horror effect

In fact, all I have told you is about my dead husband.

We first met in Gracanica, Bosnia, when he was a grocer, specializing in buying all kinds of goods that families ruined by the war were eager to sell, and then looking for valuable things to resell.

I was an officer's mistress at the time, but I was tired of the constant military operations, the constant relocation, and wanted someone to get me out of that nasty country, and Theoros was a good target.

We became more and more acquainted, and he obviously liked my youthful beauty very much. Soon after, when the army moved out again, I parted ways with the officer and became Theoros' mistress.But he doesn't seem to intend to marry me, which is not enough for me, the only way for me to leave is to marry him, since he is not willing to commit, then I have to find his weakness and force him to promise me.

After getting along with him for a long time, I gradually discovered that besides the grocery business, he also has another kind of business, a more despicable and indecent business.The war produced a lot of orphans. Their parents either died or were separated from them. Theoros always likes to look for such children everywhere. He lures them to live in his house with sweet words and food. After a period of time, he will put Take the child out and give it to another person, and that person will take the child away, or he will bring Theoros a sum of money.They're doing human trafficking.But it does make them a lot of money.

Theoros never told me what they were doing, he always told me he was helping the orphans.I think he thought I was one of those silly girls with a pretty face but a mess inside, and I'm glad he thought of me that way because then I could follow his movements without arousing his suspicions.

One day, Theoros told me solemnly that he was going back to his country, but he just dumped me.

I reminded him at once that I knew what he was up to, which obviously surprised him,

I even think he thought about getting rid of me.But I told him that I just hope he can take me away, only on one condition, and Theoros finally agreed.He married me and we came to town together.

No one in this town welcomes me, but I don't care, we can live well with Theoros' money.Later I discovered that Theolos seemed to be afraid of something. At first I thought he was afraid that someone from Bosnia would come and arrest him, but when I tested him, I found that it was something else. about the father.

Occasionally, he would spit out some vague words in his sleep, such as white lion.

When I asked him after he woke up, he always faltered and refused to answer, as if the word was a malevolent spell.

There are more and more rumors about the white lion in the town, and Theolos's mental pressure is getting heavier. He fell into alcoholism, and he was rarely sober.We were rapidly running out of money and were running a very unsuccessful logging mill.Theolos fell into despair.

Quite by chance, he told me one day while drunk that his grandfather, father, and his brothers and sisters were all killed by white lions, and that he himself would be killed sooner or later.I wanted him to explain, but he wouldn't say anything more.He refused to say anything, and as a result he himself lost his life.

That's all I can tell you, and I'm probably disappointed.

Julian and Stephen were indeed disappointed.They had thought Elena knew more about the White Lion, but she only knew about Theoros' past.While they were surprised to find out that Theoros had trafficked people, it didn't do much to stop Bernus.

"Did Theolos say anything else about the white lion?" Julian asked.

"No. He won't tell me."

"Well, then... thank you, Mrs. Theoros. I'm sorry to bother you, but we are leaving." Julian and Stephen stood up.

"Actually..." Elena said suddenly, "There is one more thing I think I should tell you. It is about the person who intervened in Theoros's trafficking of orphans. Don't you want to know who he is? Actually, you all know him."

"Oh? Who is he?"

Julian stared at Irone, and he saw a fierce, vicious smile slip across her face imperceptibly.

"It's Mihail Bouilly. Our respected banker."

Stephen sat on his own bed, wrinkled his nose and said: "I don't believe that woman."

"Why?" Julian threw the cushions on the floor and sat on them.

"She's lying to us. Look at the look on her face when she says Bouiy's name - it's full of hate, she's purely vengeful."

"I don't know if there was intentional revenge." Julian looked at him. "Irone's behavior is reasonable, and I would do the same if I were her."

"So are we going to take Mr. Bouilly to court? Child trafficking is a felony."

Julian shook his head. "We won't. It is impossible to convict a person based on Irone's story alone. Stephen, I know Irone better than you, and I believe she is telling the truth."

"Hmph." Stephen turned around and stopped looking at him. In fact, he wanted to say, "You know her body better than I do," but he swallowed the words back.

Julian chose to ignore the angry expression on his companion's face and began to study the information obtained in the past two days, writing and drawing in a notepad from time to time.Finally he seemed to have found something.

"Stephen, I think what we need to focus on now is not to study Bernus' past, but to find all the people who are related to the seven murderers as soon as possible, and warn them to beware of the revenge of the white lion. Burt Warnstein to find out how to stop the white lion."

Stephen nodded in agreement, and Julian continued.

"The white lion first killed the seven murderers. It was about 20 years ago, when Mladenov and his son fell off the cliff, and within six years, the seven murderers died one after another. This is the white lion. The first panic caused. Then there was a blank time of several years. Four years after the end of the first panic, that is, ten years ago, the descendants of the seven murderers began to die strangely one after another. This second panic has continued to this day, Not only did it not end, but it intensified. Let's see who else survived: Sister Tofana is still alive; ; the Mladenov family has disappeared; Theoros still has a son Nikolai; the Bovay family has Dr. Hostatova; the descendants of Antonova are not yet known. It seems that the number is not many."

"But you don't know the family members who have relocated to other places."

Stephen said, "Also, does the White Lion only follow the immediate family when it comes to revenge, or does it include all blood related people? If it is the latter, we will also add those collateral relatives, and Irene Theolos And Anna Boai. That's a lot of people."

"...that's a nasty job," Julian complained.

"And you haven't considered Herbert Wernstein. What's his connection to the White Lion?"

"Is it possible... that he was related by blood to Albert G?"

"Just because he's German too?"

"This is speculation! Stephen. But if it is true..." Julian looked up at the ceiling in a daze.After a while, he stared at Stephen suddenly, and said eagerly: “Our top priority now—investigate Herbert Wernstein.”

In the corridor on the third floor of the west wing of the Cedar Hill Hotel, Kragujewicz, who was on duty, was dozing off.He was originally a temporary worker in the kitchen, and usually helped deliver vegetables.

Since the innkeeper Herbert Wernstein planned to set up an on-duty person in the corridor on the third floor, he has been converted into a regular employee, and his daily job is to rotate the management floor with the other two waiters.

This job was much more annoying than he imagined. He was required to keep an eye on the movement in the corridor all the time and notify the manager on duty of any abnormal situation, but he saw nothing except the guests walking around.Besides, he didn't understand what an "abnormal situation" was.

The day started at five o'clock in the evening, and only two guests passed by, so that Kragujewicz lost the opportunity to admire the beautiful face of a young female guest and laugh at the stupid hat of an old male guest.He sat bored, staring at the patterns on the carpet until the patterns in his eyes writhed like snakes.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, Herbert Wernstein came over quietly but suddenly.Kragujewicz immediately straightened up and mustered up his energy.

The innkeeper came up to him, looked around, then pointed to a nearby door - number C307 - and said to the watchman: "You have to make sure no one disturbs me when I go in."

"Yes. Mr. Wernstein."

Herbert nodded without saying anything, then took out the key to open the door, and disappeared into the shadows of the dark room.

Room C307 was pitch black, and even though the door was not fully closed, the lights in the corridor did not cast any shadows on the ground at the entrance.Herbert took a step forward, turned around and slowly closed the door. Just as the lock made a "snap", the room suddenly lit up, and the Baccarat crystal chandelier on the ceiling was emitting silver-white brilliance.

The first thing Herbert noticed was the Morris olive-willow wallpaper on the walls, and he remembered that the last time he had been there they had been carved and inlaid wood panels.

But he was not too surprised by this, because Bernus always liked to change the decorations in the room when he was interested, sometimes he changed it very well, such as the wallpaper this time; sometimes he changed it badly, For example, the pop-style rug last time, it felt as if a class of students had vomited on it.

In addition to the wallpaper, the fireplace has also been changed from black marble to blue granite, the carpet has been replaced by a dazzling Byzantine style, the red four-poster bed has been replaced by modern home artwork carved with grotesque beasts, and the walnut round table has no changed, but the desktop became a mosaic.

Bernous, in his white robe, was sitting at the table, busily throwing wine glasses, necklaces, gemstones that he no longer liked into a small box.He was so absorbed in doing his own thing that he didn't seem to notice that there was another person in this secret room.

Herbert walked slowly towards Bernus, stood beside him, took his left hand that was emitting silver light and kissed him.

Bernous stopped what he was doing, turned around, looked at Herbert, and waited until he straightened up before saying coldly and mercilessly, "I didn't want to see you."

"But I have something to see you."

"Oh." Bernous started to move his hands again, this time he took out a sphinx statue inlaid with gold and ivory.

"Everything is working the way they are bound to happen."

"It doesn't seem so," said Herbert.

Bernous stopped again and stared at him. "Are you going to say something about the tavernkeeper Colleven who just died?"

"Indeed. He shouldn't have been in the plan..."

"Our plan doesn't include all deaths," Bernus said flatly.

"Then his death..."

"non of my business."

"Is that true?" Herbert asked.

"Ha!" Bernus sneered.His eyebrows were raised strangely and mockingly, and his red lips were like a scarlet cleft in his pale face.

"Do you think I'm satisfied? Before I can carry out my plans for him? He died like that! So little pain, so little struggle!"

"...It seems that you really didn't meddle in his affairs."

"No!" Bernus replied roughly.

"Then I can go." Herbert nodded, ready to leave, but Bernous stopped him.

"Wait, Herbert Wernstein, I want you to leave town for the next ten days, go wherever you like, as long as you don't show up here for ten days."

Herbert was surprised. "What happened?"

"Julian Raymond and Stephen Breumontrose are starting to suspect you. Before they start investigating or following you, you should go away for a while."

"They?" Herbert showed a contemptuous smile undisguised.

"Don't look down on them, Herbert. Do as I tell you."

"When will you get rid of your dictatorship!" cried Herbert.

"no way--!"

The room was filled with rumbling sounds, like the roar of the earth before a volcano erupts.

The crystal chips and woolen rugs on the chandeliers were ablaze, a fiery flame blazing.Herbert had to step back, and through the scorching flames, he saw Bernus holding his head proudly in the fire, his white skin was reflected pink.