Chapter 40: Chapter 40

“Suicide? Ha! If she had the heart to die, she wouldn’t have caused Stephie’s death!” Rachel yelled uncontrollably.

Her hatred toward Yasmin was intense, perhaps because I had become her scapegoat.

“Calm down for now. Go and see what’s going on first,” Zion intercepted the emotionally unstable Rachel and handed her over to Keenan. “Take care of her.”

Keenan nodded and held onto her.

“You’re a doctor too. You know more than anyone that you shouldn’t let emotions cloud your judgment at any time.”

Without saying anything, Rachel just stood there with red teary eyes.

Zion glanced at his watch and sorted things out at the scene before rushing to catch up with Michael.

He said, “Mr. Ford, I’ll go with you to check out the situation. Based on the current investigation, your wife, Yasmin, is also one of the girls who left the orphanage back then. So, the murderer will continue to target her.”

Michael’s steps froze for a moment. With a low voice, he said, “She’s not my wife…”

Zion was baffled by Michael’s odd behavior, but he didn’t say much. I followed behind the two and got into the car too.

“The girls who left the orphanage back then have grown up and are now scattered throughout the city. There are no significant patterns to the list and order of deaths. It’s as if the murderer is seeking revenge.

Zion looked at Michael and continued, “If your wife isn’t afraid of dying, I wonder if she can.

cooperate with us to catch the murderer as soon as possible?”

Originally, he didn’t want to suggest this, but Yasmin and Michael were the ones who had pushed me into becoming bait.

I smiled at Zion and teased, “As if he’d agree to that. He treasures Yasmin so much. How could he possibly let her be bait to lure out the murderer?”

“I said… she’s not my wife,” said Michael, who seemed to be very bothered by the title. “Besides…

something has already happened to Stephie. I can’t possibly let Yasmin take any more risks.”

I laughed. See, he’d never agree.

“Risk? Mr. Ford, what were you thinking when you asked Stephanie to become bait, then? Or is it that in your eyes, Yasmin’s life is worth something but not Stephanie’s?” Zion countered.

Clearly caught off guard, Michael sat there stiffly.

I could only feel a bone–plercing chill run through my entire body. Yes, my worthless life could never compare to Yasmin’s precious one.

“Yasmin is in poor health, and her emotions have always been unstable. You heard it too just now, that she attempted suicide!” Michael fumed, glaring at Zion. “You’re a police officer. How could you say such things?”

Zion remained silent, but it seemed Michael’s response had confirmed his suspicions.

“Michael, Stephanie wasn’t from the orphanage, and her body still hasn’t been found. My team and I think there’s a high probability that she’s still alive. If we don’t find her soon, she’ll die for sure,” said Zion after a long silence, He hoped that Michael could persuade Yasmin to help the police and ultimately me. He was already being quite tactful with his words.

The fastest way to find the murderer now was to use Yasmin as bait to lure them out, but Michael hesitated.

I had already accumulated enough disappointment in him. Now, I found myself able to face it with some resignation. I knew that I had no place in his heart, and his choice was within my expectations. My feelings for him that had been buried deep in my heart during my youth rapidly took root and grew into a towering tree. But they were later crushed and destroyed.

My love for him ended in the year 18th birthday.

Michael’s car stopped in front of the hotel. Guests at the wedding reception hadn’t left, including Yasmin’s parents, who obviously looked upset.

“Michael…”

Yasmin’s mother, Jacquelyn Case, was an elegant woman–especially since she came from a well–

off family. It was just that they had gone bankrupt in recent years. That was why they needed Michael’s help.

“Mrs. Bailey,” Michael greeted as he lowered his head, seemingly feeling guilty..

I stood not far away, watching the family and feeling a sense of irony.

“Why are you still calling her ‘Mrs. Bailey‘? You should call her ‘Mom‘ by now,” said Yasmin’s father, Roger Bailey.

He sighed and continued, “Michael, we’ve seen how you treasure Yasmin. But regardless of the reason why the reception turned out like this… embarrassing Yasmin in front of all her relatives wasn’t right. You should go talk to her properly.”

Michael was silent before he opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

He just nodded and replied, “Okay.”

Zion 1 was smoking in the smoking area nearby. He seemed to be a heavy smoker, probably due to the long hours spent investigating cases.

I was there next to him. I subconsciously coughed because I couldn’t stand the smell of smoke. It became a conditioned reflex for me to avoid whenever I saw someone smoking.

However, after coughing twice, I suddenly realized that I was already dead… Why should a soul…

be afraid of second–hand smoke?

I snickered and turned to face Zion.

“You see, Yasmin’s suicide is just an act. If she really wanted to die, she should be in the hospital now and not resting in a hotel room.”

Zion couldn’t hear my words, but he seemed to share my thoughts.

He also chuckled sarcastically and said to himself, “Is it really suicide or just an act to get Michael to come back?“!

I glanced at Zion with a smile, glad to find someone on the same page as me.

“Mr. Ford, I would like to see Ms. Bailey,” said Zion to Michael after Yasmin’s parents left.

Michael frowned and answered, “Let’s do it another day. I don’t think we should agitate her further.

Mr. and Mrs. Bailey said she broke down just now and only just fell asleep.

Oh, how considerate he was being.

“Delaying this by another day… means giving Stephanie another push toward her death,” said Zion, his brows knitting together.

“Michael, tell me, do you really want Stephanie to be found?”