Chapter 316
Noticing the streak of blood on Suzy’s cheek, Derek panicked.
"Suzy... you’re hurt."
His voice trembled with a mix of fear and anger as his cold fingertips gently brushed against her injured cheek.
Suzy froze, only now registering the faint, stinging itch on her face. Am I hurt? She honestly hadn’t felt it. The situation just now had been so critical that her adrenaline surge had completely blocked out the pain. Besides, since the injury wasn’t severe, she hadn’t paid it any mind.
Only now, seeing Derek’s reaction, did she realize she was bleeding. She raised a hand to touch her cheek, feeling a sharp sting that confirmed her suspicion. It had most likely happened when she was trading blows with Aaron.
"I’m fine, it’s just a scratch," Suzy said softly.
Thomas’s gaze swept over the corpse lying a short distance away. Frowning deeply, he asked, "Suzy, what on earth happened? Why were there gunshots just now? Did you get into a firefight?"
Aaron’s body was facedown on the ground. Thomas couldn’t make out his face and assumed it was a stranger.
"Yeah," Suzy nodded with a bitter smile.
"Who was it? They actually had a gun! Is there anyone else in this residential complex with a firearm besides Mike?" Leonard’s expression grew grim.
"It was..." Suzy hesitated, the words catching in her throat, before she finally forced them out. "...Aaron."
The moment the name left her lips, everyone present froze. A heavy, suffocating silence stretched on for nearly a minute.
Finally, Leonard spoke up, his voice strained. "Suzy, who... who did you say it was?"
As he asked, his eyes drifted toward the body. Blood had already stained the surrounding snow, a stark, jarring crimson against the white.
Leonard stared intently at the corpse, recognizing the familiar jacket. An indescribable wave of emotions crashed over him. If Suzy said it was Aaron, then it was the truth. Suzy wouldn’t lie to them. Besides, she had been injured because of it; there was no doubt Aaron was the culprit.
But why Aaron? Why him? Why would he kidnap Noah? Why would he go so far as to attack Suzy?
Just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps approached. Lucas and his group were rushing over as fast as they could. Seeing everyone gathered around Suzy, and seeing Liam holding Noah, they all let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Is everyone okay? Thank goodness." The deep knot in Lucas’s brow finally loosened.
When they heard the gunshots, they knew something was wrong and rushed over immediately. However, because they had been further away, they were a step behind Leonard’s group. Seeing that both Suzy and Noah were safe and sound, they breathed a sigh of relief.
But as they looked around, they noticed someone was missing.
Lucas couldn’t help but ask, "Where’s Aaron? Why don’t I see him?"
The group fell into an awkward, heavy silence. No one knew how to break the news. Leonard, in particular, opened his mouth several times but couldn’t bring himself to say it. It was clear that Lucas and the others were completely oblivious to Aaron’s betrayal.
Noticing Leonard’s evasive reaction, a sudden, ominous premonition gripped Lucas’s heart.
"Did something happen to Aaron?" Lucas asked, his voice tightening.
Leonard’s lips parted, but in the end, he could only give a painful, slow nod.
At this, the expressions of Lucas and Elijah changed instantly, turning deathly pale.
"Then... where is he?" Elijah’s voice trembled. Dead or alive, they needed to see him.
Without Leonard needing to point it out, Lucas’s eyes caught sight of the body lying in the distance. They knew the exact style and color of the jacket Aaron wore whenever he went out. Lucas stared at the lone figure on the snowbank, the surrounding snow dyed a brilliant red. The clothes on that body were unmistakably familiar. It was the jacket Aaron had been wearing.
There was no questioning who lay there.
"Aaron?!"
Lucas let out a low, ragged cry and ran toward the body, his voice shaking uncontrollably. They never could have imagined that the one dead would be Aaron.
"What the hell happened?!" Elijah’s voice went completely out of tune.
He rushed forward and flipped Aaron’s body over. Seeing that familiar face now covered in blood, Elijah’s expression turned incredibly twisted and dark.
Aaron was dead, just like that. To make matters worse, Elijah quickly scanned the area and saw no sign of a third party.
"Where is the killer? I’m going to rip them apart!" Elijah roared through gritted teeth. Someone had killed his brother. He wouldn’t let them get away with it, even if it cost him his life. He would make them pay.
Rage completely consumed Elijah. Hearing his furious roar, Leonard and Thomas both turned their eyes toward Suzy.
Leonard and his group only knew that Suzy and Aaron had fought, but they didn’t know the specifics. The truth... could only be answered by Suzy.
By now, Lucas and Elijah seemed to realize something as well, and their gazes shifted toward her. Their expressions were incredibly grim.
"...Who did this? Aaron... did you kill him?" Lucas asked, the words tasting like ash.
There was no third person at the scene. Suzy was covered in blood and injuries, and she had a gun. Connecting that with the gunshots and the bizarre reactions of Leonard’s group, the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
Suzy had killed Aaron.
But why? Why would something like this happen out of nowhere?
No one could have anticipated such a surreal, absurd turn of events—that the one Suzy ultimately clashed with would be Aaron.
Lucas and Elijah couldn’t even describe the turmoil in their hearts. Mostly, they were utterly bewildered. After spending so much time together, they had a good grasp of Suzy’s character; she was absolutely not someone who would murder Aaron unprovoked. But Aaron was their brother, their family! They couldn’t bring themselves to believe that Aaron would ever do anything to harm Suzy either.
"Suzy, what the hell is going on? Talk to us!" Lucas demanded, unable to contain his confusion any longer.
Suzy took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Aaron came after me. He wanted to kill me. I had no choice but to fight back."
"Bullshit!" Lucas fired back instantly. "How could Aaron be that kind of person? He’s known you for so long. If he wanted to kill you, he would have done it ages ago. Besides, he has absolutely no motive!"
To Lucas, her explanation was completely absurd. If Aaron wanted her dead, why wait this long? And didn’t Aaron actually have feelings for her? How could he possibly want to kill her?
Was all of this just an excuse she made up?
Lucas’s gaze turned sharp and piercing as he stared at her. He didn’t believe a word of it. It made no sense; Aaron had no reason to kill Suzy. What grievance could they possibly have?
"Why would he want to kill you? Give us one good reason!" Elijah shouted.
Suzy looked at them, seeing the blatant distrust burning in their eyes. The explanation rushed to the tip of her tongue, but she froze, not knowing how to phrase it.
Even if she told the absolute truth, would they believe her?
That Aaron’s body had actually been taken over by another soul, and that that person wanted her dead, forcing her to take his life?