Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

Colin stood there, a picture of uncertainty, his emotions bubbling under the surface. He seemed torn between wanting to step forward and the fear of causing me harm.

Perhaps he was shaken by how I had handled that sleazy guy on the subway earlier today. worried that he might not know his own strength and upset me again.

Fear was etched across his face, the fear that I might truly choose Dexter over him.

“Phoebe.” His voice cracked as he called out my name, so clearly yearning for me to choose

him.

My gaze on Colin was complex.

Seeing that I wasn’t resisting, Dexter spoke up with a cold edge. “Luck’s on your side for resembling Phoebe.”

I clenched my teeth, having wanted to punch him for the longest time.

Throwing my head back forcefully, I headbutted Dexter square in the face, then whirled around to pummel him.

I had really been itching to give him a piece of my mind.

In my past life, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to hit him; I was just too scared. He always knew how to threaten me with the people close to me.

That was his specialty–threats.

I couldn’t stand up to him, and with a debt of gratitude hanging over me, all I could do was endure.

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But now he had already been the death of me, so why should I care about owing him anything?

Colin froze, watching me, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.

“What are you looking at? Come help me beat him up,” I called out to Colin.

He seemed eager, stepping forward to join the fray, but Robin grabbed him.by the collar, pulling him back. “Colin, come with me,” he said sternly.

Colin looked mournfully at Robin, then back at me.

“Come on, let’s go together,” I said, ignoring Dexter, who was still reeling from the blow and taking Colin’s hand.

Colin looked at me, almost in awe. “Phoebe… don’t choose him…”

“He’s not even an option,” I reassured him, though my heart was in turmoil.

Colin’s emotions were a roller coaster, and I knew I had to cajole him, but it was only my sympathy kicking in. Sooner or later, I would have to leave the Langleys, and I couldn’t be tied

to him forever.

If he became too dependent on me, how could I ever make my choice?

Colin seemed in high spirits, eagerly helping Robin analyze the situation. “Serial numbers, every orphan had one–it’s the order of… death. But the head of the orphanage and his family, they

were outside that sequence.”

Clearly, neither Colin nor I had expected the murderer to suddenly stop hunting the orphans and instead go after the head of the orphanage and his family.

I looked at Colin, realizing he knew a lot about the murderer.

“Before, you wouldn’t say a word when asked to cooperate. Why suddenly speak up today?” Robin asked, curious about Colin’s change in demeanor.

Colin looked down, and after a long pause, glanced at me. “Phoebe…”

“Yes?” I didn’t understand why he was suddenly looking at me.

“I only listen to Phoebe.” What he meant was he was only willing to cooperate because I asked him to come with me.

If I hadn’t and had left him alone at the Langley family home, he wouldn’t have uttered a word.

I didn’t know what to say.

“The next one to die… will it be the head of the orphanage?” I asked, wondering if it would be

that woman.

“No…” Colin shook his head. “Living in pain is worse than death.”

My heart skipped a beat. Of course.

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Her husband dead, her daughter dead, the orphans dying one by one–the fear would drive anyone living to madness, NôvelDrama.Org © content.

Indeed, staying alive was her punishment.

What had the orphanage head done to the murderer all those years ago?

“The orphanage fire back then… did Carter really perish in it?” I had suspected this Carter before. Had he really died in that fire? “The man I saw at home, his face burned beyond recognition–if Carter didn’t die, he’d have a motive, right?”

A man feigning death would indeed complicate the police investigation.

“We’ve suspected as much for a while,” Robin said, lighting a cigarette at the bottom of the stairs, looking utterly exhausted. “Everything you can think of, the police have already investigated. This Carter really is dead. My mentor investigated the fire back then. The only survivor was Colin, and there was another body, charred beyond recognition.