Chapter 303: Silas’s Death

Luke had always struggled with depression, and lately, his approach to treatment had been half-hearted. After today, I feared he would lose whatever will he had left to keep going. The people who had wronged me were now following the same path I had. The Sanders were in pieces—broken. Even those still alive had been battered beyond recognition. Luke wasn’t much different. His illness was bad enough, but now he was sinking deeper into despair. The torment I had endured was now slowly becoming their reality. It felt as if an unseen force had lowered them into a pot of boiling oil, adjusting the heat to a level that would prevent immediate death, but the pain was still intense. But, to be honest, they had it coming.

When I looked into his dull, lifeless eyes, I realized something: maybe, to him, I was the only bit of light he could cling to. What he really wanted was for me to say that I forgave him. But as long as I didn’t, he’d remain trapped in that endless spiral of pain. But I wasn’t the one who’d caused this. The hurt he had put me through was real. If he hadn’t pushed me, maybe Joyce would still be here. There was a case of murder between us now—one I couldn’t forgive him for. So when he looked at me with that pleading expression, I didn’t offer any comfort. Instead, I analyzed the situation, weighing the facts unemotionally.

“Luke, you have to survive. If you truly are Oliver’s son, revealing your identity could potentially attract his attention. That’s the only lead we’ve got.”

He stared at me, his face full of sorrow. “So, for you, I’m just a means to an end, right?”

“Yes.”

He gave a bitter laugh. “You’re heartless. You can’t even lie to me anymore.”

“We’re not friends. I’m not responsible for your feelings, Luke. Act like a man. Stop wasting time on things that don’t matter. Don’t you want to know the truth? After all these years, after everything that’s been manipulated, don’t you want to know who’s been pulling the strings?”

If Oliver was really his father, he wouldn’t let Luke die so easily. With that, I turned and walked away. Life is fragile, and it’s his choice whether to hold on.

Silas had been placed in his room, and by the time I arrived, Anna had been crying nonstop. When she saw me, her face changed instantly. “Zoey, you’re the one who did this to him, aren’t you?”

Silas was in turmoil, his emotions all over the place. Perhaps he wanted to reveal to Anna that I was Chloe. With his tongue cut out, he could only make brief sounds, frantic and desperate. I didn’t say anything. I simply walked towards Anna.

“Ms. Sander, you’re quite good at shifting the blame. Did I really cause the downfall of the Sanders? And is it my fault that you’ve been playing both sides?”

“You’re the one behind all of this. You manipulated everything and led Silas to this point.”

Anna’s anger was evident, and it was clear she was losing control. She wasn’t the calm person she had once been.

“Zoey, you had no right to hurt him!” Anna yelled, her voice filled with rage. “We won’t let this go. You’re the next one to die! How could you do this to him? How could you?”

“Ah…” Silas let out a muffled sound, perhaps trying to stop Anna from pushing me any further.

“What’s going on here?” Adam stepped into the room, followed closely by Sheila.

He saw Silas lying on the bed, and his face softened with guilt. “My boy, you’ve been through too much.” If Silas hadn’t bitten off his own tongue, I would have wondered if he knew his true identity. Silas looked at Adam with empty eyes, as if he didn’t recognize him. It was like he was staring at a stranger. Noticing Anna’s tearful face, Adam tried to console her. “Anna, I’ve watched you grow up. I don’t believe you’re a bad person. You know something, don’t you? There’s no one else here. Please tell me what happened. I just want to know how my son ended up like this.”

“Adam, I don’t know. I really don’t know,” Anna said, her voice shaking.

Adam then turned to me. “Zoey, you and Carter must have found something. What have you uncovered? We’re family. Please, tell me.”

“Adam, we’ve already told you everything we know. Silas’s identity is a lie. His face is ruined, and he doesn’t have any fingerprints. If it weren’t for the DNA test, we wouldn’t have discovered the truth. Someone has intentionally erased his life. If he were willing to tell the truth, he wouldn’t have gone as far as biting off his tongue.”

Sheila spoke up, trying to ease Adam’s worry. “It’s a tough situation, but at least medical technology is advanced. Don’t worry too much. Our medical team will do everything they can to help him.”

Adam sighed. “I hope so. But his face…” The damage was so severe that only skin grafts could help, but even then, he would never look the same. Damian stepped in and said it was time for Silas to rest, urging everyone to leave the room.

Anna was placed under house arrest. It was clear that the organization would reach out to her soon. We were prepared for anything, but an unexpected event still occurred. The next morning, a loud cry echoed through the Bolton Residence. Damian rushed to our door, knocking urgently. “Sir, mam, something’s happened.”

I woke up in Carter’s arms, a sense of unease settling in. “What’s going on?”

“Silas is dead.”

Carter’s face went pale. “Dead? He was right here, right under our noses. He couldn’t even take care of himself. How did this happen?”

“This morning, his condition worsened. He started vomiting blood. The medical team tried to see him, but it was too late. He died.” He’d been injured a week ago, his internal organs damaged. And now, the blood… it did add up.

We rushed to the room. Adam was frozen at the door. Anna, on the other hand, was frantic. She must have heard the news and rushed out, barefoot, her panic obvious. She collapsed beside Silas, her face covered in tears. “Silas, don’t do this to me. You promised you’d stay with me! I’m still here—how could you leave me?”

“Silas, open your eyes, please.”

“You promised you’d protect me. What am I supposed to do now? What about our baby?”

I noticed the blood on her cotton sleep pants; slowly, it spread. She’d been fighting to keep the pregnancy. Silas’s death seemed to shatter her completely.

“She’s going to miscarry,” I said. “Get the doctor. Now.” Anna didn’t seem to notice the blood pooling beneath her. She continued to stroke Silas’s face, speaking in a voice that barely reached above a whisper. “Please don’t sleep. Open your eyes.”

As I watched, a mix of emotions ran through me. Silas was gone. How could he be gone like that?