Saturday.
Adam drove to the Terrib Parish in West Virginia.
The large iron gate outside the estate was wide open, and a few workers were trimming the lawn.
In front of the estate, several cleaning ladies were busy tidying up.
Caroline stood at the entrance, speaking with a renovation worker holding blueprints. She gestured towards the estate from ti to ti.
"Adam, you're here!"
Hearing the sound of the car, Caroline turned around and, upon seeing Adam, ran up to him excitedly.
"Caroline."
Adam got out of the car and was imdiately greeted with a warm hug.
"Are you okay?"
Hearing this, Caroline didn't respond right away. Instead, she hugged him even tighter, as if trying to lt into his body.
Adam sighed and patted her back.
He could sense Caroline's lingering fear, which only reinforced his suspicions.
"I'm doing great."
After a long mont, Caroline finally cald down, let go of Adam, and flashed a bright smile. "Mrs. Davo left
her entire estate. Now, I have the money to do what I want. I'm planning to convert this estate into a rehabilitation center."
"Congratulations."
Adam studied Caroline's expression. Seeing the genuine joy in her eyes, he knew that despite the risks and twists along the way, she had succeeded and achieved what she wanted. He couldn't help but feel happy for her.
"What about Mr. and Mrs. Davo?"
"Mr. Davo passed away."
A strange look flashed across Caroline's eyes. "You know, I took this job as a caregiver because Mr. Davo had suffered a stroke, was paralyzed, and wasn't expected to live much longer. Then, Mrs. Davo, devastated by grief, also suffered a stroke and beca paralyzed. I'm taking care of her now."
"That's really unfortunate."
Adam's expression turned sowhat complicated.
"Yeah."
Caroline nodded, her tone carrying a deeper aning. "I'll take good care of her."
"She really left you her entire estate?"
Adam asked curiously, "Was it legally certified?"
"As unbelievable as it sounds, yes."
Caroline sighed. "The signing and certification happened just a week after I moved into the estate. I think she loved her husband too much. When she saw how well I cared for him, she began to see
differently.
Plus, they had no children, not even servants, so she probably wanted to leave everything to . If anything, this makes my dream of opening a rehabilitation center to help lonely seniors even more necessary. They truly lacked companionship."
"It must be fate."
Adam chuckled wryly.
Things like this weren't unheard of.
In his past life, he had heard of a billionaire woman leaving her entire fortune to her male servant while her relatives received nothing.
But gaining sothing always ca at a price.
That male servant had reportedly worked like a slave for her for over a decade, enduring all sorts of humiliation, almost quitting several tis before finally inheriting the fortune.
Even then, the woman's relatives repeatedly sued him, claiming he had manipulated and deceived her into handing over her wealth.
Unfortunately for them, since the inheritance was legally established and notarized in advance, proving the woman's voluntary decision, their lawsuits were futile.
Whether or not the servant had used deceitful ans, Adam didn't know. However, there were countless cases of people committing murder for financial gain.
For instance, in Arican TV shows, there were often cases of spouses murdering each other after taking out massive life insurance policies, listing themselves as the beneficiaries, and then staging an accident to cash in on the policy.
Adam's ex-girlfriend, the infamous "Amazing Amy," had planned sothing similar in his original tiline. Amidst their conflicts, she plotted to fra her husband for her murder, with one key step being tricking him into buying a huge life insurance policy in her na.
Once she disappeared, that insurance policy would serve as damning evidence, making it nearly impossible for her husband to defend himself.
That's why, in Arica, taking out a life insurance policy with your spouse as the beneficiary—or vice versa—was sothing to be done with extre caution.
It was an easy motive for cri.
After all, in Arica, money was king.
"Caroline, I have to go. Contact
if you need anything."
At that mont, a middle-aged man in a suit, Luke, walked out of the estate. He hugged Caroline briefly, nodded at Adam, then drove away.
Adam glanced at Caroline.
He had seen Luke before at the hospital, and he doubted that Luke had forgotten him. After all, Caroline had even tried to use Luke to intimidate him back then.
Caroline shrugged, offering no explanation as to why Luke Coleman was here.
Adam decided to play along and act as if he didn't know either.
Luke's presence made everything clear to him.
"Let
show you around."
Caroline took Adam on a tour of the estate. Inside, hired cleaners were removing religious paintings one by one, making the rooms feel brighter and more spacious.
"People around here are mostly devout believers, obsessed with religious and mystical elents,"
Caroline said casually. "The Davos were pri examples, but I don't really like that stuff, so I'm getting rid of it all."
"Phoebe calls you an angel,"
Adam chuckled. "With you here, who needs religious mysticism?"
"Haha."
Caroline laughed. "Phoebe is the real angel. She's absolutely adorable."
As Adam followed her around the estate, piecing together the hints in her words with his own suspicions, he reconstructed what had happened.
Simply put—
After the "brutal genius girl" incident at NYU dical Center, Caroline t Luke Coleman. Luke took an interest in her and made her his partner. Together, they orchestrated a sche to take over the estate of the Davos, who had originally planned to harm others.
In the backyard—
A plump woman sat motionless in a wheelchair, her eyes vacant as she stared at the blooming flowers.
"This is Mrs. Davo,"
Caroline introduced with a smile. "All of this is thanks to her generosity."
Adam looked at the woman. Her eyes widened—whether in fear or desperation, it was hard to tell. When she got no response, her expression twisted into hatred and despair.
Caroline simply smiled, her mind flashing back to that fateful night when the woman had cackled wildly.
"You still don't understand, do you, Caroline? You were chosen by us. We've been waiting for you for a long ti. From the mont you stepped into this estate, everything was designed to make you believe. Because only when you truly believe can the sacrificial ritual succeed."
Mrs. Davo sneered, shoving a mirror toward Caroline. "Your body is mine now! Hahaha!"
Unexpectedly, Caroline glanced at Luke, who stood quietly at the door watching. Seeing him nod, she remained steady, effortlessly catching the mirror instead of being knocked down.
"How… how is this possible?"
Mrs. Davo imdiately sensed sothing was wrong. "You're unhard?"
"You still don't understand?"
Caroline wiped away her tear-streaked makeup and chuckled softly. "Mrs. Davo, you were the one chosen. We've been waiting for you for a long ti. From the mont I stepped into this estate, everything was designed to make *you* believe. Because only when you truly believe can the sacrificial ritual succeed."
Mrs. Davo's body trembled.
When she had said those words, they had felt powerful.
But hearing them said *to her*—that was a completely different experience...
*(End of Chapter)*
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