Chapter 126

"Hold him back?" I asked in surprise.

It seemed my suspicion was correct; when Frank planned the True Love Entertainment Club murder, he didn't include Alan and kept it a secret from him.

He replied, "Yes, Alan somehow found out about it."

Bob opened his mouth, his eyes flickering with doubt as if this was unexpected to him. He continued, "This was very unexpected. From what happened that night, it seemed like he had known about it for a long time."

I asked, "Could it be that someone among you leaked the information, like Lally, Tony, or Tom?"

Lally, Tony, and Tom clearly had deeper feelings for Alan. From our previous conversations, their admiration for Alan was evident. Their goal this time wasn't Douglas but for Laura.

Bob replied, "No. Anyone could have told Alan, except those few."

Bob shook his head and said solemnly, "If they had told him, given Alan's status in their eyes, the plan would have been stopped before it even started. This is a matter of life and death, and any mistake could land them in prison. They definitely wouldn't have told him. Besides, their ultimate target was Laura, not Douglas..."

"What happened next? What was Alan's attitude? What did he say?" I asked urgently.

Bob said, "I can't remember."

Bob held his head, looking pained. It seemed the incident in November had caused him great distress.

Bob added, "I only remember Frank loudly asking who told Alan. He couldn't stop Alan. Alan seemed very anxious to find Laura, and it looked like they argued. I really can't remember what happened after that."

Why was Frank so angry that Alan knew about this? Was it because he didn't want Alan to know, or did Frank feel betrayed?

Who could have told him?

On the other hand, could it be that Alan knew them well enough to figure out the plan during their conversations?

That didn't make sense. I didn't see them at my wedding with Alan, and in the ten years we've been married, Alan never mentioned their names. Alan's social life was quite simple; he came home after work every day and informed me of any plans in advance. It was unlikely they had any contact.

Moreover, Tony mentioned that after Alan got married, he rarely contacted them. They all hoped Alan could start anew, live the life he wanted, and leave behind the nightmares of his childhood.

"What about Joseph? How much do you know about him?" I asked.

Joseph was the first to reveal the case to me. He was the one who initially misidentified Douglas's body as Alan's. I suspected Alan might have had contact with him.

"Joseph?"

Bob was taken aback and said, "That's possible. Among us, Joseph seemed the most gentle and easy to talk to. We even suspected he had taken too much estrogen, affecting his personality. He hid it well. Back at the old steel mill, he was younger than us and not as familiar. It wasn't until we got to Shadow City that we got to know him better."

"He continued taking estrogen in Shadow City until he was 18 and saw no effect, so he stopped," Bob added, his voice tinged with admiration.

Indeed, on the night of the True Love Entertainment Club arson and murder, the Joseph I saw was different from the youthful, delicate boy in college. He had gained some weight, cut his hair into a Butch Cut, wore a black jacket, and smoked a cigarette, looking like a weathered middle-aged man.

The Sand Village group had one idea, Frank had another, and Joseph had his own. These people seemed close, but they each had their plans.

What was Joseph's plan? Why did he endure a relationship with the leader without speaking out?

When he asked me to find Ronald, I initially thought he wanted to reveal the truth through Ronald. But in reality, he wanted me to see the truth behind Ronald.

When I first learned Ronald was the mastermind, I suspected Joseph. Did he want me to see Ronald's true nature or help Ronald uncover Bob's secrets?

But I believed that each of these former children had a seed of rebellion planted in their hearts.

Rebellion against Ronald's control as a "foster father," the fate imposed on them, and their own painful experiences. Whether it was Tony, Lally, Tom, or Bob, or the crazy Frank and Laura, they each tried to change their circumstances through their efforts. They sought revenge and release, almost to the point of obsession and madness. This was a form of silent rebellion.

Joseph was no different.

"Tell me about your experiences in Shadow City." I took a deep breath and said slowly.

I had already warned Howard to be more careful. Whether Howard and Frank were in cahoots was no longer important. Ronald was already at the end of his rope and would surely launch a fierce counterattack. Frank was definitely waiting for him.

Alan's current whereabouts were surely under Frank's control.

But one thing I couldn't figure out. Why had Ronald been lurking around the Entertainment Club for years, watching that small building? Why didn't he go inside?

What was in the Entertainment Club that made him so fearful?

Bob said, "Shadow City, it's like a graveyard for time-desolate, remote, bleak, and closed off. The people inside seemed content, living peacefully as if they were living in another world. Outsiders seemed to have forgotten this small city. Many didn't even know Shadow City existed. When a place is too far removed from memory, evil quietly grows."

"On the night of the old steel mill fire, we were on our way to Sand Village to find Alan when Ronald stopped us. He was smoking at the roadside. I'll never forget that scene. After the fire, we were ecstatic. It was an opportunity given by fate. Frank quickly devised an escape plan and route. Only then did I realize he had been planning the escape route for a long time. We unanimously decided to go to Sand Village to find Alan and Tom."