Previously, after Edward went to John—who attends the same school as him—their meeting was interrupted when the bell rang. Later, when the two friends arrived home, Edward explained to John what he had found in the library. Arthur was also present there, and Edward told John that the book belonged to their sister Olivia.
The three of them went through the book together after Edward had already reviewed it alone.
Edward sighed and said, "No use… there's nothing interesting. I already went through it before."
John replied, "Are you sure? What about this?"
The three of them turned to the last page, where they found a series of neatly arranged numbers, forming what looked like a coded sequence.
Arthur examined them carefully and said, "There's nothing special about these numbers," or at least that's what he tried to convince himself of.
Edward responded, "I don't think so. Don't you see? These numbers are written in our sister Olivia's handwriting."
Arthur was shocked by what his brother had said. Despite his intelligence, he had missed a crucial detail that could help them find their sister's killer.
Arthur's gaze toward Edward changed. He noticed a certain maturity in his behavior.
Edward had always been that cowardly, joking troublemaker who did meaningless things, yet he also had a comedic side that brought some joy to Arthur. But now, everything had changed.
A wall now stood between Arthur and Edward, placing each of them on opposite sides. Even though Edward was speaking casually with John, Arthur had realized the truth but chose to keep it to himself. After all, they were brothers of the same blood—how could he not understand that his brother had become unusually silent lately? Still, he could not blame him, since they had both gone through the same traumatic experience.
What Arthur did not know, however, was that Edward had not changed because of the past. Instead, after refining his martial arts skills, he had developed something of a fighter's spirit, despite being only a beginner—which was a rare occurrence.
Edward began reading the symbols—or rather, the numbers written at the end of the page:
"20-8-5-18-5 4 9-19 4 14-15 4 2-18-15-20-8-5-18 4 2-5-20-23-5-5-14 4 21-19"
Then Edward continued, "That's why I asked you to meet that person you mentioned earlier. As you can see, we are just high school students and cannot decode something like this. We need a detective, and it just so happens that this person owes your father a favor."
John nodded while swallowing nervously. Deep down, he realized that what the brothers were doing was dangerous, but he still chose to help them with everything he had, because Edward was his only friend.
A heavy silence filled the room as everyone understood the seriousness of their actions. Once the investigation began, there was no turning back.
Edward finally spoke, his voice heavy with guilt:
"I'm sorry, John… you shouldn't have gotten involved with us. With your wealth and connections, you could've lived a peaceful life without worries. I'm truly sorry… and if there is any way I can repay you in the future…"
John reassured Edward, telling him not to worry.
After that, John made a call to Sebastian, telling him he would come because he needed his help with something. Sebastian agreed without hesitation.
---
Back to the present, the next day…
The three of them were in a car with a driver heading toward the street where Sebastian's apartment—rumored to also be his detective office—was located.
John knew the place well since he had visited his father's friend before, so he led the way.
They climbed the stairs: John in front, Edward behind him, and Arthur at the back, following their steps.
John stopped in front of an old apartment door, then turned to his friends and said:
"This might seem strange to you, but you should be prepared. That old man is eccentric, so no matter what happens, don't be surprised."
Edward and Arthur nodded in agreement.
When they entered… they were shocked.!!!!