Chapter 135

"What? Ronald was the mastermind behind what happened to Anna?"

I was floored. I always thought it was Laura's twisted idea, but it turned out Ronald was the one pulling the strings.

And it was clear Ronald had his suspicions about George's death. He kept trying to force George out of hiding.

This guy... his mind was really something else.

But waited, that didn't add up. From what we knew, Laura was completely loyal to Ronald. So why was Ronald so eager to get rid of Laura?

Could it be that Laura actually betrayed Ronald?

That didn't fit her crazy personality.

"Laura's loyalty to Ronald is real, and Ronald wanting to kill Laura is also real."

George's expression turned serious when he mentioned Laura. Even he seemed to find it hard to believe.

After hesitating for a while, he slowly said, "There's something you might not know, something even Bob and Mike don't know."

"What is it?"

"Douglas is Laura's younger brother." George said seriously.

"What!" We exclaimed in unison, "Douglas is Laura's younger brother!"

Bob looked at George in disbelief. All these years, George had never mentioned it!

"She's insane... this woman is insane."

His face turned pale, eyes wide open, shaking his head continuously, unable to suppress a shiver. Just how crazy was Laura?

No, Laura wasn't crazy. From the old steel mill to now, she had been methodically carrying out one thing: revenge.

Bob had told me Laura's story. She came from a remote, poor area where boys were valued over girls. Her parents wanted a boy, and after having Laura, they raised her for a few years, then sold her when they had a son.

Suddenly, I remembered Douglas. "So, did Laura's parents sell both kids?"

It was hard to believe there were parents so heartless they'd sell their own children for money.

"No." George frowned, looking at me with a serious expression. "Douglas wasn't sold. He... wasn't like that in my memory."

He opened his mouth, a complex and confused look in his eyes. The pretty little girl he once saw now filled him with instinctive fear.

A chill ran down my spine, my fingers turned cold, and my eyes widened as my voice began to tremble. "Did Laura kidnap him?"

George was stunned, not expecting me to guess it. He sighed and nodded. "Yes."

Laura was just a few years old then! She managed to kidnap Douglas to the old steel mill!

At such a young age, she had the cunning and courage, driven by deep hatred for her parents. She never told Douglas about their relationship, instead making him fall for her while she played hard to get, keeping him hooked from the start.

She waited until Douglas was deeply in love with her, then killed him herself!

This went beyond being scheming or cruel. She was like a demon.

"She's insane... she's truly a madwoman." Bob kept muttering, his face pale.

"Bob?"

George looked at his adopted son with concern. Bob seemed off.

"I'm fine... I just feel like... I never really knew Laura. This person... is terrifying."

Bob licked his dry lips, swallowed hard, and looked at us with a complex expression, opening his mouth to speak, "Do you know why Douglas was so obsessed with Laura, why he couldn't forget her?"

He gave a bitter smile and continued, "When we were in college, we agreed not to talk about the past and to focus on the future. But Douglas would often come to school to court Laura. She had many admirers, so no one thought much of it. But I was curious and asked. Laura gave a charming smile, and I remembered it as one of her many flings."

Everyone's expressions darkened, eyes wide open.

"Ridiculous, ridiculous." George coughed a few times, agitated.

"Are you sure?"

Zoey and I exchanged a glance, still unsure. Laura's erratic behavior made it hard to believe everything she said.

"Yes, it's true. Frank argued with Laura about it. That doesn't mean much, but... Douglas was always single. His feelings for Laura were unwavering. The night before college, Laura and Douglas didn't come back. I think... after that, Douglas's pursuit of Laura intensified. Even if she ignored him, he was willing to do anything for her, even if she was with other men." Bob said calmly.

He was talking about Douglas, but I was thinking about Frank.

These two men, one lost his life, the other was on the brink of death, all for Laura. They were so similar, willing to sacrifice everything for the woman they loved. Even if Frank hated Laura, deep down, he still loved her.

"By the way."

Bob's face showed a hint of confusion and pain, as if he had experienced it all but couldn't remember, slowly saying, "Douglas didn't have much education, but in high school, he wrote a poem for Laura."

"If I say I love you, I will love your past, your tantrums, your flaws."

"If I say I love you, I will offer my heart, lungs, and soul to the god of love in hell."

"If I say I love you, I will drain my blood, leaving only my skin to wrap your soul, escaping death's grasp."

"If I say I love you, we will kiss passionately, tongues entwined, bodies merged, burning away sin and pain."

"We will meet again."

I was stunned, memories flooding my mind like a sudden storm.

Alan had written this poem in his notebook while writing his novel.

It turned out Douglas wrote it for Laura. Everything came full circle, from the moment I saw the notebook, I was destined to be involved in this.

The fire at True Love Entertainment Club, the organs hanging from the ceiling, the blood dried by the fire, leaving only a charred body in the police station.

When Douglas wrote that poem for Laura, his fate was sealed.

Why...

The phone rang. It was Leonard.

"Laura was just declared not guilty and released."