[PP, help?? Why is Peter crying?] Finn froze, feeling lost as he began to seek outside assistance.
Peter could not hear how System PP replied to Finn, but he knew what he was thinking in his heart.
He would remember those illnesses of Finn's again because of the words Finn said..
Those questions he didn't dare to think deeply about pierced Peter Parker's mind once again:
Why was Finn afraid of blood? Why was he afraid of enclosed spaces?
Peter certainly knew how dreamlike and beautiful the wings Finn possessed were, just like a pure angel.
—Then, why did Finn want a pair of wings?
By following Finn's train of thought, Peter would imagine that there once was an eight-year-old boy who was locked in an airtight, dark basement. The boy, left isolated and without help, had no ability to resist and could only helplessly curl himself into a tiny ball.
He had no wings to fly with, no one to rely on for protection, he didn't even have a Spider-Man sticker.. He could only curl himself up in the deathly silence of the darkness, using his two small, thin hands to protect himself, naively believing that this would allow him to avoid all harm.
That's why he wants a pair of wings.
Because he would want wings to fly out of the cage freely, to a carefree dream island where no one could lock him up.
Wings that could protect him from any harm, even if he couldn't fly out.
But, the one with wings is Young Master Finn;
But Felix still hasn't come out.
It was obvious that Felix and Finn were the same person.
But at the thought of Felix, who was still trapped there, Peter once again lost control of his emotions as his tears began to flow uncontrollably.
Seeing Peter lose control of his emotions once again, Finn also felt a bit conflicted, so he could only comfort him all the way back home.
I'm sorry." Peter could not control his pessimistic and low mood, once again subconsciously covering his tear-streaked face as he apologized in self-reproach, "I shouldn't be like this.
“It's normal. Emotional depression is naturally cyclical.” Finn reached out and gently stroked Peter's hair, attempting to soothe his tense emotions bit by bit. The young man continued to comfort him in a tone used to praise a good child, “It's okay. Even with my Seven Major Sicknesses, didn't I manage to recover from them one by one? You only have a few issues. Besides, when Andrew has an episode, he even hits his head against the wall, Harry even pointed a gun at himself—you saw that happen right there, didn't you? All you've been doing is apologizing; you've shown plenty of self-control already.”
System PP: [..] That is truly the latest interpretation of [self-control].
The Young Master is absolutely right," Max said, his gaze vacant. "That's exactly it. Peter, don't worry, everything will be fine.
Dazed Gaze · Andrew: ".." What's there to praise? This kind of comfort sounds like pure hell.
The current situation was four people in one car, they couldn't find a single normal person among them.
Andrew often felt that Peter's downfall was because the "concentration of mental illness" around him was too high.
One person goes crazy, then another, in the end, he ends up losing himself too.
And besides, don't just talk about us! Young Master, you even cut your arms when you have an episode!! You might not be self-destructive, but you don't act like a human being either!?
After returning to the villa, it turned out that he encountered an unexpected guest who had come to visit—
It was that reporter who had previously stirred up a wave of online smearing and maliciously distorted the truth.
Aiden West.
Chapter 105: Waiting for the Truth
Seeing Aiden West actually daring to show his face here, Andrew—who was already seething with rage after being caught in that inexplicable terrorist attack—instantly exploded. He glared at the man with a fierce, piercing gaze. 'You actually have the nerve to show up here?'
I am here today to offer a sincere, face-to-face apology to Mr. Finn Osborn." Facing the hostile gazes of everyone present, Aiden's expression remained composed. He stood up from the sofa with an air of calm, his attitude appearing relatively sincere. "Once the truth was made public by the Wilsons, I realized my mistake immediately. As you should have seen, I have proactively called this press conference to publicly apologize for the reports that were seriously inaccurate and for the baseless rumors that defamed Mr. Finn Osborn. I am also willing to bear all the public consequences and accept all deserved criticism for this.
“An apology?” Andrew let out a sneer, his eyes brimming with disdain and mockery. His voice was sharp and biting. “You’re only doing this because public opinion has backed you into a corner. This whole apology act is nothing more than a desperate attempt to salvage what little credibility you have left.”
Andrew was, of course, still keeping an eye on Aiden West. This reporter, who had already been ruined and was being passionately boycotted by everyone, had actually found another way through a different path—which was to use The Missing Felix to continue riding the wave of hype.
Under the guise of "searching for missing innocent children," he attempted to whitewash the stigma surrounding him.
Every day, countless people still curse Aiden, but the public continues to follow this incident, waiting for Aiden's follow-up progress.
You haven't settled down at all; instead, you keep obsessing over the Missing Felix," Andrew's tone was filled with undisguised disgust. "You know better than anyone where the traffic is right now, so you want to use this case to keep hyping it up. If you actually found Felix, you would have found a real cash cow, you could use that child's life to continue reporting as you please.
Hearing about The Missing Felix, Peter's body stiffened.
Peter looked toward the silent Finn beside him with a panicked expression.
It's not hype," Aiden immediately retorted. "I truly want to help Felix, I want to find this missing child. I have already declared at the press conference that as long as Felix is found, all the property under my name will be handed over to him for inheritance.
Who cares about your money?" Andrew's face twisted into a look of mocking disdain. "Do you think you can afford the legal fees? This is nothing more than a desperate scheme to get out of your current predicament!
Do you realize that everyone is cursing you and boycotting you? You're at a dead end! In this situation, all you can do is cling to Felix to keep all the attention on you." Andrew attacked sharply, he didn't believe a single word this man said, "Do you really want to find the Missing Felix? You're just using him as a tool to turn your fortunes around, as a chip to get back into the public eye and wash your reputation! If you actually find Felix, he will only become another tool for you to hit the headlines; you don't actually care about his feelings at all!
“Child, don't paint everyone in the world with such malice.” Aiden's expression darkened slightly, though his tone softened into something more didactic. “It was my mistake to let one-sided information mislead me; I was wrong to misunderstand Mr. Osborn and to lash out with such excessive accusations. But at that time, I was simply standing up for what I believed to be justice. I never imagined that, because of that, I would end up hurting innocent people..”
Shut up!" Andrew interrupted coldly, the fury still smoldering in his eyes. During that period, he had hated the man so much he had wanted to take him out in secret, "You are a journalist full of lies and devoid of any moral bottom line. Back then, you threw mud at Young Master Finn without even knowing the truth, recklessly slandering his character and his original intentions. Do you have any idea how much damage you caused? Can you even bear the consequences of your actions? What right do you have to stand here and talk to me about justice? You disgust me!
Aiden also did not expect that the young man by Finn Osborn's side would jump out and criticize him so unreservedly and sharply, without giving him even a shred of face. At this moment, Aiden's expression grew increasingly grim as he was so publicly and fiercely attacked by a high school student in front of everyone, while from beginning to end, Finn did not stop Andrew, but merely watched coldly from the sidelines.
[Andrew is quite fierce when he curses now.] Finn was still praising Andrew in his mind to System PP; after all, Andrew was always quiet and submissive in front of him. He hadn't expected Andrew to be so haughty when scolding others, he was incredibly articulate and performed exceptionally well. [The gold-medal secretary class Noah signed him up for really is something else.]
I am doing the right thing now." Aiden forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart and spoke with a firm tone, attempting to salvage the situation. "Felix was only an eight-year-old child back then, he is ten years old now. How could an eight-year-old child, having narrowly escaped such a tragedy, survive alone in the unfamiliar world outside? Every time I think about it, my heart aches.
I used every possible channel, mobilizing all my connections and resources to search for news of Felix after he went missing. I sifted through countless messy clues and spent a vast amount of manpower and material resources, only now have I finally sorted out many effective leads and found several children whose age and appearance highly match. There is a high probability that one of them is the real Felix.
Aiden turned his determined gaze toward the calm and composed Joseph and Catherine, his tone extremely earnest: "I have come here specifically today, not only to express my sincere apologies to Mr. Finn Osborn, but also in the hope of receiving your help."
Everyone knew that in that tragic incident back then, Lily and Felix were very good friends.
As Lily's parents, the Wilsons were the ones most familiar with eight-year-old Felix, they were also the only ones capable of identifying who the real Felix was.
Joseph looked at Aiden, his expression calm without a single ripple, then spoke slowly, his voice clear and firm: "Sorry, we refuse."
“Why?” Aiden frowned, his voice carrying a deep sense of confusion. “I know that no matter what I say now, it's impossible for you to change your opinion of me or believe me. But I've looked into it, for the past two years, you two have also been privately investigating Felix's whereabouts. You want to find this poor child and give him a stable home more than anyone else. Since our intentions are aligned, you have no reason to suddenly give up and stop searching now, do you?”
But what Aiden did not know was that, in his heart, Peter knew all too well—
The Wilsons didn't just suddenly stop looking for Felix.
Instead.. they had found him long ago.
The benefits I promise are real; I don't have children myself." Aiden frowned as he looked at the unmoved expressions of the Wilsons, "I promise that if Felix is found, no matter what his current situation is, I will take responsibility for that child's life and provide him with a stable life, a good upbringing, the best education. All of this is for Felix.
If you have any other requirements, please feel free to bring them up," Aiden said, trying his best to be humble at this moment. "Fate owes that child so much, I hope to change his destiny.
Andrew frowned deeply, his expression solemn.
He knew clearly in his heart that the Wilsons were Finn's stewards. If they agreed to Aiden West's request to join his "Plan to Find the Missing Felix," the outside world would certainly interpret it as—Young Master Finn had already forgiven Aiden West, the conflict between the two had been reconciled because of that child.
This would not only allow Aiden to use the momentum to clear his name, but it would also render the insults and harm Finn had previously endured meaningless. However, he was ultimately just Finn's secretary and had no right to make decisions on behalf of the Wilsons; he could only look toward Catherine and Joseph subconsciously, his eyes filled with worry and urgency.
We have no other requirements." Catherine continued to shake her head firmly; from the woman's expression, not a hint of hesitation or reluctance could be seen. "If this is your own decision, then just go ahead and do it. We will not get involved, nor will we provide any form of assistance.
Hearing the Wilsons' refusal, Andrew breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Enough! You are not welcome here!" Seeing that Aiden wanted to say more, Andrew immediately spoke up; he had already had enough of this reporter's clumsy one-man show. "Please leave this place immediately!
Just as you said, Felix is indeed the focus of current attention, but what does that represent? It represents that there are countless people in this world who want to know his whereabouts." Aiden did not give up; instead, he raised his voice to continue, his tone carrying a deliberate sense of pity, "Two years ago, he was just an eight-year-old child. Even if he luckily escaped death, how is an eight-year-old child, without the protection of family and without the ability to survive, supposed to survive alone in this complex world?
Peter Parker grit his teeth as he listened to Aiden West's words, his heart stinging deeply.
He certainly knew.. that since the age of eight, Finn had become a System that could never sleep while executing missions.
By saving others' fates in another way, he grew up surviving alone in one world after another.
He is only ten years old now; what kind of life is he actually living? Has he found a family that can accept and care for him? Is he currently in a predicament, in desperate need of help? Is it possible that he is drifting in some harsh corner of the world, having seen the rumors circulating online, wanting to return to New York but unable to find his way home?
“You might think that everything I am doing now is just to escape the negative public opinion surrounding me, that's fine, I won't make excuses. But I hope you understand even more clearly that the significance of finding Felix is far more important than your prejudices against me. He is only a ten-year-old child now, he has a long future ahead of him, he shouldn't have to live forever in the shadow of being missing; he shouldn't be forgotten by this world.”
Aiden continued passionately, "Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Wilson, you only need to help me find this child. After that, I promise you his future, I will—"
"Stop talking." Peter suddenly spoke, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
He really couldn't listen to it anymore, he truly couldn't listen to it anymore.
Peter really felt it was ironic.
This reporter before him had once insulted Finn so decisively in the video, slandering Finn as a "vulture that feeds on the blood and tears of victims," and wantonly trampling upon his kindness and convictions; yet now, he put on this incredibly sincere appearance, talking extensively about how he would "shoulder the responsibility for Felix's future," as if he were the person in this world who cared most about Felix.
But he didn't know that Finn and Felix were actually the same person.
The person he had previously slandered so recklessly was the very child he claimed he wanted to "save."
Irony.. it is truly too ironic.
You have no right to promise a future for Felix," Peter said, controlling his trembling voice. No matter what, it wasn't his place to say such things to someone who slandered Finn Osborn. "That is his future, not yours.
The clues I brought are right here. Are you just going to give up on looking for clues about Felix like this?" Aiden asked, pointing to the thick stack of documents on the table; clearly, the man had made thorough preparations before coming. "If that child knew that you had a clear chance to help him go home, yet chose to give up on him because of your prejudice against me, what would he think? He would feel that in this world, no one cares about him or cares for him anymore!
—Give up?
—He actually said that they had given up on Felix?
What do you know?" Peter felt a surge of anger and grievance instantly well up in his heart. He took a deep breath, but felt a tightness in his chest, as if the oxygen were so thin. The young man's eyes reddened, his chest heaving violently, as he could barely control his emotions. "You don't know anything at all!
—No one gave up on Felix.
It was Felix himself, grown up, who returned.
It was Felix who walked out of the darkness, carrying his love and passion, his resilience and courage, shining a light on everyone around him.
“And what do you know, Mr. Peter Parker?” Aiden asked back coldly. “You grew up under the protection of your family, a good living environment is second nature to you. Once you reached adulthood, you gained the favor of Young Master Osborn, easily won the public's affection, since then, you never had to worry about financial circumstances.”
Everything has been so smooth for you, that you can turn a blind eye to the suffering of a young boy, feel entitled to let him remain a shadow of disappearance forever?" Aiden felt that Peter, as Finn Osborn's boyfriend, currently lacked any standing to jump in, "You easily negate everything I have worked for, but what about you? What have you done?
The continuous questioning made Peter Parker feel as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He clearly knew the truth, but those truths were the darkest truths that could never be spoken aloud.
The young man panted continuously, his eyes rimmed with red, his gaze filled with pain and helplessness.
Yeah, what had he done?
Peter Parker's mind began to recall the first meeting and subsequent separation from Felix two years ago; he had missed the cries for help that day, which resulted in the deaths of Felix and his family.
Becoming the residence of a haunted house.
The bedroom where the demon resides.
That secret door that has yet to be opened.
And the one who has always lived in the shadow of being missing.. the eight-year-old Felix, who will never grow up again.
——This is the "truth" that everyone has been waiting for.
It was as if a sharp blade had pierced Peter Parker's heart, ruthlessly tearing through the softest, most untouchable parts of his soul, unleashing a surge of unshakeable regret and pain.