Chapter 176: Chapter 176

“Stephie… I didn’t kill anyone.”

That was the first thing Steven said to me when he raised his head.

“Let’s go home.” I felt a complicated mix of emotions as I rushed to his side and took his hand.

Steven hung his head as he followed me, sniffling as he did.

I was a bit worried, so I brushed his hair aside to look at the bruises on his forehead. ”

Does it hurt?”

Steven nodded with reddened eyes as tears streamed down his cheek.

Somehow, my chest abruptly tightened at this.

His eyes were so innocent. I could never imagine these innocent eyes belonging to a murderer.

“Please don’t hurt yourself again.” I carefully wiped away Steven’s blood and led him out.

Meanwhile, outside the door, Michael’s bodyguards were already waiting for us.

Steven was immediately on guard and shielded me with his body. He glared at them like a beast ready to tear its prey apart.

“You’d rather believe a psycho over me?” Michael approached us as he painfully wiped off the blood stains on his forehead. “Stephany, you’re becoming more and more like Stephanie Carlson.”

I warily stared at Michael. “What do you want from us?”

“Steven, you killed Stephanie Carlson because you hated her, didn’t you? You were angry that she’d forgotten about you,” Michael questioned in a low voice.

Steven glared at Michael. “You lied to her… You should be dead, not her.”

“Looks like you don’t know when to call it quits.” Michael smiled coldly. Then, he stepped away to allow his bodyguards to come forward.

“What are you doing?” My heart tightened.

What madness was Michael up to?

I stepped forward to protect Steven, but there were simply too many of them.

And while Steven may have been skilled, he was still caught off guard by them and took at hard blow to his back.

At the next moment, I was cornered by Michael’s men.

My eyes reddened as I anxiously shouted, “Stop it, Michael!”

“He’s a lunatic. When he’s triggered, he might smash things, hurt people, kill people, or even kill himself,” Michael said in a low and gloomy tone as he glanced at Steven pressed against the ground.

“Does it even matter if a lunatic dies?” he asked.

“Michael, let go of him!” I sensed Michael’s determination and began struggling in my panic. I had a sinking feeling about what he intended to do.

He was going to throw Steven off the floors of the building.

“Michael… What can I do to change your mind?” I asked in a hoarse voice.

But Michael wasn’t seeking vengeance for Stephanie. Rather, he was driven by his own pathetic pride and was running away from the fact that he was the reason Stephanie was dead.

Michael nonchalantly glanced at me and said in a deep voice, “Unless Stephanie is brought back to life… Otherwise, he must die.”

I gasped and stared at Michael in disbelief. “You’re the one who should die…”

“Police!” As Michael’s men were dragging Steven away, the police burst in.

Michael frowned and glanced at Steven.

However, Steven returned his gaze with a mocking glare.

“What’s going on?” Zion entered with his men, his brows furrowed as he observed Michael and Steven.

Steven looked utterly aggrieved. “He abducted my wife and had his men beat me up.”

Zion was taken aback. He had never seen Steven looking so aggrieved before.

What kind of nonsense was this?

Michael turned pale. And before he could say anything, Ewan came in with a lawyer.

30 “Officer Landon, Mr. Lincoln suffers from a mental illness, rendering him incapable of controlling his actions during such episodes. As such, he cannot be held legally responsible for his behavior.

“However, Mr. Ford, being of sound mind, had committed abduction… and assault, which are serious crimes,” Ewan said.

Zion glanced at me, signaling for an explanation of what had happened. At the same time, Michael also turned to me.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for me to provide an explanation.

Now, it was up to me to decide whether or not Michael had abducted me.