Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

“Nope.” Eric replied with honest bluntness. “Truth is, the Langleys have always known about Mr. Caleb. But without Mr. Brendan’s nod, no one dared bring him back. It wasn’t until Mr. Caleb made a name for himself, causing a stir across Sea City, that Mr. Brendan let us claim him and welcome him into the family fold.”

I let out a derisive snort. Even among the wealthy elite, it’s always about self–interest.

Such is human nature.

“And these old clothes haven’t been tossed yet?” I asked, eyeing the ill–fitting, washed–out garments hanging on the rack–the very ones Colin had worn during his vagabond days.

The Langleys had taken him in, cleaned him up, and locked him in a room, but they hadn’t thrown away his dirty clothes?

“He treasures that outfit; doesn’t let anyone touch it,” Eric intervened, stopping me from reaching for it.

I was curious as to why Colin would cherish such a faded and ill–fitting set of clothes.

“Have you ever met this person?” My thoughts returned to the photograph, pointing to a boy who stood next to Colin, slightly hiding behind him with a timid gaze.

“That’s Carter, the other star from Double–Genius Welfare House, one of the celebrated prodigies that shocked Sea City back in the day,” Eric said with a sigh of regret as he looked at the photo. “Sadly, he perished in the fire at the orphanage that year. Mr. Caleb was…’

19

Eric trailed off, then added, “Mr. Caleb was supposed to die in that fire too, but miraculously, he survived.”

I was shocked for quite some time. “Was the fire an accident?”

“It was arson,” Eric stated firmly.

“And the culprit?” I pressed, growing impatient.

“Never found. Back then, investigative techniques weren’t as advanced. There were no cameras at the scene of the fire, and everyone denied any knowledge of arson, so…” Eric shook his head.

It was clear he was holding back details, but if he wasn’t willing to share, I wasn’t about to pry. After all, Eric wasn’t a witness to the event.

My gaze shifted back to class president James. He must know what really happened during that fire.

And that murderer, why… why is he still targeting people from the orphanage?

“Can I take this photograph with me?” I asked softly.

10:11

“These are Mr. Ethan’s keepsakes. If you need one, I’ll get you another copy,” Eric offered.

I nodded.

The girls in the red dresses in the photo were already dead, leaving only Melody.

And the murderer was now aiming at the remaining individuals.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“Is this the orphanage director?” I asked, pointing to a middle–aged woman sitting in the center of the photo.

“She ran the orphanage together with her husband,” Eric confirmed with a nod.

I shivered slightly as I looked at the middle–aged woman and then at the man next to her. They looked charitable, but something about them gave me chills.

“Are they still alive?” I inquired, driven by curiosity.

“Yes,” Eric confirmed. “The one who died recently was their daughter.”

I looked up at Eric, startled.

Their daughter was dead.

It seemed this gruesome series of murders was indeed a vendetta.

These people, they must share something in common–they all must have wronged the murderer in some way.

“Phoebe…”

“Phoebe!”

Suddenly, Colin’s panicked voice came from outside the door. He sounded like he was trapped in a nightmare, his voice out of control and filled with despair.

Something stabbed at my heart, and I hurriedly ran outside.

There, I found Colin standing by the window, disoriented and frantic, his bloodied footsteps marking the floor where the wounds on his feet had reopened. His pate, exquisite face was smeared with blood, droplets tracing down his pronounced Adam’s apple.

His hands were covered in blood, and the moment he saw me, he panicked like a child caught in mischief, hiding his hands behind him.

Eric’s face turned pale, and he rushed out. “Doctor! Get the doctor!”

Clearly, the Langleys had kept too much from me about Colin’s condition.

Without a doubt, Colin’s current state was far from normal.