shame that you¡¯re not working as an actor¡­¡± Eason said through gritted teeth. He cursed, ¡°Fucking lunatic!¡± Eason then kicked the trash can at the door out of frustration. ¡°Stephie, he¡¯s being mean to me. Doctor, I think he¡¯s suffering from mania,¡± Steven said intively. The doctor frowned and looked at Eason. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ll have to pay for damaging hospital property. If you have no other business here, please leave.¡± I was also starting to get annoyed with Eason. ¡°Yeah. If there¡¯s nothing else, you may leave.¡± Eason opened his mouth, as if he had meant to say something. In the end, he could only point angrily at Steven and said, ¡°Fine! Act your heart out seeing as you¡¯re so good at it. You might as well win an award at this point.¡± With that, Eason spun on his heel and left. It was obvious that they weren¡¯t leveled on the same ying field. ¡°Stephie¡­ it hurts a lot,¡± Steven suddenly let out a fearful shriek and hugged me. I looked at the doctor nervously and said, ¡°Hey, Doc. Can you be a little gentler? He¡¯s really scared of pain.¡± The doctor pushed his sses up and paused for a moment with the cotton ball still in his hand. ¡°Look, I haven¡¯t even touched him yet. Furthermore, didn¡¯t the nurse already administer the anesthesia? He shouldn¡¯t be feeling any pain now,¡± he said. I remained silent. But up until this moment, I still chose to believe in Steven. After all, it didn¡¯t make sense for someone to risk their life to protect someone they didn¡¯t care about. ¡°Stephie¡­ it hurts so much. This is all his fault. If he hadn¡¯t invited you out, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten injured. He¡¯s a bad guy,¡± Steven said while hugging me. Then, he looked at Eason and warned me, ¡°Don¡¯t go out alone with him again, alright?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I nodded. I had to agree with him at this moment. ¡°Steven Lincoln, it¡¯s such a shame that you¡¯re not working as an actor¡­¡± Eason said through gritted teeth. He cursed, ¡°Fucking lunatic!¡± Eason then kicked the trash can at the door out of frustration. ¡°Stephie, he¡¯s being mean to me. Doctor, I think he¡¯s suffering from mania, Steven said intively. The doctor frowned and looked at Eason. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ll have to pay for damaging hospital property. If you have no other business here, please leave.¡± I was also starting to get annoyed with Eason. ¡°Yeah. If there¡¯s nothing else, you may leave.¡± Eason opened his mouth, as if he had meant to say something. In the end, he could only point angrily at Steven and said, ¡°Fine! Act your heart out seeing as you¡¯re so good at it. You might as well win an award at this point.¡± With that, Eason spun on his heel and left. It was obvious that they weren¡¯t leveled on the same ying field. ¡°Stephie¡­ it hurts a lot,¡± Steven suddenly let out a fearful shriek and hugged me. I looked at the doctor nervously and said, ¡°Hey, Doc. Can you be a little gentler? He¡¯s really scared of pain.¡± The doctor pushed his sses up and paused for a moment with the cotton ball still in his hand. ¡°Look, I haven¡¯t even touched him yet. Furthermore, didn¡¯t the nurse already administer the anesthesia? He shouldn¡¯t be feeling any pain now,¡± he said. The doctor hadn¡¯t even touched him yet and Steven was already screaming bloody murder I smiled awkwardly and apologized to the doctor. ¡°Fortunately, the wound isn¡¯t very deep. After he gets stitched up, he¡¯ll need to get hooked up on some IV drips for a few days,¡± the doctor said while stitching Steven¡¯s wound. ¡°Make sure his wound doesn¡¯t make any contact with water for a while. Just wipe away the blood stains on his body,¡± he continued. I nodded earnestly in reply. Steven pressed himself against me and sobbed softly. ¡°It hurts a lot, huh?¡± I asked in a soft tone, feeling my heart ache for him. Steven¡¯s eyes were red¨Crimmed. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m really thirsty.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lost a lot of blood. You can¡¯t drink too much water at once. I¡¯ll give him some glucose solution to drink. Can you go get it from the pharmacy? He can have a bit of that first, the doctor instructed me. I nodded and quickly got up. ¡°Alright, wait for me here. I¡¯m going to go buy it for you.¡± Steven nodded. I ran out of the doctor¡¯s room and had almost reached the pharmacy on the first floor when I realized I had left my phone behind in my haste. I hurried back to grab it, but there were too many people waiting to use the elevator. As such, I had to take the stairs through the emergency exit. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Steven was on the third floor. Just as I reached the second floor, I heard a loud thud followed by a terrified scream. I paused for a moment, wondering if someone had fallen down the stairs. Just as I was about to head upstairs to check, I saw Steven. He was holding a bat and was walking down the steps with an indifferent expression on his face. He was approaching the man who was lying bruised and battered on the ground. Then, Steven mercilessly struck the man with the bat. Steven¡¯s expression was chillingly cold. Due to the blood loss, his face was pale. His eyes looked as if they had darkened significantly too. Please spare me! Mr. Lincoln Senior was the one who asked me to keep a close eye on you and Ms. Larson. He wanted me to get rid of the baby growing in her womb. I haven¡¯t done anything yet, okay? I haven¡¯t even touched her! Please, let me go!¡± the man begged for mercy as he kneeled on the floor. I stood frozen in shock. I couldn¡¯t believe that it was Steven. I thought my eyes must have deceived me. Steven had just been crying from the pain of getting stitches just moments ago. ¡°But you thought aboutying a finger on her. That means you deserve to die,¡± Steven said. Then, he raised the bat in his hand. His eyes were filled with cold, murderous intent. I had a feeling that he was really going to kill that man. Chapter 228 ¡°Steven?¡± I called out Steven¡¯s name softly. I was worried that I was mistaken. Steven¡¯s body visibly stiffened at that moment. His back was facing me. I couldn¡¯t see the expression on his face, but his silhouette from the back looked dark and intimidating. He dropped the bat in his hand and turned around to face me. His eyes were wet with tears as he said, ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m so scared. This man was following me, and he even tried to hit me¡­ After saying that, Steven suddenly dropped into a crouch on the ground in a panic. His face. was stained with the stranger¡¯s blood. His expression looked innocent and pitiful. My heart skipped a beat at the sight. I told myself that everything I saw just now must have been my imagination. The bloody man lying on the floor must have provoked Steven. That was probably what caused Steven to lose control of himself and retaliate violently. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s alright¡­¡± I said as I hurriedly ran over to hug him. The man who had just fallen down the stairs looked shocked. He had an incredulous look on his face as he stared at Steven. It looked as if he had just seen a monster. The man got up and tried to run away. When the nurse couldn¡¯t find Steven, she pushed open the emergency door and saw the man covered in blood. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Steven nced back and shot the bloody man a look. The man began to panic and said, ¡°I fell down the stairs just now. I injured myself.¡± After saying that, the man pushed the nurse aside and ran away. The nurse did not pay the man much attention. Instead, she looked at Steven and said, ¡± You need to get some IV fluids in you. Why¡¯d you run off?¡± Steven hugged me and looked at me with aggrieved eyes. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m not thirsty anymore. I¡¯m really scared. Please don¡¯t leave me.¡± Steven trembled in my arms. I hugged him tighter, feeling guilty. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you. Mr. Bart will be here very soon. I¡¯ll get him to go to the pharmacy instead. I¡¯ll stay with you. Steven nodded obediently. ¡°Good. Stephie, you have to stay with me forever. Don¡¯t leave me ever again.¡± I nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± After I managed to coax Steven back to the ward, I went to wash a towel in the bathroom for him. Just as I wasing out of the bathroom, I heard Steven whispering to the nurse, He seemed to be in a rather good mood. He was on his best behavior and even smiled at the nurse. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so gentle,¡± he said. The nurse almost lost herself in his praise. ¡°Who knew a handsome youngd like you would be this good at ttering women?¡± ¡°Could you please tell my wife that I can¡¯t get out of bed because of my wound? Tell her that she has to take good care of me,¡± Steven asked in a polite tone. The nurse was delighted by how sweet of a talker Steven was and nodded earnestly. ¡°No problem.¡± Then, the nurse turned to me and said, ¡°The patient¡¯s wound has just been stitched up. He shouldn¡¯t get out of bed or move around too much these couple of days.¡± I still hadn¡¯t figured out what Steven was up to at this moment. When Ewan finally dropped by with the glucose solution from the pharmacy, he brought along some chicken soup and a honeb cake. Steven began to urge him to leave. quickly. ¡°Mr. Bart, I think you can head home now,¡± Steven said. ¡°Sir, your health is my top priority now,¡± Ewan said with concern. Steven replied, ¡°Well, I think family reunions are more important than I am. I don¡¯t want to take up your personal time with family, Mr. Bart.¡± Ewan nced at Steven for a moment and was reminded that his boss didn¡¯t have his real family with him. The only reason Steven had be Ignatius¡® confidant was because he was an orphan. Steven had no family background, no ambition, and no family. Ewan nced over at me awkwardly and said, ¡°Well, then I suppose I¡¯ll take my leave now. Mrs. Lincoln, thank you for looking after him.¡± Steven nodded obediently. ¡°Good. Stephle, you have to stay with me forever. Don¡¯t leave. me ever again,¡± I nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± After I managed to coax Steven back to the ward, I went to wash a towel in the bathroom for him. Just as I wasing out of the bathroom, I heard Steven whispering to the nurse. He seemed to be in a rather good mood. He was on his best behavior and even smiled at the nurse. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so gentle,¡± he said. The nurse almost lost herself in his praise. ¡°Who knew a handsome youngd like you. would be this good at ttering women?¡± ¡°Could you please tell my wife that I can¡¯t get out of bed because of my wound? Tell her that she has to take good care of me,¡± Steven asked in a polite tone. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. The nurse was delighted by how sweet of a talker Steven was and nodded earnestly. ¡°No problem.¡± Then, the nurse turned to me and said, ¡°The patient¡¯s wound has just been stitched up. He shouldn¡¯t get out of bed or move around too much these couple of days.¡± I still hadn¡¯t figured out what Steven was up to at this moment. When Ewan finally dropped by with the glucose solution from the pharmacy, he brought along some chicken soup and a honeb cake. Steven began to urge him to leave. quickly. ¡°Mr. Bart, I think you can head home now,¡± Steven said. ¡°Sir, your health is my top priority now,¡± Ewan said with concern. Steven replied, ¡°Well, I think family reunions are more important than I am. I don¡¯t want to take up your personal time with family, Mr. Bart.¡± Ewan nced at Steven for a moment and was reminded that his boss didn¡¯t have his real family with him. The only reason Steven had be Ignatius¡® confidant was because he was an orphan. Steven had no family background, no ambition, and no family. Ewan nced over at me awkwardly and said, ¡°Well, then I suppose I¡¯ll take my leave now. Mrs. Lincoln, thank you for looking after him.¡± I nodded. ¡°Of course,¡± Just as Ewan reached the door, he seemed to have recalled something. ¡°Oh, I just remembered. The police sent us a message. They¡¯re saying that Mrs. Lincoln¡¯s killer has confessed. It was found that Brad Steele, a confidant of Mr. Dax, gave the instructions to the killer. The killer has been arrested, but he hasn¡¯t mentioned anything about Mr. Lincoln Senior or Mr. Dax. Steven fell silent for a short while. Then, he said in an innocent tone, ¡°Mr. Bart, can you have someone help me deal with the weeds in the backyard? I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll stump the flowers from growing if we don¡¯t have them dealt with soon.¡± Ewan sucked in a deep breath at that. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Shortly after Ewan left, Steven looked at me pitifully and said, ¡°Stephie the doctor won¡¯t let me get out of bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just bear with it for now. Stay in bed in the meantime and I¡¯ll get you whatever you need,¡± I said. I still hadn¡¯t sensed what dastardly ns he had up his sleeves. ¡°Stephie, I need to pee. I didn¡¯t know how to react. I wondered if it¡¯d be a better idea to let him suffer a full dder. m Bonus For Free Every Day** Chapter 229 Steven looked at me innocently as he said, ¡°Stephie¡­ my hand hurts.¡± He had cleverly had the nurse stick the IV drip needle into his less¨Cinjured hand, then told me that his hand hurt. This meant that I would have to wait on him. I even had to help him undo his pants when he went to the bathroom. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Suddenly, I understood what Michael meant when hemented on Steven¡¯s exceptional acting skills. Steven¡¯s eyes turned red¨Crimmed as he said, ¡°Stephie¡­ you¡¯re my wife.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± I eximed, trying to harden my resolve. He had only gotten injured because he saved me, after all. The doctor wouldn¡¯t let him get out of bed, so I had no choice but to take care of him. I grabbed the overnight toiletries the nurse had brought for me. With a blush on my face, I pulled the privacy curtain closed and reached out. ¡°Do it yourself,¡± I said. ¡°But my hand hurts¡­¡± I gritted my teeth at that. ¡°Steven Lincoln, don¡¯t push things too far.¡± Steven merely looked up at me innocently. I was fuming with anger as I helped him with his pants.. Soon, I heard him say, ¡°Stephie, I don¡¯t need to pee anymore.¡± I really wanted to kill him now. ¡°Stephie, you¡¯re so intimidating. Look what you¡¯ve done! I¡¯m swelling up from fear now.¡± I was rendered speechless for a moment. ¡°Steven Lincoln!¡± I eximed. I ended up lecturing Steven and pinching his ear as punishment for ten minutes straight. Eventually, he reluctantly admitted that he was in the wrong. scoffed and started to feed him soup while sitting on the edge of the bed. ¡°Here, have more. It¡¯ll help you recover faster.¡± ¡°Stephie¡­ Steven started. I had no idea what he was thinking at that moment. Suddenly, he spotted an unexpected visitor in his ward. It was Michael. He was hanging around us like a vengeful spirit. Steven¡¯s face instantly darkened at the sight of him. He had forgotten that Michael was staying in the ward right next door. They both had physical injuries, after all. ¡°Stephie¡­ it hurts.¡± Steven choked up and pulled up his shirt to show me his wound. ¡°Look, Stephie. It took seven stitches to close up my wound.¡± I wanted to stop him from whining, so I reluctantly got up from my seat and approached him slowly. For some reason, his hand no longer seemed to hurt anymore at this moment. He went ahead and pressed my head against his and kissed me. I knew he had ulterior motives right from the start. Michael stiffened at the door. His gaze darkened as he red at Steven. Steven¡¯s gaze turned weightier and darker. It was obvious that he was challenging Michael with his eyes. Sensing that someone was behind me, I quickly straightened up and turned to see Michael. He was sporting bruises all over his face. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Michael called out my name. I regarded him with a frown. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯ve recovered rather quickly. How are you already able to walk around?¡± Michael had pretty severe injuries, yet he was still already out of bed. So why couldn¡¯t Steven, who only had external wounds, do the same? Michael seemed a bit nervous as he asked, ¡°Can we talk?¡± ¡°No,¡± I refused straight away. However, Michael was persistent. He knew me quite well after all these years. He knew that threats worked best on me. ¡°Sorry, Stephany. But your grandmother¡¯s condition has turned critical. She has been ??? ??? transferred to the emergency room. I couldn¡¯t reach you by phone, but I heard that you were here,¡± he said. I was taken aback to hear that. Michael was talking about Grandma Rosie. I had been worried that she would find out that I wasn¡¯t really Stephany, so I didn¡¯t have the guts to visit her at the hospital in the past. ¡°Grandma Rosie¡­¡± I trailed off, feeling remorseful. Grandma Rosie wasn¡¯t getting any younger, after all. Even though I was still upying Stephany¡¯s body, I still needed to go. see her. Chapter 230 They¡¯re trying to resuscitate her in the emergency room now. Let me take you there,¡± Michael said courteously. ¡°No need for that,¡± I said, then nced back at Steven. ¡°Stay put with your IV. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Steven glowered at Michael at that moment. He wanted to get out of bed to keep me ¡°The doctor said you can¡¯t get out of bed, so behave yourself,¡± I stopped him from following me. He had quite literally shot himself in the foot with his earlier demands. Steven clenched his fingers and red at Michael. This time, Michael was the one who shot Steven a challenging look. ¡°Whether she¡¯s Stephanie or Stephany, I¡¯ll take her away from you regardless,¡± Michael said warningly to Steven. Then, he walked to the door and continued, ¡°Steven, I could snatch her away from your once, and I can do it again.¡± Not long after I left Steven¡¯s ward, I heard a loud crash. I was worried and wanted to turn back to check on Steven. However, Michael merely urged me along and said, ¡°Grandma Rosie¡¯s condition isn¡¯t looking too good. The doctors have alreadybeled her as being in critical condition. ¡°You¡¯re her only living rtive, so you¡¯ll need to sign some papers.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Grandma Rosie was still being resuscitated in the emergency room. Halfway through, the doctor came out of the room to mentally prepare us for the bad news. Then, I was asked to sign some papers. I felt very anxious. I folded my hands together in prayer. I prayed to the higher powers above that Grandma Rosie would be safe. Even though she wasn¡¯t actually my grandmother, she had raised Stephany. Besides, I had assumed her granddaughter¡¯s identity. no immediate danger to her life for now. She¡¯ll be transferred to the observation ward, though. Your grandmother is pretty elderly and 90 percent of her cerebral blood vessels are blocked. At her age, we wouldn¡¯t rmend surgery or any stenting procedures. Take good care of her in recent days. This time, she suffered a sudden heart attack. It was luck that kept her alive this time round,¡± the doctor said. 1 nodded hastily and thanked the doctor. Then, I sat by Grandma Rosie¡¯s bedside. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine,¡± Michael said softly to console me. I found his presence very annoying. ¡°Michael Ford, this has nothing to do with you. She¡¯s my grandmother. You can leave now.¡± ¡°Stephie¡­¡± he persisted in calling me that. ¡°Please, Stephie, can we talk?¡± he continued in a hoarse voice. It sounded as if he wanted to exin himself. ¡°I do love you¡­¡± Michael said. I frowned and felt nauseous upon hearing that. My stomach churned as I barked out, ¡°Fuck off.¡± ¡°I read your diary. You wrote that I didn¡¯t love you and that I¡¯ve always despised you and never trusted you¡­¡± Michael murmured with his head lowered. It looked as if he was speaking to himself, seemingly unaware of who he was even talking to. He seemed to have convinced himself that I was Stephanie Carlson and feltpelled to make amends with her through me. His behavior was downright despicable. ¡°I love you, Stephie. I love you more than anyone else. I just couldn¡¯t believe that you could love me back,¡± Michael said. His voice was hoarse as he grasped my wrist. He continued, ¡°You were resistant to the marriage alliance. It was clear that you didn¡¯t want to marry me. You were the one who used to love someone else. I knew that you never really paid any attention to me. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t believe that you had really fallen in love with me. In fact, I didn¡¯t even want to believe it at first. I thought¡­¡± interrupted him with a sneer, ¡°You thought that Stephanie had ulterior motives, didn¡¯t you?¡± Then, I shook Michael¡¯s hand off and continued, ¡°Michael Ford, you¡¯re so full of yourself. Just thinking about how Stephanie might¡¯ve really loved someone like you makes me pity her. Michael bowed his head low. He had a guilty look on his face, yet he was powerless to do anything about it. ¡°I Just¡­¡± He wanted to exin himself and justify everything. But he couldn¡¯t. ¡®Stephy¡­ Annie¡­¡± Grandma Rosie kept calling out for Stephany and Ann in her unconscious state. Stephany and Ann were switched at birth, after all. Perhaps Ann¡¯s parents had intentionally switched them years ago. However, Ann¡¯s parents both passed away when Stephany was in her teens. The Larsons never investigated the matter further. They had even favored Ann over Stephany because Ann had been the one they raised. The Larsons regarded Stephany as nothing but an uncultured country bumpkin. They even feared that she would disgrace the family. Ann was Grandma Rosie¡¯s biological granddaughter, after all. It was only natural for her to miss and think about her all the time. However, it didn¡¯t matter how much she cared about Ann. Ann was never going to visit her at the hospital. ¡°Stephie, you were seriously injured and in aa for seven whole days when you arrived at my house at the age of 18. When you woke up, you seemed to have lost a lot of your memories. ¡°You asked if I was the one who saved you at the time. At the time, I was very selfish. I lied and said that I was. I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯m at fault for that,¡± Michael whispered. He continued to speak about the past, ¡°My mom said that your condition was unstable, after all. But because of the amnesia, the psychological illness you used to have suddenly disappeared. It was a blessing in disguise. ¡°Even so, I always got the feeling that you were faking it, I thought you were doing it because of your parents¡® deaths. I honestly thought you were faking it on purpose to benefit from the Carlsons.¡± Michael kept talking. He didn¡¯t care if I wanted to hear what he had to say or not. I found him annoying at first, but after hearing him talk about me having had a mental disorder in the past, I tensed up subconsciously. turned to look at him and asked, ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you saying that Stephanie used to be psychologically ill?¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve really forgotten¡­¡± Michael murmured and looked up at me. ¡°When you were a lot younger, you were locked in a dark basement in the orphanage for quite a long time. When Mr. and Mrs. Carlson found you, you were fading in and out of consciousness. After that, you received many years of psychological therapy.¡± Chapter 231 chpter 231 My head felt dizzy as I stiffly sat beside the bed, my ears buzzing for quite some time *Stephie? ¡°Stephany?¡± I could hear Michael calling my name but I was in a state of dizziness. When I abruptly stood up, the room spun before my eyes. ¡°Stephie?¡± Before I lost my memory, I suffered from psychological illness? Was that the reason I had forgotten about the orphanage, about Steven Lincoln? What exactly happened? ¡°Stephie¡­ Erase me. I won¡¯t me you. Erase me from your memory¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Stephie. I¡¯ll always be by your side. ¡°If your current life is morefortable without me, then erase me from your memory¡­ ¡°Stephanie, what am I to you? Am I a forgotten remnant of your past? ¡°Stephanie¡­ Don¡¯t die, please, I beg of you. Don¡¯t let me be a remnant of your past. You know I can¡¯t live by myself.¡± A voice was roaring, crying, and screaming in my mind. ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t leave me behind.¡± In my blurred consciousness, it seemed that I had returned to the moment before I was dead. Under the moonlight, I found myself cornered by those tramps in a dark alley. I was disheveled. A tall, terrifying figure with a stick in his hand was mercilessly striking those tramps. ¡°Touch her and you¡¯ll die. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll always be here. Stephie¡­ Why did you forget about me? Am I part of your painful memories too? ¡°I don¡¯t me you.¡± In the alley, the figure draped his jacket over me and let me rest on hisp when I fainted from low blood sugar. He stayed by my side through the night. Steven¡­ It was Steven! The blurry figure slowly became clear. Steven stood before me in the dim light and slowly turned to face me. His face was streaked with tears, and his hands were bloodied. With reddened eyes, he looked at me and said, ¡°Stephie¡­ What a disgusting world this is.¡± ¡°Steven¡­ Steven.¡± As Steven turned away, a beam of light burst before my eyes. While others might perceive him as a lunatic or devil, he had always been my redemption- my sole salvation. He was my salvation, mine alone. In my memory, I joyfully embraced Steven and ced the gift my mother had prepared for him on the tabl ¡°Steven, this is a gift from my mom, but I personally picked this outfit for you. Mom said you¡¯re still growing, so we got a bigger size for you. ¡°Steven, if you weren¡¯t a genius; what would you want to do most?¡± ¡°Keep loving you¡­. ¡°Even if I weren¡¯t a genius and even if I became a fool, I¡¯d still love you. ¡°Loving you is the only thing I want to do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡± The doctor¡¯s question brought me back to reality. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. I found myself in the treatment room, tears soaking my hair. But I had no memory of crying. Perhaps my desperation to recall memories from the past was overwhelming. Even the slightest fragments of Steven¡¯s memory Inflicted such heartache that breathing became difficult. The doctor examined me and instructed the nurse to administer glucose. ¡°Please exercise greater caution in the future. Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy can lead to dizziness, although it may always be the primary cause. We¡¯ll keep a close eye on your condition.¡± I asked softly, ¡°Doctor, is there any way to quickly retrieve memories?¡± The doctor was startled. ¡°Amnesia? Have you experienced any serious injuries before? | don¡¯t see any history of major injuries in your records, though.¡± Michael, who stood holding a cup of water by the door, froze in ce. He quickly rushed over and crouched in front of me. ¡°You¡¯re Stephie, aren¡¯t you?¡± As I looked at Michael, my gaze trembled. My fingers tightened so much that they went numb. ¡°Mr. 1. r. Ford, I heard your mother is trying to exorcise you. It appears that you¡¯ve truly lost your mind.¡± I gritted my teeth and pushed away Michael¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m not Stephanie. And even if Stephanie were alive, do you think you¡¯re worth her attention?¡± Chapter 232 Michael¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°I can make it up to you. At least give me a chance¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t deserve it¡­ ¡°I pushed Michael away and walked out, fighting back the anger. You¡¯re nothing but a liar.¡± I had considered a thousand reasons why Michael had stopped loving me, but I had never imagined that I was the reason. I was the one who had been confused. I loved the wrong person, and I was deceived. Struggling to contain the fire raging in my chest, I felt like losing my mind. I was shaken to- the point where I could barely walk. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. As tears flowed uncontrobly from my eyes, all I could think of was Steven. I saw the image of him standing in the backlit mist, turning back to look at me. How could you, Stephanie Carlson? How could you forget about him? How could you erase himpletely from your mind? And how could you¡­ fall deeply in love with another man without the slightest hesitation? How could you¡­ Tears streaming down my face, I rushed to the emergency exit and delivered a hard p to my own cheek. ¡°How could you¡­ ¡°I questioned myself. How could you not remember anything? How could you? ¡°Ah!¡± Overwhelmed by despair, I copsed into the corner, grabbed my hair, and groaned. low. Why couldn¡¯t I remember anything? Why had I forgotten about Steven? Why did I mistake Michael as someone to count on back then? This was the reason I died, wasn¡¯t it? Because I had betrayed Steven by mistaking Michael for him. If Steven was the one who murdered me, I should just ept it because I deserved it. deserved it! Stephle¡­ On the stairs of the emergency hallway, Steven stood there in his patient gown, his fingers dripping with blood. I looked up at him, feeling tears welling up. I lowered my head and continued to sob. ¡°Are you abandoning me again?¡± Steven walked up to me, his voice hoarse. I looked at him as if I were gazing at a god. He wasn¡¯t a devil; he never was. ¡°Steven¡­ ¡°I reached out to him. Steven anxiously grasped my hand, his gaze darting around. ¡°You¡¯re such a fool¡­¡± No genius would act like him. He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. ¡°Mm¨Chmm, I am a fool¡­ As long as Stephie. won¡¯t abandon me.¡± ¡°The nurse said you¡¯re not supposed to get out of bed,¡± I said with tears. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t listen,¡± Steven apologized softly, his words soothing me. ¡°You can punish me ¡­Just don¡¯t abandon me. Don¡¯t go with him, and don¡¯t trust him¡­ ¡°Did you pull the needle out yourself?¡± I asked, noticing his still¨Cbleeding hand. I quickly pressed down on the wound while wiping my tears. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all¡­ ¡± he said softly, wiping away my tears for me. ¡°Silly,¡± I chided him. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Steven cradled my face, asking gently, ¡°Did he upset you? I¡¯ll kill him I shook my head as tears continued to flow. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Why can¡¯t I remember anything? Why?¡± No matter how hardJ tried, all I could recall were little fragments of memories. Why had I forgotten about Steven? I hated myself. As I continued to me myself, Steven¡¯s fingers stiffened for a moment. His fingertips turned cold. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ You don¡¯t need to remember.¡± He lowered his head, gently kissing away the tears from the corner of my eye. It was as if he were cradling his most precious artwork¡­ Suddenly, memories flooded back of the basement filled with ss disy cabs and taxidermied animals. It was the ce where Eason had taken me. ¡°Steve¡­ why did you collect those animal corpses? Did you kill those small animals and insects?¡± I asked softly. A flicker of panic and evasion crossed Steven¡¯s gaze. Nervously, I looked at Steven, afraid he might admit to having killed those taxidermied animals disyed in the ss cases. ¡°No¡­ they were gifts from someone.¡± Steven lowered his head, gripping his fingers tightly. I was startled, wondering whether Steven was lying or if they were indeed gifts from a friend. My first thought inexplicably went to Simeon, whom I had almostpletely forgotten. Judging from the photo I saw at Carol¡¯s ce, it seemed that Simeon, Steven, and I had a decent rtionship¨Cat least enough to take photos together. Despite this, I had absolutely no memory of him. Chapter 233 ¡°Was it Simmy who gave it to you?¡± I asked softly, peering anxiously into Steven¡¯s eyes. Steven avoided my gaze and deflected, ¡°Stephie¡­ How¡¯s Grandma Rosie doing?¡± He was changing the subject. I always knew that there were too many secrets surrounding Steven. I had initially drawn close to him to unravel those very mysteries. Otherwise, Eason wouldn¡¯t have been so fixated on him. Yet, the deeper I delved into our connection, the more I realized that not only did Steven harbor numerous secrets, but my original host, Stephany Larson, did as well. Topound matters, I even began to question myself. What hidden truthy buried within my lost memories? Why did Michael say that I had a psychological illness before? And what kind of illness was that? Was it a mere coincidence that I found myself reborn into Stephany¡¯s body? The more I pondered, the more terrifying the things seemed to me.. I brought Steven back to his ward. The nurse scolded him severely and resealed the punctured needle of the IV. After ensuring Steven could get out of bed and move around, I held his hand and headed to Grandma Rosie¡¯s ward, only to discover Michael had been there all the while. ¡°Have some water, Grandma Rosie,¡± Michael said, attending to her. I frowned, feeling somewhat annoyed. I remembered Michael as a spoiled rich brat, ustomed to having everything handed to him on a silver tter. He could barely take care of himself, let alone others. Yet, here he was, being attentive in the ward. ¡°Mr. Ford, this is my grandmother. I can take care of her myself. You can go now,¡± I said, firmly as I walked over and snatched the ss of water from Michael¡¯s hand. Michael lowered his gaze and remained silent. Grandma Rosie, who was awake, leaned against the head of the bed and gazed at Michael dearly Stephy, how could you talk to Mike like that? He¡¯s a nice, kind¨Chearted man. ¡°Not only has he been taking care of me during your absence, but he was also the one who found out that I was sick and sent me to the hospital in time. If it weren¡¯t for him, I might have never been able to see you again¡­¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. I was momentarily startled, frowning as I stared at Michael. It seemed he had already ingratiated himself with Stephany¡¯s grandmother long before this. What exactly was he up to? Standing at the doorway, Steven scrutinized Michael with cold eyes. It was as if he had encountered someone even more skilled at acting than himself. ¡°Stephie¡­ Steven called my name softly. I pulled Steven over and introduced him to Grandma Rosie, ¡°Grandma Rosie, this is my husband, Steven Lincoln. You can call him Steven.¡± Grandma Rosie nced at Steven, looking somewhat displeased. ¡°You¡¯ve been married to Stephy for so long, yet you¡¯ve never bothered toe visit me. Instead, Mike was the one who has been taking care of me all this time.¡± ¡°Grandma Rosie, Steve suffers from an illness. He probably can¡¯t even take care of himself, let alone you. It¡¯s best that he doesn¡¯te and upset you,¡± Michael whispered, clearly trying to sow discord. Michael was well aware of my character, understanding just how much weight I ced on my family¡¯s opinions. But the person he knew was the me that he had ¡°killed¡°, or rather, the me who had lost an important memory after the car ident when I was 18. Back then, I was immersed in the grief of my parents¡® death. My restless and depressive emotions shrouded me like a dark hell. I could barely live independently at that time and badly needed a warm shelter where I could call home. Therefore, even though I was already 18 and legally an adult, I was still grateful to Lois for DJB9/233 taking me in and giving me a home because I simply couldn¡¯t live by myself at that time. Though I had indeed forgotten a lot of things, I had never suspected it once. It was as if my memories didn¡¯t disappear out of thin air but were erased¡­ ¡°Such tragedy¡­¡± Grandma Rosie reluctantly nced at Steven,menting that a person with a mental illness couldn¡¯t provide a better life for her Stephy. Initially, it was her biological granddaughter, Ann, who was supposed to marry Steven, though. ¡°Stephy, has Annie mentioned when she¡¯lle to see me?¡± Grandma Rosie cared about Ann a lot. Before I came, I had worried that Grandma Rosie, who had raised Stephany, would see through me and realize that I wasn¡¯t the real Stephany. However, it seemed that my concerns werepletely unfounded. Chapter 234 Grandma Rosie seemed to care more about her biological granddaughter, Ann, than about Stephany. ¡°Grandma Rosie, Ann¡¯s noting to see you,¡± I told her straightforwardly, shattering her hopes. Grandma Rosie sighed disappointedly. ¡°Oh well, never mind.¡± Michael nced at the time and said, ¡°Grandma Rosie, I have to return to my ward now. Call me if you need anything, okay?¡± Grandma Rosie nodded with a smile. ¡°Will do. Stephy is so lucky to have met you, Mike.¡± Steve stood by silently, his expression cold. Oddly, he didn¡¯t try to please Grandma Rosie as he usually usually would do with others. Something told me that he didn¡¯t like Grandma Rosie. ¡°Stephy, how could your parents force you to marry into the Lincoln family? How many wedding gifts did they receive? ¡°Remember, don¡¯t give all your money to your parents. I¡¯m the one who raised you, so you should let me know in case you¡¯ve got money, okay?¡± Grandma Rosie said lovingly. Although Grandma Rosie sounded as if she was genuinely concerned about Stephany, I was taken aback. I sensed something off about her. She waspletely different from how I had imagined. I had thought she truly cared about Stephany, but¡­ apparently not. ¡°Stephy, could you give Annie a call and ask her toe visit me?¡± Grandma Rosie requested softly. Perhaps still assuming Steven was an idiot, Grandma Rosiepletely ignored him and continued, ¡°Also, before I was hospitalized, your brother, Felix, mentioned wanting to buy at house. ¡°Even though he¡¯s not your biological brother, your Uncle John did raise you well when you stayed with our family, didn¡¯t he?¡± Seeing me silent, Grandma Rosie said again in a hushed tone, ¡°Stephy, does this dimwit Grandma Rosle seemed to care more about her biological granddaughter, Ann, than about Stephany. ¡°Grandma Rosle, Ann¡¯s noting to see you,¡± I told her straightforwardly, shattering her hopes. Grandma Rosie sighed disappointedly. ¡°Oh well, never mind.¡± Michael nced at the time and sald, ¡°Grandma Rosle, I have to return to my word now. Call me if you need anything, okay?¡± Grandma Rosie nodded with a smile. ¡°Will do. Stephy is so lucky to have met you, Mike.¡± Steve stood by silently, his expression cold. Oddly, he didn¡¯t try to please Grandma Rosle as he usually usually would do with others. Something told me that he didn¡¯t like Grandma Rosie. ¡°Stephy, how could your parents force you to marry into the Lincoln family? How many wedding gifts did they receive? to your ¡°Remember, don¡¯t give all your money parents. I¡¯m the one who raised you, so you should let me know in case you¡¯ve got money, okay?¡± Grandma Rosie said lovingly. Although Grandma Rosie sounded as if she was genuinely concerned about Stephany, I was taken aback. I sensed something off about her. She waspletely different from how I had imagined. I had thought she truly cared about Stephany, but¡­ apparently not. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Stephy, could you give Annie a call and ask her toe visit me?¡± Grandma Rosie. requested softly. Perhaps still assuming Steven was an idiot, Grandma Rosiepletely ignored him and continued, ¡°Also, before I was hospitalized, your brother, Felix, mentioned wanting to buy a house. ¡°Even though he¡¯s not your biological brother, your Uncle John did raise you well when you stayed with our family, didn¡¯t he?¡± Seeing me silent, Grandma Rosie said again in a hushed tone, ¡°Stephy, does this dimwit have any money? Maybe he can buy Felix a house? We won¡¯t ask for too much, Just a 1,000- aquare¨Cfoot house at Huma 2nd Avenue will do. It¡¯d be great if he could throw in a car too. looked at Grandma Rosie dumbfoundedly. A 1,000¨Csquare¨Cfoot house at Huma 2nd Avenue? The most basic house in that area would cost at least 41 grand per square foot! And she thought Steven was the one out of his mind? Had she looked at herself in the mirror? Why would Steven buy a house for someonepletely unrted? ¡°Grandma Rosie, Steven¡¯s broke. He¡¯s got no status or standing in the Lincoln family due to his ipetence. We¡¯re treated poorly in that family,¡± I said, feigning grievance. However, Grandma Rosie didn¡¯t seem to give a damn about the bullying I endured. Instead, she remarked, ¡°So, he¡¯s not as capable as Mike, is he? Mike is the president of a big company, so he definitely can afford a house. He seems quite interested in you. Why don¡¯t you talk to him about this?¡± ¡°Grandma Rosie, Steven needs his rest, so I¡¯d better take him back to his ward now. You should get some rest too. I¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± Ignoring Grandma Rosie¡¯s request, I left the ward with Steven. ¡°Stephany, have you grown arrogant now that you¡¯re back with your biological parents?¡± Grandma Rosie snapped furiously. What was this olddy¡¯s problem? I had always believed that Stephany was being manipted by Charles because she felt Indebted to Grandma Rosie. But after seeing Grandma Rosie¡¯s true nature, Stephany should have just let her be. ¡°Do you know how Stephany¡¯s foster parents died?¡± Steven asked in a low tone as we walked down the hallway. At that moment, he seemed perfectly normal, nothing like a fool. ¡°Huh?¡± I genuinely had no idea how Stephany¡¯s foster parents died. ¡°They died in an ident while resisting arrest,¡± Steven said in a low tone. ¡°They were human traffickers.¡± That was the reason Steven had initially despised Stephany. Her foster family were human traffickers, including Grandma Rosie. Grandma Rosie used to take Stephany to mingle with the homeless children, pretending to be friendly and kind. But in fact, she was waiting for buyers to make their move. I looked at Steven in shock, unaware that he had done a background check on that family a long time ago. As I had suspected, Stephany carried a multitude of secrets with her. ¡°Stephany! Are you okay?¡± As we stepped into the elevator, a nurse greeted me and asked if everything was alright. It seemed that she knew Stephany quite well. ¡°Huh?¡± Feeling a little confused, I nced at her nametag and replied, ¡°Um¡­. I¡¯m fine¡­ Judy. ¡°You really gave me a fright! I was worried that you¡¯d do something silly when you came to me the other day asking for so much quinine!¡± Judy sighed in relief. ¡°You told me it was for your grandmother, but when I checked with the doctorter, they said your grandmother had already collected her medication. I was scared to death! ¡°I tried to reach you, but you didn¡¯t answer my calls. I was worried that you might do something silly again¡­¡± Quinine? I was stunned upon hearing that term. ¡°Do you remember what day it was?¡± I quickly asked. Judy was taken aback. ¡°Last month, on the 17th.¡± I instinctively nced at Steven. That was the day Stephany died, the day I was reborn, Stephany¡¯s death wasn¡¯t an ident? She died because she had/intentionally taken arge amount of quinine, which caused a fatal toxic reaction in her heart? Stephany had died by suicide. Chapter 235 Based on the clues I had gathered so far, it was evident that Stephany had intentionally Imitated me to marry Steven. In that case, why would she choose to take the pills and attempt suicide on her wedding day after achieving her goal? Meanwhile, Steven didn¡¯t seem as surprised as I was. Was he aware of Stephany¡¯s suicide? ¡°Stephany, I have to get back to work now. Call me if you need anything, okay?¡± Judy said before heading to the second floor. I nodded, then asked Steven in a hushed tone, ¡°Weren¡¯t you surprised? Why did Stephany get so many pills from the nurse?¡± Steven lowered his gaze and tightened his grip on my hand. ¡°Who in their right mind would marry me?¡± I was startled by his words. It had almost slipped my mind. Before I was reincarnated, Steven was just some dirty, crazy tramp. Of course, nodies would want to marry him. But then again, why had Stephany gone to such great lengths to imitate me in order to get close to Steven? After taking Steven back to the ward, I told him I was going out to buy dinner. That gave me the chance to slip away and meet the nurse on the second floor. Judy, who happened to be at the nurse¡¯s station, was rather surprised to see me. Stephany, I thought you had gone home.¡± ¡°Well, actually¡­ About the medicine you gave me the other day¡­ I took it¡­ ¡°I whispered to her. Judy¡¯s expression turned pale with fright. ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t give you those pills myself. They were prescribed by the doctor for your grandmother¡¯s heart condition. Don¡¯t get me in trouble.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. I waved my hands. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. When I woke up the other day, I had forgotten a lot of things. Do you know why I would want to kill myself?¡± Judy was taken aback for a moment before asking in a hushed tone, ¡°Have you lost your memory, Stephany?¡± nodded. ¡°Well, you mentioned that your grandmother was making you do things you didn¡¯t want to and your biological parents were forcing you to marry someone against your will. It seemed like everyone was threatening you, but you didn¡¯t tell me the specifics¡­¡± was startled for a moment. Nodding, I said, ¡°I see. Thank you, Judy.¡± ¡°No problem, Stephany¡­ But don¡¯t keep all of that bottled up inside. You mentioned before that you like to write in your diary when you don¡¯t have friends to confide in. ¡°Why don¡¯t you write down everything that¡¯s bothering you and let it out? These difficult times will eventually pass,¡± Judyforted me gently. I replied with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡± With that, I left the hospital and headed to the Larson residence. Charles sat on the couch. ncing at the newspaper, he casually asked, ¡°Why are you back today? How¡¯s everything at the Lincoln family? Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls when I tried to reach you before? Are you aware that the Lincoln Group has sent your sister, Annie, out to oversee projects?¡± Ewan actually sent Ann, the princess of the Larsons, to oversee projects under the sun? I could foresee her fragile skin peeling off every three days. Ignoring Charles, I headed to Stephany¡¯s room, only to find that all her belongings had been reced by Ann¡¯s clothes and shoes. Furrowing my brows, I came out of the room and asked, ¡°Where are my things?¡± Charles replied indifferently, ¡°Oh, since you¡¯ve married into the Lincolns, Annie took over your room. Your mother had someone move all your belongings to the garage. I felt a lump in my throat, finding the way these people treated Stephany unbelievable. It was no wonder she chose to end her life. Nevertheless, there were still mysteries awaiting me to solve. Who had forced her to imitate me? What happened to those homeless children? How did she know Simon? And did she have any connection with the murderer? ¡°My, my, if it isn¡¯t my sister who married into a wealthy family?¡± When I was heading out of the house, I bumped into Ann, who strutted in wearing high heels. Her skin was clearly tanned. Ann questioned in an arrogant tone, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you and your dimwit Steven gotten stable positions in thepany? You useless thing! Do you know I was targeted because I mentioned that dimwit¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Poor Annie, she¡¯s been through a lottely,¡± said Stephany¡¯s mother, Nadia. Judging by the mountains of luxury items being carried by the nanny, it seemed that Nadia had taken Ann out shopping to alleviate the stress of her recent harsh work life. As Nadia passed by, she didn¡¯t even spare me a nce. She treated Stephany as if she didn¡¯t exist. How ironic. She cared so little about her biological daughter, Stephany, but pampered her adoptive daughter, Ann, like a princess. Worrying that my emotions might cause low blood sugar, I took a deep breath and retrieved a few pieces of gum from my purse to chew on. Heading to the garage, I rummaged through piles of junk until I found Stephany¡¯s diary. Flipping through its pages, I began to read, ¡°Today was cloudy. Grandma Rosie asked me to send some buns to Uncle. I was so scared. Uncle made me take off my clothes when no one was around. ¡°I ran and told Grandma Rosie about it, but she said not to tell anyone or I would be worth less in the future.¡± ¡°Today was rainy. Grandma Rosie mentioned taking me to Huma City Center to find my biological parents and demand the money they had supposedly spent on me over the years. ¡°Grandma Rosie took me to feed the homeless children again. Although she appeared kind, like a saint, I knew deep down she was a devil¨Ca monster who harmed children. ¡°Then, Grandma Rosie dered those children were all sick, worthless, and unlucky. She wouldn¡¯t feed them anymore, so I must save some money to buy them food.¡± Chapter 236 ¡°Today was sunny. Grandma Rosie suddenly announced that she had found my biological parents. She¡¯s going to send me back to them. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°I¡¯m so happy. Finally, I can leave this scary ce behind.¡± I continued flipping through Stephany¡¯s diary. Today was sunny. My biological parents don¡¯t seem to like me. They despise me because I grew up in the countryside. Ann dislikes me too. ¡°She looks down on me and refuses to ride with me because her ssmate wouldugh at her if she did. She, along with my ssmates, isted me.¡± ¡°Today, Ann had someone trap me in the restroom again. They took off my clothes, forced¡± me to drink toilet water, and mocked me as rubbish and a fool from the countryside. ¡°Hang in there, Stephany. Just hang in there a little longer. When I graduate, I¡¯ll leave this house immediately without going to college. I thought the countryside was hell, but it¡¯s even scarier here.¡± ¡°Today, Ann had the nanny give me spoiled sandwiches while she enjoyed nutritious meals specially prepared by our chefs. I was too hungry, so I brought the matter to Mom and Dad. ¡°However, Mom and Dad were displeased to hear about myint regarding the sandwiches. They said I should be grateful for them because I used to have worse food back in the countryside. ¡°Ann retaliated against me for reporting her. She brought several male ssmates to trap me in an alley on my way home from school. They took off my clothes and filmed me, forcing me to kneel and beg for mercy. I was so scared.¡± ¡°Today, someone discovered that I was secretly feeding those homeless children. He imed he could help me escape from this hell and even assist me in getting rid of those who have harmed me, on the condition that I follow his instructions. ¡°He instructed me to observe and imitate a woman named Stephanie Carlson. ¡°He requested a list from me, assuring me that he would eliminate the people on it. But I only had one chance/I didn¡¯t believe him, but I still wanted to give it a try. So, I wrote down the name of a boy who often bullies me in ss¨CHarvey Stone.¡± Today, Harvey Stone was absent from ss. I learned after school that he died in an ident. He was struck by a flowerpot thrown by an 80¨Cyear¨Cold man suffering from dementia while walking on the road. I¡¯m terrified. Could it be because I gave his name to that person?¡± ¡°He approached me again, urging me to impersonate Stephanie Carlson so that I could take her ce. I feel Stephanie is just as unfortunate as me. I¡¯ve been secretly observing her for a while now. I don¡¯t want to hurt her.¡± ¡®Today, I heard that Stephanie went missing. I know that man is making his move. I¡¯m terrified. I want to report it to the police. I went to the police station three times, but I couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to go in. ¡°Will Stephanie die? He says he wants me to marry a fool from the Lincoln family in her ce. I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to rece anyone. ¡°Will Stephanie die because of me? I never wanted to hurt anyone. Why does it have to be me? Is death my only escape from all this? If so, then I¡¯ll take my chance.¡± Stephany¡¯s diary filled every page of the notebook, its thickness a testament to the depths. of human depravity she chronicled. As she copsed under the weight of the burdens imposed upon her by these individuals, none were exempt from the taint of sin. The Larsons, Ann, and the man lurking in the shadows¡­ All were manifestations of human wickedness. ¡°What are you doing here? Why is Mrs. Wealthy rummaging through trash at my house?¡± Ann sneered as she stood at the entrance of the garage. I turned to look at her, my gaze icy. Step by step, I approached her, seizing her by the hair and pressing her against the wall. A nail in the wall grazed her face, drawing blood. ? At that moment, a chilling thought shed through my mind. ¡°If I were to kill her here, I¡¯d better make sure I stuff her¡­¡± Releasing her abruptly, I recoiled in panic. What was I even thinking? ¡°Mom! Stephany¡¯s gone mad! Mom!¡± Ann screamed in tears, trying to run away. Almost instinctively, I yanked her hair and forced her to the ground. In the next instant, my hand picked up a rusted nail, poised to silence her for good¡­ Ann stared at me in horror, as though confronting a demon. Chapter 237 ¡°Scream if you dare,¡± I sneered, yanking Ann¡¯s hair and mming her hard onto the ground. ¡°We¡¯re in the garage now. Your parents can¡¯t hear you cry or shout¡­ Will you believe me if I say I¡¯ll ruin your pretty little face?¡± Ann was terrified, her voice tre Stephany, a you out of your mind? If you hurt me, Mom and Dad won¡¯t forgive you that easily. Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯ve married a lunatic-¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Ann suddenly screamed in pain, the rusted nail in my hand piercing the skin on her face. ¡°Have you forgotten how you treated me in high school? Huh?¡± I questioned, feeling my blood boiling as I recalled those painful memories written in Stephany¡¯s diary. For some reason, an uncontroble surge of emotion boiled within me. It felt just like when my blood sugar was low. I always thought I had a hypoglycemia problem since I was a kid, but was it really just low blood sugar? Why did it feel¡­ rather exhrating, as if I was experiencing an adrenaline rush? Shocked by my own realization, I swallowed hard and pulled Ann up. ¡°I remember you had people beat me, strip me naked, and force me to drink toilet water, didn¡¯t you?¡± My blood boiled again as I recalled what Stephany had written in the diary. It felt like something long¨Csealed within me was struggling to break free. Ann stared at me in terror. ¡°Is madness contagious? Stephany, are you insane? How dare you threaten- Gripping her hair tighter, Inded a sharp p across Ann¡¯s face. With each attempt to speak, I silenced her with another p until she dared not to utter a single sound. ¡°Oh, by the way, Ann, your Grandma Rosie misses you a lot. She¡¯s at the Huma Hospital, so don¡¯t forget to visit her while you still can. After all¡­ she might not be around much longer. I sneered. Since Steven had found out that Stephany¡¯s foster family was all Involved in human trafficking, he probably had evidence with him too. Despite them being Stephany¡¯s foster family, I intended to take justice into my own hands and send all these people to jail. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Because of these lowlife scumbags, many families were ruined¡­ They had to pay for their deeds¡­ ¡®As for you, Ann¡­ Soon enough, I¡¯ll make you¡­ nationally renowned,¡± I said to Ann with a smile. Then, I stood up, took a deep breath, and stretched my neck. Since I had taken over Stephany¡¯s body, I should repay her by seeking revenge for her, shouldn¡¯t I? After all, she had sacrificed her life to prevent that person from killing me and recing me Although I didn¡¯t know why I woke up in her body, since she had a conscience and didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone, I should take care of these scumbags for her¨Cstarting with the ones, mentioned in her diary. No one would be spared! ¡°Stephany, what are you going to do- Ann simply couldn¡¯t stop talking. Suddenly, I felt a ringing in my ears. It was irritating; so irritating that I somehow started to lose control of myself. I didn¡¯t know how long the ringingsted, but when I came to my senses, Ann had already been tied up with a rope. She was hanging from the beams of the garage. I did this to her. Ann cried out in terror, probably thinking that I was crazy. I was somewhat shocked myself, wondering where I found the strength to hang her up there. Noticing the round barrel table on the ground, I remembered how I had used it to pull her 1. up. Ann was tied up there, her mouth gagged and her skirt soaked. Though she was alive, she appeared almost frightened to death. Perhaps this experience would haunt her for the rest of her life. Then again, this was still nothingpared to what she had done to Stephany. ording to the diary. Ann had people beat Stephany until she wet herself. While everyone laughed at her, Stephany was forced to kneel and lick the floor clean. Those people were beyond evil. I had never imagined humans could be so malicious and despicable. Because of jealousy and the fear of Stephany potentially taking away the wealthy life she believed she deserved, Ann turned her envy and fear into malice. She tormented Stephany every day ¡°Enjoy the view and try not to fall down from there. You might end up killing yourself. I hammered a few long nails into a wooden board and positioned it under Ann. If she struggled andnded on those nails, she would likely experience some pain. Ann whimpered and murmured something. ¡°Coo purr lice I presumed she intended to call the police to arrest me I chuckled. ¡°Is there any surveince here? Any witnesses? I¡¯m pregnant. How could I possibly have the strength to pull you up? Besides. I¡¯m pregnant with the heir of the Lincolns. Even if your parents find out about this, do you think they¡¯ll call the police to arrest me?¡± These people still needed me to take over the Lincoln Group, didn¡¯t they? In other words, they had no choice but to swallow their aggravation silently. im Bonus For Free Every Day? Chapter 238 In order to satisfy their own greed, The Larsons would swallow nails if they had to, let alone aggravation! Ann looked at me in horror, shaking her head desperately. It was evident she was shocked. In fact¡­ even I was shocked too. What was I doing? As I walked out of the garage, I locked the door and saw the nanny throwing out garbage at the backyard gate. She didn¡¯t say a word or greet me when she saw me. ¡°I ¡°There¡¯s a rat in the garage,¡± I said nonchntly. ¡°I put out rat poison and locked the door. You¡¯d better not go in there today. The rat might escape. Come back tomorrow morning to see if it¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± the nanny replied impatiently. Obviously, Stephany¡¯s status at home was no different from that of the nanny. She was expected to do chores like a nanny too. Hence, the nanny had gotten used to treating her with such an attitude. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was all their own doing. Some evil was beyond the edges of thew, beneath the line of morality. But was there really nothing to restrain such evils? Everything had its consequences, as if it had been calcted in advance by some form. Whatever seeds were sown, the final fruits would be reaped. Thus was fate, a vicious cycle with unrelenting retribution. ¡°Leaving already Make sure to butter up that fool when you get home and step up your game in securing the Lincoln Group. Can¡¯t even handle a simpleton, can you?¡± Charles Impatiently reminded me as I was about to leave. ¡°Got It,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Stephy, your sister is getting mistreated at the Lincoln Group. They¡¯ve got her working at the construction site every day. It¡¯s wearing her out. You need to step in and get her a better position,¡± Nadiained. ¡°You¡¯re her older sister. It¡¯s your duty to look out for her. She¡¯s younger than you and hasn¡¯t faced any hardship like you.¡± I raised an eyebrow and fixed Nadia with a store. ¡°Blood ties sure are overrated¡­¡± Nadia was startled. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Have you ever heard a saying?¡± I smiled meaningfully, making a gun gesture with my hand. ¡°The bullet you fire will, sooner orter, end up hitting you in the back. ¡°Bang!¡± I mimicked the sound of a gunshot and blew on my finger with a grin. Then, I turned away, heading for the door. Unable to understand my meaning, Nadia turned to Charles and said angrily, ¡°Charles, did you see her attitude? How dare she lecture me?! Where¡¯s Annie? She¡¯s such an angelpared to Stephany.¡± ¡°Oh, I just saw Ann leaving,¡± I replied Nadia with a smile as I got into Ewan¡¯s car. He had I wondered if they would go crazy ande running to attack me when they saw their precious daughter hanging in the garage. I couldn¡¯t wait! ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, the sir has returned home,¡± Ewan reported as we headed back. ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor say he needed to stay in the hospital for a few days?¡± I asked, ncing out the window. Thinking of how Stephany¡¯s suffering had finally ended with her life, I couldn¡¯t help but choke up. ¡°We have a family doctor with us, so everything is taken care of,¡± Ewan assured me. Leaning against the car window, I felt a pounding headache. Who would have thought that death could bring such growth? I had actually learned how to fight back¡­ Wasn¡¯t that something? I dozed off in the car and woke up in bed. Steven stood before my eyes, dressed in only his underwear. His bandages covered his N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. wounds. ¡°Stephie, shower,¡± he said with puppy eyes. Feeling that I had woken up at the wrong time, I turned over to continue sleeping. ¡°Stephie, Grandma Rosie has been identified by the police as the number one wanted human trafficker, Mayflower. She¡¯s been taken away by the police for investigation,¡± Steven said innocently. ¡°Oh, and Stephany¡¯s brother has been arrested for molestation, theft, robbery, and rape¡­. Steven paused to think whether he had missed out anything, then added, ¡°Oh, their whole- family is involved in human trafficking. Stephany¡¯s uncle took a bystander hostage while resisting arrest and was shot dead on the spot.¡± I was dumbfounded for a long time upon hearing the news. That was it? It was over? But I hadn¡¯t even made a move yet! Was all of this just a coincidence? Chapter 239 ¡°Oh, and¡­ Ann is a human trafficker¡¯s child. Grandma Rosie intentionally switched her with the Larsons¡® child. It wasn¡¯t an ident! She wanted her own granddaughter to live a life of luxury,¡± Steven reported seriously. Still reeling from shock, I picked up my phone to check the hot searches. ¡°Ann Larson, the heiress of the Larsons, is revealed to be the daughter of human traffickers. ¡°A life swapped between the false heiress Ann and the real heiress Stephany.¡± ¡°Insiders revealed: Ann led the bullying against Stephany in high school to drive the real heiress away, with evidence of abuse exposed.¡± Ann made headlines, suddenly bing famous. Arge number of insiders suddenly emerged, revealing evidence online. I believed that the Larsons would try to suppress the hot searches with everything they could now. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. After all, Ann was the living brand that they had carefully cultivated. She was the socialite. of the Larsons. She was also their bargaining chip for a marriage alliance with the Greysons. And Stephany? She was nothing but a pawn. However, the hot searches had been continuously rising since the previous night, seemingly impossible to suppress. This news couldn¡¯t have gained such momentum unless¡­ someone with powerful backing was supporting it. I looked at Steven suspiciously. He was pulling the corner of his underwear, muttering softly, ¡°Stephie doesn¡¯t care about me¡­ My wounds hurt.¡± Clearly, he was feigning a sense of pity, but it still worked on me like magic. ¡°The doctor said you can¡¯t get your wounds wet,¡± I warned softly, pulling him into the bathroom to wipe his body with a damp towel. ¡°If I don¡¯t clean you up, do you n on wandering around the house naked?¡± Steven remained silent, his gaze fixed on me intently. ¡°Stephie, where were you?¡± he suddenly asked. I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°How could you not know where I was?¡± I strongly suspected he had installed some form of surveince on me, aside from the tracker. Steven smiled and wrapped me in his arms. ¡°Stephie, kiss.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me,¡± I retorted, inwardly convinced that he had been feigning ignorance all along. Then again, he looked like an angel when he was with me. I simply couldn¡¯t doubt those eyes. ¡°Stephie, Ann is famous now¡­¡± He kissed the back of my neck and whispered in a low voice, ¡°As she wished.¡± Sensing a tingling sensation spreading throughout my body, I replied, ¡°Yeah¡­ Ann had always wanted to be famous. Now, her dreams finally came true. I wondered how that scoundrel Kelvin and the Greysons felt about this. They should be calling off the engagement soon to cut their losses, shouldn¡¯t they? As I was reading the negative onlinements about Ann while having my breakfast, I almost choked on my food. Steven patted my back, a hint of disapproval in his gesture. ¡°Eat properly.¡± I was startled. Did he just scold me? Whenever he turned cold and distant, he exuded dominance. He gave off an air of coolness. However, this facade of coolness neversted more than three seconds. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven kissed the corner of my lips. ¡°So sweet.¡± Feeling somewhat irritated, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he always took advantage of me whenever we were at home. 30 ¡°There¡¯s quite a show unfolding at the Larson family. I wonder if they¡¯ve found Ann already? I chuckled as I took a bite of my pancake. ¡°I hung Ann up on the beams and locked her in the garage,¡± I whispered to him. Steven gazed at me with a hint of indulgence, his voice soft as he replied, ¡°Mm¨Chmm, I left some for you to y with.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When I looked up at him again, he turned silent. ¡°Sir.¡± Before I could finish my breakfast, Ewan rushed in anxiously. ¡°The Larsons¡­ they¡¯re causing a scene at the Lincoln residence,¡± Ewan said in a hushed- tone, eyeing my reaction. Steven frowned indifferently as he ced a nicely shelled egg on my te. ¡°Breakfast first. Ewan quickly stepped back, looking apologetic. Chapter 240 I couldn¡¯t help thinking that Ewan was exaggerating. Was Steven that scary? Ewan¡¯s respect was a little over the top. I didn¡¯t lose my cool. If the Larsons wanted to cause a scene, so be it. There wasn¡¯t anyone else at the Lincoln residence aside from Ignatius, who could only get mad since he was paralyzed in bed. ¡°Mr. Lincoln¡­ there¡¯s also some trouble with the Lincoln family. Mr. Dax has been arrested under the suspicion of being involved in an abduction and murder¨Cfor¨Chire case. But¡­¡± Ewan hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, sir. The weeds are too entangled to be cleared in one 1. go. If one didn¡¯t make sure to thoroughly exterminate the pests in one¡¯s life, the pests would eventually return. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to make sure the gardeners clear them more frequently. Even if we can¡¯t uproot them, we still have to scare the weeds and let them know they¡¯ll be removed if they grow too quickly,¡± Steven said softly. I could tell he was insinuating something, but I was a little embarrassed to ask with him and Ewan being so open around me. After dinner, Steven leaned on my shoulder and asked, ¡°Do you want to watch a show?¡± ny self. Now that Ewan wasn¡¯t around, he was back to being his clingy ¡°Well, I have a show for you.¡± I raised an eyebrow and held his hand. ¡°I bet Charles and Nadia want nothing more than to rip my throat out now.¡± They had to be furious over their precious Ann being dangled from the beams for a whole night. ¡°I¡¯m here for you,¡± Steven said seriously as he brought me away. I followed him, blurting out, ¡°Your legs are so long.¡± Had he taken steroids over the years? Based on my hazy memories, he¡¯d only been around six feet tall when I gifted him some clothes. He was at least an inch taller now. 22 He turned to give me a silly grin. Then, he winked and said, ¡°My legs aren¡¯t the only things that are long.¡± It took me a while to realize what he was saying. His gaze was as innocent as ever, but his words were far from that. As soon as we entered the Lincoln residence, my ¡°mother¡°, Nadia, pounced on me. Steven stood before me, keeping me safe behind him. He looked at Nadia icily. She didn¡¯t manage to stop in time, but Steven pulled me along with him as he dodged her. She fell on her face. He said seriously, ¡°You don¡¯t have to get on your knees before us so early in the morning.¡± Nadia looked murderous. She pointed at me and screeched, ¡°You¡¯re a fucking psycho, Stephany! You must¡¯ve caught it from someone else! How dare you hang Ann from the beams for a whole night? I¡¯ll kill you!¡® She wanted to hit me, but Steven caught her wrist and shoved her away. There wasn¡¯t any hint of his usual silliness as he stood there. In fact, he looked downright handsome. ¡°Who allowed you to touch my woman?¡± Nadia was stunned. She subconsciously turned to look at Charles, who was still trying to test whether Steven was a dimwit. ¡°Stephany is our daughter, Steven. This is a family matter.¡± ¡°Your daughter? Didn¡¯t you sell her to me after asking my grandfather for that 200¨Cmillion- dor investment ?¡± Steven held me protectively. ¡°Since you sold her to me, she doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you anymore. I dare you toy a hand on what¡¯s mine.¡± Charles frowned. He wondered how an idiot could be so oppressive. Was Steven putting on an act, or were these his true colors? I was equally surprised as I gaped at Steven. Which side of him was the real him? ¡°Stephie, you¡¯ve crossed the line this time. You can¡¯t me your mother for getting so mad. How could you hang Ann from the beams like that? That was so dangerous.¡± Charles lowered his voice, not daring to do anything rashly because he couldn¡¯t read Steven. ¡°What are you gonna do about it?¡± I leaned against Steven. ¡°Call the cops if you want.¡± ¡°Why, you!¡± Charles and Nadia pointed at me with trembling fingers. ¡°Get the hell out here, Stephany! I¡¯m gonna kill you!¡± There was a ruckus outside the door. It was Ann and Kelvin. Ann¡¯s face wa bruised and battered. She had some gauze on it. She looked like she was beside herself with hysteria as she stood there with several people. She was obviously here to get revenge on me. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. 1 couldugh at how dumb she was. This was the Lincoln residence, and I was pregnant with the Lincoln family¡¯s heir. Did she and Kelvin think the Lincoln family was beneath them? Or did they have a death wish? Steven¡¯s eyes darkened. He nced at Ewan, who nodded and stepped away. Chapter 241 Nadia wanted to say something, but Charles beat her to it. ¡°Stephany is my daughter, Steven, so that makes you my son¨Cinw. Since your wife hung her sister from the beams, you have to teach her a lesson on my behalf.¡± He stopped Nadia from speaking because he couldn¡¯t read Steven. Steven cocked his head and looked at me. ¡°How could you hang your sister from the beams?¡± Charles sighed in relief. He was about to add to Steven¡¯s words when Steven continued seriously, ¡°You should¡¯ve killed her before hanging her there.¡± This time, Charles wasn¡¯t the only stunned one. I was too. Steven looked so serious. And so, I educated him seriously, ¡°Shut up. We can¡¯t break thew.¡± He nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Y¨CYou two! How dare you!¡± Nadia¡¯s face was red with rage. Charles also gnashed his teeth furiously. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but an illegitimate son, Steven. And you¡¯ve yet to gain a steady foothold in the Lincoln family. With Mr. Martin around, you have no right to act so obnoxiously!¡± He was pissed now. I raised an eyebrow. ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re mad already.¡± ¡°How about we¡­ shut the door and get rid of them?¡± Steven asked creepily. Ewan had finished dealing with Ann and Kelvin. He came inside and was about to shut the door per Steven¡¯s words. Charles and Nadia panicked. ¡°W¨CWhat are you guys up to?¡± Charles mustered his courage. ¡°I don¡¯t believe for a second that he can kill us in broad daylight!¡± Ewan pulled out Steven¡¯s certificate of mental disability. He sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but Mr. Lincoln is mentally disabled.¡± That, coupled with Steven grabbing a fruit knife from the coffee table, made Charles¡® legs give out. Nadia held his arm tightly and backed away in panic. ¡°You¡¯re instigating a psycho to murder, Stephany! Make him put the knife down! Let¡¯s talk this out!¡± I gave her a helpless look. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t control him when he acts up.¡± Ah won back done, but Ann, Kelvin, and their men had yet to sessfully sue it looked like the Lincoln family¡¯s security was up to standard, but it ke something was wrong. Soon, the sound of dogs barking came from outside. Ann howled, Kelvin screamed, and the bodyguards with them were also yelling. Had dogs been set on them? looked at Steven in astonishment. He had an apple in one hand and the fruit knife in the other as he slowly approached Charles and Nadia. ¡°The Lincoln family has given you 200 lion drs, so you two need to sever ties with my wife. Rom now on, she¡¯ll have nothing to do with you and you aren¡¯t allowed to pester her anymore What say you? His tone was airy and casual, but the threat in it was thinly veiled. Charles had turned pale with fright. He barked at me, ¡°We¡¯ve raised you since you were 18, N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Stephany. How could you treat your biological parents like this?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re my biological parents now?¡± Iughed. ¡°Have you really cared about the woman named Stephany Larson since her return?¡± In Stephany¡¯s diary, she wrote that the Larsons thought she was trying to get their attention by iming that she had gotten acute gastroenteritis. They thought she was made of sturdier stuff since she¡¯d grown up in the countryside. Stephany went into shock from the pain in the middle of the night. If not for her being discovered by a security guard when she was running out of the Larson residence, she probably would¡¯ve died from the pain. Let¡¯s forget the talking. It¡¯s too troublesome. We should just kill them.¡± Steven turned to look at me innocently I took a deep breath without responding. This time, Charles and Nadia were genuinely frightened. Charles¡® voice trembled as he said, ¡°Get this freak away from us, Stephany. D- Don¡¯t forget what you promised me!* He wanted to use the fact that Stephany had pretended to be Stephanie so that she could get close to Steven to threaten me intopliance Chapter 242 I looked aloof. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t remember anything. Your precious daughter drugged me on the day of my wedding, as did James. The drugs were too strong. I couldn¡¯t handle them, and I¡¯ve lost my memory.¡± Charles¡® lips twitched. ¡°We¡¯ll act like we never had you as a daughter. Get this freak away from us!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I nodded, Ann¡¯s screams came from outside the door. ¡°Help me! Mom, Dad, help!¡± I was curious to know what was happening outside. Seeing that Steven wasn¡¯t moving forward anymore, Charles and Nadia made a run for it. But they were even more terrified after opening the door. There were several dogs in the courtyard. They had pounced on Ann, Kelvin, and the bodyguards. They were trying to drag them to the ground. The smell of blood was in the air. I heard the sound of flesh being torn and screams rending the air. It was a living hell. Nadia almost fainted at the sight of it. Her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees. A dog was biting Ann¡¯s leg, and she was screaming for help. Kelvin was so focused on running for his life that he couldn¡¯t be bothered about her. He allowed the dogs to jump on her and bite her face. I gasped, not knowing how to put a stop to the situation. The Lincoln family¡¯s bodyguards were trying to control the situation, but the dogs refused to let go. Afraid that someone would die from this, I said in a small voice, ¡°Steven¡­¡± He came over to me, looking cold. He put the peeled apple in my hand and covered my eyes as he said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± IT I clutched the hem of my dress tightly. Although this was what Ann deserved¡­ A few of the stronger bodyguards had already fled, and Kelvin had taken shelter in the car. None of them dared to rescue Ann. And so, Ann was left alone as the dogs surrounded her and chomped down on her. Charles and Nadia were terrified, so they didn¡¯t dare to help her. They could only cry and scream for someone to call the police. These are strays from around the area. Mr. Lincoln Senior was kind enough to allow us to feed them in the backyard, Ann aggravated them when she brought so many people with her here. We¡¯ve already called the police, though,¡± Ewan said. The dogs stopped their attacks and dispersed when they heard the police sirens. They were gone before the police arrived. To my surprise, the dog in the lead was the cute wolfhound I¡¯d seen in Steven¡¯s vi, I thought it was a gentle dog, but it turned out there was a side to it that I wasn¡¯t aware of. It was so fierce and aggressive that I doubted an actual wolf would stand a chance against 1. it. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± The police rushed over to see Ann covered in blood and screaming for her life. She looked like she¡¯d gone mad. *Thisdy here trespassed on private property with a bunch of ruffians. They didn¡¯t look like they were here in peace, and they had weapons on them. ¡°The strays that the master of this household were feeding were scared, so they bit her. They¡¯re gone now. We tried to put a stop to things as soon as possible.¡± Ewan stepped forward to deal with the police. ¡°Since they were under the Lincoln family¡¯s care, we¡¯ll Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. The police officers hurriedly called an ambnce. Charles and Nadia had already dashed toward Ann to hold her in their arms. She had fainted due to the fear, and her face had bite marks all over. She looked terrible. I had mixed feelings as I looked at her from the door. In Stephany¡¯s diary, she had written that Ann had once locked her in a dog¡¯s cage before. She was stuck in there for a whole night, screaming for help. But no one hade to her rescue because the school had been empty at the time. She was only saved the next day when someone came to feed the dog. By the time she was let out of the cage, she was already a little out of it. The matter was brought up to the Larson family, but Charles and Nadia defended Ann, saying that she wasn¡¯t capable of doing anything like that. They were sure that with how wild¡± Stephany was, she didn¡¯t identally lock herself in the cage. I didn¡¯t know whether this was Ann¡¯s retribution. After all, she had trespassed on private property¨Cit was her own fault she was bitten. Ewan had already made it clear thatpensations would be made ordingly. Ann would have to bear the pain and consequences of being disfigured herself, though. Revenge was oh, so sweet. ¡°This is murder! Murder! Officers, they were trying tomit murder! They let those dogs. out on purpose! Mr. Lincoln Senior is already paralyzed. How could he rear any dogs? That psycho¡¯s the one behind this!¡± Nadia screamed for the police to arrest Steven. He hid behind me, looking scared. He peeped at the police and said, ¡°They look so fierce¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡± Chapter 243 ¡°Mr. Lincoln has a mental condition and can¡¯t be aggravated. But these people came uninvited and¡­¡± Ewan sighed. He pointed at the surveince cameras. ¡°We have surveince cameras here, so you can check the footage. ¡°We tried to stop the dogs from attacking as soon as it happened, but you should be aware that it isn¡¯t easy to get a dog to let go of something once they have their teeth in it.¡± The cops looked at Steven before turning to Charles and Nadia. ¡°Hurry up and take her to the hospital while we get to the bottom of this. It¡¯d be a different story if you guys were really the ones who had trespassed on private property.¡± Steven continued to hide behind me as he glowered at Charles and Nadia. He sounded scared, but his words were brutal as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯ve already severed ties with Stephany. If you break in here and aggravate me again¡­ I might just kill you.¡± Once Charles, Nadia, and the cops were gone, he asked me in a small voice, ¡°Stephie, were you scared?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I shook my head. I was only worried about the dogs. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the dog in the lead yours? Will anything happen to it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s smart. It should be at home by now,¡± Steven said happily. I asked, ¡°What¡¯s its name?¡± He lowered his head without saying anything. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a name?¡± ¡°Stevie¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°Huh? Its name is simr to yours?¡± I felt likeughing. He huffed without saying anything else. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln, Ann¡¯s been taken to the hospital. She¡¯s not in any mortal danger, but her face is likely disfigured. The matter¡¯s starting to gain traction online.¡± Ewan came over. ¡°Steve, were you behind what happened to Stephany¡¯s grandmother?¡± I asked. He didn¡¯t deny it. Instead, he changed the subject. ¡°Stephie, I don¡¯t want to go to work¡­ Come with me. I pushed his handsome face away. He was pretending to be pitiful, but it wouldn¡¯t work on me. Go there yourself. I have other things to do.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Steven didn¡¯t seem to dare to let me out of his sight. Maybe he was afraid that something would happen to me. *Fine, fine. I¡¯ll go to work with you first.¡± I could only appease him. Before leaving the Lincoln family, we went to check on Ignatius, who couldn¡¯t even speak anymore. If I were to be honest, he would probably be better off dead than paralyzed like that. It was too bad that he had to stay like this and act as a cover¨Cup, I didn¡¯t believe for a second that he was capable of being kind enough to feed the stray dogs. Those strays obviously belonged to Steven. Ignatius red at Steven; his eyes were almost popping out of its sockets. He could only grunt and groan without making any sense. It was an anxiety¨Cinducing sight. Steven stared at him with a smile. For a second, I couldn¡¯t help but think that he was scary. ¡°Take care of yourself, Grandpa. You have to live a long, long life.¡± He walked over to Ignatius. Ignatius¡® veins protruded, but he couldn¡¯t say a word. I left the room to see Ewan standing outside and waiting for us. ¡°How long have you worked for Mr. Lincoln Senior, Mr. Bart?¡± He answered honestly, ¡°Ten years.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have any loyalty to him after working for him for so long?¡± After Ignatius had fallen sick, all of the Lincoln family¡¯s household staff had undergone a huge change. Chapter 244 At first, I suspected that Ewan was secretly some big shot. But then, I saw how respectit he was toward Steven. Later, I suspected that Ewan was using Stever¡¯s position as the Lincoln family¡¯s heir and his mental disability to give himself free rein. ¡°You¡¯re still young, so you don¡¯t know how evil people can be.¡± Ewan didn¡¯t really answer my question. He seemed to be changing the topic, but there was an underlying meaning to his words that I didn¡¯t really get. ¡°My father died in an ident at a construction site when I was a teenager, and my sister was only five at the time. My mother abandoned us and fled after taking thepensation for my father¡¯s death. ¡°From then on, my sister and I only had each other. I studied and worked at the same time. I had to pick up trash just to make a living. Thankfully, there were kind people in our lives who helped us out of the slums.¡± Ewan walked beside me as we headed to the courtyard. He looked at the weeds poking out from the ground and pulled them out with a smile. ¡°My sister was beautiful. Everyone said she was lucky that she could marry James.¡± At the time, Ewan¡¯s sister had indeed married above her station by marrying James. I looked at him in surprise. James had indeed had a wife, but I never expected her to be Ewan¡¯s sister. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t working as Mr. Lincoln¡¯s assistant, James would have never met my sister.¡± Ewan sneered. ¡°He married her, but it was likely only because he wanted me to take his side¨Che thought Mr. Lincoln Senior had high hopes for me. It was too bad that he was a scumbag, though.¡± His gazended on my belly. ¡°When my sister was six months pregnant, her looks and figure took a turn for the worse because of her hormones. James didn¡¯t like that she was no longer pretty, so he had affairs left, right, and center. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°He became entranced with a popr starlet and insisted on divorcing my sister despite Mr. Lincoln¡¯s objections. She was already six months pregnant¨Chow could they get divorced?¡± Ewan¡¯s sister had been pregnant at the time. If she¡¯d refused to get divorced, James wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything. Take a guess at the brilliant idea that the starlet ced in James¡® mind.¡± Ewan smiled faintly. The look on his face made a chill run down my spine. ¡°She said¡­ the whips used to train horses at the stables hurt like hell but wouldn¡¯t leave obvious marks. She told James to whip my sister until she agreed to get a divorce. She also told him that domestic abuse was a private matter. ¡°If my sister died because she insisted on remaining married, it would be her own fault.¡± I took a deep breath. The level of cruelty humans were capable of was truly eye¨Copening. ¡°And so, James returned home that night after having a bit too much to drink. He whipped my sister, killing her and her baby¡­¡± Ewan¡¯s tone was calm. It was as if he¡¯d already let the matter go. But I knew he hadn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t. He hated the Lincoln family, James, and Ignatius. I couldn¡¯t help but think that he¡¯d yed a huge role in making the Lincoln family end up like it was today. He wasn¡¯t a simpleton. ¡°James lied and said that my sister fell from the stairs, and Mr. Lincoln Senior forked out a huge sum of money to cover up the truth. If it weren¡¯t for the nanny being on good terms with me and risking her life to give me the video she¡¯d recorded, I would¡¯ve thought that my sister was just unfortunate¡­¡± Ewan opened the car door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Lincoln. I shouldn¡¯t have told you these things.¡± ¡°What happened after that?¡± I asked meaningfully. He faltered, then said with a smile, ¡°After that, I brought Mr. Lincoln back from the asylum. Our situations were simr, so we understood each other. His eyes reminded me of my sister¡¯s, so I transferred all my guilt for her onto him. I tried to make things up to her through him.¡± He was saying that he¡¯dter met Steven, but I couldn¡¯t help thinking that there was a hidden meaning in his words. ¡°Later, James got what he deserved. He¡¯d had too much fun in his youth, so he¡¯d lost the ability to have children. He¡¯d even injured his spine and ended up in a wheelchair¡­¡± I said. And now, Ignatius is a vegetable. I guess it¡¯s what they deserve.¡± ¡°Death isn¡¯t a punishment for the most evil of people. Keeping them barely alive¡­ Now, 18 that is a punishment,¡± Ewan said pointedly. For some reason, a pain suddenly prickled my heart. Death wasn¡¯t a punishment; keeping someone barely alive was. Before my death, I¡¯d been stuffed and put on disy in that ss cab. The murderer had gone to such lengths to keep me alive. Had he been punishing me? Suddenly, my head started hurting. I leaned against the car door, trying to get past it. It only became slightly better when Steven came to me and held me. What was it that I¡¯d forgotten? Chapter 245 When Steven and I arrived at the Lincoln Group, there were still some employees causing a ruckus. The Lincoln Group is a reputable, public¨Clistedpany. Don¡¯t we have anyone else to run the show aside from a retard? Even if something¡¯s happened to the chairman, we need to have someone capable to take over!¡± ¡°Exactly! What right does a retard have to manage thepany?¡± ¡°Not only is he a psycho, but he¡¯s also an illegitimate son. He has no right to manage the company!¡± Their words were nasty; someone had obviously put them up to this. Well, it made sense. The dark side of mankind was always amplified when its interest was involved. If Martin could promise them good things, they could nder someone who¡¯d never harmed them without blinking an eye. ¡°Why didn¡¯t a psycho like him die in that ident? Why did Mr. Andy have to die?¡± ¡°I heard that he brings bad luck to everyone he¡¯s around.¡± ¡°I heard that even the fire at the welfare home didn¡¯t manage to kill him!¡± My expression darkened. I looked at the person who¡¯d spokenst. ¡°Steve¡­¡± I tiptoed and cupped my hands around Steven¡¯s ear, whispering, ¡°Follow Mr. Bart upstairs.¡± He looked at me obediently, not wanting to leave without me. ¡°Be good.¡± He nodded reluctantly and followed Ewan away with his eyes lowered. I stood at thepany¡¯s entrance and gazed at the people who were protesting. Then, I walked over to them and asked, ¡°What¡¯s Martin offering you for you to riot here?¡± These people were some of thepany¡¯s senior executives, and they held important positions. They were positive that they wouldn¡¯t be fired because there wouldn¡¯t be anyone to rece them at such short notice. ¡°Who are you?¡± the person in the lead asked. ¡°My name¡¯s Stephany Larson. I¡¯m the Lincoln Group¡¯s president¡¯s wife,¡± I said. You? The president¡¯s wife? Mr. Lincoln Senior may be down, but that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s up to a paycho to take over as thepany¡¯s president. And you, the so¨Ccalled president¡¯s wife, don¡¯t have the right to throw your weight around here,¡± the man said arrogantly. He kept saying that Steven wasn¡¯t worthy, ¡°How about you take over, then?¡± I smiled. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re worthy?¡± His expression darkened. ¡°Stop wasting our time. Get Mr. Bart and Mr. Steven out of here! We disagree with Mr. Steven being thepany¡¯s president!¡± ¡°I bet you¡¯ve been promised plenty of stuff, seeing as you¡¯re the one leading this. How much will the people with you get, though? ¡°The Lincoln Group isn¡¯t short on staff, so you guys don¡¯t need to go on strike. You¡¯re fired,¡± I said, continuing to push the man¡¯s buttons. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°What right do you have to fire us? Who the hell do you think you are?¡± he roared. ¡°I¡¯m the president¡¯s wife, that¡¯s who. Besides, you¡¯re disrupting thepany¡¯s daily operations by neglecting your job. Why would I keep you around if you¡¯re not doing what you were hired for?¡± I nced at the surveince cameras in the lobby and shifted slightly. The man stormed forward, pointing at me as he started arguing with me. I decided to take a leaf out of Steven¡¯s book¨CI stepped forward, then quickly plopped myself down onto the floor and clutched my belly. I cried out in pain, ¡°Why did you have to do that?¡± The man was baffled. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? I didn¡¯t even touch you!¡± I gave the other people a pained look. ¡°I know this has nothing to do with you guys, but he just pushed me. I¡¯m carrying the Lincoln family¡¯s heir. If something were to happen to me, he¡¯ll be the only one I¡¯ll go after¡­ Damn, I was so kind. ¡± Everyone else was stunned. Things had been so chaotic earlier that they hadn¡¯t really seen what had happened. It didn¡¯t/help that my acting was so genuine. I cried out to the security guards, ¡°Hurry up and call the police! He hit me!¡± The man spluttered, unable to defend himself. ¡°Cut the act! I didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°You¡¯re the closest to us, but I know that you didn¡¯t do it. You saw him push me, didn¡¯t you? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll only go after the culprit. He¡¯ll be the only one I¡¯ll bring charges against.¡± I looked at the person closest to the man and tried to sow discord between them. Chapter 246 The person panicked and looked at the man in the lead. ¡°No, I¡­¡± The man looked at him, anxiously waiting for him to prove his innocence. But under such circumstances, the person could only say that he hadn¡¯t seen anything. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t really see what happened¡­¡± The police soon arrived. Ewan helped me into the ambnce. With everyone watching, Ewan said, ¡°We suspect that this man, Mick Jensen, has epted bribes. His wife has told us that he has a mistress, and there was a million dors in cash found at her residence.¡± He kept his voice low, but it was still loud enough for everyone to hear him. It was clear that Mick was the only one who¡¯d gotten paid that much to riot. But whatever it was, their little alliance was done with. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. I sat in the ambnce and nced at Ewan. On our way here, I¡¯d reminded him that we had to catch the ringleader before dealing with the others. But in such a short time, he¡¯d already hit the ringleader where it hurt. I had the feeling that Ewan had long since thought about the things that would ur here. He¡¯d just kept his silence and gone along with me¡­ I thought I was smart enough to think of something like this, but something felt off to me. Was I really protecting and helping Steven? Couldn¡¯t Ewan have dealt with it even if I hadn¡¯t done anything? ¡°Everything¡¯s been dealt with as you¡¯d instructed, Mrs. Lincoln,¡± Ewan came over to report to me after the police took Mick away. I parted my lips. He was ttering me by saying he¡¯d done as I¡¯d instructed. I¡¯d only made the first move¨Che¡¯d done everything else. If truth be told, his ttery¡­ made a chill run down my spine. ¡°Uh¡­ you didn¡¯t tell Steve about this, did you? I don¡¯t want him to worry. I¡¯m fine, after all.¡± ¡°Mr. Lincoln doesn¡¯t know about this. Once we¡¯re done with things here, he¡¯ll head to the hospital to apany you for your prenatal check. I¡¯ll just inform him that you went ahead of him.¡± Ewan already had everything nned out. I nodded. ¡°Alright, then.¡± Before the ambnce left, I nced out the window. I didn¡¯t know whether my eyes were ying tricks on me, but I felt like Steven was looking down at me from inside the building. Steven arrived shortly after the ambnce brought me to the hospital. ¡°Stephie¡­ you didn¡¯t wait for me.¡± His eyes were lowered, and he looked aggrieved. I nced around. The ambnce had driven so slowly and steadily that I¡¯d almost kept him waiting. What was this about me not waiting for him? ¡°Uh¡­ I was worried that you were busy with work,¡± I said, trying to appease him. He held my hand a little nervously. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a dad, aren¡¯t I?¡± I was taken aback. The child was indeed his. ¡°Of course. Or do you want me to find this baby another father?¡± His eyes immediately darkened, and he tightened his grip on my hand. ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡± I smiled. ¡°Are you done with work?¡± ¡°Ewan told me everything, Stephie.¡± Steven¡¯s expression changed almost instantly. He looked happy and excited, and he acted like he was totally dependent on me. You were the one who thought of the idea to get rid of those people. You¡¯re so smart! I felt diffident, but I didn¡¯t know exactly why. ¡°From now on, remember to let me know beforehand if you¡¯re facing any trouble.¡± The sense of protectiveness that surged in me boosted my confidence. This was my second chance at life¨Cthere was no way I couldn¡¯t deal with those scum. As long as I was around, no one would be able toy a hand on the people I cared about. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Stephie. How will I survive without you?¡± Steven was still acting like a child. He held me and told me how dependent he was on me. He also said that he couldn¡¯t live without me. I couldn¡¯t help feeling like I¡¯d spoiled him rotten. But what could I do about it? What else could I do aside from continuing to spoil him? Chapter 247 Ewan was quick and efficient. Mick soon spilled everything -he told us that Dax¡¯s assistant was the one who¡¯d given him the money and instructed him to lead a riot at the Lincoln Group. He refused to admit that he¡¯d pushed me, though. I didn¡¯t probe too much. My goal had been to drag out the person behind Mick, anyway. It was clear to everyone that Dax was behind everything, but he¡¯d managed to get away every time so far. It didn¡¯t matter, though. I could get rid of his people one by one and rece them with my own. After all, he had Martin behind him, and their roots ran deep. ¡°Martin¡¯s getting on in years, and Dax is his only son. Think about how sad Martin would be if he were to lose his only heir.¡± Steven had gone to collect the medical report with the nurse, so I spoke to Ewan. ¡°I know you¡¯re smart, Mr. Bart. I don¡¯t care why you¡¯ve approached Steve; I just know that we have amon enemy.¡± Common enemies, to be exact¨CMartin and Dax. The fact that Ewan had chosen to stand with Steven as soon as Ignatius fell was enough to tell Martin and Dax that he was ready to wage war against them. They were as ruthless as they came, so there was no room for Ewan to lose this war now that he¡¯d chosen to work with Steven. ¡°I understand.¡± Ewan nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do exactly as you and Mr. Lincoln have instructed.¡± ¡°Can we sneak any of our people into Dax¡¯s life?¡± I asked. Ewan faltered. ¡°He may not be as cautious and sensitive as Martin, but he¡¯s still strict when choosing his subordinates. I¡¯ve thought of a few ways, but he generally doesn¡¯t allow anyone other than his confidants near him. Besides, all the people around him have to get past Martin.¡± I chuckled. It looked like Martin kept Dax on a tight leash. Still, all children had a rebellious streak somewhere. I refused to believe that Dax was an exception to the rule. ¡°Let¡¯s approach this differently. We can¡¯t keep waiting around for Martin. How about we try doing something about Dax¡¯s bedfellows? Men, in general, are no match for feminine wiles,¡± I said. Upon meeting Dax, I knew that all the men in the Lincoln family were perverts who couldn¡¯t keep it in their pants. James had been like that, and so was Dax. They weren¡¯t exactly the same, though. Dax thought of women as his ythings and cared more about his career. Still, things would sometimes get out of hand when he was having fun with his ythings. Ewan gave me aplicated look. Then, he nodded. I figured that if Martin lost Dax, he probably wouldn¡¯t have any other trump cards or bargaining chips. That way, Steven would eventually be able to gain a steady foothold in the Lincoln Group. ¡°The doctor said that everything¡¯s fine, Stephie. This is just a regr prenatal check,¡± Steven said when he came back. He still looked as silly and innocent as always. It was as if he was a pure white sheet. A voice in my head kept telling me that I had to protect the sheet and keep it white. ¡°That¡¯s good. Congrattions, Mr. Lincoln.¡± I took the report from him and, for some reason, congratted him. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I was taken aback. Why did I congratte him? Had he always wanted to be a father? Or had I promised him something in the past? Steven stiffened. Then, he threw his arms around me and held me tightly. His voice was hoarse as he said, ¡°Thank you, Stephie.¡± Despite his words, I couldn¡¯t help but feel diffident. I¡¯d forgotten about him, abandoned him, and even fallen for someone else. Did he really¡­ not hate me at all? At times, I felt like I wouldn¡¯t me Steven if it turned out that he¡¯d really lost control and murdered me. I was the one who¡¯d done him wrong in the first ce¨CI¡¯d forgotten about him and fallen in love with someone else when he was at his lowest. I¡¯d even gotten pregnant! ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± I wanted to take him home. My chest felt stuffy. ¡°The doctor wants to see me,¡± Steven said mysteriously. He told me that the doctor had some things to tell him, so I let him go without thinking too much about it. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I sat in the corridor as I waited for him to return. Then, I saw Michael. He looked like he was almost fully recovered, which made sense. Bad things never died, after all. He was walking with a middle¨Caged man and talking about something. When he turned around the corner, he saw me and stopped, He looked like he wanted to say something to me. Chapter 248 I ignored Michael and turned to focus on the middle¨Caged man. When Iid eyes on him, my heart clenched. He seemed so, so familiar¡­ Who was he? R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I tried my damnedest to recall who he was, but nothing came to me. When he saw me, he approached me with a smile. I was instinctively repulsed by him and wanted to get up to leave. He looked at me appraisingly, seemingly seeing right through me. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Ms. Larson. My name¡¯s Peter Jones, and I¡¯m a psychiatrist.¡± I was taken aback. A psychiatrist? ¡°I¡¯m Wendell Carlson¡¯s ssmate from elementary school. We grew up together, and we¡¯re the best of friends.¡± He seemed to be saying these things for my benefit. He was telling me that he and my father weren¡¯t just acquaintances. I stared at him in shock. Wendell Carlson was Stephanie Carlson¡¯s father. ¡°Stephanie was sick as a child, and I was the one who was in charge of treating her,¡± Peter continued with a smile. Despite being a middle¨Caged man, there was something about him that made him stand out. Michael stood beside him, looking like he was closely watching my every move. It pissed me off. Their appraising gazes made me feel like they were watching ab rat in a cage. ¡°Is it any of my business whose friend or doctor you are?¡± I frowned. Peter smiled. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve overstepped my boundaries.¡± Michael exined, ¡°My mother sought Dr. Jones out and asked him to treat me.¡± I sneered. ¡°What, have you really lost your mind? If you have, you should go to an asylum.¡± Peter didn¡¯t say anything as he watched us. He was smiling gently, but there was something about it that made my skin crawl. ¡°Stephany¡­¡± Michael had learned his lesson. He didn¡¯t call me ¡°Stephie¡± today. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble I¡¯ve caused you. I mistook you for Stephanie Carlson because of my own issues.¡± I wasn¡¯t used to him suddenly being such a gentleman. I huffed and looked away; I didn¡¯t know what he was trying to do. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± Michael apologized again before leaving with Peter. He¡¯d acted so out of character that I couldn¡¯t help feeling that something was wrong. My sixth sense told me that something was amiss. After they turned the corner, I followed them secretly. Then, I heard Michael ask Peter, ¡°Did you manage to catch anything?¡± ¡°Your guess might be correct,¡± Peter answered. ¡°Then¡­ what should I do?¡± ¡°Stephanie had a strong self¨Cconsciousness. After being aggravated, she would choose to seal certain memories that she didn¡¯t want to recall as a way of protecting herself. With some mental cues, we can¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t hear the rest of the sentence. I frowned. I knew that Peter wasn¡¯t up to anything good. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln,¡± Ewan suddenly said from behind me. ¡°The car¡¯s here.¡± He made me jump. I turned to look at him. ¡°Did you see the guy with Michael Ford? His name is Peter Jones, and he says that he¡¯s a psychiatrist.¡± He nodded calmly. ¡°I know him. He¡¯s the best psychiatrist in Huma, and he¡¯s considered the voice of authority in the industry. Mr. Lincoln Senior had once hired him to treat Mr. Lincoln.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t work?¡± I subconsciously asked. ¡°He said that Mr. Lincoln is fine,¡± Ewan said. ¡°Lguess that¡¯s what all voices of authority are capable of.¡± I took a deep breath, ¡°Yeah. What sort of authority is he?¡± ¡°He said that Mr. Lincoln¡¯s fine and that Ms. Stephanie Carlson, who was fine, was sick. That¡¯s ridiculous, isn¡¯t it? I heard that he first started working in the asylum that Mr. Lincoln was in.¡± I nced at him, feeling like he was insinuating something. He seemed to be deliberately saying these things to me. Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out! im ¡°He said that Mr. Lincoln¡¯s fine and that Ms. Stephanie Carlson, who was fine, was sick. That¡¯s ridiculous, isn¡¯t it? I heard that he first started working in the asylum that Mr. Lincoln was in.¡± I nced at him, feeling like he was insinuating something. He seemed to be deliberately saying these things to me. Chapter 249 Steven and the doctor came out together. The doctor was saying a few things to him, and Steven looked pretty happy. He came over to me and held my hand. ¡± Stephie¡­* His fingers were a little cool. His grip made my heart settle in my chest. ¡°Is there something bothering you?¡± He could always see through me. I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go home.¡± I was distracted the whole way home. Peter said that he used to be my doctor, and Ewan said that Peter had imed that Steven was perfectly fine while I was the one with the problem. What did these things mean? ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Martin has organized a family gathering, saying that it¡¯s an annual affair for the Lincoln family. You two have to attend,¡± Ewan said. Steven looked impatient. ¡°What a nuisance.¡± It had urred to me that Martin would find an opportunity to aggravate Steven. After all, Steven had foiled Martin¡¯s ns too many times, so Martin was probably already suspicious of Steven. He suspected that Steven was only acting like a psycho, so this was the perfect opportunity to test his suspicions out. *Steve, when we get home, I don¡¯t want you to go anywhere. Stay with me. You have to call me even if you¡¯re going to the restroom.¡± I held Steven¡¯s hand, feeling a little worried. Ewan pulled up at the entrance of the Lincoln family¡¯s residence. As soon as I got out of the car with Steven¡¯s hand in mine, I saw Yasmin, who was standing a distance away. It came as a surprise to me that she could still run around like this when she was supposed to be under the police¡¯s close supervision. I nced at her and sneered. She looked haggard now, perhaps because she was constantly living in fear. She had prominent dark eyebags; it looked like she hadn¡¯t slept well in a long time. She approached me. I ignored her, wanting to head into the house with Steven. Yasmin said, ¡°St¨¦phany.¡± I nced at her. ¡°What?¡± She seemed to be taking a different approach today. ¡°I came to¡­ apologize to you, Stephany. I¡¯m sorry for misunderstanding you and telling the police that you were linked to a murderer.¡± I was surprised. What had gotten into Michael and Yasmin today? ¡°The police told me that there¡¯s no doubt over the crimes Simmie¡¯smitted, but they¡¯re still trying to track down his aplices. But the fact that no one else has died after Simmie¡¯s death most likely points to him being the mastermind behind everything. ¡°I can¡¯t remain under the police¡¯s protection forever, which means that I need to go back to a normal life and job as soon as possible,¡± she said. She looked like she was ready to turn over a new leaf. I appraised her. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten off scot¨Cfree for killing Stephanie Carlson, I see. You¡¯ve got a few tricks up your sleeve, don¡¯t you?¡± I was obviously testing her patience. After a pause, she said gently, ¡°Stephany, that wasn¡¯t what I meant to do. I didn¡¯t want to kill her; I just¡­¡± Seeing that I wasn¡¯t interested in what she had to say, she switched tactics. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯m at fault here. Because of that, I¡¯ll do my best to make it up to her. Since she¡¯d loved Michael so deeply, I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life by his side. I¡¯ll love and care for him on her behalf.¡± I was speechless. How shameless could she be? But, I guess I knew what she was doing here now¨Cshe wanted to mark her territory. Was she warning me not to get close to Michael by pretending to be Stephanie? ¡°Mrs. Ford has also epted me now, and I¡¯ve already moved into the Ford family¡¯s residence. I¡¯m staying in Stephanie¡¯s room, and it¡¯s given me such a profound understanding of her love for Michael. I¡¯ll make sure to keep her love for him going. Yasmin wiped her tears. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Mrs. Ford too.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. I stood there and watched her performance. In the past, I would¡¯ve been devastated. Now, however, it was as if I was an outsider to the situation. I was nothing but a spectator. I was even starting to think of Stephanie as someone who had nothing to do with me. I could sense my dislike for myself¡­ I couldn¡¯t believe that I was filled with scorn and contempt for the person I¡¯d been back then. I could even feel some of my memories returning. Something¡­ was awakening within me. ¡°Has she lost her marbles?¡± I asked Steven softly. He seemed to be enjoying the show too. He looked at me and nodded seriously. ¡°She does seem a little off her rocker.¡± Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out! Chapter 250 Yasmin gnashed her teeth, then continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have caused you guys so much trouble. We used to be ssmates, Steve. You should know that I¡¯d never done anything to bully you or Simmie and that I haven¡¯t done anything bad. ¡°If you¡¯re the one behind Simmie, please stop. Don¡¯t go any further down this path.* ¡°Go get yourself checked if you¡¯ve lost your mind,¡± Steven said. He pulled me away from her, looking contemptuous. ¡°Don¡¯t let her infect you with her poison.¡± Yasmin sneered and gave me a meaningful look. ¡°Congrattions on finding such a great husband, Stephany¡­¡± She was obviously insinuating something by emphasizing the words ¡°great husband ¡°. She looked like a spectator who was waiting to watch my act. ¡°I hope you and Steve stay together forever¨Cyou two are a perfect match. I hope you¡¯ll have a happy life and family together¡­¡± Her words were supposed to be good wishes, but she¡¯d somehow turned them into evil curses. She was just waiting for me to make a fool of myself; she wanted to see how I would meet my end. Yasmin was making fun of me for siding with the devil and taking a nosedive into hell. ¡°I should wish you the same. I hope you and Michael stay together forever. Don¡¯t let him ever get away¨Cwe wouldn¡¯t want him to go and ruin someone else¡¯s life, right?¡± I turned away with Steven¡¯s hand in mine. I could feel Yasmin¡¯s gaze turning evil as she stared at me. She only left after Steven and I entered the living room. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. I¡¯ll treat you really well,¡± Steven said. He was afraid that Yasmin¡¯s words would get to me. ¡°I trust you.¡± I smiled at him. He was pleased to hear that. He wrapped his arms around me and refused to let go.¡± I want to head home early, honey.¡± ¡°What did the doctor say to you just now?¡± I asked curiously, ¡°He said that it¡¯s beneficial for the expecting mother to have sex during pregnancy- it¡¯ll help keep her hormones steady so that she remains in a good mood.¡± I almost bit my tongue. I should¡¯ve known better. Just then, Martin, who was seated at the head of the table, said, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you knew to return for today¡¯s gathering.¡± That seat was usually reserved for Ignatius. But now that he was bedridden after suffering from a stroke, Martin had taken it upon himself to take the reins. The members of the Lincoln family were all in attendance, even the family members who had gotten their wits scared out of them by Steven. However, they looked ashen as they cowered by Martin¡¯s side. Steven had obviously gotten them good. Steven swept a gaze over everyone without saying a word. ¡°We¡¯re all family here. Come and have a seat.¡± Martin was acting like he was the head R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only of the family. He was trying to show me and Steven up. There weren¡¯t any empty seats at the table. Where did he expect us to sit? In the corner? Or did he want us to remain standing? I nced at Ewan and asked innocently, ¡°Whose family gathering is this?¡± Ewan said politely, ¡°The Lincoln family.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the head of the family? Is it Mr. Martin? When did that happen? Grandpa¡¯s still alive, isn¡¯t he? Why is he in Grandpa¡¯s seat? ¡°It¡¯s not a good sign, you know. He might get a stroke tomorrow, for all we know.¡± Steven said seriously, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a bad sign. Anyone in that seat¡¯s going to get a stroke.¡± Martin¡¯s expression darkened. He mmed his fist on the table and stood up.¡± Where are your manners? Is that the proper way to speak to your elders?¡± Did he think he could scare me by being loud? I said, ¡°Steve and I aren¡¯t feeling well, Mr. Bart, so we won¡¯t eat at home. We¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°Stop right there!¡± Martin barked. The bodyguards at the door stood in my and Steven¡¯s way. Steven¡¯s gaze immediately darkened as he pulled me behind him protectively. I knew he was mad. Martin hade prepared. He had several men with him; he¡¯d even had the door locked. Was he going to illegally imprison us? ¡°You¡¯re mentally disabled, Steven, so you¡¯re unable to make decisions independently. It¡¯s for the Lincoln family¡¯s sake that I¡¯m taking over thepany.¡± Martin thought he had no chance of losing. He continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to the people at the best asylum in Huma. They¡¯ll be sending some people, who are already on the way, here. You¡¯re going to spend the rest of your life there, whether you like it or not.¡± I frowned. He wanted to lock Steven up in an asylum? I gave Steven a worried look. Martin had the upper hand in numbers, and as Steven¡¯s elder, he wasn¡¯t wrong for wanting to get Steven admitted to an asylum, especially since Steven had a record. What could I do? Chapter 251 I¡¯m Steve¡¯s guardian, Mr. Martin. You have no right to decide on my behalf!¡± I stood protectively before Steven and looked at the bodyguards warlly. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? Are you even worthy of speaking to Mr. Martin? He¡¯s the one calling. the shots now!¡± Someone stepped forward to speak up on Martin¡¯s behalf. It was within my expectations. Steven had cut off their benefits, which had pissed everyone Steven looked sharply at the person who¡¯d spoken. It was as if he were looking at a corpse. off. ¡°If you want blood to be shed, you can go ahead and try me.¡± I remained before Steven. I wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Martin didn¡¯t care about my survival, of course. He was only here to aggravate Steven and see whether Steven was really insane. They were both trying to get a feeling of each other¡¯s bottom lines, and I was a hurdle in Martin¡¯s way. Martin must¡¯ve already looked into Stephany¡¯s background, though. I was the daughter of the Larson family, and I¡¯d just severed ties with Charles. Charles must¡¯ve already proven his loyalty to Martin, so Martin was sure I wasn¡¯t capable of anything. And in truth, I wasn¡¯t. Not now, anyway. I could only bet on Ewan and hope he¡¯d be able to fight back. This time, however, he merely stood to one side, looking calm. He didn¡¯t show any sign of wanting to interfere. Didn¡¯t the Lincoln family have their own bodyguards? I couldn¡¯t allow anyone to take Steven away. ¡°Mr. Martin, the people from the asylum are here,¡± one of Martin¡¯s bodyguards said. Ewan gave Steven a meaningful look, but thetter remained silent and unmoving. ¡°I won¡¯t let you take him away, Mr. Martin.¡± I clenched my fists. I didn¡¯t know how I could help Steven. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ll go with them,¡± Steven said in a small voice behind me.. I was taken aback. Then, I turned to look at him. ¡°No way!¡± I didn¡¯t want him to return to the asylum anymore. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He knew Martin was just testing him. ¡°You can¡¯t go there¡­¡± I said shakily. I didn¡¯t know why I was so afraid of him being taken to the asylum. Was I traumatized by Michael forcing me to watch videos of Steven when I¡¯d been in the asylum? ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Stephie.¡± Steven shook his head at me. I grabbed his wrist and tugged it. He said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for the people to catch him. He headed out himself. I refused to let him go; I didn¡¯t want him to go to the asylum. These people had to be on Martin¡¯s side. They wouldn¡¯t let Steven have an easy time in there. You¡¯re pregnant, Mrs. Lincoln. You have to stay calm. Ewan stopped me and shook his head at me. I didn¡¯t know whether they had some sort of n. Then, I heard Steven say to Ewan before getting into the car, ¡°Speed things up and destroy the Lincoln Group.¡± I thought my ears were ying tricks on me. Had I heard him say he wanted to destroy the Lincoln Group? Was he going to destroy it if he couldn¡¯t have it? Was that his n? ¡°You must be tired, Mrs. Lincoln. I¡¯ll take you home,¡± Ewan said. I could only stand by and watched as Steven was taken away in the car from the asylum. A wave of helplessness washed over me. I asked Ewan softly, ¡°Is Steve really a psycho?¡± ¡°When someone wants you to be insane and you have no power to fight against them, you don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Ewan stared at the car as it left. ¡°But all butterflies will eventually break out of their cocoon. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± I took a deep breath and clenched my fists. ¡°The shares are still in Mr. Lincoln¡¯s hands. Once he dies, they¡¯ll go to Steven. Now that Steven¡¯s in the asylum, you¡¯ll stand a chance, Mr. Martin¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly. Now that you¡¯re the one calling the shots, you have to help us, Mr. Martin.¡± The people in the house were still excitedly discussing the Lincoln family fortune and Ignatius¡® inheritance. But they¡¯d forgotten one thing¨CIgnatius was only paralyzed, not dead. My guess was that Martin¡¯s next move would be to get rid of him and me, now that Steven was out of the picture. ¡°Is Mr. Lincoln Senior safe here?¡± I asked Ewan. After a pause, he said, ¡°Not everyone is as kind as Mr. Lincoln is.¡± Chapter 252 Ewan meant that Steven would leave Ignatius alive, but Martin wouldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t say anything. I knew it wasn¡¯t something I could stop. Once Martin got rid of Ignatius, I would be ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. next. On my way back to Steven¡¯s house, I texted Rachel, ¡®Rach, Martin had Steve forcibly taken to an asylum. What can I do to get him out?¡± Rachel cursed. ¡°Fuck! Look, don¡¯t panic. Tell me where the asylum is; I¡¯ll try to think of something. There weren¡¯t many people I could trust now¨CRachel was definitely one of them. I sent her the asylum¡¯s address. Soon, however, she replied and told me there wasn¡¯t any record of Steven being admitted there. My heart clenched as I gave Ewan a fearful look. ¡°Are you sure they took Steve to the asylum?¡± He didn¡¯t answer me. ¡°Stop the car!¡± I yelled. ¡°Go after that car from earlier, Ewan!¡± Instead of doing that, he pulled over and turned to look at me. ¡°The most important thing now is to keep you and the baby safe, Mrs. Lincoln. That¡¯s my priority.¡± ¡°Well, mine is to ensure Steve¡¯s safety. Did Martin have him taken to the asylum or not?¡± My temples were throbbing. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have allowed Steven to get into the car. Ewan soon received a phone call. I vaguely heard the person on the line say the asylum¡¯s people had gotten into an ident on the way there. An overloaded truck had crashed into them and sent the car flying down the cliff. Everyone in the car had died. My vision turned ck for a split second. I grabbed Ewan¡¯s shirt with trembling he what happened.¡± nd said, ¡°Tell me¡­. ¡°An ident happened.¡± Ewan¡¯s voice seemed to be getting further from me. My vision blurred, and the ringing in my ears grew louder. ¡°Stephanie¡­ *Stephany?¡± There were various noises around me. Then, I lost consciousness, When I came to, I was already lying in my room at Steven¡¯s vi. I shot up and staggered out of the room. I wanted to hear that Steven was safe and sound, but the vi waspletely empty. I was alone. Even Leo was gone. Suddenly, Stevie barked in the courtyard. I saw a figure climb over the wall, followed by several more. I 27 knew they were here to get rid of me. We now lived in a civilized society, but behind affluent families like the Lincolns lived a group of criminals who couldn¡¯t care less about thew. Stevie bared its teeth and snarled at the men. It pounced on them when they weren¡¯t paying attention, making them howl in pain. I hurriedly reached for my phone, wanting to call the police. Stevie was only a dog¨Cit wouldn¡¯t hold out for long. But when I pulled out my phone, I noticed the traces of blood under my nails. It took me aback. I checked my hands carefully¨CI wasn¡¯t injured, so where had the bloode from? This wasn¡¯t the time to think any further. I called the cops, then grabbed a club from the corner and ran downstairs. I saw the men holding Stevie down. It was no match for them. ¡°Let the dog go!¡± I cried. Then, I saw the man in the lead brandish a knife and swing it toward Stevie¡¯s neck. ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡°I shrieked. I ran forward but tripped and fell onto the grass. Suddenly, there was a shout of pain. Stevie had bitten one of the men and broken free. It ran toward me. It was covered in blood, and it whimpered in my arms. My eyes turned red, and my fingers trembled, ¡°Stevie. Chapter 253 ¡°It¡¯s not our fault that somebody wants your life.¡± The leader brandished his knife. He intended to kill me. Stevie mustered all its strength and lunged forward. What evil thoughts could a dog have? It only knew that it had to protect me. I let out a shout as my head throbbed. It felt as if it were about to explode. Suddenly, a scene shed through my mind. A barely alive puppy had just been born, and its stray mother had been killed by some children throwing. stones at it. The mother dog had just been scavenging for scraps to feed its puppies, despite its weary body. Yet, those children seemed to find pleasure in cruelty, relentlessly pelting the dog with stones. From birth, humans were predisposed to good and evil. Some could control their evil desires and be. good, while others abandoned their good side and became ves to their evil side. Those children didn¡¯t think they were wrong. It was the primitive cruelty of humans that spurred their actions. They enjoyed tormenting those weaker than themselves because they found pleasure in it. ¡°Get lost!¡± I was still a child in the memories. I was holding a brick that wasrger than my hand, which i then expressionlessly smashed onto the head of the boy who had led the other children to throw stones. at the dog. Instantly, the boy¡¯s forehead bled, and he cried out in pain. I grabbed his hair and asked him coldly, ¡°Does it hurt? Does being hit by a stone hurt?¡± The other children ran away in fright. The boy continued to cry in pain as I said, ¡°Look pain is too.¡± Soon, the boy¡¯s parents arrived, and they began to scold my parents relentlessly. know what In the end, my parentspensated them with money and took the injured dog to the hospital. However, the dog didn¡¯t survive. My parents adopted the puppies the dog had given birth to, but only one survived. It was a wolfhound, and I named it Georgie. From then on, I had a wicked dog by my side. ¡°It¡¯s her! Run!¡± Those children seemed afraid when they saw me. They would run as soon as they saw me. ¡°Stephie can¡¯t go on like this. She¡¯s too indifferent. What should we do?¡± ¡°What sins have wemitted?¡± ¡°Is It our fault? Starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll do charity work. I¡¯ll pray to God for my daughter to be alright again.¡± In my memories, my parents secretly cried in their room. My dad, Wendell, said, ¡°Peter told me that Stephie has an emotional disorder and that there are cures for that. The treatments are all well established now. We can send Stephie to him if you¡¯re okay with that.¡± ¡°Wendell, our daughter is still so young. Do you really want to send her to a mental hospital?¡± ¡°Shh¡­¡± I recalled my father anxiouslyforting my mother. ¡°Then, what do you suggest? She smashed that boy¡¯s head without even blinking an eye! ¡°No kindergarten is willing to take Stephie in anymore. In thest kindergarten, she bit off a male teacher¡¯s finger! This child is too fierce.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Stephie say that the male teacher bullied a little girl? You saw it in the surveince footage too! That male teacher had issues!¡± Juliana argued logically. ¡°It¡¯s not about who has issues now. It¡¯s about Stephie¡¯s way of handling and solving problems. This is not a method a child should be thinking of. What child would bite off someone else¡¯s finger?¡± Juliana fell silent. ¡°Moreover, in the kindergarten before thest one, she pushed a little girl off a slide. She¡¯s too cold- hearted!¡± Even though that little girl had pushed me first and I had merely returned the favor using the same means, I was somehow the one who appeared too cold¨Chearted in the eyes of others. In my y memories, everyone saw me as a wicked girl when I was young, the kind of person that everyone was afraid of. ¡°And haven¡¯t you noticed that Stephie¡¯s dog would only listen to her? It¡¯s too eerie a just Georgie; even the animals in the circus were all staring at Stephile back then.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. cary. And it¡¯s not ¡°Stop trying to scare me! Stephie is normal. The circus animals¡® riot was because the animal trainers had abused them. What does that have to do with Stephie?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m afraid of. What if Stephie could even talk to a bear?¡± Chapter 254 In my memories, my dad seemed to be in great pain and fear, To him, I appeared as some kind of terrifying monster. These memories, which I had somehow entirely erased from my mind, had been selectively reced with only happy ones. ¡°Wendell¡­ do we really have to send Stephie to a mental hospital?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t take action now, the situation could worsenter on. Imagine if she ends up killing someone.¡± ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t even say that!¡± ¡°Do you recall the incidentst month when your friend visited with her son, Michael? We had merely praised Michael and yfully brought up the topic of a childhood betrothal, and Stephie had Georgie intimidate him. Michael, who¡¯s just an eight¨Cyear¨Cold boy, was left traumatized by dogs, and he suffered a fever for several days.¡± In the dim room, my parents¡® argumentative voices resounded. As I stood outside the room, their silhouettes before me sharpened my memories. Indeed, 1 had been sent to a mental hospital. I was only five years old at the time. This was all before my encounter with Steven. Reflecting on it, I remember my parents saying that I had used Georgie to frighten Michael because of my jealousy over the betrothal. Could that really be the reason he was scared of dogs? Was it all because of my actions? ¡°Stephany!¡± ¡°Stephany, are you okay?¡± The wailing of sirens mixed with Zion¡¯s frantic voice. ¡°Stephie!¡± Rachel cried out. I sat on the ground disoriented. Regaining my senses, I realized my dress was soaked in blood. Stevie, a huge yellow wolfhound,y dying before me. It looked just like my dog, Georgie, from my memories. Georgie, a ck wolfhound, had a simr majestic presence to Stevie. ¡°Stevie¡­ Please don¡¯t die,¡± I pleaded. My voice quivered as I rushed to embrace the dog. ¡°Quick, to the hospital,¡± Zion hurriedly took the wolfhound from my arms. He used his clothes to staunch its bleeding. Medical staff hurried over to check on me. Everyone was concerned that I might have been stabbed. But to their astonishment, they found no injuries on me. ¡°She¡¯s not hurt.¡± Only then did Zion process the situation. He looked at the gasping assassin on the ground. Some of them managed to flee while others groaned in pain. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°I¡¯ve killed someone¡­¡± I trembled while staring at the fallen assassin before me. ¡°It was self¨Cdefense. They were after your life.¡± Rachel cried while holding me tight. Yet, I had no memory of how I had managed it. I snapped back to reality and gripped Zion¡¯s arm anxiously. ¡°Steven¡­ Steven fell off the cliff. Is he alrig alright? Is he safe?¡± Zion lowered his head and shook his head. ¡°The good news is, Steven wasn¡¯t found in the car. The bad news is, we¡¯re not sure how he¡¯s doing now. Rescue teams are still searching for him below the mountain.¡± I staggered back and felt defeated. Ewan hurried over in a flurry of panic. He gazed at the chaos around and clenched his fists. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln¡­ I never thought they would find you here.¡± This ce was supposed to be safe. Steven¡¯s mishap had thrown everything into disarray. But I held no me toward him. Mr. Ignatius is gone,¡± Ewan lowered his head. I seemed to have anticipated this. Martin was ruthless. He was aiming to eliminate Steven and Ignatius, then me and my unborn child this time. He did this all to seamlessly inherit everything from the Lincolns. ¡°Find Steven¡­¡± Be it he was dead or alive. ¡°Mrs. Lincoln, don¡¯t you remember what you did after the ident?¡± Ewan asked tentatively. I looked at Ewan with a mix of bewilderment and confusion in my eyes. Chapter 255 Ewan took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re okay now. You fainted, and I brought you back. I hadn¡¯t expected that you¡¯d be a target. It¡¯s my negligence.¡± I sensed Ewan had more to say, but he didn¡¯t. What had I done? When I woke up, I noticed blood under my fingernails. ¡°We should bring her for a check¨Cup at the hospital. She¡¯s pregnant.¡± Zion and Rachel were concerned about me. ¡°I want to go find Steve,¡± I said quietly. Rachel shook her head. ¡°Go to the hospital first. Steven has search and rescue personnel looking for him. If you go, it¡¯ll only cause more trouble. Besides, you¡¯re pregnant.¡± My eyes went red. I had no choice but to enter the car. ¡°Mr. Lincoln will be fine because you¡¯re waiting for him,¡± Ewan suddenly said before I got into the car. He said Steven would be fine. Tears instantly gathered in my eyes, and my heart ached terribly. ¡°Don¡¯t die. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Steven, don¡¯t die.¡± I prayed to myself. *These are all alive. This one still has a breath.¡± The police checked the yard. Those who came to kill me were all alive. I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t be scared.¡± Rachel saw me shivering and hugged me. I looked out nkly. Am I scared? It didn¡¯t seem like it. Except for worrying about Steven, I didn¡¯t seem to feel any other emotions. ¡°Stephany!¡± As soon as the car arrived at the hospital, I saw Michael. He got out of the car and looked at me somewhat nervously, ¡°I heard about Steven. Are you okay?¡± He seemed worried about me. I frowned instinctively and moved away from him. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Stephie,¡± he called my name nervously. I ignored him. But he seemed like a lingering ghost and kept following me. Ewan went to find Steven, and Zion helped the police at the scene. Only Rachel stayed with me. ¡°Can¡¯t you have some dignity? She¡¯s Stephany. Can¡¯t you just get lost?¡± Rachel scolded Michael. ¡°How could you be so shameless? Stephie was so kind to you. She gave you all her goodwill. Was that how you should treat her?¡± Michael seemed deaf to her words. He was probably used to Rachel scolding him. He followed me around. He would apany me to any tests I went for. I was annoyed and told him to leave, but he refused. ¡°Michael, you¡¯re really annoying.¡± I was getting angry. ¡°Stephie, I went to the Lincolns to find you. Dax¡¯s hand was injured, and Martin got into the car with a few bodyguards. The Lincolns said that when Steven had an ident, you returned to the Lincolns and stabbed Dax¡¯s hand with a fruit knife and even almost killed Martin.¡± He seemed more convinced that I was Stephanie. My body stiffened in shock as I looked at Michael. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Michael looked at me with flickering eyes. He grabbed my wrist tightly as if excited. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what you did? The Lincolns¡® servants said that if you hadn¡¯t fainted suddenly, Martin would have been killed by you.¡± I frowned. I didn¡¯t believe Michael¡¯s words. Still, he had no reason to lie. Could it be that this was what Ewan wanted to tell me about? I had a short memory loss after I found out about Steven¡¯s car ident. Was this what I had done? How did I do it? ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. You can¡¯t even handle an apple with a knife. teeth. Rachel came to her senses from shock. However, soon Rachel fell silent. This was because Zion sent her a video. It was surveince footage of Steven¡¯s vi. In the footage, the dog rushed up and bit the person who wanted to kill me. e¡¯s lying through his I took the opportunity to pick up his dagger and fiercely stabbed his heart. I was fast, urate, and ruthless. My My actions were decisive, without a trace of hesitation. They were neat and clean. At that moment, I began to doubt myself. It seemed like I¡¯m a habitual offender. ! Ã÷ Fortunately, this time I acted in self¨Cdefense. Michael frowned. He was uninterested in arguing with Rachel. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll take you to see Peter.¡± I shook off Michael¡¯s hand and looked at him warily. Peter. The name sounded familiar. Chapter 256 I remembered my parents mentioning Peter in my childhood memories. As for the mental hospital¡­ ¡°I know you don¡¯t trust me anymore, Stephany, but don¡¯t you want to know why you¡¯d act this way? Have you lost control of yourself and done something on your own and woken up with no memory of It? Have you forgotten a lot of memories? Don¡¯t you want to remember those memories?¡± Michael asked softly. ¡°Don¡¯t try to manipte Stephany. Let me tell you, you¡¯re the worst in the world!¡± Rachel stopped Michael from taking me away. I didn¡¯t listen to Michael. Right now, all I want was to find Steven. My heart was beating fast and I felt panicked. I had an urge. There was a thought in my mind telling me that if something happened to Steven, I had to go kill Martin, Rachel pushed Michael away and took me for a check¨Cup. The doctor sighed. ¡°You¡¯re still pregnant. Stop getting yourself hurt all the time. You should be resting more at a time like this.¡± I lowered my head and looked at my stomach. Tears were welling up in my eyes. Both me and the baby were waiting for Steven. He would definitelye back. ¡°Steve¡­¡± I nervously looked at Rachel. Rachel held my hand. ¡°Think about it. Steven is a genius. He¡¯s so smart. He probably wasn¡¯t even in the car to begin with. How else could everyone else be in the car but him? It¡¯s considered a good thing they can¡¯t find Steve.¡± I nodded with teary eyes. It was a good thing they couldn¡¯t find Steven, indeed. Maybe Steven had already found a way to get out of the car.. Steven was a smart guy. ¡°Go over there.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°This way!¡°¡± Several suspicious people appeared at the hospital. They were holding photos and looking for someone. I knew they were Martin¡¯s men. They wouldn¡¯t give up so easily. Especially considering what Michael said. If it was true that I had injured Dax and Martin, then Martin probably had even more reason to kill me. Rachel was nervous. ¡°Stephie, these people are crazy. They¡¯ve actuallye to the hospital.¡± ¡°Crazy, indeed,¡± I said in a low voice. Ignatius had left the world, and Steven¡¯s life was uncertain. As long as Martin got rid of me, the vast wealth of the Lincolns would fall into his hands, It was much easier than risking his life to earn illegal money. ¡°Money can magnify the evil in human nature.¡± I pulled Rachel into a consultation room and hid among a group of people waiting in line. Michael nced at me. ¡°I¡¯ll go lead them away.¡± I frowned. Those people were professional mercenaries. If he couldn¡¯t even beat Steven, what was the point of going over? However, those men had alreadye over, I could only lower my head and hide in the crowd. Michael bumped one of the men and quickly ran out. He was trying to drew their attention away. Rachel and I hid for a while. After confirming that there were no more suspicious individuals, I took Rachel through the safe passage to the underground parking lot and left. ¡°Squeak!¡± Suddenly, a car rushed toward us. ¡°Be careful!* ¡°Stephie!¡± Both of us subconsciouekeu each other away. I looked at the approaching headlights in horror and then closed my eyes weakly. The headlights were giving me a severe headache. ¡°Michael!¡± Just as the car was about to hit us, a ck Mercedes rushed from the side and crashed into the car. The one in the parking lot who rushed out and shouted at Michael was Yasmin. She just wouldn¡¯t give up. Was she here to find Michael? ¡°Michael!¡± Yasmin cried and ran to check Michael¡¯s injuries by the car. Michael vned and shouted at me and Rachel. ¡°Get in the car quickly!¡± Yasmin hurriedly got in Michael¡¯s passenger seat in a gesture of asserting her dominance. ¡°Stephany, Rachel, get in quickly.¡± Rachel came to her senses from shock. Between nausea and survival, the two of us decided to choose survival and got into Michael¡¯s car/ ¡°I can¡¯t get rid of them.¡± Michael looked at the rearview mirror. Rachel and I turned around and saw a ck SUV following us. ¡°Be careful!¡± Just as our car got onto the highway, the SUV rushed up. With a bang, the car crashed through the guardrail. ¨C Chapte: 256 ¡°Stephie!¡± My consciousness began to blur, and my vision started to darken. ¡°My child¡­¡± In the moment of impact, I curled up out of motherly instinct to protect the baby in my belly. Still, I felt a worm sensation below me. No. I didn¡¯t want to lose this child. Steven wanted this child so much. Chapter 257 The bright headlights made my consciousness begin to blur. ¡°No¡­¡± I kept struggling. I didn¡¯t want to lose this child. ¡°Stephie! Michael, don¡¯t touch her!¡± ¡°Michael, she¡¯s not Stephanie! Don¡¯t do this! You¡¯re scaring me!¡± ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t diel I beg you not to leave me!¡± Michael cried and hugged me. He was begging me n die. not to Yasmin and Rachel¡¯s voices grew fainter. ¡°Michael, you bastard.¡± Rachel continued to curse at him. I tried desperately to open my eyes, but my consciousness grew increasingly blurrish. ¡°Save her! Doctor!¡± ¡°The child can¡¯t be saved¡­¡± ¡°Save the child at all costs! Make sure both the mother and the child are safe!¡± I heard Michael¡¯s voice choked with sobs. He was begging the doctor to save the child in my belly. What was he doing? Was he regretting it now? What was he thinking? Was he thinking about the scene when the police found my body? ¡°Please, doctor, save the child. She has already lost one child and can¡¯t lose ti one. I beg you.¡± Michael went crazy. He pleaded with the doctor to save me and the child. Yasmin cried and tried to stop Michael. ¡°Michael, when will you wake up? She¡¯s not Stephanie. Her name Is Stephany. Even if they look alike, she¡¯s not Stephanie! Wake up!¡± Michael ignored Yasmin. ¡°Michael! What¡¯s so good about Stephanie? You know how evil the real Stephanie is! You clearly despised her!¡± Yasmin cried out of jealousy. Why did he suddenly change? Why did he seem like a completely different person, like he¡¯d gone mad, since Stephanie¡¯s death? ¡°Michael, look at yourself now. You¡¯re actually willing to suicide for Stephanie! Now you¡¯re willing to sacrifice your life for another woman who looks like her! Michael, what do you take me for?¡± Yasmin shouted in jealousy. I could hear Yasmin crying and questioning Michael. 29 Suicide? Would someone like him reallymit suicide for me? Stop being ridiculous. ¡°That lunatic is finally dead! Haha! He¡¯s finally dead!¡± Yasmin was still mad. She must have heard about Steven falling off the cliff and gone crazy with joy. ¡°He¡¯s finally dead! Simeon is dead too! The two monsters from the Double Stars Welfare Home are finally dead! They should have died a long time ago! Why do they have talents? Why does God give them special treatment? Such geniuses should die! Everyone should be equal as ordinary people, shouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± I heard a p. It must have been Rachel who couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and pped Yasmin. ¡°Rachel! Do you really believe Stephanie is a good person? You¡¯re the only one who sees her as a friend! Let me tell you what she did back in the orphanage when someone admired her red dress and wanted it. She seemed like an innocent angel to everyone, earning praise for her sweetness and charm. But behind closed doors, she¡¯d take a knife, kill the chickens, and smear their blood on the person eyeing her dress, staining their clothing red. Then she¡¯d casually joke about how she¡¯d help dye their dress red every day since they liked it so much.¡± Yasmin trembled as she spoke, as if recalling something terrible. ¡°Stephanie is nothing but a lunatic. She and Steven are made for each other! Both of them deserve to die!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± This time it was Michael who shouted at Yasmin. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°She¡¯s not. She¡¯s just sick. Dr. Jones said Stephie was just traumatized when she was a child. He can help Stephie recover and forget those bad memories.¡± Michael was actually trying to justify me. Michael went on murmuring. ¡°There can be a second time when there is a first. I didn¡¯t believe what Dr. Jones said before. This time I will make sure she stays by my side. I will make her forget those unhappy things and forget everything. with that lunatic. She¡¯ll only remember me ande back to me.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not Stephanie!¡± Yasmin cried. I started to panic too. I wanted to struggle and wake up. I was scared¡­ I was scared that my memory loss actually had something to do with Peter. I was scared of forgetting Steven again, No. I didn¡¯t want to forget him. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? How was Stephie so cool to kill a chicken? Stop spreading rumors. Let me tell you, even if Stephie really killed chickens and smeared blood, that person deserved it, Rachel retorted at Yasmin. ¡°All of you are deceived by her.¡± Yasmin gritted her teeth. ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone deceived by you then? Aren¡¯t you quite the fox? Michael was blind, but why did he suddenly wake up? Do you know what that means? It means you¡¯re not enough, you bitch.¡± Chaple Rachel and Yasmin started fighting. ¡°Stop it! This is a hospitall¡± the nurse scolded them. Soon, it became quiet outside. Chapter 258 I continued to struggle, praying that Rachel wouldn¡¯t leave, that she wouldn¡¯t give Michael the chance to take me away. I was terrified¡­. I was terrified that he would actually take me to see Peter. I was terrified of forgetting Steven. ¡°The patient is very weak. The child has been temporarily saved, but we need to observe her for a while. Meanwhile, she cannot endure any more stress,¡± the doctor exined to Michael before leaving. ¡°Thank you¡­ Thank you, doctor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only doing my job.¡± ¡°How¡¯s Stephie doing?¡± Just when I thought I might wake up soon, I suddenly heard the voice of a middle¨Caged man. It was Peter. My nerves immediately tightened. ¡°Stephie hasn¡¯t woken up yet, but the child has been saved.¡± Michael let out a sigh of relief. ¡°You need to get those two women arguing over there to leave and then take Stephie away.¡± Peter sounded somewhat displeased. I panicked and wanted to open my eyes. I didn¡¯t want him to take me away! I didn¡¯t know if my memory loss was rted to Peter, but since he was a psychiatrist, I couldn¡¯t trust him. I even found him frightening. ¡°Mr. Peter, will it work?¡± Michael whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will work.¡± Peter sounded confidently. The more confident he sounded, the more frightened I became. Memories began to slowly resurface. I remembered my parents sending me to the mental hospital, where I met Peter. My first impression of him was that he was terrifying. His smile was too gentle. He called my name and said, ¡°Stephie,e with me.¡± He took my hand and led me down a long corridor. The wards were filled with patients wearing hospital gowns. I looked at them and then turned to see my crying parents standing at the end of the hallway. They were desperate for me to be a normal, likable child. ¡°Stephie, here are two oranges. If I want one will you give it to me?¡± He took me to the therapy room to begin my assessment tests. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I looked at him indifferently, as if he were asking a foolish question I didn¡¯t want to answer. ¡°Stephie, if you made a friend and she envied your two oranges and tried to steal them when you weren¡¯t looking, how would you handle the situation?¡± ¡°Cut off her hands.¡± I sounded cold in my memory, unlike that of a child my age. My answer stunned the nurse standing nearby. She couldn¡¯t believe it and asked Peter, ¡°Is she really just five years old?¡± They observed me for a while and even let me interact with other children. They allowed older, stronger children to bully me and watched me like I was an experiment. In the end, without determining the cause of my condition, Peter diagnosed me with severe emotional and cognitive disorders. I watched him through the ss window. Like an executioner, his voice chilling as he said, ¡°Apply for transcranial maic stimtionbined with hypnotherapy for her. If the effect is not significant, then apply for electroconvulsive therapy.¡± ¡°Dr. Jones, she¡¯s just a child.¡± Peter took a sharp breath. ¡°Have you ever seen teenage boys intimidated by a five¨Cyear¨Cold girl?¡± As my memories slowly cleared, I became even more frightened. Peter¡¯s so¨Ccalled treatment for me involved hypnosis and physical stimtion. No wonder I suffered memory loss. If Michael handed me over to Peter, there was a high probability that I would forget everything again and everything rted to Steven. *Stephie did forget a lot of things after her car ident. I was the one who didn¡¯t cherish her.¡± Michael pretended to act guilty. The truth was he wanted me to lose my memory to keep me trapped. I struggled in fear. I didn¡¯t want to forget again, to repeat the cycle, to be trapped by Michael¡¯s emotions, without being able to fight back! ¡°Steven¡­¡± ¡°Steve, save me¡­¡± I struggled desperately and cried out. Steven, you had toe and save me! Chapter 259 ¡°Michael, she¡¯s not Stephanie!¡± Myst consciousness lingered on Yasmin crying out that I wasn¡¯t Stephanie Stephane is already dead¡± I knew she was scared and panicked. However, what was she afraid of? Back then, she was so confident that Michael would marry her. Why was she crying now? When I woke up again, everything was pure white. I found myself waking up in a strangely familiar yet unfamiliar environment It was the Ford family¡¯s residence. I wasying in the bedroom I had lived in for many years. My vision felt numb. I tried to lift my arms, but my body wasn¡¯t fully under my control. ¡°Stephie,¡± a familiar voice called my name. ¡°Ms. Larson, it¡¯s time for dinner,¡± the family¡¯s maid, Angel, called out to me. I felt a headacheing on. As I got up, I noticed the clothes I was wearing and felt a sense of confusion, This pajama was given to me by Aunty Lois. ¡°Ms. Larson. Mr. Lincoln is back.¡± Angel smiled at me from outside the door. Everything felt so familiar yet strange. ¡°That murderer hasn¡¯t been caught yet. Michael, you must protect Yasmin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous now. That murderer is too ruthless. He had killed so many pec yet still not caught.¡± Downstairs, Jack and a few others were discussing the murderer. This scene seemed familiar. Yasmin sat on the sofa. She was in her usual white dress and looked as gentle as ever. She noticed me first and looked somewhat unnatural. I flinched instinctively. I didn¡¯t know why I was trembling. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. It was as if something told me I should be afraid of them. My body kept shaking, but I didn¡¯t feel like I was afraid. A thought shed through my mind and that was to kill these people. They all deserved to die. I was startled by my own thoughts and avoided them while breathing anxiously. Michael came upstairs. He was looking nervous as he stared at me. ¡°Stephie? Don¡¯t be afraid. They¡¯re here for a get together. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Michael sounded unusually gentle, far from what I remembered. I cautiously dodged away from him and watched him with vignce. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t touch me,¡± ¡°Stephie, are you still ming me? I was wrong before and I won¡¯t hurt you again,¡± Michael said earnestly, as if making a vow. He reached out to me and asked for my trust. I stared at his hand and my vision turned blurry. What was I thinking? I actually thought about breaking his hand. ¡°Stephie?¡± He noticed my daze and tried to touch me. ¡°Ah! I cried out in fear and quickly backed away. I wasn¡¯t afraid of Michael. I was afraid of the thoughts in my own mind. ¡°Stephie, are you okay? Come down for dinner.¡± Yasmin walked down the stairs step by step. She smiled softly. I looked at her with suspicion and my pupils shrank. ¡°Stephie?¡± I gradually approached Yasmin. Suddenly, a scream rang out as Yasmin tumbled down the stairs. When I regained consciousness, I stared in horror at my hands. I had pushed Yasmin down the stairs. There was a voice in my mind telling me to push this bad woman down. Michael looked at me in shock, and everyone downstairs was stunned. They looked at me with fear in their eyes. This time, everyone clearly saw me push Yasmin down the stairs. Chapter 260 ¡°Michael¡­¡± Fortunately, Yasmin¡¯s fall wasn¡¯t severe. She had merely twisted her ankle and bumped her head. She looked at Michael with teary eyes. Michael stood still with his fingers clenched. ¡°Jack, take Yasmin to the hospital.¡± Yasmin bit her lip in endurance and was hesitant to speak. She looked at Michael despairingly and then cast a resentful gaze at me. I stood above while looking down at her. I didn¡¯t know why I felt likeughing, but I seemed to be in a rather good mood. ¡°Stephie, you¡¯ve been in a car ident and need to rest. Be obedient. No one is allowed to say anything about today.¡± Michael instructed me to go back to my room to rest. He hurried downstairs anxiously. Jack gave me a fearful nce before quickly nodding. The others also kept their heads down in silence. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Yasmin cried out in pain. She pushed Jack away resentfully and tried to get up. However, she stumbled and fell again. I walked down the stairs while watching Yasmin. Thetter looked at me with extreme fear in her eyes. She tried to hide behind Michael. ¡°Michael, don¡¯t let here near me.¡± Michael hurriedly stepped forward to block me. ¡°Stephie.¡± ¡°I pushed her just now. Why didn¡¯t you call the police?¡± I looked at them suspiciously, then shifted my gaze to Jack. Jack backed away in fear. ¡°Ha! We¡¯re all friends! You certainly didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Yasmin fell by ident! Yes, I saw it. Yasmin fell by ident!¡± Yasmin gritted her teeth resentfully while remaining silent. Michael hurriedly exined, ¡°Stephie, it wasn¡¯t you. Yasmin fell by herself. You didn¡¯t push her. You¡¯re too tired. You should head upstairs and take some rest.¡± ¡°But it was clearly me who pushed her. I did push you, didn¡¯t I?¡± I looked at Yasmin. Michael frowned and gave Yasmin a warning look. Tears welled up in Yasmin¡¯s eyes as she spoke. ¡°No. I fell by myself.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smirk. I leaned in close to Yasmin¡¯s ear and whispered softly, ¡°You¡¯re so strange. Clearly, I¡¯d pushed you, but you¡¯re denying it. Meanwhile, you¡¯d used me of pushing you when I didn¡¯t back then.¡± Yasmin suddenly went stiff. She looked at me in shock and stood up abruptly. ¡°Michael, she¡­¡± 273 I felt quite satisfied at the look of Yasmin stammering. My head felt foggy. I had mixed memories and I was in a state of confusion. ¡°Yasmin, you¡¯re injured. Go to the hospital,¡± Michael warned sternly. With red eyes, Yasmin turned around and muttered, ¡°She¡¯s not Stephanie. She¡¯s not her.¡± Meanwhile, Jack turned and ran away as if he had seen a ghost. Only Michael stayed by my side. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go after her? Don¡¯t you like her?¡± I was puzzled. A hint of panic shed in Michael¡¯s eyes, ¡°Stephie, you¡¯re mistaken. I don¡¯t like Yasmin. I love you. ¡°Stephie, you have mix memories after the car ident. We¡¯re already together. You¡¯re pregnant with my child,¡± Michael whispered softly. I looked at Michael suspiciously, then lowered my head to look at my stomach. Suddenly, my head started to ache badly. Really? Was I pregnant? ¡°If you¡¯re not hungry, rest well ande down for dinnerter. Here¡¯s your prenatal medicine. Be good. Take it and go to sleep for a while.¡± Michael took the ss of water and a few white pills handed over by the maid. I numbly took those pills and swallowed them as Michael watched. Only after I turned and went upstairs did Michael finally breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Are you sure Steven is dead?¡± ¡°The rescue team searched for so long and couldn¡¯t find him, but they found Steven¡¯s clothes and bloodstains at the foot of the mountain. He must not have survived the fall from that height.¡± I hid behind the door while listening to Michael and his assistant¡¯s conversation. Steven¡­ My head hurt so much. ¡°Steven.¡± ¡°Steve¡­¡± ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ve always been here.¡± ¡°Michael! Come out! Release Stephany!¡± Rachel¡¯s loud voice came from outside. ¡°Michael, Stephany is Steven¡¯s wife. Taking her away constitutes illegal detention.¡± ¡°Rachel, you can take her away, but you have to see if she¡¯s willing to go with you,¡± Michael said confidently, as if he believed I wouldn¡¯t go with anyone. Enjoy Ad¨CFree Readings Chapter 261 I was standing at the door when Rachel burst in. She paused in her tracks and then looked at me in astonishment. "Stephie..." I was wearing my old clothes and probably looked too much like "Stephanie." Even Zion was startled. He cursed, "Michael, are you sick?" "She''s Stephany, not Stephanie! You''ve gone mad! Stephany,e back with us," Zion said, stepping forward to look at me as he cursed under his breath. T looked at Zion nkly. "Who are you?" Rachel took a deep breath. "Stephie, it''s me. I''m Rachel." looked at Rachel. "Rach, why are you here? Who is he?" Rachel approached anxiously and took my hand. She whispered, "Do you remember if you''re Stephanie or Stephany?" I paused in confusion. "Huh? I''m Stephanie." Meanwhile, Zion cursed again. "D*mn it! Michael, you''re insane! What did you do to her?" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Michael stepped forward to protect me. "I told you she won''t go with you. It''s her choice, and you have no right to interfere." "Stephie , he''s nothing but trash. Don''t believe him. I''vee to take you away. Don''t you remember? Steve is still waiting for you. He''s your husband." Rachel''s eyes reddened, and she reached out to me. "Steve..."'' I backed off while covering my head in pain. Steve. Steven. "Stephie." Michael held me tightly and warned Rachel. "Rachel, she''s unstable. If you don''t want her to die, don''t mention things that will trigger her!" Rachel clenched her fists in suppressed rage. She had the urge to devour Michael alive! "You''re disgusting. Did Stephie''s previous memory loss have anything to do with you?" Michael didn''t speak. He neither refuted nor admitted. "Stephie, don''t be afraid. Ignore them. Go back and rest." Michael tried to take me back to the room. Rachel was not willing to give up. "Stephie..." Zion held Rachel back. Michael helped me into the room. Before closing the door, I looked back at Rachel and winked at her. Rachel paused, then nodded cautiously at me. Did Michael really think Peter was that capable? Indeed, electroshock therapy could cause temporary memory confusion or even amnesia. However , something went wrong this time, and Peter''s experiment didn''t seem very sessful. "Stephie, don''t listen to them. Rest well. I''ll go talk to them." Michael sat me down on the bed. He squatted before me and spoke in a gentle voice. It was as if he loved me deeply. I didn''t speak. All I did was numbly sat there while watching him stand up and leave. "The ones who want Stephany dead are the Lincolns. Can anyone from the Lincolns even be trusted? Sending her back there is like sending her to her death. And Rachel, do you think you can protect her, or can Zion, just a traffic cop, protect her?" Michael warned Zion and Rachel in a low voice. "Michael, you''re nothing but a sc*m!" Rachel wanted tosh out on him. But Zion held her back. "Given the Lincolns'' current situation, no one can be trusted. Stephany is safer here. She seems like she can''t handle any stress at the moment." Rachel breathed heavily. "Michael, you didn''t cherish her when she was alive, and now you''re doing these things. You''re truly despicable." Michael looked down. "I will make it up to her." "Make it up to her? Is your idea of making up for it to trap her by your side while she''s having mixed memories and also to keep your first love close? You''re quite audacious. Aren¡¯t you afraid of choking for wanting both?" Rachel then turned to look at Yasmin, who had returned after having her injuries examined. Yasmin had a bandage on her forehead. She looked fragile and innocent. Chapter 262 Her voice was choked, and she whispered softly, "Mike." Michael was somewhat annoyed. He warned Rachel, "This is my business and it''s not your ce to interfere. I warn you not to continue triggering her!" I hid behind the door and listened for a while. Only after it quieted outside did I walk to the window to watch Rachel and Zion leave. Michael was right about one thing. The Lincolns were unsafe, and for now, it was safer here. There was a knock on the door. I hadn''t agreed to let the person in, but she entered anyway. It was Yasmin. She stood there while asking in a probing tone, "Stephany? You don¡¯t really think you''re Stephanie now, do you?". I tilted my head. "What are you talking about ? Who''s Stephany ? I''m Stephanie ." Yasmin''s face darkened and she clenched her fists tightly. "Stephany, stop pretending! You''re not Stephanie! Peter¡¯s hypnotic therapy won''t work on you because you''re not her! You''re just pretending in front of Michael!" Iughed. "How clever of you!" Yasmin looked at me in shock. "So you were pretending. You haven''t lost your memory at all." "Right, I''m just ying along with Michael. He wants me to be Stephanie, so I''m letting him have his way." I smiled as I walked up to Yasmin. Yasmin red at me. "Stephany, since Steven died, you''ve set your sights on Michael, right? I won''t let you get away with this. I¡¯ll protect Michael." "Are you so devoted? I''d like to see how you protect him. Steven won''t die. If he does, I''ll make sure all of you die with him." My lips curled up, and I raised my hand to Yasmin''s neck. Steven wouldn''t die. He''de for me. Yasmin looked at me in terror. She struggled hard, but she was no match for me, T should just strangle her. I should just break her neck. "Ah!" The moment Michael entered the door, I released my grip. I pped myself the way Yasmin used to do, then covered my face while crying and shaking my head. "Mike, what... what is she talking about? I don''t understand. Who''s Stephany?" Michael''s face instantly darkened. He red at Yasmin. "Yasmin!" Yasmin covered her neck and looked at Michael in panic. "Mike, she''s pretending! She''s Stephany! She..." "Shut up!" Michael actually gave Yasmin a p. Meanwhile, I watched the scene with a smile on my lips. So this was how it felt when Yasmin used to act and watch Michaely his hands on me. Was this considered karma? "Michael, did you just hit me?!" Yasmin covered her cheek. She didn''t seem to expect Michael to hit her for my sake. Crying, she turned and ran away. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Michael looked back at me in a panic. "Stephie, don''t listen to her nonsense. It took me so much effort to get you back." His voice trembled, then he held me tightly in his arms. Did he say it took him a lot of effort to get me back? Howughable. "Stephie, I won''t let you leave me again. I won''t be fooled by her anymore. I believe you, Stephie. I only trust you." His voice choked up as if he really wanted to make up for all his past mistakes with me. Too bad, I found him just a nuisance now. Chapter 263 As evening approached, Yasmin returned. She just couldn''t be driven away. Iheard Lois returned to Affina to recuperate from her joint pain. However, worried about Michael, she specifically allowed Yasmin to stay at the Fords and instructed her to take good care of Mike. She said that as long as Michael said yes, she would agree to Yasmin marrying into the Fords. The biggest trouble that once seemed insurmountable was now solved, and Yasmin should have been overjoyed. After all, she was just a step away from her goal. Hence, she wouldn''t leave just because Michael pped her. I watched Yasmin coldly from upstairs . It wouldn''t be fun if she could be driven away by a mere p. During my years at the Fords, she had ndered and framed me countless times. How would it be fair if I didn''t give her a taste of those experiences? "Mike, I''m sorry. I was too agitated. Stephie deliberately provoked me, so I got a little carried away. Mrs. Ford asked me to take good care of you. You''ve just been discharged from the hospital , and your injuries are not fully healed yet. I have toe back to take care of you." Yasmin apologized to Michael. She knew how to act coquettishly. Michael seemed like he was in a rush to leave. He looked at the time and frowned, " Ms. Ewing can take care of me at home. Every time Stephie sees you, she gets emotionally unstable. You better go back." "Mike, you know the murderers haven''t been caught yet. I will die if I go back." Yasmin gulped with nervousness. Michael was silent. He probably still harbored a bit of sentiment for her. Howughable. I watched Yasmin and Michael with cold eyes. "I''m going out for a bit. Don''t provoke Stephie." Michael didn''t insist on Yasmin leaving and quickly left. Yasmin nced in my direction and her eyes were filled with warning and hatred. I smiled at her, then slowly walked down the stairs. "Why is there a new maid in the house?" I provoked Yasmin on purpose. Yasmin looked like she wanted to devour me. She mmed the hot milk on the table. "Drink it." "T dare not drink anything you give. If something happens to me, Michael might be heartbroken." I propped my chin and watched Yasmin. Yasmin was so angry she could barely breathe. Still, she was a talented actress. She wouldn''t be defeated just because I framed her once. After calming down, she sat beside me and said, "Stephany, let''s chat while there''s nothing to do." "About what?" I smiled at her. "Let''s talk about Stephanie and Steve. Do you know why Stephanie died? I guessed that the murderer would kill her because everyone who offended Steve or treated him poorly died." Yasmin smiled. I frowned and my fingers stiffened. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. "Stephanie deserved to die. Steve loved her so much, yet she forgot him and fell in love with someone else." Yasmin leaned back in her chair. ying with a lighter in her hand, Yasmin said, "You know about the fire at the orphanage, right? Someone couldn''t stand the gloom the geniuses brought to everyone, so they wanted to lock them up and scare them with fire. But, unexpectedly, the old dormitory''s electrical wiring was faulty, and the fire quickly grew out of control." I suppressed my urge to kill her and listened as she continued. "Steve didn''t die that day. I heard that when the firefighters extinguished the fire and the police rushed in, they saw a body tightly protecting Steve in a corner. Their rtionship was really strong. "Simeon''s whole body was charred, but he was still protecting Steve. They say that the wall was full of marks from his pain. Still, he maintained his position and guarded Steve in the corner." Yasmin shook her head in regret. "In the end, Steve suffered extensive burns on his legs, arms, and back but survived, while Simeon died." Yasmin sighed. Chapter 264 My body was slowly stiffening, and I was struggling to suppress my rage. My body trembled uncontrobly. "After that, Steve went mad. He struggled a lot in the hospital. I heard his burns were extremely painful, and there was a risk of infection. It''s a wonder how he survived. Stubborn, isn¡¯t it? Since he managed to live through that, how could he not go insane?" Yasmin sneered. "Do you know what Stephanie was doing during his painful time? It seems she was in a for a while after a car ident. When she woke up, she hadpletely forgotten Steve. I''m not exactly sure what Stephanie went through during that time. All I know is that after she woke up, she was in a state of autism for a long time." Yasmin was full of jealousy when she spoke of Stephanie. "Her personality became withdrawn and umunicative . She seemed fragile and timid, like she hadpletely changed into someone easily bullied. "It was only after she recovered and returned to school, integrating into normal life, studying, and preparing for the college entrance exams, that things changed." Yasminughed sarcastically . "During that time, I heard Steve escaped from the hospital. Risking infection , he limped after Stephanie, but she had forgotten him. She would scream in fear and run away in panic when she saw him." Yasmin purposely told me these. "I once saw Stephanie screaming and fleeing from Steve at the Fords'' gate. Two people who were once in love became strangers. "T admit I''ve enjoyed watching Stephanie lose her memory, fall in love with someone else, as well as Michael distrust and torment her. She deserved this punishment. She deserved to die." I stood up abruptly while breathing heavily. My eyes darkened as I red at Yasmin and grabbed her cor. "Don¡¯t rush. Even if she deserves to die, you deserve it more." I snatched the lighter from her hand and asked emotionlessly , ''''You were the one who started the fire back then, weren¡¯t you?" Yasmin''s expression flickered with fear. "It wasn''t my business." "But Simon told Zion before he died that in the arson case that year, he saw a girl in a white dress with a small hairpin throw out a lighter amid cheering. How could you all be so despicable?" My voice trembled, and so did my hand holding Yasmin''s cor. That was human life. "Those were two people!" T yelled at Yasmin with red eyes. "It wasn''t me! They forced me! It wasn''t my choice! They were jealous of me and forced me. If I hadn''t thrown the lighter, they would have locked me in too." Yasmin screamed in terror. Yasmin seemed to be afraid of her past nightmares too. Yes, the victims were also abusers, and the abusers were the murderers. They all deserved to die.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "Do you want to taste the torment of being burned by fire? Do you want to know what it feels like to be consumed by mes and burned alive?" I smiled as I pulled Yasmin''s hair. Yasmin was scared at this point. She looked at me in horror. What do you want to do? Stephany, I warn you not to act recklessly. There are cameras everywhere. The nanny is here too¡ª Ah!" I dragged her by her hair into the kitchen, then opened a bottle of strong liquor and poured it over her head. My fingers trembled as I repeatedly lit up the lighter. "Why? Why can your evil deeds be forgiven, and our retaliation isbeled as mental illness, emotional disorder, being locked up, and experimented on like animals?" I coldly brought the lit lighter close to Yasmin. I wanted to burn her alive, to let her taste the torment of being burned to death. Thad to kill her. Chapter 265 Michael and Peter walked in from outside. Yasmin screamed for Michael to save her. "Mike, she''s gone crazy! Save me!" Michael was visibly panicked. "Stephie, put down the lighter." Peter was also startled. He stepped forward and said, ''''Stephie, calm down. Put the lighter down. Take a deep breath. You don''t want to hurt anyone, right?" I nced at Michael and Peter and then scoffed. ''Wrong answer. The one I want to hurt isn''t just anyone." The me of the lighter ignited the alcohol on Yasmin''s hair instantly. Yasmin screamed in terror while trying to pat out the mes on her hair. She fell to the ground, crying and screaming for help. I stood there coldly watching Yasmin crying and begging for help. Then I watched as Michael rushed up, wrapped Yasmin in a wet cloth, and she cried in his arms. Peter frowned deeply as he looked at me for a long time. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "Mike, she''s going to kill me! She''s going to kill me! Mike, save me! Save me!" Yasmin was still crying. Her hair was burned and messy, and her face was reddened by the mes. Too bad her face wasn''t scarred. "you''re crazy! You''re all crazy!" Yasmin yelled at me furiously. I shook the lighter in my hand and wanted to light it up again, but Peter rushed up and snatched it away. Peter seemed angry. He seemed to be hypnotizing me. "Stephanie! Is this how you repay your parents?How heartbroken would they be if they saw you acting this way?" Suddenly, a ringing filled my ears. When Peter touched me, I felt as if I were being pricked with needles. My vision darkened and my consciousness began to blur. "Stephie? Stephie!" Before I lost consciousness , I saw Michael, who was holding Yasmin, rush over to try to hold me. What a joke. Rachel was right. He really wanted both of us. He had Yasmin in his arms, but he was still trying toe to me. It was disgusting. "Mike, it hurts! My face hurts so much!" Yasmin cried and clung to Michael. She didn''t want to give him a chance toe near me. She looked at me defiantly, as if she wanted to devour me. My consciousness finally slipped awaypletely. Darkness enveloped me. "Stephie..." "Stephanie..." In my memories, after the car ident and after I''d lost my parents, I became silent and withdrawn. I moved from my home to the Ford family''s residence. "Mike, from now on Stephie will live with us. She''s preparing for college entrance exams this year so do help her out." The way Michael looked at me held confusion. I couldn''t understand his face. "Do you really not remember anyone from the orphanage ?" I still remember the first question Michael asked me was full of doubt. "What orphanage?" I looked at him nkly. He didn''t speak but merely turned around and left with a dark expression. "Mike, do you still mean it when you said you liked me before?" From that day on, I began to pay close attention to Michael. My eyes were full of him. I didn''t understand why I felt that Michael had said he liked me before. He frowned at me. "What do you mean?" "You said it when you were a teenager. You said you liked me. You said you would marry me when I grew up," I said with disappointment. Back then, I thought I was upset because Michael had forgotten his childhood promise. But that wasn''t it. Because the person who had made the promise was never Michael. "Are you sick? We were children then, and how could such words be taken seriously?" Michael cursed and then turned and walked away. Later, I began to quietly treat him well. I would make his favorite desserts, his preferred mango pudding. "Mike, Imade mango pudding. Try it..." Chapter 266 He disgustedly brushed my hand away and looked at me angrily, yet said nothing. The nanny seemed hesitant to speak. With reddened eyes and a cautious tone, I asked, "Does he not like it anymore? Has he changed?" Michael opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed his words instead. "Give it tome." I happily handed over the mango pudding. He nced at me coldly and snorted before walking away. The nanny whispered, "Ms. Larson, Mr. Ford is allergic to mangoes." I was surprised. "Impossible. He loves mango pudding." The nanny hesitated again. "Ms. Larson, Mr. Ford said you should go to school alone and im you''re not from the Ford family, to avoid special treatment. Also, the driver has been sent to pick up Ms. Bailey." Stunned, I stood there and tears welled up in my eyes. He clearly said he loved me once. Why did his feelings change after meeting his so- called true love? I left the house with my backpack. "Did you tell her?" I didn''t get far before overhearing Michael talking to the nanny. "Mr. Ford, you''re really hurting Ms. Stephie''s feelings." The nanny sighed. Michael sounded eager as he asked, "Did she get upset when you mentioned that I sent the driver for Yasmin?" "Ms. Stephie seemed very sad." Michael snorted. "She''s pretending. I want to see how long she can keep it up. She''s been more venomous than a snake since she was a child. What''s with this innocent act now?" I walked the forty minutes from Ford''s vi to my high school. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only "Hey, pretty girl. Are you alone today? Do you have any pocket money? We need money for the cybercafe." There were often delinquents harassing students near the school. I trembled and backed away from them. Back then, I thought I was trembling because I was frightened. But now, I realize it was excitement I was suppressing. I was suppressing the urge to fight back. "T don''t have money..." Tears welled up in my eyes as I turned to run, but one of the ruffians blocked my path. He even patted my backside. "You''re pretty cute." "Haha! Do you like her? How about a girlfriend for Clyde?" The other delinquents jeered. I retreated in fear, but they managed to snatch my backpack. "This ne is worth something, right?" They took the money from my bag and the ne from my neck. I cried while begging them to give it back. "That''s from my mother." Theyughed and raised the items up to tease me, then sped off on their motorbikes. Crying, I squatted and picked up my books one by one. Just then, a boy in a baggy hoodie and a cap came over. He didn''t say anything and bent down to help me pick up the books. But when I saw his scarred hands, I sat paralyzed with fear. He panicked and hid his hands behind his back. Then, he opened his mouth as if wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and ran away. Frightened, I watched him leave and then quickly grabbed my bag and fled. At that time, I didn''t remember he was Steven. Thadpletely forgotten him. All I remembered was that he wore gloves and waited for me at the school gate that day. He was well-covered, and his eyes shook as he looked at me. It turned out he had retrieved all my stolen items and gave them back. I was too scared to take them. However, he didn''t say anything but stuffed the items into my hand and ran away. I didn''t even know who he was. I thought he was just a forgettable stranger. I even overlooked the bloodstains on his mouth. Chapter 267 "Stephie? Stephie..." My consciousness gradually returned, and I could hear someone calling my name. It was Michael. "Mr. Peter, why does she seem off?" Michael asked Peter anxiously. "Did you give her the medicine I''d prescribed on time?" Peter inquired. "T made sure she took it on schedule. There was no mistake." "Memory erasure and restructuring can''t bepleted in one go. She shouldn''t have lost her memory. If she forgets you, be careful. She might just be pretending. "You must keep giving her psychological and environmental stimtion, and don''t stop giving her the medication. Bring her to the hospital on time for the hypnosis and electroshock therapy," Peter instructed seriously. Michael fell silent for a moment before asking, "Mr. Peter, is this fair to her?" "Her mother wished for her to live a simple, ordinary life. She is sick and needs treatment," Peter stated firmly. Michael hesitated. "Is she really Stephanie? Does soul transmigration really exist?" Peter replied coldly, "That''s for you to decide who you want her to be." After along pause, Michael finally said, Stephie. I want Stephie back." Peter simply responded, "Then, do as I say." When I opened my eyes, Peter had already left. Michael was sitting by the bed. He was excited to see me awake. "Stephie." T looked at him and said, "Michael, I want some mango pudding." Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Michael paused, then nodded. "T''ll have someone buy it for you right away." Soon, the nanny brought over the mango pudding. "Do you want some?" He offered to feed me. "You first. I remember you love mango pudding." I smiled at him. But it was Steven who loved mango pudding. Michael''s fingers stiffened. He whispered, "You eat it." I shook my head. "No, you eat it." Michael frowned and took a bite of the mango pudding. "Why did you deceive me? You weren''t my lover yet you pretended to be him, leading me to form wrong memories. How could you not trust me and yet humiliate and torture me?" I asked hoarsely. Michael was taken aback. He looked at me in shock and panicked . "Stephie... do you remember now?" I watched as his face broke out in red spots after eating the mango pudding. Since Peter said I shouldn''t have lost my memory, I stopped pretending. "If you don''t love me, why deceive me and keep me trapped ? Why not tell me the truth?" Why did he make me treat Steven like that? Why make him aplete stranger to me? I was filled with hatred at this point! Michael panicked and tried to exin. "Stephie, it''s not like that. I admit I was selfish. I... I didn''t want you to remember him. I wanted you to only see and think of me." "So why doubt and hurt me after achieving your goal?" I asked. Even though he had achieved his aim, he still hurt me. Michael clenched his hands tightly. "I''m sorry. I was just suspicious. I feared you were pretending because you used to..." He stopped talking and was unwilling to exin further. I sneered while looking at the pills on the table. "Ha. I remember since I was eighteen, you and Auntie Lois have always made me take these pills. These are from Peter, right?" Michael looked at me with mixed emotions. "Stephie, you''re sick." I asked him with augh. "What sickness do I have?" "You... Stephie... It''s time for your medicine." He hesitated to continue as he found it difficult to utter the word "emotional disorder." He picked up the medicine from the table, trying to make me take it. "What if I don''t?" I looked at him with disgust. I still remembered waking up at eighteen, forgetting Steven, and then taking these pills ever since. They seemed to suppress my emotions , making me numb, like an animal trapped in a cage, forcibly dulling all my sharpness. Chapter 268 "Stephie... you have to take it. I won''t let you remember him. You''ll stay by my side like a normal girl. I''ll protect you, and we''ll get married and have our own children. We''ll have a beautiful future. "Stephie, you''re not in pain, are you?" Michael said softly while squatting beside the bed. He brought the pill to my lips. "Stephie, be good." "You''re disgusting," I spat at him. "Stephie, Steven isn''t dead but severely injured. My men found him before the Lincolns did." Michael''s gaze darkened and his voice turned icy. He was threatening me again. He had always been threatening me. My voice trembled. "You think I''ll believe you?" Steven wasn''t dead. "See. He has a strong will to live." He showed me a picture on his phone of Steven, who was bloodied and barely alive. Michael continued to threaten me. "T''ll take it." I took the pill from his hand and swallowed it. Michael didn''t trust me. He grabbed my face and checked to make sure I actually swallowed the pill before letting go of his hands. "Stephie, have a good sleep, and when you wake up, everything will be better." He believed that after taking the medication and sleeping, I would forget everything. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. "Mr. Ford! Mr. Ford! Ms. Bailey is screaming about suicide!" The nanny rushed in panic. I stared at Michael quietly. Michael nced at me in hesitation as always, and chose to go to Yasmin. The same old story. He professed his love for me, yet couldn''t let go of his first love. "Ugh." [ran to the bathroom and vomited, trying to get the pills out of my throat. But it was toote. I couldn''t vomit anything. Previously , Michael wasn''t so vignt. I would pretend to take the medication but actually hiding it under my tongue. This time, I had to swallow it in front of him. The medication likely had sedativeponents. I fell asleep heavily as soon as I hit the bed. I wondered what I would forget when I woke up. I wondered if I would still remember Steven the next day. Steven wasn''t dead. He was with Michael. He was severely injured. I mustn''t forgot about this Ihad to find a way to tell Rachel and Zion that Steven was with Michael. "Stephie?" In a daze, I heard a hoarse voice calling my name. The window must had been opened. A cool breeze was blowing in He gently kissed my forehead. "Stephie, I''m here to take you home." "Stephie, shall we go home? "Don''t forget me again. It''s painful." I struggled to open my eyes and clung to his hand. He seemed surprised. "Stephie, you remember me, don''t you?" "Steven..." I called his name hoarsely. He hugged me tightly and said while sobbing, "Honey, let''s go home." Suddenly, the door was kicked open. The room''s light became blinding. I panicked, and tried to open my eyes. "Steven, I''ve been waiting for you." It was Michael''s voice. So Steven wasn''t in his hands. He was using me to lure Steven out. "I made a deal with Martin. Whether you live or die after I hand you over is none of my concern," Michael''s voice was low. Chapter 269 The Huma Hospital. The sounds of medical equipment, the smell of alcohol disinfectant, pale lighting, and the deathly silent corridors created a stark atmosphere. " Take it easy." Harsh, pitiful screams reverberated through the sterile ward. The nurse, who was standing by, couldn''t even bear to watch. The man lying on the hospital bed held a tiny photo tightly with his gruesome burned fingers. "Stephie... Stephie..." "Your vocal cords are damaged. Even surgery can''t fully restore them. You need to avoid speaking as much as possible. Endure it," the doctor, unable to bear the sight, whispered softly. "Okay." He buried his head in the pillow and quietly endured the pain as the doctor treated his terrible injuries. "How could he bear it?" "Why does such a handsome man have to suffer so much?" "His survival is a miracle." As the doctor left the ward, he sighed. "He has multiple burn injuries , and the pain from the second -degree burns can reach level I0. This will greatly affect his sensory perception. Even if he survives, his perception of pain will be numb." The doctor observed Steven through the window. He was lying on the bed while barely hanging on by a thread. "Stephie..." He slowly loosened his grip and gently wiped the bload-soaked photo. His eyes were soft. "Wait for me... "T''m sorry..." It was my fault for making her wait too long. I hoped she wouldn''t me me. "Mr. Lincoln Senior has instructed us to keep him in the hospital until his condition improves. Once he''s better, bring him back." "Mr. Lincoln, you can''t leave!" "Beep..." The hospital rm went off. The doctors and guards were distracted by the fire rm. Steven, wearing a baggy hoodie and cap, limped out of the hospital while enduring the pain in his body. Blood seeped through his injuries due to the premature movement. No one knew how much pain he was in. But he didn''t want to make Stephie wait any longer. "Stephie..." He didn''t know how he managed to leave the hospital or muster the strength to reach Stephanie''s building. However, it was empty there. "That poor family. Both of the parents died and left only their daughter alive. I heard she was in a for a long time and then went to live with rtives after waking up." Upon hearing what the neighbors said, Steven turned and ran away with red eyes. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only His wounds were hurting. He was at risk of infection. Still, he couldn''t let Stephie face the pain of losing her parents alone. "Stephie..." Finally, he saw Stephie at the school gate. "Ah!" But the way she looked at him was as if looking at a stranger. "Stephie..." His hoarse voice, unfamiliar even to himself, drove him to near despair. Stephie didn''t recognize him. "Who are you? Stop following me! Help!" Stephanie thought he was a pervert. She ran away screaming for help. Steven stood numbly with his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air. He hid in an alleyway while panting heavily and hitting his own head. Why... Why had even his voice changed? Why did he scare Stephie? Why didn''t he die? "Stephie..." From that day, Steven would secretly follow Stephie every day. He would watch her go to school,e home, and carefully followed Michael. He would watch how her eyes were full of only him. "Stephie, I don''t me you." He would whisper gently during his unending fevers, soothing her even though she couldn''t hear it. He wouldn''t me her for forgetting him. Chapter 270 He wouldn''t me her for falling in love with someone else. Despite his high fever and almost contorted body due to pain, Steven staggered toward the school gate that day. He had to ensure his girl entered the school. "This ne is worth something , right ?'''' However , a group of ruffians robbed her, They took money from her bag and snatched the ne from her neck. Stephanie cried and pleaded for them to return the ne. "My mom gave me that." Furious, Steven charged at them, but the thugs escaped on their motorcycles. He watched her crying while collecting her books from the ground. "Don''t cry, Stephie... Don''t cry." He longed tofort her. Still, he couldn''t bring himself to do it. Finally, he couldn''t resist and hobbled over to help her pick up her books. However, his gruesomely bloodied hands scared her. Numbly, he watched his beloved girl run away in terror. Powerless and panicked, he hid his hands behind his back and wanted to say something. Still, he ran off instead. That day, he found those thugs. Despite his fever and unhealed wounds, he managed to fight them and retrieve her ne and money. But how was he a match for so many people? He would feel pain too. If he hadn''t been desperate enough to grit his teeth and punch as if he wanted to kill the lead punk, how would those people have given him her stuff back? "Pfft!" Finally , he couldn''t hold on and spit out blood. He held the ne and fainted on the concrete floor filled with blood. It was cold. Gazing at the gray sky, he murmured, "Stephie... It''s so cold." Outside the school. Stephanie left cautiously, Stephanie looked around cautiously after school. She was afraid the punks would haunt her. She was trying to avoid them. But as soon as she got out of school she smelled the strong scent of blood. She looked up in fear and bumped into Steven''s deep eyes. Perhaps to avoid scaring her, Steven had put on gloves before slipping her the ne and money. Then, he hurriedly walked off. Stephanie wanted to say something but didn''t in the end. Stephanie was gone. She was going home. She had a home to return to, with another man. She hadpletely forgotten him and fallen for someone else. Steven, hiding in the alleyway, struggled to remove his gloves with his teeth while enduring the pain. How could he wear gloves on his badly burned hands? Every time he took off his gloves, it was like peeling his own skin. Still, he didn''t want to frighten Stephanie. "Stephie, let''s walk home together." That day, Stephanie had a friend to walk home with. "It''s been unusually quiet outside schooltely. Those thugs are gone. It''s strange." Stephanie stood outside the alley and looked back. She seemed to be looking for something. "Stephanie, those thugs who bullied you are gone. Thank goodness." Stephanie smiled and looked toward the corner. Steven was hidden there, in the darkness, guarding Stephie. "Tf you touch her again, I''ll kill you," Steven said with a hoarse voice while stepping on a thug under his feet. The thugs fled but returned with a group to ambush Steven. Finally, they cornered Steven where Stephanie frequented. "There''s a fight over there. Stephie, let''s go. It''s scary." "Stephie! Someone''s being killed! Hurry!" Stephanie''s legs numbed. She turned back to look at the alleyway. All she saw was a dark red pool of blood slowly spreading. "Let''s go, Stephie! Don''t gawk!" ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. In the alleyway. Steven leaned against the wall with his hands limply falling to his sides. The tiny photo of Stephanie in his palm was soaked in blood. "Stephie... it''s good that you''ve forgotten me. "Don''t be sad, Stephie. "Don''t look back. Don''t remember me." Chapter 271 The sound ofughter sounded. It was Stevenughing coldly. I wished for him to hurry and escape. Michael was nothing but a scoundrel. "Stephie won''t go with you." Michael''s voice was deep. Then, he ordered his bodyguards to take action. "Did you actually think I came alone?" Steven chuckled. His voice was cold and hoarse with an unnerving edge. "Mike..." Yasmin''s trembling voice came from outside the door. As I forced my eyes open, I saw a tall figure in a cap holding a knife to Yasmin''s throat. Steven didn''te alone. I felt rather relieved. "Mike..." Yasmin''s face was pale with fear. Half of her face was swollen from a burn, and her long hair was cut short due to being singed by the fire. "Steven!" Michael looked at Steven with intense anger. Steven scoffed and there was a frightening chill in his eyes. "What''s more important to you? Your lifesaver or your personal interests?" Yasmin, who couldn''t help but tremble, cried out, "Mike, save me." Michael gripped his hands tightly and nced back at Yasmin. Clearly, he was unable to decide. He knew if Steven lost control, Yasmin would likely be killed. I struggled to sit up and shook my head to clear the dizziness . Though I felt a bit confused, I was mostly okay. An unexpected advantage seemed to be that Stephany''s body, as a new vessel for my soul, didn''t fully align with the drugs'' effects. However, Peter was a dangerous element to me. His hypnosis treatments had a significant impact on me. I needed to stay away from him. He was like my biggest threat. Steven had a moment of panic when he saw me wake up. Fear shed in his eyes. He probably feared that I might have forgotten him again. Michael, too, watched me anxiously. Hopeful yet unsure, he called out to me tentatively, ''"Stephie." He hoped I had forgotten Steven and only remembered him. "Stephie,e here." Michael gestured for me to choose his side. I nced at Michael and then got off the bed. Steven tried to reach out at me but quickly withdrew his hand as if he''d been electrocuted. He was unsure if I still remembered him or if I would be frightened by him. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. I reached out and took Steven''s hand and asked with a hoarse voice, "Where did you go?" Steven went stiff. His eyes were red as he pulled me into a tight embrace. "Some rats were chasing me. I''m sorry to make you wait again." I leaned my head against his chest and smelt blood. I smelt blood on him. He was injured again. Those people deserved to die. Those who hurt him deserved to die. I wanted to kill them all so badly. "Stephie..."" Michael sounded panicked. He clearly didn''t want Steven to take me away. With Peter''s treatment, it wouldn''t be long before I forgot Steven again. But if I left now, his n would be ruined. "If you don''t let us go, Yasmin will die." ] looked at Michael and forced him to choose. Yasmin continued to cry, ''''Mike, I''m scared." Michael got annoyed and clenched his fists. I could tell he was hesitating. "Stephie, he''s insane. He will only worsen your condition. Your parents made me promise never to let you be with him. Stephie, pleasee back to me, will you?" Michael pleaded softly. Ignoring his plea, I looked up at Steven and said, "Steven, I want to eat mango pudding." Steven shook his head. "You can''t." "Why?" I asked softly. "You''re allergic," Steven whispered and held me close. Chapter 272 ¡°But I like it¡­¡± I whispered softly. I loved mango pudding, but ironically, I was allergic to mangoen. So every time I sneaked a purchase, Steven would cover for me, iming it was his favorite. He only allowed me to have a little while eating the rest himself. He said he loved mango pudding. But in reality, it was ¡°Stephanie¡± who loved it. He was just ¡°forced¡± to like it. ¡°Just a little then,¡± Steven said softly. He was ready to take me away. Michael stood rigid while trying to make an exnation. ¡°Stephie¡­ ¡°I remember telling you ¡®Stephanie¡® is allergic to mangoes.¡± Before, his ignorance was excusable, but now, his continued obliviousness seemed ring. Love was apparent even in the little things. ¡°Stephie, it¡¯s not like that. Since you¡¯re Stephany now, I assumed¡­¡± Michael was trying to exin that Stephany wasn¡¯t allergic to mangoes. Still, he was subconsciously suspicious of my identity as Stephanie. Yet, he stubbornly and obsessively wanted to transform Stephany into Stephanie, He wanted to treat me like his puppet, a perfect substitute. love will ¡°Michael, you¡¯re as selfish as ever. You love no one, only yourself. Didn¡¯t anyone ever tell you fade? Especially love that¡¯s obtained through deception.¡± I retorted sarcastically while firmly holding Steven¡¯s hand. He went to great lengths to deceive me, yet still failed to cherish what he had. Michael¡¯s hands fell limply. He wanted to say he loved Stephanie. However, his throat seemed to hurt so much that he couldn¡¯t speak. He had put in so much effort to make Stephanie love him, to be the lover in her heart. But in the end, he only moved himself. ¡°If you don¡¯t want Yasmin to die, let us go,¡± I spoke again while holding Steven¡¯s hand firmly. I would not let go of him anymore.. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. I owed him too much. Steven¡¯s aggression seemed much lessened perhaps because of my presence. He would look at me softly. Z 22 ¡°Stephie, he¡¯s bad. He always wants to take you away,¡± he whined again. I tightened my grip on his hand. Michael¡¯s eyes darkened. In fact, he had no intention of letting us go. I knew he was stalling for time. Martin¡¯s men were probably already on their way. ¡°Mike, save me!¡± The threat to Yasmin escted as the knife nicked her neck. She cried and begged Michael to save her. I looked into Michael¡¯s eyes. He was waiting. Suddenly, I grabbed a knife from one of the guards and held it to my own neck. What if ¡°Stephanie¡± died? ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven panicked and looked at me helplessly. Michael, too, became frantic. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± ¡°Let us go.¡± My gloomy eyes were fixed on him. Michael had no choice but to give in. He stepped aside, and the guards opened the door. I took Steven¡¯s hand and led him out. ¡°Steven, let¡¯s go home.¡± I took him to escape. Steven smiled as he watched my back and felt me holding his hand. ¡°Stephie, let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Stephanie, he can¡¯t protect you. The loss of memory isn¡¯t a choice that can be controlled, but you can. It¡¯s only the memories you strongly want to forget that get sealed away. You don¡¯t love him! It¡¯s you who wants to forget him!¡± Michael shouted from the doorway. I stopped, but I didn¡¯t turn back. Steven looked at me anxiously. He was scared. What exactly were the memories that made me so desperate to forget, to erase Steven and everything rted to the orphanage from my mind? ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t listen to him,¡± Steven¡¯s eyes went red. It was as if he was begging me not to abandon him. ¡°I don¡¯t care what memories I¡¯ve lost. Right now, all I want is to go home with you.¡± I held his hand and was ready to leave. Defortunatalu Martine nor was al Chapter 273 ¡°Steven, your grandfather has passed away. You need to oversee the funeral, Martin said in a deep voice as he stepped out of the car. I watched him warily because I was aware that his visit was about more than just about a funeral. ¡°Your grandfather¡¯s body in still in the morque, and we need a direct rtive to sign for the cremation. You can¡¯t let him rest unattended, can you?¡± Martin put on apassionate look, as if he was just a concerned elder. Frowning. I nced at the cars following him and realized the presence of the media. Ignatius death was a big deal in the business world, and many media reporters were watching. Even if Martin was putting on a show, he needed to make it convincing. I stepped in front of Steven and whispered, ¡°Steven, don¡¯t be scared.¡± With the media around, Steven was safe for now. After all, they wouldn¡¯t dare harm him under the spotlight. Martin¡¯s eyes, unseen by others, were sharp. I knew he was furious about his failed attempt to kill Steven a few days ago. Now, with the media swarming in, it¡¯d be difficult for him to make a second attempt. Steven stood behind me. His gaze signaled the person holding Yasmin to release her. The personplied and stood with a cold demeanor behind Steven. It was evident Steven trusted him. ¡°Mr. Ford, thank you for helping me find Steven. This boy loves freedom too much to be confined at home, Martin said gently while ying the role of a kind old man in front of the media. Michael brushed away his gloominess and walked over. He was also a businessman and fundamentally no different from Martin. ¡°The passing of my family head is a big deal. I appreciate your assistance today. Let¡¯s discuss the coboration between the Lincoln and Ford Groups at the charity dinner.¡°Martin extended his hand to Michael. His mention of coboration clearly meant assuming control of the Lincoln Group. Apparently, he had assumed ownership of the Lincoln Group. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only He deliberately announced the coboration in front of the media. He was trying to hype as well as Steven, pressure I was a little worried as I looked back at Steven. However, the corners of his mouth seemed to be carrying a hint of a smile that was hard to detect. ¡°Steven, the media is here. He won¡¯t do anything to you at the moment. Let¡¯s stabilize the situation. Don¡¯t resist. Follow my lead,¡± I whispered. Steven hid his emotions and put on a scared look. ¡°Stephie, will you protect me?¡± I held Steven¡¯s hand tightly and nodded. Following that, I turned to the reporters and wiped my tears. Grandpa¡¯s death has deeply affected Steven. He¡¯s been managing his emotionstely and he¡¯ll be sure to get over his grief in the shortest time possible. He¡¯ll be back to manage the Lincoln Group so that grandpa¡¯s hard work isn¡¯t let down.¡± The cameras turned to Steven. Thetter appeared reluctant but didn¡¯t dodge them. ¡°Is it true Steven has a mental illness?¡± a reporter asked. I smiled at the reporter. ¡°I believe all of us, even the so¨Ccalled normal people, have mental illnesses to some extent. He¡¯s fine and has already recovered.¡± ¡°Are e you Steven¡¯s wife? Who will manage thepany now that Mr. Ignatius is gone? I heard no one agrees to have Steven, a mentally ill person, run thepany. Meanwhile, Martin seems the most qualified.¡± Martin frowned. He seemed to be displeased by the media¡¯s involvement. ¡°Martin is just a distant rtive who benefited from the Lincolns and grandpa. But as the sole heir, the Lincoln Group rightfully belongs to Steven.¡± I gazed over at Martin in challenge. His attempt to kill Steven hadn¡¯t been forgotten. Martin looked at me meaningfully but surprisingly stayed silent. Things didn¡¯t seem right. He was definitely plotting something. ¡°Stephie, I want to go home, Steven whispered from behind me. I nodded to him reassuringly and hinted that I would protect him. The reporters wanted to ask more, but I cut them off. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m pregnant, and I get dizzy if I stand for too long. We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Celebrate World Book Day! Unlock amazing gift now! Chapter 274 Leaning into Steven¡¯s arms, I deliberately brought up my pregnancy again to provoke Martin. Even if Steven was no longer there, I still had our child. ¡°Mr. Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln!¡± Ewan¡¯s car was parked nearby. He opened the door for us to get in. I nced at the silent man in the cap, who was vigntly protecting Steven from behind. ¡°Who is he?¡± I asked softly after getting into the car. ¡°A bodyguard,¡± the man replied before Steven could answer. ¡°He¡¯s Joel Bart, Ewan¡¯s adopted son. He¡¯s in charge of our safety,¡± Steven exined in a low voice. Joel hummed under his breath, then pulled down his cap and gazed out the window. wa There seemed to be some hostilitying from him, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was directed at me or someone else. I nced at Steven and Ewan. One was his adopted father, and the other was his employer. If the hostility I sensed from Joel wasn¡¯t directed at them, then was it aimed at me? It wasn¡¯t like I had offended him. ¡°Ewan, did you arrange for the reporters in advance?¡± I asked. Ewan nced back at us through the rearview mirror before nodding. ¡°Yes.¡± I sighed in relief, realizing he wasn¡¯t as clueless as I thought. At least Steven didn¡¯te alone. He had brought a bodyguard, informed the media, and held Yasmin hostage to thwart Martin. ¡°Stephie, you¡¯re amazing. With you around, they won¡¯t dare bully me,¡± Steven smiled at me innocently. I felt a bit guilty. Wasn¡¯t he the one who had saved me? Joel gave another nomittal hum from the passenger seat. I wondered if there was an issue with his nose. I looked out the window as Ewan drove past Martin¡¯s car, and my face instantly darkened. The person who hadn¡¯t gotten out of Martin¡¯s car was actually Peter. In fact, I had researched Peter. He was a formidable psychiatrist and a renowned counselor in Huma, having received numerous awards and the highest honors in his field years ago. He was considered a prodigy in the field of mental illness, both in Huma and globally. The weirdest thing about this was that the subject he had been working on was the direction of therapeutic research on children with hypermale disorder and those deemed inherently bad. Hypermale children were known for gic anomalies leading to uncontroble tempers. Without altering their gics, curing their condition was virtually impossible Yet, Peter had a wealth of clinical experience and many sessful treatment cases. Numerous parents, desperate to normalize their children they consider bad, have entrusted them to Peter¡¯s care, hoping for n transformation post¨Cdischarge. Peter rolled down the car window and looked over. I felt a chill down my spine and instinctively avoided his gaze. An inner voice warned me that this man was dangerous, ¡°Why is Peter with Martin?¡± I asked, my voice trembling slightly. ¡°With the media now involved, any attempt by Martin to eliminate Mr. Lincoln would raise suspicions. He¡¯s likely shifting his strategy to focus on Mr. Lincoln¡¯s supposed mental illness by coborating with a psychiatrist,¡± Ewan replied softly. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. My breathing started to quicken. I understood what they were nning to do. They intended to use Steven¡¯s alleged illness to justify forced treatment, Since they couldn¡¯t eliminate Steven, they¡¯d aim to mold him into an obedient puppet. Frightened, I held Steven¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t let them hurt you. No one can.¡± ¨C Chapter 275 Joel gave another hum from the passenger seat. I looked at him with confusion and whispered to Steven, ¡°Does he have nome kind of issue?¡± Steven¡¯s eyes darkened as he nonchntly said, ¡°He has rhinitis.¡± Hisment seemed casual but carried an implicit threat. As expected, the handsome guy with rhinitis stayed quiet after that. I took a closer look at Joel. He was tall, but I couldn¡¯t see his face clearly as he was wearing a cap. I couldn¡¯t discern his features clearly, but something about him made me think he was a handsome man. He didn¡¯t seem old either, especially since his voice sounded like a teenager. Sure enough, Ewan stopped the car outside Hunan High School. However, Joel was reluctant. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°You have exams soon. Even if you don¡¯t want to, you have to go, Ewan threatened in a low voice. Joel hummed again. ¡°I can get into college without studying, and it¡¯s useless even if I do. I¡¯d rather protect N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. He didn¡¯t finish his sentence. Instead, he looked back at Steven before huffing again. ¡°See? The moment I leave, he ends up like that.¡± I blinked and found his way of insulting people quite new. ¡°Get to school now,¡± Ewan warned, gritting his teeth. Joel seemed like a troubled teen. He reluctantly got out of the car and huffed yet again. I was starting to believe that he really did have rhinitis. ¡°And take that hat off!¡± Ewan scolded like an ordinary parent frustrated with his child. I had always thought of Ewan as a robotic workaholic however, brought out a more human side in him, with little emotion. Seeing him interact with Joel, Joel cast a resentful nce at Steven, who didn¡¯t even lift his eyes. He was too busy holding me. Joel took off his cap in frustration and threw it onto the passenger seat before turning to leave. I caught a glimpse of him. Sure enough, he was indeed a handsome man. Joel was tall, especially for a high school student. He looked much better without his hat, and his buzz cut gave him a bit of a rebellious air. While he wasn¡¯t as strikingly handsome as Steven, he was certainly a standout. I nced between Joel and Stevenn. Sure enough, Steven had a more charming look. Feeling like I¡¯d found a treasure, I rubbed Steven¡¯s cheek and sald without thinking, ¡°You¡¯re no handsome.¡± Steven cuddled into me and beamed. ¡°I¡¯m yours.¡± My ears felt hot. He was such a tease. Just as Steven was about to take advantage of the moment for nome affection, the car door opened again. Joel had returned. He demanded Ewan, ¡°Give me some allowance money.¡± I fell silent. Ewan pulled out an envelope from the central console and handed it to Joel. This time, Joel didn¡¯t nce at Steven but gave me a dark look. His eyes made me tense up. He was attractive, and it wasn¡¯t malice in his eyes. However, there was an indescribable feeling he gave off that made me feel nervous. The car door closed again with a bang, and it startled me. Ewan apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. Due to work, I¡¯ve neglected him and spoiled him.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s been neglected, then discipline him. Set rules. Otherwise, cut his allowance,¡± Steven said with a low tone. It sounded like a warning. Chapter 276 ¡°It¡¯s normal for teenagers to be rebellious. It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s handsome. I bet he¡¯s popr at school.¡± I quickly changed the topic. Joel had just stepped out of the car when several girls surrounded him. It was clear that they liked him. Steven, however, seemed quite unhappy. He held my face, making me turn to face him. ¡°I¡¯m good¨C looking.¡± I nodded in agreement. Indeed, he was more handsome. Steven definitely had a more striking appearance. I was incredibly grateful that Steven had been in the genius program since his teens. If he had attended a regr high school, girls would have probably gone crazy over him. Then, where would I have been in that scenario? I was genuinely relieved. ¡°I¡¯m d no one else took you from me.¡± Even someone as despicable as Michael had many admirers. In fact, Michael was quite good¨Clooking. He was tall, and plus he came from a good family. As I recalled, the girls crazy about him were numerous, but only Yasmin ever really got close to him. That showed Yasmin must have had some tricks up her sleeve. Yasmin would be perfect in a pce drama. She¡¯d surely survive to the end. Ever since ¡°Stephanie¡± died, Yasmin had been ying weak. She didn¡¯t dare to use her real ¡± talents¡± because she knew the murderer was after her. Hence, she had been quiet for a while. But I doubted she would stay quiet forever. How could she not hold a grudge when I burned her hair and almost destroyed her face? Impossible. She was probably biding her time for revenge. Besides, Yasmin believed that Steven was behind the murders. I bet she had a hand in Martin¡¯s plot against Steven. This woman was utterly devious. She and Michael were perfect for each other. The both of them should be locked together. How did I not see it before? At least my previous death was not in vain. ¡°Stephie, it hurts a lot.¡± Seeing me lost in thought, Steven tried to draw my attsution Me rolled up his sleeve to show me the bruises and scrapes on his arm, which were still healing I looked at his arm with concern. These were probably the least severe injuries. I wanted to see the rest of his wounds, but he hugged me tightly, ¡°Stephie, Michaul is bad He wanted to take you away and won¡¯t let me see you. His men hit me Steven whispered hisints about Michael. ¡°This is where his men hit me.¡± He pointed to a particrly swollen spot that looked recently inflicted. It must have happened when I was unconscious, during the time he broke into the Fords and was assaulted by the Ford¡¯s bodyguards. ¡°And this, too.¡± Steven continued hisint. I listened silently while burning with anger. Michael and Martin¡¯s collusion against Steven was clear. They were leaving no room for him to live. Back at Steven¡¯s ce, Ewan had a doctor treat Steven¡¯s wounds before leaving ¡°Stephie, it hurts so much. Michael must be after my life,¡± Steven said innocently. He seemed aggrieved. I clenched my fists and vowed to remember this resentment toward Michael ¡°Lie down and get some rest.¡± Iforted Steven to sleep and then went downstairs to call Michael. ¡°Michael, you¡¯re a jerk! You disgust me!¡± I started the call with a barrage of insults at Michael. Michael sounded excited to hear from me, but due to my scathing words, he changed the subject. ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t trust Steven. He¡¯s a murderer.¡± I cut him off. My fingers were shaking with anger. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re the murderer! Steven is my husband. It¡¯s his right to take me away, but you wanted him dead! Your bodyguard was harsh! I don¡¯t care what you and Martin n to do, but I swear if youy another hand on him, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Michael fell silent on the other end. After a while, he spoke, ¡°Stephanie, who was harsher? My bodyguard or him? I only wanted them to stop him, but he almost killed my guard.¡± ¡°Michael, I have eyes. Weren¡¯t those injuries on Steven caused by your men?¡± I found Michael disgusting. He never admitted to his deeds. ¡°Where did he get hurt? My guard almost died stopping him, and he¡¯s still in the hospital,¡± Michael said. His voice shook with anger. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t believe a word you say.¡± I then cursed at Michael again and didn¡¯t give him a chance to argue before hanging up the phone. Chapter 277 Steven had hidden upstairs without my knowledge. When I noticed him, he seemed to be secretly chuckling. However, when he saw me looking, his eyes filled with a pretense of sorrow. ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m in so much pain. I can¡¯t sleep.¡± What else could I do? I sighed and went upstairs tofort him. I felt like I owed it to him. ¡°Stephie, give me a massage.¡± Steven requested. He lied on the bed and extended his arm for a massage. Distractedly, I massaged his arm. Martin was unlikely to give up easily. Steven had just had an ident, and shortly after, I was also involved in an incident. Not long after, Ignatius had passed away. Martin¡¯s tactics were ruthless. ¡°Stephie, it hurts here too.¡± Steven pointed to his chest. Preupied with how to counteract Martin¡¯s moves, I absentmindedly massaged wherever Steven pointed. His chest was firm. Where had he built such a physique during his wandering years? It must be his gic advantage. What would that make someone who spent every day in the gym? ¡°Stephie, my stomach hurts too.¡± Steven nced at me. He was obviously pushing the envelope. I was contemting how to retaliate against Martin for the gifts he¡¯d sent us recently. Steven took my hand and ced it on his stomach, so I rubbed it. His abs were well¨Cdefined and felt nice to touch. But I wasn¡¯t in the mood to appreciate it. The connection between Martin and Peter was troubling to me. It was likely Michael¡¯s doing. After all, he had never shied away frommitting indecent acts. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. He actually had someone to hit Steven. What good could possiblye from a connection between Martin and Peter? I couldn¡¯t recall what Peter had done to me. He was part of the memories I had lost and it seemed like I was terrified of him. ¡°Stephie, it hurts here too,¡± Steven said while moving my hand lower. I was lost in thought with my head propped on one hand. Meanwhile, my other hand¡­ When I realized what was happening, I instinctively raised my hand and smacked him. Next thing I knew, I saw Steven curled up pitifully while covering his lower abdomen in pain. ¡°Stephie, you¡¯re murdering your husband.¡± My ears burned red. I grabbed his ear and warned him, ¡°Shut up.¡± Steven obediently went silent. He buried his head in the pillow, looking like he was about to suffocate himself. I sighed helplessly and rubbed his head. ¡°Steven, how are you nning to handle grandpa¡¯s funeral? It needs to be grand, with lots of media coverage. You need to cry and act as a dutiful grandson.¡± I said this softly, though I knew it was hard for him. Ignatius had been harsh and even abusive towards Steven. They had neglected Steven, leaving him in the orphanage despite knowing about his existence. They only wanted to bring him back to the Lincolns to add glory to the family when they realized he was a genius. Yet, when his ¡°madness¡± overshadowed his brilliance, they ruthlessly abandoned him. They even wanted to erase this blemishpletely. The Lincoln family¡¯sck of humanity was starkly evident. ¡°The funeral won¡¯t happen,¡± Steven said deeply while burying himself in the pillow. Steven¡¯s voice was cold andced with bitterness, likely due to his throat¡¯s condition. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Won¡¯t happen?¡± I paused. Skipping the funeral wasn¡¯t an option. Martin was seizing this opportunity to manipte the narrative. He was promoting himself as the current head of the Lincolns, implying that the Lincoln Group should be under his control. There was a knock at the door, followed by barking. I knew it was a stranger who had arrived. Chapter 278 But here¡­ It should be unknown to anyone that Steven was here. ¡°Stevie.¡± I opened the door. It was the deaf uncle. He told me through signnguage and somewhat non¨Cstandard pronunciation that it was Stevie who hade back. I looked at him in surprise and then walked downstairs. Stevie, having been sent to the hospital by Zion, must be out of danger now. ¡°The dog has quite a strong vitality. It¡¯s just like its owner. It is smart enough to be a police dog.¡± Zion was in his traffic police uniform. He must have just gotten off work and took the opportunity to bring Stevie over. I squatted on the ground and looked at Stevie, who still had bandages around its abdomen. I reached out to it, and the wolfhound happily wagged its tail and jumped into my arms. At that moment, memories from my childhood surfaced in my mind. ¡°Georgie, bite him!¡± ¡°Georgie, attack!¡± ¡°Georgie, snatch!¡± I recalled doing many things with Georgie in the past. However, I couldn¡¯t recall much at the moment. The only thing I remembered was that I often used Georgie to threaten and intimidate Michael when we were kids. Thinking about those times, I could understand why Michael hated me and thought I was inherently bad. However, he should have despised me, right? Why did he pretend to be so affectionate after my death? Was he masochistic? I made the dog bite him when we were little, yet he still showed deep affection for me and even lied to me, saying he was my lover. He really was sick in the head. ¡°Is Steven okay?¡± Zion asked while squatting to the side and stroked Stevie¡¯s head. Stevie seemed to distinguish between good and bad people. It was quite gentle with Zion. ¡°He¡¯s injured and doesn¡¯t have many good spots left on his body. He¡¯s lying in bed right now,¡± I said softly. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Yasmin didn¡¯t die, and Simon confessed. Recently, the killer suddenly stopped appearing and hasn¡¯t shown up again. I wonder if this serial murder case hase to an end. I hope Simon is the mastermind. As long as he¡¯s dead, everything will be over,¡± Zlon whispered. From the current situation, it seemed like the killer indeed disappeared without a trace, as if Simon¡¯s death meant the disappearance of the murderer. ¡°Besides, the police found DNA left over from the assault on the third female victim that matched the DNA of the first male victim,¡± Zion said in a low voice. The victim was the murderer, and the murderer eventually became the victim. The perfection of this serial murder case lied in the fact that the killer was hidden among the victims. It was impossible to guess who the next murderer would be. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of exchange killings before, where strangers kill on behalf of each other. But I¡¯ve never heard of a serial killer bing a victim.¡± It was obviously an organized and premeditated serial killing. ¡°The longer there¡¯s no new victim, the more likely Simon is the final murderer. But something tells me things aren¡¯t as simple as it seems.¡± Zion¡¯s intuition was urate. I, too, believed that things weren¡¯t that simple. ¡°The person who killed Stephanie hasn¡¯t been found yet. Is it possible that she¡¯s also one of the future victims? For example, Yasmin was responsible for luring Stephanie to the old alley, and then the real perpetrator acted. There¡¯s definitely something fishy about her.¡± I gazed at Zion. I had always thought that Yasmin was not a simple woman. Zion nodded. ¡°Hence, besides work, I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on this woman recently.¡± ¡°You should also be careful too. The Lincolns are also a dangerous ce.¡± Zion stood up and nced upstairs. Steven was standing by the window. He waved to Steven. Just as he was about to leave, Martin arrived. This guy really was like a bad penny. Charles came with him this time. ¡°Stephy, Mr. Ignatius has passed away. You and Steven¡­¡± Charles seemed scared even mentioning Steven¡¯s name. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You should get a divorce.¡± I looked at Charles as if he was an idiot. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did the rabies virus from Ann being bitten by the dog get into your brain?¡± Charles¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You were tricked into this marriage from the first ce. As your father, I have the responsibility to help you annul it.¡± Chapter 279 I smiled. Charles and Martin were prepared to kick me out of the Lincoln family. With the marriage contract in ce, I would be Steven¡¯s legal guardian. Only I have the authority to send him to an asylum among his rtives. If I was no longer around, Steven¡¯s guardianship would fall into the hands of Ignatius. Martin would then be able to deal with Steven as he pleased. ¡°Who said I wasn¡¯t aware of it? I¡¯m determined to marry Steven. I am his wife and his only legal guardian. Is there a problem?¡± I said as I got up and looked at both Charles and Martin. ¡°This vi of Steven¡¯s is rented, Mr. Martin. No one knows that we live here, but I was almost killed at home a while back. Our address has been leaked, and today you came directly to our door. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± I looked at Steven before continuing, ¡°The one who wanted to kill me was actually you?¡± The power struggle of the Lincolns had now garnered widespre sectors. It has be a hot topic online. attention from the media and the other If Martin wanted to whitewash his image to take over the Lincoln Group, he would have to y the kind- hearted persona in front of the public. As such, he couldn¡¯t let anything happen to both Steven and I. But he could certainly sow discord between us. Martin said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the police that we could find you here, Stephany. As an elder of the Lincoln family, I also have the rights to keep both of you safe.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. He smiled before continuing, ¡°You¡¯re a smart woman, Stephany. It would work to your benefit if you leave the Lincoln family. We will give you anything you want and deserve. ¡°You will notck any money, and we¡¯ll help to fill in the funding gap for the Larson family. This is all for your own good.¡± Since forceful approaches didn¡¯t work, Martin decided to go with the gentle approach. Zion remained silent as he was an outsider, but he was worried these people might attack me. As such, he had been vigntly keeping watch at a side with Stevie. Charles said, ¡°Your Mom and I had indeed neglected you all these years, Stephy. I was ignorant then, I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to marry you into the Lincoln family. My daughter shouldn¡¯t have had to marry a dimwit in the first ce.¡± He was even choked in a sob as he wiped his tears before continuing, ¡°Come back with me, Stephy. The Greysons have already annulled the marriage with Annie, and Kelvin said that you are the person he loved. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to get the divorce and abort the baby, he wouldn¡¯t mind that you¡¯ve been married before. He will take you as his wife,¡± Charles said as he eyed the car that was parked by the side. As expected, Kelvin was here too. Was this a scumbag¡¯s gathering now? I looked at Kelvin. He had a terrified look on his face. Clearly he was scared out of his wits by the way Steven had set the dog on him previously. He dared note, but he had no choice, He got out of the car and stood behind the car door, looking timid like a mouse. ¡°Stephy- Kelvin eyed me and tried speaking again, ¡°As long as you leave that psycho, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll marry you!¡± I raised my eyebrows and replied, ¡°Do you know that mental illness is contagious? I now have a mental Illness too.¡± I smiled before looking at Stevie by my side and instructing, ¡°Stevie, bite him!¡± Stevie¡¯s innocent look turned sharp instantly. It then rushed toward Kelvin and pounced on him. Kelvin was scared shitless and ran into the car in a hurry before mming the door shut. ¡°Stevie!¡± I called out. Stevie, who had been pouncing on the car door, ran back and nuzzled against my legs. I coldly looked at Charles, who was beginning to feel afraid, and said, ¡°Ann¡¯s grandmother has been caught. You¡¯re well aware that your family is full of human traffickers, right?¡± The overwhelming public opinion online was all zeroed in on Ann now. The Greysons wouldn¡¯t be so eager to get the divorce otherwise. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you hurry back to coax your precious adoptive daughter now? What is this disy of fatherly love now? You¡¯re asking me to get a divorce? Are you even worthy?¡± I said as I looked at Charles indifferently while caressing Stevie¡¯s head. He was evidently frightened by my gaze and hid behind Martin in a flurry. He yelled, ¡°You little bitch! We¡¯ve raised you since you were 18. You really put on a good act on pretending to be docile so that we could lower our guards against you-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not nning to put on an act now. What can you do to me if I don¡¯t get that divorce?¡± I raised my eyebrows and looked at Martin before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still nning to use forceful approaches on me, Mr. Martin? I believe the media people were everywhere around this vi. ¡°There were even some self¨Cmedia bloggers trying to sneak some videos earlier. There are cameras everywhere. You might want to calm down and think twice.¡± The color drained from Martin¡¯s face as he snorted coldly and said, ¡°You¡¯re overestimating yourself and digging your own grave.¡± He thought that he was giving me a way out. ¡°I am the legal guardian of Steven from now onwards, Martin. You¡¯ll have to get my consent for whatever you wanted to do with him,¡± I threatened with a low voice. Martin started tough. He was a cunning old fox after all. I knew he had other ways around. ¡°The funeral is tomorrow. Remember to bring him along,¡± Martin said. He then got into the car and left. Chapter 280 Tomorrow would surely be a trap set by Martin. I alertly watched them leave before turning back to look at the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows on the second floor. Steven was no longer there. He was behind me when I turned around. ¡°You need to be careful nowadays,¡± I reminded Steven softly. He hugged me from behind and hummed a reply, ¡°Okay.¡± Zion said, ¡°I¡¯ve sent the dog back to you guys already. Don¡¯t go out unless it¡¯s necessary, there are cameras everywhere here. Many reporters and influencers are now staying in the opposite high¨C rise. ¡°They are doing live streams and recording videos of your vi. Even though there¡¯s ack of privacy, at least Martin wouldn¡¯t openly do anything to you in broad daylight. He then pointed in the direction of the high¨Crise and said, ¡°I¡¯ve also rented a ce over there. Just call me if something happens.¡± I was surprised as I said, ¡°Rachel also said that she¡¯s renting a ce in the opposite high¨Crise building. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re both neighbors now?¡± Zion was stunned before coughing awkwardly and said, ¡°What neighbors-¡± They were sharing a ce. I hummed in reply before turning to look at Steven. I said, ¡°If you¡¯re free, Officer Landon, we can attend Mr. Lincoln Senior¡¯s funeral together tomorrow.¡¯ Zion was a police after all. With him around, Martin would have to restrain himself. it Steven was like a huge puppy. He red at Stevie, who was trying toe closer to me, before nodding. ¡± Okay.¡± It seemed like he was really at my disposal. ¡°My wounds still hurt, Stephie. I can¡¯t sleep,¡± Steven said coquettishly as soon as Zion left. I was not in the mood to coax him/ I asked, ¡°Are you afraid about tomorrow¡¯s funeral?¡± Surely Martin wouldn¡¯t let us off that easily. ¡°Stephie will protect me,¡± Steven replied, seemingly trusting in me. He was putting me on the spot. It made me uneasy. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll protect you,¡± I replied with a nod before taking Steven¡¯s hand to bring him back to his room. Chapte 290 He smiled at me before jutting his chin out to signal Stevie to head back into its doghouse. Stevie wagged its tail sadly and reluctantlyy down in its doghouse. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°It¡¯s really docile, as if it could understand the humannguage,¡± I muttered softly, ¡°I used to have a pet dog when I was young too. It was simr to Stevie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Georgie, Steven softly uttered the name on my behalf. I was stunned and looked up at Steven subconsciously before saying, ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s called Georgie.¡± ¡°Stevie is the son of Georgie¡¯s son,¡± he replied softly. I was shocked and said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember my dog had-¡± I couldn¡¯t recall where Georgie had gone after that. Did it die of old age? That part of my memory was nk. Steven lowered his gaze and tightened his grip on my hand. He opened his mouth but said nothing. ¡°Did I¡­ give Georgie away to you?¡± I asked. How would the son of Georgie¡¯s son be with Steven otherwise? He remained silent for the longest time before smiling at me and said, ¡°Georgie¡­ died of old age.¡± I was relieved and said, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± But for some reason, I could feel Steven trembling. Chapter 281 I was woken up by Stevie¡¯s barking early the next morning. I haven¡¯t been sleeping well for the past nights. I stretched myself. I was tempted to kick Steven, who wastched onto me like an octopus, down from the bed. I could only stop myself from doing that as he was injured. I got mad upon recalling what happenedst night. My cheeks were burning hot as well. Steven never bothered hiding his flirtatiousness and horniness. Just like now, not only he refused to get up, he continued to act shamelessly on top of me. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy, Stephie- Steven mumbled as he tightened his arms that were wrapped from behind me. He was restless from head to toe. ¡°Today¡¯s your Grandpa¡¯s funeral, Steven,¡± I said as I reached over to knock on his head. Steven hummed and replied reluctantly, ¡°He¡¯s not my Grandpa- I knew that he had a grudge on Ignatius, but he had to show up out of respect. I wanted to get up, but I was suddenly pulled over and trapped on the bed by Steven. He suddenly flipped over and pressed down against me. His fiery gaze made my heart beat faster and I asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Steven looked at me before leaning down to kiss my forehead. I said, ¡°Be good.¡± Steven groaned softly and went to get a shower unhappily. He even eyed my belly, probably ming the baby. He could¡¯ve devoured me now if I weren¡¯t pregnant. I let out a relieved sigh before getting up. I then tiptoed into the bathroom to wash up. Steven was taking a cold shower, and the as no fog in the bathroom. Only a hint of breeze could be N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. felt. He had his back to me, and the burns on his back resembled the spread branches of a Devil¡¯s tree. It looked frightening to the eye. I subconsciously reached out to touch the wounds on Steven¡¯s back. He stiffened slightly and his legs moved away a little, perhaps wanting to hide away. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± he asked hoarsely. ¡°It¡¯s not my first time seeing it,¡± said with a shake of head. ¡°Did it hurt?¡± He knew that I wasn¡¯t asking about now, but the past. Did it hurt back then? Steven shook his head without turning back. How could it be possible that it did not hurt? I asked, ¡°How did you get this injury here?¡± Chapte 281 Steven turned off the shower, afraid that the cold water might ssh onto me. My fingers slid down from his sturdy walst¨Cthere was a 1.5 Inches long scar on the right side of hist abdomen, I could tell that it was a stab wound. Steven remained silent and grabbed my fingers. He then took in a deep breath and asked, ¡°Are you punishing me now, Stephie?¡± I was stunned and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± He said, ¡°Why are you riling me up then-¡± I was apparently stirring up Steven¡¯s desires and yet I refused to take responsibility for it. He was just suppressing his desires with the cold shower earlier. ¡°Are you in a rut?¡± I asked while gritting my teeth. He nodded seriously and said, ¡°I¡¯m only like this when I see you.¡± I was speechless. He was so good at flirting. As expected of a genius, he didn¡¯t even need someone to teach him. I avoided his fiery gaze and washed up before leaving in a hurry. Steven took his time in the bathroom and only came out after half an hour. One of Martin¡¯s men was fuming as he waited. ¡°What¡¯s taking the both of you so long?¡± A scruffy¨Clooking man was grumbling downstairs. I frowned and said, ¡®Did we ask for you to wait? You can fuck off if you like.¡± The man snorted and said, ¡°Why are you acting high and mighty now?¡± My expression darkened, but I didn¡¯t bother myself with him. It was better for me not to piss off Martin¡¯s men. ¡°You were quite the yer back during our school days, Stephany. Do you really think you would turn into a swan by marrying into the Lincoln family?¡± that man continued, as if trying to provoke me. He said, ¡°Oh, can¡¯t you remember now? I¡¯m Jake Zeller. We were in the same school before you went to the city. ¡°You used to be so famous in our school. Your grandmother said that anyone could do anything to you as long as they pay up.¡± I eyed the man. He must have been Stephany¡¯s high school ssmate, but I couldn¡¯t recall much about him. I only thought that Stephany was quite a pitiful person in the past. That man called Jake shut up when Steven walked out. He only touched my face flirtatiously in front of Steven. My gaze darkened, and I¡¯looked over the direction of the high¨Crise building. There were too many cameras here, so I shouldn¡¯t be making amotion now. Steven walked over to me and reached over to wipe my face. Spin to im Your Surprise Reward Chapter 282 ? I could feel Steven''s mood plummeting. Somehow, I felt as if someone was about to be in trouble.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Please get in, sir," said Ewan. He had arrived and was asking us to get into the car. That man called Jake was here to ensure that we showed up at the funeral. Before we got into the car, he continued to provoke, "I remembered that we could freely touch you for just the price of less than five dors back then, during our school years. Has the price gone up now?" I held onto Steven''s hand tightly. It was possible that this man was sent by Martin to provoke us on purpose. There were reporters everywhere, as such we couldn''t cause a fight now. "Go ahead," Steven said indifferently, instructing Ewan to drive ahead as soon as we got into the car. Jake''s car was chasing us from behind. Ewan drove fast, but Jake caught up soon enough. "Take the alley," Steven lowered his voice and instructed again. I knew what he was trying to do. I was about to stop him, but there was a cold glimmer in his gaze. "Hit the brakes," Steve instructed Ewan after timing it precisely. Ewan mmed on the brakes abruptly. Jake''s car couldn''t react in time, barely swerving and crashing into the guardrail by the side. As they were in an alley under a bridge, there were no cameras and people around. Steven nced over at me. He reached over to cover my eyes and said, "Close your eyes and count to 100," I balled up my fists nervously. He then got out of the car and walked toward the car behind us. Jake, who was in the passenger seat, had been injured when the car hit the guardrail. Steven was strong enough to yank open the twisted car door. He then dragged Jake out of the car. At first, Jake was stillughing with blood pooling around his mouth. He started provoking, "A dimwit and a bitch-what a match made in heaven!" But he could no longerugh soon enough. Steven''s wrath was unlike anything I had ever seen. Steven seemed to know where to attack first to stop Jake from making noise. He quickly hit him in the throat and started punching him in the face. He finally stepped on the wrist of the hand that had touched me earlier. I started panicking and got out of the car quickly. As expected, the other person in Jake''s car was secretly recording everything. So, that was Martin''s real goal! It was to provoke Steven in order to capture his violent side on tape and then make a big deal out of it. "Steven!" I yelled as I ran over to stop him. I then coldly red at the man in the car. He tried to lock the car door out of fear, but I was quicker. I yanked the car door open and reached for his phone. Steven shielded me from behind. He then reached over to drag the man out and stepped on him. "Delete it! The man replied in a trembling voice, "I... I''ve already sent it out." He had already sent the video to Martin. Steven''s gaze darkened for a moment. He was expressionless as he turned to bring me back to the car. Ewan did not bothering out of the car, as if already ustomed to such situations. He said, "Someone wille over and handle this, sir. Please rest assured." Steven did not reply. He only took a wet wipe and passed it to me, saying, "My hand hurts, Stephie." My fingers were trembling as I helped to wipe away the blood from the back of Steven''s hand. I said, "Martin would make a big deal out of the video-" Steven changed the topic and called out, "Stephie-" He reached over to pull me into his embrace. His voice was colder than ever as he said, "I forbid anyone to touch you." I could feel his lingering murderous intent still. Was he nning to kill them if I did not stop him? "Martin would make a big deal out of this, Steven. If he calls the police, he could still send you to the asylum even if he''s not your legal guardian," I said with a shaky voice. "We''re not - We''re not attending the funeral anymore. I''ll take you away." We should run away. There was only one thought in my mind which was to take him away as far as possible. "We''ve tried escaping before, Stephie. We can never escape," "They''re so disgusting! Why can''t I kill them?" Steven asked, his voice started trembling as well. It was as if the past experience had made him suffer. Those were surely our shared experiences in the past. Steven had said that we have tried to escape before this. Was that part of my forgotten memories as well? Chapter 283 ¡°You fucking-¡± Zion stepped forward before that fool could raise his hand against Rachel. Zion then grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind the fool. ¡°Talk nicely,¡± Zion warned with a low voice. I looked at that fool and asked, ¡°You were saying that the photo in your phone is mine? What do you want? let you off if you would just get a divorce and follow me instead, bitch,¡± that man continued to shamelessly say. ¡°Oh.¡± I nodded before saying. ¡°This isn¡¯t my photo. How could you prove that this is my photo? I have a mole on my left shoulder, but I don¡¯t see any in this photo of yours?¡± That fool was stunned. He started to zoom into the photo to check, mumbling, ¡°Who knew you-¡± I said, ¡°Please help me file a police report, Officer Landon. There are so many media and self¨C media workers currently live¨Cstreaming. Surely his rumors must have escted to a criminal offense now, right? Please file a police report for me, and I¡¯ll have to trouble you and Rachel to handle it.¡± That fool was about to speak, but Rachel stuffed something into his mouth to shut him up. After a while, Zion only realized that she had used his wallet to stuff the fool¡¯s mouth. He then brought the fool away, and the media followed along as they continued to record the moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to witness such a scene,¡± I said to the media while wiping my tears. ¡°People have been defaming me on purposetely. I¡¯m not sure why they are doing it either-¡± Someone spoke up from the crowd and said, ¡°You¡¯re too naive. Your husband and the baby inside you are now the only heirs of the Lincoln Group¡¯s huge amount of money and shares. How would they fight for the inheritance if not by defaming you?¡± I came to the realization upon her words and tooked at the person in shock. ¡°Is that what¡¯s happening now?¡± I started crying as I said, ¡°My husband- he¡¯s a bit mentally¨Cchallenged. He¡¯s naive and easily bullied. Someone even ndered him and said that he was abusing the animals when he rescued stray animals before this. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that someone might make a big deal out of his mental illness. That way, whatever that belongs to the Lincoln family might really be snatched away by others!¡± As soon as I started crying, many people started standing up for me. Someone said, ¡°I¡¯ve met that Lincoln heir before. Even though he¡¯s mentally ill, he is very kind. He would feed the stray dogs! He definitely isn¡¯t a wicked man.¡± Another said, ¡°You¡¯re right! This is how they y to fight for inheritance. They¡¯ll bully a mentally- challenged person and a pregnantdy!¡± Since when did the weak have an inherent advantage to gain sympathy from others? When did I start to understand such ways? I seemed to learn it from Yasmin. I had to give credit to her for being my mentor in this area. Yasmin was ring seethingly at me. She knew that I was ying her tricks. I turned to look at Martin and Michael with a smile. If Martin was still nning to make a big deal out of Steven¡¯s mental illness, the public opinion wouldn¡¯t side him even if he sent Steven into the as asylum. Martin looked beyond pissed, whereas Peter had been smiling meaningfully. ¡°We¡¯re the police! We received a report that someone was assaulting people. We¡¯ll need to investigate. further. Pleasee with us.¡± As expected, the police came shortly after to take Steven away. That man called Jake had called the police under Martin¡¯s instructions. ¡°Jake was the one provoking- I said, subconsciously trying to protect Steven. But he hugged me from behind and said softly, ¡°I need to go, Stephie.¡± Steven¡¯s voice was low, but his gaze was directed at Peter. I could feel his icy demeanor. He seemed to have already known that Martin would pull such a stunt. If he knew everything and had deliberately fallen into the trap by hitting Jake, was his aim¡­ to meet Peter? Steven knew that once he was sent to the asylum, Peter would be the one that would ¡°train¡± and ¡°treat¡± him. ¡°You can refuse to go-¡± I said with a low voice. Peter was a dangerous person. ¡°I have to go.¡± Steven hugged me before saying, ¡°Ewan can be trusted.¡± He then entrusted me to Ewan. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Chapter 284 ¡°How do I rescue you out once you¡¯re inside?¡± I asked softly. Steven fell silent. I knew that it would be hard to get out once he was inside. A person like Peter would never let Steven out until he was done toying with him and controlled him to his satisfaction. ¡°Trust me. Don¡¯t believe in what anyone says after I go in, especially Peter,¡± Steven said. He figured that Peter would surely use him to threaten me once he went into the asylum. I held onto my hands tightly, unable to assure him that I wouldn¡¯t be threatened. But I couldn¡¯t understand why Steven had to go into the asylum in order to meet Peter. ¡°Don¡¯t trust Peter, and don¡¯t approach him. Stay away from him.¡± Those were Steven¡¯sst words to me right before he was brought away by the police. ¡°Your parents used to entrust you to me before they passed away, Stephie,¡± Peter said as he walked over as soon as Steven left, sighing. ¡°Who knew ¡°Who knew that a renowned psychiatrist would actually go along with others in legends like soul reincarnation?¡± I said with a cold chuckle. Peter looked at Steven, who had entered the car with the officer, and smiled. He said, ¡°Perhaps high¨Cdimensional life forms really exist among us then, and we are all but mere ants to them.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°High¨Cdimensional life forms like what?¡± I asked while looking at Peter in alert. ¡°What if, the person whom the public had coined a psycho and a lunatic, was actually a genius who was the closest to the truth?¡± Peter said while throwing a meaningful look at me. My chest tightened slightly as I took a step back. ¡°My condolences,¡± Peter said, patting my solders before he left. Martin¡¯s expression turned green when he saw that the media was not taking his side. He snorted coldly when he walked past me. I knew that once Steven was in the asylum, Martin would do everything in his power toe after me. ¡°Hurry up and send Ignatius for cremation,¡± Martin said, seemingly impatient. ¡°Are you about to leave now, Mr. Martin?¡± Ewan asked as he reached out to stop Martin. Another batch of police rushed over and checked the ice coffin. One of them said, ¡°Someone lodged a report and said that Mr. Ignatius died of unnatural causes. We will need to open an investigation and conduct an autopsy.¡± Martin¡¯s face darkened. This was evidently a blow dealt by Steven. Martin sent Steven into the asylum, and so Steven retaliated by calling the police. He had imed that Ignatius did not die of natural causes but was murdered. Chapte 234 As long as Ignatius¡® body was not cremated and buried, all of them wouldn¡¯t be able to fight for the Inheritance. If they couldn¡¯t fight for the inheritance, they wouldn¡¯t be able toe after me before Steven came back. He was trying to protect me. ¡°Ignatius died of natural causes. I believe there is no need for an autopsy out of respect for the deceased. I believe Martin spoke while gritting his teeth. I ¡°What do you believe? I think that there¡¯s something fishy about this. As the wife of the heir, I have the right to request an autopsy. Otherwise, Mr. Lincoln Senior wouldn¡¯t be able to rest in peace,¡± I interrupted Martin¡¯s words. Martin red at me threateningly. His fists were balled up tight as he gritted, ¡°Fine, so be it.¡± He left after that. I let the police take Ignatius¡® body away. No wonder Steven had mentioned that the funeral wouldn¡¯t go through. Surely Ignatius did not die of natural causes, but the investigation would be difficult. As such, this matter would be shelved, at least until Steven came back. Michael said, ¡°I will make you believe me, Stephie. He is a psycho and he was the one who kept pestering you. You did not love him, and you chose to run away from him after knowing the truth back then. He¡¯s a lunatic, and he wants to hurt you. He used to hold you captive!¡± He then walked over to me and looked around before saying softly, ¡°Martin would surelye after you, Stephie. I¡¯m the only one who could protect you now. Please believe in me just this once, okay?¡± When Michael saw that I was looking at him indifferently, he started getting anxious and said, ¡°How can I make you believe in me, Stephie? I know I was wrong-¡± His voice was trembling as he held onto my shoulders. He then said, ¡°Your parents own a social media ount that they left their logs in. My mom has the ount¡¯s password. You should go and take a look at it. You¡¯ll understand after that.¡± Chapter 285 Michael seemed to desperately want me to believe in him. ¡°Michael¡± Yasmin called out, as if she couldn¡¯t bear to be separated from him for a single second. Michael frowned and remained standing, as Yasmin walked over to hug his arm. He did not push her away, but looked at me worriedly, as if afraid that I might be jealous. ¡°Wait for me in the car,¡± Michael told Yasmin. She hesitated. ¡°There are reporters out there. The police have brought Steven away, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± he continued in a low voice. Yasmin gritted her teeth and red at me begrudgingly. She then reluctantly left. ¡°Stephie-¡± Michael started to say, as if wanting to exin to me. ¡°You¡¯re such a gentleman, Mr. Ford,¡± I remarked sarcastically. Michael said, ¡°She had once saved me after all, Stephie. I promised that I would keep her safe. The killer already had their eyes on her, and the police cannot provide round¨Cthe¨Cclock protection for her. I¡® so that yo He was trying to make me understand him as he said, ¡°I¡¯m only doing this to find out the truth, so can see Steven¡¯s true colors.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re doing this for me now?¡± I said with augh. How blind had I been before to be seeing Michael with rose¨Ctinted sses out of gratitude? you ¡°Sometimes, it is indeed possible for one to confuse gratitude and love. I can empathize with that,¡± I said Indifferently. Michael¡¯s expression turned embarrassed as he said, ¡°Stephie, I¡¯m not¨C1-¡± ¡°Even if you refuse to admit it, Michael, I¡¯ll still have to tell you the truth. Stephanie Carlson is already dead. The person standing before you hows Stephany Larson,¡± I interrupted him indifferently. Michael¡¯s words were stuck in his throat as his eyes became red. His mouth opened multiple times but nothing came out. In the end, he lowered his head andughed bitterly, saying, ¡°I know that you are Stephanie Carlson.¡± ¡°Look how you¡¯ve ruined the funeral now, Stephany! Look at what¡¯s going on now!¡± After seeing how Ignatius¡® body and Steven were taken away by the police, the rtives of the Lincoln family all but rushed toward me to make a fuss. One of the men was full of vigor as he rushed forward to ask me for an exnation. He said, ¡°Stephany, you troublemaker! There hasn¡¯t been a moment of peace since you married into the Lincoln family! ¡°First, something happened to James. Then, Ignatius is now dead, Look what you¡¯ve brought upon this family!¡± ¡°He¡¯s right! Ignatius can¡¯t even rest in peace now. You¡¯d surely be the end of the Lincoln family!¡± a woman started scolding me as well. ¡°Go cause a scene elsewhere! The police have to provide us an exnation on whether Mr. Lincoln Senior had died of natural causes or was murdered,¡± I said with a frown. I then stepped back alertly. These people were in cahoots with Martin. If they were to identally hurt me and my baby, they would only be considered causing unintentional injuries. As expected, the man was nning to push me. Michael frowned before reaching out to stop him by the wrist. He said, ¡°Stay away from her!¡± The man was stunned. He was somewhat afraid of Michael still. ¡°You¡¯ve got some capabilities, haven¡¯t you, Stephany? Even Mr. Ford is protecting you now!¡± My gazended on Michael¡¯s wrist, there was an ugly scar that stood out prominently. It looked like it was from cutting his own wrist. Michael subconsciously retrieved his hand in a hurry when he saw that I was looking at his wrist. He hid his hand behind his back and said, ¡°It¡¯s unsafe here. Follow me.¡± Ewan went forward to hold the other people back from me, and Michael grabbed my wrist to take me away. I shook away his hand and noticed Joel, who was wearing a t hat, among the crowd. It seemed like he had skipped school again. When Joel noticed that I was looking at him, he walked over with a darkened expression and took off his t hat to put it on me. He then red at Michael warningly before bringing me to the car. ¡°Has he been taken away now?¡± Joel asked, displeased. I nodded. He cursed out loud, as if he had known that this would happen. ¡°He purposely lured me away. I knew that he was going after that lunatic-¡± Joel continued cursing as he mmed the door hard. ¡°Stay inside and don¡¯te out!¡± The crowd was moring, and those from the Lincoln family were still causing trouble out there. Ewan couldn¡¯t hold them back on his own. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. caro Some of them took the opportunity and rushed over to yank at my car door. They were trying to get me to give them an exnation. I sat in the car while the car door shook from their yanking. They were like zombies in the movies, eager to eat me alive. Chapter 286 I was trapped in the car, with people mming on the car door and window outside. The sounds of their cursing and questioning sent me down into a spiral, It was a suffocating feeling. Slowly, the noises from the outside began to fade away, and I could only hear my own heartbeat and breathing. A loud crash pierced through my ears. Someone had smashed the car windows on purpose, and shards of ss scraped past my cheeks. The metallic scent of blood wafted through the air, and I could feel someone yanking at me. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Run, Stephie! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± ¡°Run, Stephie!¡± Sounds of barking were mixed among the moring and curses. ¡°You have been naughty, Stephanie. You are too ruthless. Everyone has someone that they care about. How would you feel if something you cared for died in front of your eyes?¡± ¡°Youck empathy, so you can¡¯t understand other people¡¯s pain. That¡¯s not right.¡± ¡°You liked Georgie very much, right? Kill it, Stephanie. Kill it, and feel the pain of a normal person.¡± ¡°How does it feel to have your beloved dog die in front of you, Stephanie?* I yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Don¡¯t touch me! Leave!¡± Everyone seemed to hold their breaths suddenly, and the moring noises around soon died down. When I came back to my senses, I found myself standing outside of the car and my hands covered in / blood. I was probably dragged out by someone else. Did I get hurt? I did not. The blood covering my face, body, and my hands were not mine. Everyone around me was shocked to silence as they looked at me. Only then did I realize that there was a man lying on the ground, covered in blood. It was the man from earlier¨Cthe one who had mored the loudest, and was looking for a chance to kill the baby inside me. ¡°Stephie!¡± Michael punched a man to the ground on the other side. His breath was quick as he looked at 1. me. *She killed him!¡± Chaos erupted immediately after a moment of silence. The woman from earlier was screaming at the top of her lungs as she used me of murder. Ewan and Joel pushed away those who were blocking their way and ran over. ¡°Where did the knifee from?¡± I asked anxiously as my heartbeat quickened. ¡°It was his knife. He wanted to stab you amidst the chaos,¡± Michael replied, nervously holding onto my shoulders. ¡°But Stephie- 272 ¡°You¡¯re so cruel! You were stabbing him repeatedly, you devil!¡± the woman from earlier screamed. The surrounding crowd started calling the police and dialed 911. ¡°That man wanted to kill you!¡± One of the self¨Cmedia photographers had been live streaming the entire time. She said, ¡°I saw it! He dragged you out of the car and was about to stab you with the knife amidst the chaos. You took his knife over and stabbed him back!¡± ¡°She¡¯s right! He was the one who wanted to kill you first!¡± People started to stand up for me. I looked at them nkly. I suspected that all these media reporters were arranged by Steven and Ewan. It was impossible for them to be taking my side otherwise. ¡°Come with me, Stephie, I will bail you out- Michael said as he looked at me nervously. ¡°You went a little too far even if it was for justifiable self¨Cdefense.¡± I knew that Michael was afraid and thought that I had gone overboard. The man was only nning to stab me once, but I had taken over his knife and stabbed him repeatedly for over ten times. ¡°I will sue you and send you to prison! You wretched devil! You need to pay with your life!¡± The woman from before and the other rtives were crying and screaming on the ground. It was as if the man was already dead. I looked at the convulsing man who was covered in blood. I said hoarsely, ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet.¡± Chapter 287 ¡°Stephie- Michael anxiously wanted to take me away, saying, ¡°They¡¯ve already called the police, you should leave with me for now. I¡¯lle up with a n.¡± Yasmin started screaming in the crowd. She was deliberately exaggerating the situation. She then looked at Michael nervously, asking, ¡°Michael, what¨CWho killed this man?¡± Michael frowned and said, ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Michael? Did Stephy-¡± Yasmin purposely looked at me and was horrified by the blood on me. ¡°You¡¯ve gone overboard, Stephy! What should we do now? You would be sentenced for intentional murder!¡± Michael¡¯s face was pale. He refused to let go of my wrist as he said, ¡°Juste with me for now. I¡¯ll find ways to bail you out.¡± ¡°You must be crazy.¡± Joel walked over and pushed through Michael¡¯s hand that was on mine. He then said, ¡°Even a high schooler like me knew that there¡¯s no guilt in justifiable self¨Cdefense!¡± ¡°But she had gone overboard, this is excessive self¨Cdefense!¡± Yasmin covered her mouth on purpose before saying, ¡°Everyone had seen it.¡± ¡°Why are you still bbering away then if everyone had seen it?¡± Joel scolded Yasmin. ¡°You look like you¡¯re asking to receive the brunt of excessive self¨Cdefense yourself!¡± Joel yanked the car door open and pushed me into the car irregardless. ¡°He had smashed the car window, pulled her out, took out a knife and attempted to kill her. There shouldn¡¯t be any issue if she took over his knife and stabbed him a few times to stop him frommitting more crimes.¡± The police and ambnce came soon after. Those people from the Lincoln family were probably hoping that the man would just die like that. They could¡¯ve charged me for excessive self¨Cdefense if that really happened. Unfortunately, he was only bleeding and gut fightened. He was not in any life¨Cthreatening danger. The doctor and nurses examined his wounds and drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Ten stab wounds, and each of them avoided the vital organs. The wounds aren¡¯t deep either, it¡¯s probably just minor injuries.¡± The man, who was pale from terror, was lifted onto the ambnce. I wasn¡¯t sure if his injuries were fatal or not, but it surely terrified him to death. ¡°How amazing.¡± A familiar voice sounded from outside the car door, Easob was leaning against the car, teasing her. He had probablye along responding to the calls, ¡°How did you manage to avoid all his vital organs with each stab? Your moves were clean and efficient,¡± Eason asked, looking suspiciously at me. He knocked his gloved hand on the car door, and I knew that he was interrogating me. ¡°I don¡¯t know-¡°I really didn¡¯t know what I was doing earlier. My brain was nk. 22 ¡°There was a case many years ago, where a youth was stabbed in an orphanage. His wounds weren¡¯t deep and each stab wasn¡¯t fatal. The youth was not in life¨Cthreatening danger, but he went insane out of fear once he regained consciousness. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. *Try guessing who was the one who stabbed that youth to the point of sending him to insanity back then?¡± Eason asked, looking at me with a scrutinizing gaze. It was as if he was trying to see through me. I subconsciously averted his gaze as I replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That perpetrator¡¯s name was Stephanie Carlson,¡± Eason said, his voice deep. My body froze and I looked toward him subconsciously. Was it me? I couldn¡¯t recall anything at all. ¡°Pleasee with us, Ms. Larson,¡± he said, asking me to get out of the car. ¡°That was justifiable self¨Cdefense, how could you- Joel was about to stop Eason, but was pulled back by Ewan. ¡°No matter what the situation was, she has to assist in the police investigation,¡± Eason said indifferently, casting a warning gaze at Joel. My knees were weak as I got out of the car. Eason took out a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped off the blood from my cheek with a smile. I hissed in pain. That was when my cheeks were scraped by the shards of ss. Easonughed before ushering me into the police car. ¡°You can¡¯t let her off! She¡¯s a murderer!¡± the women from before were still screaming. Eason eyed the pair of women indifferently and said, ¡°Your husband isn¡¯t dead yet. How could she be a murderer if he wasn¡¯t dead?¡± The women were stunned to silence from Eason¡¯s air of authority. I then got into the police car and nodded toward Ewan to indicate that I was alright. alright. Chapter 288 Steven was still the person that I¡¯m the most worried about now. ¡°Bring it for a DNA test and thenpare it with Stephanie Carlson¡¯s DNA,¡± I could vaguely hear Eason say from where I sat inside the car, as he handed the handkerchief that had been used to wipe my face to another officer. He suspected that I wasn¡¯t Stephany Larson but was Stephanie Carlson. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to have thought of soul reincamation as a possibility. This body of mine was indeed Stephany Larson¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Stephanie Carlson has been cod dead. Her body was found in the ss cab, shocking the entire Huma,¡± the officer said, bewildered. ¡°I suspect that a switcheroo has happened,¡± Eason said with a cold chuckle. ¡°Go investigate it. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate that lunatic.¡± He then got into the car and sat beside me. I eyed him and remained silent. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I heard that that lunatic was forcibly sent to the asylum by the police. That¡¯s a good ce for lunatics to be in,¡± Eason said, seemingly chatty. I clenched my fists and said, ¡°Where should you go then, Mr. Grant? To the beauty salon? You¡¯re quite conceited after all. If you were to be disfigured after getting hit by someone else again, wouldn¡¯t you jump off the building right away?¡± Eason¡¯s eyes twitched upon hearing my remarks. He chuckled slightly before replying nonchntly,¡± Steven really does have a peculiar taste in women. He likes those simr to Stephanie Carlson, As expected, only lunatics would be attracted by lunatics. You two are of the same kind.¡± I replied, ¡°Indeed, we¡¯re of the same kind, unlike you. You¡¯re not quite human.¡± ¡°You have a sharp tongue, don¡¯t you?¡± Eason said while gritting his teeth. Michael was still negotiating with the officer outside the car. He said, ¡°She was just defending herself. Even though she went a little overboard, that was because her personal safety was threatened.¡± I chuckled coldly. Was he speaking up for me or jeopardizing me? When the police car took me away, Michael looked at me with aplex expression. It was as if I was inherently a troublesome person. He had a sympathizing and worried expression on, as if he was trying to figure out why I had to be so troublesome. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Stephie, I¡¯ll bring you out!¡± Michael was still trying tofort me. ¡°Just worry about your savior instead. Don¡¯t let her get killed by the killer,¡± I said as I made a throat¨C slitting gesture. Michael stood frozen on the spot as he watched me being taken away. Yasmin hugged his arm out of fear as she said, ¡°She¡¯s so scary, Michael!¡± Chapte: 286 212 ¡°They say that the longer two people are together, the more they resemble each other,¡± Eason said as he looked at me. ¡°You and Steven are quite alike.¡± ¡°Can you tell me more about Steven and Stephanie Carlson?¡± I asked, wanting to know more. Even thought Eason has a sharp tongue, at least he was objective. He wouldn¡¯t resort to lying. ¡°Steven and Stephanie Carlson?¡± Eason asked beforeughing. ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about Mr. and Mrs. Crazies over there?¡± Despite his disdain, he spoke with great enthusiasm, ¡°Steven was indifferent since young. I was his deskmate back in school, he ignored me whenever I asked him about homework!¡± I took in a sharp breath. I wanted to hear about Steven and Stephanie Carlson, not about Steven and himself! Eaton talked nonsense for the entire journey. They were mostly about the love¨Chate rtionship between Steven and himself. I didn¡¯t manage to catch anything useful from his stories. The police car was parked inside thepound. Eason¡¯s phone rang before he could get out of the car. Bad news, Eason! There¡¯s another murder in Sunset Alley! It¡¯s a male corpse, and the time of death is not more than two hours ago.¡± Eason¡¯s expression darkened. A long period had gone without any murder cases since Simon¡¯s death. There were even talks of officially closing the Double Stars serial murder case from the higher¨Cups. Just as everyone had let their guards down, someone died again. ¡°Are you sure that Steven is in the asylum?¡± Eason asked subconsciously. The person he suspected the most was still Steven. Chapter 289 112 Phil ran to the side to make a call and soon returned. He said, ¡°They¡¯ve sent Steven to the asylum once they¡¯re done interrogating him. He hasn¡¯t left since and his alibi checks out.¡± Eason frowned and said, ¡°Hah, he wouldn¡¯t need to lift a finger to kill someone. He only has to snap his fingers.¡± I rolled my eyes at him and said, ¡°Are you talking about a legend now? You should¡¯ve just mentioned that Steven is a god then, Why bother saying that he snapped his fingers?¡± Eason nced at me disdainfully and said, ¡°What do you know? Have you seen before murder cases disguised as idental deaths before?¡± I shook my head in all seriousness. ¡°If I have a grudge against you, and I want you dead, there are many ways for me to do it without breaking thew,¡± Eason replied indifferently. e you¡¯re not 1 pursed my lips, obviously in disbelief. Eason was exasperated when he said, ¡°Looks like Stephanie Carlson after all.¡± I rolled my eyes and said, ¡°My name is Stephany Larson. Also, why do you keep insisting that Steven is the killer? Didn¡¯t you say that the serial murder case was about to be closed?¡± ¡°Many things aren¡¯t as simple as you think. I¡¯m not surprised that someone with an ordinary brain like yours wouldn¡¯t be able to understand it,¡± Eason said, his words unminced. He then got someone to bring me to the interrogation room as he prepared himself to head over to the crime scene. He said, ¡°Try guessing, the murderer was supposed to kill ording to n. Now that Yasmin didn¡¯t die. those after her should technically be safe. But why did the murderer start killing again as soon as Steven was sent to the asylum?¡± I frowned, unable to find the logic in Eason¡¯s words.. ¡°That murderer was provoking the police. Every single person he has killed from the beginning was all just for Steven. Can you still sav that this serial murder case has nothing to do with Steven?¡± he asked. His gaze shed with anger, as if he was sure that Steven was the mastermind behind it all. ¡°He is now putting pressure on the police. Since the police sent him to the asylum, then he would cause. trouble for the police. And as he helped Zion in solving cases before and found Yasmin, he is now considered external assistance to the police. ¡°As long as there are troubles here and they can¡¯t predict who the next victim is, they¡¯ll have to ask for his help,¡± Eason said with gritted teeth. His anger was evident. I stepped back cautiously until my back hit the car door. Eason chuckled coldly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have apetition since Steven wants topete with me. See if I could predict who and where the next victim is before something happens to them.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. I took in a sharp breath as I looked at Eason before me. He became somewhat crazy all just to compete with Steven. ¡°Was the victim¡­ someone from the welfare home?¡± I asked softly. Eason only came back to his senses and turned to look at Phil. He asked, ¡°Has the identity of the victim been confirmed?¡± ¡°Sparks is already heading there, but we can¡¯t confirm it yet. We¡¯ve sealed the crime scene off for now, but there were many stray dogs in the alleyst night-¡°, Phil said softly. ¡°It¡¯s looking pretty grotesque over there. Are you going over to check it out?¡± Eason massaged his temples before saying. ¡°I¡¯ll head over now,¡± I subconsciously asked, ¡°Can you bring me along?¡± Somehow I felt that something was wrong with the recent murder. The murder in the Sunset Alley seemed to be different from the previous murder cases. Every victim of this serial murder case had been disposed of near a water source, either at a reservoir, river, or ake. But this time it was dumped directly in Sunset Alley. Was someone really putting pressure on the police and adding difficulty for the case to be solved, all just because Steven was sent into the asylum? Most of the evidence from the crime scene would be destroyed if the corpses were to be dumped into water. But to dump it in the alley¨CWas it about the stray dogs? I took in a sharp breath and clenched my fists nervously. Don¡¯t tell me that those stray dogs were feeding on the corpses? / Eason eyed me and replied, ¡°No.¡± I no longer insisted on it and followed the female officer into the interrogation room. I was acting in justifiable self¨Cdefense, and there was video evidence and witnesses at the scene. I heard that the Lincoln family members refused to settle in private and insisted on sentencing me so that I can pay with my own blood. Fortunately, Ewan had also brought awyer. As the man had only sustained minor injuries and with the fact that I was only protecting myself and my baby as a mother, my intention was to stop the crime from happening. There was no dispute on that point. I was brought back after Ewan paid for my bail. While I was leaving, the female officer asked me in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re quite amazing, have you learnt dissecting? Every cut was non¨Clethal and shallow, and they didn¡¯t even reach the fascialyer. You stopped just short of it!¡± Chapter 290 I was at a loss. I didn¡¯t understand how it happened either. ¡°Perhaps I don¡¯t have much strength, so that¡¯s the deepest I could stab him?¡± The female officer looked suspiciously at me. After all, I didn¡¯t look like I didn¡¯t have much strength while I took the knife over from that man. For me to be able to take a knife over from a grown man- I didn¡¯t say anything else. I was relieved to hear that the man¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t fatal, I never did want to kill him after all. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°How are things going with Steven?¡± I asked impatiently as soon as I got into the car. Ewan nodded and replied, ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. We have people in the asylum and we¡¯ve told them to notify us immediately if something happens.¡± I nodded and said distractedly. ¡°Let¡¯s head in the direction of Sunset Alley. I heard that there was another murder case there.¡± My palms began to sweat involuntarily at the thought of that serial murder case. I was one of the victims after all. Who was the person with the red birthmark on the inner side of their arm? I was sure that I had vaguely seen it before I had died. There was no mistake that it was a birthmark. From what I remember, he had fair and thin arms¨Che was definitely not Steven, Although Simon was equally thin, there was no birthmark on the inner side of his arms. I massaged my temples. My head was hurting badly now. ¡°Sunset Alley has been sealed off, Mrs. Lincoln. We can¡¯t get through by car now,¡± Ewan said as he parked the car outside the Nocturnal¡¯s entrance. I got out of the car to have a look. I could see Eason from afar, talking to Keenan. There were some rubberneckers around the area. They were frightened and ran away after closing in for a better look. There were even some who were throwing up by the side. The crime scene was evidently gruesome. ¡°Did the murderer think that he could destroy all traces of his crime by just applying spices on the corpse, so as to attract the nearby stray dogs to feed on it?¡± Eason said, chuckling coldly. ¡°Go and investigate why these stray dogs would gather around Sunset Alley, and who had been feeding them.¡± Eason shifted his focus on the stray dogs. Since the stray dogs had fed on the evidence, they themselves now became the evidence. Upon investigating, Phil ran over to Eason and said, ¡°The victim this time isn¡¯t someone from the welfare home. He was from the asylum that had been shut down. ¡°This man was one of the psychiatrists there back then, but he had left the asylum many years ago. Hel was not involved in Steven¡¯s treatments and does not have any connections with him.¡± Chapte: 290 Eason was sure that there had been a conflict between the victim and Steven, but it turned out that there was none. I stood and watched Eason at the cordon line. He seemed a little shaken for a second, but he suddenly realized something after seeing me. He eximed, ¡°Stephanie Carlson! Wasn¡¯t she sent to an asylum when she was younger? Go and investigate the rtionship between the victim and Stephanie Carlson!¡± I looked nkly at Eason. What about me? Suddenly, my head felt as if it was about to split apart. A mysterious voice kept echoing in my head. ¡°You loved your dog very much, right?¡± ¡°This dog is rather obedient-¡± ¡°How dare it bite me? I¡¯ll beat it to death!¡± Screams and the sound of barking rang in my ears. Suddenly, a stray dog caught me by surprise as it walked past me. When I came back to my senses, Eason was already standing before me. His gaze was full of scrutiny as he looked at me. Chapter 291 Eason squinted at me and said, ¡°You¡¯re quite brave, aren¡¯t you? Anyone else would¡¯ve had a physical reaction upon seeing the corpse being consumed like this. You¡¯re even pregnant still, don¡¯t you feel nauseous?¡± I nervously swallowed my saliva before smiling and said, ¡°I dared not even look that way.¡± Eason snorted and said meaningfully, ¡°You¡¯re not clear from it either, Stephany.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I took in a sharp breath and asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I will personally catch him,¡± Eason replied. He was beating around the bush, but at the same time he sounded like he was swearing an oath. He would personally catch the murderer. He was adamant in thinking that the murder was Steven. ¡°You think that Steven is the mastermind behind the serial murder case, and he was avenging Stephanie Carlson. That was why the victims were somehow connected to Stephanie Carlson or Steven. They were either bullies of Stephanie Carlson, or bullies of Steven and Simeon, right?¡± I asked, looking at Eason. He did not reply, but his silence was already an acquiescence. ¡°So why would Stephanie Carlson also die in the hands of the murderer then? Who was the one who killed her? Was it Steven? Why?¡± I asked, thinking that Eason¡¯s logic didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Because he is a lunatic in an unrequited love! Because Stephanie Carlson no longer loved him!¡± Eason replied with gritted teeth. ¡°He once said that nothing in this world was eternal, even the universe is constantly changing. No one can stay as another person¡¯s forever love, unless¨Cthere¡¯s a different way to preserve youth, time, and the people you love.¡± Eason thought that Steven had killed Stephanie and preserved her body out of the need to retain her love. ¡°If we follow your logic, then Stephanie Carson whose body was preserved, should¡¯ve forever stayed trapped inside the ss disy cab underground. She could¡¯ve stayed forever as his Stephanie, Instead of being purposely found by the police and let her corpse be made public,¡± I retorted. Eason was clearly agitated by my retort. He frowned, clearly annoyed as he replied, ¡°You¡¯re just trying to argue with me.¡± ¡°It requires logic and evidence to make an inference. A perfect murder case doesn¡¯t exist, neither does a perfect victim, am I not right?¡± I said before stepping back and turning to leave. Eason remained silent for the longest time before saying. The mastermind of the murder case is either Steven or Simeon. Steven would remain as the primary suspect unless Simeon isn¡¯t dead!¡± I halted my footsteps. Why could it only be the two of them? ¡°I knew better than anyone else how terrifying the both of them are. Fortunately, one of them is dead. If they are both alive, the police would¡¯ve never found the corpses if they were to kill.¡± I nodded. What Eason was saying was, nobody else other than Steven and Simeon could¡¯ve executed such a perfect murder n, not with their intelligence level. ¡°Since the victim has changed now, that means the sequence of the welfare home serial number no longer works. Yasmin is now under Michael¡¯s protection round the clock. It will be hard for the murderer to attempt killing her. That¡¯s why he had changed the ying field to start all over again.¡± I stopped walking and turned back to look at Eason. I said, ¡°ording to the murderer¡¯s modus operandi, the second victim should already be under his control by the time he disposes of the corpse. You¡¯re running out of time.¡± The time left for him to figure out the time and venue to rescue the second victim before they die is running out now. If Steven was here, there would still be a possibility for them to locate the crime scene before the second victim dies. But Steven is no locked up in the asylum. ¡°Go get Steven,¡± Zion said. Clearly, he had rushed over as soon as he was off work as he was still in his traffic police uniform. ¡°You should focus on directing the traffic, Officer Landon. Just because you couldn¡¯t find them and needed assistance doesn¡¯t mean that I do,¡± Eason said with a cold chuckle. He was full of confidence. Zion lost his temper and said, ¡°That¡¯s a matter of life and death! We can¡¯t possibly afford any mistakes, not even a single second!¡± His eyes were reddening. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to teach me to do my job, Zion,¡± Eason spoke coldly. Zion¡¯s breath quickened as he rushed forward to grab Eason and said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re capable, Eason. We don¡¯t have much time. We only have less than 24 hours from the discovery of the corpse until the next victim¡¯s death. We¡¯re running out of time!¡± ¡°Do not obstruct official duties, Officer Landon, Eason said, ignoring Zion. He let Phil hold Zion off. Phil hurriedly stopped Zion as he said, ¡°Calm down, Zion! Eason surely has his ways! He¡¯s the expert after all- ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have found Yasmin so quickly if it wasn¡¯t for Steven back then! If only- Stephanie wouldn¡¯t have died if only I had arrived earlier!¡± Zion screamed as he lost control of his emotions. I knew that ¡°Stephanie Carlson¡¯s death was a huge blow to Zion. He couldn¡¯t forget about her death. The scene of her being trapped in the ss cab had triggered him as well. Chapter 292 Zion refused to let tragedy repeat itself. He was not wrong in wanting to catch the murderer and rescue the victims. Zion¡¯s fists tightened and he punched the wall, I was about to head over tofort him, when he suddenly turned to grab my wrist. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to see Steven.¡± I was stunned, but he managed to drag me into the car. ¡°Hello, Officer Landon,¡± Ewan greeted. ¡°We¡¯re going to Huma Psychiatric Hospital,¡± Zion sald. He wanted to meet Steven and ask for his help to locate the location of the next victim. I looked at him and asked, ¡°Will they let us visit him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a patient, not a criminal,¡± Zion replied, gritting his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll like to see who dares to stop me.¡± I nodded, feeling excited. I could finally see him again. But things weren¡¯t going as smoothly as we thought. Just as we arrived at the asylum, they refused to let us meet Steven as he was a level five high¨Crisk patient. ¡°We¡¯re sorry. The patient might hurt people anytime, so- Zion grabbed at the person¡¯s cor angrily and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him hurt anyone before! He is lucid and prone to reasoning. How is he a level five psychiatric patient now? Who is his attending physician? Get him to see me!¡± Despite all our efforts, they still refused to let us meet Steven. It was evident that they had conspired. against us. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you directing the traffic now, Cicer Landon? What¡¯s going on, do you have PTSD from your detective work? Our psychological therapy here is quite renowned,¡± Peter came over and said with a smile. He was half¨Cjoking, but his words were provocative. Peter had always been a smiling hypocrite. It was as if he would never get angry and always wore a smile, but he could always provoke those with unstable emotions with just a few words or even a nce. Zion was provoked, and I subconsciously reached out to tug at him. I said softly, ¡°It was his way of putting a trap out for you by mentioning your career and emotions. Be careful not to fall for his tricks, otherwise he might deem you a lunatic and lock you up!¡± Peter is a terrifying man. It was as if he could find out a person¡¯s weakness in just a nce. I was even suspecting that there might have been many who had beenbeled as a lunatic and got locked up in this asylum, all just because they have offended him in their daily life. ¡°We want to meet Steven,¡± I said seriously after taking a deep breath. ¡°Steven? I¡¯m sorry, but my patient is currently undergoing treatment. As you know, such aggressive psychiatric patients will require. some special treatment methods. It may be electroshock, hypnosis, or even medication control-¡± Peter gently said, but all his words were meant to provoke me. My body was trembling. I dared not even imagine what Steven must be experiencing now. ¡°Peter¡± I said, gritting my teeth. I wanted to kill him and rush inside to rescue Steven. But I could only suppress my anger and plead with him. I said, ¡°Please find a way- we really have urgent matters to talk to him about.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Peter seemed pleased with the way I was yielding to him. It was as if he was taming disobedient outliers like this. Chapter 293 Peter smiled. ¡°Ms. Larson, what are you saying? You¡¯re family. It¡¯s normal to visit a patient.¡± I let out a sigh of relief and slowly let go of Zion¡¯s finger. ¡°But¡­¡± Peter¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Steven isn¡¯t just an average mentally ill patient. He¡¯s extremely aggressive. Aside from that, he has alsomitted crimes¡­ He¡¯s currently being investigated. Without the police¡¯s permission, we can¡¯t visit him.¡± ¡°Dr. Jones, the reason Steven beat people up is still under investigation. The police haven¡¯t¡­¡± Zion spoke angrily. Peter interrupted him. ¡°Officer Landon, if you are still investigating, I can allow you to visit with the documents. After all, we have regtions. You won¡¯t put us in a difficult position, right?¡± The hidden meaning of his words was that Zion was no longer a criminal police. He was currently a traffic police. He should direct traffic. Zion clenched his fists and wanted to punch Peter. I held onto Zion¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have enough time.¡± Zion was in a panic. ¡°We can only put our hopes on Eason. He¡¯s the only one who can predict who the murderer will kill next.¡± I shook my head. Peter wouldn¡¯t let us visit Steven. ¡°Steven fought because he was stimted by the other party. The other party knew that he had mental illnesses but still stimted him deliberately¡­ If the police investigation has ended, and he is no longer under investigation, Peter can¡¯t stop us from Visiting him anymore.¡± I took a deep breath and turned to look at the asylum. We couldn¡¯t waste our efforts now. Since Steven decided to enter this asylum, he must have his own way of thinking. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Eason.¡± Zion brought me along to see Eason. ¡°You will face a lot of restrictions with your current identity,¡± I whispered. Zion fell silent. He regretted acting on impulse back then and hit Sim¨®n. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have¡­ ¡°I have a feeling that there¡¯s something wrong with Peter.¡± Looking at the asylum, I said in a soft voice,¡± Zion, did you hear anyone crying?¡± I didn¡¯t know if I was hallucinating, but the moment I approached the asylum, I would hear cries. It was as if countless souls were struggling. Zion listened to the surrounding areas carefully. He shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m stressed out. Let¡¯s go.¡± Once I got into the car, I looked at Ewan. ¡°Try to make Jake withdraw the case. In this way, we can visit Steve.¡± Ewan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a bit difficult. Jake is arranged by Martin.¡± I fell silent for a while. Then, I asked, ¡°Does Martin not have anyone he needs to beg?¡± Ewan nodded again. ¡°He has. All of the deals he made for the past several years have been illegal ies. For him to clear his reputation and dock business, he needs to take over the Lincoln Group. Through the Lincoln Group, he needs tounder his assets bit by bit. Aside from that, he needs to have the support of a fixed strategic partner to take over the Lincoln Group. The Crowdstar Group is a miracle in the business industry for its growth in recent years. Martin has been wanting to suck up to the president behind the Crowdstar Group. But the president is very mysterious.¡± In short, the person Martin had to beg was the president of the Crowdstar Group. He was the person Yasmin mentioned she could get in touch with. ¡°I got it.¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose. I needed to make Yasmin introduce me to the president of the Crowdstar Group and organize a meeting. with him.. Eason had just returned home from work when he saw me and Zion at the entrance. It was clear that he was shocked. He looked unhappy. ¡°Do you guys think you¡¯re security guards?¡± ¡°We d don¡¯t have much time. Eason, have you found the next person?¡± I asked in a heavy voice. Eason snorted. It was clear that he wasnt Boofident. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He didn¡¯t have any traces. ¡°The situation this tape is uncanny. Chapter 294 ¡°Don¡¯t gamble with someone¡¯s life. What¡¯s uncanny?¡± Zion was a bit angry. He grabbed Eason by the cor, wanting to beat him up. Subconsciously, Eason blocked his face. ¡°Don¡¯t hit my face.¡± ¡°Eason, you¡¯re in charge of this case. You have the right to get a warrant to meet Steven. The asylum doesn¡¯t let us visit him, but you can.¡± I held Zion¡¯s wrist and looked at Eason. ¡°Do you want me to beg him?¡± Eason was unhappy. ¡°You don¡¯t need to beg him.¡± I took off my wedding ring and ced it in Eason¡¯s hand, Steven put it on my finger while I was asleep. He said that I was his wife¡­ ¡°When he sees this ring, he will know that I¡¯m the one begging him. He will answer your questions.¡± When Steven proposed marriage, he didn¡¯t care if I would agree to it. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Eason fell silent for a moment. ¡°Are you still hesitating? If you can¡¯t find the victim, the victim might die,¡± said Zion irritatedly. Eason nodded. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll go now.¡± ¡°Eason¡­¡± I said nervously. ¡°Please help me see if those people are treating him badly¡­¡± My palms were sweating. Eason seemed to be stimting me on purpose. ¡°Is anyone normal in the asylum? Even if a normal person enters the ce, he will be a mental illness patient, too, let alone Steven, who¡¯s already at mental illness patient..¡± ¡°Eason!¡± I shouted in a panic. ¡°I got it. No one made him fight¡­ I¡¯ve warned him to restrain himself, but he still beat people up. He¡¯s smart. I think he entered the asylum deliberately Eason mumbled before turning to leave. I nced at Zion. That was right. Steven was great. There was no way he didn¡¯t know that Martin stimted him on purpose and that Martin had a coboration with Peter. He must have known that they wanted to take action against him in the asylum. He must have known everything Nevertheless, Steven still decided to beat him up. It was as if he had stepped on the trap deliberately. What was he trying to do? ¡°The higher¨Cups want to stop the serial murder case from trending. They want to use Simmie to close the case¡­ But there are too many mysteries yet to be revealed.¡± In a soft voice, Zion said, ¡°For example, the first victim, Mandy¡­ She became the sugar baby of a rich pharmaceutical businessman. After the fire 212 burned down the orphanage, she left Huma and went to Georgeke. She died in Huma when she represented her family to talk business. I found that she had connections with the ck market.¡± Every victim wasn¡¯t a good person. It was just that the police didn¡¯t announce the oue of the investigation. ¡°So far, none of the victims are innocent except Stephanie¡­ Stephanie¡¯s death is a mystery. I couldn¡¯t find any traces of what she had experienced and what had happened. After she turned 18, she appeared in the Ford residence. Everything that happened before her parents¡® car ident seemed to have been erased by someone deliberately¡­¡± Zion leaned against the street light with a cigarette in his mouth. He was nervous. Thus, he needed to have a cigarette in his mouth. Even if he didn¡¯t light the cigarette, he had to have it in his mouth. I looked at Zion, confused. Even I couldn¡¯t remember Stephanie¡¯s memory of what she had gone through before the age of eighteen. Zion was right. It was as if someone had erased it on purpose¡­. Could my own memory be erased? When Zion and I were on the way back home, Zion¡¯s phone buzzed. It was a call from Eason. ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the entrance of the abandoned asylum.¡± Zion nced at me. Then, he drove toward the abandoned asylum. ¡°Have you seen him?¡± Once the car was parked at the entrance, I got out of the car anxiously. I looked at Eason. Eason was leaning against the car door as if he was calcting something. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him. His attending physician was around the entire time. He only gave me this,¡± said Eason frustratedly. He scratched his head. ¡°Why does he like to be so mysterious?¡± leven gave Fo a mathematical quest be ¡°This question is unsolvable. Steven meant that someone was creating confusion. The murder case of Sunset Alley is unrted to the serial murder case. Someone wants to use the serial murder case to confuse the situation,¡± said Eason with a frown. Chapter 295 I looked at Zion in astonishment. ¡®Indeed. I¡¯ve seen the scene. The murderer deliberately impersonated the suspicions of the serial murder case, but it can¡¯t be ruled outpletely.¡± Zion nodded. ¡°When Sparks performed the autopsy, he found that the victim¡¯s fatal injury was the back of his head. Someone hit the back of his head from behind, causing his death. The person was skillful and knew where to hit.¡± Eason was deep in thought. ¡°The victim should be on a call before he died. There were traces left behind from a phone smashing on the ground. But the phone was taken away by the murderer. The murderer of the serial murder case has a habit. When he kills someone, he won¡¯t take anything from the victim. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s confident that the police won¡¯t find him.¡± ¡°So, these are two separate cases,¡± I said softly. The serial murder case was a different case from the Sunset Alley¡¯s murder case. ¡°What about the identity of the victim? Didn¡¯t you mention that he used to be a psychiatrist? Did he have a connection with Stephanie?¡± I looked at Eason nervously. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into the victim before. His name is Wyatt Zimmer. He was a psychiatrist. In his early years, he won several awards in the field of psychiatry. He was always on par with Peter in the hospital, but the director liked him more as he knew how to conduct himself,¡± said Zion. Once he heard that a murder case happened in Sunset Alley, he went to investigate it. ¡°But this person had left this asylum many years ago.¡± Eason turned around and looked at the old asylum that had barricade tape all over. ¡°Aside from that, I¡¯ve discovered that the director of this hospitalmitted suicide in prison after being punished. After that, most doctors went to the current Huma Psychiatric Hospital.¡± ¡°When Wyatt left, this asylum hadn¡¯t been barricaded. It was said that he went to Yesa to do clothing. business. He earned quite a lot. He wore branded clothes. Even his watch cost more than three million dors.¡± Eason thought for a while. ¡°But when I checked hispany, it was a shell company. The clothing business was a cover. How did he earn money. ¡°Go and look into it. Why are you guessing it?¡± Zion disliked Eason Why was thetter still trying to figure things out here? Eason¡¯s phone vibrated on the car¡¯s bo. Eason red at Zion while picking up the call. ¡°Officer Grant, we have found the murderer! We checked all the surveince cameras nearby and locked in the suspect¡¯s address. It¡¯s 37 Bridgeway Route. It¡¯s the demolition area, thest slum of Huma.¡±¡° I nced at Zion. 37 Bridgeway Route was the demolition area where thest slum of Huma was located. Simeon¡¯s sister, Carol, lived there. The area was a mixture of good and bad. ¡°I need to go on a mission. If you¡¯re capable, you can look into it yourself.¡± Holding a grudge, Eason pushed Zion away. He got into the car and drove away. Zion frowned and looked at me. ¡°Should we go and take a look?¡± I nodded. I hoped the murder case this time had nothing to do with the serial murder case. 23 On 37 Bridgeway Route, the police had locked in a room on the third floor. When Zion and I reached the ce, the police barged into the room to catch the suspect. As the apartment wasn¡¯t big, the corridors were narrow. From the room, one could see the opposite room clearly. The suspect lived on the east side. On the other hand, Carol was on the west side. Their rooms faced one another. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only When I looked in the west direction, I saw Carol watching the police arrest the suspect. Her clothes were untidy as she stood there, dazed. Suddenly, her gazended on me. She smiled. Her smile was so strange that I felt a chill run down my spine. ¡°Murderer¡­¡± Carol suddenly pointed at me and giggled. Even though I couldn¡¯t hear her voice clearly, I could read her lips. She was saying the word ¡°murderer¡°. ? Was she saying that I was the murderer? What did she mean¡­ ¡°Watch out! Catch him!¡± Suddenly, the east side of the third floor became noisy. ? ?? ?? ? ? ? ?? ??? ? ¨C Zion and I weren¡¯t a part of the police. So, we couldn¡¯t go up. We could only stay at the bottom and look up to watch the situation. All of a sudden, a figure pushed away the crowd and climbed over the window. Without hesitation, he jumped down. Boom! I was so shocked that I shrieked and took a step backward. Nervously, Zion reached out his hand to protect me. He looked at the person who fell in front of us. The third floor wasn¡¯t high, but he was determined to die. It was a middle¨Caged m¨¢n. He looked like he had gone through a lot. His fingers were crooked. It wasn¡¯t because he fell from the third floor. It seemed to be caused by years of rheumatism and physical work. 373 ¡°H¨CHelp¡­¡± The man, who fell on the ground, spat out blood. He tried his best to take out a picture from his pocket. Chapter 296 The picture was stained with blood. Short of breath, I looked at Zion. Zion reached out to take the picture. ¡°S¨CSave my daughter.¡± The police rushed down. Breathing heavily, they stared at the suspect who had fallen to the ground. All of them wanted to curse. ¡°Ambnce! Call the ambnce!¡± Feeling numb, I looked at Zion, Zion shook his head. He used his phone to take a picture of the front and the back of the picture before passing it to Eason. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s the murderer?¡± ¡°The murder weapon has been found in his room. It¡¯s a hammer. He must have been doingbor work all year round. He should be a construction worker.¡± Eason looked up at the third floor. ¡°I heard that his daughter had been missing for three years. He and his wife had been searching for their daughter. A few days ago, his wifemitted suicide due to severe depression. He lost his family because of human traffickers¡­ I stood in the same spot. My legs were numb. ¡°At what age did his daughter go missing?¡± I asked softly. ¡°18.¡± Eason felt that it was a pity. I looked at the picture in Eason¡¯s hand. The youngdy in the picture was youthful and bright. She looked neat and likable. ¡°She¡¯s so pretty¡­¡± I said in a soft voice. ¡°She has been missing for three years. I¡¯ve heard about this case¡­ She was abducted by human traffickers. The other party had an illegal license te. The case hasn¡¯t been solved until now¡­ Zion said powerlessly. He continued, ¡°When a father is forced into a corner, he won¡¯t kill someone without a reason. He must have found out the truth. The despondency had to have crushed him¡­ ¡°The two cases have some connection with one another. Do you think, the victim is rted to the missing. person¡¯s case?¡± I asked, Eason nodded. He suspected that too. ¡°One more thing¡­ How could a migrant worker, who had been searching for his daughter, know that by sprinkling spices on the corpse, dogs would eat it and get rid of the evidence?¡± I didn¡¯t understand it. ¡°Since the corpse needed to be destroyed and the crime was carried out meticulously, how could it not be investigated in advance? How could such arge surveince be avoided?¡± It didn¡¯t make sense. Eason nced at me. ¡°It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s a pitiful person.¡± The person was a pawn. The real murderer was using a person to kill another. But no one knew if it was rted to the serial murder case. After the ambnce took the person away, Zion sent me home. On the way home, Zion received a call, saying that the pitiful father had passed away. The man handed the picture to me and Zion because he wanted to put his hope on us. He hoped the police could find his daughter¡­ ¡°Someone is using these pitiful people. They¡¯re innocent. This isn¡¯t the style of the serial murder case¡¯s murderer. The two are in two extreme ends. One doesn¡¯t kill innocent people, while the other uses innocent people,¡± I said with a headache. My gut told me that these two cases were schemed by different people. The car stopped at the entrance of the Lincoln family¡¯s residence. The moment I got out of the car, I saw Michael. He seemed to be worried about me. He approached me anxiously. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± His voice was hoarse. His devastated appearance made him look like he truly loved me. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only If he hadn¡¯t stuck to Yasmin¡¯s side at all times, I would have thought he had turned over a new leaf. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯ve gotten your parents¡® social media ount. Your parents¡® logs recorded your growth. Stephie, please believe me. Come home with me. ¡°Let that lunatic stay in the asylum/until death! I will protect you¡­ When your parents got into that car ident, I¡¯d sworn to protect you.¡± Michael was anxious. He wanted me to believe him. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I know my mistakes now¡­.¡± His fingers were trembling. He held me in his embrace.¡± Stephie, you will understand after you see it. Only I truly love you¡­ Steven is just a lunatic.¡± I felt numb. In the past, Michael was selfish, narcissistic, possessive, and arrogant. It was as if he was someone that couldn¡¯t be reached. Back then, when I had approached him, he pushed me away. He hurt me so much that nothing could be healed. Now¡­ he wanted to protect me for the rest of my life and make up for everything? Chapter 297 ¡°You said you know your mistakes. What did you do wrong?¡± I grabbed Michael¡¯s cor and smiled. I nced at Yasmin, who was standing to the side, sarcastically. Yasmin gritted her teeth. ¡°Stephie¡­ Michael was nervous. He grabbed my hand. ¡°I will make up for everything I did in the past. From now on, let me protect you. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡± ¡°I swear.¡± Michael was serious. I followed what Yasmin always did. I smiled at Michael. ¡°What to do? I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± nointed at Yasmin. Michael turned around and frowned. ¡°Yasmin, I will let the bodyguards protect you. You¡­¡± ¡°Michael, there¡¯s another murder case in Sunset Alley. I¡¯m scared. You know that¡­ I don¡¯t have any other requests. I¡¯ve never thought of¡­¡± Yasmin panicked. She gritted her teeth and stared at me. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of snatching you from her. I just hope you can protect me, seeing that I¡¯ve saved you back then.¡± Yasmin still wanted to gaslight Michael with the kindness she showed him back then. I know that Yasmin wasn¡¯t the one who saved Michael back then, but I wouldn¡¯t expose her. What was the fun to expose her now? I should let the two be together. They should stay together forever. It would be more troublesome to expose it now. Michael would cling to me more. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± As expected, Michael was moved. I had to say that Michael still had a conscience. Because Yasmin saved his life, his tolerance to her was high. ¡°Stephie, Yasmin is in danger right now. The police can¡¯t protect her for long, so¡­¡± Michael wanted me to be mature and let Yasmin stay. ¡°Stephie, you wouldn¡¯t want her to die in the hands of the murderer, r right?¡± ¡°I would.¡± I chuckled. Michael was such a funny person. Why wouldn¡¯t I want her to die? I would even want to watch her be killed. ¡°Michael¡­¡± With red eyes, Yasmin approached Michael. ¡°Stephie has never cared about my life¡­¡± Michael pinched his temples and looked at me. ¡°Stephie,e home with me, alright?¡± ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m afraid Yasmin will be upset.¡± I pouted and looked at Yasmin. Yasmin clenched her fists and red at me. I knew that she had held herself back. ¡°Yasmin won¡¯t be upset. She sees the big picture. Besides, that¡¯s your house. It¡¯s our house,¡± coaxed Michael softly. He thought that I was the same person as before and that I would be obedient once he coaxed me. ¡°She sees the big picture? Do you mean that I don¡¯t see the big picture then?¡± With a pitiful expression, I looked at Michael. ¡°Stephie¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant. Seeing how flustered Michael was, I found it interesting. ¡°Let¡¯s go then. I¡¯ll follow you home.¡± I looked into the distance. My guts told me that someone was staring at us. Steven wasn¡¯t at home. To ensure the safety of me and the baby in my stomach, I needed to go to Michael¡¯s ce. Michael was delighted. He went to get the car happily. I nced at Yasmin and snorted. ¡°Look. I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯m not Stephanie, but he still thinks I¡¯m her.¡± Yasmin gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Stephany, stay away from Michael!¡± ¡°Why? I want to snatch him from you. Unless¡­. I have a better choice.¡± I moved closer to Yasmin and smiled. ¡°I know that you have a spare. Aren¡¯t you eyeing the president of Crowdstar Group? Don¡¯t be greedy. If you have information about the Crowdstar Group¡¯s president, tell me¡­ Then, I will give up on Michael.¡± ¨C Yasmin red at me. ¡°Dream on.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Chapter 298 ¡°Look¡­ You and I are the same. We just want to survive. Martin wants my life, and Steven has been admitted to the asylum. I need someone to rely on. Since I can¡¯t meet the president of Crowdstar Group, I can only fight against you for Michael,¡± I said with a smile. Then, I opened the car door and was about to get into the car. Yasmin wanted to fight against me for everything. Subconsciously, she wanted to sit in the passenger¡¯s seat. Michael didn¡¯t notice anything. When he saw that I hadn¡¯t entered the car, he got out of the car and coaxed, ¡°Stephie¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t your girlfriend sit in the passenger¡¯s seat? Why¡¯s she there?¡± I questioned pitifully. Michael felt awkward. He exined, ¡°She has motion sickness.¡± I retched. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant. I have motion sickness too. Michael nced at Yasmin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let Stephie sit in the passenger¡¯s seat. She¡¯s not well.¡± Yasmin clenched her fists. She got out of the car reluctantly and red at me. I smiled. I wonder how long she wouldst. When we reached the Ford family¡¯s residence, I didn¡¯t get out of the car. I only got out of the car when Michael opened the car door for me. I looked around the ce. It was a familiar yet unfamiliar ce. Seeing that Yasmin had entered her room with red eyes, I said unhappily, ¡°Michael, I remember that you have always let me stay in the attic opposite I pointed at the storage room. ¡°I said that I didnt push Yasmin, but you said that I needed to make up for what I owed her. You threw me in the attic and left me to die when I had a high fever¡­ I should settle this Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. score with Yasmin, right?¡± Michael was taken aback. He lowered his head guiltily. ¡°Stephie I¡¯m sorry.¡± Was apologizing useful? ¡°Should Yasmin make up for what she owed me, too? Will it be fair this way?¡± I questioned in a low voice.¡± I feel ufortable whenever I see her. That attic is nice. Let her stay there. Anyway, she¡¯s the one clinging to you and asking for your protection.¡± Michael was hesitating. ¡°Stephany! Don¡¯t push it!¡± Yasmin was furious. ¡°I was pregnant back then. What did you do to me? She caused everything. Why do you think that Stephanie needs topensate Yasmin, but Yasmin doesn¡¯t need topensate Stephanie?¡± I snorted.¡± Michael, don¡¯t you think your repentance is a bit hypocritical?¡± Michael held my shoulders. ¡°Stephie¡­ I don¡¯t mean that. I¡¯ll let her stay in the attic.¡± Then, Michael looked at Yasmin. ¡°Stephie will be stimted if she sees you. From now on, stay in the attic. I will call someone to clean the ce. Anyway, you¡¯ll be safe as long as you¡¯re in the Ford family¡¯s residence.¡± Yasmin wanted to cry. She clenched her fists. ¡°Stephany!¡± I smiled and tilted my head. I waved at her. ¡°I heard that there are ghosts in the attic. Good night.¡± Yasmin¡¯s face was pale. She stomped her feet. I ignored her. With a yawn, I returned to my room. I needed to contact the president of the Crowdstar Group as soon as possible. I needed to ask for his help no matter what. Steven wouldn¡¯t be safe in Peter¡¯s hands. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Michael followed behind me. He reached out to hold my wrist. ¡®When you¡¯re free, look at the ount I gave you. After you¡¯re done, you will know that I have my reasons. I¡¯m telling the truth. Even though I made a lot of mistakes in the past, you can¡¯t be with Steven¡­ He imprisoned you and hurt you. These are all facts. ¡°By the way, do you remember the dog you raised when you were young? The one you always used to scare me¡­ It was killed by Steven.¡± Chapter 299 I froze. I turned to look at Michael. ¡°I don¡¯t remember I had a dog before¡­¡± 1 lied. Michael was taken aback. He changed the topic. ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t worry about it if you can¡¯t remember it. No need to think back on it. It isn¡¯t a good memory.¡± I entered my room. Before Michael coulde in, I closed the door. Leaning against the door, I pulled up my phone to log into the ount. I knew that my parents had a social media ount to record my growth. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Outside, Michael didn¡¯t leave. He seemed to have a lot of things to say. But I didn¡¯t want to hear any of it. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I know that it¡¯s toote now, but I¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Ford, Ms. Bailey fell from the attic. It seems serious.¡± Michael hadn¡¯t finished talking, but Yasmin had already made a move. Her way of fighting for affection was petty. As expected, Michael went to check on her. He was busy I watched him go back and forth for Yasmin. He willingly let her toy him around. I felt happy. I wanted to see Michael¡¯s reaction when Bound out the person who saved him wasn¡¯t Yasmin but Stephanie. That year, when Michael was kidnapped, I was the one who lured away the kidnappers. However, when Michael woke up, he saw Yasmin. It was because I was discovered by the kidnappers. They beat me up: So, I was hospitalized. I was unconscious for many days¡­. When I woke up, I heard that Michael was in a rtionship with Yasmin. Hah¡­. I was quite stupid back then, I felt sad about this for a long time. Lying on the bed, I logged into the ount and scrolled through it. From the day I was born, my parents had been recording my life. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapte/299 ¡°The princess has arrived. On the day I was born, my parents uploaded a picture of me, them, and Peter. The person who was holding me was Peter, He was smiling, but his smile looked uncanny. When I saw him, I would have chills running down my spine. ¡°The princess is a genius. She knows how to walk at such a young age.¡± In this picture, there was Peter, too. My parents seemed to be rest assured to leave me to Peter. ¡°Stephie doesn¡¯t like to smile. Even when I teased her, she wouldn¡¯tugh. The doctor said that she has an autistic tendency. Peter said that her personality wasn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°No matter what, we have to go through this together. We won¡¯t give Stephie up.¡± ¡°Stephie has turned one year old. The treatment is effective. Her growth and intelligence are normal. It¡¯s just that her personality is odd.¡± ¡°Stephie has turned two years old. She took the goldfish from the fish tank to feed the cat today.¡± ¡°Stephie¡¯s actions are bing weirder. In the bathroom today, I saw a pool of blood. She¡¯s only two years old, yet she killed a snake with a fruit knife.¡± In the picture, although I was the only one in it, I noticed a foot at the door. It was Peter. It meant that Peter was present, too. I looked at the records and found a few issues. I killed a snake at two years old? I was fearless back then. ¡°Peter came today. He said he liked Stephie a lot.¡± Based on the records before I turned five, each time something happened, Peter was present. I wondered if it was a coincidence. I wanted to continue going through the record but I felt dizzy. There was a strange scent in the room, making me feel dizzy. Thankfully, Stephany¡¯s body had experienced many sedatives. It gained a bit of immunity. I tried to get up and put out the incense. I shook my head andy on the bed, pretending to be asleep. ¡°Ms. Stephie, it¡¯s time for dinner. The nanny knocked on the door from the outside. I stayed silent. ¡°Ms. Stephie?¡± The outside fell silent. A whileter, the nanny came to knock on the door again. ¡°Ms. Stephie, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± I kept quiet. The nanny left again. A whileter, I could hear the sound of a car from the courtyard. I got up and walked toward the window. I saw a car parked in the courtyard of the Ford family¡¯s residence. Peter got out of the car. Chapter 300 Subconsciously, I grasped the curtain tightly and hid behind it. Peter hade again¡­ Did Michael ask him toe? On the surface, Michael pretended to be guilty. In actuality, he wanted Peter to erase my memories. ¡°Ms. Stephie, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Outside the door, the nanny knocked again. Hurriedly, I went back to the bed and tucked myself in. I pretended to still be asleep. Soon, I heard the door open. The person who came to my bedside wasn¡¯t Michael. It was Peter. I clenched my fists subconsciously. I tried my best to look natural. I didn¡¯t want to be exposed. Peter stood beside the bed for a while. He seemed to be observing me. A whileter, he chuckled. ¡°Only a fool would believe in reincarnation¡­. ¡°Dr. Jones, you don¡¯t believe that either, right?¡± At the door, Yasmin walked in. ¡°But Michael believes her. She¡¯s clearly a liar. No matter how good she is at acting, she¡¯s still a liar. She can¡¯t be Stephanie. Stephanie is dead. I put in so much effort to¡­ Yasmin stopped speaking. ¡°Michael loves Stephanie, so he would rather make up a character. The person can be Stephany, but it can be you too,¡± said Peter. I let out a sigh of relief. Peter was intelligent. He wouldn¡¯t believe that I was Stephanie. ¡°I wanted to¡­ But Stephany appeared aff of sudden.¡± Yasmin gritted her teeth. It seemed that she still wanted to pretend that she was Stephanie. you ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. With such a fake around, you¡¯ll seem more real.¡± Peterughed. ¡°As long as listen to me, not only will Michael believe that you¡¯re the real Stephanie, but Steven will also believe that you¡¯re Stephanie.¡± Yasmin was excited. ¡°Dr. Jones, what idea do you have¡­¡± ¡°If Stephany can impersonate St¨¦phanie, you can too. Besides, you know Stephanie better than her,¡± said Peter. ¡°Michael can¡¯t see the truth because of his guilt. Did you feed him the medicine that I told you to give him every day?¡± ¡°Yeah. He took it just now and is asleep now. Ever since Stephanie passed away, he has gone insane. He doesn¡¯t notice anything amiss,¡± Yasmin said softly. Chaple/300 ¡°The medicine causes hallucinations. So, it¡¯s easy to trick Michael. As for Steven, he¡¯s a lunatic. After my treatment and hints. He¡¯ll believe that you¡¯re Stephanie after he¡¯s discharged.¡± My chest tightened. I clenched my fists. Peter! What did he do to Steven? ¡°If Stephany finds out about our n¡­¡± Yasmin said in a soft voice. ¡°So what? She¡¯s a fake, too¡­ The one who¡¯s better at acting will win.¡± Peter¡¯s finger grazed my face. I felt a chill. ¡°Dr. Jones, you¡¯re right. The better one will win.¡± Yasmin smirked. Walking toward me, she grabbed my chin and said, ¡°Stephany, let¡¯s see how long you can remain this arrogant. When Steven and Michael think that I¡¯m Stephanie, they will cherish me instead¡­ As for you, I¡¯ll let you have a taste of being trampled on!¡± ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t forget what I told you to do,¡± said Peter in a deep voice. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Yasmin let go of me and walked over to him. ¡°Recently, the police are keeping watch over me¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to take action¡­¡± ¡°Think of a way as soon as possible. They can¡¯t wait for long,¡± said Peter. Yasmin and Peter then left. I knew what they were scheming. Based on the conversation between Yasmin and Peter, they had been working together for a long time. Peter mentioned that they couldn¡¯t wait for long. Who were ¡°they¡°? It didn¡¯t matter what Yasmin and Peter wanted to do. I needed to get Steven out of the asylum as soon as possible. What if Peter could really make Steven not repognize me¡­ What would happen then? Hearing the sound of Peter¡¯s car leaving. I secretly left my room and sneaked into Michael¡¯s room. Michael was in deep sleep. What an idiot¡­ He had no idea that Yasmin was causing him harm? ¡°Michael?¡± I patted his face. Perhaps the medicine was too strong. Michael couldn¡¯t wake up. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Michael was calling my name. I wanted to leave, but he suddenly grabbed my wrist. Chapte: 300 ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Michael choked out. He seemed to be having a nightmare. I tried my best to shake his hand off, but he pulled me onto his bed instead. ¡°Stephie¡­ Come back, please. I¡¯m sorry¡­ When I wanted to break free from him, the door opened. Chapter 301 I quickly hid under the bed, watching the person who came in¡­. It was the caretaker. From the way Peter and Yasmin could walk around the Ford family so freely, it could be seen that there was something wrong with this caretaker. The caretaker¡¯s name was Angel Ewing. She had been taking care of Michael and me ever since I came to the Ford family. We called her Angel. She was 48 years old this year. She dressed inly every day without much makeup, making her look somewhat old. But it was not difficult to see that her facial features were still delicate. She must have been a beauty when she was young. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Angel had a gentle personality and was also intelligent. She never talked much, but Lois trusted her very much, so she let her take care of me and Michael. I hid under the bed and watched quietly. Angel slowly walked to the bedside and silently looked at Michael, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. Frowning, I hid cautiously. A caretaker sneaking into the master¡¯s room in the middle of the night and staring at him so strangely was chilling to even think about. ¡°Angel, why are you still awake in the middle of the night? You scared me half to death!¡± Yasmin walked into the room and was startled by Angel. The room was dim. Angel standing by the bed was indeed a bit scary. ¡°Those drugs¡­ Are they really not harmful to Mr. Ford¡¯s health?¡± Angel asked in a low voice. ¡°After Stephanie¡¯s death, Michael was deeply affected. He has a tendency to fall into depression. He would¡¯vemitted suicide if it weren¡¯t for you¡­¡± Yasmin sighed. ¡°We¡¯re doing this for his own good.¡± Angel nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m just worried about Mr. Ford. Ms. Bailey, you should rest early too.¡± Angel turned to leave the room, but she stopped at the door. I didn¡¯t know if it was my illusion, but I felt that Angel was looking in my direction¡­.. I clenched my fingers and took a deep breath, not daring to make a sound. I felt that of all the people in the Ford family, I couldn¡¯t see through any of them anymore. On the contrary, Michael, whom I once couldn¡¯t understand, had be the easiest to see through¡­ ¡°Mike, don¡¯t me me. You were the one who provoked me first. You asked for my help to get rid of Stephanie. You said that she was always clinging to you. I helped you, so you have to help me too.¡± Yasmin sat by the bed, gently touching Michael¡¯s face. ¡°Mike, I really love you¡­¡± ¡°You know what? I¡¯m jealous of Stephanie. Why can she get your mother¡¯s approval, but I can¡¯t? Am I worse than her? If it weren¡¯t for your mother¡¯s disapproval, we might have gotten engaged and married a long time ago. ¡°If we were married, I wouldn¡¯t have had to go to such lengths. I was vited because of you. Now, I¡¯m pregnant. This is what you owe me, and you will always owe me.¡± Yasmin¡¯s voice turned from hoarse to hateful. Frowning, I held my breath under the bed, afraid that Yasmin would discover me. No wonder Michael wanted to keep Yasmin by his side. It was not only because he owed her his life but it was also out of guilt. Michael said Yasmin¡¯s child wasn¡¯t his, so there had to be a story between them¡­ ¡°Mike, you can only be mine. I don¡¯t care if Stephany is a real ghost or a fake her live any longer.¡± Yasmin gritted her teeth. one, I can¡¯t let She wanted to get rid of me because she felt guilty. She was nning something big with Peter, and I was an obstacle. ¡°Have a good sleep. Soon after, I¡¯ll be living by your side as Stephanie.¡± Yasminughed and got up to leave. After making sure Yasmin had left, I breathed a sigh of relief. Crawling out from under the bed, I nced at Michael¡­ I used to think he was high and mighty, but he had always been manipted. He was quite pitiful. ¡°Oh, Mike¡­ Take good care of yourself.¡± I shook my head and turned to leave. When I quietly closed the door, I thought I saw Michael move, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I had seen it wrong. Was he pretending to sleep? After returning to my room, I continued to browse through my parents¡® ounts. ¡°Stephie has been diagnosed. Peter said it¡¯s Asperger¡¯s syndrome, a type of autism spectrum disorder. I don¡¯t know why my child is like this. I just hope she can grow up healthy and happy.¡± When I was five years old, my parents said I was diagnosed with Asperger¡¯s syndrome. My only understanding of this condition was that it was characterized by social istion and high IQ. I scratched my head. Could it be that I was just socially isted? My IQ¡­ was just average. During my college entrance exam, I was just an ordinary good student even though I studied until midnight. I was still far from a genius like Steven. Chapter 302 ¡°Today is Stephie¡¯s first time being hospitalized for treatment. Peter said Stephie¡¯s condition isn¡¯t severe. She can live a normal life like else with proper treatment. everyone ¡°Today is Stephie¡¯s second time being hospitalized for treatment. Peter said Stephie is getting better and is starting to y games with other kids. ¡°Today is Stephie¡¯s third time being hospitalized for treatment. Peter said Stephie¡¯s condition has worsened. ¡°Today, Georgie ran away from home. We searched for a long time before finding out that it had sneaked into the psychiatric hospital to look for Stephie. ¡°Georgie hasn¡¯t been eating or drinking since returning home. It¡¯s been lying at the door, looking sad. I know it¡¯s waiting for Stephie.¡± The photo was taken by my mother. Georgie was lying at the door with its head down, looking lonely. My heart ached as I gently touched the photo with my fingers, wanting to touch Georgie. I had no memories of Georgie, but seeing his photo still brought tears to my eyes. ¡°Peter said Stephie can return to a normal life now. We can take her home. I¡¯m so happy. I cried all night yesterday. We can finally bring Stephie home.¡± ording to the diary, I went to Peter for treatment three times. The final hospitalizationsted half a year, and the entire treatment process took a whole year. What did Peter do to me during that year? Why couldn¡¯t I remember anything? It was like that part of my memory had been wiped clean from my mind. I couldn¡¯t remember a single thing¡­ ¡°Stephie and Georgie.¡± Afterpleting my first treatment at the psychiatric hospital, Georgie was still alive. I sessfully entered kindergarten. Although I was a bit socially isted, I could still live a normal life with my friends and teachers. When I was eight years old, the same year I met Steven, I was admitted to the psychiatric hospital once again. The reason was that I stabbed a child at the orphanage. It was not fatal, but everyone was terrified. ording to the diary, I killed a chicken at the orphanage¡­ R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I rubbed my eyebrows, feeling a headacheing on as I looked at my mother¡¯s diary entries about me. Was I so reckless as a child? Why would I kill a chicken? The scariest thing was that looking at these entries made me feel like I was looking at someone else¡¯s life. It was like the memories from that period didn¡¯t belong to me at all. Who was I before I lost my memory? Michael was wary and afraid of me, yet he said he loved me¡­ The person Steven was obsessed with, protected, and loved was also the me of that time¡­ Was I really much better back then than I was now? I was lying despondently in bed. I stared at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. Strangely enough, I felt a bit jealous of myself. Although I didn¡¯t know why I lost my memories, I found myself jealous of the version of me who still had those memories. ¡°Ms. Stephie, it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± Around 7:30 am, Angel came and knocked on the door. I didn¡¯t respond to her. After another half hour, Angel came again. ¡°Ms. Stephie, it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± I reluctantly opened the door, only to see Michael standing outside. ¡°Stephie,e downstairs for breakfast.¡± He was about to knock on the door, but he was relieved when he saw me open it. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± I looked at Angel warily and asked Michael, ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Angel subconsciously nced at me. Out of Michael¡¯s sight, she made a hush gesture and gently shook her head. I was stunned for a moment, my body stiffening. What did she mean? Did she discover me in Michael¡¯s roomst night? Chapter 303 ¡°Quite well.¡± Michael nodded, trying to hold my hand. I avoided Michael¡¯s hand and stood apathetically in ce. Michael lowered his eyes and turned to go downstairs. Following him, I asked, ¡°Mike, why do you think I¡¯m Stephanie Carlson?¡± Michael¡¯s steps faltered, and he looked back at me. ¡°Because you are.¡± ¡°What if someone elsees to you tomorrow iming that she¡¯s Stephanie Carlson? Who will you choose?¡± I asked with a cold smile. Michael was stunned. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I can recognize you.¡± Iughed. Really? Steven could recognize me quickly after seeing me, but I didn¡¯t believe Michael could do the same. If Yasmin and Peter¡¯s n really seeded, would Steven and Michael still recognize me? Would they still trust me? Michael opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. But then, he lowered his eyes and turned to go downstairs. As I was about to go downstairs, Angel stopped me and looked at me quizzically. ¡°Stephie, the cherry tree on Quemerley Street has blossomed.¡± I looked at Angel in confusion. What did that mean? Seeing my perplexed expression, Angel quickly let go of my hand and averted her gaze. She said calmly, ¡°Ms. Stephie, it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± As Angel turned to go downstairs, my legs felt stiff. The cherry tree on Quemerley Street had blossomed? It sounded like a secret message. Was she exchanging a secret message with Stephanie or Stephany? Was this caretaker a double agent? ¡°Ms. Stephie, try this sea bass. It¡¯s your favorite.¡± Angel put the grilled sea bass in front of me during breakfast. I furrowed my brows and looked at her. She knew I didn¡¯t eat sea bass. Seeing that I wasn¡¯t eating, Angel said again, ¡°Ms. Stephle, the weather is getting warmer. You and Mr. Ford should go out for a walk and see the tulips getting warmer. Michael interrupted in a deep voice, ¡°Stephie is allergic cause difficulty breathing if it¡¯s severe.¡± They¡¯re beautiful.¡± tulips. It can ¡°Oh, I forgot about that.¡± Angel nodded and turned to leave Michael put the food on my te and then took a towel to wipe my hands. I subconsciously pulled my hand back, still feeling resistant to him deep down. Mark remained silent and continued to serve me soup without ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. a word. Sitting across from me, Yasmin¡¯s eyes were almost bulging out with jealousy as she watched 1. me. I red at Yasmin and whispered, ¡°Mike, I want to eat a hard¨Cboiled egg. Can you help me peel one?¡± Michael reached for an egg and peeled it carefully, cing it in my bowl. ¡°Mike, I can¡¯t eat with her watching me.¡± I propped my head up onto my hand andined, the corners of my mouth curling up. I was going to make things difficult. I wanted to stir things up. Yasmin wanted to rece me, didn¡¯t she? Before she did, I would cause as much trouble as I could. Michael sighed, knowing I was causing trouble. But he still indulged me. He seemed helpless. ¡°Yasmin, I¡¯m sorry. From now on, please have your meals in your room. I¡¯ll have the caretaker send them to you.¡± Yasmin clenched her fists in anger. ¡°Mike, do you really hate me that much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that he hates you, it¡¯s me.¡± I put down the cutlery and looked at Yasmin. ¡°Seeing you makes me sick. I can¡¯t eat. ¡°Stephany!¡± Yasmin got up angrily. ¡°Mike, she¡¯s so mean,¡± I said with red¨Crimmed eyes, holding onto Michael¡¯s arm. Michael was stunned. He looked at me and then said, ¡°Yasmin, Stephie is thedy of this house.¡± Yasmin took a deep breath, obviously trying to endure it. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave.¡± As soon as Yasmin left, I immediately let go of Michael¡¯s arm and wiped my hands with a disgusted look. Michael sighed helplessly and didn¡¯t say anything, continuing to serve me food. ¡°Don¡¯t serve me anymore. I don¡¯t want to eat the food you serve.¡± I ate an egg and drank some chowder. Then, I got up and left. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a walk. Don¡¯t follow me.¡± ?? Chapter 304 Michael got up, seemingly wanting to say something¡­ He walked with me to the door. Seeing me re at him angrily, he said softly, ¡°Put on a coat. It¡¯s still a bit cold outside.¡± Seeing that I remained silent, Michael took off his coat and carefully put it over my shoulders. I found him to be quite masochistic. I had been so good to him before, but he had treated me like garbage. Now, he was so cautious about being nice to me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± I turned and left. Michael stood in ce and did not follow. His figure appeared somewhat lonely. He and Angel said something, but I didn¡¯t hear it. In any case, the Ford family was now¡­ I started to have my doubts. Angel was not as simple as she seemed. Michael was being schemed against by Yasmin and Peter. Michael¡¯s mother had been away from Huma for years, and his father apparently had another woman outside. It was almost as if he were a transparent figure in the Ford family. Now, the entire Ford family was relying on Michael alone. ¡°Stephany!¡± Just as I walked into the small garden, I heard Yasmin call me angrily. I tugged on Michael¡¯s coat, deliberately provoking her. ¡°What? Can¡¯t stand it? Then tell me what I want to know.¡± ¡°If I tell you, will you leave?¡± Yasmin looked at me warily. She finallypromised. ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded. ¹ú there¡¯ll be a charity banquet. ¡°Fine¡­¡± Yasmin narrowed her eyes, which were full of malice. ¡°In a few days The president of Crowdstar Group will attend in person. I have inside information and know which room he¡¯ll be staying in at the hotel.¡± ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± I asked indifferently. ¡°You can bring a few people with you. You¡¯re just discussing business, not doing anything shady. If I¡¯m lying to you, you can always keep fighting me for Michael,¡± Yasmin said, gritting her teeth. ¡°Alright, give me the address.¡± I reached out to Yasmin for the room number. Yasmin reluctantly took out her phone and typed out the room number and address. Then, she let me take a photo of it. I did and smiled at Yasmin. ¡°I wish you sess. May you and Mike have a happy life together.¡± Yasmin gritted her teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t use sarcasm on me.¡± I ignored her. Now that I had gotten what I wanted, I needed to leave the Ford residence as soon as possible and find a way to rescue Steven. They used sedatives and fragrance oils every day. I had to cherish my hard¨Cwon life. As I left the Ford residence, I called Ewan. He told me to find a ce to hide and not to stand somewhere too obvious. I did miss something. I had underestimated Yasmin. As soon as I left the Ford residence, Yasmin must have told Martin¡¯s people. I hadn¡¯t gone far when a group of people on motorcycles appeared on the road. I hid behind a trash can and waited for those people to pass before slowlying out. Martin had gone mad and wanted to take my life and my child¡¯s life. Suddenly, the sound of a motorcycle came from behind me. One of the bikers elerated and charged at me. I dodged behind amp post, and the biker crashed into a utility pole. The other bikers realized what was happening and turned back I stood there, counting the time. Michael should being out soon. ¡°Three, two, one¡­¡± A ck car rushed over. Michael drove the car, knocking away the bikers, and opened the passenger door. ¡°Stephie! Get in the car.¡± The bikers smashed the driver¡¯s side window with rods. Michael tried to block the attacks, but the rod hit his arm. Then, the attacker pulled out a knife and stabbed Michael. ¡°Mike!¡± Michael grabbed the knife, his hand getting cut. He pushed the person away and mmed on the elerator, taking me away. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to leave the Ford residence? Martin¡¯s people won¡¯t let you go,¡± Michael said nervously, looking at me. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± I ignored him and looked down without speaking. Sighing, he said again, ¡°Have you finished reading your parents¡® diary?¡± I shook my head. There were too many entries to read. How could I finish reading them so quickly? ¡°I watched the news this morning. There was another murder case at a garage. Someone was stabbed Spices were poured on his body, and stray dogs bit his body.¡± Chapte 304 I looked at Michael in shock. In the Sunset Alley murder case, the suspect had alreadymitted suicide by jumping off a building¡­ Now, a simr case had appeared. Was it a copycat murder or a serial killing? Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°But what was different this time was that there was a miracle. The person who was stabbed didn¡¯t die. Although his body was bitten by stray dogs, he was still breathing when the police found him. But it¡¯s still uncertain whether he can be rescued.¡± im Bonus For Free Every Day** te Ha 1 Chapter 305 I was stunned for a moment. Did the police actually announce that the victim was still alive? Weren¡¯t they afraid that the killer would find out and go to the hospital to kill him again? Or did the police have their own ns? ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first,¡± I whispered. Michael nced at his arm and said in a low vole ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first.¡± I frowned. Laughing, he drove to the hospital. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Michael looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re still worried about me, right? Just now¡­¡± I frowned and looked at him. ¡°If it were a dog that got stabbed, I¡¯d be worried too.¡± Michael seemed speechless and didn¡¯t look happy. However, since ¡°Stephanie Carlson¡± died, Michael¡¯s temper seemed to have improved a lot. If I had said such sarcastic things to him before, he probably would have gone mad already. ¡°As long as you¡¯re with me, Martin¡¯s people will think twice before making a move,¡± Michael said, implying that I should stay close to him. gave a coldugh. ¡°Being with you seems like the most dangerous option. Why do you think Martin¡¯s people started tailing me the moment I left your house? Clearly, someone in your house sold me out.¡± Michael frowned. ¡°Angel?¡± I stared at him incredulously. ¡°Are you insane? It¡¯s Yasmin!¡± Michael chuckled. ¡°I was just teasing you.¡± I thought there was something wrong with Michael, so I ignored him. ¡°You¡¯re doing it on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± Michael asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I felt irritated whenever Michael spoke now. ¡°You must know that someone from the Ford family might betray you. It¡¯ll be dangerous to go out.¡± Michael nced at his arm, wincing in pain. Blood continued to trickle down his arm because the wound hadn¡¯t been bandaged. I ignored him. After all, his wound was far from life¨Cthreatening. ¡°You know I won¡¯t let anything happen to you¡­¡± Michael¡¯s face started to pale. He nced at me. ¡°Stephie, please help me stop the bleeding.¡± I nced at him irritably. ¡°It¡¯s not fatal. A little blood loss might even prevent infection.¡± Michael was speechless, his lips twitching slightly.. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Stephie¡­ you intentionally led me out here alone. Is there something you want to tell me?¡± Michael looked at me with anticipation in his eyes. I nced at Michael. I did want to tell him about Yasmin¡¯s scheme against him. However, based on Michael¡¯s previous behavior, I knew he wouldn¡¯t believe me. It would just be like wat off a duck¡¯s back. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever suspected Yasmin?¡± Michael¡¯s gaze grewplicated as he looked at me, his eyes showing a hint of depth. After a long silence, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not a fool.¡± ¡°Pfft¡­¡± I let out a mockingugh. He wasn¡¯t a fool? ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± I didn¡¯t say much more. If he had ever suspected Yasmin, he should be cautious. ¡°Stephie, my wound is still bleeding.¡± Michael reached out to me. I examined his injury and pressed a tissue against it. ¡°There, bear with it.¡± Michael gave a helplessugh. ¡°Stephie, I don¡¯t believe you don¡¯t have any feelings for me anymore. Chapter 306 ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this, Stephanie never had feelings for you from the start. She has someone she loves. and his name is Steven. She only thought you saved her, but the person who saved her wasn¡¯t you,¡± I coldly interrupted Michael¡¯s fantasy. Michael lowered his gaze and fell silent. When the car stopped at Huma Hospital¡¯s parking lot, he finally said, ¡°Stephie, the person you love isn¡¯t Steven. Trust me, just this once. Please¡­ You don¡¯t love him. You fear and dread him. You once begged me to help you hide from him¡­..¡± 1 frowned. ¡°Do you think I believe a single word you say?¡± Between Steven and Michael, Steven¡¯s credibility was evidently higher. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Michael grew anxious, finally able to experience the feeling of not being trusted. ¡°Why can¡¯t you believe me? Steven is really dangerous. You tried so hard to hide from him. How could you love him? He¡¯s deceiving you, taking advantage of your memory loss to keep lying to you. ¡°Dr. Jones said Steven isn¡¯t a regr psychiatric patient. Hecks empathy and can¡¯t love anyone. His mind is filled with obsession, leaving no room for others.¡± I ignored Michael, who kept badmouthing Steven. ¡°Stephany?¡± As soon as we entered the hospital, Zion noticed me. ¡°What happened? Are you hurt?¡± I shook my head and pointed at Michael. ¡°He is.¡± A nurse approached to examine Michael¡¯s injury and took him to the treatment room. ¡°It was Martin¡¯s men,¡± I whispered. Zion nodded. ¡°You¡¯d better stay at home.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked. ¡°There¡¯s been another murder,¡± Zion said, looking around cautiously. ¡°I came to check the situation. The victim isn¡¯t dead yet and is being rescued. It¡¯s obvious the killer is not a professional. ¡°The killer panicked while trying to kill the victim and didn¡¯t confirm the victim was dead before sprinkling those spices and escaping.¡± I nodded. ¡°So, if the victim survives, he can reveal the killer¡¯s identity?¡± ¡°The killer has already been caught on camera. The police are making an arrest. I suspect someone is orchestrating everything. With the victim still alive, we can expose the mastermind behind this,¡± Zion said in a low voice. ¡°Look, here.¡± He handed me his findings. ¡°This person is also a parent searching for his missing son, who is 18 years old and has been missing for three years.¡± I paused for a moment, looking at Zion. ¡°In both murder cases, themon thread is that the killers are desperate parents who lost their children.¡± The killers were also victims. ¡°Were the children all lost around the same time?¡± I wondered if their disappearances were also linked to the mastermind. ¡°They weren¡¯t lost at the same time, but there¡¯s onemon factor. All the missing children had the same issue,¡± Zion said, pointing to his head. ¡°Mental disability, or¡­¡± I was taken aback. ¡°Asperger¡¯s syndrome.¡± Zion scanned the surroundings. ¡°Some refer to it as a ¡®genius illness¡®. Children with this condition are considered God¡¯s favorites¨Ceither a genius or mentally disabled.¡± Two extremes. I took a deep breath and looked at Zion. ¡°Asperger¡¯s syndrome¡­¡± Suddenly, my head was pounding, feeling like it was about to explode. The missing children were all diagnosed with Asperger¡¯s syndrome. ording to my parents¡® journal, I was also diagnosed as a ¡°problematic¡± child with Asperger¡¯s syndrome. But that didn¡¯t seem right. Aside from being a bit socially isted, I was neither a genius nor mentally disabled. I felt like I was just an ordinary person, as ordinary as they came. ¡°Steven and Simeon also have this so¨Ccalled genius illness,¡± Zion said helplessly, sitting nearby. ¡°These geniuses are different from us. They¡¯re quite lonely, and nobody can understand them, yet they exhibit extraordinary talents in certain areas like art, mathematics, finance, chemistry, physics, and? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. so on.¡± My hands and feet were ice¨Ccold, and a terrifying thought crossed my mind. Could someone be exploiting these genius children? And behind all this¡­ was there an even greater conspiracy at y? ¡°What kind of business was the victim involved in?¡± I whispered. ¡°He was based overseas, supposedly in the health products industry,¡± Zion replied with a cold laugh. ¡°He was probably a leader in a pyramid scheme.¡± Chapter 307 Michael¡¯s wounds had been bandaged. He walked toward me. ¡°Stephie, let¡¯s go home.¡± I was still in a daze and snapped back to reality. ¡°You go by yourself¡­¡± This murder case was bing increasinglyplex. I had no idea how Steven was doing. He must be suffering terribly under Peter¡¯s control. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The asylum was not a ce fit for people to live in. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can protect you.¡± Michael frowned, gripping my wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back with you right now.¡± I shook off his hand. Seeing Yasmin would only make me angry. I had to find a way to attend tomorrow¡¯s charity banquet and meet the president of Crowdstar Group. ¡°Have you asked Yasmin about the president of Crowdstar Group?¡± Michael threatened again when he saw I wasn¡¯t cooperating. I knew it. I looked up at him. ¡°Well, Yasmin is indeed a big mouth.¡± ¡°I can introduce you to him, and your chances of sess will be higher. You know that,¡± Michael said solemnly. Mentioning the president of Crowdstar Group made Michael displeased. He envied the president and harbored resentment toward him because this mysterious figure refused to meet him and did not give him the respect he thought he deserved. Yet, he had offered his help in the past. Michael felt that the president was looking down on him. ¡°Are you really being so kind?¡± I sneered. ¡°Come home with me and stay by my side. I¡¯ll introduce you to him,¡± Michael offered in a hushed tone. I frowned, knowingpromise was my only choice for now. ¡°Stephany.¡± Zion walked over after finishing a phone call. ¡°Jake¡¯s case has been suddenly dropped. He admitted to intentionally provoking Steven. The police officer handling the case is my friend. After discussing it with him, he agreed to issue a letter of understanding and bring Steven back.¡± I looked at Zion in surprise. ¡°Really?¡± Zion nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± Excitement coursed through me as I grabbed Zion¡¯s arm. ¡°Then let¡¯s go now!¡± Michael looked at me, his gazeplicated. He lowered his head and chuckled sarcastically. Zion shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s a process to follow. It won¡¯t be that quick. Don¡¯t be hasty. I¡¯ll try to expedite , things on my end.¡± I nodded. 212 Even if Steven was released, I still had to meet the president of Crowdstar Group. Only he could ensure Steven¡¯s and my safety. Coborating with this mysterious figure would secure Steven¡¯s position within the Lincoln family and make him less vulnerable. Michael¡¯s driver took us home. During the drive, Michael and I sat quietly in the back seat. He looked at me a few times, wanting to say something. ¡°Stephie, finish reading your parents¡® diary.¡± I stayed quiet as that was my n as well. ¡°Steven is on the guest list for tomorrow¡¯s charity banquet, but¡­ since he¡¯s in the asylum and as his partner, you can¡¯t attend if he¡¯s absent.¡± Michael nced at¨Cme. I looked at Michael warily, wondering how he would threaten me again. ¡°I¡¯m on the guest list too. You can attend as my partner,¡± Michael offered.. I sneered, looking at the anxious and worried Yasmin waiting in the courtyard. ¡°If I attend as your partner, what about Yasmin?¡± Michael frowned, remaining silent. As soon as we got out of the car, Yasmin rushed to us, looking worried and with tears in her eyes. ¡°Mike, I heard you got hurt. What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Michael kept his distance from Yasmin. ¡°Mike, you promised I could go with you to the charity banquet tomorrow. Our outfits have arrived. Shall we try them on?¡± Yasmin suggested quickly, afraid Michael would change his mind. Clearly, Michael had promised Yasmin before. He promised her but then tried to offer me the same thing. What a scumbag. I huffed and turned to leave. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Michael grabbed my wrist and looked at Yasmin ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I must attend with my love.¡± I was surprised that Michael wasn¡¯t being nice to Yasmin today. Chapter 308 Yasmin¡¯s face turned pale. She had been trying so hard to climb the socialdder by clinging to Michael, but now, everything was ruined? ¡°Mike, you promised me¡­¡± Yasmin said with red eyes, Michael remained silent and didn¡¯t exin. I tried hard to break free from Michael¡¯s grip, but he refused to let go. ¡°Stephanle, whether you can attend tomorrow¡¯s charity banquet and meet the president of Crowdstar Group depends on how cooperative you are today.¡± Sure enough, he didn¡¯t have that much patience. ¡°Who else can take you to the charity banquet besides me?¡± I looked at Michael. ¡°So what? Are you going to take both of us? Not a chance.¡± Michael¡¯s grip on my wrist tightened. ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡± Yasmin cried and ran away. I sneered. ¡°I¡¯m really not interested.¡± ¡°Do you have any other choice?¡± Michael asked me. To be honest, I really didn¡¯t have any other choice. ¡°Alright, Mr. Ford. What are the conditions for taking me there?¡± I looked at Michael. He wouldn¡¯t be so kind as to just take me there. ¡°Don¡¯t have this attitude toward me, Stephie¡­¡± Michael begged me. ¡°What attitude should I have toward you?¡± ¡°Can we be like before?¡± Michael pleaded. ¡°You want me to please you like before?¡± Iughed. ¡°Alright, keep on dreaming.¡± I pushed Michael¡¯s hand away and turned to leave. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Before doing anything, we had to always leave a way out for ourselves¡­ Michael had already blocked all his paths to me in the past. I went back to my room and continued reading my parents¡® diary on my bed. ¡°Today, Stephie fit in with the other kids like a regr child. It¡¯s great to see her so happy. ¡°Here is Stephie¡¯s first group photo. ¡°Stephie and Georgie. ¡°Stephie and Georgle are bing closer. Georgle only listens to Stephie now. ¡°A child purposely brought a fierce dog, frightening Stephie. Georgle got injured while trying to protect Stephie.¡± Most of the diary entries detalled the daily lives of Georgie and me growing up. ¡°Today, Stephie hid in the orphanage. Her dad couldn¡¯t find her and was very anxious. This mischievous girl makes us so worried. ¡°Stephie made a friend!¡± I could tell that my parents were very happy back then. In the photograph, young Steven, Simeon, and I were on the yground, crouching in the bushes. We seemed to be up to something. ¡°Stephie, earthworms can regrow if cut in half. Why can¡¯t people do the same?¡± ¡°When people die, they¡¯re really gone.¡± ¡°What about souls? Could they exist in other forms? Could we capture them with calctions and then¡­ put them into new bodies?¡± Suddenly, my head started hurting again. A voice exploded in my mind. Who brought up this topic? Was it Steven? Just then, someone knocked fiercely on the door. ¡°Stephany! Come out!¡± It was Yasmin. Michael must have gone out. Otherwise, Yasmin wouldn¡¯t be so bold. I didn¡¯t want to deal with Stephany. My head ached, so Iy on my bed, trying to remember something. Suddenly, the window moved, and the curtain blew in the wind. Instinctively, I looked up and saw a half¨Chidden head with big, innocent, and aggrieved eyes staring at me. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± My heart tightened like an electric shock. I stood up quickly, rubbing my eyes. Was it just my imagination? Chapter 309 He just showed half his face and was looking at me with aggrieved eyon. I rubbed my eyes, making sure it wasn¡¯t my imagination. Then, I ran over nervously. ¡°Steven¡­¡± Seeing my fear, he pushed hard against the windowsill and jumped inside. It was pretty cool, I had to say. For a moment, it felt like we were back in our youth¡­ This kind of scene seemed to happen often in the past, but I forgot. ¡°How did you¡­escape?¡± I anxiously held his face, Inspecting it carefully. There were injuries at the corners of his mouth and eyes, as well as marks on his throat from being tied up. He had clearly been strapped¡­. I nervously checked his whole body. There were red marks on his wrists and ankles, as well as wounds on his arms. I felt a little panicky and raised my hand to lift his sweater, but Steven stopped me by holding my hands. His voice was still hoarse with a hint of grievance. ¡°Stephie, they wouldn¡¯t let me see you.¡± My eyes yes reddened unconsciously. I whispered softly, ¡°Let me see¡­ Steven slowly released my hands as he looked down. I lifted his sweater, revealing clear burn marks from electric shock patches on his well¨Cdefined abs. They were just red marks, but it was evident what kind of treatment he had received at the asylum. ¡°What did they do to you?¡± I anxiously held his hand. ¡°You¡­¡± I was afraid that Peter might have brainwashed Steven and he wouldn¡¯t recognize me anymore. Steven just shook his head, pulling me into his embrace. His voice trembled. ¡°Stephie, I miss you.¡± I grabbed Steven¡¯s hand, not wanting to stay here anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Stephie¡­¡± He gripped my hand tighter. ¡°They know I¡¯lle looking for you¡­¡± My eyes reddened, knowing that Steven had escaped from the asylum. ¡°Jake has dropped the charges. We¡¯ll be able to pick you up soon. Why did you take the risk of escaping?¡± I whispered. It must have been difficult for him to escape. He must have suffered many injuries. Steven held my hand even tighter. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Afraid of what? ¡°If the body is a container that traps the soul¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Steven¡¯s voice was hoarse. When the soul and body were separate, and the soul lost control of the body, it would be painful and helpless. Psychiatrists always had medications and methods to prevent patients, even normal people, from controlling their own bodies. Just like anesthesia¡­ or the psychotropic drug gamma¨Chydroxybutyric acid,monly known as ¡°liquid ecstasy¡°. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven was calling my name, but I could hear his panic. ¡°What did they do to you?¡± My voice started to tremble too. I panicked and examined his arms carefully. Then, I found numerous needle marks. That bastard, Peter¡­. Just because Steven was a ¡°psychiatric patient, Peter could use psychotropic drugs on him recklessly. And it was considered reasonable and legal. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven held my face as if he wanted to imprint me on his soul. Even if he didn¡¯t say anything, I already guessed that he was trying hard to remember me and imprint me in his soul. Peter must have started long ago. He was trying to control Steven, make him obedient, and use something to restrain him. Just like what Peter said to Yasmin that night, he had ways to make Steven obedient. It was as if he could control everyone he wanted to control. ¡°Don¡¯t be affected¡­¡± I gripped his wrist tightly. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. He couldn¡¯t be affected by the drugs.. But how could an ordinary person¡¯s mental strength resist drugs? It was impossible. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± His breathing became rapid. I stood on my toes, holding Steven¡¯s head and pressing against his forehead. ¡°You won¡¯t forget me, right?¡± Steven fell silent for a while before shaking his head. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡± He wouldn¡¯t forget me, and he wouldn¡¯t fail to recognize me. Chapter 310 ¡°Stephie, trust me. Steven tried hard to make me believe him. ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded. I would believe you. ¡°Let¡¯s go home¡­¡± I whispered. Steven¡¯s fingers were already trembling. I guessed that he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. As expected, as soon as we walked out the door, Michael and the people from the asylum arrived. They were right on time. ¡°He escaped from the asylum. I thought he¡¯de looking for you,¡± Michael said in a deep voice, his frown deepening as he cast a cold gaze toward Steven. ¡°Jake has already dropped the charge. The formalities will bepleted soon. I want to take him home. He doesn¡¯t need to be hospitalized!¡± I slowly tightened my grip on Steven¡¯s hand. I wouldn¡¯t let him be taken away again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, our hospital has its own rules, Peter said as he entered from outside. Peter seemed very calm, as if he had deliberately released a pet trying to escape and was waiting to take him back. He nced deeply at Steven and smiled. ¡°Steven, it¡¯s time to go back. Have you forgotten what we talked about?¡± I subconsciously turned to Steven. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. Don¡¯t look at him¡­¡± I suspected Peter was hypnotizing Steven. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Steven¡¯s fingers stiffened, slowly releasing my hand. My heart almost jumped to my throat. I frantically shook my head at Steven. ¡°Peter, you bastard! What did you do to him?¡± I went crazy and tried to hit Peter but was grabbed by the cor from behind. I turned around in shock and looked at Steven fearfully. He pulled me into his embrace, holding me tightly. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, but protecting me had be his instinct. My eyes burned with rage as I red at Peter. ¡°You lunatic¡­¡± Peter frowned, seemingly also in disbelief. He lowered his voice and asked the doctor beside him, ¡°What dosage?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already increased the dosage¡­¡± The doctor replied anxiously. Peter nced at the time. ¡°Heh¡­¡± He sneered. ¡°Once gamma¨Chydroxybutyric acid enters the body, the chemical components in the drug will induce the prization effect of neurons, changing the positive and negative electrodes inside and outside the cell membrane¡­¡± I stared at Peter warily, my breath trembling. ¡°This will cause ion channel blockage and slow down the transmission of messages between the brain. and the central nervous system¡­ ¡°Within a few minutes, normal people will experience a decrease in brain excitability and suppression of physical sensations. It¡¯s just like being drunk¡­¡± I clenched my fists tightly and looked back at Steven with red eyes. He could hardly stand up and was leaning against me, yet he was stubbornly protecting me. His eyes were bloodshot. ¡°As his blood sugar levels rise, his breathing and heartbeat will slow down¡­¡± Peter calmly described what Steven¡¯s condition should have been.. ¡°But from the time we used psychotropic drugs reasonably during the onset of his illness until he escaped the asylum and found you, a total of 23 minutes had passed.¡± What shocked Peter was Steven¡¯s control over his own body and the high degree of concentration of his mental power. For Peter, this was a terrifying phenomenon because no one could resist chemical drugs. When injected withrge doses of drugs, a person would enter a state of extreme dizziness, with their intelligence and memory gradually fading. They would be like an unconscious baby. They would be easy to manipte¡­ Furthermore, during Steven¡¯s stay at the asylum, Peter not only controlled him with drugs but also employed psychological intervention and hypnosis therapy to cause mental disturbance. ¡°I want to see how long he can hold on.¡± Peter suddenly became interested and stopped the people. around him from grabbing Steven. He smiled at me and looked at the time. ¡°Steven,e here.¡± His voice was like the bell in Pavlov¡¯s dog experiment, causing a person to lose consciousness and obey hismands gradually. I knew Peter was provoking me. He wanted me to know that human emotions could never resist chemical drugs. Chapter 311 ¡°Dr. Jones¡­¡± The doctor next to him hesitated as this was clearly inhumane.. No conscientious doctor would want to torture a mental patient like this. Steven was a mental patient, but he was also a human being. They looked away but didn¡¯t dare to speak up. In Huma Psychiatric Hospital, apart from the dean, Peter had the most power and Influence. Not to mention, Peter was the dean¡¯s son¨Cinw. No one dared to defy or question him. Peter nced coldly at the doctor. ¡°This kind of experimental data is hard toe by.¡± I held Steven¡¯s hand tightly and red angrily at Peter. ¡°You¡¯re the real monster.¡± Peter just looked at me with an inscrutable expression. On the side, Michael seemed to understand that something was wrong with Steven. ¡°Dr. Jones, you just need to take Steven back as soon as possible. There¡¯s no need to¡­¡± ¡°Mike,¡± Yasmin interjected with teary eyes as she saw Michael wanting to intervene. ¡°Mike, when Steven goes crazy, it¡¯s too scary. Let¡¯s not interfere. The doctor must have his reasons.¡± Michael frowned and subconsciously nced at me. He seemed to want me to beg him. It looked like he would continue to speak for me as long as I begged Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. him. But I didn¡¯t. I just held Steven¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Can you hold on? Let¡¯s go home?¡± Steven¡¯s breathing became heavier, and his eyes gradually lost focus. He was like a walking corpse, numb and soulless. The chemical drugs could imprison his soul and paralyze his body¡­. Peter raised the corners of his mouth, knowing that the drugs had taken effect. ¡°Steven,e here,¡± he spoke again. His voice held a hint of excitement, as if he was conducting some kind of bizarre experiment. Steven¡¯s body stiffened for a moment. His brows slightly furrowed, as if he was trying hard to endure and resist something. He released the hand that had been protecting me.. At that moment, I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears¡­ I hugged him helplessly, not wanting him to be controlled by the drugs but knowing there was nothing I could do. This wasn¡¯t his intention. ¡°Steven, push her away ande back with me,¡± Peter said again. Steven pushed me away and walked forward. The doctors from the psychiatric hospital let out a sigh of rellef. It seemed there was nothing special after all, just that he was a bit more resistant to drugs than the average patient. Peter raised the corners of his mouth triumphantly, provoking me even more with his gaze. ¡°Michael, watch out for her.¡± He was warning Michael to keep an eye on me. Michael came forward, trying to take my hand. ¡°Stephle, Steven should go back and continue his treatment.¡± ¡°Do you know what Europeans considered the most effective treatment for mental patients in the mid- 20th century?¡± Peter turned back, intentionally provoking me. I I clenched my fists tightly. ¡°Lobotomy¡­¡± Peter pointed to his brain. ¡°Peter! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± I lost control and rushed at him. At that moment, I really wanted to kill him. Michael wrapped his arms around me, trapping me in his embrace. ¡°Stephie! Calm down!¡± I knew Peter was provoking me. He didn¡¯t have the right to perform such surgery on Steven, but I was still afraid¡­ These people¡¯s fearlessness would make them disregard thew. Suddenly, I understood what Steven had said before. We could run away, but we couldn¡¯t escape forever. Stephie¡­ The escape he mentioned and the enemy he feared¡­ Perhaps it was not humans but these chemical drugs that could control the human body, nerves, and cells. Just like how no one could resist anesthetics, not even wild animals. ¡°Stephanie, he¡¯s a mental patient. He should stay in the asylum. Don¡¯t let him out to harm others,¡± Yasmin said with a cold smile, mocking me as if she had won. Probably because I was agitated, I pushed Michael away, and my breathing became rapid. My mind went nk once again¡­ As before, when I regained consciousness, everyone looked at me in fear. My hands were so painful they went numb, and they kept shaking uncontrobly. I had smashed ss, letting the ss shards cut into my hands. I stood there with blood covering my hands. My voice was trembling as I called out to Steven. ¡°Steven¡­ let¡¯s go home.¡± Chnote: 311: He was following Peter numbly but stopped in his tracks after smelling the blood. Chapter 312 If protecting me was his instinct, would he be more lucid if I harmed myself? ¡°Stephanie Michael looked at me in panic, urgently calling for Angel to bring me the medical kit. I frantically pushed Michael away and picked up the ss shard from the floor. ¡®Steven! Let¡¯s go home!¡± Just as I was about to stab my neck with the ss shard, Steven¡¯s hand suddenly lifted and grabbed the bloodied ss from my hand. ¡°Psycho! Both of them are psychos¡­ Yasmin retreated in fear and fell down to the ground, fainting from the shock Her forehead was bleeding Only then did I realize I had grabbed her hair and smashed her head into the ss. ¡°Ms. Bailey¡± the butler eximed. Michael didn¡¯t have time to think about it. He rushed over to check on Yasmin¡¯s condition. I didn¡¯t care whether Yasmin lived or died. My hands trembled as I held Steven¡¯s face, my forehead pressed against his, speaking softly, ¡°Steven, let¡¯s go home¡­¡± Peter couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. He stared at Steven and me with cold eyes. Then, he laughed maniacally. Outside the courtyard, a car screeched to a halt. Zion, Rachel, and Eason had arrived. Eason saw Steven and me with blood on our hands and angrily pulled out a document. ¡°Jake has dropped the charge. Steven only got violent because he was provoked! ¡°We don¡¯t believe that Stevencks the ability to control his actions. He¡¯s still a natural person. His guardian will decide whether he stays or leaves!¡± I breathed a sigh of relief. They were finally here¡­ I had sent Zion a distress message when we wereing downstairs. I hadn¡¯t expected Eason toe to help Steven¡­ ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Rachel rushed over in panic, looking at my hands. I smiled at her and shook my head. We had finally¡­ won for once. Before Peter arrogantly took Steven away, our helpers had arrived. Peter looked at me coldly, his smile still ying on his lips as if to tell me that we could never escape. wonload Steven for a moment. ¡°That lunatic gave him some kinds of drugs,¡± I whispered. Eason got furious and punched Peter. ¡°It seems you¡¯re the one who needs mental treatment. Who allowed you to drug him?¡± Peter wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth,ughing coldly. ¡°If you think the use of drugs is unreasonable, feel free to report me to the Health Commission or other departments.¡± Eason gritted his teeth. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll report you.¡± Peterughed and left confidently. He was confident that all his actions and treatments were reasonable. ¡°Steven, let¡¯s go home¡­¡± I took Steven¡¯s hand. He looked dazed but obediently followed me like a puppet. ¡°Stephie!¡± Michael was holding Yasmin as he rushed to the hospital, but he anxiously shouted my name, hoping I wouldn¡¯t leave with Steven. ¡°Take care of yourself and the woman in your arms. Next time, I won¡¯t just use her head to break the ss, ¡°I warned coldly, leading Steven into the car. ¡°Hey, I heard that these drugs can make people obedient and do whatever they¡¯re told,¡± Eason said excitedly as he got in the car, looking at Steven with great interest. ¡°Steven, you¡¯ve been drugged. Be a good boy and call me ¡®Master¡®.¡± I looked at Eason with a headache, tolerating him only because he had just punched Peter. But he had gone too far. While Steven was unconscious, he tried to pinch Steven¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve always been jealous of you, genius. You¡¯re so handsome. Let me, your master, touch you a bit,¡± Eason muttered. ¡°This opportunity won¡¯te again.¡± Suddenly, Eason¡¯s screams filled the car as Steven fiercely bit Eason¡¯s hand, refusing to let go as if he had gone mad. I was startled and quickly tried to pry Steven¡¯s jaw open. ¡°Steven, be good. If you keep biting, his finger will break¡­¡± Eason cried out in pain, cursing under his breath, ¡°Damn it! Did Peter give him expired drugs? Let go! Steven, you damn¡­! ¡°Okay, okay, you¡¯re my master! Steven, I was wrong! Let go, Master!¡± I felt pity for Steven, but Eason¡¯s words made meugh. I found myselfughing even as tears streamed down my face. This time, we had won. But what about the next? I held Steven tightly. How could I protect Steven better? Chapte 312. Suddenly, arge truck sped out of an alley, heading straight for us. At that moment, Steven¡¯s stiff body suddenly wrapped around me protectively. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. My breathing quickened as my consciousness began to fade. Protecting me¡­ had be Steven¡¯s instinct. Steven¡­ Chapter 313 Damn it¡­ As the car was hit, I could still hear Zion cursing¡­ I felt warmth on my face. Looking up, I saw St face. He was protecting me, holding me tightly. Blood dripped from his forehead, down his chin, and onto my face. ¡°Steven¡­¡± Perhaps because of the drugs, his consciousness was hazy. ¡°Zion¡­ there are more of them!¡± I heard Eason¡¯s panicked voice, which sounded distant. A dozen people got out of the truck that had crashed into us. Clearly, they were targeting Steven and me. ¡°Steven¡­¡± I panicked, calling out his name anxiously. The deformed car door was forcefully ripped open. Eason and Zion were trapped and unable to escape. ¡°What are you doing? Police!¡± Eason shouted angrily, but those people seemed unfazed. Steven and I were dragged out of the car, and blood blurred my vision. ¡°Steven¡­¡± Suddenly, someone hit me on the head with a baton. The ringing in my ears grew louder as my Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. consciousness slowly faded. ¡°Steven¡­¡± When I woke up again, my head was throbbing painfully. I called out Steven¡¯s name, but I couldn¡¯t see anything clearly in the darkness. Suddenly, the lights in the warehouse lit up. I saw the person who had walked in. It was Dax Lincoln. He was released? It seemed Ignatius used some connections. Dax was known for holding grudges. He must have been waiting to vent his anger. My head ached terribly as I nervously looked around. That bastard tied my hands and feet. I couldn¡¯t escape now¡­ ¡°Bring him in Daxmanded in a deep voice as he pinched my chin. His henchmen dragged the bloodled Steven from the other room and threw him to the side. The effects of the drug hadn¡¯t yet worn off, and Steven was still unconscious. ¡°Dax!¡± I screamed, trying to get to Steven to check on him. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Dax grabbed my hair andughed hysterically. ¡°You chose a lunatic. It¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°Dax! You kidnapped-¡± Dax pped me hard. I fell heavily to the ground, my vision darkening and my ears ringing again. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven was awakened by the ssh of cold water, and he called out my name. Perhaps they knew Steven had been drugged and couldn¡¯t fight back due to his injuries, so they didn¡¯t tie him up. They only pressed his head to the ground. ¡°Let him go¡­¡± I shouted anxiously, praying that Zion and Eason would find us soon. Even if Dax were crazy, he wouldn¡¯t dare attack the police. Zion and Eason would definitely find us¡­ ¡°Steven, you¡¯ve been ying a deep game, huh?¡± Daxughed, picking up a baton from the ground and hitting Steven¡¯s back hard. ¡°You¡¯ve been colluding with Ewan for a long time, right? You¡¯ve been tunneling the Lincoln family, trying to take it over. You even nted a spy by my side to betray me!¡± Dax hit Steven hard with another baton. Chapter 314 ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if you push me too far, I won¡¯t be the only one who won¡¯t survive!¡± Dax threatened viciously. ¡°Let him go! Stop hitting him¡­¡± I screamed hysterically as I was pinned to the ground. Steven was already injured. If Dax kept hitting him, he could die. Steven spat out blood and stared at Dax with cold eyes. ¡°Steven¡­¡± I cried out his name. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Steven struggled with all his might, but he hadn¡¯t regained his strength yet. He looked at me pitifully. He clenched his fists tightly, desperately trying to regain his strength. ¡°Aren¡¯t you quite capable? Huh? Why don¡¯t you act tough with me now? Show me!¡± Dax threw away his cigarette and kicked Steven hard. I cried and shook my head, looking at Steven with anguish. ¡°Do you know¡­ why Martin bailed you out but didn¡¯t let you get close to the Lincoln Group?¡± Steven His arms were tied up, and the blood on his lips contrasted sharply with his pale face. ¡°Because¡­ apart from you, he has another illegitimate child. He¡¯s a promising finance student from the prestigious Huma University, a truly¡­ clean and unblemished heir.¡± Stevenughed cruelly. Dax had been a pawn that Martin was ready to abandon from the very beginning. I wasn¡¯t very clear about the Lincoln family¡¯s situation, but Dax¡¯s sudden attack on me and Steven must have been triggered by something. If it were Martin¡¯s people, it would have been enough to kill me and Steven during the car ident. There would be no need to capture us. ¡°That old fool wants to sacrifice me to save his son. He wants me to bear all the me alone?¡± Dax Apparently, he already knew that he was the pawn. ¡°All of this¡­ It was all your calction, wasn¡¯t it? You purposely intensified the conflicts within the Lincoln family, making us help you eliminate James and Ignatius. Then, you watched us tear each other apart. You were watching the Lincoln family slowly fall into ruin.¡± Dax suddenly understood and took a step back,ughing maniacally as he looked at Steven with a hint of fear in his eyes. He was afraid of Steven? How was that possible¡­ Steven had been wandering all this time¡­ Chapte 314 ¡°You really are a lunatic¡­¡± Dax¡¯s eyes filled with fear, gripping the baton in his hand tightly. ¡°As long as kill you, it¡¯ll all be over.¡± I looked at Dax in horror, struggling and secretly untying the rope behind me. ¡°Dax! What¡¯s gotten into you? He¡¯s been wandering all this time. How could he plot against you? The Lincoln family has done so much evil. You¡¯re reaping what you sow. Why put the me on Steven? Don¡¯t you dare kill him!¡± Dax sneered and nced at me, walking over to grab my hair. ¡°Since you¡¯re a lunatic¡­ I want to see if you have any weaknesses.¡± A hint of panic shed in Steven¡¯s eyes. He struggled with all his might. ¡°Dax! I¡¯m the one plotting against you and the Lincoln family! Come at me!¡± Daxughed maniacally, perhaps realizing he was driven to a dead end. He couldn¡¯t inherit the Lincoln Group and clear his name. He would always be a pawn in Martin¡¯s hand, serving Martin¡¯s illegitimate son forever. He had to live on the edge every day, risking his life in exchange for the glory of the illegitimate son? Why? ¡°You care about her baby, right?¡± Dax¡¯s batonnded on my stomach. My breath froze for a moment. I looked at Dax in terror. Steven struggled frantically, like a caged beast. ¡°Dax¡­ If you dare touch her, I swear I¡¯ll make you regret being born¡­¡± Dax raised an eyebrow. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you can do.¡± Dax lifted the baton and smashed it hard against my stomach. ¡°Dax!¡± Steven went berserk, breaking free from the person restraining him. His pale face was streaked with blood as he punched the person next to him in the face. He looked like a caged beast that had been. released. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Dax still couldn¡¯t believe it when Steven punched him in the face. Steven had been drugged and shouldn¡¯t have had the strength to resist or struggle. I was in so much pain that I couldn¡¯t even make a sound. I curled up my body. My forehead was covered in cold sweat. Tears had unknowingly wet my eyes. I breathed heavily, trying to calm myself down. I knew¡­ I had lost my baby. Chapte 315 Chapter 315 ¡°Steven¡­¡± My voice was hoarse as I called his name. He punched Dax in the face again and again, like a madman. The others were frightened by Steven¡¯s madness. The one w¡­ ground by Steven with a baton. pproached him was knocked to the At that moment, he seemed like a beast that had lost its humanity and was intent on killing everyone. ¡°Steven¡­¡± I called his name, trying to bring him back to his senses. I didn¡¯t want him to be sent back to the asylum. Perhaps he heard my cry. His body suddenly stiffened, and he dropped the baton from his hand. Covered in blood, he stumbled toward me and then copsed to the ground. He held me tightly in his arms and covered my eyes. He was trembling and helpless like a child who had done something wrong. ¡°Stephie¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t look¡­¡± I cried in his arms, my skirt soaked with blood. ¡°My stomach¡­ It hurts so much.¡± Was I destined to be childless? Or was this just my fate¡­ At first, I wanted this child only to have an heir for the Lincoln family so that I could use the Lincoln family¡¯s power and Ignatius¡® status to do what I wanted to do. I wanted to escape and find out the truth behind the murders¡­ But slowly, as I attended each prenatal check¨Cup, the reality of bing a mother sank in. I started looking forward to the child¡¯s birth¡­ I instinctively protected my belly when something happened and used all my maternal instincts to protect the child. But now, I might not be able to protect this little life anymore. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± My consciousness drifted, and I could feel Steven trembling. His voice was filled with tears and grievance. I didn¡¯t know why fate treated him like this. Why did it make him endure so much pain? Now, he had to watch his own child slowly disappear¡­ What on earth could make him live a good life? What was the root of the problem? ¡°Steven¡­ what are you doing? Are you trying to kill him¡­¡± I saw Steven put me down, pick up the baton from the ground, and walk toward Dax, who couldn¡¯t get up. Dax looked at Steven in horror and tried to resist. However, Steven was not only ruthless in fights but also skilled very move was aimed at the fatal points of his opponent. Dax¡¯s henchmen couldn¡¯t get up either. No one could protect him at this moment. ¡°Steven¡­.. you can¡¯t kill me¡­ Ah!¡± A scream rang out. I tried desperately to reach out and stop Steven, but I was in too much pain to speak. *Stephanie! Steven!¡± The warehouse door was mmed open. Eason and Zion finally arrived¡­ Steven didn¡¯t even turn his head and smashed the baton hard on Dax¡¯s head. ¡°Steven¡­¡± I cried out, raising my hand. Finally, I lost consciousness. I didn¡¯t know how long I had been unconscious. In my dream, I saw a baby being taken away. I cried and screamed, trying to get the baby back, but they were moving too fast. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t keep up. I could only watch helplessly as they disappeared¡­ ¡°Steven, I hate myself. I¡¯m the one who deserves to die. ¡®Steven, this is my punishment. ¡®Steven, I killed them all¡­ Can you hide me, please? ¡°Steven¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡± In my dream, I seemed to be constantly calling Steven¡¯s name. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. I said I killed people, and I saw blood on my hands. ¡°How can I save them¡­¡± ¡°Steven, we can¡¯t escape. Even if we do, our conscience and nightmares will chase us into the very fires of hell. Steven¡­ I was wrong. I did something wrong. I have to pay the price. No one is an exception, so I can¡¯t escape anymore.¡± My trembling fingers touched Steven¡¯s face. In the dream, Steven¡¯s face was clear and pale. Chapter 316 ¡°Please don¡¯t die¡­ Please.¡± ¡°Stephie, don¡¯t leave me alone.¡± ¡°Stephis¡­¡± ¡°Steven!¡± I screamed in my dream. I was watching him lying in a pool of blood, slowly disappearing. I woke up in terror, breathing heavily as I stared at the ceiling. I was in the hospital¡­ ¡°Steven¡­¡± I looked around anxiously. Zion was asleep and woke up with a start when he heard my voice. He was injured, with bandages on his head and arm. ¡°Stephany!¡± ¡°Steven¡­¡± My voice was hoarse as I called his name. ¡°He¡¯s fine. Due to the drugs and his injuries, he¡¯s been unconscious for a long time. He woke up once but passed out again. The doctor said to let him sleep for a bit longer,¡± Zion quickly reassured me. I let out a sigh of relief and held Zion¡¯s hand with my cold fingers. ¡°My baby¡­¡± Zion hesitated for a moment, lowering his head with a hint of guilt. He didn¡¯t say anything, but I already understood¡­ My baby was gone. ¡°But¡­ losing this baby might save Steven,¡± Zion whispered, rubbing his brows. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my voice was choked. ¡°Steven¡­¡± ¡°Dax is dead¡­¡± Zion¡¯s voice was low. Dax was dead. It was impossible for Steven to spare Dax in his state of rage. Dax had caused a car ident, kidnapped us, and hit my pregnant belly in front of Steven. Steven killed him to protect me. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡­ Martin was pretty ruthless. He took advantage of the situation and pushed all of the Lincoln family¡¯s illegal ck market dealings onto Dax. T ¡°Martin¡¯s criminal activities, which had been monitored by the police for years, were finally cleared up after Dax¡¯s death. This also means that Martin will do everything he can topete with you for control of the Lincoln Group.¡± Zion was a bit anxious. Business wars could be dark too¨Ckilling without bloodshed, using others as a knife. ¡°Since your child is gone, then the heir of the Lincoln family is also gone. Steven has a mental illness. You¡® know it¡¯s hard for him to take over the Lincoln Group. So, the Lincoln Group can only be temporarily managed by Martin, and slowly¡­¡± Zion felt that Martin had won this time. I clenched my fists tightly and took a deep breath. ¡°He killed my child and wants to reap the benefits? He¡¯s dreaming.¡± ¡°I advise you not to confront him head¨Con. You and Steven are no match for him.¡± Zion thought Steven and I were too vulnerable. ¡°I still have one more option¡­¡± I said hoarsely, looking at Zion. ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± He looked at me anxiously. ¡°The charity banquet of the Huma business circle, when does it start?¡± I propped up my body, trying to sit up. I felt extremely dizzy. After that hit to the head, I had a concussion. ¡°Are you crazy? You just had a miscarriage and have a concussion! What are you trying to do?¡± Zion tried to stop me in a panic. I shook my head. ¡°I have to go¡­¡± I had to see the president of Crowdstar Group. ¡°Why?¡± Zion frowned. ¡°I want to protect Steven¡­¡± My eyes reddened as I looked at Zion. ¡°I want to protect Steven.¡± I had already lost my child. I couldn¡¯t lose Steven too. I couldn¡¯t just watch him being bullied, hurt, and used by others. ¡°I don¡¯t want to continue like this. We have no ability to resist, no power, no leverage to bargain with. Anyone can bully and hurt us¡­¡± I looked at Zion emotionally, tears swirling in my eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see them take Steven away while I stand by helplessly! ¡°I want to protect him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Rachel¡¯s voice came from the door. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. She had red eyes and was holding a lunchbox. She said softly, ¡°There are still three hours until the charity banquet. You need to eat first.¡± I looked at Rachel and smiled at her. She understood me¡­ Zion frowned. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let her go.¡± ¡°Do you think that if they surrender, retreat, andpromise, Martin will just let them go? They took Stephie¡¯s child today. Tomorrow, they could take Steven¡¯s life! As long as Steven is alive, they can still have another child, right?¡± Rachel yelled at Zion. Zion also fell silent. ¡°Alright, I understand. Don¡¯t get cold. If you don¡¯t feel well,e back immediately. Chapter 317 ¡°Stephie¡­ When Steven woke up, his face was as pale as a corpse. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Stephie!¡± Steven sat up in a panic, reaching to pull out the IV nece in his hand. ¡°Steven, are you crazy?¡± Eason stopped Steven and yelled angrily, ¡°Hold still!¡± Eason¡¯s fingers were wrapped in gauze. He was badly bitten by Steven in the car earlier. ¡°Get lost!¡± Steven pushed Eason away, forcefully pulling out the IV needle and rushing out of the ward. ¡°Steven, stop being so crazy!¡± Eason pushed Steven hard. Steven red at Eason angrily. ¡°You promised¡­ that you would protect her for me. That¡¯s why I agreed to your n!¡± Steven¡¯s voice was trembling as he grabbed Eason¡¯s cor and punched him in the face with a bloodied fist. But now? Stephie and his child were gone¡­ Eason fell to the ground, wiping the blood from his mouth. He felt a bit guilty. ¡°This¡­ was my fault. You suddenly ran out of the asylum, and I was caught off guard. I didn¡¯t have time to prepare. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Dax to lose control and go after you and Stephany just because Martin provoked him.. ¡°You deserve to die too¡­¡± Steven¡¯s emotions were out of control as he grabbed Eason¡¯s cor and punched him again. Eason was also frustrated. ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted to prove your innocence. You almost died for Stephanie before. And now, you¡¯re doing it all over again for a fake one¡­ ¡°Stop hitting me¡­ I was wrong, okay? I owe you one for this¡­ ¡°Stop hitting my face!¡± I stood at the door, my fingers tingling. It was Eason who asked Steven to go into the asylum? What had Steven done for me all this time? ¡°Steven¡­¡± I called out his name softly, my voice hoarse. Steven¡¯s body stiffened. He looked up at me helplessly and lowered his head nervously. He wanted to run over and hug me, but he was afraid I would me him. So, he lowered his head and dared not speak. I walked over. Ignoring Eason¡¯s swollen face, I choked out the words, ¡°Steven¡­ hug me.¡± Steven¡¯s eyes welled up with tears in an instant. He stood up and saw me with my arms open. He suddenly pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. Eason wanted to exin further, but he was stopped by Zion and Rachel. They each gave him a kick before dragging him out by the cor. The door of the ward closed. We listened to each other¡¯s heartbeats in the enclosed and quiet environment. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Steven med himself, holding my hand tightly. He hated himself. He hated himself for not protecting me. All idents could not be fully predicted, and life was the same. idents happened. But we couldn¡¯t let idents stop us from moving forward. ¡°Steven, we have to live on¡­¡± I whispered, patting Steven¡¯s back. ¡°Our baby¡­ was just Martin¡¯s first warning to us.¡± The old dogs hunt the best. Martin could reach his current position, even going so far as to use one of his ipetent sons as a pawn. This showed how deep and ruthless his schemes were. ¡°Even if Martin sessfully takes over the Lincoln Group now, the shares of the Lincoln Group are still in our hands¡­¡± I took a deep breath and looked up at Steven. ¡°We need support.¡± I looked at Steven seriously. At this point, if we didn¡¯t have strong support and partners, we would be too passive in front of Martin. Ewan told me that the president of Crowdstar Group is someone Martin wants to curry favor with. We have the shares of the Lincoln Group in our hands, and we¡¯re easier to control than Martin. ¡°Martin, who has a dark history, will run into trouble sooner orter. If the president of Crowdstar Group is smart, he should know what to choose.¡± I was confident that if I met with the president of Crowdstar Group, I could convince him to coborate with us instead of taking a risk by working with Martin. Chapter 318 Steven paused, then looked at Ewan who had been standing at the door. Stephie, let Ewan do it.¡± I paused. I wondered if Ewan could handle it alone. ¡°Trust Ewan. He¡¯s a professional,¡± Steven whispered, tightening his grip around me. ¡°Let him handle it¡­¡± I nced at Ewan, who nodded at me apologetically. He must have felt bad for not protecting me on behalf of Steven. ¡°Sir, Mrs. Lincoln, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of the charity banquet.¡± He remained outside, but I could see the injuries on his face and arm. Since Steven was admitted to the asylum, Ewan had be exceptionally busy. I didn¡¯t know what Ewan had been up to, but it felt¡­ as if he and Steven were hiding a lot from me. I wondered if Dax was right about how Steven had been scheming against the Lincoln family the entire time. Could that be true? ¡°This is the only chance that we¡¯ll ever get anytime soon.¡± I looked at Ewan again. I needed assurance that he couldplete the task. Ewan nodded. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Roger that.¡± I sighed in relief after seeing Ewan¡¯s confidence. ¡°Good¡­¡± ¡°Go lie down in bed and stop walking around. And you! Why did you remove the IV drip?¡± The nurse walked in and got angry when she saw the dried blood on Steven¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re an adult. Don¡¯t you know to call for a nurse to remove the needle for you?¡± The nurse lectured Steven. Meanwhile, Steven held me tightly and refused to let go. ¡°Be good¡­ It¡¯s time for your injection,¡± I coaxed him softly. ¡°No¡­¡± Steven choked up, but he insisted. He looked guilty. ¡°Why don¡¯t I apany you?¡± coaxed Steven to lie down and sat beside him. After the nurse was done, Steven pulled me into his arms. He hugged me in silence, and I remained silent in his embrace. I felt tears fall on my forehead. He was crying. ¡°Stever¡­.¡± I silently called out to him, only to look up and find him asleep. He could only remain conscious for a short time and would fall into deep sleep shortly after. The doctor said that Steven had a lot of psychoactive drugs in his system, and they would affect his senses¡­ ¡°Let him sleep. He¡¯ll be better when he wakes up,¡± Eason whispered by the bed. ¡°Why was Steve admitted to the asylum?¡± I frowned and stared cautiously at Eason. ¡°Because Stephanie¡­¡± Eason hesitated but continued, ¡°I found out about some things¡­ Stephanie may not have been The Perfect Victim. She may have been a killer.¡± Frowning, I stared at Eason in disbelief. ¡°Are you mad?¡± ¡°Steven said Stephanie was not the killer, and the truth is hidden within the asylum. He promised to uncover the truth and the murderer for me.¡± Eason nced at Steven, who was asleep. ¡°He really did¡­ give everything up for Stephanie¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°What evidence is there that made you suspect Stephanie to be the killer?¡± I looked at Eason warily. ¡°I discovered some things.¡± Eason looked at me and frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you care that Steven assumed you to be a recement?¡± ¡°Focus!¡± I interrupted Eason. Eason shrugged. ¡°Fine. Have you heard about the case of the missing teenagers from the market? The daughter of the killer thatmitted suicide had gone missing then too.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with Stephanie?¡± Suddenly, I felt nervous and subconsciously tightened my grip. Chapter 319 ¡°When the police were investigating the missing teenagers, they discovered that all the teenagers left their homes by their own will. ¡°They all went somewhere without surveince cameras and disappeared. There was surveince footage of their faces, but their eyes were lifeless. They were obviously drugged.¡± Eason handed me the investigation report. ¡°And they were all in contact with Stephanie.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. I snapped up to look at Eason. ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°All the missing teenagers had Asperger¡¯s syndrome and were particrly talented in a specific field. However, they were born to have social difficulties and refused tomunicate with others. ¡°Their parents would hire simr¨Caged tutors to help them adapt to society. When Stephanie was still a minor, she was their tutor.¡± Eason frowned. He was confident that Stephanie must have had something to do with the teenagers¡® disappearance. ¡°How is that possible¡­¡± My head was throbbing, and I could hear a ringing in my ear. ¡°Stephanie was just a normal student. How could she tutor geniuses¡­¡± I refused to believe in what he said. I was no genius; I was just an average student. I was just another student who was preparing for the college entrance exam. ¡°That was a disguise.¡± Eason scoffed. He looked up photos of a few yellowed exam papers on his phone. *These are exam questions for the advanced ss. Steven may have written the questions, but look at who answered the questions.¡± I took Eason¡¯s phone and gasped because it looked like my handwriting. ¡°Stephanie was a genius. A genius who pretended to be average, Eason said icily. He believed that Stephanie was more than what she seemed on the outside. ¡°I got these photos from Steven. He treasured them a lot. Even though he refused to admit it was Stephanie who answered the questions, you can¡¯t alter the handwriting. ¡°Stephanie got everything right. She was a monster who scored full marks.¡± In Eason¡¯s opinion: humans couldnt possibly score full marks in the advanced ss. To him, Stephanie Was a monster. Nobody suspected Stephanie since she died. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve been rather suspicious, ¡°Stephanie was a genius. She was very talented in chemistry. She could formte various psychoactive drugs with raw materials, which allowed her to control people. That way, no police report would be done, and the police wouldn¡¯t know where to start.¡± Eason must have added his deductions. He deduced that Stephanie had created some psychoactive drug to control the teenagers with Asperger¡¯s syndrome so that they would leave their homes voluntarily. Then, she kidnapped them at a remote location. As I held Eason¡¯s phone, my fingers trembled. That was impossible. I refused to believe him. I must¡¯ve been a minor then. How could I possibly have done such things? I had no memories of such things¡­ ¡°My head hurts¡­¡± Suddenly, my head began to ache tremendously. ¡°Stephany?¡± Eason saw that I was stumbling. He stared cautiously at me. I leaned against the bed. My head hurt so much that I started to feel dizzy. ¡°Stephie!¡± Michael rushed in hurriedly. He must¡¯ve heard about the ident and how Steven took me away. Michael red at Eason before carrying me away. I was too weak to fight back. My head felt like it was about to explode. ¡°Stephie, are you okay?¡± When I regained consciousness, Michael was seated next to my bed. He gazed at me anxiously, looking very worried. ¡°I told you. He can¡¯t protect you,¡± he whispered. He sounded guilty and regretful. He implied that I shouldn¡¯t have left the Ford residence and left with Steven. I ignored Michael and closed my eyes again. A voice in my head told me what he actually meant. ¡°You can¡¯t run, Stephanie. You can¡¯t run.¡± Chapter 320 ¡°Is Stephany awake?¡± As Eason walked in, he asked Zion and Rachel, who were standing by the door. Rachel rolled her eyes at Eason. ¡°What did you say to trigger her again?¡± Eason looked at her innocently. ¡°I just told her about Stephanie! I suspect Stephanie used to be a genius and that she must¡¯ve been behind the teenagers who disappeared!¡± Rachel looked at Eason as if he were crazy. ¡°Are you mad? Stephanie was a good student and had good grades. And she was always at the top of our ss. But she¡¯s far from being a genius! ¡°Also, she would even mourn over a dead stray cat. How can you use her of being responsible for the missing people?¡± ¡°That was after the ident.¡± Eason felt frustrated. ¡°Have you ever thought of the possibility that Stephanie was only putting up a disguise post¨Cident, hiding her talents and pretending to be an average person? ¡°Do you really think that Stephanie was innocent?¡± Eason looked at Zion. ¡°You should investigate Stephanie.¡± ¡°She¡¯s too clean¡­¡± Actually, Zion has had his suspicions. ¡°Stephanie and the Carlson family¡¯s profiles were too clean. They operated a small business, yet they insisted on doing charity even when they were on the brink of bankruptcy. ¡°They¡¯re kind¡­ but something feels off.¡± ¡°Something¡¯s not right with the Carlson family. Something¡¯s up with Stephanie too,¡± Eason sneered. ¡°You¡¯re a bunch of madmen. Why are you criticizing and suspecting the good people? You can¡¯t even Identify the killer. How useless¡­¡± Rachel softly cursed. ¡°You failed to find the killer, so you¡¯re pushing the me to the victim. Why don¡¯t you say that Stephanie knocked herself out, killed herself, then put herself up to be disyed in a ss cab?¡± Eason and Zion were silent. There wasn¡¯t sufficient evidence. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°But there¡¯s one thing¡­ Steven¡¯s direction was right. He said that if he entered the asylum, a murder case would happen again. Everything was pointed toward Martin Lincoln¡­¡± Eason looked at Zion. Steven voluntarily admitted himself into the asylum to prove Stephanie¡¯s Innocence. He did it so that Martin would drop his guard and reveal his true colors. But they didn¡¯t have sufficient evidence at proved Martin to be behind the two murder cases. ¡°He¡¯s crazy,¡± Michael cursed Steven. I turned my back on Michael and listened to the conversation between Eason and Zion. I kept quiet. The situation had gottenplicated. ¡°Stephie¡­ I asked the doctor, and you need to rest. You can be discharged today. I¡¯ll take you home. Michael wanted to bring me to the Ford residence. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe if you stay by my side. Steven is crazy and a disaster. He¡¯ll only bring you more trouble.¡± ¡°My husband¡¯s back. I should go home with him,¡± I warned Michael. I refused to go with him. Michael was silent for a moment. Then, he said, ¡°Stephie, Steven killed someone¡­¡± It was a whisper, but it sounded like a threat. I red at him. I knew that he wanted to take advantage of the fact that Steven killed Dax. ¡°It was self¨Cdefense.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have said anything if he was normal. But he¡¯s crazy!¡± Michael gazed at me with a conflicted look. It seemed like he was adamant about ¡°rescuing me from Steven. *Are you crazy, Michael? She won¡¯t go home with you. You should hurry back to Yasmin.¡± Rachel opened the door and signaled Michael to leave. Michael red at her. ¡°If you weren¡¯t Stephie¡¯s friend, I would get rid of you.¡± He thought that Rachel was noisy. Zion frowned and stood protectively in front of Rachel. ¡°That¡¯s very prideful of you, Mr. Ford.¡± Michael gazed warningly at Zion. Then, Michael said, ¡°Stephie, Ewan is going to the charity banquet to meet the president of Crowdstar Group, right? Without his support, Steven will get killed by Martin.¡± My heart dropped. I was aware that Michael could disrupt the business coboration. ¡°You asshole¡­¡± I looked up at Michael. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think about me¡­ I can¡¯t let you stay by his side. This child¡­. Since the beginning. C Steven never wanted to keep the child. He may have schemed for Martin to cause your abortion!¡± Michael¡¯s eyes reddened, and he seemed angry. ¡°How shameless,¡± Rachel cursed. ¡°You¡¯ll believe me¡­ one day.¡± Michael picked me up from the bed. His bodyguards stopped Zion and Rachel. ¡°Stephie, i won¡¯t repeat my mistakes. I won¡¯t let you die in that madman¡¯s hands a second time.¡± Chapter 321 ¡°She¡¯s not leaving with you¡­¡± Wearing the hospital gown, Steven stood by the door and spoke in a hoarse voice. His chest heaved, and he stared intently at me. It was as if he was begging me not to leave with Michael. Michael gazed warningly at Steven. ¡°Steven Lincoln, I¡¯ll see how long you can keep up with this act!¡± I pushed Michael away, then said firmly, ¡°Mr. Ford, my well¨Cbeing has nothing to do with you. It never did, and it will not now. re won¡¯t be ¡°I¡¯m not Stephanie Carlson, and you don¡¯t have to project your guilt onto me. I hope there anything between us in the future.¡± My firm attitude had seemingly hurt Michael. He looked at me with a conflicted gaze, then smiled bitterly. ¡°Is this how it feels to be not trusted? Stephie, you¡¯re getting back at me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Michael wondered if I was doing this to make him experience everything that Stephanie had experienced before. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking.¡°I frowned. Michael was being annoying. Perhaps, it was only natural that humans would develop biases. In the past, Michael refused to trust me regardless of what I had done. Now, no matter what Michael said I would not trust him. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Michael looked anxious. ¡°When will you finally see his true colors? He¡¯s a devil. He¡¯s been pretending. What must I say for you to believe me?¡± Michael gazed at me as if he would do anything if he could prove his sincerity. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s been homeless all these years? Why would Ewan help him, and why did the Lincolns end up like this? If he was mentally disabled or homeless, the Lincolns wouldn¡¯t be what they are today. He¡¯s behind the deaths of James Lincoln and Ignatius Lincoln¡­¡± Michael pointed at Steven, trying his best to make me believe that everything about Steven was a lie. I looked at Steven, who seemed to panic a little as he lowered his head. ¡°Michael, I said you should mind your own business,¡± I warned Michael so that he¡¯d stop staring at Steven. ever ¡°Why do you trust him so much? Have you thought of why you¡¯ve forgotten all about him? Have you never questioned that? ¡°Haven¡¯t you questioned why you escaped and why you would fall in love with me¡­ if you really loved him? Michael¡¯s voice was hoarse. He held my shoulders and tried to make me believe in him. *Stephie¡­ You shouldn¡¯t think that I¡¯m lying just because I¡¯ve hurt you before. I was just feeling confused. about my feelings. ¡°I never wanted to hurt you or to take advantage of you. I¡¯ve always been¡­ just running away. I was worried that you only fell in love with me because you had amnesia. I was afraid that you would find your memories¡­¡± Michael imed that his past avoidance was a sign of respect for me. ¡°Stephie, I won¡¯t harm you,¡± he exined. I stood at the same ce and stared at Michael. I didn¡¯t trust him, but I knew him very well. He wasn¡¯t lying, but that did not mean what he said was the truth. It was as if even though one plus one equaled two, he believed strongly that it equaled three. He wasn¡¯t lying, but his answer was not the truth. I nced at Steven, who looked at me in a panic. Because he had run over anxiously, he stood there barefoot, looking like an abandoned doll. He was afraid that I would abandon him. But Martin was right about one thing¨Cwhy did Ipletely forget about Steven? Forgetting equaled abandonment. Why did the past me choose to abandon Steven? With reddened eyes, Steven shook his head at me. He would not threaten me like how Martin did. He would support my decision, even if it made him sad and heartbroken. ¡°If I leave, will you stop me?¡± I asked Steven. Steven lowered his head and tightened his fists. After some time, he shook his head. He wouldn¡¯t. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. He would respect my decision. How would somebody like this confine me, just as Michael had said? I refused to believe that. ¡°You won¡¯t stop me no matter what I do, right?¡± I asked softly. Chapter 322 Steven looked at me, then shook his head again. ¡°Don¡¯t die¡­¡± He wouldn¡¯t stop me from doing anything unless I wanted to die. ¡°If I leave, will you be sad?¡± I asked. He was silent, but he looked heartbroken. ¡°If you¡¯re sad, you should tell me to stay.¡± Choked up, I opened my arms toward Steven. I wondered why he was always so unconfident. If he had asked, I would¡¯ve stayed. Steven looked at me and said nothing. Instead, he hugged me tight, then gazed icily at Michael. Michael¡¯s expression was grim. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Steven Lincoln, how long can you keep this act up?¡± At this point, Michael finally understood why Stephanie hated Yasmin. Because no matter what Stephanie had done, Michael always chose to believe in Yasmin first. Not that the roles were reversed, he couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°In the past¡­ Stephie had also begged for your trust.¡± Steven warned Michael. ¡°But you chose to believe in Yasmin and left Stephie with no way out, didn¡¯t you?¡± Steven pushed my head into his embrace, refusing to let me look at Michael. His voice was hoarse, deep, and intimidating. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I¡¯m not mentally disabled. I put up a disguise to survive. If I weren¡¯t mentally disabled, I wouldn¡¯t have lived past 20 years old. ¡°This is my life. It¡¯s not up to somebody like you to criticize¡­¡± Michael frowned. It was evident that he was intimidated by Steven. Zion, Eason, and Rachel also stared at Steven in shock. They were surprised to find that he had been pretending. ¡°Starting from now, I¡¯ll protect her in my own way. She¡¯s mine, and I won¡¯t give her away.¡± Steven continued to tighten his grip around me. He was exerting his dominance. ¡°You?¡± Michael sneered. ¡°If Martin were an easy opponent, you wouldn¡¯t have had to act dumb for years. Do you think you¡¯re all¨Cpowerful now? ¡°Even the baby was a part of your scheme against Martin. Since the very beginning, you never intended for Stephany Carlson to bear a child. This was all part of your n.¡± Michael took out his phone. ¡°In the Lincoln family feud, Martin caused you to lose your baby. Now, the public opinion is favoring you. How can we believe that you aren¡¯t behind all this? ¡°You arranged for the journalists! It¡¯s so that Martin can no longer attack you under all that spotlight!¡± Steven was silent, and he didn¡¯t exin himself. I looked up at him. Unsurprisingly, he was not mentally disabled.. I wondered if everything that Michael had said was true. Was everything a part of his n? Including me and the baby? I wondered if he had really schemed for a long time to gain power over the Lincoln family. My eyes started to tear up. I took a step back out of reflex. I felt lost. I felt lost about death, I felt lost about being reborn, and at this moment, I felt lost about who I could trust. Because I had lost too many memories, I struggled to even trust myself. ¡°I knew he wasn¡¯t mentally disabled. That¡¯s cool!¡± Rachel had a different perspective from the rest of us; she got excited. ¡°Does that mean you can protect Stephie.. But as Rachel noticed the awkward atmosphere between Steven and me, her voice began to soften. Zion tugged Rachel and signaled her to stop talking. Michael sighed in relief when he saw that I was suspicious of Steven. ¡°I said I would never lie to you. I¡¯ll allow you to do anything on the condition that you¡¯re safe. When you realize that things aren¡¯t right¡­ You cane home. I¡¯ll always be waiting for you.¡± Michael walked to me and said, ¡°Take the time to read your parents¡® diary.¡± When Steven heard about the diary, he looked up in fear, as if he was afraid of something. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven looked at me nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t read it. Don¡¯t believe in it.¡± Michael gazed icily at Steven. ¡°Why? Are you scared?¡± Chapter 323 Steven shook his head, trembling. ¡°Don¡¯t read it¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want me to read it as if there was something that he didn¡¯t want me to recall. ¡°Leave,¡± I said to Michael. I didn¡¯t want to see him now. Michael lowered his gaze and said softly, ¡°When you¡¯re done reading it, you¡¯ll understand¡­ I¡¯ll wait for you, Stephie.¡± He shot a warning re at Steven before leaving. It was as if Michael hade just to expose the fact that Steven was not mentally disabled. Everything that happened to the Lincolns was a part of Steven¡¯s ns. ¡°Did you n everything ?¡± I asked grimly. ¡°Did you scheme against the Lincolns? Including me and the baby?¡± Public opinion on the inte had suddenly begun to favor Steven one¨Csidedly. That was a hard blow to Martin. Furthermore, Dax was a criminal suspect, which inevitably got Martin involved and exposed him to criticism. If Steven returned to take over the Lincoln Group, there was a high chance that he could take full authority over thepany. After all, nobody would assume him as somebody who schemed against his wife and baby. ¡°He thinks you¡¯re Stephanie Carlson. Why would he scheme against your baby? He¡¯s been dreaming of bing a father since he was 19 years old¡­¡± Eason mumbled as he put an ice pack against his cheek. ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Steven admitted. I began to tear up. I wished he would try to exin himself. ¡°I was pretending to be mentally disabled. Everything was part of my n. ¡°The state that the Lincolns are in today¨CMartin and Ignatius¡® feud, Dax¡¯s attack on James, Martin hiring men to kill Ignatius¡­ ¡°I admit that my ns contributed to all of that¡­ I also arranged for the journalists,¡± Steven said softly, at a loss and in a panic. Rachel was in shock and covered Zion¡¯s ears in reflex. ¡°Can you even listen to this when you¡¯re a police officer? Don¡¯t listen.¡± Zion was baffled. ¡°But I¡¯m a traffic police¡­¡± Rachel sighed in relief. ¡°Oh, fine then. There¡¯s no evidence anyway. It¡¯s like a butterfly effect. The Lincolns deserve it.¡± Zion raised his chin and pointed at the police officer in the ward. Rachel red at Eason. ¡°You¡¯re deaf, right? You didn¡¯t hear anything, right?¡± Eason opened his mouth, but he lowered his head when he saw Rachel¡¯s tightened fists. ¡°You¡¯re right. The stronger fighter decides.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you and the baby¡­¡± Tearing up, Steven continued to say woefully, ¡°I didn¡¯t scheme. against you and the baby.. ¡°If you were Stephany Larson¡­. This child would nevere to exist. I really¡­ wanted the child to be born. Steven choked up. He was sad about losing the baby. He just didn¡¯t know how to express or describe his emotions. He even restrained his sexual drives to not harm the baby¡­ Steven really¡­ wanted the child. He was crying. I felt heartbroken and helpless when I saw his tears. Zion couldn¡¯t stand to watch it. It seemed like I was bullying Steven. ¡°Hey, about the diary that Michael gave you, can we look at it?¡± I wiped my tears away. If Steven would exin himself¡­ I was willing to believe in him. ¡°Why did you stop pretending, then?¡± I asked, my eyes red. Steven simply stared at me with a heated gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I couldn¡¯t protect you and the baby¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I want to do this in another way¡­¡± Steven stopped caring about his own survival. He finally had a weak spot, so there was no need for him to protect himself by pretending to be mentally disabled. Steven wanted to protect Stephanie: ¡°I¡¯ll trust you this time. Don¡¯t let me down¡­ If I find out¡­ that you were lying, I won¡¯t forgive you,¡± I whispered. Just like how I would not forgiv¨¦ Michael. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The truth was after being reborn, I had no ns to trust anybody anymore. But Steven¡­ was an exception. Chapter 324 Steven always found his way to be my exception. He cried even harder. He didn¡¯t say anything and continued to cry. Eason began to feel annoyed, but he didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. He softly grumbled, ¡°So pretentious¡­ When your wife wasn¡¯t awake, you were like a reaper. Even the doctors were scared of you¡­ Now, you¡¯re crying like you¡¯ve been wronged.¡± Steven didn¡¯t say anything. He continued to cry, but he didn¡¯t wipe his tears. His head hung low, and his tears stained his clothes¡­ one who saw him would think that they were at fault. Anyone Hisrge, endearing eyes were teary¡­ I almost apologized. But after thinking about it, it was not my fault. It was he who had been lying to me. ¡°Stop crying!¡± I threatened. Steven looked up at me and said in a choked¨Cup voice, ¡°Stephie¡­ Don¡¯t be so fierce.¡± Rachel, Eason, and Zion all turned to look at me, silently berating me for lecturing Steven. Poor Steven¡­ Unsurprisingly, things would be different if we had swapped genders. If Steven had been a woman, he would¡¯ve been called a bitch. Even Yasmin would have nothing against him! Right now, he was just crying, but he got everyone to be on his side. I looked away and took my phone out of my pocket. After logging in with my parents¡® ID, I handed the diary to Zion. Zion took a closer look and became confused. ¡°I understand parents love their children, and they would record their child¡¯s growth from day one. But your parents¡­ started to record from the first day of pregnancy¡­¡± Zion scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s understandable, but why do the entries look so weird?¡± I looked at Zion. Since he was a police officer, he must have seen through the abnormality of the diary, ¡°Do you mean that this is a fake diary ount?¡± Zion shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not fake, but the data is tooplete. Look, starting from day one, every entry was made at a simr hopte time, and it¡¯s written by the year, month, date, minute, and second¡­¡± It was very urate. Eason paused for a moment, then he took a look at it. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ This doesn¡¯t look like they were recording a child¡¯s growth but data from a laboratory experiment.¡± Rachel was handing me a mug, but it fell to the ground and made a crashing sound. Breathing rapidly, I looked at Eason. At the same time, Steven covered my ears. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to them and don¡¯t read it¡­ Stephie, you don¡¯t have to think about it if you can¡¯t recall¡­ I¡¯m here.¡± I was almost certain that Steven knew of many secrets, but he had no ns to tell me about them or even let me know¡­ He would rather I misunderstood him than tell me the truth. Could I understand his behavior¡­ as a form of protection? ¡°As expected of the expert¡­ Zion came to a realization. ¡°I knew that something was off about the diary. It does look like experiment records.¡± Eason enjoyed thepliment. He proudly raised his chin. ¡°Well, it¡¯s me, after all. When I conducted drug experiments withb rats, I¡¯d make simr records daily. I¡¯d record the rat¡¯s reaction today and its condition at the same time tomorrow. ¡°I would observe for months. Some chronic medications would require at least a year of testing.¡± My fingers were numb. Out of reflex, I hid in Steven¡¯s embrace. What was I afraid of? Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Her parents may have just habitually recorded it that way. Stephanie¡¯s father was a medical professor who studied abroad, and her mother was a professor at Alpha University. So, they must have such habits,¡± exined Rachel. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Stephie that her father started his own business after leaving Highwest Pharma. He was in the medical equipment and medical construction industry. ¡°Later on, he almost went bankrupt because of the dyed payment from a new construction project for Grace Hospital¡­¡± Zion and Eason nodded. ¡°That¡¯s very possible.¡± Suddenly, Eason¡¯s phone buzzed. He picked it up. ¡°Officer Grant, something has happened to Yasmin!¡± The serial murder case had progressed again¡­. And Yasmin was the catalyst. Chapter 325 Eason suddenly stood up and looked at Steven. ¨C still ¡°ording to our n, the culprit will take action when the police announce that the victim is receiving emergency medical treatment. ¡°But if the serial murder cases and this muttion case were done by different people, why would something happen to Yasmin?¡± Eason walked around. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Say, the killer was going to reveal himself. But now, the killer of the serial murder cases has appeared. Do you still think both cases were not done by the same person?¡± Steven remained silent for a while before speaking. ¡°No¡­ Something¡¯s not right with the timing of Yasmin¡¯s disappearance. Somebody did that on purpose.¡± Somebody had taken advantage of Yasmin to confuse us. ¡°Everyone is trying to connect the muttion cases to the serial murder cases because the perpetrators are victims too. All the cases have many simrities, but they just look like deliberate imitations.¡± Zion shook his head because something still didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°Yasmin¡¯s disappearance may have just been a coincidence that urred with the serial murder cases and muttion cases.¡± Rachel, too, shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s one key thing about the serial murders. Back in the orphanage days, the killers abandoned the bodies at locations that were rted to water sources. ¡°Huma has an ancient tradition whereby after evil doers die, they will be tossed into the water to cleanse their sins. ¡°The killer of the muttion case didn¡¯t hide or destroy the evidence but took advantage of stray dogs to destroy the bodies and the scene, leaving the police with no trace of clue,¡± I added my analysis. ¡°Even if the police did find anything, the killer was also a victim who was left with no choice. In the end, they would choose tomit suicide anyway, and the clue would end there.¡± Both cases must have been executed by different people. ¡°The culprits behind both cases are having a silent duel,¡± said Eason solemnly. The killer of the muttion case wanted to mislead the public, shifting all the me onto the culprit behind the serial murder cases. The more skilled one would emerge as the winner. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Don¡¯t look for me.¡± Eason walked to the door, then turned around to look at Steven. ¡°Hey¡­ You can calcte, right? Why don¡¯t you try to figure out where Yaamin Is?¡± ¡°The murderer always leaves clues at the scene of thest crime. I calcted Yasmin¡¯s whereabouts once, and the clue disappeared. If the murderer is taking action again, that means she¡¯s just unlucky,¡± Steven sald. This time, Steven had no ns to rescue Yasmin. In truth, he could not calcte it anymore. Since the murderer¡¯s n had been disrupted, he might have decided to kill at random. 22 If Steven could calcte even random urrences, he would be extremely dangerous to society. In fact, he should just focus on trying to win the lottery for a living. Eason grudgingly replied, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll search on my own!¡± Steven remained silent. After Eason left, Steven looked at Zion. ¡°Somebody is trying to lure the police away. Yasmin may be an aplice or bait to lure the investigation team away. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that the killer of the second muttion case maye to the hospital to destroy the evidence.¡± Zion paused, then eximed in realization, ¡°You¡¯re right! I¡¯ll head over now in case Phil needs an extra hand.¡± As Zion left, Rachel left with him. Steven looked at me with red eyes and hung his head low. He carefully drew closer and tugged on my sleeve. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± When I looked at him, his tears began to fall andnded on the back of my hand. I wondered if he was a crybaby. ¡°So.. you suspect Martin is rted to the muttion case, which was why you agreed to Eason¡¯s suggestion to be admitted into the asylum. ¡°Then, you helped Eason lure the murderer?¡± I felt angry and frustrated as I wondered how much he had been hiding me. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m not suspicious of Martin. Martin and Dax are just good tools to take advantage of¡­¡± Steven leaned on my shoulder as he sobbed. ¡°I suspect Peter.¡± I paused. Truth was, I could guess Steven¡¯s suspicions¨Cbecause I was suspicious of Peter, too. But after all, it was no pain, no gain. Steven wouldn¡¯t allow me to approach Peter. I wondered if Steven volunteered to be admitted into the asylum so that he could find clues. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± I asked softly. Chapter 326 ¡°He¡¯s good at brainwashing. He¡¯s talented. He¡¯s skilled in psychology, hypnosis, and using chemicals,¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Steven whispered. I gasped and grabbed Steven¡¯s wrist in fear. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have messed with him¡­¡± He continued in my ear, ¡°But I found his weakness. His daughter¡­¡± I nced at Steven. ¡°His daughter?¡± ¡°During my time in the asylum, I observed that Peter, despite being obsessed with studying his patients, disrupted the consultation sessions three times because of a phone call. ¡°Every time, he¡¯d smile. The caller ID was ¡®Sweetheart, and judging from the volce, it was a little girl who should be under 13 years old. She would call him ¡®Daddy,¡± Steven whispered, his voice gradually turning cold. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯ve investigated Peter. His ex¨Cwife gave birth to his eldest daughter two years before you were born. She was born with a serious gic mutation and was a special child. ¡°After a few years, there was no news about her. Rumor has it that she died. ¡°Meanwhile, his youngest daughter was born after he married his current wife. She should be 13 years old now.¡± Steven stood up straight and looked down at me. ¡°Stephie, something¡¯s off about Peter.¡± I looked up at Steven for a long time before saying, ¡°Before I lost my memories, was there something that I came to find out? Did I tell you about it?¡± Steven avoided my eyes and looked downward. ¡°Peter may be rted to the muttion case. I suspect he¡¯s trying to kill the witnesses.¡± He was trying to get someone else to do the dirty work. Thus, Steven had been tracing the clues. ¡°When did you begin suspecting Peter?¡± I asked as I looked at Steven warily. It seemed like Steven¡¯s understanding of Peter was built over time. It was as if he had nned to be admitted into the asylum as an opportunity to investigate Peter. Meanwhile, Peter¡¯s interest in Steven seemed to also be part of the n. Steven lowered his head in a panic. He kept avoiding my questions. I wondered if he was worried that I¡¯d find out or if I would be upset. ¡°Steven, there are some things that I must find out. Not remembering and not knowing may not be beneficial to me. It may put me in further danger.¡± I believed I deserved to know the truth unless Steven did not trust me. ¡°After your parents died from the ident, I¡¯ve been investigating¡­ I Investigated Peter and who was rted to him¡­¡± Steven finally came clean that he had targeted Peter since long ago. everyone Under the disguise of being homeless, he had been secretly observing and investigating. He kept putting clues together in the process. We returned to Steven¡¯s vi after leaving the hospital. Ewan summoned the family doctor for our daily treatment and IV drips. After everyone had left, Steven brought me to the basement. As the motion¨Csensor lights came on in the basement, the microcement interiors were almost speckless. On both sides of the three¨Cfoot¨Cwide walkway were ss disy cabs that had been embedded into the walls. Inside, countless butterfly specimens were on disy.. As I looked at the butterflies, my fingers felt numb. The specimens¡­ looked so alive. It was as if they woulde to life at any time. ¡°Do you like specimens?¡± I asked warily. I suddenly recalled how Eason said Steven was crazy. When I died, my body was made into a specimen, after all. I felt a fear that came from deep within. Chapter 327 ¡°They were a gift¡­ from you. Steven touched the bottom¨Cright corner of the specimen disy. It showed a ck signature that said ¡®SC the acronym for Stephanie Carlson. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. I looked at Steven in shock and felt my heart drop. ¡°It was me? I gave these to you?¡± I wonder if he was referring to all the specimens. ¡°You said that the beauty of shooting stars was their fleetingness. Only a short¨Clived beauty would amaze everyone¡­ Steven leaned over to look at me, his voice still hoarse as usual. He sounded lonely, sad, and guilty. ¡°Life is fleeting. This is the only way to preserve them forever¡­¡± I started the wall of butterfly specimens in shock. At that moment, it felt like they had alle alive. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I would like these things¡­¡± I said in surprise. Steven held my hand and brought me into the room deeper in the basement. A password was needed to enter the room. The door looked sturdy, almost like a bank vault. As the door opened, I followed Steven inside. When the lights came on, I was in so much shock that my body went numb. I wondered if Steven was finally opening up to me. In some sense, he had finally decided to trust mepletely. He had shown me all of his secrets and scars. On the walls were investigation data that Steven had obtained about Peter, me, my parents, people from the orphanage, and some people I didn¡¯t know about. It also included data about the serial murder case. It felt like Steven had been monitoring everyone like he was God, controlling everything behind the scenes. I looked at Steven in fear. I wondered if he was actually the culprit. Steven brought me to the wall of photos and pointed toward the bottom¨Cleft direction. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first case of serial murders. Three years ago, after leaving the asylum, a series of murders happened between the doctors of the asylum too. ¡°Several psychiatrists died from falling, idents, drowning, and fire. Essentially, their deaths seem unrted but somehow closely rted.¡± *Are you guessing that the culprit behind those incidents is also the culprit of the serial murder cases?¡± I asked softly. Steven nodded. ¡°They have one thing inmon, which is that they don¡¯t kill innocent people.¡± Steven pointed at the psychiatrist who reported on the asylum¡¯s hical practices. ¡°His name is Quentin Long, and he was one of the rare psychiatrists who was kind. He was the one who exposed the dark secrets of the asylum, rescuing me from it.¡± He was also the doctor whom Michael brought along to provoke Steven. ¡°I¡¯m at the center of all their deaths¡­¡± Steven whispered. All the doctors who died were people who once hurt or tortured Steven. ¡°That¡¯s why more attention will be put on me while the true murderer will be overlooked,¡± Steven continued softly. ¡°If you knew that something didn¡¯t add up, why didn¡¯t you report these clues to the police?¡± I looked at Steven anxiously. Red¨Ceyed, Steven looked hesitant. ¡°Steve¡­ You¡¯ll tell me everything, won¡¯t you?¡± I felt my stomach drop as I looked at Steven, wondering if he was hiding anything else. He looked away. ¡°Everything I have is here¡­ Peter is a dangerous man. I suspect¡­ that your parents and Andy¡¯s deaths¡­ are rted to Peter.¡± Steven was talking about his father. My breath quickened as I looked at the wall full of clues. When had Peter begun to target the Lincoln. family? It began after Peter won an award in the medical field and proposed the Godmaker Project. ¡°My dad, Biology and gic studies¡­ Genome¨Cedited babies? What does that mean¡­¡± My breath quickened and my fingers trembled as I stretched my hands toward the documents. Genome editing in the so¨Ccalled Godmaker Project was simply about helping descendants of rich people win the rat race. If society came to ept such a project that vited human nature and morals, it would overturn the current societal state of affairs. The elite would remain superior, and the secret to wealth would be kept in the hands of only a handful of people. Meanwhile, such people would be immune to various diseases from birth. They would be known as the Left Hand of God¨Cprodigies. ¡°The project was first proposed to research AIDS, rare diseases, gic mutations, cerebral palsy, and other relevant fields. When the people from the medical fieldcked funds, they would request support from the financial sectors,¡± said Steven as he pointed at a photo of Michael. Chapter 328 ¡°As the most outstanding business prodigy of the Lincoln family and also Ignatius¡® favorite heir, Andy learned about children with rare diseases with your father¡¯s help. ¡°Andy set up a charity fund and invested in medical facilities, providing sufficient funds for them to explore and research¡­ ¡°Peter and your parents, along with Andy and other people of the noble ss, became close friends. They went from celebrating good times to being on the verge of copsing. ¡°Somebody nned the ident to happen. I¡¯m guessing that Andy and your parents must know of a terrible secret that can¡¯t be told.¡± The people dying now were people who knew of the secret. Somebody was killing the witnesses. *Five years ago, a new psychoactive drug appeared in the Verdentia Isles region. The creator was unknown, but once it was released into the market, it broke countless families. ¡°It spread diseases, fear, violence¡­ It was the result of raging dopamine and endorphins¡­¡± the top righ Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Steven pointed toward the top right corner. ¡°Stephie, the serial murder cases are not the only scary thing. Behind that is another wide, deep net which its full coverage can¡¯t be seen. ¡°I hid it from you because¡­ I didn¡¯t want you to get involved. I wanted you to live a normal life,¡± Steven said with a trembling voice. I looked at the central position of the wall of photos. It was a photo of Stephanie Carlson. Steven had taken countless photos of me after the ident. It was like¡­ he had never left. He had been protecting me. Warm tears streamed down my space as I fixed my eyes on a photo of myself from high school. I could remember how on that day, the bullies who bothered me suddenly disappeared. In an alley nearby, somebody screamed for help¡­ I heard that a teenager got stabbed during a brawl. That must have been Steven. He had been protecting me the whole time. ¡°After I lost my memories, you didn¡¯t choose for me to recall my memories about you. Instead, your silently protected me¡­ It was because you wanted me to live a normal life and escape this, right?¡± I asked in a choked¨Cup voice. Steven didn¡¯t answer me, He had tried many ways to protect me. But in the end, he failed to escape with me. Chapte 320 ¡°But we¡¯re like insects stuck on the web¡­ If we don¡¯t burn it, how can we escape?¡± I said softly but firmly. Since Steven had decided to confess to me, it was also time for us to face the situation and Investigatel together. We should find the culprit and reveal the truth, along with all the darkness and dirt, under the sun. ¡°Stephie¡­ You¡¯re right. We tried to escape, but we falled. Instead of surrendering like helpless insects, we should fight back¡­¡± Steven held me tight in his arms. His body was trembling. ¡°This time¡­ I swear I¡¯ll protect you. I definitely will,¡± he whispered. ¡°Steven, you can guess who¡¯s the culprit behind the serial murder cases and the deaths of the psychiatrists at the asylum, right?¡± I gazed at Steven. After all the years of observation and investigation, I guessed Steven must¡¯ve discovered the culprit. However, he probably did not hold actual evidence. Steven looked away, clearly avoiding my question. I wonder who the culprit would be that it was so difficult for him to confess. I nced over the wall of photos and evidence. I couldn¡¯t help but suspect¡­ that Steven was trying to cover for the culprit behind the serial murders. ¡°After Mandy died, you calcted the next victim before the second victim died. But you didn¡¯t report that to the police¡­. ¡°Steven, do you hate them, or are you trying to cover for the murderer? What was it¡­ that made you decide to help the police? Was it because of my death?¡± I started to get emotional. I wondered if Steven had not expected Stephanie to fall prey to the murderer. Was that why he med himself, felt guilty, and went crazy? Steven remained silent as he tightened his fists. After a long time, he finally said, ¡°Stephie¡­ that doesn¡¯t matter. Please stop asking.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter? I frowned at Steven. All of a sudden, I felt disappointed. I couldn¡¯t understand why my murderer would not matter. The key figure on this wall of clues would be Peter. Steven wanted to expose Peter, but was my death simply a tiny unexpected ident that didn¡¯t matter? Chapter 329 ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven panicked, trying to exin. But he still seemed hesitant. Frustrated, I turned around to find somewhere to be alone. Just then, Steven¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Eason. ¡°Yasmin¡¯s missing. There are no clues. Just as you said, it was a bait. Something happened at the hospital, and Zion got injured. Thankfully, the culprit. was arrested. ¡°You shoulde. Michael is causing a scene at the police station, demanding that we locate Yasmin. Come help me locate her.¡± Steven hung up on Eason, clearly having no intentions toply. He was focused on exining the situation to me. I looked at him, waiting for his exnation. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± As he began, his phone rang again. It was Eason. Steven hung up his phone angrily and was about to block Eason, but I stopped him. ¡°Answer the call. You took such a great risk to approach Peter in the asylum. Don¡¯t let your efforts go to waste.¡± Silent, Steven picked up the call. ¡°Steven Lincoln! Are you burning bridges on me now?¡± Eason yelled over the phone. It sounded noisy the background. I could hear Michael¡¯s angry voice, condemning the police for theirck of effort. Michael was angry about how Yasmin, despite being under police protection, had gotten kidnapped! ¡°I¡¯m burning you,¡± Steven replied before hanging up again. It took me a while to realize that Steven was cursing Eason. Eason said Steven was burning bridges, and Steven said he was burning Eason instead. I reckoned Eason would need some time to react too. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Steven said, but his phone rang again. This time, he turned his phone off. ¡°Stephie¡­ I¡¯m not saying that the murderer doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m investigating it. Everything is connected. I¡¯m just not sure. My assumptions may not be urate¡­¡± Steven hurriedly exined. But it seemed that he was a bad liar. Though Steven¡¯s assumptions may not be correct, he must have a key suspect. Yet, he was hiding that from me¡­ Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. I was not sure of the reason that he was hiding it from me. But looking at the chain of evidence, it seemed like he was¡­ trying to ¡°protect¡± the murderer. I said after a long silence. ¡°Steven, my death feels like a dream to me. Before I died, I thought you were the murderer because you were so suspicious¡­¡± Taking into ount everything on the wall of evidence, I could conclude that Steven was not the murderer. However, he was hiding something. ¡°Now, I trust that you¡¯re not the murderer, but if you¡¯re covering for the murderer or helping them get away, you¡¯ll be responsible for my death¡­¡± My voice was hoarse but determined. I was warning Steven in case I found out that he was secretly helping the murderer. Steven panicked and lowered his head, his fists tightening anxiously. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± ¡°If I can forgive the person who so cruelly murdered me, what does that make me?¡± Iughed bitterly, then backed away from the wall of photos and evidence. I said in a low voice, ¡°Steven, if we evere to that, let¡¯s get a divorce. Let me go.¡± Now that we had no baby, there was nothing that would keep us together. I also came to believe that Steven was not the murderer who killed me. ¡°Stephie, I don¡¯t want to get a divorce.¡± Steven shook his head in panic, not wanting a divorce. ¡°But in my opinion, the murderer matters more to you than I do.¡± I pointed toward the centermost section about the serial murder case. Two pieces of paper had a question mark on them. That confirmed some assumptions about the oues of Steven¡¯s investigation. Two people were involved in the nning of the serial murder case. One was responsible for strategizing while the other handled the execution. We could call that person the executor. Meanwhile, Simon worked under the two, like a chess piece. Steven chose to take Simon in, even when he clearly knew that Simon was rted to the serial murder case¡­ I didn¡¯t think Steven had done that to investigate the murder. Chapter 330 It didn''t seem like Steven was trying to hide anything. "Stephie, nothing matters more than you¡­" said Steven, all choked up. "I''m just guessing that the murderer is intelligent¡­ I lost, Stephie. I lost." Steven was saying something that I couldn''t understand. I guessed he meant that he had lost the game against the murderer when I died. "You said you love me, but I don''t see any hatred toward my murderer." I shook my head. I couldn''t help but feel that something hade between Steven and me. It was too obvious¡ªhe refused to tell me about what he knew. He had the key information, but he chose to hide it from me and the police. Steven''s head drooped low, and tears welled up in his eyes. He opened his mouth, but he said nothing. "I want to know the truth¡­" I looked at Steven and was getting emotional. "I want to know how I died. I want to know why they hate me so much¡­ I want the murderer arrested!" In a panic, Steven pulled me into his arms. After a while, as if he finally made a decision, he spoke. "Okay¡­ Stephie. I''ll help you¡­ If it''s your wish, I''ll fulfill it. I''ll help you¡­" I sighed in relief. I felt a little guilty for forcing Steven to pick a side between me and the murderer. Right now, it seemed like Steven picked my side. "Stephie¡­ I''ll help you." He tried to console me by repeating his willingness to help me. "Okay¡­" I nodded, then slowly closed my eyes as tears welled up. "Steven, we must not run away anymore. It''s time to fight back¡­" "Okay." Steven nodded hard as if he would obey everything I said. But the murderer was an exception. I became increasingly curious about who the murderer was. I wondered why Steven, somebody who would sacrifice his life for mine, would be willing to disregard my death to protect the murderer. "Now, we must find Yasmin. The muttion case is not over. We can''t allow the serial murder case to continue." I didn''t care about Yasmin, but she had to live for the others to survive. I didn''t want more people to die. "As for Peter, he''s too powerful and resourceful¡­ We have to take it slow." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. I looked at the wall of photos and pointed at Martin. "First, we must protect ourselves. To guarantee our survival, we must get rid of Martin, who''s a hidden danger." Steven nodded. "Okay¡­" ¡­ As Ewan stopped the car in front of the police station, Steven tried to hold my hand. Almost out of reflex, I avoided him and got out of the car. Steven looked a little hurt, but I avoided his gaze. The truth revealed in the basement led to disappointment, especially over the attitude that Steven had toward the serial murderer. "I don''t care how, but you must ensure her safety!" When we walked into the police station, Michael was still mad. Yasmin''s disappearance must have triggered him. "Mr. Ford, didn''t you have Yasmin under protection 24/7? How did you allow her to go missing?" I mocked Michael. Michael paused when he saw that it was me. He looked nervous. "Stephie¡­ I was just worried. The murderer is inhumane, after all." Ignoring Michael, I walked up to Rachel. "Any clues?" Rachel shook her head. "Bad guys don''t die so easily. I don''t think she''ll die." Chapter 331 ¡°Where did she go missing?¡± Steven asked. Michael rushed forward, trying to grab Steven. However, Steven dodged. ¡°Say what you need, but don¡¯t touch me,¡± Steven said in annoyance. Eason scoffed. Then, he pointed at the whiteboard full of clues. ¡°Yasmin went missing around 2:00 pm at IF za. Before she went missing, she was shopping with Michael.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. There was footage from the surveince camera. ¡°Michael left earlier for the hospital. Later, he received news that Yasmin had gone missing in the shopping mall. Soon after, Michael called the police.¡± Steven watched the surveince footage and saw how Yasmin disappeared after entering the women¡¯s washroom. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air. Someone had kidnapped her. ¡°There are no secret passages or doorways near the washrooms. The surveince camera didn¡¯t capture anyone suspicious or footage of Yasmin leaving. We¡¯ve interrogated the janitors, but none of them saw Yasmin,¡± Eason said grimly. Michael scoffed. ¡°Is that the best that the police can do?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so almighty, why did you leave your beau behind at the shopping mall? If you loved her so much, you should¡¯ve apanied her shopping and bought her luxury gifts. Jerk.¡± F Rachel rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t bother Stephani¨CStephany anymore. I get nauseous when I see you.¡± Michael red at Rachel. He was about to say something when I stopped him, ¡°Mr. Ford, we should focus on locating Yasmin.¡± He scoffed, then exined, ¡°Well, Yasmin was helping me pick a gift for you. She encouraged me to pursue you again and suggested buying something you¡¯d like¡­¡± Frowning, I signaled Michael to stop. Michael wanted to exin further, but Steven pulled me into his embrace and warned Michael. ¡°She¡¯s mine, and we¡¯re married. Who do you think you are to pursue her? How shameless of you.¡± Steven said it so seriously that it made Rachelugh. I wanted tough too, but I was angry and didn¡¯t want to acknowledge him. Steven looked at me woefully. ¡°Stephie, we¡¯re legally married. He¡¯s trying to seduce you, so he¡¯s a bad guy. He¡¯s immoral.¡± Michael clenched his jaw. He was pissed at Steven. ¡°Excuse me, sir.¡± Meanwhile, Eason was going crazy. ¡°Can you get your mind off dating for a moment? Help me locate Yasmin. If something goes wrong under my watch, I¡¯m going to have to direct traffic with Zion!¡± On the other hand, Zion, who was not on duty, was rxed. He raised his brows at the statement. ¡°The Traffic Enforcement Unit wees you.¡± Eason ignored Zion. Steven looked at the surveince footage again, then said, ¡°She won¡¯t die. She left on her own.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eason took a closer look at the footage. He had watched it numerous times. ¡°Pause at 38 minutes 47 seconds,¡± Steven said. Eason paused at a specific part of the video, which showed a middle¨Caged woman with long hair and a hat. ¡°This is Yasmin,¡± said Steven determinedly. Yasmin had put on a disguise and left of her own ord. That meant she was not kidnapped. The investigation started on the wrong foot. ¡°The murderer may not have done anything. This is Yasmin¡¯s n.¡± Eason frowned. ¡°How do you know that¡¯s Yasmin?¡± ¡°Her fingers. Yasmin¡¯s fingers are slender and long, yet she¡¯s deliberately wearing old, bulky clothes. Also, if you look at the footage before that, there are no records of when this woman entered the washroom.¡± Steven had a photographic memory. That was the scary part of being a prodigy. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the genius of the investigation squad? You couldn¡¯t tell?¡± Zion provoked Eason. Eason sulked a little. ¡°I have my specialty in other things, not this¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s stop taking advantage of police resources. Mr. Ford, your beau had run away on her own,¡± said Rachel, rolling her eyes. Michael frowned. ¡°Is that how you n to conclude the case? What if she was ckmailed? Where did she find the clothes to change into? Somebody must¡¯ve threatened her to put on those clothes and leave. ¡°She¡¯s timid, so she would¡¯veplied. Shouldn¡¯t you first locate her?¡± I looked at Michael with a sneer. Back when I was captured by the killer, he refused to believe that I was dead. He believed that I schemed the entire n to confuse them. He even stopped the police from investigating, which eventually led to my death. Yet now, he firmly believed that Yasmin did not n everything herself but was threatened instead. The double standards that he held were baffling. Chapter 332 ¡°Mr. Ford, I remember when all evidence pointed to the fact that Stephanie had died, you were certain that Stephanie wouldn¡¯t die,¡± Zion said inly to mock Michael. Michael paused, then looked at me out of reflex. sneered and looked away. ¡°Stephie¡­¡± Michael tried to exin. ¡°Stephie, Yasmin rescued me, after all¡­¡± I rubbed my ears in frustration. I was getting sick of his excuses about how she rescued him. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± I would tell him that Yasmin wasn¡¯t the one who rescued him, but I knew that he would not believe me. After all, I had already told him before. Not wanting to entertain Michael, I looked at Steven. ¡°Can you figure out where she¡¯s hiding? Since she¡¯s distracting the police, she must be an aplice of the culprit behind the muttion case.¡± ¡°Stephie¡­ What does this have to do with the muttion case? You can¡¯t¡­¡± Michael tried to defend Yasmin. I red at Michael in silence, and he went silent. ¡°The victims of the muttion case are still receiving intensive treatment at the hospital. The police force was distracted by her disappearance. That¡¯s why Zion got injured!¡± Rachel snarled. She pulled at Zion¡¯s injured arm and continued, ¡°Look, he was stabbed in his arm. If he had gotten stabbed in his chest, he would¡¯ve died!¡± Zion grimaced. ¡°Hey, careful! Watch out for my arm.¡± Rachel awkwardly let Zion go. ¡°Sorry.¡± Tired, Zion rubbed his brows. Michael frowned. He still believed that it was a coincidence. ¡°It was just a coincidence. Anyway, the police must locate Yasmin first.¡± I said to Steven, ¡°Some people just refuse to believe it until they see hard facts.¡± Steven nodded. He went over all the evidence and surveince footage from the streets near IF za. In the end, he locked down on Yasmin. Yasmin got into a ck car voluntarily. ¡°Check this.¡± Steven took a screenshot of the license te, and the police immediately looked it up. ¡°It¡¯s a ghost car with a fake license te,¡± Phil reported. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Eason frowned. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s an organized and premeditated n.¡± Steven looked at the traffic map near IF za. ¡°Ghost car. Rewind for 30 minutes and check the surveince footage near the overpass. Look out for this car.¡± Within moments, Phil said, ¡°I found it! Oh my god! How did you know that it would take 30 minutes for them to get here?¡± Steven looked at the car. ¡°Ghost cars wouldn¡¯t dare to openly drive around the city. If they get stopped by the police, their driver¡¯s license and license te won¡¯t add up.¡± Zion observed the car. ¡°They drove out of the city, so they may have switched out the license tes. There are surveince blind spots there.¡± ¡°Yasmin is vain. If she left voluntarily, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stand how demolition areas have neither electricity nor water, where she can¡¯t shower. ¡°These parts outside of the city are demolition areas. You should search for areas where you can hear generators. That should be where they¡¯re hiding,¡± Steven said softly. Shocked, Phil gave Steven a thumbs¨Cup. Eason nudged Phil and said, ¡°Hurry and go search.¡± Steven nced icily at Michael. ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet. You don¡¯t believe that Yasmin hid away voluntarily, do you? If we find her at the demolition area, what are you going to do?¡± Michael frowned. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Stay away from my wife and stop bothering her,¡± Steven warned coldly. Michael tightened his fists. ¡°In that case, if Yasmin can¡¯t be found in the demolition area, you should divorce Stephie. I¡¯ll take her home.¡± The atmosphere between Michael and Steven was tense. It was as if a fight was about to break out. I felt a little upset. Why did they have to get me involved in their bet? ¡°Sure¡­¡± To my surprise, Steven agreed./ I frowned. I wondered if Steven would actually divorce me if they could not locate Yasmin. Chapter 333 Michael scoffed, seemingly mocking Steven. He believed that Steven would be wrong and that he was being prideful. Michael stubbornly believed in Yasmin. At that moment, Michael seemed pitiful. He was blinded by a one-time life-saving grace. "Stephie¡­" When the police left to investigate, both Michael and Steven tried to talk to me. I frowned and stared warily at the two men. One was the ex-lover whom I hadpletely forgotten after suffering from amnesia. Meanwhile, the other was the man that I once stupidly loved after my amnesia. But the both of them¡­ felt like strangers to me. Michael seemed to be regretful, but the attitude he had toward Yasmin was ridiculous and ironic. I could see through him. And it was even more so for Steven. He was a genius. He could locate the missing Yasmin by just looking through the surveince footage. It was impossible for him to not have found clues to the serial murder cases, unless the culprit behind the serial murder cases was more intelligent than Steven or a prodigy like him. Back in the days of the advanced ss, there were only two top prodigies who scored full marks. They were Steven and Simeon. If Simeon was alive¡­ For years after that, no other students in the advanced ss could score full marks. Steven and Simeon made records in school history. "Stephanie¡­" Michael stepped forward. "Yasmin would never voluntarily expose herself to danger. She won''t be in the demolition area. These are all deceptions, unless¡­" Michael lowered his voice and whispered to me, "Unless Steven nned the entire thing. He got somebody to kidnap Yasmin and hypocritically used someone else for doing that." I nced icily at Michael. I noticed his hostility toward Steven. "You should mind your own business, Mr. Ford," I said, backing away. Feeling hurt, Michael frowned and gazed at me, wondering why I did not trust him. "Have you ever thought of how he might be the mastermind behind the serial murder cases? He arranged for the killers. He''s trying to kill you by taking advantage of the killers." Beginning to feel upset, I frowned. Michael was getting noisy. But his words reminded me of one thing. If Steven was the mastermind¡­ nobody would discover the truth. What if Steven had nned everything, and someone else executed it¡ªjust like how it was illustrated on the wall of evidence in the basement? There were two question marks. One pointed to the nner, one pointed to the executor. I wondered if Steven could have been hesitant to reveal himself. But if Steven was responsible for my death yet treated me kindly after recognizing me and behaved so obediently¡­ That would be horrifying¡­ and crazy. "Stephie¡­" Steven stood near me and softly called my name. I nced at him before looking away. As if knowing that he was at fault, Steven''s head hung low. I hated it when people made me the wager of a bet. Michael once made me a wager in a bet with his friends, and Steven did the same this time¡­ No matter who ended up winning, I felt very disappointed. "Found them!" After a long silence, Phil rushed in to tell us the news. "We heard sounds of a generator in a soon-to-be demolished building in the demolition zone. Yasmin was inside! She was free, and nobody was constraining her. She was in hiding!" Panting, Phil poured himself a ss of water. Steven kept his head low in silence, and he didn''t dare to look at me. On the other hand, Michael''s expression darkened. He asked, "Was it you?" He was questioning Steven. "You sent somebody to take her there, didn''t you?" Steven gazed coldly at Michael. "You bet, you pay. Are you a coward, Michael? Trying to shift the me now?" Rachel snarled. "Do you think Yasmin is a good person?"Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 334 Rachel rolled her eyes, then looked at Zion. "I knew it, Yasmin was being a bitch." Michael angrily pointed at Steven. "You designed all this." Steven was silent, but he red at Michael with a mocking smirk. Angered, Michael leaned forward to assault Steven. I stood in front of Steven to protect him, ring at Michael. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Michael Ford, you bet, you pay. You offered to make a bet, and you lost." I hoped for Michael to permanently exit my life starting today. Steven embraced me from behind while his gaze toward Michael became increasingly cold. "You lost¡­" Michael clenched his fists but remained silent. He was holding it in. Soon, they returned with Yasmin. The police had no right to restrict her freedom while Yasmin had the right to go anywhere she wanted. As such, Yasmin started to make excuses. "Somebody told me that the killer was targeting me. They told me to escape and not let anyone discover me. I was told that there were clothes hidden in the washroom, and I should escape after putting them on." Yasmin sobbed and continued, "I was afraid¡­ that I would get killed. I was scared to be made into a specimen like Stephanie Carlson and be eternally stuck in a ss disy cab." With red eyes, Yasmin showed the police a phone number. "This was the person who sent me the messages." "And you believed a stranger? What if that was the killer? If we hadn''t found you, you might have died already!" the police berated Yasmin. Crying, Yasmin said to Michael, "Michael, you left to meet Stephie¡­ I was too scared, and somebody texted me. So, I trusted them." She purposefully nced at Steven. "I''m so scared¡­" It was obvious that she was starting to put up an act, trying to me Steven. "Was it you?" Michael red at Steven and grabbed his cor. "What would my objective be?" Steven asked inly. "You baited Yasmin away on purpose so that I''d panic. Then, you''d help find her and make a bet with me, making sure that I''d lose!" Michael growled. Zion sighed. Even Eason couldn''t bear to listen further. It was evident that Michael could not win Steven, be it with his intelligence or debate skills. When Michael used Steven, Steven did not try to exin himself. Instead, he let Michael describe his objectives. But the more Michael spoke, the more mistakes he made. Everyone knew Michael had suggested making the bet while Steven had simply agreed. At that moment, Michael came to realize it. He red at Steven. "You knew that I was going to make a bet with you?" Michael was not only angry but also surprised. It was as if he finally realized how scary Steven was. "I don''t understand what you''re trying to say." Steven looked at me woefully, wanting me to defend him. "Michael, you should go home with your life savior. "It''s gettingte, don''t disappear again," I said grimly, looking at Yasmin with tightly clenched fists. "All victims of the serial murder case were discovered in rivers. I''m sure there''ll be a nasty river that''s good for the murderer to dispose of your body at¡­" I scoffed as I stared icily at Yasmin. "You want to be a specimen in the ss disy cab? Who do you think you are?" Scared, Yasmin hid behind Michael. She looked at me in fear. "Stephie¡­" Steven panicked just like Yasmin. Almost out of reflex, he pulled me into his embrace. He said, "Stephie, my wounds hurt¡­ Let''s go home, okay?" I snapped back to my senses and paused. I was surprised to hear what I said earlier¡­ Eason stared at me in confusion, but he didn''t say anything. I looked at Rachel and Zion. I was afraid that they would misunderstand me. I was afraid that they would suspect that I was rted to the culprit. After all, Stephany''s identity was rather special. Chapter 335 Luckily, Zion was on the phone, and Rachel thought that what I said wasn¡¯t harsh enough. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even deserve to be dumped in a stinking ditch. Her body should be thrown into a septic tank,¡± she spat. Rachel¡¯s ferocity managed to cover up my earlier slip of the tongue. I watched as the suspicion in Eason¡¯s eyes slowly cleared away. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Zion hung up the call and looked at Eason. ¡°The case with the mutted corpses has been closed.¡± Eason was taken aback by that. ¡°It has?¡± ¡°Well, the superiors called to say that the aid I provided to make the arrest was closure of the case with the mutted corpses, ¡°They said that they want to award me with a medal of honor at the Traffic Enforcement Unit,¡± Zion said with a small smirk. He thought that they were going to finally reinstate him. But the truth was far from it. ¡°Is that all?¡± Eason asked through gritted teeth. ¡°Well, they¡¯ve also given me a long vacation. They said to onlye back to work once my arm heals,¡± Zion replied. Eason scratched his head. ¡°So, the case is closed just like that? Huh¡­¡± It was clear that someone from above was pushing for the case¡¯s closure. The serial murder case had dragged on for quite a long while without any closure being given, after all. The case involved the muttion of corpses, after all. Seeing as the supposed culprit had been caught, the case needed to be closed promptly. Otherwise, it would incite widespread. panic. ¡°You guys should head back first. I¡¯ll check out the situation,¡± Eason said, then spun on his heel to seek the superiors out. I looked at Steven. He was still holding onto me and seemed unwilling to let go. Michael scoffed and turned to leave. ¡°Mr. Ford, you¡¯ve lost¡­¡± Steven couldn¡¯t help but remind him mockingly. His tone was cautious, as if he was afraid that I¡¯d get angry. Michael¡¯s expression darkened with anger as he barked out, ¡°You¡¯re so childish!¡± Steven snorted and tightened his grip on my hand. Then, he scolded Michael loudly enough for everyone around us to hear, ¡°You so shameless. She¡¯s my wife, you registered our marriage and everything, so we¡¯re protected by thew.¡± know. We¡¯ve Michael was enraged to hear that. He wanted to charge forward but was stopped by Yasmin who was crying. ¡°Michael, let¡¯s just go¡­¡± Michael angrily pushed Yasmin away and turned to leave. Yasmin nced back at me with a barely perceptible smirk in her eyes. It looked like she was nning something. And whatever it was, it seemed as if everything was going to her n. I scoffed. I was ready to find out what sort of ns she had cooked up. ¡°Let go,¡± I said in a deep voice. I lifted my head to nce at Steven. Steven hugged me with an aggrieved look on his face. He wouldn¡¯t let go of my hand. ¡°Let go,¡± I said once more. Steven cautiously released his hold on my hand. ¡°Rach, I¡¯m going to head back home if there¡¯s nothing else,¡± I said softly. I must have still looked rather pale. I caught a glimpse of my ghostly reflection in the ss: It hadn¡¯t been long since the miscarriage, after all. My body couldn¡¯t handle too much stress. ¡°You should head home and rest for now. If I get any information rted to the serial murder case, I¡¯ll let you know right away,¡± Rachel said, looking at me with concern in her eyes as she held my hand. She seemed to have something more to say. But in the end, all she did was choke out the words, ¡°You can go now.¡® My eyes welled up with tears as well. I wondered if she had recognized me. I didn¡¯t say anything more and quickly walked away. Rachel knew that ever since I was reborn, I had been obsessed with looking for the culprit of the serial murder case. I was the serial killer¡¯s victim. I had been brutally murdered, so I had the right to seek out the truth. ¡°That guy confessed. He admitted to intentionally killing a bunch of people. He¡¯s also from the demolition area at No. 37 Bridgeway Route. It¡¯s said that he and the one who jumped off the building before went bankrupt trying to find their children. A case of human trafficking was even brought up. ¡°Yeah, the case of the mutted corpses has finally been closed. But now, nasty businesses like human trafficking and kidnapping cases areing up again.¡± I had only just left the office area when I heard two police officers discussing the mutted corpse case. ¡°If you ask me, those two should die. Human traffickers and kidnappers deserve to die.¡± I stood in ce and looked at Zion. Chapter 336 It turned out that both of the deceased were rted to missing persons cases. The man who had jumped off the building was rted to the missing 18¨Cyear¨Cold girl and the murdered victims. ¡°No. 37 Bridgeway Route¡­¡± I murmured softly to myself, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. No. 37 Bridgeway Route was one of thest standing slums in Huma. It was inhabited by either migrant workers from out of town or homeless nomads with no money. These people were considered the rock bottom of society. The man who had jumped off the building was called George Zucker. He was a primary school teacher. His wife was a nurse at the county hospital. They were a diligent and hardworking couple. They weren¡¯t wealthy, but they lived afortable and happy life. Their daughter was born with Asperger¡¯s syndrome, yet they had neverined. The couple had even actively encouraged and nurtured her talents and strengths to help her integrate into society better. She shone in her areas of expertise. They weren¡¯t at fault for doing that. It wasn¡¯t their fault that their daughter was so outstanding. Perhaps she had be so outstanding that she had caught someone¡¯s unwanted attention. I leaned against the wall and stiffened suddenly. I turned back to the room and looked at Zion. ¡°In what area was George Zucker¡¯s daughter exceptionally gifted?¡± I asked. ¡°I heard she¡¯s particrly gifted in areas rted to numbers. She has a hundred times more spatial imagination than the average human being. ¡°She can count the number of wells a city has just by overlooking it. She can even vividly depict the entire city and its underground structures with very high uracy.¡± Her uracy could rivalputer¨Cgenerated information. ¡°What about the person we caught this time? Did his child go missing too?¡± I asked anxiously while looking at Zion. Zion nodded. ¡°Yes. His son is missing. He was born autistic, but he¡¯s obsessed with various insects and poisonous nts. He seems to have a natural interest in such things, and he¡¯s a genius in chemistry. ¡°He once injected a toxin he had extracted from toads into the water bottles of some ssmates who bullied him. It caused them to hallucinate, urinate, and defecate in ss¡­¡± I rubbed my forehead. ¡°A toxin from toads?¡± I asked. Steven exined quietly, ¡°Yeah, from Bufonidae. Bufonidae can secrete mucus or release toxins through their skin. One type of toxin is called bufotenine, and the other one is called 5 -Methoxy¨C alpha¨Cmethyltryptamine. ¡°These substancesbined can induce strong hallucinogenic effects in people and cause significant harm to the human body¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s got a gift, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°They¡¯re both outstanding and talented teenagers with autism and Asperger¡¯s syndrome. I suspect they¡¯re still alive, at least they will be until their value to the kidnapper gets exhausted. Is it possible that someone is intentionally targeting these gifted children? ¡°They might be trafficking and selling them to someone. Maybe even¡­¡± I trailed off. There might be an even more sinister conspiracy behind this. Zion nodded. He had clearly considered that a possibility as well. ¡°Other than their conditions, what else do these two teenagers have inmon?¡± I looked at Zion. The ¡°Well, they both went missing five years ago. They also participated in a geniuspetition Zion said, then looked at me with a shrug. He continued softly, ¡°I investigated thepetition before. It was organized informally by an unknown association. Twopetitions with generous prizes were held, so it was well- known at the time. But after the disappearance of the two teenagers, the organizers of thepetition vanished as well. ¡°I¡¯m looking into this association and the geniuspetition from back then.¡± But because Zion did not have much authority at this moment, his ability to investigate was limited. As such, he had to ask for Eason¡¯s help. I bit my finger. I kept getting the feeling that there had to be arger conspiracy behind everything that happened. Something connected the disappearance of these gifted teenagers, the parents being manipted intomitting murders, and their attempts to destroy all evidence. ¡°Stephie, you should head home to rest now. You¡¯re getting terribly pale,¡± Rachel said with con. ¡°There¡¯s actually another thing that these teenagers had inmon,¡± Zion said. He remained silent for a long moment before speaking again, ¡°And that¡¯s Stephanie.¡± He continued to exin, ¡°Before the two teenagers went missing, their parents had hired a private tutor for them. Stephanie was their private tutor. She was the winner of the first genius competition.¡± Zion took a deep breath and continued, ¡°I thought I was mistaken when I heard it at first. I figured their private tutor just had the same name as her, but I was wrong. Their privat? tutor was really Stephanie.¡± I stiffened and stilled while staring at Zion. Eason had also mentioned that the disappearances of the two teenagers were rted to Stephanie. Yet I hadn¡¯t believed him then. But Zion was telling me the same thing at this moment. I felt weak all of a sudden. I took a step back and bumped into Steven. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered softly, ¡°Stephie¡­¡± My voice was hoarse. I looked up at Steven, knowing he knew whether what they were saying was true or not. ¡°Tell me, is it true? Was Stephanie really the winner of the first geniuspetition?¡± 1 asked him. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I couldn¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t know that about myself. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Rachel eximed in astonishment as well. Steven lowered his head and remained silent for a long while. Eventually, he said, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Chapter 337 I stared at Steven in shock. He had just confirmed it. This meant that it was really true. I had won first ce in the geniuspetition that was held at Delmany. This also meant that it was true that I had worked as a tutor for those missing teenagers. My fingers felt numb. I suddenly found myself feeling unsteady on my feet because of an oing headache. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Steven quickly stepped forward to hold me. He started tofort me, saying, "It doesn''t matter. Their disappearance has nothing to do with you. It was just¡­" Steven''s voice was hoarse. He nced at Zion nervously and continued, "The geniuspetition back then was held just for show. The organizers enticed regr families to join through luxurious cash prizes. They targeted families that hoped their children could soar to great heights. "Stephanie was also a victim in all of this. She was just amodity the organization used, like a mannequin disyed at a clothing shop. She had no choice but to let herself be ced there as decoration. She did nothing wrong¡­" Steven was too eager to exin my innocence to me. His body trembled as he held me. "Stephie¡­" Rachel hurried forward and looked at me in panic. Zion furrowed his brows but remained silent. What was happening now clearly proved that Michael, Rachel, and Steven were treating me as if I really were Stephanie. But in Zion''s eyes, I was Stephany. After all, how could a person turn into another person just like that? It didn''t make any logical sense. "Stephie¡­" Suddenly, an image shed in my mind. The voice I heard was familiar yet chilling. "Do you know what the most sophisticated way to deceive everyone is?" In my memory, Peter circled around me with a smile as he said, "It''s with lies. Use lies that can deceive everyone around you, even yourself. "Have you ever heard of something called the montage of lies? Each and every sentence that comes out of my mouth is a fact. But when Ibine them in a particr order, it bes a lie that suits my needs. "Stephanie, you must first learn to deceive yourself with your own words. "Let me demonstrate. I''m going to tell you that the woman I''ve fallen for is in the arms of another man from a wealthy family. Each part of this sentence is technically true when taken alone, but I''ve switched the order around. "The sentence in the correct order should read, ''I''ve fallen for the woman in the arms of another man from a wealthy family''." The same words were used, but the meaning was expressed differently through stylistic changes. It seemed to change the meaningpletely. "Tell me, how are you going to make him fallpletely in love with you? How are you going to get him to love you to the point where he''ll do anything for you, even take his own life? How can you make him trust you and everything you say?" In my memory, Peter suddenly approached me. It made my headache intensify even further. It seemed as if Peter was teaching me ways to deceive people. He was giving me pointers on how to n. But I didn''t know who the target was. I had no idea who it was that Peter wanted me to deceive. I wondered if he was talking about Steven. "Remember that you''re the only one who can save this world we''re living in," Peter said. Then, he patted my shoulder and continued, "To make him believe you, you first have to deceive yourself. "You''re a genius. I believe you can do it. I want you to be his one and only love in this lifetime. I want you to get him to marry you, to make him obey your every word as if it were gospel. From then on, he''ll be nothing but a puppet for you to toy with." My head throbbed painfully. I tried to understand and work out who Peter was talking about. Finally, I caught a clear glimpse of a photo on the table in my memory. It was a photo of Michael. "Stephie, your families have already arranged for you two to get engaged. He''ll marry you, but that won''t be enough leverage." Peter looked at the photo on the table and continued, "If you don''t do as I say, I''ll find someone to rece you¡­" "Stephie?" "Stephie!" I suddenly snapped back into reality. I breathed heavily as I looked around. Steven and Rachel were staring at me anxiously. They were trying to ascertain if I was okay. I shook my head. Chapter 338 I sat down slowly and leaned against the wall. Peter wanted me to get close to Michael. He wanted me to deceive myself and get Michael to fall in love and marry me. He wanted Michael to be an obedient puppet. "Is it so that he can control the Ford Group?" I thought. The Ford Group was involved in pretty standard industries. Those included real estate, medical equipment, domestic trade, and international trade. I couldn''t work out what Peter wanted to gain through Michael. He was just a doctor, after all. "Stephanie, you have to climb the corporatedder to avoid being stepped on all the time. It''s the only way you can break free from all of this¡­" Peter''s voice repeated like a mantra in my head, as if it was echoing in my ears. He was a lunatic and might have been a devil in disguise. I was almost certain that he had something to do with my amnesia. "Is it possible that a person can forget certain memories if they were in a car ident and were subjected to hypnosis, medication, or other therapeutic methods? Could false memories be imnted through hypnosis by another person after that?" I asked in a whisper. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I was starting to seriously doubt that Michael was the man I had loved for ten whole years. Peter might have deliberately misled me to believe that about myself. He might have taken advantage of the fact that I had amnesia to mislead me, causing me to have false memories about myself. "It''s possible," Zion said. His expression turned grave as he continued, "There was a case where someone was incited to murder someone else three years ago. A psychiatrist had incited his patient tomit murder on his behalf." The psychiatrist in question hypnotized his patient, who already had psychological issues to begin with. He transferred his hatred toward the victims onto his patient, causing the patient to feel the same anger and hatred he felt toward the victim. The patient ended up having delusions that the victim had deliberately hurt him and his family in the same way, which led the patient to stab the victim to death in public impulsively. I sat there without saying a word. There was something off about Peter. I was almost sure of it. Michael turned out to be just another pawn on the chessboard. He was not the one ying chess. I wondered if Yasmin was the recement Peter had previously threatened me about. He told me that he would have me reced if I didn''t obediently do as I was told. It felt as if Yasmin was ying the role of a catalyst. Perhaps Peter had intended to use Yasmin as a warning to me. He wanted to egg me on so that I wouldplete my task of getting Michael to marry me quicker. However, he didn''t expect me to die. It seemed that Peter hadn''t anticipated that I would die at the hands of the serial killer either. I scoffed inwardly. This meant that everything had spiraled out of his control after that. "The case has really been closed¡­" Eason murmured when he finally came back. "The culprit managed to describe the facts of the crime very clearly. He said that he believed the victim had something to do with his son''s disappearance. He had approached the victim about his son multiple times, but the victim kept turning him away. That''s what led him tomit the murder." The case sounded clear-cut when put that way. However, it was clear that someone had deliberately arranged for it to seem that way. There were sub-cases within the case. And behind these sub-cases were more cases. There were problems left and right in this case. I stared at the clues Eason had stered all over the whiteboard and said softly, "There are two cases here. One with serial killings, and one involving muttion. It seems to me like the masterminds behind both cases are using the victims tomit murder for them." "Victims are rarely everpletely innocent," Eason said while looking at me. He continued, "There were six cases nationwide of teenagers with Asperger''s syndrome going missing simultaneously that year. Do you know why only the parents of these two teenagers are still persistently searching for their children?" I shook my head. "It''s because the others believed they had gotten rid of a burden. In their eyes, people with Asperger''s syndrome or autism are monsters. Their parents regard them as aliens. "Besides, when their kids went missing, the parents got to receive arge sum of donations from the public. Why wouldn''t they wee it?" Eason sneered and continued, "Can you take a guess as to why the Lincolns didn''t im Steven back into their household back then? He might''ve been a bastard child, but it''s not like the Lincolns couldn''t afford to raise him. "Maybe the Lincolns cared too much about their own reputation. But the thing is, Steven''s mother and Andy Lincoln had gotten legally married in Melovia." Steven frowned at that. He warned Eason to watch his tongue with his eyes. Eason ignored him and continued, "They think Steven is a monster too. It was said that he wouldn''t speak after he was born. When he was diagnosed with autism by a doctor and abandoned at the orphanage, everyone thought he was a mute." Chapter 339 Eason was being a menace. He was mocking families like the Lincolns. If a prestigious family like the Lincolns would rather get rid of their children born with defects, who was to say regr families wouldn''t do the same? "Furthermore, these two sets of parents who didn''t give up on looking for their children refused to ept any donations. They sold all their property and spent their whole lives feeling regretful. "They regretted allowing their children to participate in the geniuspetition. They also regretted putting so much pressure on them and med themselves for their ipetence¡­" These parents truly loved their children. But unfortunately, they ended up being manipted. They had turned into weapons of murder. They became sacrificialmbs on someone else''s chopping board. They were innocent, yet they ended up in such a pitiful situation. Misfortunes always came in a series. The silent cries of despairing from powerless regr people like them were depressing. Those parents must have felt desperate enough to walk the path of bing murderers willingly. "The families received donations from the public? Which families received them? And which charity did all the donationse from? Who was the one who initiated it?" I asked Eason with a frown. "I checked and found that the donation campaigns were organized by Angel Fund. Their aim was to providefort and relief to those families. Angel Fund has always been something the lower ss in Huma went to for help. The organization has a good reputation in the charity industry. "Nowadays, if a child from a regr family falls ill, they''re eligible to apply to Angel Fund for help," Eason replied with a shrug. I took a deep breath upon hearing that. Angel Fund was something that I was all too familiar with. "That charity was first established by Michael''s mother¡­" I murmured softly. My voice was hoarse and trembling. I hoped that everything was just a coincidence. Otherwise, it meant that there was much more at stake. There were more pawns on the ying field than we realized. How could small fries like us make it through to the end? "Society is much like a huge spider web. There is no absolute good or absolute evil. The world we live in is not simply ck or white," Eason said indifferently. "The person you consider to be unforgivable might be someone who respects their parents a lot. The good Samaritan you know might have blood on their hands in secret. "Something sinister musty behind every person''s immense wealth. Do you think that all the world''s billionaires have clean backgrounds? Do you really think that they have no skeletons hidden in their closets?" The world was essentially dark like that. One could only find great happiness and freedom if one lived a mediocre life in ignorance. "Can you find out who funded the luxurious cash prizes behind the geniuspetition?" Zion asked Eason. "I''ve already done that. It was Angel Fund," Eason answered with another shrug. It wasn''t really a secret. Angel Fund was dedicated to treating and supporting children with congenital deformities as well as gic and rare diseases. As such, it attracted widespread attention from society. The Fords were also constantly praised by the media and newspapers for this good deed. Thisid a solid foundation for Michael''s takeover of the Ford Groupter on. No one could achieve sess overnight, after all. If Michael hadn''t used the Ford Group''s predecessor as a stepping stone, he wouldn''t have acquired the position he was in today. I took a deep breath and rubbed my brows. It turned out that Angel Fund, the Fords, and Michael were somehow involved. So, Michael wasn''t the only one who deliberately lied to me back then. Perhaps I had also approached him with the intention of deceiving him as well. I couldn''t help but wonder what my rtionship with Peter in the past was. "Stephie, you don''t look too well. Let''s head home so you can lie down," Steven said as he looked at me with concern. He wanted to bring me home. "Simmy''s birthday ising up in a few days. When you guys go visit him, could you help wish him a happy birthday for me? I won''t be going¡­" Eason said in a huffy tone. Whenever Simeon was ever mentioned, it made Eason feel ufortable all over. Steven didn''t say anything. He lowered his gaze, looking unusually pained and sad. Simeon had died for him, after all. This was the nightmarish truth Steven would never ever forget in this lifetime. "Why is Eason so afraid of Simmy?" I asked quietly after getting in the car. "He''s afraid of me as well," Steven said softly. He tried to hold my hand without me knowing. I smacked his hand away, causing him to lower his head with an aggrieved look on his face. "He thinks that Simmy and I aren''t normal, that we''re monsters¡­" Steve said. "And?" I wondered if that was all. "Well, he got everyone in ss to call me and Simmy monsters. So, Simmy and I decided to fight him back. We would y small tricks on him every time. He couldn''t detect or figure out what was happening most of the time," Steven said. He let out a lowugh, as if he had recalled some funny memories of the past. His eyshes fluttered. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Simmy had probably been one of the few good memories Steven had of his past. Chapter 340 I suddenly felt a huge pang of sympathy for Steven. I instinctively reached out to hold his hand, but I recoiled in the end. I didn''t know what sort of person I really was, after all. I wondered if Steven and I could even have a future together. "Stephie, you''re not a bad person," Steven said as he held my hand firmly. Even at times when I doubted myself like this, Steven chose to believe in me. "Do you know why Eason changed his name?" Steven asked. He seemed eager to cheer me up and was trying to change the subject. "It was because he kept having nightmares after Simmy''s death. He kept feeling like Simmy''s ghost was following him around or something, as if he were by his side all the time. He even got electrocuted at home once and said he saw a ghost." Steven chuckled and continued, "His parents tried bringing in all sorts of exorcists to exorcise the ghost. But a psychiatrist ultimately said that he was just hallucinating due to being electrocuted. "But he was still worried, so he had a fortune teller change his name to get rid of Simmy''s ghost. Simmy died in a fire¡­" Steven paused and tightened his grip on my hand. His Adam''s apple bobbed as he continued, "Anyway, the fortune teller told Eason that his old name was too easy for ghosts totch onto, so in the end, Eason became his new name as it was shorter." I stared at Steven, who was telling me what should have been a funny story. However, I couldn''t bring myself tough. I could tell that Steven was trying hard to cheer me up. I found his clumsy attempt rather endearing. "I just want to make you happy, but I always end up messing things up," Steven said in a hoarse voice as he slowly released my hand. We remained silent for the rest of the journey. Once we were back home, I locked myself in Steven''s basement. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I stared at the linked clues on the wall and lost myself in thought. I wondered who Steven was protecting by being so evasive. At the moment, the two people who seemed to matter most to him were Simmy and Stephanie. However, both of them were "dead". I fell into a daze as I stared up at the wall covered in clues. I had started off distrusting Stephany and ended up suspecting Stephanie now. It felt as if I had fallen headfirst into a conspiracy that was spinning out of control. Perhaps unraveling this mystery wasn''t as simple as recovering my memories. Behind the fogy even greater mysteries, and there was more toe where those came from. When I finally left the basement, Ewan saw me and let out a sigh as he said, "Sir is drinking." I was taken aback to hear that Steven was drinking alcohol. He shouldn''t be drinking with the injuries he was sporting. I wanted to check on Steven right away, but I suddenly recalled the event with the Crowdstar Group''s president. "Mr. Bart, the charity banquet¡­" I wondered if the charity banquet was sessful. Ewan seemed surprised. "Oh, didn''t Sir tell you? Well, I suppose he drank too much before he had the chance to¡­" Ewan paused and continued, "Sir sold all the shares he had legally inherited to the president of Crowdstar Group. It seems that the ident involving you and the baby has deeply affected him. He''s willing to give up everything as long as your safety can be assured." It didn''t matter whether Steven and I survived or not at this point. After what Steven did, the Lincoln Group''s ownership would change hands. I was shocked to hear Ewan''s words. This was an extreme measure I had not imagined Steven to take. Steven had actually sold the Lincoln Group. He was such a fool. Without those shares, it meant that he had lost his only means of protection. Martin could take his life at any moment if Steven ever angered him. Even though Martin no longer had a reason to kill me, Steven would be the scapegoat of the Lincolns. They surely wouldn''t let him off the hook. I couldn''t understand why Steven always had to bear all the pressure by himself. Suddenly, a loud bang sounded. It came from the bedroom. Then, incessant barking in the backyard followed. Both Ewan and I ran toward the bedroom in a panic. Maybe something happened to Steven. Chapter 341 Stevie continued to bark in the backyard. This clearly indicated that someone had climbed over the wall and entered thepound. Stevie was a very perceptive dog. It could detect movements that many people may not have noticed. Steven had sold his shares in the Lincoln Group to Crowdstar Group. This meant that Crowdstar Group had the right to suddenly intervene in matters involving the Lincoln Group. The senior management of Crowdstar Group had begun to take over the Lincoln Group. This would have undoubtedly angered the Lincolns, especially Martin. I pushed open the bedroom door in a panic and my pounding heart finally settled. I breathed heavily while leaning against the door frame. Since I had been panicking, my breathing was rapid and my heart was beating wildly in my chest. At that moment, regardless of the memories of my past, I had to admit that I was worried about Steven. I was truly worried about him. "Stephie¡­" Steven seemed to have drunk a lot. He was curled up at the foot of the bed and holding his legs. He looked bewildered when he saw me. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then, I looked down at the intruder lying on the ground and walked over to Steven cautiously. "Did you get hurt?" I asked softly as I bent down to face Steven. There were some bloodstains on his pale face. It made him look enchanting and ethereal. I instinctively reached out to wipe the blood from his face, but he grabbed my hand with a burning gaze. His gaze was hot and intense. It looked as if he wanted to burn me with his eyes. "Stephie, it''s not my blood." My back tensed up at that. I felt like I was getting devoured by Steven''s eyes. Just when I thought he was going to kiss me in such an inappropriate situation, he suddenly raised his head and hugged me tightly. Then, he said drunkenly, "Stephie, what happened? I''m so scared. My head is spinning¡­" I smelled alcohol on him and sighed in exasperation. "Mr. Bart, help sort this out. Get this person to the police." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Ewan smiled, as if he was relieved. I guessed that he was probably going to say something about how I had rushed to check on Steven first this time. I didn''t ignore him and check on the person Steven had attacked to make sure they weren''t dead likest time. Perhaps Steven was looking at me so intensely earlier because he realized that I finally cared about his well-being first this time. What an idiot. "Take him to the police station." Ewan felt the intruder''s neck for a pulse. It turned out that the man had only been knocked unconscious by Steven. He wasn''t dead. Ewan and I both breathed out a sigh of relief. Steven was lying on top of me in a drunken stupor. I wasn''t sure if he was really drunk or pretending to be. He was covered in the intruder''s blood. He was filthy, and his hair was all messy. However, his features still looked as good as ever. "Stephie¡­" Steven kept calling out my name repeatedly. Perhaps he really was drunk. "Wifey¡­ Stephie¡­" he whined, as if he was trying to get my attention. He held onto me and refused to let go. I sighed. Steven was no longer pretending to be clueless. He was pretending to be drunk instead. It didn''t matter if he was faking it or not, but I had to run him a bath. "Get up. You have to take a bath now. You''re filthy," I said disdainfully as I tugged him toward the bathroom. Steven followed me obediently. He raised his hands above his head once we entered the bathroom. He wanted me to take off his shirt for him. I tiptoed and barely managed to pull his shirt over his head. At that moment, our eyes locked and my heart skipped a beat. My breath was caught, and following that, Steven used the shirt that was wrapped around his arms to trap me in his embrace. He then kissed me with lust filling his eyes. There was no way I could refuse his advances. He was too ethereal to refuse. If people could transform into magical beings, I was certain that Steven would turn into a siren. "My pants¡­" Steven said. He had kissed me until I had run out of air, yet he still had the audacity to ask me to take off his pants for him. Chapter 342 I wanted to escape. My heart was beating fast, and my cheeks felt a bit flushed. However, I couldn''t get away from Steven''s embrace. He had me trapped with his shirt. "Stephie, you''re blushing," Steven said softly, as if he had just discovered something wonderful. "Stephie, you should feel your pulse now." I stared at him nkly and asked, "Why should I?" "You once told me that if you liked someone, your sympathetic nervous system would get excited. This means that there''ll be an increase in hormone secretion, followed by the transmission of dopamine and the eleration of the heartbeat. "If your heart rate now is higher than your resting heart rate while we''re kissing, it means you like me," Steven exined earnestly. I paused upon hearing that. I couldn''t believe how childish I was in the past. I had apparentlye up with forms to determine whether I liked someone or not. I coughed and said, "You talk too much," Then, I lowered my head to untie the drawstring on his sweatpants. Suddenly, I recalled something and narrowed my eyes. "Take off your pants and get into the bathtub yourself. You''re drunk, not handicapped!" Steven started to act aggrieved and pretended to feel dizzy. "But Stephie¡­ I feel so horrible. The alcohol is making my body burn up. It feels like I''m¡­ in a rut." I gritted my teeth. "I have scissors right here. Should I neuter you to help you out?" Steven immediately straightened up and took off his clothes obediently. He did not treat me like a stranger at all. After stripping, he got into the bathtub by himself. I rubbed my temples andined inwardly about how shameless Steven was. But to be fair, we were technically legally married. "Stephie, my hand hurts," Steven said while showing me his palm. Only then did I notice the wounds there. "Why didn''t you say so earlier?" I hurried to get the first aid kit as I cursed and worried over him. Steveny dejectedly at the edge of the bathtub. He watched me treat his wounds with a dazed and unfocused gaze. I figured it was because he was a little drunk from all the drinking. The steam from the bathtub began to fill the bathroom. With Steven lying in it like that, he looked like he had just stepped out of a fairy tale. He was just so beautiful. "Stephie¡­" Steven whispered my name and fluttered his eyshes. He was just too irresistible. "Stephie¡­" he called out again. He seemed genuinely ufortable at the moment as hey in the bathtub. I was doomed. The bathroom was too big, and the same could be said about the bathtub. I felt like Steven was slowly transforming into a seductive sea siren. "What?" I asked, watching him warily. "Stephie, it feels ufortable," Steven said, still resting his hands on the edge of the bathtub. "My hands can''t get wet, so can you help me¡­" I felt like he was taking advantage of the situation, so I got up to leave. "Stephie," he called out pitifully again. But I didn''t indulge him this time. "Stephie, you definitely fancy me. You shouldn''t believe Michael. He''s nothing but a shameless bastard," Steven said softly, not forgetting to curse Michael out a little bit at the end. I chuckled and looked at him. "You''re not exactly an innocentmb either." "Stephie, we''re legally married. Everything I have is yours. From my face to my body, everything is yours. I don''t even need to have any ownership of myself. You can have all of me if you want," Steven said seriously. I suddenly had the strong impulse to destroy the whole world. I quickly mmed the door shut. After taking a few deep breaths of fresh air outside, only then did my heart rate slow down. I was probably flustered because of the heat in the bathroom. Yes, that was probably it. Steven continued to take his bath in the bathroom. However, I was worried that he really was drunk and would drown himself identally, so I opened the bathroom door andy on the bed. I found an angle where I could see Steven with just a nce. I could prevent him from drowning himself this way. It was clear that Steven felt aggrieved. He sshed around in the bathtub for a bit and seemed to consider soaking his hands in the water for a moment. "If you get your hands wet, I''ll break them," I said in a low voice. Steven excitedly lifted his head out of the water and obediently ced his hands that were still raised back on the edge of the bathtub. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. After he had confirmed that I was still watching him, he started to y up his own antics. He looked like a peacock with its feathers spread. He grabbed one thing after another and couldn''t seem to stay still. I was exasperated. Seeing that Steven didn''t seem too drunk, I decided to ignore him and took out my phone to read my parents'' diary. Chapter 344 Andy seemed to pity Steven. But it definitely did not look like all Andy felt for Steven was fatherly love. There were otherplex emotions mixed in as well in his gaze. Below the photo, my mother had written a note that read: "Number 0''s emotions seem more turbulent than Stephie''s. It appears as if he had a tendency toward violence and abuse, but this cannot be confirmed at the moment. Further observation is required." My head suddenly ached horrible and I heard a voice in my head, "Stephie, you can''t have your own children. "I''m really sorry, Stephie. But your genes and Steve''s aren''t¡­" "Sherry, what are you saying to the child?" I could hear my mom''s guilty voice and my dad''s rebuke in my mind. Then, it was followed by the sound of things being packed into suitcases. "Don''t affect her negatively with your emotions. Just act normal and don''t make it obvious that something is amiss. I''m going to put our things in the car first. After attending the ceremony at the orphanage today, we''ll leave Huma." My mom sobbed and hugged me rather tightly, "Stephie, I''m so sorry. I wasn''t good enough for you." "We don''t have much time. He has spies everywhere, we need to go as soon as we can," my dad urged. "Have you given the police the documents and evidence you''vepiled?" my mom asked, sounding fearful. "It''d be too obvious if I handed those in myself. I asked Charlie to do it." "Can we trust him?" my mom asked, sounding doubtful. "We go a long way back, don''t we? His wife couldn''t conceive, remember? You ended up helping her with IVF. He''s grateful to us, so he''s bound to help us." In my memory, it was clear that my dad seemed to trust this Charlie fellow. I couldn''t remember who Charlie was. I began tugging my hair from the headache. I could vaguely make out a memory. On the day of the car ident, my parents had been unusually nervous. It felt as if they were nning to hide from some people and were trying to take me away. They had entrusted some evidence and information to Charlie to give to the police. But judging from the current situation I was in, it was obvious that Charlie had betrayed my dad''s trust. Not only did he not give the information he was supposed to to the police, but he might have even exposed my dad to the very person my dad was running from. As such, my parents, along with Andy, ended up getting involved in that fatal and premeditated car ident on Hymn Bridge. "Wifey¡­" Steven''s whining snapped me back to reality. I instinctively switched my phone off and was immediately enveloped in Steven''s embrace when I turned around. My breathing started to be shallow. I started to wonder if what Michael had told me was true. Perhaps Steven had really imprisoned and abused me. That was what my mother''s logs seemed to indicate, after all. But until my memory got fully restored, I couldn''t specte on everything just by relying on the information in the logs. Because at this moment, I didn''t even trust my own parents. Before the truth came out, I couldn''t even trust myself. "Wifey, I feel dizzy." Steven rolled onto the bed with me in his arms. Then, he started going into seduction mode. He wrapped his long and muscr legs around me, preventing me from escaping. "Stephie¡­" he said. He held me from behind and slowly tightened his grip on me. My ears burned. There was something hot pressing against my waist from behind. Steven was such a bastard. "Stephie, I''ll just rub against you. I won''t do more than that, okay?" "Fuck off." "I''ll only touch you a little bit. I won''t put it inside¡­" I really wanted to neuter him at this moment. Fortunately, he still had some sense left in him. He knew that my body couldn''t handle his passion, so all he did was touch me a little without doing anything more. But just his touch was too much for me to handle. His hands went everywhere. "Steven Lincoln!" Just when Steven was at his peak, his phone rang. His gaze turned icy. It looked as if he wanted to kill someone. I smirked at him and said, "Answer the phone." He didn''t. I reached for his phone, but he tried to stop me. "What if it''s something urgent?" I asked. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Steven gritted his teeth and nced at the screen. When he saw it was a call from Eason, he muttered, "it better be an emergency." "Steven Lincoln! I got a hold of Stephanie''s autopsy report and the gic testing report done on the fetus in her womb. There''s a huge problem. Come to the forensicb right now!" Chapter 345 When Steven and I arrived at the forensicb, Eason was sitting on the couch in the lounge. He had a grave expression on his face. Eason wasn''t the only one there. There were several people wearing whiteb coats around him with solemn expressions on their faces as well. They appeared to be researchers. "Take a look for yourself," Eason said, cing the text report on the table. Steven picked it up and nced at the report. He did not seem very surprised. I looked at Steven for a moment, then reached out to grab the report from him to take a look at it myself. Unfortunately, I couldn''t understand a thing. Seeing that I looked clueless, Eason rubbed his forehead and started to exin, "This is a huge problem. It appears that Stephanie had gically modified the fetus in her womb during its embryonic stage. Then, the embryo was imnted into the host for gestation after that." The other researchers looked equally somber. Eason continued, "Furthermore, Stephanie herself had undergone the most advanced genome editing possible. "She should have been born with great intelligence, a superior physique, and great strength that made her stronger than any other human being. This means that she was essentially made to be¡­ a superhuman." This was a terrifying discovery. This meant that humans have somehow created a deity amongst men that was somehow also human. "Genome editing?" I asked, looking at the researchers in astonishment. "Is this technology widespread?" "It''s strictly prohibited, actually." Eason frowned and continued, "You probably don''t understand what genome editing will do to our society. Once it¡­" Eason trailed off and didn''t continue. He knew that even if he did, I wouldn''t be able to understand him. Steven remained silent. He said nothing. "Is it possible that some wealthy people have already started doing this? It sounds harmless enough to me. It''s just so that they can make their children more outstanding, right?" I asked tentatively. Eason replied, "Research on genome editing is strictly prohibited. Experimenting it on humans is forbidden because there are too many uncontroble factors to ount for. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "For instance, if we cut off a segment of your gic chain to make you naturally immune to a certain disease, it is highly likely that this splice will open up another door to another disease. The consequences of human genome editing are too uncontroble and unpredictable." The rich weren''t fools, after all. They wouldn''t dare to attempt such under-researched experiments on themselves lightly. As such, in order to make sure the experiment would be sessful, countless test subjects would need to be sacrificed until the best results were obtained. Once genome editing was legalized, human society would be in total chaos. The wealthy would ensure their children were outstanding in all aspects from birth, while the poor got oppressed their entire lives. I stared at the gic test results and remained silent for a long while. "So you''re saying that Stephanie wasn''t the product of her parent''s love, but an experimental subject?" "That''s highly likely," one of the researchers said with a nod. Eason looked at Steven and said, "You know why I called you here, don''t you? News of this cannot be leaked, or it will cause mass panic. We need to investigate this further. I suspect Stephanie might not be an isted case." Stephanie''s parents had logs that resembled experimental data, after all. As such, Eason suspected that Stephanie was actually an experimental subject. "And her death was most likely nned ahead by the ones behind this scheme. They wanted to destroy any living evidence of the experiment." Moreover, it was very likely that the ones behind it considered Stephanie a failed experimental subject. As such, they decided to abandon her by killing her. "If their intention was to destroy the evidence, the person who killed me- I mean Stephanie- wouldn''t have a reason to trap her body in a ss disy case, right? Her body should have been obliterated," I argued. I continued in a whisper, "cing her body in a ss disy case seems more intentional. Perhaps it''s so that she could be shown to the public. Maybe the person behind her death wanted to disy her as amodity and wanted to expose the conspiracy behind her existence to the public." Maybe the murderer was against genome editing. Furthermore, it was clear that the murderer was privy to a lot of secret information about the genome editing experiments. "The most terrifying part of all of this hasn''t even been presented yet," Eason said, then took out another gic testing report. "This is the report done on the fetus in Stephanie''s womb. It was shaped abnormally, had congenital malformations, severe gic defects and chromosomal abnormalities¡­" To put that in in terms, the fetus was essentially a real-life monstrosity. It was a malformed child that could not have been born. "But why?" I asked in shock. I covered my mouth with a hand and trembled all over. Chapter 346 The baby was never born. "This is the consequence of tampering with human genomes. Stephanie was born a superhuman. She was naturally immune to various diseases, but it also means that her body isn''t suited for reproduction since her birth. "Much like a mule bred from a donkey and a horse. A mule is incapable of reproduction." Stephanie was the metaphorical mule in question. It would be impossible for her to conceive a child, let alone a healthy one. Genome editing was a bit like Pandora''s box. Once it was opened, the consequences that followed were unpredictable. "This isn''t a trivial matter. It''s honestly terrifying. The scope of implications is very broad. Stephanie was probably not their sole experimental subject. There must be an evil and terrifying organization that had everything nned." Eason tapped on the table and continued, "We first learned about the genius selection, then learned about the missing teenagers. Serial killings along with dismemberment cases were thrown into the mix as well. Looking back at this case concerning genome editing, everything seemed unrted. Who knew that they''d end up inter-rting to one another?" Eason suddenly showed a remarkable shred of his intelligence. Perhaps he had always been this smart. It was just a pity that he figured it out a bitter than someone else. Steven had already found all of this out many years ago. He had everything stered on the wall already. I turned to look at Steven. My gaze burned into him. I wasn''t trying to reprimand him, but I just couldn''t understand why he refused to say anything at this moment. "That''s right. The rich have long been conducting genome editing in secret to leave outstanding heirs in their ce," Steven''s voice was hoarse when he finally spoke up, "I''m actually a gically modified person as well, but my situation is different from Stephanie''s. "She underwent theplete genome editing process, while I only underwent modifications in resisting hereditary diseases and some enhancements. My intelligence and physical fitness was enhanced, along with some genes rted to bettering my facial features." As soon as Steven finished speaking, everyone stared at him. Some of the researchers'' eyes seemed to have lit up. Human desire was truly a terrifying thing to behold. Since ancient times, kings have tried to pursue immortality. It turned out that people were still doing it in the present day. Research on longevity, anti-aging, and ways to achieve eternal youth never ceased. But such studies were against the principles of humanity. It was against thews of nature. Even so, human desire to pursue immortality would undoubtedly persist till the end of times. "Andy never loved my mother. My mom was just a beautiful woman with perfect genes. She was chosen by my grandpa to bear a child for the Lincolns. All she was to them was an egg donor, while Andy was the sperm provider," Steven said. Andy was Steven''s so-called biological father, as it seemed. Steven chuckled coldly after saying that. In in terms, he was nothing but a product of surrogacy. He was much like an object, a commodity. "My grandpa wanted to have a perfect heir, so as a gically modified person, I was born in a laboratory in Melovia," he continued. Suddenly, I understood why Steven stopped talking about the secrets he kept. It was because each secret he kept hurt him. He was essentially stabbing himself by revealing his secrets. "I was observed closely by researchers until I was eight years old. It was at that age when the Lincolns had to take me back. They signed a contract and everything. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "But they ended up backtracking because I was always silent and liked to be alone. Due to the genome editing, my brain development was abnormally dyed before the age of weight. I was a lot less intelligent than other eight year olds out there as well. "Because of that, they considered me as a failed experimental product. After they brought me back to the country, they dumped me at an orphanage." Steven took a deep breath and looked at Eason with indifference. He continued, "But they didn''t know that after the age of eight, my brain started to develop to a point where no normal person could evenprehend." Then, Steven pointed at his own temple. His voice was tinged with resentment as he spoke. He seemed to believe that he himself was also a gically modified monstrosity. Chapter 347 I probably knew everything about what happened next. Steven''s exceptional talents suddenly flourished. He entered an advanced ss as a teenager and rose to fame overnight. The Lincoln family was thrilled to wee Steven back during this time. Oh, how ironic! How terrible could human nature be? "How about Simmy?" Eason asked anxiously. Was Simeon also a baby who underwent genome editing? Steven gazed at Eason and asked with a solemn tone, "Do you know why wealthy individuals invest in genome editing? They do so because they aspire for their children to be the next Einstein or Rockefeller. But God''s creation of human beings is truly miraculous. Every so often, a natural genius emerges to propel the world''s development¡­ "Only God possesses the power to manipte human genes. However, there are always individuals who dare to challenge this notion, foolishly believing that they can rece or even fabricate God Himself." Steven''s words were crystal clear. Simeon was a natural genius, a one-in-a-billion prodigy from birth. Yet, he was changed due to human interference. He was gically superior and had been altered and improved based on his superior gics. He was destined for sess. Steven stared at the scientific researchers. "The woman who bore me carries a quarter of Yowhayton ancestry. Genes can be passed down and inherited. This is the wonder of humanity and the horror of gics. If it is not against thew, wouldn''t you desire your children to be born at the peak of their potential?" Despite seeming absurd, this idea uncovered an important truth about human nature. "Do you not desire for your child to be born a genius, possessing natural resistance against various diseases?" The researchers remained silent. "But this is uncontroble. Despite the advantages, the risks of gic mutation are too high. I can''t allow my children to take this risk," one of the researchers replied, shaking his head. Steven agreed. "So we must thoroughly investigate this matter." Despite the challenges faced, it was crucial to uncover the truth. The entire organization should be completely dismantled and destroyed. "I''ve been investigating these issues for six years, yet I''ve never truly reached their core. I underestimated theplexity of human nature and the horrors of power." And also underestimated the intelligence of the mastermind. Steven had concluded long ago that the person who nned all of this was definitely not simple. Without a doubt, this individual was a brilliant genius, far surpassing Steven''s intelligence. "Who do you suspect?" Eason looked at Steven nervously. "Peter." Steven grasped my hand and gazed at me with determination. He appeared to be assuring me that he would help me find out everything. He would always be there for me, always protecting me. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. "But Peter might not be the true mastermind. I went to the asylum this time not only to uncover Peter''s weaknesses but also to assess his true intentions. He is very ambitious and clever, but not exceptionally intelligent." Peter was intelligent but could not meticulously strategize and craft intricate ns. Eason agreed. "Then let''s start with him." Steven nced over at Eason. "Regarding the serial murder case, all victims are far from innocent. The reason why this killer has attracted so much attention from society is that his underlying goal... must be to unveil the truth about genome editing." "He wants us to wait and see. He''s provoking the mastermind behind this n," said Steven, his voice hoarse and low. I was breathing heavily. From a certain perspective, the individual responsible for the serial murders could be seen as more of an adversary, a foe of the mastermind behind this scheme. Chapter 348 The enemy of an enemy was a friend. Did Steven intentionally avoid putting in his best effort to find the murderer and instead just watch them fight? "What about Stephanie?" Eason repeated the question I asked earlier. If no one were innocent, what about Stephanie? Steven''s hand was shaking as he held my hand. "She...is the key. She is the subject of genome editing experiments and should be showcased in the cab as evidence." So, the person behind it killed me. I smiled bitterly. My genes were edited before I was conceived and born. What did I do wrong? Why should I be ruthlessly killed and used by everyone? I struggled to free myself from Steven''s grip, but he held me tightly. His voice sounded hoarse as if he was begging me. "Stephie..." He did this every time I got angry. But I was killed! Would he still condone the mastermind? I firmly stated, my eyes were red. "I must find the serial murderer! I don''t care why you''re protecting him. I can''t allow him to kill everyone in order to target the so-called mastermind!" Those lives were innocent! Regardless of their guilt, it was thew that should administer punishment, not a serial killer! Steven lowered his head, his breath trembling with emotion. He still refused to exin. He was so persistent. I turned my gaze away, no longer relying on him to assist me in the search for the serial murderer. I would find the culprit myself. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Eason shook his head. "We''ve been unable to uncover any clues or make any progress in the serial murder case. Despite Yasmin''s ongoing dramatic search for trouble, the elusive murderer remains inactive, making it extremely challenging for us. However, the muttion case is connected to human trafficking. It is suspected that those ''natural'' geniuses have been trafficked as gene vectors. They may be subjected to even more horrifying circumstances. Our top priority is to locate them as quickly as possible." I nodded with a lingering sense of fear. He was right. We must prioritize locating those innocent geniuses. They were most likely exploited, being utilized as a means for reproduction, acting as carriers of genes, as well as repositories for sperm and eggs, with theirplete potential being exploited for personal benefit. "The police''s frequent visits to the Bridgeway Route demolition zone will raise suspicions among the escort girls. The area is densely popted with sex workers, rendering police checks futile. These individuals are akin to skilled fugitives, adept at hiding themselves. However, within such aplex environment, valuable clues are more likely to surface." Eason carefully analyzed the existing clue points. In order to locate the abducted teenagers, they needed to head to No. 38 Bridgeway Route. "There is someone I know. Her name is Carol, and she is Simmy''s sister." I just recalled that Carol lived there. She had a mild intellectual disability. If I could get her to open up, I might be able to learn something. But when I mentioned Carol, Steven''s expression suddenly changed. "No!" He appeared reluctant to let me meet Carol. "She''s mentally disabled. You won''t be able to get information from her. Moreover, the environment is chaotic and dangerous. You can''t go there." I furrowed my brow and gazed intently at Steven. It was clear that he had been concealing more than just one secret from me. In addition, in my mother''s diary, there were disturbing ounts of him imprisoning me, kidnapping me, and abusing me. I was still unable to discern whether these ounts were true or false. Steven, what kind of person were you exactly? "I''m going. Those children have been missing for so many years. Imagine the despair they must feel if they are still alive... I must rescue them!" I insisted on going there. After all, the disappearance of those genius teenagers was closely rted to "Stephanie". I felt the need to investigate, either out of guilt or a genuine desire for truth. Steven slowly let go of my hand, his voice hoarse. "I''ll go with you..." No matter what, the priority was to find the missing geniuses at all costs. Chapter 349 I parked my car a distance away and walked to the demolition zone of Bridgeway Route. Steven remained silent throughout the journey. He was unsure how to stop me, yet also dissatisfied with my decision to meet Carol. I felt furious with him because he consistently prevented me without providing any exnation. He should have clearly exined the reasons behind his actions. For instance, he could have mentioned that Carol tended to be aggressive and might cause harm to me. Any valid exnation would have been eptable to me. However, he chose to remain silent and stubbornly prevented me from proceeding. How could I be happy about it? "Stephie..." Upon noticing my anger, he promptly bowed his head and meekly trailed behind me at a distance of three meters. Just as I was about to step into the demolition zone, he softly uttered my name. I nced back at him. He was tall and attractive, but appeared fragile when wearing an oversized sweater, as if he had been a target of bullying. I scoffed and ignored him. I couldn''t constantlypromise and cater to his every desire. Seeing that I had ignored him, his eyes were a little red. He sniffed and continued to follow me, not too far away but not too close either. I intentionally quickened my pace, as if I were unting my impatience. I was an ordinary person. But then I discovered that my husband was keeping something from me and was protecting the person who killed me. It was only natural for me to feel angry about that. Why should I be rational with my partner? I had every right to express my anger. Shouldn''t he be able to handle my emotions and be honest with me? Fuming with anger, I let out a deep growl before turning into an alley. The alley was in a state of disarray, with gangsters and homeless people smoking. I had always harbored a deep fear of these individuals, likely because of the terrifying encounter I had with Michael at the Nocturnal Club. "Hello there, gorgeous! How much is it?" "Shall we?" Those individuals used offensivenguage as if all women who visited this ce were sex workers. I attempted to disregard those individuals and leave swiftly. However, they persisted, using their hands to prevent me from moving. They also said offensive words to me. I felt a twinge of fear and instinctively nced around to locate Steven. As soon as I turned around, I found myself in his embrace. His strong arm surrounded me, and his soothing voice whispered, "I''m here." The men sneered, startled by Steven''s chilling gaze. All of them instinctively backed away. Steven grasped my hand and guided me down the lengthy alley. "Steve, do you think I''m pretentious?" I asked him in a hushed tone. He took my hand and nced back at me. "Stephie, you asked me before. What does it feel like to be afraid? What does dependence feel like? What does fear feel like?" He spoke softly as if talking to me but also to himself. "You mentioned feeling like a monster,cking emotions, and longing for a normal life. You expressed envy towards those who seem carefree andOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org. those women who depend on men. You even shared a willingness to trade your intelligence and reason for a simpler existence." He whispered, guiding me forward with careful steps. The alley stretched ahead, deep, long, and shrouded in darkness. It emanated a sense of dampness and endlessness. At that moment, it seemed as though I had caught a glimpse of Steven in the past. As he walked into the alley in ill-fitting clothes, he solved one obstacle after another for me. "So, Stephie, I won''t think you''re being pretentious. I''ll be genuinely happy and overjoyed that you''ve finally achieved sess and started a new life. This is what you''ve desired, and I only want to safeguard everything for you," Steven said, his voice tinged with emotion. I couldn''t quite understand what he said. Did he imply that I used to be excessively intellectual, almost robotic, and devoid of emotions? Was he suggesting that I yearned to break free from the constraints of my high IQ and be less intellectual, all while embracing my humanity? Did he insinuate that I desired to be pretentious? I furrowed my brow and seized his arm firmly. "So, what you''re trying to say is that you still believe I am pretentious, huh?" Steven smiled and shook his head innocently. "I don''t." I snorted, shook off Steven''s hand, and went upstairs. He was constantly following me, not too close, not too far. His presence provided me with a sense of safety. "Bitch! Why are you pretending?" "Ah!" I heard a scream followed by a man''s cursing. Suddenly, the door swung open. An infuriated man emerged from Carol''s room, cursing, "200 dors is more than enough for you." Chapter 350 Carol''s cheeks were red and swollen as she clumsily followed him out. She cried and spoke with hesitation as if struggling to express herself clearly. "Please, it''s 500. Please." She begged desperately, her body trembling uncontrobly. It was obvious that she was in desperate need of money. The man snapped and forcefully shoved Carol aside, angrily eximing, "Move out of my way! What an unlucky day! Fool!" But weren''t they all bullying a fool? They would give others 500, but would only give Carol 200 each time. "I need money. I really need money, please." Carol knelt on the ground and kept desperately begging. I stood at the end of the corridor, watching her innocently begging, and felt incredibly unsettled. "Hand over the money. You agreed on 500, so that''s what you need to give her. If you don''t, we''ll have to involve the police. If you''re not afraid of the shame of going to jail, then go ahead and try it!" I approached the man and grabbed him angrily. The man became angry and wanted to push me, but Steven quickly pushed him directly against the wall. In the end, the man cursed and tossed a stack of 300 dors onto the ground before swiftly fleeing the scene. Carol cautiously picked up the money from the ground, peeking fearfully at Steven. She seemed to be very afraid of Steven. Suddenly, she stood up and rushed back to the room, determined to lock the door. Steven instantly stepped forward and pushed the door open, demanding, "Open the door!" Only then did Carol open the door in fear as she nervously backed away. "Steve..." Steven stared at her in silence. Carol secretly ced the cash under the pillow and cast an uneasy nce in my direction. "I didn''t... I didn''t push her on purpose." She was scared that she had pushed me that day. Did Stevene to see her? Steven didn''t speak. He simply stood at the door and gazed at me. I attempted to soothe her. "Carol, could we please have a conversation?" However, she lowered her head and ignored me. "I can pay you." Knowing she needed money, I reached into Steven''s pocket for the cash and gave it to Carol. Steven snorted reluctantly. I was actually quite curious. Carol was Simeon''s sister, and Steven and Simeon were close to each other. It was puzzling that he was reluctant when I asked him to get some cash out just now, considering he couldn''t ignore her when he had money. Carol shook her head vigorously and took a step back. "I don''t want that. Simmy said that I can''t get something for nothing." I was stunned. "But what you''re doing is illegal. And..." I was somewhat embarrassed to say it, but this was simply not right. Carol tilted her head and shook it. "Simmy always said that I can''t get something for nothing." She had a mental disability and only seemed to remember this sentence.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "You get something for nothing by doing this too." I corrected her way of thinking. She looked at me with fear, then turned to Steven. "You too! Do you work for money? You... you sleep with him, and he gives you money." Carol pointed at me and then at Steven. I felt somewhat powerless and was left speechless. "We are a married couple, and he enjoys spoiling me with his earnings." Carol pursed her lips and muttered, "Shameless." I was confused and looked at Steven. What did I do to be called shameless? Steven''s gaze lingered on Carol, his expression filled with caution. He didn''t see her as just someone with intellectual disabilities, but rather as a dangerous person. "I have something I''d like to ask you about. Could you please tell me?" I inquired tentatively. Carol muttered, "You have to pay me." Without hesitation, I handed over some cash to her. She still repeated, "I can''t get something for nothing." "Then what do you want?" I was about to lose my patience. Carol pointed at Steven. "Let him sleep with me and pay me." Chapter 351 I was left speechless, absolutely shocked. I nced at Carol and then at Steven. What was going on? "Carol, he''s my husband." I attempted to change her mindset. But Carol lowered her head and murmured. "It''s not like we haven''t slept together." I momentarily froze as I thought I heard something unreal, then anxiously gazed at Carol. "What did you say?" "I have slept with Steve before," Carol said seriously. I subconsciously looked back at Steven. He was always vignt as if he already knew that Carol was going to talk nonsense. He took hold of my hands and patiently exined, "The ''sleep'' she referred to is a different kind of sleep." I couldn''t quite understand what he meant. "What do you mean?" Steven gritted his teeth. "When we were in the orphanage, Simmy, Carol, and I often shared the same bed. But it was purely for sleeping. I slept with you and had a baby, that''s different." I paused to take a deep breath, feeling a surge of anger from her words. Carol kept talking foolishly, "He also slept with Simmy, and so did Stephie." I was at a loss for words. What she said had the power to terrify people to the core. Steven was clearly upset as well. "Just answer her questions!" Carol appeared to be afraid of Steven, lowering her head and replying with a hint of grievance, "Okay." "Do you still remember the worker who lived upstairs across from usmitted suicide by jumping off the building?" I asked quietly. She nodded with a stern expression. "I do." "Before the workermitted suicide, do you remember if anyone came to see him?" I nervously inquired. She looked at me and shook her head. "I don''t remember." I felt rather let down. Yes, it was true. Carol was mentally disabled and struggled with remembering people. Carol''s head tilted as she walked out of the door, pointing directly at the surveince camera positioned outside her home. "Are you stupid? Steven installed a surveince camera for me. He said that if I''m ever in danger, I just need to shout at the surveince camera, and he wille to save me." For a moment, I stood there stunned. I shifted my gaze from the surveince camera to Steven. Indeed, he had connected with Carol very early on. He maintained continuous contact with her and even assisted her in installing a hidden camera. Steven nervously lowered his head, possibly avoiding eye contact with me. Did he install a surveince camera outside Carol''s house to ensure her safety? So, why didn''t he intervene and stop her from being a sex worker? It left me feeling perplexed. "Is the surveince footage with you?" I asked with a hushed tone. Steven nodded. "If you''re interested in watching it, we can go back and check it out." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. I clenched my teeth and gripped his arm tightly. Why didn''t he tell me sooner? With an aggrieved look, he turned to me and uttered, "I thought you wanted to look into Carol..." After he finished speaking, he appeared momentarily taken aback before swiftly changing the topic. "I thought you were going to help Eason visit the site for investigation." "Why should I ask her if there is surveince?" I was trying to calm myself down. "Then, let''s go home," Steven said, feeling a twinge of guilt. He eagerly grabbed my hand as if he couldn''t wait to take me away. Carol tilted her head, looked at me quizzically, and then suddenly smiled. "Stephie...is the murderer." Steven''s footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and his frigid gaze sent shivers down one''s spine. He nced back at Carol. Overwhelmed in fear, Carol recoiled, crouching on the ground and clutching her head. I also turned around in surprise. "What did she just say?" Steven shook his head. "I didn''t catch that." Carol still murmured, "Stephie is the murderer... Stephie is the murderer..." In fact, I did hear it. Carol was saying that I was the murderer. Was she still ming me for taking Steven away and causing Simeon''s death? Chapter 352 However, the fire wasn''t my fault. I sighed and asked quietly, "Steve, why don''t you let Ewan take her away? After all, she is Simmy''s sister." "She refused," Steven replied, taking my hand and leading me away. As we walked, he exined that Carol had disagreed. "This is Simmy and her home. She''s guarding it and refuses to leave. No one can take her away. She''ll go crazy," he exined in a low voice. "But we can''t allow her to engage in this type of business." I couldn''t help but feel a tinge of cruelty. "Each person has their own choice and way of surviving, and she has her own." Steven couldn''t wait to take me away, to keep me out of there. "Ah! Help!" Suddenly, chaotic sounds emanated from the room next to Carol, followed by a woman''s cry for help. I was momentarily stunned and turned to Steven. "Is there any danger? Shall we take a look?" Steven kicked the door. "What happened?" The woman inside the room appeared to be desperately attempting to open the door and escape. However, the man kept cursing, "Bitch! Where are you going? Give me the money!" Steven frowned and was about to leave with me when Carol suddenly dashed out and forcefully mmed the door. "Stop hurting her! Stop!" I couldn''t bear watching Carol cry and bang on the door, so I eventually kicked it hard. The iron door wobbled so hard that the lock got crooked from a kick. Since I couldn''t kick the door open, Steven gave it a hard kick and the door finally budged. The man inside was naked. Steven immediately covered my eyes. The man eximed angrily, "What the hell are you doing? This is my wife." A woman crawled out, her body covered in wounds. Tears streaming down her face as she sought refuge behind Carol. "Carol, please save me." Carolforted her in a panic, saying, "It''s okay, you''re fine now." Without hesitation, Carol summoned all her courage to confront the man. "Callum Cooper, you bastard! How dare you hit your wife? You are nothing but a heartless monster." For an instant, my body tensed up. I promptly moved Steven''s hand off me and directed my gaze toward the man. Callum Cooper? He was also one of the students at the orphanage. His sequence of the serial number of the welfare home was right after Yasmin. In short, after Yasmin passed away, it was now Callum''s turn. Callum was also a key target for Zion''s protection and surveince. What a coincidence that he also lived here! "Is he also one of the students at the orphanage?" I asked Steven quietly. Steven stood there with a look of rage and murderous intent. His hands were clenched, and his entire body was shaking with hatred. "Are you out of your mind? It''s none of your business when I beat my wife. You''re responsible for the broken door, so you have to pay for it!" The man briskly adjusted his trousers, dressed in a delivery uniform. He was cursing and swearing. Steven rushed forward, delivering a powerful punch that sent him sprawling to the ground. Then, he kicked Callum hard in the abdomen. "Steve..." I did not stop him. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Maybe Steven would feel better after beating him and letting out his anger. After all, this scoundrel seemed to deserve it. "Does it hurt?" Steven asked in a hoarse voice. He forcefully yanked Callum''s hair and mmed him back onto the ground. "I''m asking you. Does it hurt?" When Steven was attacking someone, his presence was so terrifying that it captivated everyone''s gaze. At this time, he seemed to have unleashed his true nature. He was as fierce as a person emerging from hell. Callum''s eyes were swollen, but when he saw Steven clearly, he smiled. "Lunatic... It''s you. Of course, it hurts." "Then enjoy it." Steven kicked Callum again. In a fit of pain, Callum writhed on the ground, hisughter filled with madness. "Steve, that fire should have consumed you... Monsters like you and Simmy shouldn''t exist in this world." "Haha..." He was still chuckling, provoking Steven. While I wasn''t aware if he had provoked Steven, it was undeniably true that he had provoked me. My head was in so much pain that I instinctively moved forward and delivered a forceful blow to Callum''s face. "Trash like you have no ce in this world. You deserve to die... And after Yasmin is gone, it will be your turn. Just you wait..." Chapter 353 Callum looked at me, his initial mockery slowly transforming into horror. "Stephanie Carlson..." The fact that he shouted the name Stephanie Carlson indicated that he knew me and would be frightened upon seeing me. "You''re alive..." Callum dodged in fear and abruptly became frantic. Then, he pushed me aside before getting up and fleeing. I regained myposure and nced at Steven. "He appeared to be scared of me." Steven held my hand and whispered, "He mistook someone else. Let''s head back." "Thank you all." Callum''s wife expressed her gratitude despite being covered in wounds and with blood at the corner of her mouth. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "He is abusive. You can contact the police or leave him by getting a divorce." I whispered, not wanting to intervene further. Then, I turned around and left with Steven. "When you reach your breaking point, you don''t have to endure it any longer." I vaguely heard Carol say this behind me. When I turned around, she was still standing there foolishly,forting the woman who had suffered from domestic abuse. I followed Steven, feeling puzzled by his attitude towards Carol. "Carol is Simmy''s sister, right? You can obviously help her out of trouble even if she doesn''t agree." "Everyone has their own life, and we shouldn''t interfere forcefully," he replied with a stern expression. I furrowed my brow, struggling toprehend. "I have repeatedly asked Austin to give her the money, but she refuses. I have even attempted to bring her away forcefully and arranged for her to start a new and better life elsewhere. Despite my efforts, she could always find a way to escape. She insists on staying here and working, believing that she should bepensated for herbor..." Steven looked upset. He had helped Carol many times. It was Carol who insisted on embracing her current life. I was shocked and remained silent. On the way back with Steven, I couldn''t help but gaze out the window, my mind consumed by the diary left behind by my mother. In it, she expressed concern about Steven''s violent tendencies and the abuse I endured at his hands. "When I was 18 years old, I disappeared for a while. Did you take me away? Is it true that you imprisoned me and abused me?" I asked in a low voice. Steven nced at me knowingly, aware that I had read the diary. He gradually tightened his grip on my hand while speaking softly. "If I deny it, will you believe me?" "Who is that, then?" I asked this question withplete trust in his response. I simply wanted him to exin. However, he once again averted his gaze and chose to escape. This indicated a cover-up... "You still want to protect him?" Iughed bitterly and forcefully pulled my hand away from Steven''s grip. The photo captured a harrowing scene where I was on the brink of torture and death, my hands bound tightly in chains. I had no idea what I was experiencing back then. However, what set apart the person who abused me from the murderer who took my life? Steven defended the murderer, and now he wanted to shield the individual who had previously caused harm to me. "Stephie..." Steven reached out to hold my hand once more, yet I purposely evaded his touch. "I''m a bit tired." The car pulled up to the door of the vi. I got out of the car and wanted to go home. After walking a few steps, I spotted Michael. Yasmin''s disappearance left Michael quiet for a few days, but then he suddenly reappeared. Michael reached out and grabbed my wrist. He said confidently, "Stephie, I found Ms. rk." I was surprised and nced up at him. Amanda rk, a nanny who took care of me at home back then. She was also someone who remained in my memory. In my recollection, she was the one who began looking after me when I was ten years old. Following my parents'' death in a car ident, I could no longer afford to pay her sry, so I had to let her go. Afterward, I was taken to the Ford residence. "She can prove that he was the one who kidnapped and tortured you." Michael lowered his voice. This time, he appeared confident that he could take me away. I turned to look at Steven and felt extremely uneasy. Steven''s expression was not very favorable. It was clear that he did not approve of my leaving with Michael. Nevertheless, I remained determined to give it a shot. "Tell me who kidnapped me and hurt me before." Chapter 354 I was curious to see if Steven would tell me. Steven stood there, looking helpless and panicked. He urgently reached out to me, pleading for my presence by his side. Somehow, I felt the urge to approach him. However, my rationalepelled me to keep my distance and press him further. "Tell me. Who hurt me?" His hand slowly fell from its frozen position in mid-air, a silent testament to his refusal to speak. I nodded, directing my gaze toward Michael. "I''ll go with you." Michael was quite happy as he led me toward the car. "Stephie, let''s go." I didn''t look back, yet I waited for Steven to convince me to stay. However, he did not speak until I got into Michael''s car. He stood there with his head lowered, as though he were wrestling with a painful struggle and trying to make a difficult decision. "I''ll ask you again...who is it?" My eyes were red, and my heart was filled with unease. Who exactly was Steven trying to protect? Steven raised his head with tear-filled eyes. He opened his mouth as though he had been preparing to speak for a long time. "Stephie, it''s me." He imed it was him. "It''s all me." He shouldered the me entirely. He imed that he was the one. It was he who imprisoned and hurt me. Instead of revealing the identity of the person who harmed me, he chose to make me despise him, detest him, and keep my distance! "I didn''t lie to you," said Michael, looking at Steven with indifference before closing the car door for me. I saw Steven standing outside and suddenly felt extremely disappointed and saddened. Steven held his hand tightly, and I could see that he was holding back. The wound on the palm had clearly been pinched, and dark red blood was flowing down between his fingers. "ording to Ms. rk, your parents had been desperately searching for you while you were missing. After finally locating you, they imed that Steven had deceived you and confined you. He is a liar." Michael exined to me in the car why Steven had kidnapped me in the past. Michael pulled a letter from his pocket. "He imed to like you, but you knew clearly he was a lunatic. You want to break up with him. See for yourself. It''s what you wrote to Steven." As the car slowly drove away, I gazed at Steven through the window. He stood there, his entire figure shrouded in gloom, exuding a presence of mncholy. I took over the letter from Michael, opened it, and scanned its contents. It was unquestionably my own handwriting. "Ms. rk has retrieved it from the original residence. Your parents discovered this letter in the basement where you were confined," Michael exined. While reading the letter, I noticed how cold and determined my words and attitude seemed on the page. "Steven, I struggle with emotions. I decided to be in a rtionship with you out of curiosity about feelings. I want to experience what love is and try everything that a typical person would. However, reality has shown me that no matter how hard I try, I can never truly fall in love with you. I feel like I am unable to experience love and typical emotions like other people do. Let''s end it. I don''t want to continue living a lie, deceiving both you and me. Stephanie" I was the one who wrote the letter, breaking up with Steven. "This lunatic will lose control if he doesn''t get what he wants. He is aplete lunatic. He is very dangerous." Michael frowned, attempting to bring me face to face with the harsh reality. "Michael..." I held the letter, and an unbearable ache pierced my heart. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. He gazed intensely at me. "Stop the car," I said firmly. Chapter 355 Michael was stunned. "Stephie..." I looked at Michael and ripped the letter into pieces. "None of this matters now. Stephanie is dead." Stephanie was dead, and the past no longer held any significance. What I knew for certain was that the pain in my heart was unbearable when I intentionally left just now, seeing Steven in such agony. It felt as though my heart was on the verge of shattering into pieces. "I want to get out of the car," I requested Michael to stop the car. However, he had no intention of stopping. "Stop the car!" Overwhelmed by my emotions, I desperately struggled to unlock the car door. Michael gestured to the driver to keep going and raised his hand to keep me in my seat. "Stephanie! Are you going to continue being crazy with him? I know you hate me and I know you want to punish me. Isn''t that enough?" His face clearly disyed a mix of distress and fury. I struggled to distance myself from him, but he released me with eyes burning with emotion. He then discarded his suit, rolled up his sleeves, and revealed the scars on his wrists... There were far more than I had seen before. They were crisscrossing horizontally and vertically, a clear indication of self-inflicted pain and self-destructive behavior. "I''m punishing myself as well... I don''t know how to make you believe me," Michael said, his voice hoarse and filled with sobs. "You... you tell me what you want me to do, Stephie. Just say it, and I''ll make it right. I''m willing to do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness. Just give me the chance." Michael hugged me tightly, unable to contain his emotion. His voice was hoarse and choked. "Even if you ask me to die, I can do it now." "Michael... Stephanie is dead. What''s the point of doing this now? Why didn''t you cherish her when she was alive?" I asked in a strained voice. "God has granted me another chance. I recognize you, Stephie." his voice trembled as he asked for my forgiveness. "Please... please..." He tightly embraced me, desperately pleading for my forgiveness. "How can you forgive me?" he seemed to beg. "Then... go to hell." My voice was raspy, deep, brimming with hatred. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. He would have been better off dead. Why did he mistreat me from the beginning? Why? Michael''s firm embrace around me suddenly halted, his arms gradually releasing their grip. Leaning back, he slumped in his seat and uttered in a hushed voice, "Stop the car." Michael asked the driver to stop the car. I didn''t even nce at Michael as I yearned to exit the vehicle. "Even if he has been lying to you, using you, and hurting you... Even if what he does to you is much worse than what I''ve done, you still have to choose him, right?" Michael asked in a low voice. At that moment, he felt so wronged that he seemed on the verge of copsing. He worked relentlessly to find evidence that I did not love Steven. He also made great efforts to find proof that Steven had hurt me. He thought that by revealing the truth to me, I would leave Steven and decide to be with him again. "If he has truly been lying to me, using me, and hurting me, I will leave him... I''ll never want any of the trash who hurts me," I whispered as I opened the car door to step out. In my hand, I held the letter I wrote to Steven, which I then tore into pieces. As I passed by the trash can, I decisively threw the torn letter inside. Steven initially denied it and imed it was not him. However, when he asked me if I believed him, I did. But what made me furious was that he protected the culprit. He protected people who really hurt me. He also took all the me upon himself for this. Taking a deep breath, I raced towards Steven''s house. I simply couldn''t bear to let him go... But I was still overwhelmed by fear and panic. If he was the one who harmed and killed me... What should I do? After running for over ten minutes, I finally reached home. Only Leo was tending to the garden, which looked empty and somewhat deste. The wind got stronger, and it seemed like rain wasing. I hurried into the living room but couldn''t find Steven. He was nowhere to be found in the bedroom, bathroom, or guest room. Chapter 356 "Leo..." I rushed back to the garden and inquired Leo about Steven''s whereabouts. But I didn''t know signnguage, so I could only gesture. Leo appeared to have noticed my nervousness, so he pointed at the backyard. I took a deep breath, turned around, and dashed towards the backyard. The backyard was vast and empty, yet Steven was still nowhere to be found. I had expected to find him in the basement, at that secret base, yet it was also empty. When I came out, I discovered Steven in the corner. He curled up next to the dog cage, cradling Stevie in his arms. He appeared to be talking to Stevie, murmuring, "Stevie, she doesn''t want me anymore..." I approached him step by step until I was standing right in front of him. "So dirty." Steven did not raise his head and continued to hold Stevie tightly, his voice trembling with choked sobs. "You don''t want me anymore..." I attempted to speak, yet no words escaped my lips. "Steve, I''m exhausted," I whispered. Steven nced up at me with guilt in his eyes. "I''m sorry." He seemed to be good at apologizing. "Why are you apologizing to me?" "I should not imprison you, should not hurt you, or tie you up," he replied softly. "Did you really imprison me, hurt me, and tie me up?" I asked him, frowning. He nced down and nodded in agreement. I fell silent, unsure of the extent to which his words held truth and which were mere lies. He stood up and followed me. "Stephie, I''m afraid you''ll leave me. I''m sorry..." "If you don''t tell me the truth, I will leave you even faster. Let''s watch the surveince footage and find out who went to see the murderer whomitted suicide by jumping off the building," I whispered as I wearily made my way to the basement. Steven followed me closely, reaching out his hand and firmly gripping my wrist. "You go and take some rest. I''ll search for it. Once I''ve found it, I will make a copy and show it to you." I stopped. It would be good too. "Steve, there are many issues we need to solve." I nced at him, yearning for him to abandon his concealed self-interest. Steven said nothing, and I turned and left. Steven replied softly, "Everyone has their own secrets and things they want to protect. Stephie, I''m sorry." My eyes were bloodshot, and I gazed back at him. "Are the things you protect more important than me?" Steven clenched his fists. "Stephie, the one I protect is you." I averted my gaze, refusing to entertain his nonsense. Upon returning to the room, Iy on the bed tiredly and closed my eyes. "Stephie is the murderer¡­ Stephie is the murderer..." I couldn''t understand why, but Carol''s words continued to echo in my mind. "Stephie is the murderer." I opened my eyes irritably and stared at the ceiling, breathing rapidly. What on earth had I forgotten? "Stephany Larson! Stephany! Come out!" I heard someone loudly call my name from outside the house. I instantly recognized the voice. It was Yasmin''s. "Stephany! What on earth did you say to Michael? He took his own life... you must be content! It brings you joy to see him dead, doesn''t it?" Yasmin waspletely losing her mind outside the house. I frowned, then got up and walked to the window to see Yasmin still crying. "Michaelmitted suicide. It''s your fault! You are the murderer!" Michaelmitted suicide... Suddenly, I remembered that I told Michael to go to hell when I got out of the car. Would he reallymit suicide?Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 357 I had initially considered ignoring Yasmin. After all, if Michael had indeedmitted suicide, it seemed unlikely that Yasmin would have the energy toe over and cause trouble. It appeared as though she was intentionally causing these issues. If my assumption was correct, there ought to be reporters or someone observing nearby. Yasmin was putting on a show. I furrowed my brows. Every action Yasmin took now appeared to me as another plot between her and Peter. However, Steven was rmed by her. He walked to the yard and looked at Yasmin outside. Yasmin was clearly terrified and nervously took a step back. "Steven... Michaelmitted suicide, and Stephany was the cause. Have you never questioned her identity?" Steven stared at Yasmin coldly. "Aren''t you leaving? Release the dogs." Steven raised his hand to signal to Leo, who was about to open the door. Stevie was eager to rush out. Yasmin looked at Steven with terror, her face pale and filled with fear. "I have evidence! Steven, listen! I have evidence that proves Stephany is fake. She''s not Stephanie Carlson. She''s been lying to you this whole time," Yasmin eximed urgently. Yasmin trembled as she extracted an envelope. She identally scattered countless photographs. Steven refused to talk to her and requested Leo to open the door. After the door was opened slightly, Stevie eagerly darted outside. Yasmin screamed in fright and turned around. She dashed towards the car and mmed the door shut. Steven walked to the door indifferently. Upon realizing that Yasmin had been frightened off, he hung his head and gazed at the scattered photos across the ground. I couldn''t see the photos from upstairs, but I had a vague feeling that things were not that simple. Yasmin would note here for no reason. I rushed downstairs to see what she had brought. However, upon my arrival, Steven had already destroyed all the photographs. "What did Yasmin say?" I asked. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Steven instinctively hid the torn photographs behind his back. "It''s nothing... she''s out of her mind." I hadn''t uttered a word, nor had I inquired about the photo. Stephen also didn''t mention the photo and approached me with a low head. "Stephie... are you still angry with me?" I remained silent, and Steven kept his head down, unable to meet my gaze. "Stephany." Outside the door, yet another ck car pulled up. When the window was rolled down, Lois was sitting inside the car. I was stunned for a moment. Could it be that Lois wasing here this time because Michael had committed suicide? Did he truly take his own life? "Mrs. Ford," I still greeted her respectfully. Lois gave me a chilling look and said, "We need to talk." Then, her gazended on Steven. "I''m sorry. I need to talk to her privately for a while." Steven grabbed me and nced at Lois withplete indifference. "Not a chance." Lois'' expression turned grim as she spoke calmly, "You dared to sell the Lincoln family''s property to someone else. Your actions have made you aughingstock in the entire Huma business district. If you have nothing of value, why do you believe you are worthy of speaking to me in such a disrespectful manner?" Lois spoke the truth. Steven did, in fact, sell the Lincoln family''s property to Crowdstar Group. Such treachery, selling off the family''s belongings, was truly unforgivable in the Lincoln family. This behavior had be aughingstock in the businessmunity. Chapter 358 Who, in their right mind, would consider selling their own family property to someone else at such a low price? Only aplete fool would even contemte such a nonsensical action. Furthermore, this approach had left Martin and the money-grubbing members of the Lincoln family feeling quite uneasy. Crowdstar Group had officially started the liquidation process. Following its acquisition of the Lincoln Group, it had initiated a significant staff restructuring. While Martin was currently unable to address the situation with Steven, his animosity toward him must be at an all-time high. He would certainly take action against Steven. It was just a matter of timing. I frowned, but I still stood in front of Steven. "Mrs. Ford, regardless of Steve''s actions, this is a matter for the entire Lincoln family. It''s clear that your son has not been brought up well. If you hadn''t kept the news under wraps so tightly, Michael would likely have be theughingstock in Huma when Stephanie passed away." Lois'' expression turned grim as she gazed at me with deep contemtion. "Stephany, get into the car. I think you''ll want to have a conversation with me." Noticing my indifference, Lois spoke again. "When I give you a chance, you must cherish it." I assumed Lois came to see me because of Michael. But judging from her current state, Michael''s suicide should not have been life-threatening. "Stephie..." Steven grabbed my sleeve and adamantly refused to let me go with Lois. "Sir," Ewan also arrived, appearing somewhat apprehensive. He leaned in close to Steven''s ear and whispered. Steven''s face grew somber as he cast a nce at Lois. Then, he whispered to me, "Stephie, there is an issue within the Lincoln Group. I''m going to handle it. Stay home. Don''t leave with her." Steven had sold Lincoln Group to Crowdstar Group. What might be causing Steven to feel so anxious now? I looked at Steven, waiting for him to exin to me. As his current "wife", I was also concerned about his situation and safety. But Steven never seemed to consider my feelings as a "wife". It felt as though I were a fragile object he held high and protected under ss, not wanting me to know anything. For instance, Eason and he had devised a n to visit the asylum to unravel Peter''s situation. He could have informed me beforehand, yet he chose not to do so. "Listen to me and wait for me toe back home." As expected, he was still the same. He departed without uttering a single word of exnation to me. I inhaled deeply, remaining silent as I observed Ewan driving him away. Joel, who was seated in the passenger seat, remained inside the car without stepping out. From his position, he gazed at me with a frown. His expression seemed unweing. I could sense a tangle of emotions reflected in his eyes. Once Steven hopped into the car, it appeared that he and Joel engaged in some sort of communication. Although I couldn''t discern their exact conversation, I couldn''t help but feel isted by them. The sensation was incredibly uneasy. It resembled a friendship among three individuals, yet two of them congregated and exchanged whispers without including the third person. "An employee of the Lincoln Group could not withstand the pressure to change its leadership team and tragicallymitted suicide by jumping off a building. The public opinion, which was once favorable to Steven, has now shifted," Lois spoke calmly, addressing my concerns. I instantly looked up at Lois. Lois sneered. "So Steven is a sinner and the disgrace of the entire Lincoln Group. Only a fool would behave in such a way." He believed that selling thepany would finally resolve his problem entirely. This decision would have been eptable when dealing with upright individuals. However, when facing someone as wicked as Martin, it was like ying with fire. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "Steven is still too young. He can''t handle Martin," Lois was confident Steven couldn''t win. "It''s still unclear who will win. If someone does something unscrupulous, they will be punished sooner orter," I replied with a stern expression. "Your remarks are simply naive. Losers use such words to console themselves. Across the ages, history has always been shaped by sessful individuals. How many siblings did kings throughout history y when he ascended the throne? How many lives did those leaders sacrifice in their quest to unify the world? Behind every great wealth and power, there lies a trail of blood." Lois appeared to be preaching, yet also seemed to be mocking herself. "I know it was Peter who asked you to provoke my son. You both are very sessful. Hemitted suicide. Are you happy with it now?" I was stunned and looked at Lois cautiously. "I don''t understand what you''re saying." Chapter 359 "I always sensed that he was alert and cautious around people, but now he''s determined to restore order within the family and is resorting to silencing them..." Lois murmured to herself. I could see her veins bulging as she fought to control her anger. "Meet me at Coast Restaurant at 6 o''clock to discuss the new terms. If you fail toe, I cannot guarantee my patience with you." Lois was giving me an ultimatum. As soon as her car drove away, I swiftly ran toward the trash can. I was determined to find the envelope that Steven had discarded. It held the photos that Yasmin had brought with her. Despite the photos being torn to pieces by Steven, I painstakingly pieced them back together. Within the photo, there was undeniable evidence that Stephany and Peter had met. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. The photo captured a secret meeting between Stephany and Howard with Peter. There was also a photo of Stephany introducing a homeless child to a stranger. No... Not a stranger. I managed to put the photos together as best as I could, my breath trembling. Stephany brought the homeless child to meet the man, who was the second victim in the muttion case. Rumor had it that he was involved in import and export trading. Combined with what Lois said about the consequences, it seemed that Stephany''s identity was indeed moreplex than I had imagined. ... I arrived at the Coast Restaurant ahead of time, before six o''clock. To my surprise, Lois was already there, patiently waiting for me. She was an exceptionally resilient woman. My mother had often mentioned her, stating that the Ford family relied solely on her. Her husband, Michael''s father, on the other hand, contributed very little. She was also a pitiful woman. She lived a life akin to that of a widow, yet she wasn''t one. Ever since she had Michael, her husband was rarely present at home. During my time with the Ford family, I rarely had the chance to catch a glimpse of her husband. Lois asked calmly, "How much money did Peter give you to pretend to be Stephanie, get close to Steven, and deceive him into selling the Lincoln Group and ruining the Lincoln family? What''s the next step? The Ford family?" I was momentarily stunned and did not argue. But, instead, I was contemting her words. She believed that Peter sent me and that he intentionally asked me to get close to Steven and Michael. "I don''t understand what you''re talking about," I replied seriously. Why did Peter want to eliminate the Ford and Lincoln families? Lois scoffed disdainfully. "No point in pretending, Stephany. I won''te to you if I don''t find enough information about you. Do you truly believe I spent my time away on a vacation? Peter has taken care of everyone who needs to be taken care of. Do you really think I will just sit back and surrender?" I frowned and said nothing. Lois casually asked, "I looked into your background. Do you know why you resemble Stephanie? Do you know why he selected you to mimic her? It''s because, in a way, you both share the same genes." I looked at her in shock. "What do you mean..." She took a sip of wine and smiled yfully. "You need to tell me Peter''s conditions in exchange for a secret of equal value." I had a headache and waspletely clueless about the agreement made between Stephany and Peter. "All I can recall is that there was a ssmate named Howard. He mentioned something about Sir asking us to do something, but I can''t remember the details." I was uncertain if that "Sir" happened to be Peter. Lois said confidently, "It''s very likely that Peter has your handle. Knowing Peter, he might brainwash you and then imnt Stephanie''s memories under hypnosis. When you wake up, you''ll believe you are Stephanie." She then murmured, "He''s certainly a lunatic." I remained silent, pondering the implications of Lois''sment about sharing the same genes. "Charles'' wife is unable to conceive, and he has been diagnosed with azoospermia, which means that they are medically unable to have biological children together," Lois exined in a low voice, looking at me. Lois''s unexpected news stunned me. It turned out that Stephany was not their biological child as well. "Back then, Charles and his wife begged Stephanie''s mother to help them have a child. Stephanie''s mother carried out an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer for Mrs. Larson, resulting in an embryo with the same genes as Stephanie. That''s all I know for now." Lois frowned. She only knew that Stephanie and Stephany were embryos frozen in theboratory for experimental purposes. Stephanie''s mother only mentioned them because they shared the same original genes. "After I married Steven, Peter didn''t ask anyone to contact me or give me any tasks. Everything that happened was natural. Whether you believe it or not, Michael''s suicide was a result of his own choices, and it has nothing to do with me." I tried to exin. However, it was clear that Lois would not trust me. Chapter 360 "I know that you are short of money, and I also know that Peter used those homeless children to threaten you. There are three million dors in this card. You only need to agree to one request of mine. I will pay you a sum of money every three months from now on," Lois said, her eyes burning with intensity. I furrowed my brow and cast a wary gaze at her. Clearly, she knew too much... The Angel Fund was established by the Ford family. Lois was undoubtedly linked to Peter, my parents, and even the Lincoln family in some way. No, now the Larson family was involved, with Charles and Nadia. It turned out that they were unable to conceive a biological child of their own. Stephany was also conceived through in vitro fertilization, meaning that her gic makeup did not belong to them. As a result, they simply desired to have a child. They did not care whether the child was being reced by the nanny or was elsewhere. The reason for Charles and Nadia''s indifference, coldness, and mistreatment towards Stephany was now clear. One was a daughter who was born, but not rted by blood. The other was Ann, whom they had raised for eighteen years. Naturally, they preferred Ann. The reason why Stephany''s genes and Stephanie''s genes were the same was that they belonged to the same batch of embryos. Biologically speaking, they were biological sisters. "What do you want me to do?" I stared at Lois. "Divorce Steven, to be with Michael, and keep pretending to be Stephanie," Lois asserted as she pushed the card across the table to me. She asked me to continue pretending to be Stephanie and apany Michael. "Why? Don''t you think I was sent by Peter?" I couldn''tprehend her intention. She scowled and let out a sarcastic chuckle. "What a joke..." "After Stephie died, Michaelpletely lost control. He is truly unlike his father. I never imagined he could feel such profound love. Previously, I viewed him as heartless and foolish, much like his father." Lois spoke again, the tone filled with mockery. "But since Stephie''s death, he appeared to have lost his mind. He isted himself in his room, refusing to eat or drink, and inflicted harm upon himself." "I''ve never seen him like this before...desperate, regretful, crazy..." Lois was likely scared by Michael''s behavior as well. "I had to force him to eat, but he ended up vomiting most of the food. He said he didn''t realize how much Stephie loved him, and now he regrets it." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Michael never believed that Stephanie loved him, and he was unaware that she was pregnant. He carried his regret with him until it became too heavy to bear. She clenched her fist and murmured. "He wants to die. He said that if he dies, he can be with Stephanie. He''s falling in love with an experimental subject... it''s just fate." I looked up at her, my eyes on high alert. She was also aware of the experimental subjects... Lois clenched her teeth in frustration. "After punishing himself dejectedly for a few days, he began to harm and abuse himself. I have no other way, so I reached out to Peter, hoping that he could help him out... But little did I know, this was just the start of Peter''s conspiracy. He must have brainwashed Michael to make him believe that Stephanie is still alive..." "Did he reallymit suicide?" I had my doubts. Could someone like Michael truly take his own life and engage in self-muttion out of guilt? "The first time, he cut his wrists. The second time, he not only cut his wrists but also wanted to drown himself in the bathtub. He mentioned that Stephie must be enduring intense pain... He said that Stephanie was afraid of the darkness, and he wanted to apany her. "For the third time, he went on a hunger strike, pushing himself to the brink of death. "The fourth time, this time... he cut his wrists in Stephanie''s room, making both horizontal and vertical cuts." Michael was still unconscious after being rescued. It was uncertain when he would wake up. She sneered and pushed the letter in front of me. "This is the letter he asked the nanny to pass Stephanie before his ident. As a mother, I''m asking you, please, pretend for once, even if you have to lie..." "I just want him to live." Lois pleaded, her voice trembling with tears. She actually begged me... She begged me to help Michael, to be with him and lie to him even if it was just for show. Chapter 361 ? I remained silent for a long time before uttering a word. "I''m sorry. Believe it or not, I have never thought about hurting Michael..." I looked up at Lois. "You should be aware of Steven''s situation too. He has a history of self- harm and suicidal tendencies when things get tough. I can''t and won''t leave or divorce him." I took a deep breath, stared at Lois, and finally expressed what had been weighing on my heart. "And... Do you really believe that an abuser will regret abusing his victim?" Lois was stunned and frowned at me. "What do you mean?" "In Stephanie''s eyes, Michael is the perpetrator. And you, you were a bystander. You could have intervened, but instead, you chose to y ignorant. You''re an aplice too..." The words escaped my quivering lips. "You knew what Michael did to Stephanie, isn''t it? Michael sexually assaulted Stephanie without her consent. What are your thoughts?" Lois was instantly ovee with distress. "Don''t make assumptions about Stephanie''s feelings with such a tone. She loves Mike, and the two of them have a consensual rtionship." I clenched my fists, a smile gracing my face. "Love should never be used to justify any abusive conduct. Stephanie may have loved him. But that does not grant him ownership over her, nor does it entitle him to vite, degrade, and torment her..." "Stephanie used a pregnancy test stick when she was pregnant. She threw it in the trash because she was scared. Later, she wanted to retrieve the test stick because she was worried about the nanny finding it. However, she discovered that it was gone. Did you take it?" I whispered, my eyes fixed on her. Lois was momentarily shocked, looking at me in disbelief, as if she couldn''t fathom that I was privy to such intricate details. Stephanie couldn''t directly tell others this, right? She gave me a suspicious look but stayed quiet. "Despite knowing that Stephanie was pregnant, you failed to intervene and stop Michael from engaging in harmful behavior. When he behaves like this today, regrets it, or even considers suicide, the responsibility lies with you and cannot be shifted. You should be held ountable for his suicide, not me." I found it utterly ridiculous. They always sought to escape, running away from the truth. "Even if Stephanie is still alive, I don''t think she will be able to forgive Michael. The damage has already been done. Does Stephanie truly deserve all the harm she has suffered, just because his self-muttion and self-abuse are meant topensate for past wrongdoings?" I rejected it with a quivering voice as I handed the card back. "I apologize, but I''m not Stephanie. I don''t think I''m able to help you. Please find another way." I stood up, nning to leave. Lois sank into the chair, exhaling deeply. "You had the chance to turn me away at Steven''s doorstep. Why did you decide toe here?" I remained silent, most likely due to the upbringing she had provided me with throughout these past few years. After all, she was the one who took me in during my most difficult times. "It''s not toote to regret it now. Otherwise..." she threatened me. I didn''t say anything and left directly. "Hand it over to the police." Lois made a call when I entered the elevator. The profound andplex way she looked at me conveyed a sense of pity, almost as if she were observing someone on the verge of death. On my way home from the restaurant, I spontaneously decided to buy a serving of seafood croquettes from a roadside vendor. I couldn''t exin it, but I had a strong feeling that Steven would enjoy them. I was crying, but I didn''t know why. I couldn''t control my tears. I never expected Michael to take his own life, and I never considered forgiving him. What''s the point of all this now? "Stephanie, stop using the marriage contract to control me again. Just think, do you really want to marry me?" In the past, Michael used to ask me after drinking if I really wanted to marry him. "Stephanie, you are awful." "Your love is worthless." "Why don''t you go to hell..." "Stephanie, you are mine, remember?" Michael''s repeated hurts were like leaving deep marks on me. He seemed to desire to possess me in a contradictory way, but at the same time, pushed me away with distrust. "Stephany." I heard my name being called as I strolled down the alley on my way back home. I turned around and realized it was Howard.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He appeared visibly panicked and shouted nervously, "Run!" I was confused and frowned. Chapter 362 Howard rushed over anxiously. "The police have discovered us." He pulled me to take me away. The seafood croquettes in my hand scattered all over the floor. "What do you mean..." I asked. "Have you forgotten? Sir is assisting us in finding adoptive families for these children. Wasn''t one of the most intelligent children adopted by a man named Yonah Zimmerman?" Howard suddenly stopped and smiled at me. "Yonah is a human trafficker." I stood motionless, unable to move. Before I could react, I heard the sound of a police car. Howard''s expression changed, and he pulled me with a horrified look on his face. "Stephany, run! Run!" Even without my memory, I could still sense that he was setting me up. "Howard, we have no grievances. Why would you want to harm me?" I stared at him, puzzled. He appeared to be the mostpassionate and ordinary individual among those at the orphanage. It turned out that people couldn''t truly know someone''s inner self based on their appearance. Those individuals at the orphanage were all truly malicious. Howard sneered and whispered in my ear, "Every man for himself, and the devil takes the hindmost." I nced at Howard with indifference, wondering what on earth he was up to. Was he nning to plot against me and send me to jail? "If someone wants you to disappear, they would undoubtedly need apelling reason, such as... bing a fugitive," Howard smirked as he suddenly took out a towel to cover my mouth and nose. The pungent smell overwhelmed me, and I couldn''t resist it at all, causing me to pass out. I had a strong suspicion about what Howard intended to do. He wanted me to "disappear," and before my disappearance, he even framed me for a crime. The police were investigating the rtionship between the victims of the muttion case, and my interaction with the second victim would be the main focus of the investigation. Lois handed the so-called evidence to the police. When the police called me in for questioning, they discovered that I was missing. No one could have imagined that I had been kidnapped. They would all assume that I had fled out of fear aftermitting the crime. They had prepared a perfectly appropriate excuse for me. ¡­ "Since she isn''t cooperating well, let''s rece her." In a daze, I heard Lois'' voice. "Everything was fine at first, but suddenly she started getting out of control." Peter''s voice echoed. It seemed like he wasining about me being out of control. "I have thoroughly briefed Yasmin on everything. If Stephany can imitate Stephanie with such precision, then Yasmin will remain wlessly hidden. All that''s left is to expose Stephany''s dead body to the world, using the exnation that she has ''reborn'' in Yasmin''s body. Trust me, it''ll be absolutely convincing," Peter dered with conviction. "Does anyone truly believe it?" Lois clearly didn''t believe this. "You don''t need everyone to believe it, just Steven and Michael. Isn''t that sufficient? You mentioned that you only wanted Michael to live, so I did as you requested." Peter was displeased. "I''ve already imparted psychological hints to Michael and Steven beforehand. Now, all I require is an opportunity." Peter had done some tricks on Steven and Michael in advance. Gradually, they woulde to believe that Yasmin was "Stephanie". Hence, I must die. Lois asked furiously, "Didn''t you actually n all of this? After killing those two, will the Ford and Lincoln families be next in line?" "I''ve never attacked the Ford or Lincoln family. We''re in this together. Don''t let anyone turn us against each other. Clearly, someone is intentionally trying to create division among us," Peter calmly replied. Lois said no more. "Go ahead. Leave no traces behind," Peter said in a deep voice as he departed with Lois. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I struggled in panic but couldn''t wake up. They nned to kill me. Steven... I couldn''t figure out why, but for some reason, I thought of Steven. Would hee to rescue me? Chapter 363 "Sir has instructed us to stage her suicide." Howard rejected the idea. "It''s a tragedy to end her life in this manner. Sir is suggesting that she took her own life out of fear ofmitting the crime. Can we instead stage her escape?" "What do you mean?" "She can still be sold for a good price." Howard sneered. I attempted to open my eyes, but I was not able to do so at that moment. Howard was actually one of the human traffickers. Unquestionably, they were all despicable individuals. It came as no surprise then, that every one of them was included in the serial murder case, with no exceptions. "Mandy has passed away. We have lost directmunication with them, and now we have to share half of our earnings with them. This is truly unlucky!" "The serial murderer is already dead, so what are you afraid of?" Howard identified the serial murderer as Simon, who was already deceased. Mandy was the first woman from the orphanage to be killed. She was also considered the "boss" of the orphanage. "Do you truly believe that the person who died was the mastermind and murderer of the serial murder case? Why do I sense that everyone on the Death List will eventually die?" Howard''s aplice, Bobby asked with a smile. Perhaps Bobby was joking, but as someone on the Death List, Howard was clearly frightened. "Don''t be ridiculous. It''s been a while and no one else has died. It''s clear that Simmie is the killer and is already deceased." Howard began to act recklessly after Simon''s death. He used to pretend, but now he didn''t even bother pretending. "Are we really selling her? What if Sir asks..." "Just say that we''ve taken care of her. Sir mentioned that she should disappear and not show up again," Howard said calmly as he walked to my side. I was awake at the moment, but I didn''t dare to open my eyes yet. Howard stared at me for what felt like an eternity, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Stephany, don''t you dare me me. It''s your own foolishness that''s to me here. You can''t even survive anymore, but you still want to be kind and help those children who trust you. If we don''t make use of you, then who else can we use?" "Humans can''t be overly kind-hearted. Refrain from getting entangled in other people''s situations. It may lead to negative consequences for yourself," Howard murmured to himself. Iprehended Howard''s words, and a wave of relief washed over me. Stephany did notmit any legal infractions. Rather, she was taken advantage of. Moreover, the person they referred to as "Sir" was Peter. Stephany''s kindness toward those homeless children had unfortunately be an opportunity for these deceitful individuals to exploit. They aimed to use it as a means to threaten and potentially deceive her. Combined with the charitable funds and projects mentioned by Howard earlier, it became apparent that Stephany could not single-handedly support so many children. Furthermore, some of the children had congenital diseases. Hence, Stephany required a significant amount of money. "Stephany, I actually really like you." He firmly held my chin, seizing the chance to caress my face. I could sense his malicious intent... Seeing that I was unconscious, Howard became increasingly courageous. "It''s unfortunate that Sir actually requested you to marry that fool. You are so obedient and willing to do anything as long as he provides money to help you support those little bastards. You can even sell yourself. You are truly a kind-hearted person..." His fingers started to glide down, raising my garments. I fought the urge to move. Howard was not alone in this ce at the moment... If I were to wake up, I knew they would surely kill me.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 364 "I almost feel sorry for you, Stephany. If you went missing, they would think that you''re the devil who deceived and trafficked those children. No one would remember the good deeds you''ve done. How stupid of you." Howard sneered, deriding Stephany''s naivety. Honestly, I felt sorry for Stephany too. She had done so much for the children¡­ to the extent of impersonating "Stephanie" and marrying Steven just to get money for those kids'' medical treatment. However, her kind heart was exploited by these malicious people, ultimately causing harm to herself and those children. "Steve is aplete lunatic. I''m surprised he didn''t die in that fire!" Howard said through gritted teeth, seething with hatred. "With people like him around, how can good students like us survive? We''re just ordinary people. How can we possiblypete with a genius like him? Genius shouldn''t even exist." Howard''s jealousy was palpable. He believed that the presence of geniuses like Steve and Simmy was the reason they could never rise above. "Because they were geniuses, all the wealthy rushed to the orphanage to adopt them, including the Lincoln family. Who wouldn''t want to be adopted by the Lincolns? Yet, they chose Steve above all. "Okay, so Steve''s the illegitimate son of the Lincolns! How about Simmy then? Why does that loser get to steal the spotlight too? "Do you have any idea how much we hated them?" Howard undid my buttons one by one. "Back then, all the rich and powerful from all over the country flocked to the orphanage to adopt children, as if doing charity could bring them more benefits¡­ "The principal, teachers, and all the children in the orphanage were over the moon. We thought we had to chance to be adopted, but in the end¡­ those people only came for Steve and Simmy!" Howard seemed a little deranged. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "Who would choose you over geniuses?" Howard''s associate sneered sarcastically as he approached to join. "What''s taking you so long? I''ve already contacted the other side. They''ll be here in half an hour. The clock''s ticking, so hurry up! I want to be next." I gritted my teeth, feeling anger swelling in my chest, but I knew I couldn''t afford to show too much emotion. owever, as they unbuttoned my shirt, I couldn''t help but open my eyes and shout, "Howard Zachman, you disgusting animal!" I struggled forcefully, only to realize my hands were tied. Howard, taken aback by my awakening, immediately reached for sedatives, intending to render me unconscious again. "Heh, it''s more fun when she''s awake. No one wille to save her now." The associate smirked as he began to undress me. "Aren''t you a pretty one? Look at this hot body! Can your idiot husband really satisfy you?" "Get your hands off me!" Panic surged through me. If no one came to rescue me, I would be in deep trouble. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of Steven, who always came to my aid in times of danger. Perhaps I always knew he was silently watching over me. "Steve¡­ save me," I cried out, tears streaming down my face as my clothes were torn by them. As Howard tried to spread my legs, I struggled and cried out in despair, kicking him forcefully. He pped me hard across the face, losing his patience. "Damn it. Do that again and I''ll fucking kill you." I cried as I desperately struggled to get out of the ropes binding me. Howard pinned down my wrists, his smile filling me with despair. "Hmph, if it weren''t for that lunatic, Steve, we would''ve all had our way with Stephanie¡­ Since we couldn''t have that genius''s woman, you''ll suffice." Howard''s words were filled with sarcasm and mockery. My head buzzed intensely. Had those men at the orphanage harmed Stephanie? "I remember it was Yasmin who lured Stephanie into the small garage behind the orphanage, telling her that Steve was injured. Stephanie actually fell for it, haha¡­ " Howard bragged to Bobby. "At that time, Mandy managed to get her hands on some drugs, so we used them on Stephanie. As soon as we covered her mouth and nose with the drug, she passed out in no time." Howard pinched my chin, a smirk forming on his lips. "It was the same sedatives we just used on you." Chapter 365 "You¡­ you monster¡­ go to hell," I red fiercely at Howard, feeling my breath constrict as he tightened his grip on my neck. As I watched Bobby start to remove his pants, a wave of despair washed over me. I was now certain that no one woulde to rescue me¡­ Peter was meticulous in his nning. Since had instructed Howard to bring me here, the chances of the police or Steve finding me were slim. The cold, painful sensation of men''s hands gripping my legs only deepened my despair. Memories of the fear and hopelessness from my previous life, when Michael and his gang bullied me, flooded back, suffocating me. "I-I''ll kill you¡­ " I cried out in despair, feeling sick and repulsed by their touch. "Get away from me. Don''t touch me, you filthy animal." was all I could think. "Steve¡­ " I sobbed, desperately praying for someone toe and save me. "Bang!" The iron door was violently kicked open. Howard and Bobby were caught off guard, their pants still undone, as they cautiously eyed the doorway. I desperately tumbled off the wooden bed, my hands still bound above me. I had hoped it was someoneing to rescue me, but it wasn''t; it was another one of their aplices. A man with sunsses emerged from the car. His loosely buttoned shirt revealed the tattoos that adorned his muscr body, extending up to his neck. He had a menacing look, with lip piercings and a towering stature, his hair tied back. "I''m here for the goods," the man said in a low voice. Howard and Bobby sighed with relief, cursing, "Couldn''t you at least knock on the damn door before barging in?" The man nced at me. I was squatting on the ground, trembling, with my torn pants discarded aside, leaving my pale legs exposed. "Boss wants me to inspect the goods first." The man advanced slowly toward me, gripping my hair to tilt my head up for inspection. I trembled with fear, meeting his gaze with trepidation. Yet, there was something strangely familiar about this man¡­ He stared at me for a moment before chuckling, "Is this all you''ve got?" Howard appeared rather displeased, his brows furrowing. "Are you blind or something? She''s nearly as stunning as the top star in our country." Stephany was undeniably beautiful; at least, that''s how I saw her. I had a suspicion that the man was intentionally mocking me, but it wasn''t the time to dwell on that. I remained trembling with fear, wondering if there was any chance of escape. "Ah!" I let out a call as the man suddenly cut the rope binding my wrist with a knife. Then, he hoisted me up and pushed me onto the bed, spreading my legs in an embarrassing and ufortable position. I regarded him warily, my body still shaking. My gaze darted to the knife he had set aside. "I need to examine her. Is she a virgin?" the man asked. Howard and Bobby scoffed. "You want a virgin? Go fuck yourself." The man raised an eyebrow, a smirk ying on his lips. His hands, adorned in ck gloves, gripped my thighs, slowly moving upward. My breath hastened and my hands clenched tightly, watching him intently to see what he was going to do. "She''s worth nothing." Suddenly, his hands left my thighs, and he turned to light a cigarette. His knife was left beside me, as if deliberately ced. I stared alertly at his back. Howard''s aplice couldn''t stop cursing. "Fuck! Are you messing with us? You took in those ugly non-virgins before but rejected this pretty one?" Howards observed the man warily, then pulled Bobby. "Something''s not right¡­"Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 366 ? Howard narrowed his eyes and pulled out his phone. "They were supposed to arrive in half an hour, but they''re here early." Just as Howard was about to make a call, I grabbed the nearby knife and plunged it fiercely into his shoulder. "Ah!" he screamed in agony, his blood sttering into my eyes as I pulled out the knife. I knew Howard couldn''t die so easily at my hands; If he did, I''d be even in deeper trouble with the police. As Bobby tried to approach, I stabbed him with the knife in defense. Then, I cowered behind the bed, terrified, my legs giving way as I fell to the ground. The man with tattoos leaned against the car, watching me casually, seemingly enjoying my resistance. Suddenly, the sound of police sirens filled the air, and the entire scrap iron factory was surrounded. Howard''s face discolored instantly. He and Bobby tried to get up and flee, but the police tackled them to the ground; I remained on the ground, hugging my bare legs in fear. Meanwhile, as the police rushed in, the tattooed man took off his sunsses and wig. He then walked over to me and draped his jacket over my shoulders, saying, "Useless fool." Trembling, I gazed at the man before me, noticing his tattoos were all fake. Although he had applied dark foundation all over his body, I could still tell he was - Joel, the high schooler. I looked up at Joel, who dressed like a gangster straight out of a movie, feeling a surge of grievance for some reason. "Where''s Steve..." I sniffled, trying to choke back tears. Why didn''t Stevene? Joel furrowed his brow and said, "Seriously, if you don''t wise up, Steven might end up dead because of you sooner orter." I lowered my head, tears falling to the ground. Joel continued, "Steven asked me to keep an eye on Mrs. Ford all this time, trying to prove your innocence. He knew she would coborate with Peter. He specifically told you to stay home, but you just had to go meet Mrs. Ford, didn''t you?" Joel tossed away his cigarette butt and crushed it underfoot. "Actually, it''s a good thing you''ve turned into a a bit of a fool, but try not to be too stupid, will you? Back then you were Joel paused halfway through, staring at me skeptically, "Sometimes I really wonder if you''re the real Stephanie Carlson." My heart skipped a beat as I nervously stared at Joel. "What happened to Steve?" "Since these people finally acted, I need to ensure they take you away so I can assist the police in catching these filthy rats and uncovering the human trafficking ring behind them, don''t I?" Joel shrugged nonchntly. Obviously, he had used me as bait. "Does Steve... know about this too?" I clenched my fists, feeling a mix of relief and a sharp pang in my heart.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Did Steven know I was taken away? Did he cooperate with the police and agree to use me as bait to lure Howard, Bobby, and the human trafficking ring behind them? Though it was a sound tactic, capturing these individuals might help solve the case of missing teenagers... But still, why did I feel so upset? "You better go back now; otherwise, Steven might kill himself." Joel frowned. "What do you mean?" I grabbed Joel''s arm. Joel''s emotions were spiraling out of control. "Steven couldn''t possibly let you get into danger, could he? If he witnesses what just happened, nobody here would make it out alive! "You know damn well that every time you''re involved, he loses control. Yet, you keep putting him in danger over and over again. If I let hime, he''ll probably spend the rest of his life in the mental hospital!" He then took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I tricked him into the basement and locked him in a room. So, we better head back now. If he doesn''t see you soon, he''ll go crazy in there." I understood Joel''s concern. Howard and Bobby were crucial figures; they couldn''t die right now. However, if Steven had found them before the police, he would surely ensure they paid for their crimes... Joel had made the right call, but if Steven was locked up knowing I was in danger, he would really start hurting himself! Ignoring the pain in my legs, I struggled to stand and rushed outside, my bare foot stepping on the nails on the ground, causing me to wince in pain as I fell. But there was no time to dwell on it now. I had to see Steven immediately; I knew he would continue punishing himself until he saw me. "The human traffickers have been apprehended, and these two are in custody. Thanks for the information." Zion announced, having intercepted the traffickers en route here. Zion shook hands with his fellow officers, casting a concerned nce my way. "Stephany, are you okay?" Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at Zion. "Take me home. Steve is at home... Take me home." Joel was right. If I didn''t return home sooner, Steven might really harm himself. Chapter 367 As soon as I arrived home, I hurriedly got out of the car and dashed toward the basement. Stevie had been incessantly barking in his cage, clearly sensing his owner''s danger and restlessness. My heart raced with panic as the wounds on my foot reopened, causing me to stumble down the stairs. Pain surged through my body, and tears welled up uncontrobly. Despite the pain, I limped toward the basement, consumed by fear. If the basement was noisy, I wouldn''t have been as worried because it would have meant Steven was still smashing things. It was the silence that terrified me, remembering Joel''s words about Steve''s tendency to harm himself. I didn''t know why I was so anxious. It was as if there was a voice inside me urging me to save him, to go and rescue him¡­ With trembling hands, I gripped the doorknob and twisted the iron wires on the outside, pushing the door open. As soon as I opened the door, the smell of blood filled the air, sending shivers down my spine. Terrified, I stood at the doorway, taking in the sight of the room. Everything was smashed, with traces of blood sttered everywhere. It was evident that Steven had lost control. Steveny on the couch, his fingers still dripping blood, appearing exhausted from the rampage. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. He was hurting himself. "Steve¡­ " I called his name, my voice quivering. He struggled to open his eyes, and when he saw me, his gaze flickered. With a surge of strength, he pulled me into his arms, murmuring, "Stephie¡­ I''m sorry." Even though it wasn''t his fault, he always felt the need to apologize to me. "You promised me you wouldn''t hurt yourself." My voice still trembled with fear. "I didn''t hurt myself¡­ " Steven lowered his head, acknowledging the lie. I grabbed his wrist; the wound on the back of his hand was still bleeding. "Stephie¡­ " He gazed at me nervously, removing Joel''s jacket from my shoulders, and recing it with his own. "Stephie¡­ did they hurt you?" Steven''s eyes focused on the swollen marks on my ankle, evidence of Bobby''s assault. Luckily, a policewoman had given me a skirt on the way here, covering the bruises on my thighs. When Steven noticed the bloodstains under my foot, he knelt on the ground, his gaze turning violent. "I''ll go kill them¡­ " "This is my own doing." I held Steven''s face up, forcing him to look at me. "Stephanie¡­ she was hurt by the people at the orphanage, wasn''t she?" In my fading memories, Howards mentioned they had drugged Stephanie before, trying to harm her. Steven gazed at me, gently touching my swollen cheek, his eyes filled with rage and viciousness. "Stephanie''s body¡­ is immune to drugs," Steven whispered. "Yasmin was the one who lured you over. You knew her intentions but went along anyway." "Why would I go along with her ns?" I clenched my hands. "Because those bastards have been using the same method to¡­ harm Carol," Steven looked up at me. I took a deep breath, my fingers instinctively tightening. "Eason said, many years ago, there was a case where a teenager from the orphanage was stabbed. The wounds were shallow, not fatal. Although the teenager''s life wasn''t threatened, he was scared out of his mind when he woke up¡­ "Did I do that?" I asked, wondering why I had no faintest memory of it. Did I deliberately let Yasmin trick me and then personally stab someone for the sake of Carol, or justice? "Yes, that person was Jayden Cox, the leader among the boys. He led others to bully Carol, seeing that she was intellectually disabled. That was their secret." Steven took a tissue and pressed it against the wound on my foot. So, back then, not only was Stephanie sober despite being drugged, she even stabbed the boys'' leader Jayden. Jaydon Cox was the first male victim in the serial killings. Joel, who had shown up at some point, leaned against the door frame and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Steven was alright. "Two lunatics¡­ " he remarked. Chapter 368 "Call the family doctor," Steven instructed in a cold tone, casting a warning nce at Joel, as if to convey, "This is the first andst time you do this to me". Joel was clearly intimidated by Steven. He straightened up, trying to exin, "I had everything under control. I wouldn''t let her be¡ª " Before Joel could finish his sentence, Steven mercilessly grabbed a chair from the ground and hurled it at him. I flinched in fear, my breaths bing rapid. Joel managed to dodge in time. He stared at Steven in disbelief, his own breath quickening. It was evident he was disappointed and upset by Steven''s action. "Steven! You''ve been treating me like crap over and over again for the sake of that woman! I''m telling you, I''ve had enough! Damn it!" Steven stood still, his fingers trembling slightly. Joel turned away and left, clearly disappointed and angry. I thought they had a falling out, but soon after, Joel returned with a doctor, his head lowered as he carried a medicine box. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Joel huffed and stood aside, sulking. Steven gave him the cold shoulder and had the doctor examine my injuries. After examining the sole of my foot and cleaning the wounds, the doctor administered a tetanus shot. "Be careful not to get it wet for the next few days," The doctor advised before he left. Ignoring Joel, Steven carried me to our bedroom. Joel stubbornly followed, and after taking a few steps, he said, "I was wrong¡­ " I looked at him, noticing his usual demeanor had faded, revealing an ordinary teenage boy. I was rather surprised that he was the one apologizing to Steven. "Don''t give me the cold treatment¡­ " Joel muttered softly. "I don''t want to go back to school." Steven continued to ignore Joel, clearly still upset about Joel taking matters into his own hands and locking him in the basement. "I apologized! Isn''t that enough?" Joel''s youthful pride couldn''t tolerate Steven''s cold shoulder. "I didn''t anticipate her to be so foolish¡­ " Joel muttered in displeasure. "Back then, nobody dared to mess with her. Who knew she would turn into such an idiot all of a sudden." As Joel continued to mutter to himself, Steven nced down at me, who listened attentively to Joel''s words in his arms. Then, he turned to Joel and gave him a stern look. "She''s fine as she is now." Joel snorted and huffed. "No one but you have eyes for idiots." Steven ignored Joel and headed right to our bedroom. He kicked the door shut, leaving Joel outside. He carried me to the bathroom, intending to give me a bath. "Steve¡­ " I nervously looked at him, pressing his hands that were about to remove my skirt. I had no choice; Stephany''s legs were too fair, making the red marks left by Joel''s grip visible. If Steven saw them, he might dash out of the room and settle the score with Joel. "I''ll wash myself¡­ just leave me alone," I pleaded softly. Steven lowered his head, speaking aggrievedly, "Stephie, your injured foot can''t get wet. Let me wash you." "Your hands are injured too," I said firmly. Steven gently pulled my fingers. "Stephie¡­ My hands don''t hurt." Seeing that he had no intention of leaving, I stood up and unfastened my skirt¡­ As I had anticipated, the moment Steven saw the red handprint on the inside of my fair thighs, his gaze turned icy. "I''ll kill them¡­ " Steven''s voice was low. "It''s¡­ It''s Joel," I whispered softly, as if reporting Joel''s wrongdoing to him. Joel had iting; he was to one who had to pretend to be a¡­ jerk while rescuing me. Although Steven frowned without making anyments, I could feel the pressure already. It seemed like Joel was in huge trouble. Chapter 369 "Stephie, this shower gel is nice. Itthers up really well." Steve remarked as he squeezed some onto the bath puff and started rubbing it in. I was in the bathtub, one foot propped up outside, feeling embarrassed. "Can you please leave? My foot hurts, not my hands." Ignoring my request, Steven beganthering foam onto my leg. Blushing furiously, I covered my face, feeling like I was being treated like his favorite toy. "Steven, seriously, get out." But Steven paid no attention, continuing to apply foam all over my body. "Steven Lincoln!" I warned firmly, feeling the heat rise in my ears. He stayed silent, leaning against my shoulder and rinsing my back with the showerhead. "Stephie¡­ Don''t listen to them. You''re not a fool. You''re fine as you are, really¡­ " Steven said softly, trying tofort me. "They don''t know anything. They''re the ones who don''t understand." "Wasn''t the old me good enough?" I asked softly. There was a brief moment of tension in Steven''s body before he shook his head. "No, that''s not it¡ª " "Then what is?" I pressed, looking at him. He straightened up, avoiding my gaze. "You weren''t happy, and I didn''t know how to make you happy." Stephanie''s original statecked basic emotions. She had studied and imitated all feelings and sensations by herself. When she recognized that normal people would smile in a situation, she would smile along; if it was a situation for tears, she would react ordingly. She felt like a misfit, out of sync with society. Agony, sadness, or even joy were all beyond her comprehension. "But now, I''m not happy either¡­ " I felt like an idiot who couldn''t even recall my own memories. "Stephie¡­ Forgetting is best for you." Steven looked at me seriously. "You chose to forget. You made that choice." I fell silent, feeling unbearable difort overwhelming me. If I were to revert to my old self, would Steven still love me? "By the way," I suddenly remembered something. "Peter and Aunty Lois¡ª " I intended to inform him about Peter and Aunty Lois'' n to have Yasmin impersonate me, although I wasn''t sure if they had seeded. But I could finish, someone interrupted. "Sir, Yasmin is here to see you," Ewan announced, knocking on the bedroom door. I was taken aback, feeling a tightness in my chest. Yasmin¡­ Was she here to see Steven, pretending to be me? Since Michael was still unconscious, did she decide toe to Steven first? Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "I won''t see her," Steven replied, furrowing his brows. "She''s acting strange today. She asked me to pass this to you, saying that you''ll agree to see her once you read it," Ewan added. Steven''s expression darkened. He gave me a reassuring nce and said, "Wait for me, Stephie." I nodded, despite the surge of uneasiness in my heart. Swiftly rinsing off under the shower, I stepped out of the bathtub, wrapping a towel around myself as I approached the door. I was curious to see what Yasmin had passed to Steven ¡ª it was a piece of paper with a ''¦Ð'' written on it. Frowning, I didn''t understand its significance. However, Steven''s fingers visibly stiffened, and he instinctively nced back at me. For some reason, I sensed hesitation and suspicion in his eyes. What was he suspicious of? A sense of foreboding washed over me. Steven said nothing and headed downstairs. Panicking, I swiftly changed into clothes and limped downstairs after him. Outside the door, Yasmin stood there coldly, her gaze deep and noticeably different from before. Startled by her stare, I nervously clenched my fists. Her acting skills were convincing, causing me to doubt myself. Yasmin cast a cold nce at me and spoke in a low voice. "I can''t believe you actually buy she''s Stephanie Carlson." Chapter 370 Steven furrowed his brows. Yasmin''s current behavior was eerily reminiscent of Stephanie Carlson''s demeanor before she lost her memory. "Peter Jones created a ''Stephanie Carlson'', knowing you''d fall for it," Yasmin said indifferently, then nced at the time. "Steven, I''m running out of time." Steven warily stared at Yasmin and responded in a low tone, "Your acting isn''t very convincing." "I never imed to be anyone." Yasmin sneered, gazing at Steven. "Are you afraid? Afraid that I might be the real Stephanie Carlson, knowing that everything you''ve said to her is just a lie?" Steven clenched his fists tightly. Yasmin spoke solemnly as she approached Steven, "Steven, you and I are born to be monsters with souls of demons. Weck emotions, destined to be free from emotional attachments. "The emotions and love we experienced in the past were nothing but facades and imitations of ordinary people''s lives. You wouldn''t¡­ actually believe it, would you?" She then cast a sharp gaze at me and added, "Honestly, I dislike this body immensely. But what I detest even more¡­ is being impersonated." My heart skipped a beat. I never knew Yasmin was so talented in acting. She seemed like an entirely different person. "Don''t forget our n," Yasmin reminded Steven. "What n? Remind me," Steven casually gazed at Yasmin, raising his hand to shield me, preventing me from making eye contact with her. I hid behind him, feeling inexplicably nervous. Yasmin chuckled, replying with just two words, "Project Zero." Steven visibly stiffened. Perhaps this was a secret known only to him and Stephanie Carlson. I stared at Yasmin in astonishment, wondering how she had discovered such a secret. Meanwhile, Joel, who had been leaning against the main door, picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at Yasmin. She noticed it but failed to evade it. Joel chuckled and remarked, "If it were her, she''d have caught that stone in her hand." "Fool¡­ " Yasmin mocked Joel. "Stephanie Carlson''s body was gically enhanced. Do you think this body of mine now is anything of excellence?" Joel furrowed his brows in silence. "Recite pi." Steven calmly requested, maintaining eye contact with Yasmin. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Physical abilities might change ording to the body, but a reincarnated soul wouldn''t forget what it was familiar with. I was stunned, gaping. If Steven asked me to recite pi, I definitely couldn''t. "3.14159265358979323¡­ " Yasmin casually recited the numbers, her expression unchanged. After a while, she nonchntly added, "Was that enough? I can do this all day if you want." If this was truly an act, she obviously hade prepared, putting effort into memorizing all that. Steven turned to me and said, "Now, you recite." I opened my mouth, pointing at myself. Seriously? How was I supposed to recite pi? All I knew was 3.14. Panicked by Steven''s skepticism, I began to question myself. Could it be possible that I wasn''t the person I thought I was? Nonsense. "Steve¡­ Don''t believe her. I overheard Peter and Mrs. Ford''s conversation. They must have found a way to help Yasmin impersonate me. I¡ª " I exined anxiously. "Can you prove that you''re Stephanie Carlson?" Steven interrupted with a probing question. My mouth fell open; I couldn''t provide any proof since I had no memories of Steven or anything from my past. "If you don''t believe me¡­ just go ahead and call me a fake then," I replied in a low tone, turning away in despair, feeling utterly foolish. I had to admit that Peter had done an impressive job in preparing Yasmin to imitate me. "Steven, you should have believed me the moment I mentioned Project Zero and the secret of soul reincarnation. It seems your intellect has beenpromised by her influence during my absence." Yasmin remarked solemnly before adding, "See you tomorrow at 10 am, the usual ce." With that, Yasmin left. Joel nced at Yasmin and then at me,menting "That one seems more like her." Obviously, even he found that Yasmin''s current behavior was reminiscent of Stephanie Carlson''s in the past. Chapter 371 "What do you think?" Joel asked Steven, who remained still, watching Yasmin''s departing figure. Hiding behind the door, my heart raced with anxiety. I feared Steven would doubt me for who I was. The growing unease consumed me, worrying that I might be suspected and unrecognized. Was this how Steven had felt? When I doubted and questioned him, and even misunderstood him¡­ sping my hands tightly together nervously, I pondered how to convince Steven to believe me. However, my memories failed me. I had forgotten too much, unable to recall Steven or anything from our time at the orphanage. Joel was right; I wasn''t smart enough, perhaps even foolish, always causing trouble for others. Nevertheless, I still had no idea of what kind of person I was in the past; Yasmin probably knew better than me. Overwhelmed by fear, tears welled up behind the door. "Are you listening?" Joel asked, furrowing his brows at Steven''s silence. "Obviously, that Yasmin looks more like the real thing." "Then, you might want to calm yourself down with some shit," Steven snorted coldly. "Steven Lincoln, quit with that attitude," Joel said, a little worked up. "If you think she''s Stephanie Carlson, then go after her. You know where our usual ce is too," Steven replied in a low voice before turning to leave. Joel stubbornly held onto him. "I''m not doubting your judgment. But look at the one inside. She''s nothing like the old her." Steven chuckled. "That''s exactly why she''s her." "I think you''re bewitched." Joel frowned. "Love makes people blind, but turns you into an idiot." "If she were the Stephanie Carlson we know, would shee here exposing herself voluntarily? Would she make such a big fuss, announcing her existence? Not to mention that you, an outsider, were present too," Steven said indifferently as he entered the house. "What if she figures that I¡ª " Joel wanted to say something but Steven impatiently interrupted him, "From the moment she showed a strong sense ofpetition, she broke her disguise." Steven had intentionally set a trap, luring Yasmin into the pi-recitingpetition Even if Peter had convinced Yasmin that she was Stephanie Carlson with hypnosis, he could never change thepetitive nature ingrained in her. "Why didn''t you say it earlier?" Joel frowned, muttering under his breath, "You made me look like an idiot." "You''re not exactly the brightest," Steven retorted, pushing Joel''s hand away. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "Will it kill you to tell me more?" Joel''s youthful pride couldn''t allow Steven to y mysterious. "Are you nning to y along with Yasmin''s deception?" Steven shot Joel a re. "I need to gofort my wife now." Joel gasped and asked, "Did I just y a part in your flirting game?" "What nonsense are you bbering?" Steven furrowed his brows, unable toprehend his ramblings. "That''s how we youngsters say it nowadays. You''re getting old, you know?" Joel boasted, leaning against the wall. Ignoring Joel, Steven entered the house and found me sobbing behind the door. I hadn''t quite caught their earlier whispers, only hearing Joel''s sarcastic remark about Stevel getting old. I strongly disagreed with that remark, though. Steven looked absolutely stunning, with no sign of aging. Feeling embarrassed and awkward, I averted my gaze, trying to hide the fact that I cried from being falsely used. Steven nced at me, seeming to want to say something, but I cut him off. "If you believe what Yasmin said, I''ll just leave now." I dared not to meet Steven''s deep gaze, so I couldn''t discern the emotions shown on his face. "Where will you go?" he asked softly. "None of your business. I''ll go wherever I want," I retorted, pushing past Steven and limping to get my stuff. What was the point of exining, anyway? Chapter 372 "Come on, Stephie," Steven grabbed my wrist as I attempted to leave. Before Joel, who was outside the door, could enter the house, Steven kicked the door shut, trapping Joel outside. Startled by his frustration, I asked in puzzlement, "What do you want¡ª " "I want to lock you up¡­ in the basement, where I''ll be the only one knowing of your existence," Steven''s voice was hoarse as if suppressing his emotions. He pressed me against the corner, enveloping me with a pressuring demeanor. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I had never seen him like this before; and honestly, I was rather scared by his current behavior. It reminded me of what Mom wrote in her log, how Steven had imprisoned Stephanie in the basement and abused her. "Y-You''re not serious, are you?" I asked shakily. Steven pulled me into his arms, sighing softly. "Stephie¡­ I just want you to live a normal life, with friends like Rachel, and a normal¡­ husband and children. Spending the rest of your life happily, safely, without worries." "I''ll give you that regardless of the price to pay¡­ " Steven added softly. Perhaps this was Steven''s biggest wish. My heart inexplicably raced as I listened, leaning against his chest and feeling his heartbeat beneath. For some reason, I had a bad feeling. Something inside me whispered that Steven himself wasn''t included in that wish, as if he had always seen himself as a monster, outside the realm of being a "normal husband". Did this mean that he would eventually let go of me? Or perhaps, he had another life nned? Feeling an inexplicable surge of anxiety, I instinctively clutched Steven''s shirt and asked, "You still don''t believe that I''m Stephanie Carlson, do you? Must I recite the pi thing to prove it?" Steven ruffled my hair without answering. Though it was just a simple gesture offort, it managed to ease my emotions nheless. Without those memories, Icked a sense of security and was constantly enveloped in fear. "You don''t need to pity me, or try to test me¡­ " I said stubbornly, worried that this might be another test. Steven sighed helplessly. "Your husband is a genius, isn''t he? So you should have more faith in him." His words startled me, and I realized that my numb heart could still feel something. He noticed the slight bleeding from my angry steps earlier as he looked at my foot. Visibly displeased, he lifted me effortlessly into his arms, as though I weighed no more than a feather. I discreetly poked his muscr arm, confirming that it was his formidable strength that made me feel so weightless. After Yasmin''s upheaval and the kidnapping incident, I was physically and mentally exhausted. Shortly after Steven had settled me on the bed, I drifted off into slumber. Perhaps due to the effect of the sedatives, I had a severe headache and felt drowsy, slipping into a series of dreams. "Shecks emotions. Do you truly believe she canprehend love after losing her memories?" In a haze, I overheard someone conversing with Steven. "Her feelings toward Michael don''t seem like love either; it seems more like a meticulously nned scheme to destroy Michael in the cruelest manner possible¡­" It was as though Michael had pulled the trigger, but the bullet had rebounded and struck him squarely between the eyebrows ¡ª and Stephanie was the architect. "She doesn''t love me¡­ " Steven''s voice sounded somewhat hoarse. Given his intelligence, how could he possibly be unaware of whether it was love or not? "She''s still searching for the sensation of love¡­ obstinately yearning to love," Steven said softly. "Which is a good thing. Then, in the future¡­ if something were to happen to me, she could ept it calmly too." Chapter 373 Perhaps I was unsettled, so I couldn''t sleep soundly. After all, I had nearly been raped and trafficked. I wondered how the old Stephanie Carlson would have handled it if she had been in that situation. She probably would have attacked Howard and Bobby with the knife before handing them over to the police, wouldn''t she? Regardless, I wasn''t that Stephanie anymore. Sometimes, I couldn''t help but wonder if I was the Stephanie Carlson whom Steven loved. If Steven still loved that Stephanie, then was I ¡ª who had lost those memories and personality ¡ª the person he loved? If a person''s character had changed, would they still be considered the same person? "Stephie¡­ I want you to live on, that''s all I ask." "Steve¡­ You can''t hold me back." "Stephanie Carlson, please don''t be so cruel to me." "But I have no heart¡­ " I had a nightmare. In the dream, I kept hurting myself, trying to end my life with all kinds of methods. I was seeking an escape. Steven chained me up, cried, and begged me not to continue. He even went as far as hurting himself in front of me, threatening to end his life alongside mine if I wouldn''t stop hurting myself ¡ª I watched him coldly, without intervening. "If you want to die, I''ll go with you; if you want to hurt yourself, I''ll do it too," Steven threatened, though his voice sounded pleading. I gazed at him coldly, struggling to break free from the chains. "It''s no use, Steve. We can''t escape from this¡­ I''m a monster. I won''t genuinely have feelings for you. Even if you were to die in front of me, I won''t shed a tear for you." Steven looked at me in despair, the knife in his hand fell to the ground, blood dripping from his fingertips. After a long silence, he spoke with reddened eyes, "Are you hungry, Stephie? I''ll go buy you something to eat." Then, he left, consumed by deep despair. In the dream, I struggled desperately, the shing sound of the iron chains causing my chest to ache terribly. I wanted to shout out to Steven, to stop him from hurting himself. "No¡­ Steve, don''t. Steve!" I woke up from the nightmare, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from my forehead and saturating my hair. Steven hugged me from behind and whispered, "Stephie¡­ did you have a nightmare?" I looked at Steven, still breathing heavily, and after a long pause, I leaned into his embrace. I wasn''t sure what my feelings for Steven were now ¡ª reliance, or perhaps something more¡­ With those missing pieces of my memories, I wouldn''tbel it as love, though. "Please don''t hurt yourself anymore, okay?" I said softly, gently touching the scars on his wrist with my fingers.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Steven''s body noticeably tensed as he held me. "Does it pain you if I do, Stephie?" he asked softly. I could sense he was hoping for a certain response, as though he had been waiting for this answer for a long time. I struggled internally, persuading myself that I had to give him the answer he wanted, even if it was only a lie. "Steve¡­ " I held his wrist and whispered, "It pains me if you do." After a long pause, Steve suddenly kissed my forehead excitedly and rolled around with me in his arms. I was left speechless, finding his reaction was rather childish. "Stop rolling¡­ " I protested, ending up lying on top of him. Our position was too intimate; with one wrong move, something might identally unfold. As Steven gazed at me, I couldn''t help but marvel at his stunning eyes, though I had always been aware of their beauty. "Stephie¡­ " Steven whispered my name, his expression as joyful as that of a grown-up boy. "You''ll always trust me, won''t you?" I desperately sought reassurance. "I''ll always¡­ recognize you at first nce," Steven pressed my head and nted a kiss on my forehead. I leaned against his chest, quietly listening to his heartbeat. "It''s still early. Go back to sleep," Steven whispered. But I found myself no longer feeling sleepy. Seeing that I had no intention of moving, Steven shifted his body carefully yet ufortably. I didn''t notice anything unusual until I felt his body temperature rising. "You''re torturing me¡­ Stephie," he whispered in agony. My ears flushed as I quickly sat up, unintentionally causing more difort for Steven. I swiftlyy down on my side, turning my back to Steven, and remained silent. Chapter 375 "He will be bailed," Steven asserted confidently that Howard would find a way to get out of detention. Before Eason could respond, Steven ended the call abruptly. I nced at him, feeling a twinge of worry. Even though I knew Stephany was innocent, if Howard and Peter were prepared to falsely use her¡­ "Don''t worry," Steven reassured me, reaching out to ruffle my hair, easing my worries. Honestly, I was torn and confused, uncertain about what to make of my reliance on Steven. "The police will call you in for questioning, but I''ve found evidence to clear your name." Steven gave me a reassuring look, urging me to take it easy, framing it as cooperating with the police investigation. "Stephany Larson¡­ she didn''tmit those crimes." I lowered my head silently, then asked, "If Stephany Larson was an innocent person¡­ is it fair that she ended up like this?" In the end, Stephany was still dead. After being manipted and schemed against, she still met her demise. And I, was just a parasite inhabiting her body. "This world was never fair." Steven then fell silent, wrapping his arms around me. I understood what he meant. Some things were beyond our control. But for some reasons¡­ I couldn''t shake off the guilt I felt. Was it all just a coincidence that Stephany was manipted and met her fate, only for me to reincarnate into her body? Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡­ That afternoon, Eason and his team arrived to take me away for questioning; it was all official business. Aunty Lois handed over what she imed to be evidence to the police: a photo taken of me talking to the second victim of the murder case. I couldn''t shake the feeling that all of this was nned, not just a coincidence. "I wasn''t part of it. I was deceived too; I didn''t know anything." Unless there was solid proof that I was guilty, I wouldn''t confess to anything. Howard mentioned Stephany was a good person. If so, was a person destined to be deceived, misunderstood, and falsely used? I wanted to help myself as well as Stephany this time. "Officer Grant, there are a few kids outside, iming to be Stephany''s brothers," an officer suddenly reported. I looked up at Eason in puzzlement. Those kids¡­ They must have been sent by Sean, here to testify for Stephany. "Stephy didn''t hurt us. Jean was sick, and Stephy wanted to help us raise money, so she contacted a local charity. But they tricked Stephy." "They said they wanted to adopt Danny because he''s the smartest kid among us, and in return, the organization would pay for Jean''s medical bills. But after they took Danny away, they didn''t give us the money as promised." "Stephy is a good person. She''s been taking care of us and protecting us." Seeing these kids willing to testify for Stephany, I became even more convinced of her kindness. "Stephy didn''tpletely trust them either. So when she took Danny to meet the adoptive parents, she had us keep an eye out and secretly recorded everything with Cyrus''s phone. But Cyrus was arrested and is in juvie now," the leader of the kids provided useful evidence. Eason nced at me, signaling for Phil to go find Cyrus, the teenager who had tried to poison Yasmin with paraquat, in juvie. With these kids testifying and the evidence Stephany had left behind, it was enough to prove my innocence and confirm Howard''s guilt. Everything went smoothly. I was sessfully cleared of all charges, not only without any wrongdoing but also as an unequivocally good person. As I stepped out of the police station, I felt lost. Everything had gone smoothly, perhaps too smoothly. All my worries had somehow been resolved without a hitch, yet why did I still feel unsettled? Although it appeared that Stephany had recorded videos and left evidence to protect herself, it felt like someone had nned out everything in advance, perhaps for this very moment. "Stephie?" Steven was already waiting for me outside. He approached, holding a ck umbre in one hand, and wrapped me in his embrace with the other. Chapter 376 I nced up, realizing it was already raining. "Everything''s fine now," Steven reassured me gently. "You knew I would be okay, didn''t you?" I looked at him. Steven''s gaze flickered, then he shook his head. "I believed you''d be fine." His words were ambiguous, and I could tell he was changing the subject. "Let''s go home." Steven led me to the car. On the way home, he told me that Michael had regained consciousness. I nodded indifferently; it didn''t really concern me whether he was conscious or not. "Yasmin has been by his side all the while. It''s highly likely that he''ll think Yasmin is you," Steven said, as if he wanted to prepare me in advance, worried that I might not be able to handle the shock. "Good for him." I nodded. Michael had always been blinded to the truth anyway. This might be best for him too. ¡­ As Steven and I had anticipated, Michale seemed quite certain that Yasmin was "Stephanie Carlson" and kept her close for protection. Meanwhile, I had been patiently waiting at home for the news about the human traffickers. Zion mentioned that he had been called back to investigate the human trafficking lead. Rachel had also visited me a few times, mentioning that Zion had left Huma for a mission, which seemed quite dangerous. I suspected it was rted to the human trafficking lead. As I had predicted, Howard took all the me, so the police had nothing on Peter. However, I hadn''t anticipated that Howard had been diagnosed with cancer long ago and needed medical parole. In other words, he could be released on bail. Steven had guessed correctly; Howard did indeed have a way to get out of the detention. "Don''t overthink it, just rx at home," Rachel said during her visit. However, I couldn''t shake the feeling that a lot had happened while I stayed home these past few days. Terrified by the incident of being abducted by Howard, I hadn''t left the house for several days, and Steven hadn''t been home during this time. I worried that he might have gone to the usual ce Yasmin mentioned to meet her. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. A surge of insecurity washed over me; I feared Steven might fall into Yasmin''s scheme. If she could deceive Michael so many times, perhaps she could fool Steven too. Overwhelmed by anxiety, I sat on the bed, arms wrapped around my legs. I had had enough of this life. Was this really what I wanted? I began to question the meaning of my reincarnation, unable toprehend it. Was I meant to continue living in ignorance and fear just to survive? Wasn''t my initial goal to find my killer? "Have some faith in Zion; he''ll definitely find those missing teenagers, " Rachel reassured me gently, noticing my silence. "Stephie¡­ " "Why has the serial killer been quiettely? Can''t he get his hands on Yasmin? Or maybe¡­ Simmie was really the killer?" I murmured, puzzled. Why was Yasmin still alive? If she didn''t die, the people behind her wouldn''t be murdered either. I actually¡­ hoped that the serial killer would continue his killings. As much as I wanted to catch him, I also wished for him to get rid of those people on the list, those demons from the orphanage for me. "Stephie¡­ " Rachel seemed to see through my thoughts. "By the way," she lowered her eyes and added carefully, trying not to unsettle me. "Yasmin¡­ seems like a different persontely." Had she also met Yasmin? Did she believe Yasmin too? "She said she''s Stephanie Carlson, didn''t she?" I asked nervously. "Do you believe her?" Chapter 377 "I don''t buy it." Rachel shook her head. "Stephanie Carlson will never reincarnate onto Yasmin. Even the thought of it is gross! She''d rather die." I burst intoughter, dispelling the gloomy mood that had surrounded me for days. Lowering my head, I wiped away the tears at the corners of my eyes. "Yeah, if I woke up and found out I had be the person I hated most, I''d probably choose to die straight away." Seeing me smile, Rachel held my wrist and said, "Don''t overthink it. Yasmin may think she can fool everyone, but those who truly care about Stephanie Carlson won''t be deceived. Does she seriously think she can imitate every detail and feeling of a person?" I agreed; Yasmin was just wasting her time. However, her disguise wasn''t meant to make Rachel and the others believe her; it was to deceive Michael and Steven. Michael had been brainwashed and manipted by Peter long ago, so I wasn''t surprised he would fall into Yasmin''s disguise. But Steven¡­ I gave Steven a call, but he declined it. This was the first time he had ever declined my call, which worried me. "There''s no way Steven will be fooled by her." Rachel sighed. "Stephie¡­ you really should try to have some faith in him sometimes. Isn''t it exhausting to keep suspecting someone?" Rachel always seemed to see through my thoughts. "But what if¡­ there''s something suspicious about him?" I asked. Indeed, there were simply too many suspicions about Steven. Not only was he covering up the murderer, but he also secretly harbored Simmie¡­ "Try trusting someone unconditionally for a change, will you? After all, life is a gamble. Who knows, you might make the right bet?" Rachel looked into my eyes, then added, "Can I tell you a secret?" I nodded. "Actually, I''m in love with Zion¡­ " Rachel lowered her head, her ears slightly reddened. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I opened my mouth, not very surprised; in fact, I had somehow sensed it. "What about Zion?" I whispered nervously. All women were born to be curious creatures. "He¡­ " Rachel took a deep breath and sighed slowly. "He doesn''t like me." "Impossible! I think he''s pretty nice to you," I eximed in shock. "Stephie, sometimes, you can''t be with someone you like, even if he has feelings for you too. Zion told me he didn''t like me. In other words, even if he truly has feelings for me, he didn''t really want to be with me," Rachel analyzed rationally. Zion had a strong sense of duty, so it was understandable that he would choose to return to the police force over staying with Rachel, especially given the high-risk nature of his upation. "That day, my mom suddenly showed up at my rented ce. She knocked, and Zion answered the door, so they met. I told her Zion and I were just sharing a ce, but my mom didn''t believe it. She insisted on discussing marriage matters, urging Zion to marry me¡­ " Rachel sounded helpless. I was aware of Rachel''s family situation; her father wasn''t a good person and her mother was conservative, paranoid, and controlling. "Zion didn''t want to burden me, so he moved back to the dorm," Rachel said, lying beside me, just like she used to do. Staring at the ceiling powerlessly, she remarked, "Stephie, life is so tiring." "What are you nning to do?" I gently stroke her head. "I want to get married, then I can escape from my mom''s control," Rachel replied softly. I knew Rachel well. Back when we were students, she confided in me about her desire for a new life. She nned to get married right after graduation, and if neither of us found a partner, we agreed to live together. But now that I was married to Steven, Rachel probably felt left out. I looked at her, feeling somewhat guilty but uncertain how tofort her. "I asked Zion if he''s willing to marry me, and he moved out," Rachel said, with a chuckle tinged with a hint of sadness. Zion had given her the answer by moving out of their shared house, denying the possibility of them getting married; he knew he couldn''t give Rachel the life she wanted. "Were you two dating? At what stage were you?" I asked softly. Rachel rolled her eyes. "What are you thinking? We''re just ordinary friends sharing a pce¡­ nothing more than that." They hadn''t even started dating, yet she already wanted Zion to marry her? It was no wonder Zion got scared and ran away. Nheless, it was evident that Rachel had realized her feelings for Zion. "Will marriage bring you happiness?" I asked Rachel gently. Rachel sat up and looked at me. "Asks the one who rushed into marriage first!" I felt a little guilty under her gaze. Chapter 378 "Are you happy?" Rachel threw the question back at me. I pondered for a moment before responding, "Habit is a scary thing." ncing at the screen of my phone, I recalled how panicked I was when Steven declined my call. Was I truly happy after getting married? Well¡­ It felt like "happiness" was just beyond my grasp. First, I was inexplicably murdered, then inexplicably resurrected¡­ or rather, reincarnated into the body of apletely stranger woman. And, inexplicably, the person lying next to me was the person I had mistaken as the murderer ¡ª Steven. It seemed as though all the dramatic events one could possibly experience had happened to me. I couldn''t help but wonder: if these things happened to someone else, how would they cope? Could they handle it better than me? In such a tense, suspicious, and dangerous environment, I struggled to find a way to survive, let alone find happiness. "I don''t yearn for love anymore." Rachel shrugged. "I promised my mom to go on a blind date. It''s at seven tonight, so I''ll be leaving soon." Though Rachel agreed to the blind date, I could tell she wasn''t happy about it. "Are you sure you want to do this?" I wanted to talk her out of it, but I didn''t know how. "If I don''t get married soon, my mom is going to drive me crazy." Rachel sighed, feeling suffocated by her family. "For Zion''s sake, I have to get married as soon as possible. You know my mom. She won''t stop bothering him until I do, " Rachel said helplessly. Her mother had grown paranoid and controlling after experiencing heartbreak. During Rachel''s school days, she once publicly scolded a male student in Rachel''s research group, which made Rachel extremely embarrassed. Indifferent to Rachel''s emotions, she consistently imposed her own notions of what was best for her daughter, an approach that felt stifling and suffocating. "I want to take a bet too." Rachel took a deep breath. "Who knows, maybe marriage is my reincarnation, right?" She smiled at me. I remained silent, recalling what she had just told me a while ago: "Try trusting someone unconditionally for a change, will you? After all, life is a gamble. Who knows, you might make the right bet?" Indeed, even if she lost the bet, she had nothing to lose either. Nodding in agreement, I picked up my phone and dialed Steven''s number once more. I wanted to take the bet¡­ to try trusting him unconditionally for once. Yet, Steven declined my call once again, sending me into a state of panic. Could he have fallen into Yasmin''s deception too? Rachel departed for her blind date. Under the gloomy, rainy sky, I watched her leave and noticed a car parked nearby. I was Zion''s, I could tell at a nce. It was evident that Zion harbored feelings for Rachel too, but the two seemed like prickly hedgehogs, afraid of hurting each other with their spines if they got too close. So, they chose to maintain their distance, staying where they were. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Standing in the rain, surrounded by the earthy scent of the rain, I couldn''t shake off the feeling of impending doom. Leo motioned for me toe inside, away from the rain. Returning to my room, I sat in the empty bathtub and continued calling Steven. With each call he declined, I redialed. After several attempts, his phone was permanently switched off. I buried my head in my knees. Trusting someone unconditionally, as simple as it might sound, was proving to be an insurmountable challenge. Chapter 379 I sat in the bathtub, clutching my phone with trembling hands. Howard and Peter''s schemes had kept me housebound for a long time. Yet, I feared that Steven might fall prey to Yasmin''s deception, leaving me alone and unresolved about my murderer. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was Steven. I breathed a sigh of relief and answered the call in panic, but it wasn''t Steven''s voice on the other end. "Stephanie Carlson¡­ " a strange, distorted voice came through, courtesy of a voice changer. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. My nerves instantly tightened upon hearing the mention of "Stephanie Carlson". "I heard you haven''t given up on finding out the serial killer," the voice said with sinister amusement. I gripped my phone nervously, my body trembling uncontrobly. "Who are you? Where''s Steve? Why do you have his phone?" "I''m the serial killer, I''m God¡­ " the voice lowered, then suddenlyughed. "You can call me ''the Juricator''." I stood up abruptly, my vision darkening. "Steve¡­ Where''s Steve?" "Because of you, he tried to hunt me down¡­ What a pity. Even ''God'' shows weakness when it possesses feelings." The voice''sugh grew eerier. "He was too eager to prove himself, too eager to catch me." "What do you want?" I asked, quivering, "Please, don''t hurt Steve." "Leave your house now, don''t tell anyone, or else¡­ he dies," the voice threatened. "I''ll do as you say, just don''t hurt Steve." I stumbled out of the bathtub, limping quickly toward the door, ignoring the injury on my foot which had notpletely healed. "He has deduced the Death List, but unfortunately, it isn''tplete." The voice chuckled. "He''s very smart, but¡­ love has turned him into a fool." My fingertips turned cold. "What have you done to him?" "Don''t you want to know how he fell into my hands?" The eerie voice continued tough over the phone. "It was because of you¡­ " My steps froze, my breathing quickening. So, this was the killer¡­ the one I had been searching for, the one who had killed me. "Don''t stop. Keep walking, or else I''ll kill him." The person on the other end of the line could tell I had stopped. "Leave the neighborhood; you''ll see a minivan within a mile. Get in it," the voice instructed. "I won''tply unless you let me speak to Steve first," I stated cautiously, holding the phone warily. "Haha¡­ " The voiceughed. "Speak? Do you think I would allow him to remain conscious, knowing he''s a genius who can escape as long as he breathes?" I frowned, my fingers trembling. "Ding!" A message popped up on my WhatsApp, sent from Steven''s ount. It contained a photo of Steven lying unconscious, an IV drip attached to his wrist¡­ Instantly, panic seized me, my entire body trembling uncontrobly. That lunatic had confined Steven in a ss cab resembling a fish tank. "You bastard¡­ don''t hurt him, please¡­ " My voice choked, my legs growing weak. The photo reminded me of the state I had been discovered by the police. "Such a wless human¡­ " The voice expressed astonishment tinged with an eerie undertone. "If preserved, he would make the most perfect exhibit." "Please, spare him¡­ I''ll do as you say¡­ " I scanned my surroundings warily, aware that the person was watching me nearby. Any hint of suspicion on my part ¡ª such as calling the police or anything else ¡ª would likely result in harm to Steven. "Just don''t hurt him¡­ I beg of you," My voice trembled as I pleaded. "Do you truly care for him, Stephanie Carlson? But you have no heart, so you care for no one. Why beg me now?" The voiceughed maniacally. From this, I could conclude that this individual knew me well and understood me thoroughly. Chapter 380 "Don''t worry, I won''t harm him like you did. He only behaves when he''s unconscious... " the voice assured, though distorted, still carrying a hint of affection and attachment. Who could this person be... Simeon? But Simeon was already dead. "Don''t y tricks!" Just as I was about to discreetly message Zion and Eason, the voice on the other end suddenly snapped sharply. Startled, I froze and began heading out of the neighborhood. "Don''t go!" Before I could reach the minivan, Joel suddenly emerged and grabbed me from behind, his breath ragged. "Don''t go... He told me to tell you not to go anywhere. Trust him, he''lle back for you," Joel said nervously, sighing with relief after stopping me from getting in the minivan. He took my phone and, through gritted teeth, addressed the person on the other end.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "I don''t care who you are, stop ying games with me! If you''re really that capable, show me what you''ve got, and go kill Yasmin and all the people on your Death List!" I quivered as I stared at Joel, bewildered by this fearless teenager. Did he know he was talking to the serial killer? And Steven was still in his hand! The killer fell silent on the other end of the phone. Frightened to death, I tried to snatch my phone back from Joel. "Steve is still in his hands..." "Stay out of this!" Joel pointed at me and continued to talk on the phone, "Well? Say something!" After a long silence, the killer suddenlyughed maniacally, as if truly gone mad. "The names on the list will all die..." The voice on the phone grew even eerier. "Since Michael and Steven have been guarding Yasmin and Stephanie so well, let''s y things a little differently, hahaha..." At that moment, the voice on the other end of the phone didn''t sound human - more like a demon, a lunatic. "Are you crazy? Who do you think you are?" Joel continued scolding, "Why don''t youe and g¡ª I assumed Joel wanted to say "Why don''t youe and get me too?", but he spoke too soon. Before he could finish his sentence, someone emerged from the alley and sedated him while he wasn''t paying attention. I was sedated too before I could scream for help. As I slipped into unconsciousness, I realized we were being dragged into the minivan. This was bad... I knew I shouldn''t have counted on Joel. After all, he was just a high schooler. I couldn''t expect him to be mature and cautious. Now, not only was I implicated, but Joel was dragged into this too. To my surprise, I remained unconscious for quite some period. Clearly, the sedatives used by the killer were different from the illicit ones Howard had used; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been so effective on me. These sedatives seemed more like inhtion anesthetics, capable of rendering my consciousnesspletely dormant. It only took a few seconds to knock me out; one moment, I was struggling, and the next, I was plunged into darkness. I couldn''t determine how long I''d been out. When I finally regained et I consciousness, I felt a throbbing headache as I groped around, trying to sit up. But when I opened my eyes, a chill ran through my entire body. Where was I? I couldn''t even see my hand in front of my face. For a moment, I feared I had gone blind. It was pitch ck, with no hint of light in sight. What ce was this? "Joel..." My voice was hoarse, my throat dry as if it were about to split open. How long had I been unconscious? As I raised my hand, I felt something on my wrist. Tentatively, I explored it, realizing it was an IV needle. The killer was administering a nutrient drip to me... Suddenly, a wave of fear washed over me, from toe to head. Chapter 382 I anxiously searched but found nothing. Just as I sat on the ground, consumed by despair and helplessness, I heard a distinct "click". It was followed by the sound of an iron door opening and footsteps echoing down the corridor. My nerves instantly tensed up. Did someone find the key and leave so quickly? Who could it be? "Who is out there? Who has left? Please, help us! Where did you find the key? Help us!" Themotion outside grew louder as everyone began shouting. The footsteps grew increasingly slower, as though he were attentively listening to something. "Thud, thud, thud." Suddenly, the person outside started banging on the iron door with sticks. Everyone fell silent, curious to know what he was up to. After everyone had stayed quiet, he called out, "Stephie..." The voice was hoarse and filled with panic. It was Steven! He was searching for me. I forcefully mmed the door. "Steve! Steve! I''m here!" I heard the sound of his footsteps approaching, and soon he was sprinting towards me in a state of panic. "Click." Another sound echoed as someone else had opened the iron door. "Damn it! Enough with the hocus-pocus! You''re going to make mete for my college entrance exam." The cursing voice belonged to Joel.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I felt an overwhelming mix of surprise and panic. With tears streaming down my face, I desperately banged on the door in fear. "Steve, I''m terrified." Steven''s anxious voice could be heard outside the door. "Stephie, don''t be afraid. Take a deep breath and listen to me. Don''t be scared. Calm yourself down." I listened to him, took a deep breath, and remained silent. "Hasn''t shee out yet? How foolish!" Joel approached as well. His voice trembled slightly with concern, though he masked it with feigned disgust and indifference. "Click." Someone managed to open the iron door again. "Steven," the person called out with a sneer. "What are you doing? Are you still searching for that impostor? Do you honestly believe that if she were me, she wouldn''t be clever enough to figure out such a simple trick and find a way out?" That voice belonged to Yasmin! I felt uneasy. Even Yasmin found the key. She could find it, but I was clueless. Stevenpletely ignored Yasmin and asked softly, "Stephie, don''t be scared. What did you see on your room''s wall?" I took one look and quickly replied, my voice trembling. "If I have been dwelling in darkness, please don''t expose me to the light... If you choose to bring me into the light, don''t then thrust me back into the darkness where I can''t even see my own hands." After a brief pause, Steven advised softly outside the door, "Check beneath themp, in the brightest spot." I quickly understood his meaning. I ran to themp and tapped on the tiles. They were indeed hollow. I sessfully managed to pry up the tile and retrieve the key from it. I tried to open the door, but my hands were shaking and I failed a few times. Eventually, I managed to open the door. As soon as the door was opened, I caught sight of Steven. Without hesitation, he reached out and enveloped me in his embrace, holding me tightly. I couldn''t breathe for a moment. It was like I could understand the words written on the wall. "If I have been dwelling in darkness, please don''t expose me to the light." What was written was absolutely correct. If I were to find myself crawling in fear through the darkness, I would undoubtedly feel immense gratitude and heavily depend on the individual who illuminated my path, granting me the ability to perceive the light. "Click." Another sound resonated through the long, narrow, and deep corridor, signaling the opening of the door. Our attention was immediately captivated by it. The person who walked out was Michael. He stood there with a frown, his expression exuding displeasure, and emitting an icy air. I was utterly astonished. If Steven and I were both yers in the game, Joel was the implicated outsider, and Yasmin herself was on the Death List, then what about Michael? Why was he present as well? Was the murderer nning to kill every single one of us? Were we all just pawns in this twisted game? How many secretsy concealed behind this serial murder case? Chapter 383 "Mikey," Yasmin took the initiative to call out Michael''s name, and she called him Mikey. I felt a sense of revulsion. Would I have referred to Michael like that in the past? I wasn''t sure if the "Stephanie" portrayed by Yasmin resembled her. "It''s astonishing how someone as foolish as Michael cane out so quickly. She really thinks she''s good at pretending." I whispered in a low voice, peeking out from behind Steven and gripping his arm tightly. I was feeling a bit frightened. Where was this ce? Michael nced over in my direction, his gaze locking onto me. A subtle furrow appeared on his brow, yet he remained silent. His gaze towards me was frigid and unfamiliar. It was clear that Michael strongly believed that Yasmin was Stephanie. He thought I was merely pretending to be Stephanie, plotting to kill him. Joel cursed softly, "How many people has this lunatic captured? How on earth did this psycho manage to catch all of us?" Yasmin shot me a hostile nce, her voice dripping with intensity. "The nanny of the Ford family was helping the murderer. She has been cunningly embedded within the Ford household for years, elusive and virtually undetectable." Michael was clearly upset, and it was obvious that he had also been drugged by the nanny, Angel. I hid behind Steven and took a deep breath. Angel... During my time at the Ford residence, I couldn''t shake the feeling that Angel was acting strangely. Wasn''t she under Peter and Yasmin? Could she possibly be working as a double agent? If she were a double agent, what was the significance of her telling me that the cherry tree on Quemerley Street had blossomed? "Alright. Someone close to you is plotting against you." Joel nodded. Then, he pointed at Steven. "He is a psycho and was purposefully kidnapped to catch the murderer." After making that statement, he pointed at me and himself. "We were the only two fools, and we were both knocked unconscious by someone." I nced at Joel and didn''t expose him. In fact, when Joel was arrested, it was evident that he didn''t resist. It was clear that he was intentionally caught. I was the only fool in the situation. "Help us! Get us out!" "Please! Help!" From the eerily clean corridor, numerous people frantically banged on the door and called for help. Their voices were bing faint. Clearly, many people were unaware that infused nutrient solutions could also be consumed to quickly recharge physical strength. If they continued howling, crying, and panicking like this, their physical strength and sugar levels would deplete rapidly. Before long, they could be hypoglycemic, fall into aa, or even go into shock. Ultimately, they would sumb to starvation, dehydration, and various other causes, leading to their demise. "Thud, thud, thud." The corridor''s voice-activated sensor lights illuminate and switch off. I stood behind Steven in fear, nervously tugging at the corner of his clothes. He reached behind his back and motioned for me to hold his hand. I quickly reached out and intertwined my fingers with his. At that moment, the warmth of his hand slowly soothed my panicked heart. "Where is this? How many people did the lunatic kidnap?" Michael asked in a low and determined voice, showing no interest in rescuing anyone. "This lengthy corridor is lined with. small cage-like rooms on both sides, clearly filled with people," Joel cursed and exchanged a nce with Steven, silently debating whether they should intervene and rescue them. Yasmin sneered. "Let''s save ourselves for now." After speaking, Yasmin stepped forward and gripped Michael''s wrist. "The lunatic imed that there was food and weapons at the end of the corridor. Let''s go there first." I nced anxiously at Steven. Should we prioritize saving others or saving ourselves first?Original content from N?velDrama.Org. It was clear that all three of us had limited stamina, and my legs were starting to give out. This was the moment that revealed everyone''s humanity. Joel leaned against the wall, cursing under his breath. "I''ve gone my whole life without experiencing hypoglycemia, and now I''m breaking out in a cold sweat..." Chapter 384 On the contrary, Steven appeared quite ordinary. However, as I gripped his hand, I could distinctly sense his strength gradually waning too. "Click." The door of another room opened, and a figure stumbled out. I stared at the person before me, my eyes widening in astonishment. It was none other than Howard. "He imed to have cancer. After being granted bail, he was swiftly transferred to the hospital for emergency treatment. How did he get here under the nose of the police?" I asked in shock. Steven didn''t respond and passed me off to Joel. "Go grab a bite to eat and select a weapon for self-defense before these peoplee out." Steven was aware that the people on the lists were all inherently vicious. With limited food and resources, they might not be able to wait for police rescue and could end up killing each other due to the scarcity of food and resources. The mastermind sought to witness this phenomenon. His purpose was to make everyone kill each other. Since the very first case of the serial murder case, he had skillfully used the close connection between the killer and the victim to murder. Howardy on the ground, clearly unable to stand up due to low blood sugar. As he opened his eyes and caught sight of Steven, fear and survival instinct overwhelmed him, prompting him to flee towards the end of the corridor. With a resounding "click," another iron door swung open, revealing Callum''s wife. When we went to look for Carol, we found out that she was a woman who had suffered from domestic abuse by Callum. I stared at Steven in disbelief. "Isn''t she innocent? How could she have been caught?" "She is a victim." Steven frowned. Taking a deep breath, I couldn''t help but wonder if the captured individuals were not only the perpetrators but also the victims. "Carol... Carol!" She panicked and shouted, disying a noticeably greater physical strength than Howard. I took Steven over there and examined her room. She had consumed the nutrient solution. She was also aware that the words on the wall held the key to locating the key. It became evident that she was quite smart. "Please, I need your help! Carol has also been captured. We were caught together. Please!" She pleaded desperately, urging Steven and me to assist her. I nervously nced at Steven. "Carol is actually here too..." "Joel, take her there," Steven requested of Joel, asking him to take me to eat. Joel nodded and grabbed my wrist. wanted to stay, but I also knew it would cause trouble for Steven Therefore, I quickly followed doel to find some food. As we reached the end of the corridor, we were met with a tantalizing spread of food and an array of weapons mounted on the wall. Michael ate slowly, scrutinizing the array of weapons adorning the wall before finally selecting the most handy one. Although considered traditional, weapons like knives and axes held an undeniable lethality capable of ending a life. Yasmin wrapped all the leftovers in a tablecloth, clearly intending to keep them for herself. "What are you doing? You''ve taken everything away! What about everyone else?" I eximed with anger. Clearly, Yasmin and Michael had no intention of providing a means for others to survive. Yasmin nced at me coldly andContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ignored me. She made her way to the weapons wall, carefully choosing two extremely sharp knives. Then, she proceeded to remove all the other apons, nning to hide them. . Joel saw through her intention and quickly moved forward to grasp her wrist. Michael furrowed his brow and reached out to block Joel Tension crackled in the air between the three of them. I walked over, squatted down, and carefully selected a dagger for myself. After that, I chose another one for Steven. Joel reached out to grab the sword that had caught Yasmin''s interest, only to be abruptly halted by her. "Put down the food and weapons." I couldn''tprehend why I pressed the dagger against Yasmin''s neck. Quietly approaching her from behind, I firmly stated, "Put it down, or I''ll kill you." Chapter 385 Howard eventually crawled over. Hey on the table in a panic, desperately eating the leftovers that Yasmin had left behind. He was attempting to regain his strength. Meanwhile, the four of us were still at a stalemate. Joel nced at me surprisingly as if to acknowledge that I had finally made a clever move. Yasmin didn''t appear afraid. "Do you dare to kill me? "Give it a try," I said with a feigned sense ofposure. I pressed the dagger against her carotid artery, its sharp edge grazing her skin. Michael''s expression turned stormy as he scolded with evident anger. "Stephany Larson!" Without a doubt, he referred to me as Stephany. He was convinced that Yasmin was actually Stephanie. I smirked. "Ha... If you wish to spare her life, put down the food." Michael had no option but to take over the package from Yasmin. He opened it and put down the food. Joel grabbed a portion enough for us to share and ushered me to a secluded spot in the corner. I gazed warily at Yasmin and Michael, whispering, "Joel... they are dangerous." The mastermind was no longer the real danger here, but rather everyone who got caught. "Let''s go and assist Steven." After eating some cakes, I sensed a slight return of strength. Hence, I proceeded to locate Steven with food and a bottle of milk. He was assisting the woman who was a victim of domestic abuse in searching for Carol. I hurried over and promptly handed the cake to Steven. Steven knocked on the door while eating and helped the people inside find the keys. He walked through each room without showing any emotion, assisting everyone to escape. In contrast to Michael and Yasmin''s indifference, this lunatic and the person previously suspected of being a murderer appeared to possess a greater sense of humanity. I asked softly, "Steve, most of the people locked up here were from the orphanage in the past. They''ve all harmed you and were the main ones responsible for Simmy''s death. Wouldn''t it be better if they stayed here and died?" Steven fell silent. "They are indeed guilty, and it is thew and divine justice that should be responsible for punishing them. Not us. Not him." Steven spoke in a hushed tone as he referred to the mastermind who controlled and orchestrated everything from behind the scenes. I turned my gaze towards Steven and passed him the bottle of milk, determined to assist him in searching for Carol. "Click." The iron door swung open, revealing Callum, the perpetrator of domestic abuse. The first thing he did when he rushed out was not to find food but to assault his wife. "Quinn Lloyd, you filthy bitch! Did you do it?" Quinn cowered behind Steven and me in fear, her entire body shaking uncontrobly. The visible wounds on her face and the corners of her mouth were clear signs of the prolonged domestic abuse she had endured. "I advise you to conserve your energy. We may not be able to get out of here alive," I warned him. Only then did he react, turning around and swiftly running to the end to find food and weapons. Despite not being a genius, most of the children from the orphanage were clever enough to find a way escape. The differences and changes between them and the ne photos were significant. It was difficult for me to identify the names of those people. Finally, Steven and I found Carol, who was nearly unconscious in a corner room. Despite knocking on the door, there was no response. "Carol!" Quinn frantically knocked on the door, calling out to her to respond. Yet, there was no response. Panic set in. She was doomed. If she was unconscious inside, we had no idea where the key was or how to rescue her. Just when I was at a loss for what to do, Joel arrived with an ax and struck the door lock with force. Sparks scattered as he hacked away at it. After a relentless effort, the lock on the iron door was shattered. With a powerful kick, the door burst open. Joel was the first to rush in, holding a bottle of mineral water. He quickly approached Carol, who was dying and offered her the drink. She was huddled in the corner, her face pale. It was obvious that she couldn''t hold on much longer. There was a sentence written on her wall. "If you cannot transform this tainted world, then transform yourself. Natural selection dictates that the strong shall conquer the weak, and the feeble shall perish."Original content from N?velDrama.Org. I didn''t understand the meaning of that sentence, so I looked at Steven. He pointed to the corner, where a drop of blood stained a tile, standing out in stark contrast to the other clean surfaces. Chapter 386 Clearly, the key was right there. After taking a sip of water and munching on a piece of candy, Carol began to rx. Quinn let out a sigh of relief and copsed on the ground. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged Carol tightly, crying, "Carol." Once Carol regained herposure, she burst into tears. Terrified, she sought refuge in Quinn''s embrace, trembling all over. "It''s okay," Quinn whispered, trying tofort her. Steven nced outside indifferently. "Gotta hurry." They had to leave this ce immediately. Everyone had been released. Snd soon enough, the lunatic orchestrating everything behind the scenes would make his next move. "Do you fancy yourself a savior? Or perhaps a god..." That voice echoed again, filled with fury. "They''ve harmed you. Yet, you''re bent on saving them. You''ll regret your choices sooner than you think." The warning was clear. Saving those people would only result in them seeking revenge on Steven. Steven stared coldly at the room''s speakers and cameras, a smirk ying on his lips. But, he remained silent. For some reason, I felt a chill down my spine. Was Steven genuinely trying to save these people, or did he want to watch them turn on each other? Just letting them starve to death? That was too simple. Their sins deserved something more brutal. They should suffer in fear before being slowly tortured to death. I startled myself with that thought and quickly looked down, sping my hands tightly. "Let''s get out of here." As we reached the dining area, those folks had devoured everyst bit of food. Yasmin had set aside some extra food, and she had hidden away most of the weapons, only letting a few people have them. After dinner, everyone remained rtively calm, and someone spoke up on their own, "What''s going on? Can anyone exin?" I knew the guy speaking from the group photo at the orphanage. Standing beside Howard, he looked like the oldest among us orphanage kids, named Mark Cruz. He was thest one adopted by a working-ss couple from a smallpany. He seemed decent now. But, I couldn''t shake the feeling. They were all wolves in sheep''s clothing. "It looks like everyone''s done eating." The eerie voice echoed in the hallway. "If you want out of here, you gotta head downstairs. This is the 18th floor make i the building. Only those who it down to the first floor alive get to leave ya. "Now, the countdown begins, 30 seconds... The whole floor will be filled with carbon monoxide..." The voice from the speaker sounded like the Grim Reaper himself, sending shivers down our spines. "30, 29..." The countdown started. Panic spread as everyone scrambled to find an exit on this floor. "Hey, lunatic! Who the hell are you to trap us here?" someone yelled in fear. Some started to lose it, going mad. I nervously nced at Steven. He and Joel remainedpletelyposed. As for Yasmin and Michael, they were nowhere to be seen when I turned around.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Had they already found the exit? And didn''t bother telling anyone? Damn it. "Steve... are we gonna make it out alive?" I nervously gripped Steven''s hand. Steven nced at me, his voice carrying a weighty undertone. "Stephie, you''ll get out... you''ll make it out alive." My heart sank in that instant. If only one person could make it out alive. Did Steven want me to survive? "Oh... I forgot to mention." Suddenly, the countdown stopped, and the ice came again. "I''m right b you all. I could be anyone. "20, 19, 18..." I gripped Steven''s fingers in fear. The murderer was among us, maybe me, maybe Steven, maybe Joel, maybe anyone. Chapter 387 "15..." The eerie voice continued its countdown, mechanical and unsettlingly eerie. Suddenly, Carol went berserk, staring at the end of the hallway in terror. "Simmy..." She broke free from Quinn''s grip, running uncontrobly toward the end of the hallway. Joel was stunned. Then, he chased after Carol without much thought. "Steve..." Everyone dashed down the hallway, desperate to survive, like there was a way out at the end. Steven nced back at me, reaching for my wrist. But, the crowd pushed between us and we got separated.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, the windowless hallway suddenly went dark, plunging into pitch-ckness. Meanwhile, the mechanical countdown began its final numbers. "10, 9..." I stood frozen in ce. "Steve..." I yelled Steven''s name in a panic, but with all the frantic people running around, my voice just got drowned out. Suddenly, a hand grabbed onto my wrist in the pitch-ck darkness. Then, I was pulled into a quiet corner. I leaned against the wall, scared, breathing heavily. "Steve?" His grip on my fingers tightened slightly, and I could sense his anger. "Are you dumb?" he spoke in a hushed tone, wrapping me in his arms. My body stiffened instantly. It was Michael. I was about to call out his name. But, he covered my mouth. Michael wrapped his arms around me from behind, whispering, "Don''t scream... Listen, Yasmin and Steven are sketchy. Everyone around you might be sketchy too... But I won''t hurt you." He wanted me to get it. Everybody was just putting on an act, telling lies, ying a part. He was the only one keeping it real. He wouldn''t harm me. I bit him, and he finally released his grip. "You might be the killer too..." I muttered angrily. In the darkness, I had no clue where we were. But, the countdown kept ticking away. I was scared and just wanted to find Steven. "Steve..." As death approached, all I could think about was about finding him. Even I was taken aback by this thought. Michael was clearly pissed off. He held onto me tightly, his jealousy evident as he pulled me close and spoke in hushed tone, "This is the vent room. There are no windows on this floor. We need to rely on these vents for air. It''s safe here. But if you go in now... you''ll die." "5, 4, 3..." As the countdown neared its end Stuthe sounds of people , crying, and bangingel around inside grew louder. "1... carbon monoxide released." The air was filled with the sound of gas being released, mixed with the cries of many people. I struggled to push Michael away. "Let go of me! Steve''s still inside." Joel, Steven, and Carol, they were all still inside. Holding me tightly, Michael said with a hoarse voice, "There are many vents in the building. He won''t die... "Stephanie, how do I make you believe me? It''s only me... who really cares about you. "They''re all using you, just acting their parts. Steven won''t die. He''s the mastermind of this game." As the gas began to seep in, Michael held me tightly in his arms, making sure I had the only vent, providing me with fresh air. He was basically giving me his life. Even though we had a vent, I still felt dizzy and nauseous. What kind of hell awaited inside? "Steve..." I struggled to get out. But, my legs gave out, and I fell to the ground. Chapter 388 "Stephie... Steven is the mastermind. Don''t trust him. "Yasmin works for Peter. I''m sorry..." Michael held me close, murmuring apologies. He actually knew Yasmin was with Peter. It seemed all his foolishnesstely was just an act, to gain Yasmin''s and Peter''s trust. When did Michael start realizing something was wrong? Since I died? So, his suicides, self-harm, and even his sudden change in personality and behavior, were all just a front to deceive others, making Peter and Yasmin believe he had been brainwashed and hypnotized? But, what was Michael''s purpose? "After you passed away, I started looking into things... I know it''s connected to Yasmin. "But, as I dug deeper, I realized it''s not just a serial murder case. There''s a whole mess of other stuff involved, even involving our Ford family." Michael gripped my hand tighter. "Stephie... can you trust me this time?" My head felt heavy. Despite being colorless and odorless, carbon monoxide weakened my legs and left my body feeble. "Don''t trust Steven and anyone else except me, Stephie... I''ll get us out of here. I won''t repeat the same mistake." Michael''s voice faded into the distance. I finally sumbed and passed out. Clearly, I wasn''t strong enough. I had no clue how much time had passed. But suddenly, the hallway lit up. I frown, slowly opening my eyes to the dim, cramped space. We were hiding here, it was safe for now. But what came next might be tough. "It''s the sound of the venttion system starting up. The gas has been reced, everything should be fine now." Joel''s voice came from outside.. Propping myself up with my arms, I nced around. Michael was gone. In a haze, bremembered Michael tellingText content ? N?velDrama.Org. me to trust him before I passed out. It mustn''t have been a hallucination. But in my current situation, who was trustworthy? Anyone could be the mastermind and executor. It might even involve more than one person. "We''re good now." Joel led everyone back to the hallway. Several bodiesy scattered on the floor, obviously dying here before they could make their escape. I muttered a curse at the lunatic and leaned against the wall as I exited the venttion room. "Steve..." I called out, my head throbbing. Joel had a lighter in hand, probably picked up from the pile of weapons earlier. The me flickered normally, a sign that the air was circting as it should. "Let''s go down this way," Joel directed, guiding everyone to follow the stairs down from the safe exit in order. "Steve... Where''s Steve?" I didn''t see Steven anywhere. Joel looked at me with surprise. "You weren''t with Steve? You''re by yourself?" He nced toward the vent where I was hiding. I instinctively shook my head. "No... I was... alone." Joel started to panic too, turning to look at the several lifeless bodies scattered in the hallway. "I thought Steve was with you. I mean, be wouldn''t leave you." My fingers felt numb as I hurriedly ran over with Joel to check the bodies on the ground. "Steve..." He''ll be fine. "Simmy... I saw Simmy. Hehe..." Carol''s voice echoed through the hallway. At the exit, Quinn, holding onto Carol, looked nervously at us. Chapter 389 Three bodiesy scattered on the ground-one from the orphanage, the other two unfamiliar faces. It seemed the killer had brought them in for reasons unknown. Not finding Steven among the bodies, Joel and I both breathed a sigh of relief. "They''re human traffickers," Joel stated, ncing at the two unidentified bodies. I was surprised as I asked, "How did you figure that out?" "Take a look at this tattoo." Joel pointed to a cross behind one of the human traffickers'' ears. "In the dismemberment case, we found fragments of the same tattoo missing behind the victims'' ears too." Joel frowned, surveying the surroundings. "Steve will be okay. Let''s hurry up and leave this ce." I nced around frantically. Steven, please stay safe. "Is this the only way to the 17th floor?" I nervously asked Joel. "For now, it''s the only route I''ve found. But, I''m not sure if it''s the only one," Joel replied, shaking his head. Steven might have taken a different path to the 17th floor. All I could do was hope and pray that Steven was safe. 17th floor. Michael and Yasmin had been waiting in the center of the open floor. Michael had returned to his previous cold demeanor, standing beside Yasmin, as if he hadn''t been the one to save mest night. To be honest, I started to wonder if it was all just a hallucination from carbon monoxide poisoning. "Hey, have any of you seen Steve?" I didn''t see Steven on the 17th floor. I started to panic, asking around for his whereabouts. Everyone shook their heads, saying they hadn''t seen him. "I think he''s the mastermind, probably lurking behind us, enjoying the show!" Howard started to rile everyone up. "Remember what that voice said? The killer is one of us! I bet it''s him. He''s just a lunatic. He even confessed to being the serial killer!" "Yeah... I know him. He''s a lunatic, a genius from the orphanage..." someone chimed in. Quinn''s husband, Callum, joined in loudly, "I murderer, no doubt about it! It''s all because back then we identally started a fire, failed to save them, 2ar. Steven is the and let that guy named Simmy burn alive. He''s been holding a grudge and plotting against us!" My palms got sweaty. Where was Steven? If this kept up, they might really think he''s the killer and turn against him. "No way? He saved us," some argued in Steven''s defense. "What do you know? Everyone''s dead, his little game won''t be fun anymore. This lunatic just wants to y us to death," Howard clenched his teeth as he spoke. Mark chimed in loudly, "He''s a lunatic, this supposed genius. Killing us would be just a piece of cake. We can''t just sit around and wait for the worst. We need to find and kill him to defend ourselves!" The scene erupted into chaos. Yasmin and Michael stayed on the sidelines, observing everyone coldly. Quinn cried out, defending Steven. But, her voice was feeble, barely heard. "Simmy... Hehe, Steve, we''re gonna be together again," Carol babbled innocently, her mind clouded by her low intelligence and the recent excitement. "Have you seen Steve? He came to find you?" I rushed to Carol, squatting down and anxiously grabbing her shoulders. Steven couldn''t be the mastermind. With his intelligence, if he was behind this, he would definitely lurk among the crowd, not be discovered in the first round.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Clearly, either Steven was in trouble, or someone was afraid of him and intentionally separated him from us. Leaving us, who weren''t particrly bright, to deal with this mess. "Steve... went downstairs." Carol grinned at me. Chapter 390 My breath hitched. "What do you mean, go downstairs?" "Steve''s waiting for us down there," Carol said cheerfully. My fingers tingled, and I hesitated before speaking, "We need to go downstairs fast." Perhaps Steven was really on the first floor. That lunatic didn''t want Steven involved. He wanted us to turn against each other. "Steven''s definitely the mastermind," some muttered. They were all banding together against him. Now that someone had died, their fear was maxed out, stirring up their survival instincts and deepest malice. "We gotta find him and deal with him, or we''re done for," Howard muttered quietly. While a few others whispered among themselves, scheming away. "That annoying voice hasn''t shown up. Let''s use the time we''ve got to find a way out, to the next floor," Howard, being clever, instructed a couple of his group to look for a way out. "Who knows what crazy stuff that lunatic might pull next." I nced at Joel cautiously. "We gotta head downstairs too." "Heh..." Yasmin, just standing there watching, smirked coldly. "Thinking about going downstairs? Seems tough." I frowned, looking at Yasmin. "What do you mean?" "It seems you haven''t figured out what that person really wants," Yasmin walked up to me. "He wants us to turn against each other. If that hasn''t happened yet, he won''t let us go downstairs so easily." My nerves tensed up. "What''s more thrilling than uniting us, building trust, forming bonds, and then turning us against each other?" Joel sneered. "So, this level acts as a buffer zone. All we need for everyone to work together to find an exit. No bloodshed. You''re definitely not Stephanie." Yasmin furrowed her brow, looking warily at Joel. "So, are you saying that just because she asks why, what to do, and cries whenever things go wrong, that makes her Stephanie?" She pointed at me. Joel nced at me, his gaze deep. "The best trickery fools everyone, even the one pulling the strings..." I didn''t understand what he meant. But suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. "Stephie... is the murderer," Carol used as she pointed at me. Quinn panicked, covering Carol''s mouth, afraid she might say something to cause trouble for me. Then, she looked at me apologetically. "Sorry, miss. Carol''s not in her right mind." I nodded, brushing it off. But, I couldn''t shake the feeling of unease. "Hmph, do you think you''re right? Let''s see if that person actually starts killing on this level." Yasmin didn''t seem convinced. She gave me a cold nce, as if she were betting with Joel. Joel imed this was just a buffer level, no one would die. We just needed to find the exit.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. But Yasmin was convinced that someone would die on this level. My mind was all over the ce, just wanting to know if Steven was okay. I have to admit, I was really worried about him. "Steven knows the way out. He''s not on the 17th floor. Which means he''s already gone to a lower floor. He doesn''t care whether you live or die," Michael said quietly as he O approached me from behind. I nced up at Michael, my voice firm. "No way. Steve''s not like you. He wouldn''t just leave me to deal with danger alone. I believe he must have encountered danger." The real killer must have been too scared of Steven. So, they snatched him away during the chaos. I didn''t believe Steven would leave me behind. "Some people don''t realize the danger until it''s toote," Yasmine sneered as she hugged Michael''s arm. "We don''t need to worry about her, She''ll realize it when she''s already in his grip." Chapter 391 "Everyone,e here. Listen to me." Howard had already formed a group. When he was in the orphanage, he was already a group leader. Then, he became the president of the ss. He was quite talented in gathering people to form a group. "Listen to me. All of you have seen the situation upstairs. Someone has already died. This isn''t a game. It''s a massacre. Someone wants to kill us. We must fight back. We can''t just wait. Otherwise... we might be the next one to die. We must be united now. If we are united enough, he can''t kill us!" Howard was brainwashing everyone to make them unite. "Whoever wants to survive must listen to my arrangements. We will get out of here alive by finding Steven. We will make him release us!" "Release us!" Howard stood on the desk and shouted. Everyone else echoed. They were certain that Steven was the murderer, so they mustered their courage to look for him downstairs. I looked at Howard vigntly. He had already gathered everyone. Next, he would target the people like us, who didn''t join his group. "Remember. We can only make sure the obedient ones are safe. As for the others..." As expected, Howard pointed the arrow at us. That included Joel, Carol, Quinn, Yasmin, Michael, and me. We didn''t have a team. "There must be something wrong with those who don''t want to be in a team with us. We have to be cautious," said Howard in a low voice. He nced at me on purpose. I clenched my fists. I knew that Howard was going to target us. As expected, Callum looked at Quinn angrily. "What are you doing there? Get over here!" Fearfully, Quinn curled her body and hid in Carol''s embrace. Carol protected Quinn nervously. She knew that Callum would take action against Quinn. "Quinn, get over here," shouted Callum. Howard found the situation amusing. It was the effect he wanted. "If you two can''t be on the same side, you don''t need to be in a group with us. You can choose to be with them," said Howard deliberately. He wanted to stimte Callum. Callum was enraged. He stepped forward to pull Quinn''s hair. Quinn looked at us in a panic. She called us for help. "Please help me. He will beat me to death." I nced at Michael and realized he was frowning. It was clear that he didn''t want to be nosy. He believed that anyone here could be the murderer. He didn''t want to intervene in other people''s affairs. As for Yasmin, of course, she wouldn''t do anything. Quinn could only look at me and Joel for help. Carol hugged Quinn tightly. She was terrified as well. The moment Callum approached them, he pped Quinn on the back of her head. Then, he began to punch and kick her. He didn''t care if he would hit Carol. "I''m so unlucky to marry you. Get over here. If you are with them, you won''t even know how you''ll die. That lunatie is the murderer." Callum tugged Quinn''s hair and pulled her to the other side. Quinn cried while shaking her head. "Let go of me..."Original content from N?velDrama.Org. "Help." While she cried for help, she was kicked in the stomach by Callum. There were so many people watching, yet none of them stood forward. They watched the situation coldly as if it had nothing to do with them. I took a deep breath and grabbed Callum''s wrist. "You will beat her to death." "So? Don''t be nosy. She''s my wife. Even if I beat her to death, it will be a family conflict," said Callum angrily. I took another deep breath. I understood Quinn''s despondency. She must have reported the abuse to the police many times, but domestic abuse was only a safety issue. Each time she reported it to the police, she would only get more beatings and threats. Under such circumstances, she couldn''t get a divorce. "Please stop hitting me... I beg you." Quinn begged Callum while crying. There was blood at the edges of her mouth. "She had a miscarriage because you hit her, yet you''re still hitting her." Furiously, Carol rushed over and protected Quinn. Callum wanted to hit Carol but was kicked away by Joel. "You''re a man. Why are you hitting women?" Callum fell to the ground. He was in so much pain that he couldn''t get up. He pointed at Quinn angrily. "Alright. You have helpers now. When we get out of here, I will beat you to death." Quinn cried out of fear. She dared not look at Callum. Chapter 392 Carol hugged Quinnfortingly. She said something softly, so I couldn''t hear what she said. Suddenly, with the sound of a click, the lights of the entire floor were turned off. In an instant, everyone became quiet. Everyone held their breaths and became vignt. They wanted to see what the lunatic wanted to do. The area was silent. There was only the sound of people breathing and water droplets. There were no other sounds. "Is there poison gas? There''s no venttion on this floor." Someone spoke up with a shaky voice. They sounded afraid. "Will we die here?" The area became noisy. "What should we do?" In the dark, a pair of arms grabbed my wrist. He seemed to beforting me and telling me there was no need to be terrified. My breath tightened. I sensed that it was Michael''s aura. He stood before me and protected me. Then, he stepped back, making me lean against the wall in the corner. In the dark where one couldn''t see anything, the evilness of human nature would be magnified. As the darkness continued for a few more minutes, the light from the near distance came over. The lights had turned on. Everyone raised their heads and looked at the lights in shock. "What''s going on?" "What''s that lunatic doing? Was there a power outage?" "Is that it?" Some people refused to believe that it was only a power outage. "Ah!" Suddenly, someone shrieked. I smelled the strong odor of blood. When I turned around, I saw a corpse hanging on the roof. His neck was sliced, so he couldn''t call for help. The knife pierced his heart directly. The technique was clean with no unnecessary movements. In shock, I stared at the corpse. It was Callum... It was the person who abused Quinn domestically. Subconsciously, I turned to look at Quinn. She was still hiding in Carol''s embrace. She was still in the same position as before the lights turned off. She didn''t look like she could kill someone in the dark and hang someone. Who killed Callum? The murderer must be within the group of people. With a frown, Joel looked at Callum''s corpse. He stood in front of Carol and Quinn, protecting them. He stepped backward. "We must get out of here as soon as possible." "What a lunatic..." Michael''s expression was ghastly. It was unknown as to when he was next to Yasmin. His voice was low when he cursed. My fingertips turned cold. Was the murderer really hidden among us? "Who killed Callum... Who killed Callum? Is it his wife?" "Is his wife the murderer? The lunatic imed that the murderer was among us." "It must be his wife. He hit his wife just now." The group of people began to make a noise. As the voices echoed in the corridor, they began to suspect Quinn. Quinn cried and shook her head. Innocently, she said, "It isn''t me..." But she was too calm when she saw Callum''s corpse. I took a deep breath and pulled Quinn behind me. "She''s a woman. How can she kill someone and hang him in such a short time? It isn''t something she can do." "That means you guys worked together to...Howard narrowed his eyes. He began to encourage everyone to fight against us. "They are outcasts. There must be vel.i something wrong with them. It schemed might be a show they to force us deliberately. They want to force us to death." Howard harmed me in the past. He must be suspecting that we caught him to take revenge. So, he wanted to encourage the other people to get rid of the people, who were on the opposing party. "If they don''t die, we will be the ones dead!" "Yeah. We have to kill them. Something must be wrong with them!"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. It was the evilness of human nature. They talked about killing people as if they were discussing what to eat for dinner. Chapter 393 "Let''s talk about it after we find the exit," said Yasmin with a snort. "If we can''t find the exit, everyone will die here." The people looked to their left and then to their right. "That''s right. We need to find the exit first. It won''t be toote to kill them then." Michael looked at Yasmin. "Do you know where''s the exit?" Yasmin nced at the corridor. "The seventeenth floor and eighteenth floor are different. The ce where the safe passage was initially has been blocked. If the overall structure of a building is in order, there won''t be too much deviation on each floor. Even if it is not in order, there will still be a specific order." "You talk too much." Joel clicked his tongue and mumbled, "Not even a point is useful." Yasmin''s expression changed. It was clear that she was furious because of Joel''s words.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She remained silent. She only raised her hand. "Why don''t you find the exit then?" Joelughed. "I said before that no killings will happen on this floor and that they should be united first. You seemed to have lost." Yasmin pointed at Callum''s corpse. "Even though someone has died here, I still didn''t lose." Seeing that the two were about to argue, Michael said unhappily, "Is this the time to argue?" "We''ll look for the exit." Joel hinted for me, Quinn and Carol to follow him. "If you guys are looking for it... what if you guys don''t tell us after finding it?" Howard raised his hand to block Joel. The group of people surrounded us. "What do you want?" Joel asked in a low voice. "Leave her here." Howard pointed at me. He meant that I should be a hostage. In that way, they woulde back after they found the exit. "Dream on." Joel stared at Howard coldly. "You''re evil." If I stayed here, Howard would do something to me... "You''re thinking too much about it. We just want to live." With a smile, Howard looked at me. "The rtionship between her and the lunatic isn''t simple. I will only feel rest assured if she stayed by my side." "Go and look for the exit." I hid the dagger in my sleeve and said to Joel, "After you guys find it, call us." If we didn''t agree to Howard wanting me to be a hostage, everyone would be stuck here. Once a fight erupted, we wouldn''t be their match since we were outnumbered. Joel frowned and wanted to say something but held himself back. "Call us if something happens." I nodded. Yasmin nced at me mockingly before leaving happily. Michael''s expression was ghastly, but he didn''t show it in front of Yasmin. When he walked by me, he stuffed something in my hand. I was taken aback. I quickly hid it in my sleeve. It was a mini scimitar. The size of it was just right to hold in my hand. "Hand over the dagger." Howard knew that I had a weapon, so he made me hand it over. "It''s best that you cooperate obediently. Otherwise..." Howard leaned toward me threateningly. I handed my dagger over to him. Howard wanted to search my body, but I warned, "Don''t go too far. Otherwise, we will fight until both sides perish." After all, he was on someone else''s turf. He was holding himself back. He snorted and pinched my chin. "That lunatic seems to care a lot about you. He saved you immediately and protected you well. Why did he leave you here willingly and give you to us?" ? Putting me in this group of people was equivalent to putting a sheep in a wolf pack. "Do you think he''s watching the surveince footage to observe our actions?" Howard pointed at the surveince camera in the corner. I frowned and remained silent. "If we take our turns on you, will hee out to save you?" Howard was excited. It was as if they were finding something fun to do while Joel and the rest looked for the passage. "Life is bitter and short. I''m sure everyone is willing to have some fun before they die." Howard encouraged the other people to take action against me. I knew what Howard wanted to do He was certain that Steven was the murderer, so he wanted to test thetter''s patience. He wanted to see if he could force thetter out. S Clenching the scimitar in my hand, I slowly stepped back. Howardughed wildly. It was as if he would be happy upon seeing that I was terrified. "Go on. Don''t say that I treat you guys badly." He encouraged the men beside him. A few of them hadn''t recovered from the shock. After all, Callum''s body was still hung there. They weren''t in the mood. But there were a few people who were insane... For example, Mark. "Do you still remember me?" Mark''s voice was low. He walked over to me. I frowned. Who was he? Chapter 394 "Stephanie..." As if he went mad, he suddenly reached out to grab my throat and called me by my name. I raised a brow and stared at him-how did he recognize me? "You got the wrong person. She''s not Stephanie, just a lookalike," Howard gave Mark a reminder, lest the situation esctes. He then added, "You''ve actually gone crazy. How do you see everyone as Stephanie?" Evidently triggered, Mark didn''t care about what Howard had to say. "Do you still remember what you did to me?" He asked before beginning to take off his pants. I stared at him in panic and furiously tried to free myself from his grasp, but his grip was too strong. For fear of tainting my eyes, I instinctively shut my eyes when his pants fell down his legs. "If you didn''t ruin me... I would''ve been married with kids by now," He sneered. "This is all your fault!" His voice was dripping with hatred as he imed that Stephanie ruined his life. My entire face was red from asphyxiation as I felt my consciousness slipping away. "Get a hold of yourself, Mark." Howard was starting to be afraid as well. It was clear that Mark had wanted me dead. He called a few people over to drag thetter away, but the man refused to let go of me. "Go to hell, Stephanie. You madwoman, madwoman!" He yelled repeatedly, "Madwoman." Just as I was about to lose consciousness, the lights abruptly went out again. The lights on this floor seemed to go out randomly. I ignored the pain on my neck and drove the dagger Michael gave me into Mark''s wrist. He screamed in agony as he finally let go of me. I fell onto the floor with my breathing ragged. Due to theck of oxygen, my head felt like it was about to split open. Some of my forgotten memories seemed to have returned at that moment. "How many times did you assault her by taking advantage of her disability?" In my memory, I stood in the basement of the orphanage questioning someone coldly. Tied to a chair in front of me was the man who tried to strangle me-Mark Cruz. "It seems like the stab wounds I gave Jayden didn''t faze you at How could you still have the do something like this to Cet My smile was terrifying in the memory. Carol was curled up and trembling in the corner. Her eyes were red from crying and she was fully naked There were also bloodstains in between her legs. She''d been assaulted-it was clear as day. On the chair, Mark was alsopletely nude. He stared at me in fear and panic. "Stephanie you lunatic, what are you trying to do!" "If you can''t control your dick... you should just cut it off." I approached him with a knife in hand. Then, I drove it downwards in one swift motion. The horrifying screams and gory image of blood floated into my head. I was appalled and disgusted¡ªdid I really do all of this? "Stephanie you lunatic!" The screams kept echoing. My breathing hastened as I tried to back up into hiding. In the pitch ck environment, I was a terrified. t SWOO Steven... Where is Steven? As it turned out, I really do think of Steven when I feel extremely anxious and afraid. With the rapid sound of flickering, the lights came on again. Everyone held their breath. There was another body suspended from the ceiling, and it was none other than Mark Cruz.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Everytime the lights went out, someone would end up dead. But who on earth killed him? Joel, Michael, Carol, Quinn, Yasmin... None of them were here. Was there a killer amongst this group of people as well? Chapter 395 Everyone held their breath and nced at their surroundings cautiously. I leaned against the wall breathing rapidly. Then, I looked down at my own hands only to find them covered in blood... I''d only cut Mark''s arm with the knife though, there shouldn''t be this much blood on my hands. I tucked my hand behind my back instinctively and tried to hastily rub the blood off. It wasn''t me... I didn''t kill him. But why was there so much blood on my hands? "It''s her!" Howard suddenly used. "I saw the blood on her hands." "Lunatic... all the people around the lunatic are also lunatics!" Everyone started getting worked up. "If it were up to me, I say we should kill his wife if he didn''t let us out." Howard said in a low voice, trying to turn me into their target. "Yeah! Let us out, or else we''ll kill her!" They surrounded me and yelled at the camera. My entire body froze as I sat on the floor. "Killing me won''t do anything. Steven isn''t the one behind all of this," I said. "Even if he was... Killing me would still be useless-he''s already abandoned me." "Killing you would still be an excellent outlet for my anger," Someone scoffed. I clenched my fists and tried to calm myself. Then, I said, "Instead of wasting time on me, you should be looking for an exit before the lights go off again, "Haven''t you realized that someone dies every time it cks out? If I had the strength to kill someone and hang them from the ceiling, I wouldn''t be sitting here listening to your bullshit." I leaned against the wall and got on my feet, staring cautiously at the people around me. They could make a move anytime, and I only had myself for defense right now. "I found the exit!" Just as Howard was about to provoke them further, Michael''s voice rang out from the other end of the corridor. Everyone immediately turned around and rushed in the direction of his voice. "Stephie..." He ran over from the opposite direction. Then, he took a backward nce and said softly, "They''re already on the 16th floor. Follow me." He held my wrist and led me down the end of the corridor. My breathing got heavier and my headache worsened. Just as we got to the exit, the entire floor cked out again with a loud snap. Howard and the rest of them were already downstairs, only me Michael were technically s standing on the 17th belongs to Stet My heart immediately leaped to my throat. In the dark, I seemed to instinctively push Michael onto the top of the staircase.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. "Go..." A loud bang was heard. I stood beside the stairwell and felt someone shove me from behind in the dark. Then, I fell down the stairs. As I fell down the building, I heard Michael''s panicked voice. "Stephanie!" The minute hit the ground, I felt incredibly dazed from the impachet couldn''t feel the pain, but it feltdike my consciousness and my body were separated. The stairwell wasn''t that high up, so it didn''t get me killed. The entire 16th floor was lit-up. I felt like my nose was bleeding, and my consciousness was slowly slipping away. ... I didn''t know how long I was unconscious for. I heard people arguing. "You still think she''s Stephanie, don''t you? How many times do I need to tell you that she''s a fraud?" "You''re thinking too much."Michael''s voice was low, as though he was suppressing his anger. "What is it then? Why did you go back to save her? Why were you so anxious when she fell down? "Why are you so afraid? Are you in love with her?" Yasmin snapped relentlessly. At that moment, she didn''t look like ''Stephanie'' at all. Even if it were me staying at the Fords'' after I lost my memory, I would''ve never questioned Michael that way. Poor Michael... Putting up with this and pretending to believe in her lies. "Is she alright? She''s not dead is she?" Joel mumbled at the side. a Quinn caressed my forehead and said in a soft voice, "It''s nothing serious, I''m only worried she has concussion. We should get her out to a hospital as soon as possible." "Are all her limbs intact?" He threw out a series of questions but none of them were any good. I only felt the excruciating pain from all over my body when I forced my eyes open. Unable to suppress it, I let out a sound of pain. "She''s awake!" Joel rushed over in joy and helped me up. "Are you alright?" Chapter 396 It took me a while to open my eyes. It hurt so much I couldn''t breathe. "Don''t touch me..." My arms hurt. My legs hurt. Everywhere hurt. Joel loosened his hand. Michael marched over with a worried expression as well. "Do you still remember who pushed you down the stairs?" He asked nervously. I shook my head. "It was too dark." However, I had every reason to believe that the one who pushed me had wanted Michael dead. I''d pushed him aside at the very first minute. Then... I was shoved down the stairs. Apart from me and Michael, there was definitely someone else on that floor. "Who was thest one toe down? Did any of you see?" I asked in pain. Joel shook his head. "I panicked as soon as I saw you fall down. Afterwards, I came to check up on you. I didn''t;t notice if anyone else was there." "The 17th floor is too dark. When you fell, I looked but I couldn''t see anything." Michael furrowed his brows and subconsciously reached for my hand. But seeing as Yasmin was present, he retracted it. "We should get out as soon as possible. That lunatic... He won''t let any of us go." "Those on the 17th floor formed a temporary group. They bonded with each other and developed a certain amount of trust..." Yasmin started analyzing again. "There should be killing on arger scale on this floor." The lights went out three times on the 17th floor. Three people should have died, but I didn''t. There must be arge-scale killing on this floor. That man won''t let us get to the first floor alive. Suddenly, someone was banging on the wall of the room we were in. The wall between us seemed to be made of ster. It didn''t sound very sturdy.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I cautiously looked at Joel and then Howard''s gang. Aside from the ones that died, there were exactly 13 people left. So who was the one on the other side of the wall? "He sounds familiar," Joel muttered. "It''s Eason Grant!" I stared at the ster wall in shock. Maybe because he didn''t gather a response, Eason then started to break the wall. Michael led me away from the wall instinctively. Not a whileter, Eason''s head peeked through. "My goodness, all of you are here?" We both stared at each other in shock. "Stop wasting time," Zion''s voice rang out from the other side as well. He pushed Eason aside and kicked a hole in the wall before making his way over. "What are all of you doing here?" He was surprised too. Zion and Eason were both in scrubs as well. It looked like they were brought here like we were. Aside from the pair, Rachel also made her way through the hole in the wall. "Rach!" I eximed in surprise. What were the three of them doing here? "Where are we? I woke up and herel was." She scratched her head."That''s odd. I had a ss of juice at my blind date and just ended up cking out." "I chased after her after I saw her get taken away. Then, I ended up getting roped in as well..." Zion coughed. "What about you, Genius Mr. Grant? You''re the star of the task force..." All eyes were on Eason. "Ha..." He rubbed his nose 23 My goal is to c I killer with my own het sheepishly. "I walked into their tr the "But why did they wake up on the 16th floor while we woke up on the 18th?" Quinn asked quizzically. "Because they''re the police," Joel scoffed. "An expert from the force, an officer and a forelsket , ha... Content belong "This is a taunt from the lunatic. He''s telling everyone that the game''s difficulty level is increasing." The game is leveling up. This meant... that the difficulty is getting harder. Getting out of this floor seemed like an impossible feat. All of a sudden, my head started hurting again. My eyes started ringing too. A warm liquid flowed out of my nose-it was bleeding. Countless memories started flooding my head again. Chapter 397 "Are you okay?" Joel''s yell rang out. The man came to check on me while I was in a daze, only to be mmed against a wall. The impact seemed pretty heavy. He stared at me in confusion for a bit before opening his mouth to speak. "My goodness... Steven wasn''t blind after all... You''re definitely Stephanie..." I furrowed my brows. The pain on my head felt like it was about to split my entire body into pieces. "Doesn''t it feel ufortable toe back to life?" I asked in a raspy voice. That question confused me. Who was I asking? Myself? Or someone else? Currently being pressed against the wall, Joel''s body froze before he started yelling, "That hurts, that hurts. Let go..." At the side, Rachel stared at me in shock. Zion and Eason also regained their senses and stepped forward to pry my hands away. "That was... quite professional," Eason said dazedly. Wasn''t that the hold they learned during training? Pressing someone against the wall with their arms twisted made it possible to maximize the impact dealt even if there was a huge disparity in strength. Rachel also drew a deep breath and tried to ease the awkwardness. "Stephie probably didn''t realize what she was doing," she said. She was struggling when she was unconscious earlier, maybe... she had a nightmare." I sharply let go of Joel and took a step back without saying anything. The man rolled his shoulders in pain and stared at me quizzically. I lowered my head and turned to look around. I felt oddly... foreign. "Stephie?" Rachel noticed something off about me and softly called my name. My hand seemed to reach for her throat instinctively, as if I didn''t want anyone around me. Her body stiffened as she looked at me anxiously. Eason rushed forward and tucked her behind him. "Did the fall make you mad?" He looked at me cautiously. I froze before looking down at my own hands. A wave of panic and helplessness washed over me. "It''s not me... it''s not me..." I didn''t know what I just did. Rachel pushed Eason away and clutched my hands nervously. "Stephie... it''s okay, don''t be afraid. I know you didn''t mean it. Don''t be afraid, let''s leave this ce and go home." "Why are you pretending?" Yasmin scoffed from behind. "Stop wasting our time if you''re not dead from the fall. Try to think of a way to leave this floor if you want to live! S She spoke coldly and purposely nced at Michel before strutting away. Michael furrowed his brow and looked at me with aplicated expression. I shot him a nce and knitted my forehead together wordlessly. "I checked out the entire floor. There are no exits or walkways. This floor is different from 17th, it''s filled with dividers. "They look like solid walls, but many are made of ster. There seems to be something going on behind some of them. I don''t dare to break any carelessly right now." S Michael exined his observations solemnly. It seemed like the fastest way to find the way out would be to work together. "That lunatic won''t give us so much time to look for an exit, I bet he has other things up his sleeve, like how he killed people during ckouts on the 9th floor." Joel berated before kicking a wall beside him. There was a loud bang-That wasnt a solid wall either. He furrowed his brows and took a step back. Then, he reached for a nearby ax and swung it at the wall. A thick smell of blood immediately wafted through the new gap in the wall. Everyone tensed. Outside, upon hearing themotion, Howard and his group of people also ran over, terrified that they''d be left behind. "Be careful, there should be something inside..." Eason followed closely behind Joel, clinging onto the edge of his shirt out of fear. Thetter shot him a look of contempt. "Don''t cling onto me." Eason froze before wiping his hands and rolling his eyes. "You think I want to?" "Stay away from me, or I''ll chop you up." Joel pointed the ax at him and asked him to stay further away. He took a few steps back and cautiously looked behind the wall. There was a dim light on the other side, and a floor filled with blood and bodies. Not human bodies... animals. "Dogs..." he pulled Joel aside. As a police officer, he entered first. Joel was still a teenager after all.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I stood glued to the ground. My feet didn''t obey me. "Stephie?" Rachel called. Chapter 398 I regained my senses and walked over. After going through the hole, I could see the entire floor covered with bodies of savage dogs. These dogs... had to have been there to tear us to shreds. But why were they all dead? Unable to stand the stench of blood, someone climbed out of the hole and threw up. "There''s a switch here. Once the timer is up, the door would open. Then, these starved, savage dogs would rush out and bite everything they see." Eason nced at the mechanism. The wall wouldve open when it was time. "How are they dead?" Zion was confused. "Someone killed them." He analyzed the bodies on the floor and their knife wounds. "It''s hard to imagine that this was done by one person." Twenty plus dogs in a room were all killed by a singr person. That person was even scarier than these dogs. "It''s Steve..." My voice was trembling slightly. I kneeled down on the floor and retrieved a piece of cloth from one of the dead dog''s mouth. It''s the same uniform they were wearing. Who else could it be if not him? He''s not the killer.... He left before us to deal with the dangers and obstacles ahead. "That lunatic... did he make his way to the first floor alone?" Joel said in disdain. "Is he nning to find the guy before we all get killed?" Eason furrowed his brows. "He''s definitely hurt. We can''t let him move alone, we need to find him immediately!" "There''s a marking here!" Quinn found an arrow drawn from blood in a corner. "Stephon... You''re not gonna die, I won''t let you die. You''ll get out of here alive..." I stood at the same ce and stared at the blood on the floor. My body slowly stiffened. I suddenly remembered what I asked Steven when I first got to this ce. "Will we die here?" He stared at me with determination and said no. He said, "Stephie... I won''t let you die." Is that why he''s pushing forward even though it''s incredibly dangerous? "Countdown: 10, 9, 8..."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. All of a sudden, the eerie voice rang out again. The voice of echoed across the entire floor. "3, 2, 1..." The countdown ended and the wall opened as expected. But the starving dogs that were supposed to run out were all dead. "Ha..." Yasmin walked over to Michael and took his arm. "The person behind all of this isn''t that smart after all." "Follow Steve''s clues," Eason told us to do. Michael nced at me. Upon seeing how I''m glued to the floor, he dranted away by Yasmin. Content to say something, butel.ne "You don''t need to care about her," She said. "She''s with Steven, he won''t leave her behind." I didn''t move an inch. Quinn and Carol wanted to tug me, but gave up after I didn''t budge. "Stephie?" Rachel called. "This isn''t right..." I shook my head. Steven was also trying to find his way around. He wouldn''t just leave clues on the wall. Besides, a lot of the walls on this floor can be moved. It was like a moving maze S Even if you left behind clues, they wouldn''t be urate. Steven wouldn''t make a mistake like this. I swiftly marched over and looked at the arrow carefully. The arrow was made of blood. It was sticky and wasn''t fully dried. Someone had drew it on when we weren''t looking earlier. Steven was helping us solve problems, but someone among us was trying to create new problems. There was a loud snap. As expected, the wall mmed shut after everyone followed Eason into the other room. "Rachel!" "Stephanie!" Michael and Zion wanted to run over as thete. door closed, but it was Thest thing we saw their worried and panicked exper I was trapped on the other side with Rachel while the rest of them were inside. Iughed coldly. "They''re the ones in danger, it''s useless to be concerned about us." Rachel''s hand that was on the door stilled. She turned her head nervously and looked at me. "What''s wrong, Stephie? Why are you suddenly so cold?" She looked at me with a foreign expression. Chapter 399 "They''re too stupid," I said with a raised brow. I knelt on the floor and analyzed the ground. Since it''s a moving maze, the walls and the floor must have some visible gap. Based on the events on the 17th floor, some programs, like the timed poisonous gas release, the lights going off and the moving maze, must have been put in ce beforehand. Steven went ahead and cleared parts of the obstacles along the way for us. Unfortunately, the killer was amongst us. Naturally, he wouldn''t let us pass so easily. He still had other cards to y. So, the killer drew a bloody arrow without anyone noticing, leading everyone to walk unsuspectingly into a dangerous area. There was screaming and hissing noises from the other side of the wall. As expected, they were in danger. "Snake! There''s a snake!" Rachel hit the wall repeatedly in panic. "Zion! Are you guys okay?" There was no response. They were obviously too upied to reply. "Do you know how to open this wall, Stephie?" She nced at me nervously. "Why would I do that?" I stared at her quizzically. "If I do that, we''ll die too." We''re only safe because they''re inside. "I can bring you to safety now that they''re upied." I got up and walked to a wall with a gap and knocked on it. It was actually a movable wall. "Follow me."Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She stared at me in disbelief. "What''s wrong, Stephie? Zion and Joel and the rest of them are inside... We..." "What good can the pair of us do? Why would you put your life on the line if it''s not a 100 percent chance?" I didn''t really know what went on in Rachel''s head. If we can''t save them, wouldn''t going in just get yourself killed? Instead of doing that, wouldn''t it be better if we just left now? What''s wrong with that? Rachel stared at me nkly and slowly backed up. "You''re not Stephie... Who are you?" My face fell and I raised a brow at her. "The maze''s walls move at random. They triggered the mechanism. We can''t enter right now. "So, you should follow me and get out of here. We''ll find the exit and wait for them downstairs." She looked at me as if she was slightly afraid. She gripped the dagger in her hand firmly. It was like she was certain I wasn''t Stephanie. I didn''t want to waste my breath. "Follow me if you don''t want to die. Eason might not be the brightest, but it''s notpletely impossible to escape. "Besides... Joel is there. They won''t die." She hesitated for a moment before following me anyway. I walked to the edge of the wall and found the trigger for the mechanism. Then, I stepped on it firmly. The person who designed this maze was a genius. Using a brick tile as a trigger made it easy for unsuspecting people to step on it by ident. This activated the mechanism earlier and moved the walls. . I brought Rachel to another space. It was so white it didn''t seem like there was a single speck of dust. We''d just entered when the walls moved again and locked us into a different space. "Stay where you are and don''t move," I warned. She did as she was told. I took my knife and stabbed the gap in the tile hard. The knife was bloody was I pulled it out. There was a mangled screaming from the ground as well. I scoffed. That lunatic. What in earth did he have down there?" As soon as I pick the wrong path, whatever that was below would swarm out. Then, me and Rachel would probably be reduced to nothing but bones. "Stephie... what''s... down there?" Her voice trembled as she asked. Evidently, she''d also felt that there was something below us. "Rats..." I answered coldly. "If I pick the wrong trigger, then we''ll both die." There were man-eating rats below us. Rachel swallowed. The sweat on her forehead dampened her hair. "Stay where you are and don''t move. If you won''t save and trigger the t e you." I shot her a warning look. Then, I backed up against the Wall. Rachel didn''t even dare to breathe heavily. "Stephie..." She was slightly afraid there was nothing she feared more than rats. I shot her a signal to keep quiet before slowly lowering myself to the ground. On the white and wless ground, I drew a t map of the maze, with the exit in the center. The exit on this floor was located in the center. Chapter 400 The maze wasn''t hard. You could use a flood-fill algorithm to find the best pathway, but the difficult part was the walls would ruin the order at set times. Moreover, stepping on trap triggers would also bring forth danger. "Counting down... 10, 9..." The eerie voice rang out again. When the timer was up, the maze will automatically change if we haven''t found the correct path. Once the walls move, the rats below would swarm out. We''ll be stuck in this room and get bitten to death by rats. Rachel had started to panic. She was so afraid she didn''t move at all. "5, 4, 3..." Just as the timer was about to end, I stepped on a piece of brick in the corner. In the shortest amount of time, I solved the equation on the upper part of the maze, then... I chose the corresponding location of the brick tile. The walls in the room moved. However, at the same time, the other wall also opened on its own. Countless rats climbed up from below the surface. I swiftly ducked into the next room and looked back at Rachel. "Hurry up!" But the rats were out. She was afraid... She couldn''t move. "Ten seconds, the wall will close on its own. Hurry!" I yelled at her. She was so afraid she was jumping all over the ce. The rats on the floor went after her. "Help me, Stephie..." She was afraid of rats. She didn''t know where to step when the entire floor was filled with them. In her state of panic, she identally stepped on another trigger. The walls started moving. There was no time.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Rachel..." In that exact moment, a thought shed across my mind. Let her fend for herself... I watched as the wall gradually started closing. I looked at the desperate look in Rachel''s eyes as she called for help. "Damn it..." My head throbbed for a bit and I swiftly returned to the room before the walls closed up. The dagger in my hand pierced through a mouse''s body. I reached out to drag one off her back before killing it on the ground. The woman held onto me as she screamed and cried relentlessly. I felt like I was starting to be numb. I couldn''t really understand the fear she had... but I could tell that she was incredibly afraid. I nced on both sides. After missing this opportunity, it''ll be very difficult someone opened the door from the outside. get out again... Unless Waiting for them to arrive was less likely to happen than killing all of these rats, but the amount of them that were climbing out were increasing. It was impossible to kill them all... Just as I was worn out from killing, the wall in front started slowly opening after a loud snap. On the other side was a room full of dead jackals... Did that lunatic treat this maze like some zoo? As the wall gradually opened to reveal the room, I saw... Steven covered in blood, eyes zed over from endless killing. My body stiffened for a split second. I stood upright and squeezed the rat on my shoulder to death with a mouth at him but I couldn''t make a single noise. nk expression. I opened my l. n¨¦? Steven stood amongst the dead bodies. The uniform he was wearing was drenched in red. He looked like Satan from hell-bathed in blood. Since the night he disappeared... he should''ve been going on a non-stop killing spree. At the sight of me, he finally gave in and fell to his knees. The bloodstains didn''t cover his intense gaze. He shed me a smile and spoke with a hoarse voice, "Stephie... They''re all dead..." They''re all dead. We can safely walk to the exit to the next floor. My throat suddenly hurt like crazy. I gradually walked toward him. That boy who should be glowing, is my boy, Steve... Chapter 401 Those mice appeared reluctant to venture into different areas. Only after Rachel escaped did the mice peek out from the gap. The room''s wall abruptly shifted again,pletely blocking the path we came from. The confined area became saturated with the unmistakable scent of blood. Steven was undoubtedly exhausted. After an entire day and night of relentless killing, he simply couldn''t hold on any longer. "Stephie..." I approached him, and he nced up at me. I remained silent and simply rubbed his head. His body seemed to tense up. His Adam''s apple bobbed, and his gaze at me grew increasingly intense. "Take a rest. I''ll be right by your side for the remaining journey," I assured softly. I then turned around and nced at the surroundings of the room. Steven stood up, steadying himself. He slowly walked to the wall. "I utilized the wall-tracing technique to carefully follow the edge of the solid wall all the way ahead. There are a total of 187 small rooms on the entire floor. The central position serves as the exit. Our current location is due north." I agreed with him and sketched the entire maze''s floor n on the wall using blood. In thest room with the mice, there was a floor n of the maze. It felt like I had memorized it just by looking at it.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. I pointed due north. "We''re here now. The maze undergoes automatic changes every ten minutes, maintaining the same overall structure. But the path to our exit is often subject to random variations. "So, we can''t simply wait for the maze to change on its own. We must proactively search for the mechanism that unlocks the specific wall we require." I gestured toward the center, indicating the shortest straight line between the two points. To reach it, we''d need to head all the way south to the center point. Rachel looked at me in shock. It took her a while to react, and then she asked in a low voice, "Stephie... did you memorize the floor n of the maze on the ground just now?" I nodded without further exnation. Rachel took a deep breath and asked once more, "We don''t have watches. Why are you so certain that it changes every ten minutes?" "My resting heart rate is 68 beats per minute. From the first time the wall automatically moved to the second time, my heart beat 683 times. Excluding any discrepancies, it should''ve been ten minutes," I whispered while observing around cautiously. Rachel looked at me with a nk expression and remained silent for a long time. Meanwhile, Steven was leaning against the wall, devoid of any visible emotional expression. He stood there in silence. "Indeed... The mechanism automatically activates every ten minutes in a clockwise direction." Steven''s voice came out hoarse. He relied on automatic activation to eliminate obstacles and made his way here. "How can we determine the direction in this cage?" Rachel asked, puzzled. Everything was dark with no windows, only artificial lighting. Time was measured by the rhythm of heartbeats. How could we possibly discern direction in such a ce? "From the vents on the 18th floor, I could spot a glimmer of light emerging with the sunrise, transitioning from darkness to dawn," Steven exined. This was how he determined the direction. "How many days and nights have you been awake?" I inquired, furrowing my brows as I reached out to touch Steven''s forehead. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with exhaustion. He said with a hint of nervousness, "I''m utterly exhausted, Stephie." "Trust me. Get some sleep," Iforted him. Steven gently tugged at my clothes. "Stephie..." He didn''t seem certain that I was worried about him. He asked, "Are you concerned about me?" "I am," I replied firmly. I was indeed worried. After I fell, I couldn''t understand why, but I started feeling emotionally numb. Yet, I also experienced every emotion more intensely. He was taken aback for a moment, his gaze intensifying as he looked at me. "Do you truly worry about me as much as you do for Georgie?" He appeared extremely determined to get an answer. I was stunned. Gazing into his eyes, I shook my head. "It''s not the same." His Adam''s apple shifted as his gaze intensified. "Close your eyes and rest for a while." I turned around to search for clues about the room. Rachel rushed to Steven''s side, her eyes wide with shock. She asked in a hushed tone, "Steven... have you noticed Stephie''s transformation? Is she truly the same Stephie we once knew?" Steven''s voice was hoarse but resolute. "She is. Regardless of whatever changes, it''s still her." Rachel nced back at Steven, her mind filled with a whirlwind of emotions. "Are Zion and the others okay?" Rachel asked quietly as she squatted on the ground. Chapter 402 Rachel feared that Zion and the others would be in danger. Steven shook his head. "No... I''ve killed all the others." As long as Zion and the others managed to escape from those areas, they would be safe. I searched the entire room but couldn''t find any clues left by the designer. There ought to be hidden clues in every room, but they seemed to be missing here.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. I furrowed my brows and looked up at the ceiling. Indeed, the downlights were arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper. "An imaginary line drawn between Dubhe and Merak points directly to the North Star, indicating the direction of true north." I carefully traced the extension line and discovered the true north direction. "The corresponding one is south... We need to move this door now." I pointed to the door to the south and then carefully stepped on the floor tiles directly under the extension line. As expected, the wall shifted. I let out a relieved breath. Then, I turned almost reflexively and smiled at Steven. It felt as if I was seeking recognition andmendation. I was stunned for a moment after behaving so childishly. Steven smiled at me, made his way over with the support of the wall, and embraced me. "I may be a bit dirty, but I hope you won''t mind." "I won''t," I said, shaking my head. Stevenughed heartily and said, "That''s good... Whatever you do is just fine." I thought Steven was acting silly, but I still patted him on the back and assured him, "I''ll get you out of here." "Okay." Without any hesitation, Steven promptly followed my lead. Finally, when we moved thest wall, we discovered the exit leading to the 15th floor. "Stephie... They didn''t make it out, did they..." Rachel held my wrist. Overwhelmed by her emotions, her red eyes were filled with worry. It was unclear whether Zion and the others had made it out alive. "They haven''t found this exit yet." I looked at the clean stairs and shook my head. If they hade out. earlier and there were so many people, the stairs would not be so wlessly clean. "Can we wait for them?" Rachel pleaded with me in a hushed tone, afraid that I might decline. I shifted my gaze to Steven, waiting to hear his opinion. If he wanted to go first, I might not wait. Steven held my hand and said coquettishly, "Stephie... I''m so tired." I sat on the stairs and motioned for him toy his head on myp. "Get some rest. We''ll wait for them." Upon hearing my answer, Rachel felt more relieved. With teary eyes, she stood there and prayed, anxiously hoping they woulde out soon. The longer they stayed inside, the more dangerous it would be. "Stephie, have you remembered everything?" Steven whispered as he leaned into my arms. "Not... everything," I said, shaking my head and furrowing my brows with a mix of emotions. Steven let out a sigh of relief, his face into aforting Smileything is alright n There''s no need to dwell Whit." "Are you afraid I''ll remember everything?" I gazed down at him. Steven looked away for a moment and then began acting again. "Stephie, my arm hurts so much. I was bitten." I instinctively ripped his clothes, but I was shocked by what I saw. "You..." How did he manage to hang on? There were bite marks on his arm, and the flesh was stained crimson. "We must leave as soon as possible," I said firmly, my heart filling with anger. Regardless of the mastermind''s intentions, if someone harmed my beloved, they deserved nothing less than death. Chapter 403 Rachel asked, "Is it possible for Stephie to change back? She''s quite scary in her current state." Steven replied, "She''s fine, no matter what." She expressed her concern. "But don''t you think she''s a bit intimidating? She''s too calm. I still prefer the old Stephie.'' He reassured her, saying, "She''s fine." She remarked, "But she seems so aloof." He retorted, "No, she''s good enough. The important thing is she''s still alive. She has emotions, and at least she understands the value of friendship." His voice was husky and full of emotion as if my understanding of friendship was worthy of his deep feelings. I gradually opened my eyes and realized that I had dozed off while leaning against the wall. Rachel continued to pray and talk to Steven, using it as a way to shift her focus. "Is it true that she''s unable to change back? How frightening it''ll be the day she fully recovers her memory." Rachel''s voice quivered with a hint of apprehension. She was scared, afraid that I would reject everyone. "You once mentioned that Stephanie used to be emotionally detached. What would happen if she were to return to her previous state? She would surely reject us once more... "She really doesn''t seem to understand what love is." Rachel feared that I would no longer seek friendship nor harbor any affection for Steven. Steven lowered his gaze, feeling a tinge of disappointment. Yet, he mustered the courage to say, "I just want her to live." Not just live but live well. "80% of your brain is dedicated to IQ, and the remaining 20% is all about Stephie... You''re a hopeless romantic," Rachelined helplessly. He vehemently rejected Rachel''s statement. "No... it can be all Stephie." Rachel was rendered speechless by his public disy of affection. She threw out the pebbles with a look of disdain and fixed her gaze on the closed wall before her. "Why haven''t theye out yet? Isn''t Eason a genius?" "Someone''s holding them back," Steven said with certainty. The murderer had to be among their group. There was someone who was determined to prevent them from escaping, pulling them back at every opportunity. Hence, even if there were two geniuses among them, they might not make it out quickly and safely. "Have you figured out who it is?" I asked Steven. Steven turned around. His eyes instantly brightened, and he rushed over to hug me.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. For the first time, I actually didn''t mind his affectionate gestures and let him embrace me. "I''m not sure yet," he muttered. "They''re here." I could hear movementing from that room. Rachel stood up in surprise and mmed her hand against the wall, desperately trying to get the attention of those inside. "Don''t waste your effort. There''s ayer of sound instion inside," I advised Rachel to stop. It was miraculous that we even heard a faint sound. Now, they had no choice but to rely on themselves. With a click, the door opened. Nevertheless, not everyone made it out. Eason, Quinn, the injured Howard, and seven or eight others were the only ones who emerged. "Where''s Joel?" I asked warily. "Where''s Zion?" Rachel also inquired with teary eyes. Eason''s forehead creased in concern. "Carol called out Simmy''s name and bolted in another direction. The stone door shifted, and we were abruptly separated." Joel pursued Carol. Zion was worried that something would happen to them, so he followed them. I remained silent and surveyed the injured individuals. It appeared that a few of them were dead, and these were all who remained. Howard red at Steven warily and used him loudly, "He''s a lunatic, a murderer! He''s the one behind all of this, tormenting us and instilling fear in us!" While the others were still in shock, they stumbled upon Steven. Gripping their weapons tightly, they cast wary nces at him, their resolve to take action growing stronger. Eason shouted irritably, "Calm down, everyone if he were the mastermind, you would''ve died a long time ago. He was the one who helped us kill those creatures inside so that you coulde out alive." However, Howardpletely ignored the remark. "He''s the one! He''s ying tricks! It must be him!" Steven looked at Howard with a chilling re, his eyes brimming with murderous intent. I stood up and tightly grasped the dagger in my hand. Steven subconsciously reached out to hold me back. I frowned. "He''s noisy. Kill him." Howard nced at me and started to incite everyone, saying, "I knew this lunatic was concerned about her, so he assaulted us on the 17th floor. don''t believe that this lunatic would still prevent us from leaving if we captured her." Chapter 404 As Howard uttered these words, he wanted to ask those around to catch me. Steven looked at Howard with frigid eyes, his gaze filled with uncontroble murderous intent. Slowly, he released my hand. I fixed my gaze on Howard, pushing aside everyone who was in my way. I slowly approached him. Howard was in a state of panic. His injured leg was still bleeding as he backed away in fear. "What do you want to do? Why are you just standing there in a daze? Quickly, catch her!" I smiled and looked at those people, intending to give them a taste of their own medicine. "We''re indeed the nners of the game. Your survival depends on your obedience. If you obey, I can ensure your escape. But if you continue to follow him, death will be inevitable for you." The few of them exchanged nces and stepped away. They were all frightened. Howard red at me. "Stephany! Who do you think you''re fooling? Don''t listen to her. She''s not going to rescue us. Each of us is the target of the lunatic. She said that on purpose." I delivered a forceful blow to Howard''s stomach, bringing him to the ground. Then, I stepped hard on his injured leg. "You''re quite the talker. I could kill you right now, but where''s the fun in that?" With a click, the door swung open once more. Carol appeared to be unconscious as Joel carefully carried her outside. Zion also followed closely. Quinn stepped forward and looked at Carol with concern. "How is she?" Joel shook his head. "She''s just suffering from an emotional shock. She''s going to be okay." Tears welled up in Quinn''s eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much!" Joel remained silent, delivering Carol into Quinn''s hands. Rachel also nced nervously at Zion. "Are you okay? Are you injured?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Zion was visibly surprised. "You got here before us? I was actually contemting turning around and locating you." Rachel pointed at me and Steven awkwardly. "We ran into Steven." Zion replied, "That makes sense." Just as the stone wall was about to close, I swiftly pulled Howard and forcefully kicked him inside. "Stephany! I''ll kill you! I''m going to kill you!" Everyone was astonished as they witnessed me kicking him in. They saw the door close tightly and heard Howard''s desperate cry. "Is this kind of person worthy of following us?" I asked with indifference. Eason averted his gaze. "I missed that. What just happened..." Zion scratched his head. "What?" "Everything was killed inside. If he''s truly intelligent, he should recall how we managed to escape just a moment ago, don''t you think?" Eason whispered solemnly. Quinn was confused. "I... I don''t remember at all." I sneered. If he couldn''t escape, then he deserved the oue he faced. "The stairs are moving! Hurry downstairs!" Suddenly, the exit started to shake. The staircase was copsing. "Quick!" In my panic, I grabbed Steven''s wrist and hastily pulled him downstairs. As we arrived at the secure zone, relief washed over me. "Is everyone here?" Zion inquired. "Yasmin and Michael didn''te out!" Atst, someone noticed that Yasmin and Michael were not present. Frowning, I nced upward toward the 17th floor. The stairs were on the verge of copsing. "I''m going to save them," Zion dered. He was determined to rush upstairs and rescue the people in need. However, Rachel held him back, her eyes filled with emotion and her head shaking with conviction. Was his identity and duty as a police officer still crucial at this time? Zion shook his head at Rachel. This was his duty. Hence, it was also the reason why he couldn''t reciprocate Rachel''s love or marry her. He always appeared to be in danger. While everyone else could escape in the face of danger, he was not able to. The weight of responsibility and duty bore down on him,pelling him to go against the grain. "Trash!" I angrily cursed at Michael before going upstairs with Zion. Steven expressed his desire to apany me, but I firmly rejected him. "It''s now your turn to rest and recharge. Seek out the exit on the 15th floor and wait for me toe back." Quinn suddenly remembered something and looked at Zion and me in a panic. "There''s definitely something amiss with Yasmin. We were all walking together earlier on. But Yasmin intentionally provoked Carol, causing her to run ina different direction. "Don''t go... Yasmin is luring you back on purpose!" Chapter 405 Yasmin was confident that Zion wouldn''t abandon them, and she was also certain that he would locate Rachel and me. So, she didn''t deliberatelye out to lure me there? Did she intend to seize the opportunity to eliminate me? This possibility could not be dismissed. Yasmin intended to impersonate me, and the only way to fully assume my identity was to eliminate me. "Indeed, something is amiss with Yasmin..." Just as Zion was about toment on Yasmin''s odd behavior, the stairs began to shake. "Watch out!" "Stephie!" At that moment, the staircase copsed, leaving a dark, bottomless hole where it used to be. This happened on the 17th floor. Below, it seemed to lead directly to the underground... Steven panicked and was about to rush forward. Fortunately, Joel pulled him back, preventing him from tumbling into the endless abyss. "Steven!" My heart skipped a beat. I stepped on the edge of the floor and frantically shouted his name. Steven nearly fell in, and the gravel beneath his feet fell. It took an eternity for an echo to sound, revealing the terrifying depth of the abyss below. Steven looked up at me. His eyes were filled with a mix of panic and grievance as if he couldn''t bridge the gap between us even though we were so close. He stood at the edge, facing the endless abyss. There was no way to reach me. "There must be another exit. Wait for me on the 15th floor," I encouraged him gently as if persuading a child. "Hey, stop standing on the edge. If you fall, your wife will go mad," Joel muttered, reaching out and grabbing Steven''s waist to pull him back. The grievance in Steven''s eyes disappeared. His gaze abruptly sharpened as he directed his attention toward Joel. There was a clear look of warning in his eyes. It appeared that he was holding Joel ountable for failing to bring Michael and Yasmin back, allowing them to take advantage of this situation.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Joel averted his gaze guiltily. "Surely, there must be more than just one way out." "We must find a way to enter." I nced at Zion. We were left with no choice now but to save them. Zion agreed with me and patted the wall. Howard was still inside, but that loser couldn''t seem to open the door. Suddenly, a sound came from inside. The wall moved! I sneered. Knowing Howard''s intelligence, he wouldn''t be able to figure out the mechanism to unlock the door so effortlessly. Surely Yasmin and Michael had also reached this location. As the wall swung open, Howard rushed toward me, seething with a fiery rage. "Stephany, I''m going to kill you!" He harbored a strong desire to kill me and showed no sign of stopping. I stood there calmly, only ducking at thest moment as he came lunging toward me. Howard flew into the air and lost his bnce, falling toward the hole behind me. A scream echoed. As half of Howard''s body fell out, Zion instinctively reached out and grabbed his back cor. I knew Zion wouldn''t stand by and watch him die. "If you wish to stay alive, it would be wise to remain silent from this point forward," I warned Howard and entered the room. Indeed, both Yasmin and Michael were present. Michael saw me, and surprise shed in his eyes. It was clear that he wanted to ask me how I was doing, but he held back. Zion exined, "The stairs to the exit have copsed, so we must locate an alternative exit." He turned to me and asked, "What should we do now?" "Isn''t she Stephanie? She used to be a genius before she lost her memory. Let''s have her lead the way," I said in a hushed voice while pointing at Yasmin. Yasmin red at me with hostility and asked, "Stephany, have you finally stopped pretending?" "Yeah, I''m not as smart as you," I said calmly while exuding an air of nonchnce. Zion turned to Michael and asked, "Have you discovered another way out?" "In the southeast corner, we discovered a vent that was meant to be an elevator shaft in the building''s initial design prototype." Michael''s gaze was continuously fixed on me. Since it was an elevator shaft, it had to run straight up and down. Perhaps we could figure out a way to reach the 15th floor. "Bitch..." Howard was still in shock and still cursing. He leaned against the wall to steady himself, his legs weak and trembling. A deep frown formed on Zion''s face as he analyzed worriedly. "The top priority now is to figure out how to get to the 15th floor. I feel like the top three floors are just a warm-up, while the real challenge lies in the 15 floors below. There are exactly 16 of us." Zion also had a premonition that only one person could make it out alive. On each floor, one person might die. "Let''s leave this ce first," Yasmin said, searching the ground for clues. Her demeanor was surprisingly calm as she quickly discovered the mechanism to exit. I squinted my eyes and looked at Yasmin warily. Based on what I know about her, it seemed unlikely that her IQ could have improved so much in such a short period. Chapter 406 It was surprising how quickly Yasmin found a way out. "Follow us." Yasmin cast a warning nce toward Zion and me. I followed Yasmin closely and observed her every move. How did she manage to pull it off? Did she raise her IQ to convincingly impersonate Stephanie? "This way." Yasmin could always find the mechanism quickly and lead us through each room with ease. "Why did you get separated?" Zion asked Michael tentatively. Michael nced at me. "I was concerned that they might struggle to find their way out." Yasmin snorted coldly and remained silent. Eventually, she led us to the vent in a short time. "The wooden floor isn''t strong enough. If we destroy it, we might be able to reach the 15th floor," Yasmin said as she stamped on the floor. It was clearly ater addition, not a solid floor b. Michael and Zion dug a hole in the ground that was just big enough for one person. It waspletely dark down there, and they were unsure what was inside. "This is the elevator shaft. Let''s tie our clothes together and use them to descend to the 15th floor." Michael threw a lightning rod down. It seemed like they found new equipment on this floor. It took quite a while for the lightning rod to finally touch the ground. However, it became clear that there was an exit on the 15th floor, which could be reached by jumping. "Who will go down first?" Michael inquired. Then, he looked at me nervously. "Do you dare to go down?" "Trash!" Yasmin cursed sarcastically. She defiantly removed her shirt and boldly stood before everyone in just her undergarments. She handed her shirt to Michael. Michael also removed his shirt and tied it securely. Zion understood his intention and also removed his shirt. Meanwhile, Howard looked at me slyly. He refused to remove his clothes. I moved forward and pressed the dagger against his neck. "Take it off. It''ll be long enough with yours." "How pretentious." Howard reluctantly took off his shirt. Michael tied the clothes securely and gazed at Zion. "I''ll hold on here. You all go first." Yasmin nced at me with a hint of expectation for me to be the first one to go down. Coupled with Quinn''sments, I certainly did not trust Yasmin. "You should go down first and provide a demonstration." Yasmin noticed myck of trust in her. With a determined sneer, she grabbed hold of the makeshift rope''s end and braced herself to go down. Lacking agility and too fearful to attempt a leap to the 15th floor, she clung to the rope with an intense desire to survive. I was on the verge ofughter. One could conceal one''s personality, but courage could not be concealed. Yasmin was not a courageous individual, and it seemed her legs had weakened. But she didn''t dare to cry, so she had no choice but to jump. With one foot in the air, she almost lost her bnce. She breathed heavily and stood on the 15th floor for a long time before regaining herposure and saying, "You all cane down now." Michael said quietly behind me, "Stephie, trust me. Don''t be afraid." He wanted to assure me that he could hold on to me. He urged me to not be scared. I gazed at Howard with indifference. "You, get down." Trembling in fear, Howard dered, "I won''t go down... Even if you kill me, I won''t go down." "Okay, then you stay on this floor and wait for your own death. When the time is up, the entire floor will be destroyed, including you," I warned in amanding voice. Feeling a surge of fear, Howard turned pale and stammered, "I... I''ll try." After all, Howard was a strong man. He forcefully pulled the rope down, yelling and screaming. The clothes were ripped by him, creating a loud snapping sound. "Hurry, jump!" Yasmin urged Howard, pulling his leg and urging him to jump boldly. With a scream, he ended up lying on the 15th floor in shock. He was in a daze, breathing rapidly.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "These clothes are no longer strong enough to withstand the weight of both of us," Zion eximed, frowning as he noted that the rope had significantly weakened. With a sneer, I confidently gripped the floor with one hand and jumped down. "Stephany!" "Stephie!" Both Michael and Zion were frightened. I confidentlynded on the 15th floor and addressed Yasmin with a touch of provocation, "You know, the floor is only ten inches thick, so there''s really no need for any ropes." Yasmin''s expression darkened, and she instinctively raised her hands to cover her exposed upper body. "No need to cover up. There''s nothing attractive about your figure." I looked at her mockingly. Filled with anger, she was determined to attack me. However, I swiftly outmaneuvered her, positioning the dagger firmly against her neck. "I could kill you easily." Suddenly, at the lights on the 15th floor came on with a click, flooding our location with an extremely bright light. The sound of a carousel filled the air. The entire floor was @giant amusement park. Chapter 407 Both Michael and Zion jumped down, emerging from the vent d in clothes that were disheveled and distorted. The entire 15th floor was a vast amusement park. However, the atmosphere in the amusement park was rather eerie. "This feeling is so familiar..." In an instant, a sharp headache shot through me. I instinctively raised my hand to grasp at my hair, seeking relief from the pain. This amusement park was a replica of the one donated by Huma Charity to Double Stars Welfare Home.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. All of the amusement facilities were donated. The amusement park, which had long been abandoned, was located in the backyard of the orphanage. Why did the murderer want to recreate this ce? "Wee to Double Stars Amusement Park, a ce for everyone to enjoy!" The eerie voice echoed once again. I seemed to hearughter in the air and the sound of children at the orphanage ying with toys. I faintly recalled that my parents applied for the amusement park several times and tirelessly negotiated with the charity to make it happen. However, there was an ident at the amusement park. A child from the orphanage had his legs trapped in the roller coaster, resulting in amputation and paralysis. Consequently, the park was closed. Subsequently, the orphanage prohibited the children from visiting the amusement park. "This..." I walked to the carousel and saw the old-fashioned ride from ten years ago. The wooden horses looked strange with their weird eyes. Even the music sounded odd. "What in the world does that lunatic want to do?" Zion furrowed his brows and cursed. "Who knows what he wants to do? He''s a lunatic..." Howard''s voice was trembling in his panic, and it was clear that he was trying to hide something. I looked at him suspiciously. "What do you know?" "What nonsense are you talking about?" Howard refused to admit it. I walked forward along the carousel without asking any questions. There were slides, indoor roller coasters, and swing rides... "They should all be on this floor. Let''s go meet them first," Zion eximed, walking forward to locate Steven and the rest. I stood there, gazing nkly at the rides. What was the message the killer sought to convey? A sudden scream echoed nearby. Michael, Zion, and Howard all rushed over. I couldn''t seem to hear it. I was lost deep in contemtion of the murderer''s intentions. I detected the powerful smell of blood on the roller coaster track as it continuously passed through. Back then, a child at the orphanage had his legs crushed by the track of this children''s roller coaster. "Stephany, unless you die, they''ll never believe that I''m Stephanie." Suddenly, someone forcefully pushed me from behind. Yasmin truly desired to kill me. The roller coaster made a loud noise. Instantly, I reached out to grab Yasmin. I pulled her down and then turned her over before pressing her onto the track. Before the roller coaster came over us, I released her. Yasmin sat up straight in fear. The roller coaster whizzed past her head, her expression filled with fright. Strangling Yasmin, I asked, "Were you trying to kill me?" She grabbed my hand in agony. I moved closer to her face and observed with great attention. Indeed, I discovered valuable clues within her cochlea. "Let me guess why you suddenly became smart. Ah... It appears that you and the person behind you are well-prepared. He anticipated the serial killer''s attack and covertly ced an invisible wireless earpiece in your ear ahead of time." I delivered a powerful p to her face. Yet, I failed to dislodge the earpiece that was well hidden in her ears. Yasmin red at me intensely. I grinned at her and delivered another firm p, this time with a bit more force. It caused her mouth to bleed from the corners. In the end, the tiny, imperceptible earpiece finally dislodged itself. I stood up and crushed the earpiece. "Is it Peter? Anti-detection and anti-shielding invisible earpiece? Even if the murderer blocks the phone signal, he won''t be able to block the signal of your earpiece." I smiled and nced down at Yasmin. "Peter could contact you through the inte, so he should be nearby, right? Instead of calling the police for help, he let you continue. What''s his intention?" I inferred that Peter was unwilling to involve the police or even inform them. Yasmin was his bait. He was setting a trap. He aimed to apprehend the murderer himself. Chapter 408 It appeared that this serial killer had significantly impacted Peter''s supposed gic experiment. The motive of the serial murderer in killing Stephanie was to protest against Peter and those who supported human gic modification. "The wolf has a winning game when the shepherds quarrel," I said sternly. At first, I was reluctant to expose Yasmin. However, her repeated attempts to harm me left me with no choice. I threatened Yasmin by pulling her hair. "I''ll see how you manage to escape this ce without relying on any cheating devices. Did you lure us here on purpose just to kill me? You can attack me... But if you try to harm Steven, I won''t hesitate to kill you." A flicker of fear and shock crossed Yasmin''s eyes. She uttered in a quivering voice, "You..." She vehemently denied her thoughts. "No way, you can''t be Stephanie. She''s already dead..." "I didn''t intend to lure you here. Quinn..." Yasmin tried to say something but was interrupted before she could finish. "Stephie!" Steven appeared behind me, searching for me. I immediately let go of Yasmin and stood up. Turning around, I greeted him with a smile. Steven rushed over in a panic and embraced me tightly. "I''m so relieved that you''re alright." "What happened over there?" I asked. "There was a trap on the ground. Someone fell in and broke his leg," Steven exined softly. I nodded. "Steven, do you find this amusement park familiar?" He took a deep breath. "Yeah... It''s a replica of the one in the orphanage." "What''s the murderer''s purpose?" I asked. Steven cast a sinister nce at Yasmin. "Punishment... Back then, there was a child named Benjamin White at the orphanage. He was bullied by them. One day, he was forcefully pushed out of a moving roller coaster. His legs were trapped in the machinery and broke." He lost his legs and was sent to a school for the disabled. No one had heard from him since. Yasmin instinctively looked away. "It was Howard and the others who bullied Benjamin." "Toot-toot! The roller coaster is approaching. Everyone, fasten your seat belts and prepare to go! Three, two..." The eerie voice sounded once more. Steven instinctively wrapped his arms around me and stepped onto the tform of the carousel. The moment the countdown reached zero, the floor tiles immediately started flipping. Yasmin sat on the ground, with open floor tiles in front of her feet. She was fortunate enough to keep her, legs raised. Inside the floor tiles, there was a trap with a rotating knife. If she fell, both of her legs would be cut off quickly. There was another screaming from over there. Steven and I hurried over. We saw a man who used to live at the orphanage fall into a trap with one leg. "Everyone, find a safe ce and quickly get on the rotating chairs on the carousel!" Zion shouted in panic as he asked everyone to find a seat. The two injured individuals were pulled to a ce of rtive safety. However, they had lost a significant amount of blood, and the treatment conditions here were inadequate. Simply attempting to make it to the first floor would result in their deaths. "Hahaha... This is so much fun." Theughter came from the speaker. Zion couldn''t contain his emotions and shouted into the air, "Get out! Stop pretending! Even if they deserve to die, it''s not your ce to judge! They''ll face the consequences they deserve!" The eerie voice chuckled mockingly at Zion. "How naive, Officer Landon. Do enlighten me, how do you n on delivering justice to them? When Benjamin imed the first row of the roller coaster, they covertly roler unfastened his seatbelt and pushed him out while the ride was in motion." "That''s murder, Officer Landon. How are you going to punish them?" The strange voice screamed hysterically. As I listened to Steven''s heartbeat, an inexplicable pain surged through my heart. I couldn''t help but wonder what kind of nightmare people like Steven and Simeon, who were ipatible with those demons, had experienced. Steven lowered his head, and his gaze locked with mine. His eyes darted restlessly as he whispered, "Stephie... they''re not innocent." "Let''s y hide-and-seek. You have 30 seconds to hide. But be warned, whoever is found... will die!" The eerie voice reverberated as the countdown started. The man urged us all to hide. Without hesitation, Steven gripped my wrist and led me to take cover in the space under the carousel. "Ten, nine, eight... Three, two, one... I''ming out..." Not far away, a stone wall opened. Ten people emerged wearing strange masks and holding chainsaws. With their strong arms, they looked like hired killers. "Are you hiding well? Don''t let me find you."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 409 "Hide well... The roller coaster is about to start." Once again, the eerie voice resurfaced. Unlike the mechanical recordings on the 17th or 16th floors, this voice changer was undoubtedly operated by a living individual. It became evident that this person was certainly one of the murderers. "There must be more than one person behind such a grand spectacle," I whispered with a frown. I even suspected that there was an organization or a gang behind it. "It''s not just one person," confirmed Steven. "Countdown begins. Three, two, one..." The countdown finished, and the ground mechanisms started moving randomly. Steven and I hid under the carousel, and the floor tiles underneath us also opened up. If I hadn''t reacted quickly, I might have found myself dangerously close to falling. Someone noticed the floor tiles shifting and hurriedly fled from his hiding ce with a shout. He was in big trouble. Now, all those people''s gaze was focused on him. "Help!" the man cried out, desperately attempting to escape. Over there, the floor tiles under Rachel''s feet also moved. Zion held her in his arms, fortunately preventing her from falling. Unluckily, Carol''s scream of fright led those people to discover her. They were all hiding in a cab, and now, they were basically exposed. Joel had no other option but toe out. As he observed the few of them acting separately, he contemted devising strategies for the imminent battle. "Our weapon isn''t easy to use," Joel cursed. Zion sheltered Rachel before walking out. "There''s no other choice. We must face this head-on and fight..." Before he finished speaking, his ax was cut off by someone else''s chainsaw. "Help!" At this time, Joel also screamed and pulled Zion away to safety. Steven and I crouched down in the cramped space, and I nearly nestled into his arms. A look of contentment crossed his face. We were in a murder scene. Please, could he be more serious? "Stephie..." I couldn''t believe Steven was still in the mood to flirt with me at this critical moment. I lowered my voice even further and lightly tapped his forehead. "Shut up... Joel can''t hold on any longer." Steven didn''t seem to care. He simply embraced and caressed me, like a loyal dog reuniting with its master. "You..." I let out a sigh, feeling less angry than I had anticipated. I gently patted his head and whispered, "Take cover here while I separate them." Iforted him and wanted to leave. When I left, I was stunned, feeling like it was always my instinct to protect him. But before that, wasn''t I always seeking his protection? Steven hugged me even tighter. As he raised his gaze, I could see the intensity in his bloodshot eyes. It seemed that Stephanie had always been exceptionally protective of him in the past. "Don''t make me... wait any longer." His voice was hoarse yet trembling. He said not to make him wait any longer. "Stephie, you often ask if gically modified humans are still human But the irreceable element of human beings is emotion, which can''t be replicated." With emotions, they were truly human beings. This was what Stephanie had always wanted to prove. As long as she had emotions, she would be normal and could find reasons and motivation to live. The side effects of gic modification included the development of depression, the loss of motivation to live, and individuals being influenced by a strong urge for self-destruction and suicide. This should not exist as it went against ethics, morals, and even thews of nature. My body felt a bit numb, so I reached out and grabbed Steven''s wrist. "Then let''s go out together." Lately, I had been frequently experiencing a recurring dream where I pondered the nature of human consciousness. Was it carbon-based or silicon-based? This thought challenged me toExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. consider whether consciousness could be transferred like aputer file, rendering the human body merely a vessel. If such a scenario were possible, then concepts such as reincarnation, rebirth, and even immortality might no longer be confined to the realm of Science fiction. Chapter 410 Was it possible, at some point in the future, for consciousness to be transferred into silicon-based life forms? Humans would then no longer be bound by their physical bodies, instead bing a new existence as part machine, part human. Perhaps it would evolve into a more unsettling coexistence of consciousness. "Hey!" Without hesitation, I mmed my hand against the iron railing of the carousel to grab those people''s attention. "Split up! Draw their attention and defeat them individually," I yelled to Zion and Joel. Joel left Zion''s side and sprinted in the opposite direction. Zion gazed at Joel, feeling a sense of helplessness as hemented the remarkable physical strength of the youths. Joel immediately climbed onto the slide. Then, he jumped down and knocked down a man with a chainsaw from behind. I hurried over and kicked the chainsaw away, then stepped forward to deliver a strong kick. I rendered the man unconscious. "Tie them up first." This way, we could defeat the targets one by one. Behind me, Steven grabbed the masked man from behind and strangled him with murderous intent in his eyes.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Don''t kill him." I stopped him with a frown. These individuals might not actually be contract killers. They appeared confused as if they had been deeply frightened. A scream pierced the air as the two men with broken legs were discovered by the men with chainsaws. They had been killed. I found myself standing in front of Steven, subconsciously shielding him from the horrifying scene I didn''t want him to witness. It was as if he had protected me before. Steven gazed at me in silence. "Stephie! Steven! Watch out!" Rachel crouched in the corner and shouted at us. I looked back and saw a man wielding a chainsawing toward us. Steven and I quickly retreated and dodged, formting strategies to take them down one by one. "Everyone, hide! That lunatic is going to start again." I assumed it was almost time. The activation of the mechanism was every ten minutes... "Everyone is having a great time! But be cautious as the countdown begins. Ten, nine, eight..." Indeed, the eerie voice echoed once more. As the countdown reached zero, the floor started to open and close once again. This time, it was three masked men who fell. They were killed by traps without screaming at all. I gazed warily at Steven and quickly pulled him back. After observing the activation process twice, it became clear that the floor, which concealed potential traps, was distinguished by its ck color. After defeating a masked man, Michael anxiously approached us. "Killing his own people? There''s something wrong with them." "Indeed..." I reached up and removed the mask from the face of the masked man. I was shocked. His mouth was sewn shut with threads, and his flesh was covered in blood. "These killers are also victims... They should all be considered part of the gic crime group," Steven said hoarsely. They were under Peter. I discovered the tattoo located just behind their ears. "They''re thugs from the criminal gang. They werez originally dispatched to apprehend the serial killer but got caught. instead. Now, they''re used as non-yer characters to kill us." Vef Michael looked at me with aplex expression in his eyes. "It''s now indisputable that the human trafficking group and the so-called gic engineering criminal group are part of the same organization. "Stephie, ever since the ident, I''ve been investigating. The shocking truth I uncovered has left me in a state of panic..." He was afraid to tell me the truth. Hence, he worked with Yasmin to pretend and came here to find the real murderer. Michael stepped forward, trying to get closer to me. Yet, Steven stood firmly in front of me, protecting me with unwaveringmitment. He still seemed insecure and worried that I might be snatched away. I was a little disoriented as I gazed at Steven and then at Michael. Love... what did it truly feel like? I still found myself a little confused. Was it painful or happy? Was it Steven or Michael? "Help!" Quinn''s cry for help pierced the air, jolting me out of my thoughts. Chapter 411 "Help!" Quinn and Carol were hiding behind a bouncy castle in the corner. They thought they were safe, but a masked man found them. "Carol!" In that crucial moment, Carol forcefully pushed Quinn aside. Suddenly, blood began to flow from her wound. "Carol..." Quinn sobbed as she called out. When Steven, Joel, and I rushed over in a panic, Carol was already dying. She was vomiting blood. Her abdomen was severely wounded by a chainsaw, and blood was pouring out. The scene was truly gruesome. "It''s her! She was with the masked people. She lured them here on purpose." With tears streaming down, Quinn pointed at Yasmin, using her relentlessly. Yasmin was stunned for a moment, acting as if she didn''t know how to exin. "No..." She was eager to express herself, but Joel forcefully pushed her aside with murderous intent. Michael furrowed his brows and reached out to grasp Yasmin''s hand. He scrutinized her closely. Everyone seemed to doubt and me her. "On the 16th floor, you deliberately lost your way to lure Stephie, and now you''re hurting Carol. You''re so cruel. I believe you and the murderer are working together!" Rachel eximed angrily. "That''s right. I saw her talking to those masked people..." Howard also pointed at Yasmin nervously. Several other survivors also used Yasmin. She was displeased, yet she chose not to provide any exnation. I gazed at Yasmin with an icy re. Then, I shifted my attention to Quinn, who was cradling Carol and weeping uncontrobly. I stepped forward to assess Carol''s injury. "Next, the battle royale...mences." The eerie voice resonated from the speakers once more. Suddenly, the ground began to tremble with ferocity. The floor tiles rippled like a wave and moved toward us from the corner of the wall. "Run!" Howard eximed, leading the charge as he sprinted ahead. The remaining few from the orphanage followed him and started running as fast as they could. However, masked people were waiting there. It appeared that, no matter what, death was inevitable. "Quinn! Let''s go!" The mechanism was approaching quickly, but Quinn was still holding Carol and crying. Carol''s face was rmingly pale. Judging by the visible injuries, it seemed highly unlikely that she would be able to survive.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Carol''s eyes were hollow as she uttered Simeon''s name. "Simmy... I was wrong. I failed to protect you. Simmy..." Joel''s hands tensed as his knuckles turned pale. He swiftly grabbed Quinn''s wrist. "Come on, let''s go!" Just as Joel reached out to hold Carol, the ground beneath them copsed. Carol plummeted into the unknown depths of darkness. The wave of machinery surged past, and I instantly pulled Steven and doel to jump over it. Joel stood on the closed floor with mixed emotions. Quinn was crying, and Carot''s body was trapped underneath. We couldn''t remov Carol''s body until we escaped and alerted the police to seal off the area. "Help!" Howard and the others were still in a chaotic situation. The masked men continued to carry out their ruthless killings while five or six people frantically ran around in panic. I carefully observed the wave of mechanisms, noting that only the floor under the roller coaster remained stationary. "That''s the exit!" I shouted to everyone. Everyone followed me and ran toward the roller coaster. "Help!" Howard yelled, pushing the surrounding people toward the masked men and rushing over alone. He was selfish and never changed. He pushed hispanions away to save himself from the chainsaws, leaving them behind at ease while he tried to escape. "Open here." Steven and Zion began to pry up the floor. The rest of us weakly leaned and slumped on the roller coaster. "Are you in such a rush to leave? Stay and y a little longer," the eerie voice eximed as the ground suddenly cracked. Only a few of us managed to seek refuge beneath the roller coaster while the others fell into the trap, vanishing beneath the surface. Chapter 412 At that moment, the only ones alive were me, Yasmin, Eason, Michael, Zion, Rachel, Quinn, Joel, and Howard. There was also another man. He had been hiding underneath the roller coaster from beginning to end. His name was Taylor Barlowe. The unconscious masked man dragged over by Zion was thest one. The other masked men died in the trap set by the mastermind. "Oh no! I went too far by ident," the eerie voice chimed in, perfectlyplementing the whimsical music of the amusement park with its unsettlingugh. "He can track us through surveince and send people after us. He must have a special shortcut. We need to find him, or else we''ll always be at his mercy." I frowned and nced at the surveince camera or the ceiling. Manipting the game through surveince was truly a crazy act... Suddenly, the masked man jolted awake, whimpering and wriggling. He was desperately attempting to speak. However, his mouth had been tightly stitched shut, causing blood to seep out whenever he made the slightest movement. Quinn and Rachel averted their gaze in fear, and Yasmin instinctively avoided making eye contact as well. This was extremely vicious. I firmly restrained the masked man and freed his mouth by cutting the thread with a knife. The masked man shouted in horror, pointing his finger at the ce where they had been sent. "He''s on this level... The lunatic... There, in the control room, he''s in it..." Steven and Zion managed to pry open the floor. There was indeed a passage that led directly to the 14th floor. "Be careful..." Zion grasped Steven''s arm and warned him against acting impulsively. I nced at Steven, quickly removed the tie from the masked man''s clothing, and pulled my hair up into a high ponytail. "You two head downstairs first. I''ll confront that lunatic." If we did not eliminate him, the path thaty ahead would be even more challenging. "I''ll go with you!" Michael stopped me nervously. It was too dangerous. I nced at Steven without even realizing it. He seemed anxious as he returned my gaze. It was evident that he desired to be by my side too. "Two people are too conspicuous," I dered as I brushed off Michael''s hand and retrieved the knife from the ground. I then nced at the surveince camera in the northwest corner. "You can''t go alone." Zion also stopped me. "I assume that the person in the control room has no physicalbat skills," I remarked, ncing at Steven. The two of us didn''t seem to need muchnguage tomunicate as he understood that my intuition would always be right. "Go downstairs and make it seem like we''ve gone. Let''s cover for her." Steven grabbed Joel, who was still confused. He nced at me once more. "I''ve destroyed the surveince camera in the northwest corner just now." I couldn''t help but raise the corners of my mouth, a smile forming. This was my man... He appeared to have foreseen my actions and prepared the path ahead for me. Michael looked at me with a perplexed expression and appeared to struggle to find the right words. However, ultimately, his disappointment left him speechless. Yasmin chuckled sarcastically. "Ha... No matter how much you try to be like her, you''ll never be Stephanie..." "Stop being so sarcastic! You''re too vicious! Why don''t you just die? If it weren''t for you, Carol would still be alive!" Rachel red at Yasmin, her anger burning fiercely. Quinn red at Yasmin with pure hatred. "You should just die..." Yasmin nced at me, and it was as if she no longer wanted to pretend. Sheughed at herself. "You won. This is what you want to see, isn''t it? You want me to be the target of public criticism, the object of everyone''s suspicion. You want me to experience the pain that Stephanie went through before when she wasn''t trusted and was standered..." I frowned. Did she not do it? "Let''s get going! We can''t afford to waste any time." Steven frowned. Zion reassured me, "Stay safe. We''ll be waiting for you downstairs." When they went downstairs, I quickly hid in the blind spot of the surveince camera. I was eager to discover the identity of the person lurking behind the surveince.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. I carefully felt my way along the wall, then used a knife to disable the electric valve that closed the door. I slipped inside as soon as the wall opened. There was a not-so-long passage ahead. The moment I entered, all the lights turned on. It was as if the man knew I wasing. I kicked open the control room and cautiously nced at the person sitting in front of the monitor. He didn''t appear to be capable of fighting back. There was only one person. He was confined to a wheelchair, having lost both of his legs. He should be Benjamin, the young boy who was tragically pushed off from the roller coaster at the orphanage. He turned his wheelchair and shed a smile at me. "It''s been a while, Stephie." I quickly became alert and looked cautiously at him. "When you asked me where to ce the emergency exit, I didn''t have an immediate answer at that moment. Do you know the reason behind my decision to locate the emergency exit under the roller coaster? Benjamin inquired, shing a smile. My heart suddenly raced, and my grip on the knife tightened. What did he mean? Did I design this so-called amusement park of massacre? Chapter 413 Benjamin pivoted his wheelchair to face me directly. "I remember vividly the time I confided in you about my n for revenge. You told me that as a human being, leaving a way out for others is also leaving a way out for yourself. "It made me think of the time I was pushed off the roller coaster and how I had hoped someone woulde and save me." But no one could save him. What awaited him was only fear, pain, and... a lifetime of disability. "On a selfish note, why should I leave a way out for these people? Did they ever leave one for me in the first ce?" Benjamin smirked, a strange smile on his face. Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. I wanted to leave here to warn them. That was not the way to the 14th floor! It was Benjamin''s final trap! The door to the control room suddenly closed, trapping me inside. My heart was beating a little faster, and I red at Benjamin. "Let them out!" Benjaminughed gleefully. "Haha... Stephie, you can''t save them." I gazed at the surveince monitor in panic. Once Steven and the others descended the stairs, the exit would close automatically, leaving them all trapped in that confined space. "What are you going to do to them?" I felt like I was suffocating, like there was a weight pressing down on my chest. I seemed to lose control at that moment. I turned to face Benjamin and forcefully pulled him down. I swiftly plunged the dagger into his palm. "Release them..." When I regained consciousness, I found Benjamin on the brink of death. A haunting smile lingered on his lips amid the blood stains. "When I was three years old, I was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. My parents tirelessly worked from dawn to dusk, saving up for five years to cover my surgery expenses. I truly believed they would never give up on me as they were my biological parents. "However, what transpired shattered my world. On my eighth birthday, they abandoned me at the market, and I''ve not heard from them since." Benjamin smirked sarcastically. "Later, I was sent to the orphanage. I naively believed that mypanions there were all abandoned children as well. I hoped that by sticking together and providingfort, we could create a new family for ourselves... "I believed that we could be like siblings even though we weren''t rted by blood. But why did they push me into the abyss over just an egg, a piece of bread, a ss of milk, and a spot on a roller coaster? "I''ve struggled and worked hard, longing to break free. I understand that the human heart holds no pure good or evil. Our thoughts shape everything. A single thought has the power to transform into a devil or an act of kindness." Benjamin''sughter echoed crazily through the room. Blood still trickled from the corner of his mouth. He forcefully pushed my hand aside, fought to reach the wall with his impaired legs, and finally leaned against it. "There''s someone in the dark littleN?velDrama.Org is the owner. room. He used to be the principal of the special needs school. I told him that in order to survive, he should kill anyone who entered." Benjamin pointed to the monitor and asked me to look at it. §Ö§ä I stood up in despair and observed the small, din room. I was also searching for a device to make a call. I wanted to remind Steven that there was someone inside. However, I couldn''t see clearly what was happening. I could only hear the soundsing from inside. Someone was screaming. "Let them go! Open the door!" I couldn''t locate the control switch, so I couldn''t kill Benjamin yet. I grabbed his cor, my eyes zing with fury. "Steve is still inside! There are so many innocent people. You''re out of your mind!" Benjamin nced in my direction and suddenly smiled. The smile was no longer wild but rather filled with a sense of relief. With trembling hands that were stained with blood, he gently wiped the tears from my face. "Stephie... you''re crying. You''ve learned to be afraid, haven''t you?" I felt my body stiffen. All of a sudden, I released my grip on Benjamin. His gaze pierced right through me as if he could see into my soul. I was suddenly overwhelmed by fear and panic. What kind of connection did I have with him? And how did it rte to this dead end? "Please, let them out." I was unable to locate the switch to open the secret room, and I realized that Benjamin''s design of this supposed "escape exit" was a dead end. There was no way out and no mechanism to release them. Benjamin stared at the monitor, his voice raspy. "Stephie, this is a dead end. Every ten minutes, the light in the secret room flickers for three seconds. Their chances of survival are based on pure luck." I kicked him out of anger, then quickly turned around and looked at the monitor with fear. As he had mentioned, ten minutester, the light in the secret room turned on. In just three seconds, I saw blood covering the floor and dead bodies. The masked man was dead, and Howard appeared to be wounded, having been stabbed in the thigh. The darkness left them unable to even recall the killer''s whereabouts. Chapter 414 As the light went out and the secret room plunged back into darkness, they had to proceed with caution. They were afraid that any careless move could harm theirpanions unintentionally. "ce your hand on each other''s shoulders and dere your name!" Steven''s voice echoed through the dark, inviting them to step forward and reveal their name through the connection of their hands on his shoulders.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Zion." "Rachel," said Rachel, her voice trembling with fear. Rachel gently ced her hand on the shoulder of the person standing in front of her. The other person uttered, "Michael." "Yasmin." "Eason..." "Howard..." Howard''s voice was forbearing, probably because he was injured. Amid the darkness, Howard''s voice resurfaced. His hand rested on the shoulder of the person in front of him. "Reveal your name! Speak up!" In an instant, the entire secret room was engulfed in darkness once more. "Ugh!" Howard was unlucky as he encountered the murderer. Perhaps, in the mere three seconds when the light flickered on, the murderer had set his sights on Howard as his target victim. I believed that Howard should be been dead by now. His death would have exposed the murderer, allowing Zion and Steven to take control. But the interior was too dark, and the hidden room felt like Schr?dinger''s cat. I couldn''t anticipate what would happen next until the light was turned on. I lost control, frantically throwing the mouse from my hand. I turned to look at Benjamin. "What do you want? The people who harmed you are from the orphanage, and they''re practically dead! What more do you want? Steven is innocent. The police officer and Rachel are all innocent!" Benjamin fixed his gaze on me, his voice hoarse. "Stephie, joining the game is a dead end. You, me, him... We''re all just part of the game." He gazed at me intently, his eyes bloodshot. It was evident that he had concluded that Howard was dead. The person he sought to kill had already met his demise. "Some people believe in an afterlife where souls are trapped on earth forever. I hope my soul will cease to exist. This world feels like purgatory with everyone ying different roles and hurting each other." ording to Benjamin, the terrifying aspect of hell did not stem from its dreadful elements or punishing methods but rather from the presence of people inflicting torment upon each other. Many of humanity''s most agonizing experiences and torments were caused by individuals of the same kind. The abandonment of loved ones, the betrayal of friends, the separation of lovers, the stabbing of partners in the back... When members of the gic criminal group delved into the study of genes, they discovered that the more artificially enhanced a highly intelligent human being''s gic makeup was, the colder, heartless, and more emotionless they tended to be. This was because the pursuit of heightened intelligence often resulted in a decrease in emotional capacity. In essence, only those who could detach themselves from emotion could elevate their wisdom to new heights. Indifference acted as the shield of highly intelligent beings, and their ruthlessness became unparalleled. "My life has been incredibly miserable. I feel miserable not because I''ve lost my legs but because I''ve lost faith in humanity. Turn on the mechanism of the secret room. With Steven''s wits, he can find a way out..." "What do you want to do..." I stared at Benjamin, my eyes filled with intense determination as I yearned to take immediate action. However, it was toote. He retrieved a pistol from the nearby corner and firmly pressed it against his own temple. A deafening noise erupted through the room, and the small control room fell silent. The final words he uttered to me before taking his own life were, "Stephie... live on." He asked me to carry on living, yet he chose death decisively and without hesitation. Chapter 415 As I stood in the control room, a shiver ran down my spine. It enveloped my entire body. An excruciating headache gripped me, and a piercing ring echoed in my ears. The overwhelming dizziness caused me to lose my bnce, and I tumbled to the ground. I noticed a switch on the control room floor, and Benjamin had ced a note on it that read "Exit". He ced the actual exit in his control room, revealing that he never intended to keep himself alive from the start. Iy on the ground, my heart heavy with an indescribable feeling. Was it sadness or simply difort? It was as if something was on the verge of bursting out of my heart... The secret room also fell into silence. After ten minutes had passed and the light came on for three seconds, Steven swiftly pressed the mechanism inside. The door to the secret room reopened, allowing them to climb out through the exit under the roller coaster. Everyoney on the ground, feeling fortunate to have survived. They were breathing rapidly. Zion quickly counted the remaining people and forcefully pulled the killer from inside to the ground. The man appeared disoriented, his entire being trembling. It was evident that he had endured a prolonged period of confinement, rendering him somewhat deranged. "I was wrong. I shouldn''t have treated you like that, I shouldn''t have done that..." He appeared to be unhinged, repeatedly insisting that he was aware of his wrongdoing. I exited the control room, feeling a slight weakness in my legs. I said in a hoarse voice. "Benjamin is dead. The exit is in the control room..." Zion nced at me, a wave of relief washing over his face. "Howard has passed away." Nearly everyone on the orphanage''s list had died, except Yasmin and the man named Taylor. Honestly, this man named Taylor was seemingly invisible. He was so fortunate to still be alive. It was sheer luck. Hisplexion was deathly pale, an indication that he had perhaps sensed that his death wasing. I remembered that on the murderer''s Death List, Taylor was second only to Yasmin. In other words, after Yasmin died, Taylor was next in line. "Don''t kill me, please don''t kill me." The man who was being dragged out pleaded, his spirit shattered. He cried and begged for mercy, showing the depth of his desperation. Benjamin mentioned that this man was the principal of the special needs school. Following the injury that left Benjamin with broken legs, he was enrolled in a special needs school as part of his settlement. The charitymitted to supporting him. until hepleted college. He believed that leaving the orphanage would mark a fresh start and that everything would improve However, he encountered nothing but malevolence from everyone he met. This was why he lost faith in this world and humanity. Zion kicked the principal with a frown. "I recognize him. A few years back, I worked with my superior on a case involving the discovery of corpses during construction at a special needs school''s yground. "Despite being identified as the culprit, he was ultimately exonerated due to a psychiatric diagnosis certificate. He was consequently confined to an asylum." Eason frowned. "I''ve heard about that case too This bastard was a pervert and had a preference for students with physical disabilities. When a student tried to resist and call the police, he violently killed them and buried their body in the yground." The principal, who was fat and greasy, was still shaking and covered in blood. He admitted, "I know I made a mistake. I know it''s uneptable..." I sneered and turned around. "Let''s leave. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Suddenly, the strange voice echoed in the corridor once more. "Click! Have you ever experienced despair? Do you know what true despair is? Wee to... the 14th floor." I halted and nced back at Steven. Indeed, there was more than one murderer. Benjamin was merely one of them. There was a gamer, a maniptor, a murderer, and a victim. Michael walked over with a look of concern, wanting to make sure that I was not injured. "Are you okay?" But before he could finish speaking, Steven forcefully bumped him against the wall. He ran over, ring at Michael with caution. Michael took a deep breath, clearly restraining his anger. He couldn''t allow his anger to show in front of me, so he had no choice but to suppress it and massage his temples. "Steven, stop behaving like a child!" Chapter 416 Steven ignored Michael, took my hand, and proudly dered his sovereignty. "She''s my wife. It''s official." Michael''s expression darkened. Taking a deep breath, he gritted his teeth and uttered, "You can get divorced even after getting married." "I won''t get a divorce," Steven replied. "Steven!" Michael appeared angry and ready to confront him. Steven hid behind me with an innocent look. "Stephie, he''s so aggressive. He wanted to kill me down there just now." I frowned at Michael and gave him a warning look. Michael appeared to be losing his mind. "Me? It was pitch-ck down there. How could I even know where he was? Don''t listen to his nonsense. Steven, have you gone mad?" Michael was usually aloof. However, he was definitely upset facing Steven, who feigned innocence. Steven took cover behind me and said aggrievedly, "He injured my wound further. It was extremely painful and started bleeding." Steven deliberately exposed the wound on his arm. As expected, a distressed look crossed my face. He theny contentedly on my shoulder. Eason was disdainful. "Let''s go. Leave him here to fend for himself. He''s good at pretending." Joel had been a bit absent-minded and appeared slightly preupied. Upon regaining his awareness, he cast a nce at Steven, then lowered his head and left. He no longer exuded the same vibrancy as before. "Everything he says is false," Michael insisted, trying to persuade me to believe him. "Stephie, he can''t be trusted. Both he and Yasmin might be working under Peter. The Ford family is also one of the investors in Genome Society. He''s an investor himself..." Stevenined to me in a hushed tone. Michael clenched his fists, his eyes brimming with an intense desire to kill Steven. "I believe you two make a great pair. Enjoy your time together," I stated calmly. I then gently pushed Steven away before turning on my heel and exiting. He clung to me aggrievedly. "Stephie, it hurts so much." Rachel walked in front, supporting the injured Quinn. Yasmin was clearly isted and left alone after her identity was exposed. She was also injured, but she walked behind alone. The crazy principal was left to fend for himself as no one cared about him. "Mike..." Yasmin called out. Michael paused and gazed at Yasmin with aplex expression. Yasmin grinned sarcastically. "You''ve always been aware that I worked for Peter... In fact, even before Stephanie''s passing, you knew about Ford Group''s secret funding of Genome Society, right?" Michael remained silent and did not respond. "Michael, you''ve always known that Stephanie was the result of gic experiments. That''s why you''re so confident, so certain that she won''t die. How can a gically modified §ß§Ñ§Û monster die? She''s so good at disguise," Yasmin said in a low Voice. Michael remained silent as he walked alongside Yasmin. He was only aware that Yasmin could not die just yet. She kept many secrets about Genome Society and the Godmaker Project. "Why don''t you exin to her? Aren''t you convinced that she''s Stephanie? Or... are you starting to waver?" Yasmin sneered. "Understanding the truth can be unsettling. Stephanie is gone, irreceable. No one will ever be able to truly take her ce no matter how simr they may seem or how memories intertwine." Michael frowned. "Perhaps there is truly a miracle in this world." Yasmin smiled. "A miracle? The real miracle is that you and I have found ourselves in this hellish ce. Whether we can make it out alive is still unknown." I stopped and looked back at Yasmin. "Peter should have located you by now, shouldn''t he? Why hasn''t he brought anyone in?" Yasmin gazed at me, her voice dropping to a hush. "He can''t afford to act recklessly and tip off the enemy. The mastermind behind this game is right here among us. He''s also seeking to uncover theN?velDrama.Org is the owner. identity, whether it''s you, Steven, or any one ofus." I sneered and said sarcastically, "So, it seems that there are people who can cause Peter to have a headache and feel fear too." This piqued my curiosity even further... Who was the person responsible for it? Was it someone among us? I scanned the remaining few people still alive. None of them appeared to be the mastermind. To my dismay, however, he was among us... Chapter 417 We went through the safe passage to the 14th floor. I raised my arm and stopped the people behind me. Standing beside me, Steven looked downward and stared at the redser beam on the floor. The beam of light stood out more than usual in the dark. A snapping sound was heard. Steven had briefly touched the ray with his foot before swiftly retracting it. The sensor mechanism made a sound before a small, metal marble dropped down from above. It gradually rolled along the track and fell on the floor. The wooden tes rapidly fell like dominos. Subsequently, the entire 14th floor lit up. It was a spacious and barren room without any form of cover in sight. The dominos were still falling. Afterward, the word "death" appeared on the ground. "Dramatic." Eason rolled his eyes. Zion furrowed his brows and nced around the entire floor carefully. "Something''s not right." "Twinkle, twinkle, little star..." A young girl''s voice rang out from the empty space. A small distance ahead, a girl in a red dress was ying with marbles on the floor. "Hey, little missy!" Eason yelled. She didn''t seem to be able to hear him and continued ying with her marbles. "I''ll go check it out." Zion wanted to cross the red beam of light in order to check on the girl. "It''s a hologram," Steven said, holding Zion back. "That girl is a hologram." Zion halted and stared at Steven in bewilderment. "Has hologram technology be so advanced?" "Light, setting, where we''re positioned-that''s why it looks so realistic," Eason exined. Michael picked up a stone from the ground and threw it in the direction of the girl. As expected, it went right through her body. It was clear that it was indeed a hologram. "That lunatic gathered us here to watch a movie?" Eason scoffed, frowning. Joel remained silent at the side. Since Carol''s death, he''d begun acting like a different person. He was no longer as energetic as he used to be. It was like he constantly had something on his mind. "What''s wrong with the kid? Did the chainsaws spook him?" Eason asked Steven in a hushed voice. Steven ignored him. "He''s been like this since Carol died..." Eason mumbled. He felt a chill down his back. He lifted his head and took a closer look at Joel. Joel remained silent with his head lowered. "Simmy..." All of a sudden, Carol''s voice rang out from the barren hallway. At the end of the hallway, the woman stood there drenched in blood, smiling as she called out Simeon''s name. Everyone was shocked. "Hell... He even used Al to bring back the dead? Are these lunatics technology to show off orText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. S?" Eason something?" Eason grumbove ingen swer However, Joel froze at the sight. He then instinctively dashed past the red beam toward the end of the hallway. "Joel!" I wanted to grab him, but it was toote. He had already rushed in. Steven frowned. Joel ran for a bit before he stepped on some sort of trap. He turned around and looked at Steven. He furrowed his eyebrows, his expression turning grim. "That... isn''t a hologram," he said. Steven''s expression darkened as well. I didn''t quite understand what Joel meant. I was just about to ask when the floor beneath his feet swiftly opened. He fell in, and the floor closed up again. "Joel!" we all screamed, but there were only echoes in the empty space. My breathing hastened as I stared at Steven. Joel just fell in. We did not even know if he was alive. In the distance, Carol slowly left our field of vision. Before she left, she turned around and shed everyone a smile. The smile was horrifying. Quinn sobbed out loud, "Carol...." She wanted to go over too, but I reached out and held her back. She stared at me with reddened eyes and said, "Carol looks so lonely. I want to go keep herpany." Frowning, I cautiously nced around as I kept my hold on Quinn. Not to my surprise, some sort of velmet white gas was being emitted the ceiling. It was causing hallucinations, making people walk forward involuntarily. "Steven..." My voice was slightly weakened. Zion shook his head vigorously. "Hold your breath... Rachel." However, Rachel''s gaze was fixated on what was ahead. "Stephie... They''re calling me, Stephie..." I mustered all my strength to restrain her, but she''d fallen under the gas'' influence anyway. Chapter 418 Under the projector, Stephanie Carlson... AKA "me" stood, well and alive. She shed us a smile and opened her mouth. "Michael... will you marry me?" I nced at Michael. He was influenced as well and started making his way forward. Afraid that he''d also be affected, I held onto Steven anxiously. Thankfully, he was immune. He held me in his arms and whispered, "It must be a fake if the first person you call out to is Michael. If it were actually you, you''d definitely call out my name first." I leaned against his shoulder in resignation. "How could you be jealous at a time like this?" "Rachel..." Zion pulled her back, but she was adamant about moving forward. She walked toward the hologram and reached out to touch "Stephanie". "I''m sorry, Stephie," she choked out the words. "I should''ve brought you away sooner." The floor abruptly opened up again with a loud snap. Rachel fell down as well.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. There was the sound of machinery. Everyone could hear it. They could hear the screams. Afterward, they smelled the blood. Then, blood started oozing out from the tiles where Joel and Rachel fell. I tried to hold onto Steven''s cor. My heart was beating rapidly, and my entire body was shaking. It was that feeling again... The same feeling where I''d go mad from despair, but I couldn''t do anything at all. My chest was numb yet aching at the same time. I wanted to cry, scream, and go insane. "Steven..." My voice was hoarse. It felt suffocating, but I had no energy to fight back. I was desperately trying to hold Michael back. Steven reached out and helped me restrain him. Michael regained his senses. His breathing was rapid. Yasmin appeared to be influenced and tried to walk forward as well. Michael grabbed her and yelled solemnly, "Get a hold of yourself, Yasmin!" After seeing Rachel fall down with his own eyes, Zion went mad and tried to go over as well. He only regained his senses after Eason punched him. Quinn was sobbing on the floor. Everyone was in despair. What did it feel like to watch the people you cared about-your friends, the ones you loved-fall into an abyss and die a horrific death in front of you? "Can you feel it? This is despair. It''s suffocation, sadness, pain, struggle, and anger..." The girl under the projectorughed eerily, as though she was provoking us. "And the lot of you, you''re cowards." I clenched my fists tightly. My entire body was shaking, but I didn''t know how to express my emotions. Was it anger? Was it pain? What kind of feeling was this? "She''s dead... She was your best friend," the girl taunted me. The floorboards opened up, and she held up a bloody head. It was Rachel''s head... "I''ll kill all of you!" Zion struggled against Eason''s restraint like a madman. Quinn was crying in despair. Zion was going mad. Eason was holding him with all his might. Yasmin hid in Michael''s arms, trembling. Michael was looking at me with bloodshot eyes. In that split moment, it was as though Steven''s heartbeat was all I could hear. "Monster, she''s a monster! An emotionless monster!" My head felt like it was about to split open from the pain. I fell onto my knees, panting. All the me and usations the children used to throw at me echoed in my ears. "Wendell, Stephie is an emotionless a I saw her kill that bird with wing with my own evewith my mother cried destely. "Stephie... She has no emotion. She never gets angry or feels afraid. She has no feelings." "Why did you kill that bird, Stephie?" Peter''s voice wasced with interrogation. "Its wings were broken. A bird with a l.ne broken wing only meant death. Instead of letting it die a painful death by predators and being fed on by insects, I wanted to help it..." "Stephie?" Steven was calling me. I snapped back into reality. I stared down at the girl who was taunting me with reddened eyes. I recognized her. The little girl in the red dress was me when I was younger. It was Stephanie as a child. "Stephie!" pushed Steven aside and crossed the red line. I stepped the tiles and walked toward the center step by step. Anger? I seemed to have felt it! Chapter 419 "Stephie!" Steven was yelling. He wanted to stop me, but Eason was hugging his legs, holding him back. Dragging the ax Joel left on the floor, I made my way down the hall. I stepped on the tiles one by one as though I knew that those weren''t a trap. Upon closer inspection, the trap was right above where the dominos fell. I walked toward the center and looked up at the projector. Furious, I smashed it. The projector was destroyed. The girl who was projected slowly blurred and then disappeared. However, she soon reappeared from the projector on the right. "Congrattions, Stephie. You''ve learned how to be angry." She was mocking me. She was trying to provoke me. I broke one projector after another before slumping listlessly on the floor. After all the projectors were gone, the bloody head on the floor slowly dissipated as well. It was a hologram; it wasn''t actually Rachel''s head. But I had to admit, they actually managed to anger me. I got up and started axing the floor, trying to create an opening. I desperately wed at the tiles until my hands bled. "Rachel..." I cried, my tears dripping onto the tiles. "Rach!" I screamed and cried her name as I tried to pry the tiles open like a madwoman. Come out... Don''t die. Steven pushed Eason aside. He followed the marks on the floor and made his way over. He tried to stop me but was pushed aside. I felt numb as my tears fell onto the ground. Through the gap, I could see Rachel down the abyss. She was barely alive, and she looked as though she was about to drown in a pool of blood. Yet, I couldn''t save her. "Have you lost all hope, Stephie? Does it feel suffocating?" The voice rang out again. "You''re human, and humans have feelings and desires." Hopeless? Was this what hopelessness felt like? I pounded on the floor with fists as Steven tightly embraced me from the back.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. I watched through the gap between the tiles as Rachel was swallowed by the red pool of blood. I couldn''t save her. This was what despair felt like. "This is just the beginning, Stephanie... You''ve just lost friend. Soon, you''ll lose a lot more," the eerie voice echoed. Cet The people behind the incident on the 14th floor were after me all along! "Come out! I''m going to kill you, I''m going to kill you!" I screamed y while looking at surroundings. I wanted to kill someone. I wanted to kill her... My entire body was shaking. I couldn''t hold back my tears. The time I spent with Rachel all these years shed in my head. "If we never end up getting married, let''s spend the rest of our lives together, Stephie. "Stephie... I don''t want to get married. I want to spend my days with you. "What''s so great about Michael, Stephie? Can you not like him anymore? "Let''s go shopping, Stephie. "Hi, Stephanie. My name is Rachel Qualls. I just transferred here too. "We''ll be ssmates from now on. Can we be friends? "Stephanie?" I cried out in despair, my entire body shaking. Steven stayed silent and held me tightly. He could feel my pain. Even if I didn''t say a single thing, he was the one who was the most attuned to my feelings. I wasn''t emotionless, nor did I sense how desires. I just didn''t k express myself. belongs to Cok And Steven was the only one who understood me. "I''m here, Stephie," heforted me with a hoarse voice. He was the one who told me he''d always be there for me. Chapter 420 He stayed by my side all these years. Michael and Eason were violently knocking on the tiles, trying to get Joel out. However, I couldn''t pry them open, and neither could they. Zion knelt on the floor, his hands covered in blood. His fingers were still in the gap in the floor tiles, adamant about getting them open. He screamed and struggled in despair. My numbed senses seemed to have gradually sharpened. This was what despair felt like. I knew it for a fact-this was despair. "The first person who triggers the destructive mechanism can get out of here alive. The price being... everyone else will end up dead," the creepy voice said once again. I instinctively looked toward the far end. Taylor, who was usually unnoticeable, had already run to the end of the hall without us knowing. He stared at the red button on the wall. Then, he turned to look at us with a shaky gaze. "Press it and the exit will appear," the voice said, tempting him to press it. Everyone held their breath and stared cautiously at Taylor. He shook his head, sobbing. "I''m sorry, I''m so sorry. I''m too afraid. I want to leave. I''m so sorry..." This was human nature-sacrificing everyone else was a valid option if it meant one could live. "Taylor!" Quinn screamed his name while crying. But he pressed the button anyway. "I know I''ve made mistakes in the past, but I''ve corrected them," Taylor cried, shaking his head. "I''ve been doing endless good deeds thesest few years in order to make up for my mistakes." He continued, "I know I shouldn''t have left Steve and Simmy to fend for themselves during the fire, but what choice did I have... "I wasn''t as strong as them. I just wanted to live. Where''s the fault in that? All these years, I''ve worked hard at my job in order to live life like a regr person. Why was I brought to a ce like this? Why?" He screamed and cried in agony. Subsequently, he bolted for the exit without hesitation as soon as it appeared. "Autonomous device, on." Just as Steven grabbed my hand and wanted to escape, a metal barricade dropped down where the exit was. We were all trapped inside. There was no way out. Behind us, the lights dimmed. Countless red sensor beams were aimed directly at each and every one of our foreheads and chests. I knew for a fact that there were multiple machine guns being operated in the dark. There was nowhere to run or hide. "Let''s y a game." The creepy girl reappeared in the dark. She smiled at me and said, "Stephie, between him and him, only one can stay alive. It''s your pick. I''ll give you 20 seconds." She was pointing at Steven and Michael. She wanted me to pick one survivor between them. My entire body was shaking as I clenched my fists. An impulse to destroy everything was brewing from my anger. I shot a furious look in the direction of the camera. "I''m going to kill you..." "I''m helping you out, Stephie. I''m helping you figure out where your heart lies," the little girl said with smile. "Don''t you want to know if you love Steven or Michael?" "Counting down-20... 19, 18, 17..."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Neither Michael nor Steven spoke. They just stared at me in silence. I knew that they were also waiting for my decision. I lifted the ax and swung it down onto the projector. "How dare you tell me what to do," I said in a low voice. Before the countdown ended, I ran diagonally toward the wall in front. Stepping off the wall at the side, I jumped up and tore the infrared sensor down. I smashed it on the ground. Eason pulled Zion and Quinn out of the way and promptly moved away from their original position. Steven and Michael quickly stepped aside as well. The machine guns started shooting in the pre-aimed direction. Without the ansor, they could only firee 1.9 around blind and aimlessly, "Stephie." Amidst the chaos, Steven found the switch for the metal barricade. He guided me away from the line of fire as we escaped. "Stephie!" Michael had also gotten out. He wanted to reach for my hand, but Steven quickly pulled it away. Breathing rapidly, he hugged me and shot a provocative gaze at Michael. "I''d like to know as well, Stephie," he said. "Who would you pick between me and Michael..." Furious, Michael red at him. "Are you crazy? We don''t have time for this. Go!" Dragging a dazed Zion in one hand and a shocked Quinn in another, Eason also headed for the exit. Yasmin, on the other hand, was extremely lucky to be alive. Michael had to guarantee her safety in order to find out about the Genome Society''s secrets. I couldn''t believe she made it to the 14th floor. "Would you pick me, Stephie?" Like an upset child, Steven asked stubbornly with his red eyes. Chapter 421 Michael leaned on the wall at the side like he was injured. "Michael..." Yasmin called out his name nervously. I lifted my head and looked at him. His gaze was fixated on me. It looked like he wanted to know my answer as well. "Let''s hurry. Michael is hurt." Yasmin looked at me angrily as though I was the one prompting this argument. I looked back at Steven and asked quizzically, "Why wouldn''t I pick you? You''re my legal husband." Steven froze for a moment before his eyes lit up.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. He looked toward Michael as if to gloat, the triumph evident in his expression. Michael''s fists tightened, and his expression seemed to have paled slightly. "You heard her. She only picked you because of the marriage certificate." He scoffed. "We''re not getting a divorce," he dered gleefully while hugging me. He didn''t look like someone who almost died at all. I felt a bit numb. I stared at Steven with furrowed brows but remained silent. Seeming to notice the shift in my mood, Michael said, "Rachel was her best friend. Joel was one of your people as well. Is this all you care about when they just died down there? How cold-hearted do you have to be? What a lunatic." He was trying to cause a rift between us as Zion''s emotions were also suppressed to their limit. At the side, Quinn was still crying. Everyone was submerged in sadness, including myself. Eason opened his mouth to speak but ultimately chose to remain silent as well. This time, no one was on Steven''s side. Steven did seem like he wasn''t sad about the situation at all, though. "He''s actually a lunatic. What a heartless monster," Yasmin berated him. Steven nced at Michael. Michael''s anger. to stoves were filled with e was very evidently everyone''s emotions along. "Carol... is gone. Joel and Rachel are also gone," Quinn sobbed out the words. Everyone''s sadness peaked after her words. They all stared at Steven who didn''t appear visibly upset. In that split moment, I felt the prejudice that was cast upon Stephanie back then. It was as if not knowing how to express sadness made you a monster. "Let''s go..." Eason broke the awkwardness and tried to get everyone to leave. Steven turned to look at me again. It looked I was still the one he fost concerned with. He wanas what I thought of him. Did he deserve to be discriminated against or berated just because he wasn''t collectively in despair? He might not care about what the rest thought, but he cared about my opinion. I didn''t offer any words offort, but I tightened my grip on his hand. "Do you really not care about Joel''s life, Steven?" Eason, however, suddenly asked. "I only care about Stephie." Steven seemed like he was upset as he pulled me into his chest. He should''ve known what the others would think of him if he said things like that. "Ha... What an actual lunatic," Yasmin mocked before reaching for Michael''s arm and turning to leave. "You to an on''t need to exin yourself I said softly. Then, lifted my hand to pat Steven''s head. He shouldn''t even say anything out of spite. Faced with usations and those who disagreed with you, any form of exnation was pointless. Chapter 422 Because they wouldn''t understand. Steven''s grip on my hand slowly tightened, and his eyes welled up slightly with tears. He looked like he''d been wronged but was trying his best to suppress his emotions. "Why should we be upset... They''re not going to die," he said. "They''re only sad because they''re stupid," he mumbled. Michael furrowed his brows and turned to look at Steven. Zion''s gaze also violently snapped in our direction. He tugged on Steven''s wrist nervously and asked, "What do you mean?" "Joel... won''t die. He has his own ideas. He just wants to test out his theory." Steven pulled his hand back. Under everyone''s gaze, he looked at me nervously. "Let''s go, Stephie. I want to go home." He didn''t want to exin, and he couldn''t be bothered to exin either. I understood. In the eyes of regr people, those with unusual personalities like me and Steven were considered aliens. Our mere existence felt alien. Deep down, Steven understood that Rachel and Joel might still be alive. However, he couldn''t exin as they weren''t on the same level of understanding. Even if he did exin... they might not even believe him. They would only understand once we got out of here and saw them alive before us. "Rachel won''t die?" Zion asked nervously. "Exin yourself, Steve." "If she''s innocent, then she won''t die." Steven looked at him. "Are you confident that she is?" Zion knitted his brows together. "She''s definitely innocent." "There are only a few types of people that were taken here. The ones responsible for the incident at the orphanage are all evil-none of them will get away with it. "The rest are police. You, Eason, and Rachel are all considered witnesses. As long as you''re not running head first into the gun barrel like some idiot... the ones behind all of this won''t really harm you." I lifted my head to look at the direction of the camera. Then, I exined on Steven''s behalf. "Another type would be the ones behind all of this, or the ones controlling everything." My gaze fell on Yasmin. "Take her, for example. The fact that she''s still alive isn''t sheer luck. It''s because she''s under Peter Jones'' protection. "The masterminds didn''t orchestrate this horror game to kill anyone, they did it to taunt. They want to taunt the people behind Yasmin, the kidnappers, and the human traffickers. Genome modification could involve countless of those involved in various crimes." I continued, "At the same time, they also want to mock. They''re revealing the truth bit by bit. This way, they''re mocking the capabilities of so-called criminal experts like Eason." I frowned and looked toward Eason. The man in question opened his mouth and wanted to retort, but he lowered his head again sheepishly. "I didn''t expect human traffickers to be involved with gic crimes..." he said. "Stupid," Steven added. Eason gritted his teeth and W him. He was afraid of getting hit by Steven, hit by Steven, though. Hence, he swallowed his annoyance. "So... Steven isn''t sad because he bent. He believes that s that both Joel and Rachet are the end, they''ll both still be alive. S "They just ended this game earlier than us. They''re safer than we are at the moment." I held onto Steven''s hand tightly. To be honest, before his exnation, I was also blinded by the tricks that the masterminds were using. His words made mee to a sudden realization. "What about Carol?" Michael asked. "Isn''t she innocent as well? We vele the chainsaw go through her stomach with our own eyes before she disappeared into the trap." I froze and didn''t respond. Carol... was indeed not within my expectations. "Carol is innocent," Quinn choked out. "She''s a good person. She''s been protecting me all these years." "In this building, all we can see is what the game makers want us to see," Steven said in a low voice. Holding my hand, he made his way to the front. "Move," he said coldly as we passed by Michael. Michael took a look at the spacious pathway. His position wasn''t causing a blockage in any way. Steven obviously did it on purpose. "Steven Lincoln!" he barked. "Let''s go." I tugged on Steven''s arm resignedly. "Why are you always picking on him?" "He just irks me," Steven grumbled in response. I didn''t know what to do with him. I had just taken a few steps forward when I heard a hiss from Michael.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "I''m hurt, Stephie." He leaned on the wall. He had also started putting on an act. "He''s been shot!" Eason gaped after checking out the wound. "Why didn''t you say anything earlier!" Chapter 423 "I didn''t feel it earlier. The pain just kicked in." Michael leaned against the wall. Her eyes reddened, and Yasmin said angrily, "Liar... You only got hit by a stray bullet because you were trying to protect her!" She then shot me a nasty re, as if telling me that I was nothing but trouble. I looked at Michael as he lifted his head to return my gaze. His eyes were bloodshot. He leaned on the wall and repeatedly drew deep breaths because of the pain. "Apply pressure to stop the blood. Then, let''s just get out of here as soon as possible." I wanted to go check on his wound, but Steven was holding onto the corner of my shirt. He looked at me with a pouty expression. He didn''t want me to care for Michael. To my surprise, I actually... didn''t feel like doing so anymore. "Ouch..." Yasmin wanted to touch Michael''s wound, and he cried out in pain. "Without Rachel here, no one else has any medical knowledge. You''ll have to endure the pain." Eason patted him on the arm. "Stephie, you minored in medicine. Help me stop the blood." He insisted that I tended to him. I walked over and took a closer look at his wound. "I thought you were going to die. Turns out you''ve just been scraped by a stray bullet." Steven rolled his eyes. He was still holding onto my shirt, and I practically had to drag him over. Michael was trying to suppress his anger. I felt like the pair would end up in a fight sooner orter. "The wound is on your arm, and it''s not that deep. You''ll live." I walked over to tear off a piece of Yasmin''s shirt to bandage his arm. "What are you doing?" She stared at me in shock. "Don''t you love him? You should feel overjoyed that I''m using your clothes to dress his wound," I said nkly, tying the fabric around Michael''s arm with more force than necessary. Michael almost toppled over from the pain. His eyes reddened, and he looked a bit hurt. Furious, Yasmin turned and walked off on her own. Zion and Eason followed after her out of concern for her safety. Quinn took a quick look around before going after them. "Stephie... I''m only keeping her around because I want to know the truth..." Michael pulled on my hand and tried to exin. "Can you forgive me this once..." "No, she can''t!" Steven swatted his hand away. "You''re so shameless." I had a feeling that if the marriage papers were in Steven''s hands right now, he''d p them on Michael''s face. "Steven Lincoln! Don''t push it." Michael wanted to get physical with Steven. I promptly put my arms around Steven. "Get out of here. Does this look like a ce for brawling?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "You''re biased, Stephie. You''re stopping me." His acting was top-notch. Even his eyes welled up with tears. "I''m stopping you out of fear that you''ll beat him to death..." I sighed and tried to pull him away from the scene. I didn''t know what was wrong with Michael either. He remained glued to the floor. Based on on the way he was acting, probably wouldn''t budge if I over and drag him with me. "Are youing or not?" I turned around and asked. "Stephie... you still love me, right?" Michael asked softly. "No," I replied bluntly. "I don''t believe you," he refused. "I don''t you don''t." I walked off, pulling Steven along. "Live, want to leave." bay in heir, go if s to Co That method worked wonders. Michael then swiftly caught up with us. Steven looked at him tauntingly, as if mocking him for not knowing his ce. "Do you love him then, Stephie?" Michael asked on purpose. I paused. How... did love feel like again? At the moment, I only knew of pain and despair. The concept of love was very foreign. I only knew that I wanted to protect Steven. I knew that... I had started to rely on him. I gravitated toward him unconsciously and didn''t want to let him out of my sight. "She loves me!" Steven answered for me. Michael scoffed. He raised an Confidently. "We''re b fighting on equal grounds. belongs to wincont "Are you high? We''re legally married." Steven looked at Michael like he was an idiot. Michael drew a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Divorce is always an option." "We''re not getting a divorce!" The pair started arguing. They were both frankly quite immature. I retracted my wrist from Steven''s hand and swiftly marched toward Zion and the rest. Michael and Steven were still arguing at the back. Some bickering was kind of nice as well... The atmosphere didn''t seem as tense anymore. "Is this the 13th floor?" Zion looked at the solid wall in front of us and patted it. "They''re not going to let us in?" Chapter 424 The words "13th floor" were written on the wall. But there was no way to get in. "Where''s Taylor? He ran off earlier. Where could he have gone?" Quinn asked curiously. Eason checked the wall carefully. "It''s a solid wall-no gaps, no way to move it. It''s stuck in ce." I patted the wall and looked back at the exit stairway leading downstairs. "Can''t we just walk down?" The 13th floor was blocked off. Were we supposed to go straight to 12? No more games? "She''s my wife." "Divorce is an option." "I''m not getting a divorce." Behind me, Steven and Michael were still debating about the possibility of a divorce... I sighed. The air around us became tense. "Get over here!" Steven ran over staggeredly. "Honey..." "Figure out what''s going on." I feel like I wasn''t even as smart as Steven was at the moment. My memories had notpletely recovered, so my brain was still a bit of a mush. Steven was overjoyed that he could be of service to me. "The 13th floor is blocked off. There''s probably something that we''re not supposed to see in there. Let''s just go straight down to 12. "I want to get out of here, not look at what each floor has to offer." Steven started making his way downstairs while holding my hand. The safe passage led straight to the 12th floor. Everyone seemed to be curious about what was on the 13th floor and why it was blocked off. As the saying went, curiosity killed the cat. "What''s on the 13th? Why is it off limits?" Eason asked curiously. "There''s a secret passageway that leads straight to the first floor. How else did you think the people behind this got up?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "The 13th floor is the control hub for the entire building. It''s where they controlled the holograms on the 14th floor as well. It''s also where the people who fell through the floor ended up at," Steven exined. Of course, they needed a control center for such a huge building. Especially with the amount of technology set up on the 14th. An entire floor was needed to store all the necessary equipment. Zion caught the main point and looked at Steven with a bright expression. "So, Rachel and Joel might''ve just fallen down and are actually still alive? They just wanted us to feel sad and hopeless?" "I''m not sure. I can only tell you that innocent people won''t die." Steven shook his head. Everyone fell under the influence of the gas back then. If all of us had crossed the red line and fallen, those who were guilty would''ve been immediately killed off by the people downstairs. On the other hand, those who weren''t supposed to die would''ve been set free in advance. If Joel and Rachel were indeed innocent, they wouldn''t need to worry about their lives being in danger. However, it seemed like Steven didn''t trust anyone... "So, what we need to do now is get out of here alive as soon as possible. Eason nodded. "Else, we''ll get the police to surround the area andunch an investigation. I''m sure we''ll be able to find some clues." The lights on the 12th floor abruptly came on following a sinisterugh. "How naive," the eerie voice rang out again. "Wee to the 12th floor. You must be hungry. The food on the table was specifically prepared for all of you." Without the reminder, I hadn''t even realized that I was parched and starving. Humans tended to get elevated adrenaline levels when they were focused on survival. Upon the reminder, I suddenly felt like I was dying from hunger. "Some of the food in front of you contains deadly poison. You''ll die if you happen to ingest any. Who among the lot of you is nning to be the first to take a bite?" the voice asked with augh. I cast a nce at Taylor, who was lying listlessly on the floor. He probably ran in and started munching, which was why was poisoned to death. The food he ate must have been poisoned. If we were to calcte the possibility, the remaining ones would be... "Here, Stephie." I hadn''t even started calcting before Steven walked over and took a bite out of a loaf of bread. He handed it to me after making sure it wasn''tced with poison. Everyone was stunned speechless. Eason gave Steven a thumbs-up. "My friend... My brother, could you help me take a bite of this?" Steven shot him an uninterested look. "You''re not worthy." Everyone was hesitating. They stood staring at the entire table filled with food, unable to muster up the courage to eat any. "Don''t you love Michael Ford, Ms. Bailey? Why don''t you help him test for poison?" The voice chuckled. To everyone''s surprise, she named Yasmin. Yasmin was slightly panicking as she stared nervously at Michael. On top of his excessive blood loss, Michael was struggling to stand upright from hunger. He sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. "It turns out that Ms. Bailey doesn''t love Mr. Ford, after all." The eerie voiceughed out loud. "Are you willing to take a bite of the food for the one you love, Mr. Ford?" She directed her attention to Michael instead. The man in question cast me a nce before reaching out to pick up a waffle. Then, he took a bite. After making sure it wasn''t poisoned, he handed it to me. "Just eat it yourself," I said through gritted teeth. "Mr. Landon, what if I told you... I''ll grant you a wish if you get something to eat? Would you do it?" the voice was asking Zion now. Zion furrowed his brows and picked up an apple from the table. "Give me Rachel back." "Sure, as long as you eat it." We were gambling with our lives to prove our sincerity. The amount of food that was safe to consume gradually grew less. That only meant that the probability of choosing something that was poisoned had increased. Chapter 425 Without any hesitation, Zion took a bite of the apple. After a while, he realized that he felt nothing. He had made the right choice. The voice couldn''t help butugh. Everyone looked around curiously at the surveince cameras around. Something felt off about the operator on this floor. "Now, Mr. Eason Grant, do you have a wish?" The voice pointed Eason out again. Eason pointed at himself and said, "Who, me? A wish? Send Joel back too, then." As if the person was holding back theirughter, they said, "If I may ask, would Mr. Eason Grant dare to finish the remaining food on the table? From what I know, there''s a high chance that the remaining food is poisonous." Eason frowned, then turned around to look at Steven and I. He grumbled, "Is this person crazy? Is he mocking me?" Steven nodded solemnly. "Yeah. He''s looking down on you, but I don''t know why you''re letting him do it." That was a very somber way to provoke somebody. I couldn''t help butugh. Steven stared at me in amusement for a while. Provoked, Eason grabbed a bottle of milk from the table. "If I die, I die. Everyone dies in the end, but I don''t want to die." And so, Eason took a sip of the milk with a straw. To his surprise, he survived. Steven looked at Eason as if he was an idiot. Steven shook his head and whispered to me, "Do you see that? We''re both students of the advanced ss, but we''re very different." I nodded solemnly too. Just as the voice was about to speak, Taylor, who had been "dead", gradually regained consciousness.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. In a feeble voice, he said, "Water..." Quinn hid behind Zion in fear. "H-He''s alive!" Finally, the voice couldn''t help but break outughing. With the voice changer, it sounded eerie. "He simply choked because he was being too greedy! None of the food is poisonous." Zion frowned, finally realizing that something didn''t add up. He looked at the camera warily. Suddenly, the ceiling opened up, and Rachel popped her head out. "You guys are so funny!" Zion looked at Rachel in shock. "Rachel..." Behind her, Joel poked his head out and mocked Eason, "You''re still dumb, as always." Eason almost choked on the milk. "The fuck? What''s going on?" "Somebody took us away after we fell into that trap. I passed out, but strong man Joel held his breath, se he remained conscious. He dealt with the people down there. When I woke up, I discovered the control panel on this floor!" Rachel continued tough heartily. Meanwhile, Zion''s expression was grim. "Hurry ande down. It''s not safe there." Rachel continued shaking her legs as she sat up there. "Mr. Zion Landon, are you worried about me?" Then, sheughed. Zion huffed in dissatisfaction, but he remained quiet. "Why don''t you alle up and have a look? There''s a tunnel that leads straight to the first floor," said Rachel, holding back herughter. "How do we get up there?" asked Quinn, who was nervous about the height. "I found a rope. I''ll pull all of you up." Joel tossed the rope down. Taylor, who escaped prior, felt guilty. He had been hiding in the back and staying silent. "Wait. Let us eat first." Steven took a piece of bread and took a bite. He continued, "We need stamina." Everyone else walked over and began eating too. "Zion, I want an apple. Pass one over," Rachel ordered Zion with a smile. Zion huffed again, but he picked up an apple anyway and gestured to throw it to Rachel. "I don''t want that one. It doesn''t look sweet," Rachel said coyly. "How can you tell?" Zion asked. "I want the one that you had. Since you y took a bite, you mustet Fit''s sweet," Rachel saide ? cheekily. Zion paused. Then, his ears became bloodshot. He was shy because of how Rachel was teasing him. Chapter 426 "Steven, give me an apple." Joel couldn''t bear to watch further, so he decided to ask Steven to toss him food. But Steven had no time to respond to Joel. Steven took a bite out of every piece of food, making sure that it wasn''t poisonous before giving them to me. "He''s lovestruck..." Joel rolled his eyes, then threw something at Eason, who was drinking milk with bread. "You, give me some food." Eason nced at Joel, then gave him a piece of bread. Joel said, "Since you intended to save me earlier, I''ll pull you up first." Eason grimaced at Joel. He wondered if high schoolers nowadays were all like Joel. "You should worry about escaping. You have the college entrance exams to sit for." Hearing that, Joel''s expression darkened. He snorted. When they were almost done eating, Joel put the rope down for Eason to climb up. Since Eason had received professional training, he easily climbed up the rope. Zion quickly followed suit. After the two went up, we told them to pull Quinn up first. "Stephie, go up." Steven wanted me to go up first. I didn''t reject that idea. I wrapped the rope around my wrist and started climbing up. "Not bad," Eason teased. I turned around to look at Steven, but it seemed like he was about to fight Michael.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Are you guysing?" I asked. "The control panel for the 12th floor is on the 13th floor, which means we''ve only temporarily escaped the mastermind''s control. Once they discover us, we won''t be able to leave." Steven understood what I meant, so he tossed the rope to Michael. Michael did not expect Steven to let him go est. But since he had a injured arm, he hung onto using his other arm and up. When Michael got pulled up, I offered a helping hand as apanion. Everyone else pulled him too. It wasn''t me pulling him up on my own... But Michael insisted on provoking Steven by grabbing my hand and refusing to let go. I thought that both of them were childish. I shook Michael off and looked at Steven, who seemed woeful. "Come on up." Steven cooly climbed upward. But ? just as his hand reached the edge of the ceiling, he stuck his head out and said woefully, "Stephie, my wound hurts..." He was reminding me that he was injured too. So, I smiled and stretched my hand toward him. He obediently put his hand in mine and allowed me to pull him up. Eason and Joel wanted to help, but Steven ignored them. The truth was Steven hade up with his own strength, yet he still wanted to pretend to be weak by leaning against me. Then, hedooked at Michael provocatively. S I knew all his childish tricks, but I didn''t expose him. Downstairs, Yasmin panicked. She shouted, "Michael..." She was afraid that nobody would rescue her. But she was right... Rachel retracted the rope. Rachel rolled her eyes and said, "She''s the worst. She can rot alone." "Michael..." Yasmin was pale. She looked at Michael nervously. He was the only person who could decide if she got a chance at survival. Behind Yasmin was Taylor, whose head hung low as he stood there feeling hopeless. He escaped the 14th floor in exchange for everyone else''s lives. He was certain... that they would not save him. "Pull him up," said Zion, pointing at Taylor. Zion wasn''t a saint, but he simply couldn''t stand idly by. All lives were equal before his eyes, after all. Chapter 427 Taylor was surprised. He looked up at Zion. Then, he looked down and softly said, "I''m sorry..." He apologized. But sometimes, an apology would mean nothing to the actual hurt that was caused. If everyone had died on the 14th floor, Taylor would''ve been a selfish murderer. Rachel reluctantly put the rope down. Yasmin, who had a strong will to live, hurriedly grabbed the rope first. She looked at Michael nervously. "Michael... You know I can''t die." "Yasmin works for Peter. He knows of the secret behind the Godmaker Project," Michael said. He nced at me, waiting for my approval. "Even if she dies today, I''m confident that we can still discover the truth," I said inly. "Yeah, we can figure it out," Steven agreed. With her voice trembling, Yasmin said fearfully, "Stephany Larson... don''t cross the line." "I''m crossing the line?" Iughed, looking down at Yasmin. "Back when you baited Stephanie Carlson out, causing her to die at the hands of the killer, did you ever think that you were crossing the line?" Yasmin''s expression became increasingly grim; she looked at Michael nervously, asking for help. Rachel scoffed. "It''s karma. Did you imagine this day toe when you made Stephie die?" Rachel grudgingly continued, "Taylor Barlowe, hurry on up. Otherwise, you can die with her." Taylor came forward, but Yasmin was still holding the rope. Since he was desperate to live, I expected Taylor to push Yasmin away so that he could climb up, but he didn''t. He looked at us with a conflicted expression. Perhaps luck was not the only thing that helped Taylor get this far... I wondered if the mastermind saw hope in him. Suddenly, a robotic voice began to announce, "Beep! Automatic self-destruct device activated on 12th floor..." Everyone tensed up immediately. As the timer ended, cracks appeared across the floor, and the 12th floor began to copse. "Hurry ande up!" Zion and Eason shouted panickedly. Amidst the panic, Taylor still let Yasmin go up first. "Taylor!" Zion shouted. Taylor fell into the wreckage. He started to bleed from his mouth as the rubble fell on him. Teary-eyed, he looked at us and said in a choked-up voice, "I really just... wanted to live... I''m sorry, I''m really sorry... I just wanted to live..." He simply wanted to live. "Grab this!" After Yasmin was pulled up, Zion tossed the rope down. Taylor reached out as he cried. He caught the rope when the floor copsedpletely. "When I was born, my biological mother abandoned me... She was a university student and had a premarital pregnancy...Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "I heard from the director that she may have given birth to me in the washroom of a shopping mall or some small polyclinic. She abandoned me in the washroomter. "It was quite a big issue then. A couple who couldn''t conceive adopted me, and they treated me well at first. Up until when I was ten years old, I still believed that they were my biological parents. "But when I turned ten, they conceived a pair of twins. They couldn''t afford to raise three children... "So, they put me in the orphanage. They said that they weren''t abandoning me. They imed they did it because of the financial burden and promised to bring me home when things improved..." Taylor was injured. After he got up, he narrated his past as his trembling body leaned against the wall. His chest was heaving abnormally. I could tell that his ribs must''ve been broken. If he did not receive treatment soon, the broken ribs may pierce through his lungs... and he might die. "I waited for them at the orphanage. One day... Two days... Three days... I waited. I just wanted to live. I wanted to wait until my parents came to pick me up... "But no, they even moved. They went somewhere where I couldn''t find them... They didn''t want me anymore. "The orphanage was a much scarier ce than expected. Children whocked discipline from their parents were like sprouts with bad roots, growing without restraints. "I had received ten years of education, so knew what was right and wrong I knew that I couldn''t be a part of them, but I didn''t dare to defy them. They would beat me up... If I wasn''t on their side, they would exclude and marginalize me..." Taylor''s chest began to heave harder. Chapter 428 I pressed on Taylor''s chest so that he would lie down.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Stop talking..." "I was lucky. I wasn''t special, so they always targeted... the two geniuses who didn''t fit in..." As Taylor spoke, he began to cough up more blood. I wondered if his ribs had already pierced through his lungs. "On that day when they were going tomit arson... I was scared. I heard their ns, but I hesitated. I wasn''t sure if I should tell both of them... "I felt guilty, so I secretly told Steven. I told him to escape with Simeon... That they should leave the orphanage since the rest were going tomit arson... "But Steven said that there was somebody that he was waiting for, so he refused to leave." Taylor looked at Steven. I also turned around to look at Steven. So did everyone else.... It turned out that someone had notified Steven of the arson beforehand. I wondered why Steven didn''t escape, causing Simeon''s death in the process. Steven stood in silence. He kept his head low, refusing to exin himself regarding the incident from years ago. After all, Steven... had his ws too. "Steven... Simeon could''ve escaped, but you insisted on staying. That''s why Simeon died, right?" Quinn asked, teary-eyed. "Carol said it was all Stephanie''s fault because she made you wait for her..." Everyone looked at Steven. Simeon died because he got held back. I wonder if Steven had been feeling guilty, hence spending years being homeless. He was punishing himself by staying guard at the orphanage. "What do you know?" Joel interjected, his breath quickening as he tried to say something. "We have to leave soon..." Steven interrupted Joel. In response, Joel clenched his fists and stared at Steven. Without any exnation, Steven lowered his gaze and walked t the elevator. He checked if it bring us to the first floor. S As I stared at him, I sensed he felt lonely and hurt. He looked so... alone. It felt like he was trying to do something in his own world, but nobody supported or understood him. I thought he would''ve needed a hug or a kiss. No words were needed to exin or express my solidarity with him. "Let himy t and not move. We must carry him with us. I''m afraid bones have pierced taidet hi said softly. I touched Taylor''s chest and continued, "Stop talking. I know you just wanted to live. If you want to live... hang in there." Taylor eyes at till trembling, but his to lose focus. He looked suddenly grabbed hand with his bloodied fingers. "Stephanie... I''m sorry... I''m sorry..." I frowned. I couldn''t understand why he was apologizing to Stephanie. Zion and Eason made a makeshift stretcher and ced Taylor on it. I walked to Steven and gave him a backhug... "Steven, I''m so tired. I want to go home." Steven froze. He turned around to look at me, and his eyes were red. I wondered if he felt upset when he was misunderstood. I looked at his eyes and the tears in them. Suddenly, I couldn''t help myself but kiss him. Let us console and heal each others'' imperfect souls. Steven, my Steven. A voice from the depths of my soul told me... that I should trust and love Steven unconditionally. Because he was Steven. The one and only Steven. Chapter 429 "I hope you''ll stay alive." After Steven inspected the elevator, he looked at Taylor. He hoped for Taylor to stay alive. But I knew Steven wasn''t hoping for the individual, Taylor Barlowe, to be alive. Instead, he was hoping for humanity and innocence to stay alive. Humans were born kind... As long as one was not born evil, any average person should be allowed to make up for their mistakes. Taylor was the average person among the group of geniuses. He was going through the motions... He didn''t have the chance to make decisions for his life. He was average, yet he tried his best to stay alive... "When we get out..." Taylor said to Steven, smiling as blood continued to flow from his mouth. "If we survive... You should all buy insurance... from me." I smiled at Taylor. "Yeah. I''ll buy the most expensive personal ident insurance policy." Taylor smiled at me, but his eyes began to lose focus. In the end, he passed out. Zion looked away, then pressed the elevator button to the first floor. If we could make it out alive... we should live a good life. We should appreciate the people around us and also appreciate every new day. Suddenly, the elevator halted on the tenth floor.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. I nced at everyone else in the elevator. After inspecting the control panel for the 13th floor, I found it was not connected to other floors. Simrly, Benjamin''s control room was not interlinked with other people''s control rooms either. Yet, the mastermind still found out about our intention to escape. That only pointed to one thing-there was a spy among us. Sparks flew along with the screeching sound that the elevator made. The light inside the elevator began to flicker. Out of reflex, Steven held my right hand while Michael held my left hand. I wanted to shake Michael''s hand off, but he refused to let go. The elevator stopped between the tenth and 11th floors. The door. opened to reveal a wall, which el looked exceptionally scary S "What do we do? Are we trapped in the elevator?" Quinn cried out of fear. She trembled and hid behind Eason and Zion. Rachel consoled her, "It''s fine. Don''t be scared, we''ll figure a way to get out." "We''re stuck on the nk floor," said Joel, frowning. He turned around to Steven. "What do we do now?" Suddenly, the elevator moved and began to drop rapidly. Steven embraced me and said, "Everyone, look at the sides of the elevator and squat down." Soon, the elevator stopped at the next nk floor. The door wouldn''t close, and sparks continued to fly. Quinn began to bawl from fear, and even Rachel hid in Zion''s arms fearfully. Eason turned pale from the shock. He cursed, "Crazy..." "Someone''s controlling the power source, When the electricity gets cut off. eel get stuck," I whispered. Then, I took a deep breath. "They''re trying to kill us," Eason cursed. "They''ve discovered us..." Joel warily scanned everyone in the elevator. "There must be a spy among us." On the 18th floor, the madman had also imed to be among us.... Now, many had died and sustained injuries. The surviving ones were familiar people, but the more familiar we were, the higher the possibility for the culprit to be among us. "Trust no one," Steven said in a low voice. "It''s you, isn''t it?" Rachel snarled at Yasmin. "Are you the one who''s trying to kill us?" Chapter 430 Yasmin copsed onto the ground, her face as white as a sheet. She had no energy to exin. "I already said that the elevator wasn''t safe..." "It must be her. She''s the most suspicious among us," Rachel snarled. She raised a foot as if she was going to kick Yasmin. Yasmin dived into Michael''s arms in fear, to which Michael looked at me out of reflex. I didn''t bother to respond. I got up and touched the wall. "Rachel Qualls, stop trying to stir the pot. You just think that I killed Stephanie Carlson! Why don''t you reflect on yourself? "You and Zion are suspicious too. You were dead, but now you''re alive!" Yasmin refuted angrily, clinging to Michael''s arm as she spoke. "Michael, don''t believe in what she said. It isn''t me." Yasmin seemed to be having an emotional breakdown. She was crying desperately. I looked at her and said, "You can cry louder. That way, we''ll die even sooner." Yasmin red at me as if she wished for me to die. But right now, she simply seemed like a joke to me. "If the culprit is among us, then it''s good news," I said calmly, consoling everyone. "At the very least, they wouldn''t be seeking death. That also means... the mastermind won''t let us fall to death in the elevator." I knew Yasmin wouldn''t have taken part in nning the killing game. It was because she didn''t have what it took. My words sessfully pacified the group. Quinn quietened down and hugged Rachel. The elevator went down slowly. It stopped on the seventh floor, which was in pitch-ck darkness. There was no light. "Well, none of that was in vain. We skipped quite a few floors, going from the 13th floor to the seventh floor," said Eason. He was trying to lighten the mood, but he dared not be the first to step out. Joel nced at Eason, who was clinging to his arm. Joel said, "You really live up to your name." Eason paused, then red at Steven. "You told the kid that?" To Eason, Joel was but a high school kid. Steven habitually ignored Eason. Joel scoffed, then began to drag Eason out to the seventh floor. He asked, "How scared are you... of Simeon?" Eason and Simeon had a long history together. When Eason heard Simeon''s name, he felt a chill down his spine. "You know quite a lot, kid. Now, shut up." I pulled Steven out of the elevator. Michael wanted to exit the elevator too, back as she sat on the floor and cried. asmin held him I "Michael, let''s not go. Don''t go... I''m scared." She was finally feeling fearful. Quinn was scared too. She trembled as she hugged Rachel. She not exit the elevator. Con dare t the elevator.bled belongs to W Rachel elevator''s not safe. We''re on the floor. It''ll be quick... out." Teary-eyed, Quinn nodded and followed behind Rachel, exiting the elevator. Zion got Eason''s help to carry Taylor out while also being wary of their surroundings. Suddenly, the elevator moved. I shouted at Michael, "Get out!" Michael wanted to exit the elevator, but Yasmin couldn''t stand up and held him back! "Michael!"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. The elevator began to drop. In the process, Michael pushed Yasmin outside. He fell downward with the elevator, all alone. I crouched by the edge of the elevator shaft and watched the elevator fall. We were on the seventh floor. Even if we considered the nk floors and the basement floors... Michael would die. "You''re a bad omen!" Rachel snarled. She wanted to beat Yasmin up, but Zion stopped her. My breath quickened as I stared at the dark pit below. My body began to tremble. Michael... didn''t deserve to die. I turned around and pped Yasmin and red at her. "You deserve to die..." Stunned, Yasmin stared nkly at the elevator that dropped downward. She copsed onto the floor. "Michael..." Chapter 431 Since Michael was gone, nobody was around to protect Yasmin. Yasmin was very selfish, but she had actual feelings for Michael. She was dependent on Michael and was afraid of losing him. That was why she became jealous and fearful of Stephanie. She tried everything she could to ruin Stephanie. But she had just lost Michael. At the moment, it was like she lost her meaning in life. "You killed him!" Rachel shouted. "He deserved to die, but you deserved it more!" Zion''s expression was grim too. He looked down, then said, "We should go downstairs soon." The entirety of the seventh floor was unfurnished. It was pitch-ck, and there was no electricity. There were no windows, so it was unclear if it was day or night. The air was humid. I looked at Steven and said, "There are no manual controls on this floor, which means we can go downstairs if we locate the emergency exit. There shouldn''t be any traps." Without electricity and light, it was difficult to find the emergency exit. "Keep your hands on the wall. I''ll lead. You guys can follow me," Steven whispered. Steven left a mark on the wall and then began to move forward. It must''ve been an abandoned office building development. In case they were discovered, the mastermind left the lower floors untouched and built the killing ground on the upper floors. The floor was very bare. It smelled like concrete, and there was nothing special about it. After walking around the floor, we ended up at the same starting ce without finding the exit. "Where''s the emergency exit?" Rachel asked. I tugged on Steven to stop him. "Steven..." Steven held my hand to calm me down. "Don''t be scared. You can all stay here, and I''ll look for it. If I find it, I''ll knock on the floor to alert you. You can follow the sound." I grabbed the corner of his shirt, my breath quickening. I had to admit that I was worried about him. What if... there was someone else with us on the same floor? The mastermind wouldn''t let us leave easily. If anything went wrong... "Don''t be scared," Steven whispered. I clung to him. "Why... must it always be you to take the risks? This time, I''ll do it." Steven hugged me and said softly, "I told you... your life matters more than mine." Steven let me go and disappeared into the darkness. The rest of us leaned against the wall and waited patiently. In the empty room, the sound of Steveotsteps slowly faded Act was taking one step at a time el figuring his way forward. S "Officer Landon, will we make it out alive..." Quinn sobbed. Zion consoled, "Yes, we can make it out alive." Eason was afraid of the dark, so he hugged Joel tightly. "Hey man, let me hug you. I''m scared..." "Get lost." Joel sneered.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "No way... It''s so dark. What if somebody stabs me?" Eason said, shuddering as he clung to Joel. "Wait, I''m scared. Let''s do a head count. It feels like there''s somebody behind me..." Eason was thest person, and Joel was standing in front of him. In front of Joel was the makeshift stretcher, which Taylor had been lying on. Ahead of him were Zion, Quinn, Rachel, and me. "Stephie... Are you scared?" Rachel asked softly. "No." I was calm as darkness was not scary to me. My senses toward the environment seemed to be numb. "Stephany, you start the counting," Eason shouted from a distance. I turned around to tap on Rachel''s shoulder and then said, "One." Since everyone was afraid and bored, I decided to y along. "Two," Rachel shouted. "Three..." Quinn said with a shaky voice. from the sound of it, it she was sitting downl seenged the swno floor. "Four," Zion shouted. "Hello?" Eason said to Joel, trying to tell him to stop messing around. Joel paused before saying, "There''s also Yasmin....." Just then, Yasmin''s voice came near Joel''s feet and called out, "Five..." Ever since she lost Michael, Yasmin had lost her direction, but she still had a strong will to live. She had no choice but to hold on to whatever she had right now to escape. "Six," Joel said calmly. "Seven..." Eason stuttered, hugging Joel. Chapter 432 "Eight..." Suddenly, a weird voice continued from behind Eason. At that moment, everyone went silent and felt the chills down their spine. There were eight people including Taylor, but he was unconscious and wouldn''t have been able to answer. Who was the eighth person? Suddenly, Quinn screamed, and everyone ran in different directions. Eason was petrified. In a panic, he ran and bumped into somebody, who he proceeded to hug. "Help! There''s a ghost!" But suddenly, that person started tough eerily. Panicking, Eason screamed, "Help! There''s somebody here!" Eason was running around, and nobody could hold him down. Just before he fell down the stairs, Joel pulled him and pressed him down against the wall. "Stop screaming!" Eason was terrified. When he heard Joel''s voice, he began to bawl. He was an adult, but he was bawling like a child. "Stop crying..." Joel felt like there was a ringing in his head and ears. Eason clung onto Joel. He didn''t care about being mistaken as gay and simply bawled while hanging onto Joel. "I bumped into a ghost just now!" "It''s just somebody pretending to be a ghost," Joel said calmly. He didn''t push Eason away but simply coldly gazed in the direction of a vague figure. "Stephie..." Rachel called out panickedly in the dark. "Stephie?" "Rachel?" We were all separated, so we couldn''t touch each other. "Rachel..." Quin cried out. Yasmin didn''t know who to look for, so she just kept crying, "Help..." I frowned and said, "Rach, wait right there and don''t move. I''ll look for you." Rachel stopped in her tracks and said, "Zion..." "It''s okay," Zion coaxed her. We were all walking toward Rachel. Suddenly, somebody made a soft grunt. Zion and I both caught Rachel at the same time. She copsed onto the ground and began to breathe rapidly. "Stephie... Stephie..." I became tense. In a panic, I touched her abdomen. Somebody... had stabbed Rachel in the dark. "Zion..." In the moment when she got stabbed, Rachel felt no pain. Blood Coozing out, and p out, breath became heavy. Rachel''s belongs to w "Stephie... Run, run..." Trembling found her wound. Choked up, I said, "It''s okay, it''s. I Tet you die, I won''t let "Rachel..." Zion panicked as well. He was shocked, afraid, and choked up. "Rachel..." "Mmph.." Suddenly, somebody copsed. "Yasmin?" Eason shouted. "Help..." Yasmin said weakly. She had been stabbed too. Though the culprit may have stationed his men on this floor, I didn''t hear any other footsteps near Rachel. Somebody among us was going on a killing spree in the dark. Suddenly, Quinn screamed too. She leaned against the wall, crying. "Help... Save me... I... Somebody''s here. Somebody''s here!" Quinn''s voice began to weaken. We were all tensed up. Soon, both Quinn and Yasmin became silent.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Suddenly, I could sense that somebody was approaching me from behind. I turned around to grab the knife, which cut my hands. When the person retracted the knife, I subconsciously tried to grab the knife and scratched that person''s hand. If there was light, I would know who had been trying to kill us. Just then, the tapping sound of an iron bar came from a distance. That was Steven. He had found the way out! Chapter 433 "Don''t be scared. We''ll get out of here together," I softly coaxed Rachel. "Let''s go." Zion carried Rachel and stumbled forward. "Follow me..." I took the lead and slowly inched my way forward. I told Zion to stay close. "Quinn? Are you okay..." Joel said as he checked on Quinn. "She''s hurt!" Eason said, panicking. "She got stabbed in her abdomen." After briefly checking on Quinn in the dark, Eason got Joel to piggyback Quinn, who was on the verge of dying. "Taylor, there''s also Taylor." Taylor was still at the same ce. They found their way to Taylor, picked up the stretcher, and slowly made their way ahead. "Save me..." Suddenly, a soft voice spoke, and a hand grabbed my ankles. It was Yasmin. I paused, then said grimly, "Without Michael around... Do you think any of us would still save you unconditionally? All these years, you''ve been exhausting our saving grace. It''s about time for it to end." Yasmin''s fingers were trembling, but her will to live allowed her to keep a firm grip on me. "Did you think... that he sacrificed his life to push me out of the elevator for my sake? You''re too naive, Stephany... He did it for Stephanie Carlson! How can a living person win over a dead person? That''s the scariest part about Stephanie Carlson! Enduring her pain, Yasmin continued to shout, "I still have worth. I know Peter''s secrets. Michael was worried that you wouldn''t be able to uncover the truth, so he sacrificed himself so that I''d live¡ªbecause I''m the only person who knows the secrets!" I frowned and kicked Yasmin''s hand away. "I''m not obliged to save you. If you want to live, get up on your own." Yasmin cried out in despair, but her will to live enabled her to pick herself up. She pressed on her wound and clutched onto Rachel''s shirt so that Zion would bring her along. "Steven..." We walked toward the knocking sound. Suddenly, the sound stopped, and we started to hear the sounds of somebody fighting. I knew somebody else was with us, and they were headed for Steven. "Steven!" I shouted out in a panic and continued walking toward the sound. Suddenly, there was a loud bang! Something fell from a high ce. "Steven!" My breath quickened, and I continued to call out to Steven. I tried to find my way ahead. Steven wasn''t answering, and my heart dropped. That was how it felt to be worried and afraid. My heart raced... "I''m here." Just as I began to feel helpless and afraid, a hand pulled me over and hugged me. My breath began to stabilize, and I hugged Steven hard. "I can''t... lose you." That was exactly what I felt at that moment. I could not bear to lose Steven. "I''ll always be with you. Always..." hoarse. He must be hurt. Cones ispered. His voice belongs to W SWI I patted him up and down, sighing in relief when I realized he had no major external wounds. "Everyone,e over. Let''s hold hands." Steven knew we could not stay here any longer, so he told everyone to hold hands. "Stay close to the wall, and go downstairs slowly." Leaning against the wall, StevenN?velDrama.Org is the owner. took over the stretcher from Joehet and 200led him to go do with Quinn. SWO Crackling sounds were heard from under the emergency exit. Then, glimpses of fire could be seen. swim t "Hello? Can you hear me?" A voice resounded in the vacant building. It was Michael. "Are you all okay?" Michael asked again. Chapter 434 Yasmin excitedly went down the stairs, but she missed a step and fell down the stairs. It hurt so much that she cried out, "Michael..." I peeked down the stairway. With the illumination of the fire, I saw that the emergency exit from this floor would lead us straight to the first floor. "Where did you get fire?" I asked loudly.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "The elevator caught on fire after it dropped down. I picked up some construction waste and lit it up." Michael was quite intelligent. He knew it would be dangerous to remain in the dark, so he lit up the construction waste. "If we had known earlier, we should''ve gone down with the elevator," Eason mumbled under his breath. "But our survival instincts would make us exit the elevator. It''s because we weren''t sure if we''d all fall to our deaths in the elevator," I said. I began walking downstairs. With the fire on the first floor, my eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness around me. I continued, "Humans, when faced with unknown dangers, will always choose the best possible choice for survival." I turned around to look at Steven, who smiled back at me. His smile had always been reassuring. "After this incident, we should all cherish our lives. Let''s live a good life, don''t do anything illegal, be kind to people, don''t do bad things, don''t bully others, be ourselves, don''t cause trouble, and don''t be afraid of taking on responsibilities," Zion said in a low voice as he held Rachel. The victims had allied to set up the series of murders and killing games. The bullies from both the orphanage and schools enjoyed the momentary thrill, disregarding the hurt that they brought to the minorities who were bullied. But when the victims fought back with even crueler methods, did they ever regret their past actions? When we got to the fourth floor, Michael came upstairs. "The people who fell downstairs are from the Genome Society. They wore masks." Michael asked anxiously, "Are you hurt?" Steven sulked. "What does my wife''s well-being have to do with you?" Michael ignored Steven and scanned me up and down, sighing in relief when he realized I was fine. Before he could say anything, Yasmin jumped into his arms, crying. "Michael, I''m hurt... They tried to kill me amidst the chaos..." Yasmin had finally found somebody to depen don. Bawling, she threw herself into Michael''s arms and kept holding the wound on her abdomen. She red at me and said, "It must''ve been Stephany! No one else was near me then, and she was the only one who didn''t get injured. She wanted to kill me because I know that she isn''t Stephanie Carlson!" I rolled my eyes in response. That was a disy of the evil human nature. Regardless of whether I rescued Yasmin, she would stil ne backstab me-just like the farmer and the viper. "You should die..." said Rachel. Despite being weak and having to lean against Zion, she still had to curse at Yasmin. Yasmin clutched onto Michael. "Michael... save me." Michael examined Yasmin''s wounds and carried her in his arms. He said to me nervously, "Stephie... She can''t die yet. She knows some things... Let''s hurry downstairs." "Wait." I stopped Michael and signaled everyone else to go downstairs. Steven glimpsed at me. When he carried Taylor downstairs, he briefly rubbed my head. Steven always knew what I wanted to do. After everyone left, Yasmin looked at me and then at Michael anxiously. "Michael, she wants to kill me... She wants to kill me. Please get me out of this ce, please..." She screamed uncontrobly, crying and begging Michael to take her away. Michael looked at her, but he didn''t move. I scoffed. "You''re right. I''m going to take your life..." I took out a dagger and put it against Yasmin''s neck. I examined her hands to see if there were any scratches. "Do you think I''ll let you live?" I pulled Yasmin out of Michael''s embrace and then kicked her down the stairs. Yasmin cowered in pain. She couldn''t even make a sound. "Stephie..." Michael took a deep breath and grabbed my hand. He was afraid that I would really kill Yasmin. Chapter 435 "Why? Does your heart ache for her?" I turned around and asked Michael. "Do you know what''s the difference between you and Steven?" Michael looked hurt. His grip on my shirt tightened. "No... I just don''t want you..." Michael simply didn''t want me tomit a murder. He didn''t want me to be a criminal. I understood where he came from, but he did not understand me. Michael was different from Steven-Steven would support me unconditionally. If I were the devil, he would be the devil; if I were an angel, he would be an angel. He would exude kindness if I was kind; he would help me if I was evil. But Steven knew me too well. He knew that I would never actuallymit a crime... After all, I had my mortals. "This is somebody else''s killing ground. Even if I do murder her, who''s going to know?" I scoffed. Then, I intentionally questioned Michael, "You wouldn''t report me to the police, would you?" Michael grabbed my wrist in a panic. "Stephie... Don''t." "You''re frighteningly righteous." I shook Michael off and approached Yasmin. I ced one foot on her neck. Dimly lit by the firelight, I said, "You should spill all the secrets you know now." Yasmin was trembling from the fear and pain. Since my foot was on her neck, she knew well that it would be easy for me to kill her. She was not an honest person. But since she refused to speak, it only proved one thing... Peter was scarier than I was. Peter had the means to torture her. "Yasmine, you have no other choice. If you want to live, you have to listen to me..." I retracted my foot and got down to grab her hair. "Even if you don''t tell me, do you think Peter can trust you after we escape? For somebody as skeptical as him... If I just stir the pot, he''ll make your life miserable. Why don''t we coborate?" Yasmin red at me with hatred as she trembled. "Aren''t you worried that I''ll kill you after we get out..." "If you can, try me." "Stephany was capable too. But she still died... So you won''t be an exception to that." Yasmin continued ring at me. She was disying her grit. I put my hand over Yasmin''s wound and dug my fingers inside. Yasmin screamed, and it resounded in the stairway. I remained unfazed, and Yasmin looked at me as if I were the devil. "Mikey, save me. Mikey!" Michael looked at me with a conflicted gaze. He wanted to stop me, but Yasmin''s life was in my hands. "I''ll tell you! I''ll tell you!" Yasmin couldn''t take it. I shook the blood off my fingers in disgust. "Tell me something I want to hear." Otherwise, I would not let Yasmin off easily. "Aren''t you worried... that Michael will discover the truth?" asked Yasmin, lying weakly on the floor. She looked at Michael and said, "If I say this, the secret of how you pretended to be Stephanie... will be exposed!" "Stop babbling." I pped Yasmin. Yasmin cried as shey on the floor. She sobbed as she said, "Michael... a? Didn''t you want to know why Stephanie Carlson and Stephany Larson are so simr? And why she''s so sessful at disquisin herself as Stephanie Carlson, so much so that both you and Steven couldn''t see through her? Instead, you happily and willingly epted her." Yasmin continued, shouting, "That''s because Stephanie Carlson and Stephany Larson are cloned wel.ne embryos with the same genes. They were transnted onto different mothers... "In other words, both Stephanie Carlson and Stephany Larson are experiment subjects from the Genome Society. They''re clones!" After Yasmin finished, Michael stumbled backward. He had to hold the wall to keep himself up. Clone experiment subjects... "Peter is very cautious. I don''t know much..." Yasmin cried, looking at me. "I found out about this because I eavesdropped on his calls... They conducted gic experiments with humans, doing cloning experiments with embryos. "In the beginning... it was done so that rich people around the world would have ess to organ transntation technology. Butter on...m not sure what research they''ve been doing in secret." Yasmin began to hyperventte from crying too much. "Stephany Larson, you''re not even human... You''re a test subject, and so was Stephanie Carlson. You''re both iplete experiment subjects. "In fact, there are many experiment subjects who have been transnted to different mothers around the world just like you." It was a terrifying fact.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. That meant that there were countless Stephanie Carlsons. Countless me existed in ces I could not see and did not know. After birth, cloned embryos were diversified due to the different environments and development conditions within the mothers'' wombs. As such, Stephanie Carlson and Stephany Larson might seem simr, but we were not identical. Even our temperaments had some differences. Chapter 436 Clones. It was a terrifying word. "What about Steven..." I asked in a hoarse voice. If I was an experiment subject, what was Steven? "He''s not an experiment subject..." answered Yasmin, leaning against the wall as she tried to endure the pain. "He went through gic screening, but he was just a selected experiment subject. Unlike you... he''s a normal person. But you''re not, Stephany Larson... You''re not even human. "In their eyes, you''re amb that''s about to be ughtered. You''re like livestock in the human society... You were their experiment subject, something that can be killed anytime if the research data turns out poorly." Yasmin continued, "Just like Dolly the sheep, your final destiny would be to be a specimen. You would be trapped in the researchb''s underground specimen bank. "I''m guessing... that the Genome Society has countless specimens of ''your'' corpse in the undergroundb." I scoffed. I silently got up and slowly made my way downstairs. A clone. How pathetic. Even science fiction movies could not urately reflect human desire and evil. For the sake of development, evolution, immortality, anti-aging, and survival... Humans had many unknown dark sides that were hidden from the sun. It existed in a darkness that the average person might never be exposed to in their lifetime. They might be unable to imagine how terrifying such darkness could be. Perhaps living an average life would be blissful too. "Stephie..." Michael called out to me with a coarse voice. "In The Godfather, it was said that behind every great fortune, there''s a crime. It was also said that capitales dripping from head to foot, from every pore, with blood and dirt..." I said hoarsely as I slowly made my way downstairs. I was not only saying it to Michael but also to myself. All the prosperity that we saw in the world was simply things that the world''s puppeteers allowed us to see. There was an unimaginable darkness hidden behind everything. "Stephie..." Michael said, full of concern. "It''s not your fault." I scoffed at Michael. "I never thought that it was my fault..." But whose fault was it? "Keep an eye on your lover and make sure she keeps her mouth shut..." Pet I pointed at Michael and continued, "And you, Michael Ford. You were kind to everyone but were cruel to Stephanie Carlson. Put away that indiscriminatingly soft heart of yours. It''ll only enable her to do more. "I''m not at fault, and neither is Steven." I turned around and continued going down. "As for Peter and therge and sturdy behind him... "Tell Peter I''ll personally ruin everything that they have." I would never give in or give way. The people who "killed" me took advantage of "me". Just like the Rebels who fought against eve used the same "evil" ways to tear that apart. They exposed the gic experiments that Peter and the supporting stakeholders had been conducting. Now that the police began investigating the case, they began to panic... But that was only the beginning. "Stephie... I''ll help you," Michael whispered. Even though he knew that getting involved in the case meant terrifying stakes. "Before that, I must first find the murderer..." I said softly and continued going downstairs. I wondered if the mastermind was guiding me... to find him. So could ally with him and stathatte against Genome Society together. Meanwhile, on the first floor, Steven stood by the fire and had his arms spread wide. I began to tear up. I jumped into his arms from the stairs. "Don''t be scared. We''re on the first floor, and there''s light over there." Steven pointed at a tiny ray of light that peeked through the gaps in the wall...Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. We were in Huma. This was a ce where the light shone. It was not a ce for evildoers to go rampant. "Yeah, let''s go home." I looked at Quinn. She was drenched in blood and sat there weakly. But she looked at me with a meaningful gaze. Unsurprisingly... I left bloody scratch marks on the back of her hand. Chapter 437 My expression darkened, and I frowned at Quinn. She looked at me too, as if she was not afraid of getting discovered. "Stephie?" Steven said softly. I snapped back to my senses and straightened my posture. "Go look for the exit. See if we can call for help." Steven stared deeply at me, then nodded. When he left, he brought Eason and Joel with him. Meanwhile, Zion took Rachel somewhere with light and examined her wounds anxiously. "Zion... If I die, would you carve ''Wife of Zion Landon'' on my tombstone?" Rachel said with a weak and hoarse voice. Even at times like this, she could still tease Zion. Zion continued topress her wound. "You''re not going to die... You won''t." Rachel began to tear up. "I don''t want to die. I haven''t gotten married, I don''t have a boyfriend, and I''m still single..." Rachel began to sob. Seeing how Rachel was behaving, Zion thought she should be fine. "Don''t be scared. Don''t..." Zion pulled Rachel''s shirt up to examine the wound. It was not a deep cut, but the wound continued to bleed. She wouldn''t die anytime soon, but she didn''t have time to spare either. "Zion, will I die?" Rachel cried loudly. "You won''t... for now," Zion whispered. I nced at Rachel and Zion. After ensuring that Rachel would be fine, I turned around to face Quinn. Quinn was looking at me with a smile. Ever since she saw the scratches on the back of her hand, she knew that I must''ve guessed... "Come with me." I grabbed Quinn by her cor and dragged her under the stairs. I mmed Quinn into the wall, and her face became pale from the pain. "Wow... You were pretty rough on yourself," I said as I tightened my choke around her neck. Quinn smiled provocatively and said, "You won''t kill me..." "You thought wrong." My fingers continued to tighten around Quinn''s neck as I gazed at her coldly. "You exposed Carol''s position on purpose so that she''d die, right?" Quinn tapped my hand with a painful expression. I gradually loosened my choke and grabbed her hair instead. "As a woman who was domestically abused, how did you find the Sth to kill your husband a hang him on the ceiling?" S M When we were on the 17th floor, every time the electricity went out, one person would die. But how did Quinn do that? "I just set up the mechanism beforehand," Quinn said with a smile, but it was cold like an emotionless devil. "I knew it was you. What''s your objective?" I scoffed. I wanted to know the truth. "We''re trying to awaken a god. A god that can cleanse this world." Quinnughed. I grabbed her cor and put my knee against her wound. "Don''t y games with me." Quinn fell to the ground but continued to look at me, smiling. "Stephanie... The person who nned this game... isn''t me. I''m just an executor." Quinn turned out to not be the mastermind. "What are your objectives? Killing people? Taking out your anger? Or standing up for justice?" "No, no, no... All of this has just been the beginning." Quinn smiled and stood up. She slowly walked to where the sunlight seeped in. She stood under the sun and turned around to smile at me. "We have amon goal," she said. I frowned. I wasn''t sure what she was up to.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Quinn continued, "This is a sad world. Fate only tortures the unfortunate, and the rope always breaks where it''s the weakest... People with no power and money can neither control their fate enor change it, so they can only live in sadness and pain. "But the upper ss... controls the fate of the lower ss." Quinn kept saying random things. "Stephanie, this world is much crazier than we think," she said, smiling as she backed away. "Callum deserved to die. He abused his wife, raped minors, organized and employed prostitution, trafficked women and children, andmitted all sorts of crimes... He was a great chess piece and a great stepping stone. How We have completed the killing without connecting these people?" Quinn had married Callum on purpose. She deliberately allowed Callum to abuse her. She created a pitiful image for herself, waiting for us to join this game. Chapter 438 "Stephanie, you''ve grown an interest in us, right? You''re wee to join us..." Quinn lifted her hand toward the sunlight. "Callum worked for Peter. He also supplied women to the Genome Society to be used as mothers. He deserved to die." Callum trafficked women at ideal childbearing ages. He handed them to the Genome Society as test subjects for the gic and embryo experiments. It was cruel. "Everyone who died here wasn''t innocent." Quinn walked up to the wall and pressed a switch. Following that, the windows that were sealed with bricks shattered and let in a lot of sunlight. Quinn smiled at me and said, "Stephanie, the game isn''t over yet... The mastermind is still among you." Then, Quinn turned around and jumped out the window. She disappeared into a car. I stood by the window and looked outside, wondering where we were... "Stephanie!" Behind me, Michael held Yasmin and shouted at me. I snapped back to my senses and ducked behind a wall, dodging the bullets fired from outside... "Everybody get down! Get down!" A group of mercenaries rushed in with guns. They gathered everyone together. "Get down. Hands on your heads!" I nced at Steven and did as told. Soon, the leader walked in and looked at the dying Yasmin. "It was... Quinn Lloyd," Yasmin said hoarsely. Quinn was the spy. "She escaped. I saw her escape..." The leader said to his subordinates, "Go after her." They were mercenaries working for the Genome Society, and they all had the same tattoo behind their ears. "Take them away!" Amidst the chaos, we were pushed to leave the ruined building. "Take him. He''s not dead." Zion and Eason insisted on carrying Taylor, whose breath and vital signsText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. had be weak. But he was still alive. When I got outside the ruined building, I closed my eyes from the bright sunlight. "Where is this?" Eason mumbled. "Crime haven Myrindara, Loania, or... Cambr?" Eason gasped. We had to take nutrient injections when we were unconscious. It out that we were transported soned isted country There was a bustling market just outside the ruined building. While a killing spree was going on inside, the local citizens were do 60s and have fun t belongs to swet As I stood among the bustling crowd, my ears began ringing. My head started to throb. When Quinn escaped, she said that the mastermind was still among us. "Get in!" The mercenaries were pushing us to get into the car. I examined the rest of the group as my breath quickened. Rachel, Eason, Joel, Zion, me, Steven, as well as the unconscious Taylor. There was also Michael and Yasmin, who was taken away to receive treatment. I scoffed. I wondered who was the mastermind. Chapter 439 "Stephie... Don''t be scared," Steven consoled me softly.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He deliberately crashed into a mercenary, colliding with a local in the process. The leader of the mercenaries rushed to him angrily and then pointed his gun at Steven. "Don''t shoot!" I said in a panic. We were all resistant. Their guns were pointed at us. Discussion broke out among the locals. They were speaking in anguage that we didn''t understand, but it was evident that they were used to seeing armed mercenaries. With his hands in the air, Steven slowly walked back and obediently got into the car with us. In the car, we all curled up in the back seat. Our hands were on our heads. Steven shot me a look, then he secretly took out the phone that he stole from the local passerby whom he collided with. Eason gave Steven a thumbs-up, and Zion nodded at Steven too. We were in a foreign country, which meant reporting this to the police would do us no good... He could only send out our GPS location and wait patiently for the right timing. During the ride, the leader of the mercenaries answered a call. When the car stopped, he startedparing us to his phone screen. "This, this." The man pointed at Steven and I. Then, we were dragged out of the car. Steven passed the phone to Zion. "What are you doing?" Michael questioned them, trying to protect me. But we were in a foreignnd. Nobody cared about Michael. The mercenary hit Michael with the gunstock. "They''re not important. There''s a police officer among them. Let them leave," the mercenaries'' leader mumbled. He signaled his subordinates to release Zion and the rest. Zion frowned and gazed warily at the mercenaries. "Where are you taking them?" "It''s none of your business. If you want to live, get lost." The leader pointed at Zion, then left. "Stephie..." Michael said anxiously. He took a hard blow, but he still wanted to protect me. I frowned and signaled him to shut up. Did he want to die? Michael stopped in his tracks and I avoid me with a conflicted gaze. I avoided his gaze and made. eye contact with Zion. Rachel and Taylor needed treatment, so they had to leave first. Zion nodded at me reassuringly. If they were safe... Steven and I wouldn''t be worried. I smiled at Steven, and he smiled in return, holding my hand. After we got into a different car, the people tied our hands up and made us wear eye patches. "Maybe... this is where the human traffickers'' base camp is," I whispered. Steven hummed in agreement, but his grip on my hand tightened. "Silence!" the mercenary that was guarding us cursed. The car localnued moving f sw slowly, and we could still hear the bustle outside the I lightly ced my finger where I could feel my pulse on my wrist, and I closed my eyes. Steven and I could remember directions through sounds. After a little over an hour, the car finally stopped. They removed our eye patches. I looked at Steven, and he looked at me. "Let''s see who remembers it better," I said. Steven raised his brows in amusement and said, "Sure..." He always pampered me. Even when we had just gotten kost to the enemy''s base camp, we could stilf joke around. "Give them a jab." Chapter 440 The mercenaries'' leader instructed his subordinates to get us injected. Steven and I had to separate temporarily. I was taken to a room by someone else. Inside that room, there were many weak-looking women. They were locked in a tiny room, and they all looked like they were about to go intobor. They couldn''t even scream for help.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Frowning, I leaned against the wall and waited for the person to approach me. Suddenly, I recalled when Quinn had said, "Stephanie, you''re getting interested in us, right? You''re wee... to join us." I could understand why Quinn was so confident. She knew that the Genome Society would take us away once we left the ruined building. She knew that I would be exposed to portions of the truth and darkness. I would not be able to rescue everyone with my powers alone. And the police? In gray areas like these-where crime and greed were most condensed and had no military government-nobody would care about the well-being of the trafficked children and women. The person approached me with a needle; I pretended toply but injected the needle into him when he had his guard down. The person was dressed in a hazmat suit and gas mask. I removed his hazmat suit and put it on, leaving him tied up in the wardrobe. In the smaller room, the women looked at me as if they saw hope. Teary-eyed, they were all begging me to save them. Most of them were heavily pregnant. They were like experiment subjects, locked away in a sealed room with ss panels and doors. There was only one bed in the room. They must''ve observed what these women did and made records of so-called data. I nodded toward the women andmunicated in signnguage. I wasn''t sure if they would understand me. I would try my best... to rescue them. "Are you done?" Outside, somebody outside urged. I filled the syringe with drugs that I took from the shelf. Once I left the room, I injected it into the person''s neck. When the man lost consciousness from the drug, I took away his gun. Meanwhile, Steven exited the other room in a hazmat suit too. He disarmed the guard in the exact same way that I did. We smiled at each other. But it was too early for us to rejoice. "This isn''t their base camp. It''s just their data collection site," I whispered. Based on my observation of the pregnant women inside, I could tell this was not the ultimate base camp. Genome Society''s base camp had to be extremely secluded. We couldn''t possibly find it so easily. "I''ve memorized all their profiles." Steven had a photographic memory. I said to Steven, "I''ve memorized them too." I paused briefly. When I regained all my midories in the abandoned building, my intelligence and y had seemingly improved too. We left the ce, casually waving to the other mercenaries who passed by. We had to leave before they discovered us. But it was apparent that they were not very alert. Otherwise, it might have been... on purpose. Everything went too well. From the seventh floor to the first floor of the ruined building, we left that ce and came here with these people to witness these things too easily. Now, we escaped easily too. "Did you realize that somebody let us go on purpose?" I asked Steven. "The Rebels are among the mercenaries. Even now, we''re notpletely detached from the killing game that they designed," Steven said. We were only seeing what they wanted to show us. I scoffed. We were caught up in the war between the Genome Society and the Rebels. In fact, they had predicted every action and every step we made. The mastermind of the Rebels had to be a genius. "They showed us these things to incite our hatred toward the Genome Society. Next, we''ll find them..." We would find the Rebels. And join them. Steven said to me, "I''ll support everything you do." I smiled at him. "Let''s join them, then." "Darkness is always behind power. In that case, we should be powerful." Steven held my hand and led me out the back door brazenly. "Quinn said that the mastermind of the killing game is still among us..." I stopped and took Steven''s hands. "Steven, is it you?" Chapter 441 Steven looked at me. "Stephie, do you wish it was me?" "No." I shook my head. Regardless of the final goal, the methods were too extreme. For somebody to use such methods to hurt others to achieve their goals... I didn''t think that person would be somebody "good". Steven held my hand and brought me to hide behind a truck. We took off the hazmat suits. "If you don''t want it to be me, then it won''t be me." I looked at him in confusion. "And if I wished it was you?" "Then I''ll find the mastermind and rece him, bing the person you want me to be," Steven answered seriously. I smiled. He looked a little silly for how seriously he was taking it. But he also intelligently answered my question. Eason said Steven had IQ but no EQ. But in my opinion... Steven had a terrifyingly high IQ and EQ. He just... used his IQ on others and all his EQ on me. I sighed and walked up to him, giving him a back hug. Exhausted, I said, "I''m so tired. Piggyback me." Steven piggybacked me with a smile and took us out of that ce. "Sir." I wasn''t sure how long it took, but I fell asleep on Steven. When I woke up, Ewan had arrived along with many other people. He must''ve known that we weren''t safe. Shocked, I asked Steven, "How did Ewan get here so quickly?" "Since Mr. Lincoln has been missing for days, I came here to look for the both of you because this was where his GPS locationst appeared," exined Ewan. "Are Joel and the rest... okay?" I felt exhausted. My adrenaline had kept me going in the killing game inside the ruined building. I had a hard fall on the staircase too. I was hungry and sleepy. My body felt exceptionally tired. "They''re all fine. Taylor has the worst injuries, but he survived. Genome Society took Yasmin, so she''ll live. ¤¦¤­ Rachel''s injuries aren''t severe either," Ewan said assuringly. S "As for the rest, they just suffered some bruises." Hearing that, I rxed and fell into a deep sleep. Even in my sleep, I knew Steven continued to hold my hand. He never let go. The truth was I knew that Steven might not be the mastermind behind the killing game. But I was afraid that it would be him. When I woke up, I found myself at a hospital back in Huma. On the beds next to mine were Rachel, who was sobbing, as well as Michael, who was ring at Steven.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Stephie!" Rachel said excitedly, noticing that I was awake. "This is..." I frowned. I couldn''t understand how I ended up in the hospital when I had just been asleep. Why did everyone look worried? "Stephie, you''re finally awake." Rachel got off her bed and hugged me tight. "Where''s Zion and the rest?" I patted Rachel on the back. "Zion reported himself back to the police station. This case alerted the higher-ups, so everyone''s really concerned about the case..."Rachel said softly. She seemed hesitant. "I can''t tell you too much. But you get it, right? The major higher-ups were alerted!" I paused. I understood what she meant. The mind had intended for it to lot of public attention. But in case it caused public panic, it hadn''t been publicized yet. S The authorities would certainly interfere with the case. And Genome Society must be in a panic now. "Was I... asleep for a long time?" I asked Steven, who immediately stood up to block Michael. "It''s been half a month..." Michael answered hurriedly, looking worried about me. Chapter 442 "It''s been 13 days and 8 hours, hmph!" Steven retorted at Michael. Michale gritted his teeth, tempted to strangle Steven to death. I nodded, stunned for a moment. I then asked, "I''ve been unconscious for so long? What did the doctor say?" "The doctor said you probably passed out because of excessive shock or concussion," Rachel replied, squeezing my hand tighter. Her voice was trembling with fear. "You frightened me to death, Stephie." Feeling somewhat dazed and numb, I sensed a loss of control over my body. Something told me that neither excessive shock nor concussion was the cause of my prolonged unconsciousness... Noticing Steven''s cautious and fearful gaze at me, I wondered what had frightened him. Obviously, he wasn''t worried that I would remain unconscious. It felt more like he was afraid that I wouldn''t recognize him when I regained consciousness... Was he concerned that I might lose my memory again? Silly Steven. How insecure was this guy? Worrying that I might fall in love with Michael again... "Steven, my head hurts," I said softly. I had heard that showing your vulnerable side to your significant other could increase the couple''s happiness. "I''ll massage it for you," Steven said, pulling me into his embrace and massaging my temples in front of Michael. "Show off..." Rachel hummed in a tone tinged with jealousy. "Stephie, am I not your favorite anymore? You said you wanted to live with me, didn''t you?" I nced at Rachel, my expressionplex. After a moment, I smiled and teased her, "Don''t you have your eyes on Zion for that?" Rachel chuckled. "He''s upied at the moment..." Despite feeling ack of control over my body, I attempted a smile. I hoped it didn''te off as forced. I could feel that my body was seized by an ufortable numbness. "What happened... after I passed out?" I asked. "I led the police to search for you guys, but-" Michael exined, moving closer to express his concern. Steven snorted, cutting him off, "The police went to the ruined building and found the bodies of those people, but... no sign of Carol''s and Benjamin''s bodies." I was startled, looking up at Steven as he continued, "All the bodies were there except Carol''s andText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Benjamin''s... Oh, and the principal of the special needs school is still alive, but he''s gone crazy. The police are stil interrogating him, but they can''t get anything out of him." I frowned in silence, wondering why Carol''s and Benjamin''s bodies were not found. "Where''s Joel?" I looked around. I knew Eason and Zion were absent because of the case, but why wasn''t Joel here either? "The college entrance exam is near, so he went to school," Steven exined. I wanted toment on that but decided to change the subject instead. "How''s Taylor?" "Still there. He was seriously injured, so he''ll be transferred back only when he''s allowed to be moved from the intensive care unit to the regr ward," Michel quickly replied before Steven could interject. Steven rolled his eyes. "Good to know... "I nodded, relieved to hear that he was still alive. "After this hunting game, the mastermind of the serial killer case will stop his killings, right?" Rachel asked fearfully. "Do you remember Project Zero? The only survivors left on that list are Yasmin and Taylor. Taylor has survived, and his crime doesn''t warrant a death sentence either, which means... Yasmin is the only one left. But she still holds some value." I looked at Michael. Michael lowered his head nervously and said softly, "Stephie... Yasmin works for Peter. Peter is too cunning and cautious... Yasmin is the only person we can extract more secrets and clues from if we gain her trust." I sneered. "That depends on whether Peter decides to let her live or not." The killing game had attracted a lot of attention, and Peter was now at huge risk himself... I figured it was about time for him to eliminate some liabilities. Chapter 443 Michael paused, casting a nervous nce at me. Clearly, he didn''t want Yasmin to die. Regardless of the reason behind it, he seemed to believe that Yasmin didn''t deserve to die. I found it amusing. I had thought that after learning the fact that Yasmin intentionally lured me out on the night of the 15th, Michael''s view of her would change. I imagined he would probably no longer trust her or even turn against her. However, I never anticipated that he would remain as concerned about her life and death as ever. "Stephie... Yasmin promised to give me evidence against Peter if she made it out alive, and I haven''t received any from her yet," Michael exined anxiously, insisting that he was only concerned about the evidence and not Yasmin''s life. "Besides... she did risk her life protecting me before... " Michael continued to deceive himself with excuses. "Come on, do you really think someone as selfish as Yasmin would risk her life for others? Either she knew there was no real danger from the start, or you''re mistaken," Rachel remarked, rolling her eyes. "You saw how she reacted when I tested her at the ruined building. She didn''t even dare to take the risk." "That was different- " Michael attempted to exin. I pulled Rachel closer and said, "Destroying a marriage is worse than destroying anything. Let sleeping dogs lie. They''re engaged, after all." "Stephie... " Michael''s voice sounded hurt and anxious. "That''s not it. I just feel Yasmin doesn''t deserve to die. She¡ª" "Your thoughts are none of my concern," I cut Michael off. Steven, sitting obediently next to my bed, couldn''t help but chuckle secretly. He was probablyughing at Michael''sck of emotional control. Michael was simply digging his own grave. Whenever Michael found himself in trouble, Steven would behave like a good boy as if to highlight how obedient and sensible he was. At the right timing, he would even chime in to fan the mes, saying "Honey, Yasmin got Stephanie Carlson killed, yet he''s still defending her." Michael frowned at Steven, clenching his hands. "I admit that was Yasmin''s fault. She said she was too scared and didn''t anticipate Stephie getting into trouble as a result. She drank too much on the 15th, so she couldn''t remember the date right, ultimately misleading the police." Michael continued to defend Yasmin, eager for us to believe that Yasmin didn''t deserve to die. "Michael, it seems you haven''t learned any lessons from this killing game... "I sighed, feeling he was indeed beyond help. "Stephie, I know this whole thing hasn''t been fair to you, and I''ll make sure Yasmin pays for her actions. But we''re not police officers, after all. So, we need to analyze her value rationally." Michael exined, hoping I would understand his perspective on protecting Yasmin. From his viewpoint, he might have a valid argument. He simply aimed to maximize Yasmin''s usefulness before administering the appropriate punishment. However, it seemed as though Michael perceived everyone as wanting Yasmin dead. Thus, he was desperate to convince us of Yasmin''s continued value.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. It appeared we were not all on the same page regarding this matter. "Stephie, he''s so emotional. It''s not like we''re going to do something to Yasmin. He sure loves her a lot Steven interjected, adding fuel to the fire once again. "Shut up, Steven!" Michael snapped, clearly irritated by hisments. "She''s my wife. I can say whatever I want to her! We have a marriage certificate, you know?" Steven retorted, his tone displeased and assertive. His brows furrowed as if he was preparing to start a brawl with Michael. "No violence when you can argue civilly," I intervened, pulling Steven''s arm. Steven grunted and sat back at my side, still visibly angry. With a headache looming, Michael rubbed his temple and turned to Steven. "Could you leave for a while? I need to speak with her." "No," Steven replied defiantly. I turned to Steven, bursting intoughter. It wasn''t untilter, due to the numbness I felt, that I realized I hadughed out. It felt strange. Chapter 444 After returning from the ruined building, I couldn''t shake the strange feeling that my reactions alwaysgged behind my subconscious... "Stephie..." Steven turned to me, protesting, "He must be up to no good. That''s why he wants me to leave." I nodded. "Michael, you can say it with Steven present." Michael was so furious that it took him a while to calm down before speaking, "Stephie... Yasmin is really important. Even the police know that¡ª" "Why are you exining so much to me? Are you worried that I might kill her?" I interjected curiously. Somehow, Michael seemed to be wary of me. Was it because of the recent killing game in the ruined building? "No... " Michael replied after a long pause. It was evident he was worried that I would kill Yasmin. Nervously, he tried to exin once again, "I''m just¡ª " "Since I didn''t kill her at the ruined building, you don''t have to worry about me getting rid of her now that we''re out," I assured him, realizing that Michael had been startled by the sight of me pressuring Yasmin for answers. "Honey, he''s scared of you," Steven whispered to me. I didn''t respond to him and fixed my eyes on Michael. Was he afraid that I would kill Yasmin because he believed I was the mastermind behind the serial killings? Or perhaps the mastermind behind this killing game?Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "She... " Michael lowered his head, taking a deep breath. "Yasmin told the police that you''re the mastermind behind this killing game. She said... you stabbed her and... tore her wound. She demanded an examination of her injuries...'' I narrowed my eyes and asked Michael, "Ha, does she have any proof?" I noticed Michael''s sudden silence and finally came to a realization. "Ah... now I get it... " All of a sudden, I understood why Michael was so worried that I would kill Yasmin. "Yasmin told the police that I harmed her, and you''re the only witness, I said to Michael, feeling a tightness in my chest. My body was trembling with rage. "So, you sold me out, didn''t you?" Did Michael tell the police that I was the one who harmed Yasmin? Michael''s head remained lowered, and his voice was soft. "I was just¡ª" "Just telling the truth?" I chuckled, then pointed to the door. "Get out." Rachel stared at Michael in disbelief. "What did you do? When did Stephie hurt Yasmin? She saved her! If it weren''t for Stephie, Yasmin would have died in there long ago!" Steven frowned quietly. Yasmin used me of harming her to the police, iming that I was the mastermind behind the killing game... And Michael was the witness. "Yasmin was scared that... you would kill her. I was just... " Michael clenched his fists. Clearly, he couldn''t tell a lie when Yasmin begged him helplessly with her eyes filled with sincerity. "Michael, I told you before, you''re a kind person, but your kindness often leans toward Yasmin''s perspective. You''ve done nothing wrong in this matter because you chose not to lie," said solemnly, to the AUMS door. "But I don''t want to see you now. Please get out." "Stephie... Yasmin still holds some value. If¡ª " Michael abruptly paused, realizing that no one could understand his thoughts now. His disappointment was evident as he lowered his gaze. His action implied that he believed that I had harmed Yasmin without justification. There was no solid evidence to support my actions in that chaotic situation, after all. Perhaps he just wanted to win Yasmin''s favor so that she would promptly hand over the evidence against Peter. sorry. Michael apologized, his "I''m voice hoarse. "If Peter targets Yasmin, she''ll be scared, and then... I''ll be the only person she can trust and rely on. That''s our only chance to get the evidence from her." With that, Michael left the ward. Chapter 445 Later, a police officer arrived to question me about Yasmin. I remained silent, leaving the exnation to Rachel. The officer informed me that Yasmin had dropped her charges, stating that she wouldn''t pursue the matter further. All I needed to do was apologize to her. I continued to remain silent. "What do you know about this killing game? From what we gathered, you''re just an ordinary person who graduated from college a few years ago with little social experience, and you often help homeless children. "How did you manage to walk out of the ruined building unharmed? And your husband, he''s intellectually disabled with mental issues-sorry." I had never met the officer questioning me. I understood he was just doing his job and had no intention of offending me when referring to Steven as intellectually disabled. Nevertheless, I spoke up warily. "I wouldn''t say I came out unharmed. I did fall down the stairs, resulting in a brain injury. I was in aa for half a month. I just regained consciousness. "As for why Yasmin was injured, I assume she was overly frightened in that pitch-ck environment, leading her to mistake me for an enemy. Thus, I don''t think I owe her an apology," I stated truthfully, though omitting certain details such as intentionally tearing her wound. "I can vouch for her!" Rachel angrily chimed in. She was also telling the truth. She certainly hadn''t seen me harm Yasmin. Rachel had never perceived me as someone who would hurt others, and Yasmin''s "malicious" image had been deeply ingrained in her heart. Thus, she was inclined to side with me. The officer nced at Rachel, then back at me. "But Mr. Ford stated that he was present at the scene and implicitly confirmed that you harmed Ms. Bailey." "Mr. Ford was also overly frightened in that circumstance. I don''t think any eyewitness testimony would hold much significance or value given the situation," I calmly and rationally answered his question. I then added, "Yasmin took a tumble and lost her bnce on the stairs. By the time I saw her wound, she was already sobbing and screaming." Despite the truth that Yasmin fell off the stairs because she was terrified by me, I provided a kernel of truth amidst a tapestry of deception, altering the sequence of the events. The officer nodded. "Understood. Since Ms. Bailey has dropped the charges, this matter isn''t significant anymore. Please take a good rest. The task force wille to see youter. We ask for your cooperation." I nodded as I watched the officer leave, then turned to Steven, whose gaze remained intense and restless. Fueled with fury, Rachel cursed Yasmin with every word she could think of. After sitting numbly for a while, I slowly confessed, "I did harm Yasmin." It was undeniable that I had resorted to violent means while questioning her. Rachel looked at me in surprise. "Then why didn''t you finish her off?" I stared at Rachel speechlessly before responding, "As a coroner, you should know better than to let friendship cloud your judgment, my friend." "Oh, right." Rachel scratched her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. She then muttered under her breath, "Oh, whatever. Since Yasmin dropped the charges, who cares?" I knew Michael had ways to make Yasmin drop the charges, so I hadn''t been too worried about it. "I just wanted to see... how many steps it takes to turn a lie into truth," I said. Obviously, that officer-an outsider-had bought my lies earlier. The police had already documented the testimonies of everyone who managed to escape from that game alive, including Rachel, Zion, and Eason. With their ounts and Yasmin''s "wicked" image, most people were more inclined to believe my version of events. "Do you know why Quinn could hide among us without being discovered?" I posed the question. I exined, "It''s because most people tend to perceive the weak in a certain way, especially when Yasmin, and other malevolent figures are present. We''re moral likely to suspect Yasmin and others like her than those who appear weaker."" In essence, we could only perceive what others were willing to show us.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Since Peter had been portraying himself as a loving husband and devoted father, it suggested that he was concealing something beneath this facade. But how many secrets was he truly hiding? "Steven, do you think I shouldn''t have lied just now?" I asked Steven. He seemed to have been silent for the whole time. Chapter 446 "You lied because you knew that Yasmin dropped the charges. Your lies won''t affect the investigation. If the charges hadn''t been dropped, you wouldn''t have lied. Instead, you would''ve confessed," Steven said softly. He indeed knew me too well.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "It''s human nature to protect oneself. It seems only natural for humans to act selfishly," I muttered. "Honestly, before I realized it, I was already lying just now." My breath became heavier, my gaze trembling as I turned to Steven, who was also staring at me intensely. Steven was aware that the past Stephanie Carlsoncked emotions. She was incapable of understanding feelings such as happiness, pain, despair, or heartbreak... even devoid of self-preservation. However, I understood all these... which made me somehow emotional. The moment I learned that Michael had informed the police about my involvement in Yasmin''s injury, I couldn''t help but wonder about Yasmin''s true intentions. Was she trying to threaten me? And could this indirectly harm Steven? Consequently, I chose not to engage with the officer despite his inquiries. However, when he mentioned Steven, my instinct for self-preservation kicked in almost immediately. "Stephie... You''re fine just the way you are, always have been, and always will be... Don''t push yourself too hard," Steven said as he pulled me tightly into his arms, his voice trembling with emotion. It was clear that he understood the extent of my efforts to fit in... to be a normal person. However, while normal people experienced emotions, they were also inherently selfish and capable of lying. They had ws, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. Yet, it was theseplexities and varied traits that made humans. They were a highly intelligent and adaptable species, surpassing all others on Earth. So, when I found myself instinctively lying, I was taken aback in disbelief. I looked at my hands, then shifted my gaze to Steven. In my restored memory, the Stephanie Carlson before amnesia felt like an outsider in this world. After amnesia, I became like a neer who had stumbled into a trial game by ident. I experienced pain and disappointment in what seemed like a normal life, forgetting the fact that I used to be an "abnormal person". I had to admit, I felt somewhat grateful to Michael. Without his "episodic teaching", I wouldn''t have be the current me. I was like an old tree that had been withered for a long time, suddenly sprouting new shoots. I was now filled with vitality and growing branches. However, this was a lengthy process as there were still many challenges awaiting me in this world... Suddenly, my train of thought was disrupted by a knock at the door. ncing over, I saw a tall man in a suit standing there. The man was good-looking, with some resemnce to Steven, though not much. He had a confident demeanor, reminding me of Michael. He gave off the air of a capable and seasoned senior executive in somepany. I surmised he was the heir Martin had carefully cultivated in secret, the man who had led Martin to treat his son, Dax, as expendable. "Hey, Steven," the man greeted Steven with a smile, his expression genuinely friendly and non-threatening. However, I could sense the danger emanating from this man''s presence. Something told me that he was more than met the eye... "You must be my brother''s wife. Hi, I''m Jimmy Lincoln," the man said as he approached with a fruit basket, extending his hand to me in a friendly gesture. I frowned at him. I had investigated Jimmy Lincoln beforehand because I was wary that Martin might harm Steven, and "genius" was just one of Jimmy''s least conspicuousbels. Jimmy grew up in Melovia, receiving only the top education along his journey. He was meticulously nurtured by Martin at great expense. Now, I suspected he might also be a genome-edited human. What worried me even more was that Jimmy had received a good education on top of his given gift. He was deeply influenced by Ulophia''s aggressive capitalist ideology... Steven might not be his match. "You''re in the wrong ce," Steven interjected before I could speak, his demeanor cold andmanding. "Go out, turn right, go straight, take the stairs down, and you''ll find the morgue. If you still don''t know the way, Lean take you to the crematorium," he added, histone sharp and unweing. When Steven faced his "enemy" Michael, he often resorted to throwing tantrums and acting childishly because he never regarded Michael as apetitor of his level. Yet, Jimmy Lincoln was different. He exuded an air of danger, with his mere presence releasing pheromones that instantly set other high-level men on edge. It triggered a response akin to the rivalry observed among powerful animals. Chapter 447 "Steven, it''s been so many years, and you haven''t changed a bit," Jimmy said with a smile. Though he made it sound like Steven hadn''t changed at all over the years, I could tell he was mocking Steven for not growing up. "Who''s this? Your younger brother? I didn''t know your dad had other illegitimate children," I asked Steven, my tone clearly unfriendly toward the uninvited younger brother. Steven tightened his grip on my hand and replied, "He''s nobody." "Looks like my brother''s wife holds some enmity against me," Jimmy chuckled, his hand still extending toward me for a handshake. "The purpose of my return is not to be your enemies. Instead, I want to cooperate with you." Though he sounded sincere, I didn''t buy it. "My brother has sold the Lincoln Group to Crowdstar Group, which means the Lincolns have lost the privilege the Lincoln Group provided them until now. "That was very brave of you, Steven. You''ve just dered war against all the Lincolns, you know?" Jimmy''s smile remained. While I was pondering the meaning of his words, Jimmy suddenly leaned closer to Steven and spoke in a voice that only the three of us could hear. "Some of the recent killing sprees have impacted the core operations of the ck market industries behind several conglomerates, and Peter Jones is just a small-time doctor... "He and his entire team, the Genome Society, are merely puppets controlled by capitalists. The real root of evil... remains untouchable until you be one of the rich and powerful." I gazed at Jimmy, understanding what he was getting at. So, Peter was merely ackey raised by the rich and powerful... To unearth the hidden truth and expose the mastermind lurking in the shadows, we needed to assume the role of the powerful backer first. That was probably the reason why Steven had agreed to return to the Lincoln family. "Steven, I told you three years ago that the only way to confront all of this is for us to work together. But you refused. I''ve been trying to prove my loyalty to you all these years. Surely, you can feel my sincerity?" Jimmy looked at Steven Steven remained cold, shielding me alertly as if guarding something important. Noticing Steven''s reluctance, Jimmy backed off and added with a smile once more, Chill, Steven. The recent incident has already impacted the core interests of the upper echelons. Soon someone will step in to clear O Those and resolve everything arrogant clowns behind the killings will soon be wiped out." Jimmy was referring to the mastermind behind the serial killings, wasn''t he? In other words... "Such a perfect masterpiece..." Jimmy nced at me meaningfully, then left.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The mention of "perfect masterpiece" sent a chill down my spine. Before "Stephanie Carlson" was murdered, the killer also referred to her as the perfect masterpiece he had ever seen... I knew Jimmy wasn''t the murderer, but that phrase simply held too much significance for me. "Who''s that guy? He''s so dashing... " Rachel was still captivated by Jimmy''s demeanor and appearance. "But why do I have a feeling that he''s not one of the good guys? More like a movie viin." "Hmph," Steven grunted, clearly dissatisfied. Seeing Steven''s reaction, Rachel giggled. "Oh, you know what? He''s nowhere near as handsome as Steven." Steven nced at me, as if seeking my agreement. I was speechless. Was now really the time topare who was better looking? Jimmy mentioned that the rich and powerful behind the scenes had been thoroughly angered by the mastermind of the serial killings. In other words, they were going to take action. "Everything looks good. You can be discharged today," the doctor, wearing a mask, said after examining me and reviewing my test results and medical records. Perhaps... I was being too cautious. The sight of hospitals and doctors always put me on edge. I couldn''t shake the feeling of being observed by everyone around me. "Stephie?" Steven noticed my unusual behavior and came over to touch my forehead. Chapter 448 I looked up abruptly, btedlying to my senses. "I''m fine..." "Your health is fine. Everything''s good," the doctor reassured. "Oh, and the results from the health department''s tests came back clear too." "Phew! We really dodged a bullet... "Rachel sighed in relief. "The health department?" I furrowed my brows. "They discovered that the crazed headmaster from the special school has AIDS. Also, among the people who were locked up with us, one has AIDS, and three have infectious diseases," Rachel exined. "Quinn was found to be a carrier of the AID virus. Her husband, Callum, was promiscuous and abusive. Not only did he engage in high-risk sexual intercourse, but he was also abusive and alcoholic... Quinn was infected by him." I gasped in disbelief. It seemed that we had been exposed to a high risk of infection given the circumstances, especially for those who were stabbed by Quinn. "Rach! Have you taken the test?" I instinctively grabbed Rachel''s wrist. She was one of the people Quinn had stabbed. If she had any contact with Quinn''s blood... "I have, and I''m clear. Don''t worry, Stephie," Rachel quickly assured me, thenughed. "What are the odds? I should probably go buy a lottery ticket, haha!" I was stunned for a moment, rendered speechless Before anyone realized that Quinn and others were carriers of AIDS, no one would have thought of taking antiretroviral drugs. By the time the results came out positive for AIDS, it was likely already past the optimal time for prevention. "Sir, Yasmin has contracted AIDS and is currently in a state of copse. Michael is watching over her," Ewan whispered in Steven''s ear as he arrived to pick us up from the hospital. I sat numbly on the edge of the bed. Yasmin had contracted AIDS... It was as though Quinn had done it intentionally. Since Yasmin couldn''t be killed for now, Quinn had inflicted another form of suffering upon her. She infected her with a highly contagious yet incurable disease. "Both the contraction of AIDS andContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org. the recent killing spree were keptztop secret, yet Jimmy somehow learned about it... How did the news of Yasmin being infected with AIDS spread?" I asked Ewan. Ewan took out his phone. "Someone deliberately posted it online. We tracked the ID, and it was from overseas. The police suspect it''s Quinn." Since Quinn had been exposed, she had nothing to fear, so she posted online: "Hi, I''m one of the masterminds behind the killing game. I''m truly a pitiful woman. My family favored boys over girls, so I was left at my grandmother''s ce when I was young. "My parents didn''t care about me, and I was drained of all my worth. I was eventually married off to a worthless scoundrel in exchange for 1,000 dors. "Not only did my husband abuse me, but he also maliciously infected me with AIDS. Thanks to him, I felt a despair I''d never experienced before in this world. My despair ended when I learned about Project Zero. "This world is too dark. There are simply too many maggots that need to be cleaned out, so we nned this killing game. I was hiding among the yers in this game. "And at the end of the game, I used a knife¡ªstained with my blood¡ª to stab several survivors. Namely, Yasmin Bailey, Rachel Qualls, Steven Lincoln, and Stephany Larson." Quinn seemed to deliberately spread the news online. I looked at Steven worriedly. He shook his head and assured me, "I won''t be infected with the HIV virus. Because of the genome editing, I''m naturally immune." "Then why Rachel and I¡ª " I asked, puzzled. My eyes met Rachel''s. Stephany Larson and Stephanie Carlson were experiment clones of the same embryo. Since Stephanie was apletely gically modified experimental body, was Stephany one too? If my current body had also undergone gic enhancement and editing, then I was immune to AIDS. But Rachel... Rachel looked a little scared and quickly dered, "It''s just my luck." Chapter 449 "We should go now," Ewan said afterpleting the discharge procedure. "You two go on ahead. I won''t be discharged until tomorrow. Zion should be able to pick me up," Rachel motioned me toe near and hugged me. "Get some rest when you get home. Don''t worry too much." I nodded, following Steven numbly. Noticing my concern, Steven whispered, "Rachel''s gic test came back fine. It''s really just luck." "Good to hear." I looked at Steven and sighed in relief. Rubbing my temples, I realized I was bing overly anxious. Even the sight of a doctor put me on edge. "Don''t worry. You still got me," Steven gently reassured me. "About Jimmy... "I wanted to know more about Jimmy and the cooperation he mentioned. "He came to the orphanage to see me three years ago. He knew I was just pretending to be an idiot." Steven held my hand, leading me into the elevator. "The moment Iid eyes on him, I sensed he was incredibly dangerous. He showed me the evidence and facts about Genome Society, telling me that gic modification had be popr among capitalists 20 years ago... "The wealthy began experimenting with genome editing, using their own sperm, high-quality eggs, and surrogates to create a superior poption, ensuring the longevity of their assets and families." There was no denying that money was the root of all evil. "The concept of genome editing raised ethical questions. While scientists and researchers proposed it and sessfully validated it with animal experiments, such inhumane actions were strictly prohibited worldwide. "As a result, a criminal organization emerged-Genome Society. Operating in secrecy, they conduct experiments on human subjects, whom they refer to as ''experimental subjects"." Stephany and I were undoubtedly among these experimental subjects, and it was likely that many others worldwide shared our gic makeup. "To gain further trust from the wealthy and secure their funding, these experimental subjects were imnted into the wombs of ordinary mothers. They were born, raised, and integrated into society. Each was closely observed by dedicated personnel documenting their behavior. "These subjects exhibited exceptional intelligence, acute perception, and physical prowess far beyond that of ordinary individuals. They excelled in various fields, including sports, finance, and scientific research. "The sess of these experiments attracted more wealthy individuals, who offered their own children-embryos, to be precise-as subjects for what they deemed as ''genome editing'' experiments''." It was evident Steven was one of those who had undergone genome editing-a so-called customized baby of the wealthy. The Lincoln family had invested in the project because Ignatius wanted a stronger descendant to seed the Lincolns. However, Steven''s "awakening" came toote, so he was deemed a "failure" and heartlessly abandoned at the orphanage. It was evident that the wealthy never considered gically modified children as their offspring, treating them more like mere toys. Even Stephany and I were subjected toplete gic optimization, treated as mere experiments as well. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Indeed, human nature could be terrifying. "Clearly, Genome Society hasn''t ceased their development of this technology," Steven said, his eyes filled with sadness as he looked at me. I realized we were merely sacrifices of the era, m¨¨re stepping stones in the guise of so-called scientific progress. It wasn''t immediate but rather required years of v experimentation, observation and data umtion. If gic modification were to be a global trend, eventually legalized, then we would be destined to be footnotes in the annals of history. Hence, the Rebels chose to stand up and fight against Genome Society, against the powerful and wealthy... It was akin to a tiny ant attempting to topple an elephant. The mere thought of it left me feeling suffocated and overwhelmed. "Jimmy is one of the highly intelligent individuals created through genome editing. Martin did it behind Ignatius'' back." Martin''s ambitions were immense. If Ignatius had discovered Jimmy''s existence, he would also uncover Martin''s ambition to take over the Lincoln family. After all, Martin was merely a coteral beneficiary of the Lincoln family, a rtive. Chapter 450 Though Martin was merely a rtive, his ambition to take over Ignatius'' fortune was palpable. Steven continued, "Andy Lincoln died... because he opposed genome editing, condemning it as inhumane. When I,beled as a defective product of gic modification, was cast into the orphanage, Andy fought to bring me home. "However, Ignatius and the other Lincolns strongly opposed him, viewing me as a stain on their reputation... It was then that Andymitted himself to fighting against Genome Society, adamantly opposing their hical human experiments."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. That exined why Andy Lincoln, heir to Huma''s wealthiest dynasty, met a mysterious end. Ignatius chose to remain silent, relinquishing any pursuit of the truth following the loss of such a remarkable son.... It was evident that the figures behind Genome Society were truly formidable. "Why did Jimmy propose cooperation?" I asked Steven. "He''s against genome editing experiments," Steven replied. His response surprised me. He then borated, "While we oppose the experiment due to the loss of our kin and loved ones, aiming to prevent such tragedies from recurring, Jimmy''s motives are different. "He seeks to preserve his privileged status as one of the highly intelligent individuals. He doesn''t want more highly intelligent individuals like himself to emerge as they wouldpete with him for upper-level resources." I nodded in understanding. As I had anticipated, the murderer''s real target was Genome Society. Killing Stephanie Carlson, their most significant experimental subject, served as a demonstration of their intentions. In other words, even if Yasmin hadn''t lured me out that fateful night, I would have ended up dead anyway. My name was on the Death List. "Stephany Larson! I''ll kill you!" As we were about to enter our car outside the hospital, a frantic figure rushed toward me from the crowd. The glint from the fruit knife in her hand could be seen. Instinctively, I raised my hands, aiming to grab the knife. But Steven acted swiftly, seizing the handle before I could. "Stephany, why won''t you die? You did it on purpose, didn''t you? You knew Quinn was an AIDS carrier, you knew it all along! I''ll kill you, I''m going to kill you!" Yasmin cried and screamed, her demeanor disheveled and frantic. vet "You''ve destroyed my life! You''ve ruined everything!" She copsed onto the ground, her sobs echoing loudly. Michael rushed to her side, yelling at her, "Yasmin! Come back with me this instant!" Yasmin struggled as she wailed. "She ruined me. I won''t let her get away with it. I''m going to make her pay! Kill her, Michael! Kill her for me! She''s not Stephanie Carlson She''s really not Stephanie Carlson!" Yasmin''s cries resonated with despair. Contracting AIDS was tantamount to a death sentence for her. Her life was truly ruined. Looking down at Yasmin, who had be hysterical with pain, I said solemnly, "Humans should never go against nature... What goes around,es around. You should''ve expected this when you did what you did." This was Yasmin''s retribution, the consequence of her malice. "What about you, then? Do you really think you''re some kind of saint? Your hands carry more sins and blood than mine, Stephany... "Drop the act, stop pretending! No matter how innocent you pretend to be, it doesn''t change your nature!" Yasmin threw some photos and documents at me in a fit of madness. "Steven! Michael! You''ve all been deceived! Look for yourselves. This is the observation data Genome Society has on Stephany. I snuck it out! See for yourselves!" Yasmin shouted uncontrobly, her eyes filled with hatred as if she Were facing the devil. Chapter 451 It seemed that Genome Society had been secretly monitoring Stephany''s life. Clearly, Stephany hadn''t been as innocent and harmless as she appeared. While she presented herself as an ordinary and timid individual, she had orchestrated idents to exact revenge on her tormentors while sneering from the shadows. Her Larson parents were arrested for human trafficking, and the Larsons'' eldest grandson became intellectually disabled due to a high fever, leaving the grandmother impoverished with a mentally impaired grandson and a son behind bars.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Stephany was a shrew and cunning woman. She understood exactly how to manipte the loved one of her targets as weapons, inflicting agonizing suffering and torturing their hearts. Ann Larson was a case in point. Though it appeared that she had taken Stephany''s supposed boyfriend, Stephanycked emotions. It rendered her seemingly incapable of truly loving anyone. Hence, it seemed more probable that she orchestrated the transfer of her supposed boyfriend to Ann, enabling her to dispose of him while maintaining her facade. Obviously, all of us had underestimated Stephany Larson, who was also one of the experimental subjects. As I stared at the experimental data scattered on the ground, my mind drifted into a deep reverie. How was it possible that someone as intelligent as Stephany ended up dead? She was meticulously chosen and brought into the Lincoln family as the prime candidate for reproduction, yet her life was cut short by overdose- induced heart failure... Then, by some miraculous twist of fate, I found myself reincarnated in her body.... Was it all just a series of coincidences? And then there was Stephany''s diary... Upon my return to the Larson residence, I stumbled upon it in the garage almost effortlessly. It was almost as if Stephany had nted it there all along... Ironically, with Yasmin''s im that I was, in fact, Stephany Larson and not Stephanie Carlson... I couldn''t help but question myself too.... Who was I? Or rather, what was I? What kind of experimental subject was I? Were the people of Genome Society only interested in experimenting on our genomes? Compared to prodigies like Steven and Jimmy, who were already considered perfected experimental data and fully integrated into "production," it seemed that I had lost my value as a subject. Yet, Genome Society continued to observe me and other experimental subjects without ceasing. In essence, Stephany and I, along with the other clone experiment subjects, might harbor deeper and more terrifying secrets... As Steven and I returned to his ce, Stevie greeted us eagerly at the door. It was wagging its tail with excitement. Seeing Stevie''s enthusiasm reminded me of my old pet, Georgie. Despite its ferocious demeanor toward others, Georgie had always shown obedience and gentleness toward both Steven and me. "Did you finish your food, Stevie?'' I crouched down, running my hand over Stevie''s head. Almost instinctively, I raised my right hand. It was a gesture that had be familiar from the days when I trained Georgie. Back then, whenever I raised my hand, Georgie would promptly sit on the ground with its tongue sticking out. It would then await my nextmand. Sure enough, as I raised my hand, Stevie immediately followed suit. It sat down just like Georgie, waiting for my instruction. A bit surprised by Stevie''s quick response, I pointed toward its bowl that was ced far away in the garden. "Bring it here."" Without hesitation, Stevie dashed over to its bowl, grabbed it in its mouth, and trotted back toward me. Meanwhile, Steven observed our interaction from the swing in the yard. "Good boy!" I praised Stevie, rubbing its head and cradling it in my arms. I felt a sense of nostalgia as if Georgie had returned to me. Suddenly, Stevie let out a series of frantic barks toward the gate. Chapter 452 I turned around and spotted a ck car parked outside the gate. Feeling alert, I stood up, my brows furrowing at the sight of the uninvited guest- Peter Jones, "Looks like it''s time to move," Steven said solemnly. With our residing location now exposed, our safety waspromised. Anyone could find us here, including dangerous individuals. Peter stepped out of the car, d in a ck trench coat and holding a ck umbre. "Stephany-no, perhaps I should address you as Stephanie Carlson?" I frowned, staring at him warily. He smiled and continued, "Yasmin tipped you off about some of our secrets, didn''t she? Well, that''s just the tip of the iceberg." He was aware that Yasmin had told me about those so-called cloning experiments. "Yasmin betrayed me. Now, the police have started their investigation, and soon... they''ll be onto me. As you might have guessed, I''m but a pawn raised by the rich and powerful. When pushes to shove, they won''t hesitate to sacrifice me," Peter sounded pitiful. Then, he opened his car door and added, "If you want to find out more,e with me." I regarded him with caution, wondering if this was some kind of trap. Would he truly divulge those secrets? "Do you think we''ll fall for that?" Steven queried gravely as he approached my side. ncing at Stevie, who was snarling nearby, Peter chuckled and said, "Trust no one, Stephanie Carlson. Anyone around you could be nted by Genome Society to monitor you. Even a dog could potentially be an NPC designed to extract experimental data from you... Peter''s words sent a shiver down my spine. Though he used a dog as an example, I sensed he was alluding to everything surrounding me. "Have you watched "The Truman Show?" Peter suddenly asked. "Art imitates life, but life always exceeds art." I clenched my fists as I nced at Steven. If everyone was just an NPC, as Peter described, was Steven one of them too? I recalled a fragment of my memory. I was covered in blood as Steven held me with an agonized expression, desperately trying to stop me from harming myself. "Stephie... I have nothing in this world. I''m just a created pawn. I can give up on everything, but I can''t live without you... Please, stop hurting yourself, Stephie,'' Steven pleaded in that memory. If faith was the driving force behind one''s will to live, then perhaps Stephanie Carlson embodied Steven''s faith and courage. "My time is running out," Peter reminded me.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The Rebels'' protest game had evidently caused a significant butterfly effect, drawing attention from the higher echelons. It seemed that the rich and powerful figures behind Genome Society were starting to dismantle their operation. While I had anticipated Yasmin being one of the targets for elimination, I hadn''t expected Peter to be included. It seemed they wanted to silence him before the police tracked him down. "I have no regrets, though. After all, I''ve lived many more years than your parents," Peter remarked as he folded his ck umbre and entered the car. I exchanged nces with Steven, both of us acknowledging that Peter didn''t have much time left. However, there were still many unanswered questions that we needed to address. Despite the risks involved, we made the decision to get into Peter''s car. "By the way, I''m sony about your parents'' death," Peter remarked from the driver''s seat, referring to Stephanie Carlson''s parents. "As for your father..." Peter''s gaze shifted to Steven. "His demise was of his own making. Openly opposing Genome Society was a futile endeavor against such immense power." Steven frowned, his expression hardening. "Here''s my advice-refrain from acting impulsively until you wield power feared by the rich and powerful," Peter continued, sounding like he was imparting final wisdom from his deathbed. "Steven Lincoln, it was very unwise of you to sell off the Lincoln Group to Crowdstar Group. Their swift rise has unsettled even the forces behind Genome Society, leading to attempts to court them. "Crowdstar''s hefty donations to Genome Society''sboratory have solidified their influence within the organization... By selling Lincoln Group to them, you''ve only bolstered their strength." If that were true, our situation would grow increasingly dire. sping my hands tightly, Steven retorted with a sneer, ''That''s none of your concern." I nced at Steven. To challenge the rich and powerful, one had to first have a powerful backer. Was Steven somehow tied to Crowdstar Group? Chapter 453 Peter gazed out the car window as he said, "Human desires are like a ck hole, bottomless and capable of devouring everything... Some even proposed that humans are not native to the Earth but rather sinners who are trapped here, living through endless cycles of life, from birth to aging and death." "Do you buy into these facies too, Dr. Jones?" I scoffed. "Facies? Theology is, in fact, the ultimate frontier of science. Everything inexplicable by science can be exined through theology," Peter sneered. "For instance, immortality. It may seem conceptually impossible, but is it really so? Did people from 3,000 years ago ever anticipate that the average human lifespan could extend to 73 years old, as it does nowadays? "The advancement of medical technology has nearly doubled the human lifespan, leading to societal aging and increased burden." I furrowed my brows, contemting Peter''s words. "The result of medical advancement is exacerbated aging, decreased birth rates, and an increased focus among the upper ss on the quality of their offspring-high intelligence, superior physical strength, innate immunity to diseases from birth, and other ''evolutionary advantages..." Peter smiled knowingly. What he mentioned fell within the realm of current technology and medical care. "Have you ever wondered why the wealthy tend to live longer than ordinary people, remaining vibrant and full of life even at the age of 90 or even 100? Do you think they possess some sort of longevity genes inherent in them? "No. It''s because of the things they have ess to, things most ordinary people have never even imagined in their weirdest dreams... whether it''s drugs or other special treatment methods." The things Peter mentioned were all built upon money and power, far darker than my imagination could have conceived. "And you, Stephanie Carlson, your very existence is deeply entwined with the interests and destinies of many... You''re akin to the protagonist in The Truman Show. "Your entire life, your transformation, and your evolution are all scrutinized by countless eyes behind the scenes... including your ''reincarnation'' into Stephany Larson after your death. "As preposterous as it might sound, someone has entertained such a hypothesis. Not to mention, the force behind this operation is capable of amplifying such value..." Peter chuckled and asked, "You have no idea how valuable you are, do you, Stephanie?" Understanding Peter''s implication, a chill traveled down my spine. With the potential validation of this ''reincarnation," more affluent individuals would likely be inclined to invest. Genome Society could attract further capital infusion with me as a prime example. They could continue their research on clones, delve deeper into methods of "reincarnating" souls and memories, and strive to resist natural aging and death in pursuit of prolonged vitality. Ultimately, their goal would be to achieve the so-called ''immortality," inevitably leading to more ethical dilemmas and sins. "Was everyone destined for hierarchy from the outset? Was there ever true fairness in the world? ''Fairness'' is merely a term." Peter''sughter hinted at a touch of madness. "Whether you are truly Stephanie Carlson or not, I sincerely hope you''re not her... ''His words seemed to carry deeper significance, urging me to conceal myself without being discovered. "I''ve been working tirelessly to prove that you''re not Stephanie Carlson, to safeguard you, Stephanie," Peter dered. "We''re here. Let''s go." I furrowed my brows as I stepped out of the car, finding myself standing in front of the asylum run by Peter''s father-inw.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "This is where all the sins are hidden, Peter remarked, his gaze fixed on the asylum''s inpatient building. "Steven, it was very clever of you to infiltrate this ce, pretending to be a mentally ill patient. Trying to investigate the organization from within, weren''t you? I''ll give you that...". Peter''s voice was low, reflecting genuine admiration for Steven''s tactics. "However, those people are more vignt than you think," Peter continued as he walked toward the entrance. "Come with me." "Dr. Jones, our hospital has strict rules against allowing outsiders- the security guard interrupted, his tone wary. "He''s a patient here, and thisdy is his family," Peter exined, pointing at Steven. The guard quickly checked his tablet and verified Steven''s information. "Okay, Dr. Jones. Pleasee-" But before the guard finished his sentence, a truck suddenly came crashing toward us. Steven instinctively pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly as he dodged the truck''s path. Unfortunately, Peter wasn''t as fortunate. He was struck and thrown aside by the truck. "Free... yourself... "Peter''s voice was hoarse, as though he was struggling to muster hisst breath. Free yourself. With those words, Peter urged me to run away from the clutches of Genome Society, just like the protagonist in The Truman Show who eventually broke free from his monitored existence. Chapter 454 "Dr. Jones!" The security guard rushed out to check on Peter and dialed 911. I stood frozen in ce, my fingers tingling with numbness. Despite Peter''s significant role in the organization, he was also marked for elimination... I couldn''t help but wonder what kind of despicable people I was dealing with. For the first time, fear and terror engulfed me. To those echelons, crashing us was as easy as squashing ants. "This world is like a colossal ant hill, with clear divisions and a rigid hierarchy. The interests of the upper echelons can''t be infringed upon. Anyone who dares to cross their path meets certain death." Peter''s earlier words echoed in my mind.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The entanglement of capitalists, the geopolitical tensions, even the conflicts among neighbors and colleagues... Every individual harbored their own ambitions and shadows, which shifted and magnified depending on their position. "Steven, tell me, how can I distinguish what''s real from what''s not, especially when ites to Stephany and me?" I asked softly, squeezing his hand tightly. "Everyone is the protagonist of their own world; others are just NPCs," Steven replied, his grip on my hand firm. "You''re the protagonist in my world, now and forever. And I refuse to be just an NPC in yours." "What if... I''m not Stephanie Carlson?" I fixed my gaze on him, searching for answers. If one day, data proved that I wasn''t Stephanie but rather the subject of some memory imntation experiment, what would Steven do? What should he do? I felt a tingling sensation on my nose, and my throat was burning. I lifted Steven''s face with my hands, pressing his forehead against mine. He had endured so much for Stephanie Carlson, sacrificing greatly on her behalf. What if everything he had done thus far turned out to be in vain? What should he do? The thought tore my heart as if it were being ripped into pieces. I couldn''t be certain whether I was merely memories of Stephanie Carlson or perhaps her very soul... In fact, I wasn''t even sure I was Stephanie Carlson herself anymore. I felt as if the entire world was but an illusion woven by someone, an experiment. "You''re Stephie," Steven asserted, his confidence unwavering. I couldn''t discern whether his words reflected truth or if he was simply convincing himself. "From a scientific perspective, both soul reincarnation and the existence of a parallel timeline are usible. We can''t dismiss the unknown but scientifically feasible phenomena..." Steven guided me to a secludeder, gently cradling my face. "Don''t worry, Stephie. I''ll protect you, just as I always have." Throughout the past, present, and perhaps even the future, Steven had remained steadfast in his protection of me. The ambnce arrived and rushed Peter to the hospital. We followed closely, only to learn that while Peter survived, the odds of him regaining consciousness were slim. Despite Peter''s significant contributions to Genome Society, he was disposed of. He was discarded as if he were no longer of use to them. It seemed Yasmin''s contraction of AIDS marked not her end but the start of her nightmare. With Peter''s demise, she would likely live in constant fear, seeking refuge with Michael. He was her sole remaining source of reliability. She could only hope that he could shield her from the organization''s wrath. "Steven, you now understand that seeking the truth through conventional means is futile, don''t you? Join forces with us, and together, we can expose those responsible for Genome Society." As we exited the hospital, we encountered Jimmy once again. "You received the news quite promptly..." I regarded him with suspicion, finding his swift arrival after Peter''s hospitalization rather peculiar... Chapter 455 ? "I''m a Silver-ss member of this club..." Jimmy indirectly responded to my question about his presence here. The Global Trade Union was a gathering ground for the world''s elite affluent. While many sought entry, the club maintained stringent membership criteria, assessing factors like intelligence, wealth, capability, and social standing. Essentially, it served as a yground for the rich and powerful. Jimmy subtly suggested to Steven and me that to uncover the truth, gaining membership in this club was paramount. "Entering this club isn''t a walk in the park," Jimmy remarked with a smirk. "In Huma, the only member with a higher rank than mine is the enigmatic president of Crowdstar Group, who holds the coveted Gold ss. "Michael Ford, the president of Ford Group, is currently a Silver-ss member. He was endorsed by his mother, Lois Smith." Jimmy smiled as he continued, "Andy Lincoln was among the top ten members of the club, representing Huma alone. "Despite my father''s efforts to seek Andy''s rmendation, he consistently declined, leading my father to feel slighted. This caused a rift between them, so now my father takes pride in my achievement of joining the club." This likely fueled the discord within the Lincolns. After all, Martin was exceedingly ambitious and prideful, always striving to ascend the socialdder. As far as I understood, the Global Trade Union held significant sway over the world''s economdscape. Joining such an organization would grant us ess to its influentialworks and resources, undoubtedly expanding our opportunities. It was fair to say that excelling in a particr field, whether it be medicine, science, or another domain, and securing membership in the club, would elevate one above the average person. This was regardless of their prior obscurity orck of possessions. The club imposed strict criteria for its hierarchy, with its top echelon consisting of global tycoons often featured in the news. These individuals typically wielded immense influence over their respective countries'' economdscapes, shaping national economies. Beneath these top-tier members, the club''s hierarchyprised several levels, including Gold ss, Silver ss, and Bronze ss. Huma was among the world''s most economically influential countries, yet the only individual who managed to obtain the Gold ss membership was the president of Crowdstar Group. Despite the Ford family''s potential eligibility, I recalled Aunty Lois mentioning the club with disdain before my reincamation. She had specifically forbidden Michael from joining it. What drove Michael to defy her wishes and join the club? Was it also to uncover the truth we seek?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Who exactly is the president of Crowdstar Group?" I murmured. Jimmy nced at Steven. "Steven, did you sell Lincoln Group to Crowdstar Group in hopes of securing a rmendation from the president for membership in the club?" Indeed, gaining entry to the club required a rmendation from its members and undergoing extensive assessment. Was this the motive behind Steven''s involvement with Crowdstar Group? "Honestly, your chances of entering the club without my help are quite slim, if not impossible." Jimmy''s words dripped with sarcasm and disdain. "The president of Crowdstar Group is an enigmatic and unpredictable character. I highly doubt he''ll rmend you to the club just because you sold him Lincoln Group. Why not let me provide the rmendation instead?" Jimmy''s tone brimmed with confidence, indicating his belief that he was Steven''s only viable option. I chuckled and interjected with a cold edge, ''Without any tangible assets, you''re merely a Silver-ss member with the title of a business genius. Rather than relying on your rmendation, I''d prefer to coborate with Michael. After all, he''s the president of Ford Group." Though I aimed to undermine Jimmy''s confidence, he remained unfazed by my words. It appeared he was certain that Steven wouldn''t seek Michael''s assistance. "Setting aside my Steven''s strained rtionship with Michael, do you truly ce your trust in the Ford Group? Considering the close connection between Peter Jones and Lois Smith... Peter has such a pivotal role within Genome Society. Is it possible that Lois has no association with the organization?" I was taken aback. Jimmy''s observation certainly struck a chord. "Lois knew all along that Stephanie Carlson was an experimental subject and the prized asset of Genome Society, yet she deliberately kept Stephanie close, binding her with an engagement to her son... Essentially subjecting her to a cognitive experiment." Jimmy smiled at me and continued, "Lois Smith is a cunning woman. She orchestrated Stephanie''s amnesia, her involvement with Michael, and even her demise from beginning to end." It seemed highly probable that Aunty Lois was indeed a member of Genome Society... "No... it can''t be," I uttered with a hoarse voice, taking a step back in disbelief. So, my amnesia from that car ident, Aunty Lois'' decision to take me in, my mistaken belief that Michael was the one who rescued me, the alleged engagement, the torment of ourplicated romantic entanglement, and even Michael''s distrust in me... were all part of an experiment? Aunty Lois had always been aware of everything happening within the Ford family, yet she had done nothing to intervene. She even took away the pregnancy test confirming my condition, pretending as though nothing had happened... Was it true that Aunty Lois had no genuine feelings for me and saw me only as an experimental subject? Did she also involve her son, Michael, in the experiment? Chapter 456 ? "Haha... so, it was all fake. Completely fake!" I scoffed bitterly. "The Ford family can''t be trusted," Jimmy remarked, maintaining his confident smile. His demeanor exuded intelligence and strategic nning throughout our conversation.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He was indeed sharp, possessing the self-assurance typical of highly intelligent individuals. "Steven, I''ll be waiting for your reply," Jimmy said, slipping his business card into Steven''s hand before he left. A few steps away, he turned back and addressed me with a smile, "Stay alive, okay? You''re more valuable than you think, so please stay safe." I clenched my fists, a shiver running down my spine. His implication was clear. My existence was merely a subject of observation and research for the rich and powerful. Those people watched me like bloodthirsty wolves, scrutinizing my every move to see if I could ovee the obstacles they set, if I could achieve the oues they desired... It was all for their mass production ns. I stumbled backward, feeling absurdly trapped. Jimmy''s words seemed to crush my spirit. Gradually consumed by fear and confusion, I began to sense the presence of surveince cameras around me. My breathing felt constricted. "Stephie... "Steven enveloped me in his embrace. "Don''t let his words get to you. Stay strong." I clung to Steven''s shirt, my gaze darting nervously around us. Even the sight of passing strangers heightened my unease. "Stephie..." "I want to go home, Steven. Take me home," I choked back my fear and gripped his cor tightly, my breathsing in ragged gasps. "Steven... take me home." They kept me hidden away, shielded from their scrutiny. Who gave them the right to observe me like some kind ofb rat? Who did they think they were? I yearned to push back, to unleash my fury and madness building inside me. A searing pain shot through my head, driving me to the ground as I clutched my hair. I remembered... I remembered why I had lost control, why I had tried to hurt myself, why Steven and I had fled, only to be recaptured by those people at the warehouse... It was because I had overheard my parents reporting my growth and abnormal behavior to their superiors over the phone. Unable to ept the truth, I spiraled into madness and attempted to flee. I pleaded with Steven to take me away, to hide me. "Let''s go home, Stephie. Let''s go home." Steven''s arms tightened around me, his body trembling with anxiety. He seemed reluctant for me to recall the past, fearing it would lead me to hurt myself again if I refused to ept reality... Yet, Jimmy''s words effortlessly dragged me back into hell. "Stephie!" As my consciousness wavered, unbearable pain drove me to my knees. When I regained my senses, I found my hands covered in blood. Unconsciously, I had scratched my own face, indulging in self-harm... I lifted my head, staring grimly into the distance. I sensed someone watching me. "I will find you... " I murmured hoarsely. I would find each and every one of them, and I would eliminate every single person who threatened Steven and me, one by one... Chapter 457 ? "Stephie..." Steven was shaken by my self-harm, understanding it as a form of protest against those lurking in the shadows. Yet, he couldn''t bear to see me hurt. He would rather I remain in amnesia than face the unbearable truth. At least I could have lived a carefree life then. For all the years I had been without memory, Steven had chosen to watch over me from a distance, enduring his own suffering to ensure I remained safe. He kept himself hidden from me, dreading the idea of triggering memories that would plunge me back into a world of torment. His sole desire had been to protect me. Even as I had found love elsewhere, he had kept his distance, silently bearing the heartache. I could only imagine the anguish he felt as he witnessed the woman he loved forget him entirely and fall for another. "Stephie... will you please look at me? I beg of you, please look at me," Steven''s voice sounded distant as he pleaded for my attention, his tone trembling. Looking into his eyes which were as deep and blue as the sea, I once wished to drown in them. For me, death wasn''t punishment but rather a release. Unfortunately, it seemed I was cursed to be reborn after every death. "Stephie." Steven led me to the basement as soon as we arrived home. Holding me in his arms, he whispered, "Stephie, we''ll win, no matter what." "Will we be able to escape from them?" I asked Steven, echoing the same question I had posed when I pleaded for our escape at 18. "No more running away..." Steven''s reply held a sense of finality. Back then, Steven assured me that we could certainly flee, but our youth andck of resources led to failure against the rich and powerful. However, this time, Steven decided against running, and I concurred. If they were our nightmare, then it was only fitting that we became theirs as well. "No more running... "I cradled Steven''s face and nted a kiss on his lips. Steven pulled me closer, intensifying the kiss... It seemed I wasn''t very good at kissing. I struggled to find the right moments to breathe and almost suffocated myself. Steven tenderly kissed the corner of my eye, wiping away the tears on my face. His breath was scorching. "Stephie... I need you." He sought my consent, making it clear he wouldn''t take his next step without it. Now I remembered... When we were young and driven by hormones, we would indulge in kisses like this, our bodies consumed by desire. "Mutual consent is crucial in lovemaking. Without it, it would turn into rape," I recalled telling Steven. Back then, despite being easily swayed by desire, Steven always restrained his urges and primitive instincts for Stephanie''s sake. Even though Steven had been like a caged beast, Stephanie had always served as his sole motivation to ovee his violent instincts. It was a testament to his love for her.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Stephie, we''re legally married," Steven reminded me, his gaze intense as if he was proudly dering his status as my husband. Stephanie and Steven were no longer the young couple forced to suppress their desires due to their inability to take responsibility for their actions. Now, we were a married couple with the legal freedom to express our love physically. I paused for a moment, locking my eyes with Steven''s innocent yet eager gaze. I felt as though his eyes could alleviate all my worries. An inner voice urged me to hold him tightly, to trust himpletely, and to fulfill all his needs. A blush crept onto my cheeks. I suddenly realized I had been sitting on hisp since my earlier episode. With his arms encircling my waist, our posture exuded a suggestive intimacy... Chapter 458 ? Feeling the chilliness on my fingertips as I touched Steven''s cheeks, I gently nted another kiss on his lips. I wanted to forget everything... to leave it all behind. I wanted to lose myself once more. "Steven... "Unbuttoning my blouse, I slipped it off and unhooked my bra from behind. Taken aback by my boldness, Steven''s face flushed instantly as he averted his gaze in embarrassment. "Look at me..." I pressed my forehead against his, picking up where we had left off. Sensing Steven''s attempt to regain control, I used my blouse to tie his hands behind his back. "Where... did you learn this?" Steven asked, stuttering. His tone was tinged with intimidation despite his flushed cheeks. "Online," I responded truthfully. "Don''t delve too deeply into that.... frivolous stuff." Steven cleared his throat uneasily, seemingly taken aback by my swift learning. "Hold on..." As my fingers brushed his waist, Steven halted me. His voice was hoarse from suppressing his desire. "In the left drawer... Condoms." I narrowed my eyes, grasping his throat as I questioned him, "Why are there condoms here in your secret hideout?" He''d better give me a good exnation. Steven averted his gaze, answering honestly, "I... I wanted to hide you here." I knew he had hidden intentions all along. He''d been plotting to confine me in this basement and fulfill his fantasies with me, hence the condoms! "I-It''s legally allowed... "Steven muttered softly. "Without my consent, you have no right to imprison me, even if you are my legal husband... " I chuckled, deliberately pressing against him on hisp. As Steven''s breath grew heated, he argued while suppressing his desire, "You begged me to..." He was referring to the time when I pleaded with him to hide me away from those people. Perhaps that was the reason he insisted on marrying me, to legitimize his imprisonment of me and to indulge in our intimacy. I lowered my head, pecking his lips as I said, "Steven Lincoln... help me to forget, even if only for a moment."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Okay..." I wasn''t sure when he had freed his hands from my blouse. But before I knew it, he had pinned me beneath him and was kissing me with both intensity and tenderness. "Steve... " I called his name, as if it could momentarily whisk away all my worries. Indulging in desire was the only time I could escape from all my concerns. I didn''t have to think or suspect anyone. When Steven finally released me, it was already two in the morning. "Untie me..." My voice was hoarse as I pulled at my wrists, my eyes reddened from exhaustion. Clearly, Steven had caught on to the trick I used on him earlier. He ended up tying my hands with rope. "No." Steven grunted, pulling me into his arms. "You''ll run away if I untie you..." ? "Steven Lincoln..." I called his name through gritted teeth. He remained still, his hands exploring my body. "Stephie... I want more..." "Don''t even think about it!" I declined immediately,pletely drained after our earlier escapades. Steven let out a displeased grunt, holding me tightly in his arms. "Steven Lincoln, I''m warning you... Hurry up and untie me now..." Seeing that he was ignoring mepletely and I was too tired to protest further, I decided to give in. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. When I woke up in his arms after a sound and secure sleep, my hands had been untied. I had to admit... Steven was like my antidote. Despite spending the night in his windowless basement with only a venttion system, I found a sense of security I had never experienced before when I was with him. "Sir, there''s a woman at the door iming to be Peter Jones'' daughter." Ewan''s voice echoed through the door as he knocked. Narrowing my eyes, I shot a nce at Steven, who was still feigning sleep. I tugged on his ear. "Stop pretending," Steven reluctantly peeled open his eyes, his voice tinged with a pitiful tone, "Sorry, honey..." "Peter''s daughter?" I recollected that Peter''s eldest daughter, afflicted with congenital cerebral palsy, had passed away. Our guest had to be his younger daughter, born to his current wife. She was also the granddaughter of the director of the asylum. "Michael is apanying her," Ewan added. Furrowing my brows, I pondered the unusual pairing. "Oh, and Yasmin too," Ewan added swiftly. Steven sat up begrudgingly. "Next time, summarize it in one breath. And tell Michael and Yasmin to scram as far away as they can." Chapter 459 ? When I left the basement, my lower back felt stiff... ncing back at Steven, he quickly averted his gaze with a tinge of guilt. He then exined softly, "Stephie, the mattress isn''t good. I''ll talk to Joel about getting it reced." "Why don''t I just get you reced?" I said through gritted teeth. Steven grabbed my hand and rejected the idea. "No. We''re married now. I can''t be returned or reced." I lowered my head and observed Steven''s hand, but I chose not to pull away. Instead, I allowed him to hold my hand as we walked out together. Although it was raining outside, we werepletely unaware of it in the basement. I found sce in the total seclusion, which provided a sense of security. It was unlike anything I had experienced before. Beingpletely isted from the outside world was strangelyforting. I had no way of knowing whether it was day or night, or even if it was raining or sunny. Michael saw meing out and anxiously ran over to me. "Stephie! Are you okay?" "Are you expecting me to not be okay?" I stood in the rain while Steven shielded me with an umbre. Michael was drenched in the rain, and a tinge of sadness flickered in his eyes. "I apologize to you on behalf of Yasmin..." I sneered. "On behalf of Yasmin? What right do you have?" "Stephie, why do you constantly misunderstand my intentions? I admit that I failed to watch over her properly, and as a result, she almost caused you harm. I''m sorry." Michael appeared distraught, his expression filled with remorse.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. I remained silent, my gaze fixed on the umbre above me. Whenever Steven held an umbre for me, it was always tilted toward my direction. However, when I thought of Michael, he never once offered to hold an umbre for me. Not only did he fail to do so, but he went as far as tearing my umbre into pieces. He was aware of my fear of thunderstorms, yet he intentionally tried to punish me by exploiting this fear. It was his way of seeking revenge for something I had done as a child. Dyed affection was worth nothing. This was the undeniable truth. In the car, Yasmin lowered the window, her face already wet from the rain. She looked at me with a vicious gaze, her pale face seemingly filled with hatred toward me. I gazed back at her with deep pity. It dawned on me that she would have to depend on Michael''s so-called " conscience" to live for the rest of her life. "Mike, you might get sick if you stay out in the rain," Yasmin warned, her voice hoarse with concern as she urged Michael to get in the car. However, she refused to leave the car herself. Yasmin''s selfish nature extended even to her love. She feared that falling ill would worsen her HIV infection, so she refused to leave the car. Although she was concerned about Michael, her primary worry was for herself. "Stephie, something has happened to Peter, and my clues were cut off." Michael nced at his car where a young teenage girl was sitting in the passenger seat. Her face was pallid and devoid of color, and her hair was damp. She had to be Peter''s daughter from his second marriage. Michael''s hands tightened into fists. "Every time I''m on the verge of a breakthrough, someone always manages to sabotage it. Peter offered to share everything he knew, but it''s unfortunate..." It was unfortunate that he was killed. Although Peter was not dead yet, the chances of him waking up were very slim, which was essentially the same as being killed. "What does his daughter know?" I asked, looking at the teenage girl in the passenger seat. Even if she was unaware, she would be in grave danger as long as she was involved. If those with wealth and power behind this plot intended to eliminate everyone involved, she would surely be a target. "Linda." Michael opened the car door and held an umbre for the teenager. Linda was wearing a ck dress, her skin unusually pale. As she stepped out of the car, her small leather shoes touched the water. She hastily withdrew them as if she were afraid. When she noticed Michael by her side, she carefully ced her feet on the ground once more. Michael exined softly, "She''s in 12th grade this year, the same age as Joel. She''s about to take the college entrance exam. She has autism..." I probably guessed correctly. The way she exited the car revealed her strong resistance to the outside world. Chapter 460 ? This condition typically urred in infancy and early childhood. In a solemn tone, I asked, "Peter''s first daughter was born with congenital cerebral palsy, and she passed away soon after. The second daughter has autism... Does he have a gic defect?" Michael nodded. "That''s why he works for Genome Society. He''s a victim of a gic disease, and it''s difficult for his children to be born healthy, so he..." I understood that Peter''s motivation for all his actions was driven by his desire to possess perfect genes to prevent any gic defects. After a long moment of silence, Linda finally said in a hushed voice and timidly looked up at me, "Dad is a good man. He''s helping you..." I shifted my gaze at her with a frown. She took out a photo album from the small schoolbag she was holding tightly. Inside the album, there was a photo of Peter and my parents when he was young. "His ssmates." Linda pointed at the people in the photo. Stephanie''s parents were ssmates of Peter. They were talented individuals in the medical field and held important positions within Genome Society. "They shared the same ambitions," Linda struggled to speak. She pointed to "Stephanie" in the photo. "Eventually, they developed an emotional connection with the experimental subject and yearned to help her escape..." I knew that my parents were members of Genome Society and that I was merely an experimental subject. I realized that they did not love me from the beginning and were only using me for research purposes. However, I didn''t hate them. Later on, it seemed like they cared about me too. They wanted to take me with them, but they died in a car ident. The members of Genome Society would not tolerate any escape attempts of their experimental subjects. Any employees who refused to obey should be promptly removed too. As Jimmy pointed out, I was an extremely valuable experimental subject. The wealthy behind Genome Society had invested hundreds of millions, if not tens of billions, in cultivating these experimental subjects. This had greatly advanced the fields of science and medicine. Furthermore, as the subject of the experiment, my personal value far surpassed their initial investment. The wealthy were primarily interested in the rate of return. Once they witnessed my sess, I had the potential to generate immeasurable wealth for them. "They begged my dad to protect you and allow you to live a normal life," Linda continued, her eyes red as she pointed at Stephanie. But she was looking at me. Hence, Stephanie''s amnesia was not a mere coincidence or an unfortunate ident. Rather, it was a deliberate act nned by Peter. "My dad entrusted you with the Ford family because he trusted them." Linda sobbed, struggling to articte her words. I knew she was making a great effort to convey that Peter was a good man, and he believed in the Ford family. Michael also gazed at me intensely. "Stephie... My mom was your mom''s best friend, someone Peter could trust. You can also trust me and believe me..." Michael wanted me to trust him and Lois, but Jimmy imed that the Ford family waspletely untrustworthy. Hmm... Linda suddenly lifted her head and gazed at Steven behind me. Then, she recoiled in fear and sought refuge behind Michael. "Stephany, don''t believe him. Never... trust him." She clutched Michael''s clothes tightly, her voice trembling. "Don''t trust him." Her emotions appeared to be uncontroble, and she continued to retreat in fear. "Stephany..." Suddenly, Linda rushed up and firmly grabbed me. She was strong and pulled me aside. Then, she cast a wary nce at Steven before whispering in my ear. "I''ve seen him with the bad guys... I''ve seen him... with the researchers. They were studying... immortality and the connection between souls and genes. I really saw him..."N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Linda didn''t appear to be lying. The fearful look in her eyes as she nced at Steven was unmistakable. I nced back at Steven. He stood there with a solemn expression on his face. He was staring at the teenage girl named Linda, deep in contemtion. "Stephie, don''t believe him. If he has no problem, why is he so certain you''re Stephanie? The corrtion experiment between the soul and genes, also known as reincarnation, is an experiment he began researching when he was in the advanced ss." Michael also grabbed my wrist and begged me to believe him. Chapter 461 ?Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Don''t trust anyone. Don''t trust anyone around you..." Linda grabbed my wrist anxiously, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and unease. Michael stared at Steven, his face filled with seriousness. Then, he turned to Linda in panic. "Is this what you were too scared to tell me?" Linda cowered behind Michael, clutching my wrist tightly in terror. She refused to release her grip. Her eyes were red, and she appeared utterly genuine. "Dad... wanted to protect you, and I... want to protect you too," Linda cried, shaking her head. She begged me not to be with Steven. "Stephie, Linda didn''t inform me earlier. She only requested that I separate you from Steven... I can''t believe that he''s truly affiliated with the organization." Michael was furning. He red at Steven with a mix of anger and caution. "Steven, what do you n to do?" "Stephie." Steven pulled me into his embrace. He warned Michael and Linda, "Stay away from her!" This was likely the first time Michael had heard Linda say such words. He forcefully pushed Steven aside and then pulled me toward him. "Steven, you should be the one staying away from her! I won''t allow you to harm her again." Steven''s pale fingers tightly gripped the umbre handle as he nervously looked at me. Michael tightly gripped my wrist and said, "Stephanie, don''t believe him. I had always thought he was scary and a lunatic since I met him. Come with me..." "Haha... Two lunatics make the perfect pair, don''t they?" Yasmin said anxiously, clearly fearful that I would leave with Michael. She was worried that if I left with Michael, he would leave her alone. I turned to her with a deliberate smile and replied, "As I mentioned earlier, it''s perfectly fine for me to leave with you. But you have to send her away. I don''t want to see her." "Mike, you should know that I''ll die if I leave you in my current situation." Yasmin instantly became alert and looked at Michael in panic. She would cling to Michael until herst breath. Michael fell silent for a moment. "Stephie, I can send her away..." I chuckled. "Don''t make this harder for yourself. Even if you send her away, you''ll still take care of her, support her with your money, and take care of her behind my back, won''t you?" Yasmin looked at Michael with teary eyes. "Mike..." Michael spoke nervously, struggling to find the right words to exin himself. It seemed like my intuition was spot on. "Stephie, I assure you that she''ll never live with us again. I can send her off, but she''s still an employee of the Ford Group. Her current circumstances... I just can''t fire her," Michael exined in a hushed tone, almost pleading with me. I pulled my hand away from Michael''s grip and shook my head in disbelief. He simply couldn''t grasp that love, at its core, was selfish. No one would tolerate their partner unconditionally caring for another woman, especially when that woman was Yasmin, the one who killed "Stephanie." Interestingly, Michael was moved by his deep love and regret. Yet, he didn''t feel that he had done anything wrong. "Stephie," Steven finally called out, holding an umbre for me. He stoodpletely in the rain. Even when I was being dragged over by Michael, his umbre was always over my head. "Are you affiliated with the organization?" I inquired, looking at Steven. Steven lowered his gaze without providing any exnation. "When did it happen?" I asked again. Steven''s eyes were slightly red. He had red at Michael with such obvious hostility, but now he was feigning vulnerability. However, his trick really seemed to work on me. "The year we... failed to escape," Steven uttered, lifting his gaze to meet mine. Although he didn''t borate, his pleading eyes spoke volumes. He was silently pleading for my trust. That was the year when I lost my memory in a car ident. I lived a normal life by myself and became involved with Michael. Eventually, I fell in love with him. As I took a deep breath, a burning sensation filled my throat. I wondered what he did behind my back when I wasn''t around. Michael frowned and looked at Steven, raising his hand to signal me toe over. "Stephie, he admitted it. This lunatic is truly dangerous." "Stephany...e with us." Linda grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me away. Michael also wished to take me away. However, Steven remained standing there, his eyes filled with a profound sadness. Yet, he never uttered a word to stop me. Chapter 462 ? Previously, I believed that he didn''t care and that my presence was not as important as the secret he was protecting. But now, I could probably understand why he didn''t ask me to stay. He was deeply conflicted, not wanting me to leave yet wanting me to go at the same time. "I was wondering how you could resist seeking me out and showing up in front of me. You even prevented me from remembering you." I pushed Michael''s hand away. Then, I snatched the umbre from Steven''s hand and hurled it to the ground. If he wanted to get wet in the rain, then we would get wet together. Why was he holding an umbre for me when he was soaked alone? "If you''re already soaked, what''s the point of me standing under the umbre? We were supposed to go together." I suspected he was up to something in secret all these years. He feared that being associated with the organization would put him in danger. He was afraid of dying and leaving me sad. That was why he repeatedly urged me to forget about him. Steven''s eyes were red as he picked up the umbre and once again shielded me from the rain. This time, he stood under the umbre beside me. When I looked up at him, my eyes were filled with emotion. There was a mutual understanding without the need for much exnation. "Stephie..." Michael''s hands were clenched and shaking, his knuckles turning white with tension. He must have realized that I wouldn''t go with him. "Why... must you believe this lunatic?" "His love is only for me. He could even choose not to love himself..." I whispered firmly, reaching for Steven''s hand. I trusted him unconditionally, even if he had hurt or lied to me. Linda looked down and closed her eyes. She cried and shook her head. "You''ll regret it... You''ll definitely regret it." She repeated over and over that I would deeply regret my decision and that she desperately wanted to protect me. Her fear of Steven was palpable. She imed to have met Steven within the organization. Despite being autistic, she was always honest and sincere. Nevertheless, I couldn''t help but observe that there were other emotions in the way she looked at Steven that were beyond just fear.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. She certainly had a deeper connection with Steven. It was more than just a casual encounter. My intuition made me feel that her sorrow was genuine, although her words might not have been directed toward me. I had a hunch that she was speaking to Steven instead. She was nning to take me away, yet Steven offered no resistance. However, I had no desire to leave, and Steven didn''t object either. Consequently, Linda warned that I woulde to regret it... She wasn''t merely referring to me but also to Steven, right? What were Steven''s exact ns? How many issues were kept hidden from me? He was involved in the organization''s Reincarnation Project. Additionally, his decision to sell the Lincoln Group''s shares to Crowdstar Group was definitely not made rashly as well. The masterminds behind it orchestrated a grand n, a maze. It appeared that Steven was one of the nners. I couldn''t see through it clearly. I just felt flustered and afraid. I feared that if he got into the game, it would be a dead end and that he wouldn''t leave a way for himself to survive in the future. "Lunatics should stick together... Mike, let''s go," Yasmin dered, urging Michael to depart. Michael stood still in the pouring rain, uncertain of what he should do to mend things... Yasmin sneered, appearing to have a sudden realization. "Are you still persistent? She only loves that lunatic. She''s not Stephanie. She merely holds Stephanie''s memories. How can Steven be so sure that she''s Stephanie? Perhaps because he was the one who created her..." Did Steven make Stephany secretly imitate Stephanie so that she could eventually rece her, bing Stephanie? Chapter 463 ? Steven frowned and decisively retaliated, ring at Yasmin. "Do you even think before you speak? Stop embarrassing yourself and keep your fucking mouth shut if you''re not smart enough! Steven was furious. Linda imed he had connections with people in the organization, and he was fine with it. Then Yasmin suggested that "I" was created by him, which made him livid. He felt that Yasmin had insulted his intelligence and emotions. Honestly, I rarely saw Steven so angry that he would even curse. He was typically toozy to utter a word even though he was capable of speaking. Yasmin''s face turned pale after being scolded by Steven. "You''re anxious because I told the truth..." Steven was toozy to continue talking to Yasmin. Scolding her would be pointless. "Someone asked Stephany to imitate Stephanie by threatening her with the children. The abduction of children is connected to the human trafficking case. The human trafficking case will be resolved soon, and the truth will finallye to light." Michael tightened his grip as if his intellect had just powered up. He red at Steven with frustration. "Steven, no matter how well you disguise yourself, you can''t hide forever. Eventually, I''ll unveil your true colors and expose your wicked deeds to everyone." Michael was convinced that all of this was somehow rted to Steven. Afterward, Michael averted his gaze to me and hesitated to speak. I chose to ignore him and simply held Steven''s hand tightly. "Stephie, you''ll regret this," Michael said with a bitter smile. He stood in the rain, looking utterly disheveled. I asked him back, "Regret? I remember the rain the day you abandoned Stephanie at Nocturnal Club and allowed bullies to humiliate her. It was also raining like this when a group of homeless dragged her into the alley, attempting to harm her like soulless beasts." I gazed at Michael and continued, "You questioned why I trust Steven instead of you. But Michael, you already provided the answer, didn''t you? You said I''d regret it. So, tell me, Michael. Do you regret how you treated Stephanie?" In the dark alley, amidst her tears and desperation, Stephanie pleaded for assistance. And there, it was Steven who bravely fought off those people. The person who had been silently protecting me from behind was never Michael. Even if I was making the wrong choice, I was still determined to follow through. I was willing to give my heart to the one who truly loved me. "He doesn''t love you... He''s just like you. He doesn''t even know what love truly is. It''s all an act. He''s pretending to be affectionate... Stephie, you can''t deny me just because of one mistake. I have feelings for you as well. I just struggle to express them. "At least I won''t lie to you, harm you, or use you... From the beginning to the end, it was simply an issue of our rtionship. Nothing else was ever involved." Michael exined weakly, his eyes bloodshot. "Stephie... When someone makes a mistake, do they never deserve to be forgiven? Do I really not deserve your trust again?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I lowered my head and remained silent. In the car, Yasminughed mockingly. "Michael, you''re also unwilling to face the reality. No matter what evidence I provide to prove that she''s not Stephanie at all but simply Stephany with Stephanie''s memories, you''re unwilling to trust me..." Yasmin frantically pped the car seat and pulled her hair in frustration. "You''re all in denial and believe that she''s Stephanie. Unfortunately, Stephanie is dead, and she can''t be brought back to life. This is an undeniable truth! "Don''t you believe me either? You once promised to love and support me for the rest of your life, and you also vowed to marry me... "Michael... you''d rather dere your love to a puppet than keep your promise to me." Yasmin was still crying as if she was irritated. Michael stood dejectedly in the rain. He should be feeling utterly miserable at this exact moment... He was trapped in a predicament. But the person responsible for this situation was none other than himself. He showed mercy to Yasmin out of kindness. At the same time, he expressed that he regretted it and that his true love was Stephanie. Chapter 464 ? The human heart wasplex and ever-changing. We couldn''t judge if it was true or false as circumstances changed with time. "You''ll regret it..." Linda clenched her trembling fingers in the pouring rain as she gazed at Steven with sadness. Steven didn''t say a word. He simply held me close in his arms. Michael opened the car door and allowed Linda to enter. As she settled in, her gaze remained fixed on Steven. A woman''s intuition was often remarkably urate. Despite only being an 18-year-old woman, Linda appeared to harbor a bold crush on Steven. She definitely had feelings for Steven. It was quite clear that she loved him. However, she intended to take me away. What was her true intention? "Stephie, let''s go home." Steven held my hand and guided me back. "Only... qualified individuals are allowed to join the organization. I''m a lunatic... The hypotheses and propositions I present are precisely what they seek and are deeply interested in..." He took the initiative to exin without waiting for me to inquire. Steven looked at me and added, "Linda is Peter''s daughter. I had always known that fact, so I nned to use her as a counterweight to Peter. Despite having autism, Linda has made progress in social life thanks to Peter''s treatment and support. However, she still sometimes feels like she doesn''t quite fit in." Steven whispered as he took a towel and gently wiped my wet hair. "Many autistic children have amazing talents. Linda is exceptionally skilled at painting. She can recreate objects, characters, and buildings with great uracy." "She has feelings for you," I murmured as I lowered my head. I wasn''t interested in her talent. "You know what I want to find out." What I really wanted to know was not Linda''s ability to paint but the significance behind what she said. Why did she try to separate me from Steven? What was the intent behind her repeated phrase "You will regret it"? Steven picked up the hair dryer and assisted me in drying my hair. "There''s no turning back once you enter the game. I''ll do whatever it takes to protect you, even if it means sacrificing my life in the end." Despite the deafening noise of the hair dryer, I managed to catch every word he uttered. I grabbed his hand and switched off the hairdryer. "You joined the organization as a genius. Are you nning to find the person behind it? What kind of n do you have?"N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Steven looked at me in silence, still refusing to share his ns. It was clear that his n was leading to a dead end, one that would ultimately cost him his life. I would eventually lose him. I held onto his clothes tightly, trembling. "If you die, how can I survive alone?" Steven embraced me and gave me a reassuring pat on the back. "It''s possible to go on without someone in your life, Stephie." I held onto Steven tightly. "So, you''re really going to leave me, aren''t you? We agreed to be together..." "Don''t overthink it. I won''t leave you," Steven continued to reassure me. Chapter 465 ? Steven gently grasped my face and whispered, "Stephie, that was my old n for when you forgot about me and didn''t love me. Now that you''re back with me, my n has changed. You see, I''ve sold all the shares in the Lincoln Group. "Initially, I aimed to take over the Lincoln family and utilize the Lincoln Group to join as one of the investors behind the scenes. Then, I''d carry out my n." As tears streamed down my face, Steven''s panicked voice cut through the air. "Stephie, you''vepletely thrown off all my ns. Ever since you were reincarnated and woke up in my bed, you''ve disrupted everything. Seriously..." He grasped my face in a panic, his anxiety palpable. "How could I bear to leave you alone, Stephie? Don''t be afraid. I''ll never leave you behind." I looked at him and asked doubtfully, "Really?" Steven raised his finger and swore, but there was a sorrow in his eyes that I couldn''tprehend. "I swear, I''ll never leave Stephanie, never..." "But what if I''m not Stephanie?" I asked fearfully. What if I really was just a memory imnt, just a clone, as Yasmin suggested? He gently touched my face. "You are Stephie, you are. Never let anyone sway you. Faithes from within yourself." "What was your initial n?" I asked Steven with teary eyes. He exined softly, "Stephie... The organization has a person in charge for each country and region in the organization. And you''re the pinnacle of creativity and the most valuable experimental subject for this person in charge. "I initially intended to use the Lincoln Group to be one of their investors to find out the mastermind behind this organization and rece the person in charge. "By assuming control over the leadership, I would dismantle the entire Godmaker Project, annihte all its experimental data, and ensure theplete disappearance of Stephanie, Stephany, and other subjects. "This would grant you the absolute freedom you deserve. You''ll be liberated once and for all." He was willing to risk his life to infiltrate and be the sinister force behind it all, all for the sake of saving his beloved. Those who persisted in battling evil for too long eventually became evil themselves. He was fully prepared to embrace evil in order to eradicate it entirely. Yet, aplishing this goal proved to be an immense challenge. To be evil, he needed to bepelled tomit numerous evil acts and be stained with blood. However, Steven was born pure and righteous. How could he allow himself to be a sinner? In the end, he would perish along with all his sins. As the sins burned away, he would also disappearpletely. This was his original,plete n.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. That was precisely why he repeatedly stated that it made no difference whether I remembered him or not... I could do as I pleased. From start to finish, Steven never allowed himself a way out. Heid many paths for me, and each one led to a dead end for him. Chapter 466 ? Where did he learn this overbearing kissing technique from? It seemed spontaneous and without any rules. His fingers were restless too. "Steven..." I couldn''t help but shed tears due to his action, leaving no room for any other thoughts. Ile kissed the corners of my eyes and pressed me against the wall... The sound of water running in the bathroom was loud, drowning out my breathing and whimpering. This bastard... I didn''t know where he learned these techniques. He had sex with me until midnightst night, and now, he still wanted it. I felt my legs shaking. My body was pressed against the cold tiles, and I was trembling all over. "Steven... Bastard..." Steven was behind me, gently kissing and nipping at me as if tofort me. Yet, his force remained unrelenting. "Hmm..." His voice was hoarse as if he was reacting to being called a bastard by me. "Are you done yet..." "Mhm." He kept humming as if he was replying to whatever I said, but it was simply irritating. "Steven!" I tried to push Steven away, but it didn''t work. He seized my wrist and kissed me from behind. I felt the tears welling up, probably out of frustration. He spoke with a raspy voice as if he longed to intertwine his fate with mine. "I never thought... you woulde back to me... How dare I wish... How dare I..." I felt like I was losing my mind, so I reacted to his kiss by biting his lip. I could eventually taste the blood in my mouth. Let us surrender to this abyss together. Steven, never think about leaving me alone. The temperature in the bathroom had been steadily rising, causing the mirror to be obscured by a veil of mist. He used to restrain himself, but now, he couldn''t bear it any longer. "Steven, my legs are cramping! You jerk..."N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "Honey..." Steven hugged me and acted coquettishly, but he refused to let me go. I leaned against the sink, taking a deep breath and feeling helpless. I could only hope that the sink would hold and not fall. "Michael deserves to die," Steven uttered, his voice filled with jealousy. It was clear that he resented Michael for attempting to take me away, as well as for taking Stephanie''s past affection toward him. "I''ll never hurt you." His fingers delicately traced the red marks on my wrist, remnants of Michael''s forceful grip moments ago. "Stephie, he hurt you and threatened me... Don''t fall for him," Stevenined in a pretentious tone. He kissed my neck, sending prickling sensations down my spine. Honey traps and pillow talk worked well. I couldn''t help but scold Michael too, "Ignore him. He''s just as stupid as Yasmin." Steven nibbled at my corbone, his voice dripping with seduction. "Stephie... The reason he joined the organization is to impress you. He yearns to uncover the truth sooner and win back your affection..." Steven informed me about all the potential "sacrifices" Michael might have to make beforehand. He did so to prepare me emotionally and prevent me from being swayed by Michael''s sacrifices. It was also to keep me from being with Michaelter on. "L..." I was about to say something when I heard someone shouting in the living room. "Where is everyone? Steven? Stephanie?" It was Joel. I was nervous, wanting to push Steven away. Joel was a high school student now... The bathroom door was not locked at all! Steven pressed me against the wall with evil intentions and refused to let me move. "Steven." My voice was choked with emotion, and I was unable to speak loudly. "Steven, what are you doing?" Joel shouted alertly outside the door. "My wife," Steven responded coldly. The air fell silent for a moment, but then a sharp shout pierced the stillness, "You''re shameless! It''s broad daylight-" "Get lost!" "Alright." Chapter 467 ? I was terrified, so I instinctively covered my mouth in fear. I felt a deep sense of shame for my actions. In my panic, I scratched the back of Steven''s hand, leaving three bloody marks. Steven just chuckled, took a deep breath, and embraced me even more tightly. "Go away..." At this very moment, I simply couldn''t bear the thought of thinking about anything else. My heart raced. I felt my anger surging from the depths of my soul. I was overwhelmed by sheer embarrassment. Steven was indeed very sessful in changing the subject. I knew he was avoiding my questions. "Stephie, it''s not over yet." Steven adamantly refused to let me go so easily. I became furious and impulsively bit him on the neck. I repeatedly hit and punched him, all the while fearing that I might seriously harm him. Yet, he likely perceived this as "fun" and continued his actions... "Steven, you''re doomed," I threatened with a hint of anger. However, he responded by exerting stronger force intentionally, his voice taking on a different tone. I continued to bite him with frustration, making sure not to do it too audibly. All I could do was endure it silently... After a long time, Steven finally let me go. My legs were shaking slightly... I leaned against the wall for a moment and shot him a fierce re. That bastard then took advantage and kissed me once more. I said firmly, "Don''t touch me for a year, starting now." Steven felt deeply aggrieved without uttering a word. I ignored him and pushed him away. After that, I dressed myself and walked out. Steven followed me with a look of grievance as if he were not the one who had been so aggressive just now and refused to stop. "Honey, you''re forgetting our intimate moments together after getting dressed." I turned around and gave him a piercing re. As I arrived in the living room, I noticed Joel sitting upright, gazing at me with a sympathetic expression. I cleared my throat slightly and tried to exin, "The bathroom shower was broken. We were trying to fix it." Joel stared at Steven. "Shameless." "You should be ashamed of yourself. Why aren''t you at school in broad daylight? What are you doing here? "Steven retorted and poured me a ss of water. I ignored him. However, I was really thirsty, so I took the ss and took a sip. "Something happened to Quinn," Joel replied grimly. Steven''s hand, which assisted me in peeling the fruit, paused as he looked up at Joel. "Be more specific." "The police overseas have found Quinn''s body in a human trafficking hideout. Aware of the police on her trail, she strategically stirred up public opinion online, acting as bait to lure the organization''s members into finding her. Just before her death, she managed to send her location to the authorities. "Consequently, the hideout was destroyed, and 16 genius teenagers were rescued, including six foreigners. The remaining ten have also been safely sent back. Further investigation is expected to be carried out." Joel turned to Steven and added, "This hideout was used for illegal organ transnts. Wealthy individuals would pre-order cloned experimental subjects with the same genes as themselves. Once the subjects matured, their organs would then be transnted to minimize the risk of rejection." Therefore, those people kept certain special geniuses captive and cultivated them like crops, harvesting them repeatedly. They used them for their own benefit, reducing the cost of scientific research. After all, using internationally renowned scientists to study these matters would not only reveal their intent but also effortlessly draw attention from all sides.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Therefore, rather than relying on well-known scientists, it was best to nurture talent internally and build an industrial chain from the source to the finished product. Chapter 468 ? I had to say that the mastermind behind the organization was a true business genius and possessed exceptional business acumen. "Quinn endured extensive torture before her death. The organization excelled at torturing others. Zion and Eason have returned. They found a video of Quinn being tortured at the hideout. The level of suffering was beyond what most humans could endure, yet she remained resolute. "Not once did she disclose any secrets about the Rebels until herst breath." Joel took a deep breath. He never expected that a woman who had endured prolonged domestic violence could actually take such action. "Eventually, light will conquer darkness. These were her final words." Joel should have juste back from Eason''s ce. Carol''s body was missing. Eason and Zion searched for a long time but couldn''t find it. It seemed Quinn took it, but now, Quinn had also passed away. No one knew where she took Carol''s body. "Quinn is a Rebel, and the organization needs to eliminate her. She intentionally allowed the organization to take her in and led the police to the hideout to rescue the geniuses who were trafficked. By doing so, she dealt a blow to the organization," I whispered as I ced the water ss on the table. The organization established an extensive industrial chain to carry out gic crimes. This chain epassed every aspect, from human trafficking and human experimentation to gene cloning, global organ supply, surrogacy supply, and even the production of various stem cells and heme. All of these illegal activities were utilized within the beauty and anti-aging industry. Tens of thousands of people went missing every day around the world. These missing individuals were treated asmodities, bing a feast for those at the top of the food chain. They "fed" on human blood, "gnawed" on human bones, and trampled on human life and rights. Finally, a group of people emerged and started opposing the darkness and the organization. They gathered and developed this chess game, beginning with the "serial murder" case.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Joining the game was a dead end. Benjamin also made this statement when he was in the ruined building. Every Rebel was both a victim and a murderer. From the moment they entered the game, they were destined to die. It was the same for Quinn. She knew she hadmitted a capital crime and would eventually face death. Nheless, she bravely sacrificed herself as bait, using her weakened body to tear open a corner of the veil of Genome Society and expose the darkness that had been shrouded in secrecy. Joel shrugged. "Next, the police will conduct a thorough investigation. This is a long-term process, but with the rescue of these geniuses, they''ll be able to swiftly uncover crucial evidence and press forward. "Therefore, we should regain our focus, and I should prioritize my college entrance exam. We should entrust the remaining investigation to the police." Joel meant that we had done our part, and now it was up to the police to investigate. "If the darkness is dense, it''ll be difficult for the sun to move forward," I whispered and nced at Steven. The dark clouds appeared to have cleared, but it turned out that it was still challenging topletely clear the sky. "Sir, Jimmy holds 15% of Martin''s shares and has recently joined the board of directors of the Lincoln Group. Not only that, he has also sessfully established his ownpany called Sunwise Group in Huma. "This venture focuses on diverse sectors such as cultural media, business management, and cultural tourism. The coverage is extensive, and investment was secured in a short time. Branchpanies have expanded rapidly and experienced swift development." "Ewan entered the room and promptly reported Jimmy''s actions to Steven. I held the ss of water, lost in thought. Jimmy was a smart person who knew how to use his intelligence and abilities. He was demonstrating his strength and now had his own sessful business. Even though his emerging industry couldn''tpete with oldpanies like the Ford Group, the future looked promising. He could still double his worth. Joel raised his eyebrows and smiled at Steven. "People are mocking you outside because they think you sold the Lincoln Group to Crowdstar Group without getting any benefits. They''re saying you''re a fool." "It''s good to sell it," I instinctively responded, gripping Steven''s hand tightly. I started to be selfish, not wanting him to be rich and powerful and stand at the top of the food chain. The so-called game was a dead end, and I didn''t want Steven to get involved. "Mr. Martin Lincoln is here." Leo signed in the yard. Joel looked at him, then back at Steven. Once again, Martin and his gang of bloodsuckers from the Lincoln family appeared at the door. Chapter 469 ? "Steven, you''re mentally ill, foolish, and unable to lead. You have no right to sell thepany!" The stern words were spoken by Steven''s aunt''s daughter. Steven''s aunt''s son-inw probably didn''t dare toe. Perhaps he still hadn''t fully recovered from being stabbed by me a few times. These people were clearly frightened. They cowered behind the bodyguards, reluctant to approach the iron door adorned with a sign that read, "Beware of Dog." Stevie red at them, baring his teeth as if ready to attack and bite at any moment. I stepped out the door and nced around. This time, Charles and Nadia were there as well. Ann didn''t show up. I heard that she suffered from facial disfigurement, and her engagement with the Greyson family was called off. She was probably going through a really tough time now. But it was her retribution. Madison pointed in my direction and cursed, "Steven has a mental illness and requires a guardian. Stephany, the child you were carrying is gone. Without an heir from the Lincoln family, you no longer hold the legal authority to remain as Steven''s guardian. "You lunatic! I believe you may also be suffering from a mental illness, so I''ve arranged a mental health assessment for you. I strongly suspect you to be a lunatic as well."N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Madison was smarter this time. This was probably because she had received guidance from an expert. She nned to arrange a mental health assessment for me tobel me as mentally unstable. Hence, Steven''s custody rights would end up with Martin. Once custody of Steven was transferred to Martin, he was able to reim the shares that had been sold to Crowdstar Group on the premise that Stevencked the ability to make such a transaction. Their n was excellent. I believed that even if I were not suffering from a mental illness, they would still insist onbeling me as such. They intended to confine me in the hospital... "Stephany, your behavior has been concerning since you were a child. As your parents, we are very worried about your situation. You even let the dog bite your sister. You''re aggressive." Charles was spreading rumors as a parent that Stephany was mentally ill. I saw the people behind them. The asylum''s car was parked behind them. It seemed like they nned to arrest me forcibly after agitating me. "Martin''s suddenly smart today." I looked at Steven. "His genius son has returned to be his advisor." Joel scratched his ears, feeling overwhelmed by the noisy crowd. Jimmy was forcing Steven to make a choice. Once I was taken to the asylum, Steven had no choice but to cooperate with him. People like Martin only knew how to fight for power and their own personal interests, whereas Jimmy truly valued the greater interests behind the organization. He aspired to ascend and take over leadership of the organization. His goal was to eliminate the source of genome editing and be one of the select geniuses in the world to get dividends from genome editing. "Stephy, your mental state is unstable. Come back with us. Your parents will never harm you," Charles began to coax me to go home. If I went home with them, they''d give me medication to make me mentally unstable. Then, they would send me to the asylum and lock me up. That was incredibly cruel. "Dad, I''ve noticed that you seem to be experiencing some emotional instability. Is this possibly rted to our family''s gic history? Oh, I apologize. I forgot that you were born with azoospermia, Dad. Where does gic inheritancee from if there is no sperm? Am I right?" I criticized Charles with a smile. Due to azoospermia, hecked viable sperm. Thus, he sought assistance from Stephanie''s parents to facilitate Nadia''s in vitro fertilization. My words certainly hit a nerve with Charles, igniting his anger. He pointed at me and started to curse," You little bitch, get out of here! Do you honestly believe that Steven can protect you? Without the Lincoln Group shares, he''s utterly worthless!" With that, Charles began to kick the iron door furiously. Stevie felt threatened and began barking at the iron gate before rushing to bite Charles. The fear was so intense that Charles fell to the ground, pointing at me and continuing to curse. "Attention, those from the asylum! We have an individual in need of mental health support here. You''re too unprofessional. Take him away quickly." I turned my gaze toward the group of people standing behind Nadia, all of whom were from the asylum. Nadia quickly helped Charles up and then scolded me angrily, "Stephie, how could you say such a thing about your father? Even if your genes are not the same as ours, I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you. How could you be so ungrateful? "We''re the ones who raised and fed you. You''re so inhumane." "Humanity is for humans. You''re not worthy," I replied calmly. Chapter 470 ? Martin shot a piercing look at Charles and Nadia, his voice resonating with authority. "Enough with the idle chatter. Let''s take her away. It seems that her mental well-being is deteriorating rapidly." Martin was about to forcefully snatch me away directly. If a regr individual were to be imprisoned in an asylum, they would likely be subjected to torture and driven to madness. The iron door was forcefully knocked open. They were fully prepared and determined to take me away. They wanted to separate me from Steven and then focus on dealing with him. "Hey! What are you doing? This is a public space, and thew governs society. Please show more respect to the police." Martin''s subordinates hurried into the yard just as Zion''s old off-road vehicle arrived. After getting out of the car, he casually lit a cigarette and leisurely surveyed the scene before casting a protective gaze toward me, Steven, and Joel. The gaze seemed to say, "As long as I''m here, no one willy a finger on you." Meanwhile, Eason, looking pale, got out of the car. He stumbled toward the flowers, where he eventually vomited. Steven frowned in disgust and nced at Joel. "Please keep him away, he''s so embarrassing... I have mysophobia." Joel pointed at himself. "Why am I the one who should take him away?" "Aren''t you two privately engaged?" Steven asked casually. Joel was stunned in disbelief. "When did it happen? Why didn''t I know?" Steven nonchntly leaned against the door frame and reiterated, "Right now, you depend on me for your sustenance, education, clothing, and even the shoes on your feet. All are financed by me." Joel gritted his teeth and dered, "Just wait until I get into college and seed in starting a business. I''ll surpass you in wealth."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. After uttering those words, Joel approached Eason with a gloomy expression and contemptuously lifted him. Eason turned around and began to reprimand Zion, "Could you please rece your broken car? If it doesn''t fall apart, I just might." Martin''s expression was somber and uncertain as he said calmly, "Officer Landon, even though you''re a police officer, it''s not your ce to meddle in the affairs of the Lincoln family." Madison promptly added, "Yes, this is our family issue. She''s struggling with mental illness. She allowed a dog to bite her sister and stabbed my husband. It''s necessary for her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Zion frowned as he exined, "A health certificate from a reputable hospital is required to ascertain whether she has a mental illness." "I''m her biological father, and it''s only natural that I take her to the hospital," Charles said angrily. "Immediate family members have the right to request a psychiatric evaluation for her. If the evaluation results indicate that she does not have a mental illness, then her family does not have the authority to send a mentally stable individual to a mental hospital. "But what if she''s indeed diagnosed with a mental illness?" Suddenly, a woman emerged from the car behind. The woman wore a formal suit, and her smile was about 70% simr to mine. If Stephany looked 70% like me, then the woman in front of me seemed even more simr to me than Stephany. It was clear that she exuded professionalism and confidence with her business attire and sleek, rimless sses. With a confident smile on her face, she adjusted her sses. She appeared certain that after I underwent a psychiatric evaluation, there would certainly be some issues discovered. It was because Stephanie was born with a mental illness, leaving her with a profoundck of feelings, understanding of emotions, empathy, and the ability toprehend sadness and joy. She believed there was no chance I could sessfully pass a psychiatric evaluation. I took a deep breath, my palms slightly sweaty. To be honest, I didn''t have much confidence in myself either. If these people had to evaluate me psychiatrically, I was afraid it wouldn''t turn out well. "Stephie..." The air around Steven suddenly dropped to its lowest point. Like a fierce creature awakened by something, he extended his sharp thorns and shielded me with his embrace from behind. He stared warily at the woman who looked somewhat simr to me, his voice trembling. "Stephie... I should hide you and kill them all..." Chapter 471 ? The woman wearing sses exuded an air of sophistication andposure. She appeared to be older than I was. Yet, her wless and refinedplexion made it impossible to guess her true age. I stared cautiously at the woman standing before me, sensing a strange feeling of danger. "The situation in which Stephany injured Madison''s husband was an act of self-defense. It was Madison''s husband who attempted to harm Stephany with a knife. She acted to defend herself, managing to grab the knife and fight back, resulting in only a minor injury." Eason had finally finished vomiting, and now, he could showcase his intellect. He pushed Joel away in disgust and walked over to Charles and Martin. "As Stephany''s father, did you say that your daughter has been emotionally unstable since she was a child?" Charles furiously pointed at Stephany and eximed, "Yes, this little bitch has been a lunatic since childhood. As a parent, I request her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation!" Eason sneered. It appeared that the expert had already provided some advice before Charles arrived. It was a shame that Charles didn''t seem to grasp it. "Stephany was taken away by your former nanny, who also became her adoptive mother, shortly after she was born. She has not been living with you ever since. You''ve never been involved in raising her. So, why do you im that she has been emotionally unstable since childhood? "I believe you''re the one who''s emotionally unstable and in need of a psychiatric evaluation. "As long as she''s a mentally stable person and entitled to basic human rights, no one has the right to restrict her freedom and confine her to an asylum!" Eason added firmly. The woman with sses smiled and calmly moved Charles aside before walking to the front. She wore a suit skirt and high heels. She effortlessly took out her phone. "I have a video here of Stephany instigating a homeless teenager to seek revenge against her ssmates. This form of aggression, you see... Shouldn''t the family be concerned about this?" Martin was surprised and smiling. He seemed pleased with today''s reinforcements. Frowning, I nced at the video ying on her phone. Stephany had been caring for those homeless children since she turned 18. These children deeply respected and admired her, to the point where they would bravely defend her if anyone dared to bully her. "This video can only show that these children must have witnessed Stephany being threatened and hurt, so they immediately rushed to protect her." Eason made it clear that he would never let anyone take me away today. "Is that so?" The woman smiled and gave Martin a thoughtful nce. Martin nodded and gestured toward the surrounding subordinates. She was deliberately wasting time to target me... I saw the people around Martin suddenly turning around and walking toward me. Although he was unarmed, the threat looming over him was exceptionally grave. Almost subconsciously, I wanted to fight back, but Steven hugged me tightly. He shielded me in his arms, immediately stepping forward and kicking at those about to approach me. Eason sneered and said faintly, "Only mentally ill patients with violent tendencies can be subjected to "Madam, I understand your desire to provoke Stephany. However, it''s important to note that even if you manage to anger her, sending someone to an asylum in Huma requires a court decision." She nodded with a smile. "You misunderstood." I gripped Steven''s wrist tightly. She was deliberately trying to provoke me... "Stephy, aren''t you curious about my identity?" The woman exuded confidence and appeared to have numerous means to have me sent to an asylum. I looked at her warily. I was not curious at all. Steven instinctively positioned himself in front of me, ring at her with a clear sense of warning, "Who are you? Charles is Stephany''s father, after all, and Martin is also a member of the Lincoln family. What about you?" Eason signaled to the approaching woman to stop. "Hi, I''m Nancy Lee, a doctor in the field of psychiatry and also Dr. Peter Jones'' senior," she confidently introduced herself as a psychiatrist with a smile.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. I nced at her instinctively. Was she Peter''s senior? Peter was approaching 50 years old. I couldn''t help but wonder about her age... "Doctor? You look like you''re in your. But you''re a doctor?" Eason scrutinized Nancy from head to toe. Nancy flipped her hair. "Thank you so much. I''m 52 years old." As soon as Nancy uttered those words, all eyes turned toward her. 52? Chapter 472 ? If Nancy dressed more youthfully and imed to be 25, some people would actually believe her. Nowadays, medical technology had advanced tremendously, making medical aesthetics incredibly powerful. Many celebrities appeared to be in their 20s when they were actually in their 40s. However, aging remained an undeniable force and could still be detected through various visible signs. Nheless, the woman in front of me exuded a mature demeanor, making it difficult to urately determine her age by solely observing her face or neck. "Are you seriously 52 years old?" Zion was equally astonished. It was difficult to tell her age. Nancy smiled and spoke, her eyes locking with mine, "In today''s world, the field of medical aesthetics has significantly advanced, ensuring that patients receive excellent care and maintain a positive mindset. Stephy, are you really not going to talk to me? Biologically speaking, I''m your mother." I suddenly released Steven''s hand and looked at Nancy in disbelief. Mother? Ha... she really had the nerve to say that. I sneered and shifted my gaze to Nadia. "I should be a mere gic experiment for some organization. Mother? Do I even have a mother? Wasn''t I supposed to be born after her ten-month pregnancy?" "Mrs. Larson and Mr. Larson were unable to conceive due to infertility. They did not have their own viable eggs or sperm. However, Mrs. Larson underwent in vitro fertilization using my eggs and the sperm of another remarkable man." Nancy didn''t try to conceal it whatsoever. She even dared to mention it right in front of the police. Evidently, following Peter''s demise, the organization wanted her to closely surveil my every move. "What does it have to do with me?" I asked Nancy. Nancy just smiled. "Stephy, you and Stephanie... are both my daughters." I chuckled. "Bah, aren''t we all just your experimental subjects? Are you the leader of Genome Society? What''s the matter now? Finally ready to stop hiding and show yourself?" The gic organization selected excellent test products, ensuring high-quality talents as gic candidates. Nancy, being a doctor in psychiatry, undoubtedly represented a standout individual. Her eggs needed to bebined with the sperm of another exceptional man to create an experimental embryo like Stephanie. This embryo would undergo genome editing and artificial intervention, followed by cloning experiments to yield multiple experimental subjects. This was how Stephanie and Stephany were created. "Stephy, what are you talking about? Why can''t I understand?" Nancy asked with a smile. "You don''t get it? Your people watch me every day as if they want to put a camera on my head... What part of that don''t you understand?" I gazed at her cautiously. She remained calm and perceptive, able to discern the other person''s emotions and identify ws in their words. "Stephy, you''re experiencing delusions of persecution, and it''s a serious matter. "After all, Mrs. Larson is the mother who brought you into this world. She''s acting out of concern for your well-being. You need toe with me for treatment." She began making usations against me, gradually driving me to madness. Eventually, she would take me away.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I had a strong feeling that the organization had suffered a major blow this time. Quinn had exposed their facade, and now they were desperate to regain control. And unfortunately, I was the one they were determined to apprehend. They were determined to bring me back as their experimental subject. Hence, Nancy''s sudden appearance was just to ensure that I would be brought back properly. It was clear that the police had their eye on me, and only a "reasonable" arrest could alleviate their doubts. "Stephy, you have a sister who''s the same age as you. Don''t you want to meet her? Four years ago, Andy and Stephanie''s parents had a car ident on the viaduct. My daughter was in Andy''s car. "She and Stephanie are identical twins, and they look almost exactly the same. She lost her memory after she woke up. Recently, she suddenly regained her memory and said she was Stephanie." On the other hand, Stephanie, who was me, awoke with amnesia and appeared to be an entirely different individual. "I have a suspicion. During the chaotic car ident, Michael Ford mistakenly took the wrong person. He took my daughter away, and the real Stephanie was mistakenly identified as my daughter and returned to me," I gazed at Nancy, my entire body tense and my fingers trembling. Despite being aware of Nancy''s deliberate attempt to provoke me and the presence of ring loopholes in her words, I found myself unable to control the tremors coursing through me. It dawned on me that her words were not only aimed at me but also intended for Steven. "Steven, don''t you want to meet the real Stephanie?" As expected, Nancy directed her question to Steven. Chapter 473 ? I couldn''t help but nce at Steven. When Yasmin pretended to be Stephanie, I wasn''t really worried. Only someone as gullible as Michael would fall for it... But when even Michael didn''t believe Yasmin, I realized just howcking her disguise skills were. Peter exploited Yasmin by using her to impersonate the supposed reincarnation of Stephanie to deceive Michael and Steven. However, Yasmin''sck of acting skills and low IQ were ultimately detrimental to the n. Given Peter''s intelligence, one would assume that he would refrain from making such a foolish error. Surprisingly, he allowed Yasmin to proceed with it nevertheless. Linda also mentioned that Peter was a kind person. He supported Stephanie''s parents and was the one who looked out for Stephanie. Upon reflection, it appeared that Peter might have been acting as a whistleblower. It seemed he intentionally allowed someone with a low IQ like Yasmin to attract our attention. He wanted to disclose the information beforehand, showing that there were multiple ''Stephanies'' within the organization. I found myself subconsciously ncing at Steven, nervously reaching for his hand. If it were Yasmin, there would be nothing to worry about. But what if there truly was another Stephanie? Stephanie herself was an experimental subject, and her identical twin with the same gene could be even more alike. "I want to see her," Steven dered, expressing his desire to meet that "Stephanie." My fingers stiffened for a moment, and then I gradually released Steven''s wrist. Nancy smiled and gestured for Steven to follow her. "Let''s go." Steven nced at me and gave me a reassuring look. I firmly grasped his wrist again and met Nancy''s gaze. "I''m going too." Nancy did not stop or refuse. It was as if she had been expecting it. Zion and Eason exchanged a nce before dering, "We''ll go as well." Nancy nced at Zion. "I''m sorry, Officer Landon. There isn''t enough room in my car." Zion ced the extinguished cigarette butt in Eason''s hand and suggested seriously, "My car isrger. Steven and Stephany will ride with me. We''ll follow you." "I''m going too!" Joel eximed, raising his hand like an eager primary school student. Nancy smiled and got in the car without retorting. Charles grumbled and was about to utter something more, but Martin quickly stopped him. Steven and I hopped into Zion''s car. In the meantime, Eason couldn''t help but react as he caught sight of Zion''s discarded cigarette. "Zion! This is truly going too far. I''m your leader! Your direct superior!" "I apologize, Boss. I forgot. I mistakenly thought this was a trash can," Zion said as he nced at Eason before getting into the car directly. Eason was seething with rage. He was on the verge of exploding. Right then, Joel seized him by the cor. " Stop arguing. Get serious and get in the car." As Eason was forcefully tugged by the cor, he nced back at the young high school student. Despite being much younger, Joel spoke to him in a strangely persuasive tone as if he were addressing a child. It had been a tough day for him. Eason held back his sharpness and posed a question to Joel before entering the car, almost as if he were pondering aloud, "Joel, let me ask you... When I was investigating the organization''s base, I stumbled upon their feasibility n for soul reincarnation and memory transfer... "Do you believe that the soul can truly be reincarnated?" Joel was taken aback for a moment, and his gaze was fixed on Eason. "Theoretically, one could argue that the soul may continue to exist in a different state after departing from the physical body." Eason shuddered, and he sped his hands tightly. "Oh, may God bless me." He then fervently made a series of prayerful gestures. "Amen..." Eason whispered, "Please bless me and protect me from evil spirits. God, please rewrite my fate. Please shield me from being pestered by Simmy." Joel stared at Eason as if he were a fool. He briskly opened the car door, forcefully guiding him toward the passenger seat. Joel then slipped into the car, casually positioning himself between Steven and me. For a brief moment, I was stunned. I nced at Steven, and then at Joel, who seemedpletely unaware that anything was amiss. Steven appeared somewhat absent-minded, constantly gazing out the window. I had initially desired to switch seats with Joel so that I could sit next to Steven. However, I soon realized that Steven seemed preupied and absent-minded, which made me feel incredibly uneasy. Did he doubt it? Or did he believe what Nancy said? Zion spoke while gazing carefully at Steven''s reaction in the rearview mirror. He was worried about upsetting him. "After Stephanie''s body was found, the forensic doctor confirmed the features that Michael had mentioned. There was a mole on her left chest and a birthmark on her perineum." Steven''s clenched hands were clearly visible, and a heavy silence enveloped the car.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "Even though identical twins may look alike, the small birthmarks on their bodies are unique. You and Stephanie have known each other since childhood. Does she have these birthmarks on her body?" Zion asked tentatively. Steven fell silent and did not speak. I also averted my gaze and peered out the car window. Back then, Steven cherished "Stephanie" too much. He had never engaged in any sexual activity with Stephanie. So, how could he possibly be familiar with the birthmark on her private parts? Chapter 474 ? This seemed to have provided Nancy with an opportunity to validate her statements. The deceased Stephanie was not the authentic ''Stephanie,'' after all. The real Stephanie lost her memory in a car ident four years ago and was subsequently taken away by the organization. "Steven, do you believe what Nancy said?" Joel inquired the same question I intended to ask. He didn''t answer. Instead, he just nced at me. I felt overwhelmed with a profoundck of reassurance. "Why are you sitting between my wife and me?" Steven asked after a long silence, the atmosphere heavy with tension. I looked up without thinking, my eyes slightly puffy. I saw Steven kick Joel and reach out to hold me. "I want to sit next to Stephie." Sitting in the passenger seat, Eason pursed his lips irritably and shook his head. He started imitating Steven, "I want to sit next to Stephie..." Joel was forced to swap seats with Steven, who ended up in the middle seat. "I couldn''t help but wonder why the organization abruptly released Nancy, the parent character, and substituted Stephie with a new experimental subject. "It seems they intend on retrieving the experimental subject ''Stephy,'' releasing a new counterpart, and then... suspending operations temporarily, biding their time, and resuming operations when the time is right," Steven whispered. Eason gave Steven a thumbs-up. "I think so too." Steven tightened his grasp on my hand. "That means... Stephie will be in danger." They would definitely use various methods to take me away. I looked out the car window and said, "I think Nancy might be right. Stephanie may not really be Stephanie, but the one in her hands is Stephanie. Steven, the Stephanie you love may have never loved anyone else. She''s still Stephanie." If this was indeed the ending, then it was undeniably the best possible ending for Steven. "Stephie..." Steven tightened his grasp on my hand once more. I nced at him with mixed feelings. Nancy''s car stopped in front of a vi nestled in the suburbs of Huma. It was at the top of a mountain, and the environment was absolutely stunning. As I stepped out of the car, I caught sight of a figure standing on the second floor. She was wearing a white dress, and her long hair was fluttering in the wind. A sudden tightness gripped my heart, and my steps began to stiffen. She didn''t just resemble Stephanie; she was a replica. As she nced in our direction, her gaze eventually locked onto me. Our eyes met, and at that moment, my heart began to race, Clones and identical twins... Ha! What a fascinating experimental subject, indeed. Steven was clearly astonished. He found himself inexplicably drawn, and without thinking, he stepped inside the yard. Zion cursed in shock and turned to Eason. "Damn it... If I hadn''t seen Stephanie''s lifeless body with my own eyes, I''d probably think she''s Stephanie herself." Eason looked concerned. "Isn''t it scary? If Stephanie''s body weren''t found and her DNA was a match, no one would believe that the real Stephanie was dead..." If Michael hadn''tid eyes on Stephanie''s lifeless body and had instead encountered this woman standing before him, he would most likely have been the first to wholeheartedly believe that Stephanie was alive. The mere contemtion of such an urrence was truly chilling. Was this the reason why Stephanie''s body was ced in a ss disy cab to be publicly viewed after her death? She didn''t want to die in such a mysterious way, nor did she want to be easily reced. Eason whispered, "Was it Stephanie who nned everything? Could it be that she took her own life... No, she''s probably the mastermind behind the serial murders, isn''t she? What we discovered in the ruined building is" "Shh!" Zion frowned and interrupted Eason''s words. Eason was stunned and didn''t say anything else. Joel also looked up at the woman upstairs.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Nancy stood behind me and whispered, "She''s Steven''s Stephie... Hasn''t this realization deeply unsettled you? Steven''s Stephie should be pure in soul and body, not in love with Michael, let alone have a child with him..." "Shut up!" I couldn''t deny the fact that her words had provoked an intense fury within me, causing my emotions to spiral out of control. My entire body trembled uncontrobly. However, I was unable to counter her argument. I appeared to be furious. "You''re a defective product. If the organization desires to recycle you, you should discreetly disappear and return the perfect and unspoiled Stephanie to Steven. The organization will cease its activities globally, and Steven and Stephanie will pursue a secure life. "This is the chance the organization is offering you... Sacrifice yourself and join us. The organization will release Steven and provide him with an untarnished and whole Stephanie," Nancy continued. The terms she offered me were extremely tempting. Chapter 475 ? Lignored Nancy and stared up at "Stephanie" on the balcony. She was like a hollow shell, her eyes empty and listless. However, her gaze was fixated on Steven. Steven stood below. He couldn''t help but be attracted to the woman who looked exactly like the woman he loved... "Steven..." She called out his name after a prolonged period of time. I saw Steven''s body visibly tense up as he tightened his fists. Nancy seemed to be very confident. After all, this was a one-to-one clone of Stephanie Carlson born from the same embryo. It was only natural that Steven was attracted to her. "Simmy..." "Stephanie''s" gaze then fell on Joel. Her eyes looked barren as she nkly called out Simeon''s name. Joel furrowed his eyebrows. He stood in ce, staring intensely at the woman. Eason, on the other hand, was getting goosebumps all over. He scooted nervously toward Joel and asked, " Who is she talking to? Where is she looking at? She looks a bit creepy to me. "Why is she calling out Simeon''s name? Did you feel a cold breeze just now?" Eason was making his fear of Simeon increasingly obvious. I didn''t know what happened between them. Even his new name was established in order to deter Simeon. "She''s talking to me," Joel said coldly. Eason took a good look at Joel and looked relieved. "That scared the wits out of me. Now that you mention it, you do look quite simr to that lunatic, Simeon." Joel furrowed his eyebrows and didn''t say anything else. "The two lunatics in our ss are idiots... All they do is try to prank me. They weren''t even self-aware when someone ended up taking their lives." Eason sounded like he was still mad. He then continued, "If ghosts do exist, they should go after those responsible for their deaths..." "Aren''t those people already dead?" Joel asked with the suspected intention of trying to scare Eason. Eason''s body stiffened. His head violently shot up and he looked at Joel. "Yeah... All the people who hurt Simeon and got him killed are all dead... The people who died in the series of killings were all those who hurt him in the past..." He was right they were all dead. All that was left was Yasmin, who hurt Stephanie and Taylor. She was barely alive. A game of death at the abandoned building had gotten rid of all those people. "She''s almostpletely identical to Stephanie," Joel looked at Steven and said again. "But Stephanie''s body was disyed in the ss case to remind people that she was dead," he exined. " If anyone were to appear in the future, it wouldn''t be her. She''s the one and only... She''s irreceable."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. If Joel were to guess, Stephanie died in the disy case in front of everyone to prove that she was dead. The way he saw it, she''d already known the society might send a recement. My head was hurting quite a bit. Certain memories, especially memories regarding my murder, werepletely impossible to recall. I''d remember fragments from time to time, but I could never put them together to form aplete picture. Sometimes, I even started to wonder if I was actually Stephanie Carlson.... "From a certain point of view, she is and isn''t Stephanie at the same time," Steven nced at the woman standing above as he spoke. "Her genes, appearance, and even her memories... might be Stephanie''s, but she''s just the result of an experiment..." The "Stephanie" on the floor above suddenlyughed. "Everyone is the result of an experiment. How are you so sure that the Stephanie who died is actually her?" Her originally hollow stare turned piercing cold as she opened her mouth to speak. It was evident that she was void of emotion. She resembled how I appeared in the past from my memories -numb to everything and everyone. The way she looked at Steven wasn''t gentle or loving. In fact, it didn''t even contain any form of emotion... Other than the fact that her body was untouched, leaving a "Stephanie" like this behind for Steven was of no use. "She''s your Stephanie. We switched her after the ident. If you insist on investigating further, this is thest warning Genome Society is offering you only because you''re Andy''s son," Nancy said, walking toward Steven. She continued, "I can tell you without a doubt that she''s Stephanie Carlson." Steven frowned as he looked at her. "The one who died was not the real Stephanie. She wasn''t the one that you met when you were younger either. The so-called memory loss and confusion are things that happen to the clones after they die. "So far, the data hasn''t been able to exin or control this." Nancy turned to nce at me before continuing. "So, Steven, you can only choose to take Stephanie or Stephany behind you. "You understand what the society is capable of... This is not a discussion. You have no means to go against the society right now." Nancy had presented him with a choice. He could either take Stephanie upstairs or me. Chapter 476 ? I looked at Steven as he turned to look at me. Neither of us said anything. A momentter, he pointed at the woman on the second floor. "I want to take Stephie with me." His finger was pointed to the woman upstairs, but his gaze stayed on me. My eyes welled up with tears, but I stood still without a single word. Nancy shot me a nce and appeared extremely confident. This was the oue she predicted. "As your biological mother, I have the right to send you for a psychiatric evaluation." I stared at her for a prolonged period of time before scoffing. Eason and Zion looked at each other in confusion. "What''s going on? What did you agree to, Stephany?" I didn''t say a word or offer an exnation. Nancy told me that Genome Society would let Steven off the hook if I surrendered myself. If it were up to me, I wanted Steven to spend the rest of his life in peace.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. There was no fault in him for choosing the woman upstairs either. Genome Society wanted to take back the failed experiments, and I was the most valuable one out of all of them. Hence.... they wanted to take me away. Going with Nancy was the quickest way I coulde in contact with the higher-ups in the organization. "One for one... He chose Stephanie," I tried to sound nonchnt, but I couldn''t stop my voice from choking. Joel stared at Steven for a long time before asking, "Are you sure?" Steven shoved Joel''s arm away. "She''s Stephanie..." "What about her, then?" Joel pointed toward me. "She''s just Stephany who has parts of Stephanie''s memories." Steven''s voice was hoarse, and he didn''t look into my eyes. I averted my gaze andughed bitterly. "As it turns out, all you ever wanted from the start was just the cold, unfeeling Stephanie Carlson..." He lowered his head and said again, "I''m sorry..." "You don''t need to apologize to me." I shrugged nonchntly. "Even if you hadn''t made your decision, I''d end up doing it for you. I just want you to live well." I just wanted him to live well... This used to be what Steven had hoped for Stephanie. Now, my wishes aligned with his. I just wish he''d live well and stay alive, safe and sound. As Stephanie descended the stairs, she shot me a cold nce, as if able to detect that we carried the same DNA. "You''re nothing but a defective product..." Sheughed condescendingly. In a voice that was only soft enough for us to hear, she called me defective as she walked by. "You end up possessing ws and weaknesses the minute you develop feelings. When Genome Society ran tests on us again and again, we were only able to deceive everyone else if we first fooled ourselves. "Tell me, Stephany... Did you really develop feelings? Or is this all just pretend?" She leaned in and asked in a hushed voice. I didn''t reply and only stared at her in silence. She let out an icyugh and approached Steven. "Are you really willing to let her go?" she asked. Steven took her hand. "I''m sorry it took so long for me to find you..." "It doesn''t matter to me. As long as you can keep me hidden, it doesn''t matter if it''s you or anyone else,'' Stephanie" said emotionlessly. Steven''s fingers stiffened for a moment before he took her away. Joel furrowed his brows and wanted to say something, but he didn''t manage to get any words out in the end. Zion didn''t understand what was going on. He turned to look at me. "Come with me for now, Stephany." I took a step forward before Nancy reached an arm out to stop me. She shed me a smile and swiftly lowered her arm. "I''ll be waiting to hear from you." She was confident that I''d return to look for her soon. Because now that Steven had taken "Stephanie" with him, there was no way he''d keep me around any longer. Chapter 477 ? On the way back, Steven sat in the backseat with "Stephanie." I wanted to get in the car, but I realized there was no longer any room for me. "Stephanie" was extremely against it. The air around her was extremely depressive. She shot Joel a look and naturally lifted her chin. She was telling him to shut the door for her. Joel instinctively obeyed before freezing up afterward. I stood in ce silently. "My driver will send all of you back." Nancy walked out. Joel looked at me and said, "I''ll go with you." Eason hopped into the passenger seat of their car, and Zion drove off. I stared at Steven, but he didn''t turn to look at me at all. Seated side-by-side, Steven and "Stephanie" looked like a great couple. But who was the real Stephanie Carlson? "What do you think of the new Stephanie?" Joel asked after getting into Nancy''s car. "I can''t ... tell who the actual Stephanie is right now." I shook my head and looked at the driver through the rearview mirror. Joel didn''t ask any more questions. This was somebody else''s car, after all. It wasn''t safe. "But Steven seems to believe that she''s Stephanie without a single doubt. Nancy knows him well. She seemed aware that he''d lose control over Stephanie-rted matters and that he''d choose her over everything else no matter what." My voice was small, and my fingers were gently tapping on my leg. Joel stared at my fingers and didn''t say a word. Nancy''s driver dropped us off at the door of Steven''s home. Zion and the rest of them were already there. After Steven got out of the vehicle, Stephanie casually lifted her hand, wanting him to help her get out of the car. He reached out to hold her wrist and escorted her out of the vehicle. In the front yard, Stevie was barking as it was feeling unsettled. However, it quieted down the minute it saw "Stephanie." It seemed to be in shock. It sat on the ground and stared fixedly at Stephanie. Then, it shifted its gaze toward me. "Is this my Georgie?" "Stephanie" asked Steven. Steven didn''t reply. "Offspring, or clone?" she asked again. "Clone," he responded. She didn''t seem surprised. She seemed to have known that Steven would do something like this. Me, on the other hand, was stunned for quite some time. Stevie was a cloned dog? "Are you sure you want her to live here with me?" she asked Steven, making him make a decision.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The man looked at me with aplicated gaze. "I''m sorry. I have another home in Salburg that you can stay at for now. Please give me some time to deal with our marriage." He wanted to get a divorce. I stood in ce and clenched my fists. "No need... We can get the divorce now," I rasped. "I... have no time today." He turned and looked at "Stephanie." Iughed bitterly. "Alright, I''ll wait for you." I turned around and willed my tears not to fall. Nancy''s driver was watching from the car. I pushed Joel aside and got into the vehicle. "Please send me to the Landing Hotel." The driver nodded and drove off. I sat in the car and watched as Steven''s figure gradually grew smaller from the rearview mirror... I couldn''t stop my tears at all. "We''re here, Miss," the driver reminded me upon arrival. I snapped back into reality and swiftly got off after wiping my face. He looked at me again before driving off. I watched the car pull away before turning around, drying the tears off my face as I walked into the hotel. As my eyes were bloodshot and my expression was sad, thedy at the reception was extremely careful when checking me into my room. I took the room key card and walked into the elevator. I lifted my head so as to keep my tears from gushing out. Steven... and Stephanie looked really good together. After entering the room, I sat numbly on the couch. I had the front desk send me a bottle of wine. I downed the entire bottle before I started bing numb. Subsequently, I started going off the rails due to the alcohol. I started making calls to Steven. "All because... she''s more like Stephanie than I am? Is that it?" I questioned him, sobbing. He picked up the phone call but didn''t utter a single word. In tears, I asked him why he chose to believe that woman, but he didn''t respond either. In the face of reality, reincarnation was nothing more than a calcted guess. With a real andplete Stephanie Carlson standing right there, who would care about a theoretical like me? Chapter 478 ? I hung up the phone in tears. Then, I smashed the wine bottle and the ss like a madwoman and stepped on the broken ss. The blood from my feet stained the floor. I went into the bathroom and washed myself in the shower. My senses were amplified. I started going mad. I started feeling like there were cameras everywhere. I began smashing the hotel room and its amenities. I broke the mirror and messed up everything in the room. Then, I chuckled bitterly upon seeing the camera hidden inside. There was really nothing Genome Society couldn''t do. I slept in the hotel for an entire day. The following day, I used Steven''s card to pay for the damages and left. Steven was waiting for me in front of the courthouse. He wanted to file for divorce. "So, you''re sure?" Slight exhausted, I asked if he was sure that the woman was indeed Stephanie Carlson. "I''m sorry... She''s Stephanie," he looked at me and responded firmly. "You used to tell me that I was Stephanie with the same conviction." I held eye contact. He averted his gaze. "Sorry... I was lying to myself." I scoffed. Then, we signed the divorce agreement. We were told to go through a cooldown period for one month before returning afterward to finalize the divorce. "Is it possible to not wait for a month?" I asked. The staff member shook his head. "No, this is standard procedure." I didn''t say anything more and turned to leave after signing the papers. As I left the courthouse, the sky was gloomy, and it had started to rain. I was walking along the road when I suddenly lost any form of motivation to stay alive... Instead of living in a world where I would always be put under surveince, I''d be better off dead but free from everything. I walked to the edge of ake and jumped in without any hesitation. After the sound of a loud ssh, I was engulfed by the icy water. I couldn''t breathe. My instincts made me struggle against the water, but my conscious willed me to continue sinking further. Then, I heard a ssh. I looked toward the gleaming surface of the water. Steven reached out and pulled me into his embrace. Then, he kissed me. He was trying to give me air underwater. Assuming he did it on purpose, I mped my mouth shut. He looked somewhat resigned. I coughed violently. He had finally pulled me out of the water. I took in deep breaths of air, my ears ringing from being filled with water. "You''re crossing a line..." Steven seemed to be mildly angry. He shot me a re from a spot where no one could see him. Iy on the grass and startedughing. In order to deceive everyone, you first had to fool yourself. Steven used to tell me to firmly believe that I was the original Stephanie. I was who I thought I was, and it didn''t matter what the others said... Genome Society underestimated me and Steven. "Stay alive," he said to me before he left. Stay alive. "Steven Lincoln!" I yelled his name while lying listlessly on the grass, anticipating what was toe. He stopped in his tracks with his back faced toward me. "Stay alive..." I choked. We both needed to stay alive. Then, we needed to let those people know that we were humans! We were living people with rights and feelings, and we had unwavering hopes and beliefs. I stayed on the grass for a long time. The rain fell on my face, and my thoughts gradually became clearer. From some point onward, Steven and I didn''t require verbalmunication to understand one another. After the grueling escape from the abandoned building, he seemed to have opened up to mepletely. I didn''t know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. However, at the very least, I was willing to trust him unconditionally. At Nancy''s ce of residence, the sky was dark when I finally got to her vi on top of the hill. She seemed to have anticipated my arrival. "I can go with you... but I want to know the truth." I stared at her, looking unusually disheveled. "You''re not going to wait until the divorce is finalized?" Nancy asked with a smile. Iughed coldly. "As long as I don''t get the divorce done, Steven Lincoln''s wife... will still be me." Still smiling, she nodded and continued, "Where would you like me to begin?" "The death of my parents and Andy Lincoln."N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Chapter 479 ? Nancyughed. "I thought you''d want to start from your birth. Instead, you''re more curious about the deaths of your parents and Andy Lincoln..." She looked at me curiously as she gradually approached me. "By parents, did you mean Stephanie''s parents?" I furrowed my brows and didn''t respond. "Do you actually think you''re Stephanie Carlson?" She gripped my chin and looked at my face. "I''m guessing Genome Society probably used all the necessary means to prove that you''re the reincarnation of her... That band of lunatics so desperately wanted to show that you could bring back a dead soul," she said. She suddenly let out augh before continuing, "Once someone gets money and power, they start wanting more and more... So many of the rich invest an absurd amount of their wealth into achieving immortality. "They utilize the most advanced technology and medicine found in modern day, the most expensive substances and inhumane ways to prolong their life... all because they have the money to do so. "What a shame, though. Ultimately, you just can''t go against thew of nature..." Nancy''s voice turned low. "When the timees, you''ll end up dying anyway. So many of the richy on their deathbeds, wishing the way to immortality was discovered while they were still alive..." I frowned and remained silent as she spoke. "Your very existence will have those crazed millionaires bewitched... As of now, you''re the most valuable one among all the other experiments. As an experiment, you''re a product belonging to Genome Society," she said with a smile. "Genome Society will put all of you on disy for the wealthy to admire and invest in. Then, they''ll tell Genome Society what they''re curious about, and the lot of you will get selected... for experiments." Like cloning, organ transnts, cord blood... et cetera. "In recent years, medical advancement has reached its limits. The average lifespan has been restricted by factors such as genes and environment. The wealthy reach the average age of about 90 to a hundred years old at most. "Genome editing might be one of the most sessful projects Genome Society has under their belt, but this concerns future generations... The wealthy care more about themselves,"Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Nancy brought me into the vi. She told me that they weren''t as willing to invest money in Genome Society anymore. Genome editing had matured. There was nothing new that excited them anymore. Hence, they weren''t willing to invest. "And Stephanie... has given us a very big surprise." She ced Stephanie''s files on the table. Nancy continued, "Stephanie died. The experiment that''s been under strict surveince ever since birth was murdered right before our eyes... "The body was even disyed in a ss case. This was a tant provocation from the Rebels to Genome Society," She smiled as she spoke again, "But that wasn''t all. The surprise ''Stephanie'' gave everyone was... she reincarnated. She reincarnated into Stephany''s body." This topic immediately caused a stir. The conglomerates behind Genome Society were all excited. They were all of old age, and they didn''t want to die. All of them wanted to know the secret to immortality and eternal life. "Since historical times, after power and money, the hunt for immortality grew crazier as time passed..." She leaned against the couch. "Three years ago, Steven Lincoln joined Genome Society through the Lincoln family. "He mentioned the possibility of reincarnation and transfer of memories. At the very start, his ns didn''t gather much attention." Nancy was telling me about Steven joining Genome Society. She wasn''t in a hurry to tell me about the deaths of Andy Lincoln and my parents. "The rich weren''t idiots-they thought it was nothing more than a fantasy." She then pulled out a couple of photos. They were photos of Joel from his early childhood to photos of him in high school uniform. I looked at her apprehensively. Had Joel already been targeted by Genome Society? Chapter 480 ? "Calm down. Joel was just a name Steven submitted to Genome Society. Steven was too smart. He was so smart he was like a stubborn madman." Nancyughed. "All his wits were used on this. He seemed untouchable-but everyone has their weaknesses, and his happened to be Stephanie." "In order to get into Genome Society, Steven needed to secure the conglomerates'' interest and acknowledgment. He put forward the idea of reincarnation, and he used Simeon''s clone, which was Joel," she said nonchntly. At this point, she didn''t care if I knew about these truths, because she wasn''t nning on letting me go. I inhaled sharply... Joel was Simeon''s clone. The so-called secret to reincarnation had to be rted to the cloning experiments and gics. "Steven was a gift Genome Society gave to the Lincolns. He was the perfect offspring crafted from the modified and improved version of Andy''s gics. "Whether it was IQ, physical abilities, or appearance, Steven''s gics were optimized to the maximum point. That''s why he''s a one-in-a-million genius... a man-made genius." She sounded mildly annoyed. It was evident that she didn''t think much of gically altered geniuses. "But Simeon was different. He was a born genius. Genome Society only noticed him because of Steven. A carefully crafted genius and a normal person who has never undergone any form of genome modification ... Simeon''s existence soon captured their attention... "Under the front that they were performing check-ups, they took living cell samples from Simeon, the boy who showed great potential." Simeon was only a seven to eight-year-old boy then. "Simeon''s clone had always been in theboratory. He never left. Three years ago, Steven entered Genome Society and imed he could prove the existence of reincarnation. He took Simeon, who just died, and Joel, the clone, and experimented. "It was a sess. A lot of the conglomerates were shocked, but there remained a lot of those who were in doubt. It was a one-time urrence, after all." She continued, "Clones were disguised under the memories that belonged to the body. It was difficult to tell what was real and what wasn''t. It felt like a magic trick without a way to discern what was true. "No one knew if Joel was actually the reincarnation of Simeon or an actor that simply had the memories as the boy." Nancy looked at me with a solemn gaze. "Your existence, Stephanie, has shocked the wealthy once again. "They''re paying big bucks to have you taken back into theb. They''re asking for public research and experimentation to prove if you''re actually a reincarnated being or if you just possess the same memories. Iughed in realization. No wonder Jimmy said I was the most valuable experiment right now.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "As for why Andy died, he led the Rebels when he was the leading man of the conglomerates in Iluma. Genome Society had to get rid of him. If he influenced the other conglomerates, Genome Society would be done for... Hence, Andy Lincoln had to die," Nancy exined. She continued, "As for Stephanie''s parents, Despite being scientists trained by Genome Society, they developed feelings toward an experimental subject that had no blood rtion to them. "They even tried to protect and take the subject away. How could Genome Society tolerate the existence of such traitors?" Her voice grew low, and the way she was looking at me grew more and moreplicated. "It was extremely difficult for Stephanie''s parents to leave Genome Society. They had help-Peter Jones. The pair wanted their daughter to live like a normal human being. "Hence, theypletely changed their identities and made preparations to leave Genome Society. Peter aided them under the pretense of conducting experiments." How ironic... Peter Jones wasn''t trying to harm me, after all. "It was a pity, though. Their fight against Genome Society was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot." Nancy was mocking their idiotic behavior, but I also noticed a tinge of bitternessced between her mockery. Nancy ... probably harbored aplicated feeling toward someone between Andy, Peter, and my parents. A normal person had feelings and desires. It wasn''t possible for them to be cold and unfeeling. The cloned "Stephanie" was right. As long as you had feelings, you''d have weaknesses. "I want to know who the leader behind all of this is..." I looked toward Nancy and asked the question I wanted the answer to the most. Chapter 481 ? Nancy stared at me andughed out loud. "Genome Society is a huge organization. There''s a different person in charge in each country, and they''re all in charge of different projects and experimental subjects. This person is above everyone. "It could be me, or it could be you. Those who haven''t earned the right can''t possibly dream of contacting him directly. There are only a handful of people in Huma who have seen him in person. As the most powerful conglomerate in all of Huma, Andy knew of his identity... Unfortunately, Andy is now dead." She was clear-the only person who had ever met the head of the organization was Andy Lincoln. However, Andy was dead. Other than him, no one else had the right to meet the head of the organization. "What would I need to do... in order to be able to sit with him and negotiate terms?" I asked curiously. "Be the capital. Be the biggest capital in the whole of Huma''s business world. Once you be a powerful existence capable of influencing the business world, he''lle meet with you on his own." She leaned on the couch and continued with augh, "Some suspect that the man behind all this is the biggest conglomerate in the entire city, the mysterious CEO of Crowdstar Group... That guy is either the one running Genome Society or the one who''s most likely to be able to meet him..." I had heard simr stories as well. The wealthy wouldn''t possibly ce so much money and power in the hands of an amateur. Hence, the head had to be from the business world. Steven and I had many guesses... but we didn''t have any evidence. As expected from the head of Genome Society, they hid themselves extremely well. Nancy was right. It could be anyone. It could be any single unassuming character around us. "In order to defeat evil, you must first be the evil... Unfortunately for you, Stephany, you no longer possess that opportunity."N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. She shot me a knowing smile. Just as she finished talking, someone pushed a needle into my back. The substance entered my body, and my consciousness began slipping away. I knew... they were here to take me away. The conglomerates behind Genome Society couldn''t wait to verify if reincarnation was indeed possible... Leaving with them was the only way I could grow one step closer to uncovering the secrets of the entire organization. "Search her thoroughly. Don''t leave any jewelry on her," Nancy ordered in a deep voice. She had the driver search my body for fear I''d have a tracker on me. "Me?" The driver froze. "She''s a woman..." "She''s just a subject. You can just treat her like ab rat. You don''t need to care for such things," she barked irritatedly, her voiceced with contempt. She didn''t view me as a person. In her eyes, I was nothing more than a clone that borrowed her DNA. I was a damned and revolting specimen that shouldn''t exist. "Maybe it''s best if Wanda did it instead..." The driver was a middle-aged man. He probably had a daughter of his own and couldn''t get himself to do something like this. So, he had the maid in the vi search me instead. Nancy grunted and left the living room. Iy groggily on the couch. Once again, my entire body was numb and beyond my control despite being conscious. This time, I wanted to infiltrate Genome Society on my own. I couldn''t possibly have Steven risk himself every single time. Personally involving myself... I could do it too. Steven only agreed to my ridiculous request because he understood how valuable I was to Genome Society at the moment. Hence, falling into their hands actually meant that I was safe. At the very least, my life wouldn''t be threatened. "She doesn''t have any suspicious items on her, Ma''am." Immediately after the woman spoke, some people came in and took me away. I didn''t know how much time had passed or how long we''d been traveling for. I regained my consciousness and was met with a room full of white. "Where am I..." My head was throbbing painfully. I woke up dressed in loose patient robes. My feet were bare, and I wasn''t wearing anything else other than a robe. Grimacing, I looked around the room and at the operating table... It was a clean environment. It resembled the operating room in a hospital. It further resembled the ce everyone woke up in at the game in the abandoned building. As it turned out, the first scene of the game was modeled after Genome Society''sboratory? My expression darkened as I looked at the mirror on the wall. This wasn''t a mirror... It was ss. There were people watching me from the other side, but I couldn''t see them. I got off the bed and stepped toward the ss window. No one appeared. I wasn''t quite sure what they wanted me to do. Was this a test? Did they want to observe me? I scoffed. They wanted to observe to see if I was actually Stephanie. I obeyed their wishes. I turned and walked toward the door. I lifted the IV drip stand and smashed it on top of the electrical box. The entire room darkened. The door had also unlocked itself due to the ckout. I walked out into the barren corridor. Suddenly, a dog ran out and started charging in my direction. "Georgie..." Chapter 482 ? It was a wolfhound that looked more like Georgie than Stevie did. It was probably a clone of Georgie as well. The dog pounced on me and pushed me to the ground. Its eyes looked ravenous. It was like it would like nothing more than to tear everything to shreds and swallow it up. It opened its mouth and wanted to bite me. "Georgie!" I called out instinctively. The dog calmed down from its crazed behavior. It looked me in the eye and slumped down beside me with a whine. It was barely alive. Thest of its energy was used to pounce on me. All it needed to do was to bite down on my neck to survive, but it didn''t. Dogs were humane animals. At times, a dog would behave as a dog would, but that wasn''t the same case for humans. Genome Society intentionally released a starved clone of Georgie just to see if it''d lose control and harm its owner in the midst of its insanity. The experiment was pointless, though. Pets could be cloned, but the memories couldn''t possibly be copied over. Was a cloned dog still the dog it was before? I rubbed the wolfhound''s head and got up. The corridor was empty. There were arrows that pointed me forward. "Stephany, or Stephanie." There was a room at the end of the hall. A man in a whiteb coat, protective goggles, and gloves smiled at me. He was from Genome Society-probably a doctor. "How many people are watching me?" I asked. "Many... Not just the conglomerates from Huma but wealthy people from various countries too. Their gazes are all fixated on you. "As soon as the experiment results are verified, you''ll be the most talked about and most costly existence in the entire organization." Heughed maniacally. He had probably gone mad as well. "Who else in Huma is watching me?" I asked again. I wanted to know everyone who was watching beyond this room. "As long as you''re a member of the Global Trade Union, you''ll be able to watch... The president of Crowdstar Group, Peter Jones... Michael Ford all of them will be able to watch." I was pressed into a chair. I stared fixedly at the camera pinned on the wall. They could all watch... The president of Crowdstar Group? Who? Could he be the leader of Genome Society? He should be seated in front of the screen, watching me right now... He would be watching to see if I was actually Stephanie Carlson. "This is a lie detector. What follows is a series of questions on the screen. You''ll need to answer them truthfully," he said solemnly as he hooked the detector up. "All the questions were submitted by the conglomerates. First question, who are you?" I lifted my head to look at the screen and didn''t respond. Upon seeing my uncooperation, the man seemed to be slightly angered. He pressed the shock button. The electricity coursed through my body and made my entire body spasm in pain. "I''m an experimental subject..." The lie detector beeped sharply.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. I lied. The electric waves coursed through my body once again. I chose to submit. "Stephanie, my name is Stephanie..." The machine remained silent. "Who do you love, Michael Ford or Steven Lincoln?" The wording on the screen rolled again. I wanted to scoff. It was tantly clear that this question was from Michael. How at ease of him to watch through the cameras. Three seconds had passed. Without my answer, the electricity pierced through my body yet again, and I twitched from the excruciating pain. The screen quieted down. The man seemed to be waiting for my reply. Chapter 483 ?N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "They''re waiting for your answer." The doctor looked at me with a smile. "Do you know how much it costs to ask a question, sweetie? Your reply is worth so much." He continued, "The ones that are able to watch you from behind the ss must have assets that reach organizational audits. Those who can ask questions must be more than extravagant in their spending. This is like bidding at an auction, and a question... is worth a million." The pain in my body slowly subsided. I shot him a nce and scoffed. "Who do I love? After interacting with people for extended periods of time, I actually prefer dogs..." I was cut off by the pain that was once again sent coursing through my body. This time, it didn''te from the lie detector but from the doctor in front of me. He wasn''t pleased with my response. "Don''t try to be clever. The answers that the conglomerates want from you are worth millions..." He yanked on my hair and forced me to face the camera in front. My hands were tied to the chair. I couldn''t break free. "Who do you love, Steven Lincoln or Michael Ford?" The doctor pointed at the screen. He was extremely unhappy that I was a disobedient experiment subject. "Steven Lincoln..." I clenched my fists. I could taste the blood in my mouth. Since Michael wanted an answer, I''d give him an answer. "Steven Lincoln... "Steven Lincoln! "The man I love is Steven Lincoln! "My dear Steven..." I chanted, but the machine seemed to think I was lying. The muscles in my body were beginning to cramp from the burning pain. "You''re lying..." the doctor replied with a smile. "That means... the real answer must be the other option-Michael Ford." He was trying to provoke me. I looked at him with a seething re and spat out a mouthful of blood. "I fucking love myself, asshole." At that moment, I really wanted to berate someone. I was overwhelmed with anger, pain, and other emotions. That broken machine didn''t even make sense. There were too many external factors that affected its reliability. The machine concluded whether someone was lying by detecting any changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. However, a test like this couldn''t possibly be urate in a setting like this. "Recalling an experiment subject that''s been outside of theb annoys me the most..." He cranked his neck and smiled psychotically. "I hate subjects that have been left outside like you the most, you know. All of them end up with bad habits they''ve picked up from the outside world. They don''t listen, they aren''t wise about their decisions... they''re not obedient at all." He pressed the button again. A current that was stronger than the one before seared through my body. Blood poured endlessly from the corners of my mouth. I gritted my teeth so hard it felt like my entire mouth was bleeding. There was a loud ring. The warning light in the room lit up, and a robotic voice rang out. "The club members are against inhumane ways of collecting experimental data. This is a warning. Please refrain from any form of violence." The announcement warned the doctor against torturing me. Heughed and knelt in front of me. "Seems to me like someone in the audience cares for you deeply... It takes a lot of money to protest against the one conducting the tests. "The amount of money they''re throwing at you is truly an eye-opener... No wonder the people at theb call you our most valuable subject." I was barely alive. I looked at him and said in a weak voice, "Do you want to know... why I''m worth so much?" I barely had any energy left to speak. My sentences were incoherent. The doctor leaned in closer, and I rammed my head into his eye as hard as I could. A scream pierced through the air. He fell on the floor wailing while clutching his eye. Probably angered by my actions, he got up and immediately reached for the button to teach me a lesson. "Please refrain from any form of violence against the test subject," the robotic voice warned him again." Please refrain from any form of violence against the test subject." The doctorughed. He threw away the remote in hand and whispered next to my ear, "Today''s test is over ... I''ll show you what hell is actually like." He continued, "Here, all the experimental subjects must obey me, and that includes you. Else... I''ll show you what punishment is." He was threatening me. I scoffed and leaned back against the chair. A question popped up on the screen once again: "What is the point of a lie detector when someone can fool even themselves after hypnosis and memory transfers?" Chapter 484 ? This time, someone paid a hefty sum on a question directed at the Genome Society. Evidently, the person asking the question was amused by what I was going through. They didn''t think the lie detector was cruel enough, so they wanted to amp it up. The doctor''s lips curved upward. He grabbed a syringe from the shelf at the side. "In order to make sure that the medicine is legitimate, this truth serum was sent over by the one who submitted the question... The entire process was transparent and verified by the orgnization." I tried to break free from the restraints on my wrists. Ha... A truth serum? All it did was interfere with one''s perception and cognitive abilities. Technically, it was a tranquilizer. I took a deep breath and stared at the screen. My fingers tapped absentmindedly on the armrest of the chair. I wasn''t sure if Steven or Joel was able to watch the live stream of this test... The doctor injected the medication into my body when I was least prepared. Once it entered the bloodstream, the person would lose consciousness within three seconds. The brain wouldn''t even think consciously. "Who told you to pretend to be Stephanie?" a conglomerate asked another question on the screen. The doctor yanked my hair and asked me to answer. I knew... that they were anticipating my response. The organization wanted me to be the actual Stephanie more than anyone else did. I had to be Stephanie... If I wasn''t, I''d lose my value. That would mean that I''d be recalled and dealt with. Hence, I had to be Stephanie. My survival instincts wanted me to fight, but I couldn''t control myself. I wasn''t even sure what answers I''d given them.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The loud whirring of the machine echoed in my ears as my consciousness gradually blurred. By the time I woke up, I was locked in a pod-like experiment room. There was another transparentb here with countless experimental subjects. We were locked in likeb rats ced under observation. I mmed my hands against the transparent walls and nced around my surroundings in anger. I didn''t know how many questions they asked after they dosed me with the truth serum. I also wasn''t sure how I answered... If I wasn''t actually Stephanie Carlson... Was I already exposed at this point? I was slightly afraid and sat on the bed biting my nails. I soon quieted down. They wouldn''t have spent so much effort to cage me up again if I''d actually lost my value. All of a sudden, there was a ringing sounding from theb. I nced around in confusion. Everyone dressed in white hospital gowns had all stood up. They looked like trained and obedient pets waiting for their meals to arrive at the sound of the bell. My expression was sour. Physical training... They''dpletely dehumanized the experimental subjects. I counted. Excluding myself, there were eight subjects-three guys and five women. Among them, two of the women had erged stomachs. The fetus in their wombs were clearly new experiments as well. The door opened. The doctor who was previously involved in my test entered with several staff members in tow. Behind him, one of them was pushing a meal cart while dressed in protective clothing. The staff members ced the meals in each pod. When they reached my end, they were just about to ce down my meal when the doctor stopped them. Then, he dumped all of my food into the bin in front of my face. Chapter 485 ? "You don''t seem to be very happy with the regtions here, Subject Number 77." What a petty man. I stared at the doctor coldly and remained silent. I didn''t even deserve my own name here. "You should take a look at the system I''ve established." He lifted his hand and pointed at the pod next to mine. The staff member released the subject inside. It was a beautiful woman. As if she was a hollow shell, the woman walked toward the doctor. "Kneel," he said in a low voice. The woman didn''t hesitate at all. She immediately knelt down next to his feet. He shed me a smile like he was bragging. However, it also served as a warning. It implied that I should be just as obedient, like some kind of dog... "You''re disgusting." I smiled in response. "Men like you are probably at the lowest of lows in society, right? "Are you only here looking for some sort of validation because you couldn''t get any in the outside world? Do you know what they call people like you? Trash." My provocation angered him, and his expression darkened. He pressed the button outside of the pod with a twisted smile. "I''ll show you that I''m in charge here." All of a sudden, ice-cold water began pouring down from the top. Subsequently, he turned on the air-conditioning of the pod...This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. My entire body was shivering. I mmed my fists against the walls in anger, but my efforts were futile. The staff member was mildly nervous. "Dr. n, she''s... a subject that the higher-ups told us to look after specifically. If something were to happen to her, that''d make things difficult for us..." My body temperature went out of bnce in an instant. My body stiffened, and I fell to the ground. A burning sensation spread across my skin. After the hypothermia kicked in, I didn''t feel cold anymore. Instead, I felt like I was being burned alive. The devil stood outside watching, waiting for me to beg for mercy. "Watch her temperature. As long as her life isn''t in danger, let her stay freezing. Cut the air-conditioning when she learns how to beg for mercy..." the doctor instructed. "Steven..." My consciousness became scattered at the brink of death, and my brain reyed the image I wanted to see the most. Steven... I couldn''t die. I couldn''t possibly leave him behind again¡ªI couldn''t! Suddenly, a siren began ring. My heart rate started to be erratic. My electrocardiogram tlined. The staff members were horrified. They pressed the control panel in a panic and frantically opened the door to the pod. n was stunned as well. He didn''t expect me to be this fragile. "Open the door and start CPR. Get her heart rate back up. Sodium bicarbonate! Hurry!" The machine was still ring. Shoving the staff members aside, the doctor rushed in and gave me CPR himself. His panic calmed me. The truth serum hadn''t made me lose my value after all. He didn''t dare to let me die. All of a sudden, a pained scream rang out across the pod. I had pinned n below me in one swift movement and pressed my fingers against his eyeballs, slowly increasing the pressure. He was struggling against me, screaming violently. Blood started seeping out. I shot a look of warning at the staff members who were rushing in. "Tell the person in charge of theb that I want to see her!" I growled. I wanted to see Nancy. My guess was she was the one in charge of thisboratory. n wanted to free himself from my grip, but he didn''t dare to anger me. "Don''t move, or I''ll dig out your eyeballs. You should know pretty well that the orgnization won''t kill a valuable subject like me over a doctor like you..." I threatened him in a low voice. Then, I looked at the experimental subject that was still kneeling outside. "You, get up!" She didn''t seem like she was listening to me. The doctorughed maniacally. "They only listen to me." Chapter 486 ? "Tell me, Doctor, would you still be valuable to theb after your eyesight is gone?" I asked with a smile, gradually increasing the pressure on my fingertips. n started to feel afraid. The pain made him twitch.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Open all the pods!" I looked at a staff member with an intimidating expression. She was slightly afraid. With the doctor at my mercy, she couldn''t do anything else butply. The rest of the experimental subjects slowly walked over. The one that was kneeling on the floor also got up. "They only listen to you, you say?" I asked. The doctor suddenly became afraid. I shoved him outside toward the subjects. "It takes five minutes for theboratory''s mercenaries to get here through the corridor outside." The male subject at the very front shot me a nce before reaching out to hold the doctor by the neck. With a small exertion of force, the doctor''s neck snapped. He stopped breathing. The subject, on the other hand, looked like he''d just killed an ant. He was unfazed. Even after killing someone, his gaze remained fixated on me. It felt like... a predator looking for a mate in order to produce an offspring Test subjects would naturally be gically attracted to one another. They would want to pick the best within the gene pool and create offspring that were stronger than the current generation. That was how evolution traditionally worked. I had a hard time imagining what it would be like if fully gically modified people produced healthy children. "I''m warning you, you''d better stay away from me." I backed up cautiously, but the three male subjects seemed to be drawn to me by my gics. Their gaze was hot. It felt like they wanted to eat me alive. I slowly backed up and tried to stall for time. Just as the three of them backed me up into a corner, the istion door opened. Mercenaries in protective gear rushed into the room and put the subjects back to their isted pods. Nancy walked in after them wearing a suit. She looked at n''s dead body on the floor and narrowed her eyes. "I underestimated you, Stephany." I eyed her cautiously and scoffed. "It''s just a doctor... He''s not nearly as valuable as I am, no?" She shot me a nce andughed. "The higher-ups only told us to keep you alive. They didn''t say we couldn''t punish you." "If you want to punish me, I can choose to kill myself anytime. If I want to die... none of you can stop me." I threatened her with my life. Nancy''s eyes darkened. She gave in... as expected. She scoffed before saying through gritted teeth, "The president of Crowdstar Group is investing billions into the research of reincarnation and gics. He also specifically named you to be part of it. Else, did you honestly think that you''d be alive?" She continued, "Do you really think that making it through the lie detector test and the truth serum test means that you''re Stephanie Carlson? With proper training, the mercenaries outside could do that too." I was somewhat surprised. The mysterious president of Crowdstar Group actually took an interest in a subject like me. I would be able to figure out a way to get the answers I wanted from him, then. "You so desperately hope that I''m not a reincarnation." I asked Nancy with a smile, "What are you afraid of? That even if souls can be reincarnated, the person you care about won''t love you if theye back? It''s so tragic to not be loved." I tried to provoke her. "Shut up!" Not to my surprise, she got worked up. "You''re more tragic than I am, Stephany... Do you really think the attraction the subjects have toward you is love? That''s just how natural selection works! "It doesn''t matter if it''s Steven or the three subjects. They''re only attracted to your genes. That''s just how things naturally work! Do you think Steven loves you? "Wait till someone with better genes appears next to him... Then, he''ll abandon you without any hesitation and slowly fall in love with someone else." Nancy looked at me and startedughing out loud again. "Did you think that the society can''t see through that little act that you and Steven were putting on? You followed me here on purpose, but I''m afraid you won''t be leaving... "Steven, on the other hand... He''s already attracted to the more gically optimized ''Stephanie.'' He didn''t even show up to the test today. As the heir of the Lincoln Group, he has the right to attend even if he has sold all his shares to Crowdstar, so long as he forked out enough money... "But he didn''te, Stephany. He doesn''t want you anymore." Sheughed maniacally. She was mocking me for being abandoned by Steven. "Right... I forgot to tell you, Steven slept with the Stephanie I gave him yesterday night. They were attracted to each other''s gics, and he developed a desire for ''Stephanie.'' The two of them will be together forever, and you... are destined to be forgotten." She continued, "Michael Ford, on the other hand... He spent millions just to make sure you''re not going through as much pain." Chapter 487 ? I replied nkly and leaned against the doorframe. "Do you think I''d believe that?" Annoyed by my attitude, Nancy scoffed. "I guess you won''t believe it till you see for yourself." The corner of her lips curved up as she said again, "I forgot to tell you, the Stephanie I sent over is not just gically optimized. It''s also extremely easy for her body to get pregnant. "Merging a genome-edited subject and a gically modified being and thus allowing the most perfect genes tobine through natural conception has always been part of our ns..." She looked at me and continued, "This experiment n was put forward by Stephanie''s parents too... Genome Society used to be against letting a genome-edited genius and gically modified subjecte in contact with each other, lest something goes wrong."This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After all, it was two extremely intelligent individuals. If they got together to discuss how to go against Genome Society, that would be dangerous. That was why Genome Society didn''t want them near each other. "But Stephanie''s parents couldn''t bring themselves to tear them apart. Hence, they intentionally suggested ns for gic merging through natural conception. They wanted the pair to get together and produce offspring through natural methods to see what the child would be like." They wanted to see what kind of evolution effect would ur if two sets of allegedly perfect gics were to merge. "As soon as the n was put forward, the leader of Genome Society became extremely interested and gave them the green light to proceed. "However, as Stephanie grew older, we found out that her parents had hidden certain data from theb. They''d also hidden the fact that Stephanie''s body wasn''t able to produce healthy offspring..." I inhaled deeply. My parents kept it from Genome Society out of fear they''d separate me and Steven if they did... So, it was inevitable that we were torn apart in the end. Genome Society must''ve found out. The car ident when I was 18, the memory loss, the death of my parents, then me growing up in the Ford household and falling in love with Michael... All of this seemed like a coincidence, but every turning point in my life seemed to have some kind of involvement with Genome Society. "Initially, when we were creating subjects like you, we couldn''t avoid the fact that each of you possessed some kind of w. Stephanie''s was her personality. She didn''t have any feelings or empathy. She couldn''t blend into society. She didn''t have healthy reproductive abilities either." So, Stephanie wasn''t able to have children. She was an intelligent and unfeeling subject. Unfortunately, nature didn''t allow someone with such dangerous gics to reproduce. "And you, Stephany... You''re suspicious, rash, and have drastic personality changes upon being provoked. You''re also incredibly skilled at impersonation. "You might not have the intelligence that Stephanie possessed, but you''re not too shabby either. Besides, your body is healthy enough to reproduce." She looked at me like she was picking out groceries in a market. "As for the one sent to Steven... Technically, she is Stephanie Carlson a clone born from the same embryo. There''s no one more simr, and their genes are identical as well." No matter how one looked at it, Stephanie No. 2 resembled Stephanie more than I did. "Steven won''t touch her..." I said in a low voice. My fists were trembling from anger. "I''lle and deliver the good news when Stephanie shows early signs of pregnancy." Nancyughed. She waited until the mercenaries took care of the body and the subjects in the pods before turning to leave. "Ms. Lee, the doctor threw away her meal... Should we..." the assistant asked softly. Knowing that I was worth a lot of money, she was probably worried that I''d starve. "She won''t starve to death just by skipping a meal," Nancy replied briefly. She took a few steps before halting. A smile was stered on her face. "Right, the president of Crowdstar Group chose to adopt you, so your life is basically in his hands. You should be on your best behavior... Your owner is fully aware of all your actions in this pod." She pointed at the camera above me. I looked up and stayed silent. Genome Society treated us like animals in a zoo. Then, they ppedbels onto us and sold us off to the wealthy. Some of the subjects were shipped off to satisfy the lust of rich men while others were sent tobs for drug testing. Some were also sent to be reproductive machines or living supplies for organ transnts. Additionally, some of the wealthy with rare blood types would purchase subjects with the same blood type, turning them into their own personal blood bank. There was nothing Genome Society couldn''t do, only sins that one could never imagine. They hadpletely utilized and harbored the worst of humanity. I had to admit, though, that those who established the entire structure of the organization and developed it into what it was today were all geniuses. Some said that geniuses were often crazy. However, in reality, they could either be God or the devil himself. Some used their gifts to help the diseased, and some used them to serve their country. Yet, some chose to utilize their gifts for horrifying, inhumane things. Chapter 488 ? The fairest thing Mother Nature gave to humans was death. It was only a matter of time. However, some people insisted on going against thews of nature. They wanted immortality. They wanted to stay young forever. Some even start leaning toward dark desires when money and a materialistic lifestyle weren''t able to provide them with a higher level of satisfaction or excitement. Society developed at a gradual yet continuous pace. In just a couple of decades, money had be just a number for many conglomerates. They possessed the most extravagant lifestyle andfortable living environment in the globe. Life had be mundane for them. Hence, they needed excitement. They needed something to satisfy their desires. Immortality and longevity had always been the highest pursuit since historical times. I sat on the bed and stared at the camera above me. The camera moved. A red light was shing. That meant someone was watching me. If I had to guess, the president of Crowdstar Group probably paid a hefty sum to be able to watch me every day. I made a gesture of gratitude toward the camera. Everything aside, this mysterious president was essentially my bank now. I could only stay in the organization without any fear for my safety if I made him like me. Since he had now adopted me, the people in Genome Society would need their permission to touch me. If so, at least my life wasn''t in danger. The camera tilted up and down three times, as if to tell me ''You''re wee.'' For some reason, I got the feeling that he was trying to tell me not to worry. I was probably overthinking it. The red light on the camera blinked continuously. I knew it meant that he was watching me, but it felt somewhat... soothing, I wasn''t sure why, but it calmed my nerves. I was physically and mentally worn out from today. I didn''t care anymore. I just wanted to get a good night''s sleep. The buzz from the camera''s rotation echoed through the space. It seemed to beforting me and lulling me to sleep. It was probably my self-defense instincts making me think of nonsensical things. The president of Crowdstar Group was currently the head of Huma''s conglomerates. How could he be a kind person? The wealthy were prone to disguises. They''d offer you some kindness before heartlessly squeezing everything that you were worth out of you. "Don''t worry, Stephie... Sleep, I''ll be here." In a daze, Steven''s voice rang out in my head. Not to my surprise, I could only sleepfortably while thinking about him. After I fell asleep, the light from the camera was still blinking. Even after I woke up, the light was still there.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. I didn''t know how long I was asleep for. Since n had been killed, there was no one assigned to ourboratory. It was a rare asion for us to sleep in. I looked at the camera above quizzically. Did the president of Crowdstar group not need to sleep? Had he been watching me the entire night? What was so entertaining about watching me sleep? How strange... Chapter 489 ? The door to the pod opened, and an assistant dressed in protective clothing entered with a cart. On the cart, there was arge starfish pillow as well as fruits and snacks, all adorned with quarantine signs. "These came from your adopter, and they''re going to be sterilized," the assistant said in a deep voice as he swiftly inserted the items into my capsule through the disinfection port. It was a bit challenging to squeeze in the starfish pillow. I was taken aback for a moment when I spotted the starfish. I then quickly embraced it in my arms. It was soft and carried the scent of sunshine. There was a star symbol on the tag of the starfish. It was Steven! I couldn''t help but feel a rush of excitement. I turned to face the surveince camera. No wonder the president of Crowdstar Group suddenly selected me as an experimental subject and paid a lump sum... As it turned out, Steven and the president hade to a mutual agreement. Perhaps he utilized the shares of the Lincoln Group to secure the opportunity to meet and negotiate with the president of Crowdstar Group. I felt a sense of joy for Steven, and simultaneously, a wave of relief washed over me. There was no doubt in my mind that Steven would not disregard me. Holding the starfish in my arms, I sat on the ground and indulged in the fresh fruit. It was clear that the other experimental subjects had never experienced anything like this before, and they all watched me with great anticipation. I ate a sweet grape. Then, I looked up at the camera and thought for a while. I tapped my knees lightly. I asked the other person if he was Steven. Had Steven met the president of Crowdstar Group yet? The camera moved, shaking up and down as if nodding, I felt a surge of joy, although I had to restrain myself from revealing it. Hence, I humbly lowered my head and indulged in a grape. It was truly Steven! What Nancy said was undoubtedly a lie. Steven would never sleep with anyone else... Despite trying to reassure myself with this thought, I still felt unsettled. Gic attraction could be a sh of primal desires that was hard to resist. Next to my pod, there was a pregnant experimental subject appearing to be on the verge of giving birth. She urgently knocked on the pod''s door. Her body was wracked with throbbing sensations and an inability to remain still. There was a sudden gush of liquid between her legs. Her water had broken... She was about to give birth. I stood up and frantically pounded on the pod''s door. "Is anyone there? She''s giving birth!" Damn it! She was on the brink of giving birth, yet there was no one to attend to her. The monitoring equipment here was veryplete, so it was impossible for them not to see it. Nevertheless, the personnel in thisboratory failed to regard the experimental subjects as human beings! After all, these experimental subjects had not been registered and therefore seemed to be without legal protection. Their existence was unknown, making them vulnerable to being erased and destroyed at any time. "Is anyone there?" I mmed the door in frustration, feeling a surge of anger that overwhelmed my emotions. It was Subject Number 57 who was about to give birth. After her amniotic sac ruptured, she began to experience bleeding from her lower body. If the baby wasn''t delivered promptly or via Cesarean section, two lives would be at risk. "Asshole!" I kicked the door hard, shooting an angry look at the surveince camera outside the pod. It was evident that someone was watching, but they did not treat us as human beings at all! I mmed the door forcefully and identally injured my hand, causing it to bleed and stain the door. Perhaps sensing my frustration, the other subjects in the neighboring pods also began forcefully banging their doors. The male experimental subjects'' behavior became increasingly manic. I was startled by the thunderous crashing sound and turned to see the three male experimental subjects. They were pounding on the door, disying a silent, seamless cooperation that didn''t involve anymunication. These were individuals who had been raised in theb pods since birth and had never been exposed to socialization. In the eyes of the organization, they were not considered as human beings.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The sound of knocking on the doors grew increasingly louder. Their force was formidable, causing the transparentb to tremble slightly. Eventually, the door to theb swung open, revealing the entrance of the staff apanied by the mercenaries. It was clear that they were no strangers to such urrences. Chapter 490 ? "Help! Please help! She''s about to give birth!" I urgently pounded on the pod''s door and pleaded with the staff to rescue Subject Number 57, but it seemed as though they couldn''t hear me. With a mere nce at Subject Number 57, they turned away and headed toward the door of the male experimental subjects. The staff member was recording while talking at the same time, "Ever since Subject Number 77 entered theb, the manic behavior of these male subjects has escted. Administer a 50% concentration of nitrous oxide to calm them down." The staff member started operating the control panel, but one of the experimental subjects identally damaged it while mming the door, causing a short circuit. Unfortunately, the staff member failed to notice the damage. I tried to smash the door angrily to distract the staff member. However, I was not strong enough and they didn''t take me seriously. I yelled, "Asshole, help her!" The life of Subject Number 57 was fading fast, and a pool of blood flowed from her lower body as she struggled to save herself. She was determined to bring her child into the world on her own. Despite growing up in aboratory andcking understanding, her maternal instinct was unwavering. She was resolute in her desire for her child to live. She was breathing quickly and staring at me with red, teary eyes. She pushed her belly desperately, hoping to safely give birth to the baby. However, it seemed that she was experiencing a difficultbor, with more and more blood gushing out. "Save her..." My throat felt tight as I pleaded with them to save Subject Number 57. The staff member showed aplete disregard for the life and death of Subject Number 57. Upon witnessing three male experimental subjects copsing, they immediately opened the pod''s door. A mercenary attempted to administer an injection, only to have his neck seized by one of the experimental subjects who had abruptly regained consciousness. He was truly strong. "Save her..." I nced nervously at the three experimental subjects emerging. The leader was Subject Number 63. He cast a quick nce in my direction before making his way toward the pod door of Subject Number 57. He opened the door and stepped inside, squatting down beside Subject Number 57 to closely examine her condition. Subject Number 57 appeared to anticipate the oue as she reached out to grab the Swiss Army Knife from Subject Number 63''s hand, the very same knife that was held by the mercenary moments ago. Locking eyes with Subject Number 63, she took a deep breath. With trembling hands, she moved the knife toward her stomach. I instinctively averted my gaze. I couldn''t bring myself to look directly. If that were to happen, Subject Number 57 would not make it. My body trembled slightly as I leaned against the corner, gripping the door tightly. What sort of hellish ce was this? How many experimental subjects had died before my arrival? This was a realm beyond the grasp of thew because no one knew this ce existed. The workers in thisboratory were extremely cruel and unkind to people, treating them like mice, cats, and dogs. They crushed them without mercy. The cry of a baby sent a shiver down my spine, causing me to press myself against the wall. I was afraid to turn around. I was not scared. Rather, I found it impossible to look directly at the scene. The baby cried just once, signaling that something was amiss. It was likely that the medical staff had already identified the issue during the prenatal check-up, for they wouldn''t have neglected it otherwise. After all, the baby in the belly was also the product of the experiment. Subject Number 63 approached my pod with the baby in his arms. We exchanged wary looks. His eyes were clear and cold, devoid of any discernible emotion. It was almost as if he were emotionless. He gestured toward me, then abruptly departed. I gazed at Subject Number 63 in astonishment. The message conveyed through his signnguage was, "We''ll wait for you outside. Stay alive." I stood there in shock for a long time. Did these experimental subjects know me? Had Stephany been to theb? Or did they recognize me as Stephanie? Had Stephanie been here? But in my memory, there was no recollection of thisb. As the rm red, a swarm of mercenaries flooded in from outside. I couldn''t help but wonder if the three of them and a baby with a congenital disease could make their escape. All I could do was silently pray for them.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. A sound emanated from the surveince camera behind me. I turned to see the camera swaying from side to side, almost as if it were warning me not to attempt an escape. There was no way out... The baby''s fate seemed to have been determined the moment they were born in theboratory. Those unable to escape would encounter a dead end upon leaving theb. Chapter 491 ? There were chaotic sounds outside theb, and then everything calmed down. I leaned against the pod''s door, feeling my heart sink. It seemed like they were unable to escape. In a moment of despair, I found myself sitting on the ground. I leaned against the wall as I slowly closed my eyes. It was an overwhelming sensation-a mix of despair, anger, frustration, and a loss of control. It was a truly peculiar feeling as all these emotions swirled together within me. "Subject Number 71 is showing no signs of life. Subject Number 69 has executed a suicide attack but was promptly apprehended and destroyed. "Attention! Attention! Both Subject Number 63 and Subject Number 3 have sessfully escaped. Attention! Attention!" Suddenly, an rm went off outside theb. I sprang to my feet with excitement and opened my eyes wide. Did the leader of the experimental subjects and the newborn baby manage to escape? "Attention! There''s an attack by the Rebels. They''ve arrived to retrieve Subject Number 63! Attention!" I held my hands in excitement as I looked outside theb. They had been saved. For unknown reasons, I found it hard to breathe, and my eyes started to well up. They escaped, they broke free! It was as if I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel... They escaped! The two experimental subjects bravely held off the mercenaries by sacrificing themselves, allowing Subject Number 63 to escape with the baby. As I turned to see the other experimental subjects in their pods, they were standing at the door in perfect unison as if they had suddenly glimpsed a spark of hope. Their once vacant eyes now shimmered with newfound light.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The male experimental subjects did not take the pregnant or non-pregnant female experimental subjects away because they understood that leaving the pods would mean almost certain death. They understood that leaving would lead them to a dangerous situation. However, if they saw any chance of hope, they would definitelye back to save them. "Subject Number 63 escaped!" Nancy quickly led staff outside theb to inspect and observe. With a furious kick to the door, she clenched her teeth and eximed, "We can''t allow the experimental subjects to escape from the organization. They must be eliminated!" Nancy was in charge of thisboratory. She knew that if a major ident urred, the person in charge would not let her off easily. Experimental subjects who had never undergone socialization were like nk canvases to the outside world. Theycked any identity information, birth certificate, or any trace of existence... Once such a person entered society, it was impossible to find them. They didn''t even have fingerprints on file, so their DNA was likely identical to that of the socialized experimental subjects. From a chilling point of view, if the experimental subjects from theboratorymitted murder and left behind evidence like fingerprints or blood samples, the authorities would apprehend those experimental subjects who had been socialized in the outside world. For instance, if Stephanie No. 2mitted murder, DNA analysis could lead them to Stephanie instead. "Eliminate Subject Number 63 at any cost," Nancy said again, her voice trembling. This was a major incident. I stared at Nancy with a triumphant grin and sneered. "Once the experimental subjects are revealed, undeniable proof of Genome Society''s Godmaker Project will be exposed to the world. And when that happens... No matter how you try to hide, it''ll all be in vain." This incident proved to be aplete disaster for the organization. Nancy''s anger hadn''t subsided, and she turned to me. "The Rebels haven''t been able to pinpoint theboratory''s exact location, yet here they are... They managed to uncover the site and execute a well- nned rescue operation. Stephany... you''re truly capable." Nancy believed that I conspired with the Rebels and then saved Subject Number 63. "Theboratory has strict protocols in ce. How could I rescue people from inside?" Her high opinion of me made me smile. Nancy walked into myb and suddenly pressed the button on the outside. Gas was released, and I found myself unable to breathe. I fell to the ground in excruciating pain. "Examine her entire body meticulously to determine the presence of any tracking device!" Nancy continued to doubt me. Chapter 492 ? As my consciousness faded, I slipped into unconsciousness. I knew all too well that Nancy was redirecting her anger toward me. Before the leader of Genome Society could reprimand her, she would undoubtedly take it out on me. As I had anticipated, I found myself in the operating room upon awakening. Nancy had intentionally prevented the anesthetist from numbing me before forcibly extracting my premr. Feeling the pain and tasting blood in my mouth, I clenched my fists. I pounded the bed in anguish. "Feeling the pain?" Nancy''s voice dripped with fury as she held my tooth with forceps. "Stephany Larson, you imnted such a sophisticated locator in your tooth just to reveal the location of ourboratory, didn''t you? "I knew it... You''re a wildcard. Reincarnation is nothing but a fabrication to entice Genome Society''s interest in you, luring them to bring you back!" I was stunned, staring at the tooth Nancy was holding. Why was there a locator in my tooth? I hadn''t undergone any dental procedures since my reincarnation... which implied it was Stephany who had imnted it. A shiver raced down my spine as I pondered. Was Stephany a member of the Rebels? "I''ve told the organization countless times there''s no such thing as soul reincarnation technology in the world! Yet they persisted in bringing you back, believing you can offer more value..." Nancy flung the tooth aside and seized my neck. "You''re not the reincarnated Stephanie Carlson. You''re Stephany Larson. You deceived yourself just as much as you deceived us." Nancy''s sudden smile hinted at a revtion. Then, she turned to the mercenaries, her gaze piercing. "Did you uncover what I requested?" "We''ve apprehended Peter Jones'' daughter," the mercenaries responded. Linda? Had they brought Linda here? I struggled vigorously, spitting out blood before managing to speak, "What are you going to do to Linda? I truly have no idea what you''re talking about!" "You''ll find out soon," Nancy said firmly, grabbing my hair and gesturing for the others to escort me to the interrogation room. Nancy seemed determined to unearth the truth before facing any consequences from Genome Society. Feeling a rising sense of dread, I followed Nancy to the interrogation room. Inside, Linda was bound to a chair. She was screaming and shaking her head. It was clear they had drugged her. "My dad... knows Stephany Larson..." Linda''s words confirmed Stephany''s connection to Peter.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "After Stephanie Carlson''s death, my dad had Stephany Larson assume her identity, iming it would attract attention from Genome Society and the conglomerates, prompting them to bring her back as a valuable subject. Then... the location of theboratory would be exposed..." "My dad is a member of the Rebels.... One of the masterminds behind the serial murder case..." Linda''s voice cracked with anguish. Tears streamed down her face as she clenched her fists tightly. In essence, Peter was both a victim and a perpetrator in the serial murder case. Yasmin was merely one of his pawns. His true aim was to dismantle Genome Society. "We received news from the hospital today that Peter is dead," Nancy said coldly, seizing my hair once more. "I must admit, Peter was quite cunning. Who would''ve guessed he was one of the leaders of the Rebels?" Indeed, it was unfathomable that the psychiatrist trusted by Genome Society was also a key figure in the Rebels. "The inspectors in Huma have uncovered the mastermind behind the serial murder case. In the basement of an old asylum, they found evidence of Peter''s murder n as well as proof of his purchase of the ruins in the north of Myrindara. "Peter has been scheming everything for years... Stephanie Carlson''s parents and Andy Lincoln, they were all founders of the Rebels..." Nancy took out her phone and showed me the day''s news, titled "Serial murder case solved! Peter Jones, the renowned psychiatrist, revealed as the true culprit!" The serial murder case was dered solved. However, was Peter the sole orchestrator behind it all? Was this truly the end of the serial murder case? Chapter 493 ? "She''s not Stephanie Carlson... She''s Stephany Larson..." Linda trembled uncontrobly, as if unable to resist the effects of the drug. "She was hypnotized to believe she''s Stephanie Carlson..." ording to Linda''s statement, Stephany and Peter were colluding together. I was never Stephanie Carlson; I had always been Stephany Larson. Stephanie had died since the police discovered her body in that ss cab. Peter''s hypnosis had sessfully deceived me into believing otherwise. Nancy grabbed my hair, mming my head against the wall. Blood trickled down my forehead. Ha... What a joke I was.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "Stephany Larson, you and Peter were in cahoots. Peter was always a traitor to the organization." Nancy tightened her grip on my hair, forcing me to look at Linda. "Did you hear what she said? Her father hypnotized you, making you forget everything and imnting Stephanie''s memories into you. All this was to fabricate the illusion that you were Stephanie Carlson reincarnated. "Peter provided you with lots of Stephanie''s information, including the experimental records and observation diary the organization had on her... You studied them thoroughly so that you could easily impersonate Stephanie." Nancy smiled and continued, "You''re not Stephanie Carlson. You''re Stephany Larson! To make it more convincing, Peter had to help you deceive yourself. Only when you believed yourself to be Stephanie Carlson would others believe you..." Nancy looked at me with pity in her eyes. "You''re nothing but a poor creature who doesn''t even know who you are... "Peter''s hypnosis made you firmly believe that you''re Stephanie Carlson. So when you woke up in Stephany Larson''s body, you believed you had reincarnated... "This was just a false premise, a ploy you and Peter came up with to reveal the existence of Genome Society, to expose us to the police..." Nancy suddenly pushed me away. She instructed her assistant in a low voice, "Get rid of her and throw her into the sea. Make it look like a suicide." Stephany Larson had a social identity, so Nancy couldn''t dispose of me like other experimental subjects and leave no trace behind. Nancy''s assistant was visibly nervous. "But there might be consequences if our superiors find out we acted without orders. Plus, Crowdstar Group has just taken her under their wing. If we kill her now- " Nancy interrupted her with a sharp p across her assistant''s face, herposure unraveling. "I said, kill her! I''ll take the me alone! We''ll simply inform Crowdstar Group that she died on her own! This woman must die no matter what!" Her assistant nced at me anxiously, clearly concerned about potential repercussions from higher-ups. "Why involve others when you can do it yourself? Don''t you have the courage?" I challenged, leaning against the wall and forcibly swallowing the blood in my mouth. My heart throbbed with pain. Despite the evidence, I struggled to ept that I was not Stephanie Carlson but Stephany Larson. If it were true, it wouldn''t be fair to Steven... So, my memories were imnted through hypnosis, huh? It seemed that I had fooled myself quite effectively. "What are you waiting for? Kill me!" I shouted at Nancy, realizing that my chance of survival in Nancy''sboratory was nonexistent. Believing Linda''s and Nancy''s words had left me hopeless. If I was indeed Stephany Larson, then I should end it all here and now. That way, I wouldn''t have to continue deceiving Steven. Steven had suffered enough from losing the real Stephanie Carlson. Now that he had another Stephanie Carlson with him, I should let him spend the rest of his life with her. "Do you think I wouldn''t dare?" Nancy sneered, turning around to retrieve highly concentrated drugs from the medicine cab. "Once I inject this into your bloodstream, you''ll be gone in seconds!" Nancy''s face contorted with grim determination as she approached me with the syringe. Her assistant tried to intervene but was mercilessly kicked away. "I don''t give a damn whether you''re Stephany Larson or Stephanie Carlson. Both of you deserve to die! Especially Stephanie Carlson... If it weren''t for her, Andy wouldn''t have died..." Suddenly, she chuckled darkly. "Well, it''s not so bad now that he''s dead... After all, he never loved me... So, it''s good that he''s gone..." It all clicked into ce for me. Nancy had been consumed by unrequited love for Andy Lincoln, driving her to madness. "Andy Lincoln didn''t have any feelings for you..." I taunted her with a cold smile. Chapter 494 ? "He had no feelings for that wife the Lincoln family forced him to marry. He loved me, not her!" Fazed by my words, Nancy seized my neck, attempting to plunge the syringe into my vein. She was delusional, convinced that Andy''s love was hers to im. Perhaps Andy was deeply in love with another woman, but that woman wouldn''t have been Nancy, who was so selfish and obsessive. "The thought of my blood carrying your genes... truly disgusts me," I remarked, finding it sickening. Regardless of who I was, both Stephanie and Stephany shared Nancy''s DNA. "Disgusting? Haha... Even if Andy never loved me, his son is hopelessly drawn to my genes!" Nancyughed maniacally, reveling in her delusions of revenge. "Even a genius like Steven Lincoln can''t resist the allure of my genes... With Stephanie No. 2 in my grasp, he''spletely under my control," Nancy dered, convinced of her power over Steven. As my body had weakened from the effects of the toxic gas I had inhaled, Nancy managed to slowly insert the syringe into my neck. She injected euthanasia meant for small animals. Feeling a surge of heat coursing through me, I knew my chances of survival were slim.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "Steven... isn''t as weak as you think," I muttered through gritted teeth, grabbing Nancy''s wrist and using all my strength to pin her down. Seizing the syringe from her hand, I drove it into her neck, dering, "Let''s go to hell together..." Only with Nancy dead could Steven be safe. Blood poured uncontrobly from my mouth, my eyes reddening as if blood were about to seep from them. As my body convulsed, I felt my heart growing numb... Nancy stared at me in horror. Before her assistant could pull me away, I injected the remaining lethal dose from the syringe into her body. Twitching uncontrobly in pain, I convulsed on the ground as consciousness slipped away. I was experiencing my second death... I marveled at Peter''s hypnotic skills. If I truly was Stephany Larson, he had indeed done a remarkable job in hypnotizing me. He even imnted Stephanie Carlson''s experience with death into my memories. Therefore, when death came knocking again, I wasn''t as afraid. Instead, I felt a sense of peace. The drug began to take effect in Nancy''s body too, causing her body to convulse. She gazed at me as if this wasn''t the end. "The Rebels... won''t seed," she croaked. My vision dimmed. I curled up in the corner and slowly closed my eyes. My tears mixed with the blood streaming down my cheeks. "Steven..." I whispered Steven''s name in my final moment, realizing I had indeed fallen for him-deeper than I realized. But s, I might not be Stephanie Carlson, the one he truly loved. My love felt meaningless and worthless. "Stay alive... Steven..." "Stephie! "Stephanie! "Wake up... Chapter 495 ? Theboratory door burst open, and a rush of people flooded in. "Stephanie!" "Stephie..." Was it just my imagination? I could swear I heard Zion''s and Rachel''s voices. "Stephie..." Now it was Steven''s and Michael''s voices. "Don''t touch her! Back off!" Steven shouted frantically. He held me tightly in his arms, warding off anyone who dared to approach. The police had surrounded theboratory, and all the experimental subjects from the pods had been set free. With Subject Number 63''s escape and the Rebels'' discovery of theboratory, it was only a matter of time before the police intervened. Initially hesitant to alert Nancy and her aplices, the police''s timely arrival was likely due to Steven''s concern for my safety. However, now that thisboratory was exposed, Genome Society would cut all ties with it. That would only make it harder to track them down. "Steven..." My consciousness fading, I weakly reached out to touch him. "You shouldn''t have...e." He should have stayed back and let the police handle Nancy. They would eventually catch the mastermind. Yet, he chose toe for me, risking exposure to the organization. "Nothing is more important than you... No one is more important than you..." Steven said frantically, holding me tighter. "Stephie, you''ll be fine. I know you will." "I... love you." As my fingers brushed Steven''s face, I lost consciousnesspletely. My hand fell limp. I wasn''t certain if I had expressed my love clearly or if Steven had heard it at all. Still, I feltpelled to say it. Otherwise, I might regret not doing so. "I should''ve taken her away from you back then! Steven Lincoln, you''ve been using her as bait to find this ce, haven''t you? You bastard! Now she''s dead because of you!" Michael''s voice erupted with anger after he saw that I had stopped breathing. Heshed out,nding a punch on Steven. I watched in astonishment as the scene unfolded before me. Though I tried to reach out to Steven, my efforts were in vain. Once again, I felt the sensation of my soul leaving my body. It was just like Stephanie''s near-death experience. It seemed to confirm the truth that during the moment of death, one''s consciousness remained intact, and the soul could detach from the physical body. "Don''t touch her!" Steven fought back,nding a punch of his own against Michael. If it weren''t for Zion and Eason''s intervention, they would havee to blows then and there. Having gone through this before, I remained calmer this time. I quietly observed the chaos, realizing there was nothing I could do to stop it. "Stop fighting! Stephie''s not dead yet!" Rachel intervened angrily as she felt my weak pulse.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "Quick! To the hospital!" Zion said, lifting me off the ground and refusing to let Steven hold me, given his agitated state. Walking behind Steven, I reached out to hold his hand even though I knew I couldn''t touch him. At least, I felt connected. Michael followed anxiously behind Zion, closely observing my condition. Suddenly, Steven halted, ncing sideways in my direction. My heart raced, wondering if he could somehow see me. "I know you''re there... " Steven whispered softly even though he couldn''t see me. Although souls shouldn''t have a heartbeat, his words made my whole body tense with emotion. Warmth slowly spread through my chest and into my body. I felt the urge to cry, but there were no tears. Leaning gently against Steven''s shoulder, I wished we could stay like this forever. Perhaps I had grown ustomed to this peaceful life. I found myself wishing we could escape to some isted ce that was far away from everything and spend the rest of our days in peace together. "Steven, Genome Society will never let us off... As long as the leader remains atrge, we won''t be safe anywhere," I whispered softly as I walked beside Steven. "When everything is over..." I murmured softly. Chapter 496 ? "When everything is over..." Steven''s sudden words echoed mine even though he couldn''t have heard me. I looked at him in shock, my gaze flickering. "We''ll find a deserted ind... and start new," Steven whispered softly, his voice hoarse. I stared at him for a long moment before quietly responding, "Okay, we''ll do just that." Even though we couldn''t physically touch each other, there was still a profound sense of connection between us. While from a scientific and medical standpoint, such urrences might be perceived as some form of mental anomaly, I firmly believed that the souls of the departed lingered around us in some way. Even if it was just wishful thinking, it provided sce to our lonely souls.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Stephie, you''re here with me, aren''t you?" Steven asked softly. "Yes, Steven, I''m here," I replied with a smile. Though he couldn''t feel my touch, see me, or hear me, I feltpelled to respond to his words nheless. "Theboratory is nestled in the undeveloped mountains of Yesa, bordering Myrindara. It''s secluded from the public eye. While it masquerades as a retirement haven for affluent retired scientists, beneath the surface lie three hidden levels ofboratories. "Nancy is the overseer of this facility, wieldingplete control. Though it''s reported that Genome Society has numerousbs across the country, this is the only facility that has been unearthed thus far. "We thought we could trace the entire organizationwork starting from Nancy''sb, but we underestimated the power of Genome Society." Zion exined outside the emergency room, his frustration palpable. "Eachb within Genome Society operates independently, cultivating its own experimental subjects, researchers, and medical staff. There are no connections between them. "In essence, if we aim to dismantle the entire organization like a spider''s web, we have only two options." Eason nced at Zion and picked up where Zion left off, "We gather information from either Nancy or the human traffickers, peeling back theyers one by one." It was clear that their attempt to rescue me had startled the traffickers, leading to a dead end. "How''s Nancy doing now?" Zion inquired. "The doctors are still working to save her, but the outlook isn''t promising. Unlike Stephany, shecks a resistance to drugs," Eason exined with a shrug. He then continued, "Luckily, the dose she received wasn''t fatal. The doctor mentioned we can only hope she doesn''t end up in a vegetative state." Steven sat on the ground, looking dejected. I joined him, resting my head on his shoulder. So, this was what it felt like to be in love, wanting to be by his side always. I only felt safe when he was around. It was a stark contrast to how I felt with Michael before. Back then, I only felt like I waspromising. Reflecting on the past, my gaze dimmed as I wondered if I was truly Stephanie Carlson or not. Were all Stephanie Carlson''s memories in my mind merely a memory imnt? Was I truly Stephany Larson herself and not Stephanie Carlson? "Zion, we found this in theb-" Phil suddenly rushed over. Noticing the presence of others, he hesitated before continuing, "Can I say it here?" Zion nodded. "Linda, the teenage girl, has awakened safely with no major injuries. She was administered a truth serum and disclosed information about Peter and Stephany Larson''s n... Here''s all the evidence. "Stephany Larson was merely impersonating Stephanie Carlson at Peter''s behest. After thoroughly studying Stephanie Carlson, Peter hypnotized Stephany Larson... In essence, Stephany Larson isn''t Stephanie Carlson," Phil said thest part in a hushed tone. While Steven remained motionless with his head lowered, I grew a little panicked and avoided his eyes. Upon hearing Phil''s words, Michael hurriedly approached them and snatched the evidence from their hands. His fingers were stiff. "What''s the meaning of all this... Imnted memories, hypnosis?" "It means Stephanie Carlson is truly gone. She perished due to your carelessness and arrogance, Michael," Zion replied in a low voice, each word a jab at Michael. He then concluded, "There''s noing back from death. The supposed reincarnation was just a ploy by Peter to expose Genome Society''sboratory, nothing more." Chapter 497 ? As Michael looked at the evidence, he suddenly burst into crazedughter. His hands slumped down dejectedly, scattering the evidence all over the floor. "Are you out of your mind?" Eason scolded, bending down to pick up the evidence. "Impossible!" Michael snapped at Eason furiously. "This is outrageous... She''s Stephie. She is Stephie!" Eason ignored entirely him, regarding him as being delusional. Michael lost control. He squatted on the ground with bloodshot eyes, refusing to ept Stephanie was gone for good. He wasn''t able to ept the fact that his selfishness and arrogance had led to her demise. I couldn''t help but sympathize with Michael. Though I wasn''t certain if Stephanie had truly loved him, his realization of his love for her came toote. Suddenly, the door of the emergency room swung open, and the doctor emerged. Steven anxiously rose and hurried to the doctor. "Doctor... is she-" "The patient is temporarily out of danger, but we can''t predict when she''ll regain consciousness." The doctor sighed, adding, "Fortunately, the dosage she received wasn''t fatal. Upon examining the syringe Officer Landon provided, it contained a dose typically used to euthanize deformed infants at birth. "While the dosage wasn''t lethal when administered to two adults, it''s still highly perilous. We''ll need to continue monitoring the patient." I looked at the doctor, aware that the euthanasia injection was intended for the experimental subjects. If the subjects failed to meet the organization''s criteria at birth, they were euthanized and cremated. That undergroundboratory was akin to a vast furnace and purgatory. Some subjects might have spent their entire lives there, from birth to death, without ever catching a glimpse of sunlight or the blue sky... It was truly chilling. "Once Nancy''s crimes are exposed, it could send shockwaves across the entire nation," Eason remarked, massaging his temples. "How deep does the darkness of human nature truly go?" He continued, "Years ago, I worked on a case with my mentor. A 13-year-old gathered a group of 13 to 14- year-olds and kidnapped young couples who were hiking in the mountains. "Surveince wasn''t as advanced back then, making it difficult to locate missing people in the mountains. Within a year, three young couples had disappeared one after another. It wasn''t until the fourth couple was abducted that the case finally broke open." "The boyfriend of the fourth couple had bravely fought back, allowing his girlfriend to escape. Upon receiving the girlfriend''s report, the police found the crime scene. The minors were still carefreely frolicking in the mountains at that time. "The boyfriend was found dead, brutally murdered. The minors had mutted his body and removed his organs. When asked why they did it, they simply said it was fun, and they wanted to see what was inside a human''s body... "We eventually discovered the bodies of the other three missing couples in the mountains. Some had suffered severe abuse leading to death while others had been buried alive. All the females had been subjected to sexual assault. "After the incident, the local police provided us with information, mentioning that they had encountered those kids in the mountains during their search for the first missing couple. They had asked the kids if they had seen the missing couple, but the kids lied without hesitation." "The darkness of human nature knows no age limits. It''s as if some people are born with it," Zion said solemnly. Who could''ve imagined that a group of minors wouldmit such heinous acts?This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "It''s clear that a person''s propensity for good or evil is inherently ingrained in our genes. Some people are born malicious, irrespective of the education they receive," I murmured softly, leaning against the wall. Steven and Michael remained motionless at the door of the emergency room, observing as the doctor wheeled me out. My face was pale. "Stay away from her. It''s your fault she''s in this state," Michael med Steven for handing me over to Nancy. Steven stood despondently in ce, saying nothing. Michael followed the doctor to escort me to the ward. I stood beside Steven, gentlyforting him, "Steven, don''t let his words get to you... He''s delusional..." If Michael had truly cared for Stephanie as he imed now, perhaps things would have turned out differently for her. Facing Steven, I observed his bowed head and reddened eyes. His sorrowful and remorseful demeanor stirred both sympathy and a touch of affection. Was he crying in secret? "Steven..." Feeling a pang of empathy, I reached out to him. I longed to offer sce, but my hands fell in despair. Could I embrace him, knowing all evidence pointed to me being Stephany Larson and not Stephanie Carlson? Chapter 498 ? I wasn''t the woman Steven loved. "Steven Lincoln, who is the woman staying at your ce?" Rachel questioned Steven sternly as she emerged from the doctor''s office, relieved to hear that I was out of danger. It seemed that Rachel had discovered Steven had brought Stephanie No. 2 home, but she hadn''t met her yet. Given her close bond with Stephanie, Rachel would likely be surprised upon meeting Stephanie No.2. "Well? Say something!" Rachel pressed on, her frustration evident. "Stephie was taken by Nancy, and you stayed at home with that woman as if nothing happened?" Steven remained silent. "Hey, hey, hey... Rachel, I told you not to meddle in this matter." Zion rushed over, pulling her away with one arm. "Let go of me! What is he thinking? I thought Michael was a jerk, but it turns out Steven is no better! If Stephie doesn''t wake up, I''ll beat him to death!" Rachel struggled angrily. "Who''s the woman, Stev-"Rachel''s tirade halted abruptly as she froze, staring at the neer with a mix of shock and disbelief. It was Stephanie No. 2, confidently walking toward us and openly revealing herself. I had expected Steven to keep her hidden, but apparently not. How would she exin her presence? Oh, right. She was Nancy''s daughter. "Stephie..." Rachel eximed in astonishment, then nced at me lying unconscious in the ward. She was momentarily bewildered. "Stephie?" She pushed Zion aside and hurried toward Stephanie No. 2. Stephanie No. 2 looked at her indifferently. Avoiding Rachel''s approach, she asked in a low tone, "Who are you?" Rachel looked at her in surprise, certain that she was indeed Stephanie... But this Stephanie didn''t recognize her. "She''s not Stephanie Carlson," Zion quickly rified to Rachel. "To be precise, she''s not the Stephanie Carlson you know. She''s Nancy''s daughter. She''s Stephanie Carlson''s identical twin who shares the same genes as her." Rachel''s disappointment was evident in her eyes. "I knew it... No matter how alike they are, she can''t possibly be Stephie." "I''m certainly not Stephanie Carlson," Stephanie No. 2 admitted. "Stephanie and I are not typical twins. We''re gically identical cloned twins. You can call me Una." Una was her nickname, given to her because she was experimental subject No. 21. "Nancy will never wake up. The organization will take all necessary measures to eliminate risks, so she will die," Una asserted, ncing at Zion. "The police can''t stop them." "Committing murder right under our noses? Ha, those people think we''re pushovers?" Eason scoffed in disbelief. Una shook her head, then walked over to Steven''s side. "She''s not Stephanie Carlson," she reiterated to Steven, emphasizing that I was Stephany Larson and not Stephanie Carlson. Steven remained motionless. "If you insist on having an exact copy of Stephanie Carlson, I''m clearly more suitable than Stephany Larson. I possess all of Stephanie Carlson''s memories. If you want, I can impersonate her better than Stephany Larson," Una said calmly, hoping Steven wouldn''t delude himself any further. I stood by helplessly, acknowledging Una''s superiority in resembling Stephanie Carlson, the woman Steven loved. "Come home with me," Una urged Steven, opening her arms to him. I stood there stiffly, feeling a sense of difort. Was this what jealousy felt like? Una was getting on my nerves. Everything about her, from head to toe, irritated me especially her appearance. "Don''t embrace her..." I murmured, feeling a profound sense of injustice. I was almost on the verge of tears. Yet, what right did I have to stop Steven?N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. If Stephanie Carlson was truly gone, and he had to choose between me and Una as her substitute, I clearly didn''t stand a chance. Chapter 499 ? "Let''s go check on Stephany," Zion pulled Rachel away, fearing she might get emotional. Rachel murmured softly, "You''re lying... Stephie has reincarnated. She''s alive..." Zion sighed helplessly. "As a forensic scientist, you should think scientifically." Tears welled up in Rachel''s eyes as she responded, "Science hasn''t taught me how to ept the death of my best friend! Compared to science, I''d rather believe Stephie is alive..." Despite Rachel''s faith in science, it provided no sce for the anguish of losing a loved one. Hence, it was no wonder she chose to believe otherwise. Eason nced at Steven before silently turning away. Una and I waited for Steven''s response. "Even if Stephie has turned into a dog, I''d still recognize her," Steven rebuffed Una''s advances, his voice calm yet distant. I couldn''t help but find his response both amusing and bewildering. Looking up at Steven, my tears seemed to dry up before they threatened to fall. How could he be so obstinate, to the point of absurdity? "Who are you calling a dog?" I retorted hoarsely, attempting to grab his shirt but failing to reach him. Una suddenlyughed. "I''d love to see how far you''ll delude yourself... Anyway, now that theboratory is exposed, the organization will want to eliminate everything rted to it¡ªincluding me. If I want to survive, I''ll need someone to protect me, Steven." Approaching Steven, she continued, "I have the same genes as Stephanie Carlson flowing in my body. So, you''ll protect me like how you protected her, won''t you?" Feeling a twinge of jealousy, I tried to shield Steven from Una''s approach, but it was futile. I nced down at my hands, a strange feeling creeping over me. During my previous ordeal, when my soul was extracted from my body, I experienced unprecedented pain and despair. However, this time, I felt something different intense jealousy and possessiveness. For a fleeting moment, I entertained a delusion. Regardless of whether I truly was Stephanie Carlson, as long as Steven cared for me, I would never allow anyone else to im him. Since both Una and I were mere substitutes, why should I be the one to give up on him? He was mine and mine alone. If anyone dared to take him from me... I would kill her.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I stood frozen, my gaze fixated on Una. I was consumed by an overwhelming urge to eradicate this clone. It was a chilling impulse that sent shivers down my spine. "Stephie is awake!" Rachel eximed, rushing out of the ward to find the doctor. I was momentarily stunned, and I felt the world spin around me. "Stephie?" As I opened my eyes, I found myself awake in my body, though I was still struggling to gain full control. The doctor hurried in, conducting a quick examination. "The patient is still weak. She needs rest," he dered before leaving with his team. Rachel remained by my bedside, tears glistening in her eyes as she sped my hand. "Stephie... I''m so relieved you''re awake." Despite all evidence pointing to the contrary, she continued to cling to the belief that I was Stephanie. "Stephie..." Steven burst into the ward and cupped my face in his hands. His forehead was pressed against mine, and tears were streaming down his cheeks. His fear of losing me stirred something deep within me. It was a feeling I couldn''t quite put into words. It was as if I had discovered the true purpose of my existence, the reason for being in this world. At that moment, everything clicked into ce. I realized that I had discovered a reason to keep living, a sense of purpose that had eluded me for so long. After experiencing that killing game in the ruins and grappling with the madness of possessiveness in my heart, I knew I would never again entertain thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Chapter 500 ? In the past, I believed that death could inflict pain on those who harmed me. I viewed it as the ultimate retaliation against the organization. But now, such notions seemed childish. My death wouldn''t harm those viins; it would only bring sadness and despair to the ones I loved, repeatedly. Summoning all my strength, I lifted my hands to hold Steven''s face, managing a weak smile. "Long time no see, Steven..." My Steven. Steven stiffened at my touch, his eyes closing as warm tearsnded on my eyshes. He was such a crybaby... It was hard to reconcile that with the man who went berserk andshed out at others. "I''ve prayed countless times, hoping that you''ll be fine..." Steven whispered softly, his voice trembling. "I never knew a genius would believe in a higher power too," I joked weakly. He chuckled. "I don''t... but when a heart feels empty, it needs something to lean on, Stephie." I stared at him nkly, suddenly recalling a faint yet vivid memory buried deep within me. In that memory, one of my high school ssmates, perhaps named Cecile, was diagnosed with cancer. Despite knowing that there was no higher power in this world, Cecile''s grandmother fervently prayed every day for her. Cecile''s grandmother, who was in her 60s, even climbed the mountain tirelessly each day, seeking blessings for Cecile''s well-being. My ssmates mocked Cecile, deeming her grandmother''s actions superstitious and meaningless. At that time, I couldn''t grasp the significance either. Despite Cecile''s terminal illness, she remained content each day. I once asked Cecile, "Do your grandmother''s prayers truly make a difference? There are no gods in this world." Cecile smiled and responded, "My grandmother is my god." I stood there, stunned by Cecile''s words. I was unable toprehend them fully. Yet now, I finally understand their profound meaning. Regardless of whether I was truly Stephanie Carlson, the moment Steven and Rachel started treating me as her, it seemed I had be something akin to a deity in their eyes. Therefore, I feltpelled to keep going, to stay alive until Steven abandoned me. "Don''t be with her. Don''t even look at her. Keep your eyes on me and me alone. I''m the embodiment of your love," I dered imperiously,manding Steven to focus solely on me and to disregard Unapletely. Never did I imagine I''d feel jealous of the face of my past self one day. "Okay," Steven replied without hesitation, always indulging my unreasonable requests. After venting my jealousy, I drifted back into unconsciousness, or perhaps it was more like falling into a deep slumber. With everything now resolved, I no longer needed to fret or ponder. I could finally drift into a peaceful sleep. It was a weed relief. "Damn it! You goddamn bitch!" I heard someone cursing as I began to stir awake. It was Eason, known for his colorfulnguage. "Mind yournguage. There''s a high schooler present," Joel reprimanded Eason. "Aren''t you supposed to be prepping for the college entrance exams? Why are you still here? Go back, you little punk," Eason snapped, clearly in a foul mood. It was likely due to someone rubbing him the wrong way. As I opened my eyes, I found Joel, towering nearly six feet tall, advancing toward Eason with a sinister smirk on his face. "If you need to let off steam, do it elsewhere." He grabbed the back of Eason''s shirt cor and gave him a firm shove out the door, which he mmed shut behind him with a loud thud.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Joel dusted off his hands as he turned to face Steven, who was sitting by the bed with a brooding expression. "That was irritating." Steven''s eyes were still red, emitting a fierce intensity. He thenmanded in a low tone, "You too. Get out." "Okay," Joel repliedpliantly, exiting the ward and closing the door behind him. Chapter 501 ? "Are you awake?" Steven turned around and noticed that I was awake. Instantly, he suppressed all his anger. I felt a little awkward. The way Steven looked just now... If others didn''t know, they might have thought he was a gangster. He was quite intimidating. "Stephie..." His voice was hoarse and filled with a hint of grievance as hey in my arms. At this moment, he was nowpletely different from before. I raised my hand and gently rubbed his head. "What''s wrong? Eason was cursing," "Did he bother you? I''ll go and sew his mouth shut." Steven stood up, determined to walk out. I firmly grasped his wrist, fully aware that he was attempting to divert the conversation. "Tell me, what happened?" "Nancy died under their watch," Steven answered. I was momentarily stunned. "There are so many police officers keeping watch..." Steven turned around and looked at me. "They had nned everything, but they didn''t expect Nancy to take her own life. She knew the organization wouldn''t let her go, and she understood the police would be eager to pry the organization''s secrets from her." Nancy''s decision to attempt suicide was a chilling indication of how terrifying Genome Society truly was. She was willing to take her own life rather than be captured by the police. I seemed to have predicted the oue and released Steven''s wrist. "Nancy said that you slept with Una." At the moment, I didn''t want to dwell on other matters. I simply wanted to know if it was true. Suddenly, Steven appeared to have grasped something important. He gently cupped my face, his breath warm against my skin. "Were you there with me? I felt it... You were there with me, weren''t you?" I was momentarily stunned. Then it dawned on me that while Una introduced herself as Una, I was still in my soul form. "Maybe I overheard you speaking while I was unconscious?" I was unsure how to articte this phenomenon. Science couldn''t exin this either. Stevenughed and affectionately rubbed my cheek. "I would recognize you even if you turned into a dog." I frowned. "I''m not turning into a dog, you... "Don''t change the subject, Steven! I''m still your wife. Have you slept with anyone else?" I fixed Steven with a warning gaze. "What kind of sleep are you referring to?" Steven asked me, smiling.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I believed he deserved a swift punishment. I clenched my teeth and uttered, "Sex!" Steven kissed my forehead. "No, but I allowed her toe into my room and put on a show for Nancy." "Oh." I snorted, still feeling a twinge of jealousy. "Stephie, are you jealous?" Steven whispered. The blood rushed to my ears, flushing them with a tinge of red. I couldn''t help but feel a twinge of awkwardness. Perhaps a hint of jealousy was at y. The door to the ward swung open forcefully. Joel nced between the two of us, who hade so close to kissing. He wore an expression of innocence. "Something has happened..." Steven''s gaze turned dark as he looked warningly at Joel. "I hope that''s the case." "Theboratory has been exposed. Many criminal experiments conducted by Genome Society havee to light. It has implicated several wealthy individuals in Huma, including the Lincoln, Ford, and Larson families. "The records of their custom-made genome-edited babies in theboratory were not destroyed in time. The police have discovered it all." Joel was visibly nervous as he continued, "Genome Society isn''t willing to put themselves at risk, so they''re eliminating individuals who are aware of the situation." "What do you mean?" I asked with a frown. Jimmy walked in through the door and smiled at me. "Obviously, they want to eliminate as many insiders as they can. It''s good to see you again, my dear sister-inw." "The news has been just released. Tonight''s Huma charity dinner is being held on a cruise ship, where hundreds of wealthy people and their families have been collectively kidnapped. "This is a major criminal case that the authorities are taking very seriously. The cruise ship is about to depart into international waters." Joel took out his phone. "Michael''s mother is also among them, as well as Charles and Nadia. Michael and Yasmin are also there." Joel suspected that someone within Genome Society was implementing a purge n to eliminate all insiders, ensuring their own survival. "If Genome Society truly wishes to ensure its survival by getting rid of others, it should refrain from making such a loudmotion. By doing so, it would be clear to the police that the organization is indeed connected to these affluent individuals. This may not necessarily be beneficial." Even if the organization managed to eliminate all the wealthy individuals, it would still be exposed. Chapter 502 ?N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "It doesn''t seem like the work of an organization, but rather that of the Rebels," I murmured. Steven nodded, clearly indicating his agreement with my perspective. "The police aremunicating with the kidnappers to secure the safety of the passengers on the cruise ship. There are thousands of passengers on the cruise, including over a hundred wealthy individuals, as well as singers, celebrities, dancers, actors, waiters, chefs, sailors, and more." More than a thousand people attending a luxury cruise dinner were unexpectedly caught up in a hijacking horror scenario. The affluent passengers never could have fathomed experiencing such an exhrating event during their leisurely evening aboard the cruise ship. I narrowed my eyes and scrutinized Jimmy cautiously. "You''re also a member of the Global Trade Union. Why didn''t you attend? Is it possible that you were aware of the insider information beforehand?" "Maybe I''m kind and concerned about your well-being. I wanted toe and see you, so I sacrificed the chance to go on the cruise," Jimmy replied with a smile. Nevertheless, no one would believe what he said. I gestured toward the door. "Tell the truth or leave." Jimmy approached the bedside and said, "Don''t be so heartless. Well, I had already anticipated this. After all, I''m quite intelligent." Seeing my gloomy expression, Jimmy smiled and said again, "All members of the club received invitations to board the ship, and it was mandatory for us to join the cruise. I knew there had to be something amiss... Jimmy continued with a grave expression, "The club''s website was hacked, and the internal information on every member was used to send invitations to all club members in Huma. The Rebels are bing increasingly reckless." They even hacked the club''s website. "Haha... Those people aren''t as smart as you. That''s not our concern. We''re not as wealthy as them, and we''re safe here," I said nonchntly with a sneer. Then, I reclined on the bed. "I heard that the president of Crowdstar Group was there too," Jimmy eximed with a wide grin. I abruptly sat up and nced over at Steven. It dawned on me that I had nearly overlooked something crucial. Was Steven working in cahoots with the president of Crowdstar Group? It was important for him to remain alive. Otherwise, we would lose ess to the person in charge of the organization. Jimmy seemed to have caught on to this and smiled at me. "What are you staring at? It''s toote for us to board the cruise." I couldn''t tolerate Jimmy''s mean look. Jimmy was lost in thought. "The fresh water and food on the cruise are sufficient for two weeks. But after that, the situation on the cruise will be dire. There will be no distinction between the rich and the poor. What''s the use of being wealthy then?" I was stunned for a moment. What kind of game were the Rebels ying? Joel handed the list to Steven. "The kidnappers have given the police a demand. They want to swap the people on this list for the minors on the cruise. Eason sent the list to me. You, me, her, Rachel, Zion, Eason, Una... We''re all on this list." I took a deep breath, my fingers trembling with anger. Had these Rebels lost their minds? Why did they always drag us into this damn game? Jimmy smiled and narrowed his eyes. "This time, the game is much more interesting because I''m here. I''m looking forward to it. Guys, shall we embark on the cruise together?" "I''m feeling unwell. I''m not going." The suffocating and stressful situation consumed me and left me breathless. Moreover, I had just narrowly escaped death. "If Stephie doesn''t go, then I won''t go either," Steven said nonchntly. "Are you really going to pass up this opportunity? The president of Crowdstar Group''s life is at stake. Don''t you want to find out who he is, Stephy?" Jimmy cunningly used this information to entice me. "Zion will alsoe to beg you because there are 20 young dancers on the cruise who are the performers for this dinner. They''re innocent. Only when we get on the cruise can we ensure their safety." Joel sighed deeply. A death cruise... I was truly infuriated. Who was the leader behind the Rebels? What kind of lunatic and pervert coulde up with these tricks? Chapter 503 ? I was in the hospital for two days, and Zion came to visit as expected. He hesitated outside the door while holding the fruits. Rachel also peeked her head in. Eason then pushed Zion away and entered with flowers. "I''m sorry, I''m allergic to pollen. Please leave," I said as I covered my head with the quilt. I was concerned about Steven and Rachel''s safety. I was fine with risking it, but I could not let them put themselves at risk. Eason looked perplexed. "There are an abundance of flowers growing at home. When did you develop an allergy?" "Just now, right before you came in." I snorted, embracing Steven tightly. Eason finally grasped the situation and carefully arranged the flowers and fruits on the table. "We''re not trying to pressure you to go. We''re just here to visit you. Don''t get us wrong," I couldn''t help rolling my eyes. No one would believe that. "Um... But there are actually over 20 children aboard the cruise, including a few babies," Zion murmured, brushing the tip of his nose. Eason and Zion nced at Steven, who in turn looked back at me. They were all aware that I would never abandon those kids. "How many people belong to the Rebels?" I asked. I was concerned about our chances of survival as we ventured across the sea. The entire cruise ship had fallen under their control, with scarce fuel and limited supplies adding to our predicament. "The Rebels are lurking on the cruise ship. They could be drivers, chefs, sailors, or even dancers on the ship," Zion whispered. In other words, the police hadn''t figured out the total number of Rebels yet. "Jimmy ims that the Rebels sessfully hacked the website of the Global Trade Union and managed to send invitations to all members within Huma. This suggests that they may have been secretly present on the cruise ship for a while.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "Considering therge number of Rebels on board, it''s highly dangerous for us to get on the cruise," I analyzed with a frown. "The police will maintain a vignt presence in a secure vicinity. They''ll be prepared for immediate rescue operations. Furthermore, the Rebels have given their word that once the few of us board the cruise, they''ll release the innocent children first." I clenched my hands nervously. It was not out of fear of death but because I had a bad feeling. When I was in theboratory, I felt overwhelming fear. The individuals in the organization were truly intimidating, and the Rebels were just as fearsome. There was no clear distinction between right and wrong, no discernible good and evil. It was just a sh of opposites. The Rebels sought to dismantle Genome Society, but their ultimate objective remained a mystery. Was it driven purely by a thirst for revenge? On the other hand, Genome Society intended to control the world''s abundance of wealth and vital resources. Thus, there was an undeniable sh of interests between the two parties. I frowned and looked at Zion and the others. "Have you considered why they keep pushing us to participate in this damn game over and over again? I understand why they want me on board. It''s because I''m a valuable resource for the organization right now. "But what about you guys? Zion is just a detective. As for you, Eason, even though you were in the advanced ss, your IQ doesn''t quite meet the organization''s standards..." Eason red at me and then parted his lips, clearly displeased but unable to exin it... "Rachel is a trainee coroner and Steven is just a customized heir of genome editing. There are likely multiple heirs in wealthy families just like Steven. Jimmy is one of them too. So why do they need to monitor you all and include you when they y these damn games?" I couldn''t grasp their intention fully unless the leader of the Rebels had a specific purpose behind their actions. "Furthermore, the news that Nancy showed me indicated that Peter was a member of the Rebels. He was already apprehended. How could someonee up with a cruise ship game in such a systematic and methodical manner?" Clearly, Peter was not the sole leader of the Rebels. Zion and Eason fell silent. Clearly, my doubts mirrored theirs. At the door, Joel reached into his pockets and asked Steven with a smile, "Rather than struggling and doubting here, it''s better to go and find out the reason. Are you afraid of death?" I looked at Steven, expecting him to dere that he wasn''t afraid. After all, he had never shown fear of death before. But instead, Steven frowned and said with deep conviction, "Of course. I have a wife." Of course, he was afraid of death. Now, with a wife by his side, why wouldn''t he be afraid of death? "Tsk, you''re absolutely insane." Joel snorted. "I have a wife, and you don''t," Steven repeated. Joel angrily turned and stood outside the door, ignoring Steven. The ward was silent, and everyone was quiet. Chapter 504 ? Everyone was aware that if we boarded the cruise this time, it would be a narrow escape. However, everyone would certainly go-not only for the secret behind it but also for the sake of more than 20 children. "Eason, are you the person in charge of this case?" I inquired. Eason nodded. I narrowed my eyes. "If you manage to sessfully rescue those individuals, will you receive a promotion? Eason cleared his throat nervously. "Although a promotion might seem unlikely, there are enticing bonuses and rewards to strive for. Even in the unlikely event of my demise, I could potentially be a martyr..." I gritted my teeth and said, "If everyone makes it back alive, you treat us to dinner for a week." Eason was taken aback for a moment, gazing at me intently before speaking with a smile, "Sure... Not just a week, I''ll treat you to dinner for an entire month." Zion smiled as well. Our eyes met in silent agreement to go. The cruise ship stopped in the sea, likely waiting for us before leaving the international waters. We were brought over by a police boat. "Hey, are you scared?" I asked Rachel. "I''m not." Rachel trembled, her voice unconvincing. Rachel then said in a hushed tone, "I''ve adapted after the killing game in the abandoned building. At least it won''t be likest time." I agreed. Being mentally prepared in advance was always beneficial.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "Ah, it seems like it''ll be quite interesting." Jimmy looked like a lunatic... I didn''t really like him and considered kicking him off the boat. Joel nced at Jimmy with utter disdain. "Why in the world did you invite this lunatic to join us?" "His name is on the list." Zion sighed. "Then why is Una''s name on it too?" Joel inquired, ncing back at Stephanie No. 2, who had been seated in the corner. She was eerily silent, resembling a walking zombie. "Who knows? She''s on the list," Zion replied again. "It''s inevitable... Every one of us holds great value in this game," I murmured, watching the cruise ship warily. As the boat neared the cruise ship, the people on board lowered thedder. "The police must withdraw, or we''ll kill the hostages and throw them into the sea," the man wearing sunsses threatened us in a deep voice. A few of us boarded the cruise. The deck was empty, indicating that everyone was confined to their cabins. This cruise ship was remarkablyrge and offered the highest level of luxury in Huma. "Stay right where you are," the leader ordered us to stop and meticulously inspected our identities and appearances one by one. After confirming that each person matched the description on the list, they stepped aside and granted us entry into the cabin. They didn''t search us on the deck this time. The weapons and food we had hidden on our bodies remained undetected. Curiously, I nced at Steven, eager to know what was going on. He held my hand tightly and shook his head. I grasped Steven''s hand firmly and said in a hushed tone, "This time, stay by my side. Don''t make any reckless sacrifices and allow me to protect you..." Steven looked at me and smiled, his eyes shimmering as if filled with light. He nodded in agreement and took shelter behind me, his gaze turning icy where it escaped my notice. Chapter 505 ? "Where are the children? Let them go," I said warily as I gazed at the leader. "The children have been released," replied the leader in a deep voice. I turned around to see a group of children in tiny floral skirts being taken off the cruise. "No! Our records clearly show that there are a total of 27 infants and young children under the age of 14. But there are only 26 now. One more child is missing." Beneath the cruise, Officer Samuel Cabot shouted as the number of children did not add up. The eldest child, a 14-year-old girl, was missing. "If she''s not here, she''s probably hiding. If she refuses to leave, it is what it is." The leader sneered, showing no intention of assisting in the search. "Find the little girl and bring her back safely!" the captain shouted to Zion and Eason below the cruise ship.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Okay." Zion nodded. All of us were herded into the cabin by the Rebels. "Now that everyone''s here, the game begins." As we stepped into the cabin, the entire cruise ship lit up, bringing back the atmosphere of peace and joy with music and lively DJ sounds. The deck was also reopened. Everyone seemed to be diligently performing their duties and returning to their stations. The cruise ship sailed into the deep sea without any escape routes or other ships. Some people went closer to the cockpit while others disguised themselves as waiters or dancers. "I need to get out of here!" The wealthy individuals, who had been confined in the cabin for numerous days, had be desperate. Realizing there was no one to stop them, they angrily wanted to leave. However, after scouring the deck for a long time, they couldn''t find any lifeboat, so they reluctantly had to return. "The party continues." The voice from the broadcast sounded. It was distorted by a strange voice modtor. The music grew louder, but most people were in no mood to continue partying. Threatened by an unknown individual, the dancers returned to the stage to perform for the wealthy audience. Despite the apparent calm, panic gripped everyone present. "What kind of tricks are they ying?" asked Zion. "It''s time to have fun and enjoy ourselves. When the supplies are gone, it''ll be time for everyone to go crazy." Jimmy entered the crowd with a grin. Holding a wine ss, he started engaging with the dancers. I looked at that lunatic and wondered if he was too confident. "The police investigation found that the supplies on the cruise ship could only provide water and meals for thousands of people for two weeks. Half of that time has already psed. The supplies will soon be depleted, and the cruise will be unable to sustain such arge number of passengers," Steven whispered. Hence, Jimmy suggested enjoying the party now. I nced around and pulled out arge stic bag from my pocket. "Based on my experiences, it''s best to start by collecting water." Steven responded to me with a smile and assisted in locating unopened bottles of mineral water at my preferred buffet table. Carefully, he ced each bottle into the stic bag. The sea stretched out as far as the eye could see, its vast expanse filled with water. Without fresh water, survival would be impossible. While one could survive for a few days without food,sting three days without water was out of the question. Probably because the tension disappeared, someone took the lead and started having fun. The atmosphere slowly became lively. On such arge cruise ship, the cabins were spacious and divided into many areas. Now that the restrictions were suddenly lifted, everyone thought that everything that had happened before was just a prank. Once people rxed, everyone began to enjoy themselves wildly. While we were discreetly gathering water and stashing food in an undisclosed location, the voice suddenly spoke again, "From now on, everyone here is equal. It doesn''t matter if you''re a worker or a rich person, all of you can enjoy the resources on the ship equally. Let''s have a great time." As a result, regr people stormed into the cabins where the wealthy were staying and started devouring their top-notch food and drinks. Over a hundred affluent individuals, who had been feeling quite smug, suddenly became alert. They furiously demanded that their bodyguards intervene. "Who invited you here? This is not a ce where you should be," someone took the lead and scolded. "The broadcast has announced that all restrictions have been lifted. Everyone is now equal, with the freedom to have fun anywhere on the cruise. We can enjoy equal ess to the VIP area. We can also indulge in air-freighted delicacies and savor bottles worth hundreds of thousands of dors here!" Thus, the first round of conflict between the rich and the poor had begun. Steven, Rachel, Zion, and I stood at the back of the crowd, observing this farce. "I''ve heard that this ship is worth tens of billions. Apart from the cruise ship itself, there are also all the supplies on the ship, including top-notch luxurious air-freighted ingredients, drinks worth over 100 million, and luxurious decorations. "The entire cruise ship has a total of 16 floors, offering a plethora of amenities such as amusement facilities, entertainment venues, and medical facilities, alongside a variety of other unimaginable luxuries. "Jimmy smiled. Chapter 506 ? "Why are there so many civilians allowed on such a luxurious cruise ship amidst a gathering of the ultra- rich?" I couldn''t understand. Didn''t they ask for it? "Do you know what fuels the pride, honor, and source of fun of the rich? It stems from ss differences. They consider themselves superior to themon people. So when they indulge in the privileges of the wealthy, they must look down on the less fortunate..." Jimmy sneered. How did the wealthy demonstrate their power? By incessantlyparing themselves to the poor. Hence, this opulent cruise ship was made essible to the public as well. Observing everyone rushing into the VIP area, I said calmly, "Oh, then that''s what they deserve. The supplies are enough for them to squander for a while. Our priority now is to locate the 14-year-old girl."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. She was the only child who didn''t get off the cruise. "She''s not on the deck. Let''s begin our search for the cabins on the first floor. We need to search all 16 floors." Eason shrugged. This was indeed a massive task. I turned to Eason and suggested, "Why go through all this trouble? After all, she''s just a child. When she gets scared, she''ll instinctively hide. And when she eventually gets hungry, won''t shee out to eat? "I believe that once everyone lets their guard down, she''ll surely emerge as well. There are five buffet restaurants in the entire cruise, so we''ll split up." "I want to be with Steven," Una dered confidently as she approached Steven, reaching out to hold his hand. I looked warily at Una, positioned myself between her and Steven, and pped her hand away. "Don''t touch my partner." "What are you afraid of?" Una asked. "I''m concerned about yourck of shame," I warned. She remained silent, her expression unchanging. "She and I will go to the sixth floor." Joel took the initiative and asked Una to follow him. Una looked at Steven and firmly stated, "Steven, you must protect me. I''m the only clone that''s identical to Stephanie. You should understand the significance of my existence." Steven frowned and looked at me. "Let her join us." "That''s impossible," I disagreed. Una sneered. "If reincarnation truly exists, I''ll be the resurrected body of ''Stephanie.'' So he must ensure my survival." What Una meant was that as long as she did not die, I could die again and be reincarnated. Was this her intention? How dare she? I stared at Una with caution, fully aware of her thoughts. If I were to die, she would pretend to be me after reincarnation. Ha... She fixed me with a murderous gaze. I firmly pulled Steven behind me, my voice low and threatening. "Let her die. I don''t need the resurrected body. Or, I can kill her now." Joel grabbed Una and urged us, "Stop fighting amongst ourselves. Let''s go, follow me." Una shook off Joel''s wrist, walked to the side, and sat down. "It has nothing to do with me. I''ll just wait here." She was visibly cold, but I chose to ignore her and lead Steven away. "Stephie!" Suddenly, someone called my name from the VIP area. It was Michael. I turned around and saw Michael and Yasmin standing at the door. Michael looked at me in surprise and ran over excitedly. Frowning, I maintained an aloof look. "Stephanie!" Yasmin eximed as soon as she caught sight of Una. A look of terror washed over her, and she instinctively sought refuge behind Michael. Michael also nced over and subconsciously clenched his fists. "Stephie..." They were incredibly simr as if they were molded from the same source. I could discern a sense of indecision and uncertainty in Michael''s eyes. Once again, he found himself torn between choosing Una or me. I furrowed my brows and nced at Una. Her gaze was fixed on Michael, her eyes sparkling. I had a hunch that this clone was very dangerous. She was constantly plotting to rece me and take everything from me, and both Steven and Michael were her targets. Chapter 507 ? I gazed at Michael with indifference, fully anticipating this oue. It was clear that the one in panic now was not me but Yasmin. Yasmin nced anxiously at Una while hiding behind Michael. She was likely overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and fear. Una''s gaze shifted toward Yasmin, a faint smile ying on her lips. It revealed the perceived superiority of higher beings looking down upon those of lower status. Una didn''t even consider Yasmin a potential threat andpletely underestimated her. Yasmin was clearly avoiding Una''s gaze. She anxiously tugged at Michael''s sleeve. "Mike... I''m a little flustered. Can you apany me to the deck to get some fresh air?" Michael nced back at Yasmin and nodded. "Certainly," Yasmin let out a sigh of relief and nced at Una and myself with a sense of pride. I couldn''t fathom what was going through her mind. Did she believe that her intelligence could outshine that of the clone? "Stephie," Michael said, looking at me and then at Una. He was seemingly unsure of who exactly he should be addressing as "Stephie." I ignored him, feeling a little disgusted. "Officer Landon, could you exin..." Michael asked Zion for his assistance in exining the presence of an individual who bore an uncanny resemnce to Stephanie. As a member of the Global Trade Union, Michael had openly raised the question of human cloning in theboratory. How he could not know about clones? Una appeared to be a replica of Stephanie, except she was not truly Stephanie. Stephanie was dead, disyed in a ss cab in her death. He had seen the body before. Michael simply refused to acknowledge this truth. "This is Una, Stephanie''s... identical twin sister." Zion could only exin it this way. Una smiled at Michael. The smile resembled Stephanie''s from before, the old Stephanie before she lost her memory. It was a smile devoid of emotion. It was cold and calcting. "Before you arrived, Yasmin and I were stuck on the 16th floor for three days. She''s feeling a bit seasick, so I''m going to take her to rx for a while now," said Michael evasively as he led Yasmin away. He refused to acknowledge Stephanie''s death. Now, he couldn''t bear to confront anyone who resembled her or might be her. "Zion, imagine me waking up one day to find that I have switched bodies. My soul now resides in Eason''s body, and Eason''s soul resides in mine. Tell me, would you prefer Eason''s body with my soul or his soul with my body?" Rachel inquired, giving Zion a cheeky nudge. Zion was left utterly speechless. Eason stood there, his face clouded with disdain. "I have no interest in men, thank you. It''s quite gross." Rachel rolled her eyes at Eason. "The question wasn''t meant for you." Eason struggled to find his voice and whispered softly, "I don''t want to be in a woman''s body. It''s disgusting. I don''t like men."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Joel scoffed and ced his hand on Eason''s shoulder. "Have you ever heard of gay people being homophobic? Let''s go to the restaurant." Eason was furious when Joel kept grabbing him back and forth. "Little brat, I''m many years older than you. Please respect me more." "Alright, Mr. Grant. Let''s go find the 14-year-old girl," Joel said as he towered over Eason, his strong and imposing figure casting a deliberate sense of unease. Eason was not short either, but whenpared to Joel, he seemed somewhat petite. Meanwhile, Zion took a long time to understand Rachel''s words and replied softly, "Beautiful exteriors may all appear simr, but the captivating souls are truly distinctive. Without a soul, isn''t it just a lifeless doll?" Rachel raised her chin and said, "Good answer." Zion smiled warmly and extended his hand toward Rachel, his palm turning upward. Rachel gracefully ced her hand on top of Zion''s in return. "Let''s go to the restaurant." I nced at Rachel and Zion and leaned into Steven, whispering, "Have they already confirmed their rtionship?" "I heard that Rachel went on another blind date, which made Zion so angry that he went to the restaurant where the blind date was held to confront her. They might be together. Eason mentioned that Zion brought her back to his home," Steven whispered and gossiped in a very cheeky tone. "What could they possibly do at home alone? They couldn''t have discussed the case, could they?" Steven responded earnestly. I sighed and took Steven''s wrist, guiding him away. "Let''s go. It''s time to find the little girl." Over there, Jimmy leaned against the wall. When we all left, he walked over to Una. We were unaware of what they said. Chapter 508 ? When I went downstairs, I happened to see Jimmy talking to Una. "I won''t die easily again," I whispered to Steven as he held my hand tightly. He turned around and locked eyes with me, his gaze filled with intensity. "I refuse to waste any more of my life. So no matter what happens, you must choose me unconditionally over anyone else," I reiterated. I wouldn''t die so easily. There was no need to look for a "resurrection body " for me. Steven looked at me nervously and tightened his grip. "Don''t lie to me." "I won''t lie to you." I grinned. I would never deceive Steven, but when it came to other individuals, it would depend on the circumstances. Steven smiled warmly and reached out to draw me into his embrace. Perhaps he had also noticed the profound transformation I had undergone since my return.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "Don''t worry... I''ll never mistake you." Steven''s voice was hoarse as his trembling body held me tightly. He was probably afraid that I would die in theboratory. "I believe you." I rested my chin on his shoulder. "Stephie, did you see Michael''s hesitation when he saw Una? It''s clear that he doesn''t truly love you. He''s nothing but a hypocritical liar. Stephie, don''t like him anymore." Steven started to speak ill of Michael. "Mhm. I don''t like him." I nodded. Steven stood up proudly and led me downstairs. "Why didn''t these people search our bodies? We all have weapons..." I was a little confused. "We can''t identify the NPCs, except for the ones carrying guns in the cockpit." Because we couldn''t identify the Rebels in the crowded group. There was one thing that was certain. Over a hundred wealthy individuals were members of both the Global Trade Union and Genome Society. However, among the remaining thousand individuals, there were also some Rebels. Despite us having weapons, their usefulness was minimal. That night, we discovered the 14-year-old girl in themon dining area on the third floor. d in her performance dance costume, she was trembling with fear as she sought refuge under the table to savor her fruit. The entire cruise ship had returned to its former liveliness. The chef was as busy as ever, preparing meals as usual. Everyone was dining as per routine. The only difference was that themon dining area seemed less crowded, with many guests flocking to the VIP section on the 16th floor. This exclusive area catered to the wealthy with its offerings of scallops, lobsters, and various other premium seafood not avable in other dining areas. "We''re here to rescue you," I said as I squatted on the ground and looked at the young girl. The young girl climbed out cautiously, her mouth filled with grease. "Seriously?" I nodded. "The police are already on the cruise. If theye searching for you again, I''ll bring you to them. The young girl wiped her mouth and nodded obediently. "Madam, please eat quickly. When I was hiding under the cabin, I overheard the bad guys saying that from tomorrow on, they would limit food and distribute the remaining resources on the cruise based on wealth. "Only the wealthy will have ess to delicious food. Those without money will only be able to eat dry bread." I was momentarily stunned and turned to look back at Steven. "Are they intentionally trying to provoke conflict between the rich and the poor?" Steven frowned and remained silent, his expression clearly indicating the seriousness of the matter. It was evident that this was no trivial issue. "Let''s take her to Zion. Then, we''ll locate the president of Crowdstar Group and ensure his safety. You must have met him before, right? Only then will we have the opportunity to contact the top leader of the organization." I grabbed Steven''s arm and quickly led him toward the entrance of the elevator. We had to locate the president of Crowdstar Group immediately. It would be extremely perilous if conflicts and riots involving over a thousand individuals unfolded. Steven held me back and hesitated to speak, "Stephie... Actually..." Chapter 509 ? I nced back at Steven, wondering what he wanted to say. Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot reverberated in the distance as someone on the cruise ship pulled the trigger... In a moment of shock, I swiftly pivoted and cast my gaze toward the source of the sound. Steven instinctively wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close for protection, while I cradled the girl in my embrace. Together, we hid under the dining table. A group of individuals had entered the room. They were the armed personnel who were in charge of operating the control room earlier. "Alert them. If they persist in their actions and approach, we''ll kill the hostages." Steven and I exchanged nces as we noticed a ship approaching. The police had already strategized with Zion and Eason about rescue and response ns. It was clear that in order to ensure the survival of over a thousand people aboard the cruise ship, they could not resort to using force or engaging in confrontation. It was evident that the approaching ship was not of police origin. "Are they from the organization?" I whispered. Steven agreed with me. It had to be someone from Genome Society. The over one hundred wealthy individuals on this ship were the organization''s lifeblood, serving as their primary source of revenue and economic stability. Rest assured, the organization would spare no effort in rescuing these people. "Ha..." The leader nced out the window. We were situated on the cabin''s third floor, with public ess for all visitors. From this point, they had a clear view of the nearby ships drawing nearer. "Go and tell them that if they continue to get closer, we''ll start killing the rich on the list one by one and tossing them into the sea to feed the fish." The leader spoke in a deep tone, his husky voice sounding oddly familiar. I was eager to peek outside and get a glimpse, but Steven stopped me. He shook his head, emphasizing the danger. However, that voice... it sounded strangely familiar. "They''re nning to attack the members on the Global Trade Union membership list. We must return to the 16th floor immediately, locate the president of Crowdstar Group, and ensure his protection. "They''ll head to the deck shortly, and that''s when we''ll make our escape," I whispered to Steven, outlining the n. Steven acknowledged my n. We locked eyes, exchanged a meaningful nce, and prepared ourselves to make a quick exit with the young girl at any time. "Boo-hoo, I''m scared. I want to go home..." Suddenly, the girl crouched down in fear and burst into tears. I instinctively covered her mouth, but it was already toote. People outside heard it. I peered through the gap in the tablecloth and saw someone slowly approaching. I took a deep breath and reached out. I withdrew the dagger hidden from my body, ready to resist at any moment. Steven''s gaze was chilling. As the man attempted to lift the tablecloth, Steven decisively grasped his hand and instantly rolled away. Then, he forcefully threw the person to the ground and held him down. My heart raced as I quickly took the girl and walked out.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The main guy looked at us and stopped everyone. The people beside him raised their hands and aimed their guns at Steven. Steven strangled the neck of the person beneath him, his eyes exuding an icy calm devoid of any fear. I kept a vignt eye on them, shielding the girl behind me. "Lower your weapons. It won''t be fun if they end up dead," murmured the leader, his voice hushed and still rough. The leading man smirked and gestured to those around him, signaling for our release. Steven nced down at the man. With a snort, he stood up and protected me while we walked away. Chapter 510 ? We took a few steps back, bracing ourselves to run. Suddenly, the man who had been lying on the ground sprang to his feet, fueled by anger at his defeat by Steven. He then brandished a knife and attacked us. Steven instinctively raised his hand to block the knife and immediately kicked the person away. His palm was pierced in the process. In a moment of panic, I immediately grabbed Steven''s hand and swiftly removed my coat to apply pressure to the wound and stem the bleeding. Steven stared coldly at the man. "Rubbish." The leader frowned and turned his gaze toward Steven. After a few tense moments, he delivered a resounding p to the assant, sending him tumbling to the ground once more. "What a shame!" Steven nced at the knife lodged in his palm indifferently. Ignoring my objection, he removed it and hurled it at the man, who cowered in terror. The knife sliced through the top of his head, severing strands of hair and embedding itself firmly in the wall. I looked at Steven nervously. "Let''s go to the infirmary to treat your wound." The cruise ship was equipped withprehensive facilities, including medical staff and resources. It was the only cruise ship in the country that offered surgical and organ transnt capabilities at sea. Steven nodded and ushered the girl and me into the elevator. She was still crying and trembling with fear. I didn''tfort her and frowned slightly. It was the duty of the police to protect her. I only needed to bring her to Zion and Eason. That was the best I could do. The elevator doors closed, and I was worried about Steven''s injury. Amid my concern, I momentarily forgot what Steven had wanted to say earlier. "Are you alright?" Zion and Eason rushed into the infirmary, their concern evident on their faces. I shook my head and clenched my fists tightly. "He has a deep prating wound on his palm. They just carried out an X-ray, and the doctor performed emergency surgery, but they can''t guarantee that his hand won''t be affected in the future." The human palm contained numerous muscles and nerves. Any injury that prated the palm could significantly impact future activities and quality of life. "Do you know that this cruise ship is actually equipped with an exceptional team of doctors? The owner spared no expense in hiring a medical team all the way from Melovia, known for their world-ss surgical procedures. "So rest assured, there''s absolutely no need for you to worry. But I''m curious. He''s very skilled and has exceptional hearing and insight. How could those people hurt him?" Jimmy leaned against the door with a sarcastic smile. Failed to react in time? Too urgent of a situation? Obviously, Jimmy didn''t believe those excuses. I frowned and looked at Jimmy. "If you''re going to make sarcastic remarks here, you can get out now." Jimmy shrugged. "Don''t be so hostile... I''m just voicing my reasonable suspicions." "Well, I forgot to tell you all. The true owner of the cruise ship is none other than the main person in charge of Genome Society in the Othard region, also known as the boss behind Gerome Society. His code name is Boss, and we all refer to him as just that," Jimmy said with a smile. He purposely withheld this clue until now! This cruise ship belonged to Genome Society, signifying that it held aplexity far beyond what met our eyes. "This cruise ship has 15 floors above ground and one floor of cabins, making a total of 16 floors of open areas. However, there are two floors with deep cabins below the open area. Would you like to know what''s below?"N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Only members of the Global Trade Union were granted ess there. He added, "This cruise ship travels the seas year-round, including international waters and even war zones, where illicit activities such as human trafficking, organ trafficking, and illegal profiteering can go unnoticed." I inhaled deeply and cast a disapproving gaze at Jimmy. "If you have something to say, just say it quickly." "The primary objective of the Rebels in gathering people to hijack this cruise ship is to protest against the organization itself. Killing the affluent individuals who hold utmost importance to the organization serves as the most impactful form of protest. "Additionally, it has been reported that the president of Crowdstar Group is on board this ship. However, the identity and appearance of the president remain unknown..." Jimmy nced outside, and armed officers were patrolling outside. "All club members are now being controlled ording to a list. Unfortunately, I''m one of them. The president of Crowdstar Group is on the list too." Jimmy was aware that those people were here to take him away. Before being taken, he grasped my hand and whispered, "Find the president of Crowdstar Group and protect him." Afterward, Jimmy was taken away by the armed personnel. "He''s Jimmy Lincoln, a member of the Global Trade Union. Take him away." Jimmy followed suit and left, then turned back to smile at me. Chapter 511 ? I took a deep breath. The Rebels had begun arresting those rich people. Afterpleting the operation, Steven emerged with a slightly paleplexion. I asked nervously, "Are you okay?" Steven shook his head. "I''m fine." The girl sobbed and apologized, "I''m sorry... I was utterly terrified." Rachel gently reassured the girl. "It''s okay, there''s nothing to be afraid of. We''ll be home soon." The girl cried even more intensely. Steven nced at me and said, "Follow closely and never let me out of your sight." "They''re arresting people, including the president of Crowdstar Group. At present, the Rebels only know that the president of Crowdstar Group is on board, but most of the rich people came with their rtives, friends, and bodyguards. "They can''t identify the president of Crowdstar Group because they don''t have a photo of him." The president of Crowdstar Group had sessfully hidden his identity. "Few of you, follow us!" The door swung open, and a group of armed personnel forcefully escorted us out. They led us all the way to the 16th floor alongside the doctor. Steven held my hand all throughout. I whispered, "Have you met the president of Crowdstar Group before? Can you recognize him?" Steven shook his head. "I contacted the president of Crowdstar Group through his assistant, so I''ve never met him in person." I frowned. "He''s so mysterious and good at hiding. Could he really be Boss of Genome Society?" The Boss Jimmy referred to and the person in charge of the region... "Probably... not." Steven shook his head. I didn''t say much and followed those people out of the elevator. The entire 16th floory in eerie silence. Everyone was crouching down. They were trying not to make any noise, afraid of getting shot. Some people in the middle appeared confident and strong. They were wealthy individuals, usually detached and unfazed. They were not scared by the threat and crouched down. Jimmy was there too, smiling and greeting us. "What do you want to do?" someone questioned. The leader of the Rebels carefully scrutinized the list until his eyes fell on Jimmy. With amanding voice, he asked, "Who has been in contact with the president of Crowdstar Group? If you reveal his identity, I''ll spare you." The leader hoped to entice them and attempted to lure the president of Crowdstar Group. However, not a single person uttered a word. "It seems you don''t know the seriousness of the matter." The leader sneered, gesturing for those around him to take immediate action. Someone beside him seized the rich man standing at the front, forced him into a chair, and extracted his nails with pliers. The sound of screams reverberated through the hall. Everyone huddled together in the middle, paralyzed with fear. They were too terrified to even utter a word. One of the women was unable to bear the pressure and began to cry, shaking her head. "No one has ever seen the president of Crowdstar Group... No one. Crowdstar Group is a rapidly growingpany that emerged in recent years. "The mysterious president leading thepany is renowned for his exceptional investment acumen. Not only is he involved in numerous Humapanies, but he also maintains substantial stakes in various enterprises and joint ventures in Melovia. "We''ve worked with him before, but we haven''t met him in person yet." "That''s right. We''ve only met and contacted his assistant. No one knows what he looks like," others added.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I looked around cautiously. More than a thousand people were gathered here, including chefs, waiters, actors, celebrities, as well as ordinary guests. If the president of Crowdstar Group had boarded the ship, he must be among these people. Eason murmured, "The president of Crowdstar Group must truly be a genius. I heard about him a few years ago. None of the projects he invested in lost money. Every single one of them returned a profit of a hundredfold. It''s like he could predict it." Joel was amused. "Aren''t you a genius too? Why don''t you consider joining the financial industry?" "The financial industry is ruthless! I wish to live a bit longer." Eason snorted. Chapter 512 ? "Ha... Your line of work isn''t exactly the safest either," Joel retorted. "You know what? My current job is to bring the evil-doers to justice. If I were to switch to the financial industry, it would be me who ends up imprisoned." Eason remained keenly aware of this fact. "That means... you''re not smart enough. Fool." Joel snorted. "Could you please be quiet? Enough with the flirting! Look at where we are!" Zion couldn''t stand it anymore. Could they show some respect toward these kidnappers? "Is the president of Crowdstar Group actually on board?" Rachel asked softly. "All club members have a chip. This cruise ship is equipped with an identification system, so once everyone boards the ship, their presence will be disyed," Zion exined in a hushed tone. I nced warily at Steven and said, "We need to locate the president of Crowdstar Group before these people do and ensure his safety." Steven nodded in agreement. "Okay." "It seems that no one wants to leave the cruise?" The leader''sughter cut through the air as he seized the rich man''s hand and purposefully squeezed the wound where his nails had been ripped out. The screams reverberated once more, a chilling assertion of the Rebels'' authority...N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "Tell me now. Who''s the president of Crowdstar Group?" The scene waspletely silent. "Very well. Yourdy? I quite fancy her... I wonder if she''d care to join us for the evening?" The leader stood up with a smile and pointed to the stunning femalepanion of one of the wealthy men. The wealthy man paled and nervously nced at the leader. "I truly don''t know who the president of Crowdstar Group is." "Since you have no idea, you''re aplete waste now. Now, I''ll offer you a choice. Hand over this woman for us to entertain for the night, or jump into the sea? What''s it going to be?" the leader asked with a smirk. The man''s face turned pale as he looked at the leader. The next moment, he panicked and turned to glimpse the woman hiding behind him. She was stunningly beautiful, like a celebrity. She wept and shook her head, trembling with fear. Unexpectedly, the man pushed the woman over directly. "Whatever you want... Don''t kill me." I snorted. What a coward! The woman copsed to the ground in despair, weeping and begging for mercy, "Please spare me." The kidnapper showed no mercy. With a sinister smile, he firmly grasped the woman''s hair, preparing to forcefully drag her away. "Let her go. I''m the president of Crowdstar Group." A young, charismatic man among the wealthy people stood up and took the initiative to protect the woman. The woman cried as she looked at him and shook her head. Clearly, the two of them knew each other. However, it was unclear whether the man was actually the president of Crowdstar Group. "Ah! You finally took the initiative toe out. Well done." The leader released his grip on the woman. The man stepped forward and quickly pulled the woman behind him to protect her. The leader began to verify the man''s details. "Dayton So, your father is the president of So Group, and you''re the president of Crowdstar Group? Ha." Dayton nervously shielded the female celebrity while trying to maintain a calm fa?ade. "It''s no big deal. My dad supports me in starting my own business under the tables..." There was truly no evidence to suggest that he was not. "Do you really believe that we can''t confirm the identity of the president of Crowdstar Group?" asked the leader with a smile before instructing someone to bring a safe. "Genome Society mandates that members store our valuables on this cruise ship. It''s imed that this cruise boasts the most secure protection system, as each safe can only be unlocked when the palm print and iris scan match simultaneously." The leader ushered Dayton toward the safe. "If you''re unable to unlock this safe, both you and the woman you protected will die." I nervously tightened my grip on Steven''s hand. "Is he the president of Crowdstar Group?" If he weren''t, he would certainly be dead. If he was, we had to find a way to protect him. Steven shook his head, his gaze intense. Chapter 513 ? I stared warily at the leader. The leader of the Rebels was clearly intent on killing the president of Crowdstar Group to send a message to the organization. If Dayton was indeed the president, I had to find a way to save him. "Bring him over here," demanded the leader in a low voice. His subordinates immediately escorted Dayton to the safe. Dayton paled with fright. It was evident that he was a timid scion. Yet, it was this very timid person who stood up to protect the woman. The woman cried and shook her head, clinging tightly to Dayton. The leader sneered as he grabbed the woman''s hair and threw her to the ground. "Hey! Could you show more consideration toward women?" I asked with a frown, diverting the leader''s attention. Steven had always understood my intentions. I wanted to protect Dayton. "With so many of us, why should we be afraid of them? We still have a chance! Let''s be brave for ourselves this time. Please help me!" Dayton looked at all the people around him, pleading for help. Those wealthy individuals, those who had once called him friends... Those so-called friends, those who pestered him to bring them along on this cruise... Not a single one of those supposed rtives and friends dared to voice their opinions at this moment. Not a soul dared to lift their gaze. Dayton was feeling utterly desperate. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hands were clenched tightly. He refused to unlock the safe.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The leader gazed at me with a smile. "Don''t worry. You''ll do it one by one. If he can''t open the safe, your turn wille eventually. "You''d better hope that you''re not the mysterious president of Crowdstar Group, the secret benefactor who generously donates money and resources to the organization and provides crucial support funds!" The leader''s voice was filled with a deep, intense hatred toward the president of Crowdstar Group. I took a deep breath warily and prepared to speak. But just as I was about to, Steven grabbed my wrist and looked at me. "Don''t act rashly." I nodded in agreement. The leader walked up to Dayton and punched him. How could someone as delicate as Dayton endure such agony? Dayton remained on the ground with great pain and had difficulty getting up. However, he showed resilience by gripping his hands tightly and not cooperating with the leader. This seemingly frail scion managed to change my perception of him. Despite the leader''s relentless attempts to beat Dayton, he stubbornly refused to cooperate. The female celebrity he rescued showed greatpassion as she knelt on the ground, pleading with the leader, "Stop! Please, stop beating him. I''ll go with you. Can you let him go? He''s not the president of Crowdstar Group." Dayton clenched his teeth and coughed up blood. "Xandra, stop begging them. Get up..." The female celebrity named Xandra Zander shook her head. "You''re going too far!" Michael was the first to stand up, probably because he couldn''t stand it anymore. I nced at him, wondering what kind of hero he was pretending to be. Wasn''t he asking for a beating? As expected, the leader''s subordinates stepped forward to beat Michael. Yasmin hid trembling behind Michael, her voice shaking as she spoke, "Mike, don''t..." Michael had a strong presence. When he was angry, ordinary people would get a bit scared. I rolled my eyes and proposed a bet to Rachel and the others, "Let''s make a bet. Who will win?" Rachel replied softly, "If they don''t use a gun, I''ll bet on Michael." I remained silent. After all, Michael should have resisted being beaten. Right as the subordinates were prepared to proceed, their leader intervened. "If you refuse to cooperate, I''ll end her life," the leader threatened, his knife pressed firmly against Xandra''s neck. In an instant, a crimson stain adorned her delicate, pale skin. This time, he struck a nerve with Dayton. Chapter 514 ? Dayton clenched his teeth and slowly released his grip. "Okay... I''ll try. You let her go." "Cheap bastard! If you had just listened to my instruction from the start, I wouldn''t have harmed you, but you just had to put up a fight." The leader had a strange smile and a stiff expression on his face. He was wearing a human face mask. I sensed something was wrong with him, not because of how he looked but because of his voice... His voice had clearly been distorted, but strangely, it felt familiar. It was truly weird. It sent chills down my spine. "Everyone must listen to our instructions and work with us to survive." The leader smiled strangely as he pulled Dayton''s hair and asked him to match his irises. He was controlling these people as if it were a game of obedience, giving everyone subtle hints. Suddenly, the rm of the safe red. "Palm print does not match..." The leader threw Dayton out and red at everyone. "He''s not the president of Crowdstar Group. Since he dares to deceive us... there will only be one oue. Death." The leader was approaching Dayton with a knife. Zion and Eason locked eyes and made a silent pact to rush in to save him. They refused to stand idly by, even if the odds were against them. "Hey! In the game you nned, you''re God. If God possesses the ability to manipte life and death, what''s the point of this game? If it''s unfair, the participants'' experience will be greatlypromised," Steven spoke before the two reckless men charged forward. His voice was low and filled with ridicule. The leader turned sharply and locked eyes with Steven, a silent challenge passing between them. As the leader shifted toward Steven, my frown deepened. I immediately stood protectively in front of him. Michael subconsciously attempted to step forward to protect me but was stopped by the Rebels. Perhaps noticing the absence of fear in my eyes, the leader paused. He gazed at me, then at Steven, and suddenly grinned. "You''re right."C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. After speaking, he looked at his subordinates. "It doesn''t matter. We have plenty of time. Everyone here, step forward one by one. Even if I have to go through a thousand people, I''ll find him." The leader moved a chair and took a seat. The subordinates randomly chose a person and instructed him to test the palm prints and irises. If the safe red, it indicated that he was not the right one. "Shouldn''t the safe go into shut-down mode? They''ve matched wrongly so many times, and it still hasn''t gone into shut-down mode," I murmured. "This type of safe is extremely secure. The system can be customized at will. There must''ve been experts behind the scenes who attempted to force it open, but they were unable to do so. They can only alter the program to keep the safe from shutting down," exined Eason. I nodded and settled on the ground, observing the scene. "The president of Crowdstar Group has concealed himself very effectively. He also demonstrates a strong sense of self-preservation. He''s certainly no ordinary person. He must be a genius." Steven responded with a hum. I pinched Steven''s waist and scolded him, "You told me not to act impulsively, but you''re being a hero yourself." Steven pulled me into his arms and replied softly, "I know how to use my brain, unlike some people who are utterly foolish." Steven was mocking Michael. Michael clenched his hands and shot Steven a warning look. Not far away, Una sat elegantly and calmly in the corner. She cast a fearless gaze over the room. It was clear that she was determinedly seeking the identity of the president of Crowdstar Group too. "Even though the president of Crowdstar Group may not be a good person he provides a steady stream of financial support to Genome Society, enabling them to invest more funds in gic and human experiments... "But this person is key as he can help us further understand and infiltrate to find the mastermind behind the organization," I whispered, reminding Eason, Zion, and the others. No matter what, we had to find a way to ensure that the president of Crowdstar Group was not exposed. Chapter 515 ? "Don''t be afraid, everyone. Pleasee forward one by one," the leader''s subordinates said to the people trapped on the cruise. The Rebels wanted to capture their target. After realizing that the ones they caught were not the president of Crowdstar Group, they were told to leave. They were given some time off on the cruise. This made more people want to leave this frightening ce quickly and start cooperating more actively. "Whoever takes the test thest must be the president of Crowdstar Group," Steven deliberately announced to the crowd just as I was contemting how to resolve the crisis. This sentence seemed harmless, but it caused a huge reaction among the survivors. "That''s right. I can''t be thest one. I can''t be at the end of the line." "Let''s go and test right away so that we can leave and still have time for dinner!" someone echoed in the crowd. In a riot with over a thousand people, what might happen if they were given guns? Simr to a flock of sheep, individuals could struggle to unite when ovee by extreme fear. This was why a shepherd dog that could easily control hundreds of sheep yed a crucial role. "I''ll do it first!" "Let me go first!" Everyone pushed forward, eager to be at the front of the line. Upon realizing that the situation was spiraling out of control, the leader chose not to intervene and instead allowed it to escte. Yet, I couldn''t help but notice a peculiar smile beneath his face mask. It was as if he saw everyone as sheep. He was watching a show. Suddenly, someone from the crowd let out a piercing scream. And then, even more screams echoed.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. At that moment, the leader detected something amiss. He swiftly stood up and fired. Instantly, everyone fell to the ground, clutching their heads in terror. "Help!" The screams continued one after another. "Someone cut my palm! It hurts so much," someone shouted in the crowd. Although the situation was eventually brought under control, many people suffered palm injuries. Consequently, it became difficult to identify the responsible individual urately. Steven nced at the crowd indifferently, his icy demeanor intensifying. I looked at Steven and noticed the bandaged palm of his hand. I never anticipated that his palm injury would cause trouble. Eventually, the leader would surely identify everyone with injured palms as their main surveince targets. Eason eximed angrily, "I knew it! The president of Crowdstar Group is an absolute genius, and he''s also extraordinarily ruthless." The leader was furious, seemingly consumed by uncontroble emotions. He began rampaging and smashing objects. "Do you think you can hide from me? How much longer do you think you can stay hidden?" The leader''sughter echoed maniacally. "Those whose palms remain uninjured, proceed with the test!" After a full night of testing, 678 out of the 1,064 individuals on the cruise went through the test. None of them turned out to be the president of Crowdstar Group. Chapter 516 ? Of the 386 remaining individuals, all had injuries on their palms, making identification impossible. Among them was Steven. "To those who havepleted the test, you may now leave early and enjoy a well-deserved rest. I sincerely appreciate your hard work." The leader unexpectedly showed a moment of kindness and surprised everyone by allowing them to leave and rest. I held Steven''s hand. "Their focus has narrowed from over 1,000 people to just 360. It''s only a matter of time before they locate the president of Crowdstar Group. We need to be proactive and ensure his safety before they do." The leader ascended the grand podium and said once more in a peculiar tone, "By the way, I forgot to inform you of the rules of the game. The entire cruise ship is essible and can be utilized anywhere. Everyone must fulfill their duties. "The chefs are to promptly return to their stations and resume work. Simrly, the waiters must also return to their respective posts..." The leader gazed at us and said, "What I want to convey to you is that among the over a thousand people before me, there are not only police officers concealing their identities but also thieves and even a serial killer with a hidden identity. "In order to survive, you must find a way to avoid being targeted by the murderer. I''ll meet you tomorrow at 3:00 pm. Have a great time on the cruise!" After the leader finished speaking, he left. I regarded Zion warily and asked, "Is there a serial killer here?" Zion couldn''t help but reply, "Yes, this matter was only disclosed by my superior after you had already agreed to board the cruise. It''s a highly confidential issue. "This murderer escaped from Yesa. The Yesa police had clues, identified the suspect, and worked with the Huma police to arrest him. However, as they delved deeper into the case, they discovered that he had assumed a false identity and embarked on this cruise ship. "With over a thousand individuals on board, pinpointing his exact location is proving to be an immense challenge. His ability to disguise himself is remarkable. "He switches between women''s clothing and school uniforms when engaging in criminal activities. Even surveince cameras struggle to capture his face urately." Rachel scanned anxiously at the bustling crowd surrounding her. "With so many people, how will we find the murderer? If he continues to hide without killing anyone, won''t he be a ticking time bomb?" "The Yesa and Huma police departments havee to a joint understanding that the perpetrator is a mentally ill individual with psychological issues, deriving pleasure from taking the lives of others. Hispulsion to kill will be intolerable if he goes without for too long.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "He must kill someone every seven days, and his targets are all women. His method of killing is reminiscent of the Huma serial murder case, as he enjoys embalming his victims and turning them into dolls." Eason approached me and said, "Initially, the Huma police suspected that the serial killer from Yesa had escaped andmitted the crime butter determined that the timing did not align. The two cases are unlikely to be connected, but they can''t dismiss the possibility of a copycat crime." "Huma is now under martialw. Why did the murderer flee from Yesa to Huma? Is he seeking for trouble? " muttered Joel. Huma was also in a state of panic due to the series of murders. Eason exuded an air of tranquility as he skillfully began his lessons with Joel. "Have you ever heard of criminalparative psychology? Allow me to enlighten you. "From the perspective of criminal psychology, murderers can be categorized into two distinct types, which are dangerous personality crime and dangerous trauma crime. The serial killer in Yesa, without a doubt, falls under the category of dangerous personality crime. "This individualcks empathy, remorselessly takes lives, derives pleasure from killing, engages in predatory behavior, and possesses an unnerving desire to exert control over their victims. "The serial murder case in Huma is clearly an act of revenge. The murderer nned and carried out the killings in an organized manner, making sure not to harm innocent people. This belongs to dangerous trauma crime." Joel cursed, "Fuck... So, this criminal with a twisted and dangerous personality believes that the serial killers in Huma were taunting him, so he hurried to his rivals'' territory and got ready to retaliate by killing and provoking them?" This twisted mindset was truly unbelievable. "The psychology behind this is quite straightforward. He takes pleasure in the act of killing and believes himself to be highly intelligent as he can evade detection by the police. However, when othersmit simr crimes without consequence, he''s not happy. "He feelspelled to venture into their territory and behave wildly and provocatively," Rachel exined it in more simple terms. Joel ran his fingers through his hair and nced back at the dwindling crowd. "My goodness... if he can kill so many people without getting caught, he must be incredibly skilled. Now I can''t help but see everyone as a potential murderer." "I think you might be one too," Eason said yfully. Joel sneered. "If I were a murderer, you''d be the first I kill." "Nowadays, many people can''t handle stress well. Trauma crime urs when individuals are unable to handle intense pressure and exhibit extreme and distorted behaviors. "What we need to be vignt about is that the murderer among the crowd is born with a criminal personality, which is more terrifying than a traumatic criminal. Hecks empathy and sympathy for the victim. He won''t me himself or feel guilty. "He''ll pretend to be superior and wless." Rachel sighed. "Have you heard of Dr. Hannibal Lecter? A highly intelligent criminal with a strong diathesis." Eason deliberately frightened Joel. Steven rubbed his hands and said, "To catch the serial killer, we must be smarter than him." Joel rolled his eyes and expressed, "You really scared me. I thought you were going topete with that murderer to determine who''s more insane." Steven snorted. "As long as he doesn''t harm those I care." If someone were to challenge Steven''s bottom line, he could be more aggressive than anyone else... I felt a chill. "The serial killer is going after women. We might be his target..." Chapter 517 ? "Do you know who my idol is? Cindere. She endured bullying from her stepmother and stepsisters for so many years without going crazy. Unlike these people today, who are full of shame. "Let me protect you. Arrogant people like you are usually their target. Let''s go." Joel firmly grasped Eason''s hand and pulled him along. "Go away." Eason''s anger was palpable. After all, he was significantly older than him. Moreover, as they spent more time together, Eason noticed a striking resemnce between Joel''s childlike nature and that of Simeon. Simeon used to enjoy teasing him, and now Joel did too. Eason abruptly halted his steps, feeling a surge of unexined anger. Without a second thought, he pushed Joel away and left. Joel was confused. "Has he lost his mind? Why did he suddenly be angry? Women have an even better temper than he does." Zion was rendered speechless. Rachel exined with a resigned look, "You''re just 18. How old is he? You challenge Eason''s ego every time. The fact that he even talks to you speaks volumes about his character." He was somewhat arrogant, self-centered, and self-righteous. But he was also kind. Eason stormed furiously toward the bathroom located on the 15th floor. "Eason, it''s not advisable to act alone," Zion shouted, but Eason ignored him. Zion had no choice but to look at Joel. "Follow him. Those lunatics are familiar with our information." Thus, Joel followed him reluctantly. I nced at Steven and whispered, "Let''s grab something to eat first. I''m starving." As Steven was about to leave with me, Una quickly stepped in to block his path. I regarded Una with caution and uttered, "Stay away from him." "Don''t act like a fierce dog guarding its food. This will make you appear highly insecure. What are you so afraid of? Are you scared that he might fall in love with me?" Una provoked sarcastically, raising her hand to push me away. However, before she could do it, Steven firmly held her wrist. Steven gave Una a warning look. "Can you imagine someone falling in love with a piece of clothing while disregarding his wife''s safety?" I felt a sense of satisfaction as I gazed provocatively at Una. At that moment, my inner emotions were a captivating mix ofplexity and excitement. They were feelings I had never encountered before. It was as if all my self-assurance and confidence stemmed from my partner''s preference. Speaking of Steven, he truly provided me with a profound sense of security in every aspect. Una''s expression clearly disyed her dissatisfaction. As a clone, beingpared to a mere piece of clothing was undeniably distressing. Una''s gaze locked onto Steven''s palm. "Such a coincidence... The safe demands palm print and iris verification, but many people are injured." Steven disregarded Una''s suspicions and firmly grasped my hand, leading me away. "Let''s go." "Steven..." Una murmured. Nevertheless, Steven ignored herpletely. Una sneered, staring at Steven. I frowned, gazing at her intently. Una was moreplex than I thought. Although Nancy was no longer alive, Una, being her "daughter," had been brought up by the organization for countless years. It was evident that she wouldn''t be willing to simply abandon the organization. I harbored suspicions that she was still an active member. In addition, Genome Society shared the same goal of uncovering the true identity of the president of Crowdstar Group. However, I was uncertain whether the president of Crowdstar Group could indeed be trusted. "Stephie..." Michael had been waiting at the door. Upon catching sight of me, he seemed a little nervous. "Are you sure you''re calling me? She''s clearly more like Stephanie." I sneered, ncing back at Una. Michael was stunned for a moment and looked up at Una. "You should''ve witnessed Nancy''s experiment and the police investigation. I''m simply Stephany Larson after Peter applied hypnosis and imnted memories, not Stephanie Carlson," I reminded Michael, urging him to refrain from bothering me further. Michael hung his head, ovee with guilt. He probably didn''t expect me to realize that he was also asking questions on the day of my lie detector test. It was funny because Michael was so immature, and it was easy to see through his behavior. He asked me if I loved him or Steven, which was such a silly and childish question that only he would ask. "Stephie..." Michael wanted to say something but then fell silent, probably acquiescing to the fact that I was not Stephanie.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "This cruise is bizarre and has ventured away from the open seas. You and Yasmin should take care of yourselves." I nced at Yasmin, who was hiding behind him. Chapter 518 ? Yasmin had be deeply reliant on Michael. Without his support, she might not have been able to survive. Living with HIV, she had been on medication to manage it throughout the year. It appeared that her life had beenrgely shattered. The Rebels were toying with her, preventing her from dying easily. Her days were filled with fear, a sensation even more torturous than the thought of dying. "Michael, if you raise and love a cat, but it passes away, so you choose to clone its cells to create a new cat, will your love for the original cat continue with the cloned cat?" Just as Steven and I were leaving, I heard Una''s voice. She was asking Michael if he was willing to extend his feelings for Stephanie to her.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. My steps froze. I was uninterested in Michael''s answer. Steven appeared worried that I might change my mind, so he grasped my hand and stormed out angrily. Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed from the staircase entrance. It was Eason''s voice! We immediately ran downstairs. On the 15th floor, Eason noticed a woman acting strangely in the restroom. She was leaning on the sink, and her eyes were red, with blooding out from the corners. "Do you need help?" Eason approached her cautiously and asked. Suddenly, the woman copsed onto the ground, leaving Eason filled with fear. That was when he unleashed a piercing scream. Joel quickly approached Eason and asked anxiously, "What''s wrong?" Eason breathed a sigh of relief and instinctively pointed at the woman on the ground. "Call the police." Joel couldn''t help but ask, "Aren''t you and Zion... the only two policemen on this cruise?" Only then did Eason realize that he was a policeman. After clearing his throat to dispel the embarrassment, Eason immediately cordoned off the crime scene with maintenance signs to restrict ess and protect the integrity of the area. "It appears that the killer has begun killing people." "In such a short period, from leaving the hall until now, he managed to silently kill someone..." Joel frowned as he spoke. Steven, Zion, Rachel, and I hurried down and saw the body that had been surrounded. "Look." Rachel pointed to the mirror, where the abbreviation "CN" was written in lipstick. "What''s the meaning of ''CN''?" Joel asked. "The next victim''s initials. The Yesa police said that this murderer is extremely arrogant. Before he kills the next person, he''ll leave a notice in advance next to the body." Zion surveyed the scene vigntly. This was also simr to the Huma serial murder case. The serial murder case in Huma involved a Death List of people who were targeted to die. In Yesa, the murderer issued a notice before killing each person. It seemed that the serial murder case in Huma was more challenging, which might have led the murderer in Yesa to feel provoked. "CN. We need to find a list of everyone who boarded the ship to protect the next potential victim from the murderer. Otherwise, we''ll be lost." Time was ticking, and this murderer was too arrogant. Other guests screamed upon finding the body. Soon, news of the death spread quickly on the cruise ship. Just as we were about to approach the staff on the cruise ship to request the name list, another scream echoed from the deck. We hurried over and caught sight of a stunning woman in a slip dress standing rigidly by the guardrail on the deck. Her face was ashen, and her lips were stained with blood. It was unmistakable that she was dead. "How did he manage to do it in such a short amount of time?" asked Zion in astonishment, rapidly approaching to assess the situation. Next to the body, a word was written in blood, "You." The first woman to see that body became his next target. I turned around and looked at the deck warily. He had to be hiding among the group of people here. Otherwise, he wouldn''t know who saw the body first. He would likely consider me or Rachel as his next target. Steven stood protectively in front of me, his gaze indifferent yet daring as he surveyed everyone on the deck. It was as if he was silently challenging anyone who dared to harm the person he cared about. Chapter 519 ? I grabbed Steven from behind and directed my middle finger at the crowd with an indifferent gaze. I was aware that the murderer possessed a strong sense of self-esteem and would not tolerate provocation from others. Therefore, I had to take the lead in provoking... This way, he would focus on targeting me instead of Rachel. Rachel immediately understood my intention and stepped forward in a panic to press down my arm. Stephie, what are you doing?" I steered Rachel toward Zion. "Tell him toe to me. Get her out of here." 11 Zion was about to speak, but as soon as he saw my determination, he grasped Rachel firmly. "Don''t stir up trouble. Come with me to examine the first body. You''re a forensic doctor. You should be able to uncover some clues." Only after that did Rachel react. She nodded and followed Zion. After taking a few steps, she nced back at Steven and said, "Protect Stephie." Steven nodded in response. "A steel nail was found on top of the victim''s head, indicating she was killed by a direct blow to the skull, leaving no external wounds." Eason meticulously inspected around and discovered only the steel nail on her head. "To ensure a sessful attack, the perpetrator must possess considerable strength while the victim must have been defenseless. Given the victim''s serene facial expression, it appears that she did not suffer greatly in her final moments." Joel carefully checked the corpse. I shook my head incredulously and examined the nail cap intently. "But if a steel nail were to strike the skull, the deceased would not lose consciousness, and there would also be signs of pain on her face. Unless it was carried out with a nail gun..." The nail gun''s power drove the nail directly, preventing uneven force that could ur when using a hammer. "The steel nail embedded in the skull wasn''t the fatal injury." Steven examined the victim''s mouth, nose, and eyes. The arachnoid hemorrhage appeared to be not severe, suggesting that the major blood vessels were not affected by the steel nail. The deceased likely did not die soon after its insertion. "The victim was killed by suffocation." Steven pointed to the victim''s neck. The murderer must have strangled the victim from behind. "Then why did the murderer drive this steel nail in?" Eason was utterly perplexed. He found thispletely unnecessary. Steven followed the line of sight to the top of the deceased''s head and gestured toward the railing. "To stabilize the body. "The deceased''s muscles will experience slight contractions within one to three hours after death, and the joints will be immobile, which will ur throughout the body within 12 to 16 hours. "Assuming that the murderer was the first person to test the safest night, then the time window for him tomit the crime was only 12 hours. However, before the body bespletely stiff, and if he wanted her to stand here wlessly, he would need something to stabilize it." Steven assumed that the steel nail should have been fastened with something like a fishing line and then looped around the railing. After the initial discovery of the first body, he discreetly severed the fishing line of the second body while no one was looking. I carefully nced around. "The surveince on the deck has been destroyed. The bathroom area is actually a blind spot. This lunatic is quite clever." "To strangle a person without resistance, the murderer must possess exceptional arm strength." Steven carefully examined the body, noting only a steel nail lodged in the head and faint bruises on the neck. The absence of any other injuries indicated ack of struggle or resistance. "The deceased trusted the murderer, or... did not believe that the murderer would pose a threat to her," Steven analyzed again. In conclusion, it was dangerously easy to ignore the identity and appearance of the murderer. Joel snuck up behind Eason, put his arm around his neck, and strangled him forcefully. Eason nearly passed out and pped Joel''s arm hard while scolding him, "Are you out of your mind-" "With my size and arm strength, it''ll still take some time to strangle him, and he can resist..." Joel was trying to convey that the murderer was significantly stronger than him. At that moment, Zion had confined the people to the deck, forbidding anyone from leaving. However, among the onlookers on the deck, Joel appeared to be the strongest person. There was even an elderly woman with a stooped back among this group of individuals. The elderlydy was trembling as she expressed her desire to leave the deck. "We''re all hungry. Why don''t you let us leave?" The elderlydy gestured in signnguage, prompting the woman with her to inquire why they were not permitted to leave. "Allow the elderly and the weak to go down first. It''s windy up there," Eason walked over to Zion and informed. Zion nodded in agreement. The elderly woman walked down trembling, leaning on the support of the woman. Directly beneath the decky the bathroom on the 15th floor, where Rachel was carefully examining the body. Rachel looked up at Zion.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "Suffocation was indeed the cause, but it wasn''t strangtion. If it were, we would see visible marks on the neck. When an external force fractures the neck, it results in a spinal cord injury. "This will cause immediate death since the spinal cord break disrupts the respiratory center, consequently leading to respiratory and cardiac arrest. The killer violently snapped the victim''s neck." Chapter 520 ? Zion turned around and ryed the message to us, who were still on the deck. "Being able to break someone''s neck with your bare hands? I''ve only seen this in movies. I''ll give it a try," Joel muttered, then raised his hands to experiment with Eason''s head. Eason looked at Joel warily. "Go away!" Joel chuckled, and I found myself amused as well. Zion rested against the door frame with a helpless smile. "Enough causing trouble. Go check on the people on the deck first." Eason nodded, his gaze shifting toward the men who remained on the deck. They didn''t seem particrly strong,cking the prowess to effortlessly snap someone''s neck. "Rachel?" Zion had just shared a few words with us when Rachel, who had been inspecting the corpse outside the bathroom door on the 15th floor, suddenly vanished. Zion was extremely panicked. "Rachel!" Steven and I also rushed over. "Both of you, stay back and investigate," Steven instructed Joel and Eason. We rapidly descended to the 15th floor and hurried into the bathroom, only to find no trace of Rachel. It was as if she vanished before our very eyes in a matter of seconds. "Rachel..." I stood there, breathing heavily. I hit my forehead hard. "No! This is wrong! The murderer must have just been on the deck. He couldn''t have had much time to leave the crime scene. But how did he manage to take Rach away?" I looked around nervously and hastily exited the bathroom. While I was anxiously trying to figure out how the murderermitted the crime, Steven unexpectedly kicked an elderlydy with a hunched figure. Thedy screamed in fear and looked at Steven. A few of us rushed over. "Steven, you..." Zion looked at Steven with a puzzled look. In the past, I might have unconsciously questioned Steven''s motives for attacking the elderlydy. But I now firmly believe that Steven had a valid reason behind his actions. I stepped forward and firmly grasped the cor of the person in front of me. As my hand touched the person''s skin, I noticed an unnatural texture. The person seemed to have applied a substance resembling egg liquid, and it had dried up and shrunk. To my surprise, behind this disguise was not a woman but a man. "Where''s Rachel?" After I pulled off his wig, Zion rushed up and kicked him directly. "Where''s Rachel?" The murderer ceased pretending and leaned against the wall,ughing maniacally. "It only takes a few seconds for me to kill someone. You discovered it toote... She''s already dead."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I suddenly noticed my breathing was irregr, and my fingers were shaking. As I lost consciousness, I faintly heard Zion and Eason calling my name. When I regained myposure, I realized I had pulled the murderer into the bathroom, and my hands were covered in blood. The murderery dying, yet a smile still yed on his face as he uttered, "We''re of the same kind." I struck him on the bridge of the nose, my voice low. "Someone who pursues perfection as diligently as you wouldn''t rush to kill. You''d surely hide the person first, wait until we''re far away, and then arrange it to your liking." The murderer stared at me, a sh of emotion in his eyes. "Are you the mastermind behind the serial murder case? The one who provoked me and urged me to board the cruise?" I was stunned and confused. "What do you mean?" "The Huma serial murder case... The murderer sent me letters to provoke me and even took the life of the dog I raised for six years. He said I was worthless and dared me toe to Huma and board this cruise. He said he''d be waiting for me here. "So I''ve been killing people to lure him out. I''m sure he''s on board." The murderer looked at me and the others who rushed in warily. My blood ran cold in an instant. The murderer from the serial murder case... The one who took Stephanie''s life, the individual seared into my memory with a distinct red birthmark on his arm, his hoarse yet all too familiar voice... Chapter 521 ? "If you want to find the mastermind of the serial murder case, I can help you. But first, you need to tell me where my friend is," I warned as I grabbed his cor. "Ha... You''ll never find her," he said with a provocative smile as if unconcerned about the oue. I firmly put my foot between his legs and applied increasing pressure. My voice became lower as I stepped harder. "You pretend to be a woman and only target women who are weaker than you. You''re nothing more than a coward. "There''s a high probability... that this part of you is defective, right? So there''s no point in keeping it." Joel, rushing in from the side, felt a surge of fear that constricted his lower abdomen. He turned, protectively clutching his abdomen, and swiftly pulled Eason out. He then turned back and dragged Steven out as well. "Let''s go. My balls hurt..." "Go to the monitoring room with Zion to locate Rachel!" Eason kicked Joel. Steven cleared his throat before speaking in a hushed tone, "My wife wouldn''t treat me in such a manner." Joel snorted and cast a meaningful nce at Steven, then hurried to the monitoring room with Eason. Meanwhile, the serial murderer was still screaming. I squatted in front of him and said again, "If you die, the serial murderer will look down on you even more. He''ll revel in the fact that it''s not him imitating your modus operandi but rather you imitating his..." Since he had such strong self-esteem, I undermined him further. He became enraged and attempted to resist, but Steven immediately kicked him back down to the ground. Realizing there were many of us, he decided topromise. "I''ll take you there..." I pulled him up and warned him, "Don''t try to y any tricks." After leaving the bathroom, Zion quickly rushed over and pushed the murderer against the wall.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "He''ll take us there," said Steven as we quickly stopped Zion. Hence, Zion released him. He limped toward a storeroom and pushed open the door. As he entered, he made his way to arge blue barrel and pointed at it. "She''s inside." In a panic, Zion hurriedly opened the barrel''s lid and rushed to pull out the person, only to find it empty when he looked inside. Zion''s anger surged, and he kicked the murderer out. "Where is she?" Steven and I also ran over to look into the barrel. The murderer was also confused. He didn''t look like he was acting. He rushed up anxiously and looked into the barrel carefully. "Where is she? This is impossible. I left her here after I knocked her unconscious. Where is she now?" He was clearly distraught as he gripped his hair tightly. "It''s the serial killer. He''s provoking me. It must be him! It''s definitely him! Was Rachel taken away by the serial killer? I was shocked. I stopped Zion. "He''s probably not lying. This is Rach''s earring." The barrel was nearly empty, with lingering oil stains at the bottom. Traces along the barrel''s wall suggested that someone had dragged it. Beneath the barrely Rachel''s earring. "Someone took Rachel away afterward." Steven scanned the surroundings. He continued, "But..." Steven didn''t finish what he was about to say. "The other person is literally provoking you face to face. Shouldn''t you investigate further?" I firmly seized the cor of the murderer. "I''ll find him, I''ll definitely find him," he said determinedly as he sniffed the air. "1 He seemed to be very sensitive to smells. Luckily, he put Rachel in the diesel barrel. The smell of diesel was very strong. "Diesel... I can smell the diesel. Let''s go find her." The murderer exited the storeroom, sniffing the diesel in the air as he walked forward. "Look at the ground." I also found a few drops of diesel on the ground. When Eason and Joel returned, we were outside Room 1563. "The surveince is controlled by those scoundrels. No one has the authority to ess the surveince except for their people. These damn idiots," Joel cursed. I signaled him to be silent. The murderer acted oddly, leaning on the door and sniffing. He looked back at me with excitement. "I smell blood... she might be dead." Chapter 522 ? Zion''s and my expressions changed drastically. Then, we kicked the door hard. Finally, the door was kicked open, and we ran over in a panic. The white sheets on the bed were stained red with blood. Rachel''s palmsy open, blood gushing from the cut blood vessels in her wrists. Her face was now drained of color. The bed was adorned with scarlet rose petals, evoking a strange and unsettling ambiance.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "He''sughing at me! He''sughing at me!" the murderer roared crazily. He turned around and ran out. Zion and I ignored him. We hurried over to check on Rachel''s condition. "Zion, there''s been significant blood loss, and her pulse is very weak. Get her to the doctor right away!" I urgently yelled. Zion''s entire body trembled with fear. He hastily scooped up Rachel and sprinted toward the medical capsule with all his might. "You''ll be fine, Rachel. Nothing will happen to you," Zion said, his voice choked with sobs and trembling. I hurriedly rushed outside, only to realize that Steven hadn''t followed me. He remained by the bed, gazing at the blood pooling on the sheets. He grazed it with his fingertips, bringing them to his nose to smell. "Steve?" I gazed at him with doubt, deeply concerned about Rachel''s condition. "The average blood content of a woman is approximately 4584 ml. Losing more than 50% of this volume can lead toplete loss of the body''s blood pumping function, ultimately causing the heart to stop. "The medical team on the cruise ship is highly skilled, but the cruise ship is too far from the port to ess a blood reserve. She can''t be saved," Steven whispered, ncing back at me. I stood there, frozen. I unconsciously took a step backward. "No... But what if there''s a miracle?" I suddenly realized the immense significance of faith and the potential for a miracle to ur. What if she could be saved? "A miracle? Could it be possible that there''s a backup blood bank on this cruise? But why would a cruise ship be equipped with blood supplies? How logical is that? What is the true intention behind this cruise? Why did the Rebels select this particr cruise? "What''s their ultimate purpose in creating such amotion?" Steven lifted his head and fixed his gaze upon my eyes. It was evident that the masterminds behind the Rebels organization were true geniuses. Every move we made was part of their calcted n, including Rachel''s life-threatening blood loss and the arrival of the Yesa murderer. Everything went as nned. They wanted to reveal a shocking truth. I understood instantly. I sprinted toward the medical area in a panic, praying hard that she would be fine. "Excuse me! Move aside!" Simultaneously, numerous medical professionals were rushing to a hospital bed to save a patient. "The patient is in cardiac arrest. Hurry!" I stood beside Zion, offering words of reassurance. "She''ll be fine..." "There''s a blood bank on this cruise ship..." Joel also realized that something was amiss. Zion simply wanted to pray for Rachel''s well-being. He might not have any extra energy to spare for other thoughts. I nced at Steven as he urately guessed that there was a blood bank on the cruise. "The patient has congenital heart problems and needs a heart recement urgently..." whispered the doctor to the patient''s family members outside the operating room. Fortunately, I had a good hearing and looked at them warily. It seemed that those people noticed I was watching them and swiftly left with their families. The doctor emerged from the operating room, shaking his head at us. "I''m sorry... There was excessive blood loss, and the patient is now brain dead..." Chapter 523 ? I rushed forward uncontrobly and grabbed the doctor''s cor. "Say it again! Are you telling me that the blood bank on the cruise ship isn''t enough to save her from blood loss? That''s impossible! You''re talking nonsense!"C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Zion stood there, feeling numb and helpless. He was unsure of what to do. However, he knew that brain death equated to death itself. "I''m sorry for your loss," the doctor whispered sympathetically. I grabbed the doctor''s cor. "Sorry?" "What was the cause of brain death?" Steven interrupted the doctor and asked calmly. "Excessive blood loss..." The doctor was so stunned by Steven''s presence that he replied without confidence. Steven forcefully pushed the doctor aside to enter the operating room. "You can''t enter. It''s sterile inside..." Before the doctor could finish speaking, Joel hastily covered his mouth from behind. Steven stood in the dressing area, wearing protective clothing. He disinfected himself in the designated area before stepping into the operating room. Rachely on the operating table, her face drained of color. Her hands and wrists were now sutured and wrapped in bandages. As Steven examined her dted pupils, a hint of concern marred his face. Zion''s voice trembled as he cried out, "When she came in, she was still conscious. She called my name... She definitely called my name." "Who''s the anesthesiologist?" Steven asked. A doctor wearing a mask raised his hand nervously. Steven gazed at the oxygen mask in silence. At that precise moment, the doctor from the adjacent operating room rushed over. "Are you all family members of the patients? If the patient is already brain-dead, would her family be willing to let her undergo a cardiacpatibility assessment? "The other patient has promised that as long as the family agrees, they can provide a constion money of five million," the doctor continued anxiously and looked at us. Zion was furious and felt the urge to fight him. The doctor quickly added, "If it''s not sufficient, feel free to request more." Such apelling temptation... If it were just an average tourist from a regr family, the family would likely have given in by now. After all, there seemed to be no hope of saving a brain-dead person. I nced at Steven. I immediately felt a chill run down my spine. I trembled at the thought of what had happened. Every year, this cruise ship departed from ports in various countries, weing both wealthy and ordinary tourists from around the world. However, it wasn''t just a matter of letting ordinary fortunate tourists on board, allowing the wealthy to witness the big gap between them and pumping them with a sense of superiority. Instead, the wealthy were allowed to choose the organ donor that best suited them. Once the match was sessful, those regr people would be the target of the wealthy. They would end up in the operating room due to different idents, never to wake up again. "I agree to the assessment," confirmed Steven in a low voice. Zion lost control and wanted to rush forward. "Steven!" Steven didn''t exin a word. I stopped Zion. "Eason, take him away and let him calm down." The doctor who came to inform him was beaming with joy, and the family members who followed him nodded in agreement. "They put so much effort into it. They must have known that Rachel''s heart waspatible," I whispered. Steven nodded approvingly. "Wealthy individuals typically target young college students who are in good health. Rachel''s blood type and other personal information were probably leaked during her time at school. "They exploit opportunities such as free or public welfare physical examinations on campus to gatherprehensive data on students, which they can then sell and profit from..." Genome Society likely had massive gic data across the country, even from around the world. This was concerning. "Is Rach okay?" I whispered. "She won''t die," Steven replied faintly. I gazed at Steven. "Why are you so certain?" Steven replied softly as he gazed into my eyes, "The blood on the bed didn''t belong to Rachel, which means that someone intentionally faked the scene to deceive us into thinking she had suffered severe blood loss and was on the verge of death. "And brain death is the least severe result. Do you know what the requirements are for a heart transnt? The heart must be alive. If too much blood is unintentionally released and the patient passes away, the donor loses their value." Hence, they wouldn''t take the risk of actually killing Rachel. "But..." I remained slightly anxious, as Rachel''s present state was indeed one of being brain-dead. Chapter 524 ? Steven didn''t exin further and took me aside to wait for the result. Zion had finally regained hisposure and decided to trust Steven. He realized that if Steven wasn''t in a rush, so there might still be an opportunity. It became evident to Zion that something seemed suspicious about the situation. Indeed, shortly after, the family returned. The family members were filled with excitement and immediately said their thanks. A female family member cried intensely, showcasing remarkable acting skills. "Thank you, my benefactor. I truly appreciate it. The match was sessful..." "Thank you so much." As Steven observed the family member repeatedly thanking us, he said indifferently, "30 million, not a penny less. Payment must be made upfront." She was stunned for a brief moment, and her gaze shifted toward Steven. "Sir... I understand your need for money, but asking for such a significant amount is unreasonable. My father''s life depends on finding a suitable donor quickly. "If he weren''t on the cruise, we would''ve had other donors. You should know that donor organs are normally free" "We''re not offering it for free," Steven interrupted her nonsense. She panicked and nced back at the doctor for help. The doctor also came to convince Steven. "Sir, could you agree to the surgery first and then discuss the price? This is a matter of life." Steven replied expressionlessly, "No." The doctor became slightly awkward. "Could you lower the price..." Steven sneered, casting a disdainful gaze at the woman in front of him. "So, the chairman of Hexagon Group is unable toe up with a mere 30 million? Also, you''re not his daughter. You''re his mistress. Am I correct?" She stood frozen for a moment, then straightened up nervously. "You know...us." Steven sneered. "Ha... 30 million, and ask Winston Thorpe to discuss with me in person." She panicked. "What do you mean? I... Mr. Thorpe has been rushed to the emergency room. How could he possiblye and talk to you?" "He''s fine for now. Let hime out, or I can go in," Steven offered the woman a choice. She got scared and wanted to get the bodyguards for help. However, Joel and Eason immediately approached and pushed the bodyguards against the wall. "You..." The anesthesiologist next to Rachel seemed a bit panicked as well. "Wake her up." Steven pointed at Rachel. The anesthesiologist was stunned. "She''s brain dea-" Before he finished speaking, Steven forcefully pushed the anesthesiologist against the wall. Afterward, he seized the anesthesia breathing mask that Rachel had been using and forcefully ced it over his face. Steven sneered and challenged, "You should know the consequences of ingesting excessive carbon monoxide. Go ahead, hold your breath. Let''s see how long you canst." I turned on the switch smoothly. Soon, the anesthesiologist couldn''t hold his breath anymore and pped the wall hard for mercy. The anesthesia masks used on patients contained carbon monoxide. Damn it.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Quickly, the doctor stood up and tremblingly ced the oxygen mask on Rachel''s face. "She''ll regain consciousness soon." Zion swiftly responded by promptly presenting his identification. "Police! You''re suspected of participating in illegal organ transntation." Shortly after, the door of another operating room opened. Winston emerged from it, sitting in a wheelchair. His expression was cold and exuded a powerful presence. "You seem to have uncovered the secret here..." Winston said in a low voice. He then nced at the doctor behind him and said, "Then we can''t keep them alive anymore." The doctor nodded. "Yes." Soon, the doors of the entire medical area were sealed, and not a single creature could escape the medical capsule. "Kill them all, clean up the ce, and schedule surgery as soon as possible," the chief doctor instructed the bodyguards behind him in a hushed tone. I looked at Steven, and we carefully moved back. These people came with guns... When they started firing, Joel cursed, "Damn it! This is way too exciting!" Eason grabbed Joel by the back of his cor, swiftly pulled him into Rachel''s operating room, and closed the door. "It''s over... We have to die here today," Eason said nervously. There were many people on the other side with no way out. Chapter 525 ? Steven looked at Zion. "Take care of Rachel." Rachel let out a cough after inhaling some oxygen. She wanted to open her eyes but looked like she was struggling to do so. "Don''t worry, rest for a while longer," I soothed in a soft voice while helping her put the oxygen mask on. The switch to the surgery capsule''s door was inside. It would''ve been extremely difficult to turn it from the outside. It could only be shut from the inside as well. "These people are crazy. They''re not nning to let us go." Joel took a quick nce out the window. The bodyguards were nning to force the door open by cutting off the electricity. "Get ready. Once the electricity cuts off, we''ll rush out in the dark." Steven asked Joel and Eason to help with pushing the operating table. They charged outside immediately after the electricity cut off. The people outside couldn''t bring themselves to shoot. The sound of gunfire would catch the Rebels'' attention. However, the bodyguards miscalcted. The second we ran outside, the doors to the medical capsule also opened. It must''ve been someone from the Rebels. Their purpose was to expose the secrets of the cruise. Hence, they wouldn''t let us die that easily. Once the doors opened, the tourists who were already gathered around immediately started taking pictures and recording videos. "They''re doing illegal organ transnts here," one remarked.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "That''s horrifying. This cruise is horrifying." "It seems like what was yed on the screen was true!" The passengers were murmuring cautiously. The ones who were more ambitious peeked inside. "Turns out we''re allmbs awaiting ughter." Winston''s face paled. He had started to panic. He sat in his wheelchair and had his assistant wheel him away. Unfortunately, it was toote. The passengers stormed into the medical capsule and surrounded him and the other foreign doctors. "How dare you disrespect the lives of others just because you''re rich!" "Just how many people have you killed!" "People get injured or die on this cruise all the time, but they pay them off so they wouldn''t say anything! Who knows how much blood is on their hands!" "Demons!" People were starting to protest. They became angry and violent. "I''ll give you a piece of my mind!" "Get ''em!" Amidst the chaos, Steven had Zion pick up the unconscious Rachel. Then, he found a wheelchair and swiftly left the scene. Upon reaching the lobby, he saw the surveince footage from the medical capsule being broadcast live on the public announcement screen. The Rebels must''ve done this on purpose... They wanted all the passengers to know that this was a man- eating cruise. Joel eyed the screen before turning to look at Steven, who was unfazed. "Did you already know that they were live-broadcasting everything? You could''ve said something, you know. It wasn''t very nice of you to watch us make a fool of ourselves." Steven ignored him and headed straight for the elevator. "The Rebels have achieved their goal. They won''t pull anything else for today. Head back to your rooms and get some rest." "What about the killer?" Eason asked. "Did you let him escape?" Steven turned to look at him. "I went after him and locked him in the janitor''s closet." He came to an abrupt realization before bolting toward the direction of the room. "From now onward, we need to work together. You can''t move alone. Do you understand the importance of teamwork? If you find anything, tell the group," Joel exined to Steven patiently. "I just assumed you were as smart as I was," Steven replied bluntly. Joel was speechless. "Goob job, you guys." Jimmy walked over from under the screen with a smile on his face. His mischievous expression was as annoying as usual. "As a member of Genome Society, you were already aware that the operating rooms here were performing illegal organ transnts, right?" I eyed him cautiously. "I''ve caught wind of some details, yes. But I''m quite healthy, so all of this is of no use to me. So, you can''t really me me." Heughed. "Besides, before you even boarded the cruise, I did tell you that you shouldn''t run about. You might end up... never returning." "The Rebels have already taken over the cruise. Do you think they''ll let you get out of here alive? To them, all investors like you should rot in hell." I scoffed, reminding him not to get ahead of himself. "How could nobodies like us die before they find the president of Crowdstar Group?" He gave me a knowing look. Then, he slowly approached me and said softly, "You don''t think.... the president of Crowdstar Group is someone among us?" He reached out to pinch my fingers before looking at the palm of my hand. Chapter 526 ? I opened my palm nonchntly. "There''s no wound on my hand." "A "What if your soul is here... but your body isn''t the original one?" The corner of Jimmy''s lips turned up." so-called reincarnation.... It''s a fact that you''re still the same person, but your body isn''t yours anymore. It''s impossible for you to open the safe. You have nothing to fear." He thought that I was the president of Crowdstar Group? Iughed so hard. "Jimmy Lincoln, you absolute genius." If I were the president, the first thing I''d do was bury him under a pile of money. He still wanted to say something before Steven lifted his hand and stopped him. "It''s basic courtesy to stay away from someone''s wife." Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "Your wife is too exceptional. She leaves quite the impression on people, you know." "She''s out of your league," Steven replied coldly. Jimmyughed before backing away from his brother. A small distance ahead, Michael was with Una. Next to him was Yasmin, tailing after him as per usual. The three of them seem quite upied. Yasmin looked extremely antsy. She was terrified that Una would take Michael away from her. On the other hand, Michael had begun trying to view Una as Stephanie Carlson. "He''s treating her like Stephanie," Steven chipped in a reminder. "I hope the three of them live happily ever after," I replied lightly. Heughed and held my hand tightly. "You''re mine." His and his alone. "This bastard is still trying to escape." Eason returned with the killer. The man''s face was bruised, and he was limping. Upon noticing that Rachel was still semi-unconscious, he asked nervously, "Is she dead? Is this a taunt from that psychotic serial killer?"C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "No, it''s someone on the cruise," I exined. "But the mastermind behind the serial killings might actually be onboard." The man in the mask... I needed to think of a way to expose his identity. "I''m going to kill him. I''m going to kill him." The killer was still going crazy. I yanked on his shirt cor. "If you''re that capable, find him in the shortest time possible and kill him. However, if you injure anyone who''s innocent, I''ll throw you into the ocean." The man seemed afraid of me. He lifted his hands to shield his face. "He''s onboard, I know he is..." All of a sudden, he straightened up and nced toward the distance. "I feel like he''s going to make a move. I followed his gaze. A familiar figure shed through the crowd. "Carol?" I let go of the killer and promptly ran after the figure. How could that be possible? Didn''t Carol die in the abandoned building during the game? Was I mistaken? I searched within the crowd for a long time, but there was no sight of her. I was probably too tense earlier. "My beloved guests, the cruise has left domestic waters and is now sailing toward the open sea. Due to the shortage of resources onboard, from today onward... food and water will be served in limited amounts. "Please ration your meals. I hope everyone has a pleasant time." The eerie and raspy voice rang out from the speakers. It then continued, "If you''d like to return home as soon as possible, please help us find the president of Crowdstar Group. I''ll disy some clues on the big screen soon. "If we are to return before food and water runs out, we''ll need your help in locating this person. "Otherwise... everyone might just die in the vast and open waters. The first person to find the president would be considered a hero! Hence, not only are we offering to send them back first, but we''re also going to offer them a billion dors in cash!" Everyone''s faces paled as the announcement ended. The cruise was getting further and further away from Huma! In a sh, a huge number of passengers started panicking. The urge to survive and the desire for wealth sent them moring toward the big screen. Everyone wanted to be the first to see the clue that was provided. "Stephie." Steven ran over and shielded me into a corner, stopping the fearful crowd from crushing me. Upon looking toward the screen, our expressions immediately turned grim. Chapter 527 ? The screen read, "The president of Crowdstar Group is a genius. They have a socialmunication disorder and are introverted in nature. They also have not made any public appearances." I looked toward Steven. "What''s the point of this clue?" Steven didn''t reply. "Why is the mastermind going to such lengths to locate the president of apany?" Eason was still holding onto the killer with one hand. He looked up at the screen quizzically. Joel exined, "This is just the beginning. The president of Crowdstar Group invested a huge amount of capital into Genome Society in recent years. "It''s a very well-respected conglomerate, and the organization wouldn''t let anything happen to their money bank. The Rebels want to use this against them." In this game, the first thing on the Rebels'' agenda was to catch the president of Crowdstar Group to provoke the organization. "Then they should''ve given us some useful information," Easonined. "The information on the board is redundant. How else could he have stayed so hidden if he weren''t a genius with SCD? "The way I see it, the president isn''t just an introvert. He''s probably a disfigured man with a horrible personality. Let''s just pick out people with defects on their body from the crowd." Joel kicked him as soon as he finished talking. Eason was extremely mad. "What''s wrong with you? Why are you always getting physical?" Joel rubbed his chin like an old man and started analyzing the situation. "In my opinion, the president is a genius and a remarkable person. His looks should be well above average. He should at least be as good- looking as me." Eason rolled his eyes at him. "Brat. You were still in diapers when Crowdstar Group was formed. Besides, neither your iris nor your palm was recognized by the system yesterday. Stop dreaming about it." Joel shot Eason a boastful look. "What do you know?" I looked at Joel and then back at Steven with a quizzical gaze. Steven avoided my gaze. He lowered his head and picked at the gauze on his palm. I smacked his hand. "Why are you picking at your wound? Do you want it to heal slower?" He brightened up at my scolding. His smile was... captivating. I grunted. That tactic wouldn''t work on me. "Don''t touch your wound. Can you feel your fingers now?" I grabbed his hand and carefully yed with his fingers. I touched them one by one and asked if he felt anything. Due to his injury, his fingertips were all bruised. It was heartbreaking to see. "I can feel them if I do this." He reached out with his injured hand and touched my face before touching my waist. How could he flirt like that? Was he crazy? "Have some shame. This is a public area." Joel rolled his eyes at Steven. "She''s my legally wedded wife." Steven pulled me into his embrace and nted a kiss on my forehead in front of everyone. That action wasn''t aimed at aggravating Joel, it was meant to provoke everyone else. This included Michael, who was not far away, as well as the ring Jimmy. "Steven Lincoln, I realized that you¡ª" I lifted my head to tell him off, and he immediately lowered his to kiss me instead. My brain went haywire. Something was off. What was he feeling guilty about?This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "Come on, man... Are you seeing yourself?" Joel was annoyed. He turned around and kicked the killer. " Your existence annoys me." The killer was still focused on figuring out how to lure the mastermind behind Huma''s serial killing cases out of hiding. Chapter 528 ? "Once we find the president, the person behind the serial killings will definitely show himself. He''s positioned himself as a judge. In his opinion, it''s his responsibility to eliminate the source of all evil. "By aiding Genome Society in secret, the president fits the description. So long as we find the man, the killer will definitely appear, and he''ll kill him as a form of judgment. Then, he''ll disy the body in a disy case for all to see." The killer provided a detailed analysis. "Hey, you just spouted a bunch of nonsense." Joel kicked him again. He always directed his kicks on the man''s limping leg. "Can you find the president of Crowdstar Group?" "Geniuses often have a particr air around them. No matter how well they keep themselves hidden, something always gives them away," the killer exined. Then, he leaned toward Joel and sniffed. "You''re hiding something... There''s another side to you masked under the appearance of this young man." He looked at him with a gleeful and crazed expression. "Your blood... is exceptionally striking..." Joel immediately gave the pervert a huge p. "People like you deserve a beating." He wouldn''t bother wasting his breath if he could utilize his fists instead. The killer grinned and wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth. "You guys can call me Stan." Stan approached Eason and sniffed again. "You''re probably a police officer. You''recking a sense of justice, though. You''re not that clever and can be a bit arrogant. You''re probably considered someone above average at best." "Is this guy a fortune teller or something?" Joel''s interest had been piqued. Stan then moved toward Zion. "Loyal, straightforward, stickler, athletic. You''re rtively smarter than most, but just by a bit." He was just about to approach Rachel, who was unconscious, when Zion stopped him with a raised brow." I''ll kill you if you go near her again." If it weren''t for this pervert, she wouldn''t still be unconscious. Stan shot a knowing look at Rachel before speaking with a smile, "What an interesting bunch. Aside from him... everyone is putting on a front. You''re all wearing masks. What a delightful surprise. All of you are my type of people." He was referring to Zion. Everyone except Zion was putting on a front. "Stop being fucking disgusting," Joel said in disdain. Stan came up to me excitedly, only to be kicked aside by Steven. The way he looked at Steven was slightly fearful. He switfly ducked to the side and hid behind Zion. He was quite a good judge of character, though. He knew that Zion was the only one who wouldn''t go against thew and kill him. "He''s... a demon. I''ve never seen such a horrifying person. Surely he eats people..." he rambled on in a crazed manner. "A murderer like yourself is afraid of a cannibal?" Eason scoffed. He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed the killer''s wrist to one of his own. "You''re under arrest. From now onward, you''re not allowed to leave my sight." Who was he kidding? This was a living ticket to a promotion. "If regr folk were at the bottom of the food chain, I''d be a ss above them. This guy, however... He could outss the predators at the very top." Stan was still talking crazy when his gaze fell on me. Then, he became even more excited. "Birds of a feather, flock together " "Keep your mouth shut if you want to stay alive," I threatened coldly. "The president of Crowdstar Group is someone in this group, right?" He cupped his mouth like he had just made a joke. I lowered my gaze and looked back at Steven. To be honest, I had my doubts since the moment the Rebels asked us to open the safe with our handprints. "Stephie..." Michael walked over from the other side. He called me Stephie before correcting himself." Stephany... Can we talk? I have clues on Crowdstar''s president." Behind him, an anxious Yasmin followed closely. Una scoffed. She didn''t seem bothered about her in the slightest.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 529 ? "Alright, let''s talk." I nodded, signaling for him to speak. Michael frowned and stared at Steven. "I only want to speak with you alone, Stephany." "You have quite a few requests. Just say it here if you want. Else, that''s fine by me too," Iined, looking at Yasmin and Una. Then, I continued, "You should probably deal with your own problems first, though. You seem to be attracting quite a bit of attention." He drew a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Stephany, the CEO of Crowdstar Group is a young man. He''s been investing in Genome Society continuously for thest few years. He''s one of their biggest clients. "He''s not a good person.... He''s just a businessman." I stared at him wordlessly, signaling him to carry on. "Don''t trust Steven, Stephany... There''s more to him than what meets the eye." Michael sighed. It looked like he was pitying me. I didn''t need his pity. I looked at him with a matching gaze. In that case, we would pity each other and see who deserved it more, then. How dare he act all high and mighty when he was being yed by two women? I scoffed at him. "I believe him, Michael." "You''re so foolish," he said with a knowing look. "Just as foolish she was..." He was probably referring to Stephanie. "But you''re not foolish... You''re the smartest one." Iughed. Clever Mr. Michael Ford, how ironic.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "The upper-ss rooms on this cruise are assigned based on memberships. Without a membership, they won''t give it to you. The regr rooms are not suitable for resting. They get very stuffy. "I''ve already gotten rooms for all of you. You''re wee," he said softly before turning to leave. What a people-pleaser. "We don''t need him to get us rooms!" Joel berated. He turned to look at Eason and continued, "Grow a backbone. Let''s not stay in the rooms." Eason shook his head. "I don''t have a backbone, I''m seasick. I want to stay in a better room." Stan pulled on the handcuffs. "What about me? We can''t possibly sleep together, officer..." Before Eason could even get mad, Joel kicked the killer again. "You wish! Sleep on the floor!" Afterward, he looked toward Eason. "I don''t trust this sicko to be alone with you. Let''s all sleep in the same room. It''s safer, and we can look after each other." Eason cast him a look of disgust. "You need to calm down." "You''re against me but not this sicko? What''s wrong with you, Eason?" Joel was annoyed. Zion rubbed his forehead. He looked at Rachel, who was struggling to sleep, and said, "That''s enough... Look at the situation we''re in. How are you bickering during a time of uncertainty like this? "It''s not safe to sleep alone, so everyone get into groups of two. Sort yourselves out." Then, he left with Rachel. Steven also took my hand and left. Joel and Eason were the only ones left. They had no choice. There were two couples in our small group of six. The single ones would have to make do. Stan chuckled creepily. "Sorry for the trouble, officer..." Eason and Joel sent a kick his way simultaneously. "I''ll beat you to death if you say another word, sicko," Joel threatened. Stan fell to the ground in pain. He stared wickedly at Joel as he was dragged along by Eason. "Have you set your eyes on him... We''re the same kind. I can feel it from you. You want to pick on him, step on him aggressively, and tear his pride apart. I know you want him to grovel at your feet... You want to watch him beg for mercy... watch him cry out..." Joel almost hissed at him. This absolute sicko. There was a loud noise. Eason grabbed Stan''s head and rammed it onto the wall. "I''ll stitch your lips up in a bit, you sicko. Get on your knees!" The top of Stan''s head was bleeding, but he was still chuckling like a lunatic. "All of you arembs awaiting ughter, and we''re the hunters..." Heughed. "You won''t make it out of here alive. Prey should be on a hunter''s tter. We''re naturally superior. We''re the evolved version of man. Average mortals like you should be beneath us!" Eason scratched his head. How was this psycho''s head so sturdy? He turned to look at Joel, whose gaze darkened for a split moment as he stood there. Chapter 530 ? Eason stilled, and his chest tightened. For some reason.... he felt a chill run down his spine. That gaze was gone in an instant, though. Joel soon reverted back to an annoying teenager. "This absolute sicko! Let''s just kill him." Eason frowned. "Find a way to shut him up." Joel raised an eyebrow. All of a sudden, he seemed to recall something, and his lips curved upward. "Let''s go back to the room. I have a hundred ways... to make him shut up." He chuckled. Eason got goosebumps. "You''re kind of sick too..."N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "Not as much as Steven. That guy is actually insane," he gloated. Eason wordlessly pulled Stan into the elevator together with Joel. In order to avoid causing amotion, he wrapped a piece of clothing around the handcuffs. The people who entered the elevator even thought that Eason was a pervert who wanted to hold hands with a psycho. "No... Stephie, killed... Stephie... Stephie... killed... Stephie... I killed..." In the elevator, Rachel was extremely disoriented. She kept on mumbling like she was sleep-talking. This was amon urrence in patients with carbon monoxide poisoning post-surgery. I stared resignedly at her. Something about Stephie and a murder... Steven shot Rachel a knowing look but didn''t say anything. It seemed to actually be like what Stan had said-every one of us seemed to be putting on a front. "Stephie!" Rachel suddenly yelled my name. The sheer volume gave me a fright. Zion smiled resignedly. He caressed her hair and had her lean on his leg. His gaze wasced with joy and affection. I stared at the pair. For some reason... I kept getting the feeling that things wouldn''t end well between them. Maybe I was being too pessimistic. Upon exiting the elevator, we headed to our respective rooms under the escort of a receptionist. Since Michael was willing to pay, we dly took him up on his offer. "Carol!" Just as Zion was pushing Rachel into the room, she suddenly yelled out Carol''s name in a daze. I almost ran into the door. I nced at my surroundings, and my entire body froze. At the end of the hall, a figure that greatly resembled Carol shed by. I had gone crazy... I genuinely felt like I had gone crazy. After entering the room, I shut the door and pressed Steven against the wall. "Be honest, are you the president..." I said in a low voice. I wasn''t able to get my question out before he cupped his hand over my mouth and pressed me against the wall instead. I didn''t know if he did so because he was afraid of eavesdroppers or if he was guilty. I sighed. I didn''t care anymore. If he was... then we''d just have to be even more careful. I had to protect him. I know he must''ve had no other choice in order to approach the organization. If he wasn''t, then we''d look for the president together. Then, we''d keep him safe while working out a partnership. "Stephie... my hand hurts," Steven said in a small voice. Here we go again. This was his typical behavior. Whenever he had a question he didn''t want to answer, he''d start to behave in a cute and pitiful manner. I was already well aware of his antics! Chapter 531 ? "Let me see!" I said through gritted teeth. Despite everything, I couldn''t do anything about it. Just as I was inspecting his wound, he picked me up with one arm and walked toward the bed. The VIP room was excellent. It was arge suite equipped with a view of the sea. With this environment and the view... If it weren''t for the Rebels taking over the cruise outside, I''d actually think I was on vacation. "Where are they taking the cruise?" I was slightly curious. "They''re probably headed toward war zones. There are flight restrictions, and it''ll be hard tounch a rescue operation by sea." Holding me in his arms, Steven continued softly, "Stephie... they have a limited food supply. With so many people on board... I don''t think it''llst very long." "It''s okay. The rations that we hid beforehand are more than enough for us," I replied gently. "Stephie... you need to understand the horrifying reality of human nature. This is essentially like the end of the world... This cruise is a simtion of the world before it ends. "When that happens, you''ll witness the worst of humanity. The strong will prey on the weak... They might even be cannibals." I had heard many stories like this. This was the open sea. We were above deep waters with no freshwater nor aid. It would surely bring out the worst in people. Everyone was still calm only because there was still food to go around. Soon... that might not be the case anymore. "If we''re stocking up on rations, there''ll definitely be others who are stocking up on weapons. The ones without either won''t be able to defend themselves, and they''ll end up bing rations for those who are stronger." That was the reality. Steven held me and whispered, "You need to stay close to me, Stephie. Just like how Yasmin sticks to Michael, okay?" I rolled my eyes and red at him. "Don''t just blindly makeparisons like that. Why would you bring them up? It ruins the mood." Laughing, he held me closer. "I''m sorry. Sorry, Stephie..." "What did you do wrong?" He shook his head. "I have no clue... but I''m sorry." "Steven Lincoln..." I sighed, feeling increasingly drowsy. "Hold me tight... I want to take a nap." "Okay." Then, I fell asleep. I had an unusually good rest while being held in his arms. However, it became extremely darkter on in the night. The deep sea seemed to have transformed into a horrifying beast. The darkness seemed like an endless void. A piercing scream echoed in the hallway outside. I felt too unsettled to continue sleeping. When I woke up, Steven wasn''t in the room. I got up frantically and wiped the sweat off of my forehead. "Steven..." I got off the bed and carefully checked the bathroom. He wasn''t there. I opened the door to the room and looked outside. All of a sudden, a man covered in blood ran past in a state of panic. "Help! Murder... Murder!" I watched as he fell onto the floor. His hand was bandaged. "What happened?" I asked.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The man got up and tried to seek shelter in my room. I stopped him with a frown. I wasn''t a saint. In a situation like that, I didn''t trust anyone. He stared fearfully at the end of the hallway, knocking on the door in tears. I locked the door with a chain so that he couldn''t enter. He begged, "Please let me in. They''re killing people. There''s a group of them... They''re going after people with injured hands like me." My heart sank. The Rebels had narrowed down the whereabouts of Crowdstar''s president to within 300 people-the ones who had injuries on their palms and couldn''t go through identification. "Aren''t they supposed to keep them alive?" I furrowed my brows in confusion. "In order to obtain the right to leave this ship, these people are hunting down each and every one of us. Then, they torture us and force us to admit that we''re the president." Chapter 532 ? The man outside was crying as he begged to be let in. Just then, I heard footsteps. Someone was approaching our direction whileughing. "I found one... Looks like someone slipped away." The gang of people grouped up and headed this way. They looked like a bunch of hooligans. Some held golf clubs in their hands while others held metal rods. The man at my door sobbed in fear. He got on his knees, desperately begging me to open the door. Worried that something might''ve happened to Steven, my chest tightened. I opened the door and pulled the man inside before the group could get to him. A club hit the door just as I hastily fastened the lock. Subsequently, they began smashing on the door as if they were rabid. This was the dark side of human nature. Suddenly, a cry was heard from outside the window. Someone was thrown off the deck. Their body hit the water with a loud ssh before they sank into the depths. I swiftly walked over to look outside. A group of lunatics was throwing people off-board from the deck. "Their hands aren''t injured, though," I questioned with a frown.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The man that I rescued was trembling as he hid in a corner. "They called it the Cutback. Food and water are limited. The more people that are alive.... the more resources will be wasted... Controlling the number of people onboard will buy more time..." I felt a chill run down my back. It was horrifying. No wonder Steven called this a simtion of the world before it ended. I took a deep breath. I grabbed the knife from under my pillow and clutched it in my hand. "I need to go out for a while. Keep yourself safe." The man shook his head frantically. "Don''t go, don''t go... They''ve gone mad from killing. Their leader established a rule-they kill at night and clean up before dawn. Don''t go out when the sky is still dark." "My husband is out there," I said solemnly. "Don''t I go. They''re all dead, everyone outside is dead," he cried out, shaking his head. The sound of bodies being thrown off the deck was heard again, and there was the sight of blood streaming downward. Blood sttered on my face as I stood on the balcony. Steven couldn''t be dead. I turned around and marched determinedly toward the door. "No!" I had underestimated the man''s will to survive. He picked up a vase and looked at me threateningly. "You can''t open that door. They''re waiting outside. As soon as you open it, they''ll rush in. I can''t let you take that risk." Then, he locked the door from the inside right in front of my face. There was a beeping noise. Someone was trying to ess the room via the key, but they couldn''t get the door to open. I held my breath anxiously. "Stephie?" Steven''s voice rang out from the other side. I let out a breath of relief and started to unlock the door. "Don''t open it!" The man I saved, however, insisted on keeping it shut. "Stephie! Who is inside?" Steven asked cautiously. Amotion could be heard outside. "There''s another one!" I heard a lot of people charging in his direction, but the man beside me refused to let me open the door. My gaze sharpened. I grabbed his head and rammed it against the door, knocking him unconscious. Then, I opened the door and pulled Steven inside before the group of people caught up to him. There was blood on his body, and he had pulled a teenage girl into the room with him. He said innocently, "We forgot about her... We left her with Jimmy when we left. When the killing started an hour ago, he came to me and told me she''d run off." There was blood on the young girl''s face. She sat on the floor trembling while hugging her knees. "So many... people died." Chapter 533 ? Steven nced at the unconscious man on the floor. "What''s up with him?" "His palm is injured. The men outside wanted to kill him, so I saved him. But he didn''t let me open the door, so I knocked him out," I said resignedly. Steven grabbed my wrist and said solemnly, "Remember to never trust anyone on this ship. Even if you hear my voice outside the door, don''t open it unless you''re absolutely sure." He looked very serious. The situation outside must''ve been dire. "From now onward, remember our code." He shot me a knowing look. I nodded. "What''s... the situation outside right now?" "Some lunatic gathered a bunch of people. They started killing people once the sun set. While doing so, they''re searching for the president of Crowdstar Group among those with injured palms." The killing game had already begun. "I want to go home, I want to go home," the girl cried repeatedly. I knelt down and looked at her. "What''s your name?" "My name is Yara..." "Be a good girl, Yara. We''ll definitely get you off this cruise and bring you back to your parents, okay?" I patted her head tofort her. She calmed down and wiped the tears off of her face. "I''m so afraid." "Don''t be. Go get some rest. It''ll be better in the morning," I brought her to the bathroom and prepared a bath for her. After Yara was done, the man I knocked unconscious had also started to wake up. He looked at us in fear. Upon noticing the wound on Steven''s palm, he then rxed. "The lunatics outside are going after people with wounds on our hands, like us. You should probably stay put." He continued carefully, "Can I ask you a question? Are you the president of Crowdstar Group?" Steven looked at him and replied nkly, "No." The man smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, that shouldn''t be something you disclose to a stranger... I''m not him either. I just got my hand randomly sliced open among the crowd, and now, I''m being hunted." Steven didn''t say anything. He sat on the couch and looked at me and Yara after we exited the bathroom. " Go get some rest. I''ll keep watch." "You should all get some rest. I can help you keep watch..." the man offered softly. "No need. Just take the couch." Steven checked the time. "There''s still about three hours left before the sunes up. They aren''t done with their killing spree yet. Don''t open the door no matter what." The man nodded and curled up on the couch. He said in a soft voice, "My wife and kid were both killed by those people... It feels like I''m in a dream. How could something like this happen? Who on earth is this president? How can so many innocent people die because of him? "I''d step up if I were him... He could save so many lives just by sacrificing his own," he continued muttering. Steven stared at him with a knowing gaze but remained silent. I shot him a nce before tucking Yara into bed. "Get some rest." The young girly next to me and stared fixedly at me. "Do you believe in God?" she asked softly. I smiled. "I suppose..." The God I worshiped was the cause I believed in.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "My mom said that God is a faith. People need faith in order to have a sense of direction in life. With faith, they can achieve the impossible, create miracles, and rid themselves of suffering," she said in a soft voice. "We need God to save us..." She buried her face in my chest. I shot her a nce. Her first few sentences were fine, but thest bit. Rid themselves of suffering? Why did it feel like her mother was in some sort of cult? "It''s gettingte. Hurry up and get some sleep." Yara hummed in response before gradually shutting her eyes and drifting off. Chapter 534 ?This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Maybe because I was too exhausted, I passed out in a blur. I didn''t know how much time had passed before Steven woke me up for breakfast. "Is it daytime?" I opened my eyes and stretched as I looked at the sun rising over the ocean. "Did you not get any sleep? I''ll keep watch. Go ahead and rest for a bit more." He shook his head. "Let''s go get breakfast." Food was now limited. We had to go eat. I nodded and woke Yara. The young girl rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Mr. Steven, Ms. Stephy, I saw a kid on the lowest deck of the ship yesterday. He was so young-maybe around three or four years old. He was running around the ce barefoot. It didn''t look like he had any parents either..." I looked at her in surprise. "That''s impossible... There aren''t any kids onboard other than you." The police couldn''t have been wrong. There weren''t any minors on the cruise except for Yara. All of them had been transported off of the ship. "But I really saw a kid yesterday. He was ying with a ball on the lowest deck. I think there were more of them, but I only saw one. I wanted to go down and check, but I got scared. It was too dark." Yara didn''t look like she was lying. I nced toward Steven, but he didn''t say anything. "We''ll go take a lookter." I wanted to check if it was true. Logically speaking, there shouldn''t still be children on board. Moreover, the lowest deck of the cruise was a restricted area equipped with guards. Tourists weren''t allowed to enter. Why would there be kids down there? "Please be careful, Ms. Stephy. The men guarding the ce are terrible people. I saw them hit people," Yara said softly. I nodded before getting out of bed to wash up. The man that I rescued had also woken up. He sat up and peered cautiously at the deck above from the balcony. There was no one there. "I suppose the killing has ceased." He then continued to introduce himself nervously, "My name is Maverick Collins. I''m a doctor, so perhaps I''d be of use to all of you. I no longer have any friends or family. Could I stay with you guys? "I don''t know how, but they''ve secured a master key to the standard rooms. The rooms below the 14th floor aren''t safe anymore since they have ess to all the rooms..." Since those lunatics weren''t able to open our doors, only the VIP deck was safe after nightfall. It''d be somewhat cruel of us to not take him in after his exnation. I looked at Steven. These decisions were made by him. "I still have three male friends in another room. You could probably bunk with them." To my surprise, he agreed to let Maverick stay. For some reason, I felt like there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. I wasn''t sure what was going through his head, though. Maverick was overjoyed. He nodded hurriedly and said, "Thank you, thank you so much. You''re all good people. You''ll be rewarded for your kindness." I didn''t say anything. I was used to adtions like these. However, Maverick was someone who could offer you praises but then refused to let you open the door the next second. "Fucking hell. What happenedst night? Why does it smell so heavily of blood?" Joelined in the hallway. I looked at him quizzically. Did he not hear anything throughout that hugemotionst night? Eason nced around alertly. "Have they started killing people?" Steven nodded. "This is Maverick Collins. His entire family was killed and now he has nowhere to go. Let him stay with the two of you." He introduced Maverick to the rest. Eason looked at the handcuffed killer in the room. "Sure, we''ll just squeeze a bit I guess." "Yara said there''s a kid on the bottom deck. They looked about three or four years old." I suddenly recalled Yara''s words. Frankly speaking, I was oddly interested in the bottom deck since I first boarded the cruise. Weirdly, I kept feeling drawn to it. Chapter 535 ? "That''s not possible. I don''t rmend going down there either." Zion opened the door and shook his head. He didn''t want us to take the risk. He continued, "Children and infants are all off the ship. Other than Yara, there aren''t anymore." "But... There really were kids. There''s more than one too. I heard themughing. They were even ying with a ball." Yara cried before pulling on my shirt. "Ms. Stephy, it''s true..." I nodded in response. "I believe you." "If you really want to go and take a look... We could." He looked around. "Let''s get something to eat first. Rachel is still unconscious. I need to grab something nutritious for her to restore some energy." "Keep your weapons close. Those lunatics will kill anyone," I reminded. The group of us slowly made our way to the VIP dining area. During the day, everything was calm. It was like yesterday''s ughter never existed. All the bodies had been thrown into the ocean, and the blood stains on the ship were cleaned by the staff as well. From the surface, nothing seemed out of ce. Many were casually conversing and enjoying the view as they ate. They were probably oblivious to yesterday''s events. "They started killing people from the 14th floor. Only that floor was cleared yesterday. They went into different rooms like they were ying roulette. Whoever was randomly picked, died..." Looking around fearfully, Maverick carefully said. Upon entering the dining area, we were stopped and asked to show our room keys. "Sorry, this man and the little girl aren''t registered under the VIP name list. From today onward, the dining areas are segregated. The VIP area is no longer open to the public. Only registered guests are allowed to dine here," the staff member said in a serious tone. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Steven. "How can you section people off at a time like this? It''s just two people. Just let them in." Joel wanted to go inside, but the guard stopped him. None of the guards looked friendly. It was clear that they wanted us to adhere to the rules. "Guests in the VIP section are free to use the dining area as they please. If you don''t wish to be separated, you''re wee to have your meal elsewhere," the staff member said. "Let''s go. We''ll eat elsewhere." I took Yara''s hand and walked outside. "They gave everyone ess to the VIP section at the start on purpose. Now that everyone onboard is aware of how much better the food is, there''s no way they''ll be satisfied with the meals provided in the regr section. "If I were to guess... Soon, your identity wouldn''t matter. The staff will only let you in if you possess a room key. So the VIP guests will be everyone''s target."This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Joel exined grimly. This was a horrible realization. Everyone''s faces fell. The man behind all of this was a genius. He knew exactly how to bring out the worst of human nature. We all headed downstairs for food, but the dining hall was full. They told us that food was limited, and we had toe earlier. With no other choice, we could only continue heading down. The lower we went, the worse the food was. It wasn''t until we reached thest deck that the staff begrudgingly let us in. All we had was stale bread and jam. Although made from milk powder, they at least provided hot milk. "Ms. Stephy..." In the middle of our meal, Yara suddenly perked up. It seemed like she heard something. She tugged on my shirt anxiously and said, "Listen... Do you hear the sound of a bell ball below the cabin?" That was a child''s toy that made noise when rolled about. I listened carefully. "What..." I was just about to say that she misheard it when I heard a jingle... I actually heard the sound of a ball rolling from the stairway down to the bottom deck. Then, I heard childrenughing and ying. Chapter 536 ? I looked at Steven cautiously. Then, I turned toward the others. "Do you guys hear any children?" Zion has already picked up some food and returned to his room. Eason perked up to listen before shaking his head. "I don''t..." Joel tried to listen as best as he could as well. "How did you manage to hear the sound of kids among all thismotion? Are you sure you''re not hallucinating?" The dining area was packed with people. To be honest, it was quite difficult to hear. Maverick also shook his head. "I don''t hear anything either." I looked back at Steven. The man was eating his food quietly. He didn''t say that he heard anything, nor did he say he didn''t. Judging by the way he was behaving, he didn''t want me to risk my safety. He didn''t allow me to go down there. Without a choice, I rubbed Yara''s head and said, "Maybe we really misheard it. There are guards stationed at the bottom deck, so we can''t possibly go down there. "Hurry up and eat. We''re heading back after everyone is done." Yara lowered her head dejectedly. "When I was hiding in the cabin, I really heard them... There was someone who sent them food too." I didn''t respond. We had no idea what the situation down there was like. If it harbored secrets like the medical capsule had, we might really end up in danger. At times like these, it was a wiser choice to keep yourself safe. "Enjoy your meal, everyone. Do try to eat as much as possible... because soon, there won''t be enough food to go around." The eerie voice rang out in the speakers yet again, "There isn''t much time left. The ship is heading further and further away... If you want to head back... you should find the CEO of Crowdstar Group as soon as you possibly can." I frowned at the broadcast. I had started to suspect that locating the CEO was merely a front. The Rebels just wanted to bring out the worst in people and watch them turn on each other. They seemed adamant on making that happen. "From tomorrow onwards, meals are given ording to your room key. One key gets you a meal for two. Everyone best be keeping their room keys safe-without a key, you''d unfortunately need to starve." The voice was giving us rules and spreading fear. Maverick looked at his room key nervously. Keys to regr rooms were white, only room keys in the VIP section were gold in color. "Keys from the VIP section have ess to food of premium quality and luxury wines. Even the rooms are the safest. The doors are made of reinforced, anti-burry materials. "That means... Joel was actually right. Those in possession of gold cards were going to be the hunted, "Eason said grimly. The atmosphere became tense and awkward. "From now onwards, do not leave your room unless you absolutely need to... Let''s go back, now." Steven got up and took my hand. The people from the dining hall were already eyeing us greedily. "Tuck your cards away," I urged Eason to keep his card hidden. Based on what was going on, the card was not receable if you happen to lose it. I took Yara''s hand and anxiously started to take my leave. However, Yara stopped at the exit to the bottom deck. She remained glued to the floor. "Listen, Ms. Stephy... There really are kids down there..." I immediately ran over and grabbed her. "Let''s head back first, Yara. It''s not safe outside..."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Yara!" She suddenly broke free from my grip and dashed downstairs. I inhaled sharply and turned to look at Steven. We promised the police we''d bring her back safely... Chapter 537 ? "Don''t go down there." Eason pulled me back and shook his head. "Me and Joel will go take a look." After all, protecting and bringing the children back safe and sound was the police''s responsibility. I shook my head in response. "It''s not just for Yara. I keep getting the feeling that... something down there is calling for me." I didn''t know why either, but I felt like taking a look downstairs. The feeling was overwhelmingly strong. I couldn''t exin it, but the attraction was there. "Let''s go." Steven took my hand and led me down the stairs. "Do you feel it too?" I looked at him nervously. He nodded. Joel scratched his head quizzically. He looked toward Eason and asked, "Do you feel it too?" Eason rolled his eyes. "I just know that it might be dangerous down there. Curiosity kills the cat-I don''t have that type of curiosity." Although well aware of the risks, everyone still went downstairs anyway. Maverick followed anxiously behind us. "I''ll keep watch," he said softly. In truth, he was just too afraid to go with us. The staircase leading downward was extremely narrow. It was a retractable one, and it could be kept away at any time. I was surprised to find that there was no one guarding the ce today. It was as if... they were luring us down here on purpose. "Hehe... Big Brother." "Ball." Suddenly, the sound of a rolling ball and two young voices rang out from the gloomy cabin. I looked toward the near distance with a shocked expression.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Were there really children down here? So far, we could only hear voices. "Big Brother..." There was a jingle. Then, a toy ball rolled over to us from the other end of the hallway. I stopped and looked at the ball on the floor. Not long after, two small heads popped up from the end of the cabins. They nced around cautiously. Their eyes were bright and looked like stars. "Ms. Stephy, there are kids!" Yara abruptly ran over and eximed, pointing at the pair of children. I was glued to the ground from shock. I believed her now-there were really kids below the deck. "You guys..." I swiftly marched forward, but the two children immediately ran off like they were afraid. When I caught up to them, the hallway was already empty. There was only a flickering light present. For some reason, I became extremely anxious. "Kids?" I yelled. The group of us carefully made our way down the hallway and stared at the cabins as we passed them. They were all tightly shut rooms. We didn''t know what was inside, nor could we get them to open. When we made our way to the very end, we came across Room 707. The door was slightly ajar. I was just about to push the door open when Steven stopped me. "I''ll do it." He shielded me behind himself and opened it. Worried about potential dangers on the other side, everyone was on high alert. However, once the door was open, we were met with a surprising sight. It was just an ordinary room-it looked like a normal three-bedroom unit. The two children were seated in the living room. The windows were programmed to mimic an outdoor environment. The entire room felt like it was situated in a regr apartment building. You could even see and hear nature from beyond the window. It was essentially a huge experiment room. It made you think that you were living in the city. "Dad!" A small boy suddenly ran over and hugged Steven''s legs. Me and Steven simultaneously looked down at the child. They were so incredibly identical. The kid looked like an exact replica of Steven. His deep-set eyes were the same shade of the deep sea. His longshes and chubby cheeks made him look extremely adorable... My breath hitched in my throat. "Do you think this is your clone?" How could they put a clone in the cabin? Was this cruise a huge testing ground? Something simr to the one Nancy had? Chapter 538 ? Steven looked at the boy intensely. As he was going to speak, the boy gazed at me with a nk expression and asked, "Mom, why do you look... a little different?" In the living room, a little girl timidly hid behind the wall and looked at me. "It''s Mom!" Then, she quickly came toward me and hugged me. I instinctively held her in my arms. She was incredibly obedient. The little girl and the little boy seemed as if they were carved out of the same mold. At first sight, they looked like identical twins. They had deep, captivating eyes and adorable faces. They looked a lot like Steven. "They look slightly... like you," Steven whispered. "These two children... are so simr to you both," Joel eximed in amazement. Eason was clearly confused. "Anyone who didn''t know better would have assumed that you two had children." I carried the little girl to the living room. The three-bedroom unit was in, with wedding photos hanging on the wall. The man and woman in the photo were actually Steven and Stephanie. I looked at Steven in shock. Joel eximed in surprise, "All the photos in this room feature Steven and Stephanie!" "That''s Mom and Dad." The boy pointed at "Stephanie" in a photo and dered that she was his mother. Then, he looked at me again. "Mom, why do you look different from the photos?" I remained oblivious for quite a while, wondering what he meant. "The entire underground cabin seemed to have been intentionally revealed to us. It was too obvious and deliberate. Someone led us to discover these two children," Steven said seriously. "Have you two met your parents?" I asked in a hushed tone. Both of them shook their heads. "The nanny said that our parents are scientists on a mission. It''ll take a few years before they return. We must wait at home and not go out." Gasping, I looked at the doors outside the cabin. "Is everyone here children?" The boy suddenly replied, "They''re all dead. They were eliminated..."This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "What do you mean?" I felt a chill running down my back. "The best children are the only ones who can survive and see their parents," the boy said in a solemn tone. "My brother protected me..." The little girl hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear that her brother had been protecting her. I didn''t know what awful things happened to these two children who seemed to be only three or four years old. "Look at this." Joel found a surveince camera above the living room and a tablet on the bookshelf. "This is the experimental data about you two," Joel said as he handed the tablet to Steven. The data inside belonged to Steven and Stephanie. "From a biological standpoint, these children are the offspring of you and Stephanie. When Stephanie reached sexual maturity, her parents obtained her eggs to use for the cultivation of the next generation through embryonic development. "Stephanie''s genes have some defects, making it challenging to conceive healthy embryos. Hence, the birth of these two children is truly a miracle." Joel scrutinized the experimental data and watched the confession of the experimenter disyed on the tablet. He yed the video and passed the tablet to me. It turned out that the person in the video was Stephanie''s mother. In front of the camera, she repeatedly discussed the failures of the experiments and then recorded the sessful embryo specimens. These two little kids were among the sessful ones. In addition to these two children, other children were born with unique conditions such as different or double pupils, or even other congenital diseases. Most of them had specific defects. However, since Stephanie''s parents died in a car ident, the experiment was entrusted to others. I examined the records regarding the two mentioned children and was appalled. Steven and Stephanie both had character ws, and these two children were even more peculiar. Due to a strong gic bond, the older brother instinctively protected his younger sister from the moment he was born. He had an uncanny ability to detect approaching danger and would swiftly eliminate any animalsing close to his sister. Furthermore, both children possessed remarkably high IQs. They were highly aggressive, and socializing them was difficult. There was software on the tablet to view the surveince. Upon yback, I witnessed the two little kids luring the nanny into the bedroom and locking her in. Then, they proceeded to open the password-protected door of theb capsule, which was the ce we had just entered. If the door was closed directly, it became an invisible door that was difficult to find. I nced toward the bedroom and walked over slowly. All the door locks in these rooms were on the outside, which would be convenient for securing the two little kids inside the room. When I unlocked the door, I took a deep breath. The nanny... was dead. It appeared that she had been locked in for a long time and died of starvation. I couldn''t help but nce back at the two little kids who eagerly threw themselves into Steven''s arms and began to act coquettishly... A chill ran down my spine. What kind of little monsters were these two? At that moment, I had the unsettling illusion that these two kids had deliberately lured us step by step, taking advantage of the fact that the door was locked from the outside. They eliminated the people in the cabin in advance. It was hard to believe that they were no more than four years old. Chapter 539 ? I knew that the organization was conducting gic experiments, and they were focused onbining my and Steven''s genes. Shockingly, theboratory was located on board a cruise ship, which had been sailing to different countries on the high seas,pletely undetected. Suddenly, the door of theb capsule closed abruptly, causing the room to fall into a profound silence. At that moment, the little boy who was cradled in Steven''s arms made his way toward the door and reopened it using the correct password. "How do you know the password?" Joel was curious. "I heard it," the boy replied innocently. Joel couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "How did you hear that?" "They entered the password and left. I could hear the intervals and the general direction when they entered the password. After a few attempts, I managed to open it." The boy expressed himself clearly. "How old are you?" I asked nervously. The boy came to hug me. "Four and half years old, almost five years old. Mom, since my sister and I defeated everyone, will we be your favorite children?" He appeared to be testing us, asking in a somewhat tentative manner whether we liked him. Growing up in an environment where they were constantly monitored and used as experimental data, there was a definiteck of love. However, their genes somehow brought them closer to me and Steven. They yearned for our approval and affection. "Yes..." I murmured nervously, my nerves on edge. These two children were certainly not ordinary. "What''s your name?" I asked. The boy whispered, "My name is Ashton Lincoln, and my sister goes by Xandra Carlson. We were given these names by our grandma." Tears welled up in my eyes. At that moment, I finally grasped Stephanie''s mother''s true purpose behind setting up this experiment. In my memory, she would often cryte at night. She believed that Stephanie was destined to have an iplete life. She mentioned that Stephanie and Steven would not be able to have a healthy child in the future, and the probability of having a child was very low. With such a low probability, having a healthy child through natural pregnancy was incredibly difficult. Therefore, she most likely wanted Stephanie and Steven to have no regrets in the future. My heart began beating strangely as I held Ashton in my arms nkly. I couldn''t ignore the powerful connection I felt with them. Was this irresistible force simply the result of gic ties? Perhaps, at that moment, I truly grasped the depth of family love. When Stephanie lost her parents, she likely already understood the family bond. However, after meeting Ashton and Xandra, who shared the same genes as her and Steven, this feeling started to be more tangible. My body began to rx as I embraced Ashton tightly in my arms. Just five years old... They were only five years old. Stephanie''s and Steven''s blood flowed through their veins. As I listened to Ashton''s heartbeat, it felt as though our heartbeats were forming a beautiful symbiotic connection. They might not havee from my belly, but the feeling was still absolutely incredible. Probably sensing my relief, Ashton raised his hand and hugged me tightly. "Mom, don''t abandon us." Those words had a childish tone, yet they seemed to cause undue oppression. I felt as though Ashton was threatening Steven and me. Since we had met him, we couldn''t just abandon him. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Steven. He was confused as if he still hadn''t fully processed the overwhelming joy of bing a father. Joel seemed to handle it better than Steven, considering Ashton was not his son, after all. Joel pointed at Ashton, remarking, "At just five years old, he''s quite tall..."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Five-year-old Ashton truly stood out in every aspectpared to other children of the same age. "We can''t stay here for long. Let''s leave quickly." I stood up and guided Ashton out of the door. Yara was standing in the corridor, gazing at the rooms lined up one after another. Each door was secured with a password lock, guarding the secrets of whaty beyond. Chapter 540 ? "Mom, do you want to get in?" asked Ashton. "Do you know all the passwords?" I asked with surprise. Ashton entered the password and gazed at me with longing as if desiring praise. I approached him, gently rubbed his head, and affirmatively praised, "You''re truly awesome." "Mommy, I also know the password. If Ashton can do it, I can do it too!" Xandra eximed with her innocent voice while being held by Steven. I reached out to carry Xandra, holding her in my arms and locking eyes with Steven. What should we do with these two children? Should we take them in as our own? Steven looked at me with a serious expression. "Being a mother without the physical pain of childbirth is pretty good. Thest time you experienced a miscarriage... it terrified me." Thest time, I experienced a miscarriage and lost the baby. It was a very frightening experience for him. "But..." I took a deep breath. "If you desire to conceive a baby naturally, I''m also willing to put in the effort," Steven replied, his gaze unwavering. I was speechless and filled with an overwhelming urge to kick him. Wasn''t he afraid? Why was I feeling terrified of two five-year-olds... After the password-protected door opened, I entered the room with Xandra in my arms. The room was nearly identical to theirs, adorned with photos on the wall and children''s photographs on the table. "They''re all dead. They were disposed of and most likely thrown directly into the sea," Ashton said calmly. They appeared to be ustomed to it at such a young age. "Did those viins force you to... kill each other?" My voice quivered slightly. Ashton shook his head. "Survival of the fittest. This is thew of nature." The experimenter used a "survival of the fittest" method by having consecutive games or tests. The winners lived and the losers died. Anyway, the cruise ship sailed in the deep sea, where the endless waters could consume everything. "Stephany, listen! There''s noise in this room," Yara eximed as she approached a room. I carried Xandra over. Ashton whispered urgently, "Don''t open this door. There are manyrge, uncontrolled dogs here. They use them to study biological weapons and then send them to war zones." Ashton seemed to know everything. He was almost like the Wikipedia of theboratory. I looked at Ashton in surprise. The range of profits that this organization was involved in was astonishingly vast. They were willing to do anything, regardless of human ethics. They seemedpletely unafraid of facing retribution or karma. There was a peephole on the door. Eason opened it curiously to peer inside. Suddenly, he smelled a strong unpleasant odor, and a dark figure hit the peephole with a bang!Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Eason screamed in fright and almost fell, but Joel grabbed him by the cor. "Curiosity killed the cat. I thought you always mentioned that you''d never be that cat?" Eason turned pale with fear and looked at Steven and me in horror. "What the hell are those things? Don''t let them escape, or else everyone will die." Eason''s words were a wake-up call for me. The members of Genome Society had to know what was inside. The Rebels had seized control of the entire cruise. If the members of Genome Society were coerced into releasing these creatures, then everyone onboard would be in grave danger. "Should we destroy them?" I asked quietly. "Mommy, big dogs are cute," whispered Xandra. Eason was left speechless, wondering why she had described the creatures as cute. "Exit the cabin and seal the entrance," Steven instructed as he led us out. As we ascended thedder, I caught a glimpse of a mysterious ck shadow darting across the cabin. I was immediately alerted. "There are still people on this floor." My gaze fixed on the empty end, the lights flickering. Several sounds were heard. Suddenly, that door was opened. A whimpering sound emerged as a big ck fierce dog stepped out and stood in the corridor, eyeing us. Its fur was shiny, and its eyes glinted with a sense of menace and aggression. "Run!" I gasped, assessed the situation, and instantly climbed up thedder. Soon, a group of ck dogs quickly emerged. They stopped behind the leader, and all of them stared at us. Suddenly, they all charged toward us. At that critical moment, Joel swiftly pushed Eason up thedder. "Hurry!" Chapter 541 ? "Joel!" Eason shouted in a panic as he rushed up thedder. Steven nced reluctantly at Eason and Joel. "Are you two reenacting the Titanic? I haven''t even left yet. What''s all themotion about?"Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Only then did Eason realize that Steven was still down there. Even the dogs were afraid of that lunatic. Without a doubt, those ferocious dogs came to a halt about three meters from us, all baring their teeth and preparing to attack. I was astonished as well. These fierce dogs appeared to be afraid of something. Could it be that they were truly afraid of Steven? "Come up quickly." I carried Ashton and Xandra out, passing Yara to Maverick, who was guarding outside. As I prepared to exit, the cover above was shut. Maverick appeared visibly distressed. I should have realized from the start that there had to be someone else out there. It seemed like the new rule of the Rebels was to only acknowledge the room card and not the individual. Those of us with a VIP room card were being targeted. "Open the cover!" I mmed the upper cover. Maverick was also pleading outside, "Please, open the cover. We''re all from Huma. Sooner orter, we''ll have to go ashore. You can''t kill people. This is illegal." Despite Maverick''s continued attempts to reason with the group, it was clear that they were unwilling to listen. The leader stepped on the cover and issued a chilling ultimatum in amanding voice. "Those below, listen closely. If you wish to ensure the safety of these two children and the young girl, hand over your room card. Otherwise, I won''t hesitate to throw your children into the sea." I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands. Indeed, all the evil in human nature was unleashed at this moment. I turned to look at Steven, who was eyeing the dogs warily. I couldn''t understand what set them off, but they were going wild, slowly closing in on us with the intent to attack. Realizing he couldn''t hold on much longer, I pushed the cover hard. "There are many of you. Allow us to go up first. Then, we''ll pass you the room card." The person above snorted. "I don''t believe you. Hand over the room key and I''ll let you out." I took a deep breath. These people were indifferent. At the base of thedder, the ferocious dogs cautiously advanced. They appeared to be wary of Steven, but it was clear that they could attack at any moment. Eason noticed that these aggressive dogs were going to pounce on people, so he patted me. I descended while allowing him to ascend. He exerted great effort in attempting to raise the cover, yet we were positioned beneath while they stood above. They applied pressure on the cover, making it arduous for us to push it open with our own strength. "I''m a police officer. Let us out!" Eason shouted angrily. "Police? Hahaha! This cruise is out on the open seas! Why do we need the police?" People outsideughed. "How impressive are the police?" Eason punched the cover furiously. Regardless, we needed to find a way out. "I have two VIP room cards in my hand. I''ll give them..." I was just about to ask them if they would allow us to leave when I heard Ashton''s innocent voice from outside. "Sir, which color card would you like? I have them right here." The man sneered. "You little rascal. How would the adults leave the cards with you?" "Is this the one?" I peered through the crack in the cover as Ashton pulled a golden room card. It was unlike the room card we held in our hands. Ours was a in gold card with no patterns, granting us ess to the VIP area and high-end rooms within it. However, the card in Ashton''s hand featured a gold pattern and looked even more luxurious. "Fuck!" I heard the leader curse and then an exmation. "Who is this child? I noticed on the bulletin board that there are gold cards exclusively for VIPs and silver cards valid for below the 14th floor. The mostmon one is the white card, only usable for dining and activities below the sixth floor. "Then there''s the exclusive diamond card, reserved for shareholders and high-level internal personnel. With this card, one can ess any area on the cruise, even restricted ones." I frowned, wondering how many surprises these two kids had for me. Chapter 542 ? "Sir, my parents were aware of these cards located down there, so we came to find them. All the staff down there are dead. They all possess this card. There are many of them," Ashton said again. As he was a kid saying this, most people wouldn''t doubt it. His words had a magical effect, triggering the greed and desire of those people. The leader swore and hit the cover. "Fuck! No wonder they went down. Retrieve the remaining room cards for us. In return, I''ll grant you permission toe up. Once youe up, we''ll divide the cards equally among us." "That won''t work. These diamond cards are ours. If you want a gold card, I''ll give it to you," I continued speaking, building on Ashton''s words. "Damn it! You have so many diamond cards and you''re only giving us gold cards? Are you treating us like beggars? Hand over the diamond cards quickly," demanded the people outside, their anxiety palpable. I fell silent. At that moment, they seemed more anxious than I was. As expected, those people were unable to contain their anger and lifted the cover to descend. "Don''te down!" Eason ordered angrily. They would die if they came down. "Hand over the diamond cards." Several people jumped down from above, each wielding a knife. I furrowed my brows, ready to inform that there wasn''t a diamond card to begin with. However, my attention was quickly diverted as I noticed Ashton crouching beside me, shing me an innocent smile. " Mommy, crouch down." I was momentarily stunned and suddenly felt a chill down my back. I watched him snap his fingers at the aggressive dogs, and they swiftly charged in our direction. A few of us instinctively crouched down, and the dogs attacked those wielding the knives. The sound of screams filled the air.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "Get up quickly!" Those dogs never stopped once they started biting. I climbed up and lifted Ashton, my gaze filled with determination. "Ashton! Do those dogs obey yourmands? Instruct them to stop! Ashton Lincoln, resorting to violence is not the way to address issues!" Ashton looked at me with confusion in his eyes. He couldn''tprehend his mistake as no one had ever taught him that was wrong. In his perspective, in thew of the jungle, only the strongest survived. "Listen..." I coaxed gently. Fortunately, Ashton was easily coaxed and then whistled sharply downward. Despite their reluctance, the fierce dogs bared their teeth and retreated. The entire underground cabin was permeated with the scent of blood. Those who had been bitten were terrified, trembling, and covered in blood. "Go up first." Eason headed up first, followed by Joel and Steven. Afterward, they guided the others up as well. We couldn''t simply stand by and witness them being bitten to death. "Lock this ce. If those dogse out, everyone will suffer." I searched and found a wire to tighten the bolt on the cover with all my strength. Those people were injured and did not dare to confront us for the time being, but they were aware of our possession of diamond cards. This could potentially cause trouble. "Ashton, Xandra, remember that you must respect life under any circumstances." I brought them closer and emphasized the preciousness of life. I stressed the importance of proper defense without going overboard. After saying that, I was stunned for a moment. If I were alone, I would probably leave these people to fend for themselves. However, with the two children here, I was actually afraid that they would learn from me and go the wrong way. Some people believe that the parents'' actions and words were the most powerful lessons for their children. I was worried that Ashton and Xandra would be like me. They might struggle to fit into society, face exclusion and istion, and be treated as outsiders. Therefore, they needed to learn to adapt and integrate into society better than I did. They had to love and cherish life. Once upon a time, I found it difficult to grasp the true value of life. While I could witness the passing of others with a detached demeanor, the thought of losing those dear to me was unbearable. Chapter 543 ? After leaving the cabin, we saw that the entire cruise was empty. Everyone had gone inside their room and was too afraid toe out. After all, people could only get food with their room cards. If their cards were stolen, they would starve to death. Some even formed alliances to steal cards and get more food to stock up. Steven and I held a child each while Eason led Yara. We quickly made our way to the elevator entrance. It was crucial to return to the room and lock the door as soon as possible to ensure our safety as it would be dangerous to remain outside. Maverick nced around, his voice hushed and urgent. "Hurry, get in the elevator. Something doesn''t feel right." Indeed, as soon as the elevator door opened, several strong men emerged, brandishing sticks, knives, and other weapons. They instantly grinned when they caught sight of us, like hunters spotting their prey. "Which floor are you on? Take out your room key cards and show us," the towering man in the front asked in amanding voice. Maverick quickly presented his white card. "Sir, we''re on themon floor. We''re out to find something to eat. Our kids are hungry..." The man groaned in frustration as we held the most basic white cards, and they weren''t the best. After all, a white card could only be used to receive basic foods such as milk, bread, and eggs. "Dude, no worries if they have white cards. We''ll just snatch them first so that we can have an additional person''s meal," suggested the man standing behind him. The leader agreed, "It makes sense. If you give us all your room cards, we won''t harm you. But if you don''t, don''t me us for what happens..." Before the leader could finish, Steven raised his hand to his head and forcefully hit it against the wall. I couldn''t believe my eyes. The man was strong and muscr. Yet, Steven effortlessly pinned him against the wall.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Despite Steven being taller, he didn''t appear as strong. How could he resort to violence just because of a disagreement? There were two children present. He should set a positive example for them. I instinctively lowered my head and nced at Ashton. "Well, it seems like your dad is engaging in a friendly conversation with them..." Ashton''s eyes sparkled, bearing a striking resemnce to Steven''s. He joyfully pped his hands, eximing, "Daddy is amazing!" This time, the group of strong men waspletely furious. "Damn it! You''re asking for trouble! Get him!" Joel quickly kicked and punched the person with great agility. Eason wasn''t skilled at fighting, but he could bite people. Once he bit others'' fingers, he used the opportunity to elbow them. Maverick trembled with fear as he protected Yara, myself, and our two children. I quickly stepped into the elevator with Yara, Ashton, and Xandra. Ashton''s eyes were fixated on Steven as if he were observing him intently. I whispered, "Ashton, what are you looking at?" "Dad is clearly capable of killing them in a short time, but he''s choosing not to. Why?" Ashton couldn''tprehend it. Clearly, everyone possessed vulnerable areas, making it remarkably easy to eliminate them by precisely targeting these weak points. So, why did Steven bother to fight? I was stunned for a moment and nced at Steven. If Ashton hadn''t pointed it out, I wouldn''t have realized it... It became clear that Steven had already considered the kids without anyone noticing. It turned out that he also subconsciously wanted to be a good father. I smiled, not entirely sure why it felt so strangely subtle, especially considering the danger of the situation. "Because your dad understands the value of respecting life and only resorting to extreme measures when absolutely necessary," I exined softly. Ashton and Xandra tilted their heads, appearing to digest my exnation. "Dad, strike the opponent''s chin hard. The chin is connected to the brain nerve," Xandra said calmly. Steven nced at his angelic little daughter, then swiftly backhanded his opponent on the chin. The man staggered and fell to the ground with a resounding thud. Afterward, Xandra observed the opponent fighting Joel. He was clearly well-trained and instinctively guarded his chin during the fight. Xandra suggested, "Old man, aim for his eyes." Instinctively, the opponent raised his hand to shield his eyes. Hence, it allowed Joel to deliver a powerful blow to his stomach, ultimately bringing him down with a forceful punch. Chapter 544 ? Joel looked back at Xandra in shock. "Kid, did you just call me ''old man''? I''m not that old!" Meanwhile, Eason relied on his genius instinct to guide the man toward the stairs. He kicked him down and sprinted back to the elevator to catch his breath. "Again, just call me Joel." Joel couldn''t stop thinking about Xandra calling him "old man" even after the elevator doors closed. Xandra looked at Joel and said, "But you''re clearly older than my dad." Joel was stunned and fell silent. Eason looked at Joel and asked, "Who''s as old as her dad?"This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "Don''t ask so many questions," Joel retorted. Eason patted his chest in fear. "Let''s go back to our room quickly." The elevator stopped at the top floor. After getting out cautiously, we found a rich man being stabbed to death in the corridor. It seemed like someone from a lower floor came up to kill him and took his room card. "Shh." I made a silent gesture and walked slowly toward the room. The door creaked open, and a group of gangsters emerged. It was clear that they didn''t belong on this floor among the wealthy. These murderers had stolen the room cards of affluent individuals. I was shocked and locked eyes with them. "Come out. There''s work to be done." The man shouted toward the room. About five or six young gangsters came out from the other room. They all had tattoos, and some were adjusting and wearing their pants. "Help..." a woman cried out in the room. The rich man was obviously killed, and his partner was harassed by these people. This was human nature. "Wow, this woman is gorgeous!" A bold hand eagerly reached out, yearning to caress my face. "There''s a young girl here, underage..." The man holding up his pants behind him smiled maliciously at Yara. The gangsters showed no mercy, not even to the children. What they disyed was not human behavior but that of beasts. Yara cowered behind Eason and Joel, consumed by fear. I shielded the two children and cast a wary gaze upon the gangsters. "As usual, kill the men but spare the women and secure their room keys." The leader ran his fingers through his hair, drew a knife, and plunged it into Steven and the others. One of them tried to force me into the room. Without hesitation, I boldly stepped inside and firmly shut the door with my foot. Killing people in front of children was inappropriate. In that room, a man was bullying the woman. Along with the man who forcibly pulled me inside, there were two men in total. The man smiled menacingly as he approached, grabbing hold of my hair. "Herees another one of excellent quality." I was pulled over and thrown onto the bed. The tortured and dying woman cried and shook her head at me, her eyes filled withpassion. It was clear that she was in despair. I remained still without resisting or moving. By the time he took off his pants, my knife was already between his legs. "If you can''t take care of your manhood, then I''ll ensure it receives the care it needs." The man fell to the ground, screaming in pain. His body twitched as blood instantly covered the area between his legs. However,pared to the woman''s injury on the bed, his injury seemed minor. The woman lying on the bed gazed at me in shock. She was tortured and drenched in blood, unable to move. Meanwhile, the man atop her appeared equally stunned, consumed by a murderous rage directed toward me. Acting swiftly, the woman lifted her legs to ensnare the man, fighting with all her might to keep him from attacking me. The man raised his hand to hit the woman, but before he could strike, my knife had already pierced his shoulder. "There are major arteries here. If you pull out the knife or move, you''ll bleed to death. "I advise that if you want to survive, take your emascted friend and head to the medical capsule immediately. If you dy, all of you will be dead." Chapter 545 ? The man gazed at me with sheer horror as though he had just witnessed something truly horrific. "I''ve already been kind to you, considering I just became a new mother today." I kicked the man out and opened the door. Steven and the others had defeated the rest in the corridor. Zion was also outside and must have heard the noise. "Let''s go back to our room!" I turned to the woman who had been through unimaginable suffering, "Would you like to join us?" In such an environment, it was challenging for a woman to live alone. We had all embraced Maverick, and we could wee another one as well. Moreover, she genuinely made an effort to help me earlier. Suddenly, the woman burst into tears. After she fixed her hair, it became clear to me that she was the female celebrity the So family''s scion had saved i the VIP banquet hall. She quickly put on her coat and limped out. Grabbing the key card, she followed us. "Thank you. My name is Xandra Zander," she sobbed out the words. I was stunned for a moment. "You have the same name as my daughter."C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Xandra Carlson eagerly reached out to Xandra Zander. "Hello, prettydy. My name is Xandra as well." "Thank you, all." Xandra quickly wiped her hands on her clothes, feeling a sense of filthiness engulf her. She thought she would be killed by those people. om for a meeting," Zion informed everyone. "Come to my room I escorted Xandra into our room and instructed her to take a bath. I then retrieved some topical medicine from the medicine box and ced it on the sink for her. "We''ll be in the adjoining room. It''s safe for you to stay here. Don''t wander off. We''lle inter." I retrieved the room key and asked Xandra to stay in the room. Her eyes were red, and her entire body trembled as she expressed her gratitude. I gently caressed the two kids'' heads. "There''s no need to worry, Ashton and Xan will watch over you outside. "Kids, I''ve entrusted you with an important mission. While the lovelydy enjoys her bath, you''ll be ying in the living room. Your role is to protect her, understand?" Ashton and Xandra nodded in agreement and obediently took a seat on the couch. I walked out and closed the door. After ensuring the safety of the area, Steven and I went into Zion''s room. "Why did I just hear screams in the corridor?" I asked Steven in a hushed tone. Steven seemed innocent. "The person who attacked you somehow broke his hand and was screaming. He''s really unlucky," I feltpletely helpless as I watched Steven''s unwavering determination to seek revenge. "We''ve now reached the high seas, a deep sea area where our satellite phone can no longer contact the police. Our leaders have instructed us to protect ourselves. They''ve notified the peacekeeping police in the Mileria, who will cooperate with us to carry out the mission. "Supplies on the cruise are exhausted, and our priority now is to reach the shore. Once onnd, we can coordinate our efforts inside and outside," Zion briefed us on the situation. I grabbed the telescope from his bedside, stepped out onto the balcony, and peered into the distance.'' Once this cruise depletes its supplies, it won''t dock. We''re approaching uncharted waters..." Through the telescope, I could see several ships nearby, which I assumed to be the ships of Genome Society. "The members of the Genome Society are advancing methodically, yet they''re not rushing to board the ships for rescue. They seem to have resigned themselves to the situation. They''re waiting for the cruise to vanishpletely from the surface of the sea, at which point they''ll consider themselves safe." The cruise carried many secrets of Genome Society. Over a thousand people from different countries were on board. If these people were allowed to disembark, the secret would be known. Hence, everyone on the cruise would be trapped in a dead end. Genome Society refused to allow us and those Rebels to disembark, just as the Rebels aboard this cruise ship also prevented anyone from going ashore. The Rebels were determined to eliminate all the financial supporters of Genome Society. From their viewpoint, every individual aboard our ship was already considered deceased. Rachely on the bed, coughing weakly, her eyes red. "Stephie... are we unable to go back?" "Don''t worry, I won''t let you die." I turned around and promised Rachel. The room fell silent. Chapter 546 ? Eason remained silent and appeared quite despondent. Joel also remained quiet, appearing lost in deep thought. As a tourist on the cruise, Maverick lost his family and witnessed a massacre. He hid away, silently weeping, Rachel''splexion appeared pallid, apanied by intermittent coughing. "Rachel''s running a fever, putting her at risk of infection. She must take antibiotics." Maverick, the doctor, quickly noticed that something was amiss with Rachel. He immediately rushed to assess her condition.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Zion grew nervous and immediately stepped forward, gently touching Rachel''s head. "Why didn''t you tell me you were unwell?" Rachel shook her head, her eyes teary. "I didn''t want you to worry..." I sped my hands together and took a step forward. "The medical capsule on this cruise ship is fully equipped with a wide range of medicines. Just tell me what you need and I''ll go get it." "It''s too dangerous outside," Maverick replied anxiously. Venturing outside was like risking one''s life. It was surely chaotic out there. With supplies only essible through a room card, they had to be controlling the medicine too. Those in need of medicine for a headache or fever would have to visit the medical capsule. The medical capsule at present was unquestionably perilous. "I''m uncertain about when this cruise ship will be able to dock, and I''m not even sure if it can dock. We can''t afford to prolong her condition any further," I dered seriously. Despite the tremendous danger, I feltpelled to go. Rachel''s life was at stake, and I couldn''t bear to lose my best friend. As I caught a glimpse of Rachel, her eyes became filled with tears. She closed her eyes, seemingly devoid of strength. She desperately wanted to say something, but it appeared that the words simply eluded her. "I''ming with you guys." Zion was certain that I would go with Steven. "No, it''s too dangerous for just you guys to go. It would be best for everyone to go together." Eason insisted as he stretched and nced at Joel. Joel regained hisposure and nodded affirmatively. "Sure. Let''s go together." Eason was quite astute and recognized that Maverick couldn''t be left alone. After all, as an outsider, he couldn''t be fully trusted. "You''re a doctor. Come with us. Otherwise, we wouldn''t know which medicines to take." "I... I can''t do it. It''s too dangerous, and I''ll hold you back," Maverick rejected nervously. He was visibly scared. "Besides, I can still take care of her if I stay. Don''t worry, I''ll never leave this room until youe back." I nced at Zion and checked the time. "I''ll bring Ashton and Xan over. Xandra should''ve finished her bath by now. Let''s bring them here to keep Rachpany." I didn''t trust Maverick, but I could trust the two children. From my perspective, I saw that Maverick didn''t harbor any serious malice. He was simply timid and afraid of death. It was fine to let him stay. Steven nodded and went to pick up Xandra and the two children. "There''s food and water in this room. Remember, no matter what happens, do not leave the room until wee back, and do not open the door for anyone. Do you understand?" Xandra nodded. Steven crouched down and gazed at Ashton. "You''re a brother and a man. You must protect your sister, yourself, and Rachel. She''s your mom''s best friend. Do you understand?" Rachel''s eyes gleamed with excitement. It was as if a surge of energy had revitalized her. She sat up with her arms propped up. She looked at the two children in shock. "How long was I unconscious? What have I missed?" After saying that, she rubbed her eyes and said, "These two kids look so much like you both." I smiled and proudly introduced, "These are my newborn son and daughter. I''ve just be a mother without experiencing any pain. They''re able to walk straight after being born." Rachel was utterly astonished. "I can''t believe it..." Ashton politely introduced himself to Rachel. "Hello, Rachel. My name is Ashton Lincoln, and my sister''s name is Xandra Carlson." Rachel was filled with excitement as she looked at me. "I''ll take great care of them. Please stay safe and return as soon as you can." I nodded and nced at Steven and the others. "Everyone must return safely." "The pharmacy is located beneath the medical capsule. To reach the pharmacy, we have to go through the medical capsule. It''s going to be a tough challenge," Joel said in a hushed tone. I realized that going to the medical capsule this time was a narrow escape. With Rachel''s persistent high fever, we couldn''t stand by and watch her sumb to the infection. Chapter 547 ? I was quite surprised not to encounter anyone during our journey to the medical capsule. Most people did not possess the "killer gene" and chose to stay in their rooms. However, a few individuals with this gene formed alliances andmitted acts of violence in order to gain resources and advantages. "It has been incredibly quiet." Zion frowned. Everyone noticed how unnervingly quiet the journey had be, instilling a sense of panic. As I moved to press on, Steven''s firm grasp stopped me in my tracks, preventing Eason and Zion from advancing further. Clearly, he had sensed that something was amiss. But Joel kept walking forward on his own. Steven didn''t stop him, nor did he notice that several of his good teammates had stopped behind him. Joel shrugged and continued to walk forward with pride. "A storm ising. History books often mention that when things go awry, demons are believed to be close by. Be careful, there may be an ambush somewhere." Before he could finish speaking, someone lunged at him with a knife and shed. He jinxed it! "Fuck!" Joel kicked the person away and looked back, shocked. "Damn it! Are we all in the same group? You''re being disloyal!" Eason couldn''t help butugh. "You were moving forward as if you were sightseeing." Joel fought the attacker and then noticed seven or eight people sitting in the corner, casually eating snacks. It was clear they were waiting for something to happen, and the person who had attacked was just bait. "Young kid, where are you going?" A strong man loomed around the corner and asked coldly, stepping against the wall.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. At first sight, Joel appeared to be a high school student, inadvertently giving the impression of youthfulness. This led others to underestimate him. "I need to get to the medical capsule. Please, sir, let me through. My sister has a high fever, and I must get her medication." Joel pretended to be obedient. "Young kid, there''s only one way to ess the medical capsule. It''s fine for you to go there, but you must understand the rules. Do you have anything valuable to contribute?" the leader inquired. Joel lowered his head and gazed at the watch on his wrist. "This watch holds considerable value, you see " They burst intoughter. "Haha... We''re clueless about the destination those bastards would sail to. It''s a good thing this watch is valuable." He reached out to grab Joel''s watch. "But food is more important on this cruise. How about handing over your room card instead?" "I believe all of you are reasonable people. Why not consider this? We''ll provide you with a room card and all our valuable belongings. In exchange, would you be willing to let us go?" Eason approached them to negotiate after realizing that Joel was unable to handle the situation. The man looked at Eason and smiled. "Okay, let me see if you have anything valuable." Eason also removed his watch. "It''s a Rolex, worth over 100,000 dors." The man nodded in agreement. "Great! Pass me your room card. Both of you can go through." Eason handed Maverick''s white room card to the other person and also offered him his watch. Despite the pain in his heart from parting with the watch, there was nothing he could do. Sometimes, losing material possessions was necessary to avert a greater disaster. I shifted my gaze toward Steven, then toward myself. I realized I had nothing of significant value. "How about you guys?" The leader stood up and stared at me. I shook my head. "I don''t own jewelry or anything valuable. My family is poor." "You look very beautiful. Stay here and let them get the medicine," the leader said as he pinched my face with obvious bad intentions. Gasping, I offered a brief prayer for his hand. Just as I imagined, before he could release his grip on my face, Steven swiftly intervened. There was not a hint of emotion on Steven''s face as he delicately broke the leader''s hand, producing a distinct clicking sound. His bulging muscles contorted with agony, revealing his astonishment. Clearly, he had not anticipated Steven, despite his lean and tall appearance, possessing such formidable strength. "If you don''t need your hand, I can break it," Steven dered in amanding voice. He used his backhand to immobilize the leader''s neck, applying just enough force. In mere seconds, the man lost consciousness. Chapter 548 ? The leader didn''t even have time to cry out in pain. When Stevenunched his attack, the leader''s friends couldn''t sit still. They all stood up to step forward and take action. Joel and Eason eximed, "Why couldn''t you mention that you were going to fight earlier? I offered up my watch for nothing!" Eason and Joel attacked two people from behind, and a fight started. Seven or eight people were on the other side, and I didn''t even make a move. When Steven went crazy, he could handle everyone by himself. Eason clenched his teeth as he witnessed Steven render thest person unconscious against the wall, instinctively seeking shelter behind Joel. "Sure enough, never mess with a lunatic. Is he even human? His hands are so powerful. It''s like he could crush people''s heads." Joel flexed his fingers. "I can do it as well. Shall I try it on you?" Eason looked at Joel with disgust. "Stop bragging. Let''s leave right away." Once we had secured and moved the unconscious people to the staircase, a few of us hurried to reach the medical capsule. However, we soon discovered that the situation was far moreplex than we had anticipated. Those people we encountered posed no threat. It was the armed bodyguards of the wealthy who were the real danger.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Not far away, we noticed two bodyguards dressed in ck standing at the entrance of the medical capsule. It was clear that they were there to secure the entrance. Inside the medical capsule, numerous affluent individuals sought refuge while their bodyguards stood watch to thwart any attempts by the Rebels to approach and harm them. "I don''t want to argue with you. We just want to get some medicine," I said as I walked over with my hands raised. That was all I could do at that moment. They were armed with guns. "No one is allowed to enter or leave the medical capsule," the bodyguard said coldly, pointing the gun at us. "Medications are a resource that we all share. If anything goes wrong and we don''t unite internally, the Rebels will inevitably attack us. How much longer can you hold on? Why not allow us to enter and retrieve the medication? "We''ll figure out a way to establish contact with the police and ensure our safe return to Huma as soon as possible." Zion stepped forward, revealing his identity as a police officer. The bodyguards exchanged nces, instantly informing those inside through their headsets. Momentster, the door swung open, revealing Dayton from the So family. "What medicine do you need?" he inquired. "Antibiotics," I responded immediately. "Wait here for a moment. I''ll go find the doctor to get it," he said, then turned and left. I had ced a great deal of trust in him. His willingness to defend Xandra demonstrated that he possessed a kind heart. However, I had miscalcted the depths of human nature. Dayton eventually emerged, but he didn''t bring the medicine I had hoped for. Instead, he was forcefully expelled by those within. He felt resigned. "They refuse to share the medicine, iming that the medical resources are scarce and must be reserved for emergencies." "Then why did youe out?" Joel was annoyed. Dayton hung his head low, still feeling a lingering sense of grievance. "They believe I''m too kind and instructed me to leave... Hence, they forcefully expelled me." I pondered for a moment. I knew I couldn''t rely on him. I asked softly, "How many people are inside?" "There are 31 bodyguards inside, plus the two outside, bringing the total to 33. In addition, there are over a dozen employers, all with strong ties to Winston," Dayton implied that breaking in was unlikely. Winston was the one who seriously injured Rachel. He also intended to take the opportunity to remove Rachel''s heart and rece his own. How could he give us the medicine after being exposed by us and attempting to kill us? I furrowed my brows, struggling toe up with a solution. I turned to Steven, realizing that he was our only hope. Without a doubt, all eyes rested upon him. Steven was silent, indicating that he was just a genius, not God. Chapter 549 ? "Let''s go. If they don''t let us in, what else can we do but leave?" Steven shrugged and said he had no other option because they were carrying guns. "But..." Zion was a bit reluctant. They managed to reach the medical capsule, and Rachel was still suffering from a high fever. "If we go back..." Eason also thought that something might happen to Rachel if they went back like this. Steven disregarded the words of others and gestured for everyone to leave. Observing Steven''s action, I chose to follow suit without uttering a single word. A loud bang suddenly rang out. Without anyone paying attention, Steven swiftly turned around and forcefully bumped the two bodyguards'' heads together, causing them to faint instantly. Steven picked up the guns from the ground and tossed them to Zion and Eason. "You should''ve given me the gun," Joel said excitedly. With his young mind, he always craved thrilling adventures. Stevenpletely ignored Joel, kicked open the door of the medical capsule, and boldly stepped inside. The individuals within immediately noticed it and instantly aimed their guns at Steven. Not to be outdone, Eason and Zion promptly counteracted by raising their guns. However, they faced a formidable number of adversaries on the opposing side. Steven raised his hand and showed his injured palm. "If you shoot me, you''ll all die. Mr. Thorpe, you should be fully aware of why the Rebels are seeking the president of Crowdstar Group. Your only chance of survival is to locate and deliver the president of Crowdstar Group to the Rebels alive."This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Winston pondered for a moment and looked at Steven warily. "As far as I know, you''re from the Lincoln family. You can''t be the president of Crowdstar Group." "Why is it impossible? Everything''s possible. What if I truly am?" Steven sneered as he negotiated with Winston. Winston sat in the wheelchair, gripping the handle tightly. "If you''re truly the president, we just need to detain you for now. Once your hand recovers, we''ll bring you to test your palm print and irises." I looked nervously at Steven. In such a brief period, the strategy he devised was... to sacrifice himself? "Okay, I promise to stay. Once my hand is healed, I''ll go with you to the safe for testing, but I have conditions. Get the medicine my friend needs. Also, send a doctor to apany them and treat the injured," said Steven firmly. I stepped forward anxiously. "Steven..." Steven shed me aforting smile. He whispered to me, "Don''t worry. If I''m staying, they should be the ones who are afraid." I breathed a sigh of relief, but I was still a little worried. What if these lunatics were inhumane? Winston sneered. "What if I don''t agree?" "Then both sides will suffer big losses. Even if we die, we''ll manage to kill half of your bodyguards. You''re aware of the current situation outside. Those crazy people are targeting all the wealthy individuals in the VIP area. The room cards and resources that you possess are what they''re looking for now." Steven was correct. Without bodyguards, they would die miserably on the cruise. Eason and Joel exchanged nces and agreed. Steven proved himself to be a skilled negotiator. He made a clear and concise argument. It was important to recognize that even if they were to die, both sides would experience significant losses. Winston knew that the risk was not worth it for a few antibiotics. "Go and get the medicine, and find a doctor to follow them," Winston finally agreed. I looked nervously at Steven. Despite Maverick being a doctor, Steven still requested another doctor, implying that he didn''t fully trust Maverick. We needed to return to Rachel''s room as soon as possible. Chapter 550 ? Steven tenderly brushed his fingers against my cheek. "Go back and take care of Rachel. Whatever you cherish, I''ll do anything necessary to help too." He was willing to do whatever it took to protect everything that I held dear. My eyes were filled with tears, and I cast my gaze downward. He said "you" and did not mention the name "Stephie". At that moment, I felt a sense of self- righteousness and believed that he truly cared for me as a person, my soul, and who I truly was. He loved me for who I was. "Those lunatics from the Rebels will make more moves soon. We won''t be apart for long. Listen to me," Stevenforted me in a hushed voice. I nodded and waited for the doctor to bring the medicine. Then, we left. Zion also turned and looked at Steven thankfully. Without Steven, they might not have made it out of the ruined building in Manchernius. "I''m sorry for sharing your food." Steven grinned as he was escorted to a corner by Winston''s subordinates. Winston insisted that the doctors handle his hand with utmost care to avoid any damage to his palm print. Unfortunately, even the most advanced surgical procedure was unable to fully restore the original shape of the print. Upon learning of this, Winston was furious. He intended to kill Steven. Luckily, someone intervened to stop Winston. "The design of the safe primarily relies on palm prints, specifically the lines of our palm and our fingerprints. The injury he sustained was to his palm, which is not a critical area, so it should not pose a significant concern." After hearing this, Winston felt a wave of relief. "We absolutely can''t allow someone with an injured palm to escape. We need to locate the president of Crowdstar Group as quickly as possible and hand him to them. "But we''re all part of the same group, all members of the business industry. Should we really hand over ourpanions?" someone, still guided by their conscience, asked nervously. Winston eximed with rage, "If we don''t hand him over, everyone will die! This cruise is getting closer to the deep sea. Genome Society has been following us, yet they never boarded the cruise to rescue us. Why? They''re waiting and watching. "They''re watching all of us go on the brink of death before they sink the cruise!" Therefore, they needed to save themselves. They had to promptly meet all the Rebels'' requirements so that they could return or dock nearby. "Have you considered the real purpose behind the Rebels'' request for you to locate the president of Crowdstar Group? They aim to sow discord among you, fostering suspicion and ultimately driving you to kill each other. "Even if you go back alive, you''ll distrust each other, which will prevent further investment in Genome Society. Ultimately, the financial support for the Huma branch of Genome Society will be lost, and it''ll disappear," Steven calmly stated that this was the true intention of the Rebels. Hence, the Rebels put forth great effort to orchestrate ame killing game, but their primary objective was not to condemn all passengers on the cruise to death. It was just that without some casualties, they wouldn''t be able to tap into the darkness and animosity inherent to human nature. Thus, the game had to be yed, and someone had to die. Steven continued with a smile, "Natural selection, survival of the fittest. Only those who make it to the end can truly leave alive. However, the Rebels will undoubtedly redefine the game rules for those who survive. For instance, only half of you present will manage to survive." The moment Steven finished speaking, the rich people present visibly paled, and their expressions changed. They wondered whether he meant that they had to kill each other. Indeed, as soon as Steven''s words fell, the new game rules echoed throughout the entire cruise''s speakers on a loop. "There are approximately 200 people on each floor. However, only half of you can survive. Have fun!"N?velDrama.Org ? content. They aimed to decrease the number of people from 1,000 to 500. Afterward, it would be further reduced to 200. Then, it would continue to decrease gradually. As soon as the broadcast ended, Winston lost control and grabbed the gun from the bodyguard beside him. He directed the gun at Steven. "Who exactly are you?" Chapter 551 ? Steven satzily on the ground, leaning against the wall. "Whoever I am, I''m definitely not your father." Winston was upset as he felt the urge to shoot at Steven. "Mr. Thorpe, we can''t kill him for now. He knows too much and is likely one of us. My hunch is that he may even be the president of Crowdstar Group. I propose we deliver him to the Rebels in exchange for our escape. "We have to get out of here before those poor crazy people outside go on a killing spree," Winston''s female secretary promptly intercepted him and said anxiously. Winston thought for a moment. "You''re right." He had acted too impulsively. "Hand him over to the leader of the Rebels to grant us a chance to leave." "Mr. Thorpe, in that case, we..." Others were panicking. "What''s the rush? I can only rescue you after I leave," Winston deceitfully responded. "Then what if you never return? So many others trust you." Steven sneered, sowing discord. "That''s right! What if you don''te back?" someone questioned. It was evident that Steven''s words had made an impact. While seated in a wheelchair, Winston stared at the people before him, clutching a gun. "Hmph! If I promised to save you, then I will. And even if I don''t return, what can you do? You have no option but to trust me. Only if one of us survives will we find a way out." He relished being in a position of power and havingplete control. "If you kill him, the person who delivers me to the Rebels will be spared. The opportunity for survival is a rare one." A smile tugged at the corner of Steven''s mouth. Winston fired his gun at Steven, who continuously had a smile on his face. However, the shot only struck Steven''s side. Steven remained confident, knowing he wouldn''t dare to injure him. Iy in the vent above and observed everything inside the medical capsule. Upon noticing that Winston had missed the target, my tense heart finally rxed, and my clenched hands slowly loosened.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. I was concerned about Steven being here alone, so I had to keep a close eye on him. I would never allow him to be in danger by himself. Zion and the others had already gone back to rescue Rachel. As long as they stayed hidden in the room, they should be safe for the time being. Before, we had hidden some food and water, and I had informed Zion and the others to bring them back as well. Winston pulled the trigger, prompting an eerie silence. However, Steven was acutely aware that the darkest aspects of human nature would be amplified in the pursuit of survival. Sure enough, after I had hidden in the venttion duct for less than three hours, they began to fight among themselves. Someone seized the opportunity when Winston''s bodyguard was not paying attention. He grabbed the gun and pressed it against Winston''s forehead. This man was also wealthy, a younger rich man who appeared to be about 40 years old. He sneered. "Winston, you''re growing old, and your heart isn''t functioning properly. You have just a few days left to live. This opportunity for survival should be left for us." Winston looked grim as he tightened his grip on his gun. His bodyguards and the other rich man''s bodyguards aimed their guns at each other. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out as the bodyguard next to Steven identally fired his gun, causing panic among the others who then opened fire. In just a moment, the majority of bodyguards with guns were killed. Winston grabbed a gun and shot the person behind him. The other person also fired, and both of themy in a pool of blood. Having no one to worry about, Steven seemed to have unleashed his nature. He sat there, a sinister smile adorning his face. With just a few words, all the threats were resolved. Steven reached out to pick up the bloodstained gun lying on the ground, then stood up and slowly approached the severely wounded Winston. Winston leaned against the wheelchair, his eyes fixed on Steven with a blend of anger and fear. "Who exactly are you?" Steven red at Winston with disdain. "You have no chance of ever knowing my true identity." "You''re not a human being... You''re the devil himself..." After uttering those words, Winston passed away. Winston''s female secretary let out a chilling scream, her tears flowing. She crouched on the ground while clutching her head. "Ah! Please don''t kill me. I didn''t do anything. He made me do it. Please spare my life." Steven aimed the gun at her. Chapter 552 ? I felt quite nervous up there, fearing that Steven might actually kill someone. However, he simply gestured with the gun and the secretary fainted from fright. With a sneer, Steven nced back at the wealthy individuals who were screaming and taking cover. The remaining bodyguards refrained from acting recklessly and hid together. They were short-staffed, with limited guns and bullets. More ruthless bloodshed was likely toe, and their chances of survival were uncertain. Steven stretched his shoulders and extended his hands toward the venttion duct opening. "Jump down." In an instant, the anger in his body vanished without a trace as he cast his gaze upon me. He concealed his gun behind his back and smiled at me. I couldn''t help but roll my eyes and ponder when he actually found out about me. A hint of disappointment crept over me as it seemed that I couldn''t match his level of intelligence. I kicked open the venttion duct, swung my legs, and peered down at Steven. "When did you find out I was here?" "You''re quite noisy up there, not like a little mouse at all." Steven smiled and affectionately joked with me. I snorted. "I didn''t want to deal with them that quickly. I wanted to have more fun. But you''re so disobedient..." Steven sighed helplessly, as if powerless against me. If it were not for me, he would have likely attempted to deliver Winston to the Rebels. He was set on infiltrating the enemy''s inner circle. However, my presence made him hesitate as he was unwilling to risk any harm befalling me. It appeared that I was his only uncertainty. His eyes burned with confidence as he manipted those people into killing each other with a few words. He possessed an uncanny ability to foresee the course of events, ensuring that everything unfolded exactly as he had predicted, without any missteps. However, I was the sole exception to his foresight. My presence made him apprehensive as he feared any harm that might befall me, regardless of its improbability. Even with only a one in ten thousand chance of me getting hurt, he would never dare to wager on that slim possibility. "Stephie..." he called out to me again. I put my trust in him and leaped into his arms. Inded securely as he embraced me. Holding onto his neck, I whispered, "Steven, will we die on this cruise?" He looked down at me. "We won''t." Because he wouldn''t allow that to happen to me. "Are you the president of Crowdstar Group?" I squinted my eyes. "My hand hurts..." Steven began pretending again. He carried me out of the medical capsule and refused to let go despite the pain in his hand. The silence outside was absolute, as though the entire floor was devoid of any human presence. "Steven, there are crazy people outside killing ruthlessly, and you''re still flirting here." Jimmy was leaning against the wall around the corner. There was blood on his body, and he was smiling like a lunatic. "What are you doing here?" I frowned. "I was waiting for you." Jimmy stepped forward, followed by Una, whose hands and face were stained with blood.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "I''ve eliminated all the hidden dangers. Let''s head to the VIP section to dine in," Una said firmly. When Una mentioned that she had eliminated those people, she did so without a hint of emotion. It was as if she had simply resolved an exceedingly simple matter. Unexpectedly, the cruise ship jolted fiercely. A deafening crash reverberated from the outside. "Attention everyone on the cruise, I urge you to listen closely. Release the hostages immediately and surrender our people. Failure to do so will result in a shipwreck warning." The shout from outside belonged to none other than the people of Genome Society. They were confronting the Rebels. "Those lunatics are actually nning to sink the cruise ship," I said with a hint of concern. Steven appeared very confident. "Not for the time being. Genome Society can''t afford to let all the wealthy people of Huma die here, particrly the president of Crowdstar Group." Jimmy also smiled. "The president of Crowdstar Group is actually the biggest financial supporter of the organization. So, who do you think this person is, Steven?" Chapter 553 ? Steven looked at Jimmy and replied very seriously, "Maybe it''s your father." Jimmy was stunned for a moment. "That can''t be true. My dadcks the intellect and capability to do something like that." If Martin had possessed the ability, it would have been impossible for him to not have acquired the Lincoln Group by now. He even allowed Steven to sell it. I felt the urge tough, but I restrained myself and remained silent. Jimmy nced at the empty corridor and walked ahead of us. "How did you deal with all those people?" I asked Una curiously. Una looked sideways at me. "Prey." High-end hunters appeared as prey. With her striking appearance, Una became the target of their desire. When they were at their most vulnerable, Una systematically outwitted and eliminated them, one by one. "Don''t learn from her," Steven warned me firmly, covering my ears to shield me from Una''s influence. I felt helpless because I had used this trick before. I used a knife to attack the man, and Steven broke his hand. Una shot me a venomous nce as if to question why I hadn''t vanished. Indeed, the clones despised each other, each secretly longing to be the one who stood out from the rest. Jimmy grinned. "The dining area in the VIP section is now open. We can use the room card to go and eat. Steven, where is your room card?" Steven ignored Jimmy. He grabbed my hand and led me to the amodation floor. "Be careful," Una warned as she walked ahead, her senses alert to any movement in front of her. Suddenly, she stopped and nced down the empty corridor. There was a strong scent of blood ahead. My breath was taken away as I gazed at the radiant beam of light illuminating the corridor. It was then that I noticed the door to Zion''s room was wide open. "It''s Zion and the rest!" I felt my heart drop and ran uncontrobly to the room. "Stephie." Steven grabbed my wrist, worried that there might still be danger in the room. He hurriedly entered the room ahead of me, casting a somber gaze upon the disarrayed space. "Oh, the door was violently opened. It appears that we have a fellow cruise passenger who has the skill of unlocking this type of lock," Jimmy gloated, casually leaning against the door frame. "Eason and the rest should''ve been here. How could something have urred..." Iposed myself and cast a nervous nce around. The room was in disarray, yet there were no indications of a fight. It appeared as though it had been thoroughly searched. I knocked on Eason''s door and only heard a whimpering sound. Inside, I found Stan, the killer, tied up by Eason. However, both Eason and Joel were nowhere to be found. "Perhaps they went out to eat," Una said calmly. Steven nodded. "They shouldn''t have been in the room when the door was forced open and someone trespassed." Hearing that, I felt more relieved. Una nced at me with a disdainful look, mockingly saying, "It''s absurd how you can''t figure out such a straightforward scenario. How stupid." I furrowed my brows and sneered. "What could you, a being without emotions, possibly understand?" Everyone I cared about was in the room, including Ashton and Xandra. Naturally, I would be scared. Una walked beside me and whispered in my ear, "Emotions? Emotions will be your weakness, Stephany. You must be cautious, for I will soon rece you." She wanted to rece me and took everything that belonged to me. "Okay, I''ll wait," I said, defiantly raising my middle finger toward Una. Una frowned, her expression void of anger. Instead, she adorned a disdainful smile. Afterward, we took the elevator to the VIP dining area. The waiter was verifying the room cards. Jimmy arrogantly smirked at us, looking like he deserved a beating. "What should I do? I only have one room card." "Do you understand the importance of respecting those older than you? Of course, you must give the room card to your brother and sister-inw first." I smiled at him, shook the card in my hand, and handed it to the waiter.N?velDrama.Org ? content. The waiter nced at the card and allowed Steven and me to enter. Chapter 554 ? Jimmy instinctively reached into his pocket, and he was visibly upset. "When did you steal that from me?" "It was when the intelligent woman beside you started to doubt my intellect." I smiled at Una and guided Steven into the dining area. "Mom!" Just as I was about to search for Zion, Rachel, and the others, Ashton and Xandra came running toward me and leaped into my embrace. When Ashton and Xandra didn''t reveal their true colors, they appeared adorable. Every passerby would marvel at their beauty. However, I couldn''t ignore that behind their outward cuteness, something terrible and uncontrobley hidden. The cruise ship was suddenly hit again and shook violently. I instinctively protected both children in my arms while Steven shielded the three of us. "Hand over the list of personnel we require or the cruise will sink," shouted the people on the ships following closely outside. They demanded that the Rebels send out the people they requested. Some passengers rushed to the windows and desperately called out to the ships for help. "Are you here to rescue us? Please, we need your help! Help us!" They were far too naive. Within Genome Society, there were varying tiers even for the wealthy. A major sponsor like the president of Crowdstar Group was the first passenger they sought to rescue. They would not easily give up a major sponsor who could provide the organization with multiple small project funds at once. The Rebels were also keenly aware of this.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. "There isn''t much time left for everyone. Anyone wishing to leave the cruise ship and survive must act quickly to find the president of Crowdstar Group andplete our game," the voice on the broadcast urged again. This was a powerful motivator. Rescue ships were waiting outside, and the messages on the broadcast would only serve to further agitate everyone. "Eat quickly and drink water. Conserve your energy." Steven had a bad feeling and urged everyone to eat as soon as possible. Joel immediately grabbed a big lobster and started eating it. Eason looked at Joel in disgust. Zion cleverly packed some high-calorie food and ced it in Rachel''s arms. She sat in a wheelchair and discreetly covered the food with a nket. I quickly grabbed two boxes of milk and stuffed them in Ashton''s and Xandra''s arms. I intended to make a quick exit before chaos ensued. "That''s him! He''s the president of Crowdstar Group! He admitted it himself!" Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted and pointed at Steven. I frowned and cast a vignt nce back at the man. He had hurried over from the medical capsule. Sure enough, we had to eliminate the source of the trouble from the beginning. "Capture him! Hand him over to the Rebels and request them to release us!" Someone took the initiative by creating disturbances. I nced at Steven. Eason, Zion, and Joel exchanged nces while Maverick trailed anxiously behind them. Xandra, who had gone to fetch the fruit, also joined us fearfully. Upon her return, she held the hands of the two children. "Run! Run separately!" I shouted, pulling Steven with me as we fled. Steven and I dashed in opposite directions to avoid bringing trouble upon them. "Stephie, go back!" Steven insisted I return. I firmly gripped his wrist. "No way! I won''t leave you alone." We ran into the corridor and were stopped by some people. Steven looked concerned and watched them closely. After experiencing the baptism of killing, their will to survive was now at its highest. Just as Steven and I believed that this was a battle for our lives, the door behind us opened. A hand pulled us inside before promptly closing and locking the door. Chapter 555 ? Steven and I stood leaning against the wall, looking at the person warily. To our surprise, it was actually Michael. Michael nced through the peephole. "They''re breaking down the door. Someone could pick the lock. It''s not safe in this room." In Michael''s room, Yasmin trembled and cowered in the corner, her eyes swollen and teary. "Mike, you shouldn''t have saved them. They''re nothing but scourge." I rolled my eyes at her. "Yasmin, I can''t believe you''re still alive." Yasmin tightened her grip and red at me. Ignoring her, I immediately made my way to the balcony." Steven, let''s climb up from here to get on the deck." It was rare that Steven and Michael did not quarrel with each other. Consequently, they pushed the bedside table and coffee table against the door. Yasmin red at me with resentment but remained silent. Steven and I ascended to the deck while Michael escorted Yasmin to get ready for the climb. "We must make our way up, or else those people won''t let us go." Yasmin gazed at the unfathomable sea below and shook her head in fear. "Mike, I''m scared." Michael whisperedforting words, "It''s okay, don''t look down." He still expressed gratitude toward her for saving his life. "If you ignore her, she''ll manage toe up," I felt annoyed and eximed. Clutching onto the swimming ring at the edge, I attempted to ascend. However, the rope securing the swimming ring suddenly gave way. Just as I was on the verge of falling, a hand from above grabbed me. Steven heaved a sigh of relief and pushed me. I grasped the hand from above, drawing strength from it to pull myself up. However, I was taken aback to discover that it was Una who had aided me. She, Jimmy, Zion, and Eason had rushed to the deck with two children and secured the door. For the time being, the deck was safe. However, since we could climb up from the room, our pursuers could easily do so too. It was only a matter of time before they woulde up.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "You''re nowhere near aspetent as me in any aspect. You''re nothing but a failed experiment," Una said icily, taking every opportunity to deliver her biting sarcasm. It was clear that she was determined to prove that she was the best among all experimental subjects. I was toozy to talk to her and instead directed my gaze toward Steven, whom Zion was helping up." They firmly believe that you''re the president of Crowdstar Group, and they won''t back down. We can''t hide here for long." Yasmin shouted, her voice piercing through the room. It was evident that the door had been forcefully broken open. Iy down, took a look, and shouted to Michael, "Youe up first and leave her alone!" Michael nced at me and still decided to rescue Yasmin. I sighed, realizing that Michael was truly hopeless. "Michael still has some kindness within him." Zion felt helpless and nned to rescue them. I stood aside, remained silent, and made no move to help anyone. "At the very least, you were in a rtionship with him before. How could you not want to save him? You''re quite cold-hearted, after all." Una''s deliberate provocation was evident in her words. She had explicitly stated that being emotional was a weakness, yet she intentionally said this to irritate me. "Hah. You''re actually the one who shares the same genes with Stephanie. Why don''t you go and rescue him?" I gave Una a sarcastic look. Down in the room, Yasmin was still screaming, crying for someone to save them. "Zion, you''re a police officer. You muste down and save us." Even in this kind of situation, she was still trying to guilt-trip Zion. Rachel frowned, grasped Zion''s arm, and shook her head at him. She didn''t want Zion to be in danger. In this life-and-death situation, regardless of one''s identity, it was not wrong to not save others. It was natural to prioritize one''s self-preservation, and risking one''s life to save others might not seem justifiable. Zion should have understood this truth, yet he still chose to proceed. Michael was outnumbered as many people rushed into the room at once. Una stood by the railing and shouted, "Michael! Don''t you think it''s not worth sacrificing your life for someone who killed Stephanie and took advantage of your kindness too many times?" Yasmin gazed at Una with a mixture of fear and resentment. "Why are you still around!" She clearly resented Una, treating her as if she were Stephanie. "That''s right. I died so miserably. I had to return and haunt you for a lifetime. Say, do you think Michael would still want to save you if he learned that you weren''t the one who saved his life? Or that he never owed you his life in the first ce because it was all a lie?" Una looked down with her chin raised as if admiring Yasmin''s struggle close to death''s door. Yasmin turned pale. "That''s not true." Una smirked. "I didn''t expose you before because I found it intriguing," Eason found adder and wanted to lower it so that Yasmin could climb up first. Otherwise, Zion and Michael would not be able toe up as they would be burdened by her. Chapter 556 ? However, Una reached out and snatched thedder from Eason''s hands. Eason frowned. "What are you doing?" Jimmy stepped forward and moved her behind him. Una smiled. "Isn''t it interesting? Let''s watch on for a while more." She stood by the barricade and looked at Yasmin. "Do you want toe up?" "Let us up! The person they''re after is Steven. Why should we suffer because of him? Let us up!" Yasmin took a fearful nce at the crowd storming into the room and screamed. "I''ll let you up as long as you tell Michael why you rescued him in the first ce." Una seemed to be enjoying this. Eason was mildly annoyed. "Go have fun somewhere else. Are Zion and Michael still down there? Steven, Joel, get thedder!" As he was blocked by Jimmy, he could only get Joel and Steven to help. Steven looked at me. He wouldn''t move unless I did. Meanwhile, Joel shrugged before hopping over the barricade. "Are you crazy?" Eason yelled after him. "Let me get some exercise in." He rolled his neck and joined the fight, swiftly kicking off a guy who was trying to sneak up on Michael and Zion. Yasmin was trembling, but she refused to say a word. Someone charged directly at her with a knife in hand. Una watched indifferently as she screamed and cried for help. There was nothing but a hint of amusement in her eyes. I frowned. I had to admit, this woman was much more ruthless than I was. "Yell all you want. Thedder is with me, and I''m not satisfied. You can all die down there for all I care," she said uncaringly. It wasn''t until the knife broke Yasmin''s skin that she started crying out loud. "You''re a monster, you''re all monsters!" Upon seeing that she was in danger, Michael came to her rescue without a care for his own personal safety. I leaned against the barricade and stared at him. Then, I took thedder from Una and lowered it. "Let her up first." Michael looked at me before swiftly averting his gaze. Despite reminding himself that I wasn''t Stephanie, he still couldn''t bring himself to make eye contact with me. Yasmin scrambled up thedder before crying on the floor out of fear. Instead ofing up with her, Michael stayed downstairs and rushed to help Zion and Joel. He was actually... somewhat kind. However, his kindness was always reserved for other people. Stephanie never received any of it. Either that or all his evilness was directed toward her. He assumed that she could withstand everything he threw at her just because she was inherently evil herself.N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Head up first," he told Zion and Joel. The three of them were hiding on the balcony. Michael was gripping the ss door with all his might so that they could climb up. To be frank, everyone knew that thest person wouldn''t be able to make it onto the deck. No matter how fast you climbed thedder, you couldn''t possibly be able to make it all the way up before the crowd rushed out. He probably wasn''t nning oning up. He was injured, as evident from the blood on his shirt. As Zion and Joel were going up thedder, Michael lifted his head to look at me. His gaze wasced with an unexinable sadness. "If I told you that it was Stephanie who saved you back then and not Yasmin, would you regret dying here today?" I lowered my head to ask him. He didn''t reply until he was struggling with the door. "Honestly, I found out a while after Stephanie died. It wasn''t Yasmin who saved me--it was her. That''s why I''m choosing to punish myself via suicide today." Once the two had gone up thedder, Michael loosened his grip. The crowd pushed through the ss door and rushed over to the tiny balcony. "I was wrong, Michael." Yasmin suddenly stood up while crying, "The person you''ve been trying to find is your mother. Back then, when I was hiding in Peter Jones''b, your mother was the organization member who was working with him." Michael''s mother was also a member of Genome Society. "She''s the person in charge of the otherb!" "Please help him. It was me who forced him to protect me. I threatened him with that secret to make himply. "He really loved Stephanie. He was only willing to continue living to help her discover the truth behind everything," Yasmin begged as she cried. She was begging me and Steven to save Michael. Chapter 557 ? The crowd swarmed onto the balcony, and Michael was no match for so many people. The blood stains on his shirt gradually increased. I couldn''t tell if it was from his own blood or the blood of others. I stood on the deck and averted my gaze. Even though I didn''t love him anymore, it seemed like I couldn''t just watch him die either. Steven shot me a nce before turning to the rabid crowd below. "His mother is on one of the rescue ships. If you kill him, there''s no way you''re getting off this ship even if you do manage to find the president of Crowdstar Group." After his words, the people immediately stopped what they were doing. "Don''t listen to his bullshit. That guy is definitely the president. I say we kill this one first before we go up and get him. Then, we''ll turn him in in exchange for our freedom!"Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. "Yeah, let''s kill him first!" "If you insist on killing him, you''re wee to try. But then, none of you will be getting off the cruise," Steven replied nkly. The air was still. The people shot nces at each other, but no one could bring themselves to do anything before the rest did. It was better to be safe than sorry. Hence, none of them wanted to make any rash decisions. "What now?" someone asked the leader. The leader in question frowned. He didn''t lift his head to look at Steven. "Are you really the president of Crowdstar Group?" Steven let out a scoff. "Even if I am, why would I tell you?" The man''s expression was sour. "Who cares? We''ll just hand him in first so that we can get off this damned cruise." "I''m aware that everyone wants to get out of here alive. However, at the rate we''re killing each other, have you ever thought that we''ll all just end up dead? They wouldn''t even have to do anything," Steven said again. Everyone shot each other a nce. He continued, "I know you all have family waiting for you at home. If you kill him today, you''ll end up getting killed by his men tomorrow. This is a vicious cycle. How on earth are you so sure that you''ll survive till the end?" His words left them all at a loss for words. "What should we do, then? If we don''t do as they say and rescue doesn''te soon enough, we''ll all die of starvation. "Even if we don''t starve to death on this ship, we''ll get killed for our room keys. We have no other choice either we just want to get out of here alive." The leader looked at Steven. "If you can trust me, I''ll give you another choice. Bring him up the deck and try to get the attention of the rescue ships. "If they don''te for him, you can kill him. But chances are, they''ll be in a rush to negotiate with the Rebels." ording to Steven''s guess, Michael''s mother would definitely be on one of the organization''s rescue ships that were nearby. Michael shot Steven a re. Was he trying to save him or get him killed? In his opinion, Steven was probably trying to use this opportunity to get back at him. The crowd of people listened to Steven. Some of them approached Michael and put a knife against his neck. "Don''t try anything funny. Go up." Michael kept his eyes behind him cautiously and slowly went up thedder. Then, Eason and Zion pulled him up. Just as the people below were about toe up to the deck, Steven withdrew thedder. Seething, the people red at him. "You tricked us?" He just smiled in response. "All''s fair in war. You shouldn''t put your trust in anyone in situations like this. Eason and Zion were equally stunned. They looked at Steven in shock. "You tricked them? I thought you were telling the truth. I thought we were saved and was so happy about it too. You big liar." Chapter 558 ? Joel, on the other hand, was used to Steven''s antics at this point. "Are you two idiots?" Heughed. "Even if Michael''s mother was someone from Genome Society, she wouldn''t ever reveal her identity, let alone Michael''s. Do you think they''ll still keep Michael alive if they found out that his mother was involved?" After the realization dawned on them, Eason and Zion both shot Steven irritated looks. He had fooled everyone yet again, and he managed to rescue Michael with just a few sentences. The people at the bottom were ring at him furiously. They wanted to climb up, but it was extremely difficult to do so without adder. "How long do you think you can hide up there? You''ll have toe down eventually. Just you wait, I''ll make you regret what you did!" Then, the leader left with the rest of the crowd. Yasmin was still sobbing. When Michael came up, she rushed to embrace him while crying violently. He promptly pushed her away, causing her to stare at him in mild panic. Michael drew a deep breath. "We had an agreement, Yasmin. You would tell me what you know, and in return, I''d guarantee your safety. "Now that you''ve revealed everything, I''ll do my best to keep you safe-just like we agreed on. However, there''s nothing else between us." Her eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head. "Do you really not love me at all, Michael? Was everything really just an act you put on for Stephanie?" She wasn''t willing to give up, but Michael''s tone was firm. He replied, "Yes, I''ve never loved you. I''ll admit that I was interested in you, but that interest stemmed from gratitude. However, that was all a misunderstanding. I thought you were the one who saved me. As it turns out, you lied to me."This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Dejected, she slumped onto the floor. She knew that Michael had never loved her. Unaughed mockingly as she gradually approached Yasmin. "After all that calction and getting Stephanie killed, you still didn''t manage to get what you were after. How pitiful." Yasmin sat listlessly on the ground like a soulless puppet. Michael turned around to look at Steven before saying, "Thank you." I couldn''t believe that he had just thanked him. Steven ignored him. I was aware that he didn''t actually want to save him. "We should think about how to survive from here on out." Zion looked toward the deck and sighed. "The waves are getting rougher. When the storm hits, we won''t be able to spend the night on deck," Eason added nervously. "At this point, we only have one option. I''ll meet with those people as the president of Crowdstar Group," Steven dered. "No!" I was frantically opposed to it. I was vehemently against it. I clutched his hand, not allowing him to take the risk. "Are you actually the president?" Jimmy asked with a curious smile. Steven looked at him. "To be honest, you look more like him than I do. Why don''t you go instead? Sacrifice yourself to save everyone else. We''ll all remember this heroic act with immense gratitude." Jimmy wiped the grin off of his face. "Never mind... I''m not a saint." "Who''s the actual president, then? How mysterious." Eason was still curious. "Based on the current situation, I can only buy all of you time if I go ahead and pose as him." Steven waved his hand at us. They wouldn''t kill him¡ªat least not before his hand had healed. Chapter 559 ? "I don''t agree with this." Holding Steven''s hand, Iid my head on his chest, making my upset clear. "I''m selfish. I don''t want you to risk your life." He rubbed my head andughed. "Alright, anything you say." I let out a breath of relief. Fortunately, he still listened to me. "Mom, they locked the door from both sides." Ashton ran back over. Then, he reached for our hands before continuing, "That passageway isn''t locked, though." He pointed toward the vent in the corner. Steven and I exchange nces. So many of us were stuck on the deck right now. Rachel was still recovering from her injuries, and Xandra was just a feeble celebrity. Maverick wasn''t really adept in self-defense, and that son of the So family was nothing but a burden. "We can''t stay here for long. By locking the doors from the inside, they''re nning to let us die out here. They''re making us surrender by depriving us of food and water," Zion said, looking toward the direction of the vent. "We could send some people through the vent to get food and water downstairs." Zion looked toward everyone. Who could possibly want to volunteer? "I''ll go," he said unprompted. As a police officer, he was always at the forefront. I didn''t say a word. I just kept holding onto Steven''s hand. He was a wanted target at the moment, and I was afraid that he''d get discovered. "If we hand him over to the Rebels, we could at least gain a chance to leave. What if he''s actually the president?" Yasmin suggested emotionally. "Even if we have food, how long can we actually survive on this deck?" "Shut up!" I shot her a warning re. "I''ll go. I''ll go with you," Michael offered. "Michael... you''re hurt." Yasmin shook her head. "They''re the ones who were being hunted. We were doing just fine in our room. If we hadn''t saved them in the first ce, we wouldn''t be in this situation right now." Michael frowned. "This has nothing to do with what you said." Her expression soured, and tears continued to well up in her eyes as she lowered her head. "She''s right. What if he''s actually the president of Crowdstar Group? He could actually be our ticket to freedom. Think about all the clues provided. The president is a genius and is typically withdrawn. No matter how you look at it, he fits the description," said Uma with a smile. "There are at least five geniuses on this deck right now. All of them are quite reclusive and atypical too. Don''t you also fit the description? How about we hand you over instead?" I stepped in front of Steven protectively. They were clearly trying to sacrifice Steven. "Five geniuses? Where?" Joel asked smugly. "Steven, her, Una, and me?" Eason was rather confident. "I wasn''t referring to you." I shot him an apologetic look. He grunted and sat to the side without another word. Joelughed before teasing him, "You''re still quite smart, though." Eason rolled his eyes at him. "Among all the people here, he''s the only one who didn''t go through the safe verification," Una said again, trying to go against me.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She was attempting to provoke everyone. "Personally, I think we shouldn''t be turning on each other. Even if the president is someone among us, we should still work together," Dayton said weakly. However, he was practically invisible, so no one paid him any mind. "Save it. We''re all in the same boat here. Who else is willing to go get food for everyone?" Zion looked at everyone. "I-I''ll go," Dayton said softly. Zion ignored him. "Who else?" Joel raised an eyebrow. "I''ll go." Zion nodded. "The rest can wait on the deck. Try to look for shelter from the storm while we go look for something to eat. Stay safe." "Only the three of you are going? That''s awfully dangerous. There are people camping downstairs," Maverick said in a small voice. "I''ll go as well," said Eason. Steven shot me a nce. I shook my head. He was being targeted at the moment, so going down there would be dangerous. After the group of them went down through the vent, we started searching the deck for cover. "Everyone find a spot and get some rest." Jimmy pointed at the corner. "We''ll take turns keeping watch. Notify everyone beforehand if you have any issues." I gripped Steven''s hand tightly. "Don''t do anything on your own." He nodded in response. "Are you hungry, Stephy? Why haven''t any of you had something to eat?" Rachel fished out some bread from under her nket and handed it to me. I smiled before asking the two children, "Are you two hungry?" They both shook their heads. Chapter 560 ? "You must be tired. Have some bread and go get some sleep," Stevenforted me. I nodded and gave him some of the bread. After I was done eating, I leaned against his chest and fell asleep. Zion and the group still hadn''t returned, and everyone was feeling extremely tense. When the sun set, the deck was cold. Steven held me tightly. Just then, a light rattling rang out against the violent wind and currents. Ashton and Xandra cautiously stared into the darkness. Then, they whispered next to my ear, "Mom, Dad, someone is opening the door to the deck." Their hearing was impressive. I immediately jolted awake and scanned the deck alertly. Everyone was here. "Wait! Maverick. Where''s Maverick?" I got to my feet. Me and Steven rushed to stop him, but we were toote. Maverick had opened the door to the deck. Soon, a hoard of people rushed over. He looked at us guiltily. "I''m sorry... I need to find the president of Crowdstar Group. I want to go home..." He wanted to live. Steven stepped in front of me protectively and threw cautious nces at the crowd of people. The leader of the group chuckled as he came over. "All''s fair in war... Here''s a taste of your own medicine." "You approached us with ulterior motives from the very beginning?" I questioned Maverick. "The men who were killing people in the hallway were one of us." The leaderughed. "Steven Lincoln, I had reason to suspect that the president was you. Hence, I put on a show and got Maverick to approach you guys." Heughed again. "Do you still remember me, Steven?"N?velDrama.Org ? content. I looked at Steven. His expression was dark, but he was still shielding me from the crowd. "Dr. Nigel Scott from the asylum." It was a resident doctor who was involved in his treatment at the asylum. Nigel nodded before looking at Maverick. "Is he the president of Crowdstar Group?" Maverick shook his head. "We only suspect so. Other people think it''s him too, but we''re not sure." Nigel looked back at Steven. "Ile''s the prime suspect. I already have everyone else who''s somewhat clever under control. If we hand you in along with them, the president is sure to be someone in the mix." He and his men had been searching for the president from the group of people with injured palms. They had already eliminated most of the ones with the lowest likelihood. Any remaining person who matched the description had been handed over to the Rebels in exchange for freedom. Now, everyone was waiting for the wounds on their palms to heal. As soon as that happened, they could run the verification on the safe. Then, they''d be able to find the president. "I''ll go with you, but let the rest of them go. If not, I''ll make sure you never find the president of Crowdstar Group," Steven said emotionlessly before briefly turning to look at me. Frowning, I anxiously gripped my hands. With the number of people in the opposition, this was not the time to turn things physical. "So you are the president, then?" Nigel smiled. "You''ll know when my hand heals," Steven responded confidently. Nigel already had his suspicions about him. Hence, upon hearing his words, he began nodding with a grin. "Take them all away and lock them in a room." He instructed his men to lock us in a room. Steven, on the other hand, was going to be brought to the Rebels. "Take me with you." I stood next to Steven. I didn''t want to be separated from him. "Do as I say. You still need to look after the kids." He shook his head at me. "Mom doesn''t want you to leave, Dad." Ashton ran over and hugged him. "Take care of your mother," Steven instructed solemnly. Ashton nodded. Then, he asked, "Are you going because you want to, Dad?" Steven gave him a nod. Ashton only released him after that confirmation. It felt as though the people were nothing to be afraid of if Steven was going of his own volition. "Dad will be okay, Mom. I''ll protect you guys." He turned around and patted me to ease my worries. I took a deep breath. For the first time ever, I felt safe because of a child. Chapter 561 ? Steven and I looked at each other. I knew he was trying to ease my worries, but how was that possible in a situation like this? "There weren''t a lot of resources left on the ship. At this rate, it''ll be difficult for us tost until help arrives," Jimmy said quietly. He was implying that we give Steven up in exchange for a lifeline. I stared at him coldly. "Why don''t you sacrifice yourself, then?" "It''s not like I want to do this either. But I can''t possibly turn myself in." He waved his hand in the air. It was uninjured. He could not possibly be the president. "What exactly did you get on this ship for, Jimmy?" I shot him a cautious look. He was a very smart man. Since he could remain so rxed the entire time, it could only mean that he had mentally prepared himself beforehand. "I''m only interested in the president of Crowdstar Group," he looked at me and answered honestly. "What kind of mysterious person could be a genius and make everyone green with envy? "In order to surpass him, I need to meet him myself." Jimmy was here because he wanted to be better than Crowdstar Group''s president. "If my brother actually turns out to be the president... I''d actually be quite impressed." Heughed. There was a subtle hint of hostility in his eyes. As someone who had benefited from Genome Society, Jimmy didn''t want anyone else to reap the same profits as he did. He wanted to be the minority, which was why he was trying to get rid of the organization entirely. However, from a different point of view, he wanted the same things as the organization did. He just did not want there to be too many genome-edited geniuses. He still wanted to benefit from the resources that they could provide. Jimmy thought of himself as a genius. As someone who was a self-proimed elite, he was hostile toward other elites. He wanted to find the president and get rid of him. "It doesn''t matter if Steven is the president or not. Touch him and I''ll kill you." I cast him a warning look. He only smiled in response. To be frank, we all understood the situation. If Steven did turn out to be the president, he would''ve exposed his identity during this incident on the cruise. Because of his rtionship with Stephanie, the organization might not trust him ever again. If that happened, they''d get rid of him. Hence, it didn''t matter if he was actually the president. I just hoped he wasn''t.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. If the organization of Crowdstar Group turned out to be him, he must''ve done so to infiltrate the circle and find the mastermind behind everything. Afterward, Steven left with the group of people. He didn''t make our lives any harder. Maverick looked at us apologetically. He kept lowering his head as he apologized, "I''m sorry... My wife is in their hands. I''m so sorry... I had to." I stared at him. I''d honestly expected this to happen. With Steven''s intellect, how could he possibly not realize that something was off with Maverick? He had probably noticed straight away but still chose to y into their schemes. He wanted to use this opportunity to be handed over to the Rebels. Ashton was right¡ªhis father went with them willingly. I clenched my fists and didn''t say anything else. Ashamed, Maverick lowered his head and turned to leave. "We need to get off the deck promptly. The waves are getting bigger. Hurry!" I yelled after the group, urging them to leave. Una and Jimmy got off the deck on their own. Xandra pushed Rachel''s wheelchair while I led the two kids downstairs. Suddenly, the ship rocked. Yasmin lost her bnce and fell to the ground. I looked at her indifferently and stood at the door to the deck. To be honest, I wanted to shut the door and let her fend for herself. Evidently picking up on my intentions, she stared at me with a look of panic and horror. She opened her mouth to speak but didn''t manage to say anything. She was still looking at me with a venomous expression. It seemed like she wasn''t willing to let anything go. It was as if she wanted to skin me alive. I scoffed coldly before turning to leave. I didn''t shut the door. Compared to death, staying alive would bring her more pain. Now that Michael had gotten the information that he wanted, Yasmin was of no value to him anymore. From now onward, every day of hers would be spent in agony. With AIDS, she''d have to constantly live in fear of dying. She''d have to suffer as long as she was alive. Chapter 562 ? Yasmin seemed to have seen thising too. The rain poured down, and the violent waves sshed onto the deck. Her entire body was drenched, and she was shivering from the cold. She slowly walked down the deck and curled up in a corner. No one was going to protect or help her anymore. Looking back, she had no idea what she did wrong. She was still jealous. She wouldn''t regret her actions even if she were on her deathbed.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Some people were just born bad apples. They''d stop at nothing until they died. In the room, Eason and Zion found something to eat. Food was scarce nowadays. Before this, there was no form of rationing. Hence, the reserves on board were more or less emptied. The remaining was guarded by the Rebels, so they''d be difficult to get to. Joel found some lollipops and milk for Ashton and Xandra. Xandra stared at the lollipop before asking carefully, "Ashton... Is this what we saw on TV? It looks yummy." Ashton rubbed her head. "Eat up." For thest five years, the pair only had each other to rely on as they lived in a real-life rendition of The Truman Show. They didn''t have any toys, snacks, or even the apaniment of their parents like other children did. Since birth, they had been experimental subjects ced under watch in a ss cage. I cast them both a look of sympathy before bringing them into the room. "The Rebels'' stand is clear. The game will only end if the president of Crowdstar Group is found. If not, people will continue to die." Zion sat on the couch. He continued, "At this point, we don''t even need to go after each other. If the president doesn''t reveal himself soon, we''ll all end up dead when we run out of food and water." At the moment, everyone was living in dread. Xandra rubbed her bloodshot eyes in fear. At the side, Dayton shot her a nce. Subsequently, he took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She froze for a moment before lowering her head wordlessly. "The amount of food left on the cruise is dwindling..." The voice rang out from the speakers once again." From now onward, there''ll be a change of rules. If you want to eat, you''ll need to pay for it." I turned to look at the balcony and froze. "The killer escaped!" I yanked on Zion''s arm. Stan, who''d been locked in the room this entire time, had managed to break free from the cuffs without us knowing. Upon realizing this, Eason and Zion ran over to check. There were bloodstains on the cuffs. It looked like he''d been rubbing on them for quite some time before he managed to open the cuffs. "Asshole! All this lunatic knows how to do is add to the mess," Zion spat. Eason frowned and looked at Joel. "We''ll go get him back." "Now that everyone is living in fear, he probably won''t be in the mood to go around killing people. With so many killers on board, murder isn''t anything out of the ordinary anymore. "Since he''s such a sucker for mysteries, he probably went looking for the culprit of Huma''s serial killings. "Joel shook his head. "For now, our priority should be securing food and water. Steven bought us some time by surrendering himself to the Rebels. We need to make sure we stay alive until help arrives." I looked at Eason and the rest. Everyone agreed with what I said, and we went to get food together. Upon reaching the dining area, everyone became extremely worked up. A slice of bread was a hundred thousand dors while a bottle of water cost 130 grand. This was actual money we were talking about. The Rebels were collecting money from us indirectly. Genome Society needed funds, and so did they. "This is mad. They''re actually mad!" Zion snapped angrily. Eason was fuming as well. "The money I''ve earned from years of work isn''t even enough for a bottle of water." Joel shrugged in resignation. "I''m just a high schooler. I don''t have any money either." We all looked at each other. This wasn''t about how much money we had the prices were absurd. "I have enough. I''ll make it my treat." Xandra offered. "It''s okay, I''ll do it." Dayton stepped in front of her. "Save your money for your own use." He was being quite the gentleman. Chapter 563 ? "I''ll pay." Michael materialized out of nowhere and offered to pay. I looked around. There was no sight of Yasmin tailing after him. Had shepletely given up? I scoffed before raising my hand, signaling for him to go ahead. "Please, Mr. Ford."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Since he was filthy rich, we might as well use his money. Yasmin''s gifts, along with her parents'' medical bills, should''ve totaled up to about a million or more. He shot me aplicated look. He opened his mouth to speak but didn''t end up saying anything. "These prices... I really can''t afford anything. I only have 30 grand in my savings..." Zion scratched his head. The 30 grand was only there because he never got a chance to spend it. Rachel smiled sheepishly. "I have five grand in my bank ount..." We were all poor here. "I..." I thought about it. Aside from Steven, it didn''t seem like I had anything else. "I only have Steven..." I trailed off embarrassedly. I had no money, and Steven wasn''t here either. "I" Michael wanted to say something, but he stopped himself before he did. He had suffered from injuries previously and did not look too good at the moment. "He has money. Let him get the tab!" Joel pointed at Jimmy. "Hey, you''ve been smiling all this while. Shouldn''t you be offering or something?" Jimmy immediately wiped the smile off of his face and remained silent. "How stingy. What''s the point of earning so much when you''re not gonna spend it? Are you going to take it with you to the grave?" Joel spat. Jimmy looked at Una and asked, "What do you want to eat?" All of us rolled our eyes. How biased. Una smiled and walked toward Michael. "I want a sandwich." She wanted Michael to get it for her. He nodded in response. "Okay." He was rather willing to spoil her. Rachel rolled her eyes in disgust, and I did the same. Xandra bought the two children some bread and milk. Those items alone cost her 500 grand. "They could just take our money, but they''re still giving us food and water anyway. Is this a joke to them? "Easonined. "You have some too, Yara. Eat up." Xandra got Yara some food as well. Yara had been looking after Ashton and Xan all this while. She acted like an older sister despite only being around ten years old herself. "Eat up, Yara." I patted her head. She could''ve gotten off the ship. She nodded and started munching away. "This is daylight robbery! A sandwich is 300 grand! Where on earth are we supposed to get so much money from? Why don''t you just kill us, then!" Some people could afford the food, but some evidently couldn''t. It was clear that only a handful were able to eat now. Those prices would put a dent in anyone''s pockets. There was no way one could consistently afford to make purchases like these day after day. The fear of going hungry loomed over everyone. "Give us the food!" Someone was already starting to riot. I had anticipated that something like this would happen. I promptly backed up with Yara and the two children. "Michael is buying food!" Zion wanted to protect Michael, but the crowd suddenly got violent. Michael was pushed to the front. He had some food in hand, so they swarmed over to take it from him. Not everyone could afford bread and water for hundreds of thousands. Zion, Eason, and Joel all rushed forward. They tried to protect Michael and the bread he had purchased, but all three of them got caught up in the mess. None of the bread survived. Michael lost a hundred grand in a short three minutes. That amount might''ve been loose change for him, but we were able to see how crazy people became if they got incredibly hungry or were put in a disadvantageous situation. They only went for the things Michael was holding. They didn''t dare to go for the bread at the counter as the people guarding it were armed with guns. The crowd only settled down when someone fired a bullet into the air. I watched as Michael and the three others trudged out from the sea of people. Their faces were all scratched up. They looked horrible, but it was hrious. Rachel couldn''t help it. She broke into a fit ofughter. Michael''s expression was sour. He walked over with a grim look. Chapter 564 ?N?velDrama.Org ? content. "You''re attracting too much attention. Most of the people here can''t afford all this. With the amount that you bought, you should be grateful that they only went after the food," Jimmy added nonchntly. Michael ignored him. He fished out a deformed sandwich and hesitated for a moment. Then, he tore it in half. He handed me one half and Una the other. Una didn''t say anything. She took it from him expressionlessly and ate it. Being petty at a time like this was essentially a death wish. I didn''t throw the sandwich away since there was a shortage of food. Instead, I handed it to Rachel. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something. However, she eventually took it from me after I insisted. "Everyone, go get some rest." Zion led everyone back to their rooms. "Where''s Yara?" All of a sudden, Rachel realized that Yara was missing. I froze as well. She was just here a moment ago. "Yara!" All of our attention was directed at the riot earlier on. Yara had vanished, and we had no clue where she went. "You guys head back first. I''ll go look for her." I was slightly worried. Zion shook his head. "We can''t let you search alone." "Let''s look for her together," Joel suggested as he started scanning the crowd for the young girl. "I saw her go that way." Xan pointed toward the end of the storage room. There was a passageway. No one else seemed to have noticed it. It should lead to somewhere we had never been before. A few of us walked over and yelled into the entrance, "Yara?" There was no response. "Yara?" I yelled again. I wanted to go down, but Michael grabbed onto me. "It''s dangerous down there. Besides, it''s so dark down there. Yara couldn''t possibly have the guts to head down on her own." He didn''t want me to continue further. "But I really saw her go in there," Ashton dered firmly. "Let''s all head down as a group," Zion suggested. The area ahead was pitch-ck. There wasn''t any hint of light. We descended the stairs and couldn''t even manage to see our outstretched hands. As someone who was so afraid of the dark, Yara couldn''t havee to a ce like this. "Do you guys hear something?" I asked softly. "This way." In the dark, Ashton''s small hand found mine before he guided me further down. There were too many secrets on this ship. I had a bad feeling about this. There had to be something hidden here. "Yara?" I suddenly heard footsteps from a near distance. Hence, I called out unsurely. There was no reply. "Don''t worry, Mom. There''s no one here. The sound ising from the corridor," Ashton exined softly. He seemed to be able to see clearly in the dark. His night vision looked like it was better than my own. "At this rate, the cruise will be barren. We can''t drag this on for longer. If we don''t find the president soon, Genome Society will destroy the ship." Amidst the darkness, I caught sight of a small ray of light. I leaned against the wall to listen in. The Rebels were discussing their ns. Frowning, I held my breath. This voice.... The person wasn''t using a voice changer. I could clearly make out the voice of a woman. It sounded a lot like Carol. Wasn''t she dead? "Genome Society wants to tie up all their loose ends. Too many people know of their secrets on this cruise. They won''t let any of them get off this ship alive unless they''re of use." "We''ve already achieved our goal. The police are taking this case seriously, and we''ve already obtained the secrets regarding Genome Society on the cruise. We can stop after we expose everything to the world." On the other side of the wall, the Rebels were still in discussion. The anxious and pleading voice sounded so much like Carol. She was asking someone to cease operations, but they didn''t say a word in response. Who could it possibly be? "Stephy!" All of a sudden, Yara''s voice rang out from the darkness. She alerted everyone in the room. "It''s so dark!" I immediately ran over to cup a hand over her mouth, but it was toote. The door swung open, and light poured out of the room. Someone stood in the doorway against the light. I stood frozen in ce, my breath hitching in my throat. It was him. Chapter 565 ? A familiar figure stood in the light at the end of the hallway. It was Ewan-the Lincoln family''s butler and Joel''s adoptive father. He was one of Steven''s most trusted people. His expression was grim. Frowning, he shot me a look before signaling to the people behind him. "Grab them." Joel stared at him with an equally shocked expression. "Dad?" Ewan ignored him. His gaze was foreign as he stared at him. However, Joel rposed himself very quickly. He didn''t say another word. Ewan was part of the Rebels? "Why?" I asked. Why did he betray Steven''s trust? Why did he stay around him all these years when he was actually a Rebel? "How are you so sure that Mr. Lincoln isn''t part of the Rebels?" Ewan asked knowingly. I fell silent. At this point, if someone told me a stray dog was the leader of the Rebels, I''d believe them. It felt like we were back where we started. From the first victim of the serial killing to Stephanie''s death, and my reincarnation followed by all the other victims... Everything felt like a scripted act. At the end of it all, the ones who seemed the most suspicious were the ones who were there from the very start. Did Steven not realize that Ewan was part of the Rebels? I didn''t doubt his feelings for me, but I was starting to doubt his motive. If he was actually a Rebel, did he pretend to kill off Stephanie as a show of loyalty to Genome Society? My palms were starting to sweat. I lowered my head and stopped myself from thinking about this any further. Steven wouldn''t kill me. He would never do that. Maybe he used to be part of the Rebels, but they had a falling out because of the Stephanie incident. However, all of these spections couldn''t possibly be verified until I saw him again. "Don''t resist." I turned around and looked at everyone. We shouldply for the time being to see what they were up to. "You nned all of this just to find the president of Crowdstar Group?" Upon being brought into the room, I asked Ewan cautiously.N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Our actual goal is to reveal the secrets of this cruise to the public. We want everyone to know the evil schemes of this organization," he replied lightly. Some things were meant to be kept away in the dark. There would be dire consequences if they were to be brought into the light. "As for the president, he''s essentially fueling their operations. We should find him and dispose of him in front of them. That should be enough to hurt them," he growled. He seemed to have a deep-rooted hatred for the organization. "Why do you hate Genome Society?" I could understand where my hatred stemmed from. They had no regard for the well-being of the experimental subjects. Even our births were a massive ploy. What about him, then? "They probably hurt him in some way," Una said passive aggressively some distance away. Ewan didn''t respond, but I''d somewhat guessed. It probably had something to do with his family. "Because of the Lincoln family, I got to familiarize myself with the so-called Genome Society. As long as you had money or power, they imed to be able to bring back the dead. They called it gic cloning." He scoffed. He continued softly, "ording to them, they could clone an exact replica of the person through collecting DNA samples. They''d have the same genes, and even their personality would possibly be the same. "I believed them. I asked them to preserve my sister''s dead body. When I had the money, I''d bring her back to life. I didn''t even care if I became their pawn. I got into Lincoln Group and spied for them." It turned out that he used to be part of Genome Society. "They said that Mr. Andy Lincoln was a traitor. Not only did he cut off the organization''s funding and put a stop to their projects, but he also tried to stop the research on cloning and gics. Under their brainwashing... I offered them information on Mr. Lincoln. Then, they killed him!" Chapter 566 ? Ewan''s entire body was shaking. He was probably extremely regretful. Andy Lincoln died because of him. Genome Society tricked him. They didn''t help him clone his sister, and they even killed Andy. Afterward, he realized the truth and started plotting against them. "Unfortunately, you went from one wrong path to another." I stared at him as I approached him. "Does Steven know?" Some of the Rebels stopped me from getting too close to Ewan. He stared fixedly at me. "In order to find the truth, you''ll need to trust your gut." "Who was the one who killed Stephanie?" I signaled for him to lift up his arm. I wanted to check if he was the one who killed me. "You think I killed Stephanie Carlson?" Heughed before lifting his arm like I''d asked. It wasn''t him. Ewan was rtively tall. Even as a middle-aged man, he was still quite muscr. He didn''t seem like the man who killed me at all. From the memory prior to my death, the culprit had a red birthmark on his arm. Who on earth could it be? The man had a slender build, but the birthmark on his arm was extremely striking. I nced around the room alertly. Aside from Ewan, there was the leader of the group-a man in a human -skin mask who used a voice changer.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. What was his real identity? Why the borate disguise? As for Carol''s voice that I had heard outside the door... Where did thate from? Was I mistaken? "They know too much. Kill them all," the man with the voice changer said. "Kill them? Who''s going to help us tell the world about everything if we do?" Ewan had no intention of killing us. He looked at Joel before continuing, "Besides, my son is with them." "He''s just an adopted boy." The man was slightly annoyed. "You''d develop feelings for a pet dog after spending enough time together, let alone a boy!" Ewan cut him off. "What the hell," Joel mumbled through gritted teeth. "This is some secret you''ve been harboring from me, old man!" Ewan ignored him and continued speaking. "From the very beginning, our terms were to involve an ample amount ofw enforcement workers and imperfect victims. You should know that it wasn''t easy to gather enough people to fill this ship. "If everyone dies... our goal will be left unfulfilled." I stared cautiously at Ewan and the masked man. I had a feeling that things weren''t as simple as they seemed. "Find the president first!" the man in the mask bellowed. He shot Ewan a warning look before turning to leave. Ewan instructed his men to keep a close watch on us. Then, he marched off. "How much can we trust his words?" I looked at Joel, Eason, and the rest. "At this stage, we''re better off being skeptical. Each and every one of them is a seasoned actor by now." Zion rubbed his temples. He was clearly still in shock. Even Ewan turned out to be a Rebel. Could I still trust the people around me? "Stop. My head hurts. Now I''m suspecting that my mom is involved," Eason said through gritted teeth. Then, he stared darkly at Joel. "If your dad is a Rebel, are you part of the group too?" "I''m just a high schooler. You think too much of me." Joel grunted before plopping onto the floor, ignoring Eason. For some reason, I had a feeling that he was feeling guilty. "Zion is definitely clear..." Eason looked at Zion. No one was more trustworthy than him at the moment. Subsequently, he turned to look at Michael. "Your mother is affiliated with Genome Society. That''s pretty shocking too." Michael instinctively looked toward me and Una. He lowered his head before speaking guiltily. "I had my suspicions when my mother brought Stephanie home in the beginning. I tried toe up with multiple reasons. I even hated Stephanie because of it. I would''ve never thought she wanted to observe the experimental subject up close." I didn''t say anything. I just sat on the floor with Ashton and Xandra in my arms. Zion was right no one was trustworthy at this point. Yara was a prime example. From the time she led me to Ashton and Xandra, I started feeling suspicious about her. Chapter 567 ? The members of the Rebels immobilized us by tying our hands and feet. However, Ashton and Xandra, being children, only had their hands bound. Xandra whispered in my ear, "Mom, there''s something wrong with Yara. She''s incredibly intelligent. She appeared in the underground cabin a while back and came to find us. After she confirmed our presence, she escaped." I was stunned, and my eyes were fixed on Xandra. "What do you mean?" "Mom, there are numerous traps and mechanisms in the underground cabin we''re in. Anyone unfamiliar with them would never make it out alive. Before you arrived, I heard footsteps. Someone walked into the cabin, saw us, and then turned and left. Those footsteps belonged to Yara."This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Xandra and Ashton could guess a person''s height, weight, and approximate age by the sound of their footsteps. "Then why wasn''t there a mechanism when we went down to the cabin?" I asked in a hushed tone. "Because Ashton and I wanted to go out and look for you, so we found and deactivated those traps and mechanisms in advance." Before Xandra and Ashton could shut those traps, Yara managed to spot them and smoothly escape. She could even trick me into going down. Her intention was for me to meet Ashton and Xandra and then take them away. I wondered about her true purpose. This time, it was also Yara who led us down to the cabin. Hence, we uncovered the Rebels'' secret and encountered Ewan. So far, Yara had shown no signs of malicious intent. "Yara, who exactly are you?" I turned to look at Yara, who was squatting in the corner. Yara looked at me with an innocent expression, as if she didn''tprehend. I sighed and fell silent. "It''s chaotic outside now. That lunatic is selling food and water at extremely high prices, triggering a riot. He''s instigating conflict between the rich and the poor." We heard Ewan arguing about this lunatic. The person he was referring to was most likely the masked man. "Rich people can easily spend millions, or even tens of millions, on a meal while many poor people struggle to afford a few hundred or a few thousand. This has led to a distorted mindset and increased resentment toward the wealthy. "They''re killing each other outside. If this scenario continues, only a few people on this cruise will be able to get out alive." Ewan was seething with anger. It was clear that his principles shed with those of the masked man. Ewan sought to minimize casualties, aiming to uncover Genome Society''s activities and bring them to light. On the other hand, the masked man''s motives centered around inciting conflict and killing. He sought to spark lethal confrontations between the rich and the poor. "The darkness is where the seed of evil in human nature takes root and thrives. Once it emerges, it must be eradicatedpletely to prevent its recurrence. Those who have died on the cruise were far from innocent." The masked man''s voice changer emitted an eerie sound. His statement that the victim was also the perpetrator was precisely parallel to the mastermind behind the serial killing. I could basically confirm that this masked man was not only the mastermind but also the creator of the serial murder case and the killing game. I had to acknowledge that he was truly brilliant. "If all these people die, who will spread the word? The rich and powerful possess infinite resources. We gathered over a thousand people to spread the word, bridge the information gap, and challenge ignorance. It wasn''t to let you kill people as you please." Ewan''s voice resonated with intense emotion and seething anger, clearly showing his strong disagreement with the masked man. The masked man taunted ominously, "It''s difficult to achieve great things if you''re too kind-hearted. You''ve witnessed too little of human nature. These individuals who are easily swayed by self-interests will continue to be driven by those interests once they''re free. They''ll only hold us back. "Only those who survive and still harbor good intentions in their hearts will have the opportunity to stand steadfast and strive to expose all of this." These people would do anything for personal gain, including murder. The masked man believed keeping these people alive would only mess up their n. They wouldter appear and use that there was no issue on the cruise, ming only the Rebels for the killing. The masked man clearly had a deeper understanding of human nature. However, he was too violent and bloodthirsty. Whether it was the serial murder case, the killing game, or the Death Cruise, they all served as chilling evidence of his insanity. "That''s enough. We''ve narrowed down the list of suspects to 11. One of them is definitely the president of Crowdstar Group. Once these 11 people''s hand injuries heal, we can identify the president and kill him in front of Genome Society. "After that, we''ll abandon the cruise and leave. It''s time to stop it," Ewan continued to argue with the masked man. Chapter 568 ? I looked at Zion, and he looked back at me. It was clear that the Rebels were not as unified as they seemed. Some members advocated killing while others preferred exposure. Ewan was the one who stood for exposure. "My dad is not actually a bad person," Joel said in a low voice, speaking up for Ewan. Jimmy sneered. "Not a bad person? Not a bad person when he''s the one who locked us all up here?" "You''re still alive, aren''t you?" Eason frowned and said, standing up for Joel. "Stop making noise," Una urged with a serious expression. She gestured for everyone to remain silent. After a brief moment of silence, a hand emerged, followed by a gradual appearance of a head. To our astonishment, it was the killer, Stan. He had managed to infiltrate the warehouse through a narrow crack in the door. Our hands and feet were tied as we all eyed Stan warily. He was a killer, and we had bound him before. We were afraid that he would retaliate. Rachel was even more frightened and sought refuge behind Zion. However, Stan appeared indifferent toward us. Instead, he cast a peculiar smile as he surveyed the warehouse. He pointed to the door and smiled. "The serial killer is outside. He nned everything, including the killings. He gathered all the people he thought should be killed. The wealthy, in particr."This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Stan approached me with a smirk on his face as if to show off his secret of being a serial killer. "He''s not acting alone. He didn''tmit all this on his own. He''s just a piece of shit but still dares to provoke me, haha." With a wary look, Michael positioned himself in front of me to shield me from Stan. Yet, Stan ignored him and pushed him aside. He showed off and reported to me with an intense gaze as if he truly regarded me as his equal. Stan seemed very happy because he killed people on his own, unlike the serial killer who had assistance. He smiled and lifted his pants, revealing his congenitally deformed legs and body. "Do you know what it signifies when a murderous person doesn''tmit the act of killing themselves but instead schemes to have others carry out the killings for them? It signifies disability or weakness." Stan was analyzing the identity of the serial killer. "I won. I defeated him in essence. He must be someone like me, either disabled or weak." I frowned as I looked at Stan. What he said was right. The serial killer nned everything, allowing the victims to kill each other. He never really did it himself, except for Stephanie. When I remembered the moment Stephanie died, I gasped. I was in a daze and noticed his birthmark, the scratches I inadvertently made on his arm, and his weak and thin body. Even in killing me, he resorted to semi-anesthesia. This implied that the murderer might not have the strength to kill me while I was fully conscious. He was indeed a feeble presence. Was it the masked man? He was dressed in a way that concealed all of his skin, yet it was unmistakably apparent that he was more slender and shorter than the other men. Who could he possibly be? "If I kill him, I''ll go down in history, and I''ll be the real winner," Stan dered with a confident smile, ready to kill the masked man and unveil his true identity. I took a deep breath before speaking with caution, "You''ll definitely put yourself in grave danger by going out like this. Do you really want to kill him? He has a lot of people around him who will help him, and you need our support as well. It''s only fair." I attempted to deceive Stan, who unquestionably found my words to be logical. "Untie our ropes and we''ll help you..." I raised my hands, which were tied behind my back, signaling him to free us. As anticipated, Stan enthusiastically aided us in untying the ropes, thinking that we were going to help him kill the man. "Ashton will trick him inter. Then, we''ll work together to subdue him and uncover the identity of this well-disguised person." I looked at Zion. The few of us understood each other without speaking a word. Chapter 569 ? "Be careful. He''s very clever." Stan reminded us, looking neurotic. I nodded perfunctorily and gently rubbed Ashton''s head. "Ashton, listen up. We''ll hide behind the door. You just run out and lure the people outside in." Ashton acknowledged obediently and quickly ran out. Una had already noticed Ashton and Xandra. She asked me with a puzzled expression. "Ashton.... In theory, they''re my children." Una had obviously figured out that the members of Genome Society had used Steven and Stephanie''s fertilized eggs to create the second generation of experimental subjects.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. "You''re overthinking. They''re Stephanie and Steven''s children," I said as I positioned myself to shield Xandra. Xandra and Ashton had also seen Una earlier on because she looked exactly like their mother. However, they were aware that she was not their mother. Una crouched down beside Xandra. "In terms of gic simrity, Stephanie and I are perfect replicas of each other. I''m your true mother, not her. Come to me." Xandra shook her head, took cover behind me, and whispered, "She''s my mom." Una was perplexed by the fact that the two children recognized me as their mother even though she bore a stronger resemnce to Stephanie. I sternly warned Una, "It''s not the time to take the children away now." Una snorted and then hid behind Jimmy. Meanwhile, Michael also kept his gaze fixed on Xandra. After all, she was Stephanie''s child with another man. Despite being an experimental subject, Xandra served as a constant reminder of their unborn child that had been in Stephanie''s womb. I could discern a profound sense of regret, helplessness, and despair in his eyes. Yet, once something was lost, it was irretrievable. What purpose did regret serve? A shattered mirror could not truly be restored. Even if a broken mirror was carefully reassembled, its cracks would forever remain. Ashton ran outside and saw the masked man. Then, he immediately ran back inside. After arguing with Ewan, the masked man was about to leave when he spotted Ashton with his hands tied behind his back. He subconsciously wanted to catch Ashton. Since he was just a child, most people didn''t see him as aggressive. As Ashton approached the door, Yara intentionally knocked something over in the room, causing a loud noise. Our attention immediately turned to Yara, who appeared innocent, nervous, and frightened. This incident confirmed that there was indeed something amiss with Yara. As soon as the masked man at the door heard the noise, he halted and remained alert. Before he could call for assistance, I swiftly rushed out and kicked him down, eager to expose his true identity by tearing off his disguise. However, the masked man suddenly burst into an eerie and unsettlingughter. "You''re so enigmatic. Let me see who you really are." As we went forward to hold him down, I prepared to remove the human-skin mask from his face. However, as my hand touched the mask, members of the Rebels arrived and aimed their guns at us. "Don''t move, or we''ll kill him," I dered, instantly trapping the masked man before me and tightening my grip around his neck. The Rebels exchanged nces. Suddenly, the masked man I subdued attacked me unexpectedly. He pulled out a knife out of nowhere and stabbed me in the abdomen. Instinctively, I grabbed his hand and nced into his eyes. His eyes... seemed oddly familiar. "Leave!" I shouted, asking them to escape first. Michael stepped in to help me and nearly got shot by the Rebels. "Carry the children and run!" I yelled at him. He hesitated for a while before he took the two children and quickly escaped. "Mom!" "Stephie!" Ashton and Rachel called out to me with concern. "Zion, take them away first!" I engaged in an intense fight with the masked man, allowing them to escape first. Chapter 570 ? Upon realizing the dire situation, Stan led everyone to flee through the passage he had discovered. While the masked man resisted, I hastily tore open his sleeves. Under the loose shirt, his arm was indeed thin and weak. And there it was, the red birthmark I had been hoping to find on the inside of his arm. In that instant, my heart skipped a beat. It was him, just as I had expected. No. To be exact, it should be her. Realizing that I had bought enough time for everyone to make their escape, I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender. The person standing before me wore a tightly-fitting mask. At first, I mistook it for a regr mask, but I soon realized it was actually an adhesivemonly used for special effects makeup. I was in a hurry, so I could not remove the mask. She had skillfully employed makeup techniques topletely transform herself into a man. I only realized she was a woman when I held her hostage just now. I felt her neck and Adam''s apple, which was fake. This was a disguise to hide the truth. She was a woman who was disguising herself as a man. Furthermore, everything seemed logical because she was a woman. She appeared delicate and frail, not as physically powerful as men. Hence, when she nned the serial murders, she manipted the killings. She directed the perpetrator to eliminate the victim. Shecked any sense of reverence, disyingplete indifference toward life and considering human existence as worthless. I raised my hands as I gazed at the woman standing before me. "You killed Stephanie... You''re the one who killed her." Stephanie''s recollection of the killer just before she died merged perfectly with the person before me. When the drug took effect, she gradually slipped into aa. While she was struggling, she scratched the killer''s arm and noticed the red birthmark. I had finallye to understand the reason why she did not kill Stephanie directly. Instead, she used drugs to make her unconscious and then ced her in a ss disy cab. She morbidly wanted to turn Stephanie into a work of art, aiming to provoke others.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She considered this her ultimate masterpiece. Her Adam''s apple was connected to a voice-changing maic disk, resulting in a hoarse and peculiar sound. It was as if her vocal cords had been damaged. At first, I thought she was Steven, and I even considered the possibility of her being the deceased Simeon. However, I never suspected that she was a woman. During the earlier fight, I noticed that the soles of her shoes were unusually high. She had added insoles to boost her height. Clearly, she intentionally sought to appear taller. At around five feet six, she shouldn''t be considered short for a woman. However, with the added insoles, she truly resembled a man standing at five feet eight. Thus, we did not assume that she was a woman from the very beginning. "You''re a woman, and you''ve put in a lot of effort to apply makeup to disguise yourself. Are you afraid we might recognize you? You must be someone I know. Let me try to guess who you are..." I looked at her warily, trying hard to discern her identity. She was the real mastermind behind the serial murders. The masked woman smiled strangely as she took the gun from her subordinate and aimed it at me. "I was the one who killed her. Stephany, you know too much..." "We can''t kill her for now. Think about it. If Steven is indeed the president of Crowdstar Group, he won''t cooperate with us, and that will only bring us trouble. Why should we create a formidable enemy?" Just as she was about to pull the trigger, Ewan rushed over and cautiously persuaded the masked woman. The masked woman was obviously hesitant. She clearly recognized my worth. "She can''t figure out your identity. She can''t die yet as she''s an important test subject for the organization and a key piece in our ns. We must use her to overthrow the organization," Ewan reminded, approaching carefully. The masked woman sneered and swung the butt of her gun at me. Suddenly, my vision ckened, and I copsed to the ground. "Their hands are nearly healed. It won''t affect the collection of fingerprints and palm prints anymore," I overheard Ewan say in a trance. "Very well. Let''s find out if Steven is the president of Crowdstar Group." The masked woman smirked eerily, appearing unsatisfied. She kicked me in the stomach, causing me to groan when I was unconscious. She hated me very much and made no effort to conceal her feelings. I wonder who it could be. Chapter 571 ? "Stephie? Stephie..." I heard Steven''s familiar voice calling my name hoarsely while I was in a trance. I gradually regained my focus, unveiling a clear image of the person beside me. It was Steven. He was like a shining light, guiding me through dark times. He was like my remedy, infusing me with motivation and hope to carry on. "Steven..." I whispered, shaking my head. It was only when I fully regained consciousness that I realized our current situation. I was thrown beside Steven. We were surrounded by "suspects" with wounded hands who might be the president of Crowdstar Group. We were all locked up in an operating room within the medical capsule. As I counted, there were 13 people in total, including Steven. It was evident that the lunatics had meticulously chosen the most likely 13 from a pool of over 300 passengers. Clearly, they were confident that the president of Crowdstar Group was among these 13 individuals. "Are you experiencing any difort in any part of your body?" Steven nervously nced at me and proceeded to examine my head.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Being knocked unconscious was painful, but it was not a big deal. "I''m fine." I embraced him and rested in his arms to reassure him. "Let me rest in your arms for a moment." Steven dutifully leaned against the wall on the floor, allowing me to find sce in his embrace. "Steven, you''re the president of Crowdstar Group, right?" I asked in a hushed tone. I was a little worried. Once his hand was healed and the Rebels knew who he was, he would be in a dilemma. Genome Society wouldn''t fully trust him, and neither would the Rebels. By then, all of Steven''s ns would be disrupted. Steven still didn''t give me a direct answer. Instead, he gently rubbed my head. "Don''t be afraid." "Ewan is a member of the Rebels. You already knew that, didn''t you?" I asked again. Steven was incredibly intelligent. He undoubtedly knew that Ewan was a member of the Rebels. Steven nced at me, clearly intending to speak but ultimately gestured for us to remain silent. We had to be cautious and not trust anyone because we never knew who might be listening. Our only reliable source of trust was each other. "I found the murderer who killed Stephanie," I informed Steven, my voice hoarse with emotion. Steven''s body noticeably stiffened, and his breathing quickened as he looked at me. "Who is it?" "The creator of this Death Cruise and the mastermind behind the serial killings. She''s also the leader of the Rebels. She wears a human-skin mask and has a hoarse voice like someone with vocal cord damage. I didn''t see her face, but I saw the birthmark on her arm," I exined softly. Observing the change in Steven''s eyes, it was clear that he waspletely unaware of it. Steven''s eyes zed with anger as he struggled to maintain a calm appearance. However, the pulsing veins on his forehead and temples revealed his true emotions. I remembered Steven''s vow to find the person who took Stephanie''s life. And now, he had found the murderer. "I''ll kill her," uttered Steven in a hushed tone, indifferent to whether the perpetrator was a man or a woman. "Thew will bring her to justice. She has killed so many people, and the police possess undeniable evidence. She''ll surely be punished with a death sentence." I gently closed my eyes, resting in Steven''s embrace. "No... What if she also has a mental illness?" Steven asked me, his head hanging low. His breathing was a little rapid as if he already knew her identity. Chapter 572 ? When I mentioned that the murderer was a woman, Steven was noticeably shocked. "Do you know who she is?" I asked Steven, my gaze locking on him. The door opened right as Steven was about to talk. A group of individuals dressed as doctors entered the room, attending to the injured hands of the people present. Almost everyone''s wounds had already healed, so there was no issue with proceeding with the safe unlocking test. However, Steven had a more severe hand injury that looked quite gruesome. The doctor and nurse administered medicine to him. "Make sure to keep the wound dry and avoid scratching it. This will help it heal faster." But Steven appeared unwilling to let the injury heal quickly. The masked woman at the door said in a strange voice, "Bleeding again, Steven? Using this method to buy yourself more time?" She was still in disguise. Steven locked eyes with her, the murderous intent and anger in his gaze intense. She smiled and turned her gaze toward me. "It appears she has informed you of everything. You must want to kill me now." Steven moved swiftly, catching everyone off guard as he reached out and strangled her neck. His sheer strength caused her face to immediately flush red as her features contorted in agony. But she didn''t beg for mercy. Instead, she wore a strange smile. "Steven, you''re so pathetic... You''ll never be with your loved one, just like me..." Steven''s arm muscles were tense, and he continued to tighten his grip around her neck. If he had just done it for one more second, he might have been able to break her neck. However, the other Rebels had already aimed their guns at my head. They threatened him, "Release her, or we''ll kill this woman." Steven turned around and gazed at the Rebels with an icy demeanor. He feared they might genuinely harm me. Hence, he released her. He did not dare to take risks as long as I was involved. He wholeheartedly offered his all for me. "Steven!" They seized the chance to punch Steven in the stomach and proceeded to beat him relentlessly. Steven remained on the ground without fighting back while they beat him as I was still under their control. "Steven!" I forcefully pushed away the armed man beside me and quickly moved forward to shield Steven. He was always silly. He should know these people wouldn''t really shoot me. The masked woman nced down at us, a contemptuous smile on her face. "Hah... Steven, stop acting smart and ying tricks. If I don''t see your wound fully healed by tomorrow, I''ll kill her." The masked woman pointed at me and said in a low, threatening tone, "If I was able to kill her once, I can do it again. If you don''t believe me, go ahead and try it." Steven clenched his hands tightly, seething with anger like a wild beast ready to tear her apart. I hugged him tightly, knowing this wasn''t the moment for a direct confrontation. They were armed. Despite Steven''s strength, he was no match for a bullet. "Enjoy your final moments. If you''re the president of Crowdstar Group, you''ll die too," said the masked woman in a low voice before turning to leave. "Steven..."I anxiously examined the wounds on his body.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Steven held my hand and shook his head. "Dude, are you the president of Crowdstar Group? If so, please confess now and don''t involve us in this situation. We were brought here for no reason." "That''s right. We don''t know anything." The others started causing amotion, demanding that Steven turn himself in. They were afraid that if he wasn''t the president of Crowdstar Group, these lunatics would kill them directly. "He isn''t..." I tried to exin furiously. Steven suddenly shouted toward the door, "I am. I''m the president of Crowdstar Group. I agree to all your requests, but you must release my wife and these people." Chapter 573 ? Outside the door, the masked woman paused and retraced her steps. She scrutinized Steven intently. "Did you im to be the president of Crowdstar Group?" Steven frowned and remained silent. She suddenlyughed. "The more you say that, the less I believe it. Once your hand is healed, we''ll conduct the safe test tomorrow. If you''re truly the president of Crowdstar Group, I''ll release them. If you''re not, I''m afraid everything invaluable will be destroyed." Steven red at her, his hands tightly clenched. I tightly grasped Steven''s arm. As soon as the masked woman left, I hugged him and whispered, "Steven, regardless of whether you''re the president of Crowdstar Group or not, you can''t be him, do you understand?" His identity could not be exposed at this time. I was able to confirm that Steven was the president of Crowdstar Group from the moment his hand was injured.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. In addition, Steven must have discreetly arranged for someone to be aboard this cruise. Nevertheless, I waspletely unaware of their true identities. Steven stared at me intently. He understood exactly what I meant. After years of lurking, Genome Society had remained vignt. Even though Steven had be a powerful backer, they continued to suspect him. Steven still failed to establish real contact with the organization''s top leaders. The cruise game was not only for the Rebels to find the president of Crowdstar Group but also for Genome Society to test the president''s credibility. If Steven was confirmed as the president, Genome Society would abandon the lives of everyone on the cruise. It was because they didn''t trust him. Steven was willing to do anything for Stephanie, no matter how crazy it was. Hence, he simply couldn''t afford to fail at this time. At that moment, Steven eventually calmed down and embraced me. "Stephie..." He didn''t say anything else and simply whispered my name. I rested my head on his shoulder, and in that instant, I no longer had any concern for my own identity. All I desired was to reciprocate his intense emotions. I loved him unconditionally, whether I was Stephanie or not. And if I were indeed Stephanie, it would be even more wonderful. If I wasn''t, then I would shamelessly embrace living as Stephanie. "Stephie..." he persistently called my name, contemting the unspoken secrets in his heart. I could see how hard he must have worked all these years, building his business quietly in private. He must have endured a lot of grievances. "Are you tired?" Steven asked me softly, and I nodded. "Go to sleep." He held me in his arms. I fell asleep on him. The room was quiet, and everyone was in a heavy mood, as if there would be no tomorrow. I fell asleep in a daze. In my dreams, I saw Ashton and Xandra. The two pure-hearted children were holding my and Steven''s hands. In my dream, I observed everything from my point of view. I watched with pure delight as our family ran and flew kites together in the vast grasnd. The children were innocent, their eyes as pure as they should be at that age. Steven was dressed casually, without scars on his body. His bright smile and handsome face could light up any room. As he held me in his arms, we both basked in the warmth of the sun. alu A happy and simple life was what we yearned for. However, even something so simple felt like a luxury to us. I must have cried in my dream because my hair was drenched with tears. Someone tenderly wiped away my tears and kissed my forehead. As I gradually opened my eyes, I saw Steven. And just like that, my dreams ceased to be nightmarish. Chapter 574 ? I stretched and turned over. Nestling in Steven''s arms, I drifted back to sleep. He gently patted my back." Did you have a nightmare?" "No, I had a wonderful dream," I whispered. The dream was beautiful but even more painful than a nightmare. I didn''t know if we could experience such a peaceful moment in our lives. "Sleep a little longer." As I was about to go back to sleep, a group of people abruptly entered the room. "Today is the public execution. Everyone is wee. Have fun!" The riots outside persisted. ss conflicts were instigated between the poor and the rich. People who could not afford food and those who could afford it began to fight and physically attack each other. Many people were seriously injured or trampled to death. We were escorted out of the medical capsule and led to the central stage of the VIP banquet hall. It was there that the safe was ced. Everyone in the banquet hall had gathered, eagerly waiting to find out who the true president of Crowdstar Group was. At this moment, everyone fell silent and looked upward. "Will you let us go if one of these people we sent is the president of Crowdstar Group?" asked Maverick and the others loudly. The masked woman looked over with an enigmatic smile. "Of course." She could release them, but she didn''t have to guarantee their survival. I frowned, finding Maverick quite pathetic. It was true, as he had stated, that he was simply driven by the desire to stay alive.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. "The game is nearing its end. Once we find the president of Crowdstar Group, I assure you, everyone will be able to return to shore," said the masked woman with a chilling smile. She raised her hand, and the person next to me was brought over. His hands and head were pressed down for palm print and irisparison. "Error, error," the rm of the safe red. The first man was not the president. The masked woman aimed at the man and fired without hesitation. At that moment, she was too indifferent. There was no hint of respect for life in her eyes as she effortlessly ended a man''s life. "Mr. President of Crowdstar Group, remember that these people died because of you. If you keep hiding and refuse toe out, more lives will be lost," said the masked woman with a smile, her eyes locked on Steven. However, she refused to let Steven try first and insisted on pointing to the next person. She behaved like a terrifying demon, capable of effortlessly ending someone''s life. At the sight of the first person''s lifeless body, the second person trembled and copsed to the ground, pleading, "Please spare my life. Please... I''m not the president..." However, he was still taken for the test. "Error." It was clear he was not the president. The masked woman fired another shot, and the man fell to the ground. Everyone there was tense as they watched. People''s lives were at stake. Those were all living human beings. I red at her, feeling angry. She was so cold-blooded and without emotion, and she hated me. I wondered if she was also an experimental subject. Then, I nced at Una, who remained indifferent to everything. Only an experimental subject could be so heartless. "I''ll do it!" Steven said seriously and took the initiative to step forward. I gazed at Steven nervously. Could it be that after dedicating himself for so many years, he was going to end up being discovered? Chapter 575 ? The masked woman grinned and gestured to Steven to step forward. "If you''re not the one, I''ll kill you directly." She appeared to be waiting for Steven to fail at unlocking the safe so that she could kill him. I clenched my hands tightly as I stared at the masked woman. At that moment, I struggled to figure out how to ensure Steven''s survival. Down below, Zion, Eason, Joel, and the others were also nervously watching the scene.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "Now, if the real president of Crowdstar Group steps forward, all these lives can still be saved. Otherwise, everyone here will die," the masked woman dered, her eyes sweeping across the entire crowd. The president of Crowdstar Group must have been aboard the cruise ship. If he wasn''t among the people on stage, then he had to be down below. All eyes were fixed on the stage. Everyone was scared. Therge banquet hall that was full of people suddenly became very quiet. "Okay. Go ahead," the masked woman gestured toward the safe and instructed Steven to unlock it. I nced anxiously at Steven as I took a deep breath. He ced his palm on the safe, and the rm was not triggered. Everyone watched Steven with anticipation, hoping that he was the one they were searching for. Sacrificing Steven alone might be the solution to save everyone. After all, humans were often filled with negativity and darkness. "Iris." The Rebels wouldn''t dare to directly attack Steven. His presence was overpowering and terrifying. Steven then nced toward the iris verification. "Beep... Error! Error!" The safe emitted a loud buzzing rm. It wasn''t a match. I gazed at Steven in disbelief. Wasn''t he the president of Crowdstar Group? Now, even I wasn''t sure. The masked woman and the Rebels were visibly astonished as well. They nced around, attempting to identify the president of Crowdstar Group. In stark contrast to the others, Steven remained unfazed, standing confidently and unruffled. "You''re ying tricks on us." The masked woman was angry and pointed her gun at Steven. Steven regarded her with a frigid stare, his eyes brimming with destion. He assumed that she would not dare to pull the trigger. I tried to move forward in a panic, but the Rebels stopped me. I looked at Steven in fear, worried that the madwoman would actually shoot him. Thankfully, she didn''t. She looked at Steven, her arms shaking for some reason. Then, she lowered the gun. She didn''t kill Steven, but it wasn''t because she was afraid. Ewan stepped forward and grabbed the masked woman''s wrist to stop her from shooting wildly. "It appears that Steven isn''t the president of Crowdstar Group. I suggest you don''t go too far." The masked woman red angrily at Ewan, appearing out of control. She seemed conflicted, as if she hoped that Steven would be the president of Crowdstar Group but at the same time dreaded the possibility. "Keep going, everyone else!" The masked woman shrugged off Ewan''s hand and gestured toward the remaining people. Those people were all sitting on the ground in fear, their faces pale. Ewan frowned, realizing that the masked woman was losing her mind. As expected, she continuously killed another two people. "That''s enough," Ewan warned sternly. I grabbed Steven''s arm and cast a wary nce at the madwoman. Her behavior was truly unhinged. Steven furrowed his brows and turned to Ewan. However, he didn''t look at Steven and just stood in front of the woman. The woman gazed down with a look of madness in her eyes. "I know you''re on the cruise. If you refuse toe out now, I''ll continue to kill the passengers." After saying that, she pointed the gun at me. I knew she truly wanted to kill me, but she had some reservations. Steven looked at her angrily and stood in front of me to protect me. "Is she really that important to you?" the masked woman asked, her voice filled with madness. Steven didn''t answer her. His actions had already revealed everything to her. "In that case, I''ll let you die for her!" the masked woman yelled at Steven as she prepared to shoot. I was utterly terrified, my heart racing. "Stop the killing!" A sharp, trembling voice came from the crowd at this moment. Everyone turned to look. Amidst the crowd, Dayton was visibly shaking, his eyes filled with tears. "Stop the killing. I''m the president of Crowdstar Group. I built the business from the ground up without my family''s knowledge and founded Crowdstar." Chapter 576 ? Dayton''s voice trembled as he spoke. All eyes turned toward him, but only a few truly believed his words. Dayton had previously taken a stand for that woman and imed that he was the president. However, he had already taken the test and failed. "You''re way too kind." The masked woman snorted coldly before redirecting her gaze toward Steven, intending to resume shooting. "It''s really me!" Dayton pushed everyone aside and walked forward. We all observed as he went up the stage. He peeled off a film from his palm and proceeded to remove contact lenses that resembled cosmetic ones from his eyes. Positioning his hand on the safe, he then aligned his eyes. "The match is sessful, unlocking..." Everyone was in shock as they looked at Dayton. I was also taken aback. He seemed like a frail scion, incapable of looking after himself. It was unbelievable that he could hide so effectively. He even knew how to protect himself and blend in among the crowd. "Crowdstar is my property, but I didn''t want anyone to know that. I sensed there might be danger today. My initial intention was to protect my property and keep my existence a secret," Dayton lowered his head and said in a hushed tone. I was surprised as I nced at Dayton. I then turned to Steven. Steven remained silent, simply holding my hand. If it was Dayton, that would be the best result. The So family indeed held influential power in Huma. It was quite usible that they covertly backed Dayton to be the president of Crowdstar Group. "I''ve had autism since I was a child. I was born with it. It''s not very severe, but I don''t like tomunicate with people and prefer to hide. My father and grandfather found it embarrassing and wanted to keep it a secret. "They pushed me to socialize like a normal person, but I just wanted to hide. It would be best if no one knew me," Dayton murmured, looking down at the ground. Indeed, he seemed quite autistic. Below the stage, the wealthy people were astonished. Dayton, the seemingly unassuming scion, was the president of Crowdstar Group. It was a true testament to the fact that one should not judge a person by one''s appearance. "He''s so uninteresting and too kind. I can''t believe that he''s actually a genius." "The president of Crowdstar Group is a young genius." "Then it''s a match. But what''s the point of being a genius? You also need to have an influential father. The So family is undoubtedly one of the most exceptional in Huma. They gave their son the chance to start a business with several hundred million, which gives him a much better chance of sess than us." Many people were already discussing the situation beneath the stage. Genome Society''s ship had already approached the cruise ship from the moment the safe was opened, and their people had already boarded the ship. They had been eagerly awaiting this moment. "They''re on board," Ewan said, his voice filled with caution as his gaze turned toward the outside. The masked woman was intent on killing more people, but Ewan stopped her. "You''ve already set the wolfhounds loose from the undergroundb cabin. We can''t remain on this cruise. We need to leave as soon as possible!" The masked woman red at me and Steven, her reluctance palpable. She must''ve thought that it was a pity Steven wasn''t revealed as the president of Crowdstar Group. "What happened?" I inquired Steven gently. Steven shook his head. "I''ll exin it to you after we leave." I agreed. "We have to protect Dayton no matter what." However, Ewan and the masked woman brought Dayton along when they left. After all, he was the president of Crowdstar Group, a person coveted by both Genome Society and the Rebels. "Someone is on board to save us!" the crowd erupted in cheers. Little did they know, these people were not here to rescue them. Their intentions only revolved around saving Dayton, the president of Crowdstar Group and their primary financial sponsor. As the excitement grew and the Rebels prepared to retreat, a biting sound could be hearding from outside the door of the banquet hall. "Wolfhounds! They eat people! They''re monsters created on this cruise!"This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. "Help!" There was chaos on the scene again, with people screaming and fleeing. The Rebels nned to reveal all the scandals on the cruise. Members of Genome Society hade to kill them, but the Rebels had taken Dayton away. This wasn''t the end. These passengers would not receive any rescue because Genome Society wanted them to die at sea more than the Rebels. I had a bad feeling as I anxiously nced at Steven. It was clear that these people came on board to kill everyone while pinning the me on others. Their ultimate goal was to ensure that no one would escape alive. Chapter 577 ? Outside the banquet hall, there were screams and sounds of wild beasts biting. "Where are you taking me?" Dayton was dragged out. I quickly pulled Steven aside and signaled the others to find cover. "Hide! Quickly!" After I finished speaking, members of Genome Society on the cruise started shooting. They killed people without discrimination, shooting anyone they saw. Everyone screamed in fear and fled in different directions. Shortly after, the banquet hall was filled with blood. Everyone ran out crying because there were wild animals outside and mercenaries inside. They were here topletely wipe out everything. Zion protected Rachel as they sought refuge under the table. Rachel held Ashton and Xandra close while using her hand to cover Yara''s mouth. She was afraid that Yara would scream again. On the other hand, Eason and Joel shielded Xandra Zander and took cover under the long table. The palpable scent of blood in the banquet hall heightened everyone''s anxiety. "They took Dayton away," I whispered. Steven gestured for me to stay quiet. Now, Genome Society would eradicate all those insignificant people. The person they deemed valuable was none other than Dayton. Several rich people were not convinced and still thought that they were valuable to Genome Society." Where''s your leader? I demand to see him. Tell him we''re all from Zadiff Group, and I''m Yaniel Zabel." "That''s right. We''re all members of Genome Society." Those people truly believed that they would be included on the rescue list. But this cruise contained too many secrets of Genome Society. They would never allow the people on the cruise to leave alive. "Capture them alive and eliminate the others." The leader held a tablet andpared them with the photos disyed on it. I nced at the corner and spotted the clever ones in hiding while the foolish ones were eager to negotiate with them. Michael shielded Una and took cover behind the air conditioner. Meanwhile, Jimmy did not attempt to hide, disying remarkable confidence. "They''re not on the list," stated the leader as he checked his tablet. Without hesitation, he opened fire on them. The victimsy in a pool of blood, horrified. "Dispose of their bodies in the sea to eliminate all evidence. Let''s locate the people we''re searching for before the arrival of the rescue ship. Then, we''ll detonate and sink the ship," the leadermanded in a resolute tone. The leader looked back at Jimmy andpared him to the photo. "Mr. Lincoln, you may board the rescue ship now." "I want to bring someone along," Jimmy said firmly. The leader fell silent and stepped to the side to seek guidance. After a brief moment, he returned and asked, "Who is it?" Jimmy gazed at Una. "Come here. Don''t be afraid." Una came out from under the table. Jimmy had directly revealed Michael''s hiding spot. Michael frowned and looked at the mercenaries warily.N?velDrama.Org ? content. The leaderpared Una to the photo on his tablet and nodded in approval. "You can bring her on board. Madam is waiting for you." The woman known as "Madam" was the leader of Genome Society who oversaw this operation. Una frowned as he nced at the leader''s tablet. Then, she felt relieved and made her way out with Jimmy. Meanwhile, Michael simply stopped hiding and walked out. "Mr. Ford, you may board first. Madam is waiting for you," the leader spoke again. Michael was momentarily taken aback, slightly startled to find himself on the list. In a curious tone, he inquired, "Who''s on the list?" The leader showed Michael the photos, and Michael took a deep breath. Upon seeing that there were three more people on the list, he asked, "Can I take them with me, then?" After the leader nodded, Michael called out in a low voice, "Steven and Stephany..." Genome Society would not allow Steven and me to die. Steven was one of the participants in the soul reincarnation experiment proposed by Genome Society, and I was the most valuable experimental subject at the moment. Steven and I exchanged nces. There were only two of us. What about Zion, Eason, and the others? "And Joel," Michael called out the third name. Joel was also a valuable experimental subject in the soul reincarnation experiment. Chapter 578 ? Unfortunately, apart from the three of us, everyone else would be eliminated. "Captain, the bomb has been nted." A mercenary walked in. I furrowed my brows and cast a wary nce at those mercenaries. Ashton and Xandra were still on the cruise, and Steven and I wouldn''t leave Zion and the others behind. "Find the people we''re searching for," the leader ordered. The mercenariesmenced their search. Steven shielded me and exchanged a knowing look with Ashton. In an instant, Ashton understood Steven''s message and whistled at the banquet hall''s door. The wolfhounds all rushed in, baring their teeth at the mercenaries with guns. Following Ashton''smand, the wolfhounds rushed toward the mercenaries. We used this chance to escape. "The cruise is going to sink soon, and they n to blow it up. What should we do?" asked Eason. "Aren''t you a genius? Why are you asking us?" Joel eximed. The two were about to fight again. I furrowed my brows and stopped them. "This isn''t the right time to argue. Let''s go back to our room first. I gazed meaningfully at Yara, who lowered her head guiltily and sought refuge behind Rachel. "Let''s return to the room first. I''ll use satellitemunication to send our location and guide the rescue ship to us." Zion assured our safety as we expedited our departure. We found Maverick injured in the corridor when we reached our room. He seemed seriously hurt after being bitten. His "allies" seemed to have abandoned him. Just as we were going to enter the room, he reached out and stopped us. "Don''t go in." He mustered thest of his strength to speak, "They''ve entered your room." We peered down the corridor with vignce, knowing that the mercenaries were closing in on us. There were no other options. The satellitemunication equipment was still in the room. Zion had no choice but to take the risk. He opened the door and rushed into the room. When he entered, he found Stan being beaten by those people. He was covered in blood. It was likely they were unaware that Stan was a lunatic. They assumed Stan was associated with us. Who would have thought that Stan was a lunatic? The more he was beaten, the crazier heughed. As we entered the door, the group turned around and looked at us. At this moment, Stan rushed toward the leader and stabbed him in the neck, specifically targeting the carotid artery. Stanughed maniacally while still covered in blood. The leader ced his hands on his neck in shock. But before he could react to Stan, he fell to the ground and died. Stan continued tough uncontrobly.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. "They left. The small boat left." Stan pointed out the window. The masked woman managed to escape with Ewan and Dayton, and the members of Genome Society were chasing them. "If you all want to live, you''d better behave!" Zion warned the remaining people. Then, he pressed Stan to the ground, tied him up, and threw him to Eason. He pried open the gap in the wall and retrieved the satellitemunication equipment, fully prepared to contact the rescuers. The sound of gunshots grew increasingly nearer, as did the barking of dogs. It was evident that the mercenaries were approaching. With a loud bang, the door was suddenly kicked open. The mercenaries entered with guns, killing without mercy. "Take the people we look for and leave no one else alive!" Just as the leader was about to take action, the cruise ship suddenly jolted violently, and the bomb detonated prematurely. The deafening sound was followed by another series of explosions, causing the massive cruise ship to begin to tilt. In that intense moment, Steven instinctively shielded me in his arms and protected Ashton and Xandra. He used his own body as a cushion as the cruise ship slid down. "Dad..." "The cruise is sinking! It''s filling up with water!" "Leave!" "Hurry up!" Chapter 579 ? "Dad!" A sharp object on the wall pierced Steven''s back. The entire cabin tilted 90 degrees and became very bumpy. "Steven..." I gripped Xandra firmly as the cabin tilted. I was enveloped by Steven''s embrace and unable to see anything. The scent of briny seawater mingled with the metallic aroma of blood filled my senses. "Mom, Dad..." Xandra had an injury to her forehead too. She choked up as she attempted to assess my condition. Steven and I both sustained injuries of different severity. Steven''s injuries were the most severe, with blood on his back and his clothes drenched in blood. "I''m fine. Don''t worry," Steven assured us with aforting embrace. I was terrified and held them tightly. Fear spread in the darkness. The cabin tilted, and the power waspletely cut off. The sea seemed like a giant beast that could devour everything. Everyone was waiting to be rescued. "Steven! Stephie!" "Stephany?" In the darkness, we heard the voices of Zion, Joel, and others, as well as Michael''s voice. I was shocked that Michael didn''t board Genome Society''s rescue ship in advance. I moved and realized that my leg was trapped under the bed, which had slipped down along with us earlier. The pain was so intense that I nearly lost consciousness. This was my first experience of such severe pain. "Stephie." Steven desperately tried to move the bed in panic. But despite his efforts, gravity made him feel helpless. After all, he was just a human being. The waves were getting bigger, and the seawater surged back with increasing force. This moment vividly illustrated the insignificance of human beings in the face of nature. The sea was freezing, and I was scared. In my memory, I used to be emotionless and unaffected by fear. Yet now, I found myself truly terrified. I was utterly terrified of facing death. I started valuing life because I had finally grasped the meaning of love. Respect was built upon love. How could one show respect if one didn''t evenprehend what love was? "Don''t worry, Stephie." Steven held my face. The chill in the air had left myplexion pale. Michael shouted from the balcony above. He found a rope and threw it down. "Stephany, Zion, Eason! Come up quickly," Zion fumbled with the rope, sending Rachel up first while Michael pulled her from above. "The cruise is about to sink! Hurry,e up!" "Steven..." After Zion had sent Xandra Zander up the rope, he came to find us. "It''s toote." I choked, shaking my head. There were too many objects on the bed. It was simply too heavy. The weight pushed me down, and I couldn''t escape. Eventually, I would drown when the seawater started to flow back. "Nonsense!" Joel cursed. In the dim light, they tried their best to lift the bed. Just as they were about to lift it, the cabin shook violently. The bed pressed down once more, causing me a second injury. Despite the pain, I endured in silence, my hands clenched tightly. I nearly passed out due to the immense agony. However, at that moment, I was unusually clearheaded.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. I embraced Steven, my voice trembling. "Steven, please leave with the children." I begged him to go first. If he brought the children up there, they might still have a chance to survive. Otherwise, we would all die in this ce. "Leave, please," I cried and pleaded with him. "Stephie!" Steven kissed my forehead as if he hade to a decision. He picked up the children and handed them to Joel, asking him to pass them on to Michael. Ashton and Xandra were crying. Despite being experimental subjects, they were still children. "Dad, Mom!" I heard their cries and felt a sharp pain in my heart. They were our children, Steven''s and mine. I loved them dearly. Chapter 580 ? I was willing to sacrifice my life for Ashton and Xandra''s growth. "Joel, Zion, Eason, thank you for your help. Let''s give it another try," Steven whispered after Michael picked up the children. "The water''s pouring in, and the pressure keeps increasing. If we try again, what if..." Zion was worried that I would be in pain. "Let''s wait until the room is flooded with seawater and test if we can use buoyancy to make it work," suggested Eason. "It''s toote. Once the room is flooded, the exit will be blocked. We''ll all die in this room. You must go first," I urgently shouted at them. Steven remained calm and said once more, "Let''s give it another shot." Zion and the others acknowledged and lifted the bed that pinned me down. "Three, two, one. Lift!" They screamed and struggled to lift the bed, but the shaking of the cruise ship made them lose their grip once more. However, the heavy objects did not fall on my leg this time. I looked at Steven in astonishment. He endured the pain, held me close, and slowly pulled my leg out. It was him... As they lifted, he stretched his leg inside, like a lever to support the heavy objects. I even heard the sound of bones breaking at that moment. "Steven..." My voice trembled as I ignored the pain. I burst out crying, holding him tightly. "Take her away." Steven was shaking all over. Zion tried to pull me, but I pushed him away. "Hurry up and leave, all of you!" Zion nced at me, and I motioned for him to listen. "Help me take care of the kids. We''ll take a risk. Once it''s flooded here, hopefully, we can count on the buoyancy to escape." Zion took a deep breath and embraced me tightly. It was an emotional expression of our friendship and camaraderie, a bond forged through both good times and bad.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. He replied hoarsely, "We''ll be waiting for you up there. I''ll contact the rescue ship as soon as possible. Our people will be here soon. Just hang on." Eason choked up, his voice full of emotions. "Steven, don''t die. We should return to our country. We can be happy there, even though I dislike you." Joel appeared remarkablyposed inparison to the others. He said firmly, "He''s Steven. He won''t die. Let''s go first." Amidst the violent shaking, I held Steven tightly, determined to shield him from further harm. "Why are you so silly?" he asked me. "I don''t want to seem smart around you," I replied, crying like a needy child. What was the true purpose of living if a person was required to disy their intelligence in front of the person they loved? "Stephie, I''m so happy now." Steven was very weak at that moment. The seawater had already reached our shoulders and was about to cover our heads. We had to wait until the room waspletely filled with seawater. "Are you afraid?" I inhaled deeply, urging Steven to do the same. Considering the present rate of backflow, we needed to hold our breath underwater for a minimum of two minutes. "Everything I do, I do it for my wife and my children... I''m not afraid at all," Steven replied, smiling and shaking his head. I smiled with tears in my eyes. "You''re the silly one." "Hmm. Stephie, I''m so stupid. All of them bully me, so you have to protect me." Steven''s voice had a hint of coquettishness. However, these words hurt me deeply. In my fragmented memory, Steven seemed like a loner at the orphanage when he was a child. The other children would mock him, insult him, and even throw things at him. Later, he enjoyed hiding behind Stephanie and would always quietlyin to her. "Stephie, they all bully me. You have to protect me." In fact, he had actually found different ways to deal with those who bullied him. However, he would pretend to be weak and helpless whenever he encountered "Stephanie". As the seawater cascaded around us, I drew in a deep breath and dove into the cold seawater alongside Steven. Our eardrums were pressured. We held each other''s hands tightly, enduring the challenging wait. We were not afraid to take risks; we were willing to risk our lives. If we couldn''t escape, we were prepared to die together. If there was an afterlife, I wished to be born into a normal family and have a simple and happy life. I hoped that Steven would be the boy next door so that we could be childhood sweethearts and grow up together. I wanted to protect him from harm and shield him from any negativity. All I wanted was for him to grow up healthy. I longed to see his smile, full of joy and brightness, in both good times and bad. Chapter 581 ? The seawater seeped in gradually, and the wait underwater felt endless. Surprisingly, my lung capacity allowed me to hold my breath underwater for two whole minutes. It was evident that Stephany had decent physical fitness before. However, the hull was rocking violently due to the waves, slowing down the water inflow and increasing the pressure on the bed. I swam desperately to the surface for air and then went down to give Steven a breath. It was a life-and-death situation. As I was helping him breathe, he still had the nerve to kiss me. He truly knew how to seize the moment with me. I stared at him, feeling helpless. There were other options at that moment. Beating him was impossible at this point. I came up for air, took a breath, and dove back down. Steven remained surprisingly calm in the water as if nothing had urred. Three minutes had gone by. Most people couldn''t hold their breath for such a long time. But I had overlooked the fact that he wasn''t an ordinary person.N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Stephie! Steven!" Their shouts could be heard above the roar of the storm and the crashing waves against the cruise ship. I knew that everyone was still alive, giving us the motivation to hold on. Moreover, Ashton and Xandra were still up there. Under the water, I held Steven close, silently encouraging him to hang on. He hugged me back. We were simply waiting for the perfect moment. With a violent jolt, the cabin shook nearly 90 degrees. The heavy object pinning Steven''s leg finally gave way under the force of buoyancy and shaking. Seizing the opportunity, Steven freed his leg, held me close, and kissed me passionately. When I was almost out of breath in the water, he carried me up to the surface. We gasped for air in the gap. I looked at him helplessly and reproachfully. Perhaps it was the relief of having survived a disaster. I couldn''t truly hold it against him. He held me in his arms and whispered, "Stephie, we''re safe." "Huh?" He seemed very determined that we would not die. "Listen." The faint sound of rescue ship sirens echoed through the waves, signaling their arrival. The Huma police must have coordinated with a peacekeeping force that was having a rescue operation in a neighboring country. I heaved a sigh of relief, and an overwhelming sense of surprise coursed through my entire being. I gazed at Steven with profound emotion, tears welling up in my eyes. "I was absolutely terrified just a moment ago." I choked up. "He fooled you. The longest time he''s able to hold his breath underwater is 16 minutes, and that''s without much professional training." Joel tied a lifebuoy to a rope and threw it down from above. I stared at Steven in utter disbelief. The Guinness World Record for holding one''s breath underwater was 20 minutes. Steven could hold his breath for an impressive 16 minutes. No wonder he seemed sofortable taking advantage of me underwater just now. "Exin it to me," I said, cing the lifebuoy on his head in annoyance. Steven started to act pitifully. "Stephie, my leg hurts so much." My heart ached as I touched his body and dove under the water, desperate to check his leg. However, he held me in his arms with malicious intent, even using me of molesting him. "Stephie, you took advantage of the situation and touched me." I was filled with anger and amusement. At that moment, I embraced him tightly. Only then did I truly experience the overwhelming sensation of shedding tears of joy. Tears flowed uncontrobly down my face as I cried out loud. The sound of the waves drowned out my cries. However, that moment that Steven and I shared seemed bound together for eternity. Chapter 582 ? It felt as if Steven''s and my souls were tightly embracing each other. Climbing onto the deck, we waited anxiously for rescue. However, when the rescue ship finally arrived, Genome Society''s ship had not left. Instead, they actually drew closer. "We''re here to save you! Hurry ande aboard quickly." Their team quickly disguised themselves as humanitarian aid workers andmenced the rescue operation for the survivors aboard the cruise ship. On the deck next to ours, I spotted a familiar woman. She was Lois, Michael''s mother. She was wearing a raincoat and standing on the deck, the sea breeze blowing her hair. She looked unfamiliar and scary. She stood there as she watched Michael participating in the rescue with a serious look in his eyes. Maybe she didn''t expect him to be so vulnerable and felt that he was not worthy of her lifetime ns and efforts. "Mike, save me!" Yasmin''s desperate cries reverberated through the waves. She had been hiding in the room. She wore a life jacket and was holding onto the balcony railing tightly, which saved her life. Her instincts to survive danger had always been very strong. I looked at Yasmin in the seawater and realized that she wasn''t meant to die. It was such a pity that she knew too much. Even if Michael and I wanted to save her, Genome Society wouldn''t allow it. A gunshot pierced the air. Steven, Michael, and I were shocked as we witnessed Lois shoot Yasmin. "Mike..." The bright red blood was spreading, and her life jacket was deting. She looked down in shock and fear at the blood slowly spreading around her body. In her final moments of terror, she called out Michael''s name. "Yasmin!" Michael reached out to grab her hand. Yasmin reached out desperately to grab him too. Michael''s hand was injured. Coming into contact with her could potentially infect him with HIV.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. With no ess to emergency antiretroviral drugs in the harsh conditions at sea, they were facing a race against time. Within the crucial 72-hour window, reaching shore and obtaining the necessary medication seemed increasingly unlikely. I instinctively tried to stop Michael, but then I decided not to interfere. Nobody could alter someone else''s destiny. Yasmin cried and reached out to hold Michael''s hand. She was such a selfish person that she definitely would not care about Michael''s well-being. She was desperate for a final sense of security. However, ultimately, this selfish person chose to retract her hand. The blood had already entered her lungs. She spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at Michael with a pale face. "Mike... don''t...e over here." She was gesturing to Michael not toe near her blood. Everyone had gotten injured to different extents, and her blood was a source of contamination. Her final gaze at me was filled with reluctance, jealousy, and sadness. I couldn''t help but wonder if she felt regret before she passed. Perhaps not. After all, conscience was inherent. It either existed or never did. She released her grip gradually, allowing her body to submerge into the depths of the sea. Michael knelt in the boat, his eyes filled with sorrow as he red at Lois. She responded with indifference, choosing not to speak and offer any exnation. "Everyone, hurry up and board if you want to survive." The Genome Society members were still striving to persuade everyone to go on board. The rescuers arrived from a rescue ship to save us. I gazed at Lois, and we couldn''t look away from each other for a while. Finally, she said first, "Stephie, I now kind of believe that you''re Stephie." I stared at her, feeling angry and sad. I wondered why she did that, but I couldn''t ask the question. Chapter 583 ? The rescue ship had arrived, and the peacekeeping forces along with the rescue workers had swiftlymenced their life-saving operations. The majority of the cruise survivors had been sessfully transferred to the rescue ship. Unfortunately, this cruise ship incident resulted in a devastating loss of lives. Most of the wealthy died at sea, and some civilians killed each other because of the earlier game. As we stood on the deck of the rescue ship, Steven and I supported each other. I had broken my left leg, and he had broken his right, so we could truly say we had endured our hardships together. "Honey, my leg''s in pain." Steven hugged me from behind, holding me tightly. I sensed that he was gripped by lingering fear. It was a deep and palpable fear of losing me. I rolled my eyes at him. "If your legs hurt, go back and sit down." "Genome Society''s ship has departed. The rescue workers inspected it and found nothing unusual. They''re eligible for humanitarian aid and are a non-governmental organization. This organization has been conducting humanitarian aid in different locations for years," Steven said in a hushed tone. Genome Society had numerous escape routes nned. Unfortunately, a lot of the passengers on the cruise survived. The video footage and evidence proving the existence of ab in the cabin would be fully shared on the Inte. This would alert more people to the dangers of inhumane experiments like genome editing and cloning. "Genome Society will be heavily affected this time, so they''ll avoid taking any noticeable actions for now. "I knew that this wouldn''t be sufficient to eliminate them. The ship sailed slowly on the sea. We watched both the sunrise and sunset. It felt wonderful to be alive. "I''m incredibly lucky to be alive," Rachel rushed over and embraced me. I hugged her back and gently patted her back, all while wearing a reassuring smile. "As long as we''re alive, the future holds infinite possibilities." "You''re right," Rachel replied, choking out. Una stepped onto the deck and cast a contemptuous nce at Rachel. "A forensic doctor who knows nothing and is weak, yet manages to survive until the very end. Is that merely luck?" Rachel became alert and looked at Una warily. "Just because you resemble Stephie doesn''t mean that you can bother us here. I don''t depend on luck. Instead, I rely on my partner to keep me safe. Is there an issue with that?" On the side, Zion cleared his throat awkwardly and muttered, "Rachel, could you please lower your voice and try to be more low-key?" Una red meaningfully at Rachel. Without uttering another word, she turned and left. Meanwhile, Jimmy walked out and stretched. "I never expected the president of Crowdstar Group to be the most unassuming son of the So family. It''s a reminder that appearances can be deceiving, but I had a hunch it was him all along. Did you already figure it out, Steven?"This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "Isn''t it a bit toote to say this?" Steven replied coldly. Jimmy was not angry. Instead, a smile formed on his lips. "When I was younger, I met Dayton in the advanced ss at Moulmore Polytechnic. He was truly a genius with autistic tendencies, but he eventually returned here. The instant I saw him stand up, I knew it was him." "Do you really think it''s worth mentioning now? What were you doing earlier? Why didn''t you tell us sooner? If you had informed us earlier, Dayton wouldn''t have been taken away by the Rebels and we could''ve protected him in time." Joel strode forward angrily, eager to punch Jimmy. This scoundrel truly deserved a beating. Furthermore, he went on board immediately when Genome Society invited him. In addition to bringing Una along, he disyed utter disregard for anyone else''s well-being. "Michael''s on Genome Society''s ship. Will he be okay?" Eason gazed at Genome Society''s ship, which was not far away. "That''s his biological mother. Would she throw him into the sea?" Joel retorted and left in a bad mood. Eason fell silent, recognizing Joel''s short fuse. That brat was young but short-tempered. "We''ve caught the murderer responsible for the interprovincial serial murder case. This undoubtedly marks another merit for us." Eason sat on the deck tiredly and gazed at the blue sky. "I wish for everything to return to a state of calm," Zion uttered softly. Chapter 584 ? "Calm? The storm''sing. The fierce conflict between the Rebels and Genome Society has reached its boiling point. If they don''t stop their fighting, there''ll never be peace." Eason sighed. Everyone was well aware that there were numerous puzzles yet to be resolved and countless tasks that needed to be aplished. It became evident that they could not simply escape from the turmoil that surrounded them. Now that they were deeply entangled, they had no choice but to press on relentlessly. They were determined to crush Genome Society, dismantle the Rebels, and stop innocent people from being harmed. "The masked woman from the Rebels is the real murderer who killed Stephanie. I saw the birthmark on her arm. It was her, a woman," I dered seriously. "At least our direction is correct. The Rebels, led by the masked woman, are ruthless, insane, and radical. Based on our understanding of Huma''s Genome Society, it seems that theb is run by Michael''s mother. "Genome Society opposes human ethics, conducting illegal experiments at sea that involve cloning as well as undisclosed practices of genome editing and other inhumane experiments." Zion took a deep breath. They were nothing more than a group of lunatics. Half of the illegal activities in this world were under the control of these lunatics who were motivated by either greed or their own selfish desires. They hadpletely lost their mind. "Mom! Dad!" Ashton and Xandra rushed out and threw themselves into Steven''s and my arms. Steven and I were both limping, and we almost lost our bnce. Steven and I held the children and exchanged nces. At that moment, we felt the profound joy that could only be found in the simplicity of an ordinary family. It would be great if it could always be like this.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. "The two kids appeared out of nowhere and are not on the rescue list. If they wish to enter the country, the process will be challenging. They must undergo interrogation and rigorous psychological testing due to their nature as experimental subjects. "I''m worried that passing these tests will be quite difficult for them." Zion asked me to keep a close watch on the children. He then took Steven aside and spoke to him in a hushed tone. I looked at the two children with concern. They were the experimental subjects of Genome Society, products of the survival of the fittest. In their world, the only truth seemed to be killing and desperate survival. I feared that they might not meet the standards once the psychological test was carried out. Ashton and Xandra gazed up at me. "Mom, can we always be together with you and Dad? You''ll never abandon us, will you?" I nodded, but I wasn''t confident. I wasn''t sure if we could keep them. If not, what should I do? "I''ll try my best to keep you," I whispered. I wasmitted to trying my hardest no matter what. "Mom, we''ll try our best too." Ashton held Xandra''s hand and whispered, "Mom, Yara is crying." I was stunned for a moment, then I looked up at Yara. She was hiding in the corner and crying. I approached Yara with my crutches and asked, "Why are you crying? Who asked you to go on the cruise?" From the moment those children were rescued and only Yara remained, we should have known that her true identity was not ordinary. She was a teenage girl who had gone through so much and yet could remain resilient. She was crying now, and it seemed unbelievable. "If I tell you, will you believe me?" Yara choked up. I nodded. "Tell me about it." Chapter 585 ? "My dad is Peter Jones..." Yara said softly. I froze, staring at her in shock and disbelief. "That''s impossible. Peter Jones only had one daughter. His daughter was..." Wasn''t his daughter the girl who was mentally disabled? She was the girl who liked Steven. She was also the child of Peter and the asylum director''s daughter. From what I heard, his first daughter had passed very early on due to a rare condition. "I''m... a genome-edited clone," Yara said in a small voice. I inhaled sharply. That lunatic actually brought his first daughter back to life. He used her DNA to create a clone. Then, he used genome editing to ensure that she was healthy. That was why he joined Genome Society. Initially, he must''ve joined them in hopes of getting his daughter back. So, why did he turn into a Rebel in the end? "My father has passed away. Before he died, he asked me to lead you guys here and uncover the truth about this ship. That''s because... I was also born in one of the experimental capsules onboard." She tucked herself into the corner. That exined why she was so familiar with the ce. How much more inhumane activity had taken ce here? "Your dad got you thanks to the organization. Why would he still liaise with the Rebels after?" I knelt beside Yara and asked softly. I couldn''t wrap my head around it. She stared at me for a moment before responding, "He found out that they made more than one copy of me. There were multiple imperfect versions that were either discarded or destroyed. Some were also sold for profit or harmed..." A chill ran down my spine. These people were monsters. The clones created from gic modification were born on the cruise. Situated on international waters, the organization was beyond the reach ofw. They were evil and terrifying people. Among all the children from thebs, only Ashton and Xandra survived through natural selection. "Do you believe me, Ms. Stephy? I didn''t mean to put all of you in harm''s way. I just..." Yara lowered her head. She continued, "In order to keep my identity hidden, my dad had my aunt take me in and im that I was her child. After what happened to him, Genome Society found me. "They told me that my father was the leader of the Rebels, and they wanted to get rid of me. Mr. Ewan Bart from the Rebels rescued me. He found an opportunity to get me on the ship as a performer. I''ve been waiting for you guys since then." Ewan didn''t want so many innocent people to die. He didn''t want Steven to die either. His only goal was to expose the evil deeds of the organization. From the recent incident, I was able to tell that he was at least humane. The masked person, however, was a terrifying murder addict with no regard for human life. "Your dad gave you to your aunt so that you could live a safe and happy life. He didn''t want you to get caught up in all those things..." I exined gently. Despite that, we all knew that the children from thebs would remain in danger so long as Genome Society remained active. Hence, my goal aligned with Peter''s. Everything we did was to protect those we loved and cared about. The moment Ashton and Xan appeared, I understood that my and Steven''s happiness didn''t matter anymore. If our sacrifice could keep the children safe and happy, it would all be worth it in the end.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 586 ? When the cruise finally docked, the group of us who were injured were all sent to a local hospital. Steven and I were carried in on stretchers with our respective broken legs suspended in the air. Fortunately, everyone in our group was alive. Our injuries were manageable as well. Eason and Zion both suffered from some external injuries while Joel was unscathed. As she had received emergency treatment from the best doctor onboard the cruise, Rachel had also gotten a lot better. As for Steven''s hand, the doctors at the hospital all marveled at how sessful and well-done the surgical procedure had been. The cruise had the best scientists and doctors from around the world. However, they chose to perform heinous acts instead of using their skills for the greater good. "Did anyone find Dayton yet? Any news?" I asked Zion as he entered the room. "The Rebels took him away. The ones who want to locate them the most should be Genome Society. I''m sure there''ll be news about it soon." Zion assumed that the organization would do everything in their power to rescue Dayton. Not to our surprise, Eason soon returned with updates. Remains of a lifeboat were spotted near the Crimson Sea. Dayton had been rescued by local armed forces. They had already made ns to bring him back to the country. "Did the Rebels just leave him like that after going through all that trouble?" I was slightly skeptical about the whole ordeal. It all seemed too easy. The Rebels gathered thousands of people onboard a cruise and hosted arge-scale game of death. They orchestrated the entire thing only to kidnap Dayton So a mere president-in the end. I had a nagging feeling that they were leading Genome Society on. By intentionally letting them rescue him, the organization would put theirplete trust in Dayton. Subsequently, he would have the authority to get in contact with the person in charge of the entire organization. I was stunned by my own train of thought. I instinctively looked toward Steven. He was seated on the bed and ying chess with the two children. The pair were incredibly smart. However, despite working together, they only managed to even out the match against their father. The game had been going on for quite some time, but it was still unclear who woulde out on top. "ying chess in a trio is disrespectful to the game," Rachel blurted resignedly while munching on an apple. I stared at Steven in silence. Was Dayton really the president of Crowdstar Group?This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Aside from myself, everyone probably believed that he was including Genome Society. Even someone as proud as Jimmy believed it. "I never would''ve imagined. How did someone as reserved as Dayton bring Crowdstar Group to such heights within a matter of years? There''s truly a difference between geniuses and themon folk." Zion slumped tiredly onto the couch before continuing, "If I were a genius, how many cases do you think I could solve in a day?" "If over 20 percent of the poption were geniuses, the world would be a very scary ce." I looked up at him. If we let Genome Society continue its activities, biased and prejudiced systems woulde into y all around the globe. Everyone would be sorted into sses. Thew wouldn''t be fair to all anymore. Education, medical care, and all other privileges would favor geniuses. They''d take over leadership roles in upper-ss societies. Eventually, they''dpletely fill up the positions at the top of the hierarchy whilemon people were stuck below them forever. Chapter 587 ? We were finally back in Huma. Steven and I were home atst, but Ashton and Xandra were detained by the police. "Ashton and Xan''s situation is special, so the police asked to conduct a psychological evaluation. They''ll only let us bring them home when everything looks okay." I was slightly worried that they wouldn''t pass the examination. Psychological evaluations in a regr society consisted of ordinary questions like why a rabbit would enjoy a carrot. For Ashton and Xandra, these questions might seem stupid. "They''re going to pass... I think." Steven''s confidence faltered for a moment. He coughed sheepishly before heading off to get me some fruits. Now that Ewan wasn''t here anymore, the house seemed kind of empty. Stevie was still barking rampantly in the yard. I was soothing it before Steven walked out with a bowl of chopped fruits. "Why do you look so guilty?" I looked at him skeptically. Walking with a limp didn''t seem to impact his good looks at all. He replied, "I kind of tricked Eason into telling me who the doctor in charge of the evaluation was. Then, I told the kids detailed information about said doctor. They''re probably going to pass the test." Not to our surprise, Eason and Zion soon pulled up with the children in tow. They looked evidently displeased. As soon as the car door opened up, Ashton and Xandra bolted toward us gleefully.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Stevie was nudging the children affectionately with its tongue sticking out. "Your children are getting more and more unbelievable by the day," Eason eximed. "Why? Did they fail the examination?" I was slightly worried. "They turned it around and evaluated the doctor instead." The corner of his lips twitched. "The doctor asked Ashton why the carrot is a rabbit''s favorite food. Do you know what his answer was? Rabbits are herbivores. Their digestive tract is very long in order to amodate tough fibers. "A carrot doesn''t have nearly enough fiber content, and it would cause the rabbit to fall sick. The rabbit might even die," he continued in disbelief. "Then, the doctor turned to Xan. He asked what she would do if a kitten fell into a body of water and she couldn''t swim." Eason looked at me. For some reason, I started bing uneasy. I was eager to know what Xandra said in response. "She said she''ll ask her brother to save it ''cause he knows how to swim." I let out a breath of relief. That seemed like an answer a normal child would give. Steven couldn''t possibly have taught her that reply. I looked toward him instinctively. Guilt was stered all over his face. He did, in fact, teach her that response. "The doctor also asked her what would happen if Ashton didn''t know how to swim either," Eason said again. He stared straight at me before continuing, "She called her brother stupid for not knowing how to swim." I couldn''t help butugh. That was exactly how an innocent child was supposed to act. However, a pang of sadness washed over me as Iughed. Ashton and Xandra''s innocence was learned instead of innate. "You should all get some rest. Dayton is back too. He''s receiving treatment in a private hospital. We''ll follow the case through," said Zion. I nodded. After Zion and Eason departed, I knelt in front of the two kids and asked, "What answers did you actually have for the doctor''s questions? If a kitten fell into a body of water and you both didn''t know how to swim, would you try to save it?" The pair nced at each other. "No." In a world where it was survival of the fittest, they wouldn''t waste their own life to save a cat. There was nothing wrong with their answer, but I was afraid that they''d have a disregard for life just because they were emotionally indifferent. "If you knew how to swim, would you save it?" They nodded. "If we knew how to swim, we would. Dad told us being more capable means that we have an unspoken responsibility to protect the weak. "It needs to be within our capabilities, though. If we overextend and make meaningless sacrifices, we''ll make Mom and Dad worry." I froze briefly before looking toward Steven. Chapter 588 ? In that split moment, I understood the meaning of education. I had never agreed with the saying that humans were born kind. Some people were just inherently bad apples. However, education was the only way to change everything. Steven actually felt like a beacon of light. He had been guiding me toward where I needed to go from the very beginning. "You''re a very, very good person, my dear Steven." He''d been a great person since the start of it all. "Wee home, you guys." Steven stretched his arms out and pulled Ashton and Xandra into another embrace. Stevie and I were also pulled into the hug. I couldn''t help but smile. This was nice. We were so blissful, it was enviable. After a month''s rest, we didn''te across any news regarding what happened on the cruise. The government had probably conducted investigations on everyone involved. It wasn''t the time to publicize everything and stir up panic at the moment. The ship belonged to a millionaire overseas. When Huma''s police officers tracked the man down with the aid of the local authorities, the man had already taken his own life in his home. Their lead seemed to have ended there. All evidence pointed toward overseas. However, there was absolutely nothing on Genome Society or the people who were part of theb in Huma. Even if everyone knew that Michael''s mother was one of the people in charge, they had yet to uncover the location of theb itself. "Michael is probably locked up by his mother. Since we returned from the ocean, the Fords have not permitted anyone to see him. They''re iming he''s gone through too much stress." Rachel hade over together with Zion. "We need Michael to help with the investigation, but his mother is refusing to cooperate. That''s why we suspect that he''s being kept there against his will." Zion sighed. This was Michael Ford''s mother they were up against. Without ample evidence, they weren''t able to do anything. "Are you asking us to pay him a visit?" I looked at him. Steven immediately reached for my hand. He didn''t want me to get involved with that family any longer. "We''re asking you to try." Rachel took my hand. "You know Michael best, Stephy," They wanted me to convince Michael to go against his mother, gather evidence, and then throw her into jail?Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. I scoffed. "You''re overestimating my abilities. You''re also thinking too highly of Michael. He''s actually a bit of a mama''s boy," Based on what I know about him, his mother single-handedly turned him into the sessful man he was in the present day. He was deprived of affection from his father because the man was never home. I used to feel sympathetic toward Mrs. Ford and Michael. Now, I realized that there was a reason their circumstances were the way they were. "As of now, we no longer have a lead, and Dayton is still under observation while he recuperates. We can only turn to Michael for any new information." We needed to find the nextboratory and rescue the people inside. Maybe they were waiting to be rescued as well. "I''ll make a trip to their house." I nodded. Steven''s grip on my hand tightened. "She''s dangerous, Stephy." He was referring to Mrs. Ford, and he was right. She was able to make Stephanie lose her memories and subsequently turn into apletely different person. She probably had something to do with the ident and Peter Jones'' hypnosis too. This woman felt terrifying to even think about. "If we''re going to get rid of Genome Society, we should destroy each and every one of theirboratories." With Nancy''sb and the cruise out of the picture, the organization had lost two big experimentbs. Now, we needed to locate the one Mrs. Ford was in charge of. Chapter 589 ? I went to the Ford residence alone. I didn''t let Steven tag along. We couldn''t possibly reach a consensus if he was present. Leaning against my crutch, I gradually walked toward the household garden. In the days following the ident, I became incredibly familiar with this garden. From my memory, Stephanie could never gain Michael''s trust or approval. Hence, she would constantly end up crying here. "Ms. Larson." Sally, one of the Fords'' maids, was still in the household. She approached me as soon as she saw me. I was slightly surprised. Michael knew that Sally was potentially working under Peter. Why would he still keep her around? What was he trying to do? Was this intentional? Was he using her to spy on his mother? "I want to see Michael, Sally," I said softly. She turned and looked toward the living room. "Mrs. Ford has been waiting for you, Ms. Larson." I frowned and followed her gaze. Mrs. Ford was waiting as though she''d anticipated my arrival. She seemed to be extremely aware of the police force''s activities. She knew that they wanted to use her son in order to further investigate thebs. "Ms. Larson." As soon as I stepped into the room, she greeted me with a smile before gesturing for me to sit. Afterward, she said again, "Perhaps I should call you Stephie instead." I frowned and didn''t respond. "When I found out that you''d reincarnated in a different body, I was extremely ecstatic." She looked at me with a crazed look of excitement. "When Steven Lincoln first presented his theory on reincarnation, I honestly didn''t believe him. But I had hope and an aspiration. I wanted modern science to be able to change our present circumstances. I prayed for advancement," she exined with a smile. Then, she continued, "When I look at you, Stephanie, I see a perfect miracle. I see hope. Perhaps in the future... souls really can be reincarnated into a cloned body with all their memories intact." I looked at her with a grim expression. This crazy side of her was new. Prior to this, I had never detected anything that was amiss. What a brilliant actress. "None of those idiots believed in that theory. They all thought that Steven''s proposition was baseless and impossible. They also thought that Joel was just in on the lie. "But me, I believed Steven. I believed that Joel was reincarnated. The only thing missing from our experiment was conclusive evidence, but now, we have you." She startedughing maniacally. "Steven is a genius. It''s just unfortunate that you can''t really tell him what to do. Joel was his only argument, and he refused to create a second subject. Since he cared so much about you, I could only try to force his hand..." I stared at her in shock. My reincarnation was an experiment that she forced Steven to conduct? "I believed that he could do it. That was why your death was a necessity." The tone of her voice grew solemn. "You''re a member of Genome Society, but the ones that killed me were from the Rebels..." I frowned in confusion. "You''re still not as smart as Steven is." Sheughed. "God shapes the universe with his invisible hands. I don''t need to be a Rebel, I just need to use them to get what I want." She continued, "Everything has fallen into ce. You''re my most perfect subject."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Mrs. Ford wasparing herself to God. She was actually a madwoman. "Where''s theb?" I stared at her with a guarded look. She onlyughed in response. There was no way she''d tell me where it was. Chapter 590 ? "Nancy, that idiot. All she cared about was preserving the genes. She assumed that genome edited people would produce wless children. "As the subjects continued to reproduce for generations toe, the children would eventually be the closest they could get to perfection." Mrs. Ford changed the topic. She was now talking about Nancy''s aspirations. Everyboratory had its own field of research. Nancy wanted the subjects to reproduce through natural means and give birth to healthy children. The subject that escaped with a baby was part of the experiment that she wanted toplete. "How was that profitable? Rich people are all selfish. Those from the upper ss want to be immortal. They want to have a younger body before their current one turns old and gray." She turned to look at me. That''s why my research is the best." It was also the most profitable. Reincarnation practically disposed of the veil between God and themon man. "Gics have remained an unsolved scientific mystery for years. Only a handful had managed to crack the code, and they all turned into believers of God. Do you know why? "Was it really a God that they believed in? No, it was the creator of this world. It was the origin of mankind, the true meaning of gics, as well as the secrets of a soul and its vessel." Mrs. Ford spoke as if she was on the brink of madness. Then, sheughed as she showed me the decorations around the living room. I didn''t think much of them before, but they now appeared eerie and disturbing. "This frame was constructed from human bones while the canvas of the painting is human skin." She pointed at a disy. If she hadn''t pointed it out, no one would know that it was such a sadistic piece of artwork. "When people die, the body is merely a disy. Set it to mes and it''ll turn into nothing but ashes. What''s truly remarkable is the human soul. "The key lies in the genome. As long as we crack the gic code, we''ll be able to fully achieve reincarnation." If someone was able to reincarnate as many times as they wanted, they would have technically achieved immortality. "Breaking thews of nature oftenes with a steep price," I warned grimly. "For thest thousands of years, has human civilization been adhering to how things naturally were? No! We''ve been making changes. "Years ago, not a single person imagined that they could be flying on airnes, and they were foolish to think so! Modern science requires constant advancement. If you want to see progress in the medical field, you''ll have to be willing to take risks and make sacrifices!" Mrs. Ford eximed emotionally as she stared at me.N?velDrama.Org ? content. I didn''t offer any rebuttals in response. I had nothing to say. "All of you are ignorant fools..." After she was done with her heated argument, she''d probably gotten thirsty. She sat down and continued drinking her tea. I sat on the opposite of her and scanned my surroundings alertly. If Michael was free to move about, he''d be out here by now. It was clear that he''d been locked up. "If Nancy''sboratory was used for research on reproduction, what about the cruise? What were they researching in thatb?" I wanted to know. "Mutants." Her lips curved into a smile. "That ship belonged to a madman from Melovia. He was studying gic mutation." "What does mutation mean?" For some reason, I felt a sharp pain in my heart. Ashton and Xandra. "Mutants are uncontroble variables that originate from perfect genomes. They''re extremely skilled at pretending. Everything that you see on the surface may be nothing but a guise. "They can survive even in the worst conditions. Their survival skills and mental capabilities are close to perfection. However, the more ''perfect'' something seems, the more ws it actually has. "Because they''re uncontroble, no one is able to read their thoughts. The foreign madman was trying to create a weapon of war..." It was because individuals like that would be near-invincible spies. Chapter 591 ? "These children were able to change their personalities ording to their surroundings. They''re like chameleons, and the decisions they make vary." Mrs. Ford was giving me a reminder. She was telling me how scary the pair of children could be. "If I were you, Stephanie, I wouldn''t bring a subject from ab back home in such a casual manner." Looking at me, she said again, "Never underestimate anyone from the organization. If you were able to take people with you, you must''ve been intentionally allowed to do so."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. I frowned and shot her a cautious nce. Were the members of the organization divided as well? She wore a face of contempt while talking about Nancy. She didn''t agree with another scientist''s theories, and she even reminded me that someone might be intentionally keeping the kids around me. "They''re my and Steven''s children. I won''t give them up," I dered solemnly. "Only your biological children can be called your own. You won''t understand the feeling of carrying a child. During that time, the mother is one with the baby. The baby is a part of your body. It also shares your organs, oxygen, and nutrition." Mrs. Ford leaned against the couch before continuing, "You''re only able to realize the importance of life through your own pregnancy. Even after childbirth, when your child bes an individual of their own, you''d still think they should be a part of you. "You need to protect them, love them, and n their future for them. You need to be united with them. At the very least, a child from my womb must not be an obstacle that''s keeping me from seeding." I looked at her before casting a nce toward Michael''s room. "So, you think Michael has now be an obstacle. He won''t agree with your ideals. "Killing Yasmin has caused a rift in your rtionship. The pair of you aren''t able tomunicate with each other anymore." She smiled. "That is correct." "You were waiting for me. You knew I was going toe. You also think I''m the only one that can convince him otherwise at this point in time?" I questioned. Then, I continued, "I''m afraid you''ve got the wrong person. The person you should be waiting for is Nancy''s adopted daughter, Una-not me. She''s a more fitting Stephanie than I''ll ever be." I stared at her. I didn''t think I was her best option. "No, it can only be you. That Una girl is nothing but an experimental subject. She has noplete or independent soul. She''s just a hollow shell." Mrs. Ford didn''t think very highly of Una. She even looked disgusted. "You''re my most perfect subject. At my suggestion, your mother carried you to term and birthed you herself. From the moment she gave you life and a name, she started bing attached to you. "It was a peculiar yet powerful force. That force drove her to change her ideals and beliefs. She became more than willing to betray the organization for you." Mrs. Ford had a knowing smile stered on her face. It was like everything was under her control- including the death of Stephanie''s parents. "The Rebels killed you, Stephanie. You''ll never be one of them. I trust in you and your intelligence. I believe that you''ll understand my ideas and the contributions I''ve made to further the biological field of science." It seemed like she was persuading me to join her. Then, she''d have me do the same to Michael. "I don''t agree with your views," I disagreed. "The evolution of mankind is entirely dependent on Mother Nature. We should abide by herws as long as we live on this earth. If not, we''ll face dire consequences." Herposure remained calm. "You''re too young. As you gradually grow older, you''ll soon realize that the days ahead will be much more limited than they currently are. You''ll watch helplessly as your loved ones die, and you''ll feel like you''re all alone." I frowned and didn''t respond. Our morals didn''t align. There was no way we could ever work together. "I know you adore Michael, but you seem to be exerting too much control over him," I stated. From my memory, Mrs. Ford would periodically travel abroad to see her husband. That aside, the rest of her time would mostly be spent on keeping Michael in check. I used to think she just harbored high expectations for him, but I soon realized that something didn''t feel quite right. She was too controlling. A normal, loving mother would want her children to be safe and healthy. Hence, I told her about Stephanie''s pregnancy under the assumption that she''d be delighted. I thought she''d try to inform Michael about it and that she''d keep the unborn baby safe. Instead, she chose to hide it. She connived in Michael''s cruelty toward Stephanie, which led to the death of the child. "You probably yed a big part in the way Michael treated Stephanie, didn''t you?" I looked at her." You''re probably a far better psychiatrist than Peter ever was. I''m guessing you specialized in psychology?" Chapter 592 ? For thest few years, she was probably the one who instilled his hatred against Stephanie. She brainwashed him into fearing her. If not for the constant, repeated conditioning and instilled thoughts from someone around him, he wouldn''t have developed such a strong aversion toward her.N?velDrama.Org ? content. I was sure that was what she had done. Mrs. Ford only smiled in response. She was acknowledging my ims. She was the one who intentionally caused Michael and Stephanie''s misunderstanding. She wanted him to despise her and subsequently hurt her. She even went to such lengths in order to make that happen. Why? Was it purely to collect data? But what good was that type of data for? I couldn''tprehend it. I had a nagging feeling that the pair''s rtionship was far moreplicated than it seemed. My instincts were telling me that this woman was dangerous. She was just as Steven described her to be-dangerous and terrifying. She was smart and skilled at deception and pretending. "What did you do to Michael?" I asked carefully. "Can I see him?" "Of course. It''s not like I locked him up or anything." Her smile looked natural, but I found it eerie. She gestured for me to walk around as I saw fit. I got up and looked around. This was a ce I had called home for some years, yet it felt oddly foreign and creepy. Lois Ford didn''t just ruin Stephanie, she also ruined Michael in the process. If she really loved her son, how could she murder Yasmin right in front of him? It made no sense. When she killed her, I even caught a glimpse of jealousy among otherplex emotions in her eyes. Was she attached to Michael in ways that were beyond a mother-and-son rtionship? There were rumors that Mrs. Ford adored her husband and would give her life for him if needed. Were those rumors false? Was she just sick to the core? "Michael?" I went upstairs and tried knocking on his door. There was no response. "Michael?" I raised my voice. Suddenly, the door flew open. Michael stood ring at me with a look of pure hatred. "What do you want?" he snapped. I furrowed my brows. He felt foreign. Something was wrong. Chapter 593 ? "You kind of disappeared recently. Everyone is worried about you." I frowned and eyed him cautiously. "I''m fine. I don''t need anyone''s concern. You can leave now." He dismissed me.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "Michael!" I immediately reached out to hold the door before he could close it. "Are you sure you don''t have anything to say to me?" His expression was grim. He shot me a cold stare before saying, "I have nothing to say to any of you guys. You can go now." My expression soured as well. I tried to force the door open to figure out what was going on. To my dismay, Michael had no intention of backing down. We were stuck in an impasse. I stared at him, trying to look for some sort of message behind his gaze. He only stared back at me. There was a trace of desperation in his eyes. He looked like he was pleading for me to leave. I loosened my grip. He mmed the door shut before I turned to head back downstairs. Downstairs, Mrs. Ford was still calmly sipping on her tea. She shed me a light smile. "He''s not willing to talk to you?" I nodded. "What did you do to him?" Sheughed. "He''s my son. I gave birth to him. What do you think I''d do to him? I love him so much I would give anything for his future." I looked at her warily. She was getting more and more sinister by the minute. How terrifying. "My parents would''ve escaped with Steven and Stephanie if Peter''s n had gone through. Instead, they were killed by the organization. Did you betray them?" From my parents''b diary, I could tell that their n didn''t alert the organization. They had submitted a new experiment n to their superiors. It depicted their ns to bring the children to a remote area so that they could do more research. The proposal was approved. They could''ve brought Steven and Stephanie out of Huma without any additional burden. Subsequently, they could''ve gone on their escape route. Everything could''ve worked out perfectly, but a premeditated car ident killed them off along with Andy Lincoln''s family. "I couldn''t allow them to leave with our experimental subjects." Mrs. Ford was admitting it. She had admitted that she betrayed Stephanie''s parents. "My mother considered you her best friend. You were like a sister to her." I clenched my fists and stared at Mrs. Ford with teary eyes. Did it not hurt her conscience? "Every obstacle that stands in my way must be rid of. Andy was no exception..." she muttered. Andy had offended Genome Society and was their biggest enemy. Naturally, Mrs. Ford had to jump on the opportunity. She used the organization to her advantage and killed all of them off in one go. How cruel. "You''re so cruel," I spat bitterly. My voice was trembling. "Modern technology will never advance if you aren''t cut-throat enough. Otherwise, mankind will be stagnant. If you want to adapt or change your natural surroundings, you''ll have to strive to evolve. "For thest couple of millennia, biologists have been searching for the origin of mankind. Why do you think that is? Do you think they have nothing better to do?" she questioned me with rage. I clenched my fists and didn''t respond. She continued. "Do you know why some scientists think our ancestors evolved from fish? That''s because for millions and millions of years, the human race has been constantly evolving, "Our brains are getting more and moreplex. Even if the process of evolution seemed slow, we''re still constantly adapting to change." She then pointed at the fish inside a tank. "The process of evolution is a cycle. There''s no guarantee that millions of yearster, the ocean won''t swallow the earth and the human race won''t evolve back into fish- like creatures." I rubbed my temples. She felt a bit deranged to me. "None of this is a concern for our generation. That''s something only future generations need to worry about." I thought she had too many excessive worries. The average human life only spanned for a couple of decades. There was no need to think about events that might take ce millions of yearster. "That''s why you''ll never understand. You can''tprehend why so many people in power seek immortality. Everyone wants to witness history. "Everyone wants to witness the advancement of human civilization! I''ve achieved something no one has ever done before! This is what we call progress!" she eximed emotionally. It was clear to me now-her primary goal was to achieve immortality. As of now, modern medicine was not able to stop the body from deteriorating. They could only slow down the process of aging as well as cure or prevent illnesses. There was no science that could go against the inevitable process that was decay. Chapter 594 ? Since they were unable to ovee this barrier, they had to find an alternative method to locate a fresh, youthful "host" for life. This led to the development of the concept of reincarnation, involving the transfer of soul and memory. It was simr to when aputer broke down, its useful information was transferred to a newputer using a hard drive. This allowed the information to be permanently stored and updated. Hence, Mrs. Ford deeply valued Steven''s experimental project and was incredibly eager to discover if reincarnation truly existed. That was why she orchestrated and organized this big n, eliminating anyone who got in her way. "You''re out of your mind." I took a step back and turned around. I briskly walked away, almost breaking into a run. I realized that Mrs. Ford was absolutely insane. Her mind seemed on the edge of madness. However, I could tell she was in a good mood. She was thrilled and joyful. The more I resembled Stephanie, the happier she was. She believed the experiment had finally seeded, filling her with a sense of hope. But what was her true end goal? It was impossible that she was doing it for the future of mankind. After all, everyone was selfish. She undoubtedly had her own personal motives.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. "Mrs. Ford, everything is going as nned," Mrs. Ford''s assistant approached her and said. I ran out of the living room and nced back at Mrs. Ford and her assistant. That eerie sensation sent a chill running down my spine. She looked at me like I was a rabbit in ab. It seemed like I couldn''t get away from her control, but when a rabbit was anxious, it would bite. When I left the Ford residence, I nced back toward Michael''s room. He stood by the window, locking eyes with me in a gaze that was both intense andplex. I could sense the turmoil raging within his soul. It was as if he was silently pleading for help but was trapped by invisible chains. He appeared utterly suffocated. He raised his hand and touched the ss as if trying to reach something in the air. We exchanged nces. His eyes were bloodshot, and he suddenly smiled at me, saying quietly, "Stephie, run run away." He asked me to escape. After leaving the Ford residence, I limped into Zion''s car. Zion, Eason, and Rachel all looked at me, eager to hear what Michael had said and whether it would benefit the case. Only Steven kept his head down, squeezing my hand tightly. His concern was solely for my safety, and it seemed like nothing else mattered to him. "Michael doesn''t want to see me, which is odd. I don''t know what Mrs. Ford told him. He''s very resistant now." I shook my head to show that I had no clue. Rachel sighed and looked at us with disappointment as shey on the passenger seat. "It looks like it''s going to take some time to locate theb under Mrs. Ford''s control. I wonder how many people are suffering there and need us to help them?" I was stunned for a moment, feeling a little uneasy. "I believe Michael will go back to the Ford Group sooner orter. I''ll find another opportunity to meet him. Perhaps Mrs. Ford is there, and he''s hiding something." Zion reassured, "Don''t worry, we''ll explore other angles of investigation too." I nodded, reflecting on Michael''s final nce at me. Chapter 595 ? "I feel like there''s something wrong with Mrs. Ford''s feelings for Michael," I whispered to Steven. Steven looked at me. "You''ve been living in the Ford residence for so long. Have you ever met Michael''s father?" I was taken aback for a moment and pondered over it thoughtfully. In my recollection... "I overheard the domestic staff mention that Mr. Ford hade back several times, but I''ve never met him." It could be argued that he was insignificant. "They said that he was in poor health and had been living in the nursing home in Georgeke." Mrs. Ford also frequently visited Georgeke. "I asked Eason to verify her itinerary. She simply instructed her assistant to purchase a ticket to Georgeke, but she never actually boarded the ne," Steven said seriously. This proved that Mrs. Ford''s im of visiting Georgeke was always just an excuse, a cover-up. She never actually went to Georgeke. "So... she was frequently absent from home for a long time, but it wasn''t to visit her husband at the nursing home. She intentionally made up this excuse to conceal the fact that she was going to theb?" I gazed at Steven in utter astonishment. "It''s possible." Steven nodded. Zion nced at me and then turned to Steven. "I think I have a clear direction for the investigation now. I''ll take you home first." After arriving at Steven''s ce, Steven and I stepped out of the car, bidding farewell to Zion and Rachel. Rachel waved goodbye to me and left with Zion. "In my memory, Rachel was always carefree and outspoken, but she was actually very timid," Imented in a low voice. Steven nced at me. "Are you suspecting Rachel?" I shook my head, hoping that my suspicions were wrong. Up to this point, I had note across any clues that confirmed my doubt. "What did Mrs. Ford tell you?" Steven was slightly concerned. "My parents and your father were all killed by her. She purposely betrayed my parents to Genome Society, "I uttered in a hushed tone. My parents probably never knew that the person who betrayed them was their most trusted friend and closest partner.N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Human minds are hard to predict. In this world, the most challenging thing to understand is always how others think," whispered Steven. At the door, Ashton and Xandra were ying with Stevie. When they saw us return, they obediently stood still. They disyed such obedience and showed no intention of causing any trouble. I nced at the two children and said softly, "Steven, Mrs. Ford mentioned that those two kids are mutants who excel at disguising themselves." Simr to chameleons, these two children possessed personalities that would swiftly adapt and were remarkably skilled at acting. No one would know their true thoughts. "She said that the true owner of the cruise shipb deliberately allowed us to find them and bring them back. It should be a part of the experiment itself." I was worried that the two children were being trained as weapons by those individuals and that their apparent obedience was merely a facade. Moreover, I didn''t trust Yara fully, who led us to discover them. Steven gazed at the two children and shook his head. "We don''t expect anything in return, and we''re not bothered by being plotted against. They''ve made their choice, so we''ll simply do what is right and maintain a clear conscience." I was stunned as I gazed at Steven. I never imagined that even after experiencing death, my mind would not be asposed as Steven''s. I reached out and gently grasped Steven''s fingers. I smiled at him." Indeed, you''re absolutely right." Not everyone was naturally meant to be a parent, and adjusting to having children could take some time. "We bought fries, fried chicken, burgers, and Coke for you." I gestured for the children toe over. I passed by a fast food restaurant and bought some food. Even though eating too much of it was not healthy, these snacks should be a childhood delight for children. When I was a child, I didn''t grasp the concept of love, so I never paid much attention to food. However, I wanted these kids to experience love and pursue their desires. Only then could their lives be truly meaningful. "It''s burgers and fried chicken!" Ashton eximed happily, his eyes filled with surprise. However, I couldn''t shake the feeling that he was pretending. Chapter 596 ? Ashton and Xandra were just pretending to be what we wanted them to be. "Have you guys eaten before?" I asked tentatively. Ashton handed the fried chicken to Xandra first, then turned to me and shook his head. "I''ve seen it on TV, but I''ve never tried it. The maid ims it''s junk food,cking in nutrition. It could impact our intellectual development." I nodded and gently rubbed the heads of the two children with a heavy heart. "Dad, Mom, they''re monitoring us," Ashton eximed as he entered the house.N?velDrama.Org ? content. I cautiously scanned my surroundings, my senses on high alert. Was Genome Society keeping a close eye on us? Steven also looked around carefully. Ashton sprinted to the TV, climbed up, and removed an extremely well-hidden surveince camera from the ornaments above. I gazed at the camera in disbelief, then turned to Steven and asked, "When was this installed?" This was Steven''s own house. It couldn''t have been ced there by the Lincoln family. It seemed clear that someone had been monitoring Steven for a long time. As anticipated, it felt like every move we made was under surveince. "And here too." Ashton hurried to the kitchen again, scanning the house from various angles in search of any hidden cameras. Steven''splexion didn''t look very well, and his expression seemed strange, I was a bit mad. "These people are really everywhere." I controlled my frustration and carried Ashton in my arms. "How did you find these cameras?" "They need to connect it to the homework," Ashton said in a low voice. "Are there any other ces?" I inquired. Ashton looked around and wanted to rush to Steven''s and my bedroom. "There''s none in the bedroom!" Steven eximed. He gritted his teeth as he lifted Ashton. Ashton looked at Steven and asked innocently, "Dad, was it you who installed the cameras?" Steven raised his hand in despair and rubbed his forehead. "Not all of them." I narrowed my eyes and red at Steven. "Did you also install a hidden camera? What are you trying to do? Steven lowered his head guiltily. "I just... want to look at you." If he were not at home, he would want to know what Stephanie was doing. I gritted my teeth and stepped hard on his foot. He dared not utter a word and could only gaze at me with a pitiful expression. Steven followed me into the bedroom and secretly stared at Ashton with anger. "Am I truly your biological father? Why did you harm me..." Ashton replied sternly, "In biological terms, you''re my biological father." Xandra snickered as she licked her greasy fingers. "Ashton, you''ve caused Daddy so much trouble." As soon as I entered the bedroom, Steven grabbed my wrist and pressed me against the wall. He held me in his arms, acting coquettishly. "Stephie..." I rolled my eyes. "Stop acting coquettishly." "Steven!" Just as Steven was about to kiss me, a sharp shout from Joel echoed through the yard. Steven gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "He''d better have something important to say." "News and videos from the cruise ship have been leaked, sparking a massive public outcry. The public is demanding the truth, and the families of the victims are also seeking exnations. The truth about Genome Society''s organ donation has been fully revealed to the public." Joel ran in, visibly excited. However, Steven didn''t consider this a cause for celebration. Instead, he believed it would not undermine Genome Society''s foundation but rather make them more vignt. "Dayton''s back, but Xandra, the actress, is missing," Joel added. Steven and I were immediately on high alert. Someone had kidnapped Xandra. Did they believe they could take control of Dayton in that way? Chapter 597 ? Steven and I followed Eason to visit Dayton at the So family''s private hospital in Huma. The news of Dayton being the president of Crowdstar Group had spread like wildfire, leaving everyone in awe. Those who had once underestimated Dayton were now ttering the So family. "Look at you. You''ve always looked down on our son. He has be far more sessful in starting his own business than you ever have, but he chose to keep it from you." "Hmph! Don''t feel arrogant just because you started a business secretly and achieved sess. I''m your father and will always be your father." As we approached the ward, Steven and I were immediately met with the sound of a middle-aged man scolding Dayton. Dayton remained silent and seemed displeased. We had heard that Dayton had a strained rtionship with his parents. Due to his autistic traits, his family never truly gave him the attention he deserved. Instead, they focused all their efforts on nurturing his older brothers. As a result, Dayton''s childhood was far from perfect. "That''s enough. Let him have a good rest. Even though you''re his father, please be kind when requesting cooperation with Crowdstar Group," Sophia Allen, Dayton''s mother, said with a smile. Her eyes were full of concern as she looked at Dayton at that moment. "I never imagined Dayton to be the most promising among our three children. If we had provided him with proper guidance, he would''ve achieved even greater sess." Sophia could barely contain her pride. Oliver So, Dayton''s father, snorted. "Hmph! Why did you keep it from the family for so long? Last month, we sought cooperation with Crowdstar Group for so long, and you actually turned it down. Why aren''t you supporting your own family? Are you nning to help outsiders?" Oliver was clearly ming Dayton and was still angry, but he couldn''t confront Dayton directly due to his current status. Sophia swiftly interrupted Oliver, "Come on! What are you saying? Let''s discuss it when Dayton is discharged from the hospital and he''s back home. His injuries have not healedpletely. He was kidnapped, and he''s in shock." Oliver snorted and remained silent. Dayton kept his head down, leaning against the bed. He waited until Oliver had finished speaking before he asked, "Someone has kidnapped Xandra. Dad, could you help with that?" Oliver was clearly upset. "A mere celebrity? Why would you want to involve yourself with someone of such low standing? This is none of your concern."N?velDrama.Org ? content. Dayton clenched his hands tightly and said nothing more. "Excuse me. I''m a police officer here to investigate the situation." Eason knocked on the door. Oliver noticed the approaching outsiders, and his expression turned grim as he stood up to leave with Sophia. Steven and I exchanged a nce before following Eason into the ward. Eason asked, "Dayton, how are you feeling? They''ve finally approved my visitation rights. It''s truly difficult to see you now." Dayton lowered his head, his expression filled with distress. "As the president of Crowdstar Group- the youngest, richest man in Huma and also a genius-do you still have any troubles?" Eason asked with a smile. Dayton unconsciously nced at Steven and replied in a hushed tone, "Xandra has been abducted. It must be because of me." They believed that if they controlled Xandra, they could manipte Dayton. "The police force has already initiated an investigation," Eason assured Dayton. "The only people aware of my feelings toward Xandra are the ones on the cruise. Aside from that, I''ve never disyed any unusual emotions toward Xandra anywhere else," Dayton murmured. He was anxious about Xandra being mistreated because of him. "Have the kidnappers contacted you?" I asked tentatively. "My dad took away my phone." Dayton was slightly mad. Oliver had a strong control over Dayton. "Don''t worry, they''ll find a way to contact you." I looked around. As the president of Crowdstar Group, I knew there were probably numerous surveince cameras in his ward. Chapter 598 ? "We should''ve brought Ashton and Xan here. They could''ve found the cameras," I muttered. Upon hearing that, Steven coughed awkwardly. "Hi, is this Mr. So? Someone has sent you a bouquet of flowers." A nurse entered the ward with a magnificent bouquet of flowers and ced it on Dayton''s bedside table. Steven reached out and picked up the card from the bouquet. Indeed, he discovered a contact number. "If they''re unable to reach you, they''ll request that you contact them," Steven said as he handed the card to Dayton.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Dayton felt a slight sense of unease. "Is she going to be fine?" "If a victim is kidnapped, the longer they are in the hands of the kidnapper, the greater the danger they''ll face." Eason urged Dayton to take his phone and make the call. "This is a public phone number. Even if we monitor and locate it, it''ll be pointless." Steven signaled Eason not to alert the police. "Then, what should I do now?" Dayton always subconsciously looked at Steven when he was scared. "Call first to find out their demands and ensure the safety of the hostage," I replied on behalf of Steven. Dayton agreed and promptly took Eason''s phone to dial the number. After the first attempt went unanswered, he tried again. Fortunately, the second call was answered. "Hello," Dayton said anxiously. I felt utterly powerless. Dayton was truly a naive man. He actually greeted the kidnappers. "Is Xandra with you?" Dayton asked nervously, getting straight to the point. "Thirty million. Tomorrow at 5:00 pm, you muste alone and ce the money in the tenth trash can on the southwest side of Leffers Street. No tricks, or else she''ll die." The man''s low voice on the phone delivered the threat before hanging up abruptly. Dayton looked at Steven anxiously. "What should I do? They want 30 million." "The market value of Crowdstar Group is currently very high. As the youngest, richest man in Huma, can''t youe up with 30 million? Pay the ransom to buy some time first. We''ll set a trap there to arrest them. Eason urged Dayton to prepare for the ransom first. Dayton was deeply concerned about Xandra. He hesitated, fearful to voice his thoughts. "What if they have aplices and discover police involvement, leading them to kill the hostage?" "Tomorrow, bring arge suitcase that can hold 30 million dors. If one suitcase is not enough, use two. Take it to the trash can. You must use real money." The kidnappers wanted to verify Dayton''s financial status. "But I..." Dayton hesitated to speak, appearing to be in a dilemma. "It''s alright. Just make sure you have the funds ready," Steven reassured. Dayton finally breathed a sigh of relief before turning to me and asking, "If the police catch them, won''t they kill the hostage?" "No, their objective is to assess your financial capabilities and use your identity as the president of Crowdstar Group to manipte you in the future. Xandra should be safe for the time being." It seemed likely that the individual who kidnapped Xandra was affiliated with Genome Society. Genome Society still harbored doubts about Dayton''s identity as the president of Crowdstar Group. Therefore, they wanted to double-check it. "These cunning scoundrels," I murmured under my breath, pondering whether Xandra''s abduction had any connection to Mrs. Ford. "It''s truly dangerous to be the president of Crowdstar Group. No wonder he has to hide his identity," Eason muttered. I noticed Dayton gazing at Steven with a mixture of grievance and pity. I also cast a suspicious gaze toward Steven. If Steven were the president of Crowdstar, I couldn''t help but wonder whether it would be me or the two kids who would get kidnapped. Chapter 599 ? Xandra''s kidnapping was kept hush-hush, and the media barely covered it. Her manager stated that Xandra had sustained injuries while taking a break. She was unable to participate in any shows, requiring time at home to recuperate. As a public figure, widespread news of the kidnapping would surely have sparked panic, so very few individuals were aware of the situation. Nheless, the police promptly intervened and secured the location stated by the kidnapper. I waspletely lost in thought after leaving the hospital. "Stephie..." Steven pretended to look pitiful. Perhaps he was concerned that I would be upset about him installing cameras at home. "Stephie, I didn''t mean to install cameras to monitor you. I''m just worried that when I''m not around..." Steven admitted, feeling a twinge of nervousness. His insecurities had left him feeling unsettled, prompting him to install cameras at home, near me, and in areas he couldn''t easily ess. However, he was extremely nervous and afraid that I would be mad. I also thought I would be furious. I disliked being watched, living under surveince, and being constantly scrutinized. However, I found this inexplicably reasonable since Steven was the one who did that. He did it out of love and concern for me. Hence, he installed the cameras. "Stephie, please don''t ignore me." Steven seemed to be truly insecure. He gently sped my hand, hesitant to even embrace me. This behavior was too familiar. He was consistently calm andposed when around others, effortlessly navigating any treacherous situations that came his way. However, he was always the most insecure man in my presence. I held Steven''s hand and asked, "Why do you think I would be angry?" He lowered his head. He hesitated for a while and then confessed, "I spied on Stephie previously too, and it made her angry." I was stunned for a moment. Indeed, Steven''s possessiveness was disturbing back in the day. His love was almost pathological. He would ce recording equipment near me and hide a camera in my teddy bear. This invasion of privacy was unsettling, I felt a little helpless but couldn''t help but smile. "I was angry before because you crossed a line. Even partners need their own space and privacy." Steven acknowledged his mistake with a nod. "But now, I''m not angry. I understand you''re concerned about me, so I won''t be angry with you." I realized that with the cameras and the ability to track my location at all times, Steven could feel secure. As long as Steven felt secure, he could do whatever he wanted. With a nk stare, Steven pulled me into his arms and held me for quite some time. I leaned against him and raised my hands to feel the sunlight streaming in from the window. "Steven, Xandra is going to be okay, right?" I never realized when exactly I started experiencing empathy and guilt, emotions that were once foreign to me. My intuition strongly suggested that the situation with Dayton being the president of Crowdstar Group was not as straightforward as it seemed. Furthermore, Xandra appeared to be innocently implicated in the matter. "She''ll be fine," Steven replied firmly. I nodded in relief. If he said she would be okay, then she would be. I didn''t want any more innocent people to be involved. "Stan suffers from a mental illness. He doesn''t have any guardians. He''ll remain in an asylum for the rest of his life, never to cause harm again." Steven suddenly thought of Stan. As a serial killer, death was not a source of torture or fear for him. The thought of losing his freedom forever and being unable to kill at will was the most agonizing punishment imaginable. He might have to endure his mental torment every single day from now onward. "He deserves it," I murmured.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Stan was a lunatic. He was a mentally unstable lunatic. In moments of madness, his thoughts were consumed by a desire to kill others. All his victims were innocent. "Have you figured out the identity of the masked woman leading the Rebels?" I inquired softly. Steven''s reaction on the cruise was rather peculiar. I found myself flooded with questions, yearning for answers from him. "Did you truly not realize that Ewan''s a member of the Rebels?" Steven nced at me and carefully wrote a few words on my palm. I looked at Steven in surprise and fell silent. Chapter 600 ?Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Ewan was actually Steven''s aplice. Steven deliberately ced him in the Rebels. This exnation cleared up everything. But what about the masked woman? What was her true identity? She harbored deep hatred toward me, treated Steven differently, and disyed a murderous and bloodthirsty nature. "She created the killing game in the ruined building. She also managed to manipte the social divide on the cruise ship, leading thousands of people to kill each other. She must be a genius," I analyzed softly. In my impression, I had never encountered any genius women around me. Despite a few geniuses in the orphanage, they were all men. Was I mistaken? Could it have been a petite man instead of a woman? That didn''t seem urate either. "Someone is following us," said Eason as he drove, checking the rearview mirror vigntly. "I''m now the most valuable experimental subject to Genome Society. They''ll protect me instead of killing me," I whispered. Everything depended on whether the person following showed aggression. If he did, it would mean he was supported by the Rebels. The moment I finished speaking, the car behind crashed into ours. However, he couldn''t escape this time because Zion''s car was following closely behind. When we were in danger, Zion swiftly drove his car toward us, effectively trapping the other car in the middle. "Get out of the car!" Zion stepped out and vigntly aimed his gun at the person inside. The person in the car looked confused. "What''s going on? I only hit the car. I won''t get shot for that, right? "Get out!" Zion eximed furiously. The man got out of the car with his hands up and smiled at Zion. "Don''t be so nervous, my friend." Steven, Eason, and I also stepped out of the car, looking at the man. The man spotted Steven and eximed in astonishment, "Oh, what a coincidence! It''s me, Steven!" Steven remained silent with a frown. Eason kicked him directly. "Shut up." The man sneered when he saw Eason. "Ah! Mr. Grant, the genius! You''ve achieved so much now. You''ve be a policeman and started kicking others. When you were being attacked and didn''t dare to speak up, you weren''t that tough." Eason was upset. I could tell he was trembling, probably seething with anger. Back in the day, bullying was rampant in the advanced ss. After Simeon''s ident, Eason lost all his protection. He was young when he joined the advanced ss. Heter pursued a master''s degree and a doctorate among ssmates much older than himself. Being young and thin, he found himself a target for bullying. As a result, Eason developed a strong resentment toward Simeon. At first, Simeon was the only ssmate who bullied him. Simeon''s domineering nature only permitted him to target Eason. No one else dared to do so. Back then, Eason was stunted, petite, and skinny, resembling a little girl. Butter, Simeon was gone. "He''s a ssmate from the advanced ss," Steven exined to me. I nodded. I had roughly figured it out. But being hit by a car driven by a ssmate from the advanced ss at this time was clearly not a coincidence. Chapter 601 ? "Do you still remember me, Steven? I''m Logan Cooper." The man who hit their car ignored Eason and greeted Steven instead. Or rather, he seemed to look down on Eason. Eason''s fists balled up as he stood unmoving, seemingly down in the dumps. Someone as cocky and sassy as him was now allowing someone else to act insolently before him? "How disgusting. Even the air has turned disgusting" he mumbled. He then took out an alcohol wipe and cleaned his hands repeatedly before putting on his gloves. I paused to observe Eason for a moment¡ªhe did have germaphobia. He was also aloof back when I first met him. He had to put his gloves on no matter where he went. At first, I even thought something was wrong with his hands. Perhaps he had burns or something of the like. Iter found out that it was merely his germaphobia. But at some point, Eason no longer acted cocky and wore his gloves less often. Today was rather unusual for him. "Steven?" Logan called out persistently when he saw that Steven was ignoring him. Steven replied indifferently, "I don''t remember you." Logan''s expression faltered slightly. He then said with a smile, "It''s only normal that you don''t. You''re a great genius, after all. How could you possibly remember normies like us? Am I right, Hudson?" He then reached out to pat Eason on the shoulders. "Don''t touch me!" Eason lost control of his emotions and instinctively reached for the gun in Zion''s hand. Zion was rmed by his action. As a police officer with an assigned gun, he couldn''t let anyone casually take it away-not even a colleague. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and dodged out of the way. Logan chuckled as he looked at Eason. "Who would''ve thought? You missed the advanced ss reunion a few days ago. I only heard that you had be a police officer then." Eason remained silent, as if he was enduring it. After observing him for a good while, I figured that he probably had a story of his own. "Come with us for the investigation," Zion said angrily as he pressed Logan against the car. Logan was cooperative as he got into the car with a smile. He looked meaningfully at Steven. "There weren''t too many who attended the advanced ss gathering this time. There''ll be another oneing up in a few days'' time. All of you should attend it, okay?" He spoke loudly. Eason watched as Zion brought Logan away. He then started muttering in a deep voice, as if talking to himself. But at the same time, it seemed like he was also talking to us. He said, "Actually, I had a thought when the serial murder cases started. I wondered if Simeon was the murderer. But I realized that it wasn''t himter on." "What?" I asked. Eason continued, "It''s impossible that Simeon would give up on toying with me if he were still alive and was the murderer. He would''ve killed all these scums as well." He seemed to be in pain. As a police officer, he struggled between justice and evil. They said that a person''s nature would either keep them sane or lead them astray. "Logan''s appearance definitely isn''t just a coincidence," Steven said, voice low and frowning. There had to be a purpose behind Logan''s appearance, be it Genome Society or the Rebels. "He seems to be targeting you," I reminded Steven to be careful. He shook his head and looked at Eason. "It seemed like he was targeting me. But in reality, he had been provoking Eason all along, intentionally or otherwise." "But Eason isn''t rted to Genome Society," I said rather curiously.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. I watched as he got into the car dazedly. Only then did I continue, "Surely, Logan appeared with a purpose. Why would he want to provoke an outsider like Eason?" "Perhaps he has other ulterior motives," Steven said meaningfully. He then took my hand and got into the car. I paused for a moment. Suddenly, I realized something. He might have been targeting Simeon by targeting Eason. Joel was considered the only sessful experimental subject in Steven''s Reincarnation Project. But many believed that he was a fake who was pretending. They thought he was merely a recipient of a memory transnt. It was especially so for Mrs. Ford, who was overly eager to prove the authenticity of the Reincarnation Project. Chapter 602 ? So, this whole thing was targeted at Joel. They were nning to conduct some sort of experiment in order to prove that Joel was actually Simeon. Was it something like an emotional experiment? Just like how they used me to test Steven. And just like how they used Steven''s feelings toward me to determine that I was indeed Stephanie Carlson. "But that''s not it. The reason why the emotional experiment was valuable and meaningful is because you love me. Does it work the same way with hatred as well?" I asked, intrigued by it. Joel and Eason were sworn enemies, and they were both men. "Aren''t they sworn enemies?" Steven coughed before stammering, "Your cognitive world may notprehend it, but feelings... aren''t about soul connection. They''re also unrted to gender." I was rather confused. It was indeed in my cognitive blind spot. "I would still love you if... you were to reincarnate in a man''s body." Steven''s ears turned red. I parted my mouth slightly, unable to react all of a sudden. After following Steven into the car, I watched the way Eason was driving distractedly. "Um, it might be dangerous for him to drive now" Eason hit the gas and sped away before I could even finish my sentence. I experienced the terrifying sensation of a roller coaster for the first time. My survival instinct kicked in as Thugged Steven tight. "Life''s still worth living, Eason!" Eason suddenly jerked the steering wheel hard. He had gone mad! "You shouldn''t behave like this, Officer Grant! Let''s talk it out-"I hugged Steven tight and mumbled," What''s got into him now?" "I don''t know." Steven was considerably calmer than I was. Eason sped away throughout the journey, forcefullypleting a 30-minute journey in under 20 minutes. I took a deep breath and got out of the car. I then whispered to Steven, "Do police officers not get fined for speeding?" "They do," Steven answered me seriously. I noticed that something wasn''t right with the way Eason was acting. "Is he going to be fine walking away like this?" Steven took out his phone and called Joel. "Eason has gone mad." "I''m taking an exam here!" Joel seemed to be in the middle of a cement exam. It was almost time for his college entrance exam soon. "He bumped into Logan Cooper from the advanced ss today," Steven added. Joel fell silent on the other end of the call. I heard him turning in his paper early shortly after. "These questions are too easy, sir. I''m totally wasting my time and life here. I''ll take my leave now. It''s super urgent!" He then ended the call soon after. Steven and I both looked at each other.N?velDrama.Org ? content. "How did you find out that Joel was actually Simeon?" I was curious about Steven and Simeon''s story. Back then, Simon was burned to death trying to protect Steven. It must have been a painful way for him to die. How did Steven recognize that Joel was actually Simeon at first nce, then? "His attention-seeking behavior and neuroticism are irreceable. It''s just like how Al can never rece humans." The way Steven had said it sounded deep. To put it simply, he was calling Simeon a neurotic attention seeker who can''t be impersonated. "Besides, he was the one who escaped and found me." Steven looked at me and started telling me about Simeon and his story. "Back then, during the fire... It wasn''t that I didn''t want to escape... It wasn''t because of... my selfishness that caused Simeon to die. It wasn''t that¡ª"Steven lowered his head as he recalled the horrifying memories of his past. I held his hands tightly, signaling for him not to be afraid. They were all in the past now. Many had misunderstood Steven after that incident. They believed that he was too stubborn and refused to leave the orphanage. They believed that it was because he refused to leave that room that he ended up being burned, even causing Simeon''s death. Yet, only Simeon and Steven knew what the actual truth was. Chapter 603 ? "There was a fire outside, and they locked the door. The fire was spreading quickly, and we... we couldn''t escape_" Steven whispered with a trembling voice. He couldn''t help but still tremble upon recalling those past experiences of his. "Actually, we might''ve had a chance at escaping if I had worked with Simeon. But we argued in the dorm that day, and it escted into a fight." Steven looked up at me. "He identally struck me too hard, and I cked out..." Stunned, I looked at him in disbelief. I didn''t know something like this had happened. "Simeon... knocked you out?" Even my voice was trembling. Steven continued, "He was too extreme. He wanted to kill everyone in the advanced ss, and I was stopping him. I knew that they had locked the door from the outside and were deliberately holding him back. "I never thought those people would start a fire. I thought it was just a prank to mess with us... They never expected the electrical system of the orphanage to short circuit. That spark of fire ended up resulting in a disaster." Steven tugged on his hair and leaned against my shoulder, ming himself. We stood there for a good while, and I felt his pain. I could somewhat understand the truth and reason behind the fire back then. Steven and Simeon were both one-of-a-kind geniuses. They would never allow anyone to burn them to death in the room just like that. Simeon had crawled up from the bottom. There was both an angel and a demon residing within him. It was just like what Steven had said¡ªa person''s nature would either keep them sane or lead them astray. If Simeon were to kill, he would''ve been more terrifying than the masked woman behind the Rebels. I could vaguely figure out the reason Simeon had wanted to kill those people from the advanced ss. It should have something to do with Eason. Steven knew that Simeon wanted to kill, so he stopped him that day. Simeon struck Steven out of anger and knocked him out. And Steven actually knew from the start that those people outside had locked the door. He thought that this would trap Simeon in. He didn''t want Simeon to go to extremes and down to the path of no return. Little did he expect that the people from the orphanage were worse than he thought. They actually lit a fire. Combined with the orphanage''s aging electrical system, that spark of fire ended up causing an explosion that engulfed the entire room in mes. Simeon struggled in the fire. He went mad, ming himself as guilt washed over him. He shielded Steven, who was knocked out by him, tightly in front of him. He rather let the mes engulf him than abandon Steven to escape. Simeon must have willingly died in the fire in the end, right? Perhaps he was also afraid of being consumed by the demon within him, turning him into a devil who disregarded life and would kill without hesitation. "It wasn''t your fault, Steven "Iforted Steven in a whisper as I hugged him. Both Simeon and him had med themselves. That was why they treasured and protected each other. They were each other''s most trusted confidants. It was unparalleled whether in love or friendship. "That''s why I risked everything toplete that experiment. I wanted to prove that the body would merely be a vessel as long as we unlocked the gic code. The soul would then be reincarnated and locked down by the gene chains." Steven looked at me with reddening eyes. "Stephie-N?velDrama.Org ? content. "The soul is merely an independent entity trapped within the body, and the genes are its chains. I''ve unlocked it. I know the answer now" His voice was trembling. Steven found the answer in the asylum. As such, he conducted an experiment on Simeon after he escaped the asylum. He knew that Genome Society had once extracted Simeon''s genes to create clone subjects. He wanted to bring Simeon back by trying the experiment out. I asked, "What about the clone subjects'' own souls, then?" I was just curious. Wouldn''t the clone subjects have their own souls too? Chapter 604 ? Steven said, "Cloning is just like replicating a shell. It''s considered defying the natural order. They retain fragments of consciousness, but their souls can be merged." Steven''s analysis was that clone subjects did not possess a soul. But some schrs believed that clone subjects possessed independent souls. I remembered Una. The way she looked at me was of jealousy and envy. There were also some otherplicated situations involved. Perhaps Una wanted to be an independant and unique individual. She wanted to be the most special andplete soul. "Simeon... seeded, right?" I looked nervously at Steven. Simeon was Joel. Joel was Simeon. "He''s Simeon." Steven nodded, firmly believing that Simeon was Joel and vice versa. "Was that why you strongly believed that I was Stephanie Carlson?" I looked at him. "I made a deal with Stephany Larson," Steven muttered. Finally, he was willing to open uppletely to me now. He was willing to tell me the truth. "Stephany Larson willingly helped me to get you back. She said she wanted to disappear forever," Steven whispered. Stephany Larson was a nihilistic existence. "I realized a problem after observing all the clone subjects. Naturalpetition and selection can be a terrifying existence. Any species born unnaturally faces an inevitable path toward self-destruction." Steven looked at me seriously. "That was why I was afraid..." I finally understood why Steven was so afraid of me dying. He wasn''t afraid that I would die from external factors-the greatest enemy of clone subjects like us was ourselves. We were seemingly borncking the five senses. It was hard for us to find a reason or excuse to stay alive without having any emotional sustenance. Most of us would eventuallymit suicide in the end. "People with depression feel as if they''repelled by their bodies to die. Even if they''re suffering, they don''t wish to die. But they feel as if some unseen forces are forcing them to do so," Steven whispered. Those were the findings from his experiments. He had drawn up conclusions from his observations." Clone subjects seem to naturally have the tendency toward depression. Simr to a patient with severe depression, some might even experience even more severe mental illnesses such as bipr disorder." One would describe it as an iplete soul with ack of the five senses in superstitious terms. But in reality, it was the consequences of casually cloning and creating lives. Such a consequence was something beyond the limits of the current human sciences and medical capabilities. That was also why the limit of science was metaphysics. Metaphysics wasn''t one of the traditional senses. Instead, it was an intangible bond that was currently inexplicable to humans. It was just like finding out that the soul was merely an ideology trapped within the body after deciphering the codes in the gene chains. Once the body was destroyed, the soul would then experience a hollow and unconscious liberation.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. No one except those who were reincarnated would know what the afterlife was like. But even such reincarnation would require a medium-the gic codes. "So that''s why you wanted me to find a reason to stay alive. You wanted me to experience what love, friendship, and despair were..." I looked at Steven, suddenly doubtful. Were all those killing games truly a series of unfortunate events, or were the Rebels deliberate in nning them? Why did it feel like the Rebels were seemingly using a cruel way to teach me about love, kinship, friendship, anger, fear, and despair? Chapter 605 ? "Do you want to die, Eason? Did your brain stop growing along with your age? What would''ve been the point if you were to die in a car crash?" Joel''s scoldings could be heard from the courtyard. Steven and I stood by the entrance, peeking in. Joel was angrily grabbing Eason, pushing him onto thewn. I was perplexed. It seemed a little awkward, considering that Eason was much older than Joel. What was stranger was the fact that Eason had actually allowed Joel to push him onto thewn. He did not move, nor did he resist or scold him. That wasn''t how Eason usually was like. "He''s intoxicated," Steven exined softly. Eason was clearly tipsy judging by the way he was acting. "Say something, will you? I can''t believe you got yourself drunk like this!" Joel scratched his head angrily. It was as if he still had to worry about Eason despite him already being an adult. "You''re always just bullying me!" Eason yelled tipsily, as if he was unleashing all his pent-up grievances all of a sudden. He was sitting on thewn with his head hung low and eyes reddening. "If you''re so amazing, try turning into a ghost and scare me, then! Try killing them all, then!" Joel was stunned and stood in silence. The thought did cross his mind. Just like what Steven had said, Simeon had wanted to kill those bastards from the advanced ss. However, that fire stopped him from doing so. "What happened between Eason and those people from the advanced ss?" I asked Steven softly. He took my hand and brought me to the couch. Ashton and Xan were still ying with building blocks. The toy was something clearly too childish for them, yet they were enjoying themselves regardless. "Hudson''s growth spurt was dyed. He was petite back when he was still in the advanced ss. Logan and the others were mean bullies. They liked harassing students who were weaker than them to assert their dominance in the ss," Logan whispered. I was stunned. I could probably figure out the rest of the story now. He continued, "Simeon used to be bullied in the orphanage because of his young age, which was why he was empathic to Hudson, who was bullied. Hudson stuck close to him after he helped him out several times." Simeon enjoyed poking fun at Hudson as well. Hudson could only follow Simeon out of his fear. He would rather be bullied by Simeon alone than to be bullied by many. Later on, those people no longer dared to bully Hudson in front of Simeon. That was because Simeon was too ruthless.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Those who came from the orphanage were madmen. Everyone in their ss knew not to mess with the two who came from the orphanage. That was because they would go mad when they were angry. As such, they would only bully Eason whenever Simeon wasn''t around. Steven said, "Simeon and I weren''t in school on that particr day. They were ruthless in bullying Hudson. He was sent to the hospital and developed a severe germaphobia after that." His exnation was brief without specifically mentioning how those people had bullied Eason. However, judging by his germaphobe now, they must have used extremely dirty tactics. I could imagine how helpless Eason had felt back then. Steven continued, "That was why Simeon went mad when Hudson cried while looking for him, asking why he didn''t protect him well. He wanted to kill." Simeon wanted to kill those people. He almost killed someone and took the path of no return in histe teens. The fire had consumed everything. From then, Hudson became withdrawn and turned entric. He med Simeon for dying and leaving him alone. He had also med Steven. He was jealous and wary of Steven, yet he also med Steven for Simeon''s death. At the same time, he was afraid of Steven. "Eason was initially hostile toward you because he didn''t know the truth. Why didn''t you exin to him?" I looked at Steven. Why would he want to bear Eason''s unjustified anger? "Hating someone fuels his motivation to keep going." He looked back at me with a burning gaze. Eason was someone Simeon cared for. As such, Steven wouldn''t really me Eason even if he went too far. The reason he did not exin himself was to give Eason the motivation to stay alive and change himself. Compared to before, Eason was apletely changed person now. He learned to protect himself from others. Chapter 606 ? I remained silent as I leaned against Steven. I felt heartbroken for him. He had been suppressing himself all the while. "Steven," I called for him softly. "Yes?" Steven looked down at me. "Hug me, please." I buried my face against his chest. "Are you kissing, Mom and Dad?" Ashton noticed that Steven was about to kiss me. As such, both of us, who hadn''t quite figured out ourselves as "parents", immediately straightened up. We looked at Ashton and Xandra seriously and said, "Go y with your toys." "You can''t sneakily kiss Mom okay, Dad? Mom belongs to Xandra and me." Ashton gave Steven a warning look while Steven stared back with the same intensity. What a father-and-son pair! At that moment, I felt as if I had brought home two little troublemakers. Steven was just like a child himself, after all. Now, there were two more children vying for attention. Following the abductor''s instructions, Dayton struggled to drag a massive industrial container meant for heavy-duty supplies into Leffers Street. He was heading toward the tenth trash can. As the trash can was ratherrge, there wouldn''t be any issue fitting a container in. But now, the problem was the 30 million dors in cash weighing over 600 pounds. It was impossible for Dayton to unload them into the trash can on his own. As such, he could only sit on the container and give the abductor a call. "I''ve brought the money over now. Where is she? I want to see if she''s safe."'' "ce the container down and leave the ce," the abductor replied with a low voice. "I''m warning you, don''t try any tricks. Just imagine the consequences if you still refuse to let her go after getting the money," Dayton threatened angrily. Steven had taught him all those words. Steven and I were hiding somewhere to observe our surroundings. The police were all in position as well. As the CEO of the Crowdstar Group, Dayton surely possessed exceptional power. It would be fairly easy for him to deal with an abductor. "We''ll release her once we get the money and make sure they are fine." They only wanted to assess Dayton''s financial capabilities. He wouldn''t be able toe up with 30 million in cash in such a short amount of time if he wasn''t the president of Crowdstar Group. Soon after Dayton left, someone came to move the container. The police dared not make a move as they wanted to see if they would release Xandra. However, the abductors seemed to have no intention of doing so after monitoring for half an hour. "What''s the meaning of this?" Dayton called the abductor once again. The abductor replied, "We''re having second thoughts, Mr. So. Thirty million dors seems like three dors to you. I heard that you''ve collected many valuable treasures. "Last year, you secretly acquired an emerald vase worth hundreds of millions from an auction under the name of the president of Crowdstar Group. I heard that it''s kept in the bank vault. I''ll give you an hour''s time to bring it to us, and we''ll immediately release her. We''ll kill her otherwise." An hour was just enough time for Dayton to make a round trip to the bank. They refused to give him more time for anything else. His identity as the president of the Crowdstar Group could only be proven by retrieving something valuable using his identity as the president within the specific time given. Dayton gritted his teeth, not knowing what to answer.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Steven said from the headset, "Tell them that this is theirst chance. We''ll kill them if anything happens to Xandra." Dayton did as he was told. He then called his chauffeur to pick him up. The chauffeur was Joel. This ploy had to be yed outpletely in order to convince Genome Society that Dayton was indeed the president of Crowdstar Group. Only then would there be an opportunity to contact the superiors supposedly above Mrs. Ford. Chapter 607 ? No sooner after Dayton left, someone sneakily went to check the container. Zion did not expose his cover under Steven''s reminder. The person hade alone knowing that was a huge amount of money. Surely, it wasn''t to take it away. The person opened up the container and nced in to verify its authenticity. He then closed the container and left. As expected, Steven was right. Those people only wanted to assess Dayton''s capabilities and were not after the 30 million dors. That amount of money was insignificant to Genome Society. They wouldn''t invite trouble for themselves by taking the money for good. Everything went smoothly on Dayton''s side as well. He soon obtained the item required by the abductor from the bank vault. From matching fingerprints and irises, everything went on seamlessly. He returned with some time to spare. "I''ve already brought the item you wanted. Release her!" Dayton said in his call to the abductor. "ce the item inside the tenth trash can and leave the ce. We''ll send her back safe and sound at 10:00 pm tonight," the person spoke in a low tone. The police didn''t even have enough time to locate them as the call ended quickly. Dayton turned and left after cing the item in the trash can. Steven, Zion, and I were still observing from nearby. As expected, someone walked over soon after. He did not take away the container full of money but only took the emerald vase away. "That''s worth hundreds of millions" I muttered softly. I suddenly turned into a money-grubber after knowing how much it was worth. It was a shame to even let them get away with it. "There''s a chip installed in the emerald vase for tracking." Steven squeezed my hand. I let out a relieved sigh. "That''s great, then. I''ll feel heartbroken otherwise." Steven looked at me before softly whispering, "I''m rich, honey. I have lots of money." I ignored him. He almost blurted out the fact that he was the president of Crowdstar Group now.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Dayton''s residence was brightly lit even at 10:00 pm. He could only pace around while he waited as he could no longer reach the abductor by phone. As soon as it hit 10:0 pm, a car passed by and threw out a huge suitcase before speeding away. Dayton and Joel ran out to open the suitcase, revealing Xandra within. She was still unconscious with her hands tied. Her clothes remained the same as what she wore when she was abducted. It seemed like no one had touched her, after all. "Don''t move." Joel raised a hand and signaled Dayton to stay still. Both of them struggled to drag her into the room. They only let the police and doctor in to check on her after making sure that no one was keeping an eye on them from the outside. "We''ll need to take her blood sample to check for any illegal substances she might have been injected with." They found needle marks after checking Xandra''s arm. It was unclear whether she had been injected with a sedative or something else. "Something was imnted in her head." The doctor discovered a wound on Xandra''s head. They saw a small incision after parting her hair. "Let''s take an X-ray tomorrow." Zion''s face paled. Those people were ruthless. "It''s a miniature chip bomb that can be controlled remotely. It''s embedded under the scalp. It might be risky to remove it. This thing... is normally used on spies or infiltrators in war zones," Steven softly said. Dayton immediately turned as white as a sheet. His fingers trembled as he asked, "What do we do..." Xandra was innocent. She had been wrongly implicated. I grew anxious as I looked at Steven. "Let''s see what they''re up to." He signaled for Dayton to call the abductor. Yet, Dayton''s fingers kept trembling as he couldn''t calm himself down. Steven frowned before walking up to grab his wrists. "Calm down." Chapter 608 ? "Are the lives of those you don''t care about insignificant to you?" Dayton asked Steven in a soft voice. Unfortunately, I overheard it. Steven was glum. He did not answer Dayton but cast a sideways nce over to Xandra, who was still unconscious. "She''s going to die." Dayton''s eyes were rimmed red as he tightly clutched at Steven''s wrists. He lowered his head once he calmed himself down and picked up his phone. "I''ll make the call." I looked at Steven. At that moment, I felt a terrifying sensation that was hard to put into words. When Dayton was asking Steven if he thought the lives of those he didn''t care about were insignificant, I could almost be certain of what Steven''s thoughts were besides the ones he cared about, he really was indifferent to everything else. "What''s that supposed to mean?" Dayton was almost gritting his teeth as he questioned the abductor with a deep voice. "Didn''t you guys ce a tracking chip in the emerald vase as well?" The abductor chuckled. Dayton''s fists bunched up tight as he knocked himself on the head mutedly. "Turn off the chip bomb!" Xandra was going to die. The abductor replied, "That thing is only beneath her skin. It won''t take her life. She can live a normal life as long as we don''t activate it. But don''t try to take it out. As soon as the chip-" "You guys are mad!" Dayton cursed angrily. "We just want to cooperate with you, Mr. So. We''ll contact you with the specificster," the abductor sneered before ending the call. The tracking stopped moving as soon as the call ended. "We''ve lost them, Officer Landon. Both the emerald vase and the money were retrieved by us. They tossed the emerald vase into the trash heap, so we had to look around for quite some time-" Zion''s colleague had called to exin. Clearly, while Steven was toying with the abductors, they were also toying with us. However, it was hard to tell who was the winner between both sides at this point. They were rather evenly matched. "We''re caught. Does this count as blowing our covers?" Zion asked. Would it be harder to investigate Genome Society in the future? Steven replied indifferently with a cold chuckle, "We''ve already won. The reason why they had to go to such lengths was because we''ve already won." The people from Genome Society believed that Dayton was the president of Crowdstar Group. To Steven, that itself was already considered a win. Zion was stunned, seemingly confused upon hearing Steven''s words. "So from now on..." "From now on, the police should stay out of this. You have your way of investigating while we have our own ways of handling things." Steven refused to disclose his next steps. His back seemed strangely determined yet mncholic. I often felt afraid. I was afraid that the scene before me would turn into a mirage sometime in the future. If Steven was the president of Crowdstar Group, then using Dayton to infiltrate the enemy''s ranks was akin to fighting a lone battle in closebat. Zion did notment further and nodded. He only left with the others after ensuring that Xandra was fine. Dayton sat trembling on the ground as he watched Xandra, who was still getting examined by the doctor." But she''s innocent." "I''ll head out for a bit. You guys can continue." I could tell that Dayton wanted to talk to Steven in private. Steven looked down and nodded. I then walked out of the living room and leaned against the door to eavesdrop on their conversation.N?velDrama.Org ? content. "You''re the one who got her involved in this!" Steven red angrily at Dayton. "I''ve told you more than once feelings would turn into one''s Achilles'' heel, and they would also be a weapon against others. "You were the one who was constantly urging others to protect her on the cruise, making her a target. You were the one who turned her into your Achilles'' heel and someone else''s weapon against you!" Anger and indifference seeped through his voice. "What should I have done, then? Tell me, what should I have done? You only care about those you care about!" Dayton''s emotions were getting out of control. Steven said, "Of course, I only care about what I care about! You were the one who chose this path. It''s inevitable that you would have to sacrifice something in order for you to escape your parents'' control, to achieve your goals, and to gain what you want. "I made this clear to you before we started working together-you can''t have your cake and eat it too!" he rebuked Dayton in a deep voice. Dayton looked at Steven. "You said that I can''t have my cake and eat it too, but why have you always been trying to do so? We''re only your shield. That''s why you can continue to live peacefully with her, right?" "Call me heartless if you like, but if your stupidity obstructs my path, I won''t hesitate to kill you and everything around you that might obstruct my n. Do you understand?" Steven grabbed Dayton''s cors, his tone tinged with displeasure. The Steven now was terrifying to no end. I rarely saw this side of him because he had never shown it in front of me. How grand were his ns? What kind of an intricate ploy had he woven? "No one can have their cake and eat them too-not even myself." I heard Steven''sst words before I left. Not even himself, he said. Chapter 609 ? Xandra regained consciousness. There was nothing wrong with her physically, except for the chip bomb imnted under her scalp. Dayton did not tell her about it, fearing that she would be afraid. "I-"Xandra burst into tears as soon as she said, "I just went to the washroom and got abducted right away. I have toin about the bad security at the theater!" Dayton smiled andforted her, "Everything''s fine now." Xandra wiped away her tears and asked, "How much ransom did you pay to bring me back?" Dayton recounted, "A hundred and thirty grand?" Xandra stopped crying out of shock. She hupped before snapping out of it. "That''s wasteful of you! That''s 130 grand we''re talking about! Give it to me and I''ll die instead." Dayton was rendered speechless from her words. "Well, why do you still need the money if you''re dead?" "You can save that money and donate it to disaster areas or rural areas. My life isn''t worth that much anyway." Xandra was about to start crying again. This time, out of pity for the waste of money. "Don''t cry, we can still earn back the money," Dayton softly said. She cried anyway. "I''m heartbroken for the money you spend. How could we give it out freely to the abductors just like that?" "We didn''t lose the money. The police retrieved it." Steven and I walked into the hospital ward and smiled at Xandra. Xandra visibly rxed andy back on the bed. "That''s good-" Dayton lowered his head and remained silent. The rift between Steven and him was still there. "Rest up," Steven mumbled before taking my hand to leave. Xandra nervously started, "I heard the abductors talk about you when I was half-conscious." She was talking about me. I pointed to myself and asked, "Me?" Xandra nodded. "What did they say?" I looked at her. Xandra rubbed her temple in contemtion. "They said something about... you being the third- generation experimental subject... And Nancy was... the second generation. I don''t understand." I halted for a moment, instinctively turning toward Steven. He frowned and grabbed my wrist. "You were sedated back then. Perhaps you heard it wrong." I was bewildered when Steven pulled me out of the ward. "Isn''t Nancy my mother?" I recalled hearing from Nancy that I was the embryo created from her egg and someone else''s sperm. Steven looked at me. "She is." I felt bewildered. I should be Nancy''s gic continuation since her egg was used. "Stop overthinking. You''re just you-my Stephie." Steven stopped me from overthinking. He cupped my face and smiled at me. "Let''s go home, Stephie. Ashton and Xan are still at home. I''m afraid they might wreck the ce if we returnte." I chuckled. "Alright." It would have been nice if only we were a normal family. "I didn''t know that I could actually develop feelings despite having a painless motherhood," I whispered to Steven on our way back. "That''s because you were originally someone with feelings. It''s just that they got suppressed." Steven held my hand. "You''re bing more like a normal person now, Stephie. You can live happily from nowThis content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. on." I looked at him and asked, "What about you? Will you continue to stay by my side?" Steven was stunned. He then smiled and said, "Of course, I''ll stay by your side." He said he would continue to stay by my side. The car stopped at the entrance of Steven''s residence, and I saw a familiar figure-Michael. "Michael?" I got out of the car, somewhat astonished. "Your mom actually allowed you toe out?" Michael did not look at me but at Steven. "I''m here for him." Chapter 610 ? I looked at Michael warily. He was here for Steven? What did that mean? "You should head back first, Stephie. Ashton and Xan are waiting for you." Ashton and Xan were waiting for us with Stevie in the courtyard.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I nodded and headed back. Steven would tell me what Michael said anyway. I sat on thewn together with Ashton and Xan. I was looking at Steven and Michael while rubbing Stevie''s head. It was rare for both of them to talk calmly like that. I couldn''t make out their lip movements clearly, and I couldn''t hear their conversation. But Michael seemed to be nervous. After 20 minutes, Michael hurriedly got into his car and left. Perhaps his time to be out was limited. He nced over to my direction before getting into the car and left. Steven walked in, looking unperturbed. "What did he tell you?" I asked curiously. "He said that he''s getting engaged to Una." Steven walked over and sat beside me. I felt surprised. "He''s getting engaged to Una? Will his mom agree to it?" "Perhaps he''s doing it to spite his mom. He''s rather rebellious." Steven started to hug and kiss me all over. "Who cares about him? That scumbag can marry anyone he likes. You''re my wife anyway." I helplessly leaned against his shoulders. "He only told you this? Why would he tell us that he''s getting engaged? He''s crazy!" Steven chuckled and said softly, "He just said that his mom''s a madwoman who''s controlling his life. Anyone who gets near to him will be hurt by his mom. Una isn''t afraid since she''s egoistic." I smiled. Funnily enough, Una was resistant to cloning and even looked exactly like Stephanie Carlson. We could just leave that family of theirs to hurt each other. "Michael''s mom will no longer keep watch on us with Una distracting her. We can live happily from now on." Steven sounded wishful as if he was daydreaming. "Will that day evere?" I leaned against him. "It will soon. The reason why Genome Society was sounding out Dayton is because the real person in charge behind them wants to meet him. We''ll win as long as they meet him." As long as they knew who the person was and killed them, everything woulde to an end temporarily. "But even if we kill one person in charge of the Genome Society, the headquarters would still send out a second or a third person." I sighed. "We''ll kill them and destroy all of the gic experiment data in Huma. They won''t be able to trace back anything and would have to start over. We can rid ourselves of them that way." What Steven was trying to do was to delete all data the Huma Genome Society had of me. "Are you sure they haven''t uploaded the experiment data to the headquarters?" I looked at him. Steven shook his head and replied, "The experiment data are not shared between them. They only have regr exchanges every year and would not disy their data before the results are certain." He had previously infiltrated Genome Society''sboratory, raising the arguments for the Reincarnation Project. I let out a sigh of relief. "If that''s the case, we''re really at the end of the tunnel now." It was as if everything was trulying to an end soon. The police deployed more manpower on their investigation pursuant to the incident on the cruise. The people from Genome Society became even more withdrawn. Steven and I experienced a few days'' worth of a normal person''s life-calm and harmonious. Upon waking up daily, we would bring the children to y on thewn and bring Stevie for a run by the beach. We would watch the sunrise and sunset. Such a calm and wonderful life almost made me forget that I was merely an experimental subject. "I''ll bring you out to buy a dress, Xan." I was experiencing the joys of a normal mother as I brought the two children out shopping in the mall. We bumped into Michael, Una, and Mrs. Ford unexpectedly. It felt strange seeing the three of them out shopping together. The happy family scene was rather peculiar. "This is my son and daughter-inw." Mrs. Ford was smiling as she introduced them to the salesperson of the luxury goods store. I was both surprised and puzzled. Mrs. Ford''s acting skills were amazing-she actually endured everything and epted Una despite Mrs. Ford''s abnormal possessiveness toward her son. Chapter 611 ? "Thatdy is one of us, Mom," Ashton whispered while looking toward Mrs. Ford''s direction. I stiffened momentarily. I then crouched down to Ashton and asked nervously, "One of us? What do you mean?" Xan softly said, "Una has the same vibes as you do, Mom." Was the "vibes" Xan talking about gics? We have the same genes. "Thatdy too." Ashton looked at Mrs. Ford. A chill ran down my spine at that moment. Mrs. Ford and I also had the same genes? What did that mean? Combining these with what Xandra heard from the abductors about me being the third-generation experimental subject and Nancy being the second-generation... Nancy was the superior of Genome Society''sboratory, and so was Mrs. Ford. Why would Genome Society trust them so much? Was it because they used to be experimental subjects and were cloned using the same gene sequence? I chuckled self-deprecatingly. What a scary thought. "Do you like it?" Mrs. Ford was asking Una if she liked the handbags in the luxury goods store. Una nced at the handbags indifferently and remained silent. "We''ll take all of these," Mrs. Ford calmly said. She was acting ording to her own preference. The way she was looking at Una was full of joy and admiration. It was overwhelmingly so, making me feel somewhat afraid. Her gaze was tinged with naked desire, as if admiring a new piece of clothing. Clearly, she was nning something that involved Una. "This shirt suits you. You''ll definitely like it." Mrs. Ford was now picking out clothes for Michael. He frowned, his face pale as he said, "I don''t like it."N?velDrama.Org ? content. Mrs. Ford''s smile faded. "I''ve been picking out clothes for you since you were young, Mike. How can you say that you don''t like it?" Michael''s hands were curled into tight fists. I could see the popping veins on the back of his palm. "It suits you so much." Mrs. Ford picked up a tie andpared it against him. "This tie is also something you''d like..." It was as if she was talking to herself. I brought Ashton and Xan to hide in a corner to observe that peculiar family. I wasn''t the only one who found them scary. Even the salesperson probably thought so and was just forcing a smile. That family looked handsome and beautiful, but the atmosphere around them seemed strange. The things Mrs. Ford bought for Una were all based on her own preference. "Here, let''s see if this ne looks good on my daughter-inw." She chose the most expensive ne, which was only essible to VIPs. She was rather generous as that jewelry set was worth millions. "You''re so generous toward your daughter-inw," the salesperson said excitedly, beaming with joy. "Of course, they''ll be registering their marriage tomorrow!" Mrs. Ford seemed to be enjoying herself, yet Michael and Una were indifferent, as if they didn''t know each other at all. The salesperson nced awkwardly at the two of them, unsure of what to say. Was this a pre-arranged marriage by the mother-inw? I was surprised as well. Were they going to register their marriage tomorrow? Michael''s marriage was proceeding quickly now with Yasmin out of the picture. Yasmin had been scheming so much just to marry into the Ford family back then. It was ratherughable looking back at it now. Mrs. Ford had always treated her as trash, toying with her as if she was just a prey. Back on the cruise, Mrs. Ford had killed Yasmin without any hesitation. Perhaps she thought that a woman of such ss like Yasmin had contaminated her son. As expected from her terrifying control and possessiveness. "You can shop on your own. I''ll head back with Una first." Michael probably couldn''t be bothered to continue pretending any longer. He took Una by her wrist and left. The smile on Mrs. Ford''s face faded, but it was as if she did not care at all. She continued to ask the salesperson to pack up everything she liked. "Send them to the same address asst time." Chapter 612 ? Mrs. Ford walked out of the shop over ten minutester. I secretly followed her out with Ashton and Xan. "Don''t follow too closely, Mom. She has bodyguards behind her," Ashton reminded me as he tugged at me. Only then did I realize that there were bodyguards constantly following Mrs. Ford about ten yards away. It was fortunate that we did not follow her too closely. "Call a cab, Mom. Don''t take your car," Ashton reminded once again. I gave him a thumbs-up before bringing them into the cab. "Drive up and go in front of that Maybach, mister," Ashton spoke up assertively. The cab driver was amused. "I''m surprised you knew what a Maybach is, kid." Ashton smiled and replied, "I know a lot of things, mister!" I stared at him dumbly. That boy truly had a dramatic personality. Xan continued to y with her Rubik''s cube and only looked up asionally. I realized that Ashton loved to perform while Xan was more reserved. "Slow down at the intersection ahead, mister. Let the Maybach overtake us," Ashton softly instructed. When following another car, we shouldn''t tailgate or start directly behind it. Instead, we should stay in front and get within the chauffeur''s initial line of sight. We should only slow down to follow behind the car at the intersection. It was especially so for cabs. That way, we would be less likely to be noticed by the people in the other car. "Alright." The cab driver only found it amusing as he followed Ashton''s instructions. "Is someone you know there in the Maybach, kid?" the cab driver asked. "It''s my grandmother. I want to give her a surprise. So, you can''t let them notice us, mister!" It was as if Ashton''s ability to lie was inherent and as easy as breathing. I took a deep breath and looked at him. Our cab followed Mrs. Ford throughout her journey. She seemed to be in a good mood,pletely forgetting the fact that she might be getting followed. The car stopped at a high-end sanatorium in Fedora Hills. We stopped the car nearby, and I brought Ashton and Xan to hide among the bushes. Mrs. Ford got out of the car. She even took out a mirror to reapply her lipstick before entering the sanatorium. "Do you want to go in, Mom?" Ashton asked, looking at me. I nodded. However, sanatoriums like this usually had strict security. He said, "I''ll wait at the entrance with Xan when you go inter, Mom. We won''t run around. We''ll stay with the doorman." I nodded. Ashton then ruffled Xan''s hair. It was as if Xan instantly understood Ashton''s meaning. She got up and ran toward the doorman. "Mister! Mister! My mom, my brother, and I got lost, but my mom''s tummy hurts. Can you let my mom use the washroom inside?" The doorman seemed to hesitate, but Xan was just too adorable. "Where''s your mother?" I walked out while holding Ashton, clutching my stomach as if I was in pain. "I''ll report it while you register yourselves." The doorman stuck by the protocol, yet our cover would be blown as soon as he reported us. "My mom won''t go anywhere else, mister. We''ll wait right here. Please let my mom go. She''lle out quickly," Xan said coquettishly, tugging at the doorman''s shirt. "Do you y Rubik''s cube, mister?" she asked again. The doorman was swayed by Xan''s adorable acts. He smiled and said, "Alright, alright. Hurry up and head inside. The children can stay with me for now." I nodded and slipped in while clutching my stomach. Following Mrs. Ford''s trail, I found her in the garden behind the sanatorium. She was pushing through a wheelchair and smiling sweetly. She said, "You''ll recover from your illness soon, Miguel." The middle-aged man in the wheelchair with graying temples shook his head with a smile. "There''s no need to force it. The end of one''s life is not the end of all." I hid myself nearby. Just as Mrs. Ford turned the wheelchair around, I was frozen in shock. That white-haired middle-aged man looked exactly like Michael. Other than the fact that he had aged, it was clear that they were modeled from the same mold.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. They wouldn''t have looked so strikingly alike if they were only father and son. Chapter 613 ?This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. That man named Miguel continued to cough. He looked like he was in pain. Worry shed through Mrs. Ford''s eyes as she hugged him from behind. "Your pain is ending soon. You''ll have a healthy body" Miguel Ford chuckled, his face devoid of color. He reached up to ruffle Mrs. Ford''s hair with a tender and affectionate look. "My life and death have been determined, Daisy. I have no more regrets having journeyed all these years together with you. Don''t be too stubborn." It seemed like Miguel had also noticed that Mrs. Ford''s obsession was too strong, Mrs. Ford bent down in front of him. At that moment, she seemed like a little girl who had found a resting ce for herself. "You were the one who named me and gave me my life. How could I go on living without you?" "You''re first and foremost yourself before you became Daisy." Miguel looked at Mrs. Ford before he started coughing even more. He looked as if he might fall apart if the wind blew any harsher on him. I hid behind the pir, watching them. The medical staff hurriedly pushed Miguel away only when he started coughing blood. "Mr. Ford''s cancer has spread throughout his body, madam. There''s not much time left. It''ll only cause him more pain to continue the treatment," the doctor said softly as he walked over to Mrs. Ford. He continued, "Mr. Ford has been holding onto you all these years. The specialized medication and surgery aren''t going to be effective on him now." It was generally beyond hope of recovering once the cancer started to spread. Mrs. Ford stood silently for the longest time. "I know he has been suffering for all these years. Perhaps it''s time now," she muttered, as if making a decision. "Take good care of him. Tell him I''ve gone back for now, and I''lle visit again in a few days'' time," Mrs. Ford said solemnly before turning to leave. She then got into her car and asked for the chauffeur to bring her home. I waited nearby until they left for good before walking into the hospital ward. Miguel''splexion looked much better in the ward. He was looking out the window in his wheelchair. None of the medical staff were there. I heard from their conversations that he seemed to enjoy his peace without having someone watching him. "Has she left?" Miguel asked with his back facing me. He probably mistook me for a medical staff. "She has left," I replied. He stiffened when he heard an unfamiliar voice before turning back to look at me. "You look familiar, youngdy." Miguel said that I looked familiar. He watched me for a while before smiling and saying, "You look like an old acquaintance of mine." "Are you Daisy''s husband?" I recalled hearing Mrs. Ford''s name being Daisy Lane to the public. "I am. And you are?" Miguel looked at me curiously. "Do you know that you have a son named Michael together with Daisy?" I asked, wondering if he knew about Michael''s existence. Miguel chuckled as he shook his head. "Daisy couldn''t conceive because of her health condition, so we adopted a child instead. His name is indeed Michael." I frowned. It seemed like Miguel wasn''t aware of the truth. Michael didn''t know that he was adopted. Mrs. Ford had also told the public that Michael was her biological son. No one would have suspected Michael and Miguel''s biological rtionship as they were too much alike. Miguel started coughing uncontrobly again. Blood covered his handkerchief. I frowned at him as a terrifying thought came to me. Was the reason why Mrs. Ford was so eager to prove the feasibility of the Reincarnation Project because she wanted to perform a switcheroo? She cloned her husband''s youthful body in advance and was waiting for the perfect timing for him to " reincarnate" into Michael? Such a thought was too crazy. Steven once said that the clone subjects were like iplete shells who inherently had iplete souls. That was why Michael was the slowest and most foolish when it came to emotions, and his amnesia and suicidal tendencies were also traceable. The awareness and desire for suicide would peak as the clone subjects aged. Chapter 614 ? It wasn''t just because Michael was guilty that he wanted tomit suicide. Other reasons like family, life, and work contributed to that thought as well. Stephany Larson, too, had willingly worked with Steven and offered her body to a stranger''s soul. Michael had also repented and thought of dying after losing "Stephanie Carlson". Mrs. Ford was getting impatient now. On one hand, it was because Michael''s suicidal tendencies were getting stronger, and on the other, Miguel''s health was failing. If I was not mistaken, she was going toe after me next to force Steven toplete his experiment. Panic set in as I turned around, wanting to bring Ashton and Xan away from this ce. However, it was toote. Mrs. Ford, who had left earlier, was now back. She stood smiling in the hallway. Behind her, her bodyguard was carrying Ashton and Xan, who were unconscious, on each arm. "Don''t touch my children!" I red at her angrily. My survival instinct kicked in,pelling me to get closer to Miguel to attack him. But before I could even touch him, someone yanked my hair from behind and covered my mouth and nose with a handkerchief. I frowned and struggled, but my consciousness was beginning to fade. Before passing out, I caught Miguel''s expression of shock and disbelief. "What are you doing, Daisy" He started coughing again. He probably never imagined his own wife would turn out to be someone so terrifying. "I want to save you, Miguel," Mrs. Ford spoke in a choked voice. She smiled with red-rimmed eyes. " There''s no one more important to me in this world other than you. Even if... I''m to face eternal damnation in hell for all the wrongs I''vemitted, I''m willing to do so." "Oh, Daisy... Do you know why I named you Daisy?" Miguel continued, "It was because I hoped that you would bloom like a daisy under the sun when I brought you out of theboratory back then." I could hear Miguel''s voice in a daze. He seemed like he was trying to stop Mrs. Ford. "I won''t give up no matter what. You''re tired, Miguel. Have a good rest." She probably had someone sedate him before taking me and the children away. I regret bringing the two children into danger with me. How did they get caught so easily when they were so vignt? Perhaps they were just too young. After all, they weren''t as experienced aspared to an adult like Mrs. Ford in terms of getting into mischief.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I was unsure how long I had been unconscious. In a daze, I heard Ashton''s and Xan''s voices. "Mom hasn''t regained her consciousness yet." "This is theboratory that Mom has been looking for." "Shh, keep your voice down! Mom will be upset if she regains consciousness and hears that!" "But isn''t Mom looking for thisboratory?" I opened my eyes abruptly and checked my surroundings, breathing rapidly. The stark whiteboratory environment was suffocating as it was enclosed with ss all around. Ashton, Xan, and I were trapped in a This was clearly not Nancy''sboratory but the one under Mrs. Ford''s control. It was the ce we had been searching for. I never expected her to willingly bring us over. "This seems like aboratory, Mom," Ashton said, carefully looking at me. I took a deep breath when I realized those two had deliberately got themselves caught with me. They seemed to have anticipated that Mrs. Ford would bring us to theboratory. Chapter 615 ? "This is Mrs. Ford''sboratory." I looked around, astonished to see the countlessb capsules around us. The Ford family was indeed wealthy. With Mrs. Ford''s charitable persona, she probably channeled a lot of money into thisboratory. Herboratory was more than twice the size of Nancy''s. "Theboratory is empty, Mom," Ashton reminded me. Only then did Ie back to my senses. Other than Ashton, Xan, and I, the otherb capsules were all empty. It seemed like thisb capsule was used specifically for researching soul reincarnation. They conducted many experiments, ultimately proving that their experiments would not seed without Steven. In Steven''s words, there was a mechanism for reincarnation. Genes were the most crucial link that captured and bound a soul with the same genes. But a medium was also required for a reincarnation to seed-it was something like a key. At that moment, only Steven knew what that key was as he was the only person who had seeded inpleting the Reincarnation Project. "There''s a butterfly and a kitten over there, Mommy." Xan was sitting on the ground with her Rubik''s cube in hand. She was just like a naturally autistic child who enjoyed being immersed in her own world. Sometimes, she would say a few words that would hit the mark. I looked over to that side of theboratory. There were indeed animal specimens inside the ss enclosure some were alive, some were dead, and some were just born. They were likely all gic clones. "They''re also using animals to test whether the Reincarnation Project will seed," I whispered. "They''re not as smart as Dad," Ashton quipped. I did not refute him. Indeed, Steven''s intelligence went beyond mere genome editing. He would have been a natural genius even without the genome editing. He was basically unstoppable with his natural talents enhanced by genome editing. As far as I remember, Steven was particrly sensitive to numbers. His mathematical talents surpassed others since he was eight. It was as if he had suddenly grasped the mysteries and charm of mathematics overnight. He used to tell me excitedly that he could urately calcte locations and even determine the exact location of an asteroid. It was apletely unfathomable world to me. Indeed, mathematics required talent. It was just like how Steven was constantly calcting the value of pi. He said that everything could start anew as long as he calcted it to the end. The so-called gic sequence code was probably an inspiration Steven took from his calction form of pi. I leaned against the ss and looked at the animals inside theb capsules. Mrs. Ford must have devoted all her energy to reincarnation andbating cancer cells all these years. "Thisboratory feels quite spacious, doesn''t it?" The door to theb capsule opened, and Mrs. Ford walked in. She said, "Initially, thisb capsule was dedicated to my investments and research inbating cancer cells. I, too, once hoped that the medical field would be able to save my husband. I was naive in thinking that we could grow old and spend the rest of our lives together." Mrs. Ford chuckled coldly before continuing, "Unfortunately, cancer cells are immortal as they divide and regenerate endlessly while humans cannot.N?velDrama.Org ? content. "Why can''t humans do so? Why can''t the human body be like cancer cells-dividing and regenerating endlessly, even reproducing infinitely outside of the human body?" She looked almost crazed as she stood outside the ss enclosure, watching me intently. "Have you heard of the immortal HeLa cells? The biological research today, including the cloning technology, is closely rted to HeLa cells." I frowned, keeping an alert watch on Mrs. Ford. "Do you know why gods are immortal?" she asked, cing her hands on the ss enclosure. She was observing me as if admiring a work of art simr to the way she had looked at Una at the luxury goods store. Chapter 616 ? Mrs. Ford continued, "Gods are immortal because they can divide and regenerate endlessly. In other words are gods just like cancer cells, in the sense that they could be continuously replicated through their genome?" I felt chills running up my spine as I watched her. Was the Godmaker Project actually an attempt for humans to create a god? Humans destroyed humans, and God created humans. Humans destroyed God, and they created another god with their own hands. It sounded like a mad legend, yet it seemed to havee full circle with a symbolic meaning at this moment. Who knew what kind of monstrosities we would end up creating if humans were to continue to delve into their crazed research into gics and immortality? She said, "The emergence of cancer cells is essentially a gic mutation process in the human body. They double every 24 hours, yet they need to constantlypete for nutrients with the human body, treating it as a battlefield. "That''s why cancer cells would replicate endlessly and spread viciously when someone has cancer. The human body is too fragile to withstand such overwhelming destructive force. "The reason why Miguel is suffering currently is precisely because the cancer cells within him keep multiplying and metastasizing uncontrobly, isn''t it?" I looked at Mrs. Ford, wanting to make her stop. But it was impossible as she was already on the brink of madness. "I''m creating a god. I''m changing this world. My research will bring hope and a glimmer of light to patients and families affected by cancer," Mrs. Ford said in a crazed manner. Her arms were outstretched. "You''re not me. That''s why you can''t understand why I''m this mad trying to do this." She looked at me, as if mocking my ignorance from her own perspective. She continued, "What would you do if Steven had cancer and the cancer cells couldn''t be destroyed, yet they were slowly devouring him? You''d be even crazier than I am right now. That''s because you''re Stephanie Carlson-you''d only go to even greater lengths." I was stunned. Suddenly, I could understand her intentions. Her motivation was her love for Miguel. She wanted tobat cancer for his sake. "At first, I only wanted tobat cancer cells and find a way topletely kill these immortal cells. Butter on, I epted the reality that they couldn''t be killed. The cost of killing them is just too high. I couldn''t possibly... sacrifice my loved ones in order to kill those damned cancer cells-" Mrs. Ford''s voice turned hoarse. "That''s why I gave up on researching how to kill the cancer cells. I turned to researching symbiosis instead." Her lips curled upward. "Steven never told this to you, right? The medium for rebirth, which is the key, is based on the original gene chain. It involves a mutation that uses the uterus as a new source of nutrients and simtes the division of cancer cells using cloning techniques. All this is done just to achieve immortality of the soul." Steven found his inspiration from mathematical forms. He discovered the gic code while building on the foundation of immortal cell division. And then... theboratory found the medium for reincarnation. That was how the reincarnation of souls was achieved. I stood in shock, unable to react for the longest time. Mrs. Ford asked, "Do you know why Steven didn''t kill Una but kept her around? That''s because he''s keeping a backup body for you. He''s worried that something might happen to you." She had a sardonic smile. "You see, Steven is even more unhinged than I am when he loses control. In a way, you''re the first person to achieve immortality, Stephanie. That''s because your genome was already spread worldwide through the Genome Society''sboratories. "There are countless vectors with the same genome as yours in this world. You can be endlessly replicated and reincarnated under Steven''s maniption just like HeLa cells." The reason Steven was keeping Una around was really to be a blood bank and backup for me. No wonder Una was so jealous of me.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Mrs. Ford was mocking Steven, calling him an unhinged madman. That was because he was more unhinged than anyone else and had done too many crazy things in trying to resurrect "Stephanie Carlson". "Now that you three are with me, I won''t hurt you as long as Steven sessfully reincarnates Miguel''s soul." Her smile faded. "After all, I don''t want to offend a madman who can create gods." "If that''s the case, doesn''t it mean that the soul of every clone subject could be reincarnated?" I looked at Mrs. Ford questioningly. She smiled and shook her head. "That''s what I''m curious about too. How did he reincarnate you so precisely? But only Steven knows the answer to this secret because he''s the only one that holds the key to reincarnation and the creation of gods-" Chapter 617 ? "I want to meet Steven." I looked at Daisy. I wanted to tell Steven that he shouldn''t help her with her experiment by all means. Michael wasn''t a good man in a traditional sense. He had done many wrong things to Stephanie Carlson after all. But he hadn''t necessarily done anything wrong if we considered the fact that his mind was unstable. Besides, he wasn''t entirely a bad person at his core. Michael had been trying his best to be aplete personality. It would be just too cruel to wipe him off from this world and have someone else to upy his body. "I''ll never let you meet him before the experiment seeds." Daisy chuckled coldly. She was too smart to let me interfere with Steven''s choice and experiment. She had to make sure the experiment went on smoothly. "Do you think Miguel really loves you? Do you think a normal person would fall in love with a clone subject? You''re so pathetic!" I pounded on the ss, staring angrily at Daisy. I needed to do something to stop their experiment. What should I do? I didn''t know what to do. Perhaps my words truly hit a sore spot. Daisy red at me darkly and said in a low voice, "I suggest you know your ce, Stephanie. Or I won''t be merciful to you." I clenched my fists tightly. Worried that she might harm my two children, I could only hold myself back from provoking her for now. But judging from Daisy''s reaction and attitude, it seemed that Miguel might not really love her at all. How pathetic. Even clones couldn''t escape from being swayed by emotions. No wonder Una often said that love was a person''s Achilles'' heel. No wonder those fiction novels talked about abandoning one''s emotions in order to truly achieve sess. I pounded angrily on the ss door as I watched Daisy leave. With us in her hands, Steven would surely agree to help her with her experiment. Was there really no hope for Michael now? I slid down onto the ground listlessly, looking down with aplex feeling. In my memories, right until the end of my life, I had always hated myself and never truly hated Michael. There was no true hatred when true love never existed. I clearly knew that my love for Michael was merely dependency, gratitude, and an illusion. It was Steven whom I truly loved.N?velDrama.Org ? content. But even without loving Michael, I still felt a sense of regret. Michael was a smart person. He just didn''t know how to love-it didn''t warrant his death. "Don''t be afraid, Mom. Dad wille to our rescue." Ashton thought that I was afraid. He threw himself into my embrace tofort me. Xan also handed her Rubik''s cube to me in hopes of distracting me. But I wasn''t even worried about the dangers of being trapped here. A sense of helplessness washed over me. The three of us could only wait in ignorance for Steven toe and get us. After some time, the door to theb capsule opened up, and the ss slid aside. I shielded the children behind me as I stared warily at the entrance. Daisy''s assistant walked in. I remembered him his name was Joshua Young. "Pleasee with me," Joshua said indifferently, asking for us to follow him. I eyed him warily and frowned, following him. "Where are we going?" Joshua remained silent, as if he were an obedient robot. I remembered him as an obedient, puppet-like assistant. He only listened to Daisy''smands, not unlike a loyal dog. "At least tell us where we''re going!" I grabbed at Joshua''s arm angrily. He frowned, as if he had severe germaphobia. He stared disdainfully at my hand and indicated for me to let go. Once I let go of my grip, he took out a disinfectant spray to spray on the spot I had grabbed him. I was speechless. He truly was crazy! Chapter 618 ? Even Eason, with his germaphobia, wasn''t as annoying as Joshua. As expected, it wouldn''t look as bad without anyparison. I used to find Eason''s germaphobia irritating before meeting Joshua. But now, I found Eason much more tolerable. "The surgery has ended. Mrs. Ford asked for you," Joshua said reluctantly. I frowned, following behind him.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The surgery Joshua mentioned was probably the Reincarnation Project. Had their experiment ended? What about Michael, then? I clenched my fists nervously as I hurriedly caught up behind Joshua, eager to know the answer and result. As expected, my heart sank upon entering the experiment area. "Heartbeat has stopped." The medical equipment emitted a deafening buzz, indicating that the patient''s heart had ceased to beat. The person dered dead was Miguel. Daisy was evidently anxious. She was biting on her fingers as she paced around. She was still harboring a glimmer of hope for Miguel to wake up in the youthful body on the operating table on the other side. There were two operating tables in the entireboratory. Miguel and Michael were upying each table. Daisy was too anxious to pay any attention to us. She was waiting outside for Michael''s body to wake up. There were something simr to electrodes attached on both Miguel''s and Michael''s heads. I wasn''t sure what they were probably something Steven used for the soul reincarnation project. "You''re crazy! He''s the son you raised for over 20 years. Do you not have any feelings toward him at all?" I lost myposure as I questioned Daisy, Yet she coldly replied, "Would a farmer not put the livestocks they raised on the table simply because they''ve grown attached to them? I raised and created him all for this very day where he would give back to me, didn''t I?" I looked at Daisy with a frown. She truly was crazy. That was someone''s life we were talking about! Were clone subjects not considered lives in the eyes of these humans? Were humans allowed to trample and destroy them at will? Would humans in the future start mass-producing clone armies and send them to the battlefield? After all, no one would care or be heartbroken if they died. The ss door to the operating room opened up, and Steven walked out. His gaze averted when he looked at me. He was probably worried that I might me him. He softly called out my name, "Stephie, I''m sorry. I had no choice." I stood helplessly outside of theboratory. I felt conflicted at that very moment. Steven clearly had no choice in order to save me, Ashton, and Xan. But this experiment was just too cold and unhinged. Daisy anxiously rushed into the operating room to wait for Michael to wake up. She first walked over to Miguel and gently caressed his face. "You''ve done your best, Miguel." She then walked over to Michael and smiled. "Sleep well. I''ll be waiting for you." I knew that Daisy would not let us leave before Michael woke up. She wanted us to witness the grand moment together. "Did the experiment seed?" I asked Steven softly. He whispered, "I''m not sure. The sess rate of the experiment is extremely low." I asked, "How would she know that the person waking up is her husband and not Michael, then?" What I meant was, what if Michael was the one who woke up yet he had nned ahead and disguised himself as Miguel? "Daisy told Miguel a secret code that only both of them knew before he entered the operating room. So she''ll know whether the person who wakes up is Miguel just by asking for the secret code," Steven replied, his voice low. I took a deep breath. Judging by how unhinged Daisy was, we would probably be disposed of if the experiment failed. Chapter 619 ? "Hello, Dad." Ashton looked up at Steven. Steven held Ashton''s hand and gave it a yful shake, and Ashton blinked in return. They were seemingly engaged in a silent conversation.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. I looked from Steven to Ashton, sensing that two were definitely keeping something from me. But it wasn''t the right time to ask now. As such, I could only hold onto Xan while standing behind Steven. He had always subconsciously shielded me behind him. It was as if I felt a sense of security when he stood there. "Stephie, regardless whether Miguel would wake up or not, I''ll do my best to convince that crazy bitch to let all of you goter. Listen to me and don''t hesitate," Steven reminded me softly. Clearly, he wasn''t sure if the experiment would seed as well. There were many factors that would affect the sess rate of the experiment. "Why was mine sessful?" I asked. "Firstly, both parties involved for the reincarnation would have to be on the brink of death. Back then, when the serial killer took you away, he did not kill you immediately but kept you hanging on. That gave me enough time to track and pinpoint the location of your soul." Steven looked at me. His gaze was intense and unwavering when he said, "I knew that you were right by my side during that time." I looked at Steven in surprise. I had indeed stayed by his side after I died and turned into a soul. "I couldn''t touch nor see you, but I could feel you," he mumbled. I smiled, the corners of my eyes reddening slightly. He said that he felt my presence. "What about Simeon? He was dead at that point." I was curious. Simeon would have died instantly in the fire. "He had a deep obsession. His reincarnation wasn''t part of my experiment. I only used it as a demonstration for Genome Society. My only aplishment was with you." Steven looked at me before continuing, "He reincarnated on his own and came looking for me after that." I looked at Steven, astonished. I almost forgot that Simeon was also a genius. In fact, he was just as impressive as Steven. "One of the most important mediums for reincarnation is that the soul must have a strong will to live. The experiment wouldn''t seed without it." He looked at me and smiled bitterly. "Do you know how many times I''ve failed?" Back then, Steven had gone to the extreme using every means at his disposal, yet he couldn''t get Stephanie Carlson back. That was because Stephanie had no will to live in the first ce. He said, "I knew you were around, and I knew you could see Yasmin and Michael. That was why I hoped that you would hate them no matter the reason as long as it spurred your will to live." Yasmin''s uncooperativeness and lies, as well as Michael''s foolishness and indifference, continued to provoke Stephanie, leading her to develop hatred and anger. This, in turn, sparked her will to live. The reason why she could reincarnate was because she had a strong will to live in the first ce. Simeon had already possessed a strong will to live during the fire. That was why he could reincarnate into his own clone subject. I looked at Steven in shock as I processed everything. As expected, my reincarnation was entirely orchestrated by him. Without him, I wouldn''t have been able to observe everything from a soul''s perspective. I wouldn''t have experienced hatred, anger, and despair, which fueled my intense desire to live. And now, my reason and belief in staying alive had only gotten stronger after going through so much. I have a lover, children, friends, and family¡ªno matter how hard it was, I have to keep on living. The door to theboratory opened, and Daisy walked out. She had a pale look on her face. "Why hasn''t he woke up yet?" "The anesthesia hasn''t worn off yet. The host body has to be on the brink of death and physically weak in order to allow someone else to reincarnate. That''ll take time," Steven replied indifferently. Daisy looked visibly upset, yet she couldn''t refute it. Suddenly, the medical equipment by Michael''s side started going off. Chapter 620 ? The doctors inside began performing emergency procedures and ran out in a hurry. "He''s awake, Mrs. Ford!" Daisy''s expression changed. She was anxious to rush in, yet she halted her steps outside the operating room. She was probably afraid that the person who woke up wasn''t Miguel. "Steven." I subconsciously tightened my grip on Steven''s hand. I hoped that Michael would be the one who had woken up. But at the same time, I knew that Daisy would go mad if that were the case. "Don''t be afraid." Steven held my hand tight and pulled me into his embrace. I nodded while waiting for the oue. It was just like opening a blind box-nobody knew if the original body now had a different soul. Daisy eventually mustered the courage to walk in and stand by the bed. The person lying on the bed still looked weak. He opened his eyes a few times before closing them again, as if his eyelids were too heavy. Daisy stood by the bed with her breath held. Her overwhelming love was truly suffocating. She had raised a clone subject of her own husband right by her side, wholeheartedly wanting him to take over the clone''s body. I thought Michael was rather pitiful. His mother never loved him and only wanted his body and life. He had spent all his life being manipted and was unable to have his love reciprocated. "You" Daisy nervously started as soon as the doctor took away the oxygen mask. She didn''t know who was the one who had woken up. The man on the bed nced over at her somewhat helplessly. He then let out a soft sigh before closing his eyes. Daisy nervously straightened up. That gaze evidently belonged to Miguel. Did they actually seed? "Miguel-" she called out anxiously. "This body is still tired, Mrs. Ford. You should take it slow," the doctor softlyforted her. Daisy nodded before wiping her tears and straightening up once again. "You should get some rest¡ª" Just as she was about to leave, the man on the bed suddenly extended his arm and weakly linked his pinky with hers. It was as if they had a promise only both of them knew. Daisy stiffened, the corners of her eyes reddening rapidly. She turned back to look at the man, trembling slightly. "Shouldn''t... have done it," the man said hoarsely. He was telling her that they shouldn''t have done that. "It''s against nature" He slowly closed his eyes as tears slipped out from the corners of his eyes. He was probably mourning for Michael, who was gone for good. I stiffly stood behind Steven, unconsciously tightening my grip on his arm. Did Michael end up disappearing anyway? Michael had no will to live, and Miguel didn''t want to die. Was that why the experiment had seeded? Miguel propped up his youthful body and cast a weak nce at his "other" body beside him. His gaze was beyond conflicted.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "Do you still remember what I told you before you entered the operating room, Miguel?" Daisy was a wary person. Although she could confirm that the man was indeed Miguel just by his gaze, his expression, and the way he spoke, she still asked him cautiously. She had told Miguel a secret code before he lost consciousness. Only by answering it correctly could he prove to be the real Miguel. Steven and I were also paying closer attention as we alertly watched the man on the bed. Chapter 621 ? The man on the bed looked at Daisy. He replied helplessly, "You asked me if I''ve ever loved you or if I''ve always treated you as her substitute. You asked me to give you an answer once I woke up." Daisy''s reddening eyes were full of excitement. After getting a satisfying answer, she started anticipating the answer to her question. She wanted to know how Miguel would answer her. Miguel sighed as he looked at Daisy. "We''re husband and wife. I wouldn''t have needed to hold on for so long if I only treated you as her substitute. I''m just worried that you might end up on the wrong path. You shouldn''t be doing this-" He looked at his own pair of hands. "You''ve made a mistake, Daisy. You shouldn''t be doing such things... This is destroying humanity!" Daisy held onto Miguel''s hand and shook her head. "I''m selfish, but it''s worth doing it." I chuckled coldly and took a step back. As expected, he was now Miguel and not Michael. Of course, it would seem worthy for Daisy everything was in a youthful state now that Miguel was upying a youthful body. "He''s now in a youthful state, but just look at yourself, Daisy. No matter how well you maintain your over 50-years-old body, the both of you will still look like mother and son at most," I said, clenching my fists. I had thought of the many possible ways someone like Michael could die, yet I never imagined that he was only someone else''s vessel. I took a deep breath, feeling all of my hatred suddenly evaporating. I felt more pity than hatred toward him now. Michael was a pitiful person who couldn''t even be considered aplete person. He, too, had been manipted even from before his birth. That was why he was so paranoid and self-righteous. He never understood what love was, much less what to think about love. Daisy eyed me coldly, as if only remembering us then. "The experiment is a sess, Steven. You''ve created a miracle." She ignored mepletely and looked at Steven with a crazed gaze. It was as if she had struck a gold mine with him. "Can we leave now?" Steven asked in a low voice. "Of course, you can." Daisy smiled and gestured for her men to get on to it. Her men walked over to blindfold us and stuffed earplugs into our ears. She was very alert. She made sure we couldn''t find the location of theboratory despite letting us go.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. I took Ashton''s and Xan''s hands while Steven pulled me close on the shoulders. We then followed theboratory staff out. We got into a car soon after. The journey took around three hours before we reached home. But I was certain that they took the long way on purpose. The four of us got out of the car after our blindfolds and earplugs were removed. It felt tense. A living person like Michael was just reced like that. Yet people might think reincarnation was a joke or myth-something that was impossible to happen. "I''ve memorized the location of theboratory, Mom," Ashton whispered as he looked up. I looked at him in surprise. "How did you figure out where we were when they made us wear earplugs and blindfolds?" "It''s my sense of direction." Ashton pointed at the spot between his brows. "His pineal nd is more developed than ours," Steven exined on behalf of Ashton. "Some scientists have suggested that the pineal nd evolved from what was supposed to be the human''s ''third eye.'' It can sense external things and directions. "Ashton''s and Xan''s pineal nds are much more developed than a normal human''s. They can sense direction through the spot between their brows." Astonished, I gave Ashton a thumbs-up. Chapter 622 ? Ashton whispered, "They went around the city center three times. I caught the scent of roasted coffee beans thrice." He also had an exceptional sense of smell. He had keenly picked up the scent of roasted coffee beans from the car''s cirction system. Ashton realized that they were driving in circles by identifying these scents. He would be able to pinpoint their exact location as long as he was given a city map.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "They''re insane to actually ce theboratory inside the city center-" I whispered. But I had to admit that Daisy was indeed smart. No one would have guessed that Genome Society''sboratory was actually inside Huma''s city center. "Should we call the police and tell Zion and the others?" I looked at Steven. He shook his head. "Daisy is crucial to Genome Society. She also has the most ess to the higher-ups. I''m not confident about Dayton, so we shouldn''t alert them for now." Steven always made sure everything was perfectly nned. Dayton was a little lovestruck at that moment he waspletely focused on Xandra now. Steven was worried that he might mess things up, which was why he had to keep Daisy around as a backup n. "Daisy''s n is to use Una''s body to restore her youth. That''s also why she took you in back then and even allowed feelings to develop between Michael and you," Steven replied in a gruff voice. I looked at him in surprise. "But our gics are different-" Did Daisy have the same gics as well? "Daisy and Nancy are experimental subjects with the same gics. They''re the second-generation experimental subjects, and you''re the third-generation." Steven looked at me worriedly. "As expected." I nodded. Afterbining it with Xandra''s words, it all made sense now. No wonder Ashton said Daisy was one of us. No wonder Miguel said he had brought Daisy out from theboratory. "It seems like Miguel also invested in Genome Society," I said with a low voice. That Miguel wasn''t much of a good person either. "He was one of the earliest phnthropists. When Genome Society first entered the Huma market, they imed to be doing work that was beneficial to humanitybating cancer, gic diseases, and such. "That was why Miguel had been funding Genome Society. Butter on, he discovered their terrifying secret and probably spent a fortune buying out the experimental subjects'' lives." Just like how I was brought to theboratory by Genome Society, with a clear price tag for the wealthy to " sponsor" me. These wealthy people seemed to be able to do whatever they wanted. And Genome Society provided them a secret ce for such purposes. It truly was terrifying. Steven said, "All these years, Genome Society has been providing wealthy individuals worldwide clean organ sources, clone subjects, offspring, genome-edited descendants, and other services. "They would even provide many inhuman and terrifying things, like using abducted women and children as blood banks or cerebrospinal fluid extraction sources." Steven''s words sounded cold, yet Genome Society had done things far crueler than what he had just said. They had built a vastwork worldwide to amass wealth and conduct experiments that went against humanity and nature. They had already developed many undisclosable secrets in ces ordinary people would never imagine-things like clones, reincarnation, and immortality. Humans had always been crueler than expected. "Is Michael really dead just like that?" I asked softly. Steven remained silent, a conflicting look on his gaze. Chapter 623 ? Steven and I kept our hands tightly intertwined even until we got back home. We were too afraid of losing each other. The life we had now seemed like a precious gift. "It''s probably at this location, Dad." Ashton looked at the huge map of Huma in the basement and pointed at the center. "It should be this location, Dad. There''s a food market nearby, right?" He looked up at Steven. Steven nodded. "This is Huma University, the most densely popted area in Huma. There''s a food market nearby Huma University on that street." I looked at him in surprise. "Theirboratory is located inside the university?" Steven whispered, "Huma University has their ownboratory. The Fords invested in the construction of a huge basementboratory for the Huma University School of Medicine many years ago." As expected, it was within the university grounds. There was a huge secret lying beneath the university, and the campus provided an excellent cover for it.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. "What a madman-"I chuckled helplessly. What a bunch of madmen. Many university students walked the path daily, yet they never knew that there was a hiddenboratory beneath their campus. There, lives were used as experimental subjects for cruel experiments. Steven''s phone rang. It was a call from Eason. "I need your help, Steven." His voice sounded anxious. "What happened?" Steven asked. I looked at him, alerted. It was hard for Eason with that personality of his to get even help from Steven- his pride would take a hit. Eason said, "We''ve received an overwhelming amount of missing person reports in the past two days. It was as if they were all premeditated. Their families came rushing over with cold cases some as far back as 40 years. "The most recent ones happened half a month ago before Genome Society was exposed." Troubled, he continued, "We have no leads right now, so we need your help." Steven eyed me. The serial murder cases, the killing games in the ruined building, the incident on the Death Cruise, as well as those horrifying muttion cases that exposed Genome Society''s human trafficking incidents back then ... Now, families of missing people were flocking to the police station to report their cases. "These families came from all over the country, mostly from remote viges and ces with limited information. But somehow, they all came to Huma to report their cases. They refuse to tell us why even when asked." Eason was frustrated. It seemed like another of the Rebels'' counter-attacks against Genome Society. Steven replied, "Alright. Pleasee pick us up." He looked at me. For once, he wasn''t facing it alone he told Eason to pick us up. I held onto Steven''s hand tightly, unsure of what other shocking and terrifying event we were about to face. "Should we drop the kids at Xandra''s while we head out?" I asked softly. For some reason, I subconsciously rather trusted Xandra, whom we had known only for a while. Besides, Rachel was currently still on holiday. Steven shook his head. "Just bring them along. Their noses are more sensitive than police dogs. They might be of help." He ruffled Ashton''s hair after that. Ashton hugged my arm and nuzzled against me. "I''ll protect all of you, Mom!" I smiled wryly. This kid who had barely grown up was such an actor. I sighed and nodded. "Alright." Chapter 624 ? Eason had Dennis Colby, his assistant, to pick us up. They were extremely busy sorting through nearly a hundred missing person cases in the Huma Police Department. "This is a missing person case from 40 years ago. The missing person''s name is an 18-year-old woman named Sarah Leigh. She was known as the most beautiful woman in the vige, with a slender and well- proportionate figure. "It was said that she longed for the big city and came alone to Huma. She had been frequently sending letters and money back home during the early years. Her family was the first to build a new house in their hometown back in the mountains and was the envy of many. "Sarah Leigh has been missing for the longest time among the recently reported cases. Photography wasn''t advanced back then, and this ck-and-white photo is the only image we have of her. She had sent it to her grandfather back then." Eason erged the restored photo on the screen. "Damn, she''s stunning. She''d be considered a real beauty even by today''s standards," Phil eximed. The woman in the old photo looked beautiful smiling. Despite her braided hair and a in id top, her beauty still shined through. "Don''t you guys think... the two of them look alike?" Phil questioned suddenly. He had turned to look at me and was pointing at me before pointing back at Sarah''s photo in surprise. Eason paused for a moment. Zion also turned back to look. I felt shy having all the police officers staringN?velDrama.Org is the owner. at me. I studied the photo carefully. For some reason, I did find our appearances quite simr. "This was someone who went missing earlier this year. He was also 18 years old during his time of disappearance. He was over six feet tall-handsome, popr, and widely known as the campus heartthrob." Eason continued to disy the most recent missing person case from the list. "There are both men and women among the missing people. There are so many cases, which might not all be connected. But if they were all separate cases, we might be exhausted having to deal with nearly a hundred cases," Phil muttered. "You can investigate them together," Steven suggested as he walked over to carefully examine each missing person case. "The Rebels have already screened them for us. Since the families chose to report their disappearance all at once at this moment, there''s likely to be a connection between them." "Indeed, this issue has already caught significant public attention. The media has started interviewing the victims'' families, and it''s causing quite a stir." Zion massaged his temples. It would be hard to contain soon. The police would have a tough time wrapping things up if the cases weren''t solved. The Rebels were using another way to pressure the police in order to mess with Genome Society. "These fuckers!" Phil cursed. My gaze remained trained on the photo of that woman named Sarah Leigh. "Does this Sarah Leigh still have any family members? Who was the one who made the report?" I asked. "It''s her biological brother. He''s in his 60s and traveled by train for several days and nights to Huma. He''s an honest person and doesn''t seem like a bad guy," Zion replied, sharing his analysis. "Don''t judge a person''s character based on their appearance," Eason retorted. Zion kept quiet. I looked at the photo. "Can I meet Sarah Leigh''s family?" Zion nodded. "Alright, I''ll make arrangements for it." "Mom, this granny..." Ashton stared at Sarah''s photo for a good moment before continuing, "She''s a natural." Phil was amused. "Of course, she''s a natural. There was no stic surgery back in those days, so she''s definitely a natural beauty!" I hesitated for a moment. They might not understand what Ashton meant, but I did. He wanted to say that Sarah Leigh wasn''t a clone subject¡ªshe was the original. Chapter 625 ? After analyzing the missing person cases, we discovered that all of them involved individuals aged between 18 to 25, with attractive appearances and well-proportioned figures. These people were naturally good-looking and were all in the prime of their youths. "There have been people disappearing up until early this year. It would be truly inhumane if all of those cases were connected and rted to Genome Society. What a horrific crime this is," Zion said as he lit up a cigarette. Steven stepped up to look at all the missing person cases on the screen. He also casually extinguished the cigarette in Zion''s hand.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Zion was troubled by the cases, while Steven''s action was done on my behalf I hated the smell of smoke. Stunned, Zion ground his teeth in frustration. Such an unspoken public disy of affection seemed to be at his expense. Steven was getting toozy to memorize things himself. He reached over to ruffle Ashton''s hair. "Here, have a closer look and remember them all." Ashton was tomit every single missing person case to his memory. He then looked at Xan and said, " You can remember them instead." Xan had autistic tendencies, and no one could break into her world. She wouldn''t be easily distracted as long as she was focused on doing something. And she had an exceptional memory. "She''s just like a humanputer!" Phil eximed in surprise. Xan looked up and carefully studied every single person in the photos with intense focus. "I managed to contact Sarah Leigh''s family. He''s renting a ce in Tranquil Garden, iming that he wants to look for his sister in Huma," Zion said after returning from taking a call. I nodded in reply. "The families of all these missing persons are all renting a ce near Tranquil Garden. With close to a hundred peopleing at once, it seems like a coordinated, disciplined, and purposeful action," Eason offered his analysis. It just so happened that all of them currently had a case on hand. "Take Sarah Leigh''s brother, for example. His sister has been missing for over 40 years, yet he''s just nning to look for her now. What is he thinking?" Philined. "We can only be certain until after we meet him." I nced at Zion before looking at the time. "Can we go over now?" Zion nodded. "You can continue analyzing the case with the others, Eason. I''ll bring Stephany and the others out." Eason looked at Zion begrudgingly. "I''m your superior. Are you trying to teach me how to do my job?" "Oh, well..." Zion smiled. He then ignored Eason and led us away. Xan stood in front of the screen. Her gazended on the young man who recently disappeared. "Being good -looking and having a gentle personality are among the criteria of selecting experimental subjects." She rarely spoke, but her sudden words brought a chill down everyone''s spine. Did that mean that Genome Society was also conducting other experiments besides cloning and gic experiments? "These people would be valuable and useful." Xan turned around and looked at me. "Do you know aboutb dogs and white mice, Mom?" I nodded nervously. "Some animals are gentle in nature and have internal organs and systems that are simr to humans. That''s why many pharmaceuticalpanies use dogs, monkeys, apes, white mice, and other animals for drug testing, studying drug resistance, and other experiments." Although cruel, these animals had made significant contributions to the advancement of human medicine. "They only use animals for experiments under legal and ethical constraints. But animals... aren''t the best experimental subjects," Xan mumbled. It was true that animals weren''t the best experimental subjects. Many medications and medical experiments could not be replicated on animal bodies. Only by using human bodies could the experiments'' values be shown. Eason said, "Back in the warring period, the Rhordian invaders used our people for monstrous and inhumane human experiments. Rhorda''s medical technology advanced at least a century by conducting vivisections. "Their medical advancements were built on the flesh and blood of our people. That''s why their frostbite ointment is so effective." His voice trembled as he spoke from his seat. Such hatred was engraved in our genes and should never be forgotten. Now, Genome Society seemed to be also conducting simr inhumane activities that crossed the moral and legal boundaries. Chapter 626 ? "Don''t they have clone subjects? Why would they still need so many living people?" That was something Zion couldn''t understand. "Have you ever considered how high the cost is to keep clone subjects alive?" I chuckled bitterly. Every single clone subject that survived as a fully healthy individual was the result of fortunes spent on them. That was why they would use clone subjects for more valuable research instead like organ transnt and live blood banks. These scattered disappearances clearly served other purposes. "These are just a part of the missing people who suddenly came to light." Steven looked at the people on the screen. "These people stood out in terms of their perfect appearances or personalities." They should still have other values for experiments. "Besides, there were countless tramps, beggars, homeless children, and mentally ill people who disappeared all around the world," Steven stated the facts. Everyone fell silent. Zion left first. They were police officers who wanted to eliminate all evil, yet their capabilities were limited. Their desire to seek justice and uphold thew was strong, yet reality sent chills down their spines. There was too much injustice and evil in this world-some ces were bound to remain in shadow. They could only stay true to themselves and act with integrity in doing their best to uncover the truth behind all the missing people cases. "Do you think it''s possible they''re still alive? Could they be waiting for us to rescue them from the dark and despairingb cages?" Zion asked softly, seemingly helpless. He wanted to light a cigarette to drown his sorrows. I held Steven back, allowing Zion to light it. He needed an outlet. "They might still be alive," Steven said softly. Perhaps his words were tofort us, or perhaps... there was still a possibility of them being alive.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. He continued, "We''ll need to know what Genome Society''s purpose of capturing them was in order to know if they''re still alive or not. What kind of experiments would require these people with perfect appearances, figures, and genes?" Zion nodded. "You''re right. Some of them might have been waiting for us for 40 years. We have to hurry." We had to hurry in solving the cases and finding them. I nodded before following Zion into his car. Everyone was quiet on the way to see Sarah Leigh''s brother. The mood felt heavy. Ashton and Xan remained silent as well. Xan continued to y with her Rubik''s cube while Ashton looked out the window. I didn''t know what their young minds were thinking about. But it was clear that whatever they had in their thoughts wasn''t anything children of their ages should be thinking about. They were born experimental subjects who yearned for parental love from birth. They could only rely on killing, scheming, and continuously achieving sess in order to protect themselves. Ever since they had memories, they had to work hard continuously just to survive. Out of the many experimental subjects, only Ashton and Xan survived. The strengths of the two of them were something beyond our imagination. I could only hope that those two would stay true to their original intention. I prayed for God to be merciful and forgive them, and for them to stay safe and happy. Chapter 627 ? Steven and I were taken aback when Zion brought us to the rented houses near Tranquil Garden. This was Huma, where every inch ofnd was valuable. I never imagined that there would be a slumlike alley so close to the affluent district. The alley was extremely narrow-it would be cramped even for two people to walk side by side. It was just a small walkway between the new buildings and the old ones in the neighborhood. This alley seemed to separate the poor and the wealthy in Huma. Standing at the end of the alley, I nced at the towering high-rises on the right and then at the dpidated buildings yet to be demolished on the left. Even though the wealthy and the poor were so physically near, yet they were miles apart. "The rent here is cheap over a thousand dors per month. But that''s the average wage in other cities. Nothing is left after paying rent," Zion mumbled before sighing. "That was why such a huge conflict arose because of the disparity between the wealthy and the poor. The poor have never seen the joy of the wealthy, and the wealthy despise the effort andbor of the poor," he said. "We''ve lodgedints countless times. This is Tranquil Garden-a high-end neighborhood in Huma. Do you think it''s eptable for the nearby dpidated buildings to be upied by migrant workers?" Many of the wealthy protested, "It smells awful having to pass by here daily. Do you know how much they''re affecting our property value?" I watched while those wealthy pointed fingers and scolded others. They might not be the wealthiest in the area, yetpared to the true elites from the upper ss, these middle-ss people seemed to look down on the poor the most. "Move out immediately!" A stern middle-aged woman had other people kicking the migrant workers out. An old suitcase was thrown out, ending up damaged with its zipper torn. Clothes spilled out onto the ground, as well as a few stic-wrapped cornbread and sandwiches. The dark-skinned man who was kicked out appeared to be elderly, likely in his 60s. He was packing his belongings in a rush, seemingly anxious. Although he wasn''t dressed in the best clothes, he was still clean. His stubble was turning gray, and his hair was streaked with white. "Move out from here, all of you! You migrant workers are just like beggars!" That woman was still cursing with a hand over her nose disdainfully. She was about to step on the man''s cornbread. I moved forward to grab her by the cor and dragged her aside. Frowning, I asked, "Are you nning to stay in jail for a few days for assaulting others?" "I''m from the police department," Zion said as he shed his badge. "So what if you''re a police officer? We''ve already bought over this ce for demolition. It''s only fair to get them to leave!" the middle-aged woman said haughtily. "We''ve paid a month''s worth of rental," the man said earnestly before choking up. "Don''t you understand me? Yourndlord sold their house, and now, it belongs to me!" she continued to shout. "Rental agreements are not voided by sales," Steven said. Startled, the middle-aged woman frowned. "I''m the homeowner. What I say goes!" "Let''s call the police, then." Steven looked at Zion. "I''ll cover the legal fee. Just sue her. She won''t be able to win." The middle-aged woman''s expression darkened. Upon seeing Steven''s confident demeanor, she gritted her teeth and spat out the words, "Such a busybody." "Would wealthy people like you be able to survive without having the underss in the society?" I chuckled coldly. "Who would build houses for you without the poor, the farmers, and the migrant workers?" The wealthy wouldn''t be able to survive without the disparity between them and the poor. The wealthy would use every means to maintain the disparity between them and the poor. That was because they needed the poor to work for them, yet they would look down on them condescendingly at the same time. Such was themon reality of the current society-one would rely on another to sustain their living yet at the same time despise them for being poor and underss. The middle-aged woman stomped away angrily when she couldn''t win over our arguments.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Chapter 628 ? "Let us help you, Mr. Leigh." Zion bent down to help the man collect his belongings.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Floyd Leigh hurriedly waved a hand and got up, thanking them fervently. "Thank you! Thank you!" I looked at the earnest -looking man before us. Was this Mr. Leigh Sarah Leigh''s brother? "Are you Sarah Leigh''s brother?" I looked at him and asked. Floyd hurriedly nodded. "And you are...?" Indeed, he looked earnest and honest, unlike a bad person. Floyd looked at me for the longest time before sheepishly saying, "You look somewhat simr to my sister "Sarah has been missing for many years. Why are you only making a report now?" I interrupted him and asked. Floyd waved a hand. "Everyone in the vige thought she had gone and married a wealthy person after going into the city. Even I thought she had gone overseas and wouldn''te back anymore." Even he had thought that Sarah had gone overseas and refused to acknowledge him as her family anymore. Floyd said, "She used to send letters and even money back home in the early years. Later on, she also transferred money back, but we gradually lost contact. "I tried looking for her on my own and with the help of others, but the news that came back was that Sarah had married a wealthy man and went overseas with no intention ofing back." He looked embarrassed. His hands were marred by cracks of hardbor, a clear sign of a lifetime of manualbor. "I didn''t want to be a burden to her. We came from the countryside and were uneducated. If she was capable of marrying a wealthy man, then we shouldn''t hold her back," Floyd said somewhat bitterly with his hands clutching the hem of his shirt. He didn''t seem like he was lying. "Someone told you that Sarah married a wealthy man. Do you know who she married?" I asked again. Floyd shook his head. "Sarah sent a photo of her and a man back a few years ago. I''m not sure if she married this man." He pulled out an old, wrinkly, and slightly yellowing photo from his pocket. I reached for the photo and frowned when I looked at the young man in the photo. "Look at this man. Is this Miguel?" Steven nced over and shook his head. "He''s not." Ashton shook his head as well. "This man looks simr to Dad," he said, looking at Steven. Was this Andy? Sarah had been missing for 40 years. She was 18 years old 40 years ago. She would be 58 years old if she was still alive now. Andy was Steven''s father. He would also be around 58 years old if he was still alive now. Steven studied the photo carefully. "This should be Andy." Things had taken an interesting turn now. Sarah, who was from a small vige in the mountains, met Andy when she was 18 years old. They took a photo after getting together. The fact that she had sent the photo back home meant that she was serious about him. However, she also went missing when she was 18 years old. That meant she went missing shortly after getting together with him. Whereas Andy seemed to treat her as just a passenger in his life. Not only did he get married and have a child after that, but he even obtained a genome-edited child-Steven-through Genome Society. Chapter 629 ? "Andy Lincoln?" Zion looked at the photo, surprised. Had Sarah really gotten together with Andy before? "Do you still have any clues you haven''t told the police, Mr. Leigh?" he asked. Floyd gave it some thought before taking out a stack of letters and some remittance slips from his battered suitcase. "These are the letters Sarah sent to me back then. She would send me money every month, and she would transfer money once she got a card." He took out the letters wrapped in a stic bag. It was clear that he had put in effort to keep her belongings. I reached for the letters and envelopes. They were indeed rather old, with some of the envelopes yellowing. But it wasn''t hard to tell from Sarah''s letters that she had a close rtionship with Floyd. She likely knew that he was illiterate, so her letters included simple greetings, expressions of longing, and also little drawings depicting her current life. At first, she only drew herself, but another figure appeared over time-Andy. Sarah mentioned in her letters that she met a good person and decided to spend her life with him. However, the Lincolns had opposed it after knowing of her poor family background. She seemed to have cried while writing another letter as it was wrinkly. In the letter, she asked: "Is it really important to marry within your social ss, Floyd?" I looked at Steven. "Sarah was just 18 back then, and Andy should be of simr age as well. They were both barely legal, yet they were already considering marriage?" "People were more conservative back then. They would think of marriage once they got together," Zion exined. I nodded. It was likely for two young people in their prime to have gotten together intimately, in that sense. Sarah wouldn''t have considered marriage so early otherwise. She probably thought that she already belonged to Andy, so it was only a matter of time before she married him. "We found our only clue Andy," I whispered. That meant we''d have to make a trip back to the Lincoln residence. We needed to look through Andy''s belongings to see if we could discover anything rted to Sarah. "Do you have any other clues still, Mr. Leigh?" Zion asked again. Floyd shook his head. "How did all of you decide toe to Huma together to report on their disappearances all of a sudden?" I looked at him. That had indeed happened too suddenly. "Someone sent me a letter a while back." Floyd hurriedly rummaged through his belongings for the letter. "They said that Sarah had been missing for years, and it wasn''t because she had gone overseas. They imed that she went missing in Huma and asked me toe over." Zion nodded. "Most of the other victims also received letters. Some had received inte calls." I nodded before turning to him. "I''ve nothing else to ask for now. Let''s head back." Our next destination would be the Lincoln residence.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Somehow, I felt that things weren''t as simple as they seemed. Sarah''s disappearance was definitely not an ident. "Genome Society has long since infiltrated Huma. They first disguised themselves as a charitable medical institution within the country and gradually started to conduct shady experiments. The Lincolns were indeed the main contributor to Genome Society under Andy''s management in the early years." Back then, Genome Society highly valued Andy because he invested a significant sum of money. Their growth wasrgely due to his support. However, Andy discovered the truth behind Genome Societyter on. He then started resisting them. "Andy is the key to solving Sarah''s disappearance." Zion nodded. "But he might not have left behind any valuable information, seeing that he died too early." He sighed. Chapter 630 ? I remained silent throughout the entire journey to the Lincoln residence. Somehow, I felt that something was amiss, yet I couldn''t figure it out. If Andy truly loved Sarah, wouldn''t he be anxious to look for his own lover when she went missing? "Andy went to study overseas when he was 19. Once he graduated and returned, he slowly took over Lincoln Group. That was when Ignatius gradually ceded power," Steven said solemnly. That meant Andy had gone overseas shortly after Sarah went missing. That shouldn''t be a coincidence as well. "Could it be that Mr. Lincoln Senior had some connection to Genome Society? He was worried that a poor woman like Sarah might hinder Andy, so he had her captured and sent to Genome Society?" Zion spected. It seemed like it could only be a spection at this point. "Ignatius probably has little to do with Genome Society. He''s an extremely conservative person who wouldn''t actively participate in charity. The funding support to Genome Society started from Andy. "Besides, if Ignatius were an important member of Genome Society, he wouldn''t have allowed Martin to bribe Genome Society in secret to edit genomes in babies, leaving a risk like Jimmy." As Mr. Lincoln Senior was inherently suspicious, he wouldn''t have allowed any family members from the branches to surpass him when he was still alive. I nodded. Indeed, if Mr. Lincoln Senior was someone from Genome Society, he wouldn''t have died so easily. We got out of the car upon reaching the Lincoln residence. The old house was looking dested. Despite the staff and butler''s constant cleaning, the unupied house still seemed forlorn. Steven brought us to the top-floor attic storage room. Many of Andy''s belongings were left there. We found Sarah''s ck-and-white photo in one of his earlier diaries. She was smiling brightly in that photo. It was likely Andy had brought her to get the photo taken. That photo had unexpectedly be the only evidence of her existence in this world. "Is Sarah mentioned in the diary?" I asked Steven. He shook his head. "You can see it for yourself." The handwriting was blurry due to moisture, making many words unreadable. I flipped through the pages there was nothing rted to Sarah at all. However, it was strange that her photo was in the diary.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "Since we could find Sarah''s photo in Andy''s belongings, then it should be solid proof that they were together," I whispered, checking the date of the diary. "Wait a minute, this diary was after Sarah''s disappearance. What about the ones before?" Did Andy keep a diary before her disappearance? We searched through the room for a good while, yet we couldn''t find other diaries. We only found a string of strange numbers on the back of the battered diary. "7628977. And what are these dates for?" "What do these numbers mean?" I wasn''t sure if they were just Andy''s random scribbles. Steven studied the string of numbers. "This is... the donation ount of Genome Society." The string of numbers was the donation ount of Genome Society. That meant that Andy had been regrly transferring money to them. Chapter 631 ? "Don''t tell me this is another beautiful yet tragic love story?" Zion scratched his head. I said, "A wealthy scion and Cindere fell in love, yet they were broken up by his family. Cindere went missing, and the wealthy scion went to study abroad. When he came back, he couldn''t find her, and upon investigation, he realized that she had been abducted by human traffickers into Genome Society. "In order to protect his loved one, the wealthy scion started topete with his brother for the control of their family business. He then used his identity as the CEO of the Lincoln Group to donate money and resources to Genome Society, all just to ensure his loved one''s well-being. "Over time, he uncovered the truth behind Genome Society and learned that she had been killed. Despaired, he withdrew his sponsorship and joined the Rebels in nning for the fall of Genome Society as a form of revenge," I spected, looking at Steven.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. To anyone, it would have looked just like a love story. Just like how it was with Daisy and Miguel¡ªa clone subject and a sickly CEO. "If Daisy is a first-generation experimental subject, then Nancy and Daisy-as second-generation experimental subjects-should be at least 18 years apart in age. But Daisy seems to be aging a lot." In my mind, Daisy was Nancy''s best friend and Michael''s "mother". I naturally assumed that she was around the same age as Nancy and Miguel-or that their age gap wouldn''t be too big. I never expected Daisy to actually be younger. However, she looked much older than Nancy. Was it because she wasn''t maintaining herself well? Clearly, that wasn''t the case. "Daisy is probably a first-generation clone subject. The technology wasn''t as refined and advanced back then, so the clone subject''s physical age should be the same as the age of the experimental subject," Steven exined. It was just like how Dolly the Sheep''s bodily function was rapidly aging because her clone was based on an adult sheep. "That''s probably the reason why Genome Society prefers to use young people as experimental subjects," Steven said, looking at Zion. "But I don''t think Andy is a lovestruck fool." He couldn''t help but feel some animosity whenever he mentioned Andy. He refused to admit that he was his father-perhaps even finding it hard to ept the fact too. Steven continued, "The fact that Andy agreed to have Genome Society send him a genome-edited baby meant he implicitly approved this technology. "Besides, his investment wasn''t entirely phnthropic he has equity stakes in the genome-editingboratory. He would have a share of whatever Genome Society earned from this technology in the future, " he said indifferently. It meant that Andy was in cahoots with Genome Society and had mutual interests before he betrayed and left them. "There''s a possibility for anything to happen to anyone. Perhaps your father really had his own reasons. Just like what you''ve said, he had to fight fire with fire to obtain Genome Society''s trust." I really couldn''t think of why Andy would do that otherwise. What exactly was his rtionship with Sarah? "Don''t use a romantic mindset to figure out a businessman." Steven tapped my head. I remained silent. Indeed, my theory might be too one-sided. Steven said, "It''s said that Andy chose to marry his wife and had a child for his family interest. But if you think about it, the Lincoln Group was already at the pinnacle of the Huma business world. "No crisis happened after Andy took over. Instead, it grew stronger with the help of Genome Society''swork. There was no reason for him topromise with Ignatius if he really loved Sarah." Other than his feelings toward Stephie, Steven did not believe in the existence of faithful love in this world. I parted my lips, unable to refute. If Andy really loved Sarah, there should be no reason for him to get married and have children. He even epted a genome-edited babyter on. Chapter 632 ? "Before I turned eight, everyone in the Lincoln family, including Andy, thought I was a defect. That was because I hadn''t developed cognitive abilities yet back then. I was like an autistic child with extremely low IQ test scores, as if I was immersed in my own world," Steven said hoarsely. That was his painful past and also the reason he was discarded by the Lincolns as if he were trash.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Andy always had a reputation for being kind-hearted in the Huma business circle, and he was constantly engaging in charitable work. Yet, he discarded his blood-rted son..." Zion frowned. He continued, "Even if this was a genome-edited child from Genome Society, that was still his child. It''s not like the Lincolns couldn''t spare money to raise a child." Zion felt angry too, yet the reality was such. Andy wasn''t incapable of resisting Ignatius, yet he chose to impliedly approve of Ignatius'' actions. Thinking that Steven was a defect, Ignatius cast him into an orphanage and left him to fend for himself. Back then, genome-editing technology was indeed unrefined. Steven was considered one of the experimental subjects. I reached for his hand, now knowing why he refused to forgive Andy until now. To him, the Lincolns were also people he could do without. To Steven, everything was unimportant except for Stephie. "We would have to investigate Andy to discover the truth, but he''s been dead for many years, and the evidence he left was minimal. We could only change our approach and look into the remaining missing persons." I sighed. It seemed like we would need more time to solve the case now. We found the second missing person following the order of disappearance. Her family was still crying. We found out after asking that they only just found out that their daughter was dead. She was a beautiful prospective college student named Yvette Craig. She went missing while nning to study overseas after her college entrance exam. Her family had always thought that she was studying overseas. "How could her disappearance be kept so tightly under wraps?" I asked curiously. Even if she was studying overseas, it had been over 20 years. Was no one suspicious of anything? Yvette''s mother said, "My daughter was somewhat rebellious. I divorced her father, and she lived alone after that. She said that she no longer wanted to keep in touch with any of us after she studied abroad. "At first, I thought she was harboring grudges against us. I tried contacting her, but I could never reach her. I''ve always kept in touch with one of her friends. Her friend said that she was doing fine, but she refused to see or have anything to do with us." The white-haired elderly woman was crying as she spoke. The misfortune of her family had caused no one to be aware of Yvette''s disappearance. "Some time ago, we received a letter telling us that Yvette had gone missing over 20 years ago. I immediately tried contacting her friend whom I used to keep in touch with, but I could no longer reach him," thedy said, agitated. I looked at Zion. "Are we able to look into the friend who has been in contact with the family?" He nodded. "We''re looking into it now, but we''ll need some time since it''s an international number." Chapter 633 ? Eason spent the whole afternoon identifying the owner of the international number. He said, "The second missing woman is Yvette Craig from a small vige near Yellowbrick River in Snce. She was the only top student who managed to get into Huma University. She was beautiful with a well-proportioned figure and long limbs. "The vigers had a good impression of her when we went around for interviews, yet they all said that she had a tough life." Yvette''s parents divorced when she was very young. She grew up with her grandmother as neither of her parents wanted to take her in. Her grandmother passed away the year she passed her college entrance exam. After that, she stopped keeping in touch with her family. That was why Yvette''s parents had always thought she refused to contact them deliberately out of her hatred for them. Eason continued, "Yvetteter went overseas for an exchange program under her college''s arrangement. We''ve checked her overseas study records-she went missing after graduating overseas and returning to the country. We only found her entry record into the country," That meant that Yvette went missing in Huma and not overseas. "The owner of the phone number is Tristan Lambert, the second son of the CEO of Horizon Group. He met Yvette during their exchange program overseas and is likely her boyfriend." Eason posted the objectives on the wall. He said, "The third missing person is a man named Harry Zane, who went missing 18 years ago. He was tall and handsome, and he also came from a vige in Snce. His striking looksnded him a job as a waiter in Huma Princeton Club at the age of 18. "He then met Helen Hayes, a wealthy woman 20 years older than him. ording to our investigation, Harry was using the alias Yoel Zane and had an illicit financial rtionship with Helen. He was with her for two years before he went missing." Eason continued, "The fourth missing case up until the 20th all happened 18 years ago. The number of missing persons has been rapidly rising recently, and it went down with the police''s implementation of the Netwatch Program nationwide. "Yet about a dozen people still go missing every year." Steven and I looked up to study the missing persons in the conference room. "They all have one thing inmon. Before these people went missing, they all came into contact with... these so-called wealthy individuals." Thismon factor seemed unsettling upon closer inspection. "These so-called wealthy individuals were mostly on the cruise," Steven mumbled. I drew a sharp breath. It seemed to havee full circle.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Many of these wealthy individuals died on the cruise. That meant our trails were cut off following their deaths. "No wonder Genome Society blew up the entire cruise. They didn''t want their members to survive. "Don''t you think this looks like some sort of sacrificial ritual?" Steven got up and walked over to the wall full of clues. "In order to control the wealthy and its members, Genome Society requested them to offer a sacrifice. Only by having dirt on these wealthy individuals could they ensure control over them." Steven''s words sent chills running through our backs. His words made sense. "Almost a dozen missing persons have some connections to this wealthydy named Helen Hayes," Zion said. "It''s unfortunate that she died on the cruise." Her death on the cruise meant the end of our trail. I massaged my temple. One life would have been enough as a sacrifice. There was no need to sacrifice over a dozen lives-they were all precious human lives! "Helen''s friends all knew she preferred young men. The men she supported ranged from 18 to 25 years old, and she never went for the older ones. The joy of the wealthy is truly unimaginable," Eason said gruffly. "They shouldn''t be just mere sacrifices. Surely, some other transactions were involved." I looked at Steven. "So, did Sarah be Andy''s sacrifice as well?" I asked again. Andy didn''t seem like that sort of person at all. Even if he no longer loved Sarah, he wouldn''t have offered her up to Genome Society, would he? "Tristan Lambert, the person linked to the second missing person, Yvette Craig, is still alive. He was originally a guest of the cruise as well, but he couldn''t make it as he injured his leg during a car ident a week before." Eason looked at me. Chapter 634 ? We might have to start looking for clues from Tristan now. Zion said, "Tristan Lambert is currently 38 years old. He''s married, but he and his wife have been living apart for many years, each living their own lives. He''s quite the yboy and has yet to take over their family business, which is currently under the management of his older brother. "Tristan is just your typical second-generation wealthy troublemaker who lives extravagantly on thepany''s fund and his family''s support," he reiterated the facts on Tristan. "We''ll change our strategy this time to avoid rming him. He might not tell the truth if we were to take him in for questioning or show up at his ce directly," I whispered. "So, we-" Eason looked at me. "He''ll surely feel guilty if he''s responsible for Yvette''s death. We''lly out a suitable trap for him since he''s known for his lechery." I studied Yvette''s photo. "We could use makeup to imitate Yvette to lure him out and intimidate him." Eason nodded. "Alright." Tristan was intoxicated in one of the private rooms in Moonlight Bar. He had a beautiful woman in his arms as he smoked and danced in front of the screen. "Drink up, Mr. Lambert." The woman poured him more alcohol, unaware of the undissolved white powder in his drink. Feeling the effects of alcohol, Tristan slumped over the couch whileughing. The door opened, and I walked in, holding a bottle of alcohol. I was dressed in a vintage id dress and wore simr makeup to Yvette. Stunned, Tristan squinted before rubbing his eyes hard. The drug was clearly taking effect on him. I smiled at him, "Drink up, Tristan." Tristan sat upright instantly. His gaze was focused on me. I poured him some alcohol before turning to leave. He scrambled up and came after me. "Yvette?" he called out her name. I swiftly walked into an empty private room. Tristan shook his head before following me in. "Yvette?" I pushed him against the wall as soon as he entered the private room. "You''ve ruined my life, Tristan-"My voice was tinged with anguish and intimidation. Tristan was already trembling. "How... How did you manage to escape, Yvette?" I snorted coldly. "You left me in that awful ce, Tristan. I''m here to kill you!"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Tristan was shaking in fear. "Let''s talk it out, Yvette! It wasn''t me-it was my brother! Go to him if you want revenge!" Chapter 635 ? Steven and Zion walked out from the private room''s washroom. Tristan tried to run, but Steven grabbed his head and mmed it against the wall. "Does Quinton Lambert have something to do with Yvette''s disappearance?" Tristan panicked and tried to run again, yet he couldn''t break free. "I don''t know! I don''t know anything!" "Are you not nning to tell us?" Steven grabbed his hair and mmed him against the wall again. His gaze was cold like a merciless killer. Zion wanted to intervene, but I stopped him. Steven dragged Tristan over to the table and pressed him down. He then pulled out a syringe from his pocket and coldly said, "This is potassium chloride. You should know that you''ll die for sure once this poison enters your bloodstream." The syringe''s needle had pierced through Tristan''s skin. His face paled as he looked at Steven, terrified. The veins on his neck bulged in fear and anger. "Who the fuck are you guys? Yvette has no family to care for her. You-" The needle pierced Tristan''s vein before he could finish his sentence. He was genuinely panicking at this point. We could tell from his words that their targets for the "sacrifice" were mostly from troubled or broken families, or individuals from extremely rural viges. Even those missing men who had connections with Helen were mostly orphans. Some of them even came from divorced families where no one cared for them. Tristan said, "Quinton made me seduce and hand over to him a woman whom nobody cared for. I had no idea what he was nning to do. Quinton is a lunatic; he has caused the deaths of many women. Go find him instead! "He brought Yvette away and locked her up. It''s been years since Ist saw her!" He sobbed while trembling, even wetting his pants. Steven''s gaze was cold as he got up. He nced at Tristan disdainfully before giving him a kick. He then tossed the syringe into the trash can. It wasn''t potassium chloride inside but a saline solution. Zion coughed. This kind of interrogation method was rather efficient sometimes. He decided to turn a blind eye to Steven''s method this once. "So, Quinton Lambert?" I raised a brow. I managed to record everything Tristan had just said on my phone. "Don''t tell him that I was the one who ratted him out. He''ll kill me!" Tristan lost it instantly when he saw me video-recording him. He lunged at me but was kicked away by Steven. It was evident that his fear of Quinton was greater than that of potassium chloride. "Are you this afraid of your own brother?" I asked, chuckling. Tristan dropped onto the floor, trembling. "He''ll make you wish you were never born..." Quinton had clearly done many terrifying things. "You mentioned that he caused the deaths of many women. Is it still the case now?" I crouched down in front of Tristan. "He... He always asks me to get him some women-those without a family or who have nobody to care for them." Tristan cried while pleading, "Who exactly are you guys? Please don''t tell Quinton what I told you. I''ll do whatever you ask me to!" "Good. Go tell him that you found him another woman." I patted him on the head. "An orphan from the mountains without any surviving family." Tristan looked at me wide-eyed. "You... Do you know that he''s a lunatic? He''s not looking for women to... do those kinds of things. He enjoys... ying hunter. You get what I mean?" I squinted. Quinton enjoyed ying hunter? "You don''t understand. They have a convoy that often brings young, neglected women to dested areas. I suggest you not to take the risk. Those people are all psychopaths, "Tristan shuddered as he spoke. "Those people..." Zion was keen on catching his words. "Write down their names and do as you''re told. We''ll tell everything you''ve said to Quinton otherwise." Terrified, Tristan quickly wrote down the names of Quinton''s aplices on a piece of paper. Steven frowned unhappily. He grabbed my wrist and asked, "Why did you make the decision on your own?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "We need to know what they''re doing," Iforted him softly. Steven nced over at Zion coldly, "I don''t agree with this. They have many female officers. Let their people handle it." Zion nodded hurriedly. "Alright, we''ll assign someone else to handle this." Chapter 636 ? "If the person behind Quinton is someone from Genome Society, perhaps we might be able to discover otherboratories besides Daisy''s. You''re aware that they won''t kill me, but the female officers will surely die if they''re to be found out," I whispered, looking at Steven. We had to uncover the truth. "I..." Steven hung his head low. "I don''t want you to take the risk." He would have reced me outright if only he could crossdress. However, he was just too tall for it. "I''ll be fine. You guys can follow along and stay close to me," I reassured while hugging him. Steven remained silent as he continued to sulk. Zion sent the list of names to his colleague in the car. "Look into these people." An officer reported, "They''re all wealthy scions, some of whom are sessful entrepreneurs. They''re indeed a convoy that enjoys off-roading and crossing dested areas. "There have been multiple missing person cases associated with them, yet everyone insists that the young women all left the convoy out of frustration. Those women couldn''t be found, and there were no bodies, so the cases were left unresolved." The officers from the police department found that some of them had criminal records. Steven''s sullen gaze darkened as he eyed me. He refused to let someone he treasured take such risks. I said, "We need to investigate this, Steven." Despite the missing person cases being a ploy from the Rebels, we were getting closer to uncovering the truth behind Genome Society-perhaps sooner thanter. Steven remained tight-lipped, neither opposing nor agreeing to it. He felt conflicted. He probably only wanted me to live selfishly.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "We don''t have much time left together, Stephie," Steven mumbled. I was momentarily stunned. I couldn''t catch what he was saying. Steven looked at me and said again, "What I meant was, I want to treasure the days we have together. Let''s not care about all this and selfishly escape to some uninhibited ce. We could bring along the kids and live ordinary lives together, couldn''t we?" I looked at him. What he was talking about was also my dream, which I longed for. But everyone knew that we were living in The Truman Show we would never be safe no matter where we escaped to. That was because Genome Society would never let us go-neither would Daisy. Steven became the person she cared about the most now that her reincarnation project had seeded. She still needed him to reincarnate her into a youthful body. "We''d be helping ourselves out too if we were to help them, Steven. With so many of them still missing, they would be in utter despair if they were still alive," I whispered. I recalled Stephanie Carlson''s memories before her death. The fear of being abducted and slowly killed off was truly despairing. She had no one to save her. It was only when she opened her eyes and saw Steven that it was as if she saw a ray of hope. Tristan introduced the woman he had been "seeing" for a while to Quinton while they were at a deste area in the west. There were nine people in Quinton''s convoy. They brought a total of eight young women with them as they prepared to cross the dested area. I had put on some makeup and was dressed up modestly. I was in thest car of the convoy. Quinton''s driver was the one driving. Chapter 637 ? "Are you a Sncian, Ne?" Quinton would test me on the road, whether intentionally or otherwise. "Yes, but I came to Huma when I was 13. I don''t have any family either. I have more friends in Huma instead." I deliberately let slip a hint of Sncian ent mixed with my carefully polished Humian. That way, perhaps Quinton might let down his guard around me. He smiled and nodded. "All Scian women are tall and beautiful. I like Scian women the best." I smiled naively. "Thank you, Quinton." However, I was scoffing deep down. He liked Scian women the best because they were kind-hearted. That was why most of the missing persons were from Snce. "This road crosses a deste area, and it''s very dangerous. We could lose our lives if something goes wrong, Aren''t you afraid?" Quinton asked. "I''m not afraid since you''re here. Tristan said you''d protect me. Besides, Tristan has been good to me, and he asked me to take care of you," I hesitated, hinting that Tristan had given me money. Quinton raised a brow. "Has he been treating you well? How much pocket money is he giving you monthly? Is it enough? I can give you more if not. Money''s not an issue." I looked at him with an excited and happy gaze full of innocence. "Really? But it''s alright, Quinton. Tristan is giving me more than enough. I''m getting 20 thousand dors per month." Quintonughed. "The Lamberts can afford more than that, but he''s just giving you 20 thousand dors?" He turned around and smiled at me, seemingly thinking that I was naive. Yet, he was mocking in his heart. how easy it was to deceive young women from rural areas. It was enough to lure them out with only several tens of thousands. I smiled foolishly, looking naive and awkward. Perhaps my acting skills were top-notch, and Quinton was stunned by my behavior. The convoy finally entered the deste area during the second evening. Someone said, "We''ll set up camp here. Let''s gather around in a circle and don''t wander around. There are wild wolves everywhere, so don''t get gobbled up." Everyone got out of the car. Some of the young women were happily stretching themselves. They probably were unaware that this was the start of a life-or-death situation. I stood by the campfire and looked around the vast, deste desert in search of ces to hide. These men had all brought hunting rifles in their cars. As this was a deste area, it was easy to spot any cars trailing us. As such, Steven, Zion, Joel, Eason, and other police officers hid away in their cars a few miles away. They had formed another convoy and were moving slowly. "It''s quite boring here. How about we y a game?" Someone suggested a game, Quinton chuckled. "Now''s not the time yet. We''re still close to the vige we just left. Let''s go a bit farther first." Unaware of the danger, the young women were all talking andughing happily. Some of the men were even boldly groping the young women. I felt uneasy when Quinton came closer to me, yet he seemed to not have any sexual desires toward women. I could sense if a man had any sexual desires. The men who came with Quinton all had them, yet he didn''t. He seemed only interested in enjoying the thrill of killing. "How many do the higher-ups want this time?" Hector Jenkins, who was from the second car, was asking Quinton meaningfully. "Two, and the goods need to be perfect. They have to pass the medical examination," Quinton replied with a smile. He showed no concern for our presence. That was because no one else other than me knew what he was talking about. I simply sat there, eating a slice of wholewheat bread.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. By "perfect goods", they probably meant those women they were nning to sacrifice to Genome Society. And this time, Genome Society was asking for two. In other words, only two out of the eight young women among us would survive and be sent to Genome Society. The rest would be left to be hunted and killed in the deste area. No one would care even if these young women were to die in the deste area. That was because they would be reduced to nothing but bones. The police would have no leads to start with since no one knew they entered the deste area. With Quinton''s capabilities and his top-notch legal team, it wouldn''t make any difference even if someone were to testify. They wouldn''t be able to file a case or convict them without any bodies, so it would only be treated as a missing person case. Chapter 638 ? I was starting to suspect that only a few out of the nearly 100 missing persons were truly sent to Genome Society. The remaining were cruelly killed. These lunatics each had their own perverted hobby, which was amplified by their wealth and power. Someone said, "This project is amazing. We''ve only sent two of the goods over, yet they''re actually giving us exclusive distribution rights for the Humian-Sncian region?" Quinton nodded. "They''re keeping a close watchtely. Those fools don''t have a way to deliver goods like we do." "As expected, we''re smarter." It wasn''t hard to infer from their conversation that many of the wealthy people were sending "goods" over to Genome Society. But with the recent security, increasing surveince, and improved legal system, it was harder to make someone disappear without a trace. Quinton and his group were smart in that they were willing to take risks and venture into deste areas. Yet the mysteries of deste areas were beyond their control. It was foolish to assume that they could always navigate through dangers without getting caught. This time, for instance, I could already sense danger looming closer when a wolf''s howl echoed from the distance. The wolves in desert areas werepletely wild, and they wouldn''t be the only predators around-there were other carnivores as well. They would surely be attracted by the fire,ughter, and the cars. Upon seeing the wolf pack nearing, I feigned fear and hid myself behind Quinton. "There are wolves, Quinton. Let''s get back into the car." He eyed me and smiled, taking the opportunity to wrap his arms around my waist. "Alright, let''s all get back into the car and move on." Quinton was deliberately doing it in front of the other men, as if trying to present himself as a normal man. However, I could feel that he was far from one. He had no desire for women. Either he was homosexual, or he was impotent. Smiling, I deliberately sliced open my palm with a de hidden underneath my sleeves, letting fresh blood drip onto the ground. I then wiped it on the car as I got in. The wolves would track the scent of blood and pursue it tirelessly. Even if the pack couldn''t catch up, there would be other predators drawn to the smell of blood once we reached our destination. I needed to buy some time for Zion and the others to arrive. "Do you want some apples, Ne?" A young woman who seemed to be in herte teens handed me an apple. She was so beautiful, she fitted Quinton''s description of "perfect goods". "It''s such a shame we can''t touch her when she''s so beautiful." The young woman was from the third car. I happened to overhear the lewdment from one of the men. There was probably another requirement to being Genome Society''s so-called "perfect goods"--they would also have to be virgins. "Just endure it. We''ll be able to get any woman we want after wend this project." Another man nudged him whileughing.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The cars started to move slowly once everyone got into the cars. Someone said, "A sandstorm is kicking up, and the wind is getting stronger. Be alert, guys!" The cars finally slowed down at a rtively t ground. The sky had also brightened up by then. I had been pretending to sleep in the car. Quinton was the one waking me up when we reached our destination. "We''re here, Ne." I got out of the car and looked around the vast wilderness nkly. It seemed even more deste and terrifying here. "Wake up! Now, let''s y a game!" Several men sat by the campfire as they asked the eight young women to join them for a game. "Have you guys ever yed the Death Game? Have you heard about the serial murder cases that happened before this? The victims were all young and beautiful orphans," Hector said with a smile. One of the young women looked at him in fear. "That''s creepy. It''s still dark out there." "It won''t be fun once the sky lights uppletely." The man chuckled coldly. Some were already eagerly pulling out their hunting rifles and loading them. "It''s time to hunt,dies." A few of the young women looked at each other. They were unaware that they were actually the prey. A gunshot rang as Hector shot one of the young women in the leg. Her scream pierced through the dawn in the deste area. Someone said, "Start running, sweethearts-" Terrified, everyone screamed and dispersed in all directions. Meanwhile, a perverse expression appeared on Quinton''s face, as if he had just experienced a climax. He was certainly a lunatic. However, it was still undetermined who was the hunter and who was the prey. Chapter 639 ? "Why aren''t you running, sweetheart? Are you still processing what''s going on?" Hector asked when he saw that I wasn''t running. I looked at him before turning to Quinton. "Are you nning to let us run around before killing us?" Quinton was cleaning his rifle while leaning against the car. He wasn''t in a hurry to start killing as he saw himself as the hunter. This vast and barren dested area was his hunting ground. "We''ll start shooting if you''re not nning to run." Hector chuckled while loading his rifle. "What''s the point of killing us directly? She''s injured. Give us some time for us to get away," I said nervously, trying to negotiate. I looked like I was afraid but was trying to keep myposure. Quinton smiled as he looked at me, as if thinking that I was interesting. "Give them some time to get away. I tore my dress and used the cloth to bandage the woman''s leg wound. She lost her strength to cry or scream from pain, yet her survival instinct drove her to stand up. She hobbled along as I helped her to get away. "Thank you." She endured the pain to thank me. Perhaps her adrenaline was momentarily helping her not to feel the immense pain. "There''s a pit over there. Go hide there and don''te out no matter what you hear." I hid the injured woman in therge pit before running in the opposite direction on my own. The women all fled in different directions out of fear. Behind them, the men drove around whileughing maniacally. They were pursuing the women while mocking them, yet they were not in a hurry to kill. I was surrounded by their cars. They mocked me with their movements and the swirling dust, firing shots just to scare me. It was as if they were cats toying with a mouse, taking their time before killing us. In the end, the seven of us were surrounded by their cars. We couldn''t escape with eight of their cars moving so fast. The chase was over-the prey was now caught in their. "Where''s that injured woman?" Once the cars stopped, several of them got out with their rifles. The women all cried out in fear. The one who gave me an apple was trembling as she hid behind me. Perhaps she was so beautiful that I felt an instinctive urge to protect her. I raised my hands and looked at the men. "What exactly are you trying to do?" "Let me set the game rules," Hector said while smiling. His rifle was pointed at me. "Tell me, who among the seven of you is the prettiest?" I took a deep breath and remained silent. "You''ll all die if you refuse to answer," he said, intimidating the women beside him. They screamed as they crouched down. Someone pointed at the woman behind me. "It''s Maya! Maya is the prettiest!" Maya, the woman who handed me an apple earlier, was forcibly dragged away by Hector. Her face paled as she screamed. "Who else is the prettiest apart from her?" he asked again. Fearing for their own lives, the women all pointed at me. Maya and I were then pushed into the car while the men started their killing game on the remaining women. I pounded on the door with all my might, angrily ring at the men outside. Maya looked at me and asked while crying, "What should we do, Ne?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I nced at her before swiftly slipping into the driver''s seat. "What should we do? Of course, we''ll save ourselves¡ª" The fear on my face vanished. They were fools for leaving the car with us. Even the car keys were still inside. I quickly started the engine and drove toward the men. I hit one of them, and the others started to disperse. I looked at Quinton and smiled at him. The hunt had just begun. Maya screamed in fear. She hid behind, not daring to look out. Quinton fired angrily at us, shattering the car window quickly. I drove forward, crushing Hector''s legs under the wheels. I warned Maya not to get out of the car before jumping out swiftly. I kicked Hector unconscious and grabbed his hunting rifle. There were only seven of them left now. Quinton and the other men temporarily gave up on chasing their prey, turning to attack me instead. I had to buy enough time for Steven and the others toe. Otherwise, the remaining women would end up dead. The men were closing in on the car. I hunched over the car and hit one of them in the calf. He started screaming in pain. They hurriedly spread out in search of cover. Chapter 640 ? I took cover behind the car. We were all waiting for the right time. "You''re a spy from the police aren''t you, girlie?'' Quinton cursed, gritting his teeth. I did not answer him but nced at the time. I only rxed when the distant sound of a honk was heard and a convoy of police cars arrived. Some officers got out of the car with their guns. Zion and his colleagues pinned the men to the ground and handcuffed them. I walked over and stepped on Quinton''s leg before crouching down. "All of you deserve to die." He red angrily at me, yet he was sporting a smile. ''I''ll catch you someday and make you suffer a slow death! As soon as he was done talking, Steven punched him and shoved his head into the sand. Zion was about to interfere but was stopped by his fierce gaze. ''He deserves to die here!" Zion dared not say anything else. Steven pulled me into his embrace once he was done beating Quinton up. "I''m not hurt," Iforted him softly. Steven hummed in reply and looked at the vast desert. "They wanted to sacrifice two women,'' I whispered. "Who''s the one sending the sacrifices to Genome Society?'' I walked over to Hector and asked. He refused to answer me. I then stepped on his injured legs. ''Still not going to talk? Your legs might really end up ruined if that''s the case." Steven retrieved an axe from the car just as I was done speaking. He was about to swing it at his legs. Hector''s face turned white as a sheet. ''Are you police officers?" Steven chuckled coldly. "I''m not." "We''re in the desert here. No one would know if I killed you now.'' I grinned. Wasn''t this their standard line? Hector trembled, yet he refused to speak. Steven swung his axe down onto the legs of the man beside him. His screams filled the air.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Hector was terrified by Steven. He stuttered, "It''s... It''s always been Quinton." "How many people have you sent all these years?" I asked again. Hector cried out, "Only three of the goods passed the examination. They''re extremely strict with theirprehensive examinations. They would only take those who are fully qualified. Those who are not would be sent back and destroyed." They were treating human lives as if they were worthless. All of us took in sharp breaths. All these years, there were only three who were fully qualified and were sent to Genome Society. The rest were then destroyed. "Where did you send them to?" I asked, looking at Hector threateningly. He replied, "Only Quinton knows the location!" We turned to look at Quinton, yet he startedughing maniacally. It was as if he was enjoying the pain. "I''m not telling you anything. You don''t have the guts to kill us, and I''d never reveal Genome Society''s delivery location!" Quinton''sugh was borderline manic. "Is that so?" I chuckled before crouching by his side. "Do you think you''re invulnerable?" Quinton sneered and replied, "Try me." It was as if he was unafraid of pain. "Oh? We''ll have yourckeys to look at this, then I indicated for Zion to get the others to look over. I then reached out to unzip Quinton''s pants. He was taken aback and looked at me in fear. "What the hell are you trying to do?" Steven''s face fell. He reached out to pull me over before wiping my hands with alcohol wipes. "Don''t dirty yourself." After that, he turned to look at Joel. ''You take it off." Joel sighed. "Fine, I''ll take care of it since your wife is precious." Quinton was already panicking as he struggled in fear. He cursed, ''Fuck off! Don''t touch me!" It seemed like I was right. His body was his weakness. His physical deformities had likely led to his twisted mentality. He didn''t fear pain. In fact, he enjoyed it. Yet, he was afraid of others, especially hisckeys, finding out his secret of being impotent. He would rather die than have them know about it. "Fine! I''ll talk!" Quinton yelled angrily. I chuckled coldly. Here I thought that he wouldst a little longer. Chapter 641 ? "We sort out the goods in the deste area. Those selected will be sent to the next vige. Genome Society has aboratory within that vige," Quinton replied. He then looked at us and gritted his teeth. ''But I''ll advise you not to go. The entire vige benefited from Genome Society''sboratory, and it has formed a chain of interest. Many abducted young women would also be sent there, and they would receive a handsome reward if chosen. "As such, the vigers would choose to protect Genome Society. You won''t be able to make it out if you rush in." Education and legal awareness among the vigers of such rural areas were already scarce. Coupled with the entrenched influence of Genome Society, any outsidersing to investigate would be viewed as obstructing their source of ie. The vigers would surely rise up in resistance. Quinton was right. It would be dangerous to rush in. "Why don''t you bring us in, then?'' I smiled. Quinton snorted. "I would never do that. I''ll be dead either way-they''ll kill me for crossing them." Eason leaned against the door of the car. "You might be able to earn significant credit for your case if you help us out." Quinton frowned. He was indeed afraid to die. The bunch of them were just a bunch of lunatics who enjoyed the thrill of killing, but they turned into cowards once the tables turned against them and they were now the prey.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Think about it carefully," I threatened him once again. Quinton remained silent while the others carefully watched him. They were all waiting to see his stance. "Help! L is now in shock!" Several women were crying out for help on the other side. The woman with the leg injury had gone into shock from excessive bleeding. Frowning, I swiftly made my way over. There was a doctor in Zion''s team who administered a shot to her. However, the on-site medical conditions were just too limited. "We need to send her to the hospital, Officer Landon.'' The doctor looked at Eason and Zion nervously. "Go to the hospital now, and bring the women with you. Don''t settle for the vige clinics nearby -just head back." Zion urged them to get into the car. Taking advantage of our confusion, Quinton and the others exchanged nces and shoved the officers guarding them away. They then swiftly helped the injured people into the car and sped away. Zion cursed and was about to go after them when I stopped him. "They haven''t been pushed to the brink yet." I looked around at the darkening sky. "The car they got into reeks of blood, and the wolves have now caught up with them after trailing for the entire day." We could see that the wolf pack had indeed caught up with them from a distance. I said, "They need gas for their car, but they won''t be able to make it to the next gas station." I had burned through quite some gas by driving wildly earlier. They wouldn''t be able to go even the extra mile if they were to go ording to their schedule. Zion instructed the three other police cars to escort the other women back first. I looked at Maya and asked, "Are you willing toe with us? We''re going to find out the transaction location of those demons and rescue more of their victims. Maya''s face was pale in terror. She nervously asked, "Can you guarantee my safety?" I fell silent. We couldn''t guarantee her safety after all. Zion kept quiet for a bit before saying, "Just let her leave." Maya nervously turned to leave, but she stopped just as she was near the car. She then turned around and came back. "I''ll go with all of you." I looked at her. ''Aren''t you afraid? It''ll be equally dangerous at the scattered viges beyond the deste area." They might block our path, demand money, or even resort to violence. There were too many hidden dangers out there, not to mention the fact that we were going to look for Genome Society. "I want to help you in saving the others,'' Maya replied seriously. I looked at Zion, letting him make the final decision "You need to consider it carefully. It''ll be dangerous," Zion reminded her again. Maya said, "I''m aware that it''s dangerous. My mom used to tell me that there''s no such thing as a free lunch. No one would help us out and give us pocket money without any reason. "Not only did they invite us out to y and give us money to spend, butthey even sent gifts during our livestreams. I knew they had ulterior motives. I just didn''t expect that they wanted to kill us." Chapter 642 ? Maya lowered her head, gripping her hands tight. "But I need money. Can you give me some if I help you to save the others?" "How much do you need?" Joel asked. "One million-"Maya muttered with her head lowered.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She did not say why she needed the money, but she needed it desperately. "No problem," Joel agreed easily. Eason snickered. ''Do you even have the money?" He then grumbled softly, "He hasn''t taken his eyes off that beauty at all." Maya and Joel were about the same age now, in theirte teens. She was beautiful with stunning features and a perfect figure. Not only men, but even I couldn''t help but admire her appearance. Joel awkwardly scratched his head. ''I don''t. But Steven has it, right?" Steven was still carefully inspecting my hands. My fingers were red from all the rubbing while I was unaware. "I''m getting blisters now," I said, gritting my teeth. Only then did Steven look up and reply, ''Sure, I''ll do it." He remainedpletely unmoved while facing a beauty like Maya. It was as if he didn''t even see her. I started to doubt Steven''s sense of aesthetics. Even though I was also good-looking, I still wouldn''t hold a candle to Maya. The other women had chosen her before me when they were asked to choose the most beautiful woman in a life-or-death situation. But Steven seemed to only have eyes for me. "Thank you." Maya looked at him somewhat excitedly. It was probably the innocent flutter of a young woman''s heart. Steven was the most good-looking and richest among everyone else here. Maya''s crush on him was rather evident. Resigned, I held Steven''s hand and introduced him to her, "This is my husband." Maya seemed disappointed, but she quickly nodded and said, "Thank you, Ne." We got into the car to pursue after Quinton and the others. As there were tire marks along the road, we soon spotted their car after a few miles away. They were all trapped in the car. None of them dared to get out as they were surrounded by the wolf pack. "Their tire''s gone t," I said, chuckling coldly They brought it upon themselves. They were the ones hitting the tire while trying to shoot me earlier. The wolf pack was attacking the car. They no longer had a car, and the wolves refused to leave them either. They would end up dying here if this continued. I looked at the men trapped inside the car as our car passed theirs. I smiled and asked, "Are you sure you don''t want to talk to us?" Quinton mmed his fist angrily at the steering wheel. Behind him, the others were starting to feel fearful." We surrender! We''ll give up and listen to the police''s arrangements!" Quinton ended up giving up as well. "I''ll help you." There were injured passengers in the car, and those with broken or injured legs needed urgent medical attention. We had no choice but to send them back with two cars. With that, we were left with less than six of the initial police cars that came. The fewer people we have with us meant the more dangerous we would be ced in. Chapter 643 ? Steven and I sat behind as we watched Quinton drive into one of the remote viges. He''d better not y any tricks. A man from the sixth car was sitting in the passenger seat. They were all familiar faces in the vige. "Mr. Lambert is here.'' The ruffian guarding the vige greeted them with a smile. Quinton nodded and handed him a pack of cigarettes and an envelope full of cash. This was probably the custom here. The ruffian weighed the envelope before nodding with a smile. He then raised his arms and let them pass. "Without this step, you''d be stopped without even entering the vige,'' Quinton said gruffly. Eason warned, "You''d better not be ying any tricks. Our men went back earlier, so if you dare to do anything funny, the Lamberts will immediately be seized in Huma. Your crimes will also be exposed to the public. If you cooperate with us, we''ll help you to apply for significant credits for your case. He eyed Quinton with obvious worry. The vige seemed sparsely popted, looking beyond eerie. There was not a single person in sight even as we drove in, with only one person guarding the entrance of the vige. "Where are the vigers?'' I asked from behind. "They usually don''te out, unless there are outsiders around,'' Quinton exined. I looked back and noticed the cars behind us following through. Zion was using the same method to enter the vige with the others. "They look unfamiliar," the person who came out to check on them said. Their cars were stopped in a small square in the vige. "They''re all heirs preparing to take over their family businesses. They''ve just returned from studying abroad and are now joining us to broaden their horizons and y around for a bit." Quinton got out of the car. Eason followed him down out of worry. "Thisd is pretty good-looking. A handsome and rich heir shouldn''tck women surrounding him,'' the person at the checkpoint said with a smile. ''People like him can get decent goods." They seemed to be inferring how a rich and handsome heir like Eason could easily attract many innocent victims.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Did hesh out?" the man asked Quinton. "It''s his first time, so he missed his mark, injuring one of their legs. But there''s a wolf pack behind us. They''ll finish everything up in no time." Quinton gestured at the car and lit a cigarette. ''There''s only two of them left. I''ve tied them up since the higher-ups wanted two. Do you want to have a look?" The man hurriedly waved a hand. "Oh, we trust in the quality of your goods. Just go in!" Quinton nodded before calling the others to get back into the car. The convoy soon continued their drive in. The man at the checkpoint made a call, and a ce resembling a truck scale slowly opened downward. As expected, Genome Society had aboratory hidden underneath this remote and rural vige. It was indeed hard to discover them here. Moreover, those missing persons were all rted to thisboratory, including Sarah from many years ago. "Will Maya be fine?" I asked Steven softly. She was in Zion''s car. I was concerned that she might feel scared and inadvertently expose them. "Don''t worry, I''ve taken care of it." Steven held my hand. Inodded and feigned being in a daze. My hands were tied as Iy in his arms. I looked out the window and saw our car passing through ane. All the cars were gathered as their exterior was disinfected, as if we were at a self-service car wash. Steven whispered to me, "Some of the infrastructure in thisboratory looks rather outdated. This is probably one of the oldestboratories of Genome Society." He had researched some of Genome Society''sboratories within the country. This one here in the deste area should be among one of the oldest. "I have to say, Daisy is really bold. She''s probably the only one to have set up aboratory underground at a university within the bustling city center." She was definitely courageous. After the cars were disinfected, we drove down to an underground garage. It was extremely clean, to the point of being immacte. They got out of the car. Several people in hazmat suits and protective headcovers walked over. "Where are the goods?" Quinton replied, "They''re in the car." The hazmat workers said, "Bring them to us." They were asking for the goods which meant Maya and me. Steven frowned and raised his arms to block them. "This newbie here is worried that we might not get our rewards after we hand the goods over," Quinton exined with a chuckle. The hazmat workers nced at Steven. Fortunately, I had told him to disguise himself beforehand. Chapter 644 ? One of the workers said, "You guys can go ahead to meet the boss. We''ll bring the goods for examination." Steven frowned as Eason pushed him away. "It''ll be fine-" Someone yanked me out of the car. I looked around anxiously. "Where are we? Help! Please help us!" Maya was dragged out as well. She was crying as she hid behind me. "I''m scared, Ne." "Don''t be," I reassured her before looking at the hazmat workers. "Can you please let us go? We can pay you!" They were trained to be obedient and ignored all of our questions. We could only be pushed into an istion cart upon our fruitless pleading. They sent us into the bathroom for us to clean ourselves thoroughly. We then changed intorge gowns simr to surgical attire without any undergarments. Someone said, "It''s time for your medical examination." There was even a designated ce for medical examinations. "What are we supposed to do?'' I pretended to look scared while asking. The worker replied, "Don''t ask so many questions." I squinted. This was probably a gynecological examination to see if we were virgins. I definitely wasn''t one. I would surely be ''destroyed'' since I wasn''t qualified. But Maya was still one. She could only rely on herself from now onward. As expected, female workers came over to conduct physical examinations on us. Maya wasbeled as qualified while I was unqualified. Somehow, this felt rather insulting. I asked, ''Where are you bringing me to?" Maya called out, "Ne!" Maya and I were forcefully separated. "Those who are unqualified are to be sent to Lab Capsule No. 2.* I was forcibly thrown into Lab Capsule No. 2. There were seven other people who were simrly unqualified inside. They were all cowering in fear in the corner, men and women alike. That meant Quinton and hisckeys weren''t the only ones sending goods over. There were still others, including vigers. "How were you guys captured?'' I asked. One of them answered, "We passed by here while we were traveling." Another said, "I''m an influencer. I got captured while I was walking around." I looked at them, a sense of unease creeping in. "There was a group of people being loaded onto a cargo box by the time we arrived. We''re not sure where they''ve been taken to." They were probably being destroyed. The prospects of those people weren''t looking good. "Come and get your photos taken one by one!"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. A group of workers came in swaggeringly, looking lecherous and behaving less disciplined than the ones before. They brought us out one by one and held up signs while taking our photos. They then uploaded them onto the dark web, openly listing prices. Genome Society seemed to be involved in a wide range of underground industries. Those who were openly priced were targeted toward wealthy individuals overseas as disposable "pets". I wondered what they were going to do with Maya, who was deemed qualified. "This one is pretty. Too bad she isn''t a virgin." Someone pinched my cheek teasingly. "Can I keep her for my own perusal?" the man asked one of the workers by the side, grinning lewdly. The worker replied indifferently, "All of them are to be sent overseas. We can''t keep them."" That was their rule, lest any unforeseenplications might happen. I frowned while looking at the good-looking men and women who were trembling. I sighed. I might not be able to save those who were taken away. I could only do my best to save the ones before me. One of the workers said, "Line up for injections, pack them up after sedation, and load them onto the cars. Be sure not to make mistakes before we reach the dock!" They had a systematic industry chain that led right to the dock to send live people out of the country. That was why there were so many missing persons who disappeared without a trace. Chapter 645 ? All of us were injected before being loaded onto the vehicle. It was probably some drug meant to induce unconsciousness.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I slowly drifted unconscious, hoping for Steven to intercept us soon. We couldn''t risk anything now-we had tomit fully to this act. I woke up to the jostling of the vehicle after being unconscious for some time. Everyone around me was still out cold. We were dumped into the vehicle as if we were some cargo. The vehicle was stopped for inspection. But as the vehicle opened up, we could only hear noises from the outside but not within. At that moment I realized that there was a hiddenpartment in the vehicle. All of us were trapped within the hiddenpartment over three feet wide, casually thrown in as if we were discarded bodies. I took a deep breath and started pounding on the metalpartment, hoping that someone might hear me from the outside. But it seemed like the person inspecting couldn''t hear me. I wasn''t sure if it was intentional or not. The vehicle drove on for some time before stopping once again. I realized that someone must have heard my pounding earlier when someone came to open thepartment door. They were here to deal with me. Iy on the ground, feigning unconsciousness while listening to the sounds from the outside. Someone walked in and nced around at us while holding a syringe. "Is everyone still unconscious? Why did I hear someone pounding on thepartment earlier, then?'' the man muttered. Just as he was about to leave, I swiftly got up to grab his syringe before stabbing it into his neck. The man fell unconscious soon enough. I put on the man''s jacket before stepping out of the car to check my surroundings. We were still in the dested area but on a highway. While the aplice in the passenger seat was still asleep, I got into the car and took the extra syringe. I then gave him a shot and rendered him unconscious before driving away to the nearest police station. Zion had left his men there. Dennis rushed over in a hurry as soon as I arrived at the police station. He handed his phone over to me and urged, "Hurry and take the call, Stephany. Officer Landon said that Steven has gone mad from being unable to locate you!" I took a sharp breath and quickly took the call. "Steven. I''m here, Steven. I''m fine. I got those men handled. We''re now at the police station.'' I could hear Steven''s anxious voice quietening down from the other end of the call. ''Stephie!'' His voice choked up with a hint of anguish. I replied, ''I''m at the police station." "I''ll be there soon," Steven whispered. They came over soon enough, but Maya wasn''t with them. "Where''s Maya?" I asked Steven. Steven strode over and hugged me tightly without a word. "The original owner of thisboratory died on the cruise. Genome Society then chose a trustworthy person to take over the newboratory. Do you know who the new owner is?" Eason said, resigned. "Who is it?" Who could have passed Genome Society''s scrutiny and even gain control of theboratory? "It''s Jimmy," Eason said with a shrug. His expression was one of bewilderment. "Jimmy went through a lot of effort in order to gain Genome Society''s approval. Now, he wants to work with us. But I feel that he''s not trustworthy," Joel whispered in my ear. "Why would you still leave Maya with him then?" I asked in surprise. Zion said, "There''s no helping it. Even though Jimmy holds control of theboratory, the entirework and surveince are still under the high-ups. Since Maya wasbeled as qualified, we had to follow the procedure, or we''d risk exposing everyone." He sighed before continuing, "Jimmy said he could keep Maya safe for now." Chapter 646 ? In other words, Jimmy was just a figurehead with no real power. It seemed like all theboratory owners were figureheads. In reality, they were all monitored and managed by the higher-ups-even Daisy and Nancy were the same. "Steven was asking Jimmy to get you out safely earlier. He almost beat Jimmy to death when Jimmy said he had no authority to do that. He would''ve been dead if it weren''t for your timely call,'' Zion said, resigned. I looked at Steven. He seemed aggrieved when he snorted and said, "He deserved it." I smiled and took his hand. ''You''re right." Steven seemed happy with how I agreed with him. He hugged me and refused to let me go, even shing a smug smile at Joel and the others.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "What did you find out on your side, Stephany?'' Zion asked. "Basically, they''re shipping the defects overseas to be openly priced and sold on the dark web. I checked theirputers-most of the buyers on the dark web are pedophiles and have a fetish for Sncian men and women. They''d buy them back as their own toys," I said with a frown. The police officers had brought away the two drivers who were still in the vehicle. Hopefully, they would be able to get something useful out of them. "This is a massive organization. It''s hard to even try to eradicate them," Zion said with a sigh, seemingly dejected "But we have to try regardless. Otherwise, others might be in danger in the future. We''ll have to do it-" he continued. Inodded, agreeing with what Zion said. "Let''s head back and organize the evidence we''ve got, and then we can work with Jimmy to see if we can uncover more evidence," Eason said once again. "Even though Jimmy isn''t a great guy, he should be genuine in wanting to take down Genome Society." Jimmy still couldn''t be sure what those experimental subjects were for as he had just taken over theboratory. He needed time to observe and find out. As such, we could only wait. "I''m worried about Maya staying there." I frowned, looking at Steven. He remained silent. Never once was he moved by the fate of others. He only cared for me. He gripped my hands tightly. "Jimmy promised to keep Maya safe. We can only take our chances for now. Eason sighed, feeling helpless I was pulled into Steven''s embrace before I could say anything else. He said, "She''ll be fine "But she''s "How could a young woman like her be fine at a ce like that? What if Jimmy couldn''t protect her? "I''ve had her background checked-she''s too perfect. A beautiful orphan with no family is exactly the kind of prey that Genome Society''s henchmen would be interested in, Steven said, his voice gruff. "And on top of that, despite being a beauty with an inferior status, she managed to remain untouched and passed through all examinations to be a sacrifice. Don''t you think that''s too much of a coincidence?" he asked. An orphan with a perfect background was asking for a million dors. Who was the money really for? A typical woman wouldn''t have had the mental capacity to ask for money after escaping from attempted murder and pursuit. "She''s not as simple as we thought.'' Steven refused to let me go from his embrace. I was taken aback. Indeed, I did consider the fact that Maya might be a pawn nted by the Rebels. But she was just so beautiful that she sparked my protective instinct. "I''m jealous, Stephie Steven harrumphed, indicating that he was upset "Do you like her? You care for her so much it''s affecting your judgment," he said, looking at me angrily. I was amused by his questioning. ''I only like you. It seems to be my human instinct to want to protect her- just like how one would protect beautiful and vulnerable individuals of their own kind." It seemed like being beautiful did have its advantages. Steven was unrelentless. "I''ll believe that you only like me if you kiss me now." I looked around in shock at the others around me. They were also staring back in disbelief. "How do you manage to see no one but your wife here, man? Are we all invisible to you?" Eason mumbled. He truly admired the way Steven would only have eyes for me all the time. "Let''s go home. Let them deal with Jimmy for the remaining part, okay?" Steven asked hoarsely, as if pleading. ''Let''s go home, Stephie. Ashton and Xan are waiting for us back home. I want to go home.'' He really wanted to go home, even hoping that only the four of us could stay there. Chapter 647 ? After knowing that Jimmy was now the manager of theboratory in the deste area, Steven started pestering me to go home. He had been acting strangetely. I couldn''t put a finger to it, yet I could feel it-he seemed to be clingier and even more anxious about me now. Not only was he clingy, but he refused to let me leave his sight all the time, regardless of our location. Logically speaking, I should be a valuable experimental subject to Genome Society. If they wanted to keep me alive and make money off me, they wouldn''t be forcibly bringing me back to theboratory when the police were watching me closely. But somehow, Steven seemed to be even more anxious than before. He was even saying strange things all the time. "I bought a mountain-view vi at Cdon Hill, Stephie. It''s beautifully surrounded by mountains andkes He showed me a photo of his newly bought vi on our way back. To Steven, a residence was just a safe space-it was sufficient as long as it was secure and private. But he made sure to choose properly this time.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The vi was located on the back mountain of Huma. Although secluded, it had a great environment and waspletely safe. Since the vi was perched on the mountain peak, there was a clear view of the road winding up the mountain. "Are you nning to take me and the kids up to the mountain to live like hermits?'' I looked at Steven, amused. "Ashton and Xan need to socialize." They needed to interact with society and start mingling with other kids their age. I was well aware of the reason behind cing Stephanie Carlson in a college and society back then. It was a form of socialization for an experimental subject like her. But it was just something that had to be done. Humans could not survive apart from society-society was there wherever humans were. Humans needed to learn to fit in, even if it meant putting up a front. I no longer cared if Ashton and Xan were good at putting up a front. They were just kids, and I hoped they could develop the skills needed to survive skills where they had to navigate through all sorts of people in life Human society was far more cruel than theboratory. This was an actual testing ground, where the Earth was like a huge testing zone, and all humans were experimental subjects. "It''s fine even if it''s only for a year, six months-or even just for three months. Steven tightened his grip on my hands. "I get so annoyed at how they''re constantly interrupting us. I just want to live a life with just the two of us. It''s even better if we could just abandon them just like that.'' Resigned, I rested my head against his shoulders. ''You want to abandon them just like that? You have to be responsible once you take them in. You''re the daddy to our children now." Steven stiffened slightly and let out a grunt. However, he seemed to appreciate what I just called him. "Alright. He even smiled amusedly after that. I leaned against him and reached out to touch his face. I found him handsome now that I was looking at him whilepletely rxed. It was just like a dream. Everything felt like a dream from the moment he entered my life. "I''ve always wondered about something. ording to my recovered memories at this point, Stephanie Carlson felt deeply for you in the past. But why did she forget about youpletely all of a sudden? It''s as if it waspletely erased from her mind likeputer data," I mumbled. This had bothered me for some time. Why was Steven the only one who waspletely erased from my memory? Stephanie Carlson did not even activate her defense mechanism to erase Michael''s existence from her memory, and he was someone who had caused so much pain and fear for Stephanie Carlson. Even if it was because of the car ident, it shouldn''t have caused me to forget Steven alone. This just didn''t make sense. He stiffened as he looked down at me. "The human brain is just like a sophisticatedputer. Memories can be altered or erased." Frowning, I asked, ''Is Genome Society advanced enough to erase one''s memories?" "They should be able to do that." Steven cast his gaze downward, holding my hands tight. Chapter 648 ? "Memories are encoded and stored by a group of engram cells in the brain. I heard that one can precisely erase memories by editing the genome of specific engram cells,'' Steven whispered. Chills ran down my back as I felt an inexplicable sense of fear. "Is it possible that my memories were deliberately erased? Perhaps through specific electrical stimtion to selectively weaken or erase them..." Steven looked at me. After a while, he said, ''Stephie, if I ever disappear, I hope you''ll live a good life and forget me." I frowned as I subconsciously held his hands tight. I looked at him and said, "Don''t say such nonsense. We''ll be alright.'' Steven nodded obediently after being reprimanded by me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I felt strangely uneasy throughout the entire journey. I had so many questions for him, but I didn''t know where to start We made multiple stops while driving through the inhabited desert in the west. We finally made it back to Huma after half a month. We were exhausted and covered in dust by the time we were home. The first thing I did was rush into the bathroom for a proper shower. "Go take a proper shower. We''re both so dirty now." I caught Steven, who was trying to take a quick shower, and forced him into the bathtub full of water. "Stay with me." He submerged himself in the tub and left his head out, looking at me with his wide eyes. What else could I do but to spoil him? "I feel like my skin is about to dry out from the wind in the deste area." I kicked him while soaking in the water. "Do you really think Maya will be alright? Is she really someone from the Rebels? What if we were wrong and she just needed money?" Steven pressed me down sulkily before I could even finish my sentence. "You just like her," he said angrily I was speechless. "Why would I like her? She''s a woman." "There''s something wrong with her," Steven replied firmly. "Huh?" I was somewhat surprised. "She has a unique charisma different from ordinary people. She was more prone to catch the attention of the people around her, drawing more sympathy and protective instincts from them. Not just normal humans- even Xan or small animals are naturally drawn to her," Steven said seriously. His hostility toward Maya was evident. I looked at Steven in skepticism. ''You''re telling me that she has a natural charm?" "It''s not necessarily natural." He snorted before biting on my neck somewhat punitively. "Haven''t you noticed even Joel''s gaze was unconsciously drawn to her?" Steven believed that something was clearly wrong with Maya if even someone like Joel, who wasn''t a typical man, was attracted to her. "What about you?" I smiled, reaching out to wrap my arms around his neck. His ears turned red as he stared at me intently. "I''m immune." "I see. "It seemed like I should be praising Steven for it, then. Upon staring at his face, I realized that I couldn''t help myself but to want to kiss him. If there were really people born with natural allure, surely, Steven was on a higher level than Maya-that was because he drew me in even more. "Steven!" I was startled when he suddenly lifted me and carried me out of the tub. "What are you trying to do?" I stared warily at him. "It''s cold in the bathroom. Steven! Go to the bedroom!" I was at a loss for words. I knew that I could never take a bath with him. Something would surely happen. However, he always seemed to emit some kind of hormones that attracted me and disrupted my thoughts. It was impossible for me not to respond to him eagerly. "Steven, it''s cold-"My back was pressed against the ceramic tiles of the bathroom. I could only instinctively hide in his embrace, just as he wanted. It was as if he couldn''t understand words when it came to this matter. The more I struggled, the more excited he became "I want to lock you up so that you''ll only look at me, Stephie," Steven whispered with an urgent tone, seemingly serious in his words. I sighed, letting him be. Chapter 649 ?Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Steven only turned the shower on and carried me for a rinse after fooling around for over an hour in the bathroom. I thought he was finally letting me off. I never expected his stamina to be more than what an ordinary person could imagine. "We still have to pick Xan and Ashton up. Can''t you be more reliable as a father-ah!" I was tossed onto the bed. Just as I was about to sneak away, he caught my ankle and dragged me back. Steven was habitually quiet in bed. He believed in talking less and doing more. I said, ''Let''s talk it out, Steven. My waist and the rest of my body hurt-hey!'' My words couldn''t even reach him. I knew I would bepletely drained if he were to lock me at home. "Your stamina is weak, Stephie. Steven was now half-jokinglyining about my weak stamina. I red at him angrily. Theers of his eyes were red, as if he was the one aggrieved. ''I can''t bear to exert more force on you, Stephie." I was speechless. I was almost dizzy from his forceful movements. "I''m about to fall apart, bro-''I slumped on the bed listlessly. Steven leaned over and linked our fingers. ''I like you so much, Stephie. I like staying by your side. I want to stay with you forever. That''s the only way I can feel that you''re mine." "You lunatic!" I cursed, gritting my teeth. He indeed was a lunatic. "Stephie." Steven was calling my name. I always felt a deep resonance whenever he called my name. It always brought a sense of sadness for some reason "I don''t want to be a passerby in your life, Stephie," he said hoarsely, but I had no energy to listen to what he was trying to say. Suddenly, Steven bit down on me at the back of my neck, making me scream. It wasn''t a yful bite between a couple in love; it was a forceful one. Pain shot through my spine to my tailbone and brain at that moment. I was instantly jolted awake from his bite. I endured the pain and reached over to wipe the back of my neck. I was certainly bleeding from the bite. Furious, I tried pushing Steven away, but I couldn''t. He was hugging me tightly while apologizing softly. "What the hell is wrong with you, Steven?" I scolded him angrily. He gently kissed my neck and licked my wound. My breathing quickened from my anger. It took me a while to elevate the pain. What was wrong with Steven again now? Was he trying to leave a mark everywhere like some mad dog? He had to forcefully end whatever that went on afterward. I refused to talk to him out of annoyance. Steven also knew that he was at fault and started his pitiful act again. He always used this on me. Whenever I got angry, I couldn''t help but feel that I had spoiled him too much. Steven took a towel to wipe my body. He then crouched by the bed pitifully, wanting to talk to me. I turned my back on him and ignored him. My neck hurt from where he bit me. His fingers gently touched my neck, as if he was checking out where he bit me. "That''s a bite from me, Stephie," Steven mumbled, carefully touching it. ''I have to leave a mark to show that I was here." I turned back to look at him. At that moment, I did not think much of it and assumed that he was just insecure as always. Steven had always been an insecure person since he was young, thinking that he shouldn''t have existed. That was until he met me. Chapter 650 ? I thought that he would stop thinking that he didn''t deserve to exist after he found me and we got together. It seemed that I overestimated both love and myself. After I calmed down, I got up sulkily to apply medicine before going to pick up Ashton and Xan. The kids had been staying with Xandra and Rachel all this while. I hoped they didn''t cause them any trouble. "Rach, are the kids with you, or..." I called Rachel to ask who Ashton and Xan were with Before Steven and I left, we entrusted the kids to both Rachel and Xandra so that they could take care of them whenever they were free. Before I could even finish my sentence, Rachel asked in surprise, ''Are you guys back now?" "Yeah. We just arrived home and forgot to call you in advance," I said, ring at Steven angrily. It was all his fault. We should have called her in advance, yet he insisted on doing other things. Steven coughed diffidently "Are the kids with you now?" I asked again. Rachel started stammering, "Uh, how about you guyse pick them up tomorrow instead?'' "Huh?" I had a bad feeling. Steven clearly became alert and nced over at me. Did something happen to the kids? I said, ''I''m already on the way to your ce. We" Before I could even finish my sentence, Rachel interrupted me again, "Well, both of you haven''t eaten, right, Stephie? How about you guys go grab some food for now? I''m still out ying with the kids now." I frowned and looked at Steven. He was already checking their location. Ashton and Xan''s location showed that they were in the police station at Bridgeview Road. "Are you ying in the police station?" I asked softly. Rachel took in a sharp breath and replied diffidently, "Xandra and I figured that the kids ought to go to school, so we signed them up for preschool. Something happened today, but it''s not a big deal, so I can handle it." "You wouldn''t be keeping things from me if you could handle it. I''ll go over now.'' I red at Steven angrily after ending the call. "It''s all your fault for wasting time!" He looked aggrieved. "It''s not my fault they got into trouble. They''re a result of both our genes, so we should share the responsibility." I couldn''t believe he was dividing things up so clearly now. We rushed to Bridgeview Road and ran into the police station. Upon entering, Ashton and Xan were sitting on the bench, obediently listening to the scoldings of the police officers. Rachel was also nodding meekly at them. The parents of another child were standing by the side, screaming at Rachel. "How can they be this terrifying when they''re just children? Our child would''ve been buried by them if it weren''t for the teachers noticing it!" "That''s so terrifying!" one of the parents yelled angrily. "What''s going on?" I hurriedly asked as I walked over with Steven. "We''re their parents. You can talk to us if there''s anything you want to discuss." a The father of the child was a ferocious man. He red at me and said, "Are you their parents? Your children are unbelievable! You have to apologize to my son, otherwise-" Ashton red at the man and said, ''I''ll bury him again if you yell at my mom!" The man huffed as he started rolling up his sleeves to hit AshtonN?velDrama.Org holds this content. Steven shielded Ashton indifferently and stopped the man. "We should talk things out slowly. It''s not right for an adult like you to fight a child. You''d be better off fighting me." The man frowned and backed off slightly, surprised by Steven''s attitude. "Your children dug a hole over three feet deep in the school''s yground. They definitely dug it based on my child''s height, and they buried my child there! He was already buried up to the neck when the teachers found out about it.'' I was stunned, looking at the kids in shock. What was going on? "Did your child not struggle or scream?" I carefully asked, trying my best not to agitate the father further "Are your children abductors in the making? They tied my son''s hands and legs up and stuffed his mouth. How was he supposed to scream and struggle?" The man was clearly agitated. "They were trying to bury him alive!" I looked at Ashton with a frown. I said, "Come over and exin yourself." Ashton hung his head low, looking aggrieved. He dared not look at me. At that moment, another woman walked over carrying a crying yet pretty boy. "Your child deserves it! Let me tell you, if it weren''t for me finding out about thiste, I would''ve buried your child to let off my steam too! "He''s being such a school bully at such a young age. Ashton was just standing up for what''s right!" Chapter 651 ? I looked at the woman. She was carrying an adorable boy who was still bawling his eyes out. It was evident that his hair was newly cut. The woman took out her phone and showed us a photo. "This is a photo of Yannick before this. He has been keeping his hair long even though he''s a boy. That''s because his cousin has leukemia, and he was growing his hair out to make a wig for her. "He spent four years growing his hair out without fearing the opinions of others, yet that punk set it on fire with a lighter!" She got more agitated the more she spoke. "Look at this! I got this surveince footage from the preschool!" Yannick sniffled before saying, "He bullied and hit me. He even lit my hair up with a lighter." The police officers'' faces paled. "As parents, how have you been raising your child? Hair is highly mmable it might cause disfigurement or even death!" It was horrifying to think that a good-looking child like Yannick might have gotten his face disfigured. The bully dared not utter a word and hid behind his parents. With the surveince footage proving that he was in the wrong, his parents no longer dared to make a fuss. I watched the surveince video, finding it shocking that children of five or six could actually do such a thing. "A child''s character is determined by their genes. Your child''s bad behavior reflects what kind of parents you are," I said with a frown. "What about your children, then? They even dug a hole to bury my child!" The bully''s parents were unconvinced. I looked at them and smiled coldly. "You''re right. The parents'' genes determine the genes of their children. My son and daughter only buried him while we would''ve chopped off your son''s hands instead." The bully''s parents were enraged by my words, yet they remained silent as they were intimidated by Steven''s presence. Ashton and Xan quietly hid behind our backs. They were as docile as they could get.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. As expected-children were just children. Even if they were trained by Genome Society, they were only children of four to five years of age. "Since the children of both sides are at fault, just work this out among yourselves." The police officers suggested for us toe to an agreement. Seeing that their child had done something wrong, the bully''s parents no longer argued further. They brought him away after wepensated them with the costs for medical examination and treatment. Yannick ran toward Ashton and softly said, "Thank you, Ashton." Ashton was aloof as he eyed me discreetly. He only spoke after seeing that I wasn''t mad. "My father said that the strong must protect the weak." I found it amusing. He was intelligent, yet he took after Steven in terms of emotional intelligence -he wasn''t good with words. Yannick''s motherughed in amusement. "You have my gratitude. Thank you, Ashton and Xandra." Xan was still lost in her own world with her Rubik''s cube. She toyed with it all day long without looking up or talking to anyone. But she was fully cooperative when Ashton asked her to dig a hole, focusing intently on her task. "My daughter is reserved and a little autistic, so she''s often lost in her own world. Don''t worry about her," I hurriedly exined when I saw the woman looking awkward. Yannick''s mother nodded in pleasant surprise. "She''s surely very smart, then. I''ve seen how well Xandra ys with the Rubik''s cube. My son can barely stack up his building blocks." I chuckled. She was indeed smart, but her wits were all she had. "I really can''t thank all of you enough for what happened today. My son''s face could''ve been disfigured if it weren''t for Ashton quickly covering my son''s head with a wet shirt." The woman sighed before continuing," Children these days can be so reckless without knowing the consequences." Inodded. From the footage, we saw how the bully had picked on Yannick. He took out the lighter he stole from his home and lit up Yannick''s hair. Some kids liked to bully Yannick as he was a boy with long hair. Chapter 652 ? It was extremely dangerous. The mes ignited instantly as soon as they touched Yannick''s hair. Ashton was the one who quickly took off his shirt and soaked it in the pool nearby. He then swiftly and expertly covered Yannick''s head with it and hugged him securely. In the video, Yannick looked terrified. He was shaking uncontrobly, and he couldn''t even cry. "He might be a little traumatized. You should bring him for counseling," Iforted the woman. Yannick''s mother nodded and replied, "Alright, thank you." Once she brought Yannick home, Rachel was still shielding the kids diffidently while stepping back. "You know, the kids were...just doing what''s right, Stephie." I shot a re at Ashton. I didn''t bother with Xan-she would''ve been unfazed even if the sky fell down. As such, the idea must havee from Ashton, with Xan being only an obedient participant. "Come here, Ashton," I called for him while sitting on the bench. Ashton looked at Steven with pleading eyes. Steven looked equally innocent. It was as if he was trying to tell Ashton not to drag him into his own mess. No one dared to cross me, after all. Ashton shot him a disappointed nce before braving himself to walk over to me. I gave him a spank in the butt. "Haven''t I told you to respect life? Were you nning to bury him if it weren''t for the teachers finding out?" Ashton hung his head low without a word. He said after a while, "He''s a pest, Mom." I can''t believe he called that boy a pest. He continued, "There are too many humans on earth, and resources are limited, Mom. Why should we let these pests enjoy such a wonderful and resources? "Just like what was said in Animal Kingdom-beneficial insects help society, while pests are only a waste of space. It would just be better if they were eliminated," Ashton said, showing no hesitation at all when talking about killing someone." "I don''t care what you''re saying about humans and limited resources, Ashton. Humans shouldn''t be killing humans. You need to learn to respect life and thew. ''I felt somewhat upset, wondering how his mindset was shaped. "Everyone''s thoughts are different. Others might think that you''re a pest to the human race if you kill someone. What would you do if they wanted to kill you, then?" I asked. "It''s survival of the fittest. I''ll kill them," Ashton replied seriously. He truly did not think that his way of thinking was wrong. I was taken aback, feeling tightness in my chest. What should I do to make them act like ordinary children? Their way of thinking was just too dangerous. "You need to learn to think from the perspective of others when you''re faced with situations, Ashton. If you can''t understand it from your own viewpoint, you should think of how your actions might affect your sister or us-those you care about." Steven crouched in front of Ashton when he saw me panicking. He continued, "There''s a need for rules in this society. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be a difference between us and the wild animals on the ins. Since rules exist, everyone must follow them. Those who break the rules are the real troublemakers. "You need to remember that "existence is rational". Rules andws exist to confine human morality and baseline within a certain framework. We must adhere to the rule ofw in order to maintain bnce," Steven said seriously while educating Ashton. I sat beside watching the conversation between them unfold. Somehow, I felt warmth within me.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Family education was indeed a shared responsibility between a married couple. Ashton nodded obediently, seemingly understanding Steven''s words. "Should I still intervene if I encounter bullying in the future, Dad?" "You should intervene under the condition that your own safety is ensured," Steven replied, ruffling Ashton''s hair. "Your intention of stopping the bullying was correct, but there are many ways to address these situations. While I can''t say which method is the most correct, there certainly are better ways than burying the other person alive, am I right? "With how smart you and Xan are, you could definitelye up with a solution that works for everyone," Steven patientlyforted. I found it amusing to think that he could actually educate the kids so patiently. I thought that he was someone impatient. Chapter 653 ? "Have they been behaving well all this time?" I asked, looking apologetically at Rachel. "I''m sorry for the trouble.'' Rachel waved a hand dismissively. ''They''re extremely well-behaved. I''ve never seen such obedient children." I could tell that she really liked the kids. It was just that they caused some trouble today. "You should stop scolding them as well. Even though I think that they did overreact in this matter, they had good intentions just like what Steven said." Rachel smiled as she looked at Ashton. She then said, "You can''t bury someone else alive next time. It''s enough to just inform the teachers or scare them, okay?" Ashton nodded obediently. He then stole a gaze at me, as if worried that I was still angry. I felt angry and heartbroken as I pulled the kids into my embrace. "I''m not trying to me both of you. It''s just that the way you handled things was really wrong. Every mistake should be met with a bnced punishment. That bully didn''t deserve to die, right? "Besides, it''s up to thew to punish those who make mistakes. There arew enforcers in human society. You don''t have the right to administer justice as you wish." "Can I be aw enforcer, then?" Ashton asked, looking at me seriously. Chuckling, I replied, ''Sure. You should study hard and aim to be a police officer like Zion or Eason, or a coroner like Rachel in the future." Ashton nced over at Rachel. ''I want to be a coroner." "Let me tell you, he''s really something!" Rachel looked around before whispering to me in shock, "Do you know what he did? There was a case of a husband killing his wife in our department a few days ago. "I was stumped, but he glimpsed through the practical report and told me that the killer was the victim''s husband. He even pointed out the doubtful points and provided evidence. The case was immediately solved, and I even got a small bonus too.'' I shed a smile at Ashton. "That''s amazing of you! We should let Rachel treat us to dinner with her bonus, then.'' Rachel looked at me disdainfully, muttering. "You''re such a cheapskate." I carried Xan with a smile while Steven took Ashton''s hand. We then walked out of the police station together. "What should we have for dinner tonight?" I asked him. "It''s on Rach!" Steven smiled helplessly and said, "I''ve made reservations. Let''s go." Steven had made a reservation in advance in a high-end and hard-to-book sky restaurant in Huma. I had heard that it had a wonderful ambiance, yet I had never been to the ce.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I seemed to recall Michael bringing Yasmin over. It was Stephanie Carlson''s birthday back then, yet Yasmin was the one Michael brought to the restaurant. They were even photographed holding hands by paparazzi. I wasn''t too sure what Michael felt toward Yasmin. Perhaps he had feelings for her. He wouldn''t have been so caring otherwise. But he ultimately thought Stephanie Carlson was the one he loved. What a contradicting person he was. I only felt pity whenever I thought of Michael now. Even though he was still alive, he was no longer the Michael of the past. Life could be funny sometimes. One moment, I was feeling pity for him; the next moment, I saw "Michael" as I §³§á§Ñ§â§ä§Ö§ä §Ó§à§Ù was stepping out of the elevator. He was probably no longer Michael now but Miguel. He was there with Daisy and even Una. To be honest, the sight of the three of them together looked peculiar. 212 They sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows. The waiter walked over and smiled at Daisy, saying, "Your son and daughter-inw look like a good match, madam.'' Daisy''s expression evidently fell before tossing the menu to Miguel. He said nothing, simply making his order with the waiter and only speaking to her once the waiter left. I couldn''t hear what they were talking about as I was farther away. Miguel was probably trying to coax Daisy. The entire scene really felt out of ce. Miquel was now upying Michael''s youthful body while Daisy was slowly aging away. Her bodily functions were gradually deteriorating. Added to the fact that she was a first-generation experimental subject and technology back then wasn''t as advanced. That was why Daisy took Una away from Nancy and kept Una by her side. I took a sharp breath. Now that I thought about it, the reason Nancy adopted Una as her daughter was probably also to prepare a backup body for herself. These people were truly terrifying. They all yearned for immortality. Steven had also seen the peculiar family seated by the windows. His expression fell as he took my hand, wanting to leave. "Isn''t that Michael? He''s looking pretty decent now. I wonder if he was threatened by his mother,'' Rachel said disdainfully when she spotted them. Her voice was a little too loud. It made Daisy and the others look over. Chapter 654 ? Miguel looked at us with unfamiliarity, yet he still said to Daisy, "Those young people..." Daisy looked at Steven and me with a smile. "What a coincidence." We wouldn''t be able to leave now. "Indeed," I replied, shielding the kids as I looked at Daisy. "Let''s all have a meal together, then." Daisy gestured for us to join them for dinner. "No need. It''s ufortable to eat with strangers," I rejected. Daisy simply smiled and said nothing else. I nced at Una. Her gaze toward me was aplicated one. I actually couldn''t understand something. Una was a smart clone subject, so she should know Daisy''s intention for keeping her around. But why didn''t she escape or stay away from Daisy? Why would Una stay by her side despite how dangerous it was? As we walked past the family of three, they all looked at us with a peculiar gaze. I could feel a sense of unfamiliarity from Miguel. Perhaps he really was no longer Michael. "Don''t you think the three of them are strange, Stephie? But I can''t put a finger to it." Even Rachel realized that they were acting strangely.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I made a shushing motion. We should just focus on eating instead. Who knew if Daisy might go crazy again? Zion and the others weren''t back yet, and the mystery of theboratory in the deste area remained unsolved. We had to keep a low profile recently. A waiter came over and said, "The madam over there sent you some wine and dishes." Before we even made our order, Daisy had someone send over some red wine and steak. The steak was still dripping with red juice, making it seem unappetizing. "This is prime filet mignon. It''s the least exercised part of the cow. As such, it''s also the most tender part.'' Daisy raised her ss at us with a smile. She seemed to have deliberately mentioned the term "tender". She was warning us that everyone was just like the steak on this te-waiting to be carved up. Oh, how arrogant of her. I said, "Please send a steak over to that madam as well-make it well-done. She has digestive issues since she''s older, so she won''t be able to digest a medium-rare steak like this. The asparagus has to be tender as well. After all, older people prefer things that are tender." Daisy''s expression evidently darkened as she stared at me begrudgingly. Miguel had been silent all the while. He nced over at me, smiling as if he could no longer hold it in. He thenforted Daisy, "She''s just returning the favor. You don''t have to think too much about it." Daisy snorted. "Do you think she''s only returning the favor?" Miguel coughed softly. ''How about we leave for now, then?" Daisy looked as if she had expected his words. She dropped her cutlery and said, ''I''m not eating anymore. You guys go ahead." After that, she got up and left on her own. Miguel sighed before getting up to run after her. Una, however, was calmly eating her steak, even wiping her lips clean when she was done. She nced over at me as she got up to follow them. "Why must you follow them around?" I asked, out of concern. "Surely, someone has to be the steak on the te,'' Una mumbled. She then tossed the handkerchief into the trash can and caught up with them. Unable to understand her words, I frowned and looked at Steven. He had his head lowered, not unlike Miguel when he said, ''Don''t overthink it. Order up." I looked at Steven in suspicion. Somehow, I felt as if he had control of the entire situation. He was the only person who could conduct the Reincarnation Project. Una still remained by Daisy''s side despite knowing her intentions. Besides, Una had followed Steven around before this, and he had kept her alive. She had said that Steven made a deal with her for her to be my backup body. Could it be that he had also arranged for Una to be with the Fords now? Chapter 655 ? After Una left, Steven handed the menu to Rachel as if nothing had happened. Rachel was shocked when she looked at the menu. ''Have you guys be rich? You''ve already sold Lincoln Group, and a set of steak here costs over a hundred dors-" Looking at her, I exined seriously, "He only sold off the shares of Lincoln Group, meaning that there''s only money left now. He now has nothing but money. Rachel btedly hummed a response and looked at Steven excitedly. "I won''t hold myself back, then!" "It''s not that I have nothing. I still have you," he corrected me seriously. Rachel pursed her lips and mumbled, "Why are you being lovey-dovey in front of me now?" "You have Xan and me too!" Ashton raised his hand to indicate that the two of them wanted to be included too. Ished Steven a smile. "You''re right. It''s not that you have nothing." We had the whole world from the moment we met. "I''ll excuse myself to the bathroom." Steven squeezed my hand before getting up to head to the bathroom. I heard his phone vibrating earlier. He must have gone out to the bathroom to pick up the call. It probably wasn''t just my imagination-Steven seemed to be hiding something from me recently. I said, "Look after Xan, Ashton. I''ll head over to the bathroom as well." Rachel stopped eating her appetizer and looked up nkly at me. "Why are the both of you going to the bathroom..." She stopped probing upon seeing something was off from my expression. Steven did not enter the bathroom but was taking the call behind the partition. I couldn''t make out what the other person was saying, yet Steven was just listening. I walked over and hugged him from the back. He neither resisted nor avoided me, probably realizing my presence a while back. "Alright, let''s leave it at that for now." Steven ended the call before turning to look at me. "Who''s that?" I asked "It''s Dayton." He wasn''t trying to hide it from me. I could clearly hear Dayton''s voice on the phone. "Why was he looking for you?'' I was curious. Steven wouldn''t be hiding things from me if there wasn''t anything special. Besides, Genome Society was almost certain that Dayton was the president of Crowdstar Group now. That meant the actual mastermind behind them might meet up with him. As long as Dayton met up with that person, our investigation would go on much smoother. It was absolutely uneptable for something that vited human ethics like genome editing to be used for personal gain. It wouldn''t be a surprise for many to be curious about who the mastermind was when they had orchestrated such a huge ploy. "Those from Genome Society have found him, but they''re very alert. Dayton has yet to meet the mastermind as well," Steven said, seemingly a little disappointed. I carefully studied his face to see if he was lying or hiding something from me. "Has he really not met the mastermind?" Steven nodded. "I would definitely tell you if he had met up with them." "I have a feeling that the mastermind of Genome Society is someone close to us, or at least someone we all know. Why would they go to such lengths to remain mysterious otherwise?" I mumbled. "Oh right, Jimmy must have gained the favor of the mastermind of Genome Society to be able to get the management position of theboratory in the deste area. Has he met that person before, then?" I asked. Jimmy would surely know. "Do you think that sly fox would tell us the truth?" Steven fumed at the mention of Jimmy. He was probably regretting not beating him enough back in the deste area before this. He continued, "He imed that he hadn''t met them directly. They onlymunicated through an Al virtual figure before he took over. But who knows whether he had actually met them? I felt upset as well. Jimmy was truly an untrustworthy person.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "Let''s stop thinking about it now. We''re here to have dinner with the kids," Iforted Steven while hugging him. "It might not be a bad thing not to know who the mastermind is for now. At least we''re safe for now. Just let the police handle it," I whispered, leaning into his embrace. Chapter 656 ? Steven''s heart was racing, far from its usual steady rhythm. To be honest, it was hard for him to hide things from me as I could always sense when things were off. If he refused to tell me what he was hiding from me, I knew that I wouldn''t be able to get it out from him by asking. "Alright, let''s head back to dinner. Steven took my hand and brought me back to our table.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Rachel and the kids were busy eating. She gave us a disdainful look upon seeing us return hand in hand. " What a show-off!" "There was this pretty young woman when we went to the deste area this time. She was so pitiful and delicate, and Zion was really taken with her. She was abducted by some bad guys. Otherwise, Zion would''ve returned by now," I said, giving Rachel a sly look. She looked rmed and immediately took out her phone to text Zion. Rachel''s subconscious actions and subtle expressions were hard to hide, showing that she truly cared for him. At least, her feelings for him were genuine. Somehow, I felt relieved and took a bite of fruit, trying not tough. I''m just joking. Zion is as straightced as theye-stubborn and only cares about serving justice." Zion nodded smugly. "That''s true." "So, where are you two at with your rtionship? He''s not getting any younger. Has he said anything about getting engaged or married?" I asked. "My mother... opposes it." Rachel looked down, seemingly unhappy. "She''s just too controlling! She insists that I get married to a wealthy man. Funny how she''s not seeing me at my worth," she said sarcastically, clearly unhappy. I had heard Rachel talking about her extremely controlling mother countless times. Back in high school, I felt sorry for her having to endure the pressureing from her mother But I had never seen this mother of hers before. "Your mother doesn''t approve of Zion?" I looked at Rachel in shock. "What kind of man is she looking for, then? She discreetly eyed Steven before telling me with a mysterious smile, "She wants me to find a wealthy man like Steven.'' I parted my lips, ncing over at Steven before saying, "He''s not an option-he''s taken.'' Rachel was amused by my reaction. "Don''t worry, I have principles. I won''t steal my bestie''s man.'' I smiled at her, asking, ''What will you do, then? You''re already an adult. You can''t always listen to her. Zion is a great guy. Although his family isn''t well-off, he''s a man of integrity." Rachel contemted for a moment before shaking her head. ''I''m rebelling, but it''s going to take some time. Just wait for my good news,'' she said softly. I could tell that she had a lot on her mind. I had been suspecting that there was something wrong with her for quite some time now, yet I couldn''t pinpoint any issues. Perhaps I was too reluctant to lose her as a friend. Besides, every time Rachel spoke about her family and mother, I felt like she wasn''t just referring to her" mother'' alone. She said that she was rebelling-was it against gynecocracy, or was there something more she was hinting at? "How about Ie over for a meal one day to meet your mother?'' I suggested tentatively. Rachel was horrified. "Don''t! You''ll be walking right into a trap!" Upon seeing my silence, she said again, ''My mother is the type who can''t stand seeing others do well." Inodded and replied, "Alright then. We''ll have the chance to meet someday." Rachel nodded and mumbled, "Hopefully, you''ll never get to meet her. I hope she dies soon..." I looked at her, clearly taken aback. She instantly put on a smiling face and changed the topic. "The steak bites with truffle butter are delicious-as expected of a delicacy that''s worth over a hundred dors!" Chapter 657 ? "You''re already an adult. You should have your own thoughts and not be easily swayed by others. You should also live your own life, so you should learn how to stand for yourself, Steven calmly said, looking at Rachel. She remained silent and continued eating her steak. We said nothing more, and the kids were also quietly eating their own food. Xan quietly yed with her Rubik''s cube, her presence often going unnoticed. She seemed to have a knack for quickly transforming it into patterns or even words that she liked. The tiny squares of the Rubik''s cube would have given a headache to most people, but she was always having a great time with it. Ashton seemed to have a natural instinct to look after and protect Xan since birth. With great effort, he cut the steak and pushed it over to Xan. He then patted her head and urged her to eat first. Both of them seemed to have an unspoken emotional connection-they knew what the other was trying to say just by sharing a nce. "Now that I''m looking, both Ashton and Xan took after their father.'' I nced at Steven, noticing how his unique mixed-race genes were reflected in the kids. Their deep-set eyes, high nose bridges, long eyshes, and pale skin were traits of his. He carefully studied them and said, ''I think they took after their mother instead." I simply smiled without replying. After all, they were the products of both of our genes. We dropped Rachel off at home after dinner. The entire trip was so peaceful it gave me the illusion that we were just an ordinary family leading a normal life-having dinner with friends and our children, going shopping together, buying things we liked, and enjoying our favorite snacks. "I want some cotton candy, Steven." We drove around Huma for a bit after leaving Rachel''s ce. We passed someone selling cotton candy by the roadside, and I suddenly had a craving for it. Steven parked the car and went down to buy some cotton candy, but he only came back with one serving. Stunned, I asked, ''Did you not get any for Ashton and Xan?" Steven eyed Ashton. ''Go buy it yourself if you and Xan want some as well." Ashton nced at him before obediently getting out of the car to go buy some cotton candy. "You''re not very good at this whole fatherhood thing. "Iughed amusedly before handing the cotton candy to Xan She shook her head and said, "Dad bought it for you, Mom. You can have it." Astonished, I gave Steven a thumbs-up. Although he wasn''t the most reliable father, the kids surely were dependable. I couldn''t help butugh out loud. Even though the three of us were a family by blood, we still felt like strangers to each other. While Steven and I were rtively familiar with each other, we were just getting to know the kids. Ashton looked tiny as he stood by the food truck. Other female customers were busy taking photos of him. It was mainly because he was just too adorable and lovable, looking like a doll with his mixed-race features. Steven''s emotional intelligence was much higher than Steven''s. He bought four servings in total-one for me, one for Steven, and one each for himself and Xan.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I looked at the two servings in hand, feeling extremely loved by my family. "Just have one, or you''ll end up with rotten teeth." Steven even got jealous of Ashton. He took away one of my servings and handed it to Ashton. ''You can have two." Ashton was at a loss for words as he looked at Steven. Wouldn''t he end up with rotten teeth, then? I held back myughter and took a bite of my cotton candy. It tasted just like how it was during my childhood, but somehow, itcked so much of the feelings from back then. My mind often felt as if it was shrouded in fog. I wasn''t exactly clear-headed and couldn''t shake the feeling that I''d forgotten something. Steven drove us home. We then yed with Stevie in the courtyard before retiring to bed. Genome Society had beenying low as of recently. That was why we could live peacefully for now. Steven eagerly hired a movingpany the next day. All of us then moved to his newly bought vi on the mountain. It was a luxurious vi that could easily amodate ten people without feeling cramped. I stood at the entrance, holding Ashton and Xan''s hands while looking at Steven. "Must we stay in such a huge house on the mountain? It feels a little strange and empty." Steven brought Stevie to our new home and shed a smile at me. "The air is fresh, the environment is good, and it''s really quiet here." Leo still remained as our butler, helping us out in tending to the garden and cleanliness. There was also a new caretaker other than Leo. It turned out to be Ms. Ewing, the previous caretaker from the Ford residence. It was the same person who asked me in secret whether the cherry tree was blossoming. "Ms. Ewing?" I asked in surprise. "The Fords have dismissed all their previous household staff and caretakers and hired new ones. I came over since Mr. Lincoln was hiring caretakers," she exined. Astonished, I looked at Steven. He wasn''t someone who would hire strangers out of nowhere. So why was Ms. Ewing here, then? Chapter 658 ? "Ms. Ewing is one of my people. You can trust her," Stevenforted me softly. I took in a deep breath, suddenly feeling chills running down my back. Ms. Ewing was one of Steven''s people? That disrupted my thoughts-1 wasn''t able to think clearly for aText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. moment. Did that mean that Ms. Ewing was also a multifaceted spy, and she was just pretending to cooperate in front of Peter? But what did she mean when she asked me those mysterious questions before? "Now that Miguel has reincarnated into Michael''s body, Daisy is worried that someone might notice the changes in him, causing unnecessary problems. "That''s why she dismissed everyone who was taking care of them previously and hired new people," Steven exined. But that wasn''t the exnation I wanted to hear. I had a feeling that Ms. Ewing wasn''t just one of Steven''s people. The way she interacted with me seemed like she was trying to verify my identity or confirm my memories. I looked at Steven for the longest time. What exactly was he nning to do? Why would we suddenly move to this ce? I felt like Steven was hiding a lot of things from me. It seemed like he was hiding them together with everyone else around me-including Ashton and Xan. I''d think that something was amiss whenever I looked at them. "I''ll head back to pack up the remaining things. You guys can go get some rest for now." Steven asked Ms. Ewing to bring us to our rooms before driving away on his own. I stood on the balcony of the master bedroom on the second floor. It had a perfect view of the winding mountain road, with nearly the entire mountain in sight. The view was beautiful here, and it seemed to be rtively safe. "Where are all our stuff kept? I want to have a look," I said, wanting to check the basement storage. When I arrived, I noticed that this vi had a basement as the elevator seemed to go down to three additional floors. However, Ms. Ewing stopped me and said, "You should have some warm milk and go to bed soon, miss." I looked at her, rmed. "Can''t I go down to have a look?" "It''s not that. It''s just that it''s still messy and dirty downstairs, Ms. Ewing exined. Lignored her and pressed the elevator button down, heading directly to basement level three. It was very spacious and dusty, filled with some old stuff. This wasn''t a new vi-likely several decades old. The disorganized pile of old stuff belonged to the previous owner. I walked over to the desk at the corner and looked at the items covered in dust. As I rummaged through them, I was surprised to find Sarah''s photo in one of the photo frames. Sarah truly looked like me when she was younger-not Stephany Larson, but Stephanie Carlson. The resemnce was as high as 80% and about 75% simr to my current body. Was she really a first-generation experimental subject, with Daisy and Nancy being the second-generation, and me being the third generation? What kind of secrets was Genome Society actually hiding? And how much had Steven been hiding from me? He told me that Dayton did not manage to meet the mastermind of Genome Society as they were very cautious. So, why was he acting strange recently? I frowned, quickening my steps wanting to leave. Perhaps Steven already found out who the mastermind was and was anxious because of that. Was he scared because he knew he wouldn''t be able to fight them? Was that why he was nning to face them on his own? Someone struck me from behind with a bat as soon as I came out of the basement. I managed to get a glimpse of the person who hit me just before I lost my consciousness. It was Ms. Ewing. She said, "It''s time to get back on track, miss." Chapter 659 ? My head was spinning, and my ears rang. I couldn''t even hear anything else. Ms. Ewing wouldn''t have dared to strike me if she was just one of Steven''s people. Who exactly was she working for? What was she nning to do? "He messed with your memories, miss. He wanted to make you forget all those things... Hurry up and recover your memories. It''s time to get back on track," Ms. Ewing whispered something in my ear, yet I couldn''t hear her clearly because of the ringing. "He found the secret to reincarnation and the key to altering memories, miss. You were right-he''s a dangerous person, and he''s obstructing your n. "It''s time for you to recall everything, miss. The n is still progressing smoothly, so it''s time for you to wake up-" she continued to urge impatiently. Who was Ms. Ewing talking about? Who was the one who was supposed to wake up now? Whose memory had been altered? I had a severe headache. Something seemed to be emerging from my mind. Was she talking about me and my memories? I had always wondered why Steven and everything rted to him was the only thing I couldn''t remember. Who was the one messing with my memories? My amnesia certainly wasn''t only an ident. Was it Steven? Why would he do that? I had clearly regained part of my memories, yet there were still many that I couldn''t recall-as if they were sealed off. I struggled in pain. "Stephie!" I heard Steven''s voice amidst my struggle. Worry bled out of his voice. "As expected, you''re really something.'' It seemed that he had deliberately left the vi to test Ms. Ewing. "You want her to recall everything, so you''re trying to use external force to recover her memories? You''re harming her instead!" Steven said, his voice gruff as if scolding her. I struggled to regain my consciousness, yet I couldn''t no matter how much I tried. "She has her own path to walk on, but you you''re the one who''s constantly obstructing her! You''re the one who messed with her memories after that car ident, turning her into a fool who kept crying over a man! That''s not my miss! "You''re the one harming her! If it weren''t for you messing with her memories, she wouldn''t have been hurt by people like Michael and Yasmin. The one who indirectly caused her death was you!" Ms. Ewing was vehemently using Steven. "What do you even know?" he cried out, almost losing control of his emotions.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "It''ll be self-destructive if she continues," he said, his voice hoarse. "Don''t think I don''t know what your intentions are. Do you think she''ll ever love you even if you mess with her memories? She''s heartless and unfeeling-she won''t love anyone. The n was her only focus, and she was willing to pay any price and sacrifice anyone-including you!" Ms. Ewing''s words were sharp. She continued, "Rtionships were never the most important to her. Do you think you''ll be able to trap her by your side forever by messing with her memories, ruining her, and changing her body? Do you think she''ll be a loyal housewife just for you? Dream on!" Steven seemed like he couldn''t be bothered to exin to Ms. Ewing. Soon, I heard her struggle and the sounds of her being brought away by someone. I wanted to regain my consciousness to get to the bottom of everything, but I couldn''t open my eyes. "Don''t trust anyone, Stephie-not even me," he choked, pulling me into his embrace. I could feel him trembling in anxiousness. "I want to save you, Stephie. You should live an ordinary life. Hatred shouldn''t have ruined you. You shouldn''t have to bear those sins. Live your life untainted, Stephie. Leave all the dirty work to me." Steven''s voice was choked with emotions, conveying both coldness and determination. He seemed to be making a vow-professing his love toward Stephanie Carlson and his unwavering determination. "We don''t have much time left, Stephie. I love you, I love you,'' Steven repeatedly told me that he loved me while kissing my forehead. Chapter 660 ? "Forget about me, Stephie. I want you to live an untainted life, enjoying simple and carefree days under the sun," Steven said in an earnest tone, expressing his hopes for my future. He told me to forget about him, but I didn''t want to. "Just sleep for now, Stephie. Everything will be alright-it will," he said, voice growing hoarser. I could feel him hugging me tight. I could also feel the syringe being injected into my body. Steven continued, "I wanted to be selfish and keep you for myself for longer, Stephie. I had wanted the four of us to settle down in the mountains for a little while, but it''s toote now. Jimmy has already shown his hand, and the Rebels have exposed theboratory in the deste area through Maya. "Everything has changed overnight, and now is the crucial time for the Rebels to strike at Genome Society. Everything... will be alright once you regain consciousness. His voice grew fainter and fainter until I could no longer hear him. My soul felt incredibly heavy, and I couldn''t open my eyes. I remained trapped in confusion. I could feel his endless despair. I wanted to hug him, but I couldn''t. "Have you made up your mind, Dad?'' I could vaguely hear Ashton''s voice from afar amidst my daze. "Can you... not leave us, Dad?" "Remember to protect your mom and always stay by her side,'' Steven instructed. Suddenly, fear and anxiety struck me hard, and I struggled with all my might. Everything seemed to being to an end, but why was I afraid of such a feeling? I struggled hard, trying to regain consciousness to stop Steven, but I couldn''t do anything anymore.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. I remained in confusion for the longest time-dazed and unable to distinguish time and space. My mind was nk, as if I had forgotten many things. "Stephie?" I heard someone calling my name in a daze. It was a familiar voice. "Wake up, Stephanie. Did you forget we''re supposed to bring the kids to the beach today?" I rubbed my aching forehead and tried to open my eyes. The sunlight was blinding, and a tall figure stood by the bedside to block the harsh light. He was standing against the light, but I could make out his face. For a moment, I felt disoriented and found him unfamiliar. "What''s wrong?" The man seemed worried about me as he touched my forehead. "You don''t have a fever, Stephanie. It''s time to get up." I propped myself up with my elbows and looked at him. "How long have I been asleep... Michael?" He shed me a smile and replied, "You''ve been knocked out for 12 hours. You stayed up to y with the kids until 2:00 am and refused to get up in the morning." I smiled as a memory shed in my mind. I was freely running in the field with my two kids and a dog. The weather was perfect, and we yed until sunset. We then went into the forest to catch some fireflies and stargaze. And then... the stars were covered by clouds and disappeared from sight. "Did it rainst night?" I asked. My memory ended with the starry sky being covered by clouds. Chapter 661 ? "Yes, a heavy rainstorm came through, Michael said, reaching his hand toward me. "The flowers outside are in full bloom, and the air is especially fresh today.'' I took his hand and got out of bed, walking out to the balcony from the bedroom. The vi was located on top of the mountains, offering fresh air and a perfect view of the entire mountain in sight. "When did we move here?" My mind was still in a state of confusion. I remembered moving in a while ago, yet I had a feeling that I was forgetting something. Michael replied, "Just a few days ago. Are you still not used to it?'' I shook my head. For some reason, I liked it here very much. "Mom, Dad, Stevie escaped!" The kids were shouting for us from the door. I quickly walked out. Ashton was anxiously telling me that Stevie had escaped. Iforted him, ''Don''t be anxious. Stevie is very smart. He''lle back on his own." Ashton stood in the hallway, looking at me with reddening eyes. "What if Stevie neveres back?" There was an inexplicable pang in my heart. I smiled as I reassured him, "He will." Soon enough, we heard Stevie''s barks. I chuckled and ruffled Ashton''s hair. "Isn''t he back now?" For some reason, there were still tears in his eyes. He turned and ran away without even looking at Michael." This child'' "It''s normal for their personalities to be somewhat reserved. They were adopted from the orphanage, after all. Ashton is rather lively, but Xan doesn''t really say much," Michael exined. Inodded. The voice inside my memory was telling me that both Ashton and Xan were adopted. However, I kept feeling that there was a cloudy veil in my mind. "Where''s Ms. Ewing?" I subconsciously asked. Michael was momentarily stunned. He looked at me for a moment before replying, "Ms. Ewing? My mom passed away in a car ident a few days ago. So, she decided to return to her hometown." I covered my mouth, looking at him in shock. ''Aunt Lois... passed away?" Michael nodded and hugged me. "You''re a bit overwhelmed with sadness right now, but you''ll feel better soon. "That''s so sudden... She was just fine..." I mumbled. What exactly was happening? "I feel as if I had a long, long dream, Michael. I seemed to have died once in my dream... There was someone named Yasmin by your side...'' Michael chuckled and replied, "Your dream is so vivid. I think I do have an acquaintance named Yasmin, but we haven''t really interacted much." I stared at him dumbly. Did that never happen at all? He said, "Alright, my mom''s car ident must''ve reminded you of the one your parents got into back then, and that''s why you''re overwhelmed with sadness now. It''s normal that your memories are jumbled up given that you still have some brain hemorrhage. "I''ve got your favorite dishes ready. Let''s go downstairs and eat." Michael took my hand and brought me downstairs. He was treating me well and seemed to love me a lot. There was no Yasmin or otherplicationsing between us. We even adopted two children and a dog. Even though this warm and happy scene suggested that I was living a happy life, why did I still feel an emptiness in my heart? It felt like I was living in a dream created by someone else, and my dreamweaver did not include themselves in the story. "Wait..." As we went downstairs, I caught a glimpse of my face in the reflection of the ss. For some reason, my chest tightened suddenly. I hurriedly turned and rushed into the bathroom. I stared at my own reflection in the bathroom in shock. That was right. It was still me. This was still my-Stephanie Carlson''s-face. It was the same, blemishless face. "Stephie." Michael worriedly hugged me from behind. ''Are you feeling scared again, Stephie? You were abducted and trapped in a ss cab by a killer a year ago. You were already on the brink of death when we found you. "You''ve been in and out of unconscious since then, and you only regained consciousness fully a few days ago. You''d sleep for an unusually long time. And when you do wake up, you''d forget about what happened the day before. You''d even confuse dreams with reality.'' Michael softly exined, "You''re struggling with some serious mental health issues, Stephie. That''s why I brought you over to the vi in the mountains."N?velDrama.Org is the owner. I looked at Michael, shocked. Chapter 662 ? My head hurt so much. My reflection in the mirror did look unusually pale, as if I was just recovering from an illness. Scenes shed through my mind-killer, rainy night, getting abducted by the killer, ss cab. "Yes. I was abducted...'' "Stephie?" My head hurt so bad. I subconsciously reached to touch my neck. For some reason, I felt that there should be a scar there, but nothing was there on my smooth neck. What exactly was going on with me? "The funeral for the sir and madam is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, Mr. Ford. Everything has been arranged," the butler quietly said. I stared at Michael in shock. His eyes reddened as he replied, "My dad... had cancer. He passed away in the sanatorium a while ago. My mom was overwhelmed with grief and was met with a car ident." I continued to look at him, slow to process his words. He lost both his parents in just a few days. Even though Michael lost both his parents, why couldn''t I feel much sadness from him? Wasn''t he upset? In my memories, Aunt Lois was incredibly fond of him, always showing him attention and care. "Don''t be too upset," Iforted softly, trying to hug him.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "This all will pass. From now onward, this is our home," Michael whispered. Inodded in reply. While heading downstairs, Michael and I found Xan sitting on the couch watching TV. Thetest news was ying on the screen. The headlines were ring "Mastermind of Serial Murder Cases Revealed: The True Culprit Is a Woman" and " Stephany Larson, Mastermind of Serial Murder Cases, Captured And Committed Suicide with Husband, Steven Lincoln." I stood in ce as I watched the news. A photo of Stephany Larson was shown on TV. My heartbeat started racing out of nowhere as I stared at the screen. "Stephany Larson Steven Lincoln..." I mumbled, repeating the two names. "You shouldn''t watch this kind of news, Xan. Your mom will feel afraid." Upon hearing themotion, Michael hurried over and turned off the TV. He frowned at Xan, warning her. She remained silent as she continued ying with her Rubik''s cube. Michael looked at me, concerned. ''It''s alright now, Stephie. The killer who abducted you back then-Stephany Larson-has now been caught. Her adoptive parents were human traffickers who targeted beautiful young women. You''re the luckiest one to have survived it." I leaned against him, trembling in his arms. "Steven Lincoln, that''s him. I remember him... I was abducted and trapped inside a house. He was holding an axe... I''ve seen him before. He''s a killer. It was undoubtedly him. He was finally caught. It turned out that he was only an aplice, and the mastermind was actually a woman named Stephany Larson. "It''s alright now, Stephie. Everything is fine now. It''ll all get better. Now that you''ve regained consciousness, our days will only be filled with happiness from now on," Michaelforted me repeatedly. I finally calmed down. Laying on his shoulders, I looked out the door. Ashton and the wolfhound named Stevie were at the entrance. They were both watching me with aplicated gaze. For some reason, I could see the profound sadness in the eyes of a dog and a child. Chapter 663 ? "When did we move to live in the mountains?'' It felt like everything around me was unusually unfamiliar, as if I was still living in a dream now. "We moved a while ago. You were unconscious for a long time," Michael said, taking my hand. I looked down at his hand. For some reason, I had the feeling that his hand shouldn''t be this smooth and unblemished but littered with burn marks and scars Surprised by my own thoughts, I subconsciously flinched away from Michael''s hand. He looked at me with hurt, but it was fleeting. "Let''s go out for a walk, Stephie." He brought me out. "Did Rachel... contact me?" I asked Michael upon remembering Rachel. He nodded. "She did. When you got abducted, she helped me and the police look for you. She truly cares for you, Stephie. She''s genuine to you.'' After a moment of silence, Michael continued, "She became a coroner because of you. But her work is getting more demanding now, so she might not be able to visit you as often." I nodded in reply. She would surely be busier as a coroner. "Do you want to go out for a walk?" he asked again when he noticed that I wasn''t nning to leave. I shook my head. I was fearful of the sunlight outside for some reason. I kept feeling that everything was unreal-that I was still living in a dream. "I''ll stay at home with you then, Stephie. Michael was about to hug me, yet I instinctively pulled away and resisted him. I was surprised by my own actions. Michael and I were not that close, right? "Did we really adopt the two kids together, Michael? What kind of rtionship do we have now?" My mind was nk, and I felt as if I had forgotten something important. Michael said, ''We''re already nning to register our marriage, Stephie. I admit I wasn''t really kind to you before this-I''ve always been suppressing my feelings for you. But when something happened to you, it made me realize that I really do love you. "You''re the only one I love, and I want to do everything I can to make it up to you and win you back. I''ve been staying by your side constantly during this time, and you gradually epted me back, finally agreeing to my proposal.'' He poured some water for me and handed me some pills. "It''s time for your medications, Stephie.'' I stared at the pills, asking, "What are these pills? I feel fine right now." I didn''t want to take the medications. "Be good, Stephie. You suffered serious injuries and are still in the recovery period. You also need treatment for your memory issues. These are the medications for nerve care and memory recovery," Michael coaxed me to take the pills. I felt resistant and refused to take them. "You have to listen to the doctor, or you''ll forget things and lose control of your emotions. You even hurt me and the kids that day," Michael said softly. He wasn''t ming me; it sounded more like a plea. I looked at him, somewhat shocked. Did I lose control without even noticing? I took the pills from his hands and swallowed them. Soon enough, my emotions seemed to be suppressed and I calmed down entirely. There was no extra time or space for me to think about anything else. Michael took my hand. I seemed to have no energy to pull it out despite my resistance "Do you want to eat cotton candy, Mom?'' Ashton ran in from the outside, a cotton candy in his hand. There was a jolt in my mind, and fragments of memories shed in my mind.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I saw a tall figure getting out of the car to buy me some cotton candy. Chapter 664 ? "I bought this for my wife. Go buy them yourself if you want some as well... You''ll end up with rotten teeth if you have more..." that person seemed to say. I stood in a daze as I held onto the cotton candy. Why couldn''t I make out the face of the person in my memory anymore? Were those my warm memories with Michael? Why did I feel that it wasn''t him? "The police have solved multiple missing persons cases and discovered the mastermind to be a mad experimental base hidden in a deste area. Whether it''s a distortion of human nature or the decaying of morality, the exposure of this experimental base has shocked the entire society."N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Ashton turned on the TV and was listening to the news again. Down the mountain, it seemed everything had changed. The exposure of Genome Society was like arge tree being uprooted, leaving a tangled mess in its wake. People started protesting online and condemning such actions. "On May 24, 2046, the government issued a new decree banning all sorts of human genome editing experiments. It prohibits all sorts of gic modification on human embryos for reproduction, experimentation, and other inhumane practices. "Cloning human embryos are also strictly prohibited, along with-" Ashton sat on the ground while Stevie sat obediently beside him. They were watching and listening to the reports on genome editing and gic experiments one after another. The ''deaths'' of Stephany Larson and Steven Lincoln were like a bomb, causing ripples everywhere. And now, the misdeeds and corruptions of Genome Society were finallying to light. Someone had single-handedly ripped away Genome Society''s cover, exposing their profit-driven activities like genome modification, transnt of edited organs, and human trafficking to the public. They would soon have nowhere to hide with the government taking action. "Some people are just like geckos. Even if they''re cut down, they''ll still manage toe back," Ashton mumbled in front of the TV. I was somewhat surprised to find that even a child would be interested in watching news about societal issues. "What''s wrong with society? They''re prohibiting genome editing now?" I asked, confused. Michael seemed to be into it as well, staring at the news. His voice was hoarse when he said, "When we see one cockroach around, that means there are already countless around." I said nothing and continued to watch the news. "An 18-year-old young woman went missing for 20 years, only to be found preserved in a cryogenic chamber. The crimes of Genome Society go far beyond this-the exposed experiments are shocking and have rippled across the world." Media reporters were conducting interviews at theboratory site discovered in the deste area. But they weren''t allowed entry due to restrictions. However, the limited information revealed was enough to shock the entire society. "Eight gically superior victims were used as breeding tools to produce the best possible gic specimens. Only four were still alive when found, and they were already suffering severe mental issues. What the media could report was incredibly limited. The true horrors of Genome Society were those unimaginable and terrifying experiments that couldn''t be fully reported as they would certainly cause widespread panic. "I thought these things would only happen in foreign countries," I whispered. "They are happening in foreign countries, but their authorities are involved. That''s why they''ve managed to keep things under a tight wrap,'' Michael exined. Inodded my head, saying, "That''s so scary. Let''s not go out that often in the future. There are dangers lurking everywhere.'' Michael nodded and smiled as he held my hands tight. "Alright, I''ll protect you and the kids." I looked down at his hands. I started to hallucinate for some reason. I seemed to be seeing a pair of scarred hands holding my own tightly, but they still looked beautiful despite the scars. The person said, "Live your life untainted, Stephie. Leave the dirty work to me." Chapter 665 ? "The weather''s perfect today, Stephie. How about we register our marriage today, just like you''ve promised me?" Michael seemed eager to register our marriage. I looked at him for a moment, feeling inexplicably resistant. "I keep feeling that my mind''s a mess right now. How about we head down to meet up with our friends first, and we''ll talk about itter?" I suggested going down the mountain, looking at him. "Stephie... Michael subconsciously held my hand tight. "It''s not safe to head down the mountain.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "You''ve seen what''s happening with the exposure of Genome Society-everything is still unsettled and everyone''s fearful. It''s quieter and safer up in the mountains. "Your memory hasn''t fully recovered yet, so it''s normal for your mind to be a mess. I''ll stay here with all of you, and we can head back down after a while, okay?" he said, seeming a little nervous. I nodded before leaning back against the couch. "Steven," I instinctively called out a name. I did it subconsciously. Who was Steven? Michael evidently stiffened before turning to me, his gaze wavering. "Are you calling for Stevie, Stephie?" Stevie turned to look at me and gave me a bark. I rubbed my temple. Why would I call out for "Steven''? Was it supposed to be Stevie? "Why do I keep thinking about someone who''s supposed to stay by my side?" I mumbled. "It''s your PTSD, Stephie. The doctor said that your mind created a person to stay by your side and protect you when you were scared and anxious, but this person doesn''t exist in reality,'' Michael patiently exined. Inodded, somewhat getting what he meant. Feeling tired, I got up and looked at Ashton and Xan. I told Michael, ''You should stay and y with the kids for a bit. I''m sleepy, so I''ll head to sleep first.'' I drifted off into a deep sleep as soon as I returned to my room. I dreamed of a vastwn with flowers, forest, sunshine, and a flowing stream. Ashton and Xan were running freely while ying with kites under the sun. Stevie was running with them too. I smiled softly as I sat on thewn. Time seemed to stand still, and everything seemed so beautiful. There was a man by my side. I couldn''t make out his face clearly in the dream, but he was holding my hand. In the dream, my gaze remained focused on his hand that was tightly holding mine. It was a hand covered in scars. Everything felt so blurry, yet that hand was oddly clear. "Steven," I called out instinctively again. The sky was dark by the time I woke up. Michael entered the room holding a ss of water and some pills." It''s time for your medicine, Stephie." I looked at the pills in his hands and swallowed them without a second thought. "I''ve got some work to take care of at the office, Stephie. You can get some rest at home. Good night. Michael kissed my forehead before he got up and left. Those pills made me sleepy. I felt drowsy all day long. Even though I just woke up, I quickly became tired again after taking the medicine. I suppressed my drowsiness and sat up. I didn''t feel like sleeping for some reason. I wanted to look at the sky. I walked to the balcony on the second floor and stood there watching the sky. The sky was covered with dark clouds,pletely blocking the stars. Suddenly, I heard some noisesing from the courtyard. I warily nced over. Michael''s car had already left the vi, speeding away down the winding mountain road. I headed downstairs with a shlight, finding the vi eerie and unsettling for some reason. "Who''s there?" I walked out to the courtyard and stared at a corner. There was no answer. Ashton and Xan were already asleep. The courtyard was eerily silent. Suddenly, a figure emerged, covered in blood and dressed in torn clothes. It was evident that they had just escaped from somewhere. "Don''t take those medicines, miss! Don''t take them! They''re trying to change you! Don''t believe in any of them-don''t trust them!" The person madly clutched at my hands, yelling out strange things. I was startled and backed off in fear. I could only make out the person''s face after I calmed down. "Ms. Ewing?" Ms. Ewing stumbled onto the ground and looked at me intently. "They''re trying to change you, miss. You''re no longer yourself. Please don''t let them get away with this. Don''t take those pills." Stevie ran out upon hearing themotion and started barking. The next moment, the bodyguards rushed in and took her away. Chapter 666 ? I stared in shock at Michael, who had just returned. "Isn''t she Ms. Ewing?" He rushed toward me and pulled me into his embrace. "It''s all my fault, Stephie. Ms. Ewing couldn''t take it and lost her mind. I''ll take care of it. Just listen to me.'' Stunned, I watched them drag Ms. Ewing away. She lost her mind? She asked me not to take the medicine because they were changing me? What did that mean? "Go to the basement," Ms. Ewing mouthed those words to me before she was dragged into a car. She asked me to go to the basement. I stood numbly in ce. I couldn''t register any of Michael''sforting words in my mind. What kind of secret was hidden in the basement? "Go back to sleep, Stephie." Michael took my hand and led me back to the living room. He only left after seeing me head upstairs. I stood on the balcony, watching his car drive away into the distance once again. Was Ms. Ewing''s escape the work he had to take care of at the office? I felt confused. Why did I feel that everything and everyone around me was fake, as if everything in my life was a lie? I carefully went down to the basement after finding the shlight. There were three levels to the basement. I didn''t know which level Ms. Ewing wanted me to go to. So, I decided to head straight to the third level, making my way up level by level. The basement was dimly lit. I couldn''t tell if it was because of the old wiring or if someone had deliberately cut the power, leaving it pitch-ck. Suddenly, something scurried past my feet. Without thinking I lifted my foot and crushed the scurrying rat beneath. I felt numb both physically and mentally. I looked down at the lifeless rat on the ground and took a deep breath. I backed away in fear and bumped into a cab as reality sat in. Did I just kill a rat emotionlessly? I knocked into something on the cab, and a box fell onto the ground. Its contents were scattered out, containing some books, old photos, and also some handwritten notes. I crouched down and looked at the photos on the ground. Among them was an old photo with a woman who looked a lot like me. The man looked familiar as well. They were taking amemorative photo on the mountain, looking happy as the young man hugged the woman I turned the photo over and saw the delicate handwriting behind it. It said, "A memento of Sarah Leigh and Andy Lincoln.'' Sarah Leigh... Andy Lincoln... My head hurt so bad. For some reason, I found those two names familiar. Iflipped through the photos on the ground. They were mostly photos of Andy and Sarah, as well as photos of only Sarah alone. The handwritten notes showed a young woman''s innocent hopes for love and her dreams for the future. In the letters, this young woman named Sarah was filled with dreams and hopes as she described their future to her lover. She mentioned Andy in nearly every paragraph. She wrote, "Meeting you is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me. I want to marry you and start a family together." Sarah probably wasn''t the most skilled in literacy her letters weren''t the most moving, yet they were sincere. Her words expressed her joy and dreams. She wrote, "I want to bear your children. I like daughters. What about you?" There was Andy''s reply in the letter. He wrote, "I want a son. Even though I don''t mind having either, I need to have a son to get my father off my back."N?velDrama.Org is the owner. He also wrote, "I''m hiding you here. Listen to me and don''t go anywhere. I''ll take you home once I deal with the problems." It wasn''t hard to tell that the two of them initially loved each other. But the tone of Sarah''s handwritten notes gradually changed, andher words grew hostile. She wrote, "I want to kill you so that you''ll stay with me forever." Chapter 667 ? They gradually stopped exchanging handwritten letters. I flipped through the contents of the box, but I couldn''t find any other letters between the two of them. Everything else in the basement seemed to have gradually lost any traces of Sarah''s presence. That meant that she had disappeared in this vi while waiting for Andy. The basement was filled with the things Sarah had used-even the cosmetics from the past era that had been used a little and then left to dry up in their bottles over time. I carefully looked around the basement. It was eerily huge as the vi itself was huge. I was currently three levels down the basement. It felt spacious and terrifying. I saw another box at a corner no further away. Upon opening it, I took a nce and recognized the person in the photo-it was Ms. Ewing when she was younger. She wasn''t pretty when she was younger. There was a total of three people in the photo-Sarah, Andy, and Ms. Ewing. She was smiling at the camera, standing behind the two of them. I could tell that she was rather young back then-around herte teens. She was probably one of the household staff in this vi. Aspared to Ms. Ewing, Sarah was simply breathtaking in the photo. In a time when beauty filters did not exist, she was truly stunning in this old photo. There were some daily necessities and a diary in Ms. Ewing''s box. The early entries were filled with everyday details, but the only highlight was her envy of Sarah and Andy''s rtionship. Ms. Ewing wrote, "Mr. Lincoln truly pampers Ms. Leigh a lot. He buys her an entire wardrobe of expensive clothes just for her. He even gifted her the expensive cosmetics and jewelry that I''ve only seen on TV. "He also makes sure to get the finest ingredients delivered daily. The life of a wealthy wife is truly enviable." She also wrote, "Mr. Lincoln is such a fine man. Ms. Leigh has been staying here for over half a year now, and he''s only here to keep herpany. Not once did he ever do something else. He said he''d only get intimate with Ms. Leigh after their marriage. "It''s really rare to find someone like him. I''m not even sure what I could do to find someone like Mr. Lincoln." At the end of the diary, Ms. Ewing wrote, ''Ms. Leigh has disappeared. She probably left the vi in a fit of anger. Mr. Lincoln treats her so well, yet she still ran away. She even told me to run and not to trust anyone. She told me that there were evil spirits here. She must have lost her mind!" Chills ran down my spine after reading it. Was this vi haunted? Suddenly, I heard a crunching noiseing from behind me. Alerted, I stood up and shone my shlight over in that direction. A shadow shed by, emitting a strange noise My chest tightened as I slowly moved over. Fear began to spread within me, and it felt oddly unsettling. "I''m scared, Steven!" Iinstinctively screamed for Steven when the light hit the wall and an eerie shadow appeared. But I immediately calmed down as soon as I screamed. Who exactly was Steven?N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "Who''s there?" I warily asked the shadow hiding in the corner. The figure did not reply to me but continued to make a crunching noise. Ibraved myself and walked over, nearly vomiting in disgust. Crouched in the corner was a woman dressed in a filthy nightgown with messy hair. She was eating a rat raw. "Who are you?" I asked tentatively. She suddenly froze, turning over eerily and staring right at me. Upon seeing me, she lunged at me as if crazed. "Die! All of you should die!" She knocked me into the ground, and I hit my head hard. I could make out her face under the dim lights. Time hadn''t left too much of its marks on her face. I figured that she was Sarah Leigh-the original owner of this vi. Why was she living such a bizarre life in the basement? Chapter 668 ? I nced at Sarah''s clothes. Although they were dirty, there were still parts that were clean. I pushed her away and saw that there was a bowl with remnants of food at the corner where she was crouching. Someone must have been keeping her hidden down here all this while. "All of you deserve to die... You''re not me-not me. Die! Die!" she started mumbling as if she had lost her mind." Not me... You''re not me. I''m the only one... only one..." I looked at Sarah and realized that she wasn''t very aggressive. She got frightened and retreated back to her corner when I stood up. I could tell that she hadpletely lost her mind. "Why are you here?" I asked. Sarah looked at me and started smiling suddenly. ''Kill them all... All of you, go kill them all." I frowned, unable to understand her babbling.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She continued, "Oh, Andy loves me. If he doesn''t, he should die.'' "Stephie!" Michael''s anxious shout came from upstairs. He was looking for me. It seemed like he wasn''t familiar with this vi. Despite me calling out for him down here, he did note down to the basement immediately. It took him a while toe down with other people. "Stephie!" Michael hurriedly hugged me. ''Don''t wander around. This vi is just too dangerous. "Who is she?" I asked him. Michael and his bodyguards almost screamed out of shock. Clearly, he did not know who Sarah was. "She''s the person we''re looking for-Sarah Leigh." Zion and Eason came down from the stairs. "It seems like Angel was telling the truth. Sarah escaped from theboratory years ago and has been hiding in the basement of this vi ever since. Angel has beening in regrly to provide her food." "How did she manage to escape?" Zion asked, curious. "Even though theboratory might not be imprable, it''s incredibly difficult to escape alive."N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Eason replied, ''Angel is part of the Rebels. She said that the Rebels rescued Sarah many years ago." I looked at Zion and Eason, feeling confused. I felt that they were familiar. I seemed to know them, but I just couldn''t remember anything. "Oh, you''re even treating Una like she''s Stephanie now?'' Eason asked sarcastically. Michael did not reply to him. He hugged me tightly in his embrace, as if afraid of something. "She''s the only one from the group of missing persons who escaped alive, though she seems to have lost her sanity. "Eason walked over to examine Sarah closely. "What kind of advanced techniques did they use on her? She looks like she''s in her 30s." Sarah looked well-maintained. "She hasn''t seen the sunlight for years, and oxidation is slow in a controlled environment. That must be the reason her aging process slowed down,'' Zion said, checking the time. "We''ll bring her back for now. We haven''t found Steven yet, so we need to stay cautious." "They say that he''s dead. There''s no survivor from the explosion in Daisy''sboratory, so perhaps..." Eason''s tone was tinged with sadness. "No, he wouldn''t die," Zion said, refusing to ept the reality of Steven''s death. "Stephany is his everything. You''ve seen the way he would risk everything to protect her. But we''ve found Stephany''s body, and the DNA results confirm that it''s her-she''s dead! So, how could Steven still be alive?" Eason looked as if he was venting his frustration. "I won''t believe that he''s dead unless I see his body. ''Zion then instructed someone to take Sarah away. He nced at me as he walked past before telling Michael, ''She''s also a clone subject. We''ll need to get her cooperation and have her do a gic test with Sarah'' "Steven... " I grabbed Zion''s wrist before he could leave. "Who''s Steven?" Michael started panicking and hugged me instinctively. "He''s nobody, Stephie. There''s no one with that name. You must be tired. Let''s go back to rest." Zion frowned before turning to look at Michael suspiciously. "Isn''t she Una, Michael?" Chapter 669 ? Michael frowned as he looked at Zion and Eason. He said, "She''s Una." I was perplexed. Una? Wasn''t I Stephanie? Eason coldly chuckled before leaving with Zion. The basement fell deathly silent once everyone left. "Listen to me, Stephie. Don''t tell anyone else that you''re Stephanie Carlson from now onward,'' Michael said, looking at me anxiously. "If someone asks, you tell them that you''re Una and you don''t have any other memories. Just tell them you don''t know no matter what they ask you." "Why?" I looked at him, confused. "There are too many people out there who might be from Genome Society. It might even be someone around us. Don''t trust anyone else other than me." Michael held my hand tightly. His gaze grew even more anxious under the dim lights. "From now onward, you can''t live as Stephanie anymore. You have to go by Una-because Stephanie Carlson is already dead to the public." I looked at Michael in shock. Stephanie Carlson was already dead? But why, when I was clearly still alive? "Don''t ask me why, don''t leave me, and don''t go down the mountains. We can live with the kids together in the mountains, okay?" He took my hand and led me up.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I watched his back, saying nothing. Before going to sleep, Michael handed me some more medicine. I was perplexed. Didn''t I just take them? Why did I have to take them again? "They''ll help with your sleep," he softly coaxed. "Let''s sleep together, Stephie. I''ll stay by your side, so don''t be afraid." He wanted to sleep with me. I looked at the medicine and fell silent. I shook my head and replied, "I want to sleep alone.'' Michael looked somewhat hurt. "I''m worried that you might feel afraid in the night, Stephie." I took the pills and put them into my mouth before taking a sip of water. ''I''m sorry, I''m still not used to sleeping with you." Michael was taken aback. Indeed, he had never spent the night with Stephanie before this. He would always leave whenever he was done with her, telling her disdainfully that he felt disgusted seeing her. "I''m sorry," he said hoarsely before getting up and leaving in a hurry. The person who had the hardest time epting the past was actually Michael. As soon as he left, I ran into the bathroom and spat out the pills. What would happen if I didn''t take these pills? After rinsing my mouth, I sat in the bathroom for the longest time. The woman who was mentally ill... Ms. Ewing, who suddenly showed up and warned me from taking the medications and not to trust anyone... And also Steven, whom I had no recollection of in my mind. What exactly had happened? "Mom?" The door opened quietly, and Ashton''s head popped out to look at me. I walked out of the bathroom and looked at him. I asked, "Why aren''t you asleep yet?" "I can''t sleep, Mom. Can I sleep with you?" Ashton looked around before slipping into my room. "Let''s sleep, then," I coaxed softly, lying on the bed. Yet, Ashton kept on staring at me and refused to go to sleep. "Are you not sleepy?'' I asked in a soft voice. Ashton nodded. ''Mom." He only called out to me cautiously, seemingly hesitant to speak. I could tell that Ashton had many things he wanted to tell me, yet he wasn''t saying anything. I didn''t know how to ask about them either. He ended up falling asleep while curled up in my embrace. At that moment, he looked as if he was desperately yearning for maternal love. Chapter 670 ? Despite not taking the medicine, I remained well-rested. That meant that the pills weren''t meant to make me sleep well. I felt much better mentally the next day. The hazy feeling in my brain seemed to disperse a little as well. "Stephany was Genome Society''s most valuable experimental subject, yet she died in Daisy''sboratory. Genome Society must be in chaos now. Losing Stephany means losing an extremely valuable research subject Zion and Eason were back to seal off the vi and look for valuable information in the basement this time. For some reason, I was interested in listening to Zion''s colleagues talking about Stephany Larson and Steven Lincoln.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. One of the officers said, ''Genome Society refused to let Stephany go when she was alive. Perhaps death is a sort of escape for her.'' "Does reincarnation really exist in this world? I saw the words "Reincarnation Project" written in theboratory records. Are they for real?" I listened curiously. Reincarnation? "Stop talking. ''Zion and Eason interrupted the other officers'' conversation. Their gazes were tinged with sadness. Stephany was probably someone important to them. They wouldn''t have been so sad otherwise. "Steven wouldn''t just give up on Stephany so easily-unless he''s absolutely certain that he could make the Reincarnation Project a reality. Perhaps this is his version of a switcheroo," Eason softly said to Zion. "Do you think it''s possible that Steven gave Stephany a new identity in order to help her escape Genome Society''s pursuit? She could be truly free that way," he continued Zion halted his steps and turned to look at Eason. ''Do you also believe in the Reincarnation Project? The experimental data shows that the first experimental subject that seeded in reincarnating was Joel. Do you believe that Joel is Simeon?" Eason was taken aback, frozen in ce. There was a hint of conflict and anxiousness coloring his face. He subconsciously looked down and clenched his fists. "I hope he is. "This is just a hopeful wish of the living. I don''t believe in the so-called soul reincarnation.'' As a staunch materialist, he found it hard to believe in such things despite the backing of scientific and experimental data. "Is Steven Lincoln... the Steven you''re talking about?" I walked out from the corner, looking at Eason and Zion. Zion and Eason were stunned. They instinctively frowned when they saw me, turning wary. "I''m sorry. It seems that I have forgotten a lot of things," I said, smiling apologetically. Eason looked at me suspiciously. "I want to know who Steven is. "I couldn''t even exin why I was so eager to find out who he was, nor my intense curiosity behind it. "The Steven we''re talking about is Steven Lincoln, Zion exined. "The news says that both of them are the masterminds behind the serial murder cases. Is that true?" I felt curious. Was this Steven the person who abducted me during the rainy night and wanted to kill me? "That''s only spection. The media is reporting nonsense. The real mastermind is not Stephany Larson but Stephanie Carlson, who might have been reincarnated into Stephany. If Stephanie really is the mastermind, Steven would''ve been an aplice," Eason calmly said. "How could that be..." I looked at Eason in shock before looking back at my own hands. Wasn''t I Stephanie Carlson? Yet Michael told me to tell everyone that I was Una. What exactly did that mean? "Stephanie Carlson almost died in the serial murder cases too. How could she be the mastermind?" I anxiously said. "She was the best at deceiving everyone," Zion said with his head lowered as he sifted through for valuable items. He sounded somewhat sad and regretful. Eason said, ''Carol turned herself in on the day Daisy''sboratory exploded and theboratory in the deste area was exposed. She didn''t die during the games in the ruined building. She merely faked her death. "Carol said that she was from the Rebels and she had nned everything just to avenge Simeon. She wanted to kill everyone," he said, looking at me as if deliberately trying to gauge my reaction. He continued, "Carol said that the creator of the Rebels is Stephanie Carlson. Both of them teamed up to do all of that.'' I looked at Eason in shock. I couldn''t understand what he was saying. My mind was in disarray. I only felt darkness closing in and warmth in my nose. I reached out to touch my nose and realized that it was bleeding. The world started spinning soon after, and I lost consciousness. Chapter 671 ? Angel struck Stephanie unconscious in the vi in the mountain. She was nning to take her away. "He messed with your memories, miss. He wants to make you forget all those things... Hurry up and recover your memories. It''s time to get back on track." She was crouched by Stephanie''s side, carefully caressing her hair. "So, reincarnation really exists... That''s why Daisy had been preparing for her and Miguel''s reincarnation for all these years. Unfortunately..." "Steven did find the secret to reincarnation, miss. You were right-he''s a dangerous person, and he''s obstructing your n. It''s time for you to recall everything, miss," Angel mumbled to herself. "The n is still progressing smoothly, so it''s time for you to wake up." She struggled to carry Stephanie, wanting to leave the basement. "Where are you bringing her to?" Steven walked out from the dark, looking at Angel. "As expected, something is wrong with you." Angel frowned at him. Her gaze was cold as she said, ''She has her own path to walk on, but you-you''re the one who''s constantly obstructing her! You''re the one who messed with her memories after that car ident, turning her into a fool who kept crying over a man! That''s not my miss! "You''re the one harming her! If it weren''t for you messing with her memories, she wouldn''t have been hurt by people like Michael and Yasmin. The one who indirectly caused her death was you!" Ms. Ewing was vehemently using Steven. "It''ll be self-destructive if she continues," Steven said, his voice hoarse. "Don''t think I don''t know what your intentions are. Do you think she''ll ever love you even if you mess with her memories? She''s heartless and unfeeling-she won''t love anyone. The n was her only focus, and she was willing to pay any price and sacrifice anyone-including you!" She continued, "Rtionships were never the most important to her. Do you think you''ll be able to trap her by your side forever by messing with her memories, ruining her, and changing her body? Do you think she''ll be a loyal housewife just for you? Dream on!Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "To her, your arrangement is just a patronizing insult!" Steven chuckled coldly and said, "You''re not the one who understands her the most. You would never understand her pain." He calmed down and nced at the people behind him. "Throw her into an asylum. No one is allowed to let her out without my permission. Tell Michael that the n is starting." Daisy was already eager to proceed with the reincarnation project. There was no time left. "I want to save you, Stephie.'' Steven''s voice was choked with emotions. "We don''t have time left, Stephie. Live your life untainted and leave the dirty work to me. "Forget about me, Stephie. I want you to enjoy simple and carefree days under the sun. I love you, Stephie. "He kissed her forehead for thest time. He wanted Stephie to continue living. It didn''t matter if she changed her body as long as she could go on living safely. Daisy''s men arrived as soon as Steven''s men left. "You know how impatient I am, Steven.'' Daisy looked around the vi and smiled sarcastically. ''So, the cage Andy gifted to Sarah is still here after all these years." "We''ve agreed that you''ll let Stephie and I go as long as Iplete the reincarnation project for you,'' Steven said hoarsely as he hugged Stephanie. Daisy''s men had already surrounded the entire ce. He knew that no one could ever escape if Daisy was still alive. "Of course," Daisy said, walking over to Steven''s side. She instructed someone to carry the unconscious Stephanie away. "As long as I sessfully wake up in Una, these men will release your Stephanie under my secret order.'' Daisy nned to use Stephanie as leverage to force Steven to proceed with her reincarnation project. Chapter 672 ? Daisy took a deep breath. She was finally about to get rid of this decayed, immature body. "Do you know how old I am currently?" she asked in a hoarse voice when they got into the car. Steven did not respond to her. "My real age is only 40." Daisy had only lived for 40 years from the moment she was cloned up until now. ''I''ve had adult emotions since I was five, and I was 16 when I gave birth to Miguel''s clone subject-Michael." However, as she was a first-generation clone subject with immature cloning technology, her body experienced a dramatic decline and aged rapidly once she reached 18. No amount of beauty products or cosmetic procedures could reverse the effects. "I told the public that I''m 58 this year because I can only be the same age as my original subject, Daisy Lane. I''ll age if she ages; if she dies, so will I,'' Daisy said. She continued with a sarcastic smile, ''Others think I''ve aged well for someone in their 50s. But if it weren''t for the huge amount of money invested, I might even look older than Daisy!"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "With your capability and my ambition, Steven, what could Genome Society possibly do to us if we teamed up? "She then turned to look at Steven with a smile. Daisy was truly mad. Not only was she focusing on reincarnating into Una, but she also wanted to eliminate Genome Society to be the biggest power yer herself. "I know you''re determined to eliminate and dismantle Genome Society, but their power is beyond what you can imagine. They''re deeply rooted in countries worldwide like an ant colony and have an extensivework of roots in the world like arge tree," she said, her voice low and apprehensive. Daisy continued, ''We''re all servants of the undergroundwork, while the real superiors are above us-like the trunk and leaves of the tree. They might be the social elites from various countries-bank presidents, doctors, Nobelureates, financial news figures, or leaders of major conglomerates..." How could one possibly uproot and bring down such a massivework? Steven''s efforts in eliminating Genome Society were just like a drop in the ocean. And he was clear about what he was up against, as well as his ultimate oue. As such, he couldn''t allow Stephanie to continue to get more involved. This was as far as she should go. Steven nced sideways at her, who was in another car. Their involvement with each other could only go this far. He would make Stephanie forget himpletely-as if ''Steven" had never existed in this world. Steven had his own mission to fulfill. He lived to die. He would protect his loved one in his own way. "I couldn''t get over it, Steven." The car stopped in the undergroundboratory of the university. Daisy then got out of the car. She once harbored dreams and a deep resentment toward Genome Society. Just like Steven, she had tried to escape and eliminate them. But in the end, Daisy witnessed the power of capital and the harsh realities of the universe. She ended uppromising and joining them. She wanted to live forever. It was foolish to think she couldbat the assets andwork built from generations, or even decades, of capitalism with her limited lifespan. Daisy had to live long enough to have the chance to witness the eventual downfall of Genome Society. Chapter 673 ? Michael was also present in theboratory. He looked at Steven with aplicated gaze. Daisy walked over and hugged Miguel''s arm. She was fully convinced that the person inside Michael''s body was actually Miguel. Unfortunately, she was wrong "Must you really do this, Daisy?'' Miguel asked, conflicted. Daisy chuckled and replied, "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine." She was confident that Steven would ensure the sess of the experiment for Stephanie''s sake. "Everything will be alright, and we''ll stay together happily." Daisy held onto Miguel''s hand, smiling hopefully. Steven looked at her indifferently. Stephanie would never be free if these lunatics were still alive. Daisy''sboratory exploded, causing severe disturbance from under Huma University. The police and fire department arrived at the scene quickly. Aboratory hidden in the middle of Huma''s city center was now exposed to the public. Humans could never resist the temptation of genome editing. Everyone wanted to y creator, but was it truly a good thing to recklessly edit and alter genes? The exposure of the genome editing undergroundboratory caused a global sensation.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Both Stephany and Steven were victims of this explosion, yet they only managed to find Stephany''s body. I couldn''t remember how long I had been unconscious in the vi on the mountain. My mind felt foggy, as if my instincts and nature were suppressed by medication. I felt as if I''d lost a lot of blood from the nosebleed. This body felt foreign to me. "I''m so jealous of you, Stephanie. Why was it that you got to meet your star while we were left in the dark, even though we''re all clone subjects? You have to live on with my body, Stephanie. I''m willing to give you my body. "Keep on living, Stephanie. Keep on living for our sake.'' A despairing voice echoed in my mind-it was Una. She was asking me to keep on living for their sake. All of the third-generation clone subjects were perfect. The only thing that couldn''t be ovee was thew of natural destruction. Such aw dictated that clone subjects would develop severe issues like depression or bipr disorder once they reached a certain age. They would begin to experience mania, irritability, loss of physical control, and their souls would crave death. As they were not naturally born beings, they couldn''t change their fates or avoid death. They were hollow within. They wanted to-and had to-die. "Do you know that there are cases in nature where animalsmit mass suicide, Stephanie? There''s an unseen force that''s controlling the paths of all living things. Our existence isn''t allowed by god, Stephanie. We''re born into hell. I felt as if I had seen Una in the stark whiteboratory while in a daze. She smiled at me before gradually disappearing. There was a blinding light, and I couldn''t open my eyes. My final memory stayed on Steven''s face. "Stephie?" He tried calling my name. He seemed relieved the moment I opened my eyes. He then injected a syringe into my neck. "Go to sleep, Stephie. It''ll all end when you open your eyes again. Steven always seemed to recognize me instantly regardless if I was in Stephany''s or Una''s body. I wondered how he managed to identify me with such precision. "Stephie..." I heard someone calling in my ear once again. But the voice had gone from Steven''s to Michael''s. I had recovered my memories. Chapter 674 ? Steven couldn''t erase memories-he could only seal them away temporarily for various reasons. It was simr to using electrical stimtion to precisely hide certain memories. However, everything woulde flooding back once triggered. I opened my eyes abruptly, looking at the ceiling with a quickened breath. I had regained all my memories-not only that of Steven but those that I never recalled in the past. Everything would be back to its original track. "Stephie?" Michael looked at me nervously. He reached out to hug me. I pped him almost instinctively, my voice low when I said, "Get out." Michael was frozen in ce. His gaze at me gradually shifted from concern to fear. He was probably aware that I had recovered all my memories. ''Stephie... Iignored him and got off the bed to stretch my arms. I feltfortable using this body as it perfectly matched my genes. I smiled when I saw my reflection in the ss. Everything was progressing smoothly ording to my n, except for oneplication-Steven. He was so full of himself. Did he really think I would ever love him? Did he think that after sealing off my memories, I''d end up like a fool who only saw love? What aughable idiot he was. "Stephie.." Michael''s voice sounded a little wary. He took out a syringe from the bedside drawer and tried to get near me. He looked like a fool in the reflection of the floor-to-ceiling ss. I swiftly dodged him and grabbed his wrist. "It''s time for you to pay back what you owe me, Michael!" Michael''s gaze wavered before subconsciously stepping back in fear. "You... You''re Stephanie!" The "Stephanie" he meant was the one from before I went to his house. It was the Stephanie who never lost her memories. I rubbed my throbbing head and smiled. ''If it weren''t for Steven messing with my memories and tinkering with my mind, do you think I would''ve been toyed around like a fool by you and Yasmin?" Ichuckled sardonically as linched closer to Michael. "How devastating, Michael. I never thought I would die in your hands." Michael had no choice but to back away slowly, his eyes full of fear. The fear he had for me turned into hatred toward me after I lost my memories. "Are you going to kill me?'' He teared up when he saw me pointing the syringe at his neck. Trembling, he said, "You''re not Stephie... You''re heartless!'' Michael refused to admit that I was Stephie. Of course, he wouldn''t the Stephie they knew was a total fool! "Kill you?" I chuckled coldly. "I''ll be letting you off easy if I kill you." My gaze turned cold as I stabbed the syringe into Michael''s neck. He quickly fell unconscious from the sedatives within.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The door slowly opened, revealing Ashton by the door. He was looking at me with reddening eyes. "Mom." For some reason, I felt an ache in my chest when I looked at him. "Stop pretending, kid," I said, smiling sarcastically. "The only reason you take me as your mother is because I''m one of you." Ashton was momentarily stunned. The innocence in his gaze gradually turned cold as he replied, "You''re not my mom." I slowly walked toward him and grabbed his chin. "Tell me where Steven is." Steven wouldn''t be dead. He probably went to deal with the mastermind of Genome Society on his own. I noticed the sound of a car pulling up downstairs and tensed up. I released Ashton and warily walked over to the window. It was Zion. "Carol escaped when we were going to identify the Rebels base, Michael. Joel is also missing. Have you contacted Joel?'' He was here to check with Michael if he had seen Joel. First, something happened to Steven. Then, Carol''s confession garnered government attention. Now, Joel had gone missing. smiled. My true n had just begun to unfold. Everyone was just a pawn in my n-myself included. Chapter 675 ? "Did Joel go missing?" I looked at Zion and asked. "Where''s Michael?" Zion looked at me warily. Clearly, Joel was part of Steven and Michael''s final n. "Michael slept poorlyst night and became sick today. He''s currently sleeping." I walked over to Zion and continued, ''Would you believe me if I said I''m Stephanie Carlson, Zion?" Zion was taken aback, looking at me with a frown. "She''s not!" Ashton ran out and denied my words. "Now she''s not," he said with reddening eyes, throwing himself into Zion''s arms. "She''s not my mom, Zion!" Zion was perplexed. After all, Steven did not tell anyone other than Joel and Michael before doing all of this.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I looked down at Ashton, who was hugging Zion, and frowned. His eyes were red and filled with anger. How could a child have so much anger in him? He was truly disobedient I reached out to pull Ashton by his cor and smiled at Zion. ''He refused to eat properly, so I gave him a scolding. Now, he''s throwing a tantrum. I just want to know where Steven is." I looked at Zion anxiously. "Daisy used me to threaten Steven to help her with her reincarnation project. I don''t know why I woke up in Una''s body." Zion remained wary as he looked at me. It was as if he couldn''t believe my words, but at the same time, he was trying to digest them. "I have things to attend to. I need to find Joel and capture Carol. You..." A staunch materialist like Zion was also starting to waver. After all, the gradual exposure of theboratories and the experiments that could change one''s beliefs had truly shaken his confidence. I stood frowning as I watched Zion hurriedly step away, his face paling "We detected Steven''s DNA in the remains of some of the destroyed human tissues found in theboratory underneath the university town. There''s a high chance that he''s dead." Zion suddenly stopped while walking into the living room. He wasn''t nning to tell me in the first ce, but he probably changed his mind since I told him that I was Stephanie. He lowered his head and spoke in a hoarse voice. He dared not turn around or look at me. He was afraid that I was truly Stephanie and would find horror, fear, and hurt in my gaze. I stood frozen in ce. I found it somewhat hard to breathe, but I believed that I was clear-headed and aware. I knew that it was impossible for me to feel upset for him. But why did my body start trembling uncontrobly? Zion turned around to nce at me before quickly walking away. I remained standing still. My grip on Ashton''s cor grew tighter. How could Steven die? He was so smart-he wouldn''t die. He wasn''t a fool. Why would he throw himself into danger again and again just to ensure that I live on? Did he not know that my love and feelings for him in the past were all just an act? But somehow, my face felt numb. Tears started dripping onto the back of my hands. Was I crying? Why was I crying? Why was it so hard for me to breathe? "Let me go!" Ashton yelled, still struggling. I looked down at him and raised my hand, about to hit him. Such a disobedient brat had to be disciplined until he gave in. Wasn''t this my usual way of doing things? But somehow, I couldn''t bring myself to hit him. "Let me go! I want my dad! I want my dad!" Ashton continued to struggle and cry. At that moment, he was just like an ordinary child crying for his father. At the end of the hallway, Xan stood holding her Rubik''s cube with reddening eyes. She then turned around and ran out of the door. With a frown, I looked down numbly at my hand. Ashton bit me and ran after Xan right as I loosened up. My feet felt heavy. Deep down, a voice was urging me to run after them or there would be danger. Yet, I remained in ce. "The both of them will stay by your side on my behalf, Stephie." I seemed to hear Steven''s voice while in a daze. I should have hated him for messing up my n and forcefully messing with my memories. Because of him, I had to live like a fool who was yed around by people like Michael and Yasmin. But why couldn''t I stop my tears from flowing? "Ashton! Xan!" I eventually ran after them. Chapter 676 ? The police had secured the entrance of the entireboratory under Huma University with cordon lines. I had followed Zion''s car here. Ashton and Xan had climbed into the back of his trunk while he drove away. I got out of the car, wanting to head in, but I was stopped by the police. "Eason! Ashton and Xan just went inside!" I shouted when I saw Eason. He looked at me warily from the entrance. "What are you doing here?" His eyes were rimmed red, a clear sign that he had been crying. Perhaps he was overwhelmed with grief after detecting Steven''s DNA in the human tissues, or he might be furious that Joel had helped Carol escape.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "I Steven...dead?" I asked softly. I felt as if tiny needles were prickling my heart. Eason fell silent. After a while, he said, "Stephany''s body is rtively intact, and she was confirmed dead. Steven wouldn''t have hesitated to give up his life to protect his wife. Now with her dead, do you really think Steven could still be alive?'' His question rendered me silent. "He mentioned that he had to die,'' Eason said bitterly. Indeed, he had to die. He uncovered the secrets to reincarnation and gics, and he also held the key to immortality. He was actually the most valuable asset to Genome Society. The reason they were watching "Stephanie" so closely was actually to control Steven. That was why Steven would say that he had to die. How else would "Stephanie" be able to live a normal life? "Is he a fool..." I muttered. I should have beenughing at his foolishness. "How ironic. Everyone thought he was a fool to go such lengths for a woman, yet he''s actually a genius." Even Eason found it ironic. I remained silent for the longest time. I then said, "Ashton and Xan slipped in following Zion. Please find them and get them home safely. Thank you." For some reason, I dared not enter the ce. My mind kept repeating the memories before my reincarnation. I was brought underground. Steven said in a hoarse and low voice, "If there really is a next life, Stephie, it''s your turn to look for me and love me more, okay?" He looked so hurt pleading for "Stephanie" to love him more. But what exactly was love? Wasn''t it the cheapest thing? Wouldn''t love be just a weakness? I turned around and got into the car. I realized that my fingers had turned white from my tight grip. When did I start having such unnecessary feelings and emotions? I could actually feel a suffocating sense of despair and a painful sting of grief-and even some indescribable, maddening feelings. What exactly were all these? Fuck, they should get out of my head. I shouldn''t harbor these unnecessary feelings. They were all useless to me and would only affect my judgments and decisions. Just as I was trying to regte my breathing, someone opened the door to the passenger seat and climbed in. It was a face that was both unfamiliar and strangely familiar. It was the experimental subject who managed to escape theb capsule with the newborn experimental subject back when Nancy had confined me in theboratory. He nced at me and shed me a smile. ''Long time no see.'' He, too, had immediately recognized that I wasn''t Una but Stephanie. Chapter 677 ? "Long time no see," I said, smiling at him. "Let''s go to the usual ce," the experimental subject said. He was testing me to see if I knew where the usual ce was. "Oh right, I have my own name now. My name is Nova," Nova Wright said meaningfully as he looked out the window. It seemed like someone had given him that name. Nova-a new beginning or a bright future. He must have been dreaming of a future when he was just a numbered experimental subject in theboratory. I drove to a ce the orphanage that was relocated after the fire, the same Double Stars Welfare Home where two geniuses once appeared. "As expected, you really are Stephanie." Nova smiled at me as he leaned against the door and lit a cigarette. "It seems like you''ve adapted well to the outside life. ''I was rather surprised to find that he had even learned to smoke. "I learned a lot after escaping. I discovered that humans can live as equals and that they have rights and legal protection. They''re not like us, who were confined inb capsules since birth and numbered like animals. We were subjected to endless inhumane experiments." Nova''s voice was hoarse. He flicked the ash from his cigarette and looked at me. "Genome Society has already suffered severe damage ording to Professor Beatrice''s n. With many of theirboratories exposed, the Huma Genome Society''s undergroundwork will soon be uprootedpletely."N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The "Professor Beatrice" Nova was referring to was my-Stephanie Carlson''s mother, Beatrice Lynne. "The Rebels have been carrying out her n ordingly. Everything is going smoothly, and soon, we will secure victory." Nova was confident that everything was going ording to n But would we really secure victory? "You''re underestimating the superiors behind Genome Society. They have not shown themselves to this day. and you don''t even know their identities." I chuckled sarcastically. If they were so easy to handle, Steven wouldn''t have gone to such lengths to switch me to Una''s body and create the illusion of our joint demise. It wouldn''t be so easy to get rid of their mastermind. "Didn''t the rebels get exposed as well when Genome Society''sboratories were exposed?" I asked. Carol''s appearance had garnered the attention of many. But at the same time, it meant the Rebels'' final trump card was nowid bare. "Don''t we still have you?" Nova said, looking at me. They were cing me on too high a pedestal. They believed that I was the final trump card of the Rebels'' to deal with the mastermind of Genome Society. "You''re the "god" created by Professor Beatrice. She personally said that you can save us." Nova''s voice was tinged with emotions. "We don''t want to go back to those dark, hopelessboratories anymore, nor do we want to be discarded like trash. "Do you know that everyboratory is equipped with arge incinerator-the kind only found in crematories? When we die, we''d be tossed in to be reduced to nothing." Experimental subjects like them lived their lives as if they never existed in this world-no one knew about their existence, and no one would know about their deaths. I said, "My parents created the Rebels to expose the crimes of Genome Society and bring them all to light. ording to my initial n, we only need to systematically expose theirboratories. "But unfortunately, someone was obsessed with killing and used the Rebels for mass murder. They even wanted to kill me personally." I looked at Nova with narrowed eyes. "Am I right, Carol? You don''t have to hide anymore." I turned and looked toward the security office at the corner of the orphanage. Chapter 678 ? In my memories, I saw Carol hiding behind the security room the first time I came here with my parents. She was still very young back then, naive and seemingly not very smart But all that was just her facade. I was fooled by her. She fooled everyone-even Simeon, her own brother, and Steven. The door to the abandoned security office opened up, and Carol walked out. She shed me a smile and looked at me meaningfully. ''I never expected Steven to actually find the key to reincarnating.'' I said, "You orchestrated the serial murder cases and incited them to turn on each other. Then, you staged the so-called escape from the ruined building, using your death to stay out of everyone''s radar. That way, no one would suspect you for what happened on the cruiseter. "Meanwhile, you disguised yourself as a man using insoles and a voice changer, bing the leader of the Rebels. ''I looked at Carol and asked in a low voice, "Am I right?N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "The one who killed me on the rainy night was you. The one who incited Yasmin''s murderous intent so that she would lure me out was also you." My memories were sealed back then. I thought I loved Michael deeply and was desperately trying to look for love. Yasmin knew of Michael''s feelings for me. That was why under Carol''s incitement, she wanted to eliminate mepletely and lured me to the alley. I continued, "You drugged me and took me away from the alley. Steven came looking for me to save me, but you knew him too well. So, you left a note to mislead him, making him think that you wouldn''t kill me but only wanted someone to be the scapegoat. "That was why, in order to protect me, he handed himself over to the police and misdirected their investigation." I clenched my hands tight and coldly looked at her. "You wanted me dead, but you didn''t kill me directly. Instead, you ced me inside a ss disy for provocation purposes. Not only were you provoking Genome Society, but you were also provoking Steven."I slowly inched closer to Carol. Nova subconsciously shielded her. Clearly, he had been brainwashed by her after escaping Genome Society''sboratory. "Don''t touch her," he said unwaveringly, yet with a pleading gaze. Those unfeeling creatures in theb capsules were all humans in the end. They weren''t born without feelings -it was just that nobody had taught them. Carol smiled as she leaned against the wall and asked, "Don''t you think you''ve found out a little toote, Stephanie? Everything has alreadye to this point. "Come to think of it, I should thank Steven. I couldn''t have taken control of the entire Rebels in such a short time if he hadn''t insisted on making you live an ordinary life and causing you to lose your memories. It''s true that your parents left this for you, but it belongs to me now!" She chuckled lightly and looked at me with a gaze full of hatred. ''Your Steven is dead, Stephanie. No one will ever back you unconditionally anymore, and you''re out of options now. Your parents creating a ''god'' is all but a joke. Their n now falls to me toplete it!" Carol was somewhat crazy. She desperately wanted to prove herself. She wanted everyone to know that she was the true "god"-one nurtured by nature and not a genome-edited human like us "Your goal isn''t just to eliminate Genome Society, right?" I asked, looking at Carol warily. She even wanted to kill Steven and I. Surely, her goal wasn''t to just eliminate Genome Society. Carol replied, "Of course. I n to eliminate all of you who are gically enhanced, edited, and cloned. This is nature''s choice, and I''m its enforcer. I must prevent all of you from contaminating the human gene pool." She coldly looked at me, smiling sardonically. "The reason I waited for you was to prove my point. How could Steven die in Daisy''sboratory with you when he loved you so much and desperately wanted you to live? "As expected, you came back again, Stephanie. You''re really hard to get rid of. You deserve to die the most-" Chapter 679 ? "You were the one who gave Nova his name, right? Was that why you got him to lure me over, so that I could get killed?" I leaned against the door of the car and looked at Carol. Nova was taken aback. He looked at her and said, ''You didn''t tell me that you wanted to kill her." I let out a sarcasticugh. "You really are naive. Those from theboratory are all too simple-minded. That''s why I don''t me you for being tricked and used by her as soon as you escaped." Carol''s goal was to kill everyone in Genome Society and those who were genome-edited. That would mean all of the experimental subjects-including Nova "I''m sorry, I can''t let all of you live. You shouldn''t have existed in the first ce. No one would be able to identify you even if you died,'' she calmly said as she pushed the knife into Nova''s chest. Nova hadpletely trusted Carol. He fought with all he had to escape theboratory alive, yet he ended up dying in her hands once he was no longer of use.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "He probably yed a big part in helping you uncover all thoseboratories. But to turn on him once he''s no longer useful-you truly are ruthless, Carol," I said with a sigh. I thought I was cold and emotionless, that I would never be indecisive. But now, I realized that even an ordinary person could be cold enough to turn their backs on everyone they knew. Compared to Carol''s indifference, I felt as if something had changed inside me. I actually felt sorry for Nova''s death. Nova looked at Carol in disbelief as he slowly slid down. "All of you genome-edited humans shouldn''t have existed in the first ce. It''s like opening Pandora''s box once the gic sequence code is altered. I''m saving humankind now. That''s why I have to kill all of you," Carol said, reaching out to close Nova''s eyelids. To her, genome-edited humans and clones were soulless. That was why it was as easy as cutting a watermelon open when she killed them. "You!" Nova suddenly grabbed onto Carol''s wrist. Blood dripped out of the corner of his lips as he struggled to say, ''Run-'' He was urging for me to run. Yet, I remained there, looking at Carol coldly. ''Do you really think you can kill me?" There was no hesitation in Carol as she stabbed Nova''s body once again. I looked at him-his eyes were filled with reluctance. In my memories, Nova had looked at me with hopeful eyes when he escaped theb capsules as an experimental subject. He had longed for the unknown world. He had probably seen hope when the Rebels rescued him. He probably did not expect to die at the hands of those who had given him that hope. "I''ve killed you once." Carol got up and smiled. "Now with Steven out of the picture, it''s easy for me to kill you." She was confident that I had fallen into her trap. "Both Simeon and Steven were singing praises of how smart you were, Stephanie. Is this what you call smart? How funny!" Her jealousy twisted her expression into something terrifying. I said, ''Back then, you were sexually assaulted by the director of the orphanage, and he threatened to kill Simeon if you spoke out. I was the one who saved you then. I don''t understand where all this hatred toward me ising from." I was just curious why she hated me so much. "That''s exactly why you should die, Stephanie. You''ve seen me at my worst, and you took away the two men I cared about the most. My brother couldn''t stop talking about you, and the man I loved only had eyes for you!" Carol smiled sardonically as she slowly walked toward me with a knife in hand. I knew that there were still her men around the area. She had gotten Nova to bring me over just to kill me. "You''re truly crazy," I said with a sarcastic smile. I was buying myself some time. "Stop talking! It''s time for you to die and go find Steven!" Carol lunged at me with the knife aimed at my heart. "Put your knife down!" The police cars had surrounded the ce. Zion and Eason were aiming their guns at her. I grabbed Carol''s hand and said with a smile, ''Did you really think that I''de trusting Nova? I don''t trust anyone." That was why while it seemed like I had met with Zion and Eason just because I was chasing after Ashton, I was actually warning them that Carol would be looking for me. She looked at me and frowned. I thought that she was doomed, yet she was smiling. ''Do you think you''ve won, Stephanie? This isn''t over between us yet." After that, Carol dropped the knife and put her hands up, cooperating with the arrest. "You''re nothing without Steven," she said. Chapter 680 ? Carol was trying to provoke me by telling me that I was nothing without Steven. Eason stepped forward to restrain her, putting handcuffs on her before getting her into the car. She continued to stare at me defiantly until the police car drove away. "Call the ambnce!" he yelled when he saw Nova on the ground. "He''s an experimental subject from theboratory," I calmly said. I was about to say that his death would mean nothing since he was just an experimental subject, but I couldn''t do it. Despite being an experimental subject, he seemed more human than some humans. "Experimental subjects are still humans! Do you think he wanted to be born that way? Go get the ambnce! We need to save him!" Zion rushed over and pressed down on Nova''s wound, trying to save him. Nova seemed to have some consciousness left as he looked at me and smiled. Perhaps it was because he heard Zion''s words. He probably could die without regrets having heard those words in hisst moments. "Carol''s killing is quick and efficient. Nova has no chance of surviving," I said softly, checking his wounds. Both stabs caused fatal wounds. Despite knowing that there was no chance of survival, Zion and Eason continued to press down on the wound, in hopes of saving Nova. I would have been perplexed by such behaviors in the past-why continue when you already know there was no chance of survival? But I seemed to be able to understand it now.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. This was theirst hope. They would start pinning their hopes on a miracle when human effort fell short. Although miracles were rare-they were not impossible. For a split second, I started to wonder if a miracle would happen to Steven. I wondered if he would still be alive. The paramedics carried Nova into the ambnce once it arrived. They were desperately trying to save an unlikely survivor. I stood frozen in ce as I watched the ambnce leave. I then looked at Zion, whose hands were covered in blood. "You mentioned that Steven''s DNA was found in the undergroundboratory," I softly said. It usually meant that a person''s body was blown to pieces at an explosion site if their DNA was found, leaving only fragments of their body behind. Zion eyed me indifferently. As a staunch materialist, he refused to believe in soul reincarnation and would only take me as Una. "Yes, we detected fragments of Steven''s tissue on site," Zion struggled to reply. Finding tissue fragments at the center of the explosion basically meant that Steven was dead. Zion and Eason brought their men to search around the orphanage for Carol''s aplices. I stood frozen in ce. I felt chills running throughout my body. He was dead... Just like that? "We can''t afford to dy our n anymore, Ms. Stephy. The mastermind of Genome Society still hasn''t given up yet. "We received reliable information that he personally met up with Dayton So, the president of Crowdstar Group. He has already met the person behind the scenes." Yara walked out from theer. She had been hiding in the dark. She only came out after confirming that I was Stephanie from my conversation with Carol "Most of the Rebels have already sided with Carol, but she was too cruel and killed too many people. I can''t bear to see any more deaths. When will everything end, Ms. Stephy? Will Mr. Steven stille back?" Yara asked softly. Chapter 681 ? "Dayton is not the president of Crowdstar Group,'' I mumbled, reaching out to ruffle Yara''s hair. "Take good care of the younger ones. From now on, don''t get involved in anything that''s happening with the Rebels. Just live your life as an ordinary young woman. Do well in your studies and enjoy life. Yara looked at me, surprised. "Why, Ms. Stephy? Back when you rescued me from Genome Society, you told me to consider carefully if I wanted to follow you out. You said that if I chose so, I might live a life of fear forever and would fight Genome Society to the end." Yara also came from theboratory. She was brought back to Genome Society before I lost my memories. There was aboratory under Peter''s asylum, and that was where I brought her out. I lost my memories after that, and Yara had been with the Rebels since then. Her appearance on the cruise was also part of the Rebels'' n for her to get close to me-it was to test me out to see if I was really Stephanie. She knew that the reincarnation project had seeded when Ashton and Xan, who both had "Stephanie''s" genes, recognized me as their "mother". Most of the Rebels had chosen to follow Carol now. Fortunately, Yara remained loyal to me. "You''re still young and have a bright future ahead of you. All of you will have a better future ahead." I looked down at her. Suddenly, I understood why Steven had gone to such lengths to erase my memories. Despite not being smart, I could live as an ordinary person. Sometimes, leading a simple life was a sort of happiness too. Yara remained silent. She probably couldn''t understand what I was saying now-just like how I was astonished by my own thoughts. I found myself feeling a mixture of emotions. It was aplicated feeling. I looked down at my hands and smiled bitterly. What exactly had Steven been doing during the time I lost my memories? Why would I turn out this way now? "Xandra? Where are you?'' Xandra had disappeared from Dayton''s residence. It seemed like the entire Huma was thrown into chaos with Steven''s death. Genome Society was in disarray, with theirboratoriesing to light one after another. The Rebels had also started their flurry of attacks. Dayton choked a sob as he looked at Xandra''s name. He had partnered with Steven because he didn''t want to live an ordinary life, but he did not expect that Xandra would be dragged into it. "She was taken away, but not by Genome Society." I climbed in through the window and looked at Dayton. I continued, "Genome Society is in disarray now. As their benefactor, you''re their hope for aeback after they recover. That''s why it''s definitely not Genome Society who took Xandra away." Dayton looked at me warily. "Are you.... Una?" I smiled and asked, "Who do you think I am based on your first impression?" Dayton backed off in fear. He was afraid of me. ''I''ve asked Steven about the reincarnation project, and he said that it does exist. Who exactly are you-Una or Stephanie?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Iignored his question and said, "I know who took Xandra away. I can also help you to get her back safely." "You can help me get her back?" He looked at me nervously. His feelings for Xandra were truly genuine. "The Rebels were the ones who took Xandra away. Everyone''s saying that you''ve met the mastermind behind Genome Society," I said, looking at Dayton. ''Tell me, who exactly is this mysterious mastermind behind Genome Society?" We all knew that someone who had hidden themselves so deeply had to be someone close to us or someone we knew well. But until now, no one had been able to figure out their identity. Dayton was taken aback. A hint of panic shed through his gaze before he lowered his head and started shaking it. "No... I didn''t. I''ve not met them." "It seems like Xandra isn''t that important to you," I said, looking at him. Dayton choked on his sobs as his eyes reddened. ''I''m sorry, I''ve let Steven down." Ifrowned, asking, "What do you mean?" Chapter 682 ? Dayton said, "I regretted my choice and didn''t go to meet Genome Society''s mastermind. I told Steven that I wanted to stop working together. I just wanted to live in peace and stay out of his affairs. "I no longer want to attract those lunatics as the president of Crowdstar Group. I don''t want to expose Xandra to more danger, which is why I turned down Steven''s offer." My hands turned cold and numb. No wonder Steven had to die all of a sudden. Dayton got cold feet at thest minute and turned against them as the ''president" of Crowdstar Group. Steven had no other options with his ns already at this stage. He couldn''t find a substitute for Dayton''s position on short notice, nor could he gain Genome Society''s trust in such a short period of time.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. That was why Steven exposed his identity and personally went to meet Genome Society''s mastermind. That also meant that Steven was the only person who knew the identity of the mastermind, yet he died in theboratory''s explosion I stepped back listlessly, looking at Dayton. His head was hung low, and his eyes were red from crying. "Im sorry... I didn''t know this would cost him his life. I''m sorry." His apologies meant he had probably heard of the news of Steven''s death from the explosion. I stared at Dayton for the longest time. Before this, I would''ve thought that a betrayer like him deserved to die. I could just kill him or ignore him and let Xandra and him fend for themselves. But why was I still frozen in ce, stiffly staring at Dayton? I could hear another voice in my head. I was actually trying to convince myself to think from the perspective of others. Dayton was just an ordinary person. He was timid, and while he was despicable for the way he acted in order to protect himself and his loved one, his action didn''t warrant death. I backed away in shock. Why was I starting to consider things from others'' perspective? "You need to learn to think from the perspective of others, Ashton. Try to consider the problem from their point of view." I recalled the words Steven once used to educate Ashton. He said, "The biggest difference between humans and wild animals is that humans have emotions." Overwhelmed with emotions, I turned around and ran away. Dayton cried out for me, "Please help me, Stephanie! Xandra is innocent! I could die if you want me to, but please help me save her." I went to the asylum after leaving Dayton''s ce. The asylum was relocated here after Andy and my parents passed away from the car ident. It continued to operate even after Peter''s incident. The world would continue to move even just fine without someone. "Are you Stephanie?" A young woman walked out from the corner by the entrance of the asylum. It was Peter''s autistic daughter, Linda. She seemed to be waiting for me. "Were you waiting for me?'' I nced at her warily. "Steven said that you''d definitelye here if you recovered all your memories," Linda said in a hoarse voice. I strode over to grab her wrist. "You know Steven." "I like Steven. I''ve liked him since he was locked up in the asylum. He''s different from the others-he''s a genius and a star left by God among humankind," Linda said seriously. She continued, "He asked me to bring you to the things he had left for you once you''ve recovered all your memories'' Chapter 683 ? Linda walked in front of me without turning back. Her body was shaking slightly-she was crying. I followed her to the basement of the main building. Genome Society''sboratory was there. The ce was now empty after being discovered by the police. The asylum had stopped operating, and all its patients were re-evaluated-those with grievances were all investigated. Steven and the Rebels'' ploy ended up saving the lives of many. Genome Society used to be arrogant. Whomever they thought couldn''t be killed would be sent to the asylum under various pretenses. They would then be subjected to methods that would lead to passive "brain dead", making the families sign organ donation agreements under the guise of "easing their burden''.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Such covert operations were beyond humane. Now, with Genome Society''sboratories gradually being exposed, their crimes were finallying to light. Activities like organ trafficking, human trafficking, genome editing, and various inhumane experiments were being revealed one after another. "They used to lock Steven up to torture and abuse him in the old building. They wanted to destroy his mental world but failed to do so. "No matter how cruel their methods were, Steven had always held onto a single belief-you. He would call your name every time, saying that you were still waiting for him.'' Linda turned to me with reddening eyes. "I''m envious and jealous of you, yet I don''t despise you. You were his hope and light for surviving." Steven would''ve given up long if it weren''t for his belief. Linda said, ''Actually, all these things were his belongings left in the old building of the asylum. The people from Genome Society transported everything exactly how it was after moving to the new building. "They had also tried to unlock the key to the genome and reincarnation. Unfortunately, they weren''t as smart as Steven." I followed Linda into a room. It was a spacious room, simr to the one Steven had been locked up in at the old building The walls were still covered with intricate mathematical forms, as if he had been working to calcte something. I wasn''t sure how Steven found the key to reincarnation. I had also tried solving this puzzle, but I failed. "These were the specimens he left in the asylum." Linda walked to a corner and took out an old, yellowing notebook with frayed edges. There was a letter inside. ''This is the letter he left for you." Steven had written this letter many years ago when he first altered my memories. "Your parents and Andy died a horrific death during that car ident. Steven was the one who rescued you and altered your memories. He wanted you to continue living a good life," Linda looked at me and said. She continued, "He worked together with my dad to alter your memories. He couldn''t trust my dad entirely, and he was also afraid that there might beplications after you got your memories altered like it might turn you dumb... "He had just survived a fire at that time and had severe burns all over his body. He kept risking his life to escape the hospital, all just to see you to make sure you''re okay and living well I remembered someone had always been watching from behind me during the time I lost my memories. He had been following me because he was worried about me. I took the letter with trembling fingers. Steven had already written this letter back then. "Was he determined to die since then?" I softly asked, hesitant to open the letter. Linda said, "He never left himself any way out. In fact, he came close to dying many times over these years he had always been teetering on the edge of death. "The reason he could escape the grasp of death was because he wanted to be with you. He wanted to live an ordinary life with you, even if only for a short time." I gripped the letter numbly. Chapter 684 ? Suddenly, I could understand why Steven was so agitated when I offered to risk myself to look for Genome Society''sboratory in the deste area. He told me that there wasn''t much time left and refused to let me go. He told me that he was selfish and only wanted to stay with me. If I hadn''t gone at that time, we would have been able to live in the vi on the mountain and spend time together for a while. But I went anyway, and we ended up wasting too much time. That was why Steven was in a rush to alter my memories again. He then went to meet the mastermind of Genome Society with his real identity. After that, in order to convince everyone that ''Stephanie'' waspletely gone, he blew himself up in theboratory together with "Stephany''s" body. He wanted to prove Stephanie''s death using his own. Steven wanted Michael to keep me on the mountain and prevent me froming down in order to keep me alive. I could only live an ordinary life after all the subsequent troubles were gradually resolved. Genome Society set up a huge trap, and we were all insects caught in it, meant to be devoured one at a time. Later on, someone started opposing them. My parents started the Rebels together with Andy in order to fight against Genome Society''s trap and the forces behind it.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. After my parents'' death, I took over the Rebels and started my own trap. Our n was initially progressing slowly. The trap I had set was originally meant to be fatal-I would die, and Genome Society would be destroyed. We would both perish together. And then, my variable showed up-Steven had also set up a huge trap. He wrapped me up tightly in his trap, protecting me all this while. He took over my role and did what I was supposed to do-including dying on my behalf. That was why Steven must have known that Carol was likely behind the serial murder cases. He would''ve figured it out early given how intelligent he was Yet he did not say a word and even hid it from me deliberately. That was because he wanted to expose Genome Society''s secrets using Carol''s hands. Steven knew that despite Carol''s ruthlessness, she was a smart and capable person. Anyone else other than her might not have seeded with it. "Did he leave me anything else other than this letter and these things?" I asked, looking up at Linda. She fell silent for a good while before taking out a small box from the corner. "Do you still remember that you had a child together?" Stunned, I took the box with numbing fingers. I finally remembered the past that Steven desperately wanted me to forget-we had lost our child before. Back then, I knew little about feelings. I was only curious about what my child with Steven would be like. My parents once mentioned that it was hard for me to conceive naturally as I was a clone subject with iplete gene chains. Even if a child was born, there might be a possibility of it having some uncontroble gic mutation. But I was rebellious in myte teens. I was stubborn in finding out what our child would be like. We had just lost our child before I lost my memories from the car ident. That was also why Steven had confined and restrained me during that time. Because of my pregnancy and the fact that I was a clone subject, I started to be irrational, wanting tomit suicide and inflict harm on myself. He began to feel afraid. He was worried that those people might kill the child inside me. But the child ended up dying eventually. Linda said, ''This was both his obsession and his pain. He wanted to bury this child together with you, but he was worried that you might recall that memory." Chapter 685 ? The hum of medical equipment and the smell of alcohol disinfectant filled the deathly silent hallway of Huma Hospital. "Hang in there'' A hoarse and piercing scream reverberated within the sterile room. By the side, the nurse couldn''t bring herself to look at the figure. There was a person barely clinging to life on the hospital bed. His badly burned fingers were clutching tightly onto an ID photo. "Stephie... Stephie..." "Your vocal cords are damaged, and they can''t be fully restored even with surgery. Please bear with it and try not to speak as much as possible," the doctor softly reminded, feeling sympathetic. "Okay." He then buried his face into the pillow, allowing the doctor to attend to his mangled wounds. "How did he manage to endure it?'' "Why must someone so good-looking have to endure all these?"N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "It''s a miracle he managed to survive." The doctor sighed when he stepped out of the ward. "He''s suffering from burns all over his body. The pain from those superficial second-degree burns could easily reach level ten, which would greatly affect and overwhelm his senses. Even if he survives them, his sensitivity to pain would numb in the future," the doctor said, watching Steven through the window. Steven was lying listlessly on the bed as if he was barely holding on by sheer willpower. "Stephie.." He slowly opened his fingers, gently wiping the ID photo that was stained with blood. Steven''s gaze was beyond gentle. "Wait for me...I''m sorry..." He hoped that she wouldn''t me him for making her wait for too long. "Mr. Lincoln Senior instructed us to monitor him and keep him in the hospital. Bring him back once his condition improves." "You can''t leave, Mr. Lincoln- The fire rm in the hospital went off, drawing the attention of the doctors and bodyguards away from him. Steven was wearing an oversized hooded sweatshirt, enduring the pain all over as he hobbled toward the exit. Pale pink blood oozed out from his leg wounds as they were aggravated by his premature movements No one could imagine the pain he was experiencing. But he refused to let Stephanie wait for him for too long. "Stephie.... Steven wasn''t sure what kept him going as he left the hospital, and he spent almost all his effort trying to make it to Stephanie''s ce. But it was already empty by the time he was there. "That family has a tragic fate. Both her parents passed away, leaving only their daughter alive. I heard she was in aa for a long time and was brought to her rtives'' house as soon as she regained consciousness." Upon hearing the neighbor''s words, Steven turned around and started running ahead with reddening eyes. His wounds were aching, and there was even a risk of him getting infected. Yet, he couldn''t possibly let Stephanie suffer the pain of losing her loved ones on her own. "Stephie..." Steven finally saw her at the entrance of the university. However, Stephanie was looking at him with an unfamiliar gaze. It seemed like the precise method of erasing memories was sessful. She had indeed forgotten about him. "Stephie..." he started. His hoarse voice sounded so painfully unfamiliar even to him. Stephanie no longer recognized him. Even though it was what he wanted, why did it hurt so much? "Who are you? Don''t follow me-help!" Assuming that he was a pervert, Stephanie started running while screaming for help. Steven stood in ce numbly. His outstretched arm remained frozen. He slipped into the alley, breathing heavily as he hit his head repeatedly. Why did his voice change as well? Why did he scare Stephanie away? Why wasn''t he dead yet? "Stephie..." From then onward, Steven started following Stephanie around almost daily. He watched as she attended university and got back home. He watched as she carefully followed behind Michael, only having eyes for him. "I don''t me you, Stephie,'' he continued to murmur during his high fever. Even though Stephanie couldn''t hear him, he still continued to reassure her. He did not me her for forgetting him or for falling in love with someone else. Chapter 686 ? That day, despite his high fever and the twisting pain throughout his body, Steven staggered toward the entrance of the university. He could only be at ease after he saw Stephanie entering campus ground. "This ne must be valuable, right? Some thugs had stolen the money from her backpack, even taking the ne from her neck. Stephanie was crying as she asked for them to return her ne. "That was my mother''s gift for me!" Steven dashed over in a frenzy, yet the thugs sped away on their motorcycles. He watched her cry while crouching down to slowly pick up her books. "Don''t cry, Stephie." He wanted to go up and hug her, yet he dared not do so. In the end, Steven couldn''t help but limp over, reaching out to help pick up her books. But the horrifying wounds on his arms still terrified her. He stood in ce numbly as he watched the woman he loved run away in fear. He helplessly hid his arms behind his back and opened his mouth before turning around and running away. Steven found the bunch of thugs the same day. He managed to get back her ne and money while still running a fever and sporting unhealed injuries. He was no match for so many of them, and he felt pain just like anyone else. They wouldn''t have returned the things to him if it weren''t because of his recklessness. He gritted his teeth and punched the light out of the leader of the thugs. Eventually, he couldn''t hold it any longer and coughed out blood. He copsed onto the blood-soaked concrete ground while clutching onto the ne. Steven looked up at the gloomy sky, feeling cold. "I''m so cold, Stephie... Stephanie was carefully looking around at the entrance of the university after her sses. She was worried that those thugs might harass and bully her. As such, she wanted to avoid them and find a way to escape. But as soon as she stepped out of campus, she caught a whiff of the strong stench of blood from someone. She looked up fearfully and was met with Steven''s gaze. He had put on gloves in order not to frighten her. He then pushed the ne and money into her hands before turning around and walking away. Stephanie parted her lips, yet nothing came out of her. She was about to leave for home, to go back to the house of another man. She would forget about himpletely and fall in love with another man Steven hid in the alley as he endured the pain and slowly removed the gloves with his teeth. His badly burned hands shouldn''t be covered in gloves. It felt like he was peeing ayer of skin whenever he removed his gloves. But he was afraid that he might frighten Stephanie without them. "Let''s head back home together, Stephie!" Since then, Stephanie started having friends walk her back home after sses. "It''s been so peaceful outside the universitytely. Those thugs are gone too. How strange!'' Stephanie stood at the entrance of the alley, looking back. She wasn''t sure what exactly she was expecting or anticipating to see. "It''s good that those thugs who bullied you are gone now, Stephanie!"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. She smiled and nced to the corner. Steven was hiding in that very corner, secretly protecting Stephanie. "I''ll kill you if you touch her again," he said hoarsely as he stepped onto a thug. The thug ran away and came back with a group of people to look for Steven. They finally cornered him where Stephanie was around. "There are people fighting over there, Stephie! It''s so scary! Let''s go!" "Someone is dying over there! Let''s leave, Stephie!" Stephanie''s legs felt numb as she turned around to look at the corner of the alley. All she saw was a pool of blood slowly seeping out. "Come on, Stephie! Stop staring and let''s go!" Steven leaned against the wall of the alley with his arms hanging limply by his side. In his hand, Stephanie''s ID photo was soaked in blood. He murmured, "Thank goodness, you''ve forgotten about me now, Stephie... Don''t be sad... Don''t turn around or remember me..'' Chapter 687 ? "Do you know that you almost died?" Steven was barely conscious and lying in a pool of his blood by the time Ewan brought him back. "Please return to the Lincoln family, Mr. Lincoln. Do it for the sake of those you care for. You can never win against the rich and powerful unless you be one yourself," Ewan urged, trying to persuade him to return to the Lincoln family "Of course, I''ll return. It''s just that there''s no ce for me in the Lincoln family right now.'' Steven looked out to the window from the hospital bed. "The Lincoln family is full of hungry wolves. I''ll meet my demise even sooner if I don''t pretend to be crazy." He had to y the fool in order to live under the watchful eyes of the Lincoln family-he was biding his time. Ewan said. "James is ruthless and cold-blooded. You have to be careful, Mr. Lincoln." James entered the ward just as Ewan finished his words. Steven stared nkly outside the window, never once turning around. He said, "I can''t believe you actually found him. You should''ve just left him dead on the streets. His existence is just a disgrace to the Lincoln family." James'' lips curled upward as he reached over to grab Steven by his chin. "He''s quite handsome. The pimps would''ve loved to get their hands on someone with a face like his." Steven''s eyes were lifeless-only the bulging veins on his arms showed his suppressed emotions. He remained unresisting, which served to lower James'' guard. "I really don''t know why Ignatius insists on keeping a dimwit." James spat as he turned to leave. ''Clean him up and send him to me once he recovers from his injuries, Ewan.'' After he left, Steven''s vacant gaze turned cold. "Should we just kill him? Without James around, you''d be the only sessor to Mr. Lincoln Senior," Ewan whispered as he wiped Steven''s chin with an alcohol wipe. "It''s pointless having him dead,'' Steven replied in a low voice. "Since he likes to fool around so much, he''ll be useless once he suffers a blow and loses his manhood." There was no rush in killing him-James had to be kept alive and be utterly useless. "The Rebels founded by Professor Beatrice, her husband, and your father are now being hunted by Genome Society." Ewan sighed before continuing, ''T''ll infiltrate the Rebels ording to the n." The Rebels and Genome Society were like the two ends of a scale-neither could survive without the other. Ewan said, ''Even if Ms. Carlson recovers her memories in the future, she''ll surely understand your good intentions, Mr. Lincoln." Genome Society had been hunting the Rebels, killing Stephanie''s parents and Andy. They wanted to eliminate thempletely. The reason Steven made Stephanie lose her memories and followed Daisy was because Daisy was interested in his reincarnation project. As such, Daisy had promised to protect Stephanie on his behalf, allowing her to live with the Ford family as an ordinary person. It also gave Steven enough time to help Stephanie finish off what she had been nning to do. "Live your life well, Stephie. Leave all the dirty work to me." Stevenpletely removed Stephanie from the picture. Yet, he continued to support the Rebels, preventing them from copsing entirely. Genome Society would feel threatened as long as the Rebels existed. Only then would they shift their focus away from Stephanie. Ewan asked, "What are you still waiting for, Mr. Lincoln?" Steven kept looking out of the window while calcting something during his stay in the hospital. Ewan did not understand what he was doing, but he vaguely sensed that Steven was waiting for something. "I''m waiting for the right time toe." Each time, he would just say that he was waiting for the right time. Ignatius made Ewan lock Steven up in the attic of the Lincoln residence after Steven was discharged. He believed that Steven''s unstable behavior would only disgrace the Lincoln family. James suffered from an ailment due to excessive sexual activity during that period. He became azoospermic and impotent, even resulting in him being unable to have normal sexual rtions with women. As such, he became increasingly irritable and started tormenting Steven as his pastime. He even wanted to hand Steven over to the psychopaths on multiple asions. "How much longer do you n to endure, Mr. Lincoln?" Steven was constantly covered in bruises every time Ewan came to visit him in the attic. Steven stayed curled up in the corner, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips. "''Have you heard of The Truman Show? Everything we do or say is being watched by Genome Society. "I''m a monster whose genes were edited before my birth. If I''m not miserable enough, it won''t help with what I need to do next." Steven was doing this on purpose. He wanted to make Genome Society lower their guard against Stephanie and him.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He also wanted to be a powerful backer-one even more powerful than the Lincoln family. It would be too easy for them to figure out his ns if he were to reveal his true abilities too soon. Chapter 688 Full ? That was why James'' torment and abuse were just a cover for Steven. "But how long is this going tost?" Ewen felt heartbroken watching him. Steven shook his head and struggled to get up. His legs were severely burned, with bloodied whip marks covering his calves. In order to prevent him from escaping, James had him stand on burning coals, took out all his nails, and even shed his finger pads. But Steven managed to escape anyway. He limped over to hide in the shadows to look at Stephanie. She could no longer remember him, but it did not matter as long as she was safe. Steven resembled a wandering beggar, silently protecting Stephanie in his own way. However, he dared not go close to her, fearing that he might frighten her "Are you free tomorrow, Michael?" Stephanie asked. Michael snapped, "How long are you going to keep up this act, Stephanie? Did you lose your memories? Do you think I''d believe in a vicious person like you just because you said you lost your memories?" Steven watched as the woman he cherished fell for someone else due to her memory loss and emotional emptiness. Yet, the woman he cared for so deeply was now coldly pushed away by someone else. Several times, he had to suppress the urge to kill Michael. He couldn''t expose himself, nor could he touch Michael. That was because he knew that Michael was with Daisy, and Daisy was from Genome Society. "Pleasee back with us, Mr. Lincoln." Steven was once again cornered by the Lincoln family''s men. He was brought back, where he continued to be tormented. The cycle of him escaping and getting caught continued. "How much longer do you n to endure, Mr. Lincoln?" Ewan would ask him every single time, wondering when would be the right time. Yet, Steven continued to remain silent. Finally, the person he had been waiting for appeared while he was hiding in the orphanage during one of his escapes It was a teenager who looked no older than 13 or 14. He was covered in blood and looked disheveled as he walked into the orphanage. He saw Steven, who was cowering in a corner and obsessively calcting something He called out, "Steven, I''m back."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Steven''s pen froze in his hand. With red-rimmed eyes, he stared intensely at the teenager. Simeon-the person he had been waiting for-was finally here. When Steven managed to crack the key to reincarnation, he knew at once that Simeon, who was so intelligent, would''ve long since found out about it. As expected, Simon had reincarnated ande back. His return reassured Steven as it meant that the Reincarnation Project had seeded He brought Simeon to Genome Society in order to prove that his theory of reincarnation was real and that immortality was achievable. He wanted to garner their attention. However, the project was temporarilybeled as dubious as there were no other sessful experiments. But it didn''t matter as Steven had already achieved his goal. Crowdstar Group was founded by Simeon and him. In just a few years, two absolute geniuses had brought Crowdstar Group to the pinnacle of capitalism. In order to defeat the rich and powerful, they could only be more powerful than them and let the cycle continue-such was the operating principle of the world. Chapter 689 ? I stood in ce, staring at the small box. It contained the first child I had with Steven.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. I smiled helplessly. I now understand why he could be so effortlessly natural as a father to Ashton and Xan- he had probably imagined how to be a good father countless times. "Hang in there, Stephanie. Please hang in there, okay?" It was as if I could still hear Steven''s words in my ears. He tied me to the beam when I was struggling and hurting myself due to my pregnancy hormones. He had hugged me and pleaded for me to endure it while choking back sobs. Despite barely being an adult himself, Steven must have been anticipating the child. The experimental subjects in theboratory weren''t "humans'' to Genome Society. We were mere experimental subjects and vessels. They needed us to conceive and produce viable third-generation experimental subjects. They desperately wanted to have an experimental subject born out of my and Steven''s genes. Unfortunately, my genes weren''t perfect, and my body couldn''t bear the pain of bearing a child. This child was destined to be a stillborn. "Don''t hurt yourself, Stephie. Please-In that memory, Steven was begging me on his knees, pleading for me not to hurt myself. He had tied and locked me up in the basement, begging me not to hurt myself. He had even offered to cut his own wrist and thrust the knife into my hand. ''I''ll suffer on your behalf, okay, Stephie?" Back then, I stared numbly at Steven. I couldn''t understand why he would go to such lengths for me. He said, "Please believe in me, Stephie. I''ll protect you-I promise you! I''ll let you go if I can''t. So please give me another chance!" He was pleading with me not to leave him and asking for another chance. I had to admit that I did decide to give him another chance back then. I stopped struggling, allowed him to tie me up, and refused to leave the basement. I was battling with myself. It was as if I had severe depression and was constantly fighting against my own mind. There was a voice telling me that I should kill myself, that I shouldn''t have existed, and I was an existence rejected by thews of nature. But Steven tried his best to pull me out from the brink of death again and again. However, we failed that time. We tried resisting and escaping, but the power of Genome Society was beyond what we could imagine. It was the first time since we became adults that we truly felt afraid of the power of capitalism. We thought our escape route was cleverly crafted, and we were confident that no one would find us that quickly. Steven had even stocked up on food and supplies in the basement beforehand. We thought we could survive in the basement until the child was born. We believed that we could win that once, yet we still lost. They found us on the tenth day after our escape. "I told you that we could never escape, Steven. We''re just like rats inside theb capsule. They''re constantly watching us," I said as I hid in Steven''s arms, looking around numbly. I knew that we would eventually be caught. "Stephie.." Steven held me in agony as we were surrounded by those from Genome Society. We were eventually found out. Chapter 690 ? "Stephanie, he asked you to bury this with him if he dies." Linda pointed at the box in my hand before turning to leave. She stopped when she was at the entrance. She then said, ''I''m really envious of you. His love was too pure." Steven''s life and love seemed to be devoted entirely to Stephanie from the moment he met her. It was something inexplicable scientific-even he couldn''t make sense of it.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. After Linda left, I ced the wooden box aside and opened the letter from Steven. The letter read, "Stephanie, you probably would''ve regained all your memories by the time you''re reading this. I''m sorry I acted of my own ord. I always thought that if I could just help you escape your darkness, you could live the life you wanted. "I know that you''ve always had a hard time understanding emotions and loving someone. I also know that you''ve been pretending and imitating ways to love me. But despite knowing that you''d never truly love me, I still couldn''t help but fall in love with you. "I hope that you could live well, that you could discover the meaning of life and appreciate the beauty of this world. I can''t predict what the future may look like, but I''ll do everything I can to help you achieve the life you want-for you to feel and embrace the warmth, and to look at sunsets and starry skies. "Don''t ever look back, Stephie. No one is worth giving up your life for. You were born to shine-not to be someone''s recement or an outcast from nature. You''re human-aplete person. "I will always be by your side, in whatever forms I can. Love, Steven.'' I looked at the letter in my hand, feeling a heaviness in my chest. Steven wasn''t someone to write grand and moving words. Although it was just a simple letter, it brought me an indescribable pain that was hard to digest. I ced the letter back into the wooden box before leaving the asylum. Steven had hoped that I would continue living my life with my new identity. He wanted me to stay away from matters rting to Genome Society and the Rebels. With things having escted to this point, Carol would continue to fight against Genome Society. It was getting harder for them to remain hidden with their crimes now out in the open. Steven already knew who the mastermind of Genome Society was. That meant he must have made arrangements before his death. As such, Genome Society would eventually fall apart and the mastermind would eventually be revealed, even without me doing anything. But how could I just pretend not to know anything and live my own life up in the mountains? "Someday, we''ll definitely live our lives as ordinary people, Stephie.'' Living an ordinary life seemed to be wishful thinking for me and Steven. In my memory, a teenage boy was imagining the future as hey on thewn. He said he wanted to provide me a home-one that was quiet andfortable. Our child didn''t need to be exceptionally smart as long as they were healthy. "You''ve done so much, Steven, yet the one who ended up with me isn''t you. Are you okay with that?'' I looked up at the sky, suddenly feeling a pang of dissatisfaction. I couldn''t ept the fact that it had all ended, and he left me just like that. "Stephie..." Michael got out of the car in front of the asylum. He was looking at me anxiously. Ashton and Xan were both in the car as well. They were looking at me warily instead of getting off. "What kind of deal did Steven make with you?'' I walked over and sat in the passenger seat. At this moment, Michael was just a stranger who seemed familiar to me. I had no feelings toward him. My emotions were all over the ce during the time I lost my memories. I had been acting like I was in love with Steven. When I lost my memories, I got so engrossed in my role that I ended up seeing Michael as Steven. "Steven figured out Daisy''s secret long ago, and that was why he reached out to Miguel before this. Miguel was shocked after finding out about Daisy''s n-he had long since given up on living. "That was why he, Steven, and I ended up putting on this entire show together," Michael said, holding onto the steering wheel. He probably knew that the Stephanie, whom he liked, as well as the Stephanie who loved him, hadpletely vanished now. He had to admit that his bted affection did nothing to help. He had single-handedly killed off the Stephanie who had belonged to him. "Doesn''t Miguel love Daisy? Why would he agree to put on a show with you?" I frowned, looking at Michael. "The person Miguel loves isn''t Daisy-it''s Sarah," he took a deep breath and said. Chapter 691 ? I smiled sardonically. It turned out that Sarah was the person Miguel loved. He probably had wanted to rescue her when she disappeared. Unfortunately, he failed to do so and only ended up taking her clone subject away. I wasn''t sure what happened between Daisy, Sarah, Miguel, and Andy, but it was clear that it must have been a tragedy. Now, it truly was a tragedy with Miguel, Andy, and Daisy dead, and Sarah turning mad. "Where did you send Ms. Ewing to?" I asked, leaning against the back of the seat. "The sanatorium," Michael replied as he drove us back. "Get someone to fetch her back," I said calmly. Michael''s grip tightened slightly. ''Stephanie... He wanted to persuade me to give up and follow the path set by Steven for me. But he found it hard to speak out now that I had regained my memories. He knew that the me now wouldn''t take him seriously at all. "That fool who loved you is now dead, do you understand? She died the night she was used to lure out the killer. You were the one who killed her with your own hands. So, wake up, Michael. Your Stephanie is no longer here,'' I warned Michael I would kill him if he were to bring up the past again. He remained silent the entire journey, his knuckles turning white from his tight grip on the steering wheel. I could tell that he was trying to hold back. Michael drove into the vi on the mountain and parked his car. He then turned back to tell Ashton and Xan," You guys head up first. I have something to tell your mother." Ashton never stopped looking at me warily. Before he got out, he said, "She''s not my mother.'' Indeed, I wasn''t their mother, and they weren''t born out of me-they just had my genes. I tightened my grip on the small box in my arms, my breath caught as I looked down at it. My child died long ago-it died long before it was born. "Steven hoped that you''d live well in this vi. I''ll get someone to send over anything you need. Please try not to head down," Michael softly said. "Are you trying to keep me captive?" I looked at him. He had put it in quite a gentle way. "I''m not." Michael was rather afraid of me-he had been since young. That was why he refused to trust Stephanie'' even after she lost her memories. "He sacrificed himself in order for you to live, Stephanie," he said hoarsely. He hade to terms that the "Stephanie" who belonged to him was already dead. But the Stephanie now was someone Steven sacrificed his life for, and she deserved to live a good life. "Are you trying to keep me in this vi until I die, just like how Andy had kept Sarah captive?" I chuckled coldly. Was it worth sacrificing Steven''s life if I were to live like that? That was why he should''ve been a part of the life he sacrificed for. It was just too disrespectful if he wasn''t there to participate in it.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Iclenched my fists and got out of the car. "He''s not dead yet since the mastermind of Genome Society hasn''t been caught yet. Am I right, Michael?" The n between Steven and Michael was definitely more than just getting rid of Daisy. Michael was taken aback. He looked down diffidently, unable to meet my gaze. I chuckled coldly and said, ''Steven overestimated you, Michael. You can''t lie at all." He might be able to fool others, but he was not quite up to the mark if he wanted to lie to me. "Besides, would he erase my memories only to let me stay in his vi with you?" This vi was supposedly Andy''s. It would naturally go to Steven after Andy''s death. Chapter 692 ? "This vi isn''t Andy''s," Michael said hoarsely. "This vi is under Miguel''s name." I was taken aback and turned around to look at him immediately. "This vi is actually yours?'' If this vi was under Miguel''s name, that meant it belonged to the Ford family. I assumed that it was Andy''s after reading Sarah and Andy''s letters. "Why was Sarah in Miguel''s vi? She had been kept captive here previously..." I frowned, suddenly feeling chills running behind my back. The fact that Miguel could be convinced by Steven to sacrifice himself for Michael meant that he was someone with a conscience. Despite only meeting him once, Miguel did seem like a decent person. Even though he was said to be recuperating in the sanatorium, it seemed more like he was imprisoned by Daisy. His life was probably beyond his control for some time, as if he were imprisoned in an invisible cage. And Sarah was the woman Miguel loved. Among the letters in the basement, there was one asking Sarah to remain hidden and live there without heading outside. If those letters were really written by Andy, why didn''t he meet Sarah in person? Instead, he chose to reassure Sarah using letters, asking her to stay put and not wander around. It seemed like he was trying to protect her. "It has always been Miguel who wanted to protect Sarah-Andy never loved her. She was nothing more than a "sacrifice" who met all of Genome Society''s requirements, and Andy was the one who personally sent her to them." Michael did not hold back the truth from me. He got out of the car and looked at me. "Genome Society has strict requirements for their experimental subjects, Stephanie. Sarah was from a rural vige-making her easy to manipte and her disappearance easy to cover up. "Besides, her genes were the only ones who met Genome Society''s requirements." Back then, did Andy use her feelings to get close to Sarah, getting her to gradually fall into his trap and eventually offering her to Genome Society? "No wonder the Lincoln group shot to the pinnacles of Huma''s elites shortly after Andy took over the Lincoln family," I said, smiling sardonically. No wonder Sarah had gone mad-the man she loved had never loved her. All these while she had been living in someone else''s trap. "Andy deserved to die," I mumbled. Not only was he cruel to Sarah, but he was even more heartless toward his own son Steven, who was genome- edited Truly, he wouldn''t have dumped Steven in the orphanage if he were to have any ounce of conscience left. "Steven isn''t dead, am I right?'' I slowly neared Michael. "Tell me where he is." He took a deep breath and replied, "I don''t know." "Do you have no one else you care about, Michael? Or are you tired of living already?" I grabbed Michael by the neck and narrowed my eyes at him. What should I use to threaten him in order to get him to tell me Steven''s location? "Don''t look for him." Michael did not resist-he didn''t even push my hands away. "Miguel was willing to die for you, so he must have left hisst words, right? Sarah ended up in the basement here because you begged Steven to get her out of Genome Society and hid her in the basement, am I right? "You''re not familiar with the vi or the basement, that means Steven had arranged everything for you. He''s not the type to help you out of pure kindness, nor was he free to do so that means the deal between the two of you isn''t that simple. Inarrowed my eyes, suddenly smiling when I thought of something. "Sarah should now be considered as your Achilles'' heel, right? "You''re a gic clone. You have to protect her in your original subject''s stead. It would be easy for me to kill her.''Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "You''re her clone subject. You''re mad." Michael looked at me while panicking, as if he was looking at a lunatic. My eyes turned red as I gripped his neck tightly. I was trembling all over. Indeed, I have gone mad. "Tell me where he is!'' How dare Steven leave me again without saying anything? How dare he arrogantly try to sacrifice himself again? Chapter 693 ? Michael suddenly became incredibly resolute. He refused to answer no matter how much I threatened him. It seemed like Steven was well-prepared. He must have ckmailed Michael using something he was even fearful of Since Michael wasn''t nning to talk for now, I wasn''t nning to kill him off either. I contemted for a bit after releasing him. "Do you think that I wouldn''t be able to find him just because you refused to talk?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I chuckled coldly. It seemed like Michael and Steven had underestimated me. Michael brought Ms. Ewing back from the sanatorium. She was to take care of me and the children. "Now that the police have taken Carol away, it''s the best time to reim control of the Rebels, miss. Why would you..." she asked, perplexed. She couldn''t understand why I was holding back. "The members of the Rebels have long been purged and reced by Carol. You''re too naive if you really think that they were still the same group of people who were left by my parents back then." I coldly chuckled. "Besides, her ultimate goal is also to eliminate Genome Society. Why not take advantage of her to get things done?" Ms. Ewing was taken aback. She said nervously, ''But Carol is cruel and bloodthirsty, miss. Your parents didn''t establish the Rebels to promote violence. She''s tainting their original intent!" After a moment of silence, I said, ''She''ll be dealt with by thew since she''smitted crimes. What we need to do now is to find Steven.'' Ms. Ewing looked at me in shock. "You want to find Steven? Isn''t he already dead? He.. "He wouldn''t have died," I interrupted her. Ms. Ewing looked at me for the longest time. "Have you truly fallen for him, miss? But this man is dangerous. He has tried to obstruct your ns countless times. "Our n might''ve seeded long ago if it weren''t for him. You wouldn''t have lost your memories and remained trapped with the Ford family, bing apletely different person'' She was still wary of Steven. "Steven was the only one who had met the mastermind of Genome Society. We have to find him if we want to uncover everything," I said. Had I fallen for him? I couldn''t describe what I was feeling at that moment, nor did I know how to describe what I felt for Steven. All I knew was that it had to be him. After a while, Ms. Ewing said softly, "Steven went to meet Michael the night before his ident." They must have conspired something. I was aware that Michael might be the only person who knew where Steven was currently, but I couldn''t do anything for the time being if he refused to talk. "You used to take care of Sarah, didn''t you, Ms. Ewing?" I asked, looking at Ms. Ewing. She was stunned before giving me a nod. ''I was originally with Genome Society. As they needed the sponsorship of the elite families in Huma, I was assigned to the Ford family and worked under Mr. Miguel Ford "I was considered a long-time member of the Ford family. That was why when Sarah came to the Ford residence, Mr. Ford assigned me to care for her." I asked, "Miguel had been the one protecting Sarah all these while, yet she has always believed that it was Andy?'' Ms. Ewing nodded and said, "Mr. Ford has excellent penmanship. To spare Sarah''s feelings, he mimicked Andy''s tone and handwriting to exchange letters with her." I nodded. It wasn''t easy for Miguel to love someone to that point. After all, the Ford family was one of the top elite families in the Huma business circle. Ms. Ewing continued, "Mr. Ford mentioned that Sarah must never leave the vi. There would be no room for negotiation if she was found by Andy''s men. "But one day, she uncovered the secret. She realized the letters she had been receiving weren''t from Andy, but from someone else. She went mad, thinking that Mr. Ford had deliberately imprisoned her. She attacked him before disappearing altogether.'' After Sarah left the vi, she must have been found by Andy''s men and was offered to Genome Society. The sess rate in using her perfect genes for cloning and gic experiments would be higher, and the quality of the experimental subjects would be better. Chapter 694 ? I said, ''You mentioned that the Rebels were founded by my parents and Andy. But considering Andy''s willingness to sacrifice his loved one, he didn''t look like he had a falling out with the Genome Society." I wondered what caused the rift between Andy and Genome Society back then. "To be exact, the Rebels were founded with the investments of your parents, Andy, and also Mr. Ford. He had always been supporting your parents from behind the scenes." Inodded. The financial power of Genome Society was not easily shaken. Simrly, substantial funding is needed to support the Rebels. "Go tell the Rebels that I''m back, Ms. Ewing. The faster the news spread, the better," I looked at Ms. Ewing and said after a moment of silence. She felt perplexed. ''Didn''t you say that the Rebels are all Carol''s men now, miss?'' "Carol wants me dead, and Genome Society wants to capture me for research. The more dangerous my situation, the higher the chance he''ll expose himself." I got up and looked out the window. Since Steven had cared for me so much and wanted me to live my life in hiding, then I''d announce to everyone that I was back. Didn''t he arrogantly want to hide away and sacrifice himself in order toplete my n for me? I''d like to see how long he could keep it up. Ms. Ewing nodded before turning to leave. I stood by the window and frowned when I saw Michael driving back. Why did hee back? Why was he back despite knowing that "Stephanie" was dead? Was he looking for trouble? I felt annoyed seeing him now. "We''re done acting now. You don''t have toe back here after work." I walked over to the entrance, reminding him to leave. Michael wasn''t looking good either when he snorted. ''I won''t go back on my words when I''ve promised Steven to protect the three of you. "I''ve always maintained that I live here, and everyone knows my fianc¨¦e lives here. Genome Society will start suspecting something if I suddenly stoping back." He was worried that I might be found out by Genome Society. I chuckled. "You''re overthinking it. Genome Society will find out that I''m Stephanie soon. I''m back now!" Michael''s expression changed. He looked at me anxiously and yelled, "You''re crazy, Stephanie! Steven went to such lengths to keep everything under wraps, yet you..." His voice trembled, perhaps out of anger at me. "You''re really..." He felt like what Steven had done was in vain. "He sacrificed so much just to protect you. Do you know that he''s now.. I clenched my fists subconsciously and looked at Michael coldly. "I''ve given you a chance to tell me where heN?velDrama.Org is the owner. "He''s dead!" he yelled, losing control of his emotions. My eyes reddened as I grabbed at Michael''s cor. ''He can''t be dead!" "I''m not lying to you. He wouldn''t be able to deceive Genome Society if he didn''t die. The police have also collected residual DNA from his body at the scene,'' he said hoarsely, lowering his head. I pushed him away, refusing to believe him. "I don''t believe you." Surely, Steven wouldn''t die. "You''re thinking that he would eventually show up if you continue to expose yourself to danger, right?'' Michael chuckled bitterly. "We''re the same, Stephanie. We only realized how precious something is after we lost it.'' What I was doing was simr to how he tried to lure me out by getting engaged to Yasmin back then. What was the point of realizing something''s value only after you had lost it? Chapter 695 ? "Ms. Ewing, tell everyone that I''m Stephanie and that I''m back now!'' I angrily looked toward Ms. Ewing, who was about to leave. Michael''s expression darkened even more. "Do you really not care about his sacrifice, Stephanie? You''re really as cold-blooded as usual-emotionless and heartless! Steven sacrificed himself just for you, so can''t you just stay here safely and take care of the children instead?" "Why do you care if he''s already dead?" I pped him across the face before shaking my hand, feeling the impact from hitting him. Michael''s eyes reddened from the p. He looked somewhat wronged, just like how he was when he was hit back when he was younger. "You''re really heartless!" "Go, Ms. Ewing," I said in a low voice. She nodded and was about to leave but was stopped by Michael''s bodyguards. "You''re not allowed to leave the mountain," Michael said softly, looking at me. "I''m sorry, I promised Steven. I don''t care if you think that I''m imprisoning you, but I can''t let any of you go down the mountain." He was arrogantly using such a way to protect me. "We''re at a crucial point now. You just have to stay here for a while. I promise it won''t be for long, Stephie," Michael said hoarsely. I scoffed before asking, "Do you think you can keep me here, Michael?" He frowned. "There''s no signal in the mountains, and I''ve cut off the inte. I''ll assign bodyguards on constant watch. You just have to stay here quietly for half a year." Michael was confident that he and Steven would be able to settle everything within half a year. "So, he''s not dead yet, right?'' I smiled.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Michael was rather foolish-he gave it away with just some provocation. Michael was stunned. He didn''t have a slip of the tongue. It wasn''t his fault that I managed to figure it out on my own. He coughed awkwardly before reverting to his usual aloof. "You''re overthinking this. It''s just that Steven had instructed me on what to do next. Since I''ve promised him, I''ll protect you guys. Rest well." After that, Michael turned to leave. I stood in ce, raising my brows. I could certainly be sure that Steven wasn''t dead at least for now. However, his DNA traces were indeed found at the scene. How did he manage to do it? Steven was really something. I gave Ms. Ewing a meaningful look before chuckling coldly. I turned to look at Michael and said, "Do you think the Rebels don''t know that I''m back? I already met Carol when I went down earlier. She killed one of the experimental subjects from theboratory." He halted his steps and turned to look at me with a panicked expression. "You went down...and met Carol?" Michael hurriedly rushed forward. "That''s impossible. Wasn''t Carol caught by the police?" "Didn''t Zion and the others tell you that Carol had escaped?" I asked, smirking. "She has a mental disorder, so the police can''t do much even if she killed someone. They''d have to send her to an asylum." Michael frowned, clenching his fists tightly. "That''s impossible!" "Just head down to ask Eason if you don''t believe me.'' I raised my hand and gestured for Ms. Ewing to follow me into the room. She nodded and walked behind me. Michael was clearly panicking now. He got into his car and got his driver to bring him down the mountain as he called Eason. I looked at Ms. Ewing and asked, "Have the arrangements been made with those under the mountain?" Ms. Ewing nodded. I replied, ''Good. Michael isn''t the sharpest tool in the shed. He''ll definitely start panicking once he confirms that the Rebels found out about my identity. "Since he''s adamant in helping Steven protect me, he''ll surely inform Steven about this. Keep an eye on his car and follow him." Genome Society must have been monitoring Michael''s phone for some time. He wouldn''t dare to contact Steven by phone-which meant he would go meet Steven. Ms. Ewing nodded again and said, "Don''t worry, miss." I walked into the bedroom and stood beside the floor-to-ceiling window, watching as the car slowly drove down. Steven should hope I didn''t catch him. We spent three whole days on the mountain with no inte and phones. Ashton and Xan were constantly ying their own games, solving math problems and equations. I felt frustrated and overly anxious to find out about Steven''s news. Lately, I have been having the same dream every night. In my dream, the weather was sunny with a cool breeze. Ashton and Xan were running on the grass and flying kites, while I leaned against Steven, watching the childrenughing heartily. Chapter 696 ? "How should I work out this calction next?'' Ashton was scribbling furiously on the scrap paper, with his notes all over the table and floor. Xan looked at Ashton''s paper and quietly took up a pen. She then started scribbling on it. I found it amusing that five-year-olds were actually tackling advanced calculus that even college students might struggle with. "Come here, Ashton." I tilted my chin up to gesture Ashton over. He huffed in determination and ignored me. "Come here, Xan," I called for Xan instead. She turned around to look at me. She was about toe over but was stopped by Ashton. ''She''s not Mom." "How can you tell whether I''m your mother or not?" I asked, genuinely curious. "It''s just a feeling." Ashton replied softly with his head hung low. Just by his sixth sense? What brats, indeed. "I can teach you if you don''t understand anything.'' I propped my chin up and looked at Ashton. He really did look like Steven. "Dad will teach us, but you won''t," Ashton said proudly before continuing to work on his equations. I was dismissed by a child, yet I wasn''t at all upset. The small box Linda gave me was still in my room-it contained Steven''s and my child. The two children before me were just experimental subjects of gic merging, yet I was drawn to them inexplicably. Perhaps it was the genes at work. Humans were always subtly bound by their genes. We couldn''t separate from them, yet we also benefitted from them. Seeing that Ashton and Xan were ignoring me, I got up and returned to my room. I hid the small box under my pillow. I didn''t even know why I was reluctant to bury the box.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. In order to hide my pregnancy, my parents made sure I didn''t tell anyone or go to the hospital. I never even had an ultrasound, and I knew nothing about it. It wasn''t until Genome Society found out that I was six months pregnant that they took me away and locked me in an asylum. When I woke up, my abdomen-which hadn''t shown much because of posterior centa waspletely t. I realized that they must have inducedbor early. They had hoped that the baby in my womb would survive, but if it didn''t, they needed to make sure I stayed alive They had induced mybor because they wanted to study my baby''s genes. I fell silent for the longest time while looking at the small box. I didn''t know how Steven obtained the body of our barely-formed baby. At just over six months, it was born only to die immediately. I slowly opened the box and frowned when I saw the shriveled forms. There were two tiny forms, so distorted it was hard to make out any human shape. But I knew I had been carrying twins. Ms. Ewing walked in from the door. She whispered in my ear, "Michael is very wary, miss. He didn''t look for Steven the first thing after he headed down from the mountains-he waited for two days instead. Our men have tracked him down already, and he''s at the asylum." My expression darkened as I stood up I had a feeling that Steven might be hiding there thest time I went to the asylum. But Linda''s appearance was meant to divert my attention. She didn''t want me to find him. She was quite an actor, wasn''t she? Chapter 697 ? Michael''s bodyguards were still unconscious by the time I left the vi. It was funny how he thought he could actually trap me here. "Hello, Officer Landon." It would take some time to walk down the mountain, but since Zion wasing up, I stopped him. "It''ste now, and you''re alone in the mountains. Don''t tell me you''re here for a stroll,'' he asked with a frown. Iraised my brows and smiled. "I ate too much earlier, so I''m out for some fresh air and to enjoy the mountain view." Zion eyed me before saying, "Get in the car. There are some investigations that we need your cooperation in." "What do you need me for?" I looked at him curiously. Zion replied, "Genome Society had created so many clones with identical DNA that it''s impossible to identify the culprit in a crime. The higher ups are currently figuring out how to handle this and need you to provide a DNA sample. He fell silent for a while before continuing, ''Michael has hidden you away pretty well. This is up to you, but all the clone subjects with your DNA are already gone." Zion was clearly saddened when he spoke about this. He was still affected by the deaths of "Stephany" and Steven "What about Rachel?" I asked. I hadn''t been hearing from her recently. "She locked herself up after Stephany and Steven passed away. She''s deeply affected by their passing and refuses to see anyone," Zion said while driving down the mountain. He probably should''ve realized that I had sneaked out.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "I''m sorry, Officer Landon, but I need to borrow your car. And also, I''m not too keen on contributing my DNA for your investigations," I said with a smile as we reached the bottom of the mountain. Zion was taken aback. But before he could react, I quickly covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief He started losing consciousness. I had to go find Steven without being seen. His car was clearly the best cover, seeing that he had practically delivered it right to me today. "By the way, you probably wouldn''t believe me if I said I''m Stephanie, right?" I shed Zion a smile before he lost consciousness. He struggled for a bit before cking out. I swiftly took hold of the steering wheel and deftly switched over to hit the brakes. Once the car stopped, I dragged Zion down and tossed him into the trunk. "I''m sorry, Officer Landon." I didn''t want to put him in the trunk either. The car was parked outside of Rachel''s rented apartment. I dragged Zion out and struggled to drop him in front of her door. I then turned to leave. Hopefully, she would find him outside when taking out the trash. Otherwise, he would have to spend the night outside. I drove Zion''s car all the way to the asylum. As the car belonged to Zion, Linda-who was monitoring the entrance-did not think twice before letting me through. I parked the car in the parking space and put on a t hat before hiding behind the car. "Theboratory of Genome Society is in the old building, Officer Landon. There''s none in the new building." Linda walked out thinking that it was Zion. I grabbed her neck from behind before she could get a good look. "Where is he? Bring me to him!" I said with a low voice. I took her phone from her hands and tossed it into the flower bushes. "You, why are you driving Officer Landon''s car?'' Linda asked nervously, clearly stalling for time. "Where is he?" There was a hint of murderous intentced in my voice. "You should know I won''t go easy on you. Michael already told me that he''s here, or I wouldn''t be risking it toe after you." Linda gritted her teeth angrily. "He''s just a spineless trash!" She cursed him upon hearing that he had already told me about Steven. "I won''t bring you to him. You don''t deserve to see him!" Linda said with reddening eyes. "You can just kill me instead!" She was unafraid to die. I released her and mocked, ''Do you think you''ll have him for yourself like this? Dream on!" "I won''t bring you to him anyway," Linda said with a trembling voice as she clenched her fists. Chapter 698 ? "Sure. I''ll spread the news about Steven being here to Genome Society and the Rebels, then. I''ll make sure everyone knows about it," I said calmly without any hint of emotions. Linda stared at me in shock. Her voice trembled as she said, "You truly have no emotions. Do you know because of you, Steven is now..." She couldn''t continue her words without choking on a sob. "He''s still not out of dangerpletely, yet you actually want him dead?" "He''s the only person who''s met the mastermind of Genome Society. Of course, I want to see him. Don''t tell me you''re that naive to think that I came here just because I love him?"N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Linda''s eyes were reddened as she said, ''I knew it! You''re undeserving of his love! He loved you so much and was even willing to sacrifice himself for you countless times!'' "I''m indeed undeserving, but the one he loves will still be me-not you. It''ll never be you in this lifetime or the next," I said, taunting her. ''You only have three seconds left to reconsider. Three... Two... One!" Linda anxiously yelled, ''I-I''ll bring you to him!" I took a deep breath and followed behind her. "Don''t try to y games with me. If I can''t leave or fail to go back before a certain time, my men will inform Genome Society that Steven is here, and you and the people from the asylum have been harboring him." Linda gave me the stink eye, yet all I could think about was to hurry to see Steven. She brought me to the morgue, passing a long hallway before entering a basement. There was a sterile ward in the basement, and Steven was lying deathly pale on a hospital bed. I subconsciously quickened my footsteps. Even though I was trying to stay calm, my heavy breathing gave away how I was feeling. My heart was beating rapidly. Until I saw Steven, I didn''t believe I could feel ''emotions''-especially love. To me, love seemed intangible and beyond my understanding. But there he was, lying barely alive and pale. I felt beyond heartbroken, wishing that it was me lying there instead. "He barely managed to stay alive. He even had to blow off one of his legs in order to gain the trust of Genome Society,'' Linda whispered, her gaze wavering as she ced her fingers on the ss. I could tell she really loved Steven, but it was impossible for me to let her have him. "Is he out of danger yet?" I asked coldly. Linda frowned and refused to talk to me. I walked into the sterilization room for disinfection. I was about to enter the ward when Linda stopped me. The phantom pain is keeping him from falling asleep, and we''ve just gotten him to do so. Please don''t be so cruel to him. Let him rest, even if just for a little while." I looked at her coldly and said, "It''s also time for you to rest for now." She was taken aback. Before she could yell for help, I covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. I removed the card from Linda''s neck before entering the ward. Steven was in a deep sleep, likely due to the anesthesia they''d administered I stood by the hospital bed and stared at the face that had appeared countless times in my dreams. I leaned down to kiss him. "I''ve finally found you, Steven." My fingers trembled as I touched his leg. What had once been a long, slender leg was now missing from the knee down. He was so cruel to himself. All this just to leave behind fragments of his "body" and a blown-off limb. "Who gave you the right to do this? You''re mine. Every part of your body is also mine! How dare you hurt yourself like this?" I was choked with emotions as I gripped the nket, my body trembling. Steveny asleep serenely, his longshes gently fluttering. I took a deep breath before kissing his pale face once again. ''It''s time to go home, Steven. You''ve already done enough. Let me finish off the rest on my own." I loved him so much. Chapter 699 ? The attic of the mountaintop vi had been cleaned thoroughly. Under my threats, Michael had converted the attic into a sterile ward, equipped with all sorts of medical equipment. Steven had yet to regain consciousness. He had to stay in a sterile environment in order to prevent his wounds from getting infected. He had been living in the basement for so long. Now, he could feel the sun''s warmth Steven slept for a whole 12 hours before slowly waking up. When he did, he looked at the sunlight outside the window. He probably thought he was still dreaming. I continue to sit beside the bed watching him. He wasn''t at all shocked when he first saw me. Instead, he smiled and said, ''This dream is wonderful, Stephie." It was a wonderful dream, with sunlight and me around. I just stared at him, my mood looking glum. It took Steven some time to realize that he wasn''t dreaming. He immediately shot up, his expression started changing. "Stephie..." He had a nervous expression as he looked around anxiously. There wasn''t any hint of color on his face due to his severe injuries. The chain on his neck clinked loudly. Steven looked down in shock, gripping the metal chain that stretched all the way to the corner of the room. "Stephie." He started to look anxious. I looked at him coldly as I slowly made my way over. He had clearly realized that I had regained all my memories. "You''re angry with me, aren''t you, Stephie?" Steven looked nervous, staring down like a guilty puppy. He thought I would me him for taking matters into his own hands, for messing with my memories, and for nning all of this. "Who do you think you are?" I reached out to pull at the chain around his neck, forcing him to look at me. How dare you be so presumptuous to think that what you''re doing is for my own good, Steven?" Steven''s eyes reddened as he looked away, unable to meet my eyes. "You brought me back repeatedly and erased my memories, only to push me to someone else?" I chuckled coldly. "How dare you, Steven?'' He nervously clenched his fists. "Stephie..." He couldn''t say anything else other than my name. "He''s awake," Michael said, standing begrudgingly at the door. He looked at Steven and started to exin, "It''s got nothing to do with me. I didn''t say anything, she..." "Leave!" I yelled, looking at him angrily. Michael swiftly turned around and fled. It was as if he knew that I might kill him if he didn''t leave fast enough. "Stephie," Steven carefully called for me. My eyes were red, and my body trembled with anger. He looked down diffidently, unable to meet my gaze. Under the sterile bedding was his leg, which wasn''t fully healed.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Steven," I called out, cruelly pressing my hand against the wound on his leg. "Does it hurt?" My tears flowed uncontrobly. Steven frowned and trembled in pain, yet his gaze remained downcast. "How dare you hurt your body? You''re mine-every inch of your body is mine. Did you get my permission to do this?'' I asked, choked with emotions. He did not reply to me. "If you dare to mess with my memories again, I''ll kill you first beforemitting suicide, Steven." I pulled at the chain, forcing Steven to face me once again. His eyes were red as he looked at me, and he only spoke after a while, "Stephie." He wanted to tell me something but seemed too afraid to speak. "Let me leave, Stephie." Steven wanted to leave me to continue with his n. "Dream on." I pulled at his chain. "I''ve thrown the key away. No one will be able to let you out." "Stephie," he pleaded. "Tell me who exactly is the mastermind behind Genome Society." I grabbed his neck. Steven was taken aback. He then averted his gaze, seemingly fearful. "I''ve not seen them." "You never lie to my face, Steven." I slowly tightened my grip around his neck. He frowned, keeping his lips sealed tight. "It''s someone you know or are familiar with, right? Otherwise, why wouldn''t you dare to tell me?" I made a guess. Steven continued to remain silent. Chapter 700 ? "I''m not in a hurry. I''ll see how long you can keep this up." I let go of Steven and walked over to get some water for him. He was rather stubborn, even defiantly refusing to drink water. It was as if he would do anything just to leave me. "Aren''t you going to drink?" I asked with a frown. He remained mum. I took a sip of water before grabbing his head and kissing him. Steven was taken aback, coughing after choking from the water I had passed him. I continued to drink water and force-fed it to him. He remained stunned for the longest time. He probably did not expect me to force-feed him water after I regained my memories. "Are you still not going to drink it?" I asked him with a frown. He huffed and still refused to drink the water. I continued to feed him by mouth. He did not resist it, making me wonder if he was doing it on purpose. I ended up getting frustrated instead and pushed the cup of water aside. ''If you don''t want to drink it, so be it!" Sure enough, it seemed like I always made a mistake when it came to Steven. Just as I turned to leave, he suddenly reached out to carefully hold onto my finger. I turned to look at him with tears welling up in my eyes once again. ''Apologize to me, Steven." Steven''s eyes were red as well. He was as pale as a sheet and looked extremely fragile. "I''m sorry." He was always so obedient despite hurting badly. "What did you do wrong?" I asked, pushing his hand away. "I shouldn''t have messed with your memories without asking for your permission, Steven replied like a misbehaved child. But what I wanted him to reflect on was the fact that he shouldn''t have harmed himself. He had done it during the fire back then, and now, it happened again with his leg. "Will you do it again next time?" I asked hoarsely. Steven stopped replying, which felt like an admission. "Think about what you''ve done. I won''t let you leave until you understand your mistakes. As for Genome Society''s mastermind, I''ve already had my return announced. I don''t need you to tell me their identity. They''lle to me instead,'' I said quietly before walking away. Steven sat in shock. He hurried to get down from the bed, yet he fell onto the ground. ''Stephie!" I stood outside the door and closed my eyes, feeling a pang of hurt. He would never tell me the identity of the mastermind of Genome Society if I didn''t push him like this. He would just keep it a secret to himself and try to deal with it by himself. Steven had always faced everything on his own "Stephie!" He crawled toward the entrance, yet was held back by the chain. He wasn''t surprised that I would resort to forced confinement-because I had done it before. Thinking that we could escape Genome Society''s surveince and control, I had locked both of us up. "Stephie!" Steven kept calling my name in a choked voice. I hid outside the door and slowly closed my eyes as tears streamed down my face. I felt a painful ache in my chest. I had to admit that emotions truly were a person''s Achilles'' heel-but they could also be a shield.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Steven had used this emotional strength to carry him through. He survived the fire from before and the recent explosion. "Please don''t go, Stephie!" he cried out my name in choked sobs, struggling and tugging against the chain. I eventually gave in. I had to admit that he was now my Achilles'' heel. I turned and walked back into the room, seeing Steven sprawled out on the floor in a sorry state. I slowly crouched down and choked out the words, "Do you really think that I''m heartless and won''t love you back, Steven? Was that why you would recklessly harm yourself?" He was stunned in ce, looking at me while trembling. He was probably ignoring all his pain at that moment. I said, ''You''ve won, Steven, just as you wished. I love you, more than you think." Chapter 701 ? Steven sat stiffly on the ground. He was looking at me with a pale expression. After a while, he lowered his head and smiled. Despite this, tears started to well up in theer of his eyes. He had probably waited a long time to hear those words from me. "You used to say that you loved me too, but all this while, you''ve only been pretending,'' Steven whispered. He was still unconfident. He had always been that way. "I don''t care if you believe me or not," I said, pulling him by the chain. "Either way, I will never let you leave me again!" Steven looked at me intensely. He said softly, "Don''t expose your identity, Stephie. Otherwise, everything I''ve done, including blowing off my leg, would be meaningless.'' He was guilt-tripping me by implying that I shouldn''t put myself in danger if I truly loved him. "Then tell me, who''s the mastermind of Genome Society whom you met in your capacity as the president of Crowdstar Group?'' I lost control of my emotions and yelled, tugging at the chain around Steven''s neck. Ever since I regained my memories, even though everything felt unfamiliar, I had gradually epted the fact that I had emotions. I had be increasingly irritable and moody. Steven reached out with trembling hands to hug me but was pushed away by me. He slumped back disappointedly and softly said, ''Let me handle it, okay Stephie? We''re almost there, just one final step to go." I yelled, "No! What do you take me for, Steven? A canary you need to protect with your life? If you die, would you want me to act as if you had never existed and push me to someone else? What exactly are you afraid of, Steven? What are you afraid I''ll find out?" Steven lowered his head and stubbornly held his hands together, refusing to speak. He was clearly hiding a secret he refused to reveal. He wasn''t afraid of death, yet he was terrified of me finding out about his secret. Just what was it exactly? "Get some rest." I stopped pushing him since he refused to tell me. Knowing Steven''s personality, he would never tell me if he refused to. "Stephie!" He strained against the chain hard, hoping to stop me from leaving. "Please... don''t expose yourself!" "Since you''re not willing to cooperate and tell me who the mastermind is, I won''t listen to you either." I shook off his hand. "I''ll tell you." Steven grabbed at my hand once again I wasn''t sure where his strength hade from, considering he looked so fragile. Yet with a sudden pull, he managed to trap me in his embrace. "I met the person behind Genome Society in my capacity as the president of Crowdstar Group, but she''s not the actual mastermind-there''s someone behind her pulling the strings," Steven softly said, his voice trembling. "I met up with... Rachel''N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The person he met was actually Rachel I was stunned. ''Rachel?" Judging by her age, she shouldn''t be the main mastermind behind Genome Society. I had suspected Rachel even before I lost my memories, but her feelings for ''Stephanie" seemed too genuine to be an act. Steven said, "Rachel found me right before I decided to meet the mastermind of Genome Society. She asked me not to go and revealed herself as a part of Genome Society. "I asked her who the mastermind was, yet she refused to say. But she was willing to help me to keep things hidden from them. We orchestrated the explosion to create an illusion that both you and I were dead." Steven spoke softly, revealing Rachel''s identity, yet I knew he was still hiding things from me. "Rachel is actually from Genome Society." Iughed sardonically. When I ''lost my memories'' from the car ident, Rachel came into my life as a transfer student. She always seemed to be someone under the control of her mother, often mentioning that her mother disapproved of whatever she did. But it turned out that she was actually from Genome Society. Was everything Rachel said a lie? Was her ''mother'' the actual mastermind behind Genome Society? And was this "mother" never meant to refer to the role of a mother to begin with? Chapter 702 ? "We''ve managed to keep everything a secret, Stephie. We''ll proceed to work together to eliminate Genome Society step by step," Steven said, tightening his grip on my hand. "As for Carol, I''ve already had Joel infiltrate her ranks in advance. With the Rebels taking action at the same time, they won''t be able to hold out for long even if they have a powerful backing." He wanted me to be patient and wait for a little longer. "Just hold on a little longer, okay, Stephie? Let me go," Steven pleaded softly. "It seems like you don''t understand what''s going on now, Steven." I yanked on the chain, reminding him to get back to reality. I smiled at him. "You should be the one getting some rest next. You''ve done well. I can take over moving forward." I would be the onepleting the next tasks. "It''s dangerous, Stephie! Steven refused to let me take the risks. I ignored him and tugged at his chain before kissing him once again. He looked at me, stunned. My kiss wasn''t the most skilled, but it was aggressive and vengeful. Steven''s breathing quickened as he pressed my head closer to deepen the kiss. "Rest well, and don''t think too much," I whispered. Steven looked at me anxiously as his consciousness started to fade. "What did you make me eat, Stephie?'' I had slipped a drug into his mouth during the kiss-one that would make him sleep. "Don''t think about it and just go to sleep. Let me handle it," I said. He was willing to risk his life-but so was I Zion was drugged unconscious in the hallway of Rachel''s residence. Rachel had been shutting herself in her house all this while. She had been mostly ordering takeout. Naturally, it led to a lot of trashN?velDrama.Org holds this content. As she didn''t want to keep going down just to take out the trash, she piled everything outside her door. Zion ended up lying among the piles of trash. Unfortunately, as Rachel did not notice him, he spent the entire night outside in the piles of trash. By the time I arrived, Zion had just woken up. He clutched his head painfully as he sat up from the piles of trash "Who ate pickled herring-" he asked hoarsely when he smelled a foul odor. He was still disoriented and unclear about his situation. "Your girlfriend is pretty slow, isn''t she?" I calmly said as I knocked on Rachel''s door. She had never seemed to be a sharp character to me. As such, I never suspected her before this. Zion immediately looked up at me, taken aback. He thought he was hallucinating now. "Did you justmit assault on a police officer?" "You''re overthinking, Officer Landon. You said you''d drive me down the mountain for an investigation, but you suddenly fainted before I could agree to it. I struggled to bring you over to see your girlfriend,'' I said, looking at him, who was leaning against the wall. Zion nced at the house number. "Rach isn''t staying here for now. She''s been getting takeout for days, so I asked her to move to my ce a few days ago." Ihummed a reply. ''No wonder you had to spend the night out here. Rachel didn''t evene to check on you." He looked at me in shock. "I spent a night out here?" "That''s not important. You can bring me to Rachel now. I need to talk to her," I said, interrupting his thoughts. Zion got up in a daze and tried to shake his headache away. ''Why do you want to talk to her?" "I''ve told you-I''m Stephanie," I told him without any hesitation. It wasn''t that I trusted Zion a lot. It was just that I wanted more people to know. If I didn''t push Rachel and Steven, they might never tell the truth until the end. Chapter 703 ? Zion looked at me with a frown, clearly not believing what I just said. "You mean you first reincarnated from Stephanie Carlson into Stephany Larson''s body, and now you''re in Una''s body?" He felt as if his head was splitting with this revtion. Zion was a staunch materialist. Evidently, he did not believe me.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "You had sex with Rachel in your rented apartment back in March," I said calmly, leaning against the wall. I watched as Zion''s expression went from disdain to shock, then toplete embarrassment. "Fuck-" He was probably wondering how I managed to say that with a straight face. I continued, "Rachel mentioned that since it was the first time for both of you, you were both quite nervous. She even suggested watching porn for educational purposes, but you said that was illegal and that the police shouldn''t break thew." Zion took a deep breath and pointed at me, wanting me to shut up. He was embarrassed beyond words. Rachel wouldn''t have shared such private details with anyone other than Stephanie. As such, he was already wavering His gaze grew pleading as he sped his hands together, signaling me to stop talking. I said, "She said that your first time didn''tst long as it was your first experience with a woman, but you seemed to know what you were doing by the second time- "I believe you, okay? Can you just... shut up, please?" Zion was almost begging on his knees. I raised my brows and smiled. It was rather entertaining to tease someone. Zion reached out to cover his face, looking utterly embarrassed. He picked up all the trash Rachel had left outside the door, gritting his teeth as he said, "This needs to stay between us!" I chuckled. "You were saying that I assaulted a police officer earlier- "Forget about it. If you''re really Stephanie, a few hits wouldn''t matter given how close we are.'' Zion was quick to change his tune. He would never have believed in something like reincarnation if the secret experiment data of Genome Society hadn''t been exposed. But he started to waver after seeing the experiments. "Do you believe me now? I could tell you more in detail if you''d like," I said, walking behind Zion. "Please, no more," he pleaded helplessly for me to stop talking, feeling beyond embarrassed. I followed him down and took his car to his residence. "When did you buy this ce?" Zion had bought a new house, so we were in an unfamiliar neighborhood now. "Some time ago before Steven''s assistant, Ewan Bart, went missing, he helped me find this ce. I wanted to make things official now that I''m with Rach. "I thought we should get a house under both our names before registering our marriage. Once everything settles down, we can have a simple wedding,'' he replied, sounding a little bashful. Zion was a straightforward person. He had been nning their wedding since the first day he got together with Rachel. "Later, I never got around to inviting you all with the renovations in ce. Just when we finally moved in.. things happened with you and Steven,'' he said with a sigh, looking sorrowful. "But Rach would definitely be ted knowing that you came back. ''Regardless if he was willing to admit the fact that I had actually reincarnated, he still hoped that I was Stephanie-for Rachel''s sake. I looked at Zion with sympathy. Things would never work out for both of them now. She was from Genome Society, and her ties with them were too hidden. Even if she wasn''t the mastermind, she was definitely closely connected to them. There was definitely something off about her. Leaving aside Rachel''s future, it was likely that she had even used Zion as part of her scheme. She might have used his feelings to stay undercover more effectively. Chapter 704 ? Up until now, Zion had never suspected Rachel''s identity. "Have you proposed to Rachel yet? Did she ept your proposal?" I looked at him and asked. Zion shook his head. "Not yet. We''re moving in together first. I''ll find a time for thatter. "After returning from the deste area, I was nning to find a good time for everyone to get together and propose to her. I never expected Daisy''sboratory to blow up before I could," he said with a sigh. I stopped asking further. Zion''s feelings toward Rachel probably ran deep after experiencing the serial murder cases, the incidents in the ruined building, and the Death Cruise. How would he react if he found out about her identity?N?velDrama.Org holds this content. And what about Rachel? Did she have any genuine feelings for Zion? "After what happened to you and Steven, Rach could barely eat. She shuts herself in all the time. She even lost her appetite and is growing thinner with each passing day." Before Zion opened the door to his ce, he sadly told me about Rachel''s worsening condition. I kept quiet. Zion''s house was a second-hand property. Although it wasn''t in a new neighborhood, the location andyout of the house were rather good. I could tell that he put a lot of thought into it back then. The house wasn''t veryrge, seemingly about a thousand square feet, with clean and minimal decorations that looked cozy. However, the doorstep was now cluttered with takeout boxes and trash bags even though Zion had only been away for a day. He was stunned upon opening the door. Didn''t he just mention that Rachel had lost her appetite? What were all these takeout boxes, then? As for Rachel, she was currently lounging on the couch in her shorts, watching a movie. She was even munching on barbecue-vored chips and reacting exaggeratedly while engrossed in the movie. She did not even look up when Zion came back. "Don''t tell me you stayed up the entire night? Do you want to head in to rest for a bit?'' Rachel only looked up when she realized that he wasn''t responding. She noticed that I had followed him back. At that moment, she instinctively hid her barbecue-vored chips and looked at us with a fatigued expression. "I''m feeling dizzy, Zion. I haven''t eaten for days-'' Both Zion and I looked at the takeout boxes. ''Who has been eating these, then?" "Well, I ordered them for you, and I only had some mouthfuls. I only finished them up when I saw that you weren''ting back,'' Rachel softly replied. Resigned, Zion looked at me apologetically. "You guys can talk. I''ll take the trash out." As soon as he left, Rachel got up and stared at me warily. "The Eagle hasnded." She was trying to exchange secret codes with me, but we had none between us. "Shut up, sit down, and continue eating your chips," I said indifferently. Rachel''s expression changed visibly. She seemed nervous as she asked, ''A delinquent pursued you in 12th grade. He wrote you a love letter, which you tore up after one nce. Do you still remember what it said?" I sat in front of her and calmly said, "He said that he was interested in me and wanted to sleep with me." Rachel took a deep breath and was about to continue asking. "Your first time with Zion didn''tst long. You said that it took, at most, ten minutes from start to finish," I teased Zion, who had returned from taking out the trash, stood by the entrance with indescribable embarrassment. Rachel was visibly flushed as she rushed over to cover my mouth. His eyes twitched. He did not know if he should leave or stay. "Well, I still have things to do. You guys can continue. I''ll head back to work." With that, Zion bolted out of the door almost immediately. Chapter 705 ? Zion finally left. I knew his Achilles'' heel fairly well-he was pretty sensitive and not as shameless as Eason. Silence filled the living room. Rachel was avoiding my gaze, while I sat on the chair and watched her quietly. We both sat in an awkward silence for the longest time. Rachel eventually broke the silence out of unease. "Stephie." "Don''t you have anything you want to exin to me?" I asked, looking at her. The person before me suddenly seemed very unfamiliar. In my memories, Rachel was my only ''friend''. After I lost my memories, I started yearning for emotional connections just to fill the void I felt. As such, whether it was with Michael or Rachel, I found myself trying to fill the void within me with simr emotions-almost as a form of revenge-drivenpensation. Looking back now, I might have fallen for Steven earlier than I thought. I already had the ability to love someone, but I was so clueless about emotions that I mistook it for pretense from getting too caught up in my role. It turned out that I had loved him deeply even before I lost my memories. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have ended up treating Michael as his substitute and going through all the pain and drama. "Did you find out about everything?'' Rachel tentatively asked. "Why else would Ie to see you?" I calmly replied. Rachel fell silent before whispering, ''I''m sorry I lied to you, Stephie. I''m with Genome Society. My job was to get close to you, observe you, and record your experiment data on behalf of your parents." That made sense since I was a product of Genome Society''s experiment. My parents were the ones monitoring and uploading my experiment data before the car ident. It was only natural for someone new to stay close to me after their deaths. "I started off only seeing you as an experimental subject, but over time, I started developing feelings for you, Stephie. I started to fear for you and wanted to protect you, but I''m just a pawn myself,'' Rachel mocked bitterly.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "I truly consider you a friend, Stephie. Genome Society never assigned me to any other tasks other than observing you and recording your experiment data. Please believe me," she anxiously said. She wanted me to believe that she had never harmed us before. Inodded. I did believe that. I said, ''You''re very important to Genome Society. You managed to get out of dangerous situations unscathed because the mastermind was protecting you. "They wouldn''t have cared about your life if you were just a mere observer. After all, they didn''t think twice about eliminating my parents, who were such key figures.'' What I was more interested in now was Rachel''s identity. What was her connection to the mastermind of Genome Society, as well as her rtionship with that so-called "mother"? Was that mother of hers the mastermind of Genome Society? "Are you also an experimental subject or a clone?'' I narrowed my eyes and rephrased my question. Rachel shook her head and replied, "I''m not. I''m just an ordinary person, with no gic modification at all." I chuckled. "Would Genome Society pay so much attention to an ordinary person?" Rachel lowered her head, clenching her fists tightly. ''Please stop trying to pry information out of me, Stephie. I can''t say anything more about what''s toe. I can only tell you this much. Saying more wouldn''t do good to any of us." I looked at her and slowly unclenched my fists. This was my only friendship. It hadn''t exactly ended, but it had been mixed with too manyplications. It no longer was as pure as it once was. Chapter 706 ?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Rachel''s eyes were rimmed red as she cried. She was only an ordinary person. She didn''t want to lose me as her friend. "I''m sorry, Stephie." But there was nothing she could do other than to apologize. "Alright, I won''t ask anymore," I said, feeling a pang in my chest. "What about Zion, then? Even if you''re an ordinary person, you''re still with Genome Society. Zion has genuine feelings for you. He even wants to marry you and bought a house in advance. How long are you nning to keep this from him?" I asked. Rachel lowered her head as tears filled her eyes. "I can''t marry him. My mother would never agree to it. I''ll only end up hurting him, but I truly love him and can''t bear to hurt him. I''ll think of something, Stephie." I scoffed. Her solution was probably the same as Steven''s-which was to escape by death. I said, "More and more secrets andboratories of Genome Society are getting uncovered and exposed. With the dark truthing out, Zion, being an upright police officer, will surely investigate this to the end. "I''m guessing the reason you''re still around him is because your "mother" wants you to eliminate him, right?" I figured that Genome Society would want to kill a few police officers as a warning against the others. And they would definitely eliminate Zion. He was a good person and an upright police officer. Genome Society wouldn''t be able to bribe him. Rachel looked at me in surprise. Sheughed amidst her tears and said, "How did you manage to figure everything out? Both you and Steven are so scary. No wonder you''re married to each other!" She wiped her tears. Clearly, Steven had also figured it out and had used this to ckmail her to get her to agree to keep his death a secret and help him escape from the explosion. "Can''t bring yourself to do it?" I asked, looking at Rachel She was clenching her fists tight. Rachel said, "I''ve never killed someone before. I''ve always lived an ordinary life before getting assigned to you. My mother was the one who kept forcing me. "She asked me to monitor you and didn''t assign me any other tasks. Over time, I gradually epted it, since it wouldn''t cause you any harm anyway. But this time, she''s asking me to kill someone-I can''t do it!" Rachel hugged her legs close. She really couldn''t do it. I asked, "Why haven''t you thought of leaving Genome Society at this point? Is that so-called "mother" so important to you? Or does she have some kind of leverage on you? Why can''t you be selfish and leave Genome Society? You shoulde clean with Zion. He wouldn''t do anything to you." I couldn''t understand what Rachel was worried about. She seemed anxious as she shook her head. "I can''t do that, Stephie. My mother''s life is in Genome Society''s hands." I frowned before sighing. "She wouldn''t have asked you to kill someone if she truly treated you as her daughter. You won''t be able to turn back once you kill someone. "I treated you as a friend, Rachel. You should sort out your issues with Zion yourself. Good luck." I got up to leave. Rachel looked at me nervously. "Stephie," she called out to me agitatedly in a choked voice. "You''ve regained all your memories, right? But you''re still willing to treat me as your friend, right?" I did not reply to her and walked away. She cried after I left. I could hear her heart-wrenching sobs from outside the door. "Hello, miss." Ms. Ewing''s son hade to pick me up downstairs. They both were trustworthy people. His name was Cole Campbell, and he was currently my chauffeur "Keep a close watch on Rachel. She''s reluctant to kill Zion. Genome Society will surely send someone else to take him out if she continues to drag it on. If Rachel finds out, she''ll likely go to her "mother". Watch her closely,'' I said. Since Rachel refused to tell me, I''d keep an eye on her to find her so-called "mother". Chapter 707 ? Ashton and Xan were sneaking down the stairs by the time I returned to the mountaintop vi. It wasn''t hard to figure out that they must have sneaked upstairs. It was impossible for them not to notice the renovation of the sterile room upstairs, especially when they were so sharp. I leaned against the doorframe and looked at them. "I told you not to go upstairs. Why did you disobey me?" Ashton nced at Xan and said nothing. I walked over and feigned indifference as I looked at Ashton. "You''re the older brother. You have to ept your punishment if you disobey me. Put your hand out." Ashton quietly put his right hand out with his head hung low. I looked at him for a moment before giving his palm a light p. He immediately teared up, a defiant look on his face.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. I chuckled and asked, "Why? Are you upset?" He huffed and stayed silent. Xan looked up at me before putting her hand out. She was implying that I should punish her along with Ashton too. I subconsciously ruffled her hair and said, "You''re younger. Go on and y instead." Ashton looked at me angrily and said, "She''s only younger by a few minutes." They were twins born just moments apart. "You''re still older by a few minutes." I raised my hand, acting as if I wanted to hit him again. He ran away angrily. I chuckled before heading upstairs. I had installed a st-proof door with a keypad lock outside of Steven''s room. It would remain a safe house even if zombies were to attack during the apocalypse. As such, the kids were no match for it. Surely, I could keep them out with my smarts. Upon heading up, I looked at the three password-protected doors. I was surprised to find that the first door had been opened before. How did those two manage to bypass my surveince and rm system to open the first door? I took a deep breath. The products of Genome Society''sboratory were getting stronger with each generation. However, they only managed to open the first door as their brains were still developing. There were fingerprints all over the second door. I could tell that they spent the entire afternoon trying to figure it out but failed. I unlocked the second keypad lock and walked in. I then started sanitizing and disinfecting myself. After unlocking the final keypad lock, I looked at Steven, who was sitting on the bed looking out the window silently. He was still imprisoned by me. His emotions were too stable, and the room remained spotless and orderly. I could tell that he did not lose his temper despite being imprisoned. "You''re back," Steven said hoarsely. He looked back at me with a hint of a smile. I was taken aback and frowned. I knew he would try to seduce me to lower my guard. I walked over and held his chin up. "Your seduction tactics aren''t going to work on me. Why aren''t you throwing a tantrum and asking me to let you leave now?'' Steven looked down and said after a while, "You''d never let me leave, Stephie." "You''re quick to pick that up. "I sat on the chair by the side and looked at him. Chapter 708 ? Steven seemed unusually quiet and reserved, as if he was already resigned to his fate. "I can stop trying to escape, Stephie, but I hope that you''ll listen to me. Let''s face whatever thates our way together, okay?'' he pleaded softly. "Are you finallying to terms with it now?'' I propped my chin on my hand, resting my elbow on the bed." Are you nning to team up with me instead of sacrificing yourself behind my back now?" Steven nodded and said, "I know it''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have messed with your memories and even pushed you to someone else." I sat upright and looked at him solemnly. ''Listen up-this path isn''t something you can walk alone while expecting me to be safe. Without you, I could end up dead too-whether by suicide or ident. So, we should just stay together, alive or dead." We should finish the rest of this journey together. Why did he have to insist on walking the path on his own? "Okay," Steven said, extending his arms in hopes of hugging me. Somehow, I could always lower my guard around him. I sat by the bedside and reached over to hug him. Steven held me gently at first, then gradually tightened his embrace. I could feel his breath getting warmer." Im sorry," he whispered his apology. "You did nothing wrong to me, Steven. You did something wrong to yourself," I said, my voice growing hoarser. Steven refused to let me out of his embrace. It was as if he was trying to use his embrace to show how much he loved me. I said, "I went to meet Rachel. She refused to reveal the identity of the mastermind but mentioned that she stayed by my side just to monitor me.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "She''s not a smart person, but despite all the dangers we faced, she managed to survive being hunted. It shows that the mastermind of Genome Society ces a lot of importance on her,'' I analyzed softly. Steven remained silent. "We promised to face everything together." I bit his neck in frustration. He allowed me to bite him and patted my back affectionately. "There''s a possibility that Rachel might be the biological daughter of the mastermind of Genome Society." That was also why she had been calling that person "mother". "Have you ever noticed that she looks rather simr to you?" Steven said, looking at me. I was taken aback. "Are you saying that... she''s the daughter of Sarah''s clone? But clones couldn''t naturally conceive regr offspring. If they could, there wouldn''t be so many women going missing and ending up bing surrogates for Genome Society'' Steven shook his head and said, "It''s not a clone." I sat up, looking at Steven. "Sarah..." "Yes, I''ve had my suspicions about her. Despite being a sacrifice for Genome Society, she managed to survive until now. She might look crazy on the surface, but many details match up with her. However, we''ve overlooked her just because she''s a ''victim," Steven softly exined. I remained shocked by the news for some time. It would make sense if Rachel really was my original subject, Sarah''s, daughter. Back when I first met her after transferring universities, it was as if there was an instinctive connection between us. It felt like I was naturally drawn to her, and before I knew it, we had be friends. So, it was the genes at work, after all. "How did Sarah manage to go from a victim to being sacrificed to bing the regional leader of Genome Society?'' I asked in surprise. Genome Society was spread across the globe, with a vastwork behind it. Was Sarah actually a genius as well? "She''s a genius. That''s why she was chosen by Genome Society. That''s also why Andy used her as a stepping stone to get into the organization, Steven softly said. That exined why Genome Society suddenly wanted to kill Andy-because Sarah wanted him dead. Did she actually hate him? Chapter 709 ?N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. My phone rang. I nced over and saw that it was from Cole. I had asked him to keep watch on Rachel. I wasn''t expecting results toe in so fast. "Hello?" Cole said, "Hello, miss. My men reported that Rachel left the house a little after you left. She went to the supermarket, bought some fruits, and went to the asylum before heading back home. There''s nothing unusual. Inarrowed my eyes. She bought some fruits and went to the asylum. Sarah was currently at the asylum. It seemed like Steven''s suspicion was correct. He did not fully trust Rachel, which was why he was also putting on an act. It was likely that rescuing Sarah from Genome Society was part of his n. I turned to look at Steven. That was smart of him. "Zion and Eason are here, miss. Ms. Ewing informed me of their arrival through the internal phone after I ended the call with Cole. I gave a warning re to Steven. "Stay put and don''t try any tricks with me.'' He looked at me in an aggrieved manner, looking down to tug at the chain on his neck. He then looked up with teary eyes at me, saying, ''It hurts, Stephie." My chest tightened, and I felt myself about to relent. I gritted my teeth and looked away. What was with his pitiful act? "You have to endure it even if it hurts, Steven. This is your punishment for leaving me." I grabbed the chain on his neck and kissed his lips hard without hesitation. It seemed like I no longer needed to suppress my feelings with him locked up now. Wasn''t it supposed to be like this when you liked someone? After all, he used to do that in the past. Steven looked at me and blinked his teary eyes innocently. He was still trying to seduce me. ''I won''t try to escape, Stephie. Can you please let me go?" He was hoping that I would remove the chain on him. "It''ll depend on your performance. I can remove this, but not now." I ced a hand on his uninjured leg and said, "I''ll break this leg of yours too if you try to y tricks to leave again." Inarrowed my eyes as I threatened Steven. When I saw that he was still feigning innocence, I moved my hand to his crotch area. "Or I''ll break this too." He drew in a sharp breath. His fear of me was shown on his face. Upon seeing him afraid, I raised my brows in satisfaction and turned to leave. It was fun to tease him as well. Eason and Zion were in the living room. They seemed to hesitate to speak up. Eason started, ''Are you really Stephanie?" I looked at him and said, ''You liked Simeon." Eason hurried over to cover my mouth, but I ducked away from him. "You wanted to be a woman when you were younger. Your parents often beat you up when they found you crossdressing." I calmly said. This was a secret shared between Eason and Simeon. He had never told anyone else other than Simeon. Eason looked at me in shock. "You even knew about this?" There was a look of revulsion on his face. "You told Simeon yourself, and Simeon is now Joel. Joel told Steven, and Steven told Stephanie-which is me, "I replied with raised brows, sitting on the couch. Eason started cursing, "That bbermouth, Simeon. This is supposed to be a secret between the two of us, but now, everyone knows about it!" "Just get to the point. Why are you here?'' I urged them to move on. Time was precious, and I still needed to deal with Steven until he no longer felt like escaping. "We''re here for Joel," Eason said with a sigh before sitting down. "Joel disappeared after what happened to you and Steven. I''ve been looking for him but couldn''t find him, so I thought something might have happened to him." "Joel is Simeon, and Carol is his sister. He shouldn''t be in any danger." I figured that there were definitely more secrets and ns between Joel and Steven. Chapter 710 ? "Carol has a severe mental illness, so she has been sent to the asylum. Based on the evaluation and legal requirements, she needs to be supervised outside of prison, Eason said, but he hesitated to continue. "I''ll exin instead. Carol went missing after being sent to the asylum. We checked the surveince footage and saw that it might be Joel who helped her to escape," Zion said impatiently. "I could tell it was him at first nce, but I kept quiet. I was afraid that he might be a fugitive." Eason rubbed his temples. He really did have his personal agenda.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Joel must have had his own goal. You should trust him," I looked at Eason and said. "I trust him, but he refuses to contact me. I''m just worried," he hesitantly said. I never realized that he was this awkward. Whenever he fought with Joel, neither of them held back in throwing punches at each other. They always ended up with bruises everywhere. "Do you. u want to meet him?" I asked, looking at Eason. He nodded and replied, "I want to." There were things Eason wanted to ask Joel personally. "Okay, I''ll help you," I agreed easily. Eason looked at me suspiciously and asked, "That fast? Don''t you have any hidden agendas?" "Of course, I do. I''m not one to make losing deals," I said, smiling at both of them. "I want to meet Sarah''s brother." I was talking about Floyd. Eason and Zion exchanged nces. "What value does he still hold?" "Stop asking questions," linterrupted their words. Eason nodded and said, "Alright, I''ll contact him for you." "Keep it lowkey." The fewer people who know, the better. Sarah couldn''t be ''exposed" just yet. "Alright." I walked out of the living room after Eason and Zion left. I watched as Ms. Ewing watered the flowers in the courtyard. "You used to take care of Sarah, Ms. Ewing. What kind of person was she?" I asked, looking at her. "Well.." Ms. Ewing replied after a long pause. "She was a pitiful person." "Can you tell me in detail?" Smiling, I exined, "It''s a bit sad how I''m actually her clone. I kind of felt some maternal connection to Sarah, and I want to understand her more." I couldn''t even fully trust Ms. Ewing now that I had found out about Sarah''s identity. If Sarah was truly a rare genius, then we might be dealing with aplex web of conspiracies, where one plot would lead to another. Ms. Ewing gave it some thought before saying, "She was smart-just like you, miss. The only thing was that she wasn''t clear-headed when ites to feelings. Anyone could tell that Andy didn''t truly love her and might be ying with her feelings, yet she still believed that he loved her." I raised my brows. Was Sarah really a lovestruck fool? I started to get suspicious about how a lovestruck fool could be the regional leader of Genome Society in Othard in such a short time. Did she snap out of it after killing Andy? That was likely impossible. Irecalled the letters Sarah wrote to Andy. Was she truly unable to tell those weren''t from Andy? Yet, she still responded to each letter. What exactly was she up to? Just how extensive of a web had she woven? What role did Andy y in her life? And who was Rachel''s father? "Sarah was held back by poverty back in that era. She would''ve been an outstanding student if she had had ess to a good education from the start. What a shame. Ms. Ewing shook her head, feeling regretful. Chapter 711 ? After Eason and Zion left, I had a brief chat with Ms. Ewing, but I didn''t say much. After all, no one was to be fully trusted. I walked into the living room and fell silent for a long time. Multipleboratories of Genome Society had been exposed, including those dedicated to organ transntation, human cloning, and gic modification. There were also those involved in surrogation, blood supply, stem cells, and cord blood stem cells. Some were even engaged in illegal activities like prostitution, escort services, and abuse. Ashton and Xan were products ofbining genes from a clone subject and a gically modified person.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Evidently, the embryo reconstruction technology for Ashton and Xan wasn''t fully developed. As such, out of so many experimental subjects, only both of them survived. I could understand my parents'' goal for creating Ashton and Xan-they wanted to leave us offspring of our OWII. But as the mastermind of Genome Society, why didn''t Sarah stop this experiment? It was clear that this experiment wouldn''t bring much economic benefits. What was the true goal for Ashton and Xan''s existence? "This is for you, Ashton. "Xan took a gummy and gave it to Ashton in the living room. Ashton opened the packaging and bit off half of it before giving Xan the remaining half. Xan asked, "When can we see Dad, Ashton?" Ashton shushed her before looking over at me warily. I looked at the kids coldly before hurrying into the elevator. Was I suspecting them? Even though they were only children, they weren''t any ordinary children. Steven seemed to trust them a lot, but I couldn''t help but feel averse to them. After disinfecting myself, I brought the first aid kit into the room in the attic. I wanted to tend to Steven''s leg wound and rece the dressing. "Did Eason and Zione over?" he softly asked. He remained leaning against the headboard. His corbones and Adam''s apple were sharply protruding due to his thin frame. "Yes," I replied with a nod. I was about to lift Steven''s nket to change his dressing when he nervously stopped my hand out of nowhere. His gaze wavered as he pleaded hoarsely, "Don''t look, Stephie." Steven refused to let me look at his iplete and scarred body. It was just like back when we slept together, he had covered my eyes to stop me from seeing the ugly scars on his back. Now, his face was the only part of his body left unscathed. "Please, Stephie," Steven choked in sobs as he pleaded with me to preserve hisst bit of dignity. "No matter what happens to you, it won''t change how I feel about you, Steven," I whispered as I slowly pushed his hand away. He looked away with teary eyes. Upon seeing that Steven was no longer stopping me, I lifted the nket and carefully unwrapped the bandage on his leg. It was just too painful to watch. I couldn''t help but close my eyes. How did he manage to do such a cruel thing to himself? "I won''t get any better, Stephie. Humans don''t have the ability to regenerate their body parts," Steven softly said. He was no longer whole. "You''ll get better. We''ll start your rehabilitation process and get you a prosthesis once your wound heals and you get through the adjustment period," I whispered, carefully tending and applying medicine to his wound before bandaging it. I then ced a gentle kiss on his leg. Steven kept his eyes on me as his body shivered uncontrobly. "Letting me leave is the best choice, Stephie.'' He was still thinking about leaving me. Ibit on his neck vindictively, tightening my hold on his chain. ''I should just chop off your other leg, then." Steven smiled, yet tears continued to stream down his cheeks. "Stephie." "I''m here," I replied while kissing him. He pressed his forehead against mine, his breath warm. "I originally wanted you to have an ordinary and carefree life, Stephie." "I can''t do it alone without you." I shook my head and bit on his neck once again. ''Don''t say such things anymore." Steven panicked when he saw me crying. "I''m sorry, Stephie." He would always be the first to apologize whenever I cried, even when he didn''t know what he had done wrong. Chapter 712 ? "I''m tired, Steven. "I took off my clothes and slipped beneath his nket. I curled in his embrace and said, " Hug me to sleep." Steven clearly stiffened. I could feel the temperature rising under the nket. "Stay put. Your injury isn''t healed yet." I pressed my hand against his lower abdomen. His ears turned red instantly, his pale face coloring for once. He carefully took my hand and said, ''Be gentle, Stephie. It hurts." "You should stay still if it hurts. Don''t have unnecessary thoughts and just wait until after the recovery period, "I coaxed gently before leaning against his chest. ''Now, sleep.'' Steven kissed my forehead and hugged me tight. "Good night, Stephie."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. A quiet life and bidding good night to each other was probably our happiest moment. I slept soundly that night. I always slept well whenever Steven was beside me. He slept well too. It was rare he fell asleep without needing medication. He was like a remedy to me-healing and soothing to my soul. I wondered if I was the same for him. "Stephie." I slowly opened my eyes to the morning sunlight shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Steven stood beside the bed with his crutches. His hair was still wet. I sat up immediately, asking, ''Did you take a shower on your own?" I told him that he''d need my help with showers as it was easy for him to identally touch his wound. "My wound is getting better now. I didn''t touch it,'' Steven softly said. I got out of the bed to dry his hair. He sat obediently by the bed and allowed me to dry his hair. "Are you going to meet Sarah or her brother today, Stephie?" Steven could always figure out what my next step was. I replied, ''I''ll go meet Sarah''s brother first before her. And then, I''ll go see Simeon." I was talking about Simeon. Steven stiffened before looking up at me. "You have a way to get in touch with him, right? Eason wants to see him," I asked. I would need Eason for many other things in the future. As such, I had to help him with his small favor. "Alright," Steven agreed. Michael came over again before I left the vi. Ifrowned, finding him annoying. "Why are you here again?" "I''m bringing the two children out to y," he said, pointing at Ashton and Xan. Inarrowed my eyes and warned, "Don''t y tricks, Michael.'' Michael looked at me. Their identification paperwork is all set up under my name. They need to socialize in order to integrate them into society normally. They need to experience the outside world, visit the amusement park, and go to school.'' I fell silent, looking back at Ashton and Xan. Even if they were experimental subjects, they were still living humans. They had the right to enjoy the world too. "Alright," I agreed. Michael sidestepped as if avoiding me and entered the living room. He walked over and ruffled Ashton''s and Xan''s hair. They did not seem to mind it at all. I said nothing and walked out of the living room. I wanted to meet Sarah''s brother, Floyd. I walked to the gate and turned around to look at the attic. Steven was looking at me by the window. His gaze seemed to be asking me toe back soon. I signed to him, asking him to wait for me at home. He lifted his hand to touch the ss, smiling in return. Feeling a pang in my chest, I turned and got into the car. Everything wasing to an end. The truth was about to be revealed. Steven and I would definitely live a peaceful life together. Chapter 713 ? "Michael" I suddenly thought of something and turned to call out to him. Michael, who was starting to rx while walking ahead, looked startled. He tripped over his feet and nearly fell. He stared at me with a bewildered expression, wondering if he was in trouble again. Inarrowed my eyes and walked over. "The Ford Group is currently in your hands now, right? Would the mastermind of Genome Society really let such a valuable target like you slip away?" The Ford Group was theirrgest ''cash cow'' back when Daisy was still in control. Michael frowned. "I''ve been so busy in the past few days that I''ve lost weight. What do you think I''ve been doing? Those from Genome Society havee after me more than once. "When they saw that I refused to budge, they started trying to undermine me within thepany, iming that I wasn''t fit to take over. The board members have probably been bribed by now."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Iraised my brows. It seemed like Michael was still valuable. Steven wouldn''t have deigned to cooperate with someone he disliked so much otherwise I smiled and slightly softened my attitude toward him. After all, valuable things sometimes required some emotional investment. ''Michael, I recalled you saying that you wanted to atone for your mistakes, right?" Michael stood stiffly in ce before staggering backward, covered in chills. He was looking at me warily. "Remember to contact me if Genome Societyes after you again,'' I said indifferently. I walked a few steps before turning back to give him a pointed look. "You''re trustworthy, right?" Michael lowered his head in disappointment. After a while, he said, "This vi is under my name." He meant to say that both Steven and I would''ve been taken away by Genome Society if he wasn''t trustworthy. I said nothing and turned to leave. Before getting into the car, I could still see Michael standing there like a fool. He was rather pitiful, but that was none of my concern. "Stephanie" was already dead, and I was just Steven''s Stephie. It had only been a few months, yet the row of motels near the rental house that hadn''t been torn down was now gone. Zion, Eason, and I went to a cheap chain hotel by the side. "Can''t you arrange for something better?" I asked, looking at Eason. That was stingy of him, considering that he was quite rich. "Mr. Leigh insisted on staying in a cheap hotel and even wanted to pay me for it. He probably would''ve ended up sleeping under a bridge if I hadn''t mentioned that the higher-ups were subsidizing it," Eason replied helplessly. "But tell me, can you arrange for me to meet Joel?" His goal was to meet Joel. As such, he wanted to reconfirm with me before I met Floyd. "Never suspect the person you''re using." I said before pushing him away and entering the room. Floyd wasn''t working today. He was waiting rather anxiously. "Miss, you''re..." He looked at me for the longest time, probably thinking I looked slightly different from before. At the same time, he was also suspecting that he was losing his eyesight instead. "I''m getting old, and my mind isn''t as sharp as it used to be." Floyd smiled heartily, urging us to sit down. The room was a long-term rental. Despite workingboriously, his room was clean and organized. "We''ve found your sister," I said, cutting to the chase Floyd stared at me in shock before turning to look at Eason and Zion. Both Zion and Eason were taken aback. The n was to keep Sarah''s condition a secret for now. I continued, ''But her condition isn''t the best. She isn''t clear-headed after being trafficked for many years. I''m nning to only bring you to meet her after she''s regained some of her memories." Chapter 714 ?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Floyd remained stunned for the longest time. His fingers trembled uncontrobly as he teared up. ''Sarah has finally been found. He broke down and cried. He crouched on the ground as his body shook violently. I could tell that the bond between the siblings was genuine and not an act. I reached out to help him up before asking, "Are you and Sarah the only children in your family, Mr. Leigh?" Family nning wasn''t a thing yet back in their time. It was rare for a family from a small vige to only have two children. "Our parents died early. They left shortly after Sarah was born. I practically raised her on my own. She was a good child," Floyd said, wiping his tears. "We were poor when we were young, and our parents didn''t leave us anything. I worked hard to send her to school, but she dropped out because she didn''t want me to overwork myself. "She was incredibly smart. There weren''t many educated people in the county back then. She even won first ce in a countypetition back when she was still in middle school," he proudly recounted. He then pulled out an old certificate from a box. Although it had yellowed with age, he had kept it in excellent condition. Floyd continued, "Thatpetition came with a cash prize of 800 dors for first ce, and she gave all of it to me. Once things got a little better, I suggested she continue her studies, but she''d rather work instead. "She wanted to earn money and start a business after so that she could get other educated people to work for her.'' The Sarah that Floyd knew was still an ambitious person. I nced at thepetition certificate that was in my hand. Genome Society still preferred to select their preferred experimental subjects by holdingpetitions. Evidently, there were more geniuses who had gone missing during that time. "Can I have this certificate, Mr. Leigh? Since Sarah can''t remember anything now, perhaps showing this to her might trigger her memories. Don''t worry, I''ll do my best to let you meet her soon," I said with a smile. Floyd wiped his tears and nodded hurriedly. "Just take it, miss. You can take it.'' He was quick to trust me as he cared a lot for his sister. I nodded before ncing at Zion and Eason. "Let''s go for now. We can contact Mr. Leigh again once Sarah recovers." Both of them clearly did not understand what I was here for. They left with me in a daze. I looked at the certificate in my hands. I had aplished my goal for today. I ced the certificate in front of Eason. "Take a photo and look into this. Whoever is behind thispetition is definitely from Genome Society as well. "They''ve had their eyes on Sarah since then, just like how they targeted Simeon from the advanced ss in Double Stars Welfare Home, taking his samples to create clone subjects." Realization dawned Eason as he hit his forehead. "You''re right!" He was about to take the certificate before I snatched it back from him. ''I got this first." Eason couldn''t do anything about it and ended up only taking photos to look into it. "Hurry and go look into it. My chauffeur is here to pick me up,'' I said, pointing at Cole, who was in the car by the roadside Eason and Zion nodded. They then got into their car and left. I got into Cole''s car and asked, "Are you aware that your mother served Sarah before this?" He was taken aback. "Miss..." He was one of my men. I trusted him more than I trusted Ms. Ewing. "Help me out." I indicated to him that there was no need for exnations. He was adopted by Ms. Ewing and supported by my parents. I could trust him. "Find a ce for Floyd to stay and bring him there. Tell him that it''s the welfare housing provided for him and Sarah by the authorities. Have him settle in and patiently wait for Sarah to leave the asylum. Then, she can move it with him," I said. I wanted my men to take him away first and keep him under control with lies. After that, I would test Sarah''s reaction. I suspected that she actually cared for Floyd as well. If Sarah was the mastermind behind everything, the fact that Genome Society had valued and indulged Steven''s reincarnation project suggested that she was even more determined than Daisy. Of course, her insistence was probably not because of romance but kinship. That was probably the value of Ashton''s and Xan''s existence. Chapter 715 ? After returning to the mountaintop vi, I personally made some chicken soup for Steven. Both Ashton and Xan ignored me as they were busy ying. I ignored them as well, knowing that they couldn''t do anything much with their current abilities. I got up to the attic and raised my brows when I looked at the keypad lock. Evidently, the two of them had sneaked up and tried to crack the code while I was away. Unfortunately, they still couldn''t crack the password to the second door. "Stephie." Steven instinctively loosened the chain around his neck when he saw meing up. He had clearly locked himself in upon hearing the outsidemotion. I could handle the two rascals outside, yet a single chain couldn''t keep Steven contained. I knew I couldn''t truly keep him contained unless he was willing to stay. In reality, I was also taking a gamble. "Is your neck hurting?" I deliberately asked with raised brows. Steven lowered his head, looking diffident as he hummed a reply. "I''ll remove it for you." I walked over, unlocked the keypad lock behind his neck, and removed the chain. Steven stopped my hands with his own. He softly said, "Just keep me locked, Stephie." I fell into silence for a bit before handing him the chicken noodle soup. ''Have some food. I made it myself."N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Steven was uninterested at first but lit up upon hearing that I made it myself. He took a mouthful, looking somewhat conflicted. I sheepishly asked, "Does it taste bad?" Could chicken noodle soup even taste bad? "Did you forget to put some salt, Stephie?" Steven softly asked. I hesitated for a moment, realizing that I had indeed forgotten some seasoning. "Just eat it like this. It''s nutritious and good for wound healing." I felt like such a big fraud. Steven hummed a reply before obediently finishing the entire bowl of chicken noodle soup. I sat by the bed, feeling good just by watching him. Seeing him always made me feel better. "I''m going to meet Sarah tomorrow," I said softly. Steven halted his actions and looked up at me. ''Be careful.'' I replied, "She won''t pose any danger acting as a mentally ill person. However, she might be interested in my identity as Stephanie." I figured that Sarah would be even more desperate than Daisy to find out about the authenticity of the reincarnation project. The reason she had quietly allowed Daisy''s reincarnation project was probably because she craved immortality herself. "Has Eason met up with Joel yet?" Steven asked. I shook my head and replied, "Not yet. I want to meet Joel too, so there''s no rush in that.'' Steven held my hand before looking down sadly at his empty leg under the nket. "I should be the one doing all this. If only I hadn''t gotten injured.* "I should just keep you locked up, then." I frowned. He was saying such words again. I continued, "A rtionship between spouses or lovers should be mutual and reciprocated, Steven. It''s not a one-sided effort." I found him rather foolish when it came to rtionships. What a lovestruck fool he was Chapter 716 ? It seemed like nothing would change once Steven fell in love-that moment would be his eternity. I used to not believe in that, but after going through so much, I started believing him. "All this while, I''ve been wondering who Rachel''s biological father is," Steven mused. I was lying on his leg, letting him gently stroke my hair as he contemted the question. I didn''t care much for it. "The sperm bank within Genome Society isparable to that of the sperm donation bank-it could be just anyone''s." Steven said, "But Rachel is neither outstanding nor remarkable. She could only be considered a smart person among the ordinary. She''s neither a genius nor a top achiever in society. "Given Rachel''s age, Sarah must''ve conceived her shortly after she joined Genome Society-which is why Rachel is around our age. Unless it''s through natural conception, otherwise why didn''t Sarah choose to edit Rachel''s genes if it was via IVF or some experiment?" He voiced his doubts. I, too, shared the same doubts. It seemed that there was no better reason or excuse other than being unable to do any editing on an embryo from natural conception. "Is the identity of Rachel''s father that important?" I asked softly. Steven nodded. "Andy went to such lengths to send Sarah into Genome Society as a sacrifice. She must have aligned herself with someone powerful in order for her to rise up from a marginalized experimental subject to be able to achieve what she has today. "And this person should likely be Genome Society''s highest-ranking administrator of the Othard region." He wasn''t sure if Rachel''s biological father was still alive. Rachel had refused to indulge, and he did not bother asking. That was because he might not believe in her even if she told him. "You''re right, I whispered as I slowly closed my eyes. "Since we know who our target is, we can take it slow and investigate gradually." Steven nodded and said, ''The closer we are to the truth, the more dangerous it is." "I''m not afraid since you''re here." I nuzzled against his embrace, feeling some sort of security with him. Steven looked down at me with aplicated gaze. After a while, he said, "My love for you has nothing to do with our genes, Stephie." Human emotions were bound by genes, yet they also went beyond them. When Steven found out that human consciousness could exist independent of the body, he knew that his understanding of love had reached a soulful level. His love for Stephanie started with gic attraction and stayed true to the purest emotions. Eason called me over to Lucent Peak Crematorium at 6:00 am. They ended up at the crematorium after tracing a lead from one of Genome Society''s experiments. "There are a total of 16 crematoriums in Huma that have connections with Genome Society,'' Eason said somberly. "Genome Society is just like a massivework. Aesthetic clinics, hospitals, various surrogacy agencies- everything that makes money is part of thiswork, which supports the sinister vampires behind them," he angrily said. I looked at Eason, then turned to the dimly lit sky. "The horrors of this world are beyond our imagination.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. There are so many experimental subjects and clone subjects with no identities. There are also those who went missing or kidnapped. How would you deal with them when they died? "Genome Society has invested so much money and time in these people. They''re not going to waste even their ashes." Eason shivered as he said, "They''d steal and sell off organs, not even leaving their bodies and skeletons behind. Now, even their ashes are valuable. "What''s truly chilling is that with so many people missing and unfound, their remains might even end up in the faces of those who''ve had cosmetic surgeries. The specially-processed bones could provide support without rejection. That''s really scary "The advancement of the medical field is supposed to benefit humankind, not to drive us to destroy each other in the shadows." Eason struggled to ept the truth behind their investigation. The deeper the investigation went, the more chilling the truth turned out to be. "Humans are just another type of beast. Survival of the fittest and mutual destruction have remained the same since the dawn of age.'' Civilization might end up destroyed by itself one day if this continued. Chapter 717 ? I said, ''Genome Society is like wildflowers in the spring-they''ll keeping back no matter how much you destroy them. We might be able to destroy aboratory or clear out a city, but we can''t destroy all of them in all cities around the nation. "Even if we manage to clear out the entire nation, there are still countless more hellholes in other countries throughout the entire Othard. Like spiders on a web, they''re devouring every one of us who''s living within it." This was a world of the fittest-those at the top of the food chain would hold power over everyone else. They were just like lions on the savannah, cruelly toying with their prey. Humans, however, followed a different set of rules. We might sit at the top of the food chain, but we also divided ourselves into hierarchies within our own species. Money, power, health, youth, and sexual desires-we were merely hollow beings controlled by these things. "Even so, we have to keep pushing forward. Should we give up on chasing the light just because the darkness is long? Are we supposed to just sink into despair instead? The world will turn into a dark ce if everyone does that," Eason argued passionately. Unlike Zion, he wasn''t someone who ced morality above everything else, but he was inherently kind. He had always given his best to do something valuable and meaningful. If he couldn''tpletely clear off theboratories, he would tackle them one by one.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "My colleagues can take over what I can''t finish. There would always be sessors pushing forward for the sake of family, friends, and love," Eason said. Humanity''sst hope was that clusive thing called "love". Whether we could win the final battle would depend on which side the scales of belief ultimately tipped. "Humanity hassted this long due to generations of continuity and the ability to adapt through evolution and survival of the fittest. But greater ss divisions will exist in the future if someone were to disrupt this bnce for personal gain. "Children of the wealthy are born standing on the peak of the mountain, while children of the poor can only struggle at the base. It''ll eventually lead to a downfall if this situation persists." But those seeking to profit wouldn''t think about long-term consequences. They were only selfishly ensuring that they and their descendants could enjoy these benefits. They were depleting the future of humanity''s potential in exchange for their own greed. I looked at the roads down the crematory and saw the crying families of the deceased as they left. The quest for immortality had spanned over 5,000 years or perhaps even longer. "The advancement of medical technology has equipped us to betterbat various diseases. The average lifespan has increased significantly now, yet they remain unsatisfied." Eason sighed and turned to leave. I said, "As life extends, emotions tend to fade. People became indifferent after witnessing countless lives and the nature of humanity. Immortality and longevity themselves pose a great challenge to human nature. "Everything is a double-edged sword-including the advancement of medical technology." I looked at him, reminding him that both he and Zion were currently treading dangerous waters. The mastermind of Genome Society would stop at nothing for revenge in order to deter those who wanted to crush them. Putting oneself in danger with no way out wasn''t something everyone could do. "Something happened, Officer Grant! Our men found something unusual in the underground area of Ster Pharmaceuticals. The site exploded when they were down for investigation. All eight of our men.... didn''t make it.'' Eason stopped in his tracks, his hands trembling as he clutched onto his phone. Recently, Genome Society''s schemes were uncovered nationwide due to Steven''s n and the exposure of Daisy''sboratory. This led to arge-scale cleanup and arrest With their influence and connections severed, they were starting to fight back. They were gearing up for a direct confrontation now that their veil of secrecy was torn. Time was running out, and I had to hurry. Otherwise, there would only be more casualties from people like Eason and Zion. I smiled and said, "Eason, you''re right. There are countless people like you who will rise up even if you were to die. It doesn''t matter even if Genome Society is like indestructible wildflowers. "We still have countless peers who are constantly resisting and maintaining the bnce of nature''s order. So perhaps..." Perhaps, I could find a shred of hope in Eason and the others. Chapter 718 ? Eason''s body was taut as he trembled, feeling the pain of losing his colleagues. I could actually feel pain and anguishing from him. "I''m sorry. I''ll get Jeffers to send you back. My colleagues were met with demise. I have to be there." I stayed silent as I watched him leave. "You chose to quietly make sacrifices because you don''t want to see your loved ones cry. If giving up on our lives will ensure their peace, it would seem worth it, wouldn''t it?" I muttered, standing in ce even after Eason left. "You finally understand what Steven was thinking now. He thought that by sacrificing himself, you and the others would be able to live in peace. "That was why he had repeatedly sacrificed himself like a fool, just for you to live," Joel said. He walked out from the corner, wearing a t hat and a crematorium worker''s uniform. He couldn''t take his eyes off Eason even after he left. He was probably heartbroken to see Eason suffer. "Carol is your sister. The Rebels arepletely out of my hands with her in control now. Let''s work together before she tries to kill me in her madness," I said, looking at Joel. I continued, "You, too, have someone you desperately want to protect, right? Genome Society now has their eyes on them." Genome Society was nning to kill people like Zion and Eason to warn the other police officers. As such, Joel and I both had people we wanted to protect. As for that crazy woman, Carol, Joel should be able to handle her for now, right? With the enemy still atrge, our infighting would only be seen as a joke to Genome Society. "Okay," Joel replied. Him showing up today meant that he was already prepared to work together with me. He continued, "But let me be clear-whatever dangers you face or injuries you sustain are on you, not me. I only promised Steven that I would protect you on his behalf if you were willing to live an ordinary life. But since you''re insisting to get involved-" Joel was clearly trying to get out of his responsibilities when he said that. It was as if he was telling me to pass the message to Steven that this had nothing to do with him.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "So, you know Steven is with me?" I asked, chuckling. "Where else would he be?'' Joel said with a snort. I knew it was impossible for Linda alone to hide Steven away-both he and Michael must have helped out. "It''s fine if you fool around with him, just not to the point of killing him." Joel gave me a warning nce before he left. "Why would I do that," I mumbled in a resigned tone. What kind of monster the me who had recovered all my memories was in their eyes? I didn''t recall having eaten anyone alive before this. After Joel left, I looked up at the gloomy sky. I would be meeting Sarah next. In order to bring down the damned mastermind, we had no choice but to move forward relentlessly. Steven was willing to sacrifice himself for me in order to protect those he cared for. I could also do it together with him. We would live and die together. Chapter 719 ? I heard that Carol, who was diagnosed with mental illness, was also sent to the same asylum. I wondered if the two rivals had met Just as my car went into the main entrance, a minivan happened to pass by. Carol was sitting inside the minivan. My expression grew darker as I narrowed my eyes. It seemed like she had escaped yet again. Hopefully, Joel was able to convince Carol to set aside her personal feelings and focus on ourmon enemy for now. I wouldn''t hold back if she remained stubborn and continued to go after me. I got out of the car after stopping at the parking space. Cole had pre-arranged for a nurse to bring me to Sarah. She was dressed in a white hospital gown. She looked utterly harmless as she sat on thewn, picking out flowers. It was as if she was truly a mentally ill patient. I had to admit that Sarah''s acting skills were amazing. I would''ve been deceived by her if I hadn''t figured out that the mastermind might be her. "You must be her daughter. You both look so simr!'' the nurse said with a smile, bringing me into the gardenwn. I smiled and said nothing. Of course, we looked simr. How could I not, when I was her gic clone? "You seem to like this flower very much." I walked over and crouched before Sarah after seeing her stare at the flower She looked nkly at me, as if she were truly mentally ill. She nodded with a smile, saying, "I like it!" "Aren''t you supposed to appreciate it from a distance if you like it? This flower will wilt quickly if you pick it," I said, looking at her tentatively. Sarah held the flower in her hand. "Even if it wilts, it has to belong to me alone." I was taken aback, smiling soon after. "You''re really good at pretending, Sarah." She continued to y with the flower in her hand, as if unaware of what I was talking about. "Floyd is with me. The reason you haven''t met him even after bing a higher-up in Genome Society is because you''re afraid to get him involved, right?'' I lowered my voice and threatened her. Sarah''s hands merely paused for a moment before she returned to her crazed self. Iughed out loud, amused by her acting skills. "Guess who I am? Just like Daisy, you''re keen to know the reincarnation project''s oue, right? I''m Stephanie, after all.'' Sarah finally ced the flower down and looked right at me. Clearly, she was more interested in the reincarnation project. Her lips curled upward as she carefully looked at me. It was as if she was appraising an art she had created with her own hands. "What gives my clone subject the right to be arrogant in front of me, the original subject?" Sarah whispered in my ear as she got closer to me.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. I reached out to pat her back and said, "I have an independent soul. Your genes can''t kill me, and I''ll live forever." Living forever meant achieving immortality, which was what Sarah wanted to get her hands on. She craved immortality so that her greed could be extended indefinitely. "My soul would be a better fit for your body," she warned me, grabbing hold of my hair. I chuckled and reached out to grab her neck. "Say, wouldn''t it be easy for me to kill you now?" Just as I pushed her onto the ground, the other ''patients who had been ying around suddenly snapped back to their senses. They stood up and surrounded the two of us. Sarah had taken precautions. Smiling, she said, "You can''t get out even if you kill me." "At the very least, Genome Society would be rudderless if I kill you. It''ll also be easier to deal with them,'' I said as I tightened my grip. Chapter 720 ? "You''re truly naive." Sarah was stillughing maniacally despite suffocating. "Do you really think that I''m the only one behind Genome Society?" She was right. She wouldn''t be able to climb through the ranks to get to where she was currently with just her strength alone-there had to be someone else backing her up. "Tell me who they are. Otherwise, Rachel and your brother will all die," I warned Sarah. "Rachel?" She chuckled and continued, ''She''s just an ordinary woman. I''m not too concerned about her. As for Floyd... Do you think I still care about him after not seeing each other for years?'' Ifrowned, casting a wary nce at Sarah. The asylum staff did not bother to stop us. They were all eying us intently, showing no fear. Clearly, Sarah was far more alert than anyone else. This asylum was also under Genome Society''s control. With the current deadlock, it all boiled down to who could oust the other. "Alright, let''s all die together, then. ''I took out a knife and pressed it against her neck. I looked at the others and said, "She''ll die if youe close to us. Sarah''s expression fell as she indicated to her men to stay still. "Since you and Steven have discovered the secret to reincarnation, how about we work together instead? All the wealth and power of the world will be ours once we have the data and evidence to prove this experiment to people!" The lives and deaths of others would fall in our hands then.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "You''re my clone subject and have my genes. Surely, you can understand me or even be more ambitious than me," Sarah said as sheughed maniacally. "The entire world will be ours if we work together." I looked at her as if I was looking at a lunatic. "You deserve to die." She started yelling frenziedly when she saw that I was clouded with a desire to kill. "Even if you kill me today, he''ll still be able to force Steven to resurrect me. Why else do you think there are so many of us waiting here just for you toe?" Sarah was confident that the person backing her would threaten Steven using my life in order to make him resurrect and reincarnate her. "Do you think you''re the only smart one here? My men are already heading toward the mountaintop manor now," she said with a smile. Ifrowned. When I looked up, the group of mentally ill patients had dispersed, and Rachel walked over diffidently. "I''m sorry, Stephie. I''m sorry,'' she said, shaking her head as she cried. "They took Zion away... I''m sorry." I red angrily at Sarah. How cruel was a mother who actually plotted against her own daughter like that? "If you kill me, Steven and your two children will die," Sarah said as if she now had the upper hand. She was right. If I killed her, it would be hard for me to escape this ce. If I didn''t, her men would keep me trapped. Just as we were caught in a deadlock, several police cars barged in suddenly and surrounded the ce. I was taken aback when I saw the police. Sarah''s men exchanged panicked nces while Sarah red angrily at Rachel. ''Did you betray me? I''m your mother!" Rachel ran over to hide behind me, crying. "They''re more important than our so-called family ties! Wake up, Mother!" Zion, Eason, and the other officers got out of the cars. Together with the SWAT officers, they surrounded the entire ce. Sarah chuckled. "Do you think they can convict me based on your words alone? You don''t have evidence Rachel teared up. It was true that we didn''t have any evidence to say that Sarah was the mastermind of Genome Society. I yelled, "Zion, Eason, she''s the mastermind of Genome Society! Go back to the vi, hurry! They''ve sent their men to go after Steven!" I withdrew my knife and rushed over to grab Zion''s car keys in a hurry. I then sped away to the vi. I could only hope that my three password-protected doors could hold them back for a while. I couldn''t let Steven fall into their hands again. Chapter 721 ? By the time I rushed over, I saw someone sneaking away from the mountaintop vi. I scrambled out of the car and hurried into the living room, only to find Michael and his ck-d bodyguards standing there. I let out a breath in relief, massaging my temples. Michael turned around and looked at me. "I''m not as stupid as you think. This is my house-there are surveince cameras every 30 feet here, and every blind spot on the mountain is covered." They were originally meant to keep an eye on Genome Society and Stephanie, but now, they had worked well in protecting Steven. Resigned, Michael shrugged and said, "He''s fine. They couldn''t even get past the first door." I said nothing and nced over to Ashton and Xan, who were hiding in the corner. They were both holding a fruit knife in hand as they blocked the stairway. It was as if they were Steven''s final line of defense, even though they were clearly no match for others. Amused, I walked over to ruffle their hair. Xan obediently allowed me, while Ashton defiantly huffed and looked away. I hurried upstairs and unlocked all the doors to enter the room. Steven was looking out the window in his wheelchair. He knew that they would being. Sarah had her eyes on me at the same time I started investigating Rachel, revealing my identity, and suspecting Sarah. "Stephie.." Steven anxiously got up from the wheelchair when he saw me returning. In his rush over, he fell to the ground. Iran over nervously and helped him up. "I''m fine."N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. While I was worried about him, he was also worried about me-perhaps even drowning in frustration and guilt. Steven felt guilty for losing a leg and being unable to help with anything, like a useless burden. He hated his helplessness and inability to head out to protect me. "Zion and Eason brought their men over and caught Sarah," I whispered. Even though she would be released eventually forck of concrete evidence, she had already been identified It wouldn''t be long before the person backing her would reveal themselves. "They''ll target you and show you off as amodity to people all over the world," Steven said as he hugged me anxiously. He was afraid that Genome Society would capture and parade me to the wealthy worldwide. I would be shown as a sessful experimental subject to those who wanted to reincarnate through their genes and consciousness. My and Steven''s existence was an unpredictable wealth to Genome Society. As such, it did not matter to them at all if thework of Genome Society of the Verdentia Isles region was destroyed. As long as they got their hands on Steven and me, we would be like two trump cards that would bring them a steady cash flow. They would have many ways toe back stronger. There was even a chance that they could someday reshape the order of the world to their advantage. "We should eliminate them before theye for us, then,'' I whispered in a low voice, looking out the window. "It''s no longer safe here. I''ll leave with you-" "Nowhere is safe when they''ve already had their eyes on us. We''ll only lose if we hide from them." Steven held my wrist and shook his head. is the murderer who killed me in my previous lite He was right. We used to escape and hide from them. Despite our high IQ, we were still found in no time. "We''ll stand our ground, then," I said, looking at Steven. He stayed silent for the longest time before nodding. ''Alright." He reached out to ruffle my hair, just like how he used to. It was as if he was treating me like a fool, but somehow, I craved the warmth of his palm. "Let me out. I won''t run away, and I won''t leave you anymore," Steven coaxed. He wanted me to take him down and n our next steps together. I hesitated. I wasn''t afraid that he might run. After all, we both were a package deal. Genome Society would lose out if they let either of us disappear. I was only worried that he might choose to sacrifice himself again. Chapter 722 ? "Stephie." Steven reached out to hug me and nuzzled against me. He was using the same trick again. "I won''t hurt myself anymore-I promise! I was wrong, and now, I only want to face everything together with you." He looked at his leg tearily. "I can''t do anything with my leg." He was even trying to garner my sympathy now. Steven tugged at the chain on his neck. "Stephie, you can keep me locked up for however long you want when it all ends, okay? I just want to face it with you. I don''t want to hide in the attic like a useless burden." I was starting to sympathize with him the more he continued. "Stephie." I only saw that his pale neck was chafed by the chains when he called for me, revealing a bright red wound. Steven must have struggled hard to break free from the chain, wanting to protect me. There had always been mutual affection between us, yet our sacrifices were one-sided. He had always been willing to die for me, yet I didn''t want him to continue to have that line of thinking. "Don''t you dare sacrifice yourself to save me again. I wo''t live on my own if you die," I said in a choked sob, reaching out to unlock the chain on his neck. Steven only had to act pitifully with that handsome face of his, and my heart would soften. As expected, love was truly one''s Achilles'' heel-I had to admit to that. I unlocked the keypad lock on the chain on Steven''s neck before looking at him. ''I''m surprised you didn''t get my password figured out. You''re doing this on purpose, aren''t you?'' He deliberately injured his neck so that I would feel bad for him. Steven averted his gaze, clearly diffident. Yet he stubbornly said, "I couldn''t get it." I didn''t call him out on it. Instead, I grabbed the first aid kit to help him clean his wound. The antiseptic stung badly due to the friction from the chain, making him flinch instinctively. I reached out to grab his cor and gave him a teasing kiss on the lips. It felt really good.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Steven stared at me, stunned. "You''re feeling the pain now? Just endure it," I said with a threatening re as I continued to tend to his wound. His breath was slightly rugged. Disregarding his wound, he pulled me closer and kissed me. "Joel told me that I can fool around with you as long as I don''t kill you,'' I mumbled as I straddled him. Steven frowned, as if silently cursing Joel for being nosey. I chuckled before pushing him down onto the rug and kissing him once again. The doorbell rang outside the three doors. It was clearly Michael, ruining our moment. "Stephie." Steven, with his ruddy cheeks and reddening ears, grabbed at my wrist as he pleaded with me to let him out. "Are you sure you want to go out looking like this?" I asked, my gaze falling onto his crotch area. He was taken aback before hurriedly grabbing a nket to cover himself. He coughed awkwardly and said, " You''re doing it on purpose." "All is fair in love and war." I got up and ruffled Steven''s hair. ''I''ll bring you down once you recover from your injuries. Just rest here while you recuperate." He huffed, looking upset. However, he was easy to cate. Just a little attention when I get back tonight should do the trick. Right now, it was more important to head out and give Michael a good beating-perhaps even set him up to meet the mastermind of Genome Society. He was shameless and useless anyway. That shouldn''t get him killed. Chapter 723 ? Michael was looking displeased as he stood outside of the room. But all his words got stuck in his throat when he saw that I was looking worse to wear. After a while, he said, "This ce has already been exposed. You might want to consider moving to another ce." "Genome Society''s informers are everywhere in this city. We''ll still get caught sooner orter even if we leave, "I calmly said as I walked out. Michael caught up with me, clearly anxious. "Are we going to sit here and do nothing, then?" "Do nothing?" I scoffed. ''Only fools would think that we''d sit here and do nothing." Michael was clearly irritated by my sarcasticments. He had never been a person with a good temper. He would''ve lost it early on if he were talking to the "Stephanie" from before. But the tables had turned now. He remained quiet even if he was fuming, knowing full well that I could easily kill him. If I didn''t seed the first time, I''d make sure to get it done the second. He took a deep breath and asked me gruffly, "What are you nning to do?" "You''re a businessman. You''ve been managing the Ford Group well over the years, and Miguel''s business acumen and genes have really shown through your work." I looked at Michael as I leaned against the wall. "Now that Steven and I are already exposed, and you''ve intervened when Genome Society wanted to take us away... How about we use this opportunity to strike a deal with the mastermind behind Genome Society?" I asked, looking at him. "Steven and I can be your bargaining chips." Michael could take the opportunity to approach the mastermind, pretending to strike a deal. Our goal was to expose their true intentions so that we could find a countermeasure against them. Genome Society was now in a desperate bid for survival. They couldn''t care about their other projects andboratories anymore-they just wanted to capture Steven and me to get their hands on the results of the reincarnation project. With that, they could regain their wealth and even shift the social order. That was why they would definitely be willing to meet Michael for talks. It would all depend on whether he had the guts to follow through. "Stephanie," he gritted out. "You really want me dead, don''t you?" Of course, all coboration carried risks. Michael would be ying with fire. By pretending to be swayed by money and power, he would be putting himself in danger as he negotiated with the mastermind. They might kill him on the spot if they did not trust him. I raised my brows and asked, "Are you scared? Are you calling it quits now?" Michael gritted his teeth. "You''re really.. This was supposed to be Steven''s job. He realized that I had been anxious when Steven was doing something so dangerous, yet I was now encouraging Michael to do it. He was probably wondering if his life wasn''t worth anything to me. "You''re being way too obvious about your favoritism," Michael said, angrily averting his gaze. "Aren''t you stating the obvious?'' I chuckled coldly. Who else would I y favoritism on if not my own husband?N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I said, ''I''ll just get someone else to go if you''re scared. Just admit it if you''re scared. Stop toughing it out if you can''t do it." Although I was provoking him, Michael was a prideful person. The reason he was attentive to Yasmin back then also had something to do with those around him who had egged him on. His expression darkened from my provocation. He said, ''We''ll be in trouble if we don''t deal with Genome Society." He was right. We were all in the same boat now we would be in danger anytime if we didn''t deal with their mastermind. "But how am I supposed to meet the mastermind of Genome Society?" Michael asked, frowning. Even if Sarah was released after 48 hours due tock of evidence, how was he supposed to meet the person backing her up when she couldn''t even meet them herself? "There''s someone..." I gave it some thought before continuing. "Him taking over aboratory in the deste area means that he has already passed Genome Society''s test. This person is very ambitious, and that''s why the mastermind chose him." "You''re talking about..." Clearly, Michael still did not figure out who it was. Chapter 724 ? "That person is Jimmy," I replied. Jimmy had beenying low after Genome Society''sboratories were sealed, rarely showing himself in public. "I heard that he has taken over a few of his father''spanies. Even though the Lincoln Group didn''t go to him, his business acumen is still impressive," Michael said. He was aware that Jimmy had been making his mark in the business world recently. I said, ''Then start approaching Jimmy to work together. You need to convince him of your grand n so that he''ll bring you to meet the mastermind." Jimmy was also a sly fox. Only by convincing him that Michael was a self-serving opportunist who wanted to rebuild a grand, powerful "new world'' through the reincarnation project would he think he had found someone who shared his ambitions. When a group of ambitious people came together, they often felt a sense of mutual admiration in finding a kindred spirit among themselves. As such, it was now time to put Michael''s acting skills to the test. "Go on," I said, waving a hand at him. "You know I''m not good at putting on a show," he said, clearly still struggling with epting it. "Forget about acting. Just be yourself and it''lle across perfectly." I waved my hand in dismissal again, feeling somewhat annoyed. Michael was about to retort but stopped when he saw my irritation. He walked out sulkily, turning to look back at me when he recalled something. He said, "Genome Society doesn''t conduct experiments without a reason. Have you wondered why they created Ashton and Xan?" I had indeed wondered about the reason behind their existence before this. ''My mother wanted to provide me a way to have my descendants with Steven in order topensate for the fact that gic clones can''t have children." Michael said, "But they''re essentially experimental subjects of the only project in the cruise''sboratory. Do you think Genome Society would''ve put in so much money and effort in maintaining them and the project if it''s just your mother wanting to make up for her personal regret?" He was also wondering about the value of Ashton''s and Xan''s existence. I fell silent. Before this, I suspected that Sarah wanted to let Floyd and herself take over Ashton''s and Xan''s bodies through the reincarnation project. However, since Ashton was a product of thebination of Steven''s and my genes, an isted gene chain had been formed. It was impossible for both of them to reincarnate into the bodies of the two children. "I''ll get to the end of this issue. This vi was exposed when Sarah got caught, but they wouldn''t dare to return so soon. You can focus on your task instead," I said, wanting him to put on a good show in front of Jimmy. Fuming, Michael curtly replied, "I kept him safe for you. Give me a call if anything happens." He left right away after that. I looked at the patrolling bodyguards in the courtyard and fell into contemtion. Michael''s question was certainly worth giving some thought. What was the reason behind pouring their money and effort into creating Ashton and Xan? "Let us meet Dad." Ashton came over when he saw me standing in a daze. I looked at him with raised brows. "I''m not done fooling with him yet. I''m not letting you see him for now." Ashton clenched his fists angrily and said, "That''s my father!" I rolled my eyes and turned to head upstairs. "And that''s my husband."N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. I still had to go and cheer Steven up. Chapter 725 ?N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. When I returned to the room, Steven was still sitting on the floor, covered by the same nket. Resigned, I asked, "Isn''t the floor cold?" He was deliberately sitting on the floor. Was he nning to sit there all night long if I had returnedte? Was he doing all this just to guilt-trip me? With teary eyes, Steven looked at me begrudgingly and said, "My legs are numb I stifled myughter and scooted closer to check on him. "What did you do on the floor that made your legs numb?" Steven''s ears turned red. ''You''re so shameless now, Stephie-'' I couldn''t help but tease, "Am I shameless, or are you the perverted one here?" Steven huffed and remained silent. I reached out to him, and he took my hand to help himself up. Losing a leg meant nothing to Steven as long as he knew that I was still alive. But it was like a bomb that exploded within me. My fury and hatred started to grow from that moment. I had to destroy Genome Society and everything in their wake. They were the ones who hurt him. Steven leaned against the wall, looking down at me at his full height. He seemed much happier without the constraints of the chain. It seemed like I no longer needed to cheer him up. He could do it on his own. "Stephie..." Steven reached over to ruffle my hair. He said after a while, "I''ll be able to put on a prosthesis in a few days when my injury gets better.'' Tears filled my eyes as I looked down at his leg. I have been tearing up so much nowadays. It seemed like an after-effect now that I was capable of feeling emotions. "I heard that it''ll still hurt even after the wound heals because your brain still thinks that your leg is still there, "I mumbled with my head hung low, unwilling to let him see my tears. Steven merely smiled, as if happy that I was crying for him. He gently caressed my cheek and wiped my tears away. He then said softly, "It won''t. My brain doesn''t have the time to wonder about my leg now-it''s upied enough worrying about your safety." He managed to make meugh. I looked away and wiped my tears, asking, "Are you a lovestruck fool?" Steven gave it some serious thought before nodding. ''I''m only lovestruck for you, Stephie." I burst outughing helplessly. "I hope Ashton doesn''t inherit your romantic mindset." Speaking of which, Andy wasn''t a lovestruck fool either. So, who did Steven inherit that trait from? "I only belong to you, Stephie.'' He leaned against the wall for support and hugged me tight. Irested my chin on his shoulders. It felt good just to stay quietly with him. "I''m afraid to let Michael get in contact with Jimmy. Jimmy is the only person who can reach the person backing Sarah up. Michael might be able to help us if he''s smart enough,'' I said. My biggest concern now was that he wasn''t smart enough. "He''s not stupid," Steven whispered. ''It''s just a dangerous feat." The mastermind of Genome Society would definitely kill Michael if he was exposed. I remained silent. If we did not allow Michael to proceed now, everyone involved would definitely get into trouble. I said, ''Those in the most danger right now are Eason and Zion. The police have been cracking down hard on Genome Society, but their higher-ups are trying to smooth things over. "Both of them are clear in their stance, and with their superiors trying to smooth things over, I''m scared that "I was worried about Zion and Eason the most now. "Why do you think Rachel would suddenly switch sides?" Steven asked, ruffling my hair. "Her love for Zion is genuine, and her mother''s control over her is also real. She realizes that Sarah wants to kill Zion, which is why she ultimately chose him." Rachel would use her own way to protect her loved one, as she should. "As for Eason, he wouldn''t die with Joel around," he said softly. I felt relieved. Everyone had someone they wanted to protect. "If anyone has to sacrifice, I hope we''ll both die together, Steven," I whispered as I held Steven''s hand. He said nothing. He didn''t want me dead. "If you don''t want me to die, you have to do your best to survive as well," I threatened in a low voice. Steven chuckled. "Alright." Chapter 726 ? I leaned into Steven''s embrace and lulled myself with his heartbeat. Actually, ever since I was a child, hearing his heartbeat always made me feel at ease. I couldn''t understand it before this, but perhaps I never was some heartless monster-I was only slow to catch My heart had long since started beating in sync with his. "Stephie," Steven called my name, indicating that he was tired of standing. I suddenly recalled something and looked up suspiciously at him. "I never told you about Rachel switching sides, did I?'' I asked, narrowing my eyes. How did Steven know about it if I never told him, then? He behaved as if he was obediently staying in the room, all locked up, but in reality, he was far from it. Steven coughed diffidently. ''I... I made a blind guess. You mentioned that Zion and Eason had taken Sarah away. Who else would it be if not Rachel?'' "Tell me, how did you manage to get in contact with the outside world?" I asked, grabbing his chin threateningly as I pushed him down the bed. Steven''s ears reddened, but he refused to reply. He was rather stubborn. "How did the kids manage to crack the passwords for all three doors so quickly?'' I was rather surprised. Clearly, Ashton and Xan had only managed to crack one a few days ago. How did they manage all three this soon? "I figured out your passwords," Steven replied, resigned. "I''ve been taking note of them every time you opened the password-protected doors." "You three surely know how to outsmart me,'' I said in a fit of anger. ''No breakfast for all of you tomorrow! I''ll starve all of you!" Steven chuckled before pulling me into his embrace and hugging me tight. "I want to sleep with you, Stephie." "Which kind of sleep are you talking about?" I asked. He contemted seriously before replying, "The normal one." I smiled. I made myselffortable in Steven''s embrace before quietly closing my eyes. It seemed like he was having a hard time sleeping. I leaned against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. Steven''s fingers continued to gently caress my hair. "Goodnight, Stephie," he whispered. He was probably dreaming of ordinary yet happy days. Dawn would alwayse. This time, it wasn''t just our battle or struggle alone. Rachel would fight for Zion, and Joel would fight to protect Eason. I would also work hand in hand with Steven. As for Michael, he was probably doing it out of his guilt for not trusting Stephanie back then. As such, he was doing his best topensate for it. Everyone had their own obsessions and beliefs. A single spark could start a prairie fire. Even an entity as huge as Genome Society would eventually fall to their destruction. If we weren''t meant to see the dawn, we could leave it for the next generation. The sess that we had worked and sacrificed for would eventually benefit our children. They would live ordinary yet happy lives in our ce. "The life I want to give you is so simple, Stephie," Steven said, his voice choked in sobs andced with remorse Like a moth drawn to mes, he sacrificed himself just to ensure that I would walk on the path of "happiness". Yet he was left battered and broken, with a profound sense of helplessness. Even though he was strong, his effort alone was still too insignificant. "The path ahead must be lonely, right?" I whispered while hugging him. ''You''re no longer alone now, Steven." Steven was finally no longer alone.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He tensed up and cried in the dark of the night. He was no longer alone in this path he had me, Zion, Eason, and countless others fighting for justice. There was also Rachel, Joel, and those from the Rebels. We would press on without questioning whaty ahead. Chapter 727 ? Steven was never one to be overly sentimental, but he cried for the longest time that night, clearly feeling aggrieved. I could only hold him close whileforting him. Perhaps it was due to losing a leg that he had be extremely sensitive -he couldn''t even sleep soundly. Linda had mentioned that Steven could only manage to sleep with the help of some medications while he was still in the asylum''s underground sterile ward However, those medications had severe side effects and were damaging to the body. As such, I forbade him from taking those sleeping pills after bringing him back, and he had neverined about it. He could only sleep soundly with me by his side. He would wake up alert even if I shifted slightly. I leaned against the headboard as I watched Steven, who had fallen asleep after exhausting himself from crying. I dared not move in case I woke him up. The lights were dim outside the window, and it was eerily quiet in the mountain. Steven was sound asleep, yet I was the one unable to fall asleep now. We were all feeling confused and scared of the road ahead. Technology and medical advancement continued to progress, but as we moved forward, we needed to ponder where humanity was heading. The morning rays filtered into the room through the curtains. I rubbed my eyes, which were swollen from insomnia, and looked at Steven''s face. I marveled at his long eyshes. I burrowed myself into his embrace and drifted into sleep peacefully. Steven was no longer in the room by the time I woke up. I realized that he could get the kids to unlock the doors from the outside. Ijolted up and hurried down the bed, feeling anxious. Steven came in just then. He looked somewhat diffident when we locked eyes. Leaning anxiously against his crutches, he softly said, "I just... went down for a walk. I didn''t go anywhere else." When I remained silent, he continued, "I told youst night, Ashton can open the doors. I knew you didn''t sleep wellst night, so I didn''t bother waking you up." Steven was worried that I might be upset. He got even more anxious when I stayed quiet. "I won''t go out anymore if it makes you upset." Relieved, I walked over and bit on his arm as an act of revenge. He endured the pain and allowed me to bite him. My eyes were red when I whispered, "I was scared that you left me." "I won''t. I won''t leave you anymore." Steven shook his head and dropped his crutches to hug me. I grabbed his clothes tight and said, "Don''t ever leave me again, Steven.'' He hummed a reply and patted my handfortingly. He then took out a rose from his pocket and said, "The flowers are blooming beautifully outside." I took the flower and said softly. "Let''s head down together." Steven seemed happy. ''Really?'' Inodded. I couldn''t keep him locked forever. I looked at him and said, ''But I''ll put you on a leash if you wander away without my permission again." Steven was amused. ''Only Stevie would need to be put on a leash." "Stevie is obedient and doesn''t wander away. It also doesn''t have such a high IQ," I said with gritted teeth. Steve tried ying cute as he said, "I''m sorry, wifey'' I gestured for him to sit in his wheelchair so that I could push him downstairs. Peaceful days neversted long. Steven and I were soaking up the sun in the courtyard. Ashton was blowing bubbles, and Xan remained sitting under the shade as she fiddled with her Rubik''s cube. But our peaceful life was interrupted. Now that Sarah had found out that Steven and I were still alive, Genome Society would never let valuable assets like us go easily.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 728 ? Michael had left plenty of bodyguards around, yet they were no match for the people sent by Genome Society. They had trained numerous henchmen, all of whom were expensive mercenaries. I looked at Steven before turning to look at Ashton and Xan, who remained calm. "Get your dad back into the room and make sure the doors are locked," I whispered. Steven was someone Genome Society''s mastermind desperately wanted. He was considered a technician, as he was the only one who could decode the souls and gic code and ''reincarnate'' souls. Ashton walked over to his side and whispered, "Let''s go back to the room, Dad." Steven grabbed my hand and shook his head. ''I''ll be fine." He seemed confident. I stood behind him as we waited for those people to climb over the walls and rush in.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. "Come with us," the leader of the group said. I nced at Steven. Michael would have received the news by now, but it would take some time for his support to arrive. "Your goal is to bring us back alive, right?" I looked at them before taking a knife out and pressing it against Steven''s neck. "Your boss'' ns will bepletely ruined if he ends up dead." The leader was taken aback. He clearly looked afraid, for they had to bring him back alive. Ashton looked at me angrily. "I knew you weren''t my mom-you''re a bad woman! You''d better not hurt my dad! Resigned, Steven looked at him and said, "Don''t talk to your mom like this." Ashton huffed and replied, "She''s not my mom!" "She is," Steven continued to tell him. ''Watch your tone with your mom." "You''re a lovestruck fool, Dad!" Ashton huffed angrily. He then ignored us and took up a branch to draw on the ground. The group of mercenaries was stunned looking at our casual interaction. They could only call their boss for further instructions. I kept my vignce as I listened to the leader''s call. "That woman is threatening to kill Steven with a knife, boss." "Find a way to bring him back alive." The voice was deep and calm, belonging to a man. I couldn''t tell if the person on the other end of the call was the mastermind. But judging from the mercenary''s respectful tone, I figured that he was someone of importance in Genome Society. "Since you need him alive, you won''t be able to live if he''s dead." I pressed the knife into Steven''s neck. "I''ll kill him first before killing myself. In any event, I won''t let him go with you!" The leader could tell that I was stalling for time, but they had no other options. "What do we do?" the other mercenaries asked nervously. The leader looked at me warily and said softly, "We won''t hurt both of you. Come with us, and our boss will shower you with wealth and fortune you can never imagine." Genome Society was indeed a huge treasure vault. But unfortunately, we weren''t interested in it. "I know you''re stalling for time. Do you think Michael will be able to save you like that? I''m afraid he''s in no position to save you today," the leader said, suggesting for me to give up resisting. I silently cursed Michael. I wasn''t sure what Genome Society did to keep him upied. "Who says I''m waiting for Michael?" I shed him a smile. "Put your knife down!" Soon enough, dozens of cars surrounded the vi. I wasn''t only waiting for Michael''s men-there were still those from the Rebels. Given that we were targeted by Genome Society and Steven was crucial to them, the Rebels certainly wouldn''t hand him over without a fight. As such, both sides would fight to get their hands on him. Of course, as his sessful sample for the reincarnation project, I was just an essory to him. Now that the Rebels were here, we wouldn''t be taken away by Genome Society. However, we couldn''t escape either way we had to choose between going with Genome Society or the Rebels. Steven knew what I was thinking. If we went with the Rebels, at least Carol wouldn''t do anything to me for now since Joel was there. Chapter 729 ? Genome Society''s mercenaries eventually retreated. There were just too many of the Rebels, and they were all Junatics. Both sides had toy low in order to stay out of the police''s radar. Joel jumped out of the first car and scratched his head. "All this is really messing with my college entrance exam."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I calcted the dates and said, ''Your college entrance exam should''ve passed by now." Was he that studious to be thinking about his college entrance exam all day long? Joel looked smug as he said, ''I got scouted." I rolled my eyes. He had been waiting for me to ask him just so he could show off-I shouldn''t have bothered asking. "Do you know which university scouted me?'' He started to brag when I didn''t continue asking about it. "It''s Huma University. It''ll be a breeze for me seeing that I''m going back again!" Steven found him a little too smug. "Shut up.'' Joel stopped talking. He leaned against the car and looked toward the others who hade with him. "Pleasee with us,'' the person said. We had to go with them today. Steven looked at Joel, who shrugged. ''It''s no use looking at me. Carol is in charge of the Rebels." I looked at Steven and said, ''It might be safer for us to go with them." We would let Genome Society and Carol go at each other. Steven nodded as he understood where I wasing from. "But the two children are innocent. Let them stay with Michael,'' I said. I didn''t want to involve Ashton and Xan. After all, children were innocent Michael was right-they needed socialization. Perhaps they could even find their own emotional support in the future. "That''s fine with me," Joel agreed readily. Ashton and Xan looked at me nervously. Ashton angrily asked, "Are you trying to take my dad away?" I raised my brows at him. ''I''ll eat your dad up until there''s nothing left of him." Steven smiled helplessly and reached out to ruffle Ashton''s hair. "Take good care of your sister and listen to your teachers. Don''t bully your ssmates, study well, and grow up to be helpful citizens of the society." Ashton teared up and whispered, ''Will I be able to see you again, Dad?'' Children''s hearts were delicate, especially someone as mature and smart as Ashton He also understood that we were heading into a "battlefield-one with no gunfire. This might even be our final goodbyes. Steven did not make the promise as he might not be able to keep it. "What about you? Can you stille back?" Ashton asked me while crying when Steven said nothing. My heart ached deeply when I looked at the kids. I, too, had wanted to stay by their side and y an important role in their lives. But the reality was always harsh. "I''m sorry we had to part like this," I softly said to Xan as I crouched in front of her. ''I want to stay by your side too, but the future is uncertain, and I''m not in control of it." Her eyes were reddening. Although she had autistic tendencies and was always lost in her own world, she understood what I was saying. Her emotions were even more delicate than Ashton''s. She looked up at Ashton before looking at me. She said softly, "Home." Chapter 730 ? Xan wanted a home. Was she about to lose it just when she had just found it? I looked at Ashton and said, "Take good care of your sister." He looked at me for the longest time and nodded solemnly. "Don''t talk so ominously. It''s not as if someone''s about to die." Joel walked over and patted Ashton''s head. He then said, "Focus on your studies. You''re lucky you were born without having to worry about your daily necessities. When you grow up, you''ll realize that what your dad left you is something many people spend their whole lives trying to achieve." Joel was referring to the fact that Steven was the president of Crowdstar Group. He must have left the kids with a solid foundation to ensure they got what they needed. Steven said, "Having a head start means your responsibilities are also greater. The biggest difference between humans and beasts is our humanity. "You must use your vision and abilities from a higher vantage point to create a better environment for others. Only through unity and mutual support can the society thrive." He looked at Ashton before continuing softly, "Your generation will face a widening wealth gap, rising social tension, and worsening global conflicts." The human living environment was already like a cat on a hot tin roof, yet too many people were only focusing on immediate gains. Steven wanted Ashton to know that it was essential to have a mix of skills, wealth, connections, and a supportive environment. When he eventually reached the top, he shouldn''t be creating more ss divisions but creating more job opportunities for others in hopes of narrowing the wealth gap. If the gap got too wide, it would lead to the harsh reality that they had seen on the Death Cruise back then, "I will, Dad," Ashton softly replied. Steven said, "I know you''re very interested in artificial intelligence and have been studying it. I might not be around to see how the future technology evolves, but you and your descendants will "In order for humanity to continue thriving, the development of artificial intelligence should center around benefiting humans and not recing them. Do you understand this?" He might have a sense that he would end up sacrificing himself-or perhaps, he anticipated that he might not be able to return to their side. I slowly tightened my grip on Steven''s wheelchair. It did not matter. I would stay by his side whether in life or in death.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Ashton and Xan teared up without saying anything. They didn''t know what to say. "It''s time to leave now. The longer we take, the more trouble we invite,'' the person beside Joel said. I pushed Steven forward and turned back to look at Stevie, who was obediently sitting in its cage. It seemed to have noticed something and barked at us twice, seemingly asking us to stay. I said, "Take good care of Xan and Stevie, Ashton." Michael only hurried back after Steven and I got into the car. His car was damaged. Someone probably deliberately blocked him in order to dy him. "You..." he said anxiously. His men had also hurried over. "Take good care of Ashton and Xan. The things we''ve talked about... Please see them through," I said, looking at Michael with an unwavering gaze. I hoped that he wouldn''t disappoint us this time. Michael took a deep breath and stood in front of Ashton and Xan. He nodded at me. He would probably treat them well. "Are you sure you want to go with me, Stephie? Whether it''s Genome Society or the Rebels, they only need me. "Steven grabbed my wrist just as I got into the car. He wanted me to reconsider my decision carefully. I looked at him with reddening eyes and smiled. "Looks like you still haven''t learned your lesson after all this time being locked up." Steven lowered his head and fell silent. After some time, he smiled and said, "Alright, let''s stay together." We would stay together forever no matter in life or in death. "No more staying apart again." I sat beside him, resting my head on his shoulders. Steven patted the back of my hand. "Alright. No more staying apart." Chapter 731 Joel sat in the passenger seat while Steven and I sat at the back. I couldn''t tell how long we had been on the road or how many turns we had taken. All I knew was that all the cars started splitting up after we left the mountain road. It was a diversion in hopes of shaking off Genome Society''s surveince. But it wasn''t hard for Genome Society to find out the Rebels'' base. They just hadn''t had the time to deal with them for now. Carol might have thought that she was smart, yet she clearly couldn''t hold a candlepared to the mastermind of Genome Society. The fact that Genome Society managed to survive despite being outsmarted by her suggested that the mastermind was smarter than her. Besides, the mastermind had clearly given up resisting, deliberately exposing many of theirboratories I figured that not everyone within Genome Society was united. I even suspected that the mastermind was using the Rebels under Carol''s control and the police to clean up their own mess. After all, theboratory administrators who were exposed were ambitious individuals like Daisy and Nancy. They were vying to take control of the entire Genome Society in order to rise up to the pinnacle of wealth and power. "There''ll be a huge war between the Genome Society and the Rebels. We might not be safe staying here." Steven held my hand before we got out of the car. He was well aware that I had deliberatelye with him to the Rebels. I wanted to escte the conflict between Genome Society and the Rebels so that the mastermind would lose their cool. "As long as I''m with you, it doesn''t matter where I am or if we''re safe or otherwise," I whispered while looking at him. "Do the two of you really think nobody can see through your act? Stop your lovey-dovey act. Even if others can''t tell what you''re up to, I can." Joel got out of the car and opened the door for us smugly. He then looked at me warily, only continuing when the driver got out of the car, ''I know what you''re nning to do." He knew I was about to use Carol. "Are you going to stop me?'' I asked, looking at Joel coldly. He looked at me cryptically. After a while, he smiled and reached out his hand. "What are you talking about? I look forward to working with you!" Steven''s expression darkened as he pped Joel''s hand away. ''Don''t touch my wife." Joel rolled his eyes and said, "You''ve been repeating the same thing since we were younger!" Iughed. It did seem like the case. Simeon was very attached to Steven when he was younger and would always glue himself to him. My appearanceter on caused him to "lose" Steven''s favoritism for him. As such, he was rather hostile to me in the beginning. It was only after he was beaten up by me that our rtionship started to get better. But Simeon would still get jealous of both me and Steven. He wouldin about me favoring Steven while also grumbling that Steven only had eyes for me. "You''ve always favored him, even before you understood what feelings were," Joel said with a tinge of jealousy as he leaned against the car door. He continued, "He would beat me up whenever I insisted on clinging to you while sleeping, and you never stopped him. But you would be against it whenever I tried to retaliate."Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. I got out of the car and reached out to Steven. He grabbed my hand and slowly got out of the car before taking his crutches from Joel I recalled that the three of us were once healthy and running freely here. "Carol must''ve deliberately made the old orphanage building as the Rebels'' temporary base. It was also the ce where she killed me Having been abandoned, this ce was looking rather dested. Even if the most dangerous ce could be the safest, it was clear that Carol had no intentions of hiding from the start. She was also foolishly waiting for the mastermind behind Genome Society. Chapter 732 ? Carol had had it easy all these years-hiding her identity, nning everything, and thinking that she had gradually managed to push Genome Society into a corner. She was starting to get a little full of herself. She couldn''t even tell who her true enemy was, nor did she know their abilities. "If you don''t talk to her, she might really end up causing her own downfall and dragging the Rebels down with her," I said, having an ominous feeling about it. I had a feeling that things weren''t as simple as it seemed. Genome Society had been nning for years, and they wouldn''t be easily thrown off course. Perhaps the exposure of the fewboratories was really just the mastermind trying to clean up their mess, and we had been used all along. I even had a terrifying thought that the Rebels might just be something that was deliberately created and " nurtured" by Genome Society. However, I had no evidence and dared not say anything that might cause panic and suspicion among everyone. I anxiously looked toward Steven, wanting to find resonance from him. He was the only one who could understand me. He nced over and shook his head at me. He knew what I was thinking and fearing, signaling for me to keep quiet. At this point, we could only take one step at a time. Joel brought us to what used to be the orphanage''s hall. From there, he found a mechanism that opened the passage to a secret room. As we walked down, we arrived at the current base of the Rebels. "Wee to the Rebels." Carol had finally stopped pretending. She wasughing maniacally in a red dress. It was the same dress I had on when I was lying dead in the ss disy. She truly was trying topete with me in everything. I was not the reason she was dressed and dolled up so exquisitely today. Clearly, she was aiming for Steven. I huffed as jealousy washed over me instantly. Carol was truly obsessive about him. "You''re really casually using what you''ve taken from others, aren''t you?" I asked her coldly. The Rebels was founded by my parents and Andy. The organization should have belonged to me after they passed away, but it had fallen into Carol''s hands. She smiled and said, "Whoever has the power gets to keep it. That''s just how the world works, and it''s the way of humanity." She wanted to tell me that she was capable of taking everything away from me. "The Rebels is just the beginning. I still want to take more from you,'' Carol said, looking at me provocatively beforending her gaze on Steven. She was hinting that she would take Steven away from me. "You can try," I replied with a sneer I might not be confident about anything else, but I was more confident in his love for me than in myself. Carol''s gaze fell on Steven''s leg. A pained look shed in her eyes before it was reced with something sinister. "She''ll only hurt you" He looked at her coldly before reaching out to pull me behind him. "I''ll dly let her do it." Carol tightened her fists. Before she could continue, Joel interrupted her and said, "Oh, don''t just stand there! Come and take a seat!" After that, he told Ewan, "Go get a wheelchair, Dad." Ewan looked at Steven and me meaningfully before turning away to get a wheelchair. "You''d better not be too arrogant. You''ll lose the entirety of the Rebels if Genome Society decides toe after you," I said, ring angrily at Carol.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "Genome Society?" Sheughed, overly confident. "They''re in a mess right now, and they can barely keep themselves together. Do they really have the energy toe after us? Even if I bring the Rebels into the open, they can only watch us helplessly. Chapter 733 ? I sighed. Genome Society''s avoidance all these years had caused Carol to lose touch with reality. "Genome Society is a huge organization. Just because you''ve taken down a fewboratories doesn''t mean you''ve got to the heart of it," Steven said, looking at Joel. He said nothing as he helped Steven into the wheelchair. "She''s digging her own grave," Steven reminded him. "Things that cannot be changed should be just epted. Everyone should take responsibility for their own choices," Joel said quietly. I took it to mean that he had given up on Carol. Or perhaps it was not so much giving up as it was a feeling of helplessness. Joel must have done everything he could to persuade her in the time that Steven was hiding. However, she remained stubborn, and that was why he ended up saying such words. "You''ll stay here from now onward. Carol opened the door to a room even smaller than a storage room and made me stay there. There were no windows and only a bed, clearly meant for confinement. And it was just a single bed, to boot. "I want to stay together with Steven," I said, looking at her warily. I wasn''t ready to let him leave my sight. Carol looked like she could eat him up if she ever went crazy.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Do you really think I brought you here for a vacation?'' She chuckled as she leaned against the wall. "You''d better be aware of what''s going on now that you''re in my hands, or else-" "I want to stay together with Stephie," Steven said in a deep voice, leaving no room for doubt. Carol got somewhat upset. "Your leg still needs to heal. I''m cing you in the medical area all for your own good.'' "No need,'' Steven replied with a a frown. Joel looked at Carol and said, "They''re married." "Shut up, you!" she scolded him. Joel sighed and turned to me. "Both of you can stay in the medical area together." "I''m in charge, and you have no say here!" Carol was losing it as she asked someone to pull him away. "You''d better treat us as guests and make sure we''re having a good time here.'' Steven pulled me behind him and threatened, "You should know what would happen otherwise." He was extremely valuable to Genome Society, and he was just as important to Carol. The Rebels needed strong financial backing in order topletely destroy Genome Society. Steven was not only valuable for his knowledge, he was also rich. He was truly the perfect backer. Carol narrowed her eyes. She was about to say something when he interrupted her, "Those in the Rebels need food to survive too, right?" It was hard for so many of them to do anything without money. That was also the reason the Rebels epted Ewan. Having worked for the Lincolns for years, he was a management expert and knew how to secure funding for them. Iraised my brows and looked at Carol provocatively. As she couldn''t afford to offend Steven now, she naturally couldn''t afford to offend me as well. She looked at him with eyes filled with frustration and raw obsession. "How long must you take to understand, Steven? This woman won''t gain a heart no matter how many times she dies, Carol said hoarsely as she tried to get closer to Steven. Sitting in the wheelchair, she reached out to pull Joel over to shield her from him. Disgust and wariness were evident on his face as he frowned and said, "Stay away from me." Carol stood in ce, looking hurt. She pushed Joel away and looked at Steven. "You orchestrated everything from faking your death to getting me to help you to take down Genome Society. Don''t forget what you promised me," she said. Steven had paved the way for me before faking his death. He must have conspired with Michael, Joel, Carol, and others. It would have been impossible to keep his faked death a secret from Genome Society back then otherwise. I nced at him, wondering what he had promised Carol. I felt a twinge of jealousy. Carol was too unhinged-even her ncing at Steven felt like a vition. Chapter 734 ? From what I remembered, Carol might have pretended to be a fool or a lunatic, yet she had never hid her love for Steven. Because she liked him, she was fond of hiding behind him, pretending to be pitiful so that he could protect her. I used to think that I wouldn''t fall in love with anyone. That was why Carol''s antics meant nothing to me. But things were different now-I''d want her dead even if she were to just breathe in the direction of Steven. "You should get some rest for now," Ewan said, stepping forward to push Steven''s wheelchair toward his room. I followed behind him. No sooner after I stepped out, I was stopped by Carol. "As long as you''re dead for good, he''ll definitely belong to me," she said with a threatening look. She was warning me that she would kill me for good. "No one would love a lunatic like you even if I''m dead for good." I pushed Carol away and walked toward Steven. "Aren''t you curious about what Steven promised me?" She stopped me again. I frowned. To be frank, I was quite curious. "He promised to get together with me as long as I helped him, Carol confidently said. "You must be out of your mind," I sneered. Steven wouldn''t have agreed to such a childish promise. "Let''s go, Stephie." He turned back and called for me. "Okay." I pushed past Carol and walked toward him. There was a sinister look in her eyes. She did not continue to stop me, but it was clear that she was plotting something. "You''d better tell her to tone it down, Joel. We can just leave if she''s not willing to cooperate," I said angrily to Joel. He nodded helplessly. ''I''ve been talking to her even before you guys came. She would begin to agree to it, but she''d go crazy as soon as she sees Steven.'' I huffed and entered the room with Ewan. He nodded at me politely before heading out with Joel in tow. I closed the door, leaning against it as I looked at Steven angrily. "What did you promise her?" He averted his gaze and said softly, "I''m thirsty, Stephie.'' "Don''t change the subject." I walked over and grabbed his chin. "Speak up." Steven looked at me pitifully, trying to use his seduction tactic once again. "It''s useless,'' I warned him openly. Steven reached out to hug me before whispering, "She wants me to hand over the data of the reincarnation project and those of memory editing.'' Carol was indeed ambitious. Was she trying to achieve immortality via ''reincarnation'' so that she could be at the top of the human food chain, just like Genome Society? As of now, mastering this technology was akin to holding the key ess to the wealthy. They would spare nothing in order to achieve ''immortality''. "Did you agree to it?" I asked, looking at Steven angrily. "I''m not the only one who has found the key to reincarnation-Joel has found it too," he whispered. "Joel''s hiding it from Carol, so she thinks you''re the one who "reincarnated" him, right?" I asked in a soft voice. Joel knew Carol too well. He knew that she would be even more relentless than Genome Society if she were to obtain the key to reincarnation. She was the one who orchestrated all the killing games-that was how terrifying she was. "Are you really nning to give the data to her?" I asked in a worry.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Steven shook his head and replied, ''I won''t." I felt relieved, yet I knew Carol wouldn''t back down easily. Chapter 735 ? Joel followed Carol into her room, looking visibly upset. He said, "Have you forgotten what you promised me? Aren''t we supposed to focus on fighting Genome Society now? What''s the point of provoking Steven and Stephanie?" She snorted as she sat on the couch. "I''m just ying with them." Joel scoffed. "Men are all the same to me." Carol narrowed her eyes in contempt. "But he''s just different. People are drawn to things that are different because they''re rare, aren''t they?* She wanted Steven because he was a rare gem-and she would destroy him if she couldn''t have him. "You''re truly mad!" Joel found Carol crazy, but in reality, her madness had long shown its signs. Back when they first arrived at the orphanage, she wasn''t ''crazy'' just yet. She was only introverted and preferred to keep to herself. As she was easy to push around, the children in the orphanage took her as an easy target and bullied her. Simeon couldn''t protect Carol as he was still very young back then. As the older sibling, she had to do everything she could to protect him despite also being a child herself. The wickedness of human nature was fully on disy in that sinful orphanage. Steven hadn''t arrived in the orphanage yet that year. It was also the darkest year for both Carol and Simeon. "I have some cake with me, Carol. I''m not letting the naughty kids have it-only you." That seemingly kind director lured her into a room and opened the door to a basement that had never been seen before. Carol was still a young girl who knew nothing back then. She only knew that after enduring the director''s bullying, she got to eat yummy cakes and even bring some back for Simeon. From that day onward, both of them received "special treatment" from the director. He would give her extra food, let them have the nicer clothes first, and even give her snacks. The special treatment they received invoked jealousy from the other children from the orphanage. How mean could children be? Their cruelty was something unimaginable to adults. They had no ethical boundaries-only pure malice. They would strip Carol of her new clothes and burn her body with hot water. They would prick her back with needles, take away her snacks, and destroy her toys. They would even force Simeon to eat disgusting things just to provoke her. Gradually, Carol went "mad" from their torments. She pretended to be crazy just to survive.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Her craziness became aughingstock to others, but at the same time, the others lost interest just because she no longer had any reaction to all her bullying. Carol was just a mentally disabled dimwit to others. When the director saw that she had be mentally disabled, he started to bully and vite her even more recklessly. That was because he believed that a mentally disabled person like her wouldn''t rat him out. All of them thought that nothing would happen if they bullied a dimwit, but they were all wrong. Simeon found himself a guardian angel the very year Steven showed up. While Carol taught him to endure in order to survive, Steven taught him to fight back. Steven badly beat up a boy who had bullied him that same year. From then on, everyone feared the coldness in his eyes. Simeon saw hope in Steven. He realized that only by bing strong himself could he rise above others. Everyone had thought that it was the orphanage''s tradition for a neer to be bullied. But Simeon knew well that Carol was the one pulling the strings. No one even suspected her as she secretly stirred the pot in the background, manipting those arrogant bullies That was because no one would notice a mentally impacted person like her was actually the maniptor behind the bullying. Chapter 736 ? From a young age, Carol noticed that the bullies would first single out the victim before starting to torment and bully them. And they would switch to a new target whenever they lost interest in bullying the victim. Everyone thought that the next victim was picked at random, but in reality, Carol was manipting everything. It was as if she was ying a meaningful game by manipting the bullies to pick at the next victim. "Carol, you were the one who put Jordan''s pendant in Harold''s box on purpose, right?" It was until one day that Carol''s secret was found out by Simeon Yet, she continued to y dumb, even in front of him. "You were the one who made Harold persuade the others to bully Steven, who was new back then, right?" Simeon asked angrily, looking at her. Carol only smiled at him strangely. "Harold is now a prey.* The victim of group bullying was referred to as a prey. She said, "If he doesn''t want to be a victim, he has to look for the next one with the others. Just like a relentless cycle, where one life was exchanged with another. As such, the victim gradually turned into the perpetrator, and the perpetrator would turn into the next victim. Carol was happily engrossed in her dark games, ying the fool in the orphanage as she gradually took her revenge on everyone. But Steven''s appearance broke her rules and "system". He was a loner by nature, and his superior genes made him different from others even at the age of eight. He was a boy of few words, yet he acted like a lunatic. Steven never bothered anyone as long as they never bothered him, but if someone were to provoke him, he never left them unscathed. Carol''s game system was broken by him just like that.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Just like Simeon, she was attracted by the shocking and rare existence of someone like Steven. Back then, she started thinking that someone like him should belong to her. As such, she continued to y dumb and weak, hiding behind Steven together with Simeon. She enjoyed Steven''s ''protection". Just like what he had said, the strong had to protect the weak-and he would protect both of them. Carol gradually got hooked on the fun of being protected. It was far more interesting than her previous dark games. Since then, she started to orchestrate for the others to bully her and Simeon. They would then hide behind Steven. It was as if she was addicted to seeing how he never lost the light in his eyes despite being beaten and battered. He was seemingly unbeatable. Carol continued to push things further, letting the others provoke Steven continuously, but he would onlye out stronger every time. She was beyond excited and enraptured by him. She did not care if he was tormented by her maniption She was obsessed with fulfilling her own desires while manipting everyone from the shadows. However, another variant appeared soon after. A little girl in a red dress came to the orphanage with her parents for a charity event. It was Stephanie. Steven was attracted to her the first time heid his eyes on her. It was a deathly connection originating from their genes. Carol watched Steven as he watched Stephanie. From that moment, Carol knew that that little girl named Stephanie would turn out to be her greatest enemy in the future. Chapter 737 ? Steven''s world lit up from the moment Stephanie showed up in his life. He had always been the one protecting others while suffering on his own, but he finally had someone to protect him. Stephanie would shield him and teach the bullies a lesson in her own way. Like an emotionless robot, she would grab a knife whenever she and Steven were bullied. She would then stab her bullies mercilessly while avoiding all their vitals. It seemed like fate that he was attracted to her. "He''s mine. I''ll kill all of you if you bother him again!'' Stephanie shielded Steven as she warned the others from bullying him. She probably was obsessed with beautiful faces when she was younger. Despite being emotionally numb, she could still tell beautiful faces from ugly ones Steven was very good-looking when he was younger. Stephanie would cup his face and study his eyes. "Your eyes are lovely. If you can''t keep your eyes on me all the time, I''ll gorge them out and bring them home." He blinked. He only had eyes for her anyway. Their encounter when they were younger shaped their current fate. It was as if everything was destined to happen. "When will you stop, Carol? You''ve already taken everything away from Stephanie.'' Joel was looking at Carol as he leaned against the wall. She had already taken everything away from Stephanie. He continued, "Steven wanted to let Stephanie live an ordinary life. He erased her memories and made her stay with the Fords. "You were the one who deliberately arranged for Yasmin and Michael to meet. You continued to plot against Michael so that he would hate and distrust Stephanie, which ended up hurting her." Joel was aware of everything that had happened. Carol had always been plotting against Stephanie. Ever since she knew Stephanie, she had beenpeting against her every second of her life. "Why would you say that I''ve taken everything from her?'' Carol asked with a chuckle. She stole from Genome Society and ended the lives of Stephanie''s parents. She was the one who deliberately spread the news that her parents were betrayers of Genome Society and got them killed. Carol was the one who seized control of the Rebels from Stephanie. She was the one who made Michael hurt Stephanie and allowed Yasmin to plot against Stephanie. She was the one who killed Stephanie with her own hands. But even so, there was something she could never take away from Stephanie. Carol said, "There''s still Steven.'' Steven was the one thing she could never take away from Stephanie. Carol had an obsessive possessiveness toward him-she wanted to take everything away from Stephanie. It wasn''t love in the traditional sense. It was insulting tobel what she felt as "love". She had never loved anyone-not even herself or Simeon. She was just a born scoundrel. "Steven and Stephanie are one. You can never take him away from her," Joel said in a deep voice. "Even if life tears apart, you can never tear them apart." He was mocking Carol for not understanding what love was.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Her gaze turned sinister as she looked at Joel. She grabbed his cor and said, "You''re my brother. I know that you''re ambitious, and I can help you achieve everything. "It doesn''t matter to me whether they''re in love. What I want is the knowledge in his head-the gic code of reincarnation which he used to bring you back to me!" If Carol were to obtain this skill, it would be the same as having the key to thergest mine in the world. She would be able to stand at the pinnacle of power and wealth, heartlessly mocking and manipting everyone else. Chapter 738 ?C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Carol was a master of disguise, and she was best at creating immersive game worlds. She wanted to turn the whole world into her yground. She would trample all over those so-called elitists, politicians, and the wealthy. She would watch them greedily crawl under her feet, fighting each other just to obtain ''immortality''. "You''re truly a lunatic," Joel said, chuckling as he leaned against the wall. "But you''re right." Carol smiled and grabbed him by the chin. "That''s my little brother. I knew it-we''re biological siblings, so our line of thoughts have always been the same." To her, Simeon was her true kindred spirit-sharing the same bloodline and legacy. She said, ''We''re the true geniuses who were created by God''s own hands, Simeon. Our existence is the closest to God. Who do they think they are? "Experimental subjects who went through human alteration are nothing more than the lowest forms of existence. We''re the ones who are meant to dominate over all!" Carol looked at Simeon with a smile. Their hearts were aligned, after all. "Those on the brink of death often glimpse a different view of the world," Simeon said with a smile. ''My soul experienced freedom like never before while my body experienced the worst pain imaginable during the fire." Carol''s gaze darkened. "I''ve already killed them all, Simeon. None of them are left alive." She had already avenged him. She said, "From now on, you have to align your heart with mine. We''ll dominate the world together!" Simeon replied, "Of course." The explosion of theboratory killed several police officers, causing quite a stir. The higher-ups took the situation seriously and ordered a thorough investigation. Genome Society was once again under intense scrutiny. "You guys are crazy! Those are countless human lives-all sacrificed just for your selfish desires!" Eason yelled as he lost control of his emotions. He had barged into the interrogation room, wanting to question Sarah. However, as she had a mental illness, she couldn''t be convicted even with evidence, let alone without any. Sarah looked at Eason and smiled. "Do you really think that Genome Society would foolishly go against the police and create trouble for themselves under such intense scrutiny?" He stood stunned in ce. ''What do you mean?" "Someone is framing them," she said, looking meaningfully at Eason. Someone was trying to frame Genome Society by sacrificing his and his colleagues'' lives? "You speak no truth from that mouth of yours,'' Eason said in a warning tone. Sarah said, "I have no reason to lie to you about this. The true mastermind behind Genome Society isn''t just one person-it''s like a spider web trapping countless insects within. "I am all but an insect trapped within the web. I can''t break free, and neither can the others, including many of your superiors." Sarahughed, looking unhinged. Genome Society truly had no reason to go against the higher-ups. It would only hasten their demise. No matter how strong they were, they were still operating in the shadows. What good would it bring them to provoke the higher-ups? "Someone is using us to do their dirty work," Sarah said, hinting toward the Rebels. The Rebels and Genome Society were currently locked in a battle, each trying to outsmart the other. Eason took a deep breath and tightened his fists. Simeon wouldn''t have deceived him. Eason had almost gotten himself killed in that explosion as well. He might have died there if he hadn''t met Stephanie on that day. Simeon wouldn''t have wanted him dead. Eason refused to believe so. "Don''t listen to her nonsense." Zion walked over and gestured for him to head out first. Eason fell silent for the longest time. Just as he was about to leave, Sarah said again, "Humans shouldn''t trust another too much-not even your loved ones. That''s because you''ll never know what they''re hiding beneath their exteriors. You can''t know for sure whether they''re a demon or an angel." Chapter 739 ? Zion frowned at Sarah and said, ''You''re the one who''s neither demon nor angel here." Sheughed while looking at him. "How naive of you. It''s always the slow-witted ones like you who won''t be swerved. I had always believed that my daughter was just someone ordinary, but it seems like she has a better taste in menpared to me." Zion''s expression darkened. ''Don''t bring her in. She''s different from you." He defended Rachel steadfastly, believing that she had no choice and was forced to do what she did. "What an idiot," Sarah cursed. She then leaned back against her chair and closed her eyes. "You have a maximum of 48 hours before you have to release me forck of evidence. There should be less than an hour left now, right?" It was about time for her to leave soon. "Don''t get too cocky. You reap what you sow," Zion said. He had always believed that there would be consequences to each action. However, the wealthy and those at the top never seemed to believe in such consequences.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "You can''t go on this mission, Eason! It''s too dangerous. You have to be inmand!" Eason was inmand and wasn''t supposed to participate in the new mission, but he insisted on changing the n at thest minute. Zion said, ''Have you been deluded by that witch? Her words were meant to provoke you! There''s a possibility that she''s luring you over in order to eliminate you." He believed that there was more to that matter. He had a feeling that something would happen to Eason. "I want to find out," Eason whispered. Whether he believed it or not, he wanted to find out. He wanted to know if Simeon really wanted him dead. "You..." Zion stared at Eason. He sighed after a while and said, "Alright, just go. Take care." With Eason''s personality, he couldn''t be stopped even if Zion tried. He wanted answers to see if Genome Society or the Rebels were responsible for killing his colleagues. He wanted to find out if there were traitors among them who had leaked their operation ns. He wanted to find out if Simeon was truly behind it, and if he was, would he have halted his ns as soon as he realized that Eason was there? However, Simeon would be exposed if it turned out that he was involved. "Do you really trust Rachel? She deceived you and hid her identity from you. How do you still trust her?" Eason asked hoarsely Each individual was truly different. He couldn''t fully trust Simeon. He was tired of waiting, being deceived, and the endless loneliness. He had always thought that Simeon was dead. He had abandoned him, no longer wanted him, and would nevere back anymore. Even if Simeon came back, he would still leave eventually. Zion said, "Honestly, feelings can be quite simple and not asplicated as we think. When you truly believe in someone without considering the oue, the worst that can happen is heartbreak. "You''ll probably know how to make your choice when you realize that losing that person scares you more than your deepest fears." Eason fell silent. Was losing Simeon something terrifying? It was undoubtedly so. Eason was born into a wealthy and prideful family. As soon as he was born, his parents had expected him to excel as a genius. He had to work hard in his studies every day. Since young, his mother had brainwashed him into thinking that he had to get into the advanced ss and make her proud. But no one truly cared about how he felt Ever since Eason developed gender awareness, he felt he should have been born a delicate girl instead of who he was now. He had tried on his mother''s makeup and dresses before. His parents beat him up when they found out about it. He once tried to share his secrets with his parents, but in turn, they threatened to kill themselves. They wanted him to be a normal person so that he wouldn''t be looked down upon. They threatened him with their lives for him to live a normal life. Eason could only suppress himself under such immense pressure. He tried his best to ept the fact that he was born a boy. He mimicked the way the boys around him dressed and acted, carefully observing everyone around him. But despite this, he had always felt out of ce. Chapter 740 ? To help him fit in, Eason''s parents even sent him to an all-boys school for special training. They wanted to boost his masculinity. There, he was bullied, cursed, and even vited. He begged for mercy, tried to escape, and even had his leg broken, but none of it garnered sympathy from his parents. Eason thought that as long as he studied hard and got good grades, his parents would be proud of him and bring him back home. As expected, his parents showed up on the day he fought hard to earn the top spot in his school. They showered him with praise and expressed their love for him. They then brought him home and paraded him to all his rtives as if they were showing off a trophy. Eason tasted sess at that moment. He realized the only way to live in dignity was to strive for the top. As such, he worked hard and got into the youth advanced ss. He believed that with enough hard work and a bit of talent, he would definitely be the best in the advanced ss. He was determined to maintain his top position so that he could live with dignity in front of his parents. But s, Eason met two lunatics-Steven and Simeon. No matter how hard he tried, he could never reach their level. At that moment, it dawned on him that each genius was different. Humans were inherently divided into different sses, and talent was no exception. Eason gave his all to defeat everyone in the school and entered the advanced ss with top scores. Every night, he had to study in secret untilte, yet he still couldn''t hold a candle to Simeon, who would fall asleep as soon as he got back to the dorm. Despite all his hard work and effort, he was still left in the dust, feeling as if he could never catch up. Eason felt jealous, yet he couldn''tpete against Simeon. He once destroyed Simeon''s only new pair of shoes out of spite. Being privileged, he, too, had mocked Simeon for being an orphan. Yet deep down, he knew that despite having parents, he was envious of Simeon for being an orphan. Simeon also hated Eason in the beginning. He thought that Eason was a spoiled scion who couldn''t handle losing. However, he was also attracted to him. He watched as Eason hid under the nkets to study every night. He was even studying while eating during the day, giving his all. During the first cement exam in the advanced ss, Eason, who had been studying day and night throughout the semester, cried. He sobbed uncontrobly under the nkets and refused toe out no matter what. That was because he only ranked third while Steven and Simeon ranked first and second. That time, Steven ranked first and Simeon ranked second because Simeon had intentionally held back-he wanted to let Eason surpass him. But even so, Eason was still left in the dust. Simeon found him interesting. He couldn''t coax Eason out for the longest time and even got bitten by him. He told Steven that he found an interesting person who resembled a stray cat he had when he was younger. Steven only found Simeon childish instead.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Eason was constantly bullied in school due to his personality. As the others dared not bother Steven and Simeon, they turned their sights to Eason, who was the weakest. Back then, Eason was still called Hudson. Although everyone in the orphanage was only in their teens, they were cruel beyond imagination. When they found out that Hudson often wore dresses in secret, they forced him to put one on in the shared bathroom while they humiliated and vited him. On the same day, Steven did not see Simeon anywhere during lunchtime. After some time, he only spotted Simeon with a bruised lip and ckened eye, his body covered in blood. He was leading a small, drenched figure in his oversized jacket as they left the school. If it weren''t for Hudson stopping him that night, Simeon would have beaten the ring leader to death. He had challenged the group of five all by himself andshed around wildly as if he were mad. Everyone feared him. Hudson was the only one who saw Simeon, who hade to his sudden rescue, as his guardian angel. Chapter 741 ? "This experimental base is truly well hidden with its location right beneath a spa center, Officer Grant. Do the people up there even know that there''s a huge cryogenic chamber beneath them?" an officer said. Another new experimental base of Genome Society was found. The cryogenic chamber was more like an auxiliary facility to an experimental base instead. Arge number of bodies of the wealthy were frozen here. ording to insiders, Genome Society was working on a research aiming to reincarnate humans. They told the wealthy that they would be able to reincarnate them as long as they preserved and froze their bodies. The annual cost to preserve and freeze bodies here was allegedly 3.5 million dors. Eason lit up a cigarette outside of the experimental base. He chuckled sardonically. It was ironic how the wealthy were so afraid of death while they were still alive and would desperately want toe back to life after they died. "There are more than one of these cryogenic chambers all around the world. How many people exactly do they want to bring back to life?" Phil said, cursing those lunatics "They''ve managed to convince some of the wealthy by proposing this theory. That''s 3.5 million dors each year as their freezing fees. It''s quite a sum with so many bodies here. No wonder Genome Society is so rich. Money truly drives people crazy," Eason said irritatedly as he looked around. Phil asked, "What if they can''t manage to bring these people back to life? The wealthy are no fools!" Eason suspected that it was the reason why Genome Society had gone quiet suddenly. They had shifted their attention to getting their hands on Steven because of his reincarnation project. He was also the only person who managed to reincarnate his loved one. As long as they manage to get a hold of Steven, Genome Society would be able to obtain the key to opening a valuable treasure vault. Just by considering these people stored in the cryogenic chamber, reviving them was no longer just a theoretical matter with their bodies and genes still present. It was a horrifying thought. Suddenly, the iron lid to the cryogenic chamber was mmed shut.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Eason''s expression darkened as he looked at the entrance warily. "Be careful, guys!" Soon after, someone tossed a homemade bomb from above. "Watch out! Take cover!" A violent explosion echoed throughout the room. Eason shielded Phil and hid behind a freezer. The air was thick with smoke from the explosion. Eason shook his head forcefully to clear out the ringing from his ears. Someone yelled, "Be careful, Officer Grant! They''re nning to bomb this ce!" Some of the officers desperately tried to open the iron lid above them, but they were left with no way out with thedder destroyed. The officers outside were likely met with a simr demise. Both Genome Society and the Rebels deserved to die. "Officer Grant!" Another explosion echoed, and someone was struck by falling debris. They looked despairingly at their only exit, knowing fully well that they wouldn''t be able to make it out. Eason was breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall. They werepletely defenseless. Whoever attacked them must have wanted them dead. The ringing in his ears grew worse. From the wall, he nced at Phil, who was hurt and unconscious. Was this truly a deliberate massacre from the Rebels, just like what Sarah had said? If that was true, perhaps Eason''s life wasn''t important to Simeon at all. He smiled bitterly, closing his eyes as he awaited his death. But there were no longer bombs falling from above. Everyone was holding their breath as they anticipated the next explosion. At that moment, the iron lid from above was opened. Joel coughed for a bit before peering downward. "Eason!" he yelled. Eason was stunned. He then nced warily at the exit, wondering if Joel was here to rescue him or if he was the one who nned this massacre Joel looked down and nervously called out for Eason, "Can you hear me, Eason? Please answer me!" Chapter 742 ? Eason leaned against the wall, unable to move after his leg was struck by a fallen object. He did not respond to Joel. For some reason, he couldn''t fully trust someone like how Zion could. "Hudson! Fuck-" Panicked, Joel cursed before jumping down from above. He started looking around for Eason anxiously. "Hudson!" He seemed to havee alone. Eason leaned against the wall, wincing in pain as he looked at Joel. "What are you doing here Relieved, Joel asked, "Did you not hear me calling for you?" His tone was disdainful as he walked over to check on Eason''s injury. "You''re not any younger, so why are you still out on missions?" Eason''s eyes reddened as he asked, "You''re the one behind it, right?" Stunned, Joel looked up at him. "Are you suspecting me?" Eason said, "You asked mest night if I was going on a mission. I said I wasn''t." Then, something happened to the team today. "How ungrateful of you when I came all this way to rescue you." Joel felt somewhat annoyed, yet he knew this wasn''t the time to be angry at him. "My call couldn''t get through to you, so I checked with Zion. He said that you were on a mission, and I came because I was worried," he said, carrying Eason on his back. He continued, "I''ve already told Zion to send backup, and I''ve tied up those above already. Don''t worry." Eason looked at Joel. "Don''t lie to me." He was afraid that Joel might lie to him. "I" Before Joel could continue his words, several mercenaries who were fully equipped jumped down from above. They were clearly from Genome Society. Their leader coldly chuckled at Eason before indicating for his men to move forward. Joel frowned and looked at them warily. At that moment, they realized that Genome Society was here for Joel. It was toote when Eason came to his senses. Joel couldn''t take on so many trained mercenaries alone. He was pinned to the ground and injected with something before being forcibly taken away. "Joel!" Eason struggled to stand up, but his leg must have been broken. He stumbled onto the ground. He realized how foolish he was then. Eason had believed in Sarah and started to doubt Joel and the Rebels. That was why he changed the original n and participated in the mission. Joel would surelye if he knew that Eason was in danger. He woulde alone without implicating the Rebels, as Eason was with the police. And because he came alone, Genome Society would have no difficulties taking him away. Joel was Simeon, who had reincarnated. He was just as important as Stephanie to them. Besides, Genome Society knew that the leader of the Rebels was Carol. With him in their hands, they could exchange hostages with Carol. They wanted Steven. Zion barged in with backup, but Joel had already been taken away. Eason pped himself. He leaned against the wall without a care for his injured leg.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Zion hurried forward. "Hang in there, Eason. I''ll bring you to the hospital." "You were right," Eason said hoarsely. "I should''ve trusted him." He should''ve unconditionally trusted his loved one, just like how Zion trusted Rachel. It was just like what Zion had said he was no longer when the fear of losing someone surpassed his other deepest fears. Chapter 743 ? During our time with the Rebels, Steven and I stayed in our room. We did not go out other than during mealtimes. I mostly just did not want to see Carol as she made me disgusted. In order to avoid conflict, I would rather stay together with Steven. "Why is Genome Society so quiet recently? Why aren''t they doing anything?" Lying on the bed, I asked Steven, who was calcting something in his wheelchair. He looked up at me and said, "They won''t be idle for long. They should be doing something soon." Steven was right on the money. Soon enough, we heard noises outside-it was Ewan. "Joel got caught by Genome Society, Mr. Lincoln!" he said. As expected, something came up. "Alright, we got it." Steven seemed unexpectedly calm. It was as if he had expected this to happen. "Did he lose some of his IQ after his reincarnation? Or did something happen during the reincarnation and his brain got fried?" I frowned, not expecting Simeon to mess things up. "It''s easy for humans to turn into lovestruck fools when they''re in love," Steven helplessly said as he opened the door for Ewan. "Eason''s team was ambushed during their mission. Joel ignored your warning and insisted on going. As expected, he fell into Genome Society''s trap." Ewan sighed with a frown. Before Joel went to look for Eason, Steven had reminded him not to act on his own. He could either bring someone along or go with Zion and the other officers. Despite this, Joel couldn''t help but worry and his lovestruckness ended up getting himself in trouble. I said disdainfully, "He has iting. We''re not rescuing him."N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Steven chuckled. "Genome Society is nning to use Simeon to control Carol or to ask for me in exchange for him." "We''re not exchanging you for him!" I nced at Ewan warily. "Tell Carol to save her brother on her own and don''t involve Steven." Simeon wouldn''t be in any real danger, but I couldn''t risk letting Steven be in danger. Humans were all selfish, and I only cared for Steven. Ewan nced at me before nodding. "We''ll work on a rescue n." After he left, I quickly got up and shut the door, locking it right away. Steven ced his notebook down and looked up at me. "Simeon isn''t that stupid, Stephie. He might just be able to save himself." I nced at him worriedly. "Don''t think I don''t know what you''re thinking." As long as Genome Society threatened Simeon''s life, Steven would definitely offer to rescue him. "I''m not thinking about anything," he softly coaxed. "Who''s more important-Simeon or me?" I asked in a fit of jealousy. Back then, Simeon used to ask Steven silly questions like this¡ªif me or him was more important, or if Steven would choose between his friend or his loved one. I always thought Simeon was crazy and childish to ask such meaningless questions. Yet I had be the childish one now. "Stephie." Steven reached out to hold my wrist, but I avoided him. "You''re always the most important to me," he softly replied. Comfort washed over me as I looked at him. "You shouldn''t worry about it, then. Since Carol is so full of herself thinking that she''s capable, we''ll let her figure things out on her own," I whispered while sitting on the bed. Steven propped himself up and sat next to me. "Simeon will be fine, Stephie-and so will you." Someone was banging at the door from outside. It was obviously Carol. I felt somewhat annoyed. I knew she would take this opportunity to look for Steven. "Come out, Steven! Simeon is in danger!" Carol yelled from the outside. Chapter 744 ? Steven instinctively nced at me. I knew he was asking for my permission-one which I would never give. I got up to open the door and gave Carol a warning re. ''Simeon is your brother. Why are you calling my husband for help?" She looked at me with a jealous expression before saying, ''Simeon is in danger, Steven!" Steven said nothing. "Is his years of friendship with you not worth a thing before this woman?'' Carol asked angrily. ''Genome Society took him away. Even if they won''t kill him, they''d experiment on him. You know best how they''ll torment him!" "Aren''t you very capable yourself? Can''t you rescue your brother on your own?" I questioned her. "Shut up, you!" Carol red at me angrily. "It''s all because of you! Why aren''t you dead yet? If it weren''t for you, Simeon, Steven, and I would''ve been the perfect trio together!" She had always believed that my appearance had disrupted their rtionship. Simeon used to have the same thought, but he ended up epting my existence. "Everything changed because of you!" Carol said defiantly. Steven got up and made his way over on his crutches. "It wouldn''t be you even if she wasn''t around." Carol looked at him, upset. "So, are you going to listen to her and ignore Simeon, then?" "If you''re truly worried about Simeon, you should be thinking about how to rescue him instead of guilt tripping Steven here." I shielded Steven behind me and frowned at her. Carol coldly chuckled before she reigned her emotions in. "I just need your word for it, Steven." She only wanted to know whether he would help her rescue Simeon. "Genome Society will surely contact you now that they''ve gotten Simeon. Let''s wait to see what they want before making decisions,'' Steven replied in a deep voice. Carol looked at me provocatively, as if she was smugly showing that he still cared about her and Simeon. I said nothing, only turning back to look at Steven once she was gone. I knew he wouldn''t ignore Simeon''s situation, but I refused to let him risk himself anymore. "Give me the reincarnation data and the gic codes ''I closed the door and picked up the notebook on the table, asking Steven to write them all down for me. He remained standing as he looked at me pleadingly. He knew that it was a hot potato. It wouldn''t be good getting involved. "Give them to me," I demanded again. My voice was low and threatening. I would never allow him to go rescue Simeon. If someone had to go to Genome Society, I would do it. "Stephie." Steven shook his head, refusing to tell me. "Fine. If Genome Society insists for you to go over, I''ll go with you." I tossed the notebook aside, looking at the numbers written all over. I did not know what he was calcting, but somehow, I felt as if he was still hiding something from me. "We''ll be wiped out once thews of nature are broken, Stephie,'' Steven said softly. "Humans will never win against thews." I sat by the bed, saying nothing. Genome Society had already gained the upper hand by capturing Joel. Yet we hadn''t found out the identity of the mastermind yet. We had allowed them to be in control now. Steven walked over to me with the help of his crutches. He then pulled my head into his embrace. "Don''t be afraid, Stephie. I''m here." What was I afraid of? Was it Genome Society or death? I was only afraid that he might leave me.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 745 ? Carol would naturally think of ways to get Simeon out of trouble-she only wanted Steven to make his stand clear. Upset at Steven, I walked out of the room to clear my head. "Hello, Mrs. Lincoln," Ewan greeted me politely when he saw me. I nced at him. I felt less hostility toward him knowing that he was someone Steven had nted in the Rebels. "Carol is a lunatic. You all need to prepare for that." Genome Society was making its final push, and so was the Rebels. Carol was too full of herself. Without Simeon around, Genome Society mightpletely eradicate the Rebels next. There was even the possibility that there were people from Genome Society within the Rebels itself. "Now that they''ve captured Joel, they shouldn''t be bothering the Rebels for now. Instead, they''ll likely use him to threaten Carol," Ewan spected. Most people would think that Genome Society would surely hold back and threaten them using their leverage. But would they act ording to what most people would think? Perhaps they might just do the opposite. They might attack when the Rebels had let their guard down while focused on rescuing Joel. Anything might happen. "Get Carol to strengthen the security here and set up surveince within a one-mile radius from the orphanage. Any suspicious cars that show up should be tracked and investigated. "I requested Ewan to remind Carol. "You''re not the one in charge here." Carol walked out with a mocking smile. ''You don''t really think you''re that smart, do you? You''re just a gically edited experimental subject who''s no different from thoseb dogs and white mice in theboratory." I gripped my hands tight and coldly red at Carol. I resisted the urge to hit her. "Everyone, Sarah will be released by the police due tock of evidence tonight. Since they took my men, I''ll take theirs as well." She chuckled coldly. She was nning to take Sarah. I frowned. If everyone were to go for Sarah tonight, the entire base would be left open. "You''d better keep an eye on the base, Carol. What if I was about to say that Genome Society might barge in, but she refused to listen to me. I was annoyed. I wouldn''t have cared less if it weren''t for Steven being here. Ewan stopped me and shook his head. He was also aware that Carol was a lunatic. Someone like her could do just anything, and he stopped me from provoking her I took a deep breath and reeled in my urge to kill. I angrily returned to the room and saw Steven, who was still calcting forms. "Stop calcting!" Genome Society would barge in sooner orter. Steven was scolded for no reason and looked at me pitifully. I gritted my teeth and returned his notebook to him. He reached out to tug at my finger. "Don''t be upset, Stephie."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. When he saw that I was still fuming, he softly said, ''She isn''t as smart as you, and she''s too full of herself. She deserves it if she loses out to Genome Society." I felt my anger dissipating slightly when I heard Steven praising me. I huffed and looked at him. "I wouldn''t have cared about her if you weren''t here!'' Steven chuckled and pulled me closer. "Just let nature take its course, Stephie.'' I sighed. I shouldn''t have gotten angry over something I had no control over and taken it out on him. Instead, I should be cherishing every moment we had together. I reached out to cup Steven''s cheeks and pressed a kiss on him. "Alright. I''m staying by your side no matter what happens." I would go with him even if he was taken away by Genome Society. We would face everything together, thick or thin. Steven pressed me closer to deepen the kiss. "Is this considered you giving me a carrot after the stick, Stephie?'' Chapter 746 ? "Are youining?" I narrowed my eyes threateningly. Steven shook his head and said, ''I could never." I chuckled before crouching in front of him. ''No matter what happens, you can''t push me away again, Steven We must stay together.'' I was only worried that once Genome Society came knocking, he might act on his own and push me away again, thinking that it was for my own good. Steven nodded obediently. But I couldn''t be sure if he would continue to listen to me after this. I spent a peaceful night at the base with Steven. Carol came back with hostages early the next morning. She was rather capable as she had managed to catch both Rachel and Sarah. She got even more smug and came unting in my face. "What makes you so full of yourself, Stephanie? Didn''t you think that Genome Society would take advantage of me bringing my men away ande attacking? Where are they now that I''m back?" Carol looked at me mockingly.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. I sighed in a resigned manner. It was good now that she was back with her men. I had no reason to argue with her. However, Carol insisted on provoking me. ''Aren''t you going to visit your bestie, Rachel? Say, do you think Sarah would reveal the mastermind''s identity if I were to kill Rachel in front of her?" I frowned and red warily at Carol. My hands went to grab at her neck. ''Don''t you dare touch her!" Behind her, Carol''s men anxiously moved to stop me. "Don''t move." She frowned, knowing that I dared not kill her. She stared at me and waited for me to release her. My fingers were trembling as I slowly loosened my grip. "Rachel has nothing to do with this. Don''t touch her." "Try pleading with me for it," Carol said,ughing maniacally. "Stephie!" Rachel''s cries reverberated in the empty hallway. I strode over hastily but was blocked by Carol''s men. "Move!" I tried to fight them off, but there were too many of them. "Are you that afraid? I can''t believe you''re actually starting to feel something." Carol was looking at me as if she were observing an experimental subject. ''Hah. It seems like the experiments your parents left behind are taking effect." Before Ipletely regained all my memories, each of the death games set up by Carol had a little twist designed to stimte me. They were meant to awaken my senses and gradually stir my emotions. All those were experimental data preserved by my parents in order to let me live like an ordinary person. Carol included these twists in her experiments just because she thought they were fun. I red angrily at her. She truly was a demon-a born scoundrel. She had no ounce of sympathy as she killed and manipted others in the palm of her hand. Everyone was like mere ants to her as she looked down at them condescendingly. "Sarah has been hiding for so long. Now that she''s finally in my hands, I''m curious to find out if she would speak up if I were to gradually torment her daughter before her eyes," Carol said in a crazed manner. She started to head toward the room where Sarah and Rachel were being held. I knew she was fully capable of doing it. "Don''t touch Rachel, Carol!" I yelled, losing control of my emotions. But I knew that she was trying to provoke me. Carol walked in as the iron gate swung open. I was pinned in ce by her men. ''Rachel!" Rachel''s eyes were red from crying as she looked at me. ''Help me, Stephie!" I took a deep breath and shook my head at her. "Don''t be afraid!'' Compared to Rachel, Sarah seemed much moreposed. After all, she was also a lunatic. "You''re awfully calm, Sarah." Carol looked at her with a smile before sitting down in front of her. "Humans are emotional creatures, and emotions are their biggest weakness. What about you, Sarah? Do you feel anything for your biological daughter?" she asked. Chapter 747 ?C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I looked warily at Carol, asking, "What exactly are you trying to do?" She grinned. "Let''s chop off her fingers one by one." As soon as she was done talking, her men pinned Rachel against the table. Rachel''s arms and hands were forcefully syed in front of Sarah. Carol said, "Give Genome Society a call and get them to release my brother. I''ll chop one of her fingers off if I don''t see him in an hour''s time. "If I still don''t see him after ten of her fingers are gone, I''ll chop her head off and ce it in front of you instead." Her tone was icy and devoid of emotions. She was capable of doing it. Rachel cried as she struggled. "Let me go! Mom!" Sarah sat unmoving. She wasn''t even looking up. They were both waiting to see who would lose out first. "Carol!" I struggled to break free from the others, but I couldn''t. Carol quietly watched Sarah. When she saw that Sarah was remaining silent, she indicated for her subordinate to proceed. "No!" Rachel screamed while crying. Sarah remained unmoved. Just before the axe fell, Sarah said, "It''s pointless even if you kill her. She''s just an ordinary person with no superior gic traits. She''s just a worthless pawn to Genome Society-an imperfect existence who should have been discarded from the day she was born." Carol sneered as she looked at Sarah, "So, you''d rather watch her die than release my brother?" Sarah said again, "We''re all but pawns-" "Do it!" Carol ordered angrily. "Stop it!" Just as I struggled to break free from my captives, Ewan pushed Steven over. Carol frowned at Steven. "You shouldn''t interfere with this matter. I''m in charge here!" "Even if you kill her, Sarah won''t tell you anything valuable. Joel won''t be able to return as well," he said softly. "I''ll just kill her slowly in front of Sarah to vent my anger, then! I''ll make her watch how her daughter whom she gave birth to will die before her eyes," Carol said maniacally. "Do you think she''ll care about her daughter?" Steven chuckled coldly as he looked at her. He continued, "I remember you were once pregnant too. You gave birth to a child in that rented house before choking it to death. You said that the child was nothing but a dirty product. Have you forgotten about it?" Carol stood up suddenly, seemingly agitated. She started pushing away everyone and left in a state of chaos. I looked at Steven in shock. I never knew that Carol was pregnant and had given birth before. She yed dumb to mask her intelligence, using the guise of a mentally disabled person to evade Genome Society''s informers. She was a woman capable of being cruel even to herself, let alone to a child born without love. "Come back with me, Stephie." Steven reached his hand out to bring me back to our room. "Stephie!" Rachel was about to run out while crying but was shoved back by Carol''s men. Both her and Sarah were locked in the room. I nced at Rachel from the outside. "Joel was taken away by Genome Society. I hope you can persuade your mother to let them release him." She nervously turned to Sarah. "Mom." Sarah remained calmly seated before closing her eyes. It was evident that she was ignoring Rachel. I sighed before pushing Steven back. Chapter 748 ? "Carol has definitely angered Genome Society by taking Sarah and Rachel away. It''s about to get chaotic here," Steven said softly. I nodded, having already figured out that much. Initially, I assumed that Genome Society woulde for Steven and me while Carol went out with her men to capture Sarah. However, since they did note for us, they must still have other ns. Now that both Sarah and Rachel were here, they would surely take action.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Carol was too full of herself. In the end, not only did she fail to manage to rescue Joel, but she might even lose her men. "If Genome Society breaks in..." Steven paused as he looked up at me. "Don''t resist them, Stephie." I understood what he was telling me. He would go with them, and he was afraid that I might get hurt if I resisted them. "Simeon is in their hands. He might be in danger if I don''t go with them." It might be fatal if they were to casually use Simeon for experiments in order to uncover the secrets of reincarnation. "I''ll follow you no matter where you go," I whispered. "We don''t have to make unnecessary sacrifices. They might not even need you anymore with Simeon and I there." Once we returned to our room, Steven handed me the notebook filled with mathematical forms. "There would only be endless possibilities if we continue living, Stephie. Only then could wepletely shatter them. Someone has to do it, right?" He tried to persuade me to let him go on his own. "You''re right. Someone has to do it, and someone has to keep resisting." I nodded, agreeing with him. Unfortunately, I definitely wouldn''t be the person to keep resisting if Steven was no longer here. "The Stephanie from before would''ve had the same thought as you. But unfortunately, it''s just like what Carol has said-I now have an Achilles'' heel. I''ll die without you." I shook my head and lit up the notebook with a lighter. I burned everything without caring what was written within. Perhaps it would be best for things that defied thews of nature to vanish without a trace. "Stephie!" Steven helplessly called for me before pulling me into his embrace. He whispered in a hoarse voice, "Even if we manage to survive, with the way I am now¡ª'' I said, "Your physical handicap isn''t your excuse to escape. I want you alive with me-you need to stay with me even if you''re suffering! "I was already dead in the first ce. You were the one who tried to bring me back countless times. Now that you''ve managed to bring me back, you have to take responsibility for it!" I choked with sobs as I looked at him. "You have to take responsibility for me." Steven smiled at me. His eyes were red as tears pooled around the corners. "Alright." He reached out to wipe away my tears before kissing me gently. I pressed my forehead against his as I crouched before him, resting on hisp. We lingered for as long as we could. "Stephie," Steven called out for me softly. I shed him a smile and asked, "Do you still remember the first time we met? We were both disheveled then." We were too young to notice the awe of seeing each other for the first time. "I remember. I''ll always vividly recall every moment I saw you." Steven ruffled my hair. A loud crash echoed from outside. We both knew that Genome Society had closed in. A traitor must have been working with them from within the Rebels. Carol had no choice other than to leave with her men in order to preserve themselves. Confronting Genome Society directly would only lead to mutual destruction. No one woulde out on top in the end. Chapter 749 ? Genome Society made their way into the base. Carol''s men could only evacuate urgently. The door was kicked open. Carol urged for her men to leave with Steven. "None of you will be able to leave if I leave with you," he said in a low voice. I looked at Carol and mocked, "Aren''t you so full of yourself? You''re the one who brought this upon yourself." She red angrily at me. "Your snidements are unnecessary, Stephanie! It''s my oversight that we have a traitor among us this time, but there won''t be a next time!" "Indeed, there won''t be a next time for you. You''ve already lost, after all." I sighed, mocking herck of resolve. Even if she managed to take the Rebels away from me, she still ended up losing. The mastermind of Genome Society didn''t even need to show themselves for it to end here. Carol stared at me angrily. She felt frustrated. She couldn''t believe she had lost just like that. "It''s not toote to leave now!" Ewan called out from behind her. Carol tightened her fists and looked at Steven. "Give me the reincarnation data and the gic codes, Steven." Steven sat in his wheelchair and looked at her indifferently. He would never give them to anyone. Carol''s hands trembled as she realized that he would not give them to her. "You''ll regret this," she said before turning to leave. I stood behind Steven and patted his shoulders. "Don''t be afraid," I whispered.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Steven smiled. He wasn''t at all afraid. Genome Society''s mercenaries barged in and took Steven and me away. "Stephie!" Rachel called for me nervously when she was released. She was about toe to me when Sarah''s men stopped her. "Hello, madam," the leader of the mercenaries greeted Sarah respectfully. "Your n has worked." She smiled and said, "Let''s go." Steven and I had somewhat figured out her n. Sarah had deliberately provoked Eason so that he would change his n suddenly. Joel would thene after him, and Genome Society would use that opportunity to catch him. With him in captivity, Carol would definitely hold a grudge. They had already figured out her weaknesses. She was smart, but her hatred and anger often clouded her judgment. She was determined to capture Sarah and Rachel to get back at Genome Society, which yed right into Sarah''s trap. Not only was there a tracking chip on Sarah, but they also had a spy to work from within the Rebels. They managed to take Steven and me away. Steven had always been their true target. Genome Society was suffering, and the mastermind was fighting for survival. They had ruthlessly shut down manyboratories in hopes of getting back stronger and Steven was their only antidote. "We''ve met again, Steven." Sarah looked at him, her smile growing deeper. Steven ignored her and remained seated silently. Both Steven and I were rendered unconscious. By the time I regained consciousness, I found myself in a darkboratory, cut off from the outside world. This should be Genome Society''s headquarters for the Othard region. I couldn''t tell if we were still within Huma or within the country. Both Steven and I had no clue how long we were out for. Chapter 750 ? "Stephie!" Steven anxiously called for me once he regained consciousness. He only felt relieved when he found me right beside him. He pushed himself up and crawled over before pulling me into his embrace. I took a deep breath and cated him softly, "I''m fine, Steven." "Don''t be afraid," Stevenforted me. I knew that the fates of Steven and I were now resting on Michael''s hands. He became our only way out alive. He was our only bargaining chip left now. I wondered if he was someone worth trusting. If he seeded in persuading Jimmy and managed to meet Genome Society''s mastermind, he might be able to work with the police to barge into this ce. We might still have a chance of surviving if that was the case. Otherwise, Steven and I would only be met with our demise. "Are you awake?" The door to the room opened, and Sarah walked in. She was holding a fruit tter and some freshly made waffles with jam. Like a gentle mother, she smiled and said, "I made this jam myself. Come and have a taste." I looked at Sarah warily. "Just tell us what you want. Why bother putting on an act?" She smiled before shaking her head. "There''s no rush. The two of you haven''t had a peaceful day up until today. As your elder, I shouldn''t push you too hard." After her pretentious words, she then spread the jam on the waffles. "This is the jam I made with the cherries from that cherry tree." My chest tightened as I stared at her warily. The cherry tree in the alley was the secret code between Ms. Ewing and me. My parents nted that cherry tree themselves. "As expected, Ms. Ewing is on your side." I chuckled sardonically, unsurprised by the revtion. Since Ms. Ewing had once taken care of Sarah in the mountaintop vi, it made sense that she was one of her people. "Angel? Not only her, your parents were on my side as well." Sarah smiled and continued, "You''re my clone subject who''s closer to me than my own children. In a way, you are me, and I am you. "I used your mother''s body to bring you to this world. I''m your original subject and your god." She ced the fork onto the te and looked at me condescendingly. "I''m the one who created you, Stephanie. You''re neither a product of nature nor a creation of god. The one who created you is me." Sarah seemed proud of it, believing that the original subject should reign over their clone subjects. "So what? Should I be submitting to you, then?" I chuckled coldly. Sarah shook her head. "I''m just curious. How could my clone subject, who was created out of my genes, have an independent soul? There should only be one soul for the same body. Why have you defied thews of nature?" She was curious how I could live independently without being affected by the original subject. All clone subjects couldn''t live long as they weren''t products of nature. As such, they would start to self-destruct once they reached a certain age.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. It happened to Stephany Larson, the earlier Stephanie Carlson, and also Una. No clone subjects were exempted from such fate. As for me, I was "reincarnated" into this current body as an independent soul after dying several times. In a way, clone subjects had no souls-they were merely vessels. As such, the reincarnation data showed that it was possible for souls and memories to be transferred into clone subjects. From the gic code, we knew that the most important medium for reincarnations was a clone subject with the same genes. One had to first create a soulless vessel before transferring the soul into it. But for some reason, Sarah''s clone subject ended up with an independent soul-which was me. "Steven, once this body possesses an independent soul, can my soul still reincarnate into her body?" Sarah asked curiously. "You can''t," Steven replied in a low voice. "Her soul has already locked onto the gene chain of this body. Other souls can''t reincarnate into an owned body." Sarah nodded in understanding. "Such a good exnation. I get it now." Steven warily stared at her. "I can''t allow a second me to be in this world." Sarah chuckled before continuing, "That''s because even I fear myself." Chapter 751 ? "What a coincidence. I was thinking the same thing as well." I chuckled while looking at Sarah. Simrly, I refused to have someone in this world whose existence would be a constant reminder that I wasn''t a normal person but a monster and a clone. Sarah''s gaze darkened as she slowly neared me with a fruit knife. "I''ll die too if you touch her," Steven threatened with a deep voice. Sarah turned to look at him and angrily said, "You''re not a fool. Surely, you aren''t confused, yet you''re still deceiving yourself. You''ll end up dead in her hands sooner orter!" "I''m willing to let that happen," Steven said, looking up at her. The knife in Sarah''s hand trembled as she stumbled backward. She chuckled sardonically. "They both have the same genes, yet the differences between them are so striking. If only he had just half of your passion" Perhaps she did not want to reveal her own emotions, so she stopped halfway through her sentence. She nced at me with aplicated look. I stood behind Steven and looked at her provocatively. Sarah said nothing more as she ced the fruit knife down and left. She stopped at the entrance and said, "I didn''t poison your food." Steven gripped the wheelchair''s armrests tightly, only loosening his grip after she had left for some time. "Are you hungry, Stephie? She wouldn''t dare to poison us, so we should have some." I shook my head. "Are you hungry?" He shook his head and said, "But we''ll have to eat anyway." I stared at Steven silently for the longest time. He just felt so lifeless and dull now. I couldn''t help but feel afraid and anxious. Seeing him like this made me feel empty inside. "Stephie." Steven maneuvered his wheelchair to take the te. He smiled when he saw the cherry jam on top. "It''s your favorite." "It''s also Sarah''s favorite. Seems like we''re both alike in many ways," I subconsciously blurted out, my jealousy and bitterness unbridled. Even I was stunned. No wonder Sarah was afraid of me-I truly wanted her dead andpletely gone. I took a deep breath and rubbed my temples. "I don''t like cherries, Steven." I refused to like what Sarah liked. I had to distinguish myself from her. "We''ll have to eat our fill anyway. It doesn''t matter whether you like it or not." Steven picked up a freshly made waffle. It looked fluffy and tasty. I huffed defiantly. I would rather starve myself. Resigned, Steven asked, "Are you really nning to starve yourself? We''ll both just starve to death, then." I opened my mouth and reluctantly took a bite. It didn''t taste bad at all. "Stephie." Steven looked at me hesitantly. "Have you really regained all of your memories?" he asked, looking and sounding cautious. I almost choked as I turned to look at him. "Do you not believe in me?" "It''s not that." Steven shook his head. "I wrote down the reincarnation data in the notebook, but you burned it. You were the one who raised this theory in the first ce."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I fell silent for the longest time, putting down the waffle in my hand. "Clone subjects have no souls and naturallyck the five senses. They have no emotions and live like zombies. That''s why I wanted to find out the purpose of a clone subject''s existence." I could tell that Steven was still wary of me. He probably wasn''t the only one. "Do you still remember those taxidermies in the basement?" he asked, fixing an intense gaze on me. Chapter 752 ? "Taxidermies? The ones you made?" I subconsciously asked. Steven was taken aback. His grip on the te tightened, and he only smiled after a while. He shook his head and said, "It''s nothing... This is good too." I crouched in front of him and solemnly said, "I don''t want any secrets between us, Steven." Steven shook his head with a smile. The wariness in his eyes seemned to fade a little. "I''m just afraid that you might return to how you were before you loved anyone, Stephie. I''m afraid that you''ll suddenly stop loving me." "I won''t." I shook my head and replied firmly, "I love you, Steven." He looked at me quietly. It was as if he was satisfied enough to hear me confess my love for him. I ate the waffle I was holding and forced him to eat more before we called it a day. Sarah imed she wouldn''t take action against us for now, and to our surprise, she truly didn''t. Steven and I enjoyed a fairly peaceful and quiet life in the headquarters of Genome Society. Our meals were delivered daily, and there were fitness and entertainment areas for use. It wasn''t too bad. "Is she ying house with us? It''s as if she''s taking care of us for a bit before making her move," I softly asked Steven. He smiled and shook his head. "They want to know the key to reincarnation, so they won''t easily make a move on us. But they probably won''t drag it out. It all depends on when Genome Society will eliminate the Rebelspletely before going into hiding." I figured that even though we were peacefully locked up, the higher-ups were probably at each other''s throats-be it Genome Society, the Rebels, or the police. "I wonder where Joel is locked up," I mumbled. "Fuck, you guys are living a good life here!" Genome Society''s men brought Joel over just as I had finished my sentence. Sarah had them lock Joel with us together. "You even have a gym here?" Joelined angrily. "Ever since I got here, I''ve been stuck in a room with just a toilet!" Resigned, I smiled and said, "We shouldn''t be picky. It''s good enough that we''re still alive." Joel rolled his eyes. "It''s easy for you to say." Steven looked at him and asked softly, "Did they do anything to you?" "They''ve been taking a vial of my blood every day. I''m about to be sucked dry!" Joel gritted his teeth begrudgingly before lowering his voice to a whisper in Steven''s ear. "They were even shameless enough to take my sperm."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I helplessly rubbed my temples. Steven chuckled. "They probably think that your genes are superior and shouldn''t die out, especially since Eason can''t bear children at all." "Of course. Hey, what are you talking about? Why are you talking about Eason and I having children-" Joel was flustered as he refused to admit that he had other thoughts about Eason. "You''re so vulgar. Everything between us is pure." "You''re right. It''s just pure romantic love." Steven nodded. Joel plopped down and munched on a dark chocte bar on the table. "Do you even need to replenish your iron when you''re not getting your blood drawn?" "We did get our blood drawn," I said in front of him. "We''re all mice kept within their test chambers now. If we don''t find ways to change our fate, all that awaits us is a life worse than death." Genome Society wouldn''t kill us, but they would torment us. As long as we were in their hands, they would have ways to make us open up. "They''re only not taking action against us for now," I reminded Joel. It was time for us to n our escape. With Steven''s and Joel''s intelligence and with me around, it shouldn''t be hard for us to escape. "I''ll only slow you down." Steven looked down at his leg. The headquarters of Genome Society would definitely not be within Huma. It might not be within the country. As such, Steven was worried that he might be a burden to us even if we escaped. Chapter 753 ? "What are you talking about? Do you think we''d be able to abandon you and escape on our own?" Joel looked at Steven with a frown. "This isn''t like you. When did you be this indecisive?" Steven looked up at him and asked, "Why do you think they suddenly let youe over? These people aren''t full of themselves like Carol." Joel was stunned and fell silent. "We should be under strict surveince now." I looked around, observing the surveince cameras. There were cameras everywhere, and every move we made was under watch. They would be alerted if we did anything out of the ordinary. I suspected there were many people who were keeping an eye on us. "Before they make a move on their prey, they''d lock them up to build rapport. Then, they''d kill one of them." I sat on the couch and looked at Joel. "Both of us were reincarnated- we''re one too many. They could just get rid of one of us to force Steven to hand over the reincarnation data." I rested my head on my handzily and said calmly, "Who do you think they''d kill first? I''m sure it wouldn''t be me. If they killed me, not only would Steven not tell them, but he''d even try to kill himself." Joel gritted his teeth. "They''ll probably just take it out on a singleton like me, then." He then red at Steven and grumbled, "Couples are so annoying " "It would definitely be hard to escape." I looked around us. "This is a maze specifically designed for us." Besides, it wouldn''t be the same as before now with Steven''sck of mobility. As such, it would be too great a price to pay if we were to risk escaping from here.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. We would only be met with a dead end if thisboratory was built over the ocean or somewhere tough. "Since we can''t escape, we''ll just sit here and wait for our demise, then." Joel was equally calm as he took an apple and started munching on it. "Just take it one day at a time," he said while eating, ncing at Steven. "You don''t seriously think the police will find this ce, do you? Do you think they''d let us live sofortably all this while if they could?" Steven remained silent. Joel was locked up with us, living day after day in this dark ce, unaware of time''s passing. Sarah woulde over asionally to bring Steven some homemade food. She likely came on her own without bringing Rachel over. She was also worried that Rachel might ruin her ns by releasing us. My odds of seeding would be greater if she did not bring Rachel over. If Rachel wanted to help Zion and Eason rescue me, Steven, and Joel, she would definitely do her best to track us down. There was also Michael in the picture. I could only hope that they were smarter. "Stephie." After sleeping for some time, Steven got up and wanted to head down from the bed. I reached out to hug his waist, pulling him down tight. "Why are you up this early when we don''t have to work?" We weren''t aware of the time. I only knew that I wanted to sleep more with him. I wanted to hug him or let him hug me. We both probably knew that our lives wouldn''t be peaceful for too long. "Stop sleeping already! Hurry up ande out!" Outside, Joel was knocking on the door. I frowned, wondering what that singleton was trying to do now. Steven got up and made his way over with his crutches to open the door. Joel was beyond excited. I thought he had found a way to escape, but he was holding a pack of ying cards. "Let''s y poker, guys!" I rolled my eyes before turning my back against them to continue sleeping. Steven looked back at me and helplessly asked, "Do you want to y poker, Stephie?" "No, you guys go on." I huffed. Chapter 754 ? The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I got up and red at Joel. "You singleton can''t you just go daydream on your own if you''re not sleeping?" He rolled his eyes and stared at me provocatively. "I won''t! Like it or not, I''m just going to stick with the both of you." I almost choked, but then I tensed up. This scene felt familiar, reminding me of our childhood. We would yfully fight and get jealous of each other, thinking that we were getting in each other''s way. "You''re so childish," I muttered, sitting up regardless. "I''ll shuffle the cards." Joel sat down gleefully. The three of us sat on the bed and yed poker. After ying for some time, someone from theboratory delivered food for us. The lunch trolley was filled with delicious food and fruits, resembling a buffet. It was quite the luxury for the three of us. "It''s just like we''re having ourst meal," Joel muttered. I frowned, knowing that Genome Society was about to make their next move soon. After all, they had achieved their goal-the three of us had bonded quite well during this time.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Besides, Sarah had also been observing us. She was checking if Joel and I were truly Simeon and Stephanie, who had reincarnated. They were also afraid that the entire reincarnation fiasco was just a fluke on Steven''s end. "Just eat up. Who knows if this might be yourst meal?" I raised my brows, teasing Joel. He cursed while eating, trying to preserve some energy. "You won''t just let them torment me to death, will you, Steven?" "You have the ability to protect yourself." Steven believed that Joel could fend for himself. "Both of you would lose your value if I could do that." He propped his arms against the table and looked at Steven and me. "It doesn''t matter. You can make your own decisions," Steven reassured Joel not to overthink. Joel said nothing, and we continued to eat in peace. Sarah showed up with her men soon after. "How''s your stay here been, Steven?" she asked with a smile. Steven stayed silent and ignored her. He had been a quiet person all along, but he grew more reserved after losing a leg. He stopped talking as much as he used to even when I was with him. "You''re a smart person, Steven. You should know why I brought all of you here. It''s not for a vacation." Sarah ced some food on her te and sat in front of us. She smiled before continuing, "Once you''re done eating, I''ll bring you all on a tour around the ce, Steven." I raised my brows, knowing that she was about to flex Genome Society''s abilities. They would then start to force Steven soon after. I ced my cutlery down and looked at Sarah. "You should give us a good tour, then." Joel was also lounging as he watched her eat. Sarah ate a few mouthfuls before putting her cutlery down. She then got up and said, "Let''s go. I''ll bring you around Genome Society''s headquarters in the Othard region." Steven held my hand as he sat in his wheelchair. Joel was the one pushing him around. As we stepped out of the maze Sarah prepared for us, we were met with a huge expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows. We could see ciers and the ocean outside. As expected, it was futile to even try to escape from here. I took a deep breath and looked down at Steven. He shook his head at me. It was too unrealistic to escape from here. The reason Sarah took us on a tour was to make it clear that we shouldn''t entertain other thoughts now. Nothing could escape from the headquarters. Chapter 755 ? "We have the world''s most advanced medical equipment, precision instruments, andb facilities here," Sarah said to Steven. "This must be like paradise for you, right?" Steven used to be obsessed with experimenting. He was able to uncover the secrets of reincarnation and find the gic codes even in a basement. Imagine what he could do in aboratory with such pristine conditions. "Humans still have so much to learn about ourselves, nature, and the earth." Sarah spread her arms and smiled at Steven. "It''s time for our generation to make some progress in human evolution." She brought us around theboratory. "These are top scientists from all over the world. They would fly here regrly to work on their projects. All their research funding and startup costs are covered by Genome Society," she said with a smile. The money used for research funding and startup costs wasn''t something we could juste up with off the top of our heads. That was why Genome Society was involved in all sorts of heinous crimes-from doing business with the wealthy, to selling bodies, surrogacy, and egg donation. They did not overlook any small profits or huge gains. Money kept pouring in from all over the world, feeding their crimes-and they were the root of it all. "You can never change this world. So, why not just join us instead?" Sarah looked at me and continued, "Gic cloning is already a well-established experiment here, with little room for further research. But you''re the first clone subject who developed your own consciousness." There were many clone subjects in theb capsules. They were like zombies -cking a soul and light in their eyes. Stephany Larson, Una, and I were one of the few clone subjects who were sent out for socialization. It was evident that clone subjects who went through socialization would develop self- consciousness. But that did not prevent them from escaping fate''s grasp. They would start to have suicidal and self-destructive thoughts when they reached a certain age. I, too, wasn''t an exception from such a fate. My death seemed like it was nned by Carol, but was it truly so? I started to find meaning in life after reincarnating twice. I began to fear death and developed the ambition to live forever. I started bing selfish and wanted to possess things for myself. I wasn''t sure if my increasingly human-like state was rted to reincarnation. But I could tell from Sarah''s gaze that I was an extreme exception. Joel was Simeon''s reincarnated soul, so he didn''t count. After all, Simeon was the original subject of Joel''s genes. But I was different-the original subject of my genes was Sarah. She was still well and alive, yet her clone subject had developed its own consciousness.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. It was just as terrifying as if Al were to suddenly gain self-consciousness and emotions one day. Sarah even started to fear me. She was afraid that one day, all clone subjects would gain self- consciousness. When that happened, who would know if those who had reincarnated were actually the original subject or the clone subject? "You''re a genius, Steven. Genome Society will only be stronger if you guys are willing to join us. Our future would be brighter, and the achievements we could reach would be remarkable - ones that would be recorded in the history of human revolution!" Sarah said with a smile. Neither Steven nor I said anything. Chapter 756 ?N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. On the other hand, Joel looked genuinely interested. He looked around before turning to Sarah. "What determines the lifespan of a human? Is it gics, environment, or god?" She smiled at Joel as he walked over to theb capsules. He then smiled and said, "We can be our own gods." Sarah nodded. "You''re right." Joel said, "Scientists suggest that life is determined by the length of chromosome telomeres. After about 50 cell divisions, the telomeres shorten, leading to death and eventually ending the human lifespan. "Others say that the human lifespan is a fate determined by god. Living beings are meant to reproduce. After reproduction, life moves toward death, and a new life is born." He looked at the clone subjects in theb capsules. "When humans no longer need to reproduce and instead rely on artificially created clone subjects to achieve soul immortality, perhaps we can step into a new level of evolution." Sarah pped for Joel before turning toward Steven and me with a smile. "Our experiments are focused on studying the human lifespan and the future of humanity. "Humans are highly intelligent beings at the top of the food chain. There may be civilizations more advanced than ours in this vast universe. Some other life forms might have already achieved immortality. If humanity doesn''t evolve, the only thing that awaits us is death." Sarah pointed at the old coffins opposite theb capsules. "Five thousand years of our civilization has been passed down through generations, but who can actually tell if there have been gaps in history? "Who can tell if we''ve lost important pieces of our culture due to wars or any other factors? Immortality is the only key to humanity''s future advancements to a higher level!" Steven and I watched as Sarah continued on in her madness. Sarah pointed at the human brain specimen soaked in formalin. "The human lifespan has been steadily expanding, but it''s not enough¡ªit''s just too slow!" Due to better environment and healthcare in recent years, the average human lifespan increased from around 40 years to about 70 to 80 years. It was a significant improvement, yet it wasn''t enough for her. Sarah continued, "More centenarians are emerging nowadays, yet their bodies have deteriorated at that age. Such frail human bodies can''t support the evolution and development of the brain. "The potential of a human brain is limitless. Take a genius like you, for example, Steven. You only have a few decades to make use of your brain. It would be useless when you grow old." Sarah believed that one had to maintain eternal youth to keep the mind sharp so that the ability of a genius could be maximized. But clearly, this was just a fantasy. The theory of immortality was fundamentally a false proposition. The development of human cell fission made it impossible for a body to be immortal. That was why Steven''s Theory of Reincarnation was much more convincing. By hypothesizing about the rtionship between human genes and souls, he proposed that " souls" could be transferred through clone subjects. Until now, he couldn''t be sure if what he achieved was actually the transferring of souls or merely the transferring of memories. Was a reincarnated person a new life who inherited the previous person''s memories, or was it truly a transfer of the soul? However, all these were unimportant to Genome Society. They believed that memories were the core of one''s soul. It would amount to the transferring of souls if memories could be replicated on a clone subject. "So, your ultimate goal is to get Steven to hand over the experiment data and get your hired scientists to verify and analyze it. If the experiment is real, you''ll hold the key to bing gods and creating new evolutions. You''ll then stand on the shoulders of giants, looking down on everything," I calmly said. Sarah shook her head and looked at me solemnly. "No. It''s not just me-it''ll be us." She was inviting us to join her. It was a truly tempting offer. Chapter 757 ? "I sincerely invite all of you to join us. Let us all be the hands of god," Sarah said, smiling as she tried to brainwash us. "It''s a shame you''re not the head of a pyramid scheme," I said with a chuckle. Steven turned to correct me, "Genome Society is involved in pyramid schemes and scams. They''re in it as long as it makes money, no matter the industry." All that dirty money eventually flowed into Genome Society. How corrupt. Behind all the crimesy a vast web, and at the center of it was the source of all evil. "Genome Society is a vast ocean of sin. I might be drowned in this sea if we join," I calmly said while pushing Steven over to theb capsule. A young woman was lying inside theb capsule. I wasn''t sure what kind of experiments were done to her, but she was on the verge of death-like a dying fish. Sarah was observing her in fascination, as if she were appreciating a dying fish. She said, "The world is just like a vast ocean of sin. Evil is everywhere. Although Genome Society did bring them all together for profit, we''ve also helped many. "We''ve created many vines and tackled many diseases. We''ve conducted safety report monitoring here before many drugs hit the market. We''ve harmed people, but we''ve also saved lives. It''s just a bnce of good and evil." "Nonsense!" I red at Sarah angrily. "You created vines? How many viruses have you actually unleashed? How many diseases have you tackled at the cost of your humanity, using patients as experiments? How many safety reports for drugs havee from experimenting on live people?" They didn''t regard people as human at all in this ce. The people in theb capsules were no different from any other living beings in theb capsules-they were merely white mice and experimental subjects. Clone subjects like us were the same. To them, we weren''t considered aplete human. "You and those behind you truly deserve to die, Sarah." I chuckled coldly, looking at Sarah. Her expression fell. "Does that mean that you''re not nning to join us?" Her voice was low and threatening. She then turned to look at Steven and asked, "What about you?" "Husbands and wives are bound by fate and united by heart," he calmly said, reaching out to hold my hand. That was his stand. If I was evil, so was he; if I was kind, so was he. I didn''t consider myself a good person. I held grudges and wanted revenge. I wished harm to those who wronged me. But I could never treat lives as expendable. Sarah chuckled before turning to Joel. "What about you, Simeon? You''re a smart person, and I know you''re ambitious. Carol''s and your control of the Rebels may look like you want to eliminate us, but in reality, you want to take over us." Joel smiled and replied, "You''re not wrong." He gently ced both of his hands on theb capsules. "It''s indeed a paradise for me here- a vast ocean of sin for me to navigate through." His gaze turned cold and intense, revealing unrestrained greed and desire. It was as if he had seen hope. I looked at Joel and frowned. Was he trying to save himself, or were those his innermost thoughts? His acting skills were way too over the top if it was only to save himself. If we made it out alive, I''d suggest he be an actor instead. Sarah smiled happily at Simeon. "I knew it. You''re one of us, after all! Natural geniuses like us are meant to rule the world."Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "You''re right." Simeon smiled and turned around, walking over toward her. "But I''m curious about this- are you the one in charge of Genome Society? Who''s the mastermind if not you? Since we''re already trapped here, there shouldn''t be anything else we can''t see or be told, right?" What Joel was curious about was also what Steven and I wanted to know. I looked down at Steven, who looked unfazed. I suspected that he already had it figured out. He was just not saying anything. He was the type to keep everything to himself. I looked up at Sarah, wanting to find out as well. Chapter 758 ? Sarah smiled at Simeon. "Of course. As long as you truly want to join us and pass the test, I''ll be sure to take you to meet him." "What kind of test?" Joel asked, looking at her curiously. "It''s an easy one." Sarah looked over to the person beside her, who handed Joel a syringe. "The syringe contains poison. This experimental subject has lost its value. Your first test to join Genome Society is to kill her personally." She pointed at theb capsule behind me. The dying young woman looked despairingly at us from within. Joel raised his brows and took the syringe. "I have to kill someone?" He looked up at theb capsule. There were surveince cameras monitoring every angle, leaving no blind spot within.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. He could only pass the first test by killing someone and letting Genome Society have a hold on him. "Killing one is no different from killing many. As soon as you start on one, you''ll realize that killing people isn''t a big deal. So what if we experiment on them? Survival of the fittest is a condition set by nature to get rid of the weak!" Sarah said, maniacally. I truly thought that she was insane. Perhaps everyone who stayed with Genome Society would end up insane-due to the power, desire, killing, and evil bubbling within. Sarah was insane, but so was Daisy and Nancy. As long as a person held power here, they could control the lives of others at will. They would gradually lose their sense of self, drowning in the madness of it all. "Alright, I''ll kill her," Joel agreed. Delighted, Sarah instructed her men to open the hatch. Just as I thought Joel would really do it, he swiftly slipped past the others and stood behind Sarah. His syringe pierced through her carotid artery. "You''d better stay still. Otherwise, this poison will enter your body," he calmly said. I had to admit that Joel had amazing acting skills. If we managed to get out of here, I would suggest that he go into the entertainment industry after his graduation. Sarah''s men looked at him nervously, while Sarah gestured for everyone to stay put. I pushed Steven over to her and said, "Get your men to send us back. Otherwise, you''ll die." The door to theb capsule opened, and several armed men walked in. The man who walked inst clearly had a presence that overshadowed everyone else. I turned around, my expression falling. I slowly tightened my grip on Steven''s wheelchair. It was actually him. We had finally met. If I wasn''t mistaken, this person was the actual leader of Genome Society in the Othard region. All evil done by the entire Genome Society was under his control. I looked down at Steven, but he did not even turn back. Clearly, his prediction was correct. Chapter 759 ?Chapter 759 I looked at the man warily,ughing out in surprise. He walked over and smiled at me. "Must we go to such lengths?" "Have you been faking your death all along?" I looked at him and burst outughing once again. I couldn''t believe that it was actually Andy. They were all such great actors. I thought Joel''s acting skills were impressive enough for him to try out in the entertainment industry, but I didn''t expect Andy to be even better. He faked his death and went into hiding for years. What a clever method! Indeed, it would be the safest for the leader of Genome Society to be officially dead. I finally understood why Andy had to die back then. It was probably the time he officially took over Genome Society. That was why he needed to "die". Joel was also looking at him warily. "You''re ying quite a big game here, Andy."C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "Don''t be impulsive, young man," Andy said with a smile as he gestured for Joel to put the syringe down. He hardly seemed any different over the years. He looked almost the same as he did when he "died". It seemed like Genome Society even knew how to keep people looking youthful. "Don''t you have anything to say to Steven, Andy?" Joel frowned at Andy before turning to look at Steven with a pained look. Steven was the least surprised among the three of us, indicating that he must''ve figured it out earlier. However, he must have been the most saddened one. He tightly gripped his wheelchair before turning around to look at Andy. He remained silent as he couldn''t bring himself to call out to his "father". "Now that I''m here in front of you, I hope that you''ll seriously consider joining us," Andy said, looking at Steven. You''re a smart child, Steven. You should understand why I''m doing all this." Steven said nothing as he stared at Andy with reddening eyes. All this while, he was only Andy''s proof of allegiance to Genome Society. Andy must have sacrificed a lot over the years in order to be the leader of Genome Society. "Let me take a guess on how you managed to be the leader of Genome Society," I said, looking at him. I then walked over to shield in front of Steven. I said, "Back then, Genome Society wasn''t under your control yet. You were the heir of the Lincoln Group, so they wanted to win you over. They introduced you to the vast ocean of sin that was Genome Society. "To you, they weren''t evil but endless profit. You were dazzled by the opportunities and realized how narrow your perspective was. Genome Society broadened your horizons, and at the same time, they led you into the world of corruption and desire." Everything escted from then onward. I continued, "For Genome Society, proof of allegiance is the first step to epting scions. Just like those who hunted young women in the deste area back then, they would present various conditions, forcing you to shoulder a lifetime of guilt." I looked at Joel. "Just like how Sarah had asked Joel to kill that experimental subject." Only with proof of allegiance would Genome Society feel secure enough to let Andy join them. Chapter 760 ?Chapter 760 I said, "In order for you to join Genome Society, you had to meet their demands and present them with women up to their requirements and Sarah was one of them. Both of you ended up developing feelings for each other. "You brought her around Genome Society''sboratory, and she shared your ambition of wanting to climb to the peak of sins. Both of you began a 30-year n, gradually scaling the peak of sins." I looked at Andy and chuckled. "But it isn''t an easy feat trying to control Genome Society, where every figure is a big yer. How would you earn the favor of the mastermind and eliminate the Othard regional leader so that you could rece them instead?" Andy smiled at me, seemingly attentive to what I had to say. I continued, "You conspired to deceive my parents, using Genome Society of countless crimes. Eventually, you seeded in making my parents feel guilty. They became determined to betray Genome Society. "You pretended to cooperate with them and founded the Rebels in order to fight Genome Society. You gradually made your way through the ranks and became the Othard regional leader by using the Rebels. Your faked death then became your greatest shield." Andy pped his hands, proving that what I said was correct. "You''re too ambitious. All of us including Steven, me, and Sarah are all pawns to you." I turned to look at Sarah and said, "Deep down, you know that this man is heartless, yet you can''t turn back as you''ve alreadye this far. 11 She looked at me indifferently.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. "Rachel is the child you share with Andy. Even though she''s not a genius, she''s extremely obedient and lovable. Unfortunately, Andy doesn''t like her. That''s why you raised her away from him, allowing her to have a normal life. But you still had to use her in order to get close to me and keep tabs on me." It was undeniable that Sarah had feelings for Rachel, but Andy felt nothing for her at all. "He''s someone who would even kill his own wife and son in order to achieve his goals!" Andy''s entire family died in the car ident back when he faked his death. His then wife and legitimate son were in the car with him, but they became his sacrifices-all just to gain Genome Society''s favor. I never thought that Rachel would turn out to be Steven''s sister on paper. I said, "Back then, you wanted to test Genome Society''s ability, so you deliberately bought "Steven" and introduced him to the Lincoln family as your illegitimate son. You despised him when you found out that his early intellectual development was slow. "Thinking that he was a defect from a failed experiment, you then left him in an orphanage for him to fend for himself. Butter on, you tried to bring him back when you discovered that he was a genius. You truly are a selfish person, Andy." Steven had always been a product of tragedy. He was only an experimental subject¡ªa tool used for Andy to test Genome Society''s abilities. He wasn''t loved by his father nor approved by his mother. In fact, Steven did not even have a mother on paper. He was born from a surrogate in Genome Society. He did not even know which experimental subject was his mother. "It''s not that I have no feelings for you at all, Steven. At the very least, I heavily invested in the experimental subject who gave birth to you back then." Andy looked at him and added, "She''s your mother. How could I let Genome Society discard or kill her casually?" In order to attract investments, Genome Society allowed backers to adopt experimental subjects. I felt that firsthand when Nancy locked me in theb capsule. Andy kept Steven''s so-called mother around just so she could be useful in the future. He said, "She loves you so much, Steven. Even though you''re just a test tube baby she carried for months, she still loves you dearly." Andy nced over to the man next to him, and he turned on the massive screen across them. An experimental video was ying, showing what Steven''s mother went through when she had him. As a mother, that woman was fiercely protective of her child. She begged and pleaded on her knees, crying and pounding on theb chamber. Even though she was barely alive after giving birth, she still begged for Genome Society not to take her child away. As she was a long-term experimental subject, shecked nutrients and couldn''t produce enough milk to feed Steven. Hence, she cut her finger and fed him her blood. The woman did all she could as a mother, yet in the end, those people still cruelly took Steven away. She went insane after that, wandering around and crying for her child, in hopes of seeing her child once again. I squeezed my fists tightly as I red angrily at Andy. He was just too cruel-using Steven''s biological mother to threaten him. Chapter 761 ?Chapter 761 "You''re truly disgusting, Andy," I said, frowning at Andy. He was intentionally trying to break through Steven''s psychological defenses. The bond between mother and child was a deep andplicated connection. Andy was counting on the fact that Steven wouldn''t truly give up on his biological mother. "Please reconsider joining us, Steven." Andy did not say much and only looked at Steven. Sarah had said enough for the both of them. "Hey, let us go! My arms are sore now," Joel grumbled.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Andy ignored him and continued to stare intensely at Steven. He was more interested in Steven''s brain, hismercial value, and everything he could achieve. Steven had the potential to bring great profit to Genome Society. Andy said, "All these years, the Othard region of Genome Society has alwaysgged behind Ulophia and Enneria. Their medical technology constantly outpaces ours. As long as the data for the reincarnation project is widely shared and applied, we''ll not only gain immeasurable wealth but also absolute status." He looked at Steven and urged him to make his decision. "You know I''m impatient." Andy was indeed impatient when he decided to abandon Steven as if he were trash. If only he had yed his fatherly role a little longer, Steven might have been deceived by him. Unfortunately, Steven coldly looked at him and said, "Sarah is in our hands. Let us go-including the experimental subject who gave birth to me." He clearly knew that Andy wouldn''t let us leave, yet he deliberately said those words. It was all just to sow discord between Sarah and Andy. Sarah looked at Andy. She knew him better than all of us, yet at that moment, she probably wanted to be hopeful this once. She hoped that he would choose her for once. Humans were born with emotions and desires. Just like what she had once said¡ªwith emotions and desires came vulnerability. I could sense the self-mockery in Sarah''s words from our previous conversation. In reality, she cared for Andy''s feelings for her and hoped that he loved her, even if it was just a little. However, the reality was harsh. She was no longer valuable to him now. Over the years, Sarah''s intelligence had indeed helped Andy out greatly. But now, he needed Steven more. "You shouldn''t be so naive, Steven," Andy said with a chuckle. "Do you really think that her worth wasparable to yours?" Sarah frowned but remained silent. "If that''s the case, you can still let me go, right?" Joel looked at Andy helplessly. "They''re bound together for life and death, so Stephanie definitely wouldn''t leave. But you can let me go. I''m innocent! You see, I know nothing here-" Joel was trying to save himself. If the three of us were to stay here, he would be in the most danger. He couldn''t let anyone know that he was aware of the data for the reincarnation project if he did not want to betray Steven. He started exaggerating again when he saw Andy staying silent. "Are you kidding me? She''s been with you for many years, yet I''m still more important than her? Trust me. Just let me go, and I''ll keep her alive as soon as I reach Huma. Deal?" Sarah clutched her hands tightly. She could still take Andy''s bigger picture into consideration if it were just Steven and me, but was she really worse off than Joel? "Hah, how pitiful." I took the opportunity to embellish the story, unting the way Steven held my hand. "They have the same genes, yet they''re so different. I wonder why I''m the one who''s cherished and steadfastly chosen by someone," I said, looking at Sarah provocatively. What she cared about the most was that I her clone subject was being favored more than her the original subject. She couldn''t stand it and was about to lose it. Chapter 762 ?Chapter 762 Sarah red at Andy angrily. "Let him go." Joel''s hand started to tremble. "Hurry and make up your mind. My hand is shaking now-she''ll die for good if I identally inject the drugs in her." Andy looked at Sarah indifferently and said, "I''m sorry. Don''t think of leaving alive now that you''re here." He was also thinking about the base. As this was the headquarters of Genome Society, it would be disastrous if it was found out. "Andy!" Sarah yelled, fuming in anger as she red at Andy. He shed her a smile as he slowly walked over. "Stay away!" Joel backed away with Sarah warily but was met with the wall. The syringe had already pierced through her veins, and he was slowly administering the drug. Andy reached out to gently caress Sarah''s cheek. "You''ve worked hard all these years, Sarah. I know you''ve sacrificed so much for me." She was looking at him. "I felt sorry for you," Andy softly said. "But you''re no longer valuable to me." A sharp knife pierced through Sarah''s abdomen as soon as he was done speaking. Her eyes were filled with fear and shock as she looked at Andy. She never thought that he could actually kill her with his own hands. Andy was also setting an example out of Sarah-he was determined not to let any one of us go. Joel looked at him in astonishment before slowly releasing the syringe in his hand. He looked down at Sarah, who was lying in her own pool of blood. "How pitiful."Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Andy''s men rushed forward to press him against the wall. "Be gentle, will you?" Joel yelled helplessly. Steven frowned at Andy. "You shouldn''t touch Simeon and Stephie if you want me to cooperate." Andy smiled and said, "Of course." My gazended on Sarah, who was lying in the pool of her blood. Was this the end of her? She was probably frustrated as well. Her body was convulsing on the ground. The stab did not kill her instantly, allowing her to be conscious as death slowly crept on her. She stared at the ceiling, unwilling to ept her fate as her pupils slowly dted. The woman who had walked in with Sarah was unfazed. She stepped out indifferently and closed Sarah''s eyes. She then dragged the body away before wiping the floor clean. I stared at that woman. Although she was dressed in ordinary clothes, I could tell she was an experimental subject -one simr to me. She was also Sarah''s gic clone. "Take Stephanie and Joel away," Andy instructed his men to separate Steven and me. "Let us go!" I looked at him warily, refusing to let his men touch me. "Don''t touch Stephie, Andy!" Steven was also looking at Andy warily. "I''ll kill myself if you separate us." "You know this is my territory, Steven. Your threats are empty since I have many ways to make her life a living hell. "He was threatening Steven. "Besides, the Reincarnation Project is just a theory you all came up with. I can''t be sure if it''s actually true." Just like Sarah, Andy was desperate to obtain the experiment data, but he was afraid that it was Steven''s trap. He was afraid that I wasn''t actually Stephanie-that I was actually deceiving them by using Stephanie''s memories. Steven nced at me before turning to Andy. "I can conduct the reincarnation project on Sarah. I''ll reincarnate her on her clone subject." He continued, "You and Sarah knew each other best. That way, you''ll believe the validity of the experiment." Andy''s eyes lit up. He smiled and said, "Very well." Chapter 763 ? I looked down at Steven while he nced up at me. I understood what he was trying to do¡ªhe was trying to use Sarah to go against Andy. But this was a risky bet. Perhaps it might just be a gamble for Andy, after all. Regardless of its sess or otherwise, it was all a risky bet. I nervously gripped Steven''s wheelchair handles. After a long pause, I said, "Steven..." He patted my hand to reassure me. Andy''s men brought us to theboratory. They also brought Sarah''s clone subject along. She remained indifferent with lifeless eyes.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She looked a lot like me. In fact, she was probably the one who looked the most simr to me among all the clone subjects. The truth was, clone subjects didn''t all develop exactly the same. They would be affected by other factors, like the environment. Sarah''s clone subject had unusually fair skin as she grew up in Genome Society''sboratory. Her face was clean and devoid of any spots or blemishes. I carefully studied her, yet she never once nced at me. It was as if she was resigned to her fate of death. My gazended on her wrist-her only blemish was a scar. It meant that she had once struggled to kill herself before this. I stared at her for the longest time. She seemed to let out a relieved sigh the moment Steven made her lie on the operation table. At thest moment, she looked at me with an indescribable look. I quietly watched her, feeling a mix of emotions deep down. Clone subjects seemed to be born at the mercy of others asboratory white mice. Andy stood at a high vantage point, looking down at everything happening in theb capsule. He couldn''t tell what Steven was doing from the outside. Steven only ced Sarah''s body beside the clone subject, using brainwave stimtion and other techniques to operate. Steven was aware that Andy wouldn''t grasp the intricacies of it all even if he was watching everything. The so-called reincarnation project sounded like pseudoscience, theology, or even a scam. But often, whenever something close to theology was sessfully proven, it would shock the whole world, bringing immense profit as well as a whirlwind of risks and controversies. I knew that this entire experiment was being recorded. It was also likely that Andy had allowed the shareholders and backers to watch the livestream. I nced over to the ss wall of theboratory, realizing that it was probably packed with people on the other side. Andy wouldn''t pass up the chance to make a name for himself¡ªand Steven was fully aware of it. He wanted to let Andy have the spotlight so that everyone would know that the reincarnation project was real. He also wanted them to know that he was the only one with the experiment data, possessing the key to immense wealth. Joel leaned against the corner wall, watching Steven. He remained silent for the longest time before saying, "You should think it through." He was asking Steven to reconsider. As soon as those from the outside believed in the existence of the reincarnation project, his worth would reach an all-time high, and everyone would be after him. Steven said nothing as he focused on studying the experiment data. He quickly pressed the switch on the control panel once it hit a certain peak. After some time, the clone subject gradually lost her vital signs. Her ECG monitor red sharply for about three seconds before her heart started beating again. Her body was in a near-death state when her heart stopped beating in those three seconds. Just like someone who died of sudden death or had suffered a severe brain injury before going into aa-both could trigger the mechanism for reincarnation. Chapter 764 ? "I heard about this one case long ago. After getting struck on the head, a genius mathematician lost all his mathematical knowledge after waking up, turning into an utterly ordinary person. Some suspected that it was a case of soul transfer, where another soul entered his body," Joel whispered.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. "Isn''t it said that only a gic code can lock in a soul, and it would require the same genes -like with a clone subject?" I softly asked. Joel shook his head. "Clone subjects are just to ensure the sess rate of the reincarnation project, as it minimizes interference and impurities. But those who are reincarnated by chance in daily life are often taken over by blood rtives." I nodded in understanding. The switch for reincarnation might be triggered as long as there was a gic connection. Perhaps in some part of the world, a grandson might have nearly died in a car ident, and when he was sessfully rescued, what truly lived within him turned out to be his grandfather or other ancestors. It was starting to sound fantastical now-just like some time-traveling or reincarnation novels, where everything was suddenly given a scientific exnation. Steven was carefully observing the data as he waited for the clone subject to wake up. At the same time, Andy and those behind the camera and ss wall were anticipating the clone subject to wake up. Andy waspletely at ease as he was the one who personally cultivated and selected the clone subject. The waiting process was agonizing. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. This was also my first time seeing Steven "reincarnate" someone else. He looked rather obsessive when he was serious. As the experiment came to an end, the clone subject finally opened her eyes amidst the beeping sound of the medical equipment. Meanwhile, the precision scale holding Sarah''s body showed a slight drop in weight. Even though the number wasn''t significant, it could be likened to the weight of a soul. "Sarah?" Impatient, Andy rushed in from the outside. He stood excitedly by the operating table, watching the clone subject who was arousing. She struggled to adjust once she woke up, taking some time before she could prop herself up. She first looked at her hands, then looked around, feeling dizzy and disoriented in her new body. Sarah shook her head vigorously. After getting a good look at Andy, she immediately gave him a harsh p. He was smiling even though he was just pped. He cupped his cheek andughed, looking a little taken aback. Steven sat in his wheelchair as he looked indifferently at Andy. Andy reached out to grab Sarah by her shoulders. "Is that you, Sarah?" Sarah smiled and replied, "Who else would it be if not me?" Andy smiled and reached out for her hand. Sarah grinned at Steven. "Looks like you wouldn''t have cooperated if we hadn''t done this. You wanted to reincarnate me so that I would help you deal with Andy, right? Too bad you misread the situation. We''ve been in cahoots from the beginning. We just wanted to see if this reincarnation project is real." Andy was busy admiring Sarah''s new body. His eyes were lit with unrestrained joy. They were truly mad. As expected, we lost the bet. She had thrown herself into the game and risked everything in order to gain a new life. "You''ve worked hard, Steven," Andy said with a smile before leaving with Sarah. "Let''s conduct aprehensive examination and monitor the data," Andy instructed the other scientists to start checking Sarah''s body to record the data. He wanted to find out if they could uncover the key to reincarnating themselves. However, Steven remained calm. "We got tricked, Steven," I whispered. We lost our bet this time. "No," Steven replied meaningfully. "We haven''t lost yet." He was betting on human greed at the veryst chance. Chapter 765 ? Sarah''s reincarnation shocked the shareholders of Genome Society behind the screens and ss wall. They were mostly leaders in other fields, sharing the same status and power as Andy, who was the leader of the Othard region. Steven wanted to take a gamble. He wanted to bet on human greed - that the leaders from other regions would cover the data of the reincarnation project. "I''m the only one who knows about the data of the reincarnation project. Even if they got it recorded, they wouldn''t be able to seed," he softly said. I nodded, turning to look at Andy and Sarah as they recorded the data.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "You''ve truly gained a valuable asset this time, Andy. He''s a rare genius, and his achievements go beyond everything we''ve seen before!" As the hatch opened, the people sitting behind the scenes all walked in, all from different parts of the world. They had been anticipating this day for the longest time. They were expressing their shock to each other in a foreignnguage. Steven quietly sat in his wheelchair, as if waiting for something. A man who seemed like he was of mixed descent walked to the entrance of theb capsule. He looked at Steven and smiled, his gaze bleeding with pure greed. Andy was alert as he walked over and patted the man on his shoulders. He said, "We can only put this to use once we have all the data and can calcte the sess rate of the experiment. It''s just a matter of time before Genome Society is able to dominate the world and control all nations." Once they obtained the key to reincarnation, they would hold power over the lives of others. Only by being obedient could they get Genome Society to provide them with new bodies repeatedly. They could even manipte the leaders of various countries. That was their most terrifying and greedy aspect. The man nodded with a smile before following Andy for a tour around theboratory. After they left, Andy''s men came over to release Steven, Joel, and I back to the rest area. "Fuck, Sarah must be a lovestruck fool-she willingly died! What if Steven hadn''t saved her? "Joel cursed. Steven smiled and said, "She''s smart to know that I''d save her. She believed that I would use her against Andy. She''s too smart for her own good." "So, do we still have a way to leave here now?" Joel sighed and sat on the bench. "To be honest, it''s useless even if we leave. Genome Society is just too strong! We''re just insignificant antspared to them. The only way we can refuse to work with them is to take the secret to our graves." I looked at him and asked, "Is it really that bleak for us?" Joel looked up at me. "Isn''t that so?" Only with Steven''s death would these people give up on their greedy pursuit. In the end, what I was most afraid of was that even the government might want him dead. "I wonder how things are going with Michael now," I whispered, sounding somewhat disheartened. Steven held my hand and supported himself up from the wheelchair. He hugged me tight andforted me, "Don''t be afraid." "I''m not," I retorted softly. Steven chuckled and said, "Michael isn''t that foolish. Perhaps we might be able to see him soon." "But Andy isn''t that foolish either." Andy was too smart-he would definitely take precautions and avoid trusting Michael too much. "We''ll take it easy," Steven said, seemingly confident. Sarah''s sessful reincarnation filled Andy with excitement. He invited many shareholders and backers to visit the headquarters of Genome Society. He even allowed the leaders of the other regions to extend the invitation to their trusted shareholders and backers. As expected, Steven was right-we soon met Michael and Jimmy. Chapter 766 ? Jimmy was one of Andy''s invitees as Andy knew and trusted him. After all, Genome Society was the one who created Jimmy''s genome-enhanced self. However, Michael was actually an invitee of that mixed-descent leader. It was out of my expectations. He had be smarter now. The door to theb capsule opened up, and Sarah''s men gestured for us to enter. Steven, Joel, and I felt as if we were monkeys trapped in aboratory. We were on disy for everyone to observe us. Michael''s gaze wavered when he saw us, yet he could only pretend to be indifferent in order not to expose himself. "If only you had listened to me and followed me, you wouldn''t have gotten stuck here now, Stephanie." I coldly looked at him, ignoring him. "I''ve always admired you for discovering a way to reincarnate humans, Steven. I was this close to ending my life back when Stephie''s body was found. I never imagined you could bring her back. I have to thank you for it," Michael said with a smile as he stood behind the ss hatch. Sarah and Andy did not trust him at all. Their men had been keeping their eyes on him all this while. Michael coldly nced over at them before turning to leave. Now that Sarah had a new body, she was very satisfied with her appearance. She smiled and said to Steven, "Thank you for giving me a youthful body." He ignored her. "You should give it some thought, Steven. You''re still valuable as long as we haven''t found the experiment data, but once we do, all of you will lose your worth," Sarah threatened with a smile. "You''re such a pitiful person. You would''ve died if it weren''t for Steven, but you''re still shamelessly threatening us," I mocked before ncing at her pitifully. Sarah seemingly couldn''t stand others looking at her like that. She started banging her fists on the hatch repeatedly. I continued to provoke her, "You''re totally devoted to Andy, but he''s so heartless to you, Sarah." Sarah clenched her fists before smiling. "You don''t need to provoke me, Stephanie. Love isn''t the only thing that keeps me going in life. Aren''t you all moved by supreme power and immense wealth?" Steven looked away indifferently,pletely ignoring her. Sarah gently ced her fingers on the ss hatch. "Actually, I really like you, Steven. I feel bad for you too. If you''re willing to just listen to me, I can bring you to a greater height or even-" She was suggesting that she could help him rece Andy''s position, yet she did not continue the rest of her sentence. Steven remained uninterested. Sarah didn''t say more and walked away. I sat by the side, looking at Joel. Joel shrugged at me and said, "We''d better pray that they can''t find the key to reincarnation. Otherwise, we''ll all end up as fish food tossed into the ocean." Steven was silent, as if he was waiting for something. I trusted him. Surely, he would be able to find ways for us to leave. Andy brought those people for a tour around the headquarters of Genome Society. By the time they were back, Michael gave Steven a meaningful look.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. It seemed like he was able to persuade the mixed-descent leader to abduct Steven, Joel and me. We were equivalent to immense wealth and power to these people-everyone wanted to get their hands on us. Chapter 767 ? Judging from Genome Society''s abilities and status, it was evident that the Othard region had less influence aspared to the leaders of other regions. That was why someone as power-hungry as Andy was eagerly seeking more benefits and value. He wanted to use the key to reincarnation to elevate himself above everyone else.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Gabriel asked me to get all of you out," Michael whispered. He was nning to secretly key in the password and release us from theb capsule while everyone else was distracted. "Do you know the password?" I asked. He shook his head and replied, "I can only take a guess." Michael was taking a gamble that the password was the same as the ones in the otherb capsules. "Even if you managed to temporarily get the people in the control room to leave, the entireboratory will be alerted as soon as you key in the wrong password." Michael started to panic. "798413," I said cautiously. "How do you know the password?" Michael asked. "Key that in first," I said, nervously looking around. Michael nodded in a hurry and keyed in the password from the outside. The hatch was finally opened. I pushed Steven out, but he stopped my hand. "Stephie, you and Joel should leave with them. I''ll only be a burden if you bring me along." He spoke in a hoarse voice, his eyes reddening. I felt my chest tightened before giving him a hard p. "Are you going to say such things again?" A red handprint instantly flushed up on Steven''s pale skin. The p stunned both Joel and Michael. Aggrieved, Steven hung his head low and said nothing. "Are you going to behave now?" I scolded with a frown as I pushed him out. Michael led us through an empty hallway. "Gabriel''s men have distracted those in the control room. With so many visitors today, he''s keeping Andy upied while our boat is waiting for us outside," he exined. I nodded and looked around cautiously. After passing through a hallway, Steven lifted his hand up and gestured for us to stop. Upon hearing footsteps, I quickly brought him and the others to hide in aboratory. We only came out once the people dressed in hazmat suits were gone. "Those from Genome Society are mostly touring around with Andy. We have to hurry." Michael helped me to push Steven as we hurried to the exit. However, we were eventually discovered. "Stop right there!" Even though Joel knocked him out right away, he still managed to hit the rm. The sirens echoed throughout the entireboratory. "Run!" Joel shouted at us. "Take Stephie and go, Joel," Steven softly said to him. "I''m the only one who can stop them." "If we have to be turned into fish food, then so be it. We''ll just die together! Stop squawking! "Joel, who was usually meek in front of Steven, finally scolded him in return. I cautiously looked around and opened the fire hydrant. I then took out the ax and smashed the control panel. The hatch of theb capsule lost control and mmed shut. "Run!" Michael led us through the corridor and met up with our contact before the others could catch up with us. When Andy and Sarah finally rushed over, our boat had gradually left theboratory. As we sped away, I gave Andy, who was standing at the entrance, the finger. Police sirens red as we left. Chapter 768 ? I turned to Michael. "Did you call the police?" He nodded. "I have Eason''s tracking chip on me. Even though we''re at the high seas, the police are determined to capture them this time."N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Leaning against the boat, I smiled at Steven. "We''ve won, Steven." At least Michael did not disappoint us this time. "This was Steven''s n-to throw himself into a deadlock. He thought he could trade his life for the downfall of Genome Society, but you became the variable," he said, looking at me. This was his and Steven''s original n. They wanted me to continue living well, while they handled dangerous work like this. Tears pooled around my eyes as I looked at Steven. "Do you think you could escape unscathed if it wasn''t for me?" He merely smiled and said, "You''re the smartest, Stephie." It should have been something worth getting excited for, but for some reason, I felt as if Steven was hiding something from me. "Are you hiding something from me?" My voice trembled as I asked, suddenly feeling nervous. Steven said, "Genome Society won''t be wiped out just like this. We''ve been on the ind for some time now. Surely, you would''ve noticed it. Other than the experimental subject Joel was asked to dispose of, there''s nothing illegal going around. "All the clone subjects are their own people, and the remaining people are renowned doctors and biologists from around the world." His voice trembled as he continued, "Even if the police find this ce, there''s nothing they can do, Stephie. This is a private ind bought by Andy a long time ago." Steven suddenly coughed out blood mid-sentence. Joel and I started panicking. I anxiously crouched in front of Steven, my fingers trembling." Steven... Steven!" "I really want to leave with you, Stephie. I want to enjoy our time together until death do us part," he said weakly. I noticed the dark veins on his neck. I tensed up and yelled at Michael in a panic, "Stop the boat now!" What did those bastards put into Steven''s body this time? "What is it?" I cupped his face with trembling hands, carefully wiping the blood away from the corner of his lips. "There''s a microbomb near my heart. My heartbeat will be restricted if I leave the base," Steven whispered. He then cupped my face and said, "I really want you to live well, Stephie." He was crying as he told me to live well. "Take us back! We''re not leaving anymore. Take us back!" I cried, turning back to plead with Michael to send us back. We wouldn''t leave, then. It didn''t matter if we were trapped there. I didn''t want Steven to die. "Stephie." He took a deep breath, forcing me to keep calm. "We can''t go back, Stephie." "Turn back!" I yelled at Michael, who looked at Steven with a troubled expression. "Can we still save you?" Joel asked in a choked sob. Steven smiled as he pulled me into his embrace. "Take care of Stephie for me, Joel." "I''d thank you if she doesn''t kill us in return for letting you die," Joel choked out. Resigned, Steven patted my head and said, "We can''t let them have the data for reincarnation, Stephie. They won''t give up unless I die." Even though the police had gone over, they wouldn''t find any evidence there. "Leave with the boat. They''lle after you soon." Steven knew that Andy wouldn''t let him go. As expected, his boat was just nearby. "I''ll kill them," I said while trembling. I clutched the ax as I stared at the boat that was after us. "Stephie!" Steven grabbed my wrist. He slowly stood up with Joel''s help. He shielded me and stared at Andy and Sarah, who were on the opposite boat. "If I die, nobody else will have the knowledge of the key to reincarnation anymore. Your n is ruined, Andy. You''ve already abandoned Genome Society''sboratories in this country. You have nothing left other than this ind." This was a risky bet. Andy would have nothing left if Steven died. Andy was clearly panicking. "Are you going to watch him die just like that? Send him over. He doesn''t have to die if he goes back!" Chapter 769 ? I began to panic as I tugged at Steven''s hand. "Let''s go back. I''ll stay with you, Steven. Let''s go back." He tugged at my wrist and shook his head. He was enduring the pain. He coughed out blood once again when he could no longer endure it. "Steven!" I cried while pleading, "Please don''t leave me!" I finally managed to find him after all this while. Steven hugged me tight and looked at Michael. "Keep on moving." "No!" I struggled to push him away, but he was too strong. He refused to let me out of his embrace. "Steven!" Andy and Sarah began to panic. Andy was worried that the reincarnation data and its secrets would disappear forever if Steven died. He wasn''t worried about his own son dying. "Turn off the micro bomb!" he yelled anxiously for Sarah to turn it off. However, it was impossible to turn the micro bomb off once it was activated. "The signal is blocked-I can''t turn it off!" Sarah said, panicking. I thrashed around hard, crying as I pleaded for Steven to let me go, yet he refused to do so. Michael fell silent for the longest time. He dared not move. "Michael" Steven turned to look at him with reddening eyes. "Don''t forget what you promised me." He had told Michael that everything would end only with his death. Michael''s eyes were clearly red as he clenched his fist, looking at me. He was probably still scared of me. "Michael!" Steven trapped me in his embrace as he yelled uncontrobly, "Please!" This would be the first andst time Steven begged Michael. In the past, he would submit to anyone but Michael, but now he was begging Michael to kill him. Michael clenched his fists tightly as he turned to instruct our contact to start moving the boat. "No! Turn back around, Michael! Stop him, Joel!" I cried while trying to push Steven away. Joel did not move. It was as if he had also epted the fact that Andy would never be eliminated unless Steven died. We had finally caused Andy to lose everything but the headquarters''boratory now. Steven had finally turned himself into the ultimate leverage over Andy''s life-and he was destined to die. This was a trap set by Steven personally-one with no way out. "Stephie..." Steven''s voice trembled as he chuckled while hugging me tight. "I love you. I''ll always be by your side, just in a different way. But trust me, I''ll always be by your side." I shook my head while crying. I refused to let him die. "Hug me." Steven''s voice was beyond weak now. My arms trembled as I hugged him tight. He leaned against my shoulders, while the scent of blood permeated the air heavily. Hisst words to me were asking me to hug him. He had yearned to be loved so much that he wanted to die in my arms. I gradually stopped feeling his heartbeat and breathing. His arms around me slowly slid down as he lost the strength in him. I remained stiffly crouching in ce, looking up nkly at the blue sky and vast ocean. My world fell deathly silent at that moment. Steven was dead. Andy and Steven stopped their boat as they watched us gradually pulling away. As they lost Steven as their bargaining chip, they could only hope for the scientists in the base to be able to discover the key to reincarnation. But how was it possible for those useless pieces of trash to be able to do that? I gentlyid Steven t on the deck before getting up to look at Andy and Sarah. Has everythinge to an end now? It hadn''t. After all, Andy and Sarah weren''t dead yet. It was a weekter when we brought Steven back to Huma. As expected, the police couldn''t find anything in Genome Society''s base. They could only head back.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Genome Society''sboratories in the country had been pretty much wiped out, dealing a significant blow to Andy. For the time being, his focus was entirely on finding the key to reincarnation. "Stephanie," Joel called for me. Chapter 770 ? "What are your ns?" Joel asked. "I''m bringing Steven home." I looked at the empty space beside me, yet I could still feel his presence. It was just like how I had been detached from my body back then. However, they couldn''t feel him. They thought that I had gone mad - that I had started hallucinating because I couldn''t ept the reality. "Stephie..." Michael dared not show up in front of me since that day. He had been hiding all the while, yet somehow he found the courage to walk over today. I nced at him, feeling surprisingly calm and unperturbed. Their trap must have been a deadlock from the start since he had agreed to help Steven out. "Just leave." I refused to meet anyone else. I only wanted to bring Steven home. I nced at Joel and whispered, "Help me send Steven home." "Stephanie," he called hesitantly. "You''ve figured out the form between reincarnation and the gic code, haven''t you?" I asked him after making sure that no one was following us. Joel stared at me quietly for the longest time. "Did Steven not leave the data with you?" I had a bad feeling as I frowned. "He did, but I burned it." I would have looked at it if I knew this would happen. "Would you believe me if I told you that my reincarnation was purely coincidental?" Joel softly asked. "I was lying to Carol when I said I found the way to reincarnate."N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. It was to prevent Carol from doing anything reckless just to get her hands on Steven. I took a deep breath as I slowly stiffened up. I had thought I could find a way to bring him back. It turned out that it was all meant to be. Steven had been deceiving me all along. "Steven knew all along that you actually don''t know the method to reincarnation, right?" I looked at Joel. He remained silent as he clenched his fists tightly. I had held onto a glimmer of hope since Steven had mentioned that Joel knew the way too. I figured that we could bring him back as long as I could find Steven''s clone subject. Andy would definitely have prepared a clone subject for him. Joel said, "Steven was worried that you might go look for Andy for his clone subject. That way, we would be back to square one. Andy would never let you go since he knew that you have the reincarnation data." Steven''s sacrifice would be in vain if that happened. I took a deep breath and said nothing. It was time to go back home, Steven. We returned to the mountaintop vi. Joel sent Steven and me back. He was still worried about me. Zion, Rachel, and Eason were all there. I did not want to see any of them. Rachel hade with Xan and Ashton, but I didn''t even want to see them. I couldn''t protect their father but came back alone. I felt so sorry for the kids. I said, "Bring the kids back. I want to be alone." Steven''s body was stored in the cryogenic chamber. I clung to the hope that he woulde back, but I had been in a daze for a long time. I could feel his presence, yet I couldn''t connect with him at all. I knew he was right by my side, but he couldn''t reply to me when I spoke, and I couldn''t hear him when he spoke. It was as if we were trapped in two different worlds, and he only had a sliver of quantum consciousness left, unwilling to leave. "I''m tired now, Steven," I whispered as I locked myself in the bathroom, filling the bathtub brim with water. I knew he was looking at me. He was probably crying and screaming now. But without him, I realized that I couldn''t find any reason to keep on living. Everything has lost its meaning now. "I''ming to you now, Steven." I submerged myself under the cold water, feeling myself gradually suffocating. "Stephie!" "Do you believe that the body has a soul, Steven? Just like quantum entanglement, a person''s consciousness can exist separately from the body. We just can''t touch or see it. "Those two twin white mice came back to life on the brink of death, Steven! Elizabeth''s behavior haspletely changed. She seems more like Eaton from before, while Eaton is more like Elizabeth! "Help me find a pair of twins, Steven. If only I can seed-" "You''re insane, Stephie. You want to use humans-" "So what? There have to be sacrifices in order for humanity to move forward!" "Please stop this, Stephie!" I felt as if I had seen Steven as I teetered on the brink of death. In those memories, I was the one who was frantically conducting experiments. I was also the one who had continuously tortured animals in order to record the data. On the other hand, Steven seemed to not trust me. He did not believe that souls could be reincarnated, nor that the quantum called "souls" could continue to entangle through a different medium. Chapter 771 ?Chapter 771 The feeling of suffocation grew heavier. I felt that I was about to die soon. "Stephie!" Suddenly, it was as if I could hear Steven''s voice. An inexplicable force pushed my consciousness back into the water. I then emerged, sitting up as I gasped for air. When someone was on the brink of death, they often experienced something magical yet indescribable¡ªbe it hallucination or something real. I trembled as I looked around, feeling that inexplicable force. He was here. I knew he had always been here.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Steven," I softly called out for him as I hugged myself slowly. It was as if he was also hugging me. I was sure that he was doing that now. "Stephanie!" Joel was pounding on the door outside, while Rachel joined in nervously as she urged for someone to break it down. I stepped out of the bathroom while toweling my hair dry. I tried to y it cool as I saw the panicked expressions on everyone''s face. "I''m d that you''re alright. I was so worried!" Rachel was teary eyed as she continued, "I thought you were about to do something dangerous." She was worried I might do something rash, while the two kids were also concerned I mightmit suicide. I calmly smiled and said, "I wouldn''t." Rachel nervously nced at Zion, as he, too, looked at Eason. It was evident that they felt that something was wrong with me. Joel was the only one who wasn''t anxious. He merely looked curiously at me, as if he had smelled something on me. "I''m alright. You guys should just head back. Steven gave up his life in exchange for mine, so I won''t die that easily, "I calmly said, my voice giving nothing away. They seemed to be hesitant, wanting to say something but ended up not. I felt rather irritated, as if every sound around me was amplified they all felt too noisy. The chirpings of insects outside, the white noise from various home appliances-those sounds that others couldn''t hear felt overwhelmingly loud to me. "Do you want to rest up, Stephie? I''ll stay back with you." Rachel nervously stepped forward tofort me. The ss cup slipped from my hand and shattered. I frowned, my gaze turning sharp at that very moment. "Leave! I almost couldn''t control my emotions. Rachel was startled by me, her breath quickening as she backed away in a hurry, only to be pulled into Zion''s embrace. He frowned and looked at me warily. I looked down at the shattered ss on the floor. My head felt as if it was about to split open. "I''m sorry," I apologized subconsciously. I did not know why I was apologizing. They were so noisy, and I wanted them to all leave. "You guys should leave for now. I just need some time alone." Zion pulled Rachel and said, "Let''s just go back for now. We should give Stephie some space." Eason nodded and looked at Joel. "You..." "Just go back for now." Joel calmly ruffled Ashton''s and Xan''s hair. "Please take care of the two kids." Eason''s eyes were red as he looked at Joel. "Can hee back just like you did?" Joel nced at me. "Perhaps." I I lowered my head as I picked up the ss shards, ignoring the way my blood was trickling as they cut me. I could feel the actual pain. My emotions were rich to the point of scaring myself after my soul went through the so-called reincarnation twice. Steven was truly impressive. He was just too smart for his own good. Chapter 772 ?Chapter 772 I turned to Joel after tossing the shards into the trash can. "Have they all left?" He nodded. "Michael sent the kids to Eason''s ce for now. Now that he has offended Andy, Andy will surely take revenge on him. Although I don''t think he has the time for that now." "Tell Carol I want to see her," I lowered my voice and said somewhat threateningly. "Genome Society has dealt a heavy blow on the Rebels. Carol is now in hiding. She won''t even see me," Joel said helplessly. Genome Society had nned to wipe out the Rebelspletely after using them. "Now that Andy only has the headquarters''boratory left, there is no reason for the Rebels to exist anymore so Carol has to die now." I looked at Joel. "You can''t bring yourself to do it, can you?" "I know what you''re nning to do," he said with a frown. "Andy''s top bounty target is Carol. You''re nning to hand her over in exchange for either his trust or Steven''s clone subject. You''re too naive. Even if you kill Carol, Andy wouldn''t" "This isn''t something you should worry about." I found him too noisy. Somehow, the fruit knife was now pressed against his throat. It was irritating how he was so fussy. "I" As expected, Joel instantly kept quiet and raised his hands. "I really have no idea where she''s hiding." I reached out to massage my temples. "I have an idea, but it''s going to be tough on you." Joel took in a sharp breath, wanting to speak further but dared not to. I had knocked him unconscious by the time I came back to my senses. I looked down at Joel, who was rendered unconscious on the ground. I said apologetically, "Would you believe me if I said I''m not doing it on purpose, Steven?" He would probably say that he wouldn''t believe me, but I couldn''t hear whatever he was saying. I was using Joel to lure Carol out she would definitely show up. She was a hopeless lunatic, yet I only recall now that she was actually imitating me. That was because I used to be even more insane than she was. Joel was hanging upside down from the hoist in the scrapyard, blood dripping down from his hair. I did not want to resort to this as well, but how would Carol feel heartbroken if I did not hurt him a little? Her brother was her final Achilles'' heel after all. I hid nearby with a tranquilizer gun set up, waiting for her to fall for the trap. The Rebels were dealt with heavy blows after Steven, Joel, and I were caught. They were almost totally wiped out by Andy, which was why Carol had hidden herself as she waited for an opportunity. She would definitely show up with me luring her out by capturing Joel in Stephanie''s name. As expected, Carol showed up. She was cautious, letting someone else disguised as her as they drove over from the east. Meanwhile, she got out early and was slowly making her way over. I fired the tranquilizer gun, hitting her square in the chest. Unfortunately, the prey could never outsmart the hunter. "Get Jimmy to meet me, Michael. Tell him that Carol is in my hands. If he wants to beg for Andy''s forgiveness, he bettere to me within the next 24 hours," I told Michael. I wanted to strike a deal with Andy using Jimmy and Carol After Steven''s death, Andy sealed off theboratory and relocated everyone. The ind was already abandoned by the time the police got there. I couldn''t contact him, but Jimmy would definitely be able to. The world seemed to calm down after Genome Society''s headquarters was discovered. It was as if nothing had ever happened. All of theboratories were discovered, the media coverage was suppressed, and everyone went back to their normal lives.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. The Rebels were almost wiped out by Andy, leaving Carol as the only hidden risk. Meanwhile, Genome Society vanished without a trace. It was as if everything was just a dream. However, I lost the most important thing during this incident-which was my heart that had just started to beat. "I''m definitely going. That''s why you should save your breath in trying to persuade me--I can''t hear you anyway, "I muttered to myself. I firmly believed that Steven was right by my side. Even if I couldn''t see or hear him, he was able to hear me talking to him. I let Carol''s men rescue Joel as I dragged her into the trunk and drove away. It was time to settle the scores with Andy. Chapter 773 ?Chapter 773 Steven''s soul followed Stephanie back to the mountaintop vi. It was the ce they once dreamed of calling home, one they would live out the rest of their lives together. He was actually fond of quiet ces like this. He would be able to watch the scenery and the long, winding mountain road just by sitting in the courtyard. "Stephie," he softly called her name as he followed her around. Stephanie couldn''t hear or see him. Steven felt at a loss. He failed to hug her multiple times and could only resort to following her around, watching her. He couldn''t do anything else other than that. However, this was more than enough for him. Perhaps he had known that his soul would continue to exist in a different form after he died, so he wasn''t afraid of death. Steven figured that Stephanie must have experienced the same thing when she died back then. "You''re right by my side, right, Steven?" she softly asked as she sat on a swing in the courtyard. "I am." Steven smiled and sat beside her.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "I know you''re here. You can hear me, right? But you can''t touch me, and I can''t hear you either," Stephanie mumbled. Steven reached out to try and hug her. Even though he couldn''t do it, he still wanted to hug her. He said, "I''m here, Stephie. I''m always here." Steven stayed right by Stephanie''s side from that day onward. He figured that he would be happy as long as she was happy and living freely. However, he was also worried that she might do something rash. She was being too calm now. As expected, Stephanie submerged herself in the bathtub. He couldn''t do anything other than scream at her and watch her helplessly. "Please, Stephie. Please don''t do it," Steven crouched beside the bathtub and pleaded for her to stop. He wanted to pull her out of the water, yet he couldn''t do anything without a physical body. Just as Steven was about to lose it, he suddenly felt Stephanie''s soul sitting up from the water. He looked at her with reddening eyes, their eyes met. Within a split second, he hurriedly pushed her soul back under the water. Fortunately, Stephanie sat up from the water out of the sudden, chest heaving as she took deep breaths. "Live your life well, Stephie," Steven said softly. Stephanie seemed a little different after she got up. She sat in the water for the longest time, her mind wandering. "Stephie?" Steven tried to talk to her, but no response came. How could two people from two different dimensions possiblymunicate with each other? "Steven wouldn''t want you to continue being so stubborn, Stephanie" Stephanie and Joel had a fight one day. Steven was concerned for Joel. If he was still there, he could still stop her, but now, Joel could only fend for himself. As expected, Stephanie''s knife went to his neck, almost piercing his throat. Joel took in a sharp breath, while Steven was also nervous for him. The Stephanie now had clearly regained all her memories. "I" Before Joel could continue speaking, Stephanie had knocked him unconscious in one smooth motion, showing no signs of hesitation. Steven bit on his fingers anxiously. He found it terrifying and was worried that Joel might be dead just like that. Stephanie said, "Would you believe me if I said I''m not doing it on purpose?" Steven nodded fearfully. He dared not doubt her. Chapter 774 ? Steven wanted to say something, but Stephanie couldn''t hear him. All he could do was to let her be. He watched as she dragged him into the trunk and sped away in the car. Steven subconsciously reached for the seat belt in the passenger seat, but he gave up immediately when he realized he couldn''t touch it. "Slow down, Stephie. I''m fine, but Joel is still in the trunk. He sounds like he''s about to die," he mumbled. Stephanie couldn''t hear him anyway. They could asionally hear Joel''s fearful shrieks as she sped away on the uneven road toward the scrapyard. When the car came to a stop, Stephanie got out with a nk expression to open up the trunk. Steven was a little fearful, as she was currently like a heartless killer. Worried about Joel''s safety, he hurriedly followed her out of the car. Stephanie walked over to the trunk and stopped for a bit before opening it. Joel was curled up inside, looking somewhat pitiful. He pretended not to move, wanting to escape whenever he could. Steven was originally worried that he might suddenly attack and hurt Stephanie. He did not expect her toe prepared.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Before Joel could even attack her, she covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, rendering him unconscious. Steven drew a sharp breath, wishing him all the best. Stephanie tied Joel up by his legs and dragged him up to a higher vantage before kicking him down. She then hung him upside down by a rope on a container, using him as bait. Steven stood beneath and looked up at Joel. He looked sorry as he said, "You just had to provoke her..." Carol''s men came over and managed to rescue Joel shortly after, whereas Stephanie sessfully caught Carol. Steven knew all along that once Stephanie got serious, Carol wouldn''t be a match for her at all. That was because she had never taken Carol seriously before. Stephanie, who wore a t hat and dressed in all-ck sportswear, boarded the cargo ship. The ship was headed toward the high seas. She was going to find Andy. It did not matter if Jimmy was in hiding; she had her ways to locate him. "Are you alone, miss?" The cargo ship headed toward the high seas had a mixed crowd. "Take a guess," Stephanie replied coldly, stepping on her suitcase. The man leaned closer with a smirk. "You''re being mysterious. What''s inside your suitcase?" Usually, only ouws would venture out on the high seas like this, but what crime could a woman like Stephanie havemitted? "What exactly did you do?" The man recklessly tried to get closer to her. Steven stood at the side and reached out to try to stop the man, yet he couldn''t do anything. He could only watch as the man dug his own grave. As expected, Stephanie''sbat knife pierced through the man''s palm the next second. She then sliced his throat in a swift motion. The ship was filled with fugitives with death sentences from various countries. There was no chance for her to stay safe if she did notpletely eliminate someone as dangerous as this man. The others weren''t strangers to seeing flesh being cut and blood pooling across the cabin. The administrator came over and frowned at the body at his feet. He then instructed the others to toss it into the high seas. "Anyone who can get on this ship is willing to risk it all. It''s better not to stir up trouble," he advised everyone else not to provoke Stephanie. The others whispered among themselves before retreating to a corner, leaving her alone. Stephanie snorted before pulling the brim of her hat down. She could finally get some shut- eye now. "Keep watch for me, Steven," she softly mumbled. Steven sighed before sitting down next to Stephanie. "Alright, I''ll keep watch for you. Sleep well." Even though they couldn''t touch, they seemed to bemunicating effortlessly. Chapter 775 ? Stephanie was quite carefree she actually fell asleep after her mumbling. Upon seeing her asleep, the others stared at her warily. "Is this woman an escaped murderer?" "Just look at how she moved so effortlessly earlier. You guys better not provoke her!" Stephanie''s earlier act was indeed rather intimidating. No one dared to approach her for the time being. However, there were still some who were more daring. "The suitcase she''s carrying seems pretty heavy-probably over a hundred pounds. Surely, it can''t all be money inside, right? Aren''t we all just fugitives trying to escape with our cash?" "Let''s have a look." Some of them were too bold to heed the warning and started eyeing Stephanie''s suitcase. Steven sat beside her and rested his head on her shoulders, watching those fools.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Stephanie''s reflexes were far beyond theirs. She had probably heard them from the moment they started talking. Steven propped up his chin and watched those people. They weren''t aware of how terrifying Stephanie was when she was at her peak. He felt a chill just thinking about it even now. The reason Steven had been reluctant for her to regain all her memories wasn''t because he didn''t want to-it was because he was afraid. Back then when Stephanie was at her prime, even dogs would scurry away when they sensed her formidable killing intent. "Let''s see what''s in this suitcase." One of the braver ones quietly pulled down the zipper, slightly revealing a dark shape. A head could be seen when he continued to pull the zipper down. Stephanie had tied Carol up and stuffed her inside the suitcase. Knowing Carol was tough enough to survive, Stephanie gave her a hefty dose of drugs. Carol was still unconscious with blood matting her forehead. There was also blood at the corner of her lips, and her limbs were all tied up. The men screamed in shock. As they tried to run, they saw Stephanie wake up and staring right at them. They felt chills running down their spine at that moment, as if they were staring death in the face. "Help! A body-there''s a dead body inside!" Stephanie did not do anything to them and only zipped her suitcase up. "Cut your nonsense. She''s not dead yet. She wouldn''t be valuable anymore if she''s dead." Leaning against the wall, she idly toyed with the knife in her hands and looked at the man who was scurrying to get up from the ground. "I''m not in the best mood when I wake up." The man trembled as he looked at Stephanie and said, "Don''t kill me!" "Go check if there are any other boats on the sea," she told him. The man fearfully got up and ran out. In the vast expanse of the ocean, a private yacht was vaguely visible in the distance. "There is a boat!" the man yelled from the outside. Stephanie got up and stretched herself. She then told Steven beside her, "Let''s go meet Jimmy now." Resigned, Steven followed her and said, "It''s dangerous, Stephie." Although Stephanie couldn''t hear him, she had expected him to tell her that it was dangerous. "Do you really think that they''ll truly let me go once you die? Will they actually let Joel and the two kids go just like that? That''s stupid of you." She was the only one who would scold Steven for being stupid, and he would genuinely take her word for it. The few smugglers who had been hiding at the corner exchanged nces. "Who is that woman talking to?" "She must be a lunatic!" "Don''t tell me there are actually ghosts around here?" A man dressed like a priest had been praying silently. He only opened his eyes when he heard someone mention ghosts. "You''ve got to believe in science!" However, he started rubbing his eyes the next moment when he nced toward Steven. Fuck, there really is a ghost here!" Chapter 776 ? Steven turned around and looked at the priest suspiciously. "Can you see me?" The priest continued rubbing his eyes. "Fuck, I must be dreaming I''m even seeing things now." Steven had always believed the existence of things inexplicable with science. What normal people called "ghosts" had simrities to what he studied in quantum entanglement. He ignored the priest and followed Stephanie to the cabin. A private yacht soon approached the cargo ship. "Are you getting off here?" a crew member asked. "Yes." Stephanie coldly tossed a gold bar to him, instructing them to take her suitcase down. She then got onto the yacht via the gangway. Jimmy shed her a smile and opened his arms on the yacht. "Wee. I heard that my brother has died. Now that you''re a widow, are you looking for me because you want to remarry?" Without Steven around, he seemed to have let loose and started acting more yful. Steven chuckled coldly, leaving Jimmy to fend for himself. Stephanie calmly looked at Jimmy, who had rushed over to hug her. She coolly said, "I''ve just killed someone, so I still have blood on me." Jimmy stiffened, finally catching a whiff of the tangy scent of blood from her. He then turned to throw up. Stephanie reached out to grab him by the cor and swept his legs, pinning him down onto the ground. A knife was pressed against his carotid artery. She gave a warning re at the bodyguards on the yacht. "I''ll kill him if you step closer." Jimmy''s face was mmed directly into the ground, his nose bruised and bleeding. His sses broke, and he took a good while to fully register what had happened. "Fuck! Stephanie, you fucking " Stephanie yanked him by the hair and tossed him toward the cabin to cate his dissatisfaction. Jimmy no longer dared to curse out upon feeling the loosening of his front tooth. Steven leisurely sat by the side, enjoying the sorry state Jimmy was currently in. He had wanted to beat him up for the longest time.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "I want to meet Andy," Stephanie said threateningly. Jimmy spat out some blood and said, "No one is able to meet Andy now- Stephanie found him too talkative and pressed the knife into his flesh. "Stop! Please don''t!" Jimmy hurriedly changed his tune when he sensed her killing intent." Let me go, and I''ll find a way!" Stephanie stretched her neck before grabbing him by his neck. She softly said, "How about I chop off your limbs and stuff you into a barrel instead? You''d listen to me that way. "Don''t worry, I won''t let you die. I have many ways to keep you alive. Even if you identally died, I could still use your flesh and blood to clone and reincarnate you." Jimmy felt chills running down his back. Stephanie did not sound like she was joking. He stared at her in shock. "Did Steven give you the reincarnation data?" Stephanie chucked and said, "None of you are able to guess it correctly. What fools!" The shock in Jimmy''s eyes gave way to fear. "You-" Stephanie said, "The one who discovered the key to reincarnation and knows how to use the gene chain to resurrect indefinitely is me-not Steven." She patted Jimmy''s face with her knife and kicked the suitcase containing Carol to him." Your proof of allegiance is my guiding stone. Find Andy and we can eliminate him together. After that, you''ll be the Othard region''s leader of Genome Society." With Stephanie around, Jimmy could definitely maintain his position at the top of the Othard region-even reigning over the leaders of the other regions. He would always be wielding the best resources and wealth in his hands. There was a glimmer of light in his eyes as he was clearly intrigued. He subconsciously pushed his ss frame up. The ss shattered and fell onto the ground. Carol woke up in the suitcase and was struggling to break free. Jimmy nced at the suitcase and waved a hand at his bodyguard. "Take her down and keep her alive." It was clear that he would be cooperating with Stephanie now. Chapter 777 ? A massive cargo ship was cruising through the high seas, resembling a massive beast. Stephanie looked up at the huge cargo ship with narrowed eyes. Someone with megalophobia would surely be frightened here. "I''ve heard that the high seas are a vast ocean of sin, where there are no limits to human nature-that''s wonderful," she mumbled. Steven stood beside her and sighed softly.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "How smart of them." Stephanie stared at the logo on the cargo ship. It was the logo of Genome Society. Even if all theirboratories were upended, they still had a mobile base. Thisrge cargo ship, sailing on the high seas and docked in a war-torn no-man''snd, was Andy''sst kingdom. He believed he could still make aeback with this ship. It contained all of Andy''s achievements and had umted wealth over the years. Every valuable experiment data, result, and experimental subject had been transferred onto thisrge cargo ship. The true hell was contained within it. One could smell the foul stench of blood even by standing beneath the cargo ship. There was a hatch resembling a window on the ship. It was their ce for disposing of bodies. In the deep high seas, wherews couldn''t reach, they did not even need to burn the bodies of those they killed. They could simply toss them into the high seas, and soon, the ocean would swallow the evidence, leaving nothing behind. The hatch opened up, revealing someone wearing a hazmat suit and a gas mask. The person pushed a bloodied body right into the ocean. Other than whole bodies, there were also those cut into pieces. In that ce, only Andy and his crew members were considered humans-everyone else wasn''t human to them. "This cargo ship deserves to be swallowed whole by the ocean and sink underneath," Steven mumbled with a wavering gaze. Stephanie nced over to the empty space next to her and smiled. "You''re thinking that the ship should be swallowed by the ocean too? Their sins should sink to the bottom, right?" Steven was taken aback and turned to look at her nervously. It wasn''t because she could actually see or hear him but because they both knew each other too well. She could feel his presence and guess what he would say. Jimmy, with his bruised face and hanging arms, looked at Stephanie in fear from behind her. "Who are you talking to?" "Steven, of course." Stephanie turned around, tilting her head slightly and looking at him with a serious expression. "Can''t you see him? He''s right by my side." Jimmy swallowed nervously and took in a deep breath. He then cursed softly, "What a lunatic Stephanie''s gaze darkened as she threatened, "Don''t be rude. He''s still your brother, so show some respect!" Jimmy inhaled sharply and shrunk back instinctively. He reluctantly spoke to the empty under the pressure she exerted, "Hi... Steven?" space Resigned, Steven raised a hand to cover his forehead, wondering why they all just had to provoke Stephanie. Adder was lowered from the cargo ship, with armed guards looking from above. Jimmy hurriedly changed the topic and said, "We can go up now, Stephanie" "Call me your sister-inw," Stephanie insisted. Steven knew her all too well. She had once said that interacting with people was just like training a dog-you had to be the one in charge for them to listen. Otherwise, they''d just take advantage and step all over you. "Please head up, dearest sister-inw," Jimmy said while gritting his teeth, humbly asking for Stephanie to go before him. She eyed him coldly before giving a satisfied nod. She then climbed thedder up. Jimmy sighed in relief, cursing inwardly. "This madwoman," he cursed softly once he made sure Stephanie was out of earshot. He subconsciously looked around after that. Somehow, he had the feeling that someone was watching him. Was it really a ghost? Jimmy thought he was about to be crazy as well. Steven raised his brows and looked at him. "I heard you cursing my wife. I''ll rat you out if I have the chance to." Jimmy felt an inexplicable chill and barked at his subordinates, "Hurry and get her out!" Carol was yanked out. She red seethingly at him before looking up at the cargo ship. She narrowed her eyes as she chuckled coldly. Chapter 778 ? Indeed, Stephanie did not lie to Carol. On the day she was captured, Stephanie promised her that she would be able to locate Joel''s final hideout as long as she cooperated with Stephanie. They would then work together to destroy hisst lifeline and eliminate Genome Society once and for all. Carol was unwilling to submit to Stephanie, but Genome Society was in the midst of wiping out the Rebels, leaving her no choice but toply. If she refused to cooperate, Stephanie would kill her and use her body as proof of allegiance. But there might still be a slim chance of survival for her if she cooperated. Stephanie stood at the edge of the ship, staring out at the dark, vast ocean. The ocean on a windless day was more terrifying than during a storm. It was too calm and unsettling, as if it was about to swallow everything whole. "There''s no turning back once we''re here, Stephie," Steven whispered. "We have no way back now, Steven," Stephanie said hoarsely. Steven stared at her and chuckled. They truly were united as husband and wife. "Time for a security check." The armed leader scanned Stephanie''s body as she went through the security check, even asking her to take off her hat. After patting her down and using a metal detector on her, he finally cleared her and allowed her into the cabin. Jimmy walked behind her and whispered, "You''d better not act rashly and throw yourself into danger. Don''t drag me along even if you want to do that." Stephanie coldly nced at him and said, "Address me as your sister-inw." Jimmy gritted his teeth before taking a deep breath. He endured it and said, "You have to stay calm, dearest sister-inw. A small slip-up might ruin our ns. If you want to obtain Steven-" He rephrased himself once he realized how weird he sounded. "You have to bear it if you want to obtain Steven''s clone subject." Stephanie ignored Jimmy and walked into the cabin indifferently. Everything seemed normal on the ship, with its cargo stacked up but not all of those containers held goods. The cabin felt like apletely different world from the outside. The further down theyContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. went, the more shocking it became. It wasn''t until they reached the bottom level that they met Sarah in the blindingly brightb capsule. She started dressing up morously after being reincarnated into her clone subject. Perhaps this was her original taste in fashion, yet it seemed a little out of ce for a youthful body to be paired with the fashion sense of someone in their 50s or 60s. "We meet again, Stephanie. I knew you were going toe back." Sarah shed Stephanie a smile. Stephanie reached out to point at Carol. "I''ve brought you the person you''re looking for. I don''t want any money-I want Steven''s clone subject." She did not beat about the bush. There was no point in doing that anyway. Andy would have guessed it given how smart he was. "Did Steven give you the experimental data?" Sarah asked, looking at her suspiciously. "What? You''re their ready-made experimental subject now that you''ve reincarnated. Have they not found the key to reincarnation even after experimenting on you? What useless trash they are!" Stephanie grinned as she grabbed at Sarah''s wrist. Beneath her long-sleeved dress, there were purplish bruises, needle marks, as well as signs of electric shock. It was evident that Andy was treating her no more than an experimental subject now. "You dare to be so obnoxious even when you''re here? This is the high seas. No one will be able to find your body even if we kill you!" Sarah pulled her arm back, flushing in anger." Give us the experimental data now!" Stephanie turned to Andy, who was watching her while leaning against the desk. "How can you tolerate her when she''s so noisy?" "Well..." Within a split second before any of the guards could react, the dagger hidden in Stephanie''s sleeve had already prated Sarah''s neck. Sarah clutched her neck in shock, looking at Stephanie indignantly. Stephanie wiped the sttered blood from her face and smiled, looking almost maniacal. Silence finally befalls the world again." Jimmy looked at her in shock while Steven only sighed beside them. Sarah had dug her own grave. Stephanie had wanted to kill her for the longest time. Stephanie had repeatedly said that only by killing her original subject could she exist in aplete form in nature. Jimmy''s expression fell. Stephanie and the others were immediately held at gunpoint. Chapter 779 ?Chapter 779 Jimmy turned to Andy with a desperate look. "Don''t be hasty, Andy-we''re rtives. I didn''t know she was here to kill too!" Andy looked at Stephanie coldly and instructed his men, "Kill her." "Killing me would cost you much more than just Sarah," she said coldly, looking down at Sarah''s body. She continued, "If I can kill her, I can also bring her back but I suppose there''s no need for that, right? she wasn''t that important to you anyway. As a clone subject, I could provide you with so much more than she could." Andy narrowed his eyes before smiling. He walked over to grab Stephanie by her chin and carefully studied her." You''re just like a mutated version of Sarah-a product of her gic cells dividing. Yet you''re stronger than her, with an independent soul and thoughts." She was the perfect cloning artwork-or to be exact, the perfect experimental product. "You''re actually aware that I was the one who proposed the Theory of Reincarnation from the start." Stephanie pushed Andy''s hand away and started strolling around. As expected, Andy did not instruct his men to kill her. She continued, "The reason why you killed my foster parents was because they found out about my secret. I''ve been researching the exchange of souls and reincarnation. I was trying to figure out if the human consciousness could be swapped out freely just likeputer chips." If the main unit was broken, one could just copy the data onto a hard drive and transfer it to a newputer.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Andy remained silent as he looked at Stephanie. He did not refute her words. Stephanie continued, "From the start, you''ve been the one manipting Genome Society and the Rebels behind the scenes. "You''re also the one who nurtured Carol into the leader of the Rebels and guided her every step up until now. You''re wanted to eliminate her because the Rebels have lost their value." She turned to look at Carol. "Every single one of us is nothing but a pawn of yours. The ultimate goal behind your intricate n isn''t Steven-it''s me." The reason Andy panicked when Steven died was because Stephanie had lost her memories and forgotten everything about the Reincarnation Project. Steven had told him that he had deleted everything rted to the Reincarnation Project from her mind, and he was now the only one with the key to reincarnation. That was why Andy only targeted him. Steven used his own life to protect Stephanie. Stephanie said, "You were the one who continued to guide the Rebels, trying to provoke me to make me recover my memories and recall my past. That was why you guided Carol and the others to set up a series of killing games. "First, you used Carol''s hands to kill "Stephanie" in the serial murder case, to see if Steven could really reincarnate her. You then got an answer that satisfied you, but she still couldn''t recall her grand ns even after reincarnation. "That''s why you used the Rebels to set up the survival games in the ruins, the Death Cruise, and everything else." Stephanie chuckled. "I really should thank you. I snapped awake the moment Steven died. I never have been this aware. I''m aware of who I am, and I know what kind of position I should be in." Andy smiled as he asked, "Who are you?" "I''m someone who can be God." Stephanie opened her arms andughed maniacally. Jimmy stared at her in shock. "You... Aren''t you¡ª" Weren''t they here to look for Steven''s clone subject and sink this ce once they were done? Wasn''t he supposed to be the next leader? Why did it seem like she was ying the role of a double agent now? Jimmy was perplexed, wondering which was the true Stephanie. Carol was also looking at her with a frown. "You''re right," Andy said, pping for her. "If we work together, we could be the new gods for the future of humankind." Humans created their own gods, and those gods would then grant life to advanced humans. The elites or the wealthy-anyone with money, intelligence, or social status who could secure benefits for their new world-wouldn''t have to die. They would be able to live on eternally. Their youthful clone subjects would be lined up like clothes in this vast ocean of sin, ready for them to choose from. The elderly among the wealthy could then change into a youthful body of their own, as if selecting "clothes" fit to their own tastes. "But before that, shouldn''t I be testing your abilities first?" Andy looked at Stephanie. He wasn''t sure if she had truly regained her memories. "You want me to revive Sarah? Do you still have new clone subjects for her?" she asked indifferently. Andy chuckled and said, "No. I''m willing to trust you, so I''ll offer myself for the experiment." Jimmy looked at him in shock. Even Carol thought he was insane. Chapter 780 ?Chapter 780 Andy wanted Stephanie to reincarnate him into the body of a new clone subject.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "Do you really trust me that much?" Stephanie asked, smiling as she raised her brow. Andy replied, "I should trust those I''m coborating with. I wouldn''t have invited you otherwise." He walked over to theb capsule. "The hatch to theb capsule on the bottom level can only be opened by me. Only I have the password. If someone were to force their way in or key in the wrong password, this entire cargo ship would be blown to pieces. "Inside theb capsule, there are invaluable assets of Genome Society-including Steven''s clone subject. Andy smiled, having thought of everything in advance. Everyone would die if Stephanie failed to reincarnate him, and there would be no chance of Steven reincarnating. Steven, who was standing beside her, sighed. He whispered, "Just kill him, Stephanie. Blow this ship apart and leave with the others." "Does that mean that your life is in my hands now?" Stephanie looked at Andy. Andy chuckled as he backed away, epting the gun from his subordinate. "No. My life will forever be in my own hands." He was truly a ruthless lunatic. He pressed the gun against his own temple and fired it with a smile, copsing onto the ground instantly. Stephanie took a deep breath before turning to Jimmy and Carol. They were both stunned and shocked at the sight. Carol considered herself a lunatic, yet she valued her own life. She wasn''t as crazy as Andy. "Come with us." The leader of Andy''s mercenaries pressed a gun against Stephanie''s temple and urged her to follow his instructions. They then carried Andy''s body into theb capsule. A clone subject was soon brought over. He was still damp all over, suggesting that Andy must have made thorough preparations before Stephanie and the others came over. He must have conducted a series of screenings to ensure his new body was the best possible choice. "Don''t tell me you''ll really reincarnate him, Stephanie? If he were to reincarnate into this clone subject, in the future, it might be hard to..." Jimmy nervously nced at her. Stephanie ignored him and stood beside the operating table quietly. She looked at the clone subject, who hady down stiffly. Like marites, clone subjects had no souls. This clone subject wasn''t afraid of death, even looking as if he was anticipating it. He was craving death out of instinct. Everyone held their breath as they heard the beeping sounds from the medical equipment. The mercenaries outside were geared up and ready. They were to keep no one alive if their master did not wake up. Stephanie was aware that there was no room for failure in this experiment. She needed Steven''s clone subject, so she couldn''t let Andy die now. However, that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t die after that. Chapter 781 ?Chapter 781 "Does Stephanie truly know how to reincarnate someone?" Carol asked softly outside of theb capsule. "How would I know? Anyway, we''ll all die if Andy doesn''t wake up." Jimmy nced around at the mercenaries, with all their guns pointing at the both of them. Carol frowned and looked toward Stephanie. She hoped that Stephanie would actually have the ability to do it otherwise, they''d all end up dead because of her. "What did that lunatic, Andy, tell the mercenary leader before he killed himself?" Jimmy whispered a question to Carol, wanting to create a n to escape. He no longer believed that Stephanie knew the key to reincarnation. What he wanted now was to escape. Carol nced around carefully and said, "I don''t know." Surely, Andy had told the mercenary leader a secret code. But she didn''t know what it was. Jimmy cast Carol a dirty nce, wondering how she even became the leader of the Rebels when she knew nothing. No wonder they almost got wiped out by Genome Society. She red at him in return. "What are you looking at?" "I''m looking at a useless piece of trash," Jimmy replied, annoyed. Carol''s temper red up. "Who are you calling a useless piece of trash now?" Jimmy replied, "You''re the useless piece of trash!" Both of them started throwing punches at each other, garnering the attention of the mercenary leader. "What''s the ruckus here?" He then reached out to separate the both of them. At that moment, Carol swiftly snatched the gun from one of the mercenaries and fired a shot. She then hid behind a nearby cover. Jimmy took the opportunity to grab the gun of the mercenary who was shot dead and took cover behind theb capsule. The mercenary leader nced indifferently at the two, who were hiding with their respective guns. "This is a foolish choice. You can never escape." Jimmy and Carol exchanged nces. They had to work together to escape at this crucial moment. Stephanie was carefully studying the data in theb capsule, seemingly uninterrupted. The mercenary leader had coldly opened fire as the others were caught in a chaotic fight. Gunshots could be heard, yet theb capsule was not prated as it was made of bulletproof ss. Stephanie remained calmly seated inside, never once sparing a nce outside. Just as she was counting down, the electrical switch within theb capsule was shot, plunging everything into darkness. Fortunately, theb capsule had its own power supply. "Idiots" Stephanie cursed, standing up when she heard the gunshots from the outside. She yelled angrily, "Stop it!" Jimmy stopped shooting and turned to her. The crew members of the ship rushed over to fix the electrical switch and quickly restored its power. Andy''s clone subject woke up from the bed, seemingly cold and stiff. He inspected his own hands before reaching over to the mirror by the side to look at his reflection. He startedughing before turning to look at Stephanie. "Boss." The mercenary leader hurried in and looked at the clone subject nervously. He had gestured for the others to stop their fight for now. Carol and Jimmy were warily hiding away. They were afraid that everyone would have to die if the clone subject couldn''t answer Andy''s secret code. Stephanie watched Andy from the entrance. Everyone held their breaths as they waited for Andy and the mercenary leader''s exchange.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Nobody heard what Andy whispered to the mercenary leader, but the leader soon nodded and gestured for his men to put down their weapons. Only then did Jimmy and Carol truly let out a relieved sigh. "You did well." The mercenary leader gave Stephanie a thumbs-up. Stephanie nced at Andy coldly, asking, "Are you able to trust me now?" Chapter 782 ?Chapter 782C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Andy got down from the bed and shot a meaningful gaze at his "body" on the other bed. "Of course. I''ve trusted you from the start." Stephanie chuckled coldly. "So, can I meet Steven''s clone subject now? I need to reincarnate him." Andy extended his arms wide with a smile. "Why the hurry? Steven has many clone subjects for you to choose from. Now, you should let me have the data and key to reincarnation. Together, we can be creators and gods!" Stephanie stared at him indifferently. "Are you trying to threaten me with Steven''s clone subjects now?" "It''s not hard for you to reincarnate Steven. You only have to let me have the key to reincarnation," Andy said threateningly. He continued, "I suppose there''s a time limit to the Reincarnation Project, right? Someone who has been dead for a long time or was cremated into ashes wouldn''t be able to reincarnate, am I right?" Stephanie clenched her fists. "Fine. Since I refuse to share and you won''t release Steven''s clone subject to me, we can just stay in this stalemate!" The mercenary leader nced at her before turning to Andy. He dared not speak a word. "Lock them up. Bring her to me whenever she decides to cooperate," Andy instructed. The mercenaries pointed their guns at Jimmy and Carol. They both knew that they wouldn''t be able to shoot their way out now. The cargo ship was swarming with mercenaries, and below the shipy the deep ocean. They could only return their guns to the mercenaries. One of them even hit Jimmy with the gun. He yelped, aggrieved, "Why did you only hit me?" Carol shot him a begrudging re, shutting him up effectively. "Boss, that woman the leader of the Rebels do we kill her?" The mercenary leader was hinting that she had lost her value now. Andy chuckled coldly. "Keep her around for now. She''s still of some use." The mercenary leader nodded before instructing his men to take them away. The body of "Andy" was lying all alone in the empty cargo hold. Andy, who had already reincarnated, nced back before signaling for the mercenaries to take the body away. "I thought you had everything in control. Who knew you ended up killing Sarah as soon as we got there? You should''ve died instead!" Jimmy was beyond upset in the detention cell. He continued, "Why did you reincarnate Andy? Not only have we failed to get Steven''s clone subject, but we even got locked up now!" Carol remained silent. Stephanie found Jimmy noisy and coldly red at him, instantly shutting him up. He mumbled, "Are we still blowing the ship up or what-" They would be tossed into the ocean in a few days. "He''ll eventually have toe and beg me as long as I have the data for the Reincarnation Project with me," Stephanie said. Jimmy rolled his eyes and retorted, "You''re the one who''s of value, but what about me?" He couldn''t care less about Carol''s fate, but he did not want to die no matter what. Stephanie closed her eyes and said irritatedly, "Shut up. You''re so noisy." All she wanted was a good night''s sleep, yet there was noise everywhere around her on the ship. Stephanie''s hands had been trembling since the experiment started. She wasn''t sure if it was out of nervousness or other reasons, but she couldn''t stop them from shaking up until now. She slowly clenched her fists and forced herself to calm down, taking a deep breath. "Are you still there?" Stephanie softly asked. Suddenly, it was as if she could no longer sense Steven anymore. She felt as if there was a gaping hole in her heart. "Steven..." No one answered her. The emptiness and helplessness drove Stephanie''s emotions to the edge of losing control. She could no longer sense him. Was he still around? "Does reincarnation really have a time limit?" Jimmy asked. "It does." Stephanie opened her reddening eyes slowly. "I''ve conducted experiments on twin consciousness swapping. The longer the time of death, the lower the sess rate of the experiment." Chapter 783 ?Chapter 783 Jimmy took in a sharp breath. "Now that Steven is already dead for some time..." Stephanie coldly nced over at him. He stopped talking and went to hide in the corner. Carol remained silent, only sparing her a nce once.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Stephanie sat on the ground unmoving, quietly closing her eyes. "We''re done for good. None of us can escape now," Jimmy said after a while, figuring that he must have lost his mind to have believed in her words. "She wouldn''t havee without having absolute certainty. She has been gambling the moment she stepped onto this cargo ship," Carol said, her voice low as she indicated for him to keep quiet. "You''d better keep your mouth shut for now. We''ll definitely be done for good if you make her angry." She knew all too well what Stephanie was like. Back in the orphanage, she would stab someone with a knife if she got unhappy. Jimmy felt chills running down his back and decided to leave it to fate. He closed his eyes and stopped talking. Stephanie sat in her corner quietly, wanting to recharge as she felt too lethargic. "Are you still there?" She had a dream that night. She dreamt of falling into darkness and constantly calling for Steven to get his response. Yet he never gave her one. "Steven!" Sunlight streamed in through the door crack by the time she woke up. The sounds of waves were loud as they were all locked inside a container on the dock. Stephanie got up and walked to the entrance of the container, looking out. She found the sun shining brightly on the sea today. It was already daytime. Jimmy was still asleep, while Carol seemed to have not slept a wink. "The Othard region''s Genome Society will disappear instantly if we destroy this ship," she said hoarsely. "If we destroy this ship, there''ll always be others. There''s too much trash in this world, piling up one after another. "Stephanie turned and looked at Carol. "Someone has to deal with the trash regardless of the quantity. Although the trash on the streets never stops, the sanitary workers stille and go. Some jobs just have to be done, even when people think of the workers as the lowest of the low," Carol said,ughing sardonically. "It''s just like how many of the wealthy today think they''re noble, standing high above and looking down on everyone else. But society is built by differentyers. Without the lower sses, how could they sustain their so- called elite lives?" Carol got up and looked at the light that was streaming in. "It''s foolish to think that you can build a skyscraper withoutying its foundations." "So, what''s your purpose behind taking up the Rebels, then? Is it to wipe out these elites and eliminate ss divisions so that you can create a so-called equal world?" Stephanie found Carol''s ideas a little too naive. She continued, "Conflicts exist when people are around. The unpredictability of human nature is what creates this vibrant andplex society. Changing it is much harder than you think." Carol said, "Money makes the world go round. These wealthy people have already built argework to control the entire world. Genome Society holds the key to the global economy, and the Othard region is just a part of it! "If we could just make use of it and utilize the Reincarnation Project... Even if we can''t achieve it in ten, 20, or 30 years, surely, we''d be able to reach the pinnacle if we were to live up to a hundred or 200 years old!" Carol was trying to convince Stephanie to join the Rebels. They could let a selected few reincarnate using the technology, repeating it up until they managed to turn into opportunists behind thergework. "We''re both geniuses, Stephanie. We have the ability to dominate the world. God created us to rise above others and be His right-hand men!" she said, pointing at her brain. Chapter 784 ?Chapter 784 The level of intelligence hadrgely divided humans into different sses. Carol believed the world she wanted to create was that ofplete fairness and equality. In reality, she just wanted to eliminate all ss distinctions other than her own. It was an even more terrifying thought. She wanted to shape herself into an one-of-a-kind and irreceable god. Everyone else would be merelymoners beneath her. There would no longer be nobles or wealthy people. Everyone would be reduced to ants, obediently crawling within the massive, invisible web she had spun. "Didn''t you used to think that you''re the genius God created, and you have the right to eliminate artificially- created ants like us on God''s behalf?" Stephanie chuckled coldly, tantly exposing Carol''s scheme. Carol seemed like she was trying to persuade her to join the Rebels to create a new world. However, Carol would kill her off without hesitation once she lost her value. "Being smart is your strength, Carol, but being too smart is your fatal w." Stephanie chuckled as she looked at her. After being exposed, Carol no longer put on an act. Her eyes burned with the desire to kill. "Do you think you''ll win every time, Stephanie? Steven is already dead, and you''re nothing without him! I''d like to see you try winning against me this time!" Stephanie looked at her coldly and smiled. "He wouldn''t let me lose-not ever!" The container hatch swung open soon after, flooding the space with bright sunlight. At that moment, Stephanie felt as if she was enveloped in the embrace of the sun. A warm sensation poured down from above. Jimmy was already awake then. He seemed somewhat dazed as he looked at Stephanie. "Our boss wants to meet you." The mercenary leader nced at her and gestured for her to go out. Stephanie shed Carol a smile. "I told you, I won''t lose." Carol clenched her fists and defiantly said, "Don''t get too happy yet. I haven''t lost either!" Stephanie ignored her and walked out. Carol lost her cool and yelled, "Don''t get too cocky, Stephanie! We''ll meet again at the top!" Stephanie turned around and gave her a finger. "Don''t say that. You''ll never get to the top." "Stephanie!" Carol screamed in frustration. "What good is screaming? Can you get out alive by doing that?" Jimmymented sarcastically. "What a lunatic!" "Shut up, you! An artificially-modified worm like you should just die!" Carol lost her temper and yelled. Jimmy sneered, "Is that so? I love seeing how you can''t stand me, yet you can''t kill me." Carol tightened her fists and stared angrily at him. "You idiot! Can''t you tell what she has been gambling on? She''s betting that the one who got reincarnated into Andy''s clone subject is Steven and not Andy! "If Steven managed to reincarnate using Andy''s clone subject, do you think they''ll let us escape alive?" Jimmy frowned. "Don''t you need the same genes to reincarnate? Even though Steven and Andy are father and son... 11 Carol chuckled coldly. "Haven''t you thought of the possibility that the reincarnation will seed as long as a certain gic lock matches? It could then work on twins or father and sons. "The reason why Steven and Stephanie never told anyone about it was because they were afraid those wealthy elites would extend their filthy ws toward their own descendants." In a way, the costs for a clone subject were too high, but it was a much lower cost for wealthy people to get someone to give birth to their children.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only When the wealthy grew old, they could continue living and inheriting their family businesses by reincarnating into their sons. It was a terrifying thought. "If that''s the case, does that mean it''s possible that Steven''s the one who reincarnated into Andy''s clone subject?" Jimmy asked softly. Chapter 785 ?Chapter 785 Stephanie was brought to the lower deck, where Andy was waiting for her. "Do you want to see what''s beneath here?" he asked, looking at her. She looked at Andy indifferently and took a deep breath. "Are you finally nning to keep your promise, Mr. Lincoln?" "As long as you hand over the reincarnation data to me." He walked over to Stephanie. Behind him, several mercenaries were warily watching her. Stephanie looked up at Andy and said, "If you''re truly sincere about coborating, you shouldn''t be asking me for the data. I need a way to protect myself too, right? If we work together, we''ll need to keep each other in check." She looked at him right in the eye. "After all, you''re someone who could kill Sarah just like that." Andy smiled and nodded. "I understand your concerns." He then turned to the mercenaries and said, "You guys can head out now." The mercenary leader hesitated. "Boss-" "It''s alright. I believe Ms. Carlson is genuinely interested in coborating," Andy said. The mercenary leader finally nodded and holstered his gun. He then led his men out. The lower deck fell silent with only Stephanie and Andy left. She looked at him and said, "Open the hatch, then, Mr. Lincoln." Only Andy knew the password to the hatch, and they only had one chance to get it. The entire cargo ship would explode if the wrong password was keyed in, and everyone would die for sure. Andy looked at the password panel on the smoke hatch. He coughed and asked, "Can you guess the password, Stephie?" Stephanie stood frozen in ce. Her tightly clenched fists slowly loosened up as tears flooded her eyes. She stared right at Andy, trembling slightly as she parted her lips, but nothing came out. He seemed to have noticed the changes in Stephanie''s emotions and diffidently had his back against her, not daring to turn back. "Steven?" she softly called out.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only He remained quiet with his head lowered, not daring to move. "Let me recall the password-"Steven softly mumbled. Stephanie went over and pulled him back, giving him a p. He cupped his cheek in an aggrieved manner, looking at her. She took a deep breath and stared into Steven''s eyes. They did not need to say much, nor did they need any safeword¡ªa simple nce was enough to reveal whose soul was within this body. "You''re pretty good at acting. Why didn''t you be an actor instead?" Stephanie grumbled as she reached out to pinch Steven''s ear. He pitifully said, "I''m sorry, Stephie. I was worried about being exposed. Besides, if Andy''s password isn''t keyed in correctly, the entire ship will sink. "Not only are the clone subjects here, but all of Genome Society''s secrets, including years of their criminal records, are here. We have to take them with us." Steven grabbed Stephanie''s shoulders and stared at her intensely. "Would you dare to try it with me, Stephie?" He was asking if she dared to try with the password he guessed. However, everyone would die if it was wrong. Stephanie said, "What are you afraid of? We were nning to eliminate Genome Societypletely. Regardless if we seed or not, we''ll win as long as this ship sinks." They''d win even if they ended up dying. She held Steven''s hands tightly. "Don''t be afraid." His eyes were red as he hugged Stephanie tight. "I love you so much, Stephie." "I''ll only settle scores with you if we manage to survive this," she said threateningly. Steven felt chills running through his back. He softly asked, "Did you know that I''d be reincarnated, Stephie?" Stephanie had actually been taking a gamble. In reality, the Reincarnation Project was filled with uncertainty. Up until then, all the data couldn''t urately pinpoint the soul which needed to be reincarnated. It could only be said that whoever''s soul was captured through the gene chain was the one that seeded. It entirely depended on luck. As such, when Andy also died, both Steven and Andy had a 50% chance of being reincarnated through the same gene chain that captured souls. "I won," Steven said hoarsely. Chapter 786 ?Chapter 786 "You''re truly amazing." Stephanie smiled wryly, resting her forehead against Steven''s. "Congrattions for reincarnating. You even got yourself a new body." He was now whole. Steven looked down at himself. "I still think my own body is the best. How about I die again and reincarnate into my own clone subject? I think Andy''s brain neurons aren''t as active as mine-they''re not that smart."R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Stephanie eyed him sideways and reached out to hit him again. He subconsciously covered his face and looked at her pitifully. She raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Indeed, Andy''s brain isn''t as smart. You seem to be dumber now." Steven chuckled and cupped Stephanie''s face before kissing her. "I''m a little afraid, Stephie." "What are you afraid of?" She looked at Andy''s password panel and reached out to key something in at random. Startled, Steven hurriedly pulled her into his embrace. "Don''t scare me, Stephie!" Stephanie chuckled before hugging his arm tight. She leaned against his shoulders and softly asked, "Have you guessed the password?" Steven looked down at her and smiled indulgently. "Yes. Even though Andy isn''t as smart as I am, I knew him well enough. It''s not hard to guess his password." Stephanie leaned against him and tightened her hold around him. "Steven" "Yes?" Steven asked worriedly, "Are you feeling unwell?" The Stephanie from his memory was indifferent and emotionless. She had a powerful presence and would kill decisively. She shook her head. For some reason, she suddenly felt she could no longer be apart from him. "Hurry up and key in the password." Steven nodded and stared at the panel somewhat nervously. He hoped that he wouldn''t have to die as soon as he got reincarnated. He would feel so wronged if that was the case. Steven regretted not dragging things out for a few days more, but he was impatient to meet Stephanie again. He was afraid that she might have a hard time staying in that container. He was left without any choice as he keyed in the password with gritted teeth. Steven hesitated to key in thest digit as the countdown began. "What are you afraid of?" Stephanie intertwined their fingers tight. Steven nced at her and keyed in thest digit-7-at the veryst second. The keypad lock opened. Outside the hatch, the mercenary leader sighed in relief when he heard the sound indicating that the hatch was opening. In reality, none of them was sure of the reincarnation. All of them were done for if the person who reincarnated was not Andy and the person keyed in the wrong password. They could finally rx now. After all, they were in it for the money. It didn''t matter to them who it was as long as they stayed alive. Once the hatch was opened, Stephanie and Steven exchanged a relieved nce. She looked down at his trembling hands. "Are you that afraid, you loser?" "You were afraid too, Stephie," Steven said daringly. "You hurt me from how you were holding my hand so tightly. Stephanie burst outughing. "Is it embarrassing to fear death?" She used to think it was embarrassing to fear death, but she no longer had that thought. Both Steven and her had someone they cared for, so it was natural and not embarrassing for them to fear death. Stephanie and Steven were stunned in ce as they stepped into the hatch. The entire lower deck was filled with manyb capsules, each housing several clone subjects. Other than that, there was a rtively luxuriousb capsule right in the middle, which housed someone who looked exactly like Steven''s previous self. Stephanie instinctively thought that this person was Steven''s twin. Back then, Genome Society had presented Andy with Steven. There was another identical twin brother of his as well. He was sitting in theb capsule, looking up at both of them. After a moment, he smiled and said, "We finally meet." Chapter 787 ?Chapter 787 Stephanie stared at the man in theb capsule for a good while before turning to look at Steven beside her. "I still prefer how you looked before this." Even though Andy was also good-looking, there was something about him that didn''t sit right. Steven grew fearful. "Didn''t you say you loved my unique soul more, honey?" Stephanie contemted seriously before saying, "Sorry, I suddenly think that outer appearance is equally important as well." After that, she started walking toward theb capsule in the middle. Steven hurriedly grabbed her. "What are you doing, Stephie?" "I''ll kill him and reincarnate you into his body. Things will be perfect then." Stephanie narrowed her eyes, her gaze full of killing intent. She truly meant to do what she said. Taken aback, he hurriedly stopped her. "That''s not right, Stephie." "Even though he''s not your clone subject, he''s your twin. It''d be fine to kill him." Stephanie pushed Steven away and walked up to open the door to theb capsule. Inside theb capsule, the man, whose face was identical to Steven''s, was stunned. "Aren''t you here to rescue me?" "You''re not anyone to me, so why should I rescue you?" After unlocking the door, Stephanie took out her knife to kill him. Gone was that man''s earlier enigmatic demeanor as he scurried to hide under the bed in fear. High intelligence did not matter to her she only wanted to kill. "Wait, we''re biological brothers," he said while pointing at Steven. He managed to identify that it was Steven''s soul instead of Andy''s in Andy''s body. "We''re identical twins." "That''s why it''s perfect to kill you," Stephanie said as she pulled him by the cor. Her knife was about to pierce his neck when she stopped to think for a bit. "I''m nning to let Steven reincarnate into your body, so I can''t leave any fatal injuries on this body. Lucky you. I''ll sedate you instead." "Wait!" The man took a deep breath. "How are you sure that his soul can win against mine? I''m not a clone subject. I have an independent soul, and this is my body. You should know that it''s hard to take it away from me." He was aware of the disadvantages of soul swapping as well as the secret to soul reincarnation. Stephanie frowned and looked at him warily. "You can just die, then. I don''t want to see your face." The man looked at Steven pleadingly. Just as Stephanie''s knife was about to swing down, Steven hugged her from the back and grabbed her hand. "Let him live, Stephie." "He''s dangerous," she softly said. The man said, "As we''re biological brothers, Andy handed the data to me after getting Sarah reincarnated. He demanded me to uncover the secrets of reincarnation, but I''ve never been able to have a breakthrough." He shrugged. "I just figured that you''de after me sooner orter. I really don''t mean any harm!" "What''s your name?" Steven asked. "I don''t have one. I''m Experimental Subject No. 9." No. 9 shrugged. He truly was simr to Steven, only with a livelier personality.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Stephanie wasn''t sure if he was just putting on an act. "Let''s just kill him," she said, not wanting to leave any potential risks. "I know Genome Society even better than Andy." No. 9''s gaze turned intense. He wanted to take control of Genome Society. "All the more for you to die, then." Stephanie still wanted him dead. No. 9 said, "Do you think that the bigshot behind Genome Society won''t just rebuild a new base in the Othard region with Andy dead? Their reach is beyond wide. They''ll continue toe back no matter how many times you stop them. "Besides, this ship is the only contact between Andy and Genome Society''s main hub. As soon as this cargo ship explodes or stops sending any information back for a while, Genome Society will just set up a new base in the Othard region." Chapter 788 ?Chapter 788 It would only be the beginning of a new wave of evil when that happened. The sacrifices made by Steven, Stephanie, and countless others would end up meaningless. "I have the same thoughts as you. What I want to destroy is the main hive where the queen resides. There''s no way of stopping their regeneration just by cutting off their limbs." No. 9 looked at Stephanie, hoping that she would trust him. However, she did not trust him. "We''ll just leave the rest to those whoe after us-they''ll also need time to regenerate. I just need to clean up Genome Society in the Othard region and live my life peacefully." Stephanie had lost her initial ambition ofpletely destroying Genome Society''s hive after her experience. Now, she only wanted to live a simple, peaceful life with Steven. As for what would happen next, she would leave them to others. "Do you think you can live peacefully without me?" No. 9 chuckled coldly, holding onto a hard drive that appeared out of nowhere. "Andy has already uploaded all your files and information to the hivework, and it''ll send all your data directly to the queen. She''ll never allow any threats to Genome Society to exist. Both of you will surely be killed." No. 9 looked at Steven and said, "You have no choice. Only by letting me take over Genome Society can you truly live in peace." Steven looked back at No. 9, whose face was just like a reflection of his. "What do you want to do?" No. 9 replied, "I''ll send you back to Huma. From now on, just consider that Genome Society has fallen. I''ll stay away from your lives and won''t do anything evil anymore. I''ll also help hold off the headquarters of Genome Society and make sure the queen doesn''t set any extermination orders on you." It sounded extremely tempting for someone else to bear the burden and ensure Steven and Stephanie have stable lives-but would he truly be that selfless? "I''m willing to exchange my body with yours." No. 9 smiled, looking at Steven. Steven was currently using Andy''s body, after all. Only by exchanging bodies could they each obtain what they wanted. No. 9 would then be the new "Andy" and continue to keep in contact with the queen of Genome Society. Stephanie nced at Steven with a frown. The proposal was truly tempting to her. After exchanging bodies, No. 9 would continue his life as Andy. Steven would be able to return as himself and live a normal married life with her. No. 9 said, "All of Genome Society''sboratories in the country have already been discovered and eliminated, and the Rebels are nearly wiped out. "Everything hase to an end, and I can no longer establish myself in Huma. I pose no threat for the time being, and I wouldn''t do something as foolish as Andy had." He continued, "Working together is the only way to mutually benefit from this." No. 9 was trying to convince Stephanie and Steven. From behind, Steven slowly tightened his arms around Stephanie as he said, "Let''s trust him this once, okay, Stephie?" "We''ll kill him if he ends up threatening our interests," she said as she coldly looked at No. 9.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. No. 9 smiled as he opened his arms. "I''ll alwaysy my vulnerabilities bare before both of you." Stephanie was already familiar with the experiment of soul-swapping between twins. The sess rate was very high as long as both parties agreed to it. Steven was reincarnated in No. 9''s body after the experiment. He looked at his face and his perfectly fitting body, yet something still felt off. No. 9 was reincarnated into Andy''s body. He shed them a smile and said, "Here''s to a smooth partnership." Stephanie took Steven''s hand and brought him out. "Boss!" The mercenary leader stopped both of them outside the door. "Andy" smiled at him and said, "Let them leave." It had to be said that No. 9 was the person who understood Andy the best in this world. He even mimicked Andy''s microexpressions perfectly. Jimmy chose to stay and coborate with No. 9 to take on Genome Society. Stephanie also thought that it was a good decision. While she did not fully understand or trust No. 9, she knew enough about and trusted Jimmy. He was ambitious, yet he was timid and feared death. He would definitely let Steven and her know right away if No. 9 ever posed a threat to his life. Chapter 789 ?Chapter 789 It wasn''t easy for the cargo ship to dock. As such, the ship was anchored in the Moannard region. Stephanie and Steven went to check on Carol before getting off the ship. Andy had been wary of her. He was the one who nurtured her, but he also wanted to eliminate her. As she would be a significant obstacle to Genome Society, even No. 9 wouldn''t easily let her go. She would be trapped in this cargo ship for a long time toe perhaps forever, or maybe she might find a way to escape. Stephanie did not talk to Carol. Carol''s emotions were bubbling up. Her gaze was intense as she angrily pounded on the container door. "I will kill you, Stephanie," she lowered her voice and said threateningly. Stephanie tricked her intoing here, yet she was leaving with Steven whole. She shed Carol a smile and looked at her mockingly. "It''s not my fault you''re stupid." Stephanie would never let a madwoman like her go back to Huma. As such, her ultimate goal was to lock her up forever in the ocean. She had originally nned to kill Carol after using her, but she was Joel''s sister, after all. For her, living was far more despairing than dying. "I''ve already made arrangements with my men. Just follow them to cross the border," Jimmy said, telling them to return via a smuggling boat. "Be careful of No. 9 and don''t trust him fully. Let us know immediately if there''s any sign of trouble," Stephanie reminded him. "Don''t worry. He wants to gradually destroy the hive behind Genome Society while I want to reach the pinnacle to enjoy a better view. We generally wouldn''t have any disagreements," Jimmy said before nodding. No. 9 was looking at Steven and Stephanie from a high vantage point on the cargo ship. He shed them a smile. Before they got off the ship, he told them, "If you want to live a normal life, you have to bepletely ordinary. I promise not to bother you and protect you from any trouble from Genome Society, but you need to make sure to staypletely out of it and not mess with my ns." Stephanie and Steven did not answer him directly, but they figured that No. 9 was not an ordinary person. "I only want us to live our lives well. I no longer want to care about anything else." Stephanie tightened her hold on Steven''s hands, for once wanting to run away. Steven smiled at her and said, "Alright." Stephanie and Steven returned to Huma. She went alone but ended up bringing Steven back whole. Everyone-especially Zion and Eason-was astonished. As they were both police officers, they finally understood why Stephanie had not reported Steven''s death or filed his death certificate. She did not even cremate him but hid his body and froze it. She was actually keeping a backup n and preserving his identity. "Wait, are you really Steven? Even a clone subject couldn''t be made identical, so what''s with you?" Eason carefully studied Steven before turning back to look at Joel disdainfully. "Why does he look different from before?" Ever since Joel entered the room, he had been hiding behind Zion. He was fearful after being beaten up byR¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Stephanie. "You''d better stay away from her. She''s a lunatic." He tugged at Eason warily beforeining to Steven, "Keep a good watch on your wife. Surely, you know what she did to me! She beat me up and almost ended my life!" Steven chuckled and said, "Aren''t you well and alive now?" Joel instantly lost it. "Fine! What a chicks-before-dicks friend you are!" Stephanie coldly nced at him, and he instantly straightened up. "How useless," Eason muttered, rolling his eyes. Joel was still a bit shaken as he carefully tugged at Eason. "Let''s head back. I still have to get through my military training." Eason nced at his watch and shed Steven a smile. "This brat still has to attend sses. I''ll send him back and we can gather for a celebration tonight." After he left, Zion mustered his courage and walked up to carefully study Steven. "Are you really Steven?" Stevenughed and replied, "I am." "You''re evenughing now." Zion thought he seemed a bit different, but he couldn''t quite put a finger to it. Still, Zion was sure that he was Steven. Chapter 790 ?Chapter 790 Zion said, "Public opinion has been suppressed to avoid panic, and Genome Society''sboratories within the country have all been cleaned up. "Their Othard region base can be considered eradicated now, and they won''t be able to bounce back for a while. It''s considered our victory this time." He sighed in relief. "Where''s Rachel?" Stephanie asked. "She... doesn''t dare to show up in front of you guys," Zion replied helplessly. Rachel had been feeling guilty. After all, she was Sarah''s daughter. Zion continued, "We''ve made arrangements for Sarah''s brother, telling him that Sarah passed away due to illness. We ryed our condolences. He returned home with somepensation, but he didn''t spend any of it and donated it. He''s continuing to work diligently on his farm."Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. He sighed before saying, "Rachel has reunited with this uncle of hers, and our families have been keeping in touch since." Stephanie was relieved to learn that Zion hadpletely epted Rachel as part of his family. She nodded. She acknowledged that Lloyd was indeed a kind-hearted and honest man. Perhaps Sarah used to be kind-hearted as well, but she was consumed by power and desire over time. It was a pitiful sight. "Everything is settled now, guys. We''ve won." Zion sighed once again. "Yeah, we''ve won." Stephanie held onto Steven''s hand tightly as she looked up at him. Steven said nothing. The price for winning was steep. There were no absolute wins or losses in life and this matter was no exception. "It''s time to lead our lives peacefully now," Zion said, patting Steven on his shoulders. "I''ll go pick Rachel up for tonight''s gathering. She''s too embarrassed toe over," he said, bashfully scratching his head. "Is she waiting for me to contact her personally?" Stephanie chuckled before giving Rachel a call with Zion''s phone. Rachel was pleasantly surprised. In fact, she was Steven''s half-sister by blood. Michael came over no sooner after Zion left. He had truly turned into a full-time dad now, carrying Xan in one arm while holding Ashton in another. Xan had autistic tendencies, but she trusted Michael a lot. It was evident that he treated both Ashton and her well. Not many could win her trust. He must have put in a lot of effort. Stephanie''s cold demeanor somewhat eased for the sake of Xan. "You''ve won, Stephanie," Michael said somewhat bitterly. He was stunned for a while after seeing Steven. Stephanie''s determination brought back a healthy and whole Steven. "Dad!" Ashton excitedly threw himself into Steven''s embrace and hugged him tight. Xan was also staring nkly at Steven and Stephanie. She carefully walked over. Looking at Stephanie, she slowly called out, "Mom." Stephanie crouched down and shed her a smile. "As expected, daughters are sweeter." Ashton warily looked at Stephanie and huffed. "Are you my mom?" "I can also not be," she said as she narrowed her eyes threateningly. Ashton looked at her uneasily and nervously replied, "You are." Resigned, Stephanie smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair. "How are your studiestely? Have you been getting along well with your ssmates and teachers?" "They''re really obedient. Ashton alwayses first in nationalpetitions. I asked him to tone it down, but he still came back ranking number one in school," Michael said helplessly. He continued, "As for Xan, she''s too obedient. She has her own ideas and likes to doodle on the exam papers. She clearly knows the answers but can''t be bothered to work on them." As such, the two siblings ended up with one cing first in nationalpetitions while the other rankedst in school. C C E ?? Chapter 791 ?Chapter 791 Everyone gathered at the mountaintop vi to celebrate Steven and Stephanie''s return. Michael left after dropping the kids. He felt too ashamed to join the gathering and did not want to be there. Seeing them happy only made him feel worse although the vi belonged to him. "The view here is magnificent." Rachel stood on the balcony as she tended to the barbecue. She then opened her arms wide to embrace the evening breeze and said, "It feels so good now that everything is over." Everything was over it seemed like they had won, but there was no winner in this silent war. Joel had been wearing a gloomy expression from the start. He sat in a corner as he sneaked nces at Stephanie. He was afraid that she might beat him up again. "What are you looking at? Aren''t you eating?" Eason patted the hat on Joel''s head and asked, "Why do you have a hat on when it''s nighttime?" Joel nced at him and said, "My hair hasn''t grown back yet. A certain someone split the back of my head open and left a scar there. The big bald spot is beyond hideous!" He grumbled and red angrily at Stephanie. "She didn''t hold back at all." "Would that crazy sister of yours have fallen for it if she held back?" Eason waspletely taken with Stephanie now, finding her decisive, clever, and brave. Not only did she rescue Steven on her own, but she even turned the tide andpletely eliminated the threat of Genome Society. "You''ve changed," Joel said as he looked at him. "Now, you only have eyes for Stephanie." Eason rolled his eyes before stuffing a grilled sausage into Joel''s mouth. Joel took a bite before glumly sipping on his beer. Meanwhile, Ashton and Xan were curiously watching Zion, who was at the other corner. "The food smells good, Zion!" Sure enough, their inner children were only awoken in the presence of food. They were both practically droolingContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. now. "My father''s a barbecue chef. Many restaurants fought over him back when he was younger. He has a secret recipe that he passed down to me," Zion said with a smile. He then handed each of them a perfectly cooked barbecue rib. "Be careful, it''s hot!" Ashton was too impatient to wait and took a bite, burning his tongue. His eyes reddened as he looked pitifully at Steven. Stephanie was slicing an apple while leaning against Steven and identally cut her hand. He quickly pulled her into his arms and anxiously inspected her wound, fussing over her with iodine and band-aids. He did not notice the way Ashton had his tongue out, looking pitiful for some time. Ashton ended up upset and crying. "Her wound has already healed, Dad. Look at my blister instead!" Only then did Steven look up and see Ashton, who was anxiously standing by the side with his tongue out. Stephanie chuckled and said, "That''s the price for being impatient. Go get some ice water." Ashton turned and ran away to take a sip of his iced fruit juice, keeping the ice in his mouth. The evening breeze felt lovely. Stephanie leaned in Steven''s embrace and whispered, "We won, right?" She wondered if everything had truly ended or was such a pleasant life only in her dreams. "Alright guys, the food''s ready! Let''s have a toast to celebrate that we''re all here together!" Eason gathered everyone for a drink. "Let''s drink until we can''t!" Everyone was in high spirits as they got into the celebration. Everything seemed to be moving in a better direction-it was all so perfect. Stephanie let loose and ended up tipsy, falling asleep in Steven''s arms. Even Rachel had one too many to drink. They had an unspoken agreement not to mention Genome Society. Instead, they shared everyday anecdotes. Rachel vented about her work frustrations, shared stories about quirky guys she encountered, and recounted the hrious experiences of her colleagues'' blind dates. Chapter 792 ?Chapter 792 Joel would talk about the monotony of university life and the dullness of military training. He also shared about the women who were pursuing him in ss or the university. Eason shared about the strange cases he encountered as an officer, even mentioning that his germaphobia seemingly got better. Zion discussed his ns of marrying Rachel and shared details about their home renovation, offering advice on buying and renovating houses. Ashton and Xan were deeply engrossed in their video games, asionally calling out for Steven or Stephanie. They would also ask the others for snacks and thank them after. Stephanie had to admit that Michael had taught them well-at least Xan and Ashton were now polite and well- mannered. They began to socialize and knew to thank others for troubling them. They started to realize that their peers were no match for them in terms of intelligence. They learned to protect the weak and understood the responsibilities that came with being strong. Ashton even rescued a stray kitten off the mountain road and secretly brought it back to his room. When Stephanie found out, he pleaded with her to keep the kitten out of worry that she might throw it away. He leaped in joy after she agreed for him to keep the kitten. Everything was moving in a better direction now. "Alright, we''ve had enough drinks. It''s time for us to head back." Eason was sensible enough to know that he might really end up on the floor if he continued drinking. Their drivers were already waiting downstairs to send Zion, Rachel, Eason, and Joel back The house fell quiet as Ashton and Xan timely retired to their rooms to sleep. The evening breeze blew gently outside the balcony, while the starry sky and moon were visible. "My dream seems to havee true," Stephanie said somewhat hoarsely. She grew more fearful the happier she felt. She was afraid that such happy days were all but a temporary dream. "It''ll continue toe true," Steven murmured before leaning down to kiss her. Stephaniey in his embrace and slowly drifted into slumber.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. She found herself back in a familiar dream in her sleep with sunshine, a gentle breeze, and the vast field. She was with Steven while the two children were running around and ying. Everything seemed so perfect. However, the sky in Stephanie''s dreams suddenly darkened. She looked around anxiously as she yelled for Steven and the two children. She ran non-stop in the field, her hands were full of blood as she stumbled and fell. There were bodies everywhere, and blood was overflowing. Ashton and Xan stood amidst the pool of blood and corpses, turning to look back at her. Steven''s body was right beneath their feet. "No!" Stephanie jolted awake abruptly, her breath quickening. She turned on themp and massaged her temples. "Stephie?" Steven woke up as well, hugging her. "Did you have a nightmare?" She nodded and took some sleeping pills from the bedside, downing them with a ss of water. "Don''t be afraid, Stephie. I''m here," Steven said, pulling Stephanie into his embrace. But they both knew that some things, once out of control, were beyond their ability to fix. They did not want to live a life on the run, so they could only hope that No. 9 and Jimmy could take down Genome Society''s hive and protect them. After all, those from the other regions now knew of the secret of the Reincarnation Project. Previously, Michael contacted them in order to create confusion to help Stephanie and Steven escape. But at the same time, it also exposed both of their existence. What Stephanie was worried about now wasn''t No. 9-it was that those from the other regions wouldn''t let them get away. She said, "There''s also Xan and Ashton. I''ve never really understood why Andy created so many of them on that cruise ship. "He trained them using a brutal survival-of-the-fittest method and pitted them against each other, ultimately leaving only the two of them. What exactly was his goal?" Stephanie had always been wary of Ashton and Xan. She had never trusted them, which was why she was jolted awake from such a nightmare. Chapter 793 ?Chapter 793 It was Stephanie''s first time attending a parent-teacher conference in Fullerton International Elementary School as a parent. She found herself feeling somewhat nervous. Steven looked at her and chuckled. "Are you nervous?" Stephanie stubbornly replied, "Who? Me? I''m not at all nervous!" Steven held her hand tight and said, "I''m a little nervous."Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Why are you nervous?" Stephanie coughed awkwardly before saying, "Alright, stop being nervous now. It''s time for parents to enter." She pulled Steven along and entered the school somewhat stiffly. It was her first time being a mother, after all. "Isn''t it enough for just one parent to attend most parent-teacher conferences? This school is really something else," Stephanie muttered under her breath. "They said it''s to promote family harmony," Steven whispered in reply as well. "Oh, are you parents here for the parent-teacher conference as well? You''re both so young!" an enthusiastic parent came to greet them. Steven and Stephanie smiled stiffly and nodded, looking beyond natural. The parent asked, "Which ss is your child in?" "Oh, this school is really expensive! A semester alone costs 20 grand, and that doesn''t even cover the living costs and misceneous fees." This was an elite private school that catered to high-end families. Those who could afford it were all wealthy people from Huma who wanted to give their children a head start in life. Stephanie thought that both Ashton and Xan already had a head start in life. They could have just attended a normal school, yet that good-for-nothing, Michael, just had to send them here. It was impossible to get them to transfer out now that they had both made friends here. "Our children..." Stephanie paused and tried to recall the ss Ashton and Xan were in. "They''re in ss Alpha," Steven softly reminded. Stephanieughed awkwardly and continued, "Right! They''re in ss Alpha." The other parents shot them envious nces. "ss Alpha huh? Not only do your children excel in studies, but you guys must be loaded as well-paying hundreds of thousands per year!" Stephanie''s smile wasn''t quite genuine. She didn''t expect Michael to willingly spend so much on the kids. He used to be so stingy when it came to the "Stephanie" who lost her memories, yet he was quite generous now. "Well, we''ll have to work hard since our children excel in their studies," she replied in a perfunctory manner. Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead as they were surrounded by a group of parents. Steven continued to watch Stephanie while smiling indulgently. He found her truly different now. The old Stephanie wouldn''t have bothered with events like this. She certainly wouldn''t have done things she disliked and feigned civility just to engage in small talk for the kids'' sake. "Is this socialization training for the kids or for us?" she grumbled softly. Steven tightened his hold on her hand and said indulgently, "Our entire family needs to socialize so that we can be a part of society." Taken aback, Stephanie looked up at him. His eyes seemed to sparkle under the sunlight. Once again, she saw the universe contained within the depths of Steven''s eyes. It felt like their lives were filled with new hope. The old Stephanie had felt out of ce and always wanted to escape from this society. She hated it and was unable to see any beauty in it at all. But now, she wanted to be a part of it be it for family, love, or friendship. Humans were social creatures. Even if society wasn''t perfect and darkness existed within, they had to strive to fit in. Perhaps only by truly fitting in could they discover the beauty of it. Chapter 794 ?Chapter 794 Steven and Stephanie sessfully entered Ashton and Xan''s ss under the guidance of the school staff. Xan had apparently rankedst in the entire school and wasn''t technically qualified to get into ss Alpha. However, Michael donated a library to the school, and with Ashton''s exceptional grades, the school allowed her to get into ss Alpha. "Daddy! Mommy!" The children started to call for their parents happily as soon as Steven and Stephanie entered the ssroom. Ashton was the only one sitting upright like a mini adult while Xan sat casually by his side. She remained lost in her own world as she doodled on a paper. "That''s the first ce in our ss, and beside him is a dimwit who can''t speak. We all think she''s mute!" Some of the students were badmouthing Xan and Ashton behind their backs. Stephanie frowned and turned to Steven. They weren''t at all worried that Ashton and Xan might be bullied in school. In fact, they were worried about the opposite. After all, Ashton''s and Xan''s hearing were even more sensitive than their own.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. As expected, a scream was heard when a chair broke. The student who had bad-mouthed Xan fell to the ground and cried. Stephanie looked at Ashton in shock. "Did you do it?" He yed dumb and replied, "What are you talking about, Mom?" Stephanie nced at Steven. She did not even see when Ashton had done it. That inexplicable sense of fear started spreading once again. "Tell me the truth, are you the one who broke your ssmate''s chair? When did you do it?" she asked stubbornly. Her emotions were getting slightly out of control. Ashton stared at Stephanie defiantly. Sometimes, he seemed more simr to her while Xan was more like Steven. Upon sensing the tense situation between the two, Steven hurriedly reached out for Stephanie''s hand. "We''re still in the ssroom, Stephie. Maybe it''s not Ashton''s fault. We''ve been sitting here, and he didn''t move at all." Ashton''s eyes were rimmed red as he huffed in an aggrieved manner. Stephanie calmed herself down, feeling somewhat guilty. Had she wrongfully used him? She had been wary of Xan and him after having that dream. "I''m sorry," Stephanie softly said. Steven stared at her in shock, surprised to find her admitting to her mistake. Ashton was equally stunned. He looked up at her and said after a while, "He always talks bad about Xan, Mom. Dad told me I had to protect her, so I did something to his chair in advance. "Considering his weight and the positions I cut, he''d only fall to the ground in shock and wouldn''t sustain any injuries." Stephanie was taken aback as she looked at him. Ashton was indeed brilliant, and his intelligence was rather intimidating. It was as if he had absorbed all of Steven''s and her smarts. However, she wondered if they could prevent tragedies from happening if they were to properly guide him and channel his smarts in the right way. "I''m sorry, Ashton. I overreacted, thinking that you might''ve hurt your ssmate, but your intentions were good. You did it to protect xan, and you didn''t cross any lines. You''re definitely better than me," Stephanie said with a smile. This was the first time she had genuinely smiled since they got back days ago. Steven looked at them and smiled, finding one''s family to be the best remedy. If the old Stephanie''s soul were an iplete defect, the current Stephanie was gradually healing from it. "For you, Mom." Xan finally finished her drawing and handed it to Stephanie. It was a drawing of the four of them under the sun. They were running along with Stevie in the field. Chapter 795 ?Chapter 795 The teacher, Joyce Hewitt, walked into the ssroom. She nced at the parents and students before smiling." Good afternoon, everyone. Wee to the parent-teacher conference of this semester." She pushed up her sses before presenting her slides. "Normally, we shouldn''t be disclosing students'' scores, but ss Alpha is full of elites and geniuses, where every child has great potential. "As such, we''ll be presenting the scores to the parents and children so that they can understand where they stand. It would also serve as motivation and encouragement for each other." Stephanie nced at Steven and asked, "Are you nervous about seeing the kids'' scores?" He was sitting upright, shaking his head despite clearly looking nervous. She chuckled and grabbed Steven''s hand. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting a warm glow on the desks and chairs of the students. For a brief moment, Stephanie felt disoriented as if everything was all but a dream. When she came back to her senses, she and Steven were still with the children, sitting inside the ssroom while listening to the teacher. "These are the scores of the student who rankedst in ss." Joyce pulled out Xan''s scores and said, "She scored zero in every subject." Resigned, she looked toward Stephanie and Steven and said, "Xandra didn''t even bother putting her name down. Please try to guide her more, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln." The students and parents startedughing as soon as Joyce finished speaking. They were looking mockingly at Stephanie and Steven. "Isn''t this an advanced ss? How could a dimwit who scored zero in exams be allowed to stay here?" Some parents were trying to create trouble. Ashton''s face instantly fell. He looked like an angry beast, raring to protect his sister. Stephanie reached out to pull Xan and him into her embrace. Steven and her each covered the children''s ears. She then looked up at Joyce and said, "My daughter just couldn''t be bothered to answer the papers because she found them too easy. She found answering them a waste of time." The parents roared inughter. "That''s quite a brag! Why not just say your child is at the top of the entire grade instead?" Another parent quipped, "That''s right! A dimwit can''t stay in this ss, which is the school''s biggest investment in terms of money and energy. The best teachers were brought in for this ss. "This is a private school, and education isn''t equal to begin with. She should leave the ss if she can''t keep up with her grades!" The parents started being pushy. Xan looked up at Stephanie and whispered, "I''m sorry, Mom. I''ll answer the papers next time." Stephanie smiled and replied, "You did nothing wrong, Xan. The questions were too easy, so there''s no point answering them in the first ce. But you should learn to respect the exams." Xan nodded and turned to look at Steven obediently. "I''ll answer the papers to the best of my ability, Dad." Steven ruffled Xan''s hair in return. "Alright, let''s give Xandra another chance. If she still scores zero in the next exam..." Joyce looked at Stephanie and Steven apologetically before continuing, "We''ll have no choice then." Both of them remained quiet. Joyce said, "Let''s take a look at the students'' scores one by one." The scores in the ss weren''t too far apart up until the second ce. It was evident that the students in this ss were the cream of the crop. Even the lower-ranking students would be considered top students in any other sses. A parentmented, "Our children''s scores aren''t too far apart. I don''t think the top student would be any better. Another replied, "The main subjects add up to 500 points. It''s impressive enough for them to score around 430 points. Surely, the top student''s score is around that range too. With the difference of scores being so close, the top scorer only got a lucky break." The parents started pouring excuses for themselves. "Today''s focus is to show everyone the scores of our top student." Joyce clicked on the next slide, showing Ashton''s score to everyone. Out of a perfect score of 500 points, Ashton obtained 499 points. Stephanie almost choked on her water when she saw his score. She shot him a re. He was supposed to tone it down. Ashton looked at her innocently, letting her know that he had done his best to tone it down, but the questions were just too easy. A parent eximed, "How could that be? That''s 499 points-just one point short of a perfect score! How did he lose that one point?"Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. "Ashton lost one point because his handwriting was too sloppy," Joyce said, looking regretfully at Ashton." However, he''s still at the top of the entire grade." Chapter 796 ?Chapter 796 Ashton still turned out to be at the top of the entire grade even when he deliberately lost a point. He had failed to tone it down. A parent said, "Where are the parents of the top student? We should really learn from them." Anothermented, "That''s right! Who are Ashton''s parents?" The parents were restlessly looking around for Ashton''s parents. Stephanie and Steven sat there, full of nerves. Ashton and Xan truly couldn''t tone things down at all. "I''d like to invite Ashton''s parents out to share their experience in raising their child." Joyce smiled at both of them. Steven shook his head anxiously. He couldn''t do it when he had social phobia. Stephanie rolled her eyes at him, finding him utterly useless. She then gathered her courage and got to her feet. The parents were shocked. "Both children¡ªthe top student and thest-ranking-are actually from the same family?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "It seems they weren''t joking when they said their daughter couldn''t be bothered to answer the papers." All the parents stared at Stephanie as she walked out. She coughed, finding herself getting nervous. She said, "Well... I have nothing much to share. My husband and I don''t really keep an eye on our children. We''re both young and inexperienced in educating children, so we just let them develop on their own." Stephanie was just stating the truth, but the other parents fell silent upon hearing her humblebrag- They worked hard in educating their children, yet they couldn''t even hold a candle to her, whose child still ended up getting the top spot without her doing anything. "Well, the thing is, my husband and I just focus on building the children''s character and helping them be kind people. As for their grades, it''s all thanks to their teachers!" Stephanie sensibly said. Upon hearing her words, Joyce beamed and hurriedly started pping for her. Steven smiled brightly from his seat, and Stephanie mirrored his smile. They were both genuinely happy. Returning to her seat, each of them carried a child in their arms. They couldn''t help but experience a sense of pride only parents felt. "Your dad and I are both first-time parents, and we kind of became parents unexpectedly. Let''s help each other grow together as a family moving forward," Stephanie whispered to Ashton and Xan. The children exchanged nces before smiling. "It''s our first time bing children to others too." "What''s the most important principle as children?" Steven asked with raised brows. "We can''t make Mom angry, we have to obey Mom, and we need to tell Mom that she''s the prettiest every day," Ashton and Xan recited in smiles. Steven held onto Stephanie''s hand with a smile. "The one family rule we have is this-what my wife says, goes." Stephanie tilted her chin andughed proudly. "Good one!" She could only hope for their family to continue living happily. The principal, Wace Graham, was looking at a school report on hisputer in the principal''s office. He screenshotted the report and sent it to someone. Wiping his sweat away, he carefully typed, "This is Ashton Lincoln''s school report. Although he has reeled in his abilities, it''s evident that he''s a genius." The other person replied, "Very well. Keep observing and nurturing him slowly. Get him to leave Hurma and let Melovia''s top university scout him." They wanted to get Ashton out of the country. It was evident that the other regional branches of Genome Society had their eyes on Ashton now. Chapter 797 ?Chapter 797 Wace personally greeted Stephanie and Steven warmly in the principal''s office. "Please have a seat! We''ve prepared drinks for you. Is the room too hot?" he asked enthusiastically. Stephanie and Steven exchanged nces. Wace was being overly cordial. She smiled and waved a hand. "It''s fine. We''re not thirsty." Steven looked at Wace and asked, "Ms. Hewitt mentioned that you wanted to see us. Is there anything you want to talk to us about?" Wace smiled and said, "Here''s the thing-Ashton is a genius, and it''s such a shame for him to be stuck here. "Some overseas schools have noticed his talent and are offering him a full schrship along with substantial financial support. This is an amazing opportunity for him to receive a top-notch education overseas!" Stephanie leaned against her seat, looking indifferent. Steven could tell with a nce that she had gotten tired of ying nice for the entire day. Wace shouldn''t be pushing her buttons anymore, yet he was oblivious to it. "This is an opportunity that other students couldn''t have!" "Which schools?" Stephanie calmly asked. Wace quickly pulled out the brochures of various prestigious schools abroad. "These are some of the best schools in the world. Ashton can choose from any of them." Stephanie flipped through the brochures and raised her brows. "Are they all schools in Ulophia?" Wace nodded with a smile. "That''s right. Ulophia''s education system is top-notch, excelling in various fields. A genius like Ashton certainly deserves ess to the best opportunities avable!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Stephanie eyed Steven and asked, "What do you think?" "I have no opinions on this," he timidly replied. "I believe our son can receive the best education here, with a great social environment and a safe learning environment," Stephanie rejected. Wace shifted awkwardly when he realized that he wasn''t getting through to her. He then turned to Steven and persuaded, "You''re the head of your family, Mr. Lincoln. It''ll be your call. Surely, you can tell that this is a rare and incredible opportunity-something the other students can only dream of!" Steven timidly shook his head. "My wife''s the one calling the shots in our family." Wace was peeved upon seeing that he wasn''t getting through to either of them. He started threatening them," You''d better think carefully about this. It''s definitely the best choice for Ashton. You might regret not letting him go if his education ends up getting affected." He was implying that Ashton might face difficulties in school in the future if they refused to listen to him. Steven took in a sharp breath, pitying Wace for what was about toe. Stephanie stretched her neck before standing up. "How did my son''s grades get leaked out, Mr. Graham? Shouldn''t the school be protecting the students'' privacy? "I''ve already told you that our son is the safest here. We''re not going overseas, especially not to Ulophia! Do not understand what I''m saying? "If you can''t understand innguage, I''ll let my fists do the talking instead," Stephanie threatened. Wace red angrily at Stephanie, unable to utter anything back. you "Let''s just take it easy, Mr. Graham. We should let them have some time to think it over. Studying overseas is a big deal, after all," his assistant, Li Myers, hurriedly interjected to calm everyone down. Wace huffed and stoppedmenting further. Stephanie took Steven''s hand and said, "Let''s head back." "Such unappreciative people," Wace muttered. After they left, he turned to look at Li. "Find a way to get Ashton''s parents to agree to send him abroad." Li seemed hesitant. "How about we try appealing to Ashton instead? Children nowadays are smart. If we entice him a little, surely, his parents would agree to it if he insists on going." Wace nodded and said, "Hurry up and get it going, then!" Once they returned to the mountaintop vi, Stephanie looked at Steven. "Let''s transfer the kids out. They''re clearly being targeted now." She frowned and cursed, "Is No. 9 stupid? He promised to protect us, yet we were still marked by Ulophia." Steven nodded and asked, "Where should we transfer them to?" "We''ll send them to a public elementary school," Stephanie said with a frown. She thought it was impossible for their reach to be that far. Steven nodded. "We''ll discuss it with the kids when they''re back." Chapter 798 ?Chapter 798 Stephanie gave it some thought before turning to Steven. "What if we just agree to it, Steven?" She had been gnawed at by worry for some time now. She wasn''t worried previously as she had nothing to lose, but she now had Ashton, Xan, and Steven to think about. Steven pulled her into his embrace and softlyforted, "Don''t worry, it''ll be fine. We''re safe here." "But we can''t keep the kids from going overseas. They''ll need to learn and explore the world when they grow up." Stephanie couldn''t bear to imagine trapping Ashton and Xan by their side forever. Was it truly fair for them to live a trapped life as well? "Let''s wait for a little longer," Steven whispered. He selfishly wanted to wait for a little longer. He wanted to stay with the kids as they grew up. He just wanted to indulge himself for a few more years. They were fearless in the past, but now, they only wanted to experience ordinary lives. Stephanie looked at Steven. He didn''t need to say much for her to understand what he was thinking. He wanted to wait for a little longer, keeping Ashton and Xan by their sides and letting them have ordinary lives. They would let them go once the kids grew older and had the ability to take care of themselves. But until then, they needed to pave the way for the kids and help them tackle any dangers that were toe.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Steven smiled and said, "I''m hungry, wifey." Stephanie gave it some thought before replying, "The caretaker is off today. We''ll head out to eat once the kids are back." Steven narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do you trust me, wifey? How about I do the cooking instead?" She pursed her lips and said, "No, I don''t want to eat your cooking." Steven hung his head low, dejected. He was a genius, but he couldn''t cook. It was not that his cooking was inedible-it just didn''t taste good. "We''re back, Mom and Dad!" Ashton and Xan returned before Stephanie could coax Steven. Ashton excitedly said, "Mr. Graham spoke to me today, Dad. He said that my grades have caught the attention of schools overseas." Steven''s face fell. He looked at Stephanie with a frown. She crouched in front of Ashton. "What do you think about this? Do you really want to study overseas?" He nced from Steven to Stephanie, nodding his head. "I want to go overseas." Stephanie frowned and asked, "What about Xan?" "She can stay back with both of you," Ashton replied seriously. "Why must you go overseas? It''s good to stay here too." Stephanie suppressed her temper, wanting to be a good mother who couldmunicate well. "I want to see the outside world. Xan and I lived on the cruise for years, and my knowledge onlyes from theputer. I want to experience something bigger and broader." Ashton insisted on leaving. Stephanie frowned. "I won''t allow it!" There were too many uncontroble factors if he went overseas. "But I still want to go," Ashton said, looking at Steven. "Have I been too nice to youtely, Ashton? How old are you? I don''t mind you leaving, but you have to wait until you''re an adult," Stephanie insisted. Steven got up and grabbed Stephanie. "Let''s get Ashton and Xan back into their rooms while we talk for now." She replied angrily, "What''s there to talk about? I won''t allow it!" Stephanie refused to expose her kids to a life full of danger. She had the responsibility to protect them and watch them grow up safely. Chapter 799 ?Chapter 799Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Ashton fell silent for the longest time without moving. Steven took Stephanie''s hand and dragged her to the side. "Both Ashton and Xan are smart. If we could notice that something was wrong with the principal, surely Ashton must''ve noticed it as well." Taken aback, Stephanie calmed herself down and pondered about it. Only then did she realize what he was saying. Indeed, impulse was an innate human emotion. When you cared too much about someone and ced too much importance in that rtionship, your judgment would be clouded, turning you irrational. Stephanie sat on the couch silently. Before this, she had never thought she was aplete and independent individual. Never had she expected herself to be a mother someday. She went from feeling out of ce among humans to gradually blending in, and now, she had fully assimted. Stephanie chuckled, not necessarily finding it a bad thing. She was now bing more like an ordinary mother and no longer stood out. She no longer bore thebels of " gic modification", "clone", "genius", and "experimental subject". Stephanie was just an ordinary human being. She was willing to blend into ordinary humans and be one of them in order to provide her family with the simplicity and security everyone longed for. "Come here, Ashton." She reached out to Ashton. He walked over to her with his head hung low. Stephanie said, "There are many things you shouldn''t be worried about when you''re still this young. Now that you''re a part of this society, you should focus on fully immersing yourself in the world meant for kids your age. Just leave the rest to us." Sheforted Ashton, reminding him not to bear the risk of growing up in a dangerous ce just to protect his family. He was still young, and this wasn''t something he should be worrying about. "If I slowly blend in after going over, I''ll be able to take over Genome Society once I grow older. I''ll be able to protect all of you then." Ashton nervously nced at Stephanie and Steven, wanting them to believe in him. As he was still young, they wouldn''t be too wary of him. They would surely try to "assimte" him to match their values. Ashton wanted to pretend to be assimted. Like Andy, he wanted to slowly work his way up to the top position of the Ulophia branch of Genome Society. He wanted to be someone who would be able to protect Steven, Stephanie, and Xan. He was determined to shoulder the burden alone. Stephanie smiled, feeling bittersweet. Some things couldn''t be avoided, nor did she want to avoid them. Even Ashton wanted to hold their family together, what more Steven and her? Steven said, "As your parents, it''s our responsibility to protect both of you as you grow. What we want the most is for you to grow up safe, healthy, and happy. We want you two to experience the life that other kids have at least until you be adults." He looked at Ashton and Xan."Remember that it''s our duty as your parents to fight for your future, even if it means making sacrifices. "But if something happens to us along the way, it''ll be up to both of you to carry on our effort. By moving forward generations by generations, we''ll be able toe out of the tunnel and see the light someday." Some things couldn''t be solved by just one generation. They would just take it one step at a time. The gic war had already started, and the future of humanity would only be more bleak. They might be just ordinary people, but since they were involved, they have to work hard for their future. Those who sought immediate gains at the expense of the future should be eliminated as they disregarded the future out of their selfishness. "Alright." Both Ashton and Xan nodded at once, looking determined. They would continue to work hard to grow stronger under Steven and Stephanie''s wings so that they would be able to protect them in return. Humanity''s greatest weakness was emotions, but that was also what had allowed humans to endure for thousands of years. Chapter 800 ?Chapter 800 "We''ll move forward together toward the future." Steven held Stephanie''s, Ashton''s, and Xan''s hands tightly.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. They nodded in determination, united. They would move forward together no matter what the future brought. Stephanie and Steven transferred both Ashton and Xan into a regr public high school. Ashton and Xan adapted quickly. Both of them obtained straight A''s in their first mock exam, tying for first ce in the entire city and earning a spot on their school''s honor roll. This time, Stephanie and Steven were much more at easepared to before when they attended the parent- teacher conference. Their entire family worked hard to y the role of ordinary people, doing their best to blend into society. Since they couldn''t change the world, they learned to blend in and contribute to society using their own means. The government managed to suppress the entire situation after the exposure of Genome Society had caused panic among the society. They then set up their own secret research institution. The government shifted their focus to positive research on gics, inviting Steven and Stephanie to lead the institute. They were responsible for projects rted to DNA and cancer, which saved countless families in the process. That was something they should be doing and was also what they wanted to do. Zion once told them that everyone was born with a purpose, and their existence itself was justified. Genome editing should be strictly prohibited, and clones shouldn''t be used to vite human ethics. However, while science could destroy the world, it could also change it for the better. Humanity and the Earth were just specks in the vast universe, with so many unknowns ahead. It was detrimental to long-term development if they were to focus only on immediate gains. Only through ongoing effort and progress could they truly move forward. Stephanie and Steven finally became part of the ordinary under the government''s protection. They could finally live a peaceful and happy life. Ashton and Xan both gained early admission to a public polytechnic university at the age of 13. They strived to drive progress for the country and society using their skills and knowledge. "We''re having a party today to celebrate the kids'' admission into the advanced ss!" Zion and the others had arrived. Eason even brought Joel along. Joel smugly extended his hand to Ashton and Xan. "Congrattions on bing my juniors, guys!" Stephanie couldn''t help butugh in amusement. Simeon was once scouted into the advanced ss in his teens, and he was only in his 20s now. He had just gotten epted into graduate school, and now, he was already fellow students with Ashton and Xan in the same college. They might even be colleagues in the future. Eason chuckled and said, "You brats should get along well. As their senior, you should take good care of Ashton and Xan, Joel." Joel replied angrily, "Whose side are you on? How dare you let Steven and Stephanie take advantage of me!" Their rtionship was getting all mixed up. "Come try my cooking, guys! I made m chowder, garden sd, and barbecued ribs." Steven excitedly served his food to the others. Joel, Ashton, and the others immediately stopped smiling. They turned to look at Stephanie and said, "Let''s just head out to eat instead." Steven''s food looked beyond unappetizing. Chapter 801 ?Chapter 801 "Experiment starting. Loading data... Recording data¡ª" A sharp sound pierced through the air in the cruise''s test chamber. A heavy iron door swung open, revealing specially bred attack dogs. They were simting wilderness survival by tossing newborn infants into a simted primitive jungle environment to see if they could survive on their own. The cries of the children soon attracted the dogs. They pounced over and started tearing the children apart. The stench of blood soon permeated the test chamber. Red light was shing continuously from the test chamber. It went from the original green to red, indicating that the experimental subjects in theb capsule were no longer alive. "Fewer than seven persons out of 20 pairs of the participating experimental subjects survived. The data shows that human infants don''t have the ability to survive in the wild alone." "Only one experimental subject each from test chambers no. 8, no. 12, and no. 20 survived, while both experimental subjects from test chamber no. 9 survived." "Number the experimental subjects and record their data." The person sitting in front of the monitor was recording everything that had happened. Their goal was to trigger passive "evolution" after the modification, rbine, and naturally integrate the genes through environmental stimtion. This experimental project was named the Ster Project. They aimed to create a batch of humans whose brain development and physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary humans. All of the experimental subjects were given the unified code "Ashton Lincoln" and "Xandra Carlson". They were products of a perfectbination of the previous generation''s gic modifications and natural breeding, making them stronger than "Stephanie Carlson". From the moment they were born, they were thrown into various test chambers and forced to undergo various experiments designed to promote the "natural" evolution of their genes. "I''m scared, Ashton..." "Don''t be, I''ll protect you." "Data shows that the innate emotions of the experimental subjects in test chamber no. 9 can''t be obliterated ¡ª" "Can we escape from here, Ashton?" "We can." "What if they refuse to let us go even after we escape?" "We''ll just have to kill them all, then." Yearster, Stephanie and Steven entered the test chamber and brought the experimental subjects out of the cargo ship.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. However, the forced evolution experiments of Genome Society did not just end there. "Both experimental subjects from test chamber no. 9 survived. All other experimental subjects have been destroyed." "Both experimental subjects have entered society as nned." "The socialization experiment is about to begin." Ashton was ying basketball in Huma University''s basketball court six yearster. His ssmates rushed over in a hurry. "Your sister fainted, Ashton!" "Go check on your sister, Ashton! She passed out, and she has dark blooding out from her nose!" Ashton''s face fell. He then hurriedly ran toward the lecture hall. Ashton grew up in an ordinary and harmonious family. At over six feet tall, he towered over Steven and had a physique stronger than average. He constantly excelled in everything be it in sports, the arts, or academics. Not only was Ashton cheerful and sociable, but he was also good-looking. There were even talent scouts following him around on the streets. At a young age, he was already a star on the campus forums. He had countless women vying for his attention, with his desk constantly filled with love letters. Even the teachers and the principal had a soft spot for him. After all, he was a rare talent. Stephanie and Steven were bothid-back parents with a hands-off approach. They didn''t interfere much as long as their children were healthy. However, their only condition was that Ashton and Xan weren''t allowed to go abroad until they were of age. Chapter 802 ?Chapter 802 "Xan!" Ashton cried out. Xan, who had been rehearsing a dance with her ssmates in the dance studio, suddenly fainted. It happened without any warning, and there were traces of dark blooding from her nose. "I''ll send her to the hospital. Give my mom a call, Zachary!" Ashton asked his best friend, Zachary Cooke, to call Stephanie. He then hurriedly ran to the hospital with Xan in his arms. Stephanie and Steven rushed over to Huma Hospital. They were anxiously waiting for the doctor''s test results. "There''s nothing wrong with your daughter''s health," the doctor said, perplexed. Why did Xan suddenly taint when all her test results came back normal? Stephanie held onto her hand worriedly in the hospital ward. She had long since bonded with both Ashton and Xan after all these years of living together. "Don''t worry, Mom. She''s not ill, so she''ll wake up soon," Ashtonforted her. Stephanie nodded and replied, "You should head back to the campus for now. Your dad and I will watch over Xan." Ashton nodded and nced at his watch. "I''ll head back for now since I still have an afternoon ss." "That''s weird." Stephanie sat by the hospital bed as she watched Xan. "If she''s not ill, why would she suddenly faint and even have a nosebleed?" Steven said nothing. He stood behind her and ced his hands around her shoulders. Time hadn''t left much of a mark on their faces. They only looked more mature andposed now. "Mom..." Xan called out despite still being unconscious. "I''m here," Stephanie replied as she gently wiped Xan''s face. Stephanie brought Xan back home the same night. Since the hospital said she wasn''t ill, they decided to let her rest at home. However, Xan remained unconscious. She showed no signs of regaining consciousness even until the next day. Stephanie started panicking and hurried out of her bedroom. She had a handful of hair in her clutch. "Something''s wrong with Xan, Steven! She''s losing so much hair!" Xan was suddenly losing hair even when she was unconscious. She even had dark blooding out of her nose. No one knew what was going on with her. "Why is this happening? How about we bring her to a bigger hospital for a check-up instead?" Stephanie asked anxiously. As a mother, she was unable to calm herself down. "I... received an email from No. 9. Both Ashton and Xan are experimental subjects from Genome Society''s headquarters'' experiment regarding evolution," Steven said after a long pause. Stephanie tensed up and turned around abruptly. "When did you receive it?" She did not even know when Steven received an email like that. "Half a year ago..." He hung his head low, not daring to meet her eyes. "So, you''ve been keeping it a secret from me since half a year ago?" Stephanie frowned as she stepped forward and looked at Steven. "You told me that you were bringing Xan out for a trip a while back. Did you bring her to your institution instead?" Steven nervouslyforted her, "Xan was the one who told me not to tell you guys. She didn''t want to worry you." "What do you mean?" Stephanie frowned. "Ashton''s development is all normal, but Xan has some gic mutation. New genes have appeared at multiple sites, recing original ones. However, unlike other mutations, we still can''t tell what kind of impact it would bring to Xan," Steven softly said.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Gic mutation usually urs during DNA replication, which is an important factor in biological evolution. Genome Society has been experimenting on pairs of children..." Stephanie stumbled backward, feeling weak in the knees. She then asked, "Has No. 9 notpletely taken over Genome Society yet?" "It''s not that easy. There''s always someone better than him," Steven said, shaking his head. The true Genome Society was a vastwork of interests, with a coordinator above all regions. The mystery and power of that coordinator surpassed everyone''s expectations and understanding. "Genome Society''s evolution experiment isn''t new. We''ll still need to keep Xan under further observation for now. Steven was trying to calm Stephanie down. "How can I stay calm? Xan is considered a rare individual with a gic mutation. You''d know best how rare that is among higher organisms! If Xan''s mutation is defined as beneficial or aligns with someone''s research interests, what do you think her future will look like?" She was already panicking. Genome Society would never let Xan go. Her existence would be far more valuable and tempting to them than Stephanie, Steven, and Ashtonbined. Terms like "reincarnation", "immortality", "agelessness", and "evolution", which seemed to have only existed in science fiction in the past, were gradually bing reality. Such realization brought immense fear to people like Stephanie and Steven. Chapter 803 ?Chapter 803 "The kids have their own paths to take," Steven said, holding onto Stephanie''s hand. What he said was right. Ashton and Xan had their own paths to take. As parents, all they could do was to be their strong support. "I''ve already contacted No. 9. We''ll take action when it''s necessary." Steven looked at Stephanie. No one could touch his wife and kids, who he cherished dearly. "Is Xan alright, Dad?" Back at Huma University, Ashton gave Steven a call. He was worried about Xan. "She''s fine, don''t worry. Just focus on your studies," Steven replied, trying to lessen his worries. Like any other ordinary father-and-sons, they would asionally have heart-to-heart talks. However, neither of them were any good at expressing themselves. Ashton said, "Maybe you should stop cooking, Dad. You''re not improving even after all these years. I went home yesterday, and the ms were full of sand. I''m feeling a little sick now." Fortunately, his stomach was strong. Otherwise, he might have started suspecting Steven had slipped him something. "You can cook the next time, then," Steven replied, somewhat annoyed. "What I mean is that you have to ept your weakness, Dad." Ashtonughed helplessly. Steven had everything going for him-good looks, a youthful appearance, and a mature demeanor. Unfortunately, he had zero self-care ability. Not only had he not improved after all these years of cooking, but he even struggled with doingundry. Ashton couldn''t help but wonder how a genius like Steven could be so helpless in his daily life, but he found no answer to it. "What do you know?" Steven replied indifferently. "Your mom would''ve left long ago if not for my struggle in daily life." Thest time Stephanie was out on a business trip, their entire family was admitted to the hospital for food poisoning. Apparently, the mushrooms were still raw. Simrly now, Ashton felt that he was suffering from food poisoning again. Something would surely happen to them every time Stephanie went on a business trip. It turned out that Steven was doing it on purpose-all just to make her worried and not leave him alone. Ashton''s eyes widened in disbelief when he found out that he and Xan were roped into their romantic y. "You''re truly heartless to us when ites to Mom, Dad," he said while gritting his teeth. "What are you talking about? You''re still alive and well, aren''t you?" Steven ended the call in annoyance. Ashton stared at his phone in a resigned manner. There was nothing he could do about his own father, after all. "Why hasn''t your dad beening over to pick you up, Ashton?" Recently, the seniors from the graduate department had been constantly trying to flirt with Ashton.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. When Steven first came to the university to deliver something to him, everyone thought Steven was Ashton''s older brother. The older women who had been pursuing Ashton all had a change of heart. "Do you need me for anything?" Ashton asked. "Oh, not really... Are your dad and mom on good terms?" the senior asked with a smile. It was evident that she was vying to be Ashton''s stepmother if Steven and Stephanie were on bad terms. "My dad can''t live without my mom," Ashton replied with a wry smile. Everyone would be in trouble if their rtionship soured. The senior looked somewhat disappointed. "Alright then." "Ashton!" Just as Ashton was about to leave, a luxury car stopped by the roadside. Michael got out of the car and looked around warily. He only spoke once he made sure that Stephanie wasn''t around. "Come with me." Ashton rushed over excitedly. "Why haven''t you been contacting me recently, Michael?" "Do I look like I dare to?" Michael said ominously. In order to ensure his family''s safety, Ashton secretly contacted someone from Genome Society over at Melovia. Michael tried to stop him once he found out but ended up being persuaded by Ashton. All this while, Michael had been feeling guilty and remorseful toward Stephanie. He wanted to make amends and secretly protect her as best as he could. As such, he secretly reached out to Ashton. Chapter 804 ?Chapter 804 However, Stephanie was smart enough to know that nothing good woulde out of Ashton getting close to Michael. She had warned them multiple times but to no avail. Upon finding out that Michael was introducing foreign coborators to Ashton, she stormed into hispany and gave him a harsh p.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Michael was known as a cold and ruthless CEO to the public. The story of how Stephanie stormed into hispany to p him had spread like wildfire, yet he did not even make a fuss about it. In fact, Michael dared not do anything of that sort. "Have those from Melovia agreed to the coboration, Michael?" Ashton asked softly. He wanted to protect Steven and Stephanie by his own means. He wanted to infiltrate Genome Society. Michael replied, "They''ve agreed to it, but your parents won''t. I''m telling you, Ashton, don''t put me in a tough spot. Your mom will truly kill me." He pulled the car over to the side and looked at Ashton sternly. "Thest time your mom found out that I introduced clients to you, she stormed into mypany and pped me. That was her warning," Stephanie was the kind of person who wouldn''t let things slide. She gave a warning the first time and a p the second time. She might just end him for the third time. Michael tugged at his tie nervously. "I don''t want to die yet, so I can''t help you out. It''s best for you to give up too. Your parents have their own ns." "Am I supposed to stay under my parents'' protection forever, doing nothing? They can protect Xan and I for now, but they can''t do it forever. What if" Ashton frowned. What if Stephanie and Steven couldn''t handle it either and ended up getting hurt in the process? "What I''m doing is right, Michael. We have to be prepared for the worst. You need to find a way to send me overseas." Ashton insisted on studying overseas. He was no longer a child, and he had to do something. "Just kill me instead," Michael mumbled, reaching out to massage his temples. Stephanie would make sure he suffered if he tried to persuade Steven and her to let Ashton go overseas. "Is this all you''ve got? My mom..." Even Ashton shuddered at the thought. She was truly terrifying. "How about you give it a try, Michael? Just do it for my mom''s sake," he tried to reason with Michael. Michael gritted his teeth and said, "I''ll head over to your house tonight to sound your mom out first." "I knew you''d help me out, Michael!" Ashton cheered happily. "It''s an unknown world outside. The darkness in Ulophia is just the tip of the iceberg. The plutocrats and certain organizations control everything. It''s a vast ocean of sin that you can''t even grasp." Michael thought that Ashton was still too young for this. "I''ll never know how vast the world is if I stay protected forever." Ashton insisted on leaving. Now that he was all grown up, he wanted to protect those he cherished. As such, he had to mature and grow stronger. "I''ll try..." Michael replied helplessly. Steven was busying himself in his kitchen. Stephanie walked over and hugged him from the back. "Just leave the vegetables here once you''re done. I''ll do the cooking." "Okay." He looked disappointed, seemingly unhappy to be dismissed. However, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He was intentionally feigning helplessness so that Stephanie would continue to dote on him. Who else would spoil him endlessly otherwise? "Go check if Xan has woken up," she softly said. Stevie was barking outside, and Stephanie instantly knew that it was Michael who hade. Whenever Michael came over, Stevie would only bark thrice. If it was Joel, Stevie would bark twice. If Eason and the others showed up, Stevie would howl instead. "Why did youe uninvited?" Stephanie picked up the kitchen knife from the table and walked out. Michael bit back whatever he was about to say when he saw the kitchen knife. "Well, it''s nothing, Stephie..." Ashton, who was leaning against the door, rolled his eyes. He knew that Michael couldn''t be trusted. He straightened up and mustered his courage. "The university has openings for overseas study, Mom. I want to apply for a slot." Ashton was prepared to be scolded or beaten up by Stephanie after that. Chapter 805 ?Chapter 805 Stephanie fell silent. She spoke up after a long time, "Let''s eat first. Go wash your hands." "Where''s Xan?" Only then did Ashton realize that Xan was nowhere around. "She''s still unconscious," Stephanie said with her head lowered. Ashton''s expression fell. "Why is she still unconscious? Didn''t the doctor say she''s fine?" It had been a while since then. "Go wash your hands." Stephanie sent Ashton away before turning to look at Michael. He instinctively stepped backward as he was afraid of her. "Stephie." "Are you confident that you can protect him?" Stephanie asked. Taken aback, Michael shook his head. "I''m sorry, that region is beyond my reach. You''re also aware that that region is..." He was implying that the Ulophia region was a lot moreplicated. Stephanie frowned. Deep down, she knew that Michael wasn''t capable to that extent. "But I''ll do my best," he said again. He wanted to make it up to Stephanie, so he would alsopensate through Ashton and Xan. Stephanie did not reply to him. She said, "Let''s eat. Go wash your hands." Michael was stunned. This was her first time offering him to stay for a meal. All these years, he had to shamelessly stay back to have a meal with them. With teary eyes, he ran into the washroom with barely contained excitement. He smiled helplessly when he saw his own reflection in the mirror. Back then, if only he had... However, there was no room for "what ifs" in this world. Michael had to ept the consequences of his own mistakes. He would never get back the Stephanie who used to belong to him anymore, and it was all his fault. Xan remained deep asleep in the bedroom. However, other than that, it was evident that she was healthy. "She''s even snoring," Ashton mumbled as he caressed her forehead. Xan''s light snores indicated that she was only sleeping. She would even turn over in her sleep, frowning whenever she was disturbed in her sleep. She just wouldn''t wake up.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. "Her brain is unusually active, and her neurons are dividing rapidly. In other words, her brain is currently functioning and developing at a high speed," Steven softly said. It meant that Xan''s brain was evolving, but the downside was that she needed a lot of rest. "So, that means she''s not unconscious, but her brain is overworked and has shut itself down. That''s why she''s asleep?" Ashton asked in surprise. Steven nodded and replied, "That''s one way to put it." "Well then..." Ashton let out a relieved sigh, but he was still worried. "Why is her brain constantly so active?" Steven replied, "That''s because both of your genes have been modified. Besides, Genome Society created you to allow both of you to actively evolve." They wanted to create a whole new evolved humankind. Ashton frowned and looked at Steven. "Xan and I will never be truly safe if we don''t get rid of Genome Society, Dad. 11 Steven nodded. "Help me convince Mom to allow me to go overseas." Ashton wanted to venture out on his own. He wanted to protect Steven, Stephanie, and Xan by his own means. "You don''t have to put your dad in a difficult position. I''ll allow you to go," Stephanie said, walking in. She walked over to the bed and caressed Xan''s forehead, finding her still in a fever. "You shouldn''t disturb xan. She needs a lot of rest," Stephanie said, asking Ashton and Steven to head out. "I''ve already given Xan her glucose and nutrient solution," Steven said, wanting to lessen her worries. "It''s time for you to eat, then," Stephanie replied in a low mood. Neither Ashton nor Steven dared to interject. Michael kept quiet at the dining table, and so did everyone else. "You should leave after you''re done eating." Steven nced at him, finding him an eyesore. Chapter 806 ?Chapter 806 Having grown a little more shameless over the years, Michael ignored Steven and continued eating. However, he dared not overstay his wee. He left after he was done eating. Ashton carefully asked, "Are you really allowing me to study overseas, Mom?" "You''re all grown up now. As Xan''s older brother, you''re her support, and you''ll have to take up this responsibility. "Stephanie looked at him and continued, "Your sister is evolving, Ashton, and you know what this entails." They couldn''t let anyone find out about this. Stephanie and Steven would protect Xan. Ashton, on the other hand, would need to take another approach. He had to infiltrate Genome Society to prevent any future threats. If Genome Society were to find out about Xan and discover that their experiment back then had seeded, she would be in grave danger. Ashton nodded and looked at her determinedly. "Don''t worry, Mom. I''ll protect Xan." As her older brother, he would surely keep her safe. Ashton went overseas for his studies, and Steven and Stephanie arranged for Xan to take a leave of absence from the university. Xan remained sleepy most of the time. Out of 24 hours in a day, she was asleep for 20, with only a few waking hours. But gradually, she spent more time being awake. Her pupils had also turned into a golden brown color. "You have to wear colored lenses if you''re going out, Xan." Stephanie was worried that Xan''s changes might catch the attention of others. "It''s so noisy, Mom," Xan said, covering her ears. She could hear many sounds Stephanie couldn''t, and everything was too noisy for her. Despite her covering her ears tight, she could still hear the ringing noises. Xan had been an autistic child lost in her own world since she was young. She never spoke to anyone else other than her family. With how withdrawn she was, Stephanie never imagined Xan would be the one to evolve sessfully. Stephanie and Steven had always thought that Ashton would be the one targeted instead. "Xan?" Xan suddenly ran out into the courtyard, where Stevie was barking madly. With her eyes closed and fists clenched, she looked like she was truly irritated by all the noise. Stephanie and Steven came running out, looking at her. The sky was dark as Xan stood with her eyes shut under the rain. Suddenly, she snapped them open and nced to the side. A drone fell to the ground after she threw a pen out, hitting it. A drone had been monitoring their every move in the vi. Stephanie stared at the drone in shock. Their home had long been under surveince, and they had been living under the watchful eye of the camera. "Could you actually hear the drone, Xan?" she asked as she stared at the drone. It was an advanced model that was unavable in their country. It made almost no noise at all. "The air was vibrating..." Xan looked at a butterfly that was fluttering its wings in the rain. "The noise..." She could even notice the fluttering of the butterfly''s wings.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Someone''sing, Mom and Dad." Xan strained her ears as she listened to the sounds amidst the rain. "They''re at the foot of the mountain, around the bend of the winding road... They''re speeding at 70 miles per hour and still elerating. Their estimated arrival time will be in ten minutes." Steven warily shielded Stephanie and her behind his back, watching the entrance of the vi. Stephanie was tightly holding onto her hand, equally alert. "Eason and Joel are here too, Mom. They''re right behind the other car," Xan said again. Stephanie turned to look at her, surprised. "You can even hear that?" Xan replied awkwardly, "It''s not that... Eason''s car is a little old, and the brakes are always making noise. I can tell it''s him as soon as I hear the brake pads." Eason had be extremely frugal ever since he found Joel. He refused to change his old car, saying that he wanted to save up to build a vi next to Steven''s. Chapter 807 ?Chapter 807 "You should head indoors, Xan." Steven tugged at Xan, asking her to go into the living room. Stephanie nodded at her as well. Although Xan seemed nervous, she obediently returned to the living room and hid behind the door. Stephanie nced at Steven. "I''ve called the police and contacted Zion earlier. Eason and Joel are also behind that car, so it shouldn''t be a big problem."Content ? N?velDrama.Org. He grabbed her hand and said, "We''re not sure what they''re here for yet." Xan was right-the car stopped at the entrance of the vi ten minutester. Several teenagers came out of the car-three guys and a girl. They looked no older than Ashton and Xan. Stephanie frowned, wondering why some brats hade over. The teenage boy who had been driving shed her a smile. "We''re looking for these two, miss. Have you seen them?" He slowly made his way over to Stephanie while holding a photo in his hand. Steven reached out to pull her behind his back warily. The boy walked over and showed the photo to them. It was a photo of Ashton and Xan in theboratory when they were younger. There was blood all over both of them as they stood in the middle of a pile of corpses, looking indifferent. There was a string of numbers tattooed behind their necks it was the codes of each experimental subject. Stephanie''s expression paled. After she took in Ashton and Xan as her own, she brought them to get their experimental codes removed. She wanted the two of them to live a happy and ordinary life, forgetting everything about theboratory and their pasts. However, someone still came after them and tried to bother their family. "Considering you''re all still young, I''d ask you to go back where youe from. Tell Genome Society not to touch my son and daughter, otherwise..." Steven''s voice went lower. "I''ll go after them and destroy thempletely." Over the years, his anger had mostly been tempered by Stephanie, Ashton, Xan, and his colleagues in theboratory. However, he was still rather intimidating when it came to his children''s safety. The teenage boy stared at Steven, momentarily intimidated. However, he started tough maniacally soon enough. He stepped back and looked at Steven. "You''re just a gically modified clone subject-not even a first- generation." His gaze darkened as he swiftly pulled a gun out at Steven. Xan anxiously ran out of the house, yet the boy was too quick. "This brat doesn''t show any respect to his elders." Stephanie pushed Steven aside and kicked the boy away. "He''s even using a gun here." She chuckled coldly. Before she could do anything, Xan lifted the family''s most valuable piece¡ªan antique porcin vase-and smashed it onto the boy''s head. Steven felt heartbroken seeing his porcin vase broken but said nothing when he decided that Stephanie and Xan were more important. However, the teenage boy was unharmed despite having a vase smashed into his head. He shed Xan a smile and said, "We meet again, 1345X." She looked at him warily. The other teenage boys who came with him were merely watching from the side, as if they weren''t nning to take any action. "Where''s Ashton?" the boy asked as he stood up. He was here for Ashton and almost disregarded Xanpletely." Without him..." They assumed that Xan wouldn''t have survived until now without Ashton. Both Stephanie and Steven were aware that Xan was the experimental subject sought after by Genome Society, but they couldn''t expose her. "Listen to me, Xan. Go back to the living room," Stephanie whispered, wanting to calm her down. Xan was breathing rapidly, her chest heaving noticeably. She was clenching her hands tightly as her emotions teetered on the edge of spiraling out of control. Chapter 808 ?Chapter 808 "Mom and Dad are fine, Xan. Listen to me, these brats aren''t a big deal to the both of us," Steven softlyforted Xan as he pulled her over. "Be good." They absolutely couldn''t expose Xan. "What are you doing? Am I invisible to you, you brats?" Joel said, jumping out of the car. The teenage boys all looked at him with disdainful smiles. To them, Joel and Steven were the same-they were both clone subjects unworthy of their attention. Clone subjects were just like white mice-they were the most worthless things in Genome Society''sboratory. On the other hand, they believed themselves superior, being products of first-generation evolution experiments. Eason frowned. He got out of the car with his gun and looked at the teenage boys. "I noticed something fishy about you guys when we were still at the foot of the mountain. You even dare to shoot now? I''m bringing you all back to the police station with me!" Sirens could be heard from afar, and Zion was leading the other officers over. "We''re only here to remind you today. We''re responsible for bringing those who betrayed Genome Society back." The boy tossed the photo of Ashton and Xan over, embedding it directly into the wooden door frame. It was evident that he was extremely strong. The boy eyed Stephanie with a smile before saying, "You''d better tell your son to be careful, miss." He then arrogantly made a throat-slitting move. The teenage boys jumped into their car and rammed into Eason''s old car before driving off arrogantly. As they were all teenagers, Eason couldn''t hurt them and only fired a warning shot. He looked at his wrecked car and cursed, "I have no choice but to change my car now!" The police cars hit the brakes immediately in hopes of intercepting them, yet the teenager''s driving skills were as shy as those in the movies. The teenspletely disregarded them. "Fuck!" Joel cursed, frowning as he watched the car speed down the winding road. "Are those lunatics after Ashton and Xan?" "They''re after Ashton," Steven said, clenching his fists. They figured that Ashton''s obvious show of talent had caught the eye of Genome Society. Meanwhile, they deemed Xan-who was autistic and had lived in her own world since young-as a defect. Those people were here to catch Ashton this time. They came over to the vi not only to warn Stephanie and Steven. It was also to remind Ashton-who was currently away that Genome Society had had their eyes on his family now. Regardless of where he escaped to, they would definitely catch him. The reason why Stephanie had suddenly agreed to let Ashton go overseas was also to protect him. With him being targeted, it was a matter of time before he was captured by the leader of the evolution experiment. Instead of letting that happen, it would be better for Ashton to head overseas to coborate with the leader of the Ulophia branch. That way, he could slowly integrate with them. That way, those from the evolutionboratory would have to think twice even if they wanted to take him away. Or maybe it would turn into a dog-eat-dog situation within Genome Society. The interest-oriented faction headed by Andy and the leaders from the other regions primarily focused on experiments rted to immortality and reincarnation. Meanwhile, the mastermind behind the evolution experiment was nothing short of the "lunatic" in Genome Society. Their only focus was human evolution-forced evolution. In the eyes of these lunatics, if humans weren''t forced to evolve, they would soon be eliminated by nature.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. The increasingly harsh living environment would eliminate most of the weak, leaving only the select few worthy of pursuing "immortality". Otherwise, it would be pointless even if they had the technology to reincarnate and achieve immortality. As such, evolution was a cruel experiment these lunatics had to force through. It also meant that there would be no escape for Xan and Ashton. However, they wouldn''t be alone in facing the danger this time-they had Steven, Stephanie, Joel, Eason, Zion, Michael, and the others with them. Chapter 809 ?Chapter 809 Huma returned to its normalcy for a good while after the teenagers came to stir things up. While Stephanie and Steven continued to stay vignt, they could tell what was going on. Ashton had drawn the attention of those from theboratory to himself by making waves overseas. Although they were worried for him, they knew he was fulfilling his duty as an older brother. "Stevie!" Xan was ying with Stevie in the courtyard, their heads touching as they soaked up the sun. Stephanie leaned against Steven''s shoulders as she sipped on some tea. She was starting to get health-conscious now. The world was never truly tranquil-someone had to bear the burden, after all. Steven and Stephanie carried that burden for the first half of their lives, and they could temporarily pass the baton to Ashton now.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Stephanie sipped on her tea gratefully. "I finally understand the joys of having a son." Steven felt resigned. Ashton was meant to stick his neck out. Both of them were aware of his abilities. Even if those from theboratory were targeting him, they wouldn''t be able to touch him for a while. Steven and Stephanie could still step in when there truly was no way out. After all, those people weren''t after Ashton''s life. With theboratory''s attention diverted, Xan could finally grow up healthy and live an ordinary life. Although the immediate threat from theboratory was temporarily under control, new challenges were already on the horizon. Unfortunately, Xan fell in love. Stephanie was the one who found out about it. With her keen maternal instinct, she noticed some difference in Xan''s usual daydreaming. Before this, Xan''s daydreaming was marked by a nk expression and lifeless eyes, as if she were lost in her own world. But now, she started to giggle even when daydreaming in a corner. This gave Stephanie the shock of her life. "Something''s off with Xan!" She immediately alerted Steven, wanting toe up with a n. Xan was indeed of age by now, and it wasn''t umon for ordinary university students to be dating at this age. But Xan wasn''t any ordinary university student, which left Steven and Stephanie rather worried. So, as research professionals, the two of them took on the role of secret agents and tailed Xan. However, it was impossible for Xan not to notice their presence with her extraordinary sense. Xan was happily trailing behind a young man as they made their way to the university cafeteria. That young man looked about six feet tall, and while he looked slim in clothes, it was evident he had some muscles beneath them. He had a bright and cheerful demeanor-definitely a typical boy-next-door type. "Do you want that?" The young man seemed to indulge in Xan a lot, allowing her to tug on his shirt and keep close to him. She looked in the direction where he pointed and saw a fried chicken stall that had the longest line. She nodded. The young man smiled and patted Xan''s head. "Stay here and wait for me while I go get some for you." She nodded obediently and slowly released her hold on his shirt, waiting for him dutifully. Xan kept her word to the young man and did not move from her spot, but someone carelessly bumped into her. She felt bewildered. She could calcte the person''s trajectory, thus she could tell that the collision was intentional. The young woman who had bumped into her even had the nerve to me Xan. She pointed at Xan and yelled, " What''s wrong with you? Why are you blocking the road, you weirdo? How did a dimwit like you get into the advanced ss anyway? "Let me guess your parents pulled some strings to get you in, didn''t they? Or is your brother so smart that they allowed a buy-one-get-one deal?" The people around joined in tough at Xan. They felt bold enough to bully her without Ashton around. "Let''s see who''s here to protect you now that your brother has gone to study abroad-"The young woman was about to hit Xan as well. Stephanie, who was hiding in a corner in sunsses and a t hat, pushed her sleeves up. She was about to step in when Steven held her back. He said softly, "You can''t be interfering every time." Left with nowhere to vent, Stephanie elbowed Steven. Chapter 810 ?Chapter 810 Feeling wronged, Steven rubbed his chest pitifully. There was nothing else he could do other than to indulge Stephanie.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Are you guys crazy?" Xan wasn''t nning to avoid the hit, yet the young woman''s p did notnd on her. Her hand was grabbed and pushed away by the young man. He looked livid as he said, "Ashton went overseas, but I''m still here. Try bullying her again if you dare!" Xan''s eyes were almost shooting hearts as she looked at the young man''s back dreamily. Stephanie was exasperated. She forgot that Xan was at the age when she was into blondes-which meant nothing but trouble. "Xan''s eyes are shining!" Unlike Stephanie, Steven was beyond delighted to see that Xan was starting to act more like a regr youngdy. Stephanie felt frustrated knowing that he, as a father, couldn''t understand what she, as a mother, was worried about. She was concerned that Xan might experience heartbreak from getting hurt by jerks. Unable to vent, she elbowed him once again. Steven was stunned, wondering why he had to be elbowed twice when he did not say anything wrong at all. Meanwhile, the young man shielded Xan behind his back and said, "I better not catch you bullying her again!" "She''s a dimwit, Timothy Ford! What do you even like about her that you have to bring her along everywhere?" that young woman spat, pointing angrily at xan. "What''s so great about her anyway?" Stephanie was seething in the corner. "What? He''s a Ford? He''s definitely a jerk!" She pushed up her sleeves and was about to lunge forward once again, but Steven held her tight in his arms. "He probably isn''t rted to Michael," he hurriedlyforted her. Stephanie elbowed Steven once again. "Why must you bring him up out of nowhere?" Meanwhile, Michael, who was protecting Ashton on the other side of the globe, would probably feel aggrieved if he knew what Stephanie had said about him. "My uncle asked me to take care of her. She''s Ashton''s sister, so she''s just like my sister as well. Don''t create unnecessary trouble!" Timothy said with a frown. He then held Xan''s wrist, wanting to leave with her. Stephanie was in a fit. She wanted to head over. "Uncle? Who''s his uncle?" She would have to cut off any possibilities between Xan and that young man if his uncle turned out to be Michael. "Calm down," Steven coaxed while hugging Stephanie. Timothy took Xan''s hand and walked off, but she suddenly stopped moving. He turned to look at her, asking, "What''s wrong?" Xan was nkly looking toward a corner. "My mom and dad..." She wondered why Steven and Stephanie were constantly fighting, but soon realized that this was her university. Why would they be fighting here? Was this some sort of a new game for them? While Steven continued to calm Stephanie down by hugging her, Xan was already standing in front of them. Upon realizing they had exposed themselves, they straightened themselves up, looking embarrassed. "Oh, what a coincidence, Xan!" "Haven''t you been following me since I went out, Mom and Dad?" Xan bluntly called them out, looking nkly at them as she wondered what they were up to now. "Come here." Stephanie nned to steal her away to give her a good talking to. She wanted Xan to stay away from jerks. "What''s your rtionship with Xan?" she asked, eyeing Timothy warily. He scratched his head and said, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, I''m Ashton''s best friend. Before he went overseas, he told me to take care of Xan in the university. There''s nothing between-" "Why are you holding her hand if there''s nothing between the two of you? Don''t you know it''s impolite to do that? What a jerk!" Stephanie scolded him before pulling Xan away. Steven took a deep breath and patted Timothy''s shoulder. "Don''t take it to heart. She might have misunderstood you." Timothy scratched his head again before mumbling, "Do I look like a jerk?" Steven studied him carefully and found that he really did look like one. Meanwhile, Xan quietly defended Timothy, "He''s not a jerk, Mom!" Stephanie got angrier and said, "How is he not a jerk? He looks exactly like a jerk!" As expected, the more she looked at Timothy, the more she found him resembling Michael. She was sure that he was a jerk. Chapter 811 ?Chapter 811 "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln." Just as Stephanie wanted to take Xan away from the cafeteria, they met Zachary, who just came from a basketball game. Zachary, Ashton, and Timothy were best friends, but Ashton had only introduced Zachary to Stephanie and Steven. The reason was evident not only did Timothy resemble Michael, but they were even rtives. "Are you going home, Xan?" Zachary looked at Xan, confused. "Don''t you still have sses in the afternoon?" Her eyes were red as she sniffled and said, "My mom... is bringing me home."Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Bewildered, Zachary nced over to Timothy, who was nearby. "Did something happen?" "Xan isn''t feeling well, so I''m bringing her back," Stephanie exined. Zachary immediately nodded and said, "Alright, Mrs. Lincoln." As Stephanie dragged Xan out, Xan couldn''t help but turn around to look at Timothy. Stephanie felt that everything was falling apart. Getting involved with a jerk was worse than being discovered by theboratory''s people. One of Xan''s two major crises had hit hard. "That''s weird." Timothy walked over to Zachary, looking perplexed. "Ashton''s parents don''t seem to like me." Zachary eyed him and said, "Perhaps it''s because you look like a bad guy." Timothy nced at him and said in a deadpan voice, "Yeah, right. As if you look anything like a good guy here." "Well, Ashton did say that I look more like a good guy than you. That''s why I''m the one he introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln," Zachary replied smugly. Timothy got upset. Ashton used to always invite Zachary over to his house, yet he never extended that invitation to him, and that made Timothy feel jealous. Huffing slightly, he took out his phone and sent Ashton a text, "Your parents came to the university and brought Xan back. Why do Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln seem to dislike me so much?" Ashton instantly replied by sending him an ID photo of Michael. Timothy: "Why did you send me a photo of my uncle?" Ashton: "You both look alike, right?" Timothy: "Yes. Even my mom said I resemble Uncle Michael a lot." Ashton: "Michael cheated on my mom when he was younger." Timothy was speechless. He only felt chills running through his back at that moment. He immediately replied, "Thanks for saving my life." Timothy thanked Ashton for not inviting him over to his house. It turned out that Ashton had actually been protecting him. Ashton replied, "It''s all good. Just take care of my parents and sister on my behalf while I''m away." Timothy shot a mortified look at Zachary. "No wonder I felt the chills when I saw Mrs. Lincoln." Zachary nudged him and said, "Speaking of which, Xan seems really attached to you. She likes to stay close to you now that Ashton''s gone. She wouldn''t evene to y basketball with me." Timothy rolled his eyes at him. "Xan''s pretty innocent and simple-minded, so don''t read too much into it." Zachary narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do you like Xan?" Timothy''s ears turn red. "Don''t talk nonsense! Mrs. Lincoln might break my legs if she catches wind of this. My dad told me that my uncle fears Mrs. Lincoln the most. He even said that she can take down a hungry wolf with her bare hands." Zachary swallowed nervously before pulling Timothy away. "Timothy!" A beautiful young woman came running over at that moment. "I like you. Do you want to date me?" Chapter 812 ?Chapter 812 The young woman then handed a love letter to Timothy. "Damn, you''re in luck, my bro. That''s the campus belle!" Zachary said. The beautiful young woman was Kiara Wembley, the campus belle of Huma University. She had stunning looks, a perfect figure, and came from a respectable family. She seemed to have it all. Everyone thought that Kiara and Timothy would make a perfect match as they came from simr backgrounds. Timothy had Ford Group backing him, allowing him to have an elevated status in Huma. Meanwhile, Kiara''s family was also rather sessful in the business industry. A princess and a prince like them would naturally make a perfect match. Kiara had never explicitly confessed to Timothy before this. She had finally mustered her courage to do so today. She held onto her love letter, nervously waiting for him to ept it. There was already a crowd of onlookers gathering around as they waited for his reply. Kiara anxiously nced at Timothy. She was worried that he might embarrass her in front of everyone. "Hurry and ept it, Timothy! Don''t put Kiara in a tight spot when everyone''s looking!" her best friends quickly chimed in. The crowd started to join in. Having been dragged out by Stephanie, Xan only realized that she did not have her tote bag with her when they were at the cafeteria exit. She then pulled away from Stephanie and Steven and ran back on her own. In reality, she also wanted to apologize to Timothy over Stephanie''sment on how he looked like a jerk. But as soon as she reached the entrance, she saw him being surrounded by a crowd as Kiara confessed to him. Xan nervously clenched her fingers as she carefully spied on Timothy. She wanted to know if he also liked Kiara back Everyone on the campus was saying that Timothy and Kiara made a perfect match. Even Xan would agree with them.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. But she still hoped that they wouldn''t end up together. Otherwise, he would no longer have time for Xan if he were to date Kiara. After all, it wouldn''t be appropriate for the three of them to keep having meals together. Xan did not want to eat with Kiara either. "I''m sorry, I can''t ept your love letter. I''ve also told you that I''m not interested in you, nor am I looking to start a rtionship," Timothy rejected her outright. He did not want to y any games or give her false hope. Kiara quickly teared up and pitifully replied, "You... You can ept my love letter for now, Timothy. You don''t have to give me an answer right away," At the very least, he could have told her this in private, saving her from embarrassing herself in front of everyone else. Timothy frowned. "I''m sorry, but I don''t want to." "You''re being too much, Timothy! Kiara finally mustered her courage to confess to you. How could you treat her like this in front of everyone? She''s still a young woman with her own pride and dignity!" Kiara''s friends started criticizing him. The rubberneckers were also pointing fingers at him while Kiara cried in her friends'' arms. Timothy replied, "She''s the one who chose to hand her love letter to me in front of everyone else, so I have the right to reject her publicly. If she truly cared for her pride and dignity, she should''ve told me in private. That way, I could''ve rejected her away from prying eyes." Kiara was taken aback after hearing Timothy''s reply. He wasn''t showing any consideration for her feelings at all. "Our families have been close for generations, Timothy. Our fathers are also friends, and even our families approve of us. Do you... have someone you like already? Is it that young woman named Xandra Carlson?" Someone asked, "Huh? That dimwit? Isn''t she sick or something? Her behavior is so strange." Another replied, "That''s right! Her long hair is always covering her face. Has anyone seen her face before? She''s just like a ghost! Besides, she''s always dressed inly. I heard her family''s quite poor." Someone else agreed, "They wouldn''t be a great match." Everyone was talking about Xan. She nervously hid behind the door and lowered her head, covering her face with her hair. "She''s there!" Kiara''s friends spotted xan and pointed at her. The crowd flocked over and stared at her. "Is that her? That''s impossible. How could she be Timothy''s type?" "She''s just a dimwit no matter how you look at her. Who would even pay attention to her if she weren''t Ashton''s sister?" Chapter 813 ?Chapter 813 "Xan!" Timothy called as he noticed Xan. He hurriedly ran over and asked in a worried tone, "Why did youe back?" She did not say anything, merely going over to retrieve her forgotten bag on her seat. With her head hung low, she turned to leave. "Don''t listen to their nonsense, Xan." Worried that Xan might have misunderstood the situation, Timothy ran after her and softly exined, "There''s nothing between Kiara and I." She nced at him and asked, "Did she confess to you?" Timothy nodded, seemingly nervous. "I think so." "You should confess if you like someone, right?" Xan asked, looking at him curiously. Timothy paused for a moment. "It''s not necessary. Some people have crushes but are too afraid to express their feelings, so they keep it to themselves." Xan pondered about it seriously. No one knew what she was thinking about. Everyone else remained rubbernecking around them. Kiara was still awkwardly waiting for Timothy to ept her love letter with reddening eyes. "If that''s the case, I want to confess too," Xan said innocently. She figured she should confess too since Kiara already did it. "What?" Timothy was taken aback, and his mind went nk for a moment. "Who are you confessing to?" Zachary asked curiously. Xan stared at Kiara curiously for the longest time. She noticed that Kiara had a love letter prepared. After giving it some thought, Xan took out a piece of paper from her bag and wrote down "I like you" on it. She then handed it to Timothy frankly. He remained standing in shock. He had always known that Xan was rather different, but he didn''t expect her to be this different¡ªshe had even copied someone to write a love letter now. Zachary''s jaw almost dropped in surprise. He quickly dug out his phone and texted Ashton, "There''s an emergency, my bro! Xan just confessed to Timothy!" Ashton: "?" Zachary: "Xan wrote a love letter and confessed to Timothy!" Ashton: "Please ask Timothy to be careful. All the best to him." Zachary scratched his head. He had expected Ashton, who was usually overprotective of Xan, to go ballistic and call Timothy to give him a good scolding. He didn''t expect Ashton to wish Timothy all the best instead. What did he mean by that? Someone said, "Damn, even that dimwit confessed!" "What''s the meaning of this? Are you a copycat? You''re also giving him a love letter right after Kiara gave him one -are you trying to challenge her?" Kiara''s friends asked angrily. Xan frowned and covered her ears with her hands. She found them too noisy and wanted to kill them. However, she couldn''t as Stephanie had prohibited her from killing people. "Um, you don''t have to follow her in this, Xan." Timothy assumed that Xan was merely copying Kiara''s behavior. He hurriedly took her love letter and coaxed, "I''ll bring you back to your parents, okay?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org. She shook her head and said, "You''ve epted my love letter-you''re mine now." Xan pointed at him, indicating that he was now her boyfriend as he had taken her love letter. "What if... I don''t agree with it?" Timothy asked, and then his mind went nk instantly. Xan gave it some thought before replying, "I''ll knock you out and bring you back." Stephanie had used the same method on Steven, who was injured and had faked his death back then. She found him and brought him back to lock him up. Timothy suddenly felt chills running through his back. "I mean.... This is just too sudden. Give me a moment to discuss this with Ashton, okay?" Even if he liked Xan, he dared not agree to be her boyfriend just like that. Ashton would definitely fly back to beat him up if he objected to it. Timothy knew he was no match against Ashton. Xan frowned, perplexed. "Why do you have to discuss with Ashton about bing my boyfriend? Do you like Ashton as well?" Chapter 814 ?Chapter 814 Timothy felt like he was about to lose his mind. However, as Xan''s situation was unique, he patiently exined, "I''m a guy, Xan. It''s impossible for me to like Ashton." Xan nced at Zachary. "Zachary is also a guy, but he still likes Ash¡ª" Before she could finish her sentence, Zachary rushed over to cover her mouth. "Oh my god, are you trying to kill me?" Timothy was stunned. He truly was losing his mind now. Did his best friend like his other best friend? Zachary took in a sharp breath as he looked around at the rubberneckers, relieved to find them oblivious to what had just happened. "What''s this supposed to mean, Xandra? Kiara just confessed, and now, you''re doing the same. Are you trying to ruin her chance?" Kiara''s friend, Daphne Yates, asked angrily. She rushed forward in order to get an exnation. "Do you like Kiara or not, Timothy? You''d better make things clear!" "I''m sorry. I''ve already made myself clear earlier-I don''t like Kiara." Timothy found them noisy as well. He was beyond excited now, wanting nothing but to talk things out with Xan. He wanted to know if Xan truly liked him. "What about her, then? She confessed to you too, so you should reject her outright as well!" Daphne demanded bossily. She thought that Kiara couldn''t be the only one embarrassed in public. Kiara was also waiting for Timothy to reject Xan. "Do I look like I have any intention of rejecting her? This has nothing to do with you!" Timothy replied angrily before pulling Xan away. She followed along obediently before turning back to stare at Kiara and Daphne with cold eyes. They were both stunned, suddenly getting the chills. "Don''t you dare to take what belongs to me," Xan threatened with a low voice. Kiara gulped hard in fear. However, Daphne was bold and angrily said, "What does that dimwit mean, Kiara? She''s provoking you! How can you tolerate that? I can''t do it. We have to teach her a lesson!" "Forget about it, Daphne. Xandra is just a dimwit. I heard she''s even autistic," Kiara whispered softly. "Timothy is just too much, Kiara. You confessed to him, yet he actually epted a dimwit instead of you in front of everyone else. He''s clearly just trying to embarrass you!" her other friends egged on. "If you ask me, Xandra isn''t even from some prestigious family. We should just teach her a lesson so that she doesn''t dare to go near Timothy anymore," Daphne softly suggested. The few of them exchanged nces before nodding in agreement. Steven and Stephanie felt nostalgic looking around the campus scenery in the parking lot. "It''s so good to be young," Steven whispered. Stephanie raised her brows. "Why? Are you nning to change into a younger body or find a younger wife?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. rmed, Steven hurriedly waved his hand. "That''s not what I mean, Stephie." Stephanie clucked her tongue before ncing at her watch. "Why isn''t Xan here yet?" Steven turned to the direction of the cafeteria and saw Timothy taking Xan by her hand as they walked toward the nearby forest. He gasped sharply before pulling Stephanie into his embrace. He was worried that she might see them and get agitated-she might even try to kill Timothy then. "What are you doing?" Stephanie asked, looking at Steven suspiciously. "It''s nothing, I just wanted to hug you. If we had been born into ordinary families and met each other in university, do you think we would''ve been as carefree as these young people?" He hugged Stephanie tightly, not letting her turn around. Steven only let out a relieved sigh once Timothy, Xan, and Zachary were out of his sight. "Perhaps so..." Stephanie leaned into his embrace and added, "But I don''t regret meeting you the way I did." She and Steven might not have met if they had been born into ordinary families. Chapter 815 ?Chapter 815 In the forest, Zachary kept watch for Timothy and Xan while updating Ashton. His message read, "Many of the youngdies in the university like Timothy. I reckon a lot of them now see Xan as their rival.'' Ashton replied, "Watch Xan for me. Don''t let her hurt anyone." Zachary sent him a shocked emoji before writing, "How could a sweet girl like Xan hurt someone else? Why are you siding with other people when you''re her brother?" Ashton replied, "You wouldn''t be able to beat Xan even if there were ten of you." Zachary sent him an angry emoji and wrote, "You''re looking down on me too much, Ashton!" Ashton sent him a cute sticker asking him not to be angry. Zachary had sent it to him previously, and he had kept it. He finally had a use for it today. The difference between Ashton and Xan was that he could keenly sense the changes in the emotions of others. He could tell whether Zachary was upset or not just from his tone. However, Zachary was easy to cheer up. Just a sticker from Ashton could keep him excited all day.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He never expected someone as aloof as Ashton would actually use stickers. Ashton texted, "Please look after my sister when I''m not around-and take care of yourself too." Zachary chuckled giddily before replying, "Got it!" Meanwhile, Timothy was carefully reading the simplified love letter that Xan had prepared for him. "Were you being serious?" he asked her. Xan nodded dutifully. "What do you like about me?" Timothy softly asked, actually finding himself nervous. Xan gave it some thought and looked at his face. She replied seriously, "Your looks." She was first attracted by his looks before finding herself appreciating his personality as well. Resigned, Timothy asked, "Would you still like me if I''m no longer good-looking?" Xan thought about it. "I''m not sure yet." She figured they could talk about it if he ever stopped looking good. Timothy felt hurt realizing that she only liked him for his looks. "Are you my boyfriend now?'' Xan asked Timothy pondered for a bit before nodding. "I am." He figured since Xan had already confessed, she would be sad if he did not ept her confession. Besides, he found no reason to reject her-he did not mind it even if she only liked him for his looks. "Alright then. Goodbye, boyfriend. I''m going back home with my parents now." Xan beamed and waved. Before Timothy could get a word in, she was already gone. He sighed and nced at Zachary, who was on his phone at the side. "Do you think Ashton would agree to me dating Xan?" "He''s not against it. He said Xan is free to do anything as long as she doesn''t kill anyone." Zachary looked up at him. Timothy frowned slightly upon hearing the harsh words. Xan was so lovable. She would even pick up a hurt butterfly. How could she ever kill anyone? "About Xan''s parents..." Timothy was somewhat worried. "Don''t think too much about it. They''ll ept you as long as you treat Xan well." Zachary patted Timothy on his shoulders. Xan ran over to meet Stephanie and Steven in the parking lot. She had an evident smile on her face, clearly looking like she was in a good mood. Aspared to the old Xan who used to be emotionless and lived in her own world, she was more simr to the rest of her peers now. At that moment, Stephanie suddenly understood the objective behind theboratory''s decision to send her out for socialization. Falling in love truly enriched one''s emotions. "Let''s go home," Xan said as she obediently got into the car. She was waiting for Steven and Stephanie to send her back. Stephanie was driving, while Steven obediently sat in the passenger seat. Both Xan and Steven were obedient, and their family got along well. Stephanie was very satisfied with how her life was now. Chapter 816 ?Chapter 816 "You should keep your distance from that jerk named Timothy in the future," Stephanie said. Although she could see the changes in Xan''s behavior, she was still worried that Xan might be fooled by a jerk. "He''s not a jerk," Xan exined softly. "He''s nice." She regarded Timothy rather highly. Stephanie sighed helplessly. "I brought the kids up, yet they end up belonging to others when they grow up." Steven looked at her and whispered, "I''m yours, honey.'' Stephanie rolled her eyes. She decided to settle with knowing that Steven would belong to her forever. "Don''t take this road, Mom," Xan suddenly said while they were on their way back to the mountaintop vi. She wanted Stephanie to take another road. Alerted, Stephanie made a sudden left turn before ncing nervously at Xan from the rearview mirror. ''What happened? Is someone following us?" Xan shook her head and said, "There''s a car ident up ahead, so that road will be congested.'' She had heard a car crash close to the road. Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief, gradually letting her guard down. She had been on edge ever since those people from theboratory came after them.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Steven held Stephanie''s hand as they drove back to their home without a hitch. "What''s that?" The gates to the vi opened up, revealing a delivery box that was blocking the road. The box had been thrown in from outside. It was arge delivery box, almost a person''s length. Stevenforted Stephanie and Xan before warily saying, ''Stay in the car, I''ll go have a look." They weren''t expecting any deliveries, so the box must havee from an unknown source. After Steven got out of the car, Stephanie cautiously unbuckled her seatbelt. ''Stay in the car, Xan." Xan nervously pulled Stephanie''s shoulders. "There''s the stench of blood, Mom." She could smell the metallic tang of blood permeating the air. Stevie was also barking non-stop. It was as if it could feel something was wrong and was uneasy. Stephanie hurriedly got out of the car and slowly approached Steven. Fresh blood seeped out of the freezer bag as soon as the delivery box was opened Steven frowned and opened the freezer bag, revealing a dead dog inside. There was a string of experimental codes on its ear. "Fucking lunatics!" Stephanie cursed angrily as she stared at the words inside the delivery box. They were written with blood-"The fate ofb dogs is death." This was a warning from the teenagers from theboratory to Stephanie and Steven. "Call Zion and get the police to deal with this,'' Stephanie said as she rubbed her temples. In order not to expose Xan, she endured countless taunts from the people from theboratory. She would endure them all as long as they did not cross her boundaries or harm her family. Otherwise, Stephanie would surely destroy them all. She would hunt every single one of them down without a doubt. In the car, Xan watched as blood seeped out of the box. Her pupils narrowed quickly as she became swamped with hard-to-read emotions. Xan was walking toward one of the academic buildings at Huma University while carrying a backpack. She was dressed in a low-key manner, with her long hair almost covering her entire face under a t hat Xan was in an extremely sensitive state, with her hearing, sense of smell, and other senses heightening each day. She went from being able to hear the buzzing insects to hearing everyone''s heartbeat-and she was still evolving. "Xandra Carlson!" Suddenly, Xan was blocked by several young women as they surrounded her. ''Let''s have a talk, dimwit!" They threatened and brought her to a spot behind the academic building, where there were no surveince cameras around Xan observed them curiously, but she obediently went with them. A fly buzzed around her, making her annoyed. She suddenly reached out and caught the buzzing fly, throwing it onto the ground before crushing it. The group of young women did not notice Xan''s actions. They continued to walk toward the back of the academic building obnoxiously. "I''ve heard that you''ve been bugging Timothy all this while,'' the leader of the group said. She had a lollipop in her mouth She arrogantly pushed Xan before continuing, "We''re here to teach you a lesson today. From now on, you''d better stay away from Timothy. He belongs to Kiara, the campus belle. Do you understand?" Chapter 817 ?Chapter 817 Xan looked at the group of young women curiously, wondering how they could be so arrogant. She pondered about it for a long time, yet she couldn''t figure out what gave them the confidence. One of them said, "How dare a dimwit like you think you''re good enough to be with Timothy? Stop bothering him, do you hear me?" Xan continued to look at her curiously. Another young woman said, ''Do you know what kind of family Kiara came from? Can your familypete with hers? So what if your brother is a genius? You''re just from an ordinary family. Even if your brother studied overseas, he wouldn''t amount to much. He''ll still be working for a family business like Kiara''s after hees back." Xan scratched her head, wondering if Ashton would need to work after he came back. Well, if Ashton worked, that would mean he had more money to support her. She did not want to work anyway. "Did you fucking hear what I just said?" The leader of the group pushed her again. Xan looked up at her and said, "Timothy is my boyfriend." "What? Have you gone insane? Timothy isn''t even interested in Kiara, what more a dimwit like you? Even though you might be good-looking, you''re still a dimwit with a poor family background-'' the leader said disdainfully. Xan asked in a serious manner, "Is Kiara''s family very rich?" Several young women sneered, "Have you heard of Huma World Trade Center? It''s the tallestndmark in Huma, and her family''spany is right on the top floor!" Xan merely said, ''But my dad said that building belongs to my family." She was surprised to find that Kiara''s family''spany was renting in one of her family''s buildings. The group of young women started cackling. "What a dimwit! I almost feel bad doing this to her!" Another said, "Alright, listen up you idiot. We''ll teach you a lesson today. In the future, stay away from Timothy. He''s someone unattainable to the likes of you." The leader raised her hand and was about to hit Xan. Xan swiftly avoided her and said, "I can''t promise you that because Timothy is my boyfriend." "You!" Exasperated, the leader went to kick her. She merely dodged, and the leader ended up falling onto the ground. Xan had promised Ashton that she wouldn''t kill her peers, but she figured she could still hurt them without killing them. A scream echoed through the alley. The group of young women were wailing on the ground even when Xan had not touched them. Her expression darkened as she hated the noise. "You guys are so noisy..." Perhaps she should just kill them instead. "Xan!" Timothy and Kiara rushed over just as Xan was about to kill the group of young women.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only "They''re gravely injured, Timothy. What''s wrong with Xandra. Is she crazy?'' Kiara pretended to be shocked while throwing usations at Xan. "She''s autistic, so she can''t control her actions? Is she nning to kill them too?" Timothy frowned at her and warned, ''Watch your words." He then hurriedly pulled Xan into his arms and covered her ears. It was something Ashton had taught himst night to calm her emotions down. The group of young women stared fearfully at her from the ground. "She... She''s a lunatic-" They found her actions too ruthless. "Even if you''re mentally ill, you still have to take responsibility for hurting your coursemates, Xandra. Your parents still have to pay for civilpensation!" Kiara said angrily They all thought that Xan''s family was poor. As such, with all of their medical expenses, they figured they would be able to force a humble apology from Steven and Stephanie. "Just you wait! I''ll make your family go bankrupt since you dared toy a hand on me!" The leader had burst into tears from the pain. Chapter 818 ?Chapter 818 Timothy angrily red at those young women. "You guys were the ones who provoked her, weren''t you?" "They started it first," Xan softly said, looking as docile as a frightened bunny. The group of injured young women was shocked to see her demeanor. She seemed more of a bitch than a dimwit now. "Are you going to cover up for her, Timothy? My friends got hurt!" Kiara stared at Xan in shock. Timothy''s expression darkened instantly. "Let''s call the police, then. All of you brought her to this corner alone, yet you''re saying that she beat all six of you up on her own? Let''s see if the police would believe in you!" He continued tofort Xan while saying, "She''s spooked out by your loud voices on a daily basis. How could she possibly take down all six of you?" Timothy clearly did not believe them. He even thought that they were pretending to be in pain just to scare Xan. "Don''t worry, I''ll call the police now. We''ll let them handle this," he said, ring angrily at the group of young women. The young women found themselves at a loss of words. All six of them were actually beaten up by a dimwit. They wouldn''t have believed it either if they weren''t the ones who experienced it. Xan leaned against Timothy''s shoulders, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips. She realized that being protected by her boyfriend felt different from being protected by her brother. Kiara helped the leader up, yet she copsed to the ground once more with a scream. Her ankle was badly swollen. Timothy called the police. Even the police found it hard to believe that a fragile-looking Xan could take six other young women down. All six of them even ended up in the hospital-three with broken ribs, one with a broken leg, and two with fractured noses. "What were you guys doing in the alley? There''s not even a surveince camera there. How did you guys turn out this way?" Even the police were shocked. All six of them had fractures and clear signs of having been beaten, but it was impossible for Xan to have done it. "You''d better be honest-did you guys have a brawl?" It was only reasonable to suspect them of brawling among themselves. "She''s the one who beat us up!" they yelled in unison while pointing at Xan. Xan refused to admit to it, merely hiding behind Timothy. "That''s not what we''re seeing here!" the police said, clearly frustrated. All six of the young women weren''t easy targets to mess with. They were clearly trying to frame Xan up by using an autistic person like her of beating them up. Xan blinked before burrowing herself into Timothy''s embrace. She enjoyed listening to his heartbeat as it calmed her down. No wonder Stephanie always liked to listen to Steven''s heartbeat in his embrace. She once said that the world felt quieter just by listening to his heartbeat. "What''s going on?" The parents of all six of the young women gathered outside the hospital ward. Kiara had even called her father over. "Don''t worry, my dad is here now," she told her friends. "He''s even brought his team ofwyers over." "Timothy, even though your family is rted to Mr. Ford of the Ford Group, your father and him are just cousins at best. The Ford Group doesn''t belong to your family, so I''d suggest you stay out of this," the leader threatened Timothy. "Xan!" Stephanie and Steven rushed over after getting the call. Stephanie couldn''t care less about the lives of the others--she was only worried about Xan''s well-being. Xan, still in Timothy''s embrace, shook her head at Stephanie. Stephanie''s mood instantly plummeted. At that moment, Timothy could feel her seething fury from her gaze alone. "Mrs. Lincoln, Xan and I-" he started exining.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "They started it first, Mom," Xan said softly. Stephanie pped away Timothy''s arms, which were around Xan. She then turned to look at the other furious parents. "Your children ganged up to bully my child. How do you n to resolve this now?" It would be for the best if they could talk it out. Otherwise, someone might end up getting hurt. Chapter 819 ?Chapter 819 Kiara still didn''t seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation. She proudly stood behind her father and said, "It''s clearly her daughter who beat my friends up, Dad!" The parents of the young women who got beaten up arrogantly said, "How dare someone from an ordinary family with no status bully our daughters?" "The police have checked the nearby surveince cameras. Your daughters were the ones who maliciously blocked Xan and brought her to the alley. They were the ones who caused problems first. As for how they turned out like that in the alley, well, I''m sorry, there''s no footage of it," Timothy angrily said. "So what if our daughters were the ones who called her over to the alley? They''re gravely injured, but she''s unharmed, so you have topensate us! You can forget about surviving in Huma if you don''te up with at least a few million dors!" the parents arrogantly said. They were relying on Kiara''s father-Brock Wembley. The Wembley family were indeed well-off, but they couldn''t hold a candle to the Lincoln family. Steven remained silent as hezily cast an icy gaze at Brock. He could close an eye if it were only banter between the children, but it was unforgivable now that they were tantly bullying his daughter. "Brock Wembley from the Wembley family-the president of Wembley Group and the eldest son of Hunter Wembley. It looks like it''s time to change the heir to the Wembley family now," Dayton said, walking in with his group ofwyers. Kiara was stunned when she saw him. She had seen him on the financial news he was the president of the Crowdstar Group. "Mr. So..." Brock''s expression changed as soon as he saw Dayton. He hurried over to ask, "Why are you here, Mr. So?" Dayton nced at him and the parents of the other students indifferently. The other parents were equally stunned. Crowdstar Group was now the wealthiest organization in the Othard region, and almost no one could topple their position. The fates of everyone were tied to Crowdstar Group in one way or another, especially Wembley Group. "This is Steven Lincoln, the founder of Crowdstar Group. He''s also the chairman and CEO of Crowdstar Group," Dayton calmly announced. Although he was the president of Crowdstar Group, he was ultimately still working for Steven. Everyone was stunned upon hearing Dayton''s words. Silence befell the entire hospital ward, and even the grumbling young women on their beds went quiet. They were shocked to learn that the mysterious founder of Crowdstar Group was actually Xan''s father. Xan was hiding behind Timothy, still looking fragile and helpless. Her eyes were rimmed red as she softly said, " They''re the ones bullying me, Dad." Steven coldly looked at Brock and asked, "Is the Wembley family trying to get rid of themselves?" Sweat was already matting Brock''s forehead, and even his voice was trembling. "T-That''s not true, Mr. So. No... What I meant was... This is all a misunderstanding. My daughter isn''t involved in this matter. It''s all a misunderstanding, really. I''m just here on behalf of my daughter to visit her ssmates. It has nothing to do with us." Kiara clenched her fists nervously as Brock red at her. She couldn''t believe that Xan was actually the daughter of Crowdstar Group''s CEO. She refused to believe that Xan was so lucky. How could her father be that young? The other young women started panicking when Kiara remained silent. "Kiara, w-we did this all for you..." Kiara nervously replied, "I-It''s not nice of you guys to do such a thing to your ssmate. It wasn''t my idea, and I even tried to talk you guys out of it, yet you guys insisted on doing it. What does this have to do with me¡ª" Their internal conflict started to show. Timothy sighed, thinking that they were all too calctive. He knew that the Lincoln family''s background was not an ordinary one, as even Michael was afraid of Xan''s mother, Stephanie. However, he didn''t expect Steven to actually be the CEO of Crowdstar Group.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. He suddenly felt that he wouldn''t be worthy of Xan if he did not work harder. "Um... Since they''re all ssmates, please show us some mercy and don''t hold it against our families." The other parents started panicking and looked nervously at Steven. "It''s all just a misunderstanding. We didn''t know who you were either." "Didn''t you just say you were going to make it impossible for our family to survive in Huma?" Stephanie sneered. "It''s all a misunderstanding!" they hurriedly exined. "Our daughters are at fault here. They''re still young, so we''ll teach them a lesson. It''s their fault they got injured too." Steven looked at Xan and asked, "How do you want to solve this matter, Xan? Do you want them expelled or gone from Huma?" He spoke calmly, yet his words sent chills down everyone''s spine. Chapter 820 ?Chapter 820 One of the parents started to say, "We''re sorry, Mr. Lincoln. We''ll apologize to you." "Please spare us this once!" The parents of the other students started panicking and lowered their heads meekly. Brock gave a nervous re at Kiara, urging her to apologize as well. "I''m sorry, Xan. Can you talk to your father for us? We''re all still kids. Please don''t hold it against us this time, okay?" Kiara choked up as she spoke. She then turned to look at Timothy. "Can you help us talk to Mr. Lincoln?" Timothy frowned, wanting nothing more than to blend into the background. He could barely keep himself out of trouble, yet Kiara was now dragging him into her mess. As expected, Stephanie''s sharp gaze instantly turned toward him. She chuckled coldly. "Aren''t you such a womanizer?" It was clear that she saw him as an even bigger jerk now. Timothy almost choked. He wasn''t sure how he should differentiate himself from Michael and show her that he wasn''t a jerk. "Mrs. Lincoln, I-" "I''m not interested in what you have to say," Stephanie interrupted him and turned to Xan. She was only interested in her daughter''s thoughts. Xan contemted for a bit as she looked at the young women on the hospital beds. Ashton once told her that she shouldn''t push it too far with someone, otherwise they might bite back. However, she thought that she had to root out the problempletely, lest it came back to haunt her. She hated dealing with any kind of trouble. "Can I bury them?" Xan asked seriously, her gaze fixated on those on the hospital beds. She was already thinking about how to dispose of thempletely without any traces for the police to catch on." Should I dissolve them using chemicals, burn them, feed them to wild animals, or crush their bones" Timothy covered Xan''s mouth before she could continue talking. He awkwardly looked at Stephanie and Steven, saying, "She''s joking, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. She''s just joking." He was afraid that they might think of him as a bad influence on Xan. But in reality, Stephanie was seriously considering Xan''s thoughts.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The chemicals wouldn''t work-hazardous chemicals had to be registered, so they could be traced. As for burning bodies, they would need to go to a crematorium, and a certain temperature had to be reached. But that wasn''t exactly a difficult task either. It was too easy for Stephanie and Xan to dispose of a personpletely without a trace. While they were both still contemting, the young women on the hospital beds were already shaking like leaves. Those who were particrly timid burst into tears. Everyone started pointing fingers at each other, insisting that it was the other person''s idea and triggering a full- blown internal conflict. Xan smiled as she watched them argue with each other. She suddenly thought that they were rather interesting and wanted to keep them around to y with. "We should let it go this time, Mom. We can bury them the next time instead," she softly said. There wouldn''t be anyone left for her to y with if they were killed just like that. Timothy also wouldn''t think that she was weak and always bullied. And she wouldn''t be able to get closer to him if he did not feel the need to protect her. That was why every type of person had a role to y in this society-be it the good, the bad, the wicked, the ruthless, the killers, or the thieves. Every type of person was an essential part of the fabric of this society. Chapter 821 ?Chapter 821 As they left the hospital, Stephanie warned Timothy to stay away from Xan. Before he could even try to salvage his reputation in her eyes, she got into the car and mmed the door, almost catching his fingers. "Mrs. Lincoln! Please let me exin, Mrs. Lincoln! My feelings for Xan are sincere, I-"Zachary stopped Timothy from running after them. "Can''t you tell from Mrs. Lincoln''s gaze that she''s about to run you down from behind the wheels?" Zachary said fearfully. Timothy felt chills running down his back. "Forget it... I''ll exin to her some other day." "Ashton told you to stay away from his mother," Zachary replied with a shrug. "But I " Timothy felt aggrieved. He was still hoping to change Stephanie''s opinion about him. "Let''s just go for now. We''ll get Ashton to help once he''s back." Zachary started pulling him away. Timothy looked at Zachary upon recalling something. "Xan mentioned something about you liking Ashton? What did she mean by that?" Zachary almost choked and hurriedly waved his hands. "Don''t listen to Xan''s nonsense. She misunderstood the situation! That day, my pants got tangled up, so I got Ashton to help me out. He pulled too hard and ripped my pants open. Xan happened to walk in and saw what happened." Timothy was speechless. He was amazed at how Zachary had dared to ask Ashton for help knowing Ashton''s strength. As the two left the hospital, a young man in a hoodie, who was sucking a lollipop, shed a strange smile in a corner. "Even though that woman named Xan is dumb, she''s quite a fighter-she took down seven people on her own," the man said in a call. "Ashton is under the protection of Genome Society overseas, so we can''t touch him for now, but his sister is still here. I''m sure he''lle back if we abduct one of his family members." The young man removed his hood, revealing a childish face with a sinister look. "Eirene and I will transfer to Xandra''s university tomorrow. We''ll find ways to take her away." Steven had returned from his morning jog by the time Stephanie woke up early the next morning. He stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel after showering. It was a pleasing sight to her eyes this early in the day. Stephanie stretched herself and leaned against the headboard. She beckoned Steven over with a finger. "Come here and let me have a feel." He was already used to her feeling him up by now. As such, he worked hard in exercising daily to stay in shape. "Carry me to wash up." Stephanie climbed onto Steven''s back once he obediently walked over. Resigned, he carried her over to the bathroom with much affection. "Have you heard anything about Ashton recently?" she asked. Stephanie found herself worrying about many things on a daily basis. Not only was she worried about Ashton being in danger, but she was also worried about Xan being attracted to jerks. "My men are keeping an eye on him. It''s unlikely those from theboratory will be able to take him away on someone else''s turf. The most they can do is to create some fun for Ashton." Steven wasn''t worried about Ashton at all. "I''m more worried about Xan instead," he muttered. It wasn''t that he was favoring one over the other, but Xan''s evolution was happening too quickly. Steven had been closely monitoring her physical changes and rate of evolution. She could still hide it well for now, but if she continued to evolve and her genes continued to mutate, he wasn''t sure if things would stay under control. Things would quickly spiral if it got out of hand. Not only might Xan be found out by those from theboratory, but she might even pique the interest of those from the overseas branches of Genome Society.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. They might then experiment on her, dissecting and analyzing her. If that happened, their family would once again be forced to live a life on the run. Steven would be left with no choice but to flee with his family and live in hiding. "Will those medications be able to control the speed of Xan''s evolution?" Stephanie asked softly, equally worried. She and Steven had been working hard over the years to develop a drug to suppress Xan''s gene division to prevent further evolution. However, all they managed was to slow it down as her cells were dividing too rapidly. Stephanie dared not consider if xan might truly achieve immortality if this continued. That was the dream of many. "Reincarnation" was just an alternative for those who couldn''t attain immortality. After all, who would want to keep swapping ordinary bodies if they could make their bodies immortal? Chapter 822 ?Chapter 822 "The medication can only slow it down temporarily. We''ll buy as much time as we can," Steven said. He squeezed out the toothpaste and helped Stephanie to brush her teeth. "I''ve already had Joel and Eason purchase properties in ces like Moro or the Verdentia Isles region. If things get out of hand, we''ll hide in the most dangerous ces." The more dangerous the ce, the easier it was to hide. Stephanie frowned, knowing it was theirst resort. Once they chose to leave the country, it would be the start of a life on the run. It would be nearly impossible for them to return home then. Zachary drove Timothy over to pick Xan up from her house. She managed to open the door with Stevie''s help before sneaking out. "Did your parents consent to youing out, Xan?" Timothy timidly asked. He was worried that she had run out without their permission. "They''re currently having sex, so they won''t notice me gone within the hour. Hurry and go now!" Xan wasn''t keen on lying, so she could only get Zachary to drive away quickly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Xan knew Stephanie all too well-she wouldn''t be able to resist Steven when he just came back from jogging. They wouldn''t be having breakfast until an hour or two, giving Xan enough time to slip away. Zachary and Timothy fell into an awkward silence. "Um... Your parents seem to love each other very much. Why didn''t they... try for another child?" Zachary asked, trying to ease the awkwardness. "It''s because of their physical restrictions," Xan replied, tilting her head slightly. "They can''t conceive naturally." Zachary was shocked. "What about Ashton and you then?" "We were conceived through gic merging" Xan said seriously. Timothy quickly covered her mouth, afraid she might reveal something even more outrageous and illegal next. All four of Zachary''s car tires went t at the same time as soon as they pulled into the university''s parking lot. He was at a loss for words. Although it was an unwanted second-hand car from his father, there was no reason for all four of his tires to go t. "Hah? What kind of beat-up car is this? Who still drives such a cheap car in this day and age?" A sleek sports car pulled up in the parking lot, and a pink-haired young woman walked out. She looked shy and had a look of disdain on her face as she nced at Zachary''s car. "Someone must have thrown nails out to puncture your tires." Timothy frowned as he looked at the nails in the tires. His expression darkened. Zachary said angrily, "Did I offend you with my beat-up car? Did you throw out the nails?" "So what if I did?" The pink-haired young woman took off her sunsses and gave him a mean kick. Zachary had instinctively raised his arm to block her kick with his fast reflexes, yet he was still forced backward by the force. He almost lost his bnce. Behind him, Xan reached out to support him, casting a wary gaze at the young woman. Timothy stepped in front of Zachary with a frown. Zachary stared at the young woman in shock, finding her immense strength incredulous. "That''s enough, Eirene. It''s our first day of transfer. We should get along with our peers." A tall young man got out of the G-ss SUV from the side. He was sporting a buzz cut, looking charming with his roguish looks. "Hello, I''m Petros Fox, and she''s my sister-Eirene Fox. This is our first day of transferring to this university, so we''d like to make friends with all of you." Petros extended his hand to Timothy. Timothy, wanting to avoid trouble, took his hand out of courtesy, but Petros suddenly squeezed his hand tight. Timothy frowned. He was used to Ashton''s extraordinary strength, and this young man''s strength was simrly matched with Ashton''s. As an ordinary person, Timothy was considered strong enough, yet he didn''t hold a candle to Petros. Just as he was about to lose his grip, Xan walked over and sped her hand around Petros'' wrist. A sharp crack was heard with only a slight pressure added. His ulna and radius both broke at the same time. Xan looked at Petros coldly and warned, "He''s mine. You don''t deserve to touch him." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 823 ?Chapter 823 Zachary stared in disbelief when he realized that Petros'' wrist was twisted in an unnatural angle. Meanwhile, Timothy was shocked by how fragile Petros'' wrist was. He was even concerned if Petros was suffering from osteoporosis. "Petros!" Eirene yelled angrily as she rushed forward. She was fast, but by the time Timothy reacted and tried to protect Xan, Xan had already grabbed Eirene''s fist. Xan gently twisted Eirene''s arm, snapping it from wrist to elbow. Eirene screamed in pain, likely sustaining aminuted fracture. Eirene red seethingly at Xan. She clutched her shoulder and was about to strike back when Petros stopped her. Enduring the pain, he smiled and said, "Sorry, it seems like we were out of line." Xan looked at Petros indifferently. She started tearing up as soon as she turned her head. "They''re so terrifying!" Timothy frowned before shielding her carefully behind him. "Don''t be afraid. Everything''s alright." Xan hid behind him, then tugged at the corner of his shirt to pull him away. It took a while for Zachary toe back to his senses. He hurriedly ran after both of them. He was also surprised to find that there were actually two sides to Xan. Feeling indignant, Eirene rushed forward to chase after them, but Petros reached out to stop her. He then stood up straight and set his misaligned broken bones back in ce. His bones were seemingly healing at an astonishing speed. Eirene huffed before straightening her bones as well. "Her strength is incredible, Petros." "What''s incredible is not only her strength," Petros said with a smile. "How interesting. It seems like this failed experimental subject is quite fascinating as well." "So what if she has incredible strength? She''s merely a failed subject," Eirene replied, dissatisfied. "Ashton is the one Mr. T asked us to deal with, so we shouldn''t be distracted. Let''s find ways to go near this failed subject so that we can force Ashton toe back." Petros replied, "Ashton is currently thriving overseas, with people protecting him from the outside. He''s even backed by the giants of several major business districts in Huma. Michael Ford alone is hard enough to deal with, and Ashton''s father-Steven Lincoln-is the true president behind Crowdstar Group." He narrowed his eyes and continued, "We''re in no hurry since Mr. T gave us three months. Let''s just take it slow." "If it were up to me, we''d just abduct that failed subject, force Ashton to show up, and shoot him dead." Eirene huffed. "You''re too naive," Petros said, ncing at her arm. "Mr. T wants him alive." "What makes Ashton so superior? We''re also evolved subjects," Eirene said with jealousy. "I heard that Ashton''s evolution has no side effects. Don''t you want to figure it out and help Mr. T find ways to deal with the side effects?" Petros asked, reaching a hand out to caress her cheek. He continued, "You''re my biological sister, and we''re both products of the same gic sequence. Our evolution has given us regenerative abilities far beyond ordinary people, but it has also made our cancerous cells run wild. "But Ashton doesn''t have the cancer gene." Petros'' eyes were filled with intense jealousy when he spoke about Ashton. Eirene was stunned before she clenched her fists tightly. "Alright, we''ll capture him alive and let Mr. T dissect him. We''ll definitely find a way to cure our condition!" Petros smiled before cing an intimate kiss on her forehead. "Good girl." Zachary nced back as he walked. He felt goosebumps all over when he saw the intimate scene between Petros and Eirene. He said, "It''s obvious that those two are siblings since they look so much alike, but something feels off. They''re acting too intimate for a pair of siblings."Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Timothy nced back and frowned. "They''re truly strange. We''d better stay away from them in the future." "Did Xan just... break their arms just now? Why aren''t they rushing to the hospital?" Zachary mumbled, wondering if he was starting to see things fromck of sleeptely. "They probably have weak arms due to osteoporosis," Timothy replied, trying to protect Xan. "They have strong regeneration abilities, so their bones heal very quickly," Xan exined seriously. Timothyughed awkwardly. "Is... Is that so? Have you been watching science fiction moviestely, Xan?" Xan nodded and replied, "Ashton rmended me some." Both of them werepletely off-topic. "You guys can head back first. I''m going to the washroom." Zachary waved at Timothy and Xan. Once they were gone, he started clutching his stomach painfully. He had been keeping it in as he was afraid that they might worry, but that kick he took earlier had been excruciating. Even though Zachary had blocked and absorbed some of the force, it still felt as if his ribs were about to break. Chapter 824 ?Chapter 824 Zachary didn''t dare to imagine what would happen if he had failed to block the kick earlier. He would''ve definitely broken a few ribs if the kick had fullynded on him. He slipped into the washroom and lifted his shirt while breathing heavily. He was shocked when he saw the red patch in the mirror.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. It wasn''t Zachary''s first time getting beaten up. He often encountered troublemakers whenever he was with Ashton, and he was always the one protecting Ashton. He used to get beaten up, but never this badly. He touched the injury area and found things stranger the more he thought about it. He suspected something was off with Petros and Eirene. Ashton happened to video call him just then. Zachary epted the call, his face pale as he looked at Ashton. The sky behind Ashton was still dark on the other side. He was currently sitting in the yard, showing Zachary the barbecue he had prepared. "What''s wrong?" he asked. He was keen enough to notice something was wrong with Zachary. "A pair of siblings transferred to the university today... They''re rather strange." Zachary quickly let go of his shirt and supported himself to sit on the toilet. He had to catch his breath. "I''m asking you what''s wrong," Ashton said with a frown, not at all interested in the siblings. "I got kicked by that pair of siblings earlier in the parking lot. I managed to dodge it, but strangely enough, I still feel as if I almost broke my ribs." Zachary couldn''t understand just what made them so strong in the first ce. "Lift your shirt up and let me have a look," Ashton said, his tone evidently wary. "There''s... no need for that." Zachary quickly shook his head. "Don''t make me repeat myself," Ashton threatened. Zachary could only raise his phone and lift his shirt for Ashton to have a look. As Zachary''s skin was fairer than most, the area around his ribs was noticeably red and swollen. It was a horrible sight to behold. Ashton fell eerily silent on the other end of the line. "Get yourself a cab to the hospital now." "I... I don''t think that''s necessary? It doesn''t seem like a big deal," Zachary said, wincing as he felt the pain even from breathing. "Go to the hospital," Ashton said before ending the call. Zachary scratched his head, wondering why Ashton was mad when he was the one who got injured. Pocketing his phone, he decided to take Ashton''s advice and get himself checked at the hospital. He almost ran straight into Petros just as he was about to exit the washroom. Zachary felt a tight knot in his stomach and instinctively nced at Petros'' wrist. Zachary had seen for himself how Xan had broken Petros'' wrist, but it was perfectly intact now. He instinctively backed away, wanting to avoid Petros and leave the washroom. However, Petros extended his arms and blocked Zachary''s way with a smile. Petros was pleasantly surprised to find Zachary alone. He figured it wouldn''t be his fault if something happened to Zachary because of that. "W-What do you want?" Zachary frowned, looking at Petros warily. Zachary wouldn''t have been afraid if it were any other person. He had fast reflexes, after all. However, he was beginning to suspect Petros wasn''t human at all. It was impossible for any ordinary person to have a broken wrist fully recover almost instantly. "Were you on a video call with Ashton earlier?" Petros asked in a low voice as he slowly cornered Zachary Zachary stared at him in shock. He couldn''t believe that Petros could actually hear them on the phone even though Petros had been outside the washroom. "That''s none of your business!" He tried to push Petros away with all his might, yet Petros was swift in taking action. Zachary had fast reflexes, but he felt as if his arm might break as soon as Petros applied any force. Petros truly wasn''t human at all. Zachary crumbled onto the ground in pain. He was about to reach for his phone to call Timothy when Petros snatched it away. He took the phone and noticed the iing video call from Ashton. He smiled. Petros epted the call and looked at Ashton through the screen. He then turned the camera to Zachary, whom he was stepping on. "Is this your friend, Ashton? What a weakling-" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 825 ?Chapter 825 Timothy took the initiative to hold Xan''s hand and led her into the lecture hall, looking for a ce to sit. Now that they were in a rtionship, he wanted to tell everyone that he had a girlfriend. From the front row, Kiara stared at Timothy and Xan in jealousy, almost breaking the pen in her hand. Eirene walked in shortly after Timothy and Xan took their seats. Her gazended on them, and she smiled slightly. She was dressed provocatively, unlike the modest young women in the lecture hall. Her appearance instantly caught everyone''s attention. Someone said, "Oh my God, she''s so beautiful!" Another said, "She''s so hot-just my type!" The young men in the lecture hall stared at Eirene excitedly. However, they did not know that beautiful things were often the most dangerous. Eirene shed her ssmates a flirtatious smile before sitting right beside Timothy. She then looked provocatively at Xan, who was on his left. Xan blinked, seemingly unhappy that Eirene was sitting beside Timothy. "You''re one lucky guy, Timothy!" The young men in the lecture hall all looked at Timothy with envy. Eirene seemed to go for good-looking guys as well. As expected, handsome guys tended to have certain privileges. Timothy nced at his ssmate, looking pale. "I''ll give my luck to you." He then got up, took Xan''s hand, and moved to different seats. Eirene raised her brows, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Timothy and Xan with a smile. She was confident that no man could resist her charms. Zachary did not return even after the professor had entered the lecture hall. Timothy nced at Xan, seemingly worried. Xan''s ears twitched slightly, and she hurriedly got up and left. She realized that something had happened to Zachary. She tried to leave from the end of the row, but Eirene was sitting at the edge, blocking her way. It was clear that Eirene was deliberately causing trouble. Timothy frowned before trying to get Xan to leave from the other end. However, she refused to indulge in Eirene. Under everyone''s curious gaze, she grabbed Eirene by her hair, mmed her against the desk, and kicked her away. The desk cracked, and the metal-framed chair was also twisted out of shape after Eirene was kicked away.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Timothy''s temples throbbed. Like everyone else, his gaze shifted from curiosity to shock. His jaw hung open. Eirene wiped the blood from the corner of her lips. She then smiled and said, "What else are you capable of besides having inhumane strength, you trash?" Xan ignored her and briskly walked out. Timothy came back to his senses after a while and quickly followed her out. He was starting to believe that Xan was the one whonded those young women in the hospital now. Once Xan left, Kiara turned to look at Eirene with a frown. She got up and walked over to Eirene, handing her a tissue. "Hey, are you alright?" Eirene looked at her and smiled. "It hurts. Can you take me to the infirmary?" Kiara returned her smile. "Sure." Although she wasn''t happy that someone more beautiful and eye-catching than she was had joined their ss, Eirene seemed to have a grudge against Xan. The enemy of her enemy might just be her friend. Zachary was already severely injured and unconscious by the time Xan and Timothy rushed to the washroom. In order to provoke Ashton, Petros had deliberately written "trash" on the washroom partition using Zachary''s blood. Xan''s expression gradually darkened as she stood in the washroom. She and Ashton had been so well-protected over the years. The protection from Stephanie, Steven, and the other adults had kept them from encountering such vicious people. Yet this pair of siblings named Petros and Eirene werepletely inhumane. Chapter 826 ?Chapter 826 "Zachary!" Timothy hurriedly rushed over to check on Zachary. He then took out his phone to dial 911. "Xan!" He paced around anxiously when he saw Xan turning around and walking away. Zachary''s condition wasn''t looking good, so he couldn''t leave Zachary at the moment. However, Xan''s behavior scared him. The medical staff finally arrived after a long while. Timothy anxiously rushed to the lecture hall to look for Xan, but he didn''t see her. Instead, he spotted Stephanie. "Mrs. Lincoln, Xan "He was nervous whenever he spoke to Stephanie. Stephanie looked pale as she shot Timothy a cold re. "Xan isn''t feeling well, so I got my husband to take her home. I''ve already arranged for her to take leave from the university, so she probably won''t be back anytime soon. 11 Timothy was stunned. He wanted to ask about Xan''s condition, but he found Stephanie''s gaze too scary. Stephanie did not offer more information. She walked into the lecture hall to get Xan''s bag and belongings. Petros was obnoxiously leaning against the chair while Eirene was coldly chuckling with her chin propped. They were each blocking one end of the row of seats, preventing Stephanie from entering. Eirene gave Stephanie a contemptuous look as if she were looking at a defective experimental subject from the previous generation. These experimental subjects had even developed a sense of pride now. Stephanie walked over to Petros and gestured for him to move away. "Move aside! Don''t go overboard. I haven''t settled the scores with you over Zachary yet!" Timothy angrily stepped forward, trying to grab Petros. Stephanie reached out to stop Timothy''s arm. She knew that he would lose his arm if he took action. She then reached out to grab Petros by the wrist before he could make a move at Timothy. Petros frowned, seemingly surprised that a first-generation defective experimental subject would possess such strength and speed. "You''d better stop it while I''m being nice, kid," Stephanie replied, her voice low. She was here to take Xan away not because she was afraid of them but because she did not want to stir trouble. The reason Petros made a move on Zachary was to force Ashton toe back. No one knew what got into Ashton when he bought the flight ticket back without a word. Stephanie had a hard time understanding the camaraderie between ordinary people. While she shared a deep bond with Joel, Eason, and the others, it was a friendship forged through life-and-death experiences.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Ashton had seemed aloof since young, yet he was actually rushing back without hesitation for a Zachary. This was something she had never expected. However, Steven was quite pleased about it. He thought that Ashton''s socialization was a great sess-Ashton was now loyal and caring. Stephanie couldn''t understand Steven''s excitement when both Ashton and Xan were now targeted by others. Petros looked at Stephanie and frowned. He could sense that she wasn''t making a move on him just because she did not want to stir up trouble. After she yanked him away, she retrieved Xan''s belongings and deliberately chose to walk out from Eirene''s side. Eirene frowned, her expression darkening as she nced at Petros. She refused to budge when Petros kept quiet." Can''t you walk from the other side, old hag?" Stephanie raised her brows. Eirene had clearly struck a nerve. "You should be looking up to me because I''ve made it up till today. You''ll never be able to live up to my age." Stephanie chuckled coldly before grabbing Eirene''s hair and mming her head against the desk. The desk, which had cracked from Xan''s action earlier, crumbled entirely. Stephanie, older and more mature, did not kick Eirene as Xan did. Instead, she tossed Eirene out by her hair. Everyone stared at Stephanie in shock. Timothy couldn''t even speak. As expected from the mother-daughter duo, even their behaviors were simr. He finally knew who Xan had taken after. "Mrs-" Timothy dared not call out to her for fear of getting beaten up. Everyone in the lecture hall fell silent. However, they were amazed by how Eirene''s nose was still intact after all that had happened. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 827 ?Chapter 827 Stephanie was already gone by the time the lecturer and university staff arrived to handle the situation. Timothy tried to take the me on himself, but to his surprise, Eirene and Petros actually stepped up and imed that it was their fault. "Sorry, sir. We''re new to the university. I''m not too familiar with the ce, so I tripped and fell." Eirene smiled. Her bruised nose had already recovered for good. If it weren''t for the blood stains on her face, everyone would have doubted if she was truly mmed against the desk earlier. Fortunately, not many suspected she had strong regenerative ability. However, it did not escape Timothy''s keen observations. He had a conflicted look as he stared at Eirene''s face. As he was the nearest to her, he had clearly seen the obvious injuries on her face. However, her wounds had healed in a blink of an eye. He couldn''t believe it. What kind of supernatural regenerative ability was that? If it were before, Timothy might have suspected that something must have been wrong with his eyes. But he was sure that something wasn''t right about Eirene and Petros.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Zachary was still unconscious by the time Timothy arrived at the hospital early the next morning. Petros was rather ruthless, especially since his strength surpassed that of Zachary''s. Timothy felt guilty, thinking that he shouldn''t have let Zachary go to the washroom alone. He texted Ashton, but Ashton hadn''t replied. He wondered if Ashton might be mad at him for not looking after Zachary after seeing his text. Zachary had a great personality and had been a cheerful person since young. He was also a bit of a chatterbox. Ashton had been impatient since young. He would get annoyed whenever people talked his ears off, but Zachary was the only exception he''d tolerate. It was clear that Zachary was an important friend to Ashton. Timothy didn''t dare to imagine what Ashton would do if he were to find out what happened. Sighing, Timothy took a seat by the hospital bed. By the time Zachary woke up, he saw Timothy and hastily grabbed him by the arm. "Hurry... Call Ashton.... Tell him not toe back!" Zachary said with some difficulty. He was worried that Ashton might return to the country just because he got beaten up. He couldn''t let Ashtone back. "Something''s not right about that Petros and Eirene," he continued with a trembling voice. He had witnessed something beyond his understanding, and Petros'' overwhelming strength filled him with fear." That''s not the kind of strength an ordinary person should have!" Zachary was somewhat agitated, and Timothy hurriedlyforted him, saying, "Don''t get so worked up and just stay still. The doctors said you have multiple fractions and a concussion." Timothy motioned for Zachary to lie down. "I''ve texted Ashton, but he hasn''t replied to me. Since there''s a time difference where he''s at, he''s probably asleep now. Don''t worry." Zachary was stunned. He knew that it was impossible for Ashton to be asleep now. There was only one possibility if he wasn''t replying now-he was currently on a ne. "Something''s definitely not right with Petros and Eirene," Timothy said with a frown. "Eirene was injured by Mrs. Lincoln today. I clearly saw a bruise on her nose bridge, but it was gone in a split second." Zachary looked at him in shock. "Her wound healed instantly? What kind of science fiction movie is this? Petros could easily lift me up with only a hand__" Genuine fear coursed through him, and even his body had ached painfully in response. "Perhaps we could ask my uncle about this," Timothy said, remembering Michael. Michael had worked together with Steven on a secret project years ago. Timothy figured that Michael would know what was going on. Timothy dared not ask Steven and Stephanie directly as Stephanie had always cast him an unfriendly gaze. He was worried that he might not be able to make it back in one piece. As such, he could only ask Michael-the "jerk" whom Stephanie referred to. Chapter 828 ?Chapter 828 "You should get some rest in the hospital. Don''t worry, I''ll stay here with you." Timothy was worried that Eirene and Petros would still go after Zachary. He got up and stepped out to make a call to Michael, wanting to know what exactly was going on. Meanwhile, Zachary anxiously tried to reach for his phone, but both his arms were broken and his fingers were crushed by Petros. He couldn''t even touch his phone, let alone the screen. He was worried about Ashton. It was evident that Petros and Eirene were after Ashton. Surely, he''d be safer staying overseas. He did not know what to do if Ashton came back. He assumed that Ashton was no match for Eirene and Petros in a fight. Zachary cried in frustration, finding himself useless when he couldn''t even win against them in a fight. His phone fell onto the floor as he couldn''t hold it properly. He tried to get out of the bed to pick it up, but with his legs broken and arms immobile, he almost fell off the bed. Fortunately, someone grabbed him by the back of his cor just in time. Zachary felt relieved as he had thought he was about to ruin his face too. Fortunately, Timothy hade back in time. "Timothy, you-" When he looked up, the rest of his words got stuck in his throat. He tensed up and stuttered, "A-Ash... Ashton!" Zachary couldn''t believe that Ashton was actually back. At that moment, all of Zachary''s pain and frustration surged up. His eyes grew red almost instantly before he burst into tears. Ashton, wearing a cap and face mask, frowned as he lifted Zachary back into the bed. He then stood by the bedside and looked at Zachary, whose body was bandaged all over, with an unusually cold gaze. He only passed Zachary a tissue once he was done crying. "Are you stupid? Why did youe back? They were trying to provoke you to make youe back!" Zachary cried while blowing his nose, but Ashton did not seem to mind it. He reached out to wipe Zachary''s tears away, his gazending on the wounds on Zachary''s face. Zachary had a fair and unblemished face, yet it was now bruised all over and covered with open wounds. Ashton remained silent all the while, yet he was clearly in a bad mood.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Zachary said, "You should hurry up and go back! I''m telling you, that Petros isn''t human! Is he some kind of alien or has superpowers? He actually lifted me with one hand and threw me around like I was nothing " He felt a little embarrassed, but he was impressed by Petros'' strength. Perhaps all guys just had an innate admiration towards people stronger than them. "I''m five foot eight and weigh about 150 pounds, yet he picked me up just like that! That''s insane! I honestly thought I was on a drop tower back then-"Zachary grew even more excited the more he talked, as if he wasn''t the one who got beaten up. Ashton massaged his temple as he listened to Zachary''s bberings. When he finally quietened down out of embarrassment, Ashton asked, "Do you think he''s cool?" Zachary averted his gaze diffidently. "It''s not that I think he''s cool; I just think his superpowers are cool." "Do you want to see something cooler, then?" Ashton asked. Zachary looked at him. "What?" Ashton pulled a pair of ck gloves out of his pocket, putting them on before pulling the brim of his cap down. His gaze suddenly turned sharp. He then hurled the fruit knife from the table over without looking back as the person outside the ward neared the door. Petros had been waiting for Ashton at the hospital. He hadn''t expected Ashton to actuallye back for Zachary. Despite Petros'' quick reflex, he failed to dodge the knife which came out of nowhere. It pierced through his shoulders. Zachary stared at Petros, who was at the door, in shock. Worried about Ashton, he cried out, "Run, Ashton!" Ashton turned to look at Petros, giving him a cold smirk. It was toote now. Ashton had to make sure Petros died here today. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!