Chapter 7: Closing In and the Truth Exposed

Leo Sterling shifted into high alert, his dark eyes narrowing. "How were Lynn’s academic grades?"

Stella wiped the tears from her face. "I was ranked first in our major. Lynn was probably in the top twenty. But with Professor Xu’s adamant support, the exchange slot still went to her."

Leo’s long fingers lightly tapped the table. "What else did you hear at the time?"

"I think I heard Professor Ginger say something to him very heatedly, like, 'If you dare let Lynn go, I'll make sure you're utterly ruined.'"

Leo nodded. "Understood. Thank you for the lead."

"Officer, can I see Professor Ginger one last time?"

"Only after the case is closed."

Stella nodded solemnly. "I hope you find the full truth soon."

Once Stella left, Leo called in Arthur. "Arthur, I need a deep dive on a student named Lynn from Weston University. I want every travel record, immigration log, and any connected personal info."

"On it, Cap."

The Interrogation Room.

Seeing Leo enter, Jasper Xu barely lifted his eyelids.

"Officer, it’s been forty-seven hours. You’ve held me with zero evidence. My lawyer is on his way, and as soon as I’m out, I’m filing a formal complaint against this department!"

Jasper’s eyes were bloodshot, and his usually refined face was a mask of indignation and exhaustion.

Leo sat opposite him, his presence radiating an oppressive, heavy pressure. He stared straight into Jasper’s eyes. "Do you truly feel no remorse? Jane’s parents funded your entire education. Jane supported you every step of the way. She gave up her own chances for 'Distinguished Professor' awards just to give you the spotlight. When you had nothing, she stayed by your side without a single complaint. She gave you her heart and soul—and her reward was being murdered by your hand?"

Faced with Leo’s interrogation, Jasper’s face remained eerily still. A mocking smile even touched the corners of his lips. "Officer, I really don't know what you're talking about. I loved my wife. To this day, I have no idea how she was hurt. I’m in more pain than anyone."

With that, he began to fake-cry again. "I was counting on the police to give me answers. Instead, you just bully me. Are you planning to abuse your power and beat a confession out of me?"

Standing behind the one-way glass, Clara, Rocky, and Arthur were livid.

Clara pressed her tongue against her cheek, fighting the urge to storm in and punch the man. "His conscience must have been eaten by dogs. Even cold-blooded reptiles would call him 'Ancestor'!"

Rocky and Arthur nodded in grim agreement.

"Officer, are you just incompetent?" Jasper sneered, his eyes dancing with a brazen arrogance, confident that the police lacked the "smoking gun." "Can't find the real killer, so you're trying to pin it on me?"

Leo had seen a thousand suspects play this game. He remained unmoved.

He gave Jasper a cold look and tossed a stack of photos onto the table.

"Take a look for yourself. What's this?"

Jasper looked down.

His body froze.

The photos showed Lynn holding a baby, walking out of a residential complex with Jasper’s own mother.

"Your name is on this child's birth certificate. Was it because Jane discovered your affair and the pregnancy? Were you afraid of a scandal, so you killed her to keep her quiet?"

Jasper’s pupils shrank. He suppressed a flicker of panic, continuing his desperate defense. "No! I didn't kill anyone! Even if I cheated, that’s a moral issue. My wife’s death has nothing to do with me!"

Just then, a technician from the forensics-tech lab entered.

"Captain, we found Jane’s original phone. It was in a rental unit under Jasper’s father’s name. We also confirmed Jasper took advanced computer courses in college; he’s an expert in VPNs and data spoofing."

Leo looked at the phone in the evidence bag. "Run a fingerprint analysis immediately."

Then, his sharp eyes locked onto Jasper. "Fingerprints don't lie. The traces of you faking her social media posts to cover up your crime are about to be exposed."

Jasper’s composure finally shattered.

He collapsed back into the chair, his shoulders trembling. His earlier arrogance vanished instantly. He buried his face in his hands, his voice a ragged rasp. "I didn't mean to kill her... she just kept pushing me... she wouldn't let it go..."

He had truly loved Jane once, and he had been genuinely grateful for her family's help.

He was a "poor boy" who had worked himself to the bone to leave the mountains and get into a top university. They had known each other since high school, and even then, Jane’s grades were better than his. She tutored him, and when he couldn't afford college, she convinced her parents to sponsor him.

He had sworn to treat her well forever.

When they graduated and became professors at the same school, they married. To the world, they were the "Golden Couple," but no one knew the bitterness and resentment festering inside him.

Her paintings constantly won awards. She got her promotions before he did. He overheard other teachers whispering that he only got the job because of her. At her parents' house, they made it clear that Jane had "married down" and he was lucky to have her.

In that family, he felt like an outsider—the one who was looked down upon. He didn't even have the right to argue; if he did, it was because he was "ungrateful."

The blood vessels in his eyes darkened as he spoke, his voice turning hysterical. "I endured all of that because I loved her! But what I couldn't accept was her infertility! It was her body's fault, yet she just casually said, 'We can be happy as a childless couple'!"

He was the only son. Without a child, his parents back in the village were mocked for being "the end of the line." Every time he called home, his mother would cry, asking what sins she had committed in a past life to deserve this.

He forced himself to accept a childless marriage for her. But as the years passed, seeing colleagues post photos of their children and seeing his mother’s silent tears, the pain became unbearable.

"Lynn was a student from my village. I sponsored her. She made it to Weston University and became my student."

Jasper’s eyes softened momentarily. "She admired me. She said my lectures were the best. She said I shouldn't be overshadowed by Jane’s spotlight... Lynn was a good girl. Even though I had feelings then, I hadn't planned on cheating."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Until

that

happened—"