The boy ran over to hug my leg when he saw how dazed I was.
He held on tight, refusing to let go.
âWhy donât I take you back, little boy?â 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 boysâthe teen whoâd been instructed to kill Yasmin, and the little boy in front meâ
definitely knew who I was.
âHe likes you. You can take him back.â Steven walked up to me and blocked me from Zionâs view.
I felt guilty and was concerned Zion might see through me.
âIf the boy likes you so much, you can take him home first if v relented.
want to,â Zion also I heaved a sigh of relief and held the boyâs hand. âDo you want to go back home with me?
The boy obediently nodded.
Then, I crouched down and asked him, âWhatâs your name?â
He gazed at me with wide eyes for a moment before saying, âMy nameâs Jean.â
I smiled. âWhat a good boy you are, Jean.â
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 him come fetch us.
âStephieâ¦â 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.
âYou donât like him?â I cautiously asked Steven.
Steven looked away. Then, in an effort to show how kind he was, he innocently said, âNo, I took care of those stray dogs, didnât I?â
But based on how Steven compared Jean to stray dogs, I could still tell that he didnât like Jean.
Jean didnât like Steven either, and he kept cautiously watching him.
âMr. Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln,â 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.
âGet in the car,â I said in confusion.
Then, Steven suddenly extended a hand out to me. âYou said you wouldnât lose me again.
How dare I hold someone elseâs hand.
I felt exasperated, but Stevenâs condition was different. So, I had no choice but to coax him, âCome on, letâs get into the car.â
Steven held onto the hand I extended to him. Then, he turned around and challenged Jean, saying, âLet go of her hand. Sheâs mine.â
Jean trembled fearfully as he hid behind me. Yet, he refused to back down. âNo way. Stephie is mine.â
This time, I was certain that this boy knew who Stephanie Carlson was.
I was afraid Stephanieâs secrets would be exposed, so I quickly led both of them into the car.
âStephie, can you tell the police to let my brother go? He was just trying to get money for my sickness,â Jean tentatively said.
I looked down, unsure of what to say.
As the car drove on, I whispered, âJean⦠How did we come to know each other?â
âStephie?â Jean looked at me before whispering back, âDo we have to pretend we donât know each other now too?â
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 heâd been starving for a long time.
Meanwhile, Steven silently ate his own food and glanced at me from time to time.
âStephie⦠Can I take away what we canât finish?â Jean pointed at the unfinished food on the table, not wanting to leave yet.