Chapter 27

Emma showed a disdainful expression.

"Forget it. If you hadn't shown up, this would have had nothing to do with me. Everyone would have believed that Milo accidentally fell off the cliff."

She continued proudly, "I'll act as if nothing happened. My acting skills are enough to deceive everyone, and I won't reveal the medal. I'll just keep it hidden and admire it alone at night."

"That's a good idea, but the parents of the lost child will dig deep. This isn't something that can be brushed aside with just a few words."

Moreover, the school also has responsibilities. They wouldn't want a bad reputation and would certainly redirect the issue elsewhere.

Emma had already revealed her flaw with just a few words; when facing a lawyer or psychologist, she would likely be even more easily exposed.

"No matter how well you perform, once the seed of doubt is sown, it will eventually reveal itself. Given your recent performance, I don't think you can keep up the pretense indefinitely."

Emma's problem was excessive narcissism. Randy could guess that after escaping the first round of questioning, she would likely become complacent and think the matter was settled.

Randy picked up a stone and threw it forcefully into the sea, while Emma casually kicked the stones at her feet.

"If you can't perform perfectly, then you should find someone to take responsibility for your mess. It could be the teachers' failure to provide proper safety education or Milo's own fault for insisting on arguing with you by the cliff, leading to his fall. If it's something I don't know, it's none of my business."

Randy mimicked her earlier tone with his last few words.

"You should at least leave an outlet for your frustration."

Emma remained indifferent.

Randy continued his lesson.

"Anyone can cause destruction. If you want to kill more people at once, you could poison or set fire. But you didn't consider the consequences of these actions. This is the most basic approach and no different from seeking revenge on society."

Emma showed contempt: "Hmph."

Randy stopped his actions and turned to look at her coldly.

"You should be grateful, grateful that I found out about this when you pushed Milo. At least now I know about it, so there's still room for negotiation. If this had been discovered after I left, and the chaos you caused attracted the police... I wouldn't mind seeking revenge on society."

Randy's remaining words were left unsaid, but his gaze became even more intense: "Let me tell you, I will definitely find you before the police finish their investigation. Whether it was accidental or intentional, if you caused me trouble, I will make sure you never have peace again. Everyone related to you will receive my 'gift.'"

"You should also be thankful. Be thankful that I didn't come up with a better solution earlier, which is why I'm still smiling at you. You should be grateful that I found a bit of my own shadow in you; that's why I'm willing to have an equal conversation with you. If you make me unhappy again, I wouldn't mind changing my plans and making you disappear just like Milo."

The sudden turn in attitude made Emma's expression stiffen, and her long lashes visibly trembled with fear.

People with similar traits tend to attract each other. Randy could see the similarities between them, and Emma would also sense his dissimilarities, which is why she chose to approach, understand, and communicate.

Thus, she could also guess what kind of dark heart lay beneath his seemingly kind and harmless face.

One was too immature and dealt with things too impulsively. The other had already learned to conceal himself, with more mature judgment and different handling methods for various situations.

Threatening a child gave Randy no sense of accomplishment. He just needed Emma to understand what respect meant; basic courtesy was a must.

"Understand? Nod."

Emma quickly nodded.

"That's better."

Randy reached out and ruffled her hair.

"In the forest, you and Milo got separated. He saw a red balloon and ran towards the road to chase it. When you saw someone waving at you by the shore, it was a clown, so you ran over. But when you got close to the cliff, I stopped you. Got it?"

Emma looked confused but didn't dare to ask questions.

"If you have any objections, raise them."

"I don't understand. Why a clown?"

"You don't need to understand. But your parents will. Just follow this story."

Emma's mouth twitched, and her questions went unanswered; it was better not to ask them.

"Also, this piece of evidence."

Randy pointed to the medal Emma was tightly holding in her right hand.

Emma's expression immediately became tense, and she hid the medal behind her back. "This is mine. I worked hard to get it."

Randy opened his backpack. "That thing is useless to me. I'm just keeping it safe for you. Since you can't carry it now, it's better to give it to me."

After some thought, Emma eventually put the medal into the bag but still insisted, "Don't forget, it belongs to me!"

"I understand."

Randy zipped up the bag and continued picking up the bloodstained round stones to throw into the sea. Emma followed suit, throwing a stone herself.

She still seemed unsure: "Are you sure this will be over?"

"More or less. At least it won't cause you trouble, and it will make your family more concerned about you."

People in the town were familiar with the clown. In this world, even isolated Carrie had heard of this rumor.

Based on Emma's age, her parents were likely victims of the previous disappearance case and would have a more vivid impression.

Learning that their daughter nearly fell into the hands of that monster, negligent parents would feel a great relief and would naturally shower her with more love due to their guilt.

"I don't understand, Randy."

Randy turned his head in confusion to look at her.

Emma furrowed her brows and asked an unrelated question: "Why do people feel sad when someone dies? After all, such things will eventually happen to everyone, right?"

She looked up at Randy, and he saw the genuine quest for an answer on her face.

It seemed Emma's psychological issues were more severe than his; she showed no reverence for death.

"Do you have any relatives?"

"I have a dad."

"What if your dad died? How would you feel?"

"Well… maybe my aunt would adopt me, but she probably wouldn't treat me as well as my dad did."

"Well, if you died, your dad would also likely adopt another child, who might not be treated as well as you were before."

This statement made Emma frown in dissatisfaction.

"I won't die. I'm still young. Both you and my dad would probably die before me."

"No one can refuse death, unless they become like me."

Randy reached out and rubbed her head. "I have high hopes for you, Emma. You're an extraordinary child, much better than other ordinary people."