MAD END'S DECEPTION のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 71 - チャプター 80

ARAHThe next morning, she wasted no time. After ensuring Gildeon was at school, she drove straight to La Calma. With each mile closer to the cabin, her heartbeat quickened, drumming louder in her chest. Agent Durante’s suspicions might just be grasping at straws, but a gnawing thought lingered: what if he truly knew more about her husband than she did?That thought terrified her. What if she uncovered something... worse? Could she face that?She had once abandoned her search for the truths and secrets surrounding her husband. But this time was different. It wasn’t just her marriage or their hidden past on the line—innocent lives were at stake. Her clients’ lives. She couldn’t turn a blind eye now.When she arrived, she circled the cabin, listening intently for any sound inside, making sure even Roselia wasn’t there. Her next move was swift and calculated. With steady hands, she picked the lock on the cabin door, finding it easier than breaking into Gildeon’s study.Inside, she search

GILDEONHe perched on the back of the chair, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the view outside. Branches swayed, and leaves rustled in the breeze. A few dead ones drifted down, landing on the stone table. The wind had toppled the fruit picker, leaving it sprawled on the ground—a small but telling echo of the stumble in his plans.Arah’s discovery of the supernatural wasn’t something Gildeon had anticipated happening so soon.Now, there was no avoiding it.He glanced at her, still asleep on the couch. Barky lay beneath her, casting cautious looks his way as if he were a threat. He and the dog had never been fond of each other, but when it came to protecting Arah, that was one thing they could agree on.The morning light softened Arah's face. Her disheveled blue hair spilled over the cushion, a few curls stubbornly clinging to her rosy cheeks. He wanted to brush them away but couldn’t risk startling her—not when she could wake up at any second.‘You must've been in shock,’ he thought, noticin

GILDEONHe tightened his grip around Barky’s neck, feeling the tension of muscle and tendon. The dog squirmed, a muffled whimper caught in its throat, and then—crack. Barky’s final breath escaped like air hissing from a punctured tire.It was over in an instant.The dog’s body went limp, the warmth fading from the fur under Gildeon’s hands. No pulse, no life. Just stillness.Gildeon expelled a heavy breath.Across the room, Arah stood frozen, her blue eyes wide and glassy with shock, fixed on Barky. The color had drained from her face, her hands hovering near her mouth. Gildeon waited for something—a scream, a cry, a word—but nothing came.Silence hung in the air, tension thick, the weight of what he’d done anchoring in his gut like a stone. He released the dog and stood slowly, stepping aside, a pang of unease seizing his chest. Barky had been innocent. Harmless. A lo

GILDEONHe couldn’t figure out why Arah had been so restless until he heard the siren in the distance. Faint at first, then growing louder, closer, slicing through the stillness of the morning. His narrowed eyes drifted to the dirt road. It wasn’t long before the cars came into view. The first one he recognized immediately—Durante’s.The police car following behind made his gut clench, a low hum of tension settling in his chest.Why were they here?He pushed to his feet, his body on high alert. Could this be about the captives? He and Roselia had already released them yesterday, altered their memories, and scrubbed the basement clean. Even if law enforcement had somehow questioned those four, they wouldn’t have found anything to tie their disappearance back to him.But with Durante leading the charge, he knew better than to get comfortable.“Gildeon…” Arah began, rising to her feet, but quickly pressed her lips together as if biting back the words. Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes dar

GILDEONHis eyes dropped to the folder, his mind racing through the possibilities of what it held. It had to be evidence—something Durante believed would nail him. The agent flipped the folder horizontally, keeping the cover facing Gildeon, the contents hidden from view. The rustle of paper filled the room. Then, with a calculated movement, Durante spread photos across the table—images of the four captives.Gildeon’s gaze remained steady. No flinch, no reaction, just silence. He knew Durante was watching, waiting for the slightest crack.“You know these people?” Durante asked, but Gildeon knew it wasn’t a question—it was bait.He let the silence linger, weighing his response. He had to avoid implicating himself—not out of fear of the law, but because he didn’t want to give Durante the satisfaction of pinning him down. If they were sitting in this room, it meant they needed more from Gi