Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 480: Chapter 480

Alex's words struck me like a thunderclap, echoing in my ears and making my head buzz. At that moment, it felt as though all the blood in my body had frozen, and I was rooted to the spot, unable to move.
I stared blankly at him, the face I knew so well now seeming strangely unfamiliar. It felt like time had frozen, and only after what seemed like an eternity did I slowly regain my senses. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to suppress the storm of emotions brewing inside.
Lifting my head, I shot a cold, determined glance at Alex, my voice laced with resolve. "Fine, I won't press further if you're unwilling to talk. As for this case, whether I investigate is my business, and it has nothing to do with you." I spun on my heels and stormed toward the villa's door.
I forcefully yanked the car door open, my movements sharp and tinged with frustration. Once inside, I sat silently, my face expressionless as I stared ahead. Yet, beneath the calm exterior, there was an undeniable trace of disappointment flickering in my eyes, one I couldn't entirely hide.
Through the rearview mirror, Liam caught sight of my dark expression, which I could explode anytime. Startled, he dared not utter a word; even his breathing became cautious. He wisely refrained from asking questions and quietly started the car, slowly pulling away from Chapney Mansion.
The car cruised steadily along the road, but my mind felt like a tangled mess I couldn't sort out. Thoughts of Alex kept swirling in my head—his cold, stern face and the words he had just said.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that Alex had gone to the hospital that day. His face appeared even paler than usual, and he seemed unusually frail. A wave of guilt quietly washed over me as I began to reflect on whether my earlier attitude had been too harsh.
I couldn't help but wonder—had he moved to Chapney Mansion to find the real culprit, or was he genuinely angry with me? After all, we had played many roles in front of others to achieve our goals.
Now that the performances were over, why hadn't he moved back to Honeydew Estate? Was it really for my safety, or was there another reason behind it?
A strong sense of unease suddenly surged within me, and I could no longer sit still. I quickly shouted, "Liam, return to Chapney Mansion."
Liam, startled by my sudden outburst, froze for a moment but quickly followed my command and turned the car around. Before long, we were back at Chapney Mansion.
Before I could reach the door, I saw several police cars parked outside Chapney Mansion, their lights flashing brightly, making them stand out even more in the sunlight. Alfie stood on the side of the road, a cigarette in hand, his expression serious as though he was deep in thought, pondering something difficult.
I quickly approached him and asked urgently, "Mr. Watts, what's going on?"
Alfie looked up when he heard my voice. Upon seeing me, he gave a slight nod, acknowledging my presence. He then extinguished the cigarette, casually tossing it into a nearby trash can, and spoke in a low, hoarse voice, "We found the crime scene."
I widened my eyes in surprise, feeling excitement and unease. "You found the crime scene?" I asked. "What about the killer? Have you found them as well?"
Alfie shook his head lightly, his expression still serious. "It's not that simple," he said before explaining what had happened.
It turned out that after Alfie had noticed some suspicious activity at Chapney Mansion, he immediately instructed his team of officers to begin an investigation. During a routine patrol, one of the officers accidentally spotted a black van parked behind a medical beauty clinic.
The officer noticed that the license plate seemed familiar, and curiosity filled his mind. He initially thought it might be a celebrity sneaking in for a cosmetic procedure.
Driven by this curiosity, he approached the van. However, as he got closer, a faint, almost imperceptible scent of blood wafted, sending an unsettling chill down his spine.
He was immediately alarmed. Since he was dressed in casual clothes and had an unremarkable appearance, the staff at the medical beauty clinic assumed he was a customer there for treatment. Without hesitation, they warmly welcomed him inside.
Once inside the beauty clinic, the officer couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He maintained a calm exterior, pretending to be just another customer, casually looking around.
Seizing the opportunity when the staff were distracted, he excused himself to use the restroom. Quietly, he approached the second floor, heading toward the VIP room. The closer he got to the VIP room, the stronger the scent of blood became, deepening his sense of unease.
It was then that he realized something was off. Despite being marketed as a beauty clinic, this establishment seemed unusual—it had an inordinate number of male staff members, which struck him as highly suspicious.
Just as his suspicions began to rise, he faintly heard the sound of someone begging and crying. The noise immediately triggered a series of alarming thoughts.
He recalled news reports about exploitative beauty clinics that lured in unsuspecting college students with promises of low prices or high-paying jobs, only to trap them in dangerous situations.
Once lured in, the young and naive girls were like prey falling into a trap, utterly vulnerable to exploitation. The so-called discounts were mere deceptive bait, while the high-paying job offers hid dark, unspeakable deals beneath the surface.
At first, the officer didn't connect the place to Wilhelm's case. He assumed it was just a typical scam operation. So, cautiously following the sound of the cries, he made his way up to the second floor, determined to find out what was going on.
Just as he was about to reach the second floor, he was stopped by the security guards stationed there. Sensing that things were about to escalate, he prepared to reveal his identity as a police officer. However, the security staff mistook him for a troublemaker trying to force his way. Without hesitation, they chased him out.
After being kicked out, he was furious and immediately contacted Alfie without hesitation. With years of experience, Alfie quickly sensed that the medical beauty clinic named Light Beacon was far from ordinary.
Further investigation revealed that Light Beacon Clinic's monthly electricity and water usage was more than twice that of a typical medical beauty clinic, which deepened Alfie's suspicions. Without hesitation, he led his officers to investigate the case further.
During a thorough clinic search, they discovered significant bloodstains in the black sedan parked at the back door. They initially believed this was a breakthrough, bringing them closer to the truth. However, things didn't go as smoothly as they had hoped.
After hearing Alfie's account, I was confused and couldn't help but ask, "With progress being made on the case, shouldn't this be something to be happy about? Why do you still look so troubled?"
Alfie smiled helplessly, his face etched with exhaustion and frustration. "Light Beacon's owner admitted to handling Wilhelm's body. They claimed that on the day of disposing of the body, they encountered a police check on the road, and in a panic, they had no choice but to hide the body.
"But they refuse to admit they killed him. They keep saying someone paid them to dispose of the body, but when pressed, they can't identify who that person was. Now, the trail ends here. Finding the real killer is becoming more difficult than we thought."