I'm not a Killer

HURRY, SAVE HIM!

"Charlie, you...." Daren was surprised to see Charlie standing in front of him.

Charlie flashed a sardonic smile. "How are you, Daren?" asked Charlie in a condescending tone.

Before Daren could answer, Charlie suddenly stepped up to Daren quickly. Deftly, Charlie pulled out a syringe from his jacket pocket.

"Shut up, Daren," Charlie said coldly, while gripping the syringe tightly.

Before Daren could react, Charlie quickly jabbed the syringe into Daren's arm. Daren felt something prick and immediately felt his body go limp.

"D-Damn it, Charlie... What did you... do to me...?" Daren said with a voice that began to stammer, before finally fainting and his body collapsed to the ground.

Charlie immediately carried Daren's unconscious body into his car. He looked at Daren coldly before starting the engine and driving away.

Charlie arrived at an old building that had been empty for a long time. Charlie carefully carried Daren's body into the building. He knew that this place would not be visited by anyone, making it suitable to carry out his plan.

On top of the building, Charlie and the group of people he had brought with him had prepared everything. They tied Daren's body with strong ropes, ensuring that Daren would not be able to move.

When Daren finally regained consciousness, he was shocked to see himself bound amidst strangers. He tried to scream, but his voice was cut off by a burly man who immediately put a firm hand over his mouth.

"You won't be able to scream, killer," the burly man said in a threatening voice.

Daren felt panic wash over him. He tried to fight back, but with his body still limp, his efforts were unsuccessful. He felt helpless in the midst of this unexpected situation.

When Charlie appeared among the people, Daren looked at him with a hateful gaze. "Charlie, what are you doing?" Daren snapped with a trembling voice.

Charlie just smiled sarcastically. "I just want you dead, Daren, haha. You think you can get away with it after disrupting my life?" asked Charlie in a contemptuous tone.

Daren couldn't believe what he was hearing. He tried to make sense of the situation, but everything felt like an endless nightmare.

As the burly men began to attack him, Daren felt painful blows striking his body. He tried to hold on, but his strength was already drained by the anesthetic Charlie had given him earlier.

When Daren was helpless, the men picked him up and carried him to the riverbank not far from the old building. Roughly, they threw Daren's body into the rushing river.

"Hahaha goodbye, Daren Navarro, may you rest in peace! Hahahaha...." Charlie was so satisfied; he was sure Daren would drown, and his body would probably be hard to find.

Daren felt himself being swept away by the river's fierce current. He tried to scream, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the rapidly flowing water.

As his body continued to be carried away by the current, Daren's mind drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness. He felt like he was trapped in an endless nightmare.

"Save me, God, I don't want to die yet before I prove that I'm not a murderer. Give me a chance to live until my good name is restored," Daren whispered.

As he closed his eyes, he heard male voices. Soon, Daren was unconscious again.

"HURRY, SAVE HIM!" shouted a middle-aged man, asking his bodyguards to save Daren.

***

Charlie and Laura sat together in the living room, a quiet atmosphere accompanied them both. Charlie finally opened his voice to reassure Laura.

"Rest assured, Laura, Daren is dead," Charlie said in a voice full of conviction.

Laura looked at Charlie, wondering if he was right. "Are you really sure?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, trust me. At least our lives will be calmer without your troublesome ex-husband," Charlie replied, trying to reassure Laura.

Laura breathed a sigh of relief, calming her troubled heart. "Okay, I believe you, Charlie. I hope Daren really is gone."

"But, Charlie...."

"But what else, Laura?" asked Charlie.

"I'm afraid that Daren's death will just make things more complicated," said Laura.

"You just calm down, sweetie, it's going to be okay, okay!" said Charlie to calm Laura down.

ONE WEEK LATER!

Laura and Charlie arrived at the police station, wanting to close the case on the death of Vivian, Charlie's wife, who died from cyanide poisoning. Charlie and Laura's arrival was warmly welcomed by Inspector Barra, who was in charge of the case.

"Sorry, Inspector Barra, I came here to close the case of my wife Vivian's death. I feel there's no point in continuing this investigation," Charlie said, trying to look calm.

However, Inspector Barra looked at Laura and Charlie sharply, as if sensing that there was something to hide. "I think we should continue investigating this case. There's a lot to uncover," Barra said.

"But, Inspector Barra. I haven't heard from Darren in a week. Where did the killer go? I'm afraid Darren has escaped," said Charlie.

"Mr. Charlie and Miss Laura, take it easy. I'll look into Daren's whereabouts. I want to keep investigating the death of Mrs. Vivian's wife. This case is very interesting, so I will pursue it until the perpetrators get their comeuppance. I believe there is an insider in this case considering the fingerprints on the glass Mrs. Vivian was holding," Inspector Barra explained.

Laura and Charlie couldn't help but sigh; neither of them had expected Inspector Barra to be so adamant. Charlie and Laura tried to explain their reasoning.

However, Inspector Barra still couldn't accept their excuses. He felt that Laura and Charlie had something to hide. Therefore, he would continue this case until it was resolved.

"Alright, then let's continue this investigation," Charlie finally relented.

"Yes, Mr. Charlie. I will do my best to uncover the truth behind Vivian's death," Inspector Barra said firmly.

Laura and Charlie were forced to accept Inspector Barra's decision. They left the police station feeling anxious.

"What about this, Charlie? Inspector Barra should have closed Vivian's death case. It's always the victim's family who asks for it. But why does he want to continue the case? Don't you find it strange, Charlie?" Laura said her frustration to Charlie at length after getting in the car.

"I don't understand either, Laura. If Barra wanted to continue the investigation, she shouldn't have released Daren!" It wasn't just Laura who felt strange about Barra's decision to handle the case; Charlie did too.

Elsewhere, it turned out that Daren was still alive. He was lying weak in a top-notch hospital, his body full of tubes and medical devices. His face was pale and weak, but his breathing was regular. Daren was still in a coma, unconscious.

A nurse checked on Daren's condition, recording his progress. The doctor who was treating him also came to see Daren's latest condition.

"How's it going, Doc?" the nurse asked.

The doctor sighed, then replied, "His condition is still not improving. We must continue to monitor and pray that he will wake up from his coma soon."

"Yes, Doc," said the nurse.

Not long after, the nurse and doctor left the hospital room. Someone entered the room, a man about 53 years old. The man grasped one of Daren's palms.

"You have to survive, Daren," the man whispered next to Daren's ear.

Suddenly, the middle-aged man felt Daren's fingers slowly move. He smiled at Daren's progress. Immediately, the man released his hand that held Daren's hand.

Daren's eyes slowly opened. His eyeballs stared at the rooftops of the hospital. "Where am I?" Daren's voice was still weak, his eyes darting around the room.

The man smiled with relief when he saw that Daren was fully awake.

Daren felt his head was still dizzy, his vision still blurry. Daren closed his eyes, trying to remember what he had experienced. But everything still looked dark.

"Don't force yourself to remember the bitter events you've experienced, young man," said the man.

Daren opened his eyes, his eyeballs glancing in the direction of the man's voice.

"Who are you?" asked Daren, confused. He winced again, feeling the pain in his head and all over his body.