"What’s the difference between these two sections?" Professor Wells studied the letter with a puzzled expression. Slowly, his brows furrowed as he noticed something off. "The first part talks about giving up, but there’s still some hesitation, some attachment to life. The second part, though… it feels like a complete farewell." "So?" Dean Larson asked, his frown deepening. Sarah took over. "So, this wasn’t written in one sitting. This suicide note was written in two different stages. The real question is, why would she write it twice?" Her voice grew heavier. "I suspect something happened to her afterward. Something that involved her mother." "Is that just a theory?" "For now, yes. But I intend to find out the truth." Dean Larson nodded. Right now, though, the biggest issue was the situation at the school gates. "Bring Tina’s mother inside," he instructed. Professor Wells nodded in agreement. They couldn’t allow a grieving mother to remain at the gates, ho
"Dean Larson, now that Tina has passed away, how does the university plan to handle Miss Sanders? Please give us a direct answer!" Under the flashing lights, Mrs. Mendes looked even more pale and frail. Her lips were cracked, and when she opened her mouth to speak, they threatened to split further. "Your university’s counselor caused my daughter’s death. What are you going to do about it?" Dean Larson remained calm as he met her gaze. "Mrs. Mendes, the surveillance footage from your daughter’s last session with Miss Sanders is in my office. If you truly believe Miss Sanders did something wrong, you’re welcome to come and watch it with me. I assume you wouldn’t refuse?" Mrs. Mendes hesitated, studying Dean Larson with suspicion before nodding heavily. She followed him toward the office, still clutching Tina’s black-and-white photo tightly. The people holding the protest banner remained outside, ensuring the scene at the gates continued to draw attention. As soon as Mrs
No matter how many people tried to clarify the truth, public opinion remained overwhelmingly against Sarah. The case had caused such a massive stir that the police intervened that very night. After questioning Sarah and reviewing the surveillance footage from the counseling session, they officially announced that there was no direct connection between Sarah and Tina’s suicide. However, instead of calming the public, the police statement had the opposite effect. Zachary entered his office, leaning on a cane. The company was in the middle of a major collaboration with Vista International, and he couldn’t afford to step away for too long. His assistant placed a tablet in front of him. "Mr. Reynolds, there’s been a new development." Zachary took the tablet and glanced at the screen. Under the police statement, the comments were flooded with a storm of accusations. "The cover-up begins. I knew this was going to happen!" "Today, it was Tina. Tomorrow, it could be me…"
Vivian spoke softly. "Do you want to help her?" "Of course!" Mia nodded enthusiastically. No one wanted to help Sarah more than she did. Vivian chuckled lightly. "The reason the clarifications so far haven’t worked is because the people speaking out are either less influential than Sarah or haven’t personally received treatment from her. But if someone credible—someone who has actually been treated by her—were to step forward, it would be much more convincing." Mia’s eyes lit up as she suddenly realized something. "That’s me! I’ve been treated by Sarah! If I come forward, people will believe me!" Vivian nodded. "You can give it a try." Mia didn’t hesitate. She immediately grabbed Vivian’s laptop and started typing a long post on social media. After making sure her words were clear, she hit send. To make her statement even more convincing, she decided to record a video. "Hello, I’m Mia. You might not recognize my name, but I’m Zachary Reynolds’s younger sister. And
The voice on the other end of the phone was unusually calm. "Mia, you didn’t do anything wrong. The problem lies with the way people think." "I know, but I don’t want this to continue gaining attention," Mia said hesitantly. Vivian sighed. "Alright, I’ll pull the post down now." "Thank you, Vivian," Mia said, though her face still showed nothing but worry. She had no idea how to help Sarah turn the situation around. Sitting in Vivian’s office, Mia absentmindedly twirled a pen between her fingers. More than anything, she wanted to see Sarah. "Vivian, I want to—" Before she could even finish her sentence, Vivian had already nodded. "Go ahead. I’ll handle things here." "Vivian, you’re the best." Mia immediately left and headed straight for Adams University. When she arrived at the entrance, she saw that Mrs. Mendes was still kneeling outside, her face full of despair as she clung to her daughter’s black-and-white photograph. The media were still there, wai
Mia nodded obediently. "Okay, but Sarah, how are you going to get to and from work?" Sarah shook her head. "I’ve been suspended." Mia’s eyes widened in shock. "Suspended? Why?" "This case involves me," Sarah said calmly. "Tina did write those things in my office. The media is relentless, and there are eyes everywhere. Even if Dean Larson believes in me, he still has to put on a show." She spoke about it so lightly, as if she were simply discussing what to have for dinner. Mia clenched her fists. "Sarah, I believe in you. If you need anything, please tell me. I’ll help however I can." She wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Zachary wanted to check on Sarah too, but his presence would only make the situation worse. Sarah had already packed up her things to head home. Before she left, she warned Mia, "Don’t leave with me. The moment I step outside, I’m going to be surrounded." Mia hesitated but nodded. "Alright." She knew Sarah was protecting her and didn’t w
Tina couldn’t understand Schrödinger’s cat. She couldn’t understand why people who wanted to die still worried about what came after death. In the suffocating stillness of the night, she picked up a sheet of paper and began writing a suicide note. But before she could finish, someone knocked on her door. Someone she trusted. That person took her to the rooftop. There must have been a conversation—one that turned into a conflict. And then… she was pushed. So who was it? What did they talk about that led to her being thrown off the building? Sarah’s expression darkened as she spoke aloud, "And another question—who wanted to bury this evidence? Why were all the crucial findings erased from the final report?" Melvin shook his head. "Whoever they are, they have a powerful background." Sarah suddenly stood up. "There’s another possibility." "What possibility?" "The real target has been me all along. Someone is using Tina’s death to take me down." "Would
Mia tried to dodge, but the man’s sharp gaze locked onto her like a predator. “Don’t run,” he sneered. “Let me take good care of you.” Her heartbeat pounded violently, her breath hitching in terror. Before she could react, another figure appeared behind her. A cloth was pressed tightly over her nose and mouth. A sickly sweet, chemical scent flooded her senses—ether. Within seconds, darkness consumed her. --- The Grand Lyric Theater – Back EntranceThe heavy wooden doors creaked open as a man carried a large burlap sack over his shoulder and loaded it into a van. Inside, the sounds of the opera continued uninterrupted. The actress’s haunting voice rang out again, her song rising above the frantic percussion, filling the grand hall with tragic beauty. The van cut through the bustling streets, passing by the towering Reynolds Corporation headquarters before heading straight toward Adams University. But instead of stopping at the university gates, the v
“Zachary?”Sarah didn’t push him away. She just found his behavior today strangely out of character.She had never seen Zachary like this before. Even when she thought back to everything that had happened between them, the only time she had ever seen him truly broken was at the cemetery. He had stood there, dressed in a black suit, in front of his mother’s tombstone. The black-and-white photo on the grave was somber and still, while the sorrow hidden in Zachary’s eyes felt endless.Mr. Lambert had mentioned to her earlier that he’d seen Zachary and Charlie together today. Could it be... Zachary already knew the truth?What kind of terrible, heartbreaking truth could possibly leave a man like him looking this devastated?“Did you… find out something?” Sarah asked him softly.Zachary buried his head against her shoulder, giving a low, muffled reply. When he had been at the factory, listening to the things Charlie said, he had forced himself to stay calm, keeping up the image of a r
He tried with all his might to hide the concern in his voice. Showing it would lead to endless consequences.Charlie thought for a long time before answering, "I'm not entirely sure. On the day of the explosion, that woman from the Reynolds apparently had a car accident. But you know, in a place like West Ridge, the chance of having a car accident is maybe one in a thousand. This isn't a big city with busy traffic. You can barely see any cars on most roads, let alone one hitting someone. Yet strangely, she really did have an accident."Zachary lowered his eyes. He didn't want to hear any more.This was the very reason he never even got to see her one last time."Bro, now that we've found the truth, when can I get my share of the money?" Charlie looked at Zachary excitedly, already silently fantasizing about what he would do with the money.But to his surprise, when Zachary looked up again, his eyes were ice-cold. "You're lying."The calm tone with which he spoke these words mad
"I have no choice. Why are you two acting so high and mighty? Before things went wrong, you were all making money hand over fist. Now you're pointing fingers. Every factory in Westridge operates this way. If the authorities hadn't started investigating, would anyone want to stop?" The supervisor's voice was sharp with frustration.The senior pharmacist replied coolly, "We can stop now. The final batch has already been sold. We won't lose much on the remaining stock. Even if they investigate, they won't find anything."The supervisor's voice quivered. "That's nonsense. If only it were that simple. That woman from the Reynolds family is relentless. Have you forgotten how many investigators she's sent here? But soon, she'll be out of our way.""Enough about that. The factory cannot close! I absolutely refuse to agree!"Hearing footsteps approaching, Charlie bolted. When he reached the director's office, he found it empty.Back at his workstation, something felt wrong. Glancing outsid
Zachary had reviewed the official investigation report from that year.The report stated that explosive materials were found in the materials room on the third floor, brought in accidentally by a supervisor. Large amounts of helium were also discovered in that room, several times more than in other areas.Yet Charlie hadn't mentioned the third floor at all. Instead, he had brought Zachary to the second floor. Either this was the true explosion site, or Charlie was deliberately hiding something.This room had significantly more burn damage than other areas. The workshop was almost completely destroyed, with debris and remnants everywhere. It was impossible to tell what had once been here—just an empty workspace surrounded by areas that still smelled of burning.Zachary's flashlight illuminated the entire room. Charlie had already tried to turn on the power, but without success."The factory's wiring has really deteriorated. Nothing works," Charlie complained.Zachary shook his hea
This factory, sealed for nearly ten years, finally revealed its former glory to the people of the East Coast. Charlie confidently led Zachary through the valley. When they reached the innermost part of the mountain range, Zachary followed Charlie's lead and stopped.Weeds had completely covered the area. Charlie efficiently tore away the ivy that had grown over everything, revealing a rust-covered iron door.Time had left its mark on the iron door; the rust flaked off at the slightest touch. In the middle was a chain with a padlock. Charlie casually picked up a stone and smashed it hard against the lock. With a dull thud, the lock fell to the ground.The factory from ten years ago differed greatly from modern ones. It lacked sophisticated security measures, since all the equipment inside was too heavy to steal anyway.They stood before the massive iron door. Zachary reached out to touch the cold metal. "How do you know about this place?"Charlie looked solemnly at the valley befor
When Charlie heard the words "Wilson Factory explosion," he froze, his face showing a complex mix of emotions."Who are you?" he asked warily.Zachary displayed a hunger for money. "Don't be nervous. I'm just a private investigator. By coincidence, I got this big job—find the truth and get paid.""Who's the client?" Charlie's face was full of suspicion.Zachary suddenly gave him a cold look, his tone full of warning. "Charlie, in this business, many things are confidential when it comes to clients. We take the money and do the job, never asking too many questions."Seeing how serious Zachary was, Charlie began to accept that he might really be a private detective."Charlie, this is a genuine two million. Aren't you tempted? If I didn't think you knew a lot about what happened back then, I wouldn't even consider sharing this with you. If we succeed, that's two million—one million each."Charlie's heart trembled at these words. One million! How could he not be tempted?With that
"I-I'm telling you, this is in the town, not up in the remote hills. If you try to beat me up, bystanders definitely won't just stand by and watch," he stammered, trying to intimidate Zachary while his hand secretly reached for the door bolt."Relax. I didn't come to beat you today. I'm just curious—why are you so fixated on her?" Zachary asked calmly, fishing for information.He had already made up his mind before coming. If Charlie truly had a grievance with Sarah, he would find a way to send her away. Even if she ended up hating him, that would be better than leaving her in danger.When Charlie heard that Zachary wasn't there to beat him, he immediately relaxed, though his body language remained wary as he kept his eyes fixed on Zachary.Zachary had already figured out Charlie's personality. He knew that unless he revealed some information first, Charlie would never willingly explain his motives for kidnapping Sarah."Sarah is my ex-girlfriend. Our breakup wasn't what I wanted,
The room wasn't very large. Though Zachary had chosen a relatively nice place, the countryside had limited options—it wasn't possible to conjure up a luxury apartment out of thin air.The couch in the living area wasn't even half the length of Zachary's height.If he had to curl up in such a small space to sleep, it would obviously be uncomfortable.Although Sarah didn't want to be indebted to him, she couldn't find the right words at this moment.She could hardly say, "The bed is big enough, we can share it."In the end, she just responded with a simple "Oh" and said nothing more.In the middle of the night, Sarah suddenly felt a chill creeping into her body.When she awoke, she realized she had kicked off her comforter.At that moment, she heard deliberately softened footsteps coming from the other room.Was Zachary still awake?Was he unable to sleep, or was the couch too uncomfortable?Sarah moved her ankle slightly and found it wasn't as painful anymore. Just as she was
"I'll see what food we have in the kitchen. You stay here and don't move around," Zachary said gently. He raised his hand to ruffle Sarah's hair, but she ducked away. He left with a disappointed look.Sarah watched his retreating figure and muttered under her breath, "Is he treating me like a child?"The countryside rooms had poor sound insulation, and soon she heard clattering noises from the kitchen.Curious about what Zachary was doing, Sarah pressed her lips together and carefully eased herself off the bed, supporting herself against the wall.Just as she was about to hop a few steps, she lost her balance on one foot. Sarah let out a sharp cry as she tumbled to the floor.The pain from her ankle made her face turn pale, and her slender body curled up into a small ball.Hearing the commotion, Zachary rushed over. Seeing the scene before him, his pupils contracted in alarm. He hurried to her side and carefully lifted her back onto the bed.The doctors in West Ridge didn't make