After I Died, the Scumbag Went Mad

Chapter 183: Chapter 182: Sebastian Lancaster Doesn’t Want This Child?

”During their investigation into the missing teenagers, the police uncovered a common thread. All the teens left home of their own accord, went to places without surveillance, and then vanished.”

”Surveillance footage clearly showed that they all had vacant, dazed expressions. They were obviously drugged.” Lucas Grant showed me the files he’d found.

”And every single one of them had been in contact with Cecilia Caldwell.”

I snapped my head up to look at Lucas Grant. ”What do you mean...”

”These missing teenagers all had Asperger’s syndrome. Each was exceptionally gifted in a specific area, but they were also naturally withdrawn and unwilling to interact much with others. To help them integrate into society, their parents would hire tutors of a similar age. Cecilia Caldwell, back when she was still a minor, was a tutor for all of them.”

Lucas Grant frowned. ’Could anyone really say the disappearance of these children had nothing to do with Cecilia Caldwell?’

’That was impossible.’

”How is that possible...” My head was pounding, and a ringing started in my ears.

”Cecilia Caldwell was just a normal student. How could she possibly tutor geniuses...?” ’I didn’t believe it. I’m not a genius. I’m just a normal student.’

’I was just an average kid studying for my college entrance exams.’

”That was just her disguise.” Lucas Grant sneered, pulling up a few photos of yellowed test papers on his phone. ”This was the entrance exam for our genius program. The questions were transcribed in Sebastian Lancaster’s handwriting, but look at who answered them.”

I took Lucas Grant’s phone and gasped. It looked... it looked exactly like my handwriting.

”Cecilia Caldwell is a genius—a genius disguised as an ordinary person.” Lucas Grant’s voice was cold. He’d always felt there was more to Cecilia than met the eye. ”I got these photos from Sebastian Lancaster. He treasures this stuff, and even though he won’t admit it was Cecilia who answered the questions, handwriting doesn’t lie. Cecilia got every single question right. She’s another one of those full-score monsters.”

Lucas Grant believed that anyone who could get a perfect score in the genius program wasn’t human. They were monsters.

If Cecilia Caldwell hadn’t died, leaving no one to consider her a suspect, she would have definitely been a person of interest.

”Cecilia was a genius with a great talent for chemistry. She could use different raw materials to synthesize psychoactive drugs that make people compliant, all without needing to be registered, leaving the police with no trail to follow.” The last part must have been Lucas Grant’s own speculation.

He was guessing that Cecilia had created some kind of psychoactive drug that made those kids with Asperger’s obey, leave home on their own, and get abducted from places where no one would see them.

I clutched Lucas Grant’s phone, my fingers trembling.

’Impossible... I don’t believe it.’

’Back then, I would have still been a minor.’

’How could I possibly have done those things?’

’I have no memory of it at all...’

”My head... it hurts so much...” The pain suddenly intensified, as if my head was about to split open.

”Silvia Lynch?” Lucas Grant saw me stumbling and shot me a look that said, ’Don’t even think about faking an injury.’

I braced myself against the bed, dizzy with pain.

”Cece!” Julian Fletcher burst through the door, his voice frantic.

He must have heard about the car accident and that Brandon Lancaster had taken me.

Julian Fletcher shot a warning glance at Lucas Grant before sweeping me into his arms.

I didn’t have the strength to fight back. My head felt like it was about to explode.

”Cece, are you okay?”

When I woke up again, Julian Fletcher was sitting by my bed.

He watched me anxiously, looking extremely worried.

”I told you he couldn’t protect you,” Julian Fletcher murmured, his voice laced with both guilt and regret.

’Regretting that I ever left the Fletcher family... that I went with Sebastian Lancaster.’

I ignored Julian Fletcher and closed my eyes again.

A voice was echoing in my head. ’You can’t escape, Cecilia. You can’t escape.’

”Is Silvia Lynch awake?” Lucas Grant came in, asking Zeke Shaw and Madeline Quinn, who were standing by the door.

Madeline Quinn shot Lucas Grant an irritated look. ”What did you do to set her off this time?”

Lucas Grant looked completely innocent. ”I just told her what we found out about Cecilia Caldwell! I have a reasonable suspicion that she used to be a genius and is connected to those missing gifted teenagers!”

Madeline Quinn stared at Lucas Grant as if he were insane. ”Are you out of your mind? Cecilia was a good student, sure. She did well in her studies and was always at the top of our class, but she was nowhere near the kind of genius you’re talking about! Besides, she’d cry for ages if a stray cat died. And you think she’s connected to a bunch of missing people?”

”That was the Cecilia Caldwell *after* the car accident,” Lucas Grant retorted irritably. ”Have any of you considered that after the crash, she was just pretending? Deliberately hiding her talent and making herself out to be an ordinary person? Do you really think she’s so innocent?”

Lucas Grant turned to Zeke Shaw. ”You should have investigated Cecilia Caldwell more thoroughly.”

”It’s too clean...” Zeke Shaw admitted he had his own suspicions. ”Both Cecilia Caldwell and the Caldwell family are too clean. The Caldwells run a small company that’s on the verge of bankruptcy, yet they keep making charitable donations. Maybe they’re just really good people... but something about it feels off.”

”The Caldwell family is suspicious, and so is Cecilia Caldwell,” Lucas Grant snorted.

”You’re all a bunch of lunatics. Is this how you treat good people, with slander and suspicion? You still can’t find the killer, you useless bunch...” Madeline Quinn muttered. ”You can’t find the murderer, so you decide to blame the victim? Why don’t you just say Cecilia knocked herself out, killed herself, and sealed herself inside that heavy glass case to put herself on display!”

Lucas Grant and Zeke Shaw fell silent.

The existing evidence really couldn’t explain it.

”But there is one thing... Sebastian Lancaster was on the right track. He said that as long as he checked into the psychiatric hospital, another murder would occur, and the culprit would point the finger at the Lancaster family, at Master Lancaster...” Lucas Grant said, looking at Zeke Shaw.

Sebastian Lancaster had checked himself into the hospital to prove Cecilia’s innocence. The goal was to make Master Lancaster lower his guard and expose himself.

But right now, there was still no proof connecting Master Lancaster to these two murders.

”Madman,” Julian Fletcher cursed from the side, calling Asher a madman.

With my back to Julian Fletcher, I listened to Lucas Grant and Zeke Shaw’s conversation without saying a word.

’The situation really is getting more and more complicated.’

”Cece... I’ve spoken to the doctor. He said you need to rest quietly. You can be discharged today. I’m taking you home.” Julian Fletcher wanted to take me back to the Fletcher family estate. ”You’ll only be safe if you stay with me. Sebastian Lancaster is a lunatic, a menace. Being with him will only bring you disaster.”

”My husband is coming back, so I should go home with my husband,” I warned Julian Fletcher in a low voice, making it clear I wouldn’t go with him.

Julian Fletcher fell silent for a moment before speaking again. ”Cece, Sebastian Lancaster killed someone...”

His voice was soft, but his words were a threat.

I glared at him, knowing he was trying to use the fact that Asher had killed Brandon Lancaster against me. ”It was self-defense.”

”If he were a normal person, I’d have no objections. But he’s mentally ill!” Julian Fletcher stared at me, his expression complex.

He seemed dead set on ”rescuing” me from Sebastian Lancaster.

”Julian Fletcher, are you nuts? She’s not going back with you. Why don’t you hurry back to your precious Erin Whittaker?” Madeline Quinn opened the door, motioning for Julian to get lost.

Julian’s eyes turned cold as he warned Madeline Quinn, ”If you weren’t Cece’s friend, I’d make you disappear.”

He found Madeline Quinn grating.

Zeke Shaw frowned, stepping in front of Madeline Quinn. ”That’s some big talk, President Fletcher.”

Julian Fletcher shot Zeke Shaw a warning look, then turned back to me. ”Cece, Owen Foster went to the charity gala tonight to meet the CEO of Astraeus Group, didn’t he? Without that connection, Master Lancaster will make sure Sebastian ends up dead.”

My heart clenched. I knew Julian Fletcher had the power to ruin that deal.

”You bastard...” I snarled, looking up at Julian Fletcher.

”I don’t care what you think of me... I can’t let you stay with him any longer. This baby... Sebastian never wanted to keep it from the very beginning. It’s highly likely he orchestrated this whole thing, using Brandon Lancaster to get rid of the child in your womb!” Julian Fletcher’s eyes were bloodshot, as if from rage.

”Shameless,” Madeline Quinn cursed.

”You’ll believe me... one day.” Julian Fletcher lifted me from the bed into his arms as his bodyguards blocked Zeke Shaw and Madeline Quinn.

”Cece, I won’t make the same mistake again. I won’t let you die at the hands of that madman a second time.”ℯℯ𝘭.