"Who did you say?" Jasper, Jonah, and Julien exclaimed in unison, their shock mirrored perfectly across their faces.
A realization struck Jasper almost instantly. It had been ages since he last saw Sheryl. That woman had once clung to Justin's side like a shadow, yet she hadn't made a single appearance since Justin's arrest.
He had assumed Sheryl was away handling some illicit business for him. He never imagined she was actually dead.
"Oh my goodness... That woman was vicious, but how could she just end up dead out of nowhere?" Julien shuddered, a chill crawling down his spine.
Jonah wrapped his arms around Julien, rubbing away the goosebumps that had formed on his skin. "Cyrus, has the forensic pathologist found anything conclusive yet? What was her cause of death?"
"The autopsy is still underway, so there are no definitive results yet," Cyrus answered. "However, when we found her... her head was missing."
"What the hell..." Julien muttered, shrinking back into Jonah's embrace.
"Her head was removed because someone was trying to throw us off, ensuring the body couldn't be identified."
A chilling gleam flashed across Jasper's eyes. "But the person who mutilated the body forgot that Sheryl had been arrested before. The authorities already have her DNA profile on file. Even if she had been completely dismembered, identifying her would still be easy."
Jonah sneered. "Ha! Talk about a wasted effort."
"What's a wasted effort?"
Alyssa walked toward them with her hands behind her back. Her eyes twinkled with glee, sharp and perceptive as a fox's. "What are you three whispering about over there? Why leave me out? Am I no longer part of the alliance?"
Jasper quickly hid the medicine bottle behind his back.
Julien immediately filled her in. "Lyse, Cyrus called to say that Sheryl is dead. Her body was discovered today. She was beheaded, and they haven't found her head yet."
Taken aback, she instantly lost her playful expression. "I had a feeling something happened when she stopped showing up alongside Justin recently. I just never expected it to be so gruesome."
Jonah glanced at the scar on Julien's cheek, his pupils constricting. "That woman doesn't deserve a shred of sympathy."
Alyssa stepped closer to Jasper,
instinctively leaning her head gently
against his shoulder. "I don't
sympathize with her. It's just... the
more think about the details the more terrifying it gets."
A dark thought flashed across Jasper's mind. He tightened his grip on the medicine
bottle, suddenly too self-conscious to even look at Alyssa.
Jonah and Julien pressed further, "What do you mean?"
Alyssa narrowed her eyes. "Ever since Damien returned, Sheryl was the only capable follower Justin had left. Even though he's facing crisis. after crisis, and desperately needs manpower, Sheryl vanished into thin air. sŵnovels
"Don't forget that woman practically lived to serve him. She had been by his side since their time in Mosgravia. For someone like that to disappear without Justin batting an eye or showing any concern... don't you find that incredibly
bizarre?"
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In a deep voice, Cyrus asked, "So Lyse, are you implying that Justin is the
mastermind behind her murder?"
Alyssa nodded. "The calmer he acts, the more suspicious he is."
Puzzled, Julien asked, "But he has no one else left to do his dirty work. Why would he kill Sheryl?"
"Justin is just a complete psycho. A total lunatic."