CHAPTER 25: SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH

Two Months Ago

"Hello, done with the investigation, I presume?" Nemesis spoke to the other party at the other end of the line.

"Yes, sir, we are done with our investigation. Sadly, we couldn't find any information concerning the cause of Greg Austin and Annabelle Austin's deaths. No trail was discovered. The perpetrators did an extremely good job cleaning any trace that could lead to them. It's clear it was the job of highly capable professionals. As for the case on Mr. and Mrs. Austin—well, the investigation was positive, sir."

"Hmm, I see. Send the report to a location I will send to you in a minute. You have forty-five minutes to get there and give the report to the informant. I will send the other half of the payment when this whole business has been concluded," Nemesis said.

"Alright, sir. Thanks for a happy cooperation once more, sir," the man said before ending the call.

'Hmm, finally, I'm one step closer to figuring out the truth. I hope, for others' sake, I don't find their name there, because anyone who had a hand in my parents' deaths will definitely live to hate their actions,' Nemesis thought to himself before picking up the burner cell phone and texting the address to the investigator. The report pickup had already been assigned to one of his trusted men—well, one of George's trustees, but hey, George was now one of his, and what's George's is George's… and his too, or so he liked to believe.

Three hours later, after a roundabout series of actions by the trustee to ensure there was no one trailing him, the report got to Nemesis.

Flipping through it, Nemesis couldn't contain the rage within him. He barely held himself back from taking drastic action. His parents' deaths were deeper than he had realized. Jessica's parents, Margaret and John, had a hand in it. Kyle's parents, the Alberts—another rich family, the Jasons, and some others were involved. The chief judge of the country, the head of the police department, and even the president were in cahoots. Nemesis couldn't help but feel a splitting migraine.

The car had been a new one, its manufacturer in on the plan, deliberately selling a faulty vehicle to his parents. The car had faulty brakes that would only fail after a while—a deliberate setup. Driving the vehicle, unaware of the malicious intent behind it, his parents had no chance. But a failed brake wasn't the only part of the plan. A truck driver had been paid to collide with their vehicle to ensure their demise.

Well, that alone wasn't enough to send him into the blinding rage he was barely containing. His mother had survived the accident. His father had sacrificed his body to ensure she lived. But then, a bribed doctor had ended the fragile life she was clinging to. Their assets were shared afterward.

The hurt of knowing his parents had no way to survive, no way to escape their enemies' plans, was unbearable. After several minutes of allowing his emotions to run amok, he finally calmed down—just as Will George walked in.

Nemesis frowned upon seeing him. "What are you doing in my home?" he asked, his frown deepening.

"What do you mean 'your home'? It's mine! I built it to escape the public and enjoy my gaming life! You are the one in my home!" Will George said, feeling offended.

"Well, it's mine now, and you don't have a choice, do you?" Nemesis asked confidently.

"I..." Will George couldn't finish his statement because, honestly, he had no words. Get pissed and chase Nemesis out? In his dreams. He probably wouldn't feel safe if he had that man as his enemy. Sleeping with his eyes open might be the only way he'd get any sleep if that ever happened.

"Sigh. You win. I can't argue with someone like you. You don't even know how to have an interesting argument," Will George said, sighing before collapsing onto a chair.

"That's not going to help me, is it? It will only just waste my time," Nemesis said, shrugging.

Will George stayed quiet. Arguing with the man was just too bothersome. Grabbing the report from the table, he scanned through it.

"Oh… your parents' deaths. Well, that's a lot of people involved just for your parents. Last I remembered, they were just the richest couple in a state. Indeed, they were wealthy, but seriously, that's not enough to tempt such powerhouses. Sharing his wealth wouldn't even fill the gap between some of these monsters' teeth," Will George said casually.

Nemesis immediately shot up from his seat after listening to Will George.

'Of course! How could I be so dumb and not realize this? I feel like such a fool. He's right—Mom and Dad were never that rich to tempt such powerhouses. I need to get to the bottom of this,' Nemesis thought before walking towards his room.

Returning a few minutes later, dressed in all black—perfect for a secret attack—he moved with purpose.

"Hmm, it seems you plan to get to the bottom of this. Anyway, that's your choice. Guess I'll be watching TV tomorrow. Oh, concerning the report—should your sister know about it?" Will George asked, causing Nemesis to halt mid-stride.

Thinking for a moment, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his hands clenched into fists.

"No. She is too young and innocent to know these things. I will tell her when the time is right."

"Oh well, that's your choice to make. I won't interfere in sibling stuff. Off you go, then. And oh—please don't die. I haven't made enough profit from you yet, you know."

"Don't worry. I'll live long enough to order you around until you learn to become a perfect slave," Nemesis said before walking out the door.

"That damn slaver! Ah… what mess did I get myself into? I used to be the most feared, and now… Hah, this sucks," Will George muttered to himself before heading toward his room, logging into the game, and preparing for the guild creation.

---

Dr. Ezekiel, a renowned medical doctor in the country, along with his surgical team, had maintained a perfect medical record—never losing a life after countless operations. Of course, that record was tarnished a few years back after the death of two of country M's finest business tycoons, Mr. and Mrs. Austin. That unfortunate event had caused Dr. Ezekiel to cry and drown in sadness for weeks, only recovering after some time alone to clear his head and with encouragement from his loved ones.

"Hah, busy day. Guess I'll be taking a hot bath and sleeping early tonight. Oh, that's not possible—I need to play with my special princess before bed. I hope she misses me," Dr. Ezekiel said, his fatigued and stressed face immediately gaining a brilliant glow as he thought of his beautiful five-year-old daughter. Taking his car keys, he opened the door, sat in the driver's seat, and was about to start the engine when he felt a cold, sharp metal against his neck.

"Do not dare do anything suspicious if you don't want to lose your life. Now, start driving. I will direct you—drive contrary to my instructions, and your life will be forfeited," the unknown man, masked and dressed in all black, ordered.

Fearing for his life, Dr. Ezekiel meekly complied, trying desperately to figure out how the man had entered his car without tripping any alarms. Well, there was no way his car could stop someone with a past life full of assassination missions—missions Nemesis had carried out countless times for his then-best friend, Kyle. Thinking back, the fact that he had allowed himself to be Kyle's tool was infuriating. The reason he planned to toy with Kyle until he was completely miserable.

After following the unknown man's instructions, Dr. Ezekiel pulled over and parked his car under a bridge—a place rarely visited by people. The moment he turned off the ignition, he lost consciousness, thanks to Nemesis.

Several minutes later, Dr. Ezekiel woke up, tightly bound by ropes.

"Dr. Ezekiel, the one who possesses the Miracle Hand. It's an honor to visit you in person. Forgive me for not finding you sooner to give you my thanks of gratitude," the unknown man said.

"Who... Who are... you?" Dr. Ezekiel stammered, fear evident in his voice.

"Me? I'm the child of the people whose deaths tarnished your perfect record," the unknown man—Nemesis—replied, his voice flat.

"Impossible... I was informed that you died..." Dr. Ezekiel muttered, shock evident on his face.

"And yet here I am, alive and well. Well, Doctor, enough of the chit-chat. Why did you do it? Money? Nah, you definitely don't look like the type who glorifies wealth. So why?" Nemesis asked, his voice rising slightly.

"Ah... you know the truth. I'm sorry," Dr. Ezekiel said, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I didn't have a choice. There was nothing I could do. If I didn't comply, they threatened to kill my pregnant wife and unborn child. I couldn't let them die—they meant the world to me. I'm extremely sorry for my actions. I'm sorry, truly sorry," he apologized over and over again, his eyes red, tears falling uncontrollably.

Nemesis watched Dr. Ezekiel, extremely annoyed that he had found nothing that could help him uncover the real reason behind his parents' deaths.

"Stop this. Why were my parents killed? Was it just for their wealth?" Nemesis demanded.

"I don't know. I swear—I wasn't told anything other than my task," Dr. Ezekiel answered.

Annoyed at finding nothing, Nemesis punched the wall of his hideout. The bridge had only served as a smooth transition point to transfer the doctor without witnesses.

"Hah, in the end, you know nothing. You were forced—I see. A tough spot, honestly. Even I don't know what choice I would have made. Most likely yours. But you see, Doctor, your only crime was messing with the wrong family."

"I understand. Please, at the very least, ensure my wife and daughter are safe. They deserve happiness, at the very least," Dr. Ezekiel pleaded.

"I do not care about your family. I just want your life," Nemesis said before pulling out his knife.

Dr. Ezekiel closed his eyes upon seeing Nemesis's action, preparing for his death while hoping that his family wouldn't suffer any cruel fate.

'Ah, thank God I upgraded my life insurance just a few days ago,' the doctor thought, his mood oddly brightening—much to Nemesis's puzzlement.