Sidney was stunned. She never expected to get this answer and was left speechless for a moment.
"Why?" After a long pause, she finally managed to ask.
"Because he's been on the run for over twenty years. I swear I'll dig him out, no matter what." Jayson's face darkened as he spoke with bitterness.
Sidney took a deep breath, slowly exhaling. She couldn't process the information, her mind was a mess. What did he want with that person? Hadn't he been brought to justice yet?
"What exactly happened to your mother... didn't she report it to the police?" Sidney didn't know how to phrase the question, none of the words seemed right.
"I told you, it was a revenge killing! He killed an unarmed woman and almost killed a kid. I watched helplessly as my mother was tackled right in front of me, stabbed over and over again. The bastard just stood there watching, like he was out of his mind. I'll never forget that. Every time I close my eyes, I'm back in that moment. And on that day, I swore I would make him pay for what he did!"
His words sent a chill down Sidney's spine, giving her goosebumps. "So you've been looking for him for over ten years?"
He nodded.
"Do you plan to deal with him the same way?"
He nodded again.
"Aren't you afraid of facing legal consequences? No matter how wrong he is, if you take matters into your own hands, won't you be just like him?"
"That's how you 'civilized' people put it—'turn the other cheek.' But that's not how it works in my world," Jayson said, not looking at her. He turned away, staring out the floor-to-ceiling window, his voice firm, unyielding, as if there was no room for argument.
"Find him, then turn him over to the police. Let the law take care of him, don't try to handle it yourself." Sidney's voice shook with worry. She was terrified—if he kept going down this path, chasing someone like that, who knew how far the man would go? He could kill without hesitation. She feared it would end in disaster for both of them.
"He's the one who instigated the murder, but there's still no evidence of his involvement. The killer has been caught, but he won't confess. He's as sly as an old fox, the police can't do anything to him."
"So the person you dragged out of the club that day was...?" Sidney remembered the bloodied and bruised figure from that day.
"That was just one of his subordinates."
"So where is the person he instigated?" Sidney asked carefully.
"I've placed him somewhere safe."
"You're not going to kill him, are you?" "You're not going to kill him, are you?" She didn't want him to kill anyone! In Sidney's moral view, murder was unforgivable. It had been the same for her—one moment of weakness, and she had felt guilty for years. If she could turn back time, she would never have hurt Shelby.
"No, I won't kill him before he confesses." He turned back to look at the pale-faced Sidney, who looked terrified. "Look at you, you're shaking." He grabbed a few tissues and walked over to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.
It wasn't until then that Sidney realized how much sweat she had on her.
"I didn't want you to know, because I was afraid it would mess with your head. You know what they say—'some things are better left unknown.' You shouldn't know too many secrets, so let's just leave it at that. Don't ask any more, just pretend you don't know anything."
She heard his soft breath and shivered, feeling a little cold after the sweat.
"You know that killing someone means you have to pay with your life, so why do you need to kill him yourself? Aren't you afraid that one day, you'll have to pay with your life too?" Sidney's voice was soft, almost a whisper.
"I'm not stupid enough to handle it myself. I have my own ways of dealing with it. Don't worry, I've thought it all through."
"I don't want you to kill anyone. Your mother wouldn't want you to do this for her. You know, I once wanted to kill Shelby, and the guilt I feel for that mistake has haunted me for years! Guilt can kill a person too! I've felt like I died inside all these years!" Sidney tried to convince him.
"I know, I'll weigh it carefully. Don't worry about me. I've thought about this for a long time, even longer than you, and I've thought it through." He sat very close to her.
"I can't lose you." Sidney's voice trembled slightly as she gazed deeply into his eyes. But what she saw there unsettled her—his eyes were hollow, like black voids that swallowed any trace of warmth.
"I know." He smiled gently, completely not like the person who had been talking about killing just a moment ago.
She let out a soft sigh, her brow furrowing as she looked at him with concern.
"I was originally worried about you getting involved in this, so I didn't want you to know too much. If you know, you'll just worry for no reason. So please, don't ask anymore, okay?" He gently took her hands, speaking to her like he was trying to comfort her.
Sidney pursed her lips, frowned, and hesitantly nodded. Although she still wanted to remind him of something, she thought, how could he possibly listen to her? So she gave up.
