NovelEnglishI blinked, a sense of dread washing over me. Somehow, I'd known it all along.
Deep down, I'd harbored suspicions about Damian too.
‘You can't catch a fox without entering its den, and Colin would never have let me approach Damian without a plan. So, he checked himself into the mental sanatorium voluntarily, hoping to dig up some dirt.
"Find anything?" | whispered.
"He's got a knack for messing with people's heads... a real talent,” Colin murmured back. "He's a master of psychology, skilled in hypnosis and the strategic use of drugs." | shivered, fearfully clutching Colin's wrist. "You shouldn't have tangled with him..." "But | found his Achilles’ heel." He leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear. "His daughter..." 1 glanced sideways at Colin. "His daughter?" "While | was in the psych ward, | noticed Damian, obsessed
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtwith his research on the mentally ill, interrupted his consultations three times to take calls. Each time, his face lit up with a smile, and the caller ID showed ‘Sweetie Pie.' The voice on the other end was that of a young girl, definitely under thirteen, calling him 'Daddy." Colin's voice grew cold as he continued. "Phoebe... I've done my homework on Damian. His eldest daughter was born to his ex-wife, just a couple of years before you, born with serious genetic issues, a rare disease. There wasn't much news about her after a few years, and rumors started to circulate that she had passed away. His younger daughter, born to his current wife, should be thirteen now." Colin straightened up, looking down at me. "Phoebe, there's ‘something off about Damian." I looked up at Colin, it took a moment before | could speak.
"Before my memory loss... did | know something? Did I tell you anything?" Colin's gaze darted away, and he looked down. "Damian might be connected to the recent dismemberment cases. | suspect
he's covering his tracks." A knife borrowed to commit murder.
So, Colin had been following the trail all this time.
"When did you start suspecting Damian?" | asked, wary of Colin's familiarity with Damian, which didn't seem to be just a recent development. Damian's own eagemess regarding Colin seemed equally premeditated.
"I..." Colin's voice faltered, and he seemed uneasy.
He was always evading.
Was he afraid for me to know, or just afraid I'd be hurt? "Colin, there are things | need to get to the bottom of.
Forgetting and ignorance might not be blessings for me; they could lead me into greater danger." | had a right to the truth.
Unless Colin didn't truly trust me.
"After your parents’ car accident... I've been investigating, looking into Damian, into anyone connected to him."
Colin finally admitted it; he'd been onto Damian for a long time.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmUnder the guise of wandering, he'd been quietly observing and investigating, piecing together clues.
At Colin's villa.
After leaving the hospital, Eric arranged for a private physician to oversee our daily treatments and IVs.
Once everyone had left, Colin took me down to the basement.
The motion-sensitive lights flickered on as we descended the stairs, revealing a pristine space that seemed devoid of any dust.
On both sides of the narrow hallway, crystal-clear glass cabinets displayed countless butterfly specimens.
I ran my numb fingers over them, transfixed.
Specimens... so lifelike it seemed as if the butterflies might spring to life at any moment.
"You like specimens..." | asked cautiously, recalling Finn's words—that Colin was a madman.
After all, my own death had involved being turned into a specimen, a deep-rooted fear from within.
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