Chapter 295

It was late, and the city lights were just coming on.

Jiang City, Central Park.

"Ah—"

A piercing scream shattered the tranquility of the park at night. A girl sat sprawled on the ground, covering her mouth in terror, her face pale. Before her, an elderly woman lay in a pool of blood, a sharp dagger plunged into her chest. Blood flowed freely, soaking the ground. The woman's eyes were wide open, devoid of life.

"Murder! Someone's been murdered!"

The girl's screams attracted the attention of passersby. A crowd quickly gathered, whispering and murmuring amongst themselves.

"What happened? What's going on?""It's murder! The old woman is dead!""How horrible! Something like this happening in broad daylight!""Who did it? Where's the killer?""Police! Call the police quickly!"

Among the crowd, someone pulled out a phone and dialed the police. Soon, sirens wailed, and several police cars sped to the scene, stopping at the park entrance. A group of heavily armed police officers quickly cordoned off the area. The leader was a middle-aged police officer, his expression grave, his gaze sharp.

He scanned the scene and asked in a deep voice, "Who made the report?"

The girl raised her trembling hand. "I... I..."

The middle-aged officer walked up to the girl and asked in a low voice, "What did you see? Tell us everything you know."

The girl stammered in terror, "I... I was just passing by, and I saw... I saw a man, he... he..." The girl's voice grew fainter, her eyes filled with fear.

"What about him? Don't be afraid, take your time," the middle-aged officer comforted her.

"He... he pulled out the dagger, and then... then he ran away..." The girl's voice was barely audible.

The middle-aged officer's expression shifted. He immediately ordered his subordinates, "Seal all park exits immediately and pursue the killer!"

"Yes, sir!"

The police officers sprang into action, and all exits within the park were sealed. However, the killer had already vanished without a trace.

The middle-aged officer looked at the body on the ground, his face grim. This was an extremely heinous murder case. The killer had committed the murder in front of the eyewitness and then calmly escaped. This indicated that the killer possessed an exceptionally strong psychological composure and a very experienced method of operation.

"Chief, the killer got away."

A young officer approached and reported. The middle-aged officer was indeed Li Guoqiang, the Chief of the Jiang City Public Security Bureau.

Li Guoqiang's face was stern as he asked, "Are there any clues left at the scene?"

The young officer shook his head. "No, the killer left no fingerprints, and no witnesses saw his face."

Li Guoqiang's brows furrowed deeply. This made the case feel rather tricky.

"Send someone to investigate the victim's identity and see if she had any recent grudges with anyone," Li Guoqiang ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

The young officer immediately went to carry out the order. Li Guoqiang walked to the body, knelt down, and carefully examined the victim's wound. The wound was deep, a single fatal stab. The killer's ruthlessness was evident. He stood up and scanned the surroundings, trying to find any traces. However, apart from the victim and the reporting girl, no valuable clues were left at the scene.

"Chief, we found a suspicious figure in the park's surveillance footage."

Just then, a police officer from the technical department approached and reported.

Li Guoqiang's eyes lit up. "Quick! Bring up the surveillance footage!"

The technical officer immediately opened his laptop and pulled up the surveillance video. In the footage, a man wearing a baseball cap walked out through a small gate in the park. His head was lowered, making his face indistinguishable. However, his figure appeared somewhat hurried.

"Magnify it! Magnify it again!" Li Guoqiang commanded.

However, the surveillance footage quality was blurry; even when magnified, the man's face remained unclear. Li Guoqiang felt a pang of disappointment.

"Continue to track him and see where he went!" Li Guoqiang ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

The technical officer immediately went to track him. Li Guoqiang sighed. This case, he feared, would not be easily solved.

Meanwhile, in a villa in the suburbs of Jiang City.

Shen Haoran sat on the living room sofa, his face gloomy. Before him stood a man in a black suit, head bowed, not daring to look at him.

"Useless! A bunch of failures!" Shen Haoran roared. "After all this time, you still can't find one person!"

The man in the black suit trembled all over, not daring to utter a sound.

"I'll give you three more days!" Shen Haoran's tone was icy. "If you still can't find her, you can all prepare to be buried with me!"

"Yes, sir!"

The man in the black suit immediately responded respectfully, then backed out of the room. Shen Haoran closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He had been searching for that person for a long time. But that person had vanished as if into thin air, leaving no trace.

"Lin Wan'er, where exactly are you?" Shen Haoran muttered to himself. He abruptly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.

"No matter where you are, I will find you!" Shen Haoran said through gritted teeth.

Jiang City, a high-end restaurant.

Lin Wan'er sat by the window, gazing at the night view outside, her eyes filled with weariness. She had been living in this city for three years. During these three years, she lived in constant fear, terrified of being found by Shen Haoran. She knew Shen Haoran wouldn't let her go. She also knew that once her identity was exposed, she would be plunged into an abyss of no return.

"Miss Lin, your dishes."

The waiter brought the food to the table and spoke respectfully. Lin Wan'er snapped back to reality and offered the waiter a faint smile. She picked up her chopsticks but had no appetite.

She recalled the events of three years ago. Three years prior, she had been a carefree university student. However, an accident had completely altered her life. Her parents had died in a car crash. And the driver responsible was none other than Shen Haoran's father. To evade responsibility, Shen Haoran's father had actually bribed the traffic police, shifting all blame onto Lin Wan'er's parents.

Lin Wan'er wanted to seek justice for her parents. But she was just an ordinary person, utterly unable to contend with the Shen family. In the face of the Shen family's power, she seemed so insignificant, so helpless. Left with no choice, she could only flee Jiang City, assume a new identity, and live in constant apprehension. She thought that if she hid far enough, Shen Haoran would eventually give up. But she was wrong. Shen Haoran had never given up searching for her. This filled her with despair. She didn't know how much longer she could hide. Nor did she know where her future would lead.

"Never mind, I won't think about it anymore."

Lin Wan'er sighed, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat. She knew that no matter how much she tried to escape, it wouldn't change the facts. She could only take things one step at a time.

Just then, the restaurant door suddenly swung open. A tall figure walked in, his gaze sweeping across the dining area. Lin Wan'er's heart leaped. She instinctively looked up at the person. When she saw his face, her complexion instantly turned pale.

Shen Haoran! How could he be here?

Lin Wan'er's body began to tremble uncontrollably. She wanted to flee, but her legs felt like they were filled with lead, utterly unable to move. Shen Haoran's gaze also fell upon Lin Wan'er. A sinister smile curled at the corners of his lips.

"Lin Wan'er, I finally found you!"

His voice, like a devil's from hell, sent a shiver down Lin Wan'er's spine. Lin Wan'er's body froze in place, utterly still. She knew she was finished.

"Come with us."

Shen Haoran waved his hand, and two bodyguards in black suits immediately approached Lin Wan'er, escorting her out. Lin Wan'er struggled desperately, but it was futile. She was forcibly taken out of the restaurant by the two bodyguards and pushed into a black sedan. The car sped away, quickly disappearing into the night.

The patrons in the restaurant were stunned by the scene. They murmured among themselves, yet no one dared to step forward and intervene. After all, with Shen Haoran's identity, who would dare to provoke him?

Lin Wan'er was taken to a suburban villa. She was confined to a room, her hands and feet bound.

"Shen Haoran, what exactly do you want?" Lin Wan'er roared at him.

Shen Haoran sneered, walked up to Lin Wan'er, and gripped her chin.

"What do I want? I want to make your life worse than death!" A fierce glint flashed in Shen Haoran's eyes.

Lin Wan'er's face was ashen. She knew Shen Haoran wouldn't let her off easily.

"Shen Haoran, you killed my parents; I won't forgive you even as a ghost!" Lin Wan'er said venomously.

"Hahaha!" Shen Haoran burst out laughing. "You won't forgive me even as a ghost? Do you think you'll even get the chance to become one?" He released Lin Wan'er's chin and patted her face. "Lin Wan'er, don't forget, you're in my hands now!" Shen Haoran's tone was full of mockery.

Lin Wan'er's body trembled ceaselessly. She knew that falling into Shen Haoran's hands would have unimaginable consequences.

"What exactly do you want?" Lin Wan'er's voice was tearful.

"What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." Shen Haoran sneered, then turned and walked out of the room. Lin Wan'er was left alone in the room, her eyes filled with despair. She knew she was trapped, unable to escape.

Just then, the door suddenly opened. A man walked in. Lin Wan'er abruptly lifted her head; when she saw the man's face, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes.

It was him!