Chapter 133

"What!"

Zoey and I shouted together, our eyes wide with disbelief as we stared at George. We couldn't believe the news he had just dropped on us.

All this time, we thought this was a cold case, with everyone involved taken out by Ronald years ago. But now, it turns out the case has been solved?

I couldn't wrap my head around it. When I thought back on the timeline and key players, everything seemed so blurry, like trying to see through fog. Over the past twenty years, so many pieces of information got tangled up. I had been so focused on individual fates that I missed the bigger picture.

Looking back, George wasn't just a friendly, upright former foreman from the old steel mill. Howard wasn't just a concerned friend of Ronald. The deep connections between George, Howard, Ronald, and the old steel mill were way more complicated than I had imagined.

George seemed unfazed by our reaction. He sighed and confirmed, "Yep, the case has been solved. Our investigation revealed that the people involved in the old steel mill's criminal activities were closely connected to the then-chief of police, now the state police commissioner, Riley Harvey"

That made sense. The old steel mill's rampant child trafficking and organ trade went unnoticed not just because they were well-hidden, but because the local police chief was protecting them. Even if someone discovered their activities, it would never get out.

"But this never made the news. When I looked through the records, the history of the old steel mill just stopped at its relocation," I said.

"History only shows what it wants you to see. Maybe that time, we played the role of history's creators, whether by chance or by necessity," George replied.

"After we figured it out, we were all excited. I borrowed an old camera from the mill and secretly took a lot of photos. Howard, just starting his law practice, used all his savings to prepare a lawsuit. He wanted justice for the children and to help his friend Ronald. If this came to light, Ronald would get the credit, which would be crucial for his career," George said, his eyes sparkling as if reliving those intense, passionate days. It was a time of pure, fervent action for justice and friendship.

George smiled, but his eyes glistened with tears. Knowing the mastermind behind the case and seeing it quietly suppressed, I realized how Ronald had reached his current position.

Some said life was full of infinite possibilities, but more often than not, it felt like a set of predetermined tracks-something closer to fate. Changing your destiny might require the ultimate sacrifice, including your conscience.

"Then Ronald betrayed you," I said solemnly.

George hesitated, his eyes avoiding mine. Finally, he sighed and said, "Betrayal is a heavy word. He didn't betray us; he betrayed his own conscience. In my memory, it was a grand, miraculous time. A laid-off factory worker, a frustrated cop, and a budding lawyer-three unrelated people brought together by fate, united for the children of the old steel mill, for justice, for a hopeful world..."

"We planned to report it together, but he didn't show up. Instead, our evidence was dismissed for being insufficient. When I checked the bag, everything had been switched. At that moment, I knew Ronald's choice. I was reprimanded at the factory, and Howard lost his job and couldn't work as a lawyer anymore," George said wistfully.

"What did Ronald say?" I asked.

"He said he would make it up to us," Howard replied calmly. "At a dinner, he confessed everything to Riley, the police chief, taking all the blame himself."

"It looked like an apology, but he was using you as leverage to get close to Riley," I said, holding Zoey's hand as her expression darkened.

"Not exactly," George shook his head. "He did tamper with the evidence, but he didn't mention us to Riley. Maybe it was his way of compensating himself. We drank together many times, and he always said he wanted to be a good cop, to climb to the top, to make Erica's parents proud, to make everyone respect him."

"I believed him. Soon after, he went from a regular cop to the head of the detective squad, solving major cases in the city. He proved himself when given the chance. He helped Howard find cases, and Howard's career improved. That was his way of making amends," George said, smiling bitterly.

"I still believed him then, thinking he was navigating the situation for everyone's benefit. If Riley found out, we would have been in serious trouble. Ronald swore he was doing it for us and the children, but we couldn't touch the powerful interests behind it," George continued, pausing to look at his hands, the lines like the tangled threads of fate.

"But after he said those words, I stopped believing him. I knew his ambition wouldn't stop there. Pandora's box was open, and it wouldn't close. I wanted to save the children and him... You know the rest," George said, glancing at Zoey.

"After the fire at the old steel mill, I survived. Howard was doing well in Silverlight City's legal circles, partly thanks to Ronald. But the day after the fire, Howard quit his job and never practiced law again. Not long after, Erica, pregnant, married Ronald," George said.

"Mr. Thompson, do you hate him?" Zoey asked, her voice filled with complex emotions.