What Separates Me and You

"Besides, you don't like children anyway, do you? You said so last year," said Daphne.

Lewis abruptly laughed. "You people are just amazing," said Lewis in a neutral tone. He mercilessly hung up and left.

Daphne's heart almost stopped beating as she stared after his silhouette. "Lewis ..."

Lewis left the prison without looking back. Daphne's eyes followed him in a trance until his figure was out of her line of sight. Then, her arms drooped beside her.

Their car was parked under a tree by the roadside. Josephine pushed the stroller up and down the pedestrian walkway with a sprint, and Baron's cries of laughter rang out from the stroller. Conrad stood aside, smoking. He couldn't understand the joy of running back and forth like this.

Lewis didn't rush over to them. He stopped and also lit a cigarette, smoking it silently.

Josephine grew tired after several minutes and had to stop and rest. Panting, she flopped to the ground, exhausted. Her heartbeat was rapid, and she felt dizzy. When Baron noticed they'd stopped moving, he started babbling and shouting from the stroller, beckoning Josephine to continue playing with him. Josephine couldn't run anymore. She drew a rattle from her pocket and shook it before Baron.

Conrad saw Lewis approaching and immediately greeted him, "Sir, did you get any information?"

Lewis didn't reply. He simply pulled out a phone and went to the other side as he made a call.

Soon, the other end answered his call. Lewis asked, "Found him?"

"No, I think he's not here anymore."

"Carry on. Make sure you find him." "Yes, sir."

Lewis hung up. Conrad stepped closer and asked, "Sir, haven't they found the man who suffered burn injuries?"

"It won't be that easy. If he goes into hiding, we won't find him, even if he's in the abandoned mansion."

"That's true, too."

Previously, they didn't know there was someone in the mansion. That man only appeared after Seth went there, but they'd lost track of him since-Seth must have asked him to hide.

"If that's the case, he must know Seth's identity. We'll know more about Seth once we find him."

"That's for the best." Lewis thrust the cigarette's butt on the ground and stepped on it with his foot.

Conrad wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Too bad the Vance family had so many sons. It would have saved us a lot of effort otherwise," he remarked.

Lewis ignored him and went to Josephine, who sat on a step with zero regard for her image. She leaned on the stroller and shook the rattle she held. A black shadow cast over her, and she instinctively looked up.

Josephine was dazed when she saw Lewis. Behind him was the blue sky, and he seemed to radiate light as the morning sun shone from behind him. She thought of the vague image of the person from her dreams, who bore a striking resemblance to Lewis but had no face.

Lewis extended his slender hand to her as the woman did in her dreams. "Get up. It's time to go back."

Josephine stared at his hand for a while before giving him her hand. Lewis pulled her to her feet and led her toward the car. Conrad passed Baron to Josephine before he folded the stroller and placed it in the trunk. Carrying the child, Josephine held his tiny hands and gently smiled.

Lewis turned to look at her with an indiscernible expression.

Conrad started the car and drove to Alvarez Manor instead of the office. Lewis led Josephine out of the car and into the living room. He instructed Josephine to return the child to the nanny, but Josephine was unwilling to do so. She hid behind Lewis with Baron in her arms, reluctant to hand him over.

The nanny wasn't sure how to react. She glanced at Lewis, troubled.

Lewis turned and stroked Josephine's head, saying softly, "He belongs to someone else. Let's give him back, okay?"

Josephine bit her lips and hugged Baron tighter.

Lewis was silent for several moments before persuading, "Come, give him to her. You can play with your baby when you have your own, okay?"

Josephine blinked and looked at him with a confused expression. She wanted to ask him where her baby was.

Lewis reached out and took Baron from her. This time, Josephine didn't resist and allowed him to do that.

Josephine tugged Lewis' arm once he passed the baby to the nanny, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. She lifted her hands and signed stiffly, "Where is he?" Josephine was asking where her baby was. Lewis held her hand and put her fingers on her stomach. "Here, he's not yet born to the world."

Josephine's mouth gaped in surprise. Without thinking, she stroked her stomach but felt nothing. She doubted the truth in Lewis' words.

Lewis said, "It's still too soon. He'll come when it's time."

Josephine looked at him doubtfully. However, she would be delighted if she had her own baby. So she asked anxiously, "When?"

Lewis answered nonchalantly, "After a year, perhaps."

Josephine's eyes widened. She counted her fingers to find out how long one year was. It felt very far away.

Nancy suddenly ran out of her room. She dashed toward Lewis and said frantically, "Lewis, the police are calling again."

Lewis frowned.

They arrived at the mansion where Robert was last seen. A stretch of yellow tape cordoned the area, and many were looking on from the side.

Agitatedly, Nancy insisted on meeting Robert upon their arrival.

The police stopped her. "Please calm down."

"What happened to him exactly?"

"I hope you've prepared yourselves mentally."

Nancy's legs gave way when she heard him, but fortunately, the nanny supported her.

Lewis left Josephine with Conrad and entered the mansion.

Behind him, Nancy took several deep breaths, trying to compose herself before speaking. Finally, when she felt somewhat calmer and mentally prepared, she uttered, "I'm ready. Let me see him." The police lifted one side of the yellow tape and allowed her in. Holding her breath and clenching her fists, she mustered her courage and followed Lewis inside. Nancy thought she would see Robert's gruesome corpse, but the truth was more horrifying than she'd imagined.

In the middle of the living room were two black plastic bags with blood trickling out of them.

Nancy stared at them, her mind blank for several seconds before she turned to the policeman in a daze. "You can't be telling me that's ..."

"We'll have to wait for the DNA results from the forensics expert to know for sure. You can look and see if there are any characteristics you can recognize." That was their way of subtly affirming that she was looking at Robert.

Nancy's expression shifted unpredictably. She opened her mouth and attempted to go forward, but she hesitated upon remembering this was the man she'd been living with.

On the other hand, Lewis accepted the gloves a policeman handed him and put them on. He flipped the bag open, and a disfigured hand fell out.

"Ack!" Nancy closed her eyes with her hands and immediately turned, trembling like a leaf.

Lewis picked up a watch from the bag, checked it, and said, "It's his." Turning to look at Nancy, he said with an indiscernible expression, "Mom, come and check if I'm right."