What Separates Me and You

Lewis was sitting slackly on the sofa, clutching an old photo, its colors faded to a yellowish tint. He studied it for some time before shifting his gaze to Steward, who was seated across from him. Steward suffered extremely severe burns, and Lewis couldn't distinguish even the slightest similarity between him and the face in the photo.

Steward fixed his only intact eye on Lewis. They studied each other for several moments. Then, Steward asked, "Why did you bring me here?"

"You should know why. Tell me what you know, or you'll face the consequences."

Steward chuckled when he heard that. His smile looked exceptionally ghastly on his face, covered with burn wounds. "Look at me. I've been through enough myself. What else can you possibly do to me?"

Lewis smiled too. He handed the photo to Phineas, standing beside him. A cigarette appeared between his fingers, and Phineas immediately fished out a lighter to light it for him. "You seem to have little understanding of me. What I'm capable of is beyond anything you can imagine."

Steward said nonchalantly, "Then do it. I'm not saying anything."

Wisps of smoke encircled Lewis' fingers as his steady gaze fell on Steward. Amidst the smoke, his smile appeared to be a bit more malicious. "You're someone with a backbone," Lewis commented leisurely, "I admire people like you." Then, Lewis seemed to recall something and turned to say to Phineas, "Bring Josephine here."

As he expected, Steward sat upright almost instantly. If it weren't for the burns on his face, they would've seen his expression shifting unpredictably.

"What do you want?" Steward sounded urgent.

Lewis smiled. "I told you, what I'm capable of is beyond anything you can imagine."

"You "Steward could endure anything they sent his way, but he wasn't sure if Josephine could handle it.

"You're a smart guy. I only have one question for you, and I want the truth."

"What is it?"

Lewis pulled out another photo and thrust it on the table. "Tell me his true name.'

"

Steward's eyes fell on the photo. The person in it wore a suit of maroon tuxedo. He was tall and slim, standing with one arm in front of him. He had a smile and a lock of short wavy hair falling on one side of his face. His features were remarkably striking, so much so someone might mistake him for a woman—it was Seth.

Steward inspected the photo for a long time without saying a word.

"Hm? Don't tell me you don't know who he is."

Steward looked at Lewis hesitantly. "He is the eldest son of the Vance family, Leon Vance."

Lewis abruptly let out a chuckle upon hearing that. "It seems there's no way for us to have a sincere conversation."

Steward was irked. "Why would you ask me if you didn't trust me?"

"Steward, I'll give you a final chance. Who is this man?" He added, "I may not know any less than you do, so you would probably want to stop beating around the bush. I don't have much patience, and it's not my habit to give someone who commits mistakes a second chance."

Steward clenched his fists.

The hall fell into a deadly silence. The photo of Seth smiling with a hint of creepiness lay quietly on the table.

After a long silence, Steward's hoarse voice slowly said, "He's Sir and Madam's adopted son."

Lewis' eyes narrowed.

Steward paused before continuing, "His name is Alex Vance."

When he heard the name, Lewis snapped the cigarette he held in half, and a sinister-looking smile crept onto his face. "It's him."

Steward looked at Lewis in surprise. "Do you know him?"

"I ran a background check on all the men in the Vance family, and he didn't fit any of their descriptions. I see now. That's why I couldn't find anything on him." Lewis smirked. If it weren't for Josephine letting slip the name "Alex," his investigation would've ended up fruitless.

Steward said, "He wasn't included in the Vance family's family tree, so it's normal if you can't find anything on him. He was born handsome. Sir brought him back to the family, saying that he couldn't bear to see Miss Josephine getting married off to someone else, so he found her someone who could marry into their family in the future instead." Therefore, Joseph brought Alex, whose good looks attracted Joseph's attention, back to the Vance family, and he became Josephine's childhood friend and future husband.

Although he was adopted, the Vance family treated him like one of their own and spent a lot of effort raising him.

Lewis finished listening to his story with an indiscernible expression and increasing frostiness in his eyes.

"If it weren't for that, Alex couldn't have escaped his pursuers so effortlessly."

Lewis asked, "So, not even you know who's the mastermind behind the eradication of the Vance family?"

Steward shook his head. "I have no clue. I took a bullet and lost consciousness. I didn't expect to be able to open my eyes again."

"Then what about Alex? How did he escape?"

"He visited his friend that day to get a birthday gift for Master Edward, so he returned late. That's how he escaped the tragedy. The Vance family had never announced his identity, so the murderer overlooked his existence when he counted the bodies."

Lewis lowered his gaze and examined the photo thoughtfully.

Steward added, "Mr. Alvarez, the Alvarez and Vance families have been friends for generations. Please help them to identify their murderer!"

"What about the Nelson family?"

Steward thought about it and shook his head. "I've no idea. When I woke up, the Nelson family had already moved. No one knew where they went. I used to suspect them."

"And then?"

Steward replied, "I can't even locate them, so what if I have my suspicions?"

Lewis tapped his fingers on the sofa, fixating his gaze on Steward. "Do you want me to help you find out the whereabouts of the Nelson family?"

"If possible." Steward laughed bitterly. "In my state, I can't do anything else besides watching over the abandoned mansion."

Lewis said nothing else. He didn't decline Steward's request or agree to it.

He cast his cigarette into the ashtray and emptied his glass into it. The cigarette butt hissed as it went out.

Lewis stood and told Phineas, "Arrange for him to stay in one of the rooms."

"Yes, sir."

Lewis turned to leave. Steward's eyes followed him to the door. Then, he withdrew his gaze and picked up the photo on the table.

Phineas said, "You can stay here temporarily. I happen to require an assistant."

Steward didn't reject the offer. Anyway, he didn't have a place to go to. This place suited him; it was far from the crowd, and no one would bother him there.

Lewis drove back to Styx Mansion. He laid eyes on the man leaning against the gate before he even entered. Stopping the car, he got out of it.

Seth leaned against the wrought iron gate with his arms folded. He looked as though he was intentionally blocking Lewis' way. His lips curved into a playful smile the moment he saw Lewis. "You're a busy man, Chairman Alvarez. I even have to wait at the front of your house to meet you."

Lewis had his hands in his pockets as he strolled up to Seth, eyeing him calmly. "It seems you have too little work to do at the office, Mr. Fairchild. I'll assign more tasks to you tomorrow to keep you from loitering about."

Seth went straight to the point. "Where did you take him?"

"You have an efficient network. But don't worry, he's my guest now, and I don't mistreat my guests."

Seth frowned. "He knows nothing. Why would you take him away?"

Lewis laughed. He lifted a hand and dusted off Seth's shoulder of non-existent dirt, just like someone superior showing concern for his subordinate. "He knows a good deal. Besides, even if he doesn't, he's far more useful than you."

Seth understood his undertone and laughed in anger. "You can't be thinking that you now have control over me just because you have him in your hands?"