Chapter 55: Chapter 55: The Truth Explodes

[Mia Keller: Sue, you should head back first. We have to go back to Jason Sterling’s place.]

Sue Lawrence couldn’t help but laugh when she saw the message. She immediately turned and headed back.

’B Level Network Technology, Gecko Disguise, and Gecko’s Climbing Ability, engage!’

’Oh, boy. More drama to watch. Things are happening so fast. It was totally worth sending that message right away!’

Sue Lawrence deftly retraced her steps.

This time, however, they weren’t in the study. They were gathered in the main hall.

Everyone looked grim.

Hiding in the shadows, Sue Lawrence scanned the room. She didn’t see Jason Sterling, and even when she extended her Perception, she couldn’t detect a trace of him.

"Where’s Jason Sterling?" Adam Zane demanded, his temper clearly flaring.

Miles Finch frowned. "He said he just drove off to find Tiana Lynch. He’s out right now." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Ha, ’out’? More like he’s out disposing of the body, isn’t he?!"

Adam Zane’s furious accusation instantly thickened the tension in the hall. Tia Norris’s face went white as a sheet. Her lips trembled as she spoke, "A-Actually... I’ve awakened a Superpower, too."

All heads snapped in her direction. Miles Finch’s eyes glinted with a mix of wild jealousy and sinister malice. Lost in her panic and fear, Tia Norris didn’t notice his expression and continued, "But Jason Sterling told me not to say anything..."

"Why?" Miles Finch immediately seized on that detail. "Why wouldn’t Jason Sterling want you to tell us?"

Tia Norris’s voice was on the verge of tears. "I don’t know! He told me not to, so I didn’t. But—but the strange thing is, whenever I’m around Jason Sterling, my Superpower weakens..."

A hush fell over the room. Even Sue Lawrence was taken aback.

’She wracked her brain for a moment. It was true. Every time she had siphoned Tia Norris’s Superpower, Jason Sterling had been right there.’

’Talk about a stroke of luck!’

Sue Lawrence’s eyes narrowed as she continued to eavesdrop.

The atmosphere in the living room grew dark and oppressive. Adam Zane’s voice trembled. "So, your Superpower... Jason Sterling stole it?" His voice suddenly jumped in volume. "Then what about Maeve Walsh? Didn’t Maeve have a Space Ability? Did Jason Sterling steal her Space Ability too? Is that why she’s dead?"

Everyone fell silent. A single, unspoken thought hung in the air: he’d hit the nail on the head.

Only Sue Lawrence watched them, a blank look on her face, before giving a slow, silent nod. ’Adam Zane, I owe you one for that brilliant piece of detective work.’

Adam Zane grew even more frantic. "That’s right! I feel like my strength and speed have dropped, too! And Jason Sterling was right there when it happened! Did... did he take my strength and speed as well?"

This time, the silence was absolute. A bizarre tension filled the air. For a split second, Sue Lawrence actually started to feel anxious on Jason Sterling’s behalf.

’Seriously, where is Jason Sterling? Why isn’t he back yet?!’

Right on cue, a noise came from the doorway. Jason Sterling was back.

Speak of the devil.

Jason Sterling stalked in, his face dark. "What the hell is going on? What’s this bullshit Donovan Lawrence has been sending you guys...?"

Before he could finish, Adam Zane’s fist came flying, connecting with a solid THWACK that sent Jason Sterling sprawling.

He hadn’t awakened a Superpower; he was just an ordinary guy, no match for a boxer. The punch left him dazed, his vision filled with stars. The pain was so intense it was numbing. Clutching his face, Jason Sterling struggled back to his feet. "Are you insane? What did you hit me for?"

Adam Zane was practically insane with rage. He couldn’t stop himself from lunging forward to land another punch, followed by a kick for good measure. "You killed Donovan Lawrence! You killed him, didn’t you?!"

Nearby, Miles Finch and Tia Norris simply watched on, their faces cold and indifferent.

Jason Sterling took several hard hits, nearly exploding with rage. ’I’m their leader, for crying out loud, and now I’m getting beaten up by this pack of losers?’

"Are you nuts? I didn’t kill him! Besides, weren’t we all just in a meeting at the villa?"

The skin at the corner of Jason Sterling’s eye had split. He gritted his teeth against the pain and pushed himself up. "Are you all falling for someone’s trap?" he roared.

"Impossible." Miles Finch held out his phone. "Take a good, long look."

Jason Sterling, holding back his pain and fury, took the phone and saw the message Donovan Lawrence had sent to Miles Finch.

[Donovan Lawrence: Help me, Jas...]

Three words, two punctuation marks. The message was cut short, but it pointed the finger straight at him.

Jason Sterling was utterly dumbfounded. "He’s trying to frame me, isn’t he?!" he burst out. "This has to be on purpose! He’s probably hiding somewhere, having a good laugh at my expense! You all saw how badly we were arguing just now!"

The hall fell quiet. With everyone’s attention fixed on Jason Sterling, Sue Lawrence silently crept a little closer. One would have to look very carefully to even notice she was there.

The group exchanged uncertain glances. Tia Norris looked at Adam Zane. "It’s true, we all saw Donovan and Jason arguing in the study. Maybe..."

"Shut up!" Adam Zane snapped, his own embarrassment turning to fury. "Or maybe Jason was the one who flew off the handle and killed Donovan! Are you an idiot? Use your head!"

Tia Norris’s face fell.

The conflict between Donovan Lawrence and Jason Sterling could mean Donovan was framing him, but it was far more likely that Jason had simply killed Donovan.

"Are you all crazy? Why would I kill him? What’s the motive? And what good would it do me?!"

Miles Finch channeled his inner Sherlock Holmes. "The reason is Maeve Walsh. Donovan Lawrence stayed behind to talk to you alone in the study about her, didn’t he? He must have found something out, which is why he wanted to talk privately. And that’s when you decided to silence him for good!"

Sue was speechless.

’She silently gave him a mental thumbs-up. ’Dude, you’re wasted talent. You should have been a homicide detective.’’

’But hey,’ she had to admit, ’the logic is sound!’

"I didn’t!"

Jason Sterling was losing his mind. He had no idea what had gotten into everyone, why they had all suddenly gone insane. And Donovan Lawrence... what the hell was that son of a bitch playing at?!

Left with no other choice, Jason Sterling tried calling Donovan Lawrence’s phone. Adam Zane’s voice was like ice. "Don’t bother. No one can reach him. I suppose you just got back from disposing of the body and the phone?"

"I didn’t!"

"Then you must have a Superpower, right?" Adam Zane stared him down, remembering what Tia Norris had said—that Jason Sterling might have an Ability that let him steal Superpowers from others.

"I don’t!" Jason Sterling threw his arms wide as if to prove he was just an ordinary person. But Sue Lawrence was lurking nearby, and she had no intention of letting him prove his innocence.

And so, right then and there, she hit Jason Sterling with the Ice Control Skill.

A crystal of ice began to form at the tip of Jason Sterling’s hair, rapidly growing into a long, delicate icicle.

Everyone stared, their eyes wide with disbelief. As for Jason Sterling, he looked so utterly shattered with rage that it seemed his eyes might split from their sockets.

To say the moment was explosive would be an understatement.