3:55 PM P P
Chapter 77 Beneath the Bridge
Chapter 77 Beneath the Bridge
Her parents trusted her unconditionally, doted on her without limits.
Even if it meant being accused of thinking they were better than others just because they donated a little money.
But clearly, her family didn’t care.
Her hand had been small and warm, yet she pulled him off the ground with ease.
Back then, he’d been skin and bones.
“You’re so skinny. I’ll ask my mom to donate more money here. You need to eat more, okay?”
She’d said that to him before she left.
He nodded, clenched his fists to stop his body from trembling, and forced out his very first word: “Okay.”
He wanted to be someone different the next time she came back.
But she never returned to the orphanage.
“Then you really are amazing. Those students in poverty over there can go to school thanks to you.”
The girl’s lively, pleasant voice pulled Nathan out of his memories.
Of course the little princess didn’t remember him. That was only natural.
She had been six back then, living a brilliant life full of sparkle, while he had been nothing more than filth.
But fortunately, she remembered him later on.
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“I used to get help from others too when I was there.” Nathan raised his water glass and took a sip, the muscles in his throat shifting as he swallowed.
Stella’s shimmering peach–blossom eyes curved into a smile. “Passing down kindness… makes my corpse feel all warm inside!”
Sleepiness crept in, and Stella put down her glass. “I’m going to bed. You should rest soon too.”
“Good night,” Nathan said.
“Good night, amazing philanthropist!” Stella beamed like a flower in full bloom.
The second–floor lounge returned to silence. The air still carried a trace of the girl’s lovely scent.
Nathan’s slender fingers set down his own water glass, but then, almost involuntarily, picked up hers. He pressed his lips to where hers had touched, his eyes dark and sticky with a dangerous gleam.
See? He wasn’t some amazing philanthropist.
He was just a depraved, disgusting pervert.
Ethan and Tina were still in Southville.
The next morning, it was Nancy who came to pick Stella up again.
Once in the car, Stella’s pale fingers fastened the seatbelt. “We’re going back to the slums.”
“Did you get a specific location?” Nancy asked.
“Yeah. If we go now, they should still be there.”
Nathan had told her everything they’d found during breakfast.
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3:55 PM P P •
Chapter 77 Beneath the Bridge
The police had been searching the area all night and had finally found something.
They’d located the targets through ID registration–without alerting them.
Suddenly, Stella’s phone rang. An unfamiliar number.
Without hesitation, she hung up.
It rang again. She hung up once more.
Nancy glanced over, curious. “Why aren’t you picking up?”
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Stella replied, “Might be a scam call. Ethan said someone in your company got scammed out of a hundred grand just from answering a stranger’s call.”
Nancy blinked. “Seriously? First I’m hearing of it.”
Stella nodded. “Better not to answer unknown numbers. I saw someone on Instagram yesterday say they got hit with telecom fraud too. Lost a whopping fifty–six bucks from their bank account!”
Nancy burst out laughing. “That’s rough! Brutal!”
Meanwhile, Lucas frowned as he watched the call get declined again.
Did Ethan give Stella his number?
Lucas picked up his backup phone and dialed her again.
Still declined.
What the hell?
Was this even Stella’s number? Did that private investigator scam him?
“The number won’t go through. Are you sure this is the right one?”
The private investigator replied quickly: “Definitely. Just keep trying.”
Lucas: “The more I try, the more it looks like I’ve been blocked.”
Private investigator: “That’s tragic, man!”
Lucas flared his nostrils in rage and shot off a message to his assistant.
“Why the hell hasn’t this blown up on trending? What are you even doing?!”
The assistant responded quickly: “Twitter won’t let it trend no matter how much we pay. Nothing I can do!”
Clearly, Nathan had gotten ahead of them and warned Twitter in advance.
Lucas clutched his hair in frustration–pulled out several strands.
He needed to see Stella in person!
Thanks to Nancy’s familiarity with the slums, the two of them quickly arrived at an underpass.
Sure enough, Jimmy hadn’t managed to find a place and was living under the bridge.
There were many others living down there, and the stench was overpowering.
Nancy said, “Do you have a photo? I’ll go look for him. You wait here.”
