Chapter 36: Substitution
Chapter 36: Substitution
Mr. White was a typical middle-aged man of the Federation, carrying an air of gloom about him. His pale complexion made the dark circles under his eyes even more pronounced. His unkempt, light brown hair hung messily over his head, and he wore a short-sleeved white shirt that had been washed so many times it was now yellowing. His light blue pants bore the telltale signs of numerous repairs.
His wife, Mrs. White, looked ill—timid and uneasy. She dared not lift her head to meet Lance's gaze or that of the two officers beside him, keeping her head lowered at all times. Even when Officer Brayden asked them questions, it was always Mr. White who answered.
"This gentleman says he has vague memories of getting lost when he was about five or six years old. Someone took him to a carriage and hid him under a pile of hay," Brayden explained.
"He was sold to a regular family and worked for them without pay."
"Recently, his adoptive father passed away. He now hopes to find his biological parents. I was moved by his desire to return home, so I went through the missing persons reports in Jingang City from that time."
"Among them was your report. When I compared his description with your family, there does seem to be a resemblance."
Mr. White, his half-closed eyes scrutinizing Lance, nodded. "Yes, he does bear some similarity to me when I was younger. But that doesn't confirm he's Steven."
"Besides..." Mr. White hesitated before continuing, "As a father, though I don't want to admit this, I believe my child might already be dead."