On the way back from the hospital, Evadne found herself reying Thaddeus''s words in her mind-the promises they''d made, the pact sealed with a handshake. A storm of emotions swirled inside her, impossible to name or untangle.


    She gazed out at the snow swirling past the car window, tears glimmering at the corners of her eyes. In a voice barely more than a whisper, she murmured to herself, “Evadne, he came to find you of his own ord. He agreed to your request—that''s more than enough, isn''t it? You don''t have the right to act spoiled in front of him anymore... it''s time to be content with what you have."


    Jason watched her through the rearview mirror as he drove, noticing how lost and hollow she looked. His heart ached with sympathy.


    Just being apart from him was enough to turn her world upside down.


    If Thaddeus truly left this world for good... Evadne''s life would shatter beyond repair.


    Maybe, after all they''d suffered, simply letting Thaddeus live on was the best fate the universe could offer them. Even if it was such a bitter constion.


    "Ms. Evadne, it''s gettingte. Why don''t we skip going back to the foundation and take you home to rest? There''s still a mountain of work ahead for the Elmsworth A5 project." Jason''s voice was gentle, tinged with concern as he nced at her pale face.


    A shadow passed over Evadne''s brow, but her mind was already elsewhere. "Jason, I need you to look into someone for me."


    "Of course. Who is it?" Jason responded at once.


    "Twenty years ago, there was a girl named Nora working as a maid at Windermere Estate, taking care of my grandfather. Her mother''sst name is Cooper-she still lives in Elmsworth."


    In an instant, Evadne set aside her private sorrow and regained her usual coolposure. "This girl-Nora-was killed by Chad twenty years ago. But the exact circumstances and cause of death were never clear. I think it''s time we got to the bottom of this. We need to know everything."


    The news hit Jason like a thunderp. "You''re telling me Chad was involved in a murder when he was just a kid? What is he, some kind of demon spawn?"


    Evadne gave a cold, mirthlessugh. "Who would have guessed? He always came off so refined, so charitable. If I hadn''t witnessed it myself at the cemetery, I wouldn''t have believed it either-not in a million years."


    "To think someone could hide who they are so well." Her voice was bitter. "He parades around as a savior, living under the same roof as Thaddeus... Doesn''t that terrify you?"


    A shiver ran down Jason''s spine as Chad''s gentle, schrly face shed through his mind. "Terrify me? Absolutely."


    "That''s why we have to investigate this thoroughly. Legally, a murderer should pay the price, even if Chad was underage at the time. That''s no excuse to escape justice."


    Evadne closed her sharp almond eyes, taking a steadying breath. "And personally if he ever shows his true colors and threatens Thaddeus, we need something to hold over him. It could be the only way to protect Thaddeus when it matters most."


    Jason couldn''t hide his admiration for her. The Evadne of today was far more calcting andposed than the passionate young woman he once knew.


    Suddenly, a thought struck him and he blurted out, "Ms. Evadne, if Chad had it in him to kill at fourteen, that means he''s stone-cold at his core."


    Evadne''s reply was calm, her gaze sharp with reason. "Doesn''t his behavior remind you of his uncle Mason? And remember what Alva said-Chad tortured animals when he was young Looking back t almost seems inevitable he''d move on to killing people."<fn20cd> Fresh chapters posted on Find~Novel</fn20cd>


    Jason stared in disbelief. "But hurting animals... and murdering someone? Isn''t


    that a whole different level?"


    "In the end, both acts show a ruthless disregard for life-apleteck of respect for the living."


    Evadne shook her head, a heaviness pressing on her chest. "If he could torture animals without a second thought, it was only a matter of time before that lost its thrill—and he turned his cruelty on people. That''s how a lot of serial killers start, both here and abroad."


    "Ms. Evadne, what I don''t get is-how could someone so disturbed end up as Thaddeus''s savior?"


    Jason finally voiced the questiomet


    that had been ghaving at him.


    cold blooded guy like Chad, stepping in to save his own half-brother at a life-or-death moment? Doesn''t that fly in the face of everything we know about him?"