I Want to Die, But I Am Immortal
Chapter 87: Police (3)

Chapter 87: Police (3)

The color drained from Anastasia’s face. She stared at Adam her mind reeling. "No," she whispered her voice hoarse with disbelief. "You’re lying. Joseph would never do that. He has his faults but he would never send you to your death."

Adam looked away from her staring up at the ceiling. "My life was on the line Anastasia," he said his voice filled with a quiet despair. "I wouldn’t lie about something like this. If the police hadn’t shown up I wouldn’t be alive right now."

He was weaving a tapestry of lies a story so filled with half-truths and calculated omissions that it was almost believable. He was painting himself as the victim the survivor the tragic hero.

And Anastasia caught in the grip of her own grief and confusion was beginning to believe him. The seed of doubt about her brother was beginning to blossom into a dark and poisonous flower.

Anastasia stared at Adam her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Her brother was dead. Her best friend was dead.

And Adam the third member of their inseparable trio was telling her that they had betrayed him for money. It was a story that was too fantastic to be true yet too detailed to be dismissed.

She was not a fool. She knew Adam was a good actor. He had always been good at hiding his true feelings. But this was different. The pain in his eyes the weariness in his voice it felt real. But she had to be sure. She could not let her grief cloud her judgment.

An idea sparked in her mind a test to see if he was telling the truth. "I won’t believe you," she said her voice firm and steady. "Not until I hear it from Eric himself."

The name hit Adam like a punch to the gut. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second a flicker of surprise that he could not quite conceal. He quickly regained his composure his expression returning to one of weary sadness. But Anastasia had seen it. She had seen the brief flash of shock in his eyes.

So Eric is alive Adam thought his mind racing. He had been so sure that he had killed them both. But if Eric was still alive then his story was about to fall apart.

Anastasia had been watching him closely. She had seen his reaction. It was subtle but it was there. It was enough to confirm her suspicions.

A small sad smile touched Adam’s lips. "Then I don’t need to say anything more," he said his voice a quiet resignation.

He was playing her game now. He knew she was lying. He knew Eric was dead. He had killed him with his own hands. She was bluffing trying to trick him into a confession. She was trying to get him to admit that he had killed her brother and his best friend.

But he underestimated her. Anastasia did not think Adam was a killer. She did not believe he was capable of such violence. She just thought he was lying about the reason for their deaths. She thought he was hiding something.

She thought he was covering up the real story of what had happened in that club. The idea that he was the one who had slaughtered dozens of men was too monstrous to even consider.

Anastasia’s confident facade crumbled. The shock of Adam’s story the confirmation of her own deepest fears about her brother it was too much to bear.

She sank back into the chair her body trembling. Adam’s reaction to her lie about Eric had only deepened her suspicion. She now believed that Joseph had indeed led Adam into a trap.

But she still could not wrap her mind around the idea that her brother was capable of such a monstrous act.

"I didn’t want to tell you this," Adam said his voice soft and gentle. He was playing the part of the concerned friend the reluctant bearer of bad news.

Anastasia stared at the floor her expression hidden from Adam’s view. She was lost in a sea of grief and confusion.

Adam looked at her his own expression hardening. The pity he had felt for her was gone replaced by a cold ruthless pragmatism. I’m sorry Anastasia, he thought his mind a cold calculating machine.

But the moment Joseph betrayed me I decided I would never trust anyone again. To me everyone is an enemy. And that includes you. You are just another name on my list of potential threats a complication that could jeopardize my future.

Anastasia stood up abruptly. Her eyes were red and swollen but her tears had stopped. She looked at Adam her expression unreadable. "Rest Adam," she said her voice flat and emotionless. "You need your rest."

She turned and walked out of the room without another word.

Adam knew this was not over. It was just the beginning. Things were about to get much more complicated. He needed to make his plan foolproof.

He needed to remember every single detail of his fabricated story so that his statement to the police would be flawless. He could not afford any inconsistencies any slip-ups that might arouse suspicion.

He let out a long slow breath. "It would have been better if I had just killed myself and started the loop over," he muttered to himself.

He summoned the system window. It materialized in the air before him a familiar blue screen. He reached into it and pulled out the system-provided phone. He opened The Byrd app and went to the forums.

The forums were buzzing with activity. Everyone was talking about the same thing. JokerX was dead. And all of his mercenaries were dead with him. The news had spread like wildfire through the underworld.

Adam scrolled through the messages reading the various theories and speculations. Then he saw a message from a user named "EmptyVoid."

"I don’t have all the details," the message read. "But from what I’ve heard the police have cordoned off the entire area. They’re treating it as a major crime scene."