CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Ava's eyes widened as she opened the envelope, revealing a gruesome photograph of a victim with deep slashes all over their body. She felt a chill run down her spine.

As she examined the envelope further, she noticed a cryptic message scrawled on the inside: "The Shadow Killer."

Ava's mind reeled as she stumbled upon the horrifying truth. "Ethan is the Shadow Killer?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with fear.

With shaking hands, Ava grabbed the envelope and papers and rushed downstairs to the kitchen, where Ethan was cooking.

As she entered, Ethan turned to her with a warm smile. "Hey, what's wrong? You look angry."

Ava's eyes blazed with accusation as she thrust the photograph at Ethan. "You're the Shadow Killer, aren't you?" she demanded.

The spoon slipped from Ethan's hand, clattering to the floor. His expression hardened, and he seemed to freeze, unsure of how to respond.

Ava's voice trembled with rage. "Answer me! Are you the Shadow Killer?"

Ethan hesitated before responding, "I can explain..."

But Ava cut him off. "Is Ryan working with you?"

Ethan shook his head vigorously,trying to cover up for Ryan. "Ryan doesn't know anything about this, I swear."

Ava's eyes welled up with tears as she slapped her forehead. "How did I fall for a killer? How did I not see this coming?"

She glared at Ethan, her voice rising. "What was your reason for coming to the station? You were working with us, pretending to be one of us, while we were searching for you! Do you know what you put us through?"

Ethan fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Forgive me, Ava. I promise I won't kill again. I swear I genuinely love you."

But Ava was unmoved. "Those silly tears won't move me. How can I even be sure your name is Ethan?"

Ethan looked up, his eyes pleading. "Ethan is not my real name. My real name is Jerome."

Ava's expression turned cold. "You know what? I'm done. It's over. I can't be with a killer."

Ethan grasped her hand, begging. "Please, Ava..."

But Ava slapped him, her voice ringing out. "You bastard! How dare you!"

She turned to leave, her parting words dripping with venom. "I won't report you to the station. But mark my words, if I decide to change my mind, I'll personally arrest you myself."

With that, Ava stormed out, leaving Ethan crumpled on the floor. As she walked away, she muttered to herself, "To think I even gave my body to a killer... Oh my God, I must be stupid."

Ava headed home, taking a taxi to escape the turmoil brewing inside her. As soon as she stepped into her apartment, she collapsed onto her bed, surrendering to a flood of tears.

"Why is my life so miserable?" she sobbed, feeling overwhelmed by the revelation about Ethan.

Meanwhile, Ethan sat in his mansion, his face a mask of despair. He had lost interest in cooking, and the luxurious surroundings that once brought him comfort now felt empty.

"How did she find out?" he wondered, his mind reeling with thoughts of escape. "I could just leave the country, start anew...but without Ava, what's the point?"

The pain of losing Ava cut deep, and Ethan couldn't bear the thought of returning to his life as a killer. He had quit his job as a killer, just because he didn't want ava to find out that about him.

The irony wasn't lost on him - his wealth, built on the backs of his victims, he had lost the one person he truly cared about.

The frustration and despair threatened to consume him, and Ethan wondered if he would ever find redemption.

The next morning, Ava dragged herself to work, still reeling from the revelation about Ethan. Meanwhile, Ethan woke up feeling miserable, his body aching from a fever that had developed overnight.

As Ava arrived at the station,Chief Michaels walked in, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention.

"I have an announcement to make," he said. "Ethan has resigned, effective immediately. He claimed something unexpected came up, and he won't be able to continue working here."

The room erupted into a chorus of whispers and murmurs. Ava remained stoic, her expression unreadable.

Chief Michaels continued, "He didn't even collect his first paycheck. I'm just letting you all know so you don't waste your time speculating about his whereabouts."

As the chief finished speaking, Ava caught Ryan's eye. He seemed unfazed by the news, but Ava knew he was probably thinking about where Ethan might be.

The rest of the team, especially the women, seemed disappointed by Ethan's sudden departure. Ava, however, couldn't care less. To her, Ethan was just a killer who had deceived them all.

************************************

David walked into Julian's hospital room, carrying a bouquet of flowers. Julian looked up from his phone, a mixture of surprise and wariness on his face.

"Well, speak of the devil," Julian said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

David chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, that devil is here to take your life," he joked coldly.

Julian's eyes widened in alarm, but david laughed. "Oh, just kidding."

David's expression turned serious as he gazed at Julian. "How's life treating you? Seems like you're having a hard time. You've been getting shot at lately."

Julian's eyes narrowed. "I don't need a soothsayer to tell me that you're behind it, David."

David laughed, his voice dripping with innocence. "Do you have evidence? You don't, right? According to the law, it's wrong to accuse someone without proof."

David dropped the flowers on Julian's bedside table. "I brought these for you. They were supposed to be your burial flowers, but I guess there's no need for that now."

Julian's face darkened, his voice cold. "No matter what you do, David, you'll never take my position."

David smirked, his eyes glinting with confidence. "I won't ask you to give it up, Julian. But you'll be the one begging me to take it."

Julian's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with determination. "Let's see."

David chuckled, his voice dripping with menace. "Wow, I think the battle lines have been drawn."

With that, David turned and walked out of the room.