Turning Back to Emptiness

Chapter 8

The room fell into complete silence.

After a long pause, Kevin spoke slowly, "I just wanted to warn you and your father. Hailey, why must you put yourself through such misery? If your father admitted to this crime, everything would be over. But you refused."

Hailey said nothing, only walking upstairs with dazed eyes.

Kevin grabbed her wrist. "Your wound hasn't been treated yet."

Hailey pulled her hand away and replied coldly, "I don't need your concern, Mr. Wright."

The address "Mr. Wright" froze him. He had heard Hailey call him "Kevin" in every possible tone—affectionate, playful, pleading—but never with such coldness.

By the time he regained his composure, Hailey had already disappeared.

Hailey sank into despair, but fortune favored her. That same day, she received a call from her close friend Tracy Perry.

Tracy told her that Jane had filed an appeal and that a new trial would soon begin. A witness had contacted her, claiming to have evidence, but insisted that Hailey retrieve it personally.

Hearing this, hope flared in Hailey's eyes. She grabbed her bag and headed out, only to be stopped.

Hailey looked at the person blocking her path in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"I told them to do this. You're not going anywhere until the trial ends."

Hailey's eyes widened as if hearing a joke. "You're locking me up?"

Kevin nodded.

Hailey shook her head. "Stop playing around… I have something important to do."

"You're not leaving." With that, Kevin grabbed her phone.

"Give it back!" But the next moment, Hailey was pinned down, unable to move.

Panic seized her. She turned pleading eyes to Kevin. "Kevin, please—once this is over, I'll do whatever you say. Please… let me go. He's my father…"

Kevin remained unmoved. "You're staying home for the next two days. I'll keep your phone, and I've taken your computer too."

He stepped forward and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Everything will be over soon."

"No…"

But no matter how desperately Hailey pleaded, Kevin's footsteps never faltered.

Two days later, Hailey was finally allowed to make a call. Using a maid's phone, she dialed Tracy. "Tracy, something came up… How was the trial?"

After a heavy silence, Tracy's voice came through, choked.

"Hailey… James… he's dead."

The phone fell from her hand, clattering to the floor. She couldn't believe it.

She bent to grab it but, in her panic, toppled off the bed.

Trembling, she picked up the phone and forced a casual tone. "No, you're lying…"

"Hailey, the trial that day—we lost. Afterward, James knew you wouldn't give up, so he insisted on appealing. That's when Kevin and Jane showed him something on their phones. I don't know what it was… That night…"

Tracy paused, as if the words were a lump in her throat.

When she continued, her voice thick with tears, "He… he jumped. Before he died, he had someone post a message online for him. He said his debt was paid, and to stop tormenting his daughter…"