Alexander Vance stepped forward, trying to enter first.

But Evelyn Ross had already pushed the door open.

She had zero trust in Leo Lowell and suspected a trap, moving with extreme caution.

The room was pitch black, impossible to see a thing.

Evelyn stepped in slowly.

She had just steadied herself when a dark figure lunged at her.

"My dear niece, you're not leaving today without giving me the money!"

That familiar threat...

Evelyn narrowed her eyes and let out a cold laugh.

She lifted her foot and kicked the person away.

"Thud!"

A heavy sound echoed as something hit the floor.

Alexander rushed in at the noise.

Unable to see in the dark, his voice was tense.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Thomas Watson promptly turned on a high-power flashlight.

The beam illuminated half the room.

Evelyn warily scanned behind her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alexander's expression change drastically.

He was staring intently behind her!

Evelyn frowned and turned around.

Alexander instinctively moved to block her view.

Evelyn sidestepped his protective gesture and looked directly.

She froze instantly on the spot.

Leo Lowell was lying on his back, eyes wide open, body twitching slightly.

A rusty steel rebar had pierced through his back and out his chest!

Blood soaked his clothes, creating a horrifying scene.

Evelyn's heart sank, and she immediately stepped forward to check.

A impatient male voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Dad, I'm here."

A young man in his early twenties, resembling Leo Lowell, barged in.

Evelyn recognized him.

Leo's son, Liam Lowell!

He was a year below Isabella Ashcroft and Evelyn, studying at a university in San Francisco.

Leo had once asked Evelyn for money under the guise of tuition, but she refused.

She knew the money would just end up in a casino.

Because of such a father, Liam was gloomy and withdrawn, distant from his family.

Now, his face was full of anger.

"I only managed to borrow twenty thousand. That's it. If you pressure me any more, I'll go abroad and never care about you again... Dad?!"

He saw Leo's gruesome condition and stood there in shock.

The bag in his hand dropped, scattering twenty thousand in cash all over the floor...

He threw himself in front of Leo, trembling as he reached to check for a breath—

The next second, he scrambled backward, falling to the ground.

He pointed a shaking finger at Evelyn.

"You... you killed him?!"

He frantically found his phone and dialed 911 with trembling fingers.

"Hello, police? My father has been murdered!"...

The police arrived quickly and restored power to the abandoned building.

The entire place was now brightly lit.

Evelyn and the other three were questioned by the police.

Liam's eyes were red, but he wasn't crying.

His expression seemed almost relieved.

"My dad texted me, forcing me to get five million. He said he'd be beaten to death otherwise. But I don't even have a job yet. Where would I get that kind of money?"

"I borrowed twenty thousand from a classmate, just to deal with him for now..."

"I never expected to find my dad dead as soon as I arrived! I had to call the police."

Thomas was giving his statement.

"My boss and I were just giving Miss Ross a ride. She had a meeting with the deceased here. The building was too dark, so we followed because we were worried. Miss Ross entered first. We heard a commotion and rushed in, afraid something happened to her... I turned on my flashlight and saw him lying there..."

The police pressed further.

"Was the deceased alive or dead when you entered?"

Thomas instinctively glanced at Evelyn, his eyes flickering.

The police warned sternly.

"Providing false testimony is illegal."

Thomas fell silent.

Alexander spoke up.

"Before entering, Miss Ross knocked. A male voice inside said, 'Come in.'"

The police asked.

"Was it the deceased's voice?"

Alexander answered truthfully.

"Uncertain."

The police finally looked at Evelyn.

"Miss Ross, did you recognize the voice as the deceased's? Please explain the situation."

"It was his voice." Evelyn had been staring at Leo's corpse the whole time.

After a moment of thought, she said.

"After I entered, I heard his threat and saw him lunge at me. I kicked him away instinctively. Then it was like this."

Before the police could respond, Liam suddenly clenched his fists.

"So it wasn't intentional? It was self-defense? Manslaughter?"

Evelyn remained unusually calm.

"I'm not sure."

The police looked puzzled.

"What are you unsure about?"

Before Evelyn could answer, Alexander spoke.

"The room was too dark. Miss Ross only kicked the person away. The cause of death is questionable."

He looked at her.

"Miss Ross, please think carefully. Did you hear the sound of a weapon piercing or penetrating? Did you hear a scream?"

During the police arrival, Evelyn had been replaying every detail.

She immediately shook her head.

"No."

Liam was stunned.

"What do you mean?"

Evelyn looked at the police, her tone firm.

"I didn't kill him."

The police officer looked slightly surprised.

Most ordinary girls would have broken down at a murder scene.

This woman remained composed, her logic clear, which was remarkable.

He said seriously.

"All the evidence at the scene and your testimonies have been recorded. Miss Ross, you are currently the prime suspect. Please wait for the coroner's autopsy. If no new evidence emerges, you will be free to go."

Evelyn nodded.

"Alright."

She and Alexander split up to search for clues.

The dilapidated factory was covered in dust.

But Leo had been hiding here for a day, leaving traces of his activity everywhere, making it difficult to distinguish anything immediately.

A forensic technician suddenly said.

"His phone is unlocked!"

Evelyn immediately looked over.

She saw the officer take the phone and check the chat history and call log.

He casually tapped and entered the voice memos.

His eyes then lit up.

"He saved a voice memo an hour ago!"

The officer played the memo.

Leo's voice came from the phone.

"My dear niece, that secret..."