09
The girl in the dog cage was Alan’s daughter.
Alan had become a father late in life, cherishing his only child after losing his wife during childbirth due to complications from her advanced age.
His daughter was his world, receiving all the love and care he could give.
But the day after she started primary school, Levi abducted her.
Three years ago, at the height of his power, Levi’s wealth and influence had reached their peak. His enterprises bolstered Aerol City’s economy, granting him near–untouchable status.
Emboldened by this, he personally kidnapped Alan’s daughter.
The d*mning surveillance footage, along with the anonymously leaked videos from the night before, were all Alan’s work. He had painstakingly uncovered the recordings and bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike..
His goal had always been vengeance for the daughter he lost so cruelly.
When the precinct chief arrived, he overheard Alan’s final words to Marvin.
No matter how much it pained him, protocol demanded Alan be questioned.
Alan was also the one who revealed Peter’s son’s whereabouts.
The man had been abducted by Alan and was currently locked in a car trunk, unconscious.
For years, Alan had carefully cultivated a bond with Peter. After transferring to this precinct, Alan befriended him, sharing meals and camaraderie until Peter and his son trusted him implicitly.
In an unmonitored corner, Alan had used a taser to subdue Peter’s son.
There were no cameras behind the building, so nobody could trace that ordinary electric car.
When asked why, Alan laughed bitterly, his eyes flashing with unyielding hatred.
“Why?” he repeated. “Levi was a monster who ruined countless children, including my daughter. And you ask me why? Peter used his position to protect Levi and let Marvin’s daughter die a horrific death. I only let his son starve for a few days, and that’s unacceptable?”
Three years ago, while Marvin and I were desperately spreading our plea for help online, Alan had reached out. He, too, was searching for his daughter.
Together, Marvin and Alan began a secret investigation into the truth.
Now, in the interrogation room, Alan slammed his fists on the table, his composure breaking.
“Justice was buried beneath wealth and power. The truth was hidden behind money. We barely sought justice in our own way. What did we do wrong?”
Alan like Marvin was a father who was mu
“The only thing I regret,” Alan spat through his tears, “is not killing Levi with my own hands!”
His raw fury tore open the dark, bloody underbelly of power for all to see, exposing its horrors to the public.
His cries spread through the room like a virus. It silenced everyone, leaving the interrogation suffused with solemnity.
I couldn’t bear to listen any longer, so I turned and floated back to Marvin’s cell
He hadn’t moved since Alan left, still sitting in the same hunched position.
I enveloped him with my ethereal form, trying to hold him.
His stubble was thick, his disheveled appearance a stark contrast to the man I once knew.
“Terra, Vinnie,” he murmured. “I avenged you. I’ll be joining you soon.”
Marvin had killed two people. Even though Karen and Levi’s crimes against Vinnie had come to light, the law would not absolve him of his actions.
“It’s my fault,” he said, his voice cracking. “If I’d never gotten involved with that woman, would we have had a happy life together?”
I knew Marvin carried an immense guilt.
He blamed himself for ever being drawn to Karen in his youth, for allowing her insanity to spiral into a vendetta against our daughter.
But he wasn’t to blame. The fault lay entirely with Karen and Levi, who wielded their power and privilege like weapons.
