Chapter 282 - 281: Am I the Killer’s Next Target?

Chapter 282: Chapter 281: Am I the Killer’s Next Target?

"You know who my idol is? The Monkey King. He was trapped by The Buddha for five hundred years and didn’t go insane. These people today are just pathetic." Felix Foster said smugly as he yanked Lucas Grant along. "Let’s go, let’s go. I’ll protect you. Smug guys like you are exactly the type psychos target."

"Get lost." Lucas Grant was annoyed. He was much older than Felix, after all.

Besides... as they spent more time together, Lucas Grant felt that Felix Foster’s immaturity was becoming more and more like Charlie’s. The Charlie he used to know loved to play pranks on him, and now Felix was doing the same.

He stopped walking for a second. Then, for reasons he couldn’t explain, a sudden burst of anger flared up in Lucas Grant, and he forcefully shoved Felix Foster away and stormed off.

Felix Foster was baffled. "Is he nuts? He flips out over nothing. Women aren’t even that moody."

"..." Zeke Shaw had no comment.

Madeline Quinn sighed, exasperated. "You’re only eighteen, and he’s so much older than you. You’re constantly poking at Genius Grant’s ego. The fact that Lucas Grant still puts up with you means he’s a pretty decent guy."

’Aside from being a little smug, sarcastic, and self-righteous, he’s at least fundamentally a good person.’

Fuming, Lucas Grant stalked toward the restroom on the fifteenth floor.

"Lucas Grant, I wouldn’t go off alone!" Zeke Shaw called out, but Lucas Grant paid him no mind.

With no other choice, Zeke Shaw looked at Felix Foster. "You follow him. Those maniacs know our backgrounds."

Felix Foster reluctantly went after him.

I looked at Asher and whispered, "Let’s go get something to eat. I’m hungry."

Asher was about to come with me, but Ace blocked his way.

I looked at Ace warily. "Stay away from him."

"Don’t be like a dog guarding its food. It makes you look so insecure," Ace taunted. "What are you afraid of? That he’ll fall in love with me?" She raised her hand to push me, but Asher grabbed her wrist.

Asher looked at Ace with a warning in his eyes. "Tell me, do you really think someone would ignore his wife’s safety and fall in love with a suit of clothes?"

I raised an eyebrow, giving Ace a defiant look.

’In that moment, a complex and exhilarating emotion washed over me, something I had never felt before.’

’It’s as if all your confidence, your entire sense of self-worth, comes from being cherished by your other half.’

’And Asher... he truly gave me a complete sense of security in every possible way.’

Ace’s expression soured. For a cloning template to be compared to a suit of clothes was obviously a brutal jab.

"Such a coincidence..." Ace’s eyes landed on Asher’s hand. "For a safe that requires a palm print and iris scan, an awful lot of people seem to be getting injured."

Asher paid no mind to Ace’s suspicion. He took my hand, ready to lead me away. "Let’s go."

"Sebastian Lancaster..." Ace called out in a heavy voice.

Asher didn’t acknowledge her.

"Heh..." Ace let out a cold laugh, her eyes fixed on Asher.

I frowned at her. ’I knew this Ace was far from simple.’

’Nathan Lawson is dead, but she was raised for years by The Genetics Organization as his ’daughter.’ She’d never just decide to leave them. I suspect she’s still working for the organization.’

’And The Genetics Organization wants to find out who the president of Astraeus Group is, and whether that person can be trusted.’

"Cece..." Julian Fletcher was waiting by the door.

He seemed a little nervous when he saw me.

"Are you sure you’re talking to me?" I scoffed, glancing back at Ace. "She’s obviously the one who looks more like Cecilia Caldwell."

Julian Fletcher froze for a second, then looked up at Ace.

"You saw the evidence from Nathan Lawson’s experiments and the police investigation. I’m just Silvia Lynch, a product of Victor Quinn’s hypnosis and memory implants. I am not Cecilia Caldwell." I reminded Julian Fletcher once more, hoping he would stop bothering me.

Julian Fletcher looked down guiltily. ’He probably never expected I’d figure out that he was one of the people asking questions during the lie detector test.’

’I almost wanted to laugh. Julian Fletcher is actually quite childish, so easy to read.’

’Asking whether I love him or Asher... only he would ask such a childish, ridiculous question.’

"Cece..." Julian Fletcher started to speak, but then fell silent, as if tacitly accepting that I wasn’t Cecilia Caldwell.

"This ship is creepy, and we’ve already left international waters. You and your innocent little flower here had better watch your backs." I shot a sideways glance at Erin Whittaker, who was hiding behind him like a loyal shadow.

’Erin Whittaker was practically glued to Julian Fletcher’s side now. If it weren’t for his pitiful sense of guilt, she probably wouldn’t be able to survive.’

’Infected with HIV and on medication to manage it, her life was already more than half-ruined. And to top it off, The Resistance was toying with her like a cat with a mouse, refusing to let her die easily. Living in constant terror every day like that is worse than death.’

"Julian Fletcher, if you raised a cat, a cat you loved very much, and one day it died... if you used its cells to clone a new kitten, would you be able to transfer your love for the first one to the clone?"

Just as Asher and I were leaving, I heard Ace’s voice.

’She was asking Julian Fletcher if he was willing to transfer his feelings for Cecilia Caldwell onto her.’

I froze mid-step, having no interest in hearing Julian Fletcher’s answer.

Asher, however, seemed to worry I would be swayed. He grabbed my hand and started pulling me away in a huff.

"AH!" Suddenly, a scream rang out from the stairwell—it was Lucas Grant’s voice!

We raced downstairs.

「Fifteenth floor. The restroom.」

Lucas Grant was standing by the sinks when he saw a woman behaving strangely, leaning against the edge of the counter. Her eyes were bloodshot, with fresh blood trickling from the corners.

"Do you need help?" Lucas Grant asked, walking over warily.

"AH!" The woman suddenly collapsed, and Lucas Grant yelled in shock.

Felix Foster sprinted over, looking anxiously at Lucas Grant. "What happened?"

Lucas Grant breathed a sigh of relief and instinctively pointed at the woman on the floor. "Call the police..."

"On this ship...?" Felix Foster said, exasperated. "Aren’t you and Zeke Shaw the only cops around?"

Only then did it dawn on Lucas Grant—’Right, I *am* a cop...’

He gave an awkward cough, then quickly grabbed a nearby maintenance sign to cordon off the area and keep people from disturbing the scene. "Looks like the killer has started."

"In the short time since we left the ballroom, they managed to kill someone without anyone noticing..." Felix Foster said, frowning.

When Asher, Zeke Shaw, Madeline Quinn, and I rushed down, we saw the cordoned-off body.

"Look." Madeline Quinn pointed to the mirror, where the initials "CN" were written in lipstick.

"What’s CN stand for?" Felix Foster asked.

"The initials of the next victim," Zeke Shaw said, carefully surveying the scene. "The Aeridor police said this killer is incredibly brazen. They leave a clue about their next target at the scene of the crime."

’This was similar to the Meridia serial killer case.’

’In the Meridia case, the killer released a full death list, and everyone on it died.’

’The Aeridor killer, on the other hand, announces their victims one by one, right before they kill them.’

’Clearly, the Meridia case was a much greater challenge. No wonder the Aeridor killer felt like they were being provoked.’

"CN... If we want to find and protect the next victim before the killer strikes, we need a passenger manifest. Otherwise, we’re just flying blind."

Time was of the essence. This killer was far too brazen.

"AH!" Another passenger discovered the body and screamed.

Soon, news of the death spread throughout the cruise ship...

"AH!" Just as we were about to ask the ship’s crew for a passenger list, another terrified scream echoed from the deck.

We sprinted over and saw a beautiful woman in a slip dress standing rigidly by the railing. Her face was ashen, the blood on her lips had dried, and she was obviously dead.

"How did they do it so quickly?" Zeke Shaw asked in shock, rushing forward to examine the body.

And beside the body, written in blood, was a single word: You.

’The first woman to see the body is the next target.’

’I warily scanned the crowd on deck. The killer had to be hiding among them; otherwise, how would they know who saw the body first?’

’It was obvious. They were targeting either me or Madeline Quinn next.’

Asher pulled me behind him, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone on deck.

It was a silent challenge to them all. ’Go on, try and touch my person. See what happens...’