—Tomorrow morning, we will go together. I think then we will find the answers you are looking for.
Resigned Joe took his drink and drank it with one blow, and went to bed — Okay, tomorrow.Concerned about the mysterious man's return, Chucky went out to buy two sets of new bedding. With a forced smile, he asked Ethan to stay there that night. Marie, scared and inadvertently returning home until everything was resolved, also decided to stay with Ethan, together they improvised a space to sleep on the second floor of the pub.The next day, when the sky was dark, there was movement in Joe's room.Except for Ethan, the other three were awake more than half the night before falling asleep.Hearing the movement in Joe's room, Ethan woke Marie up with a light slap to the face with the back of his hand.Chucky left the room with a drink in hand, yawning.— Do you want some? —asked —. It will be refreshing in the morning.Ethan, with Marie's help, put on his jacket.Seeing Chucky get up disheveled, he shook his head and said:—If you put on your shirt, I think we will feel much more renewed.Chucky quickly apologized to Marie and returned to the room.After breakfast, the group headed to Evergreen High School. As Chucky was concerned he also joined them and closed his bar Upon reaching the high school door, Joe stopped the car and looked inside campus with Chucky, who was in the passenger seat. They had an expression of surprise on their faces.Several thick iron chains hermetically closed the door. Fallen leaves covered the entire campus, creating a desolate scene.— Is this still our school? —said Joe, surprised.—I don't know either. I have not returned in over 20 years. Wait a minute.Chucky pulled out his phone and checked the news.—The board of directors at Evergreen College sold the school to a mysterious company two years ago. Evergreen has since stopped recruiting new students. Now the last group is dropping out of school.—We can see that security personnel have closed the door. But there is no news about why or who bought the school After Chucky finished reading the news, he raised his head and added:—This news is from three years ago.Ethan didn't care and asked:—I guess you remember where the file room is, right?After Joe and Chucky nodded, Ethan opened the car door, got out, and started walking to the side. The others followed him quickly.Upon reaching a remote corner, Ethan ran forward, kicked the wall, easily grabbed the top, turned around, and sat on it.With their help, everyone jumped over the wall and entered campus.They stepped on fallen leaves and stopped in front of a building. Across the university, only the main street seemed a little cleaner, and there were still people doing maintenance work.Joe guided the group to a side door. He reached out, ready to break the gray glass.—Wait a minute —Chucky said, stopping him —. I have seen this in a movie.He took off his coat, covered the glass with it, and then proudly hit him.The glass fell inward, emitting a crisp sound.The echo echoed throughout the empty building.Joe pushed Chucky away, who looked embarrassed, reached through the glass hole and unscrewed the lock from the inside.They entered the building, went up the stairs, and came in front of a wooden door.Looking at the thick door, Chucky gestured with his fist and then lowered his hand simply.Joe hesitated for a moment, reached out, lowered the handle, and the wooden door opened easily.Indeed, the mysterious man had left them no obstacle. Just in case, everyone had weapons in their hands. Ethan pretended not to see Chucky's anxious expression and firmly held his weapon.After Joe signaled to Ethan, they opened the door to the file room. Ethan came in first and, after taking a look, said:—Come in, there is nobody.Once inside, Ethan put away his gun.— What are we looking for now? —asked.—Since it's related to me, we need the files of our generation — said Joe, as he put his gun away and approached a cabinet.Chucky also started looking for him. Ethan, meanwhile, pulled out two chairs and sat down.Soon after, Chucky exclaimed in surprise:— I found it!Joe ran quickly to him, and they both pulled out the entire cabinet, went back to the table, and poured the files on it.Joe kept rummaging through the information, while Chucky took a yearbook and started flipping through it.— Wow! We were very young back then. Joe, you were a handsome boy too ... and now you've become an old man.Chucky sighed as he flipped through the photos.—Be serious, we don't have much time — said Marie, while trying to remove the yearbook from Chucky. He held it tight.I was looking at the photo of a smiling, sweet-looking girl with curly hair. Guilt in the eyes, Chucky pointed to the image.—Amanda Pryce ...Come to think of it, we were very hard on her. I don't know how it goes now.— Who cares how it goes? —Joe said, upset —. Help find clues!Chucky put the yearbook aside and kept looking.Ethan, lighting a cigarette, watched Joe and Chucky.— How was that "we were very hard" with Amanda? —he asked, squinting.Chucky replied without raising his head:—Amanda was Joe's girlfriend back then, and many also found her quite beautiful and charming.—Too bad I was a bitch. One night Joe saw her ... with an old man in the greenhouse, you know, having sex with him.Ethan shook the ashes out of the cigarette.— And then what? —asked.—So Joe told the whole school. and suddenly it was a great scandal — Chucky — Amanda answered and we never saw her again. I still feel guilty about it.Ethan and Marie exchanged looks of helplessness, as they watched Joe and Chucky keep searching.— Don't you think there is something strange about all this? —Ethan said, frustrated.— Do you mean Amanda? —Joe asked.— Damn, maybe they're idiots! —Ethan said, hitting him with the yearbook on the forehead — Find out if there's someone else named Pryce!Joe and Chucky hit each other's heads and quickly searched for more yearbooks.Marie followed them. After a while searching, Marie took a photo with her phone.—Adrián Pryce.Hearing the noise coming from Marie, they quickly moved.Chucky looked at the photo and nodded:—Although a lot has changed, he still has the same mustache.—It's him, Adrian Pryce —Joe grabbed Chucky's clothes with a puzzled expression on his face and said with his teeth clenched —. But why? Why would you do this to me, just because I had your sister transfer to another school? Was my sin so great to lock me up for twenty years, kill my wife, and kidnap my daughter?— Shet! Let me go, how do I know? —Chucky, dizzy with Joe, quickly yelled — Maybe we can find the answer on it.Ethan looked around and walked to a desktop computer. He reached out and turned on the switch, and the electricity turned on without surprise. After turning on the machine, he entered the words "Pryce" in the browser search field and then pressed search.—The Pryce family emigrated to Luxembourg ... Family tragedy in Luxembourg —looking at the title, Ethan clicked on the second search result, and a photo from a newspaper appeared. — Amid a devastating event, authorities are investigating a crime scene that has left two people dead and an apparent suicide. The tragic chain of events has shocked the local community. A young man, who suffered serious injuries, was rescued and transferred to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention. Although his identity has not been confirmed, the authorities continue to collect information to clarify the facts. More details are expected to be revealed as the investigation progresses.Ethan went to the next page, and the headline that followed said: Tragedy: family murder.—After the family man killed his wife and daughter with a double-barreled shotgun, he shot his son again and then committed suicide. Fortunately, her son was rescued in the hospital.Chucky guessed something, covered his mouth and took a few steps back. Marie enlarged the image of the newspaper. Beneath the headline was the photo of the killer.Joe's trembling fingers slowly stretched out and clicked on the killer's head.—Chucky, this is the man I saw in the greenhouse that night —his voice was hoarse, as if he had been scraped with a razor blade — That was Amanda's father.Joe seemed to have returned to more than 20 years ago. After a little party at school, he drank half a bottle of brandy at the instigation of his friend Chucky and then armed himself with courage to confess the white moonlight to his heart. When she found Amanda in the school greenhouse, she discovered that Amanda, usually sweet and well-behaved, was sitting on a man's lap in a floral dress, constantly going up and down. She lifted her long skirt and that touch of whiteness broke her heart. When he was stunned on the spot, he was discovered by Amanda. He quickly left the greenhouse and hatred in his heart increased with alcohol. When he returned to the bedroom, he told some friends what he had seen.Soon, the scandal spread madly at school and worsened. Amanda also dropped out of school under everyone's harassment and disappeared. Over time, Joe had already sealed that memory. What I did not expect was that, when I thought about it again, the end would be so tragic. Joe's legs gave way and he fell to the ground.The cause and effect were clear, and he discovered that there was an incestuous relationship between Amanda and her father. Under pressure from public opinion, the Pryce family moved to Luxembourg. But Amanda's father was overwhelmed by tremendous mental pressure and decided to shoot his wife and daughter.It was Adrian Pryce, who survived the murder, and who carried out a series of acts of revenge against Joe and making him suffer hell in life.—Shet, we didn't know it would have such serious consequences —Chucky sat stunned in the chair — We never wanted this to end like this.Ethan sighed, not knowing what to say.At that moment, someone knocked on the wooden door, and the sudden sound surprised everyone. Ethan quickly grabbed Marie and pushed her into the corner, aiming the gun at the door with both hands.—Gentlemen and Ladies, can I come in? —A cold voice came from outside the wooden door, without any emotion. Before people in the room could respond, the wooden door opened slowly.Adrian, who was exquisitely dressed, appeared at the door with a cane in his hand. He tapped the ground lightly with the cane, then leaned forward and said:—I'm sorry to disturb you.He was followed by a short black-haired woman wearing a hollow leather uniform and holding a suitcase.—You who wears a mask, can you lower your weapon? —Adrian waved his cane and said — Don't worry, I come unarmedEthan said nothing, and the mouth of the gun followed Adrian, he could only smile, approached a chair, and sat down, completely ignoring the threat of a weapon. He looked at Joe, who fell to the ground, and asked quietly:— Joe, do you have an answer now?Joe got up and nodded with a complicated expression.—Adrian Pryce.Adrian applauded with satisfaction:— Why did I imprison you for 20 years?Joe went one step further:—You blame me for what happened to your family.— Can you be more detailed? —Adrian raised his chin.Joe stuttered:—Because I saw your sister doing something with a man in the school greenhouse.Adrian hit the ground hard with his cane and said with a fierce expression:— What's going on? Why do not you say it?—Amanda was having sex with a man in the greenhouse. Didn't you say that to most people at school back then? Why don't you dare say it directly now?Joe pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and allowed Adrian to curse him.—You have no idea how difficult it was for Amanda at the time. All the abuse he endured was because of you and your filthy mouth.Marie couldn't hear anymore, she stood up and said:—No matter what Joe did wrong, it wasn't him who caused your father to have an affair with your sister, was it? Why do you torture him like that? Joe did not kill anyone in your family. Everything your father did.Adrian stood up, waved his arm, and pointed at Marie angrily:— Shut up! You don't know my father at all. You don't understand that what we lived together was so wonderful, pure and special. Everything father did was to commemorate and preserve our love.— Shet! Your father is a beast and he was not ashamed —Marie spat hard aside — I feel what happened to you and your sister, but they were only victims of your manipulations of your unfortunate father.—But now I have a question for you, how did you know where he lived? Before that night I had never seen you or Joe, you couldn't know.Adrian bowed his head and said:—Sorry, I don't understand what you mean.Marie asked excitedly—You sent those people to my house. How did you know where he lived? — Is it difficult? Don't underestimate the power of money —Adrian answered him casually, then turned to Joe and said angry —. My father loved Amanda and me, and I thought our relationship would last forever. But thanks to you, Joe Dorsett, I am alone in this world. So in the last twenty years I have let you prove what it is to be alone. I think you have no problem with this, do you?Joe opened his eyes and struck him down with his eyes.— Where's my daughter?Adrian smiled, waved his cane, and the short-haired woman behind him stepped forward in high heels. After he put the suitcase on the table and opened it, Adrian approached. —I am a person who keeps my promises. I will definitely do what I promised you. He reached out and pulled out a videotape. —This is the video of his wife killed by a woman. It is evidence to prove his innocence.Adrian threw the video tape into the box and pulled out another letter. —This is my confession.Finally, he grabbed a heavy black bag, reached out, and opened the mouth of the bag. He poured it casually, and diamonds emitting extremely bright light sprouted from the mouth of the bag.—That's twenty million dollars in diamonds. When everyone was attracted to diamonds, Adrian quietly pulled out a gun. — Stop, don't move! —Ethan quickly pointed the gun at him. —Don't worry, this weapon is only used to end my own life. You don't need to be too nervous. Adrian did not lift his mouth from the gun, he looked at Ethan with a trace of hatred. —Mysterious Sir, before I die, can I see your true face? Ethan was confused for a time, not knowing where his hatred came from, but still shook his head decisively. —Forget it, it no longer matters. Adrian put the gun to his chin and was about to pull the trigger when Joe screamed to stop him. — Wait a minute, where's my daughter? —Sorry, our agreement didn't include this, did it? —Adrian lowered his weapon triumphantly. Joe ran forward, grabbed Adrian and yelled excitedly: — Answer Adrian! Where's my daughter, Mia? The short-haired woman next to Adrian ran forward and cut Joe's neck with a knife. Then he kicked his legs out and knocked Joe down, quickly pulled two more short knives out of his lower back, and wanted to continue attacking Joe.—Bang, bang, bang, bang.After several shots, the woman covered her stomach with both hands, but the blood kept flowing from between her fingers. With a look of relief, he fell to the ground.Joe raised his gun, pointed at Adrian, and asked madly:— Where's my daughter?—I really don't care if you shoot —Adrian said with a touch of fun.—Pendejo, I will break your fingers one by one.Joe put the gun back around his waist and walked towards him step by step.—Wait, why are you so impatient? —Adrian took a remote control out of his arms —. How about I invite you to watch two videos?After speaking, he pressed the remote control. A projection cloth came down from the wall on one side and a projector hidden on the other side emitted light.The video played fast and a girl's growth trajectory appeared in front of them and Joe stopped. Soon, the image returned to normal speed and a woman with short hair appeared on the screen and was being interviewed. The presenter asked: —Your father has been missing for 20 years. You don't know if he's dead or alive. If you had a chance to see him, do you think you would forgive him for what he did? The short-haired woman hesitated for a while and then said nothing.The scene changed and the short-haired woman was holding a cello and playing in an empty room. Joe couldn't control himself. He approached the projection fabric, trembled at the figure of the woman and murmured: —My little Mia ...The sound of the cello stopped suddenly. The short-haired woman put away her bow and smiled at the camera.—Mr. Pryce, how was today's performance?—Beautiful.Adrian applauded and left behind the camera for the frame.—Joanna, thank you very much for your efforts over the past twenty years. You won't need to come here in the future.—Okay.The woman who played the cello shook Adrian's hand and turned to leave. The video ended.—She is not Mia —Joe turned around slowly and said with his eyes off.—Of course she is not Mia, she is just an actress I hired —Adrian hugged her belly and laughed wildly, her eyes full of ridicule.— Damn, damn, you're an idiot!Marie ran and punched him in the face. He wanted to kick him another, but Ethan stopped him.Adrian took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, with a hint of sadness in his voice. —Then enjoy the second video. He pressed the remote control and the image into the projection fabric began to jump. A girl with scars, short hair and two rags was standing on a fenced dirt floor, surrounded by fierce-looking people waving game bills in her hands. The bell rang and the short-haired girl began a life and death fight with a boy across the street. The image reproduced quickly and the short-haired girl gradually grew, but what appeared on the projection fabric were images of clandestine boxing matches with others. After the image returned at normal speed, the camera followed Adrian forward. He approached the short-haired girl and held out his hand: —Come on, Mia, I'll take you home. Finally, the scene stopped in the girl's face, which was the short-haired woman Joe had just shot. Joe staggered, walked to the side of the short black-haired woman, bent his legs, and knelt slowly. He wanted to touch the girl's face with trembling hands, but suddenly he withdrew it as if he were playing embers. He looked at Adrian desperately, making unknown sounds with his mouth. Her angry eyes seemed to be about to burst, and two jets of tears of blood fell through the corners of her eyes.Seeing his old friend like that, Chucky wanted to come up and say something.Joe suddenly pulled out his Colt M1911 and pressed it against his chin.A "burst" firearm.Chuky closed her eyes and the mist of blood splashed her face with a touch of warmth.Marie stood there without understanding and looked at Joe, who was lying motionless on the short-haired woman. There was a trace of regret and relief on Joe's face.—Damn, I'm going to kill you.Chucky ran to Adrian angry, strangling his neck with both hands.—You are a mouth. You were the one who insulted my sister the most. Do you think you are not guilty? Adrian enthusiastically put the gun to Chucky's chest and pulled the trigger one after the other, ejecting blood clouds from Chucky's back. With an expression of pain, Chucky released his hands and fell to the ground. Adrian gasped and looked at Marie, the hatred in her eyes even louder. He scoffed and was about to speak. Ethan decided to shoot without hesitation. Several bullets quickly penetrated his body and Adrian fell onto the chair. He looked at his bleeding chest with an expression of disbelief and struggled to say something, but the blood gushed out of his mouth. Ethan approached him, leaned in Adrian's ear and whispered: —Marie is the real Mia, right? Ethan tilted his head, put the gun against Adrian's chin, looked at his surprised eyes, and continued whispering: —You can take your poison to hell son of a bitch.—!BangThe bullet entered Adrian's jaw and lodged in his head. With a trace of reluctance, she closed her eyes, from her expression at the end, Ethan was able to discover that Mia was not the black-haired woman who was shot dead by Joe. Otherwise, after Joe shot himself, he must have been relieved, rather than looking at Marie with resentment. Marie has never been in contact with Adrian, the only explanation is that she had always been under Adrian's surveillance until the end, Pryce had planned this for 20 years, Ethan deduces that Marie is the real Mia. Adrian's original plan for sure was something that involved Marie and Joe in some way so that they could vent their hatred and resentment. But due to his intervention, he was no longer able to touch Marie.Then Adrian decisively devised a second plan to make Joe believe that he had murdered his daughter with his own hands, and force him to take his own life, and in the end reveal the truth to Marie, so that she lived in pain for the rest of his life.So when she realized, she shot Adrian, without giving Marie the truth, she didn't need to know that shit. Sometimes ignorance was a blessing and he would not allow her to suffer from revenge that was not caused by her.Ethan got up and walked towards Chucky. Chucky smiled at him with his last breath, then bowed his head and died. Joe looked forward with his eyes wide open. On the floor, not far away, a photo of Amanda fell, still so sweet and moving.Ethan wondered if in the last moments of his life, Joe repented of the way he handled things that day. Ethan sighed and walked towards Marie. Marie squatted down in a corner, tears flowed down her face uncontrollably. He did not understand why, in the blink of an eye, the few lives that were in the room at that time had now been turned off. Ethan reached out to lift Marie up and wiped away her tears. —Come on, we must go. We cannot do anything for them. After Marie calmed down, Ethan walked to the suitcase. He grabbed the diamonds inside, put them back in the little black bag, and then threw them at Marie. Marie hurriedly took them. — What should we do with these diamonds? —These now have no owner, so take them first. Ethan rummaged through the cabinets, took all the documents and files out of the files, and threw them to the ground.Marie was at the door, holding a yearbook when Ethan approached. Above was a group photo, with Joe, Chucky, and Amanda with happy faces. Everyone was smiling happily at the camera. Ethan lit the cigarette that Marie gave him. After giving him a drag, he placed the lighter over the yearbook. The flames gradually enveloped the people in the photo. Marie could not bear the scorching heat and threw the burning yearbook to the ground. The fire spread slowly and their faces turned red from the reflection of the flames. Ethan put his arm around Marie's shoulders and said: —They all lived in the sins of their past, and could not live with them. It all started here and they must end here. Back in the car, Marie asked Ethan with emotion: — Where are we going now? —To meet a friend of mine and deal with diamonds, you have some connections. Ethan touched the diamond in his hand, then turned the wheel and made a call. — Who is it? —Job's tired voice came from across the phone. Ethan looked at Marie. —It's me. Are you free now See you. — Shet! Did I think you were dead? —Job said surprised, and then gave Ethan an address. After hanging up the phone, Marie quickly pushed the diamond towards him. —Take it, it's too valuable. I'm afraid to hold it. Ethan was not polite, took the diamonds and put them in his jacket pocket. Soon after, they arrived at a semi-ancient apartment building. After parking the car, Ethan saw his Dodge Challenger not far parked. According to information provided by Job, they went upstairs to the third floor and knocked on the door.— Bastard! What have you been doing these past two days? —Job opened the door in beach shorts and a nightgown.When he saw a woman standing behind Ethan, he took off his sunglasses and looked at Marie.—Ella Marie, Marie, this is Job —introduced by Ethan, then opened the door and entered. Marie nodded at Job and quickly followed him. The layout of the room was similar to the previous one, and the Gothic man was there. Marie slowed down when she saw the gothic man. He probably knew that Job was the one who provided them with transportation and firearms, and he couldn't help but feel a little scared. Ethan approached Marie to sit on the sofa in the middle of the room and patted her on the back. —Don't worry, even though Job is a bastard, he's generally still a good guy. — Fuckyou! You are the bastard! —Job pointed his middle finger at him without hesitation — Now that I remember you took my gear and you didn't give me a penny. After finishing talking, Job gave Marie a bottle of mineral water. — Sit like it's your own home. This bastard sitting next to you saved my life, so a friend of hers is also my friend. Marie took the mineral water and said: — Really? It is a coincidence. He also saved my life. The two looked at each other and smiled, and Marie relaxed.Ethan rummaged through for a while and put the four pistols hidden in his body and the keys to the Corolla car on the table.Job winked at the gothic guy, and he went back to the room, took a bag, loaded the pistols, then picked up the car keys, and left. —He has been following me for several years. Don't worry, he will take care of everything and there will be no trace of it —Job said, sitting across from Ethan —. Can you tell me what happened? Ethan shook his head. —It's kind of complicated, you better not know —took his arms and took out the cash he had found in Chaney's office the last time — For the car and the weapons, there should be about $30,000 pain there. That should be enough, right? —That's enough —Job was not educated, collected the money, counted it, and then put it in his pocket.Although they were all friends, when it came to business between the two, debts had to be paid. After searching his bag, Ethan took a small bag of black cloth from his arms and carefully placed it on the table. Seeing Ethan's cautious gaze, Job also became alert. — What's in there? — Job asked curiously. Ethan smiled and, under Job's curious gaze, opened the mouth of the bag. More than a dozen diamonds slipped through the bag and fell into his hand. —It's small in the bag, it should be worth about $ 20 million —Ethan said to Job's astonishing expression, he put the diamonds back in the bag quickly, as if he feared they would disappear.Job got up to the kitchen, picked up the bottle of wine from the table, took out the cork, and took a big sip straight from the bottle, then looked at it with a resentful expression.— Who did you steal from? ——Don't talk nonsense, I didn't steal from anyone.