Chapter 191 The Case is Solved

Chapter 191 The Case is Solved

The forensics team arrived within minutes, sweeping the living room with UV flashlights. The pale glow crawled over every surface until it caught on something—a faint constellation of blue specks wedged deep in the seam of the sofa. Following the trail forward, the light revealed a wide smear of blood, spreading in a grim ribbon all the way to the bathroom.

Under the ultraviolet beam, the stains blazed into view, spilling toward the bathroom like a dark tide.

"Ms. Smith, you called it. This is definitely the primary scene."

One of the techs snapped photos while another sprayed luminol across the floor. More patterns emerged—scattered arcs, drag marks, signs of a violent struggle. Every detail confirmed Olivia's earlier assessment.

She crouched low, eyes tracking the patterns. "The victim fought hard before he went down. The killer cleaned up afterward—you can still smell the disinfectant. Whoever did this has done it before. This isn't his first kill."

Nico and his wife would never have imagined it: Lloyd had been murdered right here in his own home, and the killer was their own nephew—Atlas.

Back at the precinct, Atlas sat in the interrogation room, arrogance radiating from his posture.

"Yeah, I killed him. So what? Lloyd had it coming. He wasn't even my uncle's real son, and he kept the demolition payout all to himself. He deserved to die."

Alton's jaw tightened. A man who could take a life and still speak without a shred of remorse was beyond contempt. Outside the glass, Olivia watched him with a cold, unblinking stare.

She stepped inside, pulled out the chair beside Alton, and sat down. Her voice was calm but edged with steel. "You dress your greed and selfishness up as justice, but it's nothing more than a filthy excuse. Did you really think you could outrun the law?"

Atlas tilted his head, smirking. "And what if I did? You cops don't have proof. All you've got is guesswork."

Olivia's smile was razor-thin. She slid a sheet of paper from her folder and placed it in front of him. "Look familiar? You thought burning the body and scrubbing the scene would erase everything. But this work ID was found with half a bloody fingerprint on it. And guess what, Atlas? It's yours."

She paused, her gaze locking on his. "Justice may be slow, but it never fails to arrive."

For the first time, Atlas's smirk faltered. His fingers clenched together, knuckles whitening as the reality sank in—there was no way out.

"I just needed the money," he muttered. "If he'd given it to me, none of this would've happened. He brought it on himself."

Alton's voice cut like a blade. "Listen to yourself. You think killing a man over money is justified? That payout was Lloyd's—legal, rightful. You took his life because you were too greedy to accept no for an answer."

Olivia didn't waste more words. She left the rest to Alton and stepped out, heading for her office. She had barely sat down when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Seeing Henry's name, she put it on speaker.

"Back from the case already?" His voice carried a mix of surprise and warmth.

Silverpeak State had been a mess lately—several strange disappearances and a spike in telecom scams, with victims trafficked into scam compounds. Henry's current work revolved around shutting those operations down.

"Just got back for a meeting," he said. "The case isn't moving as fast as we hoped. I might have to head to HQ in a couple of days."

Olivia's lips curved. "So? Does that mean you'll have time to see me?"

He chuckled. "Olivia, the wedding plans are already in motion. How about you come back to Silverlight City for a bit? The new place is finished, and we haven't even seen it together yet."

She thought it over, then agreed. "Call me when you get back. I'll come meet you. Mom's been handling most of the arrangements, so you can talk to her when you're here."

Henry nodded on the other end. He'd deliberately kept Olivia from getting bogged down in the planning—leaving it to the wedding company, with the dress and suit chosen in consultation with Autumn.

"I heard you've been working another tough case. Have you been eating properly?"

He had been so busy lately he couldn't check on her himself, so he'd called Gwyneth to make sure Olivia got meals delivered. It turned out to be the right move—she'd barely had time to breathe, let alone eat.

"You're worse than my mother," she teased. "Alright, I'm heading home. Haven't been back in two days, so I'm sure Mom's ready to lecture me."

She hung up, gathered her things, and drove home. As soon as she stepped through the door, Autumn rushed to reheat soup and set the table. While Olivia ate, she noticed something.

"Where's Bobby?"

Autumn shot her a look. "Busy. In and out like a ghost. Came home yesterday just to change clothes and left again. I have no idea what he's up to."

Olivia smirked. "Mom, Bobby's a grown man. You don't have to hover over him like he's still a kid."

"He'll always be my kid," Autumn said with a huff. "Ivan doesn't say much, but he worries about him too. I'm not concerned about much else—just his health."

Olivia was confident Bobby was fine. Ten years of living on the edge had left scars, sure, but he wasn't fragile. 

"Don't worry. He's in great shape. He's gotten so fast that even Alton can't keep up with him anymore."

Autumn didn't reply, just sliced some fruit and set it in front of her. "You're the one I worry about now. Oh, by the way—Gwyneth brought Kieran to meet her parents yesterday. Poor guy must've been terrified they wouldn't approve, because he even dragged his boss along for backup. You should've seen him—he practically shrank into his chair."

Autumn had always liked Kieran, which made it harder for her to watch him act so small.

"If Gwyneth wants to marry Violette's daughter, he'd better be ready to grovel," Olivia said with a half-smile. "But he hasn't decided on a wedding date yet. It might be a while."

Thinking of the Schmidt family's endless drama, Autumn's jaw tightened. "Kieran's biggest misfortune was having the wrong parents."

Olivia just smiled faintly. No one chooses the family they're born into, and in Kieran's case, his inability to cut ties cleanly had cost him dearly. If Violette hadn't stepped in, he'd probably still be tangled in their mess.