Chapter 686: Alpha King Appears
Hayley’s POV:
As we stepped past the cordon, Samson dismissed his subordinates, leaving just the two of us. He reassured me gently, “Don’t worry about this. I’ll handle everything for you. Now that you’re in college, focus on your studies. No one will trouble you again.”
I arched an eyebrow, smiling as I replied, “I’m not worried.” I felt at ease, instead. After a brief pause, I changed the subject. “Samson, you brought the best forensic expert in the system and personally showed up as the Alpha King. A simple suicide wouldn’t require all this effort, would it?”
Samson chuckled, but his expression darkened. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”
“You’re right—there’s more to this case. In the past six months, five physicists in this city alone have died the same way.”
Sure enough, it was another case involving physicists. My mood sank. These incidents were connected to the mass suicides Dominic had mentioned.
“Physics is a complex field, and those who succeed in it are rare talents, usually ranking above Beta,” Samson stated. “It plays a crucial role in a nation’s technological progress. If we keep losing brilliant minds like this, we could face a serious skills shortage in the future. As the leader of the werewolf population on this continent, I must protect them.”
There was a trace of sorrow in his voice. “Do you think an enemy nation is behind this?” I asked him tentatively.
“It’s hard to say,” he shook his head. “Similar cases have occurred abroad too, so…”
I nodded slightly, understanding the implication. Every country valued high-ranking technology talent, and it was unlikely they’d be sacrificed so easily.
“You don’t need to worry about this,” Samson said, taking on an elder’s tone as he ruffled my hair. “Just focus on living freely.”
“I always do,” I replied, sidestepping his touch and giving him an indifferent glance.
Samson didn’t seem surprised by my reaction. After a few final words of advice, he left with his men.
I headed straight home—or rather, to Benjamin’s house. When I arrived, Mira and Loretta were already there. Benjamin stood up the moment he saw me. “Frederick won’t back down easily. I’ll go deal with it.”
Benjamin smiled slightly, his eyes reassuring, then left. Hera looked displeased that he had barely approached her before rushing off. With everything going on, I hadn’t spent much time with him lately. I took a moment to comfort her.
After pausing briefly, I stepped into the yard and got straight to the point. “Loretta, did you go to the Physics Research Building this morning?”
“I did,” she replied with an innocent nod. “The assistant told me the professor wanted to see me, so I went. But I waited all morning and never saw him. Someone bumped into me, though.”
I was tense. “Who was it?”
“I didn’t get a good look,” Loretta sounded frustrated. “It was too early, and I wasn’t even fully awake yet.”
Claudio’s expression shifted as realization dawned on him. “Do you know that you were set up?”
Loretta blinked in confusion. “Wait, what? Did something happen at the research building? Was something stolen? Are they suspecting me?”
Growing anxious, she quickly added, “I swear I don’t know anything! I wasn’t involved. My wolf has been in hibernation recently. How could I have done anything?”
“Theft? If that were all, you’d be lucky.” Claudio pretended to be serious and frightened her. “It’s murder. Someone was killed at the research building. And right now, the police believe you’re their prime suspect.”