“Alright then!”
Sebastian went to change clothes, said a quick hello to Benjamin, and then left the dojo with Caitlin.
Once they arrived at the outskirts of the forest in the southern suburbs, they saw police vehicles parked near the woods. The area was cordoned off with yellow caution tape, and two officers were standing guard.
After greeting the police, Caitlin and Sebastian followed the officers deeper into the forest.
In the woods, Felix and several other officers were already there. Two of the team members were busy digging. They had uncovered a large pit, and two officers were carefully shoveling the dirt away, revealing a skeleton at the center.
“Felix!” Caitlin called out.
Felix looked back and said, “You arrived just in time. We’ve cleared the dirt, and we’ve found a skeleton. We’re waiting for the forensic doctor to arrive for examination!”
Caitlin and Sebastian exchanged glances, both feeling a sense of shock. Could this skeleton be the person Raymond killed two years ago? Was this the person whose death led their son Howard to lose his voice?
Sebastian walked around the area, inspecting everything before returning to Felix. “Felix, is it possible to keep the discovery of the skeleton under wraps for now?”
“Sure, we can file the case for now. But can you provide more details about the case? We need more leads to solve this.”
Felix trusted them and had brought the police dogs based on their intuition. Now that they had uncovered the skeleton, he was curious about how they had known it was here.
“Alright, Felix, let’s talk in private,” Sebastian said, gesturing for Felix to step aside.
He explained to Felix how they had gotten the lead and their suspicions about the case. Felix was shocked after hearing this. “You suspect your uncle?”
“Yes. This situation is very complicated, so I hope you can keep the details confidential for now. We need to identify the victim before we can determine the cause of death.”
“Understood. I’ll keep in touch,” Felix agreed.
While Felix was going over the digging process, forensic doctor Eric arrived to conduct a preliminary examination.
After inspecting the bones, Eric concluded, “The victim was an adult male, and it seems he died from blunt force trauma. The skull shows a significant depression, which is a fatal injury.”
Once the examination was done, Eric requested, “We need to take the complete skeleton back for further analysis. Were there any other items found?”
One of the crime scene officers handed over a clear evidence bag containing two items. “Yes. We found a metal lighter and a pen near the skeleton.”
Sebastian immediately noticed the pen’s design and took a closer look, growing increasingly shocked.
Caitlin asked, “Do you recognize this pen?”
Sebastian looked up at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “This is my father’s… I saw it when I was a child.”
He picked up the lighter, which he didn’t recognize, but the pen looked strikingly familiar-he had seen his father carry it everywhere when he was younger.
Could it be…?
Sebastian’s gaze turned back to the pit, his eyes reddening as emotions surged. Could this skeleton belong to his biological father?
Caitlin gently patted his shoulder, offering some comfort. “Maybe it’s just a coincidence. The pen might be the same, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s your father.”
Sebastian felt a heavy, suffocating pressure in his chest. He handed the evidence back to the officers, trying to calm himself.
The skeleton was carefully lifted onto a stretcher and taken out of the pit.
“I’ll head back for now,” Felix said as the initial examination concluded. The scene had been fully documented, and the skeleton was being removed.
Sebastian and Caitlin said their goodbyes and left with Felix and the team. The drive back was quiet, with both of them feeling the weight of the moment. Caitlin decided to drive, as Sebastian sat quietly in the passenger seat, lost in thought.
Knowing he wasn’t in the best mood, Caitlin drove them to the beach. Standing by the sea, with the salty breeze blowing, Sebastian still didn’t speak.
“Don’t be too upset,” Caitlin said gently. “The most important thing right now is to investigate this matter thoroughly. If it turns out Raymond is not your biological father, we need to find your real father. The skeleton might not even belong to him.”
Caitlin stood slightly behind him, watching his broad back as he faced the ocean. She could understand how difficult this moment must be for him. All she could offer was her comfort.
“I hope it’s not him,” Sebastian replied, turning to face her. His eyes were red with emotion.
“You know, these past eighteen years… I’ve been living in hatred towards my father. I hated him for betraying my mother, for having an affair with Grace.
“My mother disappeared, and I hated him for that. All these years, I chose to build my own company rather than take over KM International Group because I never wanted to see him again.
“But now I realize I was wrong. My father never betrayed my mother, and he never had an affair. That was all my current father’s doing!
“I hate him so much I want to tear him apart, but he’s still free. I don’t even have solid evidence to accuse him!
“The only proof I have is a paternity test, and that only shows I’m his son. Every time I think about this, I feel like I want to stab myself with a knife.”
Caitlin could feel the overwhelming weight of his words and the deep pain in his heart. She reached out to him, and without a word, she embraced him.
Sebastian’s arms tightened around her, and in that moment, her embrace was the greatest comfort he could ask for.
“I don’t know where your father is, but I can tell you this-your mother is still alive!” Caitlin whispered.
Sebastian pulled back slightly, looking at her in stunned silence. “What did you say?”
“You heard me. Your mother is alive. She’ll be back with you soon!” Caitlin reassured him.
Sebastian stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief. “What… What did you just say?”