Chapter 109

Eight-year-old Ted, surprisingly strong for his age, struck Alice with unexpected force. Before she could react, he hit her again, the blows imbued with the viciousness of a child taught to fight dirty. Alice struggled, but the other children quickly restrained her. Ted continued his assault, shouting, "This is what you get for messing with my mother! This is what you deserve!"

Alice fought back, aiming for softer areas to avoid serious injury. Despite the pain, she managed to push a child away. Seeing this, Ted dropped the stick and grabbed a rope, quickly tying her hands.

"What's wrong with you? Let me go!" Alice demanded, her voice firm.

Ted's eyes burned with intensity. "If I let you go, you'll hurt my mother again. I'll make sure to kill you."

Alice froze. She had never seen such ferocity in a child's eyes.

"Are you planning to kill me?" she gasped, struggling against the rope. "Has no one ever told you that killing is a crime? You'll end up in jail."

Ted scoffed. "My mother told me that I'm a boy, so nothing will happen to me if I kill you. Didn't you know that?"

Alice's fear intensified. She knew Mrs. Reyes had manipulated Ted, relying on the law's leniency toward young boys. Even survival wouldn't guarantee her safety; Mrs. Reyes would let Ted take the blame.

Suddenly, Ted pushed Alice into the pool. She fell, unable to scream, her head striking a rock. Pain engulfed her before darkness claimed her. Her body sank beneath the surface.

A frightened boy gasped, "Ted, she…"

Ted stared in shock. The sound of Alice's head hitting the rock echoed, and now she lay still in the water. "I just wanted her to get in the water. I didn’t know she hit a rock," he stammered, panic rising as her body surfaced, blood staining the water. "It wasn't me! I didn’t push her!"

Mrs. Reyes had only instructed Ted to mistreat Alice, never intending such a drastic outcome.

In a panic, Ted ran, screaming for his mother. The other terrified children followed, their cries filling the air.

Inside, Caden and Randolph heard the commotion. Caden saw Ted run into Mrs. Reyes's arms. He recognized Ted—the boy who had stolen Alice's skewers and whose earlier glare hinted at resentment.

Randolph asked, "What's going on out there?"

Rachel replied unconcernedly, "They're just some kids misbehaving. They may have had a scuffle, but it’s nothing serious."

Caden noted Rachel's fleeting guilt. He watched her, but remained silent. As Rachel looked toward a distant building, a frown creased her brow, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. Caden anxiously scanned the vast lawn, finding no sign of Alice. Unease settled over him.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Reyes questioned Ted. He trembled, whispering, "She’s dead… She hit her head and now she’s dead." Fear gripped Mrs. Reyes. "She's dead?" she whispered.

Caden, having heard the hushed conversation, asked, "Who died?"

A booming voice cut through the tension. Mrs. Reyes looked up, meeting Caden's furious gaze. Before she could speak, Ted cried, "It wasn't me! It wasn’t me!" Mrs. Reyes's immediate impulse was to deflect blame.

Caden's suspicion hardened. Something serious had happened to Alice. He grabbed Ted by the collar and marched toward the small building, Mrs. Reyes stumbling after him, pleading, "Mr. Ward, please let Ted go!"

Caden ignored her, dragging Ted to the building's entrance. "Where's Alice?" he growled.

Terror-stricken, Ted stammered, "It’s upstairs… in the pool… the second floor…"

Caden threw Ted to the ground and raced upstairs. He flung open the door, and saw Alice floating in the pool. His heart pounded as he rushed toward her.