Chapter 193 - 192: Asher Became the Lancaster Family’s Sinner

Chapter 193: Chapter 192: Asher Became the Lancaster Family’s Sinner

Lucas Grant was mocking himself.

He was mocking how even a powerful family like the Lancasters would be desperate to rid themselves of a child with congenital defects, let alone an ordinary family.

"But the other two, the ones who never stopped looking for their child... they refused all public donations, sold off everything they owned, and spent the rest of their lives consumed by regret. They hated themselves for letting their child enter the genius competition, for putting their child under so much pressure, and for being so powerless..."

’They truly loved their child.’

And yet, the very people who truly loved their child were exploited.

They became a murderer’s weapon, lambs to the slaughter.

They were so innocent, so tragic.

Misfortune always strikes the most vulnerable. The silent screams of despair from these powerless, ordinary people were utterly hopeless.

’Just how desperate must they have been to willingly walk the path of becoming someone else’s executioners?’

"Public donations? Which families received them? Was it a charity? Who founded it?" I asked Lucas Grant with a frown.

"I’ve already looked into it. People from the Angel Fund handled all the consolation and follow-up," Lucas Grant said with a shrug. "The Angel Fund has always been a beacon of hope for the underprivileged in Meridia and has a stellar reputation in the world of charity. Even now, children from ordinary families are eligible to apply for aid from the Angel Fund if they get sick."

I took a deep breath.

The Angel Fund.

’It was all too familiar.’

"It’s the charitable foundation that Julian Fletcher’s mother established..." I whispered, my voice hoarse and trembling.

’I hoped it was all just a coincidence.’

’Otherwise... this game was too vast, and there were more and more spiders on the web.’

’How were tiny insects like us supposed to survive in such a massive web?’

"Society itself is a web... There’s no absolute good or evil, and the world isn’t black and white," Lucas Grant said calmly. "Someone you consider irredeemably evil might be an incredibly devoted son, and a great philanthropist you see might have a past drenched in blood..."

"Behind every great fortune lies a shadow. Without exception. Do you really think any of the world’s wealthiest people... are clean? That their fortunes weren’t built on bones and blood?"

’This world is like a giant meat grinder. The greatest happiness and freedom is to live an ordinary, ignorant life.’

"Back then, the genius competition had a huge prize pool. Were you able to find out who sponsored it?" Zeke Shaw asked Lucas Grant.

"I did. It was the Angel Fund," Lucas Grant said, shrugging again.

It wasn’t a secret.

Back then, the Angel Fund was dedicated to treating and funding children with congenital deformities, genetic disorders, and rare diseases, which garnered widespread public attention. The Fletcher family was heavily publicized by the media for this act of charity, which laid a solid foundation for Julian Fletcher to later take over the Fletcher Group.

No one gets to the top overnight. If Julian Fletcher hadn’t had the pre-existing Fletcher Group as a stepping stone, he wouldn’t be where he is today.

I took a deep breath and rubbed my temples.

The Angel Fund.

The Fletcher Family. Julian Fletcher.

’So... it wasn’t just Julian Fletcher who deliberately deceived me back then... Did I approach him with the intent to deceive him, too?’

’What was my relationship with Victor Quinn?’

"Cece, you look pale. Let’s go back and get some rest..." Asher said, looking at me with concern as he tried to lead me away.

"It’s Charlie’s birthday in a few days... Burn some paper offerings for me when you go. I’m not going..." Lucas Grant said with a hint of false bravado, looking completely on edge at the mention of Charlie’s name.

Asher didn’t say anything, but as he lowered his gaze, he looked exceptionally pained and desolate.

’Charlie died for him... It’s a nightmare Asher will never be able to forget.’

"Why is Lucas Grant so afraid of Asher?" I whispered after we got in the car.

"He’s afraid of me, too," Asher whispered, cautiously trying to take my hand when I wasn’t looking.

I smacked his hand away. He looked down, hurt, and said, "He thinks Charlie and I aren’t normal. That we’re monsters..."

"And?" ’That’s it?’

"He got the whole class to call me and Charlie monsters, so we got our revenge. We always used subtle tricks that he could never detect or figure out." Asher seemed to be lost in the past, letting out a soft chuckle as his eyelashes fluttered.

’In all his memories of the past, Charlie must have been one of the few good ones.’

My heart suddenly ached for him. I subconsciously reached for his hand, but pulled back at the last second.

’I don’t even know what kind of person I am anymore...’

’Do Asher and I even have a future?’

"Cece... you’re not a bad person." But this time, Asher firmly took my hand.

Even when I was doubting myself, he was still willing to believe in me.

"Do you know why Lucas Grant changed his name?" Asher seemed desperate to cheer me up, awkwardly changing the subject. "After Charlie died, he kept having nightmares. He always felt like Charlie’s ghost was following him, that... Charlie was right beside him. He even got an electric shock at home once and claimed he saw a ghost."

Asher laughed. "His parents hired all sorts of masters to perform exorcisms, but in the end, a psychologist said it was just a hallucination from the electric shock."

"But he still wasn’t convinced, so he had a fortune teller change his name to suppress Charlie’s ghost. Because Charlie was burned to death..." Asher trailed off, falling silent.

His grip on my hand tightened, and his Adam’s apple bobbed before he forced the words out. "Because Charlie was burned to death, his spirit would be afraid of fire. That’s why the master chose the name ’Yuchen’ for him. The characters were picked on purpose. The first one contains the symbol for fire. The second one is written with the symbol for the ’sun’ placed directly on top of the character for Charlie’s own name. It was all meant to suppress his ghost."

I looked at Asher. It should have been a funny story, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh.

I could tell Asher was trying his best to make me happy.

His clumsy attempts were heartbreaking...

"I just want to make you happy... but I always mess it up," Asher said, his voice hoarse as he slowly let go of my hand.

We rode the rest of the way in silence. Neither of us said another word.

When we got home, I shut myself in Asher’s basement.

I stared at the web of clues on the wall, lost in thought.

’The person Asher has been so hesitant to talk about, the one he’s protecting... who is it?’

Right now, the only people who could make Asher act this way were Charlie and ’Cecilia Caldwell’.

And both of them were already ’dead’.

I stared blankly at the wall of clues for a long time.

From initially distrusting the identity of ’Silvia Lynch’ to now doubting ’Cecilia Caldwell’, I felt like I was caught in a massive conspiracy, a swirling vortex.

’Perhaps this was no longer a simple matter of regaining my memories to solve the puzzle.’

Beyond the mist lay an even thicker fog; beyond one mountain, there was another.

When I left the basement, Owen Foster saw me and sighed. "Sir... he’s been drinking."

I froze.

’Asher was drinking?’

’His injuries...’

’Why would he be drinking?’

"Assistant Foster..." I was anxious to go see Asher, but then I suddenly remembered the CEO of Astraeus Group. "The charity gala..."

"Was the charity gala a success?"

Owen Foster looked a little surprised. "Sir didn’t tell you? It seems he started drinking before he got the chance..."

Owen Foster spoke again. "Sir sold all the shares he legally inherited to the CEO of Astraeus Group. It’s clear that what happened to you and the child... it really pushed him. He’s willing to throw everything away, as long as you’re safe."

’Because this way, regardless of whether Asher and I lived or died, the Lancaster Family would have a new master. The power dynamics would completely shift.’

I stared at Owen Foster in shock. It was an extreme measure I would never have dared to imagine.

’Asher... actually sold out the Lancaster Family!’

’That fool! Without those shares, he has no leverage! He’s infuriated Master Lancaster, who could have him killed at any moment!’

’Although Master Lancaster no longer has a reason to kill me... Asher will become a traitor to the Lancaster Family.’

’They won’t let him get away with this!’

’What right does he have... to shoulder all the pressure himself every single time?’

BANG! Suddenly, the dogs in the backyard started barking nonstop. A loud crash came from the bedroom, and both Owen Foster and I panicked, running toward it.

’Asher...’