Chapter 319 Danger VIII: Cecilia in Peril
The phone was unlocked.
The screensaver was actually a photo of a little kid.
Cecilia was puzzled.
She thought, 'Alaric has this peculiar interest; he likes cute kids?'
But the more she looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.
Then it hit her—wasn't that her as a child?
She thought, 'Is this guy a pervert?
'He actually uses my childhood photo as his screensaver.
'But where did Alaric get this photo?
'I don't even remember seeing this picture before.'
Cecilia's thoughts wavered.
She thought, 'Alaric is just so distracting.
'Even in such a critical and dangerous moment, I'm still thinking about random things.'
She focused her attention on figuring out Alaric's unlock password.
She thought for a moment and entered "XX0202."
Luckily, Alaric had mentioned his birthday that day.
However, it showed an incorrect password.
Cecilia thought again and entered her own birthday.
"XX0808."
Her heart was racing a bit.
But the screensaver showed "Incorrect Password" again.
She thought, 'Iwas definitely overthinking it.
'Alaric wouldn't use my birthdate as his password.'
But besides their birthdays, she couldn't think of any other passwords.
Cecilia wondered if the recording she'd just captured would be enough to serve as solid evidence. In the Yakurosean Empire's legal system, recordings could only be part of the evidence; they weren't definitive proof of anything, given the prevalence of voice-changing software and professional voice actors. It was tough for the law to pin down.
She gritted her teeth.
Without much hope, she entered a password: "022088."
It was their birthdates combined.
To her surprise, the lock clicked open.
The main screen appeared instantly.
Cecilia stared blankly for a moment, unable to process the fact that Alaric had used such a simple password.
Her heart raced with a strange mix of warmth and disbelief.
Taking a deep breath, she opened his photo gallery.
Instead of finding anything suspicious, she was met with a flood of her own photos. There were close-ups, long shots, and even some unflattering pictures of her just after a shower, with makeup removed. The common thread? They were all taken without her knowledge.
Alaric had saved every single one.
She thought, 'This guy!
'Is he really this obsessed?
'Having my childhood photos as his screensaver is creepy enough, but now he has a collection of candid shots of me...'
It was impossible to believe that Alaric didn't have feelings for her. Anyone who would go to these lengths had to be lying to themselves if they said otherwise.
Maintaining her composure, Cecilia exited the photo gallery and decided to check his personal email. The password was the same as his lock screen, and she gained access without issue. She found several photos in his personal drive—clear images of drug transactions happening right at the fireworks factory.
The pictures were explicit.
The two parties involved in the deal were unmistakably visible.
Cecilia felt a surge of excitement.
Alaric had truly surprised her. All her speculations and hopes were coming to fruition. What she had imagined in the best-case scenario, Alaric had actually delivered.
With the photos and recordings in hand, the facts were clear: the fireworks factory was hiding a drug trafficking base, and local forces were protecting the operation. The evidence was indisputable.
Cecilia quickly transferred the evidence to her phone and dialed Dashiell's number.
The call was answered almost immediately. "Cecilia, I heard you went to Lindwood?"
"Yeah," Cecilia replied, nodding.
She didn't ask how Dashiell knew; it wasn't surprising given his connections with Alaric.
"How's it going?" Dashiell asked, concern evident in his voice.
"I'm fine, but I need your help with something important."
"Go ahead," Dashiell said, sensing her urgency and cutting to the chase.
"Long story short, Alaric discovered a drug trafficking ring during his tour. The operation is being protected by local forces, and we can't bring these guys to justice without Serenovia City's police. I'm sending you the evidence now. Please report it, and try to get the Hotchner family involved. I'm sure you know what I mean."
"Got it," Dashiell replied without hesitation.
"Also, I'm worried that the local forces might have connections in Serenovia City. To prevent those connections from aiding the local gang, I suggest making this situation public. Once it's exposed, the local allies will be reluctant to act, fearing backlash. This way, Serenovia City's police can come in and support us faster," Cecilia said. "We're trapped in Lindwood, and the longer we stay, the more likely we are to be discovered. It'll be tough to escape if we're spotted. I'm counting on you."
"Understood," Dashiell agreed immediately.
After giving her instructions, Cecilia ended the call and sent the evidence to Dashiell.
By then, night had fallen.
It was only then that she realized she hadn't eaten all day.
Feeling the hunger pangs, Cecilia decided to leave the fireworks factory in search of something to eat. But as she was about to step out, she froze.
She clearly heard footsteps—urgent, frantic footsteps—closing in on her.
Someone had discovered her!
Her heart raced, and she sprinted away.
With the cover of nightfall, it was easier to stay hidden. Cecilia dashed out of the factory and into the open fields, running across the vast terrain.
The pursuers were relentless, hot on her heels.
Startled, Cecilia lost her footing and tumbled into a deep ditch hidden beneath the fields. She landed awkwardly, her body slumping against the cold earth. There was no time to get up; she took advantage of the darkness to stay hidden.
Above her, she could hear the frantic footsteps of her pursuers pounding across the field. As she took a moment to breathe, relieved but still on edge, the group suddenly turned back. They began to circle around her, their flashlights sweeping the area, clearly searching for her.
Cecilia hugged her knees, her heart pounding so hard she felt it might burst. She kept repeating to herself, "Stay calm, stay calm."
She thought, 'In my past life, I've managed to survive until I was ten years older. I can't possibly die at twenty-two. Not now.'
Her body shook uncontrollably with anxiety, but the men's search efforts were fruitless so far. After about five minutes of relentless searching, one of them dialed a phone number.
Suddenly, Cecilia's phone began to ring.
To be precise, it was Alaric's phone—Cecilia had his phone with her. The ringtone shattered the silence.
Cecilia knew instantly that she was done for. Her mind raced with the grim thought that she might be buried here any second.
As she braced for the worst, the men found her. Four of them appeared, guns drawn, their eyes cold and unyielding. She knew that any sudden movement could mean a bullet to the head.
She thought, 'So, I'm not as invincible as I imagined. In the end, I've only dragged Alaric down. Will he be devastated when he finds out that I'm dead?'
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