Ted, already eight years old, was surprisingly strong for his age.

Alicia felt a sharp, overwhelming pain as he struck her. Before she could recover, he hit her again. The blows carried the malice of a child who had been taught to fight dirty.

Alicia struggled to defend herself, but the other children quickly pinned her down. Ted’s blows kept coming, and he yelled, “This is what you get for messing with my mom! This is what you deserve!”

His aim was deliberate—he targeted the softer areas of her body, avoiding her face and vital spots. Even through the pain, Alicia managed to push one of the children away.

Ted saw this and immediately dropped the stick, reaching for a rope. In no time, he had bound her hands together.

Alicia’s voice grew firm as she demanded, “What is wrong with you? Let me go!”

Ted glared at her, his eyes burning with intensity. “If I let you go, you’ll hurt my mom again. I’ll make sure to kill you!”

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Alicia froze, her heart stopping for a beat. It was the first time she’d ever seen such a fierce, almost terrifying expression in a child’s eyes.

He was unbelievably bold.

“You plan to kill me?” Alicia struggled against the tight rope, breathing heavily. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that killing is a crime? You’ll end up in jail!”

To her surprise, Ted sneered and replied, “My mom told me I’m a kid, so nothing will happen to me if I kill you. Didn’t you know that?”

Alicia’s fear intensified as the weight of his words settled in. He understood the law and was using it to his advantage. Mrs. Reyes had clearly taught him well.

Even if Alicia survived today, she knew she would suffer. Mrs. Reyes would let Ted take the blame, knowing the law would protect him.

As these thoughts raced through her mind, Ted suddenly shoved her into the pool.

Alicia felt her stomach drop as she lost her balance and fell. She tried to scream for help, but no sound escaped her lips. Within moments, her head struck a rock. Pain coursed through her body before the world went numb.

Her energy drained, and everything went dark as she lost consciousness.

Her body slowly sank beneath the surface of the water. One of the children, clearly frightened, gasped. “Ted, did she—”

Ted stared in shock. The sound of Alicia’s head hitting the rock had been so loud that it echoed through the yard. Now, Alicia wasn’t moving in the water, and it seemed like she was truly gone.

“I just wanted her to go into the water. I didn’t know she’d hit a rock!” Ted stammered, his panic growing as he watched her body float up. Blood began to spread in the water, deepening his fear. “It wasn’t me! I didn’t push her!”

Mrs. Reyes had only told Ted to rough Alicia up. He never intended to hurt her like this.

In a fit of panic, he ran outside, shouting for his mother, Mrs. Reyes. The other children, equally scared, followed him, their shrill cries filling the air.

Caden was in the living room, speaking with Randolph when he heard the commotion outside. He turned his gaze toward the yard and saw Ted rushing into Mrs. Reyes’s arms.

Caden recognized the boy instantly. Ted had been the one who took Alicia’s kebabs during the meal. The look Ted had given her earlier suggested he harbored some grudge against her.

Randolph, puzzled, asked, “What’s going on out there?”

Rachel glanced toward the noise, her voice casual. “It’s just some kids acting out. They might’ve had a scuffle, but it’s nothing serious.”

Caden noticed the fleeting guilt that crossed Rachel’s face. He watched her closely but kept his thoughts to himself.

As Rachel turned her attention to the small building in the distance, a frown creased her brow, and a flicker of uncertainty passed over her expression.

Caden, uneasy, looked out over the open lawn. It was vast, but there was no sign of Alicia anywhere. An unsettling feeling crept over him, prompting him to rise from his seat.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Reyes quietly questioned Ted, urging him for more details.

Ted trembled, his voice barely a whisper. “She’s dead… She hit her head, and now she’s dead.” Fear gripped Mrs. Reyes. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “She’s dead?”

“Who’s dead?” she asked, barely able to comprehend what she was hearing.

A booming voice cut through the tense atmosphere. Mrs. Reyes looked up in alarm as her eyes locked with Caden’s. His face was dark with fury, and the sheer intensity of his presence was overwhelming.

Before Mrs. Reyes could speak, Ted blurted out, “It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!” His immediate reaction was to shift the blame.

Caden’s suspicion deepened. Something had clearly happened to Alicia.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Ted by the collar and began marching toward the small building.

Terrified, Mrs. Reyes stumbled behind him. “Mr. Ward, please let Ted go!”

Caden ignored her, hauling Ted all the way to the building’s entrance.

“Where is Alicia?” he growled.

Ted had never felt fear like this before. His mind went blank, and his body froze.

“She’s upstairs… in the pool,” he muttered.

“Which floor?” Caden pressed.

“The second…” Ted stammered.

Caden flung him to the ground. Ted cried out in pain from the fall.

Caden didn’t hesitate. He raced up to the second floor, threw open the door, and saw a figure floating in the pool. His heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted toward it.