The plotline was almost completely unraveled, yet new clues still appeared—this must be crucial information. Julian Grant originally intended to step outside to take the call, but seeing Sylvia Shaw's current state, it seemed there was nothing left to hide, so he answered directly.

"We've got the results of our investigation. The captain asked me to bring them to you right away," the colleague on the other end said. "I'll give you a brief summary now."

Julian Grant: "Go ahead."

"Shane Donovan's biological mother is named Fiona Donovan, later changed her name to Ruby Donovan. Before the age of four and a half, he lived with his mother."

Julian Grant felt the name was very familiar, almost on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't recall it at the moment.

"Who did you say Shane Donovan's mother is?"

"Ruby Donovan," the colleague continued. "Ruby Donovan didn't have any financial background or professional skills. Back then, her life was very difficult, basically surviving on odd jobs. But because Shane Donovan was so young, her work often changed because of the child, and her health was poor, so none of the jobs lasted long. Maybe due to the financial pressure, she wasn't very kind to the child and there were incidents of physical abuse. But judging from the medical records, it wasn't serious or frequent. After Thomas Daniels found out, he demanded custody of the child and didn't allow her to visit."

Julian Grant asked, "She didn't agree?"

"She agreed. She was present when Thomas Daniels applied to transfer the household registration," the young colleague said. "But it must be hard for a mother not to see her own son, right? Neighbors said she showed up twice, and not long after, Shane Donovan died. During that time, she was mentally unstable, and later someone sent her back to her hometown to recover. Thomas Daniels gave her a sum of money, and she didn't come out for many years."

Julian Grant said in surprise, "Her son died, and she didn't go after Thomas Daniels for revenge?"

The young man on the other end replied, "No idea. I'll have someone go to her hometown and ask, but it's really far."

"Because Thomas Daniels told her..." Sylvia Shaw suddenly spoke in a hoarse voice, "Shane Donovan got into trouble because he went out looking for her."

Julian Grant was stunned and looked over.

There were still two streaks of dried tears on Sylvia Shaw's face, making her look especially haggard. "She regretted it at the time and wanted to see her son. Shane Donovan would sometimes sneak out to see her, hiding snacks to bring to her. Thomas Daniels scolded her, saying she killed Xuanxuan, and she believed it."

"You all—"

Julian Grant was at a loss for words. Yet the main culprit, Thomas Daniels, was already dead, and the woman in front of him had given up struggling. Blaming or venting at them was pointless.

Is this the outcome Ruby Donovan wanted to see? But such a result still left people feeling powerless. Just as The Vault said, a game that begins with death never had any so-called victory from the start.

The person on the other end of the phone, hearing no response for a long time, called out, "Brother Grant?"

"It's nothing," Julian Grant suppressed his complicated emotions. "Go on."

"Ruby Donovan came back a couple of years ago and, through an introduction, found a job as a cleaner," the person said. "Yes, it's the same Ruby Donovan you asked me to check on before, Justin Hall's colleague. The one who was sent to the hospital last night."

Julian Grant was startled, a strong and unsettling premonition rising within him.

The colleague continued, "We checked, and her previous work area was on the streets near C University. The captain had us contact the security guard at the residential area near the school, and confirmed she also worked part-time as a cleaner inside that community—1,200 yuan a month, she did it for over a year before quitting."

"We've already sent someone to the hospital to find her, and also dispatched people to do a detailed sweep near the school. Do you have any questions?"

Julian Grant scratched his head, just about to clarify the key point, when he saw The Vault push the door open and walk in.

Julian Grant suddenly forgot what he wanted to ask and said blankly, "Why are you here? Is Xavier Daniels done being interrogated?"

The Vault said, "Yeah. He disconnected."

Julian Grant: "...??" Do I look that dumb?

The Vault sat down beside him and gestured for him to hang up the phone.

"Let me ask," The Vault said. "I think I know now."

Julian Grant then hung up and sat down as well.

The Vault looked at Sylvia Shaw, let out a deep breath, and reached for the water cup beside him, picking at the seam with his fingernail.

Sylvia Shaw had only heard half of Julian Grant's call and sensed something was wrong, so she asked, "What about Fiona Donovan? She's back? What does this have to do with her?"

The Vault said, "Not only did she come back, she also took revenge."

"What does it have to do with her!" Sylvia Shaw shouted emotionally. "I'm the one who killed him! What does it have to do with her!"

"Because there's another way to kill in this world—using someone else's hand," The Vault peeled off the paper from the cup. "Of course, it's mainly because your family was already full of holes."

·

The hospital room's curtains were drawn open, and light streamed in. The person in the bed squinted, stretching her hand out from under the covers.

Justin Hall turned around and said softly, "Xiao Dong, you're awake?"

Ruby Donovan nodded. Years of illness had left her emaciated, and after just being rescued, her lips were deathly pale.

Justin Hall carefully sat down by her bed.

Ruby Donovan's eyes were dull as she stared at the ceiling, breathing shallowly.

Justin Hall said, "Thomas Daniels is dead."

Ruby Donovan's eyes suddenly lit up, the cloudiness replaced by strength. She turned her head, her dark pupils fixed on Justin Hall, staring at him for confirmation, and a gratified smile appeared on her face.

Author's note:

The inspiration for the female lead's character comes from Daniel Tammet, a person whose brain injury caused the world to appear as code, as if he had a cheat code, and is now one of the smartest humans alive. This is called acquired savant syndrome—after certain damage to the left brain, different people may gain talents in different fields. The main inspiration for the setting comes from murder mysteries, tabletop RPGs, and other role-playing games, plus Trident Live (this is an old setting). The thing that troubled me most about this story was the narrative style and perspective under this setting, the sense of immersion, and where to provide the evidence chain, including pacing and plot arrangement. It's quite a coincidence that the character design overlaps with Alterverse Breach [scratches head]—I didn't even realize it until you mentioned it, but the inspiration really didn't come from that, and the character design is different. Besides, the overlapping parts aren't unique settings. The constant mention of it makes me feel a bit awkward. Still, it's a pretty good show—if you like anime, go check it out.

Chapter 77: Instance Cleared

Ruby Donovan had finally fulfilled the long-cherished wish she had pursued for so long. Her shoulders slumped, and she sank into the bedding, lost and dazed.

She was at peace now; the nightmares and resentment that tormented her had dissipated, but so had the tenacity that kept her fighting to survive and battling her illness.

She wasn't confused about what to do with the rest of her life, because she had never thought about her future at all.

Before long, her tears had soaked her pillow. She seemed to have forgotten to blink, staring into the void like someone on the verge of death. Only her ragged breathing proved the turmoil in her heart.

Justin Hall handed her a tissue and moved a little closer, asking worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Ruby Donovan took a long time to come back to herself, then smiled at him and said, "Brother Hall, thank you."

Justin Hall said, "What are you thanking me for?"

Ruby Donovan said, "If I hadn't met you, I think I might have gone crazy."

Hearing this, Justin Hall felt a wave of bitterness rise inside.

No one knew the pain in his heart; his loneliness couldn't be shared with anyone. He didn't need to be magnanimous, nor did he need anyone's pity. He was willing to be a dark person who could never let go of hatred for a lifetime. But for Ruby Donovan, who had also lost a loved one to the same enemy, he unexpectedly found a sense of solace in shared suffering, and someone he could confide in.

In such circumstances, meeting a fellow traveler in misery was like a hand reaching out from the abyss. He was that hand, and so was Ruby Donovan.

Justin Hall lowered his head, folded the tissue, and said hoarsely, "It'll get better. It's all over now."

Ruby Donovan thought to herself that her life had ended long ago. What continued was just an empty shell.

With tears in her eyes, she recalled, "When I handed Xuanxuan over to Thomas Daniels, I thought he could give my son a good life. I was struggling so much back then, you know? I had to stretch every penny. Kids spend money so easily, and one illness would drain everything I had. I wasn't a good mother—I had a bad temper, was busy, poorly educated, couldn't give him a good life, or even a normal education. If he stayed with me, he'd definitely be looked down on. I had no choice. I thought, after all, he was Thomas Daniels's own son, and Thomas Daniels would treat him well. Even if I was unwilling, I accepted it."