Chapter 45
Another victim had surfaced, and the revelation sent me reeling to my feet.
That lunatic, how could he have taken so many lives?
All those girls who were adopted from the orphanage were brutally murdered, one by one…
What was the reason behind this madness?
That maniac had dumped all the bodies from the orphanage, but kept mine. What was he planning to do with my body?
Did he realize he had killed the wrong person? Or was it something else….
“We’ve caught Colin,” the officer reported, his breath shaky and his voice hoarse. “He didn’t run. He just stood there and let us take him.”
“This time, on the body… we found…” He trailed off, struggling to continue.
“What did you find?” Robin demanded, the urgency clear in his voice.
The young officer shot a wary glance at Stella, debating whether to share the gruesome details. Stella was already trembling, her breathing faint. “Just… tell us.”
“The eyes…” the officer took a deep breath. “The forensic expert examined and said the eyes in the victim’s sockets were placed there post–mortem. They don’t belong to the victim. We suspect… they might be Phoebe’s.”
Stella collapsed to the ground, her face ashen.
The eyes…
Had Colin taken my eyes?
I was terrified, my whole body shaking.
What was he trying to accomplish?
What did he want?
“He’s just a madman!” I cried out uncontrollably, sinking to the floor in tears.
Such brutality.
Robin looked grim as he took a deep breath. “Take care of Stella. I’ll handle this.”
He wouldn’t let Stella go to the scene. She couldn’t handle that kind of horror.
“We can’t be sure until the tests are done. Don’t worry.” Robin said, scratching his head in frustration before he took off.
I stayed by Stella’s side, sharing in her blank despair.
Chapter 45
“Stella… I’m sorry. I’m gone and can’t keep our promise.”
We had made a pact that if neither of us found someone to marry, we would stay single and
retire together in some cozy city.
Now, that’s impossible.
Robin returned quickly.
The body was taken to forensics. The medical examiner was still working. These things take
time.
Dexter, hearing the news, arrived looking even more distraught than earlier.
“I don’t believe it… I just can’t!”
He refused to accept that those eyes in the corpse could be mine, but the autopsy results slapped him with the harsh truth.
Those were my eyes.
By now, Robin and the other officers were convinced I had been murdered. Even Stella sat dejected on the floor, no longer resisting the truth. She believed I was dead.
Only Dexter, as if he’d heard some sick joke, bent over laughing hysterically.
I had no strength left to confront him or to slap some sense into him. It was pointless.
“Now, the only person left for the killer to target is probably Melody,” a female officer murmured.
Dexter’s eyes were bloodshot. “Fine, I’ll wait for him.”
“Ready to use Melody as bait now? Too bad, it’s too late,” Robin said meaningfully, shaking his head. “People only realize what’s important after it’s gone. It’s tragic.”
Clutching his fists tightly, Dexter said nothing.
“Important? The best thing would be for her to die.” He lashed out at Robin, his eyes burning
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