Chapter 252

Cynthia frowned. Several ultrasound pictures lay on the bed, depicting the baby. Though blurry, the baby's eyes, nose, and mouth were vaguely discernible. Many pictures showed the baby sucking its thumb, curled up, and even yawning. Lilian handed the pictures back to Cynthia, who accepted them without a second thought, her gaze fixed on the black-and-white images.

Lilian carefully observed Cynthia's expression. "He's cute, isn't he? Do you like him?"

Cynthia tossed the pictures back onto the bed. "Lilian, stop the nonsense. This is your child, not mine. Why would I like him?"

Lilian stared at Cynthia. "Would you like him if he were yours?"

Cynthia smirked. "Oh, are you trying to make me the child's godmother or something?"

Lilian's eyes flickered. "It's a good thing you were here today. Honestly, I don't know what would have happened to me and the baby. If you're willing"

"I'm not willing," Cynthia interrupted, flicking her hair back. Her expression grew distant. "Lilian, don't even think about your sneaky plans. You should know how much I can't stand you right now."

Lilian's face fell. Cynthia continued, "But I did save you today, that's a fact. If you're interested in repaying me, there might be a way."

Hope flickered in Lilian's eyes. "What do you want me to do? How can I make you forgive me?"

Cynthia turned swiftly. "Tell me, was it you who killed Silas?"

Lilian's expression changed, her eyes wide with surprise and panic. She hadn't expected that question. After a pause, she said, "Cynthia, I don't know what you're talking about! How could I ever kill anyone?"

Cynthia searched Lilian's eyes for deception, but found nothing obvious. Over the past few days, she hadn't accepted Luke's account: after a call from Lilian, he disappeared. They found his body at the reservoir two days later; he had been dead for quite some time. Lilian was the last person to see Silas, making her the prime suspect.

"Cynthia, how could you accuse me of such a crime? If I remember correctly, wasn't he found drowned in the reservoir? Maybe he accidentally fell in while walking at night," Lilian said.

"Walking at night? How do you know he died at night?" Cynthia hadn't known that detail.

Panic flickered in Lilian's eyes. "I was just guessing. Usually, someone wouldn't fall into the water during the day."

Cynthia found it strange, indescribably so, but she continued to probe. Looking at Lilian, she said, "Lilian, I will definitely get to the bottom of this. The truth will come out eventually. If you really committed murder, you won't escape justice."

Cynthia left. Lilian sat on the bed, her fingers crumpling the sheets. She thought, If Cynthia uncovered everything I've done, would she really send me to jail?

Chapter 259

Lilian couldn't let Cynthia discover certain things—not yet.

After leaving the hospital, Cynthia received a call from Filip. She frowned but answered. His drunken voice boomed, "Cynthia, did you call? Sorry, I missed it."

Filip continued rambling. "All these years, it's the first time you've called. I'm so happy, Cynthia…"

Cynthia's voice was calm and emotionless. "Lilian had a miscarriage. She's in the maternity ward at Peace Hospital."

Filip sobered instantly. "What? Say that again!"

Cynthia hung up. A smirk played on her lips. As a father, he was utterly incompetent. She'd exaggerated the miscarriage; he deserved it.

After leaving the hospital, Cynthia headed to the Roncrity Police Department. She'd previously contacted Chief Thomas and given him a heads-up. Mr. Thomas had arranged for an assistant to meet her.

The assistant, Bill, searched before retrieving a stack of old files from the archives. "Ms. Jones, these are the records of the case from five years ago that you requested."

Cynthia gratefully accepted them. "Thank you for your help."

Bill, a long-time records employee, had never seen such a stunning woman in real life. He was attentive. "Ms. Jones, why are you looking through these records? It's a typical drowning…"

"When the body was discovered, it had been dead for two days. Silas was a well-known troublemaker, notorious for violence and recklessness."

"His death solved a big problem for the locals—karma, you might say."

Cynthia opened the file and examined the records. Bill leaned in. "Silas was from an orphanage; he had no parents."

"So, when he died, no one claimed his body. He was found at noon, and by the afternoon, the case was closed. Ms. Jones, why are you looking into these five-year-old cases?"

Cynthia ignored his question. Her eyes fell on the forensic autopsy report. A line made her heart race: The deceased had no water in their lungs.

She thought, If it was drowning, how could Silas's lungs be dry? He must have been dead before entering the water.

Someone must have dumped his body in the reservoir.

Cynthia's fingers clenched, her expression tense. She turned to Bill. "His lungs weren't filled with water, meaning he didn't drown. Why is nobody investigating this?"

Bill scratched his head. "I'm just a records keeper, but because this was my first case as an intern, I remember it clearly."

Chapter 259 (Continued)

Bill felt embarrassed. There was no report; he had no family, and he was considered a menace.

"The department was overwhelmed with major cases during the anti-crime crackdown; nobody wanted this neglected case. It just faded away."

Cynthia was shocked. Her instincts had been right. Silas didn't die accidentally; it was murder. But who was the killer? And did it have anything to do with her?

After leaving the station, Cynthia received a call from Sinon. They'd found Luke.

(The final comments and gifts are irrelevant to the text cleanup.)