Chapter 761



At that moment, Jake and Jeanette emerged from a room. Noticing Lacey’s preoccupied expression, Jake’s concern was evident. “Have those loan sharks been troubling you?”

Lacey quickly dismissed his concern. “No. I just needed some fresh air. I’m feeling a bit down. That’s all.”

Jake decided not to push her further. Instead, he shifted the conversation. “Since the rain’s stopped, I’m thinking of heading back to Burmoos. I’ll head out later to scout the route.”

Lacey stared at Jake for a moment before her lips curled into a smile. “Alright. I’m off to cook.”

Once Lacey was in the kitchen, she let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, those loan sharks hadn’t been around during the recent upheavals. Otherwise, they would have surely exposed Jake. It was a good thing Jake had stayed indoors while recovering, preventing anyone from meeting him. Meanwhile, Kallie continued her relentless search for Jake without any leads.

Unwilling to give up, she decided to visit each house in person.

She refused to believe that they could have found Cara’s body here, yet she was still clueless about Jake’s whereabouts.

Clayton didn’t try to stop Kallie, but he warned her not to overexert herself, reminding her that falling ill again wasn’t worth it.

Suddenly, someone rushed over with alarming news. “Mr. Morgan, Miss Nixon, we’ve found a dead body. It’s male.”

A loud ringing filled Kallie’s ears, and her mind went blank.

“No, it can’t be Jake.” Kallie’s hands clenched into fists as she fought to steady her nerves. “Are you sure? Did you get a good look? Are you certain it’s not Jake?”

The messenger shook his head firmly. “The face is unrecognizable. It’s been completely disfigured. We could only identify him by his clothes.”

Clayton held Kallie upright as she struggled to stay balanced, his voice filled with concern. “It might not be Jake. We can stay back if you’d prefer.”

“I must go.” Kallie pulled away from Clayton’s supportive grip, gathering what little strength she had left amidst the turmoil in her chest.

Her voice trembled as she spoke, “I need to see for myself. It can’t be Jake.”

At the scene where the body was discovered, police tape marked the perimeter.

Kallie’s heart sank as she looked at the clothing on the corpse. It was identical to what Jake had been wearing when he disappeared. Could this really be happening? Perhaps it was just a horrific coincidence.

Disheartened, Kallie moved forward, almost mechanically, toward the body. But before she could get too close, a police officer stopped her. “Miss, I understand your feelings, but you cannot disturb the crime scene. Please, let us do our work.”

At that moment, a forensic expert gave an update on the body’s condition. “There’s a chest wound and other injuries likely caused by debris in the underground river, which could explain the disfigurement.”

Kallie barely registered the words. A persistent buzz filled her head, drowning out everything else.

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