Echoes Novel 7

7 

When Stefan left, the slam of the door was so violent it woke Raina. She chased after him, begging him not to go, even stumbling and falling to the floor. By the time she looked up, he was already gone. 

Stefan started the car. 

His assistant pleaded, “Sir, you’re in no state to drive. Please wait, I’ll send a driver for you. 

Stefan’s voice was terrifyingly cold. “Address.” 

“Sir-” 

“I said, the address!” 

His hands were trembling on the steering wheel. “She’s just a woman. Do you really think she can affect 

00:04 

Chapter 2 

me?” 

The assistant gave him the address. 

Half an hour later, Stefan stumbled into the city morgue. He saw it immediately-a body lying on a table in the center of the room, covered by a white sheet. 

Mindy’s colleague, Yara, stood nearby, her eyes red and swollen. “You must be Mindy’s boyfriend. She told me about you. She said she had someone she loved very, very much. For seven years.” 

Stefan’s hands shook as he pulled back the sheet, revealing the face he knew so well. It was completely 

drained of color. Her eyes were closed, lying there so peacefully. 

It was as if all the strength had been sucked out of him. He gripped Mindy’s cold hand, his voice raspy. “Did 

they try to save her? Why didn’t they take her to a hospital? Why… why-” 

“There wasn’t time.” Yara’s voice choked. “By the time we found her, she was already gone. Multiple stab wounds, bled to death. The suspect we’ve identified… is the same man who kidnapped Miss Lin.” 

Stefan whipped his head around, glaring at Yara. “How could it be the same one?! Raina said they were in the 

south district!” 

Yara froze. “There are two possibilities. One, Miss Lin was deceived by the kidnapper and gave us false info- 

rmation. The other… is that Raina Lin herself was in contact with the kidnapper-” 

“Impossible.” Stefan’s mind went blank. He turned back, his hand trembling as he touched Mindy’s face. “Im- possible… Mindy, it’s not true, right?” 

If what Yara said was true, it meant that he had personally hung up on Mindy’s desperate call for help. 

It meant that he had personally pushed her into hell. 

But Mindy couldn’t speak anymore. Her face was marred by wounds that would never heal. 

His eyes red, Stefan slowly uncovered the rest of her body. Bruises. Cuts. Her skin was a ghostly white from 

the blood loss. Her brow was still furrowed in pain. He could only imagine the despair she must have felt in 

her final moments. 

Yara, unaware of Stefan’s role in this, treated him with the gentle respect due to a grieving loved one. She handed him Mindy’s personal effects and patted his shoulder. 

“We won’t let the person who hurt Mindy get away with it. I’ll let you know the second we have any news.” She wiped her eyes, a tearful smile on her face. “You two were getting married soon, right? Mindy was alwa- ys talking about ‘going home’ lately. You know, her parents are gone, she’s been all alone for so many years… she was so lucky to find you. You must be a wonderful person. I’m so sorry for your loss.” 

A violent tremor ran through Stefan. He almost dropped the box of her belongings. His assistant was right. 

He couldn’t drive. 

When the assistant found him, Stefan was sitting on the edge of a planter outside the police station. The 

3/11 

00.04 

00 04 

Chapter 2 

spray from a nearby fountain had soaked him completely. 

Raina was the first one out of the car. She ran to him, crying, “Stefan, what’s wrong? What happened?” 

Stefan’s gaze slowly moved to Raina’s face. That beautiful, tear-streaked face now filled him with nothing but 

disgust. 

“Mindy’s dead.” 

“Miss Crawford…” Raina trembled, her eyes wide with shock. A single tear hung perfectly on her lower lash, making her look utterly pitiful. She tried to burrow into his arms. “They were so terrifying, Stefan. Those kidn- appers were horrible. Can you just hold me?” 

Stefan didn’t move. “I didn’t say it was the kidnappers.” 

Raina went rigid, staring at him in disbelief. “I-” 

Stefan shoved her away. “Weren’t you getting married? Then go. Stop clinging to me.” 

“Stefan…” Raina burst into tears. “Don’t push me away, please.” 

Stefan stood up. “Before, I didn’t know why you’d agree to marry a cripple. Now, I have even less desire to 

understand. Since the invitations are out, I’ll have my people make sure the wedding goes through. I wish you both a long and happy life.” 

The men his assistant had brought moved to restrain Raina. She panicked. “Stefan, no! I don’t want to marry 

him! I was just saying that to make you jealous! I want to marry you!” 

Stefan wiped his fingers where she had touched him, then carefully cradled the box of Mindy’s things and 

disappeared into the night.