Chapter 187

“The only witness was a villager passing by from a nearby village, who caught a glimpse and knew that his parents got into trouble,” Mark began.

“They got a new lead. The person who got rescued back then might have been sent to this orphanage. That girl is here, Aubree—məcəlike the bones.”

Bowen lowered his gaze. “Hypotheticals and probabilities don’t equal facts.”

Mark sputtered, exasperated. “Is this guy just impossible to reason with?”

He continued, “With my methods, when I call something a hypothesis, it’s practically a fact. She's been evasive. She must know who I’m talking about. If it was just suspicion before, after seeing how she acted with Aubree today, I’m practically certain she’s—”

Bowen remained unmoved. “So what? Even if it’s Bree, she was a victim too back then.”

That may be true for him, but others might not be so clear-headed, Mark thought.

Mark knew how stubborn, no, downright obsessive, Bowen could be. To question the director... she's afraid.

He sighed and patted Bowen on the shoulder helplessly. “Even if you don’t care, you have to consider Alvin. He’s grown quieter and quieter since his parents passed away. Though he never said anything, we could all tell it still bothered him."

“He’s had me investigating this all along. Besides tracking down the real murderer who killed his parents, he isn’t about to let the person they saved off the hook either.”

Alvin took out his anger on everyone connected to that incident.

Bowen frowned in contemplation. “Then we’ll make sure he never finds out.”

Eliminate all risks, and there will be no danger at all, Bowen thought coldly. Letting Alvin know the truth might not be wise. This kid’s mind works in shadows too deep.

“Let me know when you find the murderer. I’ll deal with them myself,” Bowen said as he narrowed his eyes, his gaze murderous. “I’m off to find Bree. Let’s grab a drink sometime.”

Mark facepalmed in resignation. How did I end up with friends like Bowen and Alvin? I must owe them from a past life.

Meanwhile, Aubree beamed at Ethel. “Grandma Ethel, was there something you wanted to tell me?”

Ethel looked at Aubree with mixed emotions. Such a wonderful girl, she thought. Why does fate keep dealing her such a rough hand? She thought life would get better once she was back home, only to find herself in a den of wolves. After leaving the Wilson family, things finally started looking up, until someone new set their sights on her.

Ethel looked at Aubree with concern. “That man’s name is Mark. I’m not sure exactly who he is, but he must be a big shot. I don’t know what he’s investigating, but it seems to involve you.”

“Involving me?” Aubree thought.

“Did he say my name directly?” Aubree asked.

Ethel shook her head. “No, but from the way he was asking, I just had a feeling he was talking about you.”

I’ve never even met Mark, and I haven’t done anything illegal. Why on earth is he investigating me? Aubree wondered.

Ethel looked hesitant, her expression troubled. “Aubree, do you not remember anything about what happened?”

Aubree shook her head, "I only remember being rescued, then walking in..."

Back then, she’d hit her head and couldn’t even remember her name. All she knew was that she had loving parents and four brothers.

It was only after the Wilson family found her that these memories began to return.

Come to think of it, Aubree realized, “I don’t know Mark, but we do have mutual acquaintances. I heard Alvin’s parents died saving someone. Could the person they saved be me? What are the odds?”

Aubree quickly dismissed the thought. No, that’s impossible.

“It’s probably just a misunderstanding,” Aubree said, giving Ethel a reassuring smile. “I haven’t done anything wrong, so I’m not worried about him looking into it. Oh right, Grandma Ethel, I also wanted to ask who exactly Mr. Quinn was—the one who sponsored me all those years ago." She continued, "I'd like to express my gratitude for his kindness.”

Honestly, Ethel didn’t know.

So she said, “I never kept in touch with him. I only met Mr. Quinn that time when he wanted to sponsor you. He was just a boy then, maybe fifteen or sixteen. After all these years, it’s all fuzzy now.”