Chapter 5

Not a dream.

This is really not a dream.

My mind went blank in an instant, and I quickly slid off Ethan, curling up in the shadows by his legs.

Allison knocked on the car window again.

“Uncle? Where are you? Why are you hiding in the car and not coming out?”

After a few seconds, the rear window slowly rolled down.

But it only rolled down halfway.

Ethan leaned forward, cleverly blocking most of the window so Allison couldn’t see the situation inside the car.

“Allison, I couldn’t sleep and wanted to ask you something.” His voice had returned to its usual calm.

Allison looked shocked: “Couldn’t sleep? You didn’t stay here at the convenience store all night, did you?” She looked around, finding neither bars nor clubs.

“What exactly do you want to ask? If it’s about the SAT, I promised you I didn’t cheat; it was my classmate who deliberately framed me. You mustn’t let her get away with it.”

Ethan stared at her, his gaze sharp.

“I went to the school yesterday afternoon to check the surveillance footage and found that the records from the critical period had been deleted.”

“Surveillance footage is automatically overwritten after a while,” Allison argued.

“Then why is it that all the other footage from that day is intact, but the surveillance of the time you entered the exam room was precisely deleted?”

Allison blinked, trying to change the subject: “Coincidence, maybe. Uncle, have you had breakfast? I’ll go to the convenience store and get you something.”

“Answer my question.” Ethan’s voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried an undeniable pressure. Even hiding beside him, I felt a tightness in my chest from the intensity.

Allison felt guilty, her gaze starting to wander.

But soon, she seemed to discover something intriguing, her tone becoming excited: “Huh? Uncle, how come there’s a woman’s earring hooked on your suit collar?”

Oh no!

It’s my earring!

It accidentally fell off during the struggle and got caught on his suit collar!

“Uncle! Do you have a woman hidden in your car? Or did you just come back from some woman? Should I tell Grandpa and Grandma about this great news?” Allison was thrilled, craning her neck to look inside the car.

I tried to curl up my body, praying to avoid her gaze.

Suddenly, the smile on Allison’s face froze.

“No way… I think I’ve seen that earring before… It’s Avila Winters’!”