Chapter 70 The Return of the Dead

Chapter 70 The Return of the Dead
I couldn’t go to work after what happened. My head was spinning, and everything felt unreal. So I went with Julio to the police station. I needed answers. I needed to see the truth with my own eyes.

James showed up at the hospital when he heard the news. He looked furious, almost shaking.
“They can finally clear Alva and Emma’s names,” he said, his voice trembling but loud.
He glared at Julio like he wanted to kill him. “You murdered two innocent people!”

His fists were clenched so tight I could hear the knuckles pop. If the cops hadn’t been there, I swear he would’ve swung.

Julio didn’t move. His voice was calm, almost bored.

“I told you. I didn’t kill Alva or Emma.”

“Evidence doesn’t lie!” James snapped back.

Julio looked at him with that same cold confidence.

“The evidence back then said Alva and Emma kidnapped and killed my sister Laura. Remember that?”

That hit me. For a second, I felt my anger flicker. Julio had a way of twisting words until you started to doubt your own thoughts. He was dangerous that way—too smooth, too damn persuasive.

sat on a hard bench, feeling like everything was happening behind a glass wall. I could see it, hear it, but somehow it wasn’t touching me.

Julio didn’t stay long inside the office. He was only there to sign some papers, giving the police permission to access the Adam family’s bank records.

When he and Morrison came back out, I jumped up so fast I nearly tripped. My heart was pounding.

“We checked the cash found with the kidnappers,” Morrison said. “Every bill came from the fifty million that went missing years ago.”

For a second, the world went silent. Then my eyes burned, and tears fell before I could stop them. Finally, their names were clean.

No one knew what those years had been like for James and me. We had no place that felt safe. We clung to each other, even when families didn’t want both of us. We learned not to unpack, not to get attached. That mess destroyed us.

Julio took a step toward me, his face softening like he wanted to comfort me. I shoved him away.

If it weren’t for him, my parents would still be alive. They’d be here to see this day. They’d see justice.

Morrison cleared his throat. “We also found something else. Those two kidnappers were serving time when the Laura case happened. They couldn’t have done it.”

My tears stopped cold. I stared at him. “What?”

“They were in prison,” he said again, slower this time.

Everything twisted again. Just when I thought we’d finally reached the truth, it slipped away.

“Then how the hell did they get the money?” I asked. But even as I spoke, I knew. The word sat heavy in my chest.

“The mastermind,” Morrison and I said together.

“The same person who planned Matthew’s kidnapping planned Laura’s,” Morrison went on. “Both victims are from the Adam family. So our suspect is someone with a serious grudge against them.”

“But almost no one knew who Matthew really was,” I said quickly.

“James and I hid that secret better than anyone.”

Julio gave a short, humorless laugh.

“You’re still too naive, Ashley. You gave birth to him in a hospital. You had medical checkups. All of that leaves a record. If someone wanted to know, they’d find out.”

“Medical records aren’t open to just anyone,” I said. “Whoever did this must have power. Real power. Someone who can reach places most people can’t.”

“The Adams have plenty of enemies. Competitors in business, rivals inside their own circle. Take your pick. Everyone wants a piece.”

For the first time, I actually felt sorry for him. For all of them. These rich families lived surrounded by paranoia. No peace, no trust, no real safety.

But still, something about all this felt wrong. Like we were missing a piece, something sitting right in front of us that none of us could see.

“We have to find this person fast,” I said, forcing my voice steady. “If they know who Matthew is, they’ll come for him again.”

Julio nodded once, but there was something cold in his eyes. “You think they’ll stop after one failed attempt?”

I didn’t answer. My chest tightened. All I could think about was Matthew—his smile, the way his hand felt in mine. I needed to get back to him.

That’s when the shouting started at the entrance.

And then I saw him.

“I want to file a report! Julio Adam tried to kill me!” It was Warner.

He looked awful and sunken, sitting in a wheelchair pushed by a woman who looked terrified.

I turned to Julio. His face didn’t even twitch. He watched Warner the way a cat watches a trapped mouse—quiet, entertained, deadly calm.

Warner saw him and exploded. “You bastard! I’ll kill you!” He pushed the wheels forward, trying to launch himself across the lobby, but the officers grabbed him before he could reach Julio.

“Let me go!” he screamed. “He tried to kill me! He cut off my damn finger! He stole my money! That son of a bitch set me up!” His voice cracked, raw and furious.

He lifted his hand, showing where a finger was missing.

I pieced the rest together from his shouting. He’d escaped while the guards were feeding him, jumped into the ocean, and somehow survived. He said a humpback whale carried him to shore. A fucking whale. Locals found him, got him to a hospital. He’d been in a coma for two days and woke up this morning. The moment he could move, he came straight here.

I couldn’t help thinking that Warner’s luck was insane. And that meant Julio’s luck had finally run dry. He could’ve walked away clean from the casino mess. Now he was screwed.

“Mr. Adam,” Morrison said, stepping forward, “I’m afraid you’ll have to stay for further questioning.”

I laughed. Couldn’t help it. I laughed right in Julio’s face. He glared at me, his jaw tight, and I glared right back. If he was going down, I wanted front-row seats.

Then he smiled. That slow, dangerous smile that always meant trouble. My stomach dropped.

“She was there that night,” he said to Morrison, pointing at me. “Ashley saw everything. She’s a witness. She should stay too.”

“You son of a……” I stopped myself before finishing it.

That bastard. If he was going down, he was dragging me with him.

All I wanted was to go back to the hospital. Back to Matthew.